"Max, they are close to the flipped over raft, we really don't want them on the boat, what if you just gave them a lift up onto the raft that's overturned?" Orlando offered.

From behind Orlando, climbing up the boarding ladder on the side not visible to the Coast Guard, Aeviternus added; "We may not even want to be here anymore."  As he made the last few rungs up and over the side, the black tendrils were already thrashing and retreating.  By the time he made his first step back aboard, he was dry and in his street clothes once more.

"There are unnatural things in the water," he stated plainly as he closed the distance to Orlando's side.  "This could quickly turn into a fight outside the scope of papers and judicious proof of ownership.  They're not interested in diplomacy."

While he talked so that the group could hear, he'd been staring out at the turmoil in the ocean before them, not without some measure of gloom and possibly regret.  Turning to look at the man he stood next to, he started; "They look like..." then, turning his head to Xuan as if his expertise might better lend itself to the situation; "Shark men."

Listening to Ace, Max got the impression that he embraced the thought of   leaving the endangered men to vend for themselves and not lend a hand. Max couldn't except this as an option.

Max wasn't a leader, but he realized that sometimes leaders were born of adversity and necessity.

"Capt. you need to make a call if we don't act these men are going to die." Max was acting with a sense of urgency.

"Ace how many shark men are in an attacking position to the men in the water?"

Max was contemplating Tibbs idea of getting the men back on their own inflatable boat. These were shark men, razor sharp teeth and all. They would turn that boat into a memory with a thought and then the men would be in grave danger again.

"Old man I think the inflatable boat isn't the answer to these men's struggle for life, considering all the sharp teeth in the water. Our ship is closest and we need to get them here quickly." Max again turned to Kirby waiting for an answer to his earlier question.

Orlando now thoroughly persnickedied, wait, those sharks are sharkmen, hold on, what the fuck is a sharkman?" Orlando was now scared and perplexed.

Kirby's plan had really only been about getting the men, and their guns, drenched in salt water. He had not planned on this. And whad da fuck is a sharkman?

At this moment all the guns on the Cutter seemed like a welcome addition in terms of saving the men. At the top of his lungs, Kirby yelled to get the attention of coasties on the other vessel. "SHARKS in the water!"

 He scanned the ocean, looking for some side, and addressed his men on the ship. "We must help them. If possible, we need to not be obvious about our powers." Kirby had no idea how that would be possible for Max.

"I don't think using our powers will be obvious unless we make it so. Capt if I can get the men started in our direction can you increase their speed to the boat? I think that's the best plan for their rescue."

"Yes, do it Cool Hands."

Max takes a deep breath and concentrates on the men in the water, "Arrowhead I'm starting the movement process, stand by to do your thing. Tsunami, can you Ace and Pythian be ready for the shark-men if they make a move?"

His mood darkening with every passing moment, Xuan listened in turn to each man, wondering himself what the right course would be.

Shark-men. Shark-women. He really, really didn't like those abominations.

Men were in the water, about to die. How many were innocent? With any luck, Max and Kirby would have them out of danger soon. If they made it that far. And those that did...the shark-people wouldn't stay in the water. None of this would have even been an issue if he'd have chosen his father's path. The path of Shui.

"There is no "if"." Xuan's voice was cold, almost distant. "These are the creatures that attacked me on this same boat before we met. If they are here, they will kill. And they can look just like anyone if they want." It was matter-of-fact. Emotion had no place in this. Decision and action were called for here. He gazed out into the water. "And they can die just like anyone."

"Ace, I know you just got back, but I have an idea, and I could use someone to watch my back. It involves being in the water. Pythian, anything you have up your sleeve to repel these things would come in handy now."

"I counted two of them," Aeviternus answered Max's question to the group.  In answer to Xuan's question, the tendrils reappeared from underneath his clothes and began to wrap him once again, looking first as though mummifying the man then smoothing out to the dark head-to-toe covering they'd seen him in when he returned from space.

"I may be able to get the natural animals to leave without a fight;" he added as he nodded to the boat's captain that he was ready.

"Actually," Xuan replied with a smirk as he strode swiftly to the edge, "I thought maybe they could help."

" To repel them, I'd need to know what they are and I can't even see them, listen, if we need to do something big, I can distract the entire coast guard so they couldn't see a thing. What kind of creatures are you talking about, Mermaid shark things.  I've never heard of that?"Orlando said exhasperated.

Xuan paused long enough to hear Orlando out, using the time to remove his shirt and ignite his third Chakra. His heart pace picked up and his blood surged through his veins, the tingle spreading from his center to the tips of each limb. The glow in his torso lasted only a moment before subsiding.

"Think werewolf, only...were...shark. Best I can explain it. Be on guard. If they evade us and jump on the boat, they will be just as deadly as in the water. Nothing the three of you can't handle though. Don't worry, you'll figure it out. I have complete faith in you, Orlando."

