Page 50 of Shinji Takahashi: Into the Heart of the Storm

“I think we’re gonna make it,” Roux muttered just as something scraped along the ship’s hull, making a terrible grinding sound. Shinji froze and Lucy let out a gasp as the entire deck shuddered beneath them. Phoebe staggered, and as she did, the gale finally tore the umbrella from her hands. The bright red parasol caught the wind, soared swiftly over the water, and went spinning away into the darkness.

“Oh dear,” Phoebe said, hand over her eyes as she gazed mournfully after it. “Athena’s knots, that was my favorite

umbrella. Hopefully it will come back like last time.” The ship shuddered again, and she grabbed the railing. “I think we clipped a rock,” she announced. “Mano is not going to be happy about that. But keep going, Shinji,” she urged. “I can see the edges of blue sky. I think we’re almost out.”

Shinji gave the wind a final push, and the ship surged forward. They struggled through the rain and waves crashing against the hull until, very suddenly, they broke through the edge of the storm. The ocean calmed, the rain let up, and the sun blazed down on them as they sailed into tranquil waters.

Shinji let out a breath and slumped against the railings, breathing hard as the magic left him. Lucy let out a cheer.

“You did it! We’re out.”

“Oh, Shinji, I’m so proud!” Phoebe beamed at him. “You learned how to harness the magic of the Coatl! You took my lessons to heart after all.”

Panting, Shinji gazed back at the island. The volcano still raged, spewing smoke and fire into the sky. Above the island, the enormous, swirling mass of clouds was still growing. Lightning flashed, streaking from the sky to crackle into the surging waves. Shinji was super happy not to be beneath those roiling clouds anymore.

“That is definitely a hurricane,” Phoebe commented, following his gaze. “But at least it’s staying in one spot. I guess the Storm Boar doesn’t want anyone coming back.”

“That’s fine with me,” Roux said. “I don’t wanna go back, either.”

Phoebe sighed. “A pity, really. If I had only known about the guardian and the font earlier. I would have loved to study both a bit more.”

Tired, shaken, and completely drenched, they went back to the pilothouse, where Oliver still stood at the front. He, too, looked tired, his coat rumpled and his hair sticking up from the wind. But, standing in front of the wheel, his hands resting easily on the spokes and his gaze on the ocean, he reminded Shinji of a pirate more than ever before.

“Nice sailing, Skipper,” Phoebe said as they crowded inside. “I was afraid we were going to hit the reef, but you somehow found the one tiny spot we could squeeze through.”

Mano snorted. “We did hit the reef,” he grumbled. “If my boat has a hole in it, Ocean, you get to pay for repairing it.”

“I barely scratched it,” Oliver protested. “You try steering a ship in the middle of a hurricane and see how well that goes for you. Thank goodness the wind was with us at the end there. It felt like I was steering right into it for a while.”

Lucy and Shinji exchanged a look, and they both grinned. “So, what now?” Lucy asked. “We came all this way to beat Hightower to the ship and discovered an island with a font, but now there’s an angry guardian that’s been released and a hurricane in the middle of the ocean. What are we going to do?”

“Well, I’ll tell you what we’renotgoing to do,” Oliver said. “We’re not going back to that island.”

“But what about the Storm Boar?” Shinji asked.

Oliver frowned. “What about it?”

“I…released it,” Shinji said reluctantly. “Shouldn’t we try to…put it back?”

“Put it back?” Phoebe cried. “Of course we can’t put it back; it’s a guardian that has been magically sealed away for who knows how long. I would be a little cranky, too.”

“I don’t think there’s a return policy on guardians, kid.” Oliver shook his head. “And I’m not qualified to do that kind of magic juju. Besides…” He nodded back to the island, and the massive storm raging over the volcano. “There is no way I’m taking you kids anywhere near that island right now. We barely got clear the first time. What we’re going to do is head back to the Society and tell Priya what happened. They’ll need to know about this.”

Shinji set his jaw. He understood what Oliver was saying; none of them knew how to work the type of magic that had imprisoned the guardian. And even if they did, they probably couldn’t return to the island without being smashed against the reef or swallowed by lava. But he was responsible for releasing the Storm Boar. The guardian was obviously angry, and in his rage, he had destroyed a whole island. This mess was Shinji’s fault, one hundred percent. But…maybe there was a way to make things right again.

“What about the idol?” he asked.

They all stared at him. He winced under their combined glares.

“What idol?” Mano asked in a low voice.

Shinji bit his lip. “Something was taken from the island,” he explained. “The soldiers that were stationed there took a sacred idol that represented the pact between the Storm Boar and the people of the island. That’s why he’s so angry.”

“Really?” Roux asked. “I thought it was because he was locked up for so long. So, is the boar mad because he was trapped in the volcano or because the idol was stolen?”

“Also, who sealed him in the volcano in the first place?” Lucy added. “Surely not the villagers; why would they seal away their own guardian?”

“Wait!” Phoebe cried. “I think I read about this in the elder’s journal. Hang on.” She opened the leather book, flipping rapidly through pages, until she paused and pointed a finger to the book. “Yes, listen to this. The final entry.”

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