Chapter 3: Twisted Skies

"Do you know how to handle with of these gals Vyse?" Don said as he popped open another bottle of liguor. It was clear to Vyse now that this man was prepared to drink himself to death after the horrid things that he had done, which only pushed Vyse to work harder to help break him free of his own addictive chains.

"Aye aye. Also, does this ship have a name?" Vyse said, jumping up and grasping a hold of the wheel. Contrary to the structure looking none too promising, the wheel and guages were in excellent condition. Spinning it a few times back and fourth, he remember his dreams when he was flying the Albatross and the Delphinus. Closing his eyes, he visualized the maps that were in his head, desperately holding onto them before a smile formed upon his face.

"Its called Magdeline, after my daughter," Don replied taking a swig of his liquor. Vyse grabbed a hold of the wheel and gripped a hold of the throttle.

"Off we go! Magdeline is sailing off!" Vyse shouted, putting the boat into gear and steering off the pear. Vyse felt a wee bit wobbly as it took off, its shaking and sputtering making it a little difficult to balance himself. Fortunately once they were in the air moving, the engine ran as clean as a whistle.

"I can't believe it, I'm actually sailing again! Well...for the first time I suppose..." Vyse sighed heavily, remorse filling his words as he turned his gaze to the open sky. Don took another swig of his liquor, plopping it down on a table that had a map upon it. Carefully analyzing the map with his blurry, booze filled eyes, he was able to chart a course with only minimal effort, clearly he used to be a good sailor.

"OK Vyse, we're going to follow the mountain side until we hit the sandy air of Nasr. From there we're going to go through the straight then make a b-line right for Sailor's Island, you get that? Do you understand what I mean?" Don slurred a bit as Vyse gave him a confident nod. Somehow the map and course they were taking matched up with the maps from his dreams, which gave him a sort of sick feeling to his gut. Shakin it off, he spun the wheel, making a perfect curve around the mountain. He heard Don shuffling up to his position, stumbling forward to take a gander at his side.

"That's a mighty fine turn for a green sailor like yourself, I'm impressed. Oh! I have something for ya that may help you see a bit better since the windows aren't in anymore..." Don said, stepping back. Vyse took a peek to the side where Don was now digging through an old trunk full of all kinds of junk and useful tools. He then removed something that Vyse missed very much. It was a one eye parascope patch much like he had worn in his dream which seemed so long ago now. He handed it to Vyse, who quickly shifted his hair, snapping it around his head and adjusting it until his sight returned to what it was in the world he missed.

"Don, this...this is going to sound strange but this really means a lot me, thank you," Vyse said, wiping the dust off of the lens.

"Think nothin' of it, I dun use it anymore so its all yours," Don said, plopping down in a chair that was bolted at one end of the table. It wasn't long before Don passed out, his upper torso sprawled over the table as Vyse took in the sweet smells of the wind that he missed so much.

"Not exactly like my dream, but this is still incredible...I hope that I can find Aika and Fina again, and mom and dad too..." Vyse said with a sigh, still smiling as he made a shift into the sandy air of Nasr. As pleasant as it all was, his sights turned from carefree to fierce as he noticed several black pirate ships circling around the area.

"What the...this is off..." Vyse said, his immiately growing vigilant of the situation. He tilted the ship so that it sailed down a bit lower, trying to stay out of view of the pirates that circled in the air like buzzards around their dinner. Unfortunately, a cannon ball flew overhead, meaning that they had been spotted.

"Crap...Don! Wake up! We're under attack!" Vyse shouted, raising the rustbucket of a ship back up to normal altitude. Don whined and groaned as he sat back up in his chair, whipping his eyes as he let out a lazy yawn.

"What's what now? Did you say we're under attack?" Don said, immediately shifting his sights past Vyse to see a black pirate ship heading their way. Don immediately hopped to his feet, turning to the back of the main cable where he lifted up a trap door.

"I'll get down to the cannons, we only have two on the right side so make sure you approach appropriately," Don said. His drunken slurs cleared up, giving his voice the old authorative tone that it once had years ago, which made Vyse smile a bit.

"If the Little Jack could do it, so can we!" Vyse said, gripping the wheel with a grin on his face. He made a hard turn to the left, lining up against the pirate ships 4 cannon hubs with their mesly two.

