[center][h1][color=00aeef]Link[/color][/h1][/center]

[center]Word Counter: 2303 [/center]

[center][color=00aeef][b] Level 7[/b] [/color] - (10/70) + 3[/center]

[center]Location: Carcass Isle [/center] 

[@Rockin Strings][@Zoey Boey]
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Link's search through the busted remains of the ships that had beached themselves upon this blighted shore proved fruitless. The hulls had been busted open and gutted by the elements as though by a ravenous beast. Soggy wood, moldering rope, furniture smashed to bits by the crash and clothing left to rot in the rain and sea spray. A few of the weapons, weather beaten and eaten away by rust, interested him in the same way the mistakes he had been gifted by the Blacksmith trio back in Lumbridge had but he already had a full compliment of weapons. He literally couldn't carry anymore. He could have carried as much food as they needed, but there wasn't anything to be found in that department either. He would take anything that was safe to eat at this point. 

As he continued to search though, the lack of valuables became conspicuous to him. Things left out in the open or jostled by chaos were one thing, but chests were supposed to seal and preserve. At least the items contained within the few he found should have fared better, but he also found them thrown open and empty. There was no sign of valuables either, items like jewels that shouldn't degrade quite so easily. He remembered the path into village Ms. Fortune had pointed up to them and wondered whether the survivors of these wrecks had taken their valuables and sought shelter that way in the after math. Or, a darker thought asked, whether these ships had been gutted by something other than the weather. 

It wasn't long after that Link found a sign of life. Bootprints in the muck leading out of one of the drier hulks, moving on down the beach toward where his comrades had taken shelter. That couldn't be a coincidence. The rain ensured that these couldn't be that old. He must have just missed whoever this was, maybe when he'd detoured to photograph the wildlife. Instantly his sword was in his hand as he pounded sand after them, the worst case scenario blaring in his mind. 

It turned out that he had no reason to worry. Not only were his comrades all up and about, but they had even managed to get a fire going and extract the airship from some hidden pocket to provide an even better shelter. He slowed down as he approached, trying to play off the frantic worry that was rabidly fading as being out of breath. It was odd, but he felt for sure he shouldn't have had to fake it. A sprint like that normally should have left him utterly winded, but in seeming contrast to the emptiness of his stomach his Stamina seemed more full than ever. 

His relief was doubled when the newcomer was not only amicable, but had been the one to provide the wood to start this fire. It softened the hit to his pride to know that the reason he hadn't been able to gather any fire worthy wood was because it had all already been gathered by someone else. He didn't look as though he was carrying around much else, though, so that still left an uncomfortable feeling that they would find more people deeper into the island. He scooted forward toward the fire, trying to knock off some of this chill. He didn't get long by the fire before a lightning flash signaled the next leg of their journey. It was a shame. He had wanted to hear the newcomers answer to Ms. Fortunes question [i]before[/i] them moved out. 

He stood up and stretched. "I guess I'll just have to enjoy being dry later." He said. He hadn't even had enough time to slightly dry off, so he didn't really mind. Instead he looked at the stranded man, so unassuming looking, and cycled through his weapons until he settled on the [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/6/67/DoC_Sahagin-artwork.jpg]Sahagin Trident[/url]. He flipped it around and held it out to the man. "Here. We're going deeper into the island to face a monster stronger than anything on this sea. I'm not sure if it's safer to come with us or stay here, but keep sharp either way." In truth Link was wholly against bringing this man with them, but he couldn't shake the idea of that Mulduga monster from the Depths or those putrid guests rolling out of the mouth of the Maw and catching him all alone on this beach. 

Regardless of whether the man took either the spear or the advice, Link was about to march back out into the rain when he spotted something glowing faintly in Peach's hand. "What's that?" he asked, and only when it was shown to him did he notice Ms. Fortune's transformation back into her default form. Upon enquiring about the reason behind her giving up the spirit and earning that the fuel for the shipgirls could apparently run out he considered it for a moment and then shrugged. He had enjoyed his time under the waves, and it couldn't hurt to experience the other side of that conflict. At least with this one he would be able to walk. "Give her here." He requested, and pressed the spirit to his chest. 

[center][hider=For Link]
[b][url=https://i.imgur.com/mXwQt08.png]Northampton[/url][/b]
Link's skintone and hair have darkened a touch, with his hair growing longer and turning blue on the inward side of each follicle. His build and features have become slightly more slim and feminine. A naval tattoo has appeared on his left outer thigh. Both his tunic and pants have shortened into a loose top (splashed with white and star-emblazoned) and shorts respectively, while his gloves and boots are shiny and red. His eyes are a glass gradient from blue to green with no visible pupils. This spirit confers the Power [b]Ship Shape[/b], granting a harness attached at the waist. Two mechanical arms extend from it with hull blades at the elbows and miniature three-cannon batteries on the end. While it's equipped, Link can skate over the surface of water. This spirit also confers the weakness [b]Low Caliber[/b], decreasing the host's muscle mass enough to impact physical strength
[/hider][/center]
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It didn't take as much getting used to as the Abyssal. For one thing, he had been right: it didn't completely devastate his ability to walk. Not like it would have mattered so far, what with the river leading deeper into the island. That was where Link spent the majority of his time while during the trek inland, the river. On top of it, more specifically. Another upside the shipgirls had over the Abyssal was that he didn't have to physically get in that nasty looking water, but was able to glide over the top. That was one of the things that did take getting used to, but with a few piece of advice and a bit of encouragement from Sakura soon he was skating along the river like her had been doing it all his life. 

