Chapter 1: The Storm
I stare out at the distant horizon, my chin resting in an upturned palm as I take in the unfathomable lengths of ocean surrounding us. I've officially lost count of how many times we've set sail on these waters, how many far-off lands we've travelled to, but my reaction is still the same: I'm completely overwhelmed, and incredibly irritated. How long would it be until we reached our next destination? Days? Weeks?
Ever since the fighting started, I've wanted nothing more than to go home.
I can't exactly recall how it happened, now, but I know Julian's immature and troublesome nature started getting old somewhere around our fifth or sixth trip out at sea. First it was just a little bit of scolding, not only from me, but from Portia, Mazelinka, and even Nazali. Then it turned into arguing, which turned into yelling, and eventually screaming. I've threatened to throw him overboard more than a couple of times, but Julian was always quick to call me out on my bluffs. I'd never actually do it, and he knows it.
Now we're not even talking to each other. The tension is so thick between all of us, it's almost unbearable, and I find myself longing to be back at the shop in Vesuvia with Asra and Faust. Some time away from each other would do all of us some good, but we're a good week away from Vesuvia's shores, at best, and that's if the wind is in our favor.
A sudden yelp and the sound of a rope going taut in the rigging above pulls me from my thoughts, and I sigh irritably as I look over my shoulder and up towards the sails. Julian is dangling upside down by one of the ropes, which he has somehow miraculously wrapped around one of his ankles. His flaming curls are a matted mess from wind and sweat, and a blush burns from the bottom of his throat to the tips of his ears as his eyes meet mine. This is the eighth time this week.
After a long moment, he lets out a defeated sigh. I practically see him swallow the pride he's been wallowing in.
"Hey, Akari!" he calls out, shooting me a grin, "Give me a hand? Please?"
My eyes narrow as I cross my arms and continue to stare daggers into him.
"C'mon…" he whines, "You're not still mad at me, are you?"
I blink. Seeing him try to reason with me like this is amusing, to say the very least, but my glare doesn't waver. We've managed to forget about fights this way before, but there's no way it's gonna work this time. After all…
… He's the reason Asra's tarot cards are gone; thrown into the sea in a fit of anger and frustration some two hours ago.
"Do you want me to apologize, is that it?" Julian growls before sneering, "Or perhaps you'd rather I jump overboard and go search for them?"
"You should have thought about doing that two hours ago!" I roar, "Asra's going to be pissed!"
Julian lets out a groan. His face is now red from all the blood rushing to it, and I can tell he's starting to get disoriented.
"I'll make him a new one, or something!"
"I don't think you understand how tarot cards work," I say, my irritation building, "Those were Asra's tarot cards! He's bound to that deck! You can't just replace them! Not with your artistic skills, anyhow…"
I can tell my comment stuck a nerve as a dangerous glare snaps onto his features before his dizziness wipes it clean from his face.
"Akari… please," he whimpers, "I'll think of something, just please get me down from here. It hurts!"
I continue to stare at him with arms crossed for a few seconds longer before concern claws its way past my anger and irritation, and I begin climbing the rigging. I'm vaguely aware of the wind picking up, blowing strands of my ebony hair into my face.
"I think a storm's coming," Julian comments, trying to focus his gaze on the horizon.
"Don't say that…" I groan, shivering slightly at the memory of the last storm we weathered through on this ship.
It happened before the two of us started fighting. We were just leaving from Prakra when it hit us out of nowhere. Julian and I were almost swept overboard, and it took all of Portia's, Mazelinka's, and Nazali's strength to keep us from disappearing over the railing and into the darkness of the ocean below. I was shaken for a couple of days afterward. Asra refused to let me go sailing with him again… until he realized that at the time there was no stopping me from going anywhere with Julian, and that I would sneak out of the shop if I had to.
I couldn't help but think… If that happened again… If Julian or I were to be swept overboard in a storm now… Would I care? Would Julian care? Would I be as shaken as I was after the last storm? Would Julian dive in after me, likely condemning us both to death? Or would he just glare, just as he started doing whenever he saw me around the ship after a vicious fight?
A particularly strong gust of wind disturbs my climb, nearly making me lose my grip. Julian just might be right about that storm. I hold on for dear life.
"Be careful!" he calls to me, his voice a mixture of jest and concern.
When there's a break in the wind, I make a mad dash up the rigging and quickly try to free Julian's ankle. The way he's dangling… hanging from that rope, he looks just like the Hanged Man from Asra's tarot deck. I can't help but giggle.
