Rami adjusted with surprising ease to life on the Aquila. It was more pleasant than he'd expected of a military ship; as a flagship, it was outfitted to serve the needs of both troops and families. On top of that, the people he shared the space with were markedly more agreeable than the Elders had led him to expect. Though he was careful to maintain a sense of professional distance, he could feel that distance slipping some days.
Since he wasn't technically a member of the armada, the things that could be asked of him were relatively few. However, after his performance in the training room on the day of his arrival, he'd quickly found a niche as an able combat trainer, whipping the admiral's best men into fighting shape.
He reflected that most of them still had a long way to go, however, as he casually disarmed sergeant Emilio for the third time that day. The redheaded young man flinched as the wooden practice sword tumbled from his hands, and Rami could practically see the fire going out of him as the silver-haired youth placed his own training sword on the man's shoulder.
"You win again…" Emilio said with a sigh.
"You need to work on your reflexes, Emil." Rami chided him as he took a step back and lowered his sword arm again. "The number one problem I've run into with all you soldier types is that you're too dependent upon armor and brute strength to win fights. You need to be faster both in your movements and your reactions."
"Right, yeah. I'll work on that." The redhead said as he wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "After I've had something to drink." With that, Emilio departed the training room. Only a few soldiers remained, and Rami had already sparred with most of them today. It seemed like things were winding down for the day.
Before the door could close all the way behind Emilio, it opened again to admit someone new. "Ramiiiirez!" That girlish, singsong voice could only belong to one person.
"Hey, Piastol." Rami greeted the girl as she stepped into the room and surveyed the soldiers he'd been training that day. She was wearing another of her dresses today - this time, a blue one with white accents.
"I knew I'd find you here!" She said with a victorious smile. "You love swinging a sword even more than you love that fancy ship of yours."
Rami grimaced. "I don't love either of those things. They're just jobs, is all."
"Well then I guess swords must just really love you!" The girl said, positively beaming as she shuffled over to where Emilio had been standing a minute before, turning away from him slightly.
Rami could guess what she wanted. "Maybe so." He twirled the practice sword in his hand once before catching the end with his free hand, holding it horizontally in front of him like a guard. "I can tell you're itching to practice, too."
"You know me too well!" She said, giggling as she spun around to face him, her hands held out to either side of her with her fingers splayed apart. Between each finger she held several pebbles, and before he could respond she spun towards him, beginning to fling one after another in his direction with each flick of her wrist.
Immediately he began moving his practice sword to intercept them, one by one, as they came at him almost too fast to pick out individually. It got a little harder to stop them when she started varying her targets, and eventually one struck him on the hand, stinging him slightly. "Hey, that's one-" He began, only to be interrupted by a second striking his cheek a moment later.
"More like two!" She declared triumphantly as she showed him her empty hands, all out of projectiles to fling at him.
He had to smile at the excitement in her voice. Back when she'd first started practicing her throwing with him, she'd never been able to slip even one past his guard. "You're getting better, Pia. I'm proud of you."
"Next you gotta teach me how to move as fast as you do!" She said, grinning ear to ear. "I wanna be just as good as you when I'm your age."
Rami felt a little embarrassed. She really had been his biggest fan since he'd come aboard the Aquila. "There's more to life than fighting, you know." He admonished her.
"I'll learn other stuff after that, then!" She replied cheerily.
"That's not quite what I meant…" He said with a sigh, before shaking his head. "Alright, you want to know how to move fast? I want you to run from one end of this room to the other. Show me how you do it."
"Yessir!" Piastol raced to the nearest end of the room, taking a deep breath and making sure he was watching before running across it to the other side as quick as she could. She certainly wasn't slow, especially for someone her age, but right away he could pick out a few things that were slowing her down.
"How'd I do?" She asked him, eyeing him with earnest curiosity.
"Pretty well. There's a few things you could be doing better, though." He pointed a finger at her feet. "You shouldn't run on your soles. Land on your toes and you'll move faster." She nodded at him as he continued. "You also need a more even stride. If you're not covering a good distance with every step, it doesn't really matter how fast you can put one foot in front of the other."
She frowned thoughtfully as she considered his advice, before nodding with a hopeful expression on her face. "Okay! I'll practice that as much as I can!"
He grinned at her. The two girls couldn't be more different, but she still reminded him of Fina. "I'm pretty tired, so I think I'm done here for the day, okay?" He said, gently setting a hand on her shoulder.
"Awwww… I guess you can go." She said, pouting at him like a pro.
"We'll practice more tomorrow! Don't be a sour puss." He said as he straightened up and set his practice sword aside.
"Are you gonna go work on your ship again?" She asked him.
Rami nodded wearily. Fixing his ship was, surprisingly, the least enjoyable part about most of his days. "Yeah. It's not going to fix itself." He gave her one last smile as he headed for the door. "I'll see you later, Piastol."
"Bye bye!" She replied, waving goodbye with childlike enthusiasm.
Rami squinted into the small compartment he'd opened in the side of his ship. While he'd done plenty of studying during his time on the Great Silver Shrine, he had never quite gotten to the point of doing work with electronics or advanced machinery. Thus, he'd been building most of his understanding as he went, and it meant that repairs were going at a slow pace.
He sighed as he carefully picked out a few more broken parts and set them aside, scanning the area once more before shutting the compartment. Once it was shut, it blended in almost perfectly with the surrounding metal. He still didn't quite understand how that worked, and it had been quite a pain at first to determine how to actually get at his ship's circuitry.
"Going to need about a dozen more moonstone cables…" He muttered to himself as he jotted the information down on a sheet of paper he had nearby. He'd been getting most of his new materials from the engineers aboard the Aquila. Mendosa himself had cleared him to request whatever he needed in order to repair his ship.
He wasn't sure how, but he was determined to pay the old man back someday. If nothing else, his time on the Aquila had certainly softened his perception of the people of Arcadia. Their civilization might be more primitive, but they seemed like good people to him.
The sound of approaching footsteps drew his eyes up to the stairs leading down into the cargo hold where his ship had been deposited after it had first been hauled aboard. Rami smiled a little as the familiar form of Doc came into view. For once, he wasn't wearing his white coat, just his curious blue uniform. It reminded the young silvite a little of the clothes he used to wear, but slightly simpler. He wondered if they were both modeled on something similar.
"Hey, Ramirez. Still working on that clunker, huh?" Doc greeted him jovially.
Rami straightened up from where he'd been scribbling away at his list, and nodded. "As always. Much as I like it here, I can't really ignore the task in front of me." He leaned to one side and tapped his knuckles against the side of his ship. It made a faint ringing sound. "Besides, it's my only reminder of home. I'm not going to just let it rust."
Doc crossed his arms as his gaze flickered over the silvite ship for a moment before returning to his silver-haired friend. "If that thing even can rust. The engineers tell me they still don't know what kind of alloy that thing's made of."
That got a grin out of Rami. "It's a secret, I'm afraid."
Doc returned his smile, strolling over to lean on the table where Rami had been writing a minute ago. "I guess we've all got a few of those. Speaking of, when are you going to get around to telling me about your past?"
Rami winced. He wasn't sure he'd ever be willing to tell an Arcadian the full story. "Someday…" He finally said in as noncommittal as tone as was possible. Seeing the frown forming on his friend's face, he hastened to add, "I'll tell you what I can when I'm done fixing the ship. Okay?"
