DEMI! (Battle Book)

Ch. 24 Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance

After the battle with Apophis, the crew gathered themselves and hovered the shores of Mortag Island. Mihra had awakened to the crew's boasts of Jai and Yusuke's triumph, giving credit to Roe now and again. Kami with the help of Mihra, created an invisibility spell to mask the ship from being detected by the prison's sensors.

Mihra: So, How do you feel?

She turned to Jai looking him up and down, plucking a salt bead out of his hair.

Jai: Hmph. Fine, I guess. Much less...anxious?

Mihra: The way they described it, seemed pretty cool. Kinda like Mayyah.

She squinted at him and examined him for a second then paused.

Jai: What?

Mihra: There's something there. I can't quite see it though. Ya sure ya feel ok?

Jai: I told you not to do that, ever.

Witches can sense essence, some of them can even see it and the connections within the body. Mihra was one of them.

Mihra: Sorry, worried is all. You don't talk much these days. You're great at keeping things inside, but horrible at exorcizing them.

Jai: I'm good. Just focused. I did have a question though...

Mihra: Shoot.

Jai: That snake, why'd he have it out for you?

Mihra: No idea, top guess, he wasn't a snake at all.

Jai: Shit. Then we didn't kill it.

Mihra: No. pissed it off more probably, maybe hurt it's pride a little, but I can still sense him. Think we'll find those kids?

Jai: We always do, don't we? Besides we have to. I'm more concerned with how we're gonna get these guys' captain back. We just made it out of the last one.

Mihra smirked.

Mihra: I have faith they'll do just fine.

Jai: Love your optimism (sarcastically)

Kami: We've found it. We have our entry point.

Yusuke lays a map of the jail on the table.

Yusuke: The captain will be kept in the S wing. Since it holds the pirates with the highest bounties, it'll be the most secure. The S wing is located below the A Wing, which sits on the coast of the island. There's a reservoir we can sneak through that'll dump us right off at the entrance of S Wing if my sources are correct.

Roe: I'm no skeptic, but seems too easy. Why place a way out right at the entrance?

Kami: because the entire wing is submerged underwater and offshore. There's a bulkhead in between that cuts off the A-Wing from S wing. If there's a breach, the wing is designed to be detached and scuttled if necessary. We'll have to come up with something for that.

Yusuke: We'll figure it out in motion. We don't have much time before they realize their watchdog is down. We've come far and lost much. GOTTA FINISH STRONG!

The vessel carefully circled the perimeter of the island. As they approached their entry point, the witch Kami cast a spell creating concealment around the ship, making it invisible. She then passed by each crew member, tapping them on their heads and mumbling more words. As she passed an air bubble encased each subject.

Kami: These will keep you from environmental harm. Physically you can still be hurt, but the bubble will keep you from drawing. The prison may have dampeners that reduce essence, I've accounted for that and buffed your resistance as well—lesson learned from our last encounter.

She walked towards Yusuke and stood on her toes to gently kiss him on the cheek.

"Please be safe."

Yusuke's eyes widened and he blushed. Barely containing himself he nodded and a tear of joy streamed down the same cheek.

they descended into the water. Kami, along with the helmsman stayed behind to protect the ship.

Swimming to avoid detection, The extraction team reached the reservoir. Making their way through, they reach the bottom floor of the A Wing, where they are met by two guards defending a 20-foot door.

Guard: WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!

Before they could answer, Mihra swiftly chopped them in the back of their heads, leaving them incapacitated.

Yusuke: WE PIRATES!!!

Jai: Keep it d—HOLY CRAP. This door?!

In front of them stood the massive bulkhead which cut off the A & S wings.

Mihra:I got this

She took a power stance and then charged up a double-impact punch. On release, the sound her fist made striking the cold steel made a thunderous boom, which rumbled the structure. But after, a peculiar thing happened. Instead of receiving a second blow from Mihra's spell, it was Mihra who took the second blow, and the other right after, shooting her into the parallel wall.

Yusuke: woah! You good, Witch Princess?!

Mihra: Crap. That's what I feel like?! I'm fine!

She stood up and shook herself off

Mahl: It's enchanted. There's a counter seal.

Jai: Enchanted huh?

 
He walked up to the door. His palms sweat, dripping with water. As each drop left his fingertips, it froze and then floated to the ground as a snowflake. Jai placed his palm on the massive door. A sheet of ice immediately formed covering the door's outer layer. Jai pressed harder onto the bulkhead and it continued to freeze. The frozen door expanded within its holding until it began to crack.

Yusuke: Holy Hermes. Fuckin Frosty the Paycho!

Jai: Think you can do something with that?

Mahl: Getting good at that huh, Bamboo. Lemme help.

He clapped his hands and particles of dirt rose and filled the cracked spaces Jai's ice had made, exaggerating them even more.

Mahl: Do your thing Mihr.

Mihra: you think I'm stupid?!

Jai: Fine, we'll do it together.

Roe: Wait, won't the recoil be even worse?

Yusuke: Or, it'll be distributed evenly.

Mihra: You know that for sure?

Yusuke: NOPE. BUT IT'S THE ONE THING BETWEEN US ABD THE CAPTAIN!!

Jai: Sooo....maximum effort?!

Yusuke: YOU HEARD THE PSYCHO. ALTOGETHER NOW!

They all gathered for one final push to ram through the frozen, cracked bulkhead. They charged the door. On impact, it boomed, then cracked once more throughout like a spiderweb, before crumbling to the ground.

Roe: It worked!

Mahl: Get ready, we made a lot of noise just now. If this is where they're keeping their high-profile clients, I'm sure there's security to boast.

Roe: Hey guys, uhh....which way do we go?

Before them stood three pathways, none indistinguishable from the other.

Jai: Of course. It's never that easy.

Mahl: Split up. We'll each have to take away.

Mihra: What does your captain look like?

Yusuke dug into his underwear and pulled out a picture of the entire crew, pointing to their captain.

Yusuke: it's him, the one with the huge smile. He's always smiling.

Jai: Bet. We"ll find him. Must be nice to have your crew care that much. Hehe

Mahl & Mihra: EXCUSE ME?!

Mahl: Let's go Mihr, I'm sure Iceman's got it ALL under control.

Roe and Mahl took the center path, while Mihra and Yusuke took the left. This left Jai with the east path.

#Demi/Ep1