[h3][u]Ayer Lecomte[/u][/h3]
[b]-- 9:32pm [/b]
- Mentions [@Mataus]

The climb proved a little difficult, Ayer slipping a few times and catching himself on a rope or nail. Out of a general clumsiness and fatigue mostly. He cursed under his breath at the sharp stings, but eventually he made it onto the boat. 

Ayer almost forgot what it was like to sit in one spot, his body sore and burning alike from the excursion across the dock-town. He felt like a hot balloon underneath the ocean current, feeling bruises across his arms and legs. He breathed out a long sigh. His eyes fluttered for a moment in his leisurely thoughts, but they blinked back wide. They were not free yet. He scooted himself next to the stern and swung the handle of the Ars off the side, aiming it until it aligned with the boat. Quickly, he performed a series of adjustments to the main unit, similar what he did earlier when he prepared the shot-gun air blast against the unsuspecting guard. The core shimmered slightly, and his eyes glanced over in concern, the the spark of electricity faded quickly. 

He had reduced the power input and funneled the mana to a decompression unit at his rear, where the excess mana would be cycled and await being siphoned forward. That way, the output would be steady. In reality, the machine still used the same amount of energy, just not all at once. 

Ayer glanced over at the Eldi with a small smile, "Not much longer now, my friend. Rest your head. I'll steer the vessel." 

With that, he pressed the trigger and a staggered gust of wind bellowed the boat forward. There was a slight hop and bump as the boat hopped a little off the water, where Ayer forced down a surprised yelp. But after this slight hiccup, they moved steadfast. 

	"Sorry, haha..." he muttered in embarrassment.  
Ayer had the laid the compressor flat and had the panel flipped open, frequently glancing down at it as he steered them. There would be enough stability for maybe 20 minutes of propulsion before he would have to turn off [b]Wax Jury[/b] to cool off.

He sighed in relief as the lights and the commotion of the harbor and city faded further and further away.

...  

For a while they drifted forward, kept straight by careful outputs of the Ars and the occasional realigning with the oars. At this point, while staring out at the dark water at the distant forms, Ayer finally made a noise. For once, he didn't have to whisper or strain to listen to himself or the Eldi. 

Realizing this fact of freedom, Ayer suddenly let out a loud laugh, trying to keep them steady as his shoulders shook and his lips curled up. The boat almost veered off coarse with how much he coupled. His emotions were tattered. In one place, he felt both victory and sheer joy from having escaped, but also of fear and frustration and regret from all of everything that happened. He didn't know why he laughed, in reality. Maybe it was just his way of repressing all the stress and boost moral. 

But he took it in stride, looking down with a big smile.   
		"Ha... You know, we've been through all this and I still don't know your name. I keep hailing you as this 'Fire-bending Eldi Savior' in my mind, but I think it is more fitting that I associate a proper name to that idea now. Don't you think? Especially since you already know mine." 

...