Chapter 2: The Island

The sound of water splashing against a shoreline pulls me from the darkness. A bright sun sits high in the sky; it's a warm day. The sun is slightly obscured by massive palm fronts, providing me with shade from its scorching rays. My tanned skin is peppered with sand and sea salt, and my clothes cling uncomfortably to every corner of my body, still wet and heavy. As I stir, sand sifts between my fingers and toes, warm and strangely soft. The groan that rises into my throat as I try to move turns into a cough as it burns from the amount of sea water I must have inhaled.

As I turn my head, I make out a small shape next to me, a pile of fruit. I make out some bananas, mangos, pineapple, and an assortment of berries. I don't even think about it as I grab a bright red berry and pop it into my mouth. It bursts along my tongue, its sweet and sour flavor compelling me to take another, and another, until the briny taste of the sea is replaced with that of the berries.

As I sit up fully, that's when it hit me. Where am I? How did I get here? Where did the fruit come from? Am I dead?

Looking around a little more closely I see a prominent trail leading from the edge of the water to where I lay. I wasn't just washed up here. Something dragged me here, far away from the fingers of the creeping tide. Around me are indentations in the sand, the unmistakable trail of human footprints. From the looks of it, they lead from the dense, tropical forest, down to the water's edge, back up along the trail made by my body as it was dragged up to this palm tree, then back and forth from the forest to the pile of fruit.

Wherever I was, I wasn't alone here.

After a few disorienting attempts, I manage to stand up and look around. Out in the open sea, there's not a boat to be seen for miles in any direction. It'd seem I'm a far way from Vesuvia, Prakra, or any of the other lands I've visited with Julian. On land, it'd seem I'm the only person in the immediate area.

"Hello?" I call out, "Can anybody hear me?"

I'm only met with silence.

As I turn back to face the forest, a movement catches my eye. Something dives for the cover of some large bushes, a pale flash that seemed human in appearance.

Carefully, I approach the dense foliage, trying my best not to startle whoever or whatever ducked between them. Perhaps it was a local, frightened of a foreigner like me in their midst. Or perhaps they were just shy like Muriel. Regardless, if I was going to get off, or otherwise survive on this island, I was probably going to need some help from someone that was familiar with the place.

As I drew nearer, something caught my eye in the foliage. It looked like... hair; long, tangled, and the lightest shade of blond I'd ever seen. The closer I got, the more I could make out. Pale skin, tattered remains of clothes, a few scars varying in age. They were even missing an arm. This was definitely a person, and judging from their build, they were male.

I clear my throat, and the figure flinches.

"I-I'm sorry..." I said, "I don't mean to bother you, but could you tell me where I am?"

The figure was still for a moment before they glanced over their shoulder to look at me. Piercing silver eyes stare up at me like I'm a predator ready to pounce. I could have sworn there was something familiar about their gaze, but their face was obscured by their matted, golden mane. Eventually, they let out a sigh, and speak.

"I guess there's no avoiding it, huh?"

In a matter of milliseconds, my blood went cold. I knew that voice, but... no, it couldn't be. That guy was loooooong gone, far, far away, if not dead. But I was proven wrong as the figure pulled his hair up out his face; a face that I was all too familiar with.

"Count Lucio?!"

A half-hearted, dare I say painful, smile crossed his face, "Hello, Mari..."

I scowled, "It's Akari, and what the hell are you doing here?! You were banished from Vesuvia and all its associated cities!"

Lucio stood up; dusting the sand off what little remained of his clothes as he stepped out of the foliage.

"Sorry to break it to you, Arari, but you're a long way from any land that's even heard of Vesuvia."

I feel my heart sink. So my speculations were true.

"And anyway," Lucio continued as he plucked a berry from the bush, "I was here first, so my question for you is: what are you doing here? Where's your lover, Julian?"

A pang of sadness and guilt struck me as I recalled the last time I saw Julian, held back by everyone else on our ship as he tried to dive in after me. What were the odds that he and the rest of the crew survived? If I was swept away within mere minutes of the storm starting, who's to say they weren't all engulfed by the sea, as well. Chances are they didn't get as lucky as I had by washing up on an island. In all likelihood, the storm tore that ship apart.

"There was a storm," was all I could say, "a wave knocked me off-board."