"Go ahead," Julian says, "Laugh… I miss your smile, anyways."
His words send a longing ache through my chest. I miss his smile, too; the goofy one that he'd crack during his antics, the one that would spread across his features during our melodramatic roleplays just before we'd settle down for the night…
The one that'd play on his lips whenever we kissed.
How I longed for this to go back to the way they were before, but I think this time… This time it's personal. The deck he threw overboard didn't just mean a lot to Asra, they meant a lot to me, too. That deck was the first thing related to magic he taught me when I first woke up without my memories. Even when I couldn't remember how to use them, or couldn't communicate well with anyone, it brought me comfort and guidance. It gave me hope, and I was bonded to it just as Asra was.
And now it was gone, miles deep at the bottom of the ocean. How could I forgive Julian for something like that? Could I forgive him?
After a brief struggle, the rope finally unraveled from around Julian's ankle, sending him tumbling to the deck below.
"Thank you…" I heard him call back up to me.
As I began to climb back down myself, Portia poked her head up from below deck, shooting an unamused scowl at her brother's pitiful form lying just a few feet from her.
"You fell off the rigging again, didn't you…"
"Akari did it!" Julian shouted with a jest.
"Ooohh! Don't start again with that!" Mazelinka scolds us from her position at the ship's helm, "You guys have been fighting all week. I'd like all of us to stay in one piece until we get back to Vesuvia. You think you guys can handle that much?"
Julian and I exchange a slight look of shame. I think I preferred her walking in on us on our nightly activities below deck to this.
"Yes, ma'am…" we both reply.
I let out a shiver as the wind picks up again. Clouds begin to gather in the blue skies above, and I feel the first few droplets of rain as the ocean grows restless.
"Look lively, everyone!" Mazelinka calls out, "Looks like it's gonna be another big one!"
After what only feels like a couple of minutes and a few claps of thunder, the rain is coming down in buckets. Waves causes the ship to alternate between feeling miles high in the sky, and dipping so low I swear I can see the ocean floor before we're tossed back up again. Our feet slip horribly as Julian, Portia, Nazali, and I all wrestle with the sails. We're soaked to the bone, all doing our fair share of slipping, falling, and struggling to stand back up. I can almost sense Julian's helplessness every time I lose my footing, forcing himself to cling tighter to the ropes and not being able to help me up like wants to.
"Don't worry, Akari," he says, calling to me over the roar of the waves, "We'll be below deck soon enough. We just gotta get these sails up!"
"Who's worried?" I call back, "You're worried!"
"Of course I am! Last time-" a flash of lightning cuts him off, and he grimaces as sea water is sprayed into his face, "Last time I almost lost you, and—"
"Julian, now really isn't the time for…"
My words trail off as I feel the ship tilt to one side. Dread settles in the pit of my stomach as a shadow looms over us. When we all look, we're met with a towering wall of water.
None of us are able to get a word in as the massive wave comes crashing down and sweeps across the deck. Julian and I are swept to the other side of the ship in a rush of water and are thrown against the railing. Over the thunder and waves, I hear Portia and Nazali calling to us.
Without thinking about it, I stand up and try to recover, only to be met with another unforgiving wave that pulls my feet out from under me. I feel an ice-cold hand grip firmly onto mine, and Julian's terrified, frustrated shrieks rising over the noise of the storm. When I look, I realize I'm dangling over the edge of the railing, pitch-black waters threatening to swallow me up, and Julian clinging to the railing and my hand for dear life.
Portia and Nazali rush to his aid, and even Mazelinka struggles to make her way over to them to help, but no element is in their favor, and I take in Julian's tormented expression as I feel myself slipping from his grasp. I do what I can to help, thinking of every spell I can that can tighten our grasp, propel me up, anything! But it's no use as my hand continues to inch its way out of his.
Another wave rips across the surface of the ship, forcefully tearing my hand way from Julian's and throwing me into the raging sea. I can hear Julian let out a desperate, anguished shriek even while I'm submerged. The next time my face break the surface, I see Julian trying to dive in after me, only to be held back by Portia, Nazali, and Mazelinka. His tears overwhelm the rain beating down on his face. Portia's in no better shape. Nazali bares a hopeless expression, and even from a distance I can tell Mazelinka is looking for something to throw that can haul me back aboard.
The wind and the waves rapidly carry the boat further and further away from me, and I feel myself rapidly growing tired as I try to fight against the storm in a pointless effort to swim back towards the ship.
The last thing I hear before I'm pulled under the waves again and slip into darkness is Julian's mournful wails carrying my name across the barren sea.