Nodding to Aeviternus to indicate his readiness, Àn Xīng appeared in his hand just as he fell back gracefully into the water.

 +14 to dex = 33 Dex.

Aeviternus looked over at Kirby and pointed to his ear indicating his communication device would work, then followed Xuan into the water feet first, pressing his limbs close together to send his body a few feet beneath the surface.

Once again immersed he allowed the suit to accommodate his swimming needs and scanned around him to make sure he knew Xuan's location.

Max...trying to lift so many men had caused a strain, the raft rips Max was trying to help them and the men climbing on top were thrown back into the water.  There were a couple of men on top of the raft pulling others up, they sank into the water.


Xuan and Aeviternus...Entering the water they found each other about 10 feet away from each other, the water as far as the eye could see held animals.  This was a scuba-diver's dream dive, well, except for the circumstances. The animals seems to be curious, swimming in, then away, then in again.  Medium sized sharks circled the raft and the larger boat, the sharks didn't seem to be the worst of the danger in the water. Jelly-fish were twenty-yards away, on sight Xuan recognized these floating creatures. One jelly fish of this type would cause discomfort and a numbing of the afflicted limb, a  school would cause death to ALL in the water.

...It worked once...

Aeviternus sent out another "ping" to the open waters, hoping to redirect nature's beasts to protect their home from the real evil.  He thought about blocking out the shark men, imagining lines of communication that swerved around those two unnatural beings, avoiding them snakes around obstacles.

The true danger is now amongst you; it is not men and it is not beasts.  It is those who are an unearthly combination of the two.  Seek out the shark men and drive them from your home.

He didn't feel as good about this directive, perhaps it was too convoluted or complicated.  However Ace felt confident in his new partner's ability and assertive way of facing the danger.

What my father could do with all of this... It was beautiful. The multitude of marine life, the menagery of ocean dwellers, all together at once. What brought them to this?

Hidden among them were the tainted, the disease within the purity. These Shark-folk.

Allowing the water into his lungs, Xuan took a deep breath and released, his body sorting the oxygen from the water naturally. He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind to the creatures all around him as his father had taught him so many years ago, prepared for the flood of empathic communication that would soon bombard his senses.

He stood statuesque within the salty deep, not attempting to swim, not moving but for the gentle pull of the water. Bringing both hands to hold his staff vertically before himself, he connected with the Chi stored within and led it to the curved blade, causing it to gently glow. This was where it had become tricky in his youth. To load one's Chi into a weapon and use it without releasing it required a great deal of discipline and practice. To create a Chi Song was an entirely more sophisticated level of that ability. As he loaded more Chi, the glow became brighter along the blade while the runes on the staff lit up one by one until the entirety of it was illuminated in a blazing beacon of white-gold. The water around the staff rippled as it vibrated at a pitch too high and fast to see. The low hum could barely be heard by human ears, or that of most natural creatures.

Concentrating to bring the glow down so that it wouldn't be seen above the surface, Xuan played the Song, a sound of immeasurable depth. It was a sound of purity, of spirit, of the soul. And it was one of the most hideous things a being of Evil would ever hear. Just how evil the Shark-folk were, Xuan was unsure. He only knew they were unnatural and wrong.

Looking over to Aeviternus, Xuan mouthed "Be ready." If the Shark-men didn't know where they were before, they would now.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:52, Tue 18 June 2013.

Orlando was curious by nature and had quietly placed two very informative spells on his person, two different sights that would help him see...almost everything. Orlando saw the energy in the water, it pinged to him. He didn't see it as Max would have but he sent him a thought that had direction in it. He could see the good energy shoot through the water and see the jelly fish and see the other sea life.

He could not see the supernatural creatures apparently, they had either fled or had a unique way of camouflaging themselves.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:40, Thu 27 June 2013.

     The men in the water screamed in panic as they saw the sharks coming up to the surface to view their prey.  The other ship had put a second boat in the water and it headed toward the men in the water who were now trying to get out of the wreckage of the blown yellow boat.  This is when the two men in the water began to work their magic...

     Aeviternus reached out to the aquatic life, trying to communicate in this strange new way, his message was complicated and recieved returning messages with confusion.  The sea creatures had not the same feeling as he. The sharks seemed to think the "unnatural creatures" were something close to dangerous kin and safe to be around, and the fish gave feelings of normalcy.  The whales lurking in the outstretch of his range seemed leery of the metal hulled boats, and seemed to feel everything was just too busy. The Shark-like creatures were not felt or seen...until...

