There was plenty to do in the rest of the way as Vyse, Aika, Fina, and even Drachma worked to clean the ship up from their encounter with the Tricyclone. Anything broken was tossed overboard, but most of it was salvageable and within time found its proper place again. Cleaning up the ammunition storage was the most difficult part, for the cannonballs had scattered everywhere, busting open barrels of gunpowder and moonstone dust, which made quite the mess. Cleaning that up took a week in itself, for Drachma didn't want either powder in a single crack between the floorboards.
"Whole damn ship might blow up," he said.
By that time, the cyclones had grown more scarce and the winds had died down, making it much easier to sail again. The Little Jack was extremely difficult to handle without a rudder, to the point where neither Fina nor Aika could sail it anymore, but since there was no longer a need to work night shifts lest they lose progress, Vyse and Drachma handled the helm while the girls worked below. It felt good to Vyse to be with everyone again during the day, working until nightfall and falling back into a more normal routine. After all, he believed that sailing was never meant to be a lonely endeavor.
Some time after the second moon had passed, about two weeks later, Vyse stepped up to the helm one morning to take over for Drachma when he noticed more leaves blowing in the wind. They caught in the sails and wrapped themselves around the Little Jack's rigging, as if embracing the whaling vessel. Blinking, the rogue lifted his eyes to the sky, and gasped at what he saw there.
"A moon! The Green Moon! Guys! I see the Green Moon!"
There was a great clamoring below as the three rushed up to join him. Aika and Fina were covered in flour dust, caught right in the middle of cooking breakfast, and Drachma's mouth was foamed over as he was caught in the middle of brushing his teeth.
"We made it! We've reached Ixa'taka!" Fina cried, ecstatically.
"I knew we could do it!" Aika laughed and took Fina by the hands, beginning to dance around with her excitedly, sending clouds of flour everywhere. "We made it! We made it! We made it! Blessed lands...just think! There must be all kinds of wonderful things to eat there. All sorts of fruits and vegetables, of all sorts of sizes, shapes, and colors...mmm! I can taste it already!"
"Yeah, and I bet there are just as many carnivorous animals lurking in the jungle, preying on unsuspecting fools who sit there, stuffing their faces with fruit," Vyse replied, with a smirk.
Aika face faulted and abruptly ceased her dance. "Hey, you don't have to smash my hopes like that..."
"Hmph. Well. Not to further damper yer mood, but Vyse'd better find a place to land 'ere soon," Drachma replied, spitting his toothpaste out into a cup he had brought up with him. "We've got enough fuel to last us for half a day...and then that's it."
With that, he disappeared back below the deck.
"Oh...oh my..." Fina looked worried, clasping her hands over her chest. "We're just barely out of South Ocean now...and there's no land in sight. I...I don't know where any of the Ixa'Takan villages are. They're all hidden within the jungle, out of sight."
"Can you at least draw us a map?" Vyse asked.
Fina nodded. "Yes, that would be easy."
"You do that, then, and I'll finish up our rolls down below," Aika replied. "It sounds to me like we don't have room for hesitation, you know?"
"Y-yes...oh, most definitely."
Fina sat down, picked up a quill, and began to scribble something out on the back of one of Drachma's old maps. It took her a little while, but Vyse realized why when he decided to go check on her progress after twenty or so minutes. She had drawn an incredibly detailed map of a large, roughly crescent-shaped continent and its adjoining islands, including where the major mountains and bodies of water were. Vyse gawked at the sheer size of it all.
"That place is bigger than Valua!" he exclaimed. "But...I can't read your writing..."
"Oh!" Fina blushed immensely. "I-I forgot...your system of writing is very different from ours .I-I'm sorry..."
"It's alright. Tell me the names of the places, and I'll write them in," Vyse replied, gently taking the quill from her.
"Oh...uhm...well, okay." Fina smiled and scooted her barrel over, giving Vyse access to the map. "This is the most important location in Ixa'Taka. It's called Rixis. I don't know exactly where it is -- I only know its location from our own maps -- but that's where the Green Moon Crystal is hidden. This body of water here nearby it is Lake Tuhalacoutl, and next to that is Lake Coutzacalan."
"These are bizarre names," Vyse commented, as he wrote the appropriate lettering in. "I don't even know how to spell all that."
"Just try your best, that's all I ask." Fina smiled. "Alright...that big island there is Horteka. Next to that is Kahala and Cocotl, respectively. That one there Tlaloc, that one's Ixa'ness, and that tiny one is Kehemotenotichitclan."
Vyse blinked. "Kehewha? Are you serious?"
Fina nodded. "Yes."
"Uhm...okay..." Vyse made a poor attempt at spelling out the island's name. "And this one in the corner here?"
