Cutting through the reefs had cut ample time off their trip. Now before them stretched the endless golden ocean known as Nasr, rising and falling in sand waves off to the horizon. The sun beamed down relentlessly upon them, and below deck, Vyse struggled to keep the engine cool by continuously throwing blue moonstones into it. But not even an hour's time passed before the stones were obliterated in the heat and he had to start all over, working up a sweat that the hot and dry air did nothing to accommodate for.
"If this engine weren't so ancient..." he grumbled, wrestling off his tunic and undershirt and tossing them aside, "I wouldn't be down here killing myself."
A sudden shuffling caught his attention, and he whirled around to see a flurry of white skirts go darting up the stairs. In her haste, Fina tripped and fell back down, and he rushed over to catch her. She squealed and covered her eyes.
"I'm sorry! I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!" she cried, in a panic. "I just wanted to come down and get something from my room! I didn't know you were undressing!"
"Huh?" Vyse blinked and suddenly grew very red. "Fina, I'm not undressing...I was just taking my shirt off..."
"T-that's undressing!" She refused to uncover her eyes.
"No it's not..." Vyse felt rather dumb. Silvite culture must have been heavily conservative. "I'm leaving the rest of my clothes on. I just took off my shirt because I'm hot. For men, it's...well, it's normal."
Fina fell silent. "...It is?"
"I take it it isn't where you come from?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Heh." Vyse couldn't help but to smile. "Well, things are a lot different down here, especially when it comes to air pirates. We're a lot more casual. Look at how Aika dresses! Would your people have considered that appropriate?"
"W-well...no..." she replied, after a moment.
Vyse chuckled. "There's nothing wrong with it. Aika chooses to dress that way because it's easy for her to fight in, and she finds it the most comfortable. Here, it all depends on a person's personality, their own preferences. We do what we want because there's no...no codes, no rules."
"I...I see..."
With another smile, Vyse set her back down, and she slowly, tentatively uncovered her eyes.
"So...this is custom...?" she asked.
Vyse nodded.
"Does that mean I should take off my shirt, too?"
Vyse's eyes widened at those words. "Nonononono!" he said quickly, waving his hands. "Only guys can do that! Only guys!"
"Oh...I-I'm sorry." She was quick to bow to him.
Vyse felt stupid. "It's alright, really," he said, reassuringly. "I know things are a lot different for you down here...I understand. Just dress however you want, as long as it's comfortable."
"Y-yes..." Fina smiled a little, though she was starting to look overwhelmed. "I...I am comfortable like this..."
"Then stay that way," he replied, smiling.
Fina fell silent again, her eyes on her feet.
"...Am I making you too uncomfortable?" he asked. "I'll put my tunic back on, how's that?"
"N-no, that's fine. I want you to be able to function in this heat..." Fina hesitated. "I just...may I ask you something?"
Bang! The doors to the engine room burst open, and Aika sprang down the stairs, excitedly. "Land ho!" she cried. "I spotted land from the crow's nest!"
"Tell me it's close! I'm dying down here," Vyse said, turning to shovel up more blue moonstone.
"Well..." She grinned at him wryly.
"We're not close at all, are we?" he asked, dumping the shoveload into the coolant chamber.
"About half an hour," she replied. "I came down here to look for some sun balm, it's brutal out there. I heard that if you actually go walking in the desert, your hair will catch on fire! They say that the people of Nasr carry buckets of water around with them, so they can put their friends out when that happens. And then--"
"What?" Vyse boggled. "Aika, I doubt it's that hot outside."
"Hmph! Why don't you go out there, then?" she demanded. "That glass eye patch you wear will probably magnify the sun's rays and fry your brain!"
Vyse only shook his head, then sighed. "Dammit. We're almost out of blue moonstone. We've got enough to last us for about another hour. Do they sell it in Maramba?"
"Oh, I'll help," Fina replied. "Here." She placed her hands on the side of the coolant tub and closed her eyes. "Moons, give me strength."