"Fire away Don!" Vyse shouted. Don knocked up on the floor beneath Vyse as a cannon shot smashed into the black pirate's haul. Vyse then immediately spun the wheel for what it was worth in an attempt to catch the enemy ship at its rear. Sadly however, the poor ship in which he was sailing was very limited on power, which made his valiant attempt at a flank look like a lazy u-turn instead.

"Uh oh...not as agile as I was hoping..." Vyse said, sighing as he quickly raised elevation to avoid a volley of cannon fire. Its speed wasn't great, but its vertical climbing was incredible.

"Load up for the next volley!" Vyse shouted stomped around the ground, being returned with a knocking from the floor. His father taught him when he was 6 that small ships required a lot of sounds and movements to communicate during high alert situations. Vyse touched the side of his eyescope, zooming in on the cabin to see exactly who they were up against. A black bandana was wrapped tight around their captain's head with small, stray orange hairs poking out from beneath. Vyse tried to vear away but he noticed something strange about one of the cannons. He watched as a chained projectile was shoved and armed into their cannon, ready to fire at will. With a loud boom, the whistling of the projectile and chain echoed between their ships, easily piercing their haul and latching onto it like a grappling hook.

"Damn it! Don! Fire what shots we have, we're about to be boarded!" Vyse shouted, grabbing a wheel brace from beside the table and locked it around it to maintain a steady course. Vyse sighed heavily but smiled as his hand ran over the intricate design of his new sword. Remembering all the combat between him and the valuan armada in his dream gave him the confidence he needed to combat these scoundrels about to board. With both cannons firing away, Don immediately rose up from the lower deck, pulling a pistol from within his uniform pocket.

"I hope you can fight boy, because this won't be easy," Don said, grasping a hold of the liguor bottle from the table and taking a swig. Vyse shook his head as Don laid it back down, both of them now running out onto their front deck to stare at the ship on approach. Hooks were thrown from the opposing ship, easily latching onto the ship that was now helplessly at the pirate's mercy. Vyse whipped out the blade from its sheath with a satisfying slice of the air, a wide, confident smile forming on his face as he cut the rope to the hooks with one swing, proving that the blade was more than just for show. The pirates roared from the other side, with more hooks being thrown with the pirates immediately flying upon them. Vyse got into his battle stance as Don cocked the hammer of his pistol, ready to give them a fight. Three pirates landed on their deck with a cluttered stomp, all of them with weapons in hand.

"We will take your life you Valuan trash! Stay out of our skies!" The pirate to the front said as a threat. Vyse shook his head, gripping a hold of his handle as he channeled the power of the moonstone blade.

"Moons, give me strength!" Vyse shouted. A sudden burst of light shot out from the blade, with screeching thunder following its ray. One of the pirates tried to defend the lightning shot, but was instead lit up with the electrical embace, his body falling to the deck like a ragdoll. Don gazed in Vyse in amazement before taking aim, planting a shot into the chest of the pirate next to him, causing him to stagger then taking another shot to drop him to the deck. Clashing blades with the next pirate in line, Vyse took advantage of the curve in his blade, sliding the foe's blade from his before slashing the pirate in the gut, dropping him ontop of his fellow pirate that had been shocked before him. Vyse found himself groaning as he watched another 3 pirates yelling, sliding onto the deck of their small with ease.

"Damn, they just keep coming!" Vyse growled, clashing his blade against two of the opposing enemies. Not having his parrying cutlass put him at a disadvantage considering he had trained with them. Even if it were just in a dream, it was better than nothing. Vyse used his strength to push them off, giving him enough time to hop back to gain some distance between them. Thinking quickly, Vyse was surrounded by an aura once more, Don moving to his front to act as a guard. Don's pistol cackled with the gusts of Vyse's magical charge, catching each pirate with a shot to the leg.

"Moons! Give me strength!" Vyse cried. Instead of electrical surges however, the ground beneath them began to glow and wayne black and yellow. The pirates rose to their feet but felt as if they couldn't move too well as the result.

"You're pretty damn good with that magic Vyse," Don chuckled, shooting the three foolish pirates down til their bodies hit the ground. Vyse began to run out of breath as his the spell disapated, his body not used to such strain upon it.

"This...is a lot more tiring than in my dreams..." Vyse huffed, wiping the sweat from his brow. After heaving the bodies of the now done for pirates over the side of his ship, Don then took aim at the hooks, snapping each rope with moonstone bullets.