"Just call it Sacred Mountain," Fina replied, with a smile. "That's what the name translates into."
"Why couldn't you translate Kehewhatsis for me?" Vyse asked, with a grin.
"Because." Fina giggled. "It's too complicated."
Vyse laughed. "I give up."
When they were just about done translating Fina's Silvite writing into Meridian, Drachma came up the stairs to find Vyse away from the helm and roared at him, sending him skittering back to his post. Fina bowed and apologized repeatedly and then vanished back down the stairs.
By the afternoon, Aika had spotted land up in the crow's nest. She ran to the bridge with her exciting news, and soon enough, a whole fleet of islands came into view before them. The sight Vyse beheld was amazing, for there wasn't an inch of any island they passed that was not blanketed in dense forest from coast to coast. The trees were so thickly intertwined that he couldn't tell where the actual crust of the island was. The air was full of a thick and heavy mist, and it wasn't long before the windows of the ship were fogging up with all the humidity. Vyse began to sweat as the girls worked to keep the windows clean.
There was virtually no breeze around them, so Drachma ordered that the sails be furled. That did not bode well, for that meant that the Little Jack had to run completely under its own power, and Vyse could tell Drachma was getting nervous as he watched the fuel gage slowly drop. Fina was polishing her silver moonstone and doing some sort of refinery to it when the engines abruptly quit on them.
"Crap!" Vyse cried. "Captain, we're sinking!"
"We're too heavy...we're far too heavy. The Little Jack's gonna drop like a rock." Drachma frowned. "Boy, we ain't gotta choice. Crash land on that island o'er there."
"But we'll be marooning ourselves!" Aika protested.
"It's either that or die. Do it, boy!" Drachma ordered.
Vyse gritted his teeth, turned the wheel, and locked the pectoral fins so they were parallel with the wings of the ship. And then, he waited, for it was all he could do as he tensely guided the Little Jack down to the forest canopy. He winced as he heard the branches scrape against the hull of the ship, and the Little Jack plowed through the treetops as if they were nothing, sending birds fluttering off in alarm. Seeing a clearing up ahead, and knowing that steering was useless with no rudder and the fins locked, he released all the air the Little Jack had stored up in order to make it drop altitude even more rapidly. It hit the top of a cliff, skidded along it, and then dropped to the clearing below, where it ran into something hard and metallic and nearly shoved it down onto the next layer of the island. When they were sufficiently buried into the silty soil and had uprooted many plants, however, they finally came to a stop, and all was quiet.
"Damn ship's gonna fall to pieces after all this..." Drachma grumbled.
"Let's get outside and assess the damage," Vyse replied. "At least there's plenty of wood around here to make repairs with. Maybe we can root up some moonstones, too."
"Vyse, wait!" Aika called as the rogue hurried down the stairs.
When Vyse was out on deck, he found that the Little Jack had taken no damage at all, thanks to the reinforcements from the Lynx. What they had landed next to, however, was far different. It was a strange-looking ship, made completely from scrap metal, and driven by two paddles on the sides -- or, at least, it had been, before crashing and nearly snapping itself in half. Standing on the deck was a very bewildered looking boy, his mother, and three younger siblings, all of whom were gawking at them. To his surprise, they looked like normal people. In fact, they wore the clothing of air pirates!
"Ahoy!" Vyse greeted, waving at them. "Uhm...sorry about the ship..."
"Did you come in through North Ocean?" the boy called.
"No, we came in through South Ocean," Vyse replied.
The boy looked startled. "That's...that's not possible. The only reason we ended up here was because we got stuck in a hurricane in North Ocean and blown off course. Nobody can cross South Ocean..."
"Who are you?" Vyse asked, as the others joined him out on deck. "And can you tell me where we are?"
The boy murmured something to his mother. She nodded to him. "Hans Powall," he finally replied.
"Powall? You Centime's kid?" Drachma asked.
Hans blinked. "Do you know my father, sir?"
"What Blue Rogue don't?"
"Ah! You're air pirates, too!" Hans' mother looked relieved. "Forgive me. We're the crew of the Iron Clad...I'm Centime's wife, Mary. I can't tell you how glad I am to see some friendly faces in this place."
"I'm Vyse Dyne, son of the captain of the Blue Storm," Vyse replied. "This is Aika Nakal, also of the Blue Storm, and Fina Selvarn from...very far away. And our Captain's Drachma McFaer...he's an independent."
"As are we." Hans smiled. "Wow, the Blue Storm...what a chance meeting, huh?"
"Why did you say this place was unfriendly?" Aika asked, curiously.
"Oh...here, let us board your ship. I guess we've got some explaining to do."