A moment later, the entire thing was frozen over.
"Purple magic?" Aika guessed.
Fina smiled. "It's a spell called Crystales. That should last about five hours or so before it completely melts away. I'm sorry, Vyse...perhaps I should have done that sooner."
"Don't worry about it." He smiled, then set his shovel aside. "I'm gonna go up to the bridge and see if the Captain needs anything else. Are you guys finished with your chores?"
"Not me." Aika shook her head. "I need to swab the decks."
"I have one more net to mend," Fina replied. "We'll be busy enough until we reach Maramba."
He nodded. "Alright. Let's meet on the bridge as soon as we can, then."
A half hour later, after deck swabbing, net mending, and engine oiling, Maramba had come into full view. The town was tiny, leaning on the coast of a broad, flat island that was halfway surrounded by solid reef. There seemed to be two levels and three parts of town; the lower half was on the coast, where all the sailing-related establishments seemed to be. The upper half, raised away from the coast, seemed to be all shops. Separate from it, fenced in on its own across a good expanse of desert for whatever reason, seemed to be the residential area. Massive torches, no doubt fueled by red moonstones, burned around the city and the harbor in particular, to guide in ships through the shifting sands.
For all the town's size, however, the harbor was jam-packed. Drachma grumbled to himself as he battled for a dock to land in. When at last he was able to settle the Little Jack in, Vyse could wait no longer. He grabbed all of his possessions and ran out onto the docks, grinning. Aika and Fina soon followed.
"This is great!" he cried, absolutely grinning from ear to ear. "So much to explore! I've never been to a Nasrean town before!"
"So hot..." Fina commented, quietly. "The people who live here must be very strong people, indeed."
"I've heard the Nasreans are a very poetic and romantic people, actually," Aika said, wistfully. "I can't wait to meet the folks who live here. It will be like walking through a storybook."
"Well, let's wait for the Captain before we do go anywhere," Vyse replied. "What in the name of the moons is he doing in there? He hasn't even shut off the engines yet."
As soon as he said that, he could hear the gears in the engine shifting. The pectoral fins on the side of the ship drew to a halt and then began flapping in the opposite direction. The Little Jack was backing out of the port!
"Hey! Cap'n! What are you doing?" Aika called.
Drachma poked his grizzled head out of a window of the bridge and frowned down at the three of them. "This is where we part ways," he called back. "I got no time for babysittin' or treasure huntin'. I've wasted enough time with that. I gotta go find Rhaknam."
"WHAT?!" Aika was furious. "Hey! Get back here, you rusty old man! You can't do this to us! HEY!"
It was no use. Drachma pulled his head back inside, and they were left to stand there, helplessly, watching as he sailed out of sight and disappeared into the swirling curtains of sand clouding the air in the distance.
"Oh my!" Fina's eyes were wide. "That...that isn't good. Did we anger him?"
Vyse sighed. "Great. We're stuck in a desert with no ship and only five thousand gold."
"And we can't speak Nasrean!" Aika wailed.
"Uhm...actually..." Fina looked a little bashful. "...I can."
Vyse blinked. "Huh? Really? You know both Nasrean and Valuan?"
She nodded. "I know every language spoken on this planet. I had to learn them as a part of my apprenticeship to the Silver Temple. Priestesses of the Silver Temple are the record keepers of the Silver Civilization. In order to properly record history, we need to be able to understand the different cultures of the world. So we're taught the six languages."
Aika's eyes went wide. "You mean to tell me that there are people beneath the other moons still?" she asked. "That there's more to the world than Valua and Nasr?"
"Oh my, yes." Fina nodded. "A whole lot more. Arcadia is a lot larger than you realize."
"Good. All the more for me to explore." Vyse grinned. "Come on, let's head into town. We'll need to find a place to stay...then we'll see about getting a ship."
The two girls nodded and followed him.
