[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img]
[color=salmon]Word Count: 1206 (+2 exp)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]7[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 4/70
[b]Location:[/b] Edge of the Blue[/color][/center]
The harbor was still buzzing even with most of the navy at sea already, and the last of the people gathered prepared to take off. Brineybeard rang the last call bell, sadly cutting the reunion with the half of the Atomos' crew short. Oh well - while the Cadet would have loved to hear Sakura's tale about the sortie from yesterday, he supposed that after [i]today's[/i] assignment it wouldn't really matter... because they'd win, and wouldn't have to worry about any undying army of ships, or dark untraversable seas.

The Cadet stood up straight, stretching his arms as he did so. It was time to depart. He caught sight of Nadia waving to him and he turned to her, finding himself chuffed a moment later at her comment. They [i]would[/i] need an Ace like him on Shippy, especially if the Atomos already had a Witcher. The Cadet grinned at Ms. Fortune and nodded, hopping down from the airship and jogging over to Shippy to catch up. It was the same crew that had stayed at the tavern last night, all friendly and comfortable with each other - the Shippy had a good crew indeed.

The hunter boarded just as the living vessel pulled away from shore. For some, the mission had a serious and solemn feel - those going to defend their homes and avenge their comrades. For others, it felt like the start of a fresh adventure. Ace Cadet was firmly in the second category, and he mirrored Nadia's enthusiasm. [color=salmon]"Hellblade yeah! It's go time!"[/color]

During the trip out to sea, some of the crew split up as best they could aboard the relatively small ship. The Cadet never went far himself, glued to the railing as he spent his time looking out across the water, into the colorful beaches nearby, or staring into the water below to try and spot anything interesting. There were some strange creatures he would have liked to get a hold of, but there was no time to stop and see the sights. The only time the Cadet left the ship's edge was when all of them gathered at the center of the deck to talk about a... murder?

[color=salmon]"First I've heard of it,"[/color] the Cadet said. He hadn't exactly been keeping an ear out for that kind of thing when he'd arrived at the harbor. [color=salmon]"Sephiroth, huh? ...oh, wait, the guy with the longsword?"[/color] The redhead was a little later to catch on, but he put two and two together. He nodded along with Link's comment, having also assumed that the man was a random good samaritan. If that wasn't the case... had he joined the battle not because he was just a good guy caught up in it, but simply because he saw a powerful person and wanted to obtain that power? ...nah, no way, right? 

[color=salmon]"When we get back to Limsa we can find him and ask,"[/color] the Cadet suggested with a shrug. Then he turned to Frog with a curious expression. [color=salmon]"Glenn, huh?"[/color] he asked, having had no qualms about just calling the amphibian man "Frog" before he wondered which name was preferred. 

It was little while longer before a communication came through. The fan-wielding ship girl stood close so that they could all hear the plan: fight their way through the bay and make it to an inland river, then ride it straight through until they reached their destination. It was as good a plan as any, no complaints from the ace hunter. The Cadet pulled Gough's Greatbow from his back as soon as the communication ended. He drummed his fingers along the grip, excited to use the huge wooden weapon for the first time. When their ship turned into the bay he obliged himself, pulling the drawstring back as far as it would go and letting the over-sized arrows he'd commissioned fly. 

It felt good, the bow was sturdy and strong, yet supple. The Cadet fired two, three more arrows out and continued at that pace. The smaller abyssals exploded into ash with just one shot, but the bigger ones needed a couple more. With as many enemies swarming as there were, he didn't have the luxury of taking careful aim at each one after all. When an arrow hit their armor instead of their exposed flesh it left a great dent, making an opening for follow up shots to pierce through - or served as enough of a distraction for the squid or seadogs to finish the monster off. 

The sea churned with battle. Water splashed up and everywhere, and wind and heat blew through the area as well, generated from the Atomos and the combined efforts of Sakura's flame-looking power and Bowser's actual flames. Just as the king stated, it was pretty awesome. Cadet focused on picking off the abyssals that were getting too close, sending their spirits into the sea for the recovery team to collect. The number of them was overwhelming, and he couldn't stop all of them. The enemies that did get onto the ship he trusted his companions to deal with, and they did so as quickly as possible. One stray little abyssal crept it's way towards the hunter, but BB squealed loudly to alert it's master, who turned and stuck an arrow into the thing's head. 

[color=salmon]"There's so many of them!"[/color] That was pretty obvious for every single person in the bay, but the Cadet said it anyway, continuing to pick off abyssals one by one with his bow. He'd traded defenses with Sakura - while she fired hadoukens at the monsters attacking Shippy, from his better vantage point Cadet took aim at those pelting the bottom of the Atomos. For every one that turned to ash, it seemed another was close behind. Something rocked the boat even harder, and the Cadet looked over the side to see a few enemies eating their way into Shippy's hold. [color=salmon]"Dalamadamnit,"[/color] Cadet cursed to himself. That was not good.

Then, a screech rang through the air, followed shortly by a massive bird taking wing. Now [i]that[/i] was a monster - and oh, the Cadet wanted a piece of it. It's great bulk and beautiful plumage were easy to see even from a distance. As much as he wanted to stay atop the deck and engage the bird as soon as it got close enough, there were more pressing matters that needed attention. The mission came first, and it would be mission failed if the creatures below deck ate through the ship's hull and sank them.

[color=salmon]"I'm going below deck!"[/color] Cadet called out, tearing his eyes from the bird and settling them on the remaining pieces of Shippy's railings. He fired the slinger at it, and once the hook took a firm hold on the railing he vaulted over it himself, swinging over the water then back towards the ship and into the hole the abyssal's had torn through before Blazermate's healing patched it up. The bow was far less suited to a ship's interior, but the Cadet rolled with it - literally, as he landed inside and rolled with the bow in hand, springing up with three arrows held tight in his grip and already nocked, the triple volley launched at the abyssals inside a moment later.