Doc shrugged. "I suppose it's better than nothing." He scratched his chin idly as he began to eye Rami critically. "So you're really set on leaving, then?"
The younger man avoided his gaze. He didn't particularly want to leave at this point, but… he had a job to do, didn't he? The more he stayed with the Arcadians, the more he knew he'd want to, and the less likely he'd be to eventually get back on track. He couldn't allow that to happen, even if it was enticing. "I am. My mission is important to me. Even if I will miss you all…" He admitted.
In the several weeks he'd known the man, Rami had often observed that Doc was very cagey about his emotions. It had taken him awhile to be able to read his expressions. But right now, the sadness was obvious as he briefly glanced the older man's way. "If you say so. But once you're done, you better come back and visit." He finally said, nudging the younger man's shoulder as a small smile formed on his lips.
Rami felt himself smiling too at Doc's quiet reassurance. These people really were his friends. "Of course." He replied. He ended up staring at his ship again. It was a stark reminder of where he'd come from. Cold, sterile silver. Built for one passenger. Quiet, fast and efficient. It was so unlike the world he'd come to know since coming aboard the Aquila.
He wasn't sure he wanted to fly it ever again.
Rami twirled the little piece of wood between his fingertips as he reflected that the Aquila really was a totally different world from the one he'd grown up in. As he fitted the rigging for another mast into place, he listened to the distant hum of the engines as the ship traveled through Ixa'taka on one of its routine patrols.
He'd always enjoyed building models like these, and though the quality of the supplies on the Aquila was lower than that which could be synthesized by the androids on the shrine, he actually found he liked it better. Wood cut from actual forests by human hands felt so much more real to him than something that had been composed by a machine.
He was in the middle of examining his half-finished work when a knock at the door drew his attention. He rose to his feet and strode across the empty barracks to open it. A little girl awaited him on the other side, and she grinned as she caught sight of him. "Ramirez! Watcha doin'?" She asked him in the singsong voice she usually greeted him with.
"Good afternoon, Piastol." He replied as he opened the door wider to let her in. "I'm just enjoying a little free time while the guys are off doing one of their inspections." Normally, the barracks would be bustling, but with most of Mendosa's men out and about today, he had them all to himself.
"I don't see this place much. Emilio tells me it's not a place for little girls…" She said with a small pout as she looked around the room.
Rami felt a little twinge of discomfort as he considered some of the topics he'd heard the others discuss in here. Emil was probably right about that. "Well, normally I'd agree with him, but I think today we can let it slide."
Her grin returned in a flash. "Cool!" She said, continuing her exploration for a moment more before she froze, eyes fixed on the half-finished model sitting on one of the tables in the back of the room. "What's that?" She asked excitedly as she turned back around to face him.
He blinked in surprise at the enthusiasm she displayed. He hadn't expected her to be interested in his craftsmanship. "Oh, that's my project for today. I'm building a fishing boat." He said as he strolled over to the table and took a seat in one of the chairs nearby. "I've always liked making stuff with my hands, ever since I was a kid." He explained.
Piastol hurried over to the table as he spoke, surveying his creation from bow to stern with eyes alight with curiosity. "How did you make all this?" She said, sounding a little overawed.
Rami gave her a bemused smile. "Well, there's lots of wood in Ixa'taka. I asked Mendosa if I could borrow some smaller pieces, then carved them into the shapes I wanted. Then I stuck them together with glue. Pretty simple, really."
She stared at him like he had just explained how to build a moonstone engine. "You carved the pieces?"
He blinked at her. "Well, yeah. I had to if they were going to be the right shape."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "But they're so perfect! All the sides are smooth, and they're not bent or crushed at all…"
Rami frowned as he considered what she was saying. Suddenly something clicked in his head. "Piastol, are you saying you've tried woodcarving before?"
"Well, duh!" She gave him an exasperated look. "If I'm going to be the best with a knife, I need to know how to make things with them too…" She said, trailing off as her expression became a little sad. "But… I can't. My fingers get all shaky and I can't make the shapes I see in my head."
"How many times have you tried it?" He asked her, leaning forward a little as he eyed the girl with a newfound appreciation.
"Once or twice…" She said, her disheartened tone persisting.
"Well that's your problem, then." He said, smiling at her encouragingly. "Just because you can fling a knife like a pro doesn't mean you're automatically going to be good at every other use of a blade. Delicate things like this take a lot of practice."
Her pout was back. "But practice is boooooring." She complained.
He reached out and poked her forehead with a fingertip, making her wobble back a step with a glare in his direction. "Maybe so, but it makes you much better at the things you do, and I promise you, it's a lot more fun to do things you're good at." He smirked at her. "Like throwing knives, for example."
That got a smile out of her at last, and she nodded. "Okay, okay. I guess I'll keep practicing, then." She relented, before giving his incomplete model another look. "Can I help you build the rest of this, though?" She asked, giving him a pleading look.
He almost laughed. She didn't need to give him those eyes to get him to agree to something as simple as this. "Of course you can. I'd be glad to have the extra hands."
She beamed at him for a moment before another knock at the door drew both of their attentions. He rose from his seat to answer it, to find Doc standing on the other side. The older man surveyed the room behind him before grinning as he caught sight of Piastol. "I thought you might've snuck in here. Your mother's asking for you."
"Awwww… But I was having fun!" She protested. A stern look from Doc quickly quieted her, and she heaved a small sigh before trudging over to the open door and giving Rami one last look. "Don't finish the ship without me!" She said.
"I won't. Promise." Rami replied, and the two of them waved goodbye to each other as she rushed off down the hall.
Doc watched her go before turning to Rami again. "That little girl sure can't get enough of you." He observed.
The silvite felt just a little embarrassed at the man's tone. "I really can't fathom why."
Doc chuckled as he leaned against the doorway. "Don't sell yourself short, kid. You've got a remarkable way with people."
He still had a hard time believing that, after spending most of his life isolated aboard the Great Silver Shrine. "You think so?" The young man replied a little skeptically.
Doc looked thoughtful for a moment before replying. "Yeah. You've got this, I don't know… enthusiasm about you that I don't see from other guys your age. Most of 'em are bored or distant. You, you're always happy to be talking to someone."
Rami did his best not to grimace. He felt that way because this was his first time being able to talk to so many new people. Every conversation was a new experience for him, and he'd been indulging himself in those experiences since he got here.
He really didn't want to leave.
"Doc… Can I tell you a story?" He finally replied, looking a little distant.
Doc frowned at him for a moment before nodding. "Uh, sure."
"Thanks." Rami replied, stepping out of the room and letting the door shut behind him before leaning against the wall of the hallway. "It's a story about a young boy."
Doc nodded, but said nothing, apparently content to just listen. Rami took a deep breath before continuing. "He grew up almost completely alone in a cold, quiet place. He was taken care of by a circle of old men who he only rarely saw, but who saw to it that his every need would be taken care of."
Doc was frowning now. Rami ignored it and kept going. "They taught him to be a model human being. Strong, fast, intelligent, and skilled. They raised him like that until he was a young man, and then they cast him out into the world with a mission of incredible scope, which they believed only someone as perfectly-conditioned as he could carry out."
"But… he failed. He made mistakes, and he got frustrated, and eventually, he became lost. He drifted for a long while, until some new people found him." Rami stared at the floor as he finished his story. "Those people were so unlike the old men. But though they couldn't give him the world like the old men had, they were more a family to him than anyone else had ever been."