Hans and his mother jumped across to the deck of the Little Jack while the three young siblings stayed behind and disappeared back into the cabin. Vyse caught a glimpse of the third one, a little girl, and was startled at how different she looked from the boys. He knew Centime adopted many children, but there was something distinctly different about the little girl.
When they drew close, Vyse realized that Hans and his mother, Mary, looked very ragged. It was apparent they had been on the island for a while, but seemed to be quite healthy nevertheless. They sat down on the deck, Hans smeared with gear grease and Mary smeared with dirt, and then began their story.
"Oh...about three moons ago...we were sailing out in North Ocean when we hit a hurricane, like I said," Hans began. "My dad lost control of the ship and the wind flung us through a couple sky rifts into this place, where we crash landed on the island. I think it's called Horteka; I can't understand anything else the natives are saying. They're a strange people, but my father took to them fast and even adopted an orphan girl from the local tribe here. At first the tribes people viewed us with some enmity and suspicion, but when we showed them that we meant no harm and even helped them in their daily life, they accepted us and allowed us to stay. Everything was good, and my father and I worked to repair the ship, until Valua came to the island."
Vyse and Aika sputtered in unison at those words. Fina simply gasped.
"What?! Valua?" Aika asked. "You mean they're here too?"
Hans nodded, grimly. "I don't know how long they've been here...but they came through and ransacked the village, demanding they be given a Green Moon Crystal, whatever that is. When they had torn the entire village apart and found nothing, they gave up and captured all the men in sight, taking them into slavery. They discovered us in their search and kidnapped my father so they could force him into using his inventing skills to make weaponry for them. We...haven't seen him since. My mother and I helped to rebuild the village, and now I'm back to work on the Iron Clad, but...I'm not sure where exactly I should be looking for my father if I ever do finish it."
"Oh...my..." Vyse was shocked. "Where's this village you spoke of? Perhaps we can figure out what's going on. Fina can speak--"
"Vyse!" Aika shrieked, jumping and clutching onto his arm in a panic. "Vyse, look!"
Vyse turned and looked to where she was pointing. A dozen or so men had come out of a hole in the cliff wall, and they were savage sights to behold. Each man was well muscled and limber, with skin burned a deep, deep tan of the likes Vyse had never seen on a person before, not even in Nasr. They wore barely anything, save for loincloths made of animal hide and jewelry made from earth and feathers, and each of their faces was hidden behind a highly decorated wooden mask. Their hair, which grew long and wild, was either green or blue, and their bodies were covered in various tattoos and painted markings. Each one was armed with a spear and advancing towards them.
"Those are the natives," Hans whispered. "Let them come to you, they won't do any harm."
But Fina was panicked. Jumping to her feet, she hopped down from the deck, raised her arms out to the sides, and quickly prattled something off to the men in a complicated yet beautiful language Vyse had never heard before. Upon the mere sight of her, the men froze in their tracks, trembled, and abruptly dropped to their knees, bowing deeply to her.
"QUEYTA!" they chorused.
Fina looked startled. She uttered a word quizzically.
The men remained where they were.
Aika blinked. "What's going on?"
"I...I really don't know." Hans was startled. "They never did this when we met them."
"Perhaps it's because that girl can speak their language?" Mary guessed.
Frowning, Vyse hopped down beside Fina and studied the men. The Silvite looked confused.
"What's going on?" Vyse asked.
"I'm...I'm not sure." Fina hurried over to one of the men at the head of the pack and reached for him, trying to get him to stand. He trembled and refused, uttering something to her in his native language. Vyse heard the word 'Queyta' being repeated over and over again.
"Oh...oh my..." Fina stepped back, incredulous.
"What is it?" Vyse asked, a bit concerned.
"Queyta...Queyta is the name of their goddess," Fina replied, eyes wide. "They think that I am Queyta!"
Aika sputtered from back on deck again.
"What?!" Vyse blinked. "Well...I...erm...an easy mistake, I suppose. Did you tell them who you really are?"
"I tried to introduce myself, but they have no idea who the Silvites or even the Blue Rogues are. Those words mean nothing to them," Fina replied. "It...it passed right over their heads. They insist that I am Queyta."
The men began to converse to each other then, and half of the group nodded, disappearing back through the hole in the wall. The apparent leader of the pack, a man who wore a cloak of blue bird feathers and who had a bow slung around his back, bowed to her on one knee and seemed to address her quite formally.
"Uhm...well..." Fina looked back to Vyse, Aika, and Drachma. "His name is Tika Tika. He wants to take us to see the village elder and the village priests."
"Good! Someone to finally explain some things to us." Drachma dropped off the side of the ship and joined them, and Aika followed.
"Come back and let us know if you've been able to sort anything out!" Mary called, waving to them.
Fina nodded, then turned and spoke to Tika Tika. He nodded as well, humbly climbed to his feet, and began to lead the way.