"They'll probably blow us sky high now, but at least we put up a fight," Don said with a hefty sigh, returning to the cabin. Vyse shook his head as his teeth clenched tightly, watching as the pirates re-armed their cannons once more. Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind that caused a sly smile to grace his face.

"Don! Keep the ship steady and raise altitude!" Vyse shouted, dashing past Don and hopping down into the lower deck. Don quickly took the wheel, moving the throttle and the wheel to keep up with the opposing ship's movement. Vyse kicked out what worn rust was left from what still scraped against the ship hook that bound their ships together, waiting for the altitude to be high enough for his plan to be set into motion. As Magdeline rose up, the cannons from the pirate ship rose as well, ready to drop it out of the sky.

"I'm at maximum altitude, do what you're gonna do boy!" Don shouted, stomping on the ground. Vyse replied to his phrase with a knock beneath him, sheathing his sword and hopping up on the chain that was connected to the hook.

"IT'S DO OR DIE!" Vyse shouted, psyching himself up as he swiftly surfed down the long, thick chain. Upon arrival, Vyse manage to knock back the chain's home, allowing him to force his way inside in a grandeous fashion. He immediately whipped his blade from its sheath, cutting into the two unsuspecting pirates that were manning the cannon. Trying to desperately remove their own swords, Vyse made quick work of them, leaving them on the floor as he turned his attention towards the stairwell doors.

"I better make this quick or Don is done for!" Vyse said soundly, kicking out the door and charging up the creaking wooden steps that lined the small cabins that were housed in the ship haul. Vyse stopped just outside of the last door that would lead into the main cabin, taking time to catch his breath as he heard more cannons going off.

"Please be OK Don..." Vyse side as he heard cannon shots crashing against Magdeline's frail, steel frame from the second floor of cannons. Keeping Don's safety in mind, he retreated from the door, busting his way into the second floor cannon bay where two pirates were heavily focused on Magdeline.

"Two more shots will do that junker in," one of them said, shifting the cannon upwards once more. Vyse's vailant foot steps caught the two pirates' attentions, but they were too slow to prevent their deaths at Vyse's hands. Vyse was too far gone in the sword play and adrenaline for it to occur to him that he was now slaughtering pirates. Granted they attacked first, but Vyse's good heart would certainly feel the backlash of these events.

"All that's left is the bridge..." Vyse huffed as he returned to the door. Only a few minutes went by before he caught his breath. Vyse took a hefty breath, releasing it with a grunt as he bashed his shoulder into the door, causing it to burst open into the cabin. Stepping in, Vyse found himself at the tip of at least four seperate swords, all awaiting for their guest to arrive. Vyse smirked then grabbed a hold of the door, leaping back towards the stairs and slamming it shut. Vyse quickly darted down the stairs, lurring them into the cannon room that he arrived in. It was a very good choke point, which would allow Vyse to fight his foes a few at a time. As if on cue, the pirates poured in a few at a time, allowing Vyse to easily discard them all from the fray with minimal effort. Vyse paused for a moment as reality kicked in. His hands began to shake as he looked down at them as they shook vigorously.

"There's a lot of blood on my hands..." Vyse said with regret. He knew deep down it was either kill or be killed, but this was the first time he had ever been on the killing end. He shook his head, remembering that he had a task at hand as he ran back up the steps, once again making his way onto the bridge. Stepping through the door he came face to face with the person that clearly held the title of captain. Taking a strong breath and snapping his sword to the side, his eyes narrowed aggressively at theirs. The black bandana covered everything that would be upon their head and they also wore a face mask that covered across their face.

"My crew...each and everyone of them was dear to me...Valuan scum, how dare you come aboard my ship and take them from me!" The captain roared. Although muffled, Vyse picked up a feminine back drop to the words, causing him to gaze over them once more.

"If you didn't want them to die you shouldn't have attacked my ship. That man in that ship is all I have, so you and I are in the same position here. Why attack such a miniscule vessal such as the one I was in? Its pretty clear we have no precious cargo," Vyse inquired, trying to keep his cool as he kept on guard.

"I attacked you because you are a Valuan! Your uniform, your sword, and your malice towards pirates screams it out loud!" the captain yelled, reaching into their large coat. Vyse rose his blade, readying himself for a fight at any moment.