Doc eyed him warily for a minute before sighing. "And what did the boy do then?" He asked.
"I'm still trying to figure that part out." Rami admitted.
"Well, you've got until your ship's fixed to do that, don't you?" Doc offered consolingly.
Rami closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall. "Doc, the ship's been fixed for half a week now."
Doc's eyes widened. "What? And you've just been sitting on that the whole time?"
Rami nodded slowly. "I don't want to leave."
"I've stressed over and over again that you don't have to." Doc replied.
"But I have a mission…" Rami protested. "Besides, I feel like if I stay any longer, I'll be imposing on Mendosa's hospitality. He's already done so much for me…"
"Wellll…" Doc said, and the thoughtful tone in his voice made Rami open his eyes again to give him a quizzical look. "You could always join the armada. You'd be able to pay back your debt to Mendosa, and we might even be able to help you with that mission of yours."
Arcadians helping him to find the crystals he was supposed to be keeping from the Arcadians? He grinned at the thought. It would be rendering the purpose of the mission almost completely moot.
But maybe the Elders were wrong. Maybe the Arcadians could be trusted not to do wrong with knowledge of the crystals. And even if they did try to do something bad, he could always stop them, couldn't he? He thought for another moment about departing on his ship, being surrounded by the cold, smooth metal as the ship silently drifted through the skies once more.
And with that, he knew what to say. "Doc… Can you come with me to see the admiral? I think maybe it's time I paid back what I owed him." He said with a hint of a smile.
Doc was smiling back at him. "You know the admiral would be willing to see just you, too."
"Yeah, but I'll feel better having you along." Rami clasped his hands together in a small pleading gesture. "Indulge me this once?"
Doc laughed and nodded. "Alright. Let's go see what Mendosa has to say."
"Wow. The new armor looks sharp on you." Doc observed as he eyed their new recruit up and down.
"Thanks, Doc." Rami replied, feeling his cheeks heat a little at the compliment. He looked down at himself again, at his new armor - Black plate with golden accents and decals, the armor worn by Mendosa's own men. It was heavier than what he usually wore, but it felt good all the same.
"Does this mean you're planning to stay, Ramirez?" Piastol said, a hopeful look in her eyes as she gazed up at him.
"Yeah… I guess it does." Rami admitted.
"Yay!" The little girl bounced excitedly on her heels as she celebrated that fact. "Ramirez is going to stay! Ramirez is going to staaaay!"
"Don't get too excited or you'll wear yourself out before the day's even started." Doc teased her before turning his attention back to Rami. "I guess this is really it, then. You're part of the armada now."
"It's a little weird to think about." Rami said as he glanced back and forth between his friends. "I'm even supposed to help complete the mine inspections today."
Doc grinned at the news. "I'm sure you'll do great. Inspection's pretty easy. Emil and the rest of the boys can walk you through it."
"Ramirez is gonna inspect the heck out of that mine!" Piastol added, calming down a little but looking like she still had a lot of excitement bottled up.
Rami nervously ran a few fingers back through his silver hair as he nodded at the two of them. "I appreciate the confidence. I'll do my best." He said.
Just then, the redheaded sergeant Emilio poked his head in through a nearby door. "Ramirez, it's time for us to get going. The Aquila's setting down now."
"Right." Rami said. "See you later, guys." He waved goodbye to Doc and Piastol as he followed Emilio to the lower deck of the ship, where the rest of the men waited to disembark. "So how does all this work, Emil?" Rami asked of the man guiding him.
"Oh, it's real simple. We patrol the mines for a while, make sure no monsters are stirring up trouble, and keep the miners in line. Easy stuff." The redhead said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Keep the miners in line?" Rami asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.
Emil looked over his shoulder and grinned at the silvite as they reached the door to the lower deck. "You'll see when we get there." He donned his helmet as he turned back to the door, and Rami did the same as he vexed over what Emil could mean. Emil opened the door, and the two of them stepped out onto the deck.
"Alright, boys! Let's be quick about this. Team Serpent will handle the innermost mines, Team Auriga will deal with the exterior, and Team Aquila will be with me covering the middle." Emil's voice was muffled a little by his helmet, but his commands were met with immediate nods from his fellows. "Move out!"
Rami moved to follow Emil as they disembarked from the Aquila, and onto the path leading into the massive mining complex known as Moon Stone Mountain. It was a large, isolated peak in southern Ixa'taka that Rami had been informed was packed full of large moon stone deposits. The Valuans had been mining it since they first discovered the lands of the green moon.
Sunlight quickly faded behind them to be replaced with the dim light of lamps as Emil, Rami and the two others composing Team Aquila made their way into the nearest entrance to the mines. Almost immediately, Rami began to realize something was wrong. As they walked across an elevated walkway above an open tunnel, he saw that the men picking away at the green stones embedded in the walls were Ixa'takans, not Valuans.
What was worse, as they descended into the tunnels, the two soldiers that had been accompanying him and Emil immediately broke off to begin hassling some of the slower miners. While one of the harried Ixa'takans began to work faster, the other did not, and at once the soldier nearest him began striking him with the butt of his sword.
Rami gawked from behind his visor, before turning to Emil. "What is he doing that for? Shouldn't we stop him?" He said frantically.
He couldn't see Emil's expression behind the man's helmet, but the tone of his voice suggested he was unconcerned. "What? Why? He's just doing his job." Rami stopped in his tracks as he stared after the man who, until a minute ago, he'd thought was one of the friendliest soldiers he'd ever met. Emil turned back to face him again as he realized he wasn't moving. "Come on, Ramirez. We've got ground to cover."
Rami gave the unfortunate Ixa'takan one last look. He was an unremarkable-looking middle aged man, and he had collapsed to his knees at the soldier's feet as the latter scolded him fiercely. Then he grit his teeth and followed Emil deeper into the mines.
The lights got fewer and the tunnels narrower as they went further into the mountain, and he could distantly hear the sounds of picks striking stone echoing through the tunnels. Just as he was beginning to get over what he'd seen a few minutes earlier, Emil's shouting caught his attention. "Swarmers! Ramirez, give me a hand here!"
The sergeant rushed on ahead further down the tunnel, and Rami hurried to follow him. They soon came out into a larger, more open room which had apparently been dug out from all sides. A few miners occupied it, and they pressed themselves up against the walls of the room to avoid the attentions of several monstrous-looking worm-like creatures that were slowly drawing closer.
Emil quickly went to work cutting them down, and Rami drew his sword and began to do the same, effortlessly downing one after another until all the creatures had fallen. Emil breathed a sigh of relief through his helmet as he observed their work. "Damn things must've made a nest somewhere further down." He pointed at Rami. "You handle these miners while I go deal with it."
With that, Emil carried on down another nearby tunnel, leaving Rami in a room with several frightened-looking Ixa'takans. "It's… It's okay, guys. You can get back to work."
The Ixa'takans looked at one another, then back at him. He saw a glimmer of fear in the eyes of some, and those were the ones that got up and back to work the fastest. The others slowly began to follow suit, until only one was conspicuously left out, sitting and leaning against the wall with his pick discarded to one side.
Rami stared at him for a long moment before approaching. "Uhm… sir?" He said tentatively.
The Ixa'takan looked up at him. He was by far the oldest of the bunch, with most of the hair on his head missing and his beard clearly beginning to turn grey. The elderly man said nothing, but a moment later he spat on the leg of Rami's armor.