Vyse couldn't understand why the docks were so full; there wasn't a soul in town. Very few people walked about the sandy streets and between the shops.
Nasr's architecture was distinctly different than Valua's, however. All of the structures were made from adobe, and painted colors that blended in almost perfectly with the sand. They were all square, with flat roofs, and bordered with triangle motifs in bright colors. They had no glass in their windows, just shutters to close them off in case of a sand storm. Everything was much more simplistic, but beautiful in its own way.
"It looks like there's only one inn in town," Aika observed, after a few minutes of exploring. "Might as well check in there."
Vyse nodded. "Alright."
When they entered the inn, though, Vyse began to realize where all the people in the docks had gone. There wasn't a soul inside, but he got a bad feeling when he saw sleeping bags rolled out on the floor of the lobby.
Fina translated what the innkeeper, deeply apologetic, said. "I'm incredibly sorry...We're simply overbooked. There is literally no more room in the inn."
"Ask her why," Vyse said. Fina did so.
"She says there's a dancer that recently came to town," Fina replied. "This dancer is so beautiful and talented that tourism to Maramba has increased threefold. People come from everywhere to see her."
"Great..." Vyse grumbled. "We'll have to sleep in the sand tonight because some half-wit sailors are here getting their jollies off a dancing girl."
"And you think I'm the one with a dirty mind," Aika murmured.
"She says we should go across town to the fortune teller, Kalifa," Fina said, after a moment. "She believes Kalifa might be able to find us somewhere we can stay."
Vyse nodded. "Alright, then, we'll do that. I'd much rather prefer a mattress on the ground to sand in my pants."
Aika giggled.
Once outside again, Vyse navigated his way to the far end of the town, only to find it completely fenced off just as the half across from it was. The gate that allowed access to the desert was far too big for him to push with his own weight. He blinked, at a loss.
"You wan' to see dee udda part of town?" A male voice asked. He turned to see a short man in a turban there behind him, holding the reigns of a strange creature. It was easily as tall as the houses in the area, and walked, hunched over, on two powerful hind legs. Its forearms were considerably smaller and didn't look able to reach its mouth. It had wide feet, and a long tail and neck, and was colored a pale pink. On its back was a saddle and various pack bags.
"Do you know how we can get there?" Vyse asked.
"Yes! You take dee Dhabu!" he replied, grinning and pointing at the animal he was leading. "Dee Dhabu, good Dhabu."
"His Meridian's horrible..." Aika murmured.
Fina turned and started speaking to him in Nasrean. Their conversation went a lot quicker.
"These creatures are called Dhabus," she translated, after a moment. "They are native to Nasr, and he trains them. He says they are used for land transport across the desert because they are both strong and hardy and can go for a very long time without water. He says he can give us each a Dhabu so we can ride it to the other side of town."
"Wonderful," Vyse replied. "Can we keep them for as long as we stay in Maramba?"
Fina asked the man. "If we pay five extra gold, we can do that," she replied. "The Dhabus are twenty five gold each."
"Twenty five gold?! We might as well own the beasts for that. We need to save our money until we can get a ship." Vyse frowned. "Tell him we'll only take two. One of us can double up."
"Uhm...okay...I'll tell him," she replied.
Five minutes later, after having to barter rather extensively with the merchant, Vyse and the girls were off on the backs of the large creatures, Vyse alone and the two girls riding together. He wasn't sure if it was the sun beating down on him or the fact that Drachma had marooned them, but Vyse was starting to feel grumpy, and he shifted restlessly in his mount's saddle. What were they supposed to do in this port town? Would he be able to afford a boat able to traverse the desert, or would he have to steal one? Would they be able to get both a boat and supplies to travel, or would they have to steal those as well? What if they got caught? The excuse, "We're out to save the world" didn't exactly sound plausible.