The other thing he had to get used to was the feeling that he had gotten weaker. In addition to a tattoo, a change of hair color he was still surprised by every time his bangs fell into his face, an overall more reveling outfit, and a bevy of weapons that he didn't dare use lest the whole apparatus it was attached to be blasted to piece, the spirit had also imparted the shipgirl's slim figure. Which was fantastic if he ever needed to sneak into Gerudo town again, because he was pretty sure he could manage it without the disguise now, but was less than ideal when it came to swinging around heavy weapons. He confirmed this by dragging out [url=https://imgur.com/Ph4NpsY]ebony battle axe[/url] and noting the comparatively slower swing speed when compared to the fight in Shippy's hold. The rest of his time heading upriver was spent getting used to his arsenals new weight, testing each weapon in turn and figuring out the best ways to compensate for his new shortcomings before they inevitably had to fight.

Luckily for him and everyone else that could skate along the water like this the town they ended up in was flooded. Creatures you would normally see in the ocean instead hid among the refuse on the side the street, in particular a nasty looking snail the size of a dog that launched something unmentionable at him when he got to close to it. Link spotted the slimy stuff coming at his head and leaned back, skating backwards out of the projectiles path before drawing his sword and charging in. With this new speed he was on the creature in a moment, but just as quickly it protected itself by hiding inside the shell. Unlike Ms. Fortune Link hung around for a moment, skating back and forth in front of the creature while slowly weaving away. Successfully baited, the snail popped out of it shell to try and attack again. Link dodged the brine to the side and snapped a picture of the exposed snail with the Sheikah Slate before skating out of its range. He set the slate to track the Sea Maggot so they couldn't be taken of guard by the critters, and made sure to point out any that he could find for the others. 

Kamek's solution was much simpler, which was just to blow one up. More brutal, yet more elegant. It was what he would do if he had access to bombs. While the koopa's fiddled with the lantern they had found Link picked up the spirit if the creature Kamek had just made an example of and crushed it.

As they made their way further into the village the slate stopped picking up snails entirely, and the snails gave way to a more menacing breed of monster. Fish creature, more repulsive than even those he had fought back at the bridge, misshapen parodies of the sleek and beautiful Zora he was familiar with. He brought the slate up and snapped a picture of every variety even as anxiety began to built up inside of him. This was it. Battle was about to be joined. There would be no avoiding this, and as he imagined that he felt a quaking fear building up in his heart. Not for himself, but for everyone else. For the people he cared to lose.

It wasn't long until they were spotted, and the fish freaks let out a call to all their brethren that a new source of food had arrived in the village.  Ms. Fortune took the high ground as they charged in, calling the small ones attention, while the Troop took the opportunity to retreat into a more narrow position that they inundated with ball monsters. They then opened up with everything they had on one of the charging giants as the smaller fish started hacking away at balls. 

Between their entrenched position and Ms. Fortune's more isolated one the decision was an easy one to make. Link would, for now, trust the giant sized monsters to the giant sized men. He slid past the wounded one Sakura had gunned down on her way and that alone made him feel a little better. He pulled his [url=https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/613897969382067466/EBEFB49BEBD05BC36417AE5782FA17F1B5CE47B3/]brandistock[/url] and, increasing speed, plowed the sharp end right into another one. It weakly took a few clawed swings at him as it died and blew away in the wind, and Link took the opportunity to gouge another in the shoulder as he shot by and push it along across the shallow water. He skidded to a sudden stop, and the murlock was thrown off the spear from sheer momentum. The loss of strength was more than acceptable to him if it meant he could move as fast as Sidon. 

He heard more cannon shots nearby, and turned to find the source only to discover that they weren't cannon fire at all. Those were the sound of Sakura's [i]punches[/i]. He was distracted momentarily by the street fighters battle, having never actually been in a position to watch her fight before. He felt his heart jump into his chest when the fish man swung his weapon and the girl brought up her forearm to block the strike. That was nothing compared to the shock he felt when the fish man came out the worse from that exchange of blows. He knew on an intellectual level that she had to be strong, but he hadn't expected "forearm you could use as a shield" strong. That was Goron strong. No wonder she had been so desponded in The Maw. He had felt naked without his equipment, he couldn't imagine the loss you felt when your body had previously been able to do something like that.

Sakura shouted a warning about the giant fish monsters, and he decided to follow her advice and stay out of their range. It would be better to let the big guys handle the big monsters if they could. He skidded after, delivering a killing stroke to the back of the remaining fish man in the process. It was a good thing too, because a new monster emerged from a patch of strange mushrooms and latched onto the girl. He charged in, switching to the battle axe and timing his swing so he could bring the blade down on the creatures long pink body with as much momentum as he could. It fell like the blade of a trained executioner, cleanly severing the creature in half and burying itself in the ground. Link's stop was helped by him slamming stomach first into the handle of the axe, which he quickly stored in favor of the Brandistock again as he got his breath back. "All right?" He asked, looking her over for bite marks.