Chapter Twelve- Payment Rendered

It was nearly sunset over the western skies of Ixa'taka. The descending sun cast brilliant shades of fiery color across the sky, and distorted slightly the distant puffs of cannon explosions. The four remote DeLoco battleships fought with a much larger Valuan fleet, and both sides were mercilessly exchanging fire, attempting to pound their opposite number to dust. For the crew of the Little Jack this was a welcome boon. Drachma entered the bridge last, looking to Vyse. "Get movin', boy, Full rudder to Horteka. We can get some well-earned rest there."

"Don't have to tell me twice," He replied, spinning the wheel and cranking up the throttle. The engine roared in reply, shaking the deck as power flooded through the maneuvering fins mounted over the hull. On the deck, the girls and Centime cut the moorings attaching them to the side of the mountain, and the ship drifted loose.

"Oh, my," The kindly engineer said, "It's been a long time since I've sailed in a wood ship. It has a much different feel to it... all in all a most exciting day."

"Exciting is one word for it," Aika said, as they joined the guys inside the ship's bridge. They shot away from the Valuan stronghold, passing the dueling fleets without event and observing the action. One of the robotic ships was already in flames, beginning to dive at a steep angle for the bottom layer of clouds. It would soon be in Deep Sky, forever. Two Valuan corvettes had also sustained damages, trails of smoke rising from the cracked armor surfaces of the weaker ships.

The fight soon began to shrink in he distant horizon, and they spotted the familiar clusters of billowing leaves through the wind that circled the fringes of the main continent. Ahead they also noticed the distant frame of an approaching ship. Vyse squinted, wielding his skyglass to magnify the profile of the unknown craft until it filled his vision. It was a standard, nondescript metal freighter that flew no flag of nationality.

"Sir, ship ahead," Vyse said. "It isn't Valuan, looks like a D-50 class. Standard model." He watched the ship turn about to face them. "They see us, too."

Isapa frowned. "It might be a trick. Those Valuans are pretty dirty guys."

"Look who's talking," Aika said, elbowing Fina, and both of them shared a laugh at the expense of the high priest of Ixa'taka. The portly man did not see the humor in the situation. As the freighter drew nearer, they sent up signal flags, and Aika ran out onto the deck. "They're hailing us to come about," She said. Dyne had trained Aika back on Pirate Isle to be one of their signal-flag operators, which was an important job in a world where radio communications were something for elite ships of Nasr and Valua and not a common technology.

Moving alongside each other, the two ships looked nearly the same sizes. Several men of the freighter's crew sent lines across, and they secured them to the deck, linking them firmly and setting their rudders only to maintain their current height. Drachma brought out a boarding platform, easily dropping it to bridge the small gulf between hulls.

Everyone got out onto the deck, while a man came over the platform steadily and walked up to them. He had long, platinum-blonde hair with bangs that came over his sharp and wise blue eyes. He wore a sailor's tunic that was gray, but otherwise seemed similar to Vyse's. "Ahoy," He said. "I am Ulric, captain of the Lady Luck. We are... clandestine merchants, of a sort."

"Drachma, Little Jack, fisherman," The old man grunted tersely, nodding. "So yer black-market sellers, hm?"

Ulric laughed. "Oh, that mayhap be one of our labels, although really we're more of a gray market- we can fence any items you might need to exchange for hard cash, but only if you managed to 'salvage' them from Valuans. We might be turning a profit but no one said we couldn't resist them too. Either way, we also sell ship parts and personal equipment... might you be interested?"

Vyse shrugged. "Sure. We've got nothing but time, and a bunch of pretty coins. Captain?"

Drachma grunted. "Well... alright then. Buy whatever you need, boy. When you're done shoppin' for personal stuff I'll take a torpedo launcher if you got em. Been meanin' to try out one of those things."

The man in gray nodded. "As a matter of fact, we just got a nearly perfect-condition torpedo rack and a bunch of ammo, because some Valuan supply ship recently crashed in the forests. The Ixa'takans swarmed 'em and sold most of their stuff to me. It'll set you back... 2000 sound reasonable?"

The old man pondered for a moment. "Hrmph. Alright, but that better include some ammunition. Just bring the parts over, we can install it ourselves."

"As you wish," Ulric nodded. "And as for you? We have Sacri, Sacres, and Sacrum Crystals, for 50, 300, and 900 each, we have Curia and Risen crystals for 600, guaranteed 60 percent accuracy, along with some various potions and weapon enhancements." He rattled off the full menu of items, and the Blue Rogues decided to spend liberally and stock up on valuable supplies.