"What was that for?" Rami asked him, a little indignant. He had just rescued the man, after all.
"Valuan scum…" The man said, his voice raspy. "I don't care what you do to me anymore…" The man began to cough as he finished his sentence, and soon devolved into a series of wheezing coughs.
Rami felt a flicker of alarm as he saw the pain on the man's face, and he knelt down in front of him as he reached a hand out towards the elderly Ixa'takan's chest. "Moons, purify this man's body." His hands glowed with a silver light as he felt the blessings of the silver moon run through him, and a moment later, the man's coughing subsided.
The elderly Ixa'takan blinked several times before looking at Rami with a quizzical expression. "What… what magic was that?"
Rami sighed and pulled off his helmet, setting it aside as he inspected the man carefully. He looked gaunt and tired, like he'd been seriously overworked. "It's silver magic. It'll help your body recover from whatever's making you sick." He explained.
The miner was staring at him even more intently now. Rami raised an eyebrow at him. "What is it?"
"You are no Valuan." The Ixa'takan observed, eyeing the younger man's silver hair with a curious reverence. "Perhaps you are a servant of Quetya?"
"I don't… know who that is." Rami admitted with a frown.
The man gave him a serious look. "If you are not a servant of Quetya, and you are not here to hurt us, then why have you come?"
Rami was starting to doubt he knew the answer to that, himself. "I didn't… I don't… What are they doing to you all down here? I haven't been a part of the armada for long. This is my first time seeing all this…" He said.
"Curious, that you would join them without knowing their true colors." The Ixa'takan observed. Rami shivered. It hit uncomfortably close to home.
When he didn't say anything, the old miner sighed and continued. "The Valuans came here many years ago and said they wanted moon stones. We said we only had so many, but that made them angry. They attacked our villages and killed our people. We pointed them here, to the great mountain, but then they said they did not have the men to mine it."
"After our king went into hiding, the wise men of the villages decided to make a treaty. We would dig up the moon stones, and let them stay in our lands. In exchange, they would not burn our villages anymore. They would stop killing our families." The Ixa'takan's eyes were very distant as he finished. "Those of us who are sent to the mines never leave. We are worked until we are no longer useful."
Rami lowered his head. "I had no idea… I'm sorry for all the trouble they've caused you." He grit his teeth. Was this the work of the soldiers who'd first come to Ixa'taka? Mendosa needed to be informed of this, he thought. Then things could be made right. This brutality was unacceptable. "I'll do what I can to make things better."
The old Ixa'takan eyed him warily, and for a moment Rami felt upset by that. He was doing his best, wasn't he? He quickly shook that flash of anger away as he stood up and turned away. The old man said nothing more as he donned his helmet again.
A minute later, he heard footsteps approaching from the nearby tunnel, and soon after Emil emerged, a few spatters of beast blood covering his armor. "The nest is dealt with. I think we're done here, Ramirez." He said looking around the room at the miners. Even the old man had gone back to work. "You did a good job." He offered reassuringly.
"Yeah… Thanks." Rami said, not at all in the mood to be praised at that moment. "Let's get out of here."
"Have you seen the way they're treated, Doc?" Rami snapped.
"Well, yeah, but…" Doc began.
"But you don't do anything? What I saw happening in those mines was barbaric!" Rami said, for once having trouble controlling his voice.
Doc looked very sad as he stared at the silver-haired young man before him, who had clearly been shaken by his experiences in the mines. "Ramirez… This is just how Valua does things, you know? We're just grunts, soldiers, the lowest guys on the ladder. We can't change the way they do things right now."
Rami shook his head vigorously. "There must be something. Anything. I can't get it out of my head, what was happening in there…"
Doc sighed. "Well, you could always stick it out with the armada. With your talents, you'd get promoted lightning fast. Maybe then you could start pushing for some policy changes."
"No, no… that'll take too long. Half the people in this mine will be dead and replaced by the time I'm high up enough to make a difference." Rami said, rubbing away a headache that was threatening his temples. "Perhaps I really can talk to Mendosa about it. He's already got influence…"
Doc looked uncomfortable as he glanced away from his friend. "I don't know about that, Ramirez... "
Despite Doc's lack of confidence in the idea, Rami was starting to feel excited about his plan. Yes, admiral Mendosa would do something about all this. He was far too kind of a man to let something like this keep happening under his watch. "No, I think that's just what I'm going to do. I think Mendosa will agree with me." He said, nodding seriously.
Doc's shoulders sagged, as if a heavy weight had descended upon him. "Ramirez…"
Rami was already heading for the door. "I'll see you later, Doc. I've got to go talk to him right now, before anyone else can get hurt."
Doc watched him go, his frown heavy on his face. "That poor kid…" He said, shaking his head slowly as he turned to head back to his room.
Rami knocked quickly on the door to Mendosa's office as soon as he got there. A moment later it opened to reveal the smiling face of the admiral. "Ah, Ramirez! Come in, come in! I hear you just got back from your first assignment as a member of the armada." He said, opening the door wider and making a welcoming gesture with one arm.
Rami quickly stepped inside. "Thank you, admiral. Yes, I did just get back, and I had some things I wanted to talk to you about."
"Of course, of course. Have a seat." Mendosa said, gesturing to a comfortable-looking chair across from his desk. Mendosa took his seat behind the desk as Rami sat down in the offered spot. "What do you need, my boy?"
Rami took a deep breath. He could only hope he wasn't about to upset the admiral with what he said. "Admiral Mendosa… I'm concerned with the way the Ixa'takans are being treated. Especially in the mines."
Mendosa looked taken aback. "Oh? Are you now?" He asked. "And what is happening in the mines?"
Rami stared at the floor as he recounted his experiences. "They're being beaten, and worked to the bone day and night. They have to contend with monster nests and have little food, from what I could tell. It's a horrible place."
Mendosa gasped. "Goodness, me! That sounds absolutely terrible." He replied.
Rami nodded gravely. "Is there anything you can do about it, admiral?" He asked.
Mendosa stroked his beard thoughtfully for a moment before nodding. "Mmm, yes. I believe so. It's a bit tricky, though, you see. I don't quite have direct control over the policies enacted in Ixa'taka - it's a dominion of the empire, so it's actually operated directly under the empress's orders."
Rami grimaced. "Surely there's something you can do…" He said weakly.
The old admiral grinned at his silver-haired soldier. "Don't worry, my boy! As it happens, now that we're done with the inspections, we'll be heading back to Valua for a bit to file some official reports. I'll be visiting the palace during that time, and you have my word that I will bring your concerns directly to the empress herself."
Rami's eyes widened. "You will?" He breathed a sigh of relief, smiling for the first time since he'd gone into the mines. "Thank you, admiral! That's a huge weight off my mind. I know you'll make her see the light."
Admiral Mendosa nodded. "Of course! It's the least I can do in the face of such awful travesty." He gave Rami a warm smile before continuing. "Was there anything else you needed while you were here?"
The admiral really was amazing, Rami reflected, like the father he'd never had. Already he felt much better about the prospects of the Ixa'takans. "No, sir. That's all I needed to hear." He said as he rose from his seat.
"Wonderful! I'm glad I could ease your mind." The admiral said. "You should get ready for a trip, though. We'll be departing for the Valuan capital within the day."
The Valuan capital - supposedly the most advanced city in modern Arcadia. Rami wondered just what it would be like. He gave the admiral one last smile before heading for the door. "I look forward to our arrival."