After ten minutes of tromping through the desert, the Dhabus pushed through another gate and were on the residential side of town. Vyse was very glad that he had invested in them; a walk across that expanse of sand would have been brutal enough as it was. They pulled their Dhabus up to ramps made specifically for dismounting them and then tied them up, looking around. Most of the buildings in the area were all houses, but nearby he could see a large building, likely a tavern, and a smaller one beside it.
"Kalifa must own the smaller shop," Fina said.
"Looks like it's closed to me," Aika said. "The curtains are drawn and there's a note on the door."
"Oh!" Fina hurried over to it and picked it up, reading it over carefully. "You're right. She left for Nasrad to purchase some scrying crystals and will be back tomorrow, or so it says."
"Great..." Aika looked miffed.
"Well...since we've come all this way, let's check the tavern," Vyse suggested. "There may be somebody in there who can help us out. If we can't find someone in there, we likely won't be able to find someone anywhere."
"You're right..." Aika replied. "Let's go then." She didn't even wait for a reply before going inside. Fina glanced at him naively and followed.
As soon as he got inside, Vyse realized why the inn was so full. The tavern was jam-packed full of sailors, all men, crowded into one half of the room and cheering rowdily as a small band played Mid-Eastern music in the background. Dancing fluidly, exotically to the music was a woman, likely the one the innkeeper had spoke of.
Vyse could not deny that she was beautiful. Her body was lean, sleek, likely from years of dancing. Her facial features were delicate, complete with pouty lips, enchanting green eyes, and long, thick eyelashes. Pinned atop her head in a wavy ponytail was hair of the deepest, richest ebony, with two long locks separated to frame her face as Fina's did. She was very scantily clad, and although it was customary for the region, Vyse still couldn't help but stare. A mere sash of rich violet had been wrapped around her breasts and tied around her neck, exposing all of her back, shoulders, and midriff. Low cut and see-through mesh pants in the same color fit loosely around her waist, held up by a golden belt bejeweled with various glittering trinkets. Adorning her wrists and ankles were other flashy, dangling pieces of jewelry, and from her bracelets there attached a long sash made out of the same fabric as her pants. Also cut from the same fabric was a veil that covered the lower half of her face, attached to a golden headdress.
"This was a bad idea..." Aika grumbled.
"The bartender says we should have a seat anyway," Fina replied, with a small smile. "At least all the seats on this side of the room are empty. Everyone seems to want to sit near the stage."
"I wonder why..." Aika murmured.
Vyse shrugged, then slipped in to a nearby table and plopped down. There were no chairs, just big pillows on the floor for them to sit on.
"I guess in Nasr, they always sit on the floor..." he said. The bartender came and gave them some drinks, and he tossed a few coins his way before leaning back with a soft groan.
"Man...what a day..." Aika's head dropped to the table. "We work our butts off in the heat, finally get to where we wanna go, and then we're stranded with enough money to last us about a moon or two without a ship. What are we supposed to do now?" Her voice ended on an almost panicked note. "I understand the Cap'n's reason for leaving, but...he had no right to just strand us here, you know, Vyse?"
Vyse didn't hear a word she said.
"Vyse?" She blinked, then scowled and got in his face. "Vyse!"
Vyse jumped, suddenly realizing she was there. "Huh?"
Aika looked angry. "Were you listening to me?"
"Uhm...yeah...you were talking about the desert..." he replied.
She face faulted. "If you could pry your eyes away from that dancer for a moment and look over here..."
Vyse grinned guiltily. "Sorry, I just didn't want to insult her by...uh...ignoring her. New lands, new customs, you know."
Aika became absolutely livid. "What are you talking about?! You act like you've never seen a girl before! You...you were undressing her with your eyes, not that it would take that long. I hope you weren't zooming in!"
"Okay, geez, cut me some slack!" Vyse scooted away from her, a bit defensively. "You've gotta admit, she's been watching me since we came in here..."
Aika sighed and dropped her head back to the table. "Fina, can you talk some sense into him?"