"I'm not a Valuan! My name is Vyse. My father, Dyne, was one of the head captains of the Blue Rogues. If you're looking for a Valuan foe, look elsewhere. All I ask is that you leave our ship alone," Vyse said. The captain paused for a moment, as if cast in stone. They stepped towards Vyse with their heavy boots clomping the floor, each step a bit heavier than the last.

"Vyse...did I hear you correctly?" The captain asked, lowering their mask from their lips. Vyse stood sternly with blade in hand, gazing at the captain with remorseful eyes.

"Yes, my name is Vyse, I am from Pirate Isle, a small town near Shrine Island. I was abducted when I was very little and cast off into the dismal Dark Rift," Vyse said. He noticed odd tears forming in the corners of the captains eyes as she withdrew what looked like a strange, L-Shaped blade from their coat.

"You can't be...Vyse is dead...you must be lying to trick me! I can't let you walk away after what you've done!" The captain shouted, this time revealing that they were clearly female. The blade was rather thick and shined with the green moonstone. Vyse immediately clashed against he L-Shaped blade, grinding its surface against it. Shifting his wrist with the curve his blade, he slid the blade off of his, immediately slashing her in her side to attempt to disable her. To his surprise, she felt to one knee, taking a swing at his ankles. He quickly hopped back, giving her enough time to stand back up.

"That blade...for some reason it looks familiar..." Vyse said, readying his blade once more. His memories of the grand adventure were fairly clear, however, there were snippets of it that seemed to be a blur, memories that were just out of his reach. The captain suddenly hurled the blade at him, piercing the air with its spin. Vyse dove beneath it, his memories beginning to grow clear as he heard the blade head right for him from behind. He dove forward, narrowly escaping the blades return as it split a few hairs from behind his head. He hooked the dull side of his blade behind the captain's ankle, pulling back to put them onto the floor. The blade flew past them, smashing out the viewing window while Vyse rested a knee upon her stomach his blade pointed at her face.

"Just finish me off, let me be with the rest of my crew you Valuan piece of trash..." the captain said, tears beginning to crawl down her cheeks. That's when it finally hit Vyse; this person's attitude, their determination, even their temper, it could only be one person. Vyse retreated his blade, sheathing it before placing his head on the brim of the bandana. The captain shifted her eyes to the side as he removed it, revealing bright, orange tinted hair that fell to her shoulders.

"Aika...is it really you?" Vyse said, his own eyes filling with tears of joy. She returned her eyes to Vyse's face, reaching up to run her finger along a small scar that he obtain when he protected her during a wind storm when traveling with his father.

"V-Vyse!" Aika's tears began to fall uncontrollably, an avoidable smile of joy forming upon her lips as she pulled him into an intense hug.

"V-Vyse...can't believe you are alive! I thought the Valuans killed you!" Aika cried uncontrollably, gripping onto him for dear life. Vyse sighed heavily, removing her arms from him so that they could stand. Raising to their feet, Aika once again clasped around him, now sobbing into his chest helplessly. Vyse gently brushed his fingers through her hair, clearly she had been through a lot. She then stepped back as she saw that his face had a smile, but his eyes were cold and hurt. Aika then noticed all of the blood on his hands and splotches on his clothes before looking back at him.

"Vyse...are you...OK? How...did you learn to fight like this?" Aika asked. Vyse sheathed his blade and sighed, still keeping up a smiling facade as he held his hand to her.

"Oh Vyse...please don't be sad...you had to do what you had to do to save yourself and your friend in the other ship...sure these men were close to me, but we were more along the lines of just..." Aika tried to bring some relief to Vyse's conciounce, but shook his head, raising his hand to get her attention.

"I'll be fine, I may not show it but I am feeling more joy than you could possibly imagine. I just feel that I have let down my father as well as the Blue Rogues code of honor. Hopefully when I see him again..." Vyse's words stopped cold as he looked back at Aika, who was now shaking her head in defiance to his words.

"You...won't see him again...Pirate Isle, our home, has been destroyed and sent to the deep sky..." Aika said, walking up to Vyse who was now staring off at nothing, as he had just seen an entire armada of Valuan ships headed straight for him. Aika could only imagine the horrors that Vyse had to go through to return to the glorious skies in which they lived. All she could do was to hold him close, which was about the same as hugging a statue. They stayed in that moment for what seemed like an hour, trying to help Vyse through the horrible truth of the world to which he returned.

To Be Continued...