Lucio nodded, "I'm really sorry to hear that."

Sorry? Did he really just say sorry?! Since when did this guy feel sorry for anyone?!

"I'm sorry," I state with a flabbergasted chuckle, "but where is this coming from? Last time we met you couldn't be sorry to save your life. Literally!"

Lucio's eyes narrow, "You don't think people can change?"

I scoff, "Not you!"

I only manage to catch a glimpse of the personally offended look on Lucio's face before storming away back to the palm tree I woke up under.

Really? Lucio, change? The count that caused the Red Plague, the selfish prick that tried to keep the cure for himself, the spirit that haunted all of Vesuvia, the man that made a deal with The Devil of the Arcana, the one that stole my body so he could come back?

That Lucio? Change?! Never.

Knowing that, I try to forget all about Lucio and focus on more pressing matters; how to get back to Vesuvia. How to get back on a ship, at the very least. But more than anything, I want to find a way to contact Asra, Portia, or even Julian; let somebody know that I'm still alive.

And then it occurred to me...

I thought back to the first night spent at the palace, unable to sleep, walking out into the gardens, and communicating with Asra. Glancing down at my chest, I found the emerald jewel that Nadia had given to me still hanging there, still pulsing with Asra's magic. It was a miracle that I didn't lose it during the storm. If using it to communicate with Asra had worked in the fountain, maybe it would work in the shallows.

Strolling towards the shoreline, I perch myself on top of one of the various rocks jutting up from the water. I took the emerald from around my neck and carefully drop it, causing it to rest no more than a foot below the surface. Almost immediately the water began to ripple, and a pleasantly familiar voice called out to me before his face could completely come into view.

"Akari!"

I couldn't help but let out a huge sigh of relief as our eyes met, the deep purple in them bringing me more comfort than I'd ever felt in these past few days, "Asra."

Asra takes a moment to look me over, peering closer like he's trying to comprehend what I look like. I can already tell he's on another one of his journeys, the land around him foreign and unfamiliar to me.

"Where are you, exactly?" he asks, "That doesn't look like anyplace I've ever visited, and you look like you got into some kind of tussle with a pirate."

A laugh escapes me. I didn't doubt that, but my chest goes tight as I look at him. Asra probably thinks that I'm still with Julian and everyone else, and that this is just another far of land we've managed to come across.

"I'm on an island," I say, scratching some sand from the back of my scalp, "I'm not entirely sure where."

Asra's brow furrows with worry, "Where are the others?"

I explain everything the fighting, the storm, me getting swept overboard, and finally waking up on an uncharted island. By the end on my explanation, Asra looks completely overwhelmed with worry.

"Well, I'm glad you're all right," he says, running a hand through his fluffy white hair, "But... are you sure there aren't any locals who could help you? Maybe they could provide you with a way back."

I shake my head, "That's not even the worst part. I'm not the only person stranded on this island."

"Well, who else is there with you? If not Julian, Portia, or anyone else from your ship, then who?"

Annoyance and lingering hatred settles on my features, "Three guesses as to who it is."

Asra looks confused for a moment before his eyes widen, "No..."

"Yup."

"Lucio?!"

"Yup."

"But how?! When? Why?"

"I don't know. All I've been able to gather is that he's been on this island a lot longer than I have, and that he must have been the one to pull me out of the water."

Asra looks frantic, like I've been pulled back into the world between realms and Lucio is running amuck in my body again. After a brief minute he calms himself, taking a deep breath.

"You aren't hurt? Did he try to hurt you at all?"

I shake my head, "It's strange. I woke up well away from the water's edge, shaded by a palm tree with a big pile of fruit next to me. It's like he's trying to help me. The bastard still can't get my name right worth a damn, though."

The tension in Asra eases slightly, but he still looks like he's on his guard.

"Just... be careful, Akari," he says, "I'll do what I can to help you get back to Vesuvia; figure out if Julian and everyone else are still alive. In the meantime, don't let your guard down around that guy. In all likelihood, he's trying to win your favor to gain safe passage back, as well."

I nod, "Please, hurry. I don't want to be here with him any longer than I have to."

Asra cracks a smile, "I figured as much. I'll be as quick as I can. That's a promise."

With that, Asra's image fades away into the shallows, leaving me alone once more.