Fina blinked, peering at her over the top of her glass. "Hm? Do you really find it all that hard to believe?" She smiled, bashfully. "Vyse is very attractive. I don't think it's odd that she's looking over here."
"Haha..." Aika grinned in denial. "Vyse wouldn't want someone like her. I mean, who knows where she's been?"
"I have been all over Nasr, thank you," a deep voice said in Meridian from behind her. Vyse looked up, and Aika whirled around, only to find the dancer standing there.
Aika's eyes went wide. "Uh...uh...so you travel a lot?" she asked.
"Tell me...you wouldn't happen to be the group of air pirates that escaped from the Grand Fortress, would you?" the dancer asked.
Vyse blinked. "How do you know about that?"
The dancer smiled. "In a place like this, you hear all sorts of things. Rumors, gossip, news from the other lands..." She paused and took a seat beside him. "Even air pirates whining about not having a ship."
"It's kind of loud in here..." Fina said, with a small smile, "...but Aika was shouting. I'm sorry. We didn't mean to disrupt your dancing."
The dancer laughed softly. "Think nothing of it. I was going to take a break anyway. I cannot dance forever, you know. So...not to be intrusive, but you did sound pretty upset. Can you tell me what the problem is? Perhaps I can help."
"I thought you just said you knew what the problem was..." Aika said, through clenched teeth. "We don't have a ship."
"But why is it imperative that you need one?" the dancer asked, coolly.
"...We got stranded here by the man we were traveling with," Vyse replied, before Aika could say anything else. "He decided he had other business to attend to and just...left. We were on our way to...to the...what was it called again, Fina?"
"The temple of Pyrynn," she supplied for him, with a small smile. "Have you heard of it?"
"Heard of it? I've seen it with my own eyes." The dancer smiled. "But I would not dare go inside there. Many tales here say it is filled with deadly traps. I can not understand what the people of the Old World were thinking when they created such a place."
"The traps are there because there is a very important treasure inside..." Fina replied. "We were going to get the treasure, but..."
"Oh!" The dancer's eyes widened. "Not even the Black Pirates in this area think of going in there! You are very bold."
"Or crazy," Vyse replied, smirking. "Actually, Valua's after this treasure too, so we want to get it before they do."
"Is that so? Most interesting..." The dancer fell into a contemplative silence at that. "If Valua wants it...it must be quite valuable indeed. Do you know what it is? I have never heard of the Armada being overly fond of treasure hunting. The only thing I can think of within the temple walls that would have any value to them is the Moon Crystal..."
Fina blinked. "You know of the Moon Crystal?"
The dancer giggled. "Who here doesn't? Nasrad's scholars deciphered the Red Civilization's hieroglyphics long ago and learned a great deal about it. I only have general knowledge about such a legendary artifact, mind you, but rumors say the government knows of its exact location and might one day use it for revenge against Valua. You know how people are here. We resent Valua...what, after the war...We long to restore this nation's pride and honor."
Vyse nodded. "Yes, I've heard of that. You have reason to hate them, I guess, but not everyone in Valua is bad. I learned that from my time there."
"An encouraging thought." Again, she smiled. "I like you three, you seem like the honest sort. Anymore, the only audience I have are men like these looking for a good time. How about this? Tomorrow, if you meet me out on the docks, I will allow you on board my personal ship and I'll sail you to the Temple of Pyrynn myself. How does that sound?"
"No thanks," Aika replied, nastily. "You don't even know us. Why would you give us a ride?"
The dancer held up a finger, which was lacquered over with purple nail paint. "'Only one who has walked the desert can truly know its size' is a saying we have here in Nasr. Walking to the Temple of Pyrynn would kill you. I would feel guilty if that happened; the death would essentially be on me, because I had done nothing to help you even though I knew of your plight."
"You are most kind," Fina said, smiling warmly. "You have done a lot for us, and we don't even know your name..."