Isapa purchased some interesting reading materials, featuring scantily-clad women of Valua, Nasr and Mid-Ocean. He called it cultural studies, the girls called it perversion. While they bickered, Centime purchased several ship parts and tools as well, offering to pay more than was asked and let him keep the change. Ulric took all of it down in a list and then returned to his ship to amass the goods.

They completed the transaction, paying a little under 10,000 gold in total. The crew of the Lady Luck wheeled over the crates containing the torpedo assembly, ammunition both for their new weapon and plenty of cannonballs for their reserves, some moonstone fuel to top off their tanks, healing and magic crystals, several tool sets and spare mechanical components, and a dozen dirty magazines.

Ulric smiled as the pirates paid him all of his fee up-front in gold, helping his men unload the bags of gold back to their ship. He took a final bow to them and said, "A pleasure to do business with the Little Jack. Should you ever find landmass markets lacking, or have something interesting to fence, seek us out. We travel around the world in search of riches." The fact that they had somehow made it to Ixa'taka before the entire continent was blockaded off at it's only point of entry from North Ocean testified to their ability to move.

Cutting the lines holding them together, the two ships quickly departed. They made good time, however darkness had now fully enveloped the air and ground, and Horteka actively suppressed it's lights to not draw Valuan aggressions, making them nearly impossible to find.

Vyse looked around. "This isn't good. Where is that damn village? Even just finding the thing is a chore- it must be cursed or something. Is there a spell to screw up navigation?" He asked Fina. The Silvite girl had not heard of such magics.

"If it was, they would call it Vysi," Aika said slyly. Everyone shared a collective chuckle at that, and even Drachma's white whiskers upturned in a smirk. "Isapa? Ideas?"

The priest sighed. "Um... wait, I have it. The safe-sign: King Ixa'taka had his navy go into hiding after we were trounced by the fire-breathing ships, and they would emerge if a warrior whistled a certain tune. Do you have a bullhorn?" After he had been supplied with one, he went out onto the deck and started whistling. It was a fairly catchy tune, and Vyse liked it.

Suddenly the forest beneath them rustled, and Vyse squinted. Through the gloom, illuminated only by the faint and gentle glowing of the Green Moon overhead in the clear sky, a ship that strongly looked like a tree began to rise. It was propelled by blades that spun around it's center, and looked extremely odd to the Mid Ocean eye of most of the crew. They came alongside the Little Jack slowly.

An Ixa'takan soldier called out in his native language. Fina blinked. "He... basically he wants to know what in 'the hells' is going on."

Isapa chuckled. "Have no fear." He began to strike up a rather lively conversation with the man onboard the other ship. After a while he turned back. "Alright, he'll take us to Horteka. Think you can follow them at cruising velocity?"

"Think you can be a perv?" Vyse retorted, spinning the wheel and throttling up to match their guide. Within a few minutes they had arrived at the familiar tree, descending and landing safely on the branch. This time the port had people in plenty, all hurriedly running around in a general excitement.

Waiting for them, among others, was Centime's family. When he descending the ramp off the deck of the ship, they rushed him, pulling him into an enormous hug. Hans was the first to speak. "Dad! They rescued you! Amazing!"

"Indeed," He agreed, smiling. "I'm so happy to see all of you." He tilted his head towards the rest of the crew as they came down onto the branch. "Thank you so much for bringing me back."

"No problem," Vyse assured him.

"Yeah," Aika chirped. "I mean, if we can release that," She hooked a derogatory thumb towards Isapa, "Then we can certainly spring you. Besides, we love pissing off DeLoco."

Isapa frowned. "Hey. I'm offended now."

"What, the first ten times she insulted you, the air you breathe, and anything else about you were ok, but this is the point that you draw the line?" Vyse commented.

The Ixa'takan smirked. "Well when you put it like that it sounds stupid."

Drachma said, "Everyone, get some rest. This has been a long day, and you've earned a little shuteye. We'll have the torpedo launcher installed on the Little Jack and set out for the king's hideout tomorrow at noonday."

Centime smiled. "You simply must stay with us- the Ironclad isn't much for accommodation, but our clearing is lovely for camping. I can also synthesize some sleeping-bags for you if you don't happen to have any."