The Valuan Grand Fortress was truly impressive, even for Rami. It was massive in scale, perhaps even larger than the Great SIlver Shrine. Though its construction was not quite as smooth and advanced as the architecture of the shrine, it was still a work of art as engineering went. He had to give the Valuans credit for that.
He disembarked the Aquila alongside Mendosa, Piastol and Emil, and together they stepped into one of the fortress's many docking ports. "Why don't you boys spend some time around here and make sure the Aquila stays put while I'm at the palace?" Mendosa suggested cheerily as he took his daughter's hand.
"I know you'll love the fortress, Ramirez." Piastol said with a grin.
"I'm sure I will." Rami said with a smile back at the girl.
"We'll keep an eye on the ship, sir." Emil said seriously as he saluted his superior somewhat stiffly. After a moment, Rami followed suit.
Mendosa nodded, satisfied. "I'll be counting on you two, then." He said before leading Piastol off and out of the room with him.
Emil and Rami watched them go before Emil waved a hand at him, walking towards the door himself with a grin on his face. "C'mon. We may have to guard the ship, but we don't have to stand around in this dark hangar while we do that."
Rami followed him through the short tunnel, and on the other side his eyes widened as he found himself facing the gleaming lights of the upper city of Valua. In the distance, the palace sparkled like a yellow jewel set against the mountains behind it. "Wow." He said.
Emil grinned as he nudged his friend's shoulder. "The admiral gets the hangar closest to the rail car depot, so we always get a view when we're here waiting for him. One of the best views in Valua." He boasted.
As he leaned forward and set his hands on the railing, Rami had to admit that Emil had a point. Valua was a good-looking city, even with the gloomy skies that always hung over it. They made the lights look all the brighter. He reflected that if anyone was going to catch up to the legacy of the silvites, it would probably be the Valuans. "It's impressive, for sure."
"The Grand Fortress is nothing to sneeze at, either. We've got some of the best soldiers in the world here, as well as the biggest cannons. You know, during the Valua-Nasr war, a hundred ships tried to break through the gate for a week. Not one of 'em got through." The redhead said proudly.
"So I've heard." Rami said with a small smile. "It's a shame so many people died in the war, though."
Emil's grin faded slightly as he nodded. "Yeah. It was a brutal conflict. As good as it was to see the Grand Fortress hold during that assault, it doesn't make up for all the good men we lost back then. We might've lost even more if it weren't for admiral Galcian…" he mused.
"Admiral Galcian?" Rami asked curiously, glancing at his friend.
"What, you don't know Galcian?" Emil said incredulously. "He's incredible. They say he's the best military commander in a century, that he's, uh…" the man trailed off as he turned his head to look away, staring at something further down the walkway they were standing on.
"Emil?" Rami asked, setting a hand on the man's shoulder.
His friend was suddenly very stiff. "If… If I'm not mistaken, that's him right there." He said in a slightly shaky voice, and suddenly he was standing up straight as he moved to stand next to the doorway to the hanger. "Quick, get on the other side and look smart." He ordered.
Rami glanced down the walkway to see someone tall approaching, wearing a black cloak that covered his body. He frowned as he watched the stranger for a moment before complying with Emil's orders, taking up the spot on the other side of the door.
A minute later, the stranger had reached them. He stood taller than the both of them, taller even than Doc. His silver eyes were cold and piercing as he stared first at Emil, then at Rami. The silvite just barely suppressed a shiver at the intensity of the man's stare as he looked at him.
"Sergeant Emil." His voice was calm and strong, and it was all the more intimidating for the stature of the man it came from. "You're one of Mendosa's men, aren't you?"
Emil nodded once. "That I am, sir. Didn't know you were inspecting the fortress today."
"Surprise inspections allow me to see the men at their worst. Then I know what I am truly dealing with." Galcian explained as he stepped past Emil to stare at Rami again. "Who is this? I've never seen you before."
Rami forced himself to match Galcian's stare as he straightened his back. "I'm sergeant Ramirez of the Aquila. Serving under the honorable admiral Mendosa."
The corner of Galcian's lip curled up in a sneer. "Mendosa? Honorable? What a fool." He said simply.
Rami flinched, then fixed Galcian with a glare. "Are you calling Mendosa a fool? He's wiser than you, I bet."
"Ramirez, watch what you say!" Emil chided him with a note of panic in his voice.
For his part, Galcian only seemed amused by Rami's insubordination. "I wasn't talking about Mendosa. I was calling you a fool for thinking the man has anything resembling honor."
Rami grit his teeth. "I won't let you stand there and slander his name." He said, clenching his fists by his sides.
Galcian was unmoved by his threat as he continued to tower over the young silvite. "Contain yourself, sergeant Ramirez. You will only harm your beloved master's image by coming to blows with me."
Rami glanced at Emil, who was looking at him pleadingly, before returning his gaze to Galcian. "Fine." He said begrudgingly.
Galcian appeared satisfied. "I will give you one piece of advice. You are strong - I can see that just at a glance." He leaned a little closer to Rami, enough to make him uncomfortable. "Do not allow yourself to be deceived by powerless men. The powerful are meant to dominate the weak, not the other way around."
Rami raised an eyebrow at him, but Galcian didn't elaborate any further as he turned and began to walk away. The two soldiers watched him go, before Emil breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "By the moons, Ramirez… how you managed to look him in the eye while saying those things is beyond me."
Rami only vaguely heard him. Galcian's words were echoing in his head in a way that made him frustratingly uncertain. He slowly turned his head to look at Emil again. "Emilio… do you know what he was talking about just now? Is there something about Mendosa I don't know?"
Emil tried to hide it, but Rami could see the way he flinched. "Huh? No, nothing. I wouldn't worry about it too much." He said, smiling a moment later.
But like that, doubt began to worm its way into Rami's mind. Something was wrong here. And though he didn't press his friend any further in that moment, as he turned his gaze back to the gleaming city ahead of him, he thought the lights looked just a little dimmer.
Belleza had adjusted easily to palace life in the few months she'd been there. Perhaps it was the increased comfort, or perhaps it was because it suited her more analytical style of approaching problems.
Or perhaps, she reflected as his hand ran through her hair, it was because it put her closer to Enrique. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you look in violet?" He asked her.
She grinned at him, leaning a little closer. "Maybe a few dozen times." She said sultrily.
As he leaned closer and kissed her, she considered that he was the most likely reason that her transition to the royal guard had been so comfortable. She doubted most people in her position got quite so many perks as she did, though he would always try to write them off as "just part of the job".
At first, she'd been hesitant to dig up her old feelings for him. He was a prince, and she was in his palace, and as a servant of his, no less. If ever they were discovered, the potential for scandal was, frankly, enormous. But time away from him had, ironically, taught her how rare a bond like theirs was, and their budding romance had been rekindled with remarkable quickness upon her return.
She pulled away with a sigh as she nuzzled against his chest. They could only do things like this when they were alone. It was a frustrating restriction, but not an insurmountable one, especially given that Enrique could simply tell people where to be at any given time.
Today, however, she noticed that her prince was looking distinctly unhappy. She brushed the back of her hand against his cheek as she spoke. "What's wrong?" She asked.
He gave her a weak smile as he heard her voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to spoil the moment by getting distant." He exhaled wearily as he let his arms slip away from her form and took a step back to sit down in a nearby chair. "My mother has been giving me trouble of late. It seems like no matter what I tell her, or what evidence I present to her, she'll never listen to me."