"Hadiya," the dancer said. "My name is Hadiya."
"I'm Vyse," Vyse replied, then gestured to the two girls. "This is Aika and Fina. We're Blue Rogues."
"I have always supported the actions of the Blue Rogues." Hadiya beamed. "I would never make a good air pirate myself, but I am glad I can give you some aid. Have you a place to stay the night?"
"No, and that's your fault," Aika replied, tartly. "The inn has been filled up with sailors who came here to see you."
Hadiya gasped. "What? You can not be serious?"
"Believe me, I wish I weren't..." Aika murmured.
"Oh moons, I had no idea." Hadiya frowned. "You are right, I suppose that is my fault. As part of Nasr custom, then, I shall offer you lodging in my own house."
"Wonderful! I'll be sleeping on the roof," Aika replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.
Hadiya shrugged. "As you wish..."
"Really...we cannot thank you enough for your hospitality," Vyse replied. "Where is your house?"
"In a far corner of this lot. It's very tiny and really isn't much at all. I hope you do not mind."
Vyse chuckled. "We're air pirates, remember? None of us care for lavish stuff to begin with."
"Ah! Well, then, that is reassuring." Hadiya smiled, and fluidly rose to her feet. "I shall go tell the bartender I am leaving early, then. He will be angry with me for certain, but I've brought him more business than he has had in his lifetime, so he owes me at least this." She shook her head.
"Take your time. We'll meet you outside." Vyse grinned, then stood and headed for the door. Fina scooted out after him, and Aika begrudgingly followed, grumbling under her breath.
"You're head over heels for her, aren't you?" she bitterly asked in Valuan when they had gotten outside. "You do realize she's like, five years older than you are."
"Calm down, Aika," Vyse replied, beginning to tire of her attitude. "I'll admit she's beautiful, but geez, after tomorrow we probably won't see her again anyways."
"You look jealous, Aika," Fina naively observed, blinking. "What are you jealous about?"
"Huh? Wha?" That caught Aika completely off guard, and she began to blush furiously. Vyse was suddenly very thankful for Silvite culture. "Jealous of what, that woman? No way! I just don't think she's trustworthy, that's all."
"And Drachma was?" he countered.
She fell silent. "...I guess I see your point."
Vyse shook his head. "Now let's stop talking Valuan before we're attacked or something."
A moment later, Hadiya returned, wrapped up in a lightweight cloak dyed a red that matched the color of the moon. She smiled as she approached them, and began leading the way. "It's not too long a walk. Still, I hate traveling in this tiny thing." She laughed. "Perhaps I should have chosen a different occupation."
"Perhaps..." Aika murmured.
"You are quite a talented dancer though, Hadiya," Fina replied, shyly.
"Why thank you," the dancer replied, positively beaming. "When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of making it big...of being famous on stage. But now it's become more of a hobby. I just happen to get paid for it." She smirked wryly to that. "Ah, here we are! My humble -- quite humble -- abode."
"Oh my...it's...quite small..." Fina said.
The house was indeed little, and quite run-down as well. It looked as if nobody had been living there for years, and yet Hadiya had attempted to brighten things up by planting a few little palm trees around it, some varying cacti, and some rare desert blooms. The curtains were a bright color as well, purple to no surprise, but other than that it was bleak and rather dilapidated.
"This is fine," Vyse said, reassuringly. "Like I said, you're only housing air pirates. Something this simple is perfect."
"I do hope you speak truly, Vyse." Hadiya unlocked the door and opened it for them, heading inside. They followed, Aika taking up the rear, who reluctantly kicked the door shut behind herself. It creaked and came off one hinge.
"Oops..." For once, the redhead looked quite guilty.
"Oh, it does that a lot." Hadiya frowned, studied the door, and then, in an unexpected display of what almost looked like martial arts, slammed her elbow against it. It jolted right back in to place.
"Wow." Vyse blinked. "Where'd you learn moves like that?"