0-0

Vyse was a dreamer, that much was certain. In his dreams, things were always different depending on the situation- before the arrival of Fina, they seemed to focus on Aika and their multitude adventures. When his family and friends had been kidnapped by the Valuan Armada, his dreams had been progressively darker, a false prophecy of ruin that never came to pass. In Nasr his dreams had begun to focus on both the girls he traveled with, cheering up again. He always found sanctuary in the innermost places of his mind, and usually kept a journal of his dreams.

He was having a very nice dream. A dream involving Aika and Fina and him. This dream is of a nature that most teenagers throughout history, one of fantasies and pleasures. This in and of itself was not noticeable, but becoming quite common. What was noticeable was how it ended. In the middle of it, Drachma had burst into the room, in a terrible temper, and veritably screamed at the young Blue Rogues, "WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT THE HANKY-PANKY?!"

He sat up with a start, gasping. Awareness returned to him, not all at once, but like waves on a beach. He remembered to exhale and took a look around. They were indeed camped out before Centime's vessel on the clearing near it's crash site, in it's shadow. The sun was up, but did not disturb them from, nor could it have since they had exerted themselves greatly yesterday in battle.

To either side of him, about half a meter away, slept Aika and Fina. They were laying on a single great sheet that had been laid out with a canopy over them, and had talked for a while before falling asleep. Their discussion was about Drachma, and how mysterious he still was to his erstwhile crew. He revealed next to nothing about himself that he could manage to keep concealed, and every attempt at friendly inquiry was immediately rejected.

Maybe that had been the source. "What a weird dream," He mumbled to himself, groggily sitting up and putting his skyglass on. He felt a little more at ease with the glass eyepatch over his face. Sitting up, he found Centime on the deck of his ship. The engineer waved him over.

Vyse collected himself, yawning and stretching as he slowly walked the short space up to the boarding ramp. "Morning, Centime," He said in yawn-speech.

Centime smiled. "Good morn. It's about ten o' the clock, Vyse. You all slept like rocks, not that I blame you."

Hans opened the portal onto the deck and stepped out. "Yo," He said, nodding his head in greeting. "Me and dad were just making the final adjustments to the ship. Soon the Ironclad will be sky worthy again... not that we can go anywhere yet."

Vyse said, "Where's the Captain? At the docks, right?"

"Yeah," Centime nodded. "He slept on-board his own craft, I think. He really likes that ship, I get the feeling it holds some kind of sentimental value for him. That's just me musing, however. Say... would you like to give us an extra set of hands?"

"Sure," He agreed, smirking. "I'll go wake Aika."

Hans grinned. "You're my kinda guy. And I'm not just saying that because you rescued my father and captain from the jail of a short, bald lunatic."

Aika was having a similar dream about Vyse, grinning in a silly manner to herself as she envisioned a variety of things. Suddenly and without the slightest warning it ended, and she was shoved back into reality much as an object is clumsily stuffed into a box that is slightly too small for the item. She stretched out wide, yawning and complaining to herself. Nice timing as usual. I wasn't even done yet... oh well. There's always tomorrow. Rolling over to the side, she opened her eyes and saw Fina was still soundly sleeping, but Vyse was missing. Cupil had found a comfortable nest in her platinum-blonde hair, and it's cute little snores made her giggle groggily.

She got to her feet, looking around. She noticed the sun was up, and saw the three men working on the Ironside's deck. Vyse had somehow managed to drop his tools over the side, and let out a cluster of oaths that would make his mother faint on the spot, despite having a long marriage to the leader of air pirates. Aika ran over, collecting the tools and bringing them up to the boarding ramp to the ship.

"Thanks," Vyse said, and motioned for her to put them on the floor. She did, the metal angrily clattering from the impacts. "G'morning, Aika."

"What's this? Starting work without me? I'm crushed," She assured him with her best innocent face. It wasn't very effective, since Vyse had known her for more than five minutes. "Well it's better than sitting around waiting for Fina to wake up. She's still out cold."

"Hail to that," Hans said, handing her one of his tools and motioning to the deck. "Help us out, then."

0-0

Drachma nodded, finally satisfied with his work. Now successfully mounted over the topside armor that covered the roof of the bridge were two hydraulic hatches that fed into tubes, leading down to the launching mechanism, which was next to the engine. To simplify the firing process he had installed torpedo controls next to the Harpoon Cannon's trigger, and loaded the system with ammo. "This should give us some more firepower."

"Firepower good, right?" He turned around, and saw that the kids and Isapa were now standing on the deck of the Little Jack. Everyone looked rested and generally more relaxed. Vyse smirked. "Permission to come aboard the ship, sir?"

"You're already aboard, boy," The fisherman noted.