"She's still determined to expand the empire by force?" Belleza said despondently. "I thought you were starting to make progress with her…"
"I was, but… She always backpedals when it's time to commit to change. She's been like this ever since my father died, really…" He said, and for a moment his eyes were distant again.
She gently set a hand on his as she sat down in the seat beside him, and like that he was back, staring at her again. "You've got to convince her, somehow. If another war breaks out with Nasr, so many more people will die… more little girls will lose their fathers."
He squeezed her hand gently in his. "I promised you I wouldn't let that happen again, and I meant it."
It was her turn to struggle with a smile. "I really hope you can keep that promise…" She said.
"I will, Belleza. Trust me." He assured her. It made her feel a little better, and she closed her eyes as she took a few calming breaths.
They were quiet for a minute before he spoke again. "So, Bella… Have you given any further consideration to my offer?" He said quietly as the weight of their previous conversation began to fade. "We could go public…"
She opened her eyes with a frown, glancing at him. "You know how that would go, Enrique."
He shook his head. "We won't know until we try it."
She sat up slowly, her frown refusing to fade. "Your mother won't accept it. She'll have me tossed out of the palace, and she'll do everything in her power to keep you from me. You know it won't work."
"Maybe, but… I just…" He tried several times to debate her argument, but even as articulate as he was, he couldn't convince himself otherwise. "I just really hate that we have to sneak around like this." He admitted.
She nodded slowly in agreement. "I know. It hurts me too. But for now, it's what we have to do." She leaned over her armrest and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I love you. We'll figure something out eventually. I'll be happy with what we have until then."
He gently rubbed his cheek where she'd kissed it, smiling faintly. "I love you too, Belleza."
In the distance, a bell rang, and the redhead slowly rose to her feet with a small groan of protest. "It sounds like it's time for me to get back on duty. I'll be missed soon." She said reluctantly.
Enrique stood beside her a moment later. "I'll escort you back to the main hall, at least."
She smiled at his chivalry. "I'd like that." She said, and together they left the room.
As they entered the main hall together a minute later, they realized they were not alone. Enrique quietly took a step away from her as the visitors caught sight of them. The young prince smiled as he recognized them. "Admiral Mendosa. It's good to see you." He greeted the older gentleman as he approached.
The admiral looked a bit flustered as he recognized who had greeted him, and he bowed his head low as he approached. "Prince Enrique! You've grown so much taller since I last saw you. You're truly becoming a man now."
Belleza felt a little flustered herself as she considered all the ways she'd been helping the prince become a man recently, but Enrique was evidently unfazed. "Everyone has to grow up eventually." He said.
From behind Mendosa a childish voice emerged. "Hey! Don't forget about me!" A young girl in a black dress was suddenly beside the admiral, grinning up at the prince.
Enrique grinned back at her. "It's good to see you too, little Piastol. You're getting taller every time I see you." The girl's grin widened at his words, and, satisfied with her reaction, he turned his attention back to the admiral. "What brings you two back to the capital?"
Mendosa stroked his beard for a moment as he briefly eyed Belleza before replying. "I'm here to report the status of Ixa'taka. Yearly updates and all that. I also needed to inform the brass at the Grand Fortress of my new recruit."
Enrique raised an eyebrow at the older man. "A new recruit? In Ixa'taka?"
Mendosa laughed. "If you can believe it! He's not an Ixa'takan, though. He just sort of blew in one day, his ship all broken up. We took him in, and wouldn't you know it, he's one of the best swordsmen I've ever seen." He leaned a little closer to the prince, speaking in an almost conspiratorial whisper. "Between you and me, I think he might even be as good as lord Galcian."
The prince's eyes widened. "That's high praise indeed. I'll have to meet this new recruit of yours soon."
The admiral grinned cheerily. "Maybe you will, someday soon when he's tearing through the ranks." His attention slowly turned to Belleza again. "Speaking of new recruits, who's this young lady? By her armor, one of the royal guard, but she certainly wasn't here the last time I came through."
Belleza flinched as the attention of the group was suddenly on her, and she was careful to meet the admiral's eyes whenever he looked at her. "This is vice-captain Belleza. She joined up a few months ago and has been helping captain Alfonso manage the guard. She's been invaluable in keeping things running." Enrique explained, flashing a smile her way.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, admiral." She said, briefly inclining her head towards him.
"Likewise, miss Belleza. I can tell already that you're going to go far." The admiral said with a knowing look. "I guess you and I both hit the jackpot, eh Enrique?" Mendosa said with another laugh, before sighing softly. "Sorry to say it, but I've got to be going. These reports aren't going to file themselves. Farewell, dear prince." He said before marching off towards one of the doors opposite them.
Enrique and Belleza watched him go. When he was gone, she turned to the young prince with a bemused look. "Well, he certainly was nice."
Enrique gave her a long look, and she had to wonder if he'd seen the same cracks in his performance that she had. "He certainly pretends to be." Enrique said.
A few hours later, Mendosa returned to the dock of the Aquila. Rami and Emil were both still waiting by the door, and the redheaded soldier saluted smartly as the admiral approached. "It's good to see that you two are so dutiful. I'm glad I could depend on you." He praised them as he reached the doorway.
"You can depend on Ramirez for anything!" Piastol said cheerily from his side.
Rami smiled faintly at the girl before turning his attention to Mendosa. "How did your talk with the empress go?" He asked politely.
The admiral grimaced, and Rami felt a cold flash in his chest. "I'm afraid the empress was not quite on-board with our ideas… but worry not, I'll keep trying to convince her. For now, though, I'm afraid I won't be able to change things too much." He said, frowning at the silver-haired youth before him.
He's lying. An insidious voice whispered in Rami's ear, but there was nobody there. He forced a smile as he saluted the admiral. "I appreciate the effort anyway, sir. See you aboard the Aquila."
His act was apparently enough to convince the admiral, and the older man nodded contentedly as he stepped through the door to the hangar.
"Come on, Ramirez. Let's get the pre-flight checks out of the way and get the Aquila ready to fly." Emil said, and Rami nodded slowly as he followed the redhead into the hangar a moment later. He watched as Mendosa and his daughter disappeared into the ship before turning to see Emil beginning to fiddle with a console nearby.
"Just gotta unlock the docking clamps now and we should be ready…" Emil murmured as he punched a few buttons. Suddenly Rami was beside him, and the redhead flinched a step away. "Woah there, Ramirez. What happened to personal space?"
Rami's eyes were oddly cold as he stared at the sergeant. "You need to tell me what you know about Mendosa, Emil. I know you're hiding something."
Emil got that flicker of worry on his face again. "Th-this again? Come on, I'm not hiding anything." He protested.
He was so bad at lying, Rami reflected as he took another step closer. "Tell. Me. The. Truth." He said calmly and coldly.
Emil's gaze hardened as he stopped backpedaling and stood his ground. "Look, Ramirez. I don't know what's gotten into you, but if you keep this up I'm going to kick your ass."
In a flash, Rami was an inch in front of Emil, and grabbed him by the front of his armor, hauling him close and staring him down. Don't let him worm his way out of this. The voice whispered. "Tell me or you die." He hissed, his free hand going to the hilt of his sword.