"My father was a soldier," she said, with a small smile. "You pick up all sorts of things like that when you're an army brat. Now, please, sit down. I'll go change and then scare up a few extra blankets for you to sleep on."
Vyse nodded and took a seat, and Fina fluidly sank down beside him, onto a worn pillow on the floor. For the first time, he took a moment to study the interior of the house; it was almost completely bare. There were four tattered pillows on the floor, surrounding a low crate that had been fashioned into a makeshift table. In the corner was a fire pit and a water basin, above which a few shelves and cabinets sat -- the "kitchen". Adjoining the room, separated by another purple curtain, was what he assumed to be the bedroom. It was even tinier than where they currently sat. There was absolutely nothing in the way of decorations, and a single yellow moonstone lamp hanging above from the low roof was the only other source of light aside from the little round windows.
A few moments later, Hadiya returned wearing a simple cream-colored robe that covered her up a lot better than her dancing outfit did. With her she carried three rather threadbare blankets, old and faded.
"Here...I know they aren't much, but you don't really need to worry about staying warm in this place anyway."
Aika eyed the blankets, then cocked a slender brow and watched the dancer dubiously. "There's one thing I can't figure out," she said.
"What is that?" Hadiya asked.
"You don't know us. You just met us today. So why are you helping us?" Aika demanded, her gaze stern.
"Hmph. You are not very grateful, are you?" Hadiya looked a little miffed. "If you were dying of thirst, and somebody offered you water, you would probably ask where it came from."
"What?!" Aika was both incredulous and ruffled.
Hadiya snorted, then turned away and looked out the window. Her face fell into an expression of sadness, and she sighed. "...Very well, then. I will tell you why I wish to help you." She closed her eyes, slumping down into a seat on the remaining vacant pillow. "As I said, my father was a soldier. He was poor and sometimes a little short-tempered, but he was a good man, and a good father. We struggled to get by, and my father was barely able to support us. We had nothing to rely on but each other, but we were happy. Until that day...twenty years ago...
"Twenty years ago, Valua and Nasr declared war on each other. And my father...he died in battle. When he died, we had nothing...no food...nobody to support us...nobody to raise us...we had to live on the streets. Some say you can't die from a broken heart, but they're wrong. My mother died soon after my father, she was so sad. I was alone, and scared. I had to fend for myself on the streets. And that's how I ended up living...like this.
"Ever since then, I've hated war. Hundreds of people die...hundreds of families have to go through what I went through. And that is why I'm letting you...no, I want you to use my ship...Please..."
"Oh, Hadiya...we had no idea..." Fina quietly replied, clasping her hands over her chest.
Aika had fallen silent. She looked heavily ashamed.
"Are you satisfied?!" Hadiya demanded of her. "Or have you any more demands?"
"No, I..." Aika drooped. "I'm sorry, Hadiya. I...I shouldn't have said what I did. I lost my parents when I was young, too. I know how you feel, and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't forgive me."
"As long as you understand...and do not take my generosity for granted. I can find it within myself to forgive you," Hadiya replied, forcing a smile. "I can not blame you for not trusting me. After spending so much time in Valua, with your lives on the end of a guard's bayonet, I would not trust people either were I in the same position."
"Let's forget about all this negative stuff, hm?" Vyse asked, smiling around at the three of them. "I think all of us need to relax. Let's spread out our blankets and get comfortable."
"Yes, a good idea." That seemed to make Hadiya a lot happier. "I will start the water boiling and make us some tea. I'm afraid I don't have the proper facilities to make a meal for all of us, so I'll head across town and get us some Kabal Skewers to eat for supper. The night is still young, and the sun is only now beginning to set. Perhaps you will do me the pleasure of telling me of your adventures in Valua over a game of mancala?"