"I'd rather apologize later than ask permission now," He replied deftly. "Either way, if you leave us again this time we might not forgive you. Let's go."

Fina nodded. "We'll finally get the location of Rixis, and the Green Crystal."

"Rixis?" The priest looked over to the frail Silvite. "You mean to tell me, that's the reason you busted me out of the Mountain mines? I can't reveal whatever I may know about the Lost City until I get authorization from the king. It's a very secretive matter for our people."

"I know," Vyse said, manning the helm and starting up the engines. "That's why we're headed for the king's hideout." Aika seemed cheered by the prospect of Isapa returning to his rightful place, which was far from her or Fina. "Draw up the anchors and roll down the sails. Etcetera, etcetera." They did so, preparing for lift-off even as the deck began to rumble with power. Exhaust vents angled on either side of the hull spat a backlog of steam out.

A crowd was gathering in the makeshift port to see them off. Many villagers were cheering them on who yesterday avoided them like plague- they had been told of their deeds in defense of Ixa'taka, and now regarded the Blue Rogues as heroes. The crew of the Ironclad was there as well, and Hans yelled up at them, "Hey, we'll see each other when this is all over, right?"

"Damn right," Aika confirmed, giving him the thumbs up. The long billowing sails of the ship began to take up the breeze, flapping urgently with the fisherman's flag that had replaced the ersatz Valuan one. Lifting itself off the ground, the fishing sloop's fins spun and beat wildly. They rose into the clear noonday sky with determination.

"Set course for the north," Drachma ordered, even as Vyse was already manipulating the controls. The ship slowly swung around until the compass told him they were pointed in the right direction, and then the teenager applied the throttle. The Valuan-made enhanced engine shoved them forward, and they began to take up a rapid pace over the heavily forested lands. Unlike yesterday, their velocity meant that most monsters couldn't land on the deck, and salvos from the cannons to either side further discouraged random attacks.

The old man left, trudging down the staircase on the bridge below the decks of the frigate. Isapa looking around. "Your Eastern ships still amaze me. This ship makes five times the speed one of ours could."

"That's only because we plundered it from one of our many victims," Aika explained happily, elaborating on their job as Blue Rogues. "We attack people and steal their shit. If it's good."

Vyse sighed. "When I get my own crew, you're not coming aboard as a PR consultant, Aika. Isapa, she's not giving you the full picture. Black Pirates just attack anything that moves, but us Blue Rogues only attack armed ships, mostly Valuan these days, and help innocent people."

Fina nodded. "It's true. They saved me from Valua the first time I... visited."

Isapa chuckled. "Well, if nothing else, it sounds like an interesting job you guys have. Tell me, if you will, why are you searching for Rixis? If it's just for the treasure you might have to give up. Generations have never seen it, and even I can't say weather it actually exists any more." The three teenagers exchanged an important glance, and he noticed. "You don't have to, of course."

"No, it's alright," Aika said. "If you're going to help us you deserve the truth. We're searching for the Moon Crystals, to stop the Valuans from raising the ancient Gigas and... well.. destroying the world, basically." She did not mention that they had already recovered the Red Crystal from Nasr, as it didn't seem important.

"Hm..." The priest nodded, taking an oddly contemplative stance. He went out onto the deck for a while, touring the ship and leaving the three teenage companions alone.

Vyse sighed. "So... um... nice weather..." Whatever already-dead attempt at further conversation was forestalled as Aika came up behind him, snuggling into his shoulder like he had done to her two weeks ago at Nasr. "Hm? S'up, Aika?"

"I don't know," She replied. "I just... don't feel right about something."

Fina nodded, stepping closer. "Even though we are getting closer to the Green Crystal, an ominous air hangs about. Vyse, did you have a dream last night?"

Vyse nodded, his face flushing as he remembered details about that dream. "Yeah. It was about you and Aika. Drachma was there also."

Aika giggled a little. "Drachma? I can guess what we're doing in your head, but the Cap'n? Vyse, I never would have guessed." In reaction he shrugged her off, and she laughed. "So, what did he do?"

"He interrupted us," Vyse admitted. "Yelling at us about... 'hanky-panky', I think." He was blushing pretty well by that point. "Even in my dreams he's an out of touch old man. Why, Fina? Do you have some kind of Silvite telepathy dream prediction thing?"

She gave a rather anticlimactic response. "No. I was just bored." She smiled gently as their helmsman face-faulted, landing on the hard wooden deck with the appropriate weighty thump. Aika's eyebrow twitched. "Look to the starboard," She said, pointing out a waterfall that gushed a fountain of clear blue water down into a lake that stuck obviously out of the forests. "A waterfall."