      Max and Orlando-Both of these men shared a strange bond, one that allowed emotion to transfer between them.  They also shared more in common that they knew, some of their powers complimented each other quite well.  As Orlando thought of Max their powers melded, each seeing with a combined strength and detail of the other's powers. They both looked in the direction of Xuan and Aeviternus, seeing the spirit energy shooting out, like the sun, shooting from Aeviternus, both men knew this was something magical and raw.  Orlando's powers allowed them to see the spirit of Aeviternus reach out and grow, touching the souls of the sea life, while Max's powers allowed them to decipher that it was indeed a human's soul that they saw.  Max's power allowed them to discern it's fundamental properties, which in turn looking upon each other saw into their own soul and the possibilities...Xuan's power gave them both another start. Max had encountered many energies, and this was new to him as well, but very similar to Aeviternus's and to Orlando's, it was human energy, spirit energy, refined, like Magic but different. Magic seemed to take energy from the universe, mix it with human spirit and effect the world. Xuan's energy was derived from his own soul and then manipulated to effect the world and his song was beautiful and fierce. It was at that moment that Orlando and Max saw the shark-like creatures attempting to sneak towards Aeviternus, swimming as sharks. Their energy was primal and they boad ill towards the men in the water. The song caused them to pause and circle away. They sped to the outskirts of Orlando's power which happened to coincide with Xuan's range of song.  Max then saw the creatures stop and send out parts of their own energy, soul-like in nature, speeding out like a flash of sound waves.

      Xuan-His song was powerful and shot through the water with immense range, pinging through the water like sonar, its effects were amplified. The jelly fish all but seemed to go silent, stunned, as if the water short-circuited their electrode bodies. The floated lifeless, soothed, the fish all seemed to disperse and thin out. The sharks seemed to jettison away, but not from the song, something else drove fear into their hearts. Xuan reaching out to the animals felt their fear, something horrible had been awoken, its consciousness now suddenly heavy in the water.  It felt huge. He seemed to fear that being in the water even in a boat was not the best idea. Looking at Aeviternus he could tell that the timeless man felt the sense of urgency as well.

Kirby was about to reach for a life ring, one he planned to throw to the men in the water, when he saw the sharks - wear sharks? turn and flee. Suddenly his stomach was very empty.

He keyed his mic, speaking into the ears of the team, "whad da fuck is going on down there?"

Orlando relayed all of the info he had seen in the water to Kirby. He eyed Kirby knowing that what he said was far fetched but he needed to tell the captain what was transpiring.  Orlando gave him the most serious of looks when delivering the information. "Captain, how in the hell are we gonna get these guys outta here in one piece?"

At Orlando's words Kirby imediatly thought of the helicopter parked on the deck of the other vessel. His eyes scanned the coastgaurd bird as he once again key'd his mic. "Out of the water everyone, we need to get out of here."

Maxs' mind was now at full alert. He knew the teams next actions would be the difference between life and death for those in and out of the water.

'A man's actions makes him who he is.' His fathers words came to mind, through the crystal.

Max conveyed his next words with a dire sense of urgency. "Arrowhead is right. Ace you and Tsunami need to get top side now. Our supernatural Vertebrata friends in the water are doing something and it's doesn't bode well for us."

Max turned to Tibbs. "Are you picking up on what the shark dudes are doing? I get the feeling they might be summoning something, but that's just a feeling. Can you interrupt what they're doing?"

"Arrowhead what can I do to help with your plan." Max couldn't read Kirbys' mind but he knew he was a man of action and already formulating a plan.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:21, Thu 27 June 2013.

The thought of summoning something sent shivers down his spine, he thought they were communicating or calling something, of which he could do nothing from here. "No Go dammit, I can't. But we can get these guys out of the water fast without them knowing how it happened. On the count of three you pick up each man with your telekinetic, don't worry about your limits. I think with our bond and a few tricks up my sleeve it'll work. 1...2...3..."

Orlando used his bond and cast two spells, the first joined Max's strength to his own allowing Max to draw more energy than before, the second was a spell that harnessed the sun and shot bright light into all of the soldiers eyes, minus Kirby. The sun was not a flash, it bowed and bent and focused all around the water focusing inward on the men I the water and on the big ship.

Max felt the tension in Tibbs words, which in this stressful situation was to be expected. Max had learned one thing in his years of field and laboratory research. Stress is a factor that has to be accounted for. It is a form of energy, which Max found to be ninety nine precent negative in it's creation, manipulation and end result.

Max heard Tibbs words and reacted quickly. He felt his power swell as the breaking crest of a wave. He gathered the growing string energy, knitting it tighter and tighter, forming the creation to his will, 'These men will be saved,' was his one thought, one intent. This would be a great test of his power and potential.

Max relaxed and focused his will. He spoke to Tibbs in a whisper. "Orlando, focus on the men being safely on board their ship. In doing this we will be of one accord, one thought, one mind. Let your stress go. Together we can do this, together we are doing this." Max knew he and Tibbs had a connection, deep, eternal as two brothers helping each other in time of great need.