The next morning arrived with a blazing sun and suffocating heat all too early. Uncomfortable in such excessive warmth, Vyse stirred and finally sat up, grumbling to himself. He was never an early riser, and neither was Aika, but Fina was already awake and at the fire pit, boiling some tea and talking to Hadiya, who held in her hands a little jar of salve.
"My goodness, no wonder you're so red..." she was saying as she gently smeared some salve onto the Silvite's shoulder. "I have never seen anyone so pale as you, Fina. You really must take care in the relentless sunlight of this country."
"Ow...ooh! Why does it sting so bad?" Fina winced softly.
"That is what sunburn does," Hadiya replied, amused. "Ah! Look who awakens. Good morning, Vyse."
"Mnrf..." Vyse rubbed groggily at the back of his head. "What time is it?"
"About eight." Hadiya grinned. "I'm under the impression that this is early for you."
"Yeah..." Vyse mumbled.
"Here! Have some tea." Fina shuffled over to him and knelt down, offering him a steaming glass in a bland little ceramic cup. "M-maybe it will help."
He smiled at her. She blushed and hurried back to the stove.
"I brought you some breakfast from town," Hadiya said, moving to rub more salve on Fina's back. "You all should fill up today; getting through that temple will be quite the undertaking."
"How far off is it?" Vyse asked, gratefully sipping his tea.
"Eight hours from here," Hadiya replied. "That is why I recommend we leave early. Fina and I went into town and stocked up on supplies for the voyage, so if you feel the need to stay the night there, we'll be prepared. I know you are in a hurry, but you should not overdo it in such a case."
"That's fine. I'll want my wits about me before I start running around, disarming traps," Vyse said, with a yawn.
"Yes...those traps are the main reason that not even the Nasr government dares to venture close to the Temple," Hadiya said, frowning a little. "Nobody really knows what is out there, and frankly, they don't wish to risk finding out. I don't believe the outside of the temple is booby trapped, but inside...no treasure-hunter has ever returned from inside..."
"So nobody knows what's in there," Vyse concluded.
Hadiya nodded, setting some food out on the table. "Of course, there's rumors: spikes that fall from the ceilings, arrows that shoot from the walls, trap doors that open up beneath you and drop you to your doom...but no, nobody is for certain. Some people argue, 'If you wish to retrieve the moon crystal, why not blow up the temple?' but it is as impregnable as the Valuan Grand Fortress, made of a very strong stone that cannon fire cannot even chip away at. Plus, who would want to destroy a part of their own history?"
The scent of food wafted over to Aika on the warm desert air, and her nose twitched as she began to stir. Sleepily, she pushed herself up and looked around, sniffing around her vicinity curiously.
"Mmm...something smells good..." she groggily murmured.
"Good morning, Aika," Fina greeted, placing some tea in front of her with a smile. "Are you ready to head out today."
"Hmm? Whoa! Fina, you look like a lobster!" Aika blinked.
Fina blushed, but it wasn't very visible on her already-red face. "Y-yes...I'm sorry..."
Vyse scooted up to the table when he noticed Cupil in the corner gnawing on some skewers leftover from the night before. The Apis was as pink as his mistress.
"Fina? What happened to Cupil?" he asked with a blink, beginning to fork up his breakfast. "Is he sunburned, too?"
"Hmm? Oh, no!" Fina giggled. "That's the effect that red moonstones have on him. He changes color based on what moonstone he comes into contact with. He tried to eat a red one earlier and now he's pink."
"Interesting." Aika blinked, then bent to her breakfast.
An hour later, they were airborne again, with Hadiya at the helm of her ship. It was very tiny, decorated with huge eyes on the bow, and propelled by four paddles on each side. A tent set up on deck was the only shelter they had, for there was no real cabin. They huddled together in it, desperately attempting to avoid the sun, especially Fina, who constantly had to reapply Hadiya's burn salve to her skin. Vyse could tell the cramped little ship was fairly old, but what surprised him was the fact that Hadiya was a very skilled sailor. Her ease at the helm was uncanny.