Suddenly there was fear in the redhead's eyes, and he looked away from Rami's cold silver eyes as he spoke. "O-okay, okay… I'll tell you. Just don't hurt me, alright?" He took a deep breath before continuing. "It's just, sometimes, Mendosa has me and the boys stay in the mine extra late, after closing time. We keep the workers there, too, and then we collect all the moon stones they get and bring them straight to the admiral."
Rami's eyes went wide with realization. Mendosa wasn't just allowing the Ixa'takans to be exploited. He was actively hurting them more for his own gain. You've been lied to. The voice in his ear was becoming impossibly seductive. "Thanks, Emil. You've been a great help." He drew his sword and, with a quick motion, cracked the hilt against the side of the man's head. Emil let out a sharp cry before his head slumped forward and his eyes shut.
Rami tossed the unconscious man aside before turning to the console. He finished unlocking the docking clamps before turning away from his former friend and heading for the ship. He had business with admiral Mendosa.
Rami quietly considered his plan of action as the Aquila left the Grand Fortress and drifted into mid-ocean. His body seethed with barely-restrained anger. It was a feeling he was unfamiliar with. He'd never been so furious before, and he was almost a little afraid of what he might do when he confronted the admiral.
As he brooded in one of the hallways near the admiral's office, a familiar face came by to greet him. "Hey, Ramirez. You don't look so good." Doc said with a look of concern on his face.
Rami's eyes still had a hint of the coldness from before as he looked at his friend. "Doc. Mendosa may not be who we think he is." He said calmly.
Doc gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"
Rami didn't want to explain it all again. He looked at the floor. "He hurts the Ixa'takans. I doubt he really feels remorse for it."
Doc was quiet for a long moment before he responded. "I know." He said.
Rami's head snapped up to stare at him in disbelief. "You knew?" He hissed.
"Well, yeah. Mendosa was the one who first led the campaign to colonize Ixa'taka, Ramirez. He's always put the interests of the empire above those of others. That's why he's an admiral." Doc explained.
They're all monsters. Rami closed his eyes as he fought to avoid shaking. "Just leave me alone, Doc."
"Ramirez…" Doc said with a quiet pleading tone in his voice.
"Leave me alone." Rami repeated, this time with an icy edge.
He heard the man sigh, and then footsteps retreating in the direction opposite the admiral's office.
Then he turned and headed for the office himself.
He didn't knock before entering. He found the admiral in conference with four of his men, all of them wearing the light armor they usually wore around the ship. They all turned to look at him as he came into the room. "Ramirez? I'm afraid I'm a bit busy at the moment." Mendosa said. "Though, while you're here, have you seen Emilio? I'm afraid I must've lost track of him."
Rami shut the door behind him and fixed the admiral with a hard stare. "Admiral Mendosa. Have you been working the Ixa'takans overtime and taking what they produce for yourself?" He wasn't sure why he posed it as a question. He already knew the answer.
The admiral's eyes widened for a moment before a smile spread over his face. Only, it wasn't like the smiles he usually wore. This one was unpleasant. A sneer, like Galcian had worn when mocking him before. "Ah. That explains Emilio's absence." The admiral steepled his fingers on his desk. "It seems you've stumbled upon an unfortunate truth, my boy."
"So you don't deny it." Rami snarled.
"Even if I did, you wouldn't believe me." Mendosa said with disappointment in his tone. "Alas. I had such high hopes for you, Ramirez. You were almost like a son to me." He glanced to the men at his side. "Kill him, won't you? Sergeant Ramirez has become a problem."
The four men gathered around the admiral drew their swords, and as they did, everything lost its color. The world slowed down as Rami took in everything around him in perfect detail. Punish them for using you. He extended his hand, and beneath his armor the bracelet he always wore shattered and reformed in his palm as his familiar silver sword.
Suddenly, time started once more, and the men were rushing at him. He sidestepped two strikes before slashing one man's throat with a flick of his wrist. He quickly deflected a third swing, then kicked the attacker back into the man behind him before whirling and leaving a deep slash in the chest of the one who'd attempted to get behind him.
The injured man stumbled back, and he took the opportunity to turn and rush the two he'd knocked into each other. A flurry of quick slashes cut and pierced them until they would move no more. Then he turned to the last one, who clutched at his chest as he made one last futile charge at his opponent.
They were still too slow, even after all his training. He casually knocked the sword out of the man's hand mid-swing before calmly slashing his throat as well. The last of the admiral's guard collapsed before him, leaving Rami alone with the subject of his ire.
Mendosa's eyes went wide as he rose from his seat, drawing his rapier. "You… you're a monster. What kind of demon are you?" He said as he took a step back. Rami matched his every backwards step with a step forward, until Mendosa's back pressed against a wall.
The admiral growled, realizing his predicament, and charged forward faster than any of his men had, his sword a blur as it began to cross the space between them. "Die, dog!" He spat.
Rami casually sidestepped him before ramming an elbow into the man's stomach, sending him stumbling backwards. He grabbed Mendosa's sword hand and wrestled the blade from his fingers, letting it clatter to the ground before standing in front of the injured and disarmed admiral.
"You won't get away with this. I'm an admiral of the imperial armada. Kill me and you'll have all of Valua on your heels for the rest of your life." Mendosa warned desperately.
The weak trying to control the strong. The voice echoed Galcian's words. Rami slammed Mendosa against the wall with one arm before impaling him with his sword. The admiral let out a pitiful cry as Rami withdrew his sword, and the older man crumpled to the floor clutching at his chest. "Y-you… rat…" He whispered as he struggled to remain conscious.
Rami slowly paced to the door, stepping over the bodies of the men he'd killed moments ago, before turning to face Mendosa, sitting at the other end of the room and glaring daggers at him as he nursed his soon-to-be-fatal wound. "Mendosa… Thank you for teaching me not to trust your kind any longer." Rami said with a bitter smile.
He raised his hand, palm facing towards the admiral. "Moons, consecrate this place." As he spoke, warmth blossomed from his palm, and suddenly a small, swirling ball of fire began to drift away from it and towards Mendosa. Rami savored the look of fear and realization in the admiral's eyes for a moment before stepping out the door and into the hallway.
He managed to walk a short distance away before a fiery explosion tore through the ship, rocking the floor beneath his feet and forcing him to brace himself against the wall for balance. Behind him, great tongues of flame began to fill the corridor as the walls and ceiling of the hallway began to bend.
Suddenly doors were opening everywhere. One of the ones near him opened to admit Doc into the hallway with a frantic expression on his face. "Ramirez! What the hell is going on?!" He barked.
Rami stared at him for a second before replying. He couldn't tell if this man was his friend or not. "You should leave. The Aquila is all going to be ash soon." He said before pushing past Doc without another word.
"Shit, shit, shit…" Doc said as he watched the troubled youth go, and he hurried to where the flames were thickest, pulling open a door at the end of the hall. "Maria? Anna?" He called. Suddenly someone was hugging his leg, and he looked down to see a young girl of three clinging to him.
He kneeled down to take her in his arms, speaking quickly. "Maria. Where is your mother?" He asked.
Her eyes began to water as she pointed down the hallway to where fire and collapse had already ensured anyone present would be long dead by now. He shut his eyes with a shudder before pulling the girl close to him. There was no time to mourn right now. He pulled her out of her room and raced for the lifeboats just as another explosion rocked the area behind him.
Captain Dyne of the blue rogues peered out at the flaming spectacle in the distance through his telescope. "By the moons…" He swore as he turned to his helmsman. "Get us over there, now! We need to help those people!"