The tunnel through the cliffside was narrow and steep, but the walk was not long and soon the party emerged in an immense clearing that Vyse had failed to see due to the cover of the trees high above. It was the heart of the Horteka settlement, and what Vyse saw was amazing.
A few good hundred yards to his left was a broad waterfall that cascaded down into a basin below. The basin, a lake full of the sparkling water tinged green in places with moss, was fairly deep and brimming with fish, and he could just barely make out the bottom. Rising up from it like the legs of a giant were massive trees that were easily dozens of feet around and hundreds of feet tall, reaching towards the sky and seeming to touch it with ease. They were all almost perfectly straight and covered in ivy and vines, which wrapped around their dark sienna trunks like finely woven robes. Their canopies were broad and obscured the entire sky, but there were enough gaps between the tightly woven branches and broad, fat leaves to let in ample sunlight that gently gilded everything below. Hung between the trees was an entire village, an intricate network of thatched huts with fern leaf roofs and doors of brightly colored curtains -- no more and no less. A whole series of wooden docks and catwalks wound around the village, scaling up the trees, down to the water, and between each hut.
"Oh my gosh...this is amazing..." Aika breathed.
"Your village is beautiful," Fina remarked to Tika Tika in his native tongue, as the hunter lead them down the docks towards the water. "My companions think so, too."
"Horteka is the capitol of Ixa'Taka, Enlightened One," Tika Tika replied, proudly. "Its beauty surpasses that of any other in the land."
Fina blushed. The Ixa'takans had already put her in a rather uncomfortable position, and there was little she could do about it. She glanced back at Vyse and Aika, but the two were too busy looking around.
"I want to climb one of these trees!" Vyse announced, suddenly. "Just to see if I can!"
"You'd fall three feet up," Aika teased.
"Mmm..." Tika Tika's strong jaw moved a little, and he looked contemplative. "I have the eyes of an eagle. My sight rivals that of the strongest of birds. But in all my life, I have never seen a warrior or a handmaiden who spoke as much as those two. Is that truly acceptable, Enlightened One?"
"Warrior? Handmaiden?" Fina blinked. "Vyse is...well, I suppose he's a warrior. But Aika's not my handmaiden. She's a warrior too."
"An Ixa'ness, then. We must keep her from the men."
Fina sighed.
The catwalk continued to wind amongst the trees and over the water. As Fina followed her guide across it, she noticed a whole variety of animals flickering amongst the trees. All of them were brightly colored and exotic, stretching the limits of her imagination. She had read about such creatures during her studies, and even seen sketches of them, but seeing them in full and blazing color was another thing entirely.
The village was active, but most people stayed within their huts. Those who they passed along the catwalks were stunned upon the sight of Fina, and quickly dropped to their knees. Word seemed to travel fast in the village; it wasn't long before the boardwalks were lined with kneeling people, who uttered prayers in Queyta's name. Fina was tremendously uncomfortable, but had no clue what to do about it. How could she explain to all these people that they were mistaken?
Vyse came up behind her, looking concerned, and placed a hand on one of her slender shoulders. She looked back at him with her large eyes and he startled a minute before slowing his pace to match her own.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I...I really wish they wouldn't do this..." Fina replied. "I am not deserving of such praise. Isn't this the same as lying to them?"
"Well..." Vyse debated over that for a little while. "You said you've told them the truth, but they refuse to hear it. If they are determined to believe what they believe, then you aren't lying to them."
Fina mulled over those words for a bit in her mind. After a moment, she began to relax beneath Vyse's hand. "I...I guess..."
Vyse grinned. "For now, I'd say you should just play along. We might as well, if it's what the people want." He frowned. "I just hope we don't end up taking this sort of treatment for granted. To tell you the truth, I really don't like it either."
Fina smiled. "I know you wouldn't, Vyse. You're not like that. I don't think any of us are."
As she turned back, she realized that Tika Tika had brought them to their destination. Before them was a massive hut, easily three times the size of any of the others, which was decorated with a whole myriad of scary looking masks for protection. A little dock lead out behind the hut to a ladder that scaled the vine-covered cliff wall to the mesa summit high above them, but Fina couldn't tell what, if anything, was atop it.
Tika Tika stepped up to the curtain and pulled it back, bowing deeply to her.
"Enlightened One, Great Queyta, please enter," he said. "This dwelling is humble, but it is shelter to those most wise."
It was comforting to Fina to know that the Ixa'Takans valued the knowledge and wisdom of their Elders. That was something she could actually understand. The Silvites did in fact believe in the power of wisdom, and that the older one was, the wiser they could be. Before disappearing on his quest, Ramir had been an apprentice of sorts to the High Elder, to take his place when he had died. In the back of her mind, Fina wondered if her brother would ever return to the shrine to complete his studies with High Elder Prime, as he had so fervently attempted to do five years earlier. Or was it that he was truly happier with his new life in Valua?