"Yeah, we had a few of those on the abandoned chains of islands near Pirate Isle," Vyse said, zooming in on it for a better look. The ship shook as Isapa fired the cannons again in an un-aimed volley, evaporating the group of flying animals that were circling above them. One of the cannonballs landed in the center of the lake, skipping over the water and sending cascades of ripples across it's liquid surface.

Now that they had been identified as friends, the Ixa'takans no longer took measures to conceal themselves from the Little Jack's passing. Small, organic ships routinely passed them, and several camps showed by the light of their fires and small trails of cut brush below on the continent. There were more people than were original thought, all of them in some form of concealment, and no doubt trying to rebuild their villages in secret.

Then they were over the area that yesterday saw decimation at the hands of Admiral DeLoco. It was an enormous, uneven sphere of ash and charred stumps that was impossible not to notice. It seemed desolate, and was a potent reminder of the lengths that Valua would go to obtain the keys to superweapons.

Ahead of them, nestled as always between two plateaus, floated the small and unassuming wooden hut that contained the dethroned monarch of the lands. Vyse zoomed in on the hut, but a glint of yellow caught his attention. He snapped his view to the plateaus, but the only thing there was rock and a minor forest topping the geographical formations. Pushing it out of his mind for later, he turned the ship and carefully sidled up towards the tiny island. "Alright, go drop anchors and secure our lines. I'll get the Captain."

Isapa beamed at them. "I'm finally home," He said to the girls, helping them toss out lines, which aides to the king caught and secured to the wall and floor. The ship's engine powered down mostly, and the two men of the craft emerged out on to the deck with the boarding ramp. The high priest was the first one into the hut.

"My Lord, with the assistance of these Easterners, I have returned to your side," He stated, bowing and assuming his traditional position next to the sitting King Ixa'taka.

"Welcome back, old friend," The young ruler said with a smile. "You were missed. I thank all of you for rescuing Isapa! This is a great boon to our people, and me. My messengers from Horteka have just told me the news of your escape hours ago."

Isapa chuckled buoyantly. "Heh heh... yes, thank you. I'd like to thank you two ladies personally... unfortunately, it is time for me to return to my holy duties. It was nice to meet you."

"Not so fast there," Aika interjected. "You were supposed to ask the King weather it was OK to tell us the location of Rixis, old man!"

"Ah? Rixis? Oh, yes," The priest said, still laughing. "My apologies. I had quite forgotten."

Vyse wore a rather pained expression across his youthful and handsome features. "King Ixa'taka... with all due respect... where on the Moons did you get this guy? Is he really a high priest of anything besides the revenues of some dirty magazines?"

"Of course!" The king replied confidently. "He has the most knowledge of the Old World as anyone yet alive in my lands, I tell you that much. Isapa, we must show our gratitude for their deeds. Tell them all you know so they might find the Lost City, then. As the ruler of the Ixa'takan Kingdom I allow it."

"Very well," Isapa nodded, solemn now. "I shall pass on to you the ancient verse that has ran for fifty generations of my family: 'The Great Bird with it's wings spread and the kneeling Golden Man will open the way.' That is all. So, you got it?"

Vyse did not get it. "Hey, what do you mean 'that is all'? I didn't understand any of that."

"Well, to be completely honest, neither do I," He replied, laughing uproariously at the situation. "Remember, the King said I had the most knowledge- he didn't say I had a lot. It's a relative term. Looks like you'll need to cipher out the meaning to the puzzle on your own, then. Sucks to be you!" He began to laugh again.

"I give up," Aika said in exasperation. "If you didn't know, why didn't you say so on the trip?"

"Security," The portly Ixa'takan cleric replied. "If I revealed that I wouldn't be able to help you much in your mission, you might have felt less compelled to take me back to the King. You can never be too careful."

"We would have helped you anyway," Fina said, speaking up quietly. All eyes focused on her, which only served to increase her nervousness. "Um... think about what he said, let's try and solve this..." She closed her eyes in thought. "'The Great Bird with it's wings spread and the kneeling Golden Man will open the way'..." Her large eyes opened again. "I know what it means. The things mentioned in the verse are probably on this continent- discoveries, perhaps."

"So, if we discover these discoveries, we'll find Rixis," Vyse concluded, pumping his fist in triumph. He turned to look over his shoulder at his friends. "OK, let's start searching for the Bird and the Golden Man."

At least it was a start.