"Aye aye, sir." The helmsman said as he steered the Albatross towards the burning husk of the Aquila.
Piastol clutched at her bedside as something powerful rocked the ship. Moments later she heard screaming and people running in the hallway outside. She clambered to her feet, grabbing her knife belt and wrapping it tightly around her waist before heading out into the hallway herself. A passing crewmember stopped to wave frantically at her. "Piastol! We need to get out of here, the ship's on fire!"
"Go!" She snarled at him. He needed no further prompting and hurried off in the direction of the lifeboats. How had this happened? Fire didn't just break out on armada ships. This had to be deliberate. She hurried through the ship and began helping people to evacuate, one by one. She was an ordinary little girl most of the time, but her father had taught her well how to respond to a crisis.
It was around the time she was evacuating people near the upper decks when she caught sight of a shadow in the flames nearby. It stumbled forward and out of the smoke to begin shoving one of the doors open. As her eyes adjusted, she realized it was a young red-haired girl with hair like a scarecrow, and dressed all in yellow leather.
"Pirates…" She hissed. They could only be the ones responsible for this mess. "Die, scum!" She cried as she drew a knife from her belt and hurled it at the girl, aimed for her neck.
Suddenly, another figure emerged from the smoke to interpose itself between the girl and Piastol. A young boy with dark red hair grunted in pain as the knife sliced deep into his cheek while he shoved the girl out of the way, and the both of them stumbled to the ground. She could hear more people approaching from that direction. She cursed under her breath as she turned and ran. She wouldn't win a fight against a full crew.
Her heart raced as she made her way to the lower decks in search of the lifeboats. She hadn't seen her little sister, or Doc, or her father, or Ramirez since the fire started. She felt her eyes tearing up as she considered that the parts of the ship they normally inhabited had been the first to go up in flames.
There was only one lifeboat left when she got there, and it was empty. She waited thirty seconds to see if anyone else would come, but nobody did. Perhaps she was the only one left. Would she see her father again, or her sister? Would she see Ramirez again? She closed her eyes and prayed to the moons she would as she started the engine and detached the lifeboat.
The little boat's engine hummed as it pulled away from the steadily sinking Aquila, and Piastol disappeared into the morning fog of mid-ocean.
Rami's graceful silver ship sped through the skies of mid ocean, away from the wreck he'd created. Away from the peaceful life he could no longer live. Every beat of his heart hurt his chest as he drifted through the skies.
Suddenly, a large black ship came into view, with a golden serpent decal emblazoned into the side. Was that a Valuan flagship? Maybe it wasn't, but he was willing to take his chances today. He slowly lowered his ship as he approached the menacing black warship in the distance.
"Lord Galcian! Young man with silver hair has just landed his ship on the deck of the Serpent. He's currently confronting several of our men and demanding to see you." The vice captain reported.
Galcian smiled to himself. He'd been waiting for this moment. He nodded curtly to the vice captain as he spoke. "I've been expecting him. Send him straight here, to me." He said.
"Y-yes sir!" The vice captain saluted before turning and hurrying off to convey his master's orders.
Galcian strolled around to the rear of his chambers as he awaited his guest.
To his great surprise, Rami learned that he wouldn't have to kill everyone on board the black ship. "Lord Galcian has requested that you come to his chambers immediately." The vice captain reported.
"Take me there immediately, then." Rami said. The men around him parted nervously to allow him through as he followed the vice captain into the bowels of the Serpent.
It was a short ascent past the bridge of the ship to reach Galcian's chambers. "Leave." Rami spat at at the officer who'd escorted him there, and the soldier hurried to comply, leaving the young silvite alone in front of the door. He rolled his shoulders for a moment before opening it and stepping inside.
Galcian was waiting for him, eyes closed and head bowed ever so slightly. "I see you've finally come to your senses, sergeant Ramirez. I assume what's happening to the Aquila right now is your doing?"
Rami narrowed his eyes at the imposing man in front of him. "Yes, it is. Admiral Mendosa is dead." He said coldly.
Galcian laughed quietly. It was melodic but strangely unpleasant. "The strong finally broke free of the shackles of the weak. Well done." He opened his eyes and grinned at Rami. "Why have you come to see me, however?"
Suddenly, Rami's sword was in hand once more. "I wasn't initially planning on it, but since you were in the area, I decided I should kill you for revealing this painful truth to me. I was happy before you came along."
Another laugh. Galcian was enjoying himself. "Interesting. I'm not so sure you were happy. More like deluded. Still, I can see why you'd want to fight me. Will you allow me to retrieve my weapon?" He said calmly.
"It wouldn't be fun if you couldn't fight back." Rami said with a nasty grin.
"I agree wholeheartedly." Galcian replied as he turned and took a massive sword from a rack on the wall. Rami had assumed it was just for show. Did he actually wield that thing? Galcian held the gargantuan blade casually in a one-handed grip as he turned to face Rami once more. "Show me what you can do, sergeant Ramirez." Galcian challenged him.
Rami flashed forward in an instant, aiming a strike for Galcian's heart intended to end the fight in one blow. He was interrupted as pain suddenly exploded from his chest, as Galcian backhanded him away with a closed fist. Rami caught himself on the landing, avoiding stumbling only just barely. "Speed alone will not win you this battle." Galcian chided the young silvite.
"Shut up!" Rami snarled as he rushed forward again, this time not hurrying his strikes. Their blades clashed once, then twice. Each time Rami found himself shaken by the force behind the admiral's blows. He could feel the vibrations in his sword arm beginning to grow painful by the third time their swords crossed.
Rami drew on every technique he knew, looking for an opening. Strike after strike was evaded or parried, while Galcian kept sneaking in potshots or quick slices with his enormous sword. Finally, as his frustration mounted, Rami lunged forward one more time in a desperate attack, trying to take Galcian by surprise through sheer speed.
Galcian sidestepped just enough to avoid being pierced through the chest, but the blade bit cleanly into his side. He grunted in pain, and Rami felt a flash of satisfaction.
Then the flat of Galcian's blade slammed into his shoulder and sent him flying into the nearest wall with a painful impact. He crumpled to the floor clutching at his arms as they screamed with pain. Galcian's slow steps thundered in his ears as he approached. "It appears that you are outmatched, young silvite." Galcian said.
Rami felt a cold flash of fear at the man's last word. "H-how… Did you know?" He said as he turned slightly on the floor to stare up at his opponent.
"I know things few other men know, because I seek the only truth in this world." Galcian said.
Rami grit his teeth as he listened. "And what truth is that?" He asked.
Galcian slowly knelt beside the silvite boy, bracing himself against his sword with a smirk. "Power is absolute. Power is real. Power will never betray you." He intoned calmly.
Rami's head swam as he listened to the words. Power. Power will never betray you. Power will never hurt you like people will. "How did you become so powerful…?" Rami asked quietly.
Galcian's smirk only grew. "I will gladly teach you, Ramirez. But first, you must swear fealty to me. Power comes at a price."
Dozens of memories flashed through Rami's head. His time with Fina and the Elders. His futile search for the crystals. Teaching Piastol things, joking around with Doc and Emil, treating Mendosa like a father. All he felt was pain as he considered these experiences that had once felt like the world to him.
Rami made up his mind. "If you will show me how to control this hateful world like you do… then I will follow you to the ends of the earth."