Fina had to admit to herself that she was loving her life down amongst the Island Dwellers. Though their society was nearly the opposite of her own, she had by now gotten over her culture shock and realized that, despite how informal and relatively disrespectful everyone was, people were all extremely nice and willing to help. She even had faith in the Valuans, who she believed to be mislead and not truly evil. Her memories of the brief friendship she had formed with Enrique were fond, and even his mother, despite her corruption, had some relatively good intentions.
As she stepped inside the hut, Fina found her expectations to be a little unfulfilled. The village elder was nothing like her own Elders, but she reminded herself that these people were hunter-gatherers who lacked technology and instead chose to live by nature. The shriveled old man was little more than wrinkled brown skin and a long purple beard, but he held himself with a dignity she recognized, and it brought a smile to her lips. Standing on either side of him where he sat were the priests of the village who, like him, wore flowing robes to denote their high rank. The priests, however, had their faces hidden behind masks, while the Elder did not.
Upon the sight of Fina, the priests trembled and bowed, murmuring prayers that weren't quite intelligible. But the Elder made no movement whatsoever; she realized he was blind.
"My wishes for your continued health, Elder..." Fina said, bowing to the old man as though he were himself a Silvite.
"Queyta..." The old man reached aimlessly for her with one hand. "You come here to bless us with your radiance, and I can not even look upon it."
"Physical blindness leads to greater spiritual sight," Fina replied with a smile, as she patted the old man's hand. "I think that is far more valuable. What have you seen these past few moons, Elder?"
"It is not what I have seen, but what I have heard," the Elder replied, sadly. "Queyta, surely you know of our plight. You have come to deliver us from those devilish Men from the East!"
Fina hesitated, picking her words carefully. "I know...to an extent...what is going on in Ixa'Taka. But I wish for you to tell me what the Val--what the Men from the East have done to you here in Horteka."
"If you know one story, Enlightened One, you know them all," said the Elder. "It is the same here as it has been in all the other villages. Ten years ago the Eastern Men came here and began to harm the forest. The upturned the earth and burned down the trees in order to dig up moonstones and gold. The more they found, the more people they wanted to dig it up...so they started kidnapping our men to work as slaves in their mines. We tried to fight back, but their ships breathe fire and their weapons spurt lightning -- you no doubt saw how quickly we were humbled. Now we must pay a tribute of slaves to them twice a year, and our numbers are dwindling severely. And then...a few moons ago...the Valuans began to pillage our villages, demanding we give them the Sacred Green Stone. We don't have it, of course...it's been lost since the Days of Old."
"Yes...it now lies out of reach at the summit of Rixis." Fina frowned deeply. "But now I...I understand." Gloomily, she turned and translated the entire story for her companions. By the time she finished, Vyse was furious.
"Damn them! They have no right to do this!"
"I didn't even know they'd discovered this place. Hmm..." Drachma frowned. For once, he actually looked a bit unsettled.
"What are we gonna do?" Aika asked. "Do you know where Rixis is, Fina?"
"Only generally..." Fina bowed her head. "But now that I see how thick the jungles are...I don't think I could find it on my own..."
"Is there a king of these lands?" Vyse asked, after a moment's thought. "If anybody, I bet you he would know where it is."
Fina smiled and nodded. "That's true. I will ask him." Turning to the Elder, she reverted to the Ixa'Takan tongue and asked, "Where is your king? Is he not in the village?"
"King Temahalan is currently in exile," the Elder replied, grimly. "To the north of this village, in between the two large mesas, is a tiny island with a gigantic tree on it. Hidden amongst the branches of this tree is a hut, and that is where our King is hiding."
"Then we will go to meet him as soon as possible," Fina replied, nodding. She bowed to him, earning shocked reactions from the priests and Tika Tika, who hovered respectably in the doorway. "Thank you very much."
The Elder beamed. "I never thought I'd live to the day when I had the most Enlightened of all Goddesses thank me for anything." He bowed to her, nearly falling out of his chair in the process. "Queyta, I am truly not worthy."
Fina didn't know how to reply to that, so simply didn't. As she turned for the doorway, however, the priests stopped her and bowed deeply, still trembling a little.
"Great Enlightened One, Almighty Queyta, allow us to escort you and your servants to your quarters. They are far too humble for one of your stature, please forgive us, but it is the best we can do under the conditions. Tonight we shall hold a feast in your honor, and we will celebrate the coming liberation of Ixa'Taka."
"Uhm...t-thank you..." Were the only words Fina could find to reply with. She turned and translated for the others.
"Heck, I don't care where they put us, as long as we've got time to work on the Little Jack," Vyse replied, shaking his head. "If we're lucky, we might be able to head for the King's hideout by tomorrow."
"Lighten up, already!" Aika elbowed him, rather hard. "Hello! We haven't partied in a good long time! We've been way too serious these past few moons. It's time to kick up our heels for once!"
"Business comes first when yer sailin' with me," Drachma replied, frowning down at her. "We ain't going to no celebration 'til the Little Jack's back in flyin' condition."
"C'mon, Cap'n, when's the last time you went to a party?" Aika protested.
He snarled at her.
Fina was getting anxious. She didn't like it when tempers rose. "L-let's have them take us up to our quarters, and then we can work on the Little Jack. I-if we...if we work fast, we can still make the celebration, too. I do think it's important that we move as fast as possible, though...I-I mean...Valua's looking for the crystal as we speak..."
"Good point." Vyse nodded. "Have them lead on, then."
Fina nodded to the priests to indicate for them to take the lead, and they did so, Tika Tika stepping back out of the doorway and bowing to her deeply. She fought against the urge to try and get him to rise back to his feet and simply followed along, the others coming out behind her. She emerged to find that the entire village had more or less crowded the docks and ramps the Elder's hut sat on, all trying to catch a glimpse of their legendary 'goddess', and all bowing fearfully as she finally emerged. She blushed immensely and sort of hid herself between Drachma and Vyse as they continued along, feeling very, very awkward.
They were taken up a series of long, steep ramps that wound their way up the trunks of the trees. Fina realized that a good amount of the settlement was actually hung in these trees, homes and workshops nestled snugly in the crooks of branches and concealed partway in the thick leaves. But their destination was high up above them all; they were taken to what had obviously been the King's hut, which sat in the canopy of the tallest tree on the island, completely concealed by the leaves but providing a view of everything down below perfectly. The hut itself was large and long, incorporated into the natural boughs of the branches and decorated with all sorts of ceremonial masks and ritual items. Inside there was still a good portion of the King's possessions left, from his golden throne to his plush floor mattress, a full wardrobe and a pile full of riches that made Aika's eyes gleam. It was the only hut with more than one room in it.
After thanking the priests and feeling awkward as she was given more bows, Fina flopped down into a seat on the bed mattress, Vyse and then Aika joining her. Drachma only grunted and leaned up against a wall, which creaked beneath his weight.
"This is bizarre..." Aika said, at last.
"Well...I-I guess we'll have to bear with it, as Vyse said..." Fina stared down at her hands, folded in her lap. "But...what are we supposed to do now?"
"Our first priority, I think, is the Little Jack. Without it running, we're stuck here." Vyse looked between them all. "The hull sustained no damage...all we need is a new rudder and some fuel."
"Hmph. Well. Looks like we ain't got no choice but to ask the Powalls for that," Drachma grunted.
"I'd feel guilty -- they've already got enough on them -- but it looks like we have no choice." Vyse frowned. "I doubt the Ixa'Takans know how to properly refine moonstones."
"What about the wood needed for the rudder?" Fina asked. "We can't just cut it from any tree. That's taboo here; the trees are sacred."
"I guess we'll have to ask Hans about that, too." Vyse sighed. "We should probably get going. Looks like we've got some work to do.
"I-If you don't...uhm...if you don't mind...I'd like to stay here," Fina replied. "I'm going to ask around about Rixis and the moon crystal, just to see how much the people here know."
"Not a bad idea, really. We need all the information we can get." Vyse grinned, then tensed a little as some people appeared in the doorway. The priests had returned, and were carrying with them a whole variety of clothing and jewelry.
"What do they want?" Aika asked.
"Uhm...Aika..." Fina was bashful. "Have you heard the saying, 'When in Valua, do as the Valuans do?'"
"I feel so...naked..." Vyse later murmured as he felt a draft of the humid air go up his loincloth. His leather moccasins lacked traction as he attempted to scale down the cabin of the Little Jack and he slipped, falling back down to the deck with a thud. "Ow!"
"There's a reason I didn't let 'em touch me," came Drachma's voice from down below somewhere.
Vyse only smirked. Much as his new outfit was unusual for him, he was having fun with the new culture Ixa'Taka presented. The gift-bearing priests had brought them a new, more local wardrobe to change in to, each reflecting their apparent status in the eyes of the villagers. Fina, of course, had been lavished with fine linens of the purest white, and laden in gold and jewels and feathers until she nearly fell over backwards. Aika was given a much more simple outfit, a two-piece wrap that was nowhere near as fancy as Fina's robes, but still of a much higher quality than the rest of the villagers' clothing. Her hair was re-braided with dyed leather cords and long feathers woven into it, and she was decorated lightly with face paint. He wasn't at all surprised that the wild look suited her perfectly.
Drachma had rather vehemently refused to allow the priests to touch him, and hadn't changed at all, but Vyse had donned, out of curiosity more than anything else, the garb of an exalted warrior -- which turned out not to be much, to Fina's intense embarrassment. A loincloth and a pair of ankle and wrist bracers were all that he wore in addition to his moccasins, leaving a good majority of his farmer's-tanned skin bare. As if to make up for it, they had slathered him in ceremonial paint, covering almost every part of his bared body in tribal markings of bright colors. A few feathers had been beaded into his hair, and they batted the back of his neck as he moved. It was both awkward and interesting at the same time. The reactions of Aika and Fina, as well as the Powalls when they first saw him, had been priceless.
"Looks even from up there, Cap'n," he called back down over the deck. "I'd say it's safe to fasten it into place now."
"Aye. Get down 'ere then, boy," the old man replied.
Vyse nimbly hopped down, his tool belt clanking around his trim waist as he jogged around the stern of the ship. Hans and Drachma were there waiting for them, securely holding their new rudder in place. It was a bit on the crude side, and hadn't been painted to match the rest of the ship, but had been made to generally fix the flaws of the old one. One thing was for certain: the wood that came from Ixa'Taka's forests was immensely strong and durable. Vyse knew they wouldn't be having problems with the rudder breaking anytime soon.
"I'll keep 'er steady," Drachma announced. "You two rivet 'er in'ta place. Make sure the cables're taught before ya do so."
"They're plenty taught, sir," Hans replied, tapping an expert hand against the hull. "No doubt about it. I can tell just by the way they sound."
"Well then, get movin'," the old man grunted.
The two nodded, and climbed up the scaffolding they had created in order to get to work. Using big sledgehammers that Drachma had kept on board, they pounded in each of the rivets to be sure the rudder stayed in place, beads of sweat rolling down their bodies as they worked hard in the humidity. It took a little while, and Vyse's arms began to tire, but he managed to pound in the last rivet without taking a break, much to Drachma's (well hidden) satisfaction.
Just as the two slid down from their perches, Aika appeared through the passageway that lead back into Horteka, clutching in her hands a lump of silver moonstone. It was completely translucent, and would have been invisible if it didn't shine so brightly. "I've got our fuel source," she announced.
"Whoa!" Hans exclaimed. "What in the six moons is that? It looks like it can power a ship for years!"
"According to Fina, it can," Vyse replied, staring at the glow in Aika's hands incredulously. "It looks a lot like the Moon Crystal. She didn't have to process it, we could have found plenty of green moonstones here..."
Aika shook her head. "She insisted. Supposedly green moonstones aren't a very reliable fuel. She says this will keep the Little Jack going no matter what."
"But she can't use silver magic now..." Vyse said.
"Believe me. After that spell she touched in the temple, she doesn't want to," Aika replied.
"Wait...that's a silver moonstone?" It was Hans' turn to look incredulous, and he brushed his tawny hair out of his wide blue eyes as he looked the stone over. "That's...that's not possible. Silver moonstones are a horrible fuel."
"No...you just have to know how to process them right, apparently," Vyse replied. "Fina's people know how to do it. They're...rather advanced. More so than Valua."
"Where exactly is she from?" Hans asked.
"Haha...you wouldn't believe it if we told you," Aika replied, but proceeded to explain it to him anyways. In the meantime, Vyse took the moonstone from her and climbed back into the cabin of the ship, Drachma following along as he made his way to the engine room.
Vyse had never seen an empty fuel chamber before, and felt a little uncomfortable as he opened it up. The Lynx's chamber was considerably smaller than the old engine's had been, but that was because it was a newer engine and much more fuel-efficient. He took out a brush and dustpan and began to scoop out all the powder left behind by the now-decimated moonstones they had previously used as fuel. It was messy work, and he wished moonstones didn't disintegrate into dust when they lost all their charge.
"Will you need the leftover powder, Captain?" he asked as he worked.
"Hmph. It's too mixed up t'be of any use," Drachma replied. Vyse heard a squeaking noise as he did something to the engine, likely tightening a valve or two. "Most o'it's red, but there's too much blue and yellow in there, too. Ain't worth sortin' out and purifyin'. Just dump it."
"Aye," Vyse replied. He poured everything he had scooped up into a waste barrel set aside for just the purpose, then went back a few more times to pick up what he couldn't previously before snapping the moonstone into place. Most fuel chambers had a capacity for at least seventy moonstones, even on small ships. But now only one sat in there, a lone hunk of silver that shone brightly and illuminated every crack and crevice. "I'm not so sure about this..." he murmured.
"I think she knows what she's doin'," Drachma grunted. "She was right about them Moon Crystals, I don't see why she wouldn't be right about regular moonstones, too." He shook his head. "Y'know, boy, life used to be simple..."
"Is this really so bad?" Vyse blinked, turning to look at the old man. "You know we're really grateful for you taking us around, Captain, but...we don't want to be a burden or anything."
"Hmph. Naw." Drachma only shook his head, his beard bristling slightly. "What else've I got t'do, old as I am? I ain't got nobody important I need t'see, y'know. I've just been wastin' m'life, sailin' in circles in search of a giant fish. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll run into 'im again while I'm sailin' with ya." He turned away and back to the engine.
"You mean you have no family?" Vyse asked. "No one at all?"
Drachma was quiet for a long time. "Get back out there," he ordered at last. "There's still work to get done.
Vyse sighed and began to head back up the stairs. He knew that was Drachma's way of saying 'Either shut up or change the subject.'
He emerged back outside in time to see a rather sizable fleet of ships approaching the island. It clearly wasn't the Armada, however, because these were wooden longboats more than anything else, crude but colorful ships that obviously belonged to the Ixa'Takans. They puttered and sputtered about noisily, run by obviously poorly constructed engines.
"Guess the party's arrived," Aika remarked with a bit of a smirk as he landed beside her. "I didn't think they'd invite other tribes."
"Wow. Geez." Vyse blinked. "Think maybe we should go get Fina?"
Aika shook her head. "The party's not gonna start for a while, but I was gonna head back to the hut anyways. Nothing else to do, and I can't understand a word these people are saying."
Fina had been silent for the rest of the afternoon, and by evening Vyse was getting worried. While she was naturally a quiet and shy person, this was usual even for her, but he figured he could attribute that to the unusual treatment the Ixa'Takans had given her. Her modesty was something else, and he knew they were making her uncomfortable with their praise. But what could they really do about it? He was worried the village warriors might spear them if he somehow convinced them she wasn't Queyta, mistaking them for lying Valuans.
By the time the sun had gone down, and Fina still hadn't spoken, Vyse moved to approach her, but stopped when he realized she was clutching something in her tiny hands, staring down at it sadly. He didn't know what it was: something flat, square, mostly green with glittering lines of gold and silver on it, all wrapped up in a clear encasement of some sort. It was obviously from her homeland, and that's what made him realize what was wrong: she was homesick.
It's been over four moons now... he realized, feeling a little guilty. She must have lived a very, very sheltered life before coming here. I hope we don't overwhelm her too much...
Just then, a whole flock of priests appeared at the doorway, waking Drachma from his deep, snoring sleep and startling Aika from where she sat counting the King's treasures with their prayer chanting. Fina jumped a bit in her chair, caught off guard, looking up just in time to have them bow low, kissing her feet and pouring fragrant oils at them. Once more, she looked uncomfortable.
There was a long exchange between the priests and Fina, during which Vyse and Aika stood by curiously. When they were done, they abruptly knelt down and picked up the entire platform Fina's throne was resting on -- apparently it had been made to be carried on the shoulders. She couldn't suppress a surprised cry, and wobbled unsteadily, clinging to the arms of the throne.
"Eeeek!"
"What's going on?" Aika asked.
"T-the party's ready..." Fina replied, as they hauled her out the door. Vyse blinked and quickly followed.
They were led to the bottom of the village and back to where the ships had crash-landed, then down a steep path that descended the cliffside in a switchback pattern to the next layer of the island far below. From his vantage point, Vyse could see a bright yellow glow coming out of the forest beneath them, undoubtedly caused by innumerable fires. The light of the waxing green moon radiated down upon them brightly, filling the darkened sky with a pale jade aura and causing the trees to shimmer like ripples on a lake. All around them, the jungle mists swirled at their feet, tinted a minty hue by the moon's light.
When they reached the bottom of the hill, they traipsed through the jungle for a while before they emerged in a massive clearing that was obviously used for celebrations such as this one. Vyse was overwhelmed at the amount of people who were gathered there, and Fina explained that they were from two of the neighboring islands, Kahala and Cocotl. Bonfires roared everywhere, and the people, seated on the ground, were talking excitedly. As their group came in, however, Fina carried atop the shoulders of the priests, all conversation abruptly ceased and the entire crowd bowed in nearly complete unison, chanting the name Queyta.
Fina blushed immensely as she was taken atop a high platform and at last settled down upon it. Three plush cushions were set down at her feet for the rest of them to sit upon, and though Drachma grumbled about it, eventually settled into one. The priests began to hold a ceremony and spoke loudly and excitedly to the crowd, whereupon they would cheer madly or chant to Fina. More and more, she looked ready to shrink away into the forest.
The ceremonies were long and drawn-out, and involved a lot of things being placed at Fina