The Disaster of Skalfell

Among the vast churning Arctic oceans and large sweeping storms, threatening to destroy everything in its path there lay an Archipelago, largely forgotten by most.

The Archipelago consisted of only 5 Islands, shaped like a circle with the largest island in the center. Lush green forests and a few large hills covered the islands making the place look serene if it weren't for the raging storm above.

This Unassuming and forgotten Archipelago is home to the last of the ancient Viking peoples who once roamed the oceans in search of fortune and strength. The small settlement that lay at the heart of this archipelago is known as Skalfell, and had a measly 75 people, with only 3 children

Among the thick walls of dark gray wood and mud and the long roofs made of thatch lay a longhouse, bigger than any other building in the small settlement. Inside the longhouse, the residents of Skalfell took shelter from the raging storm outside, and the unknown dangers it presented

Inside a separate room sitting just behind the banquet hall where the villagers hosted feasts was a child, more accurately the oldest of the 3 children at 12 years old and the only boy among the trio. He was highly muscular and quite tall at 170cms. He had long and thick brown hair on the top and back of his head, the sides shaved, wearing a brown long sleeve shirt and similar pants under a long and warm greatcoat. Adorned on his hip was a one-handed battle Axe with a long dark gray hilt wrapped in leather whilst the blade wrapped around the hilt before extending out and curving downwards like a boot, shimmering with a deadly metallic shine. Similarly, strapped to his back was a wooden round shield with a steel boss at the center. This boy was Egil (egg-eel) Ohlson, son of Olaf, the Jarl of Skalfell, who was the only Energy Absorption Cultivator in all of Skalfell.

Egil paced around his room quietly listening to the heavy beating of rain hitting the roof and the occasional boom of thunder. He was Nervous, his father and the other warriors of Skalfell had left the longhouse to make sure no beasts took advantage of the storm to attack, yet he felt far from safe. Egil didn't know why but his heart was pounding in his chest, a bad premonition overtaking him.

Egil, in a moment of weakness, decided that he had to make sure his parents were okay.

Egil Rushed out of his room and made a B-line for the large doors to his left, ignoring the surprised look of his aunts and uncles he burst out of the longhouse and saw a sight he would never forget for the rest of his life.

A gigantic jellyfish-like creature with purple skin and thousands of long spiked tentacles floated in a gigantic wave, threatening to engulf the archipelago and Skalfell with it. He saw the desperation and fear in his parent's eyes as 2 tentacles whipped out and pierced through them- along with the other warriors around them- like paper, piercing straight through their thick shields and the tough hides of their armor.

But that was just the beginning of Egil's nightmare, the jellyfish seemed unsatisfied with what it had done, and with a slight bob of its body, the titanic wave that surrounded it came tumbling forwards.

Egil stared in horror as the titanic wave came crashing down on top of him, as the force of the water devoured him and the frigid temperatures of the arctic water chilled his bones Egil lost all hope, what use was fighting? He asked himself. Why not let the water in? Why am I trying so hard to stay alive? What use is it, that Jellyfish could probably kill him with a glance

That Jellyfish…

That Damn Jellyfish…

NO WAY IN HELL AM I GOING TO LET THE JELLYFISH KILL ME TOO!

A will to live surged from within Egil's soul, a will to not only live but thrive, to get revenge for his parents and become so strong nothing and no one will ever dare hurt those he cares about again.

As Egil forced his eyes open to observe the water around him desperation struck, how could he escape this, his greatcoat had long been swept away in the water and the axe to his side would do no good against such a monstrosity. With nowhere to go but up, Egil decided to start swimming upwards as hard as he could, using the power of his body to shoot upwards towards the bright flashes of lightning in the clouds, using every ounce of his beginner body tempering cultivation.

As the breath in his lungs waned Egil desperately clawed at the water, doing everything his shell-shocked brain could think to do that could help him swim, even abandoning the axe to his side to help him swim faster.

Egil, with but a hint of life left in his lungs surfed above the raging water around him, heaving violently as the water left his lungs and air returned. Egil, now left with but a shirt and pants, did his best to stay above water as waves crashed down around him, pushing him back down over and over as he, despite his cultivation in the body tempering realm, began to feel the strain on his limbs

The violent waves around Egil pushed him through the sea, sometimes he would see one of the islands of the archipelago while at other times everything around him was water.

Then, as if a gift from Odin himself Egil spotted a bobbing structure tens of meters away, a longboat! With newfound hope and a final burst of strength, Egil pushed himself forwards, slowly making his way to the longboat that bobbed on the horizon. pushing himself through waves and the burning pain in his arms and legs, Egil finally laid a hand on the boat.

With his remaining strength and then some, Egil hauled himself on top of the boat, the dark wood of its underbelly providing Egil with the hope that he could survive this… tragedy. Despite the rain falling on him, The Freezing temperatures of everything around him, and the waves of pain throughout his body, Egil found the smallest of smiles on his face, he had a chance. A chance to avenge his parents and Skalfell.

…

Among the rough waters of the Arctic ocean, Egil found himself drifting in and out of consciousness, the only thing keeping him from falling into an eternal slumber being the freezing water battering his wrinkled skin.

It felt like months passed as Egil aimlessly floated through the ocean clinging to the rudder of the longboat to keep himself from falling into the murky depths. Egil found himself alone, with no raging storms or titanic waves, just the endless rumbling of his stomach and the heavy weight of his sleep-deprived eyelids.

Slowly, Egil drifted to sleep, no longer able to keep himself awake, his eyes were slowly covered in darkness, as he slumped onto the underbelly of the longboat he found himself on.

…

"Come on Eric!" a youthful male shouted, he had long black hair tied in a ponytail with similarly black eyes and sharp features that were scrunched in annoyance "you can't sleep on my Thunder Raven, this is a mission, not a vacation" the man said.to another young man who was lying down next to him, on the back of a gigantic 3-meter-long raven with pitch black feathers that had yellow accents at their tips.

"One more hour, please Draco" the man lying down moaned, using his black robes, the same ones the other man, Draco, was wearing to cover his eyes from the glaring sun.

"Not a chance Eric, if you don't get up right now I'm then I'll split the payment on this search and rescue mission 70-30 instead of 50-50," Draco said with a slightly teasing smile

"Fine" Eric said as he sat up on the back of the Thunder Raven. "What's the mission again?" Eric Continued

Draco, evidently used to Eric's antics gave a summary of the mission "we're to search region G-5 of the Arctic Ocean for any stranded people or others in need of assistance after yesterday's MegaStorm." Draco responded, summoning strange yellow energy around his eyes, [Thunder Sight] he spoke softly.

…

The Arctic sea was notorious for its mega-storms, while they only hit once in 250 years they wiped out everything in their path and often led to several ancient sea beasts resurfacing, one example of this would be the Infant Emperion Jellyfish that laid waste to Skalfell. Because of this disaster the Roaring Nature Academy, which was situated on the edge of the Arctic Sea, would create missions for the students of the academy, to search for and rescue any survivors of the mega storm, which is what Draco and Eric are doing.

As such when Draco's thunder raven came barrelling into the landing zone for aerial beasts it was hardly a surprise, what was, however, a surprise was the boy that was lying on the raven's back. Soaked from head to toe and shivering.

"We got a survivor!" Draco yelled

And that was how Egil found himself lying in the most comfortable bed he had ever slept in, in a completely unfamiliar room, with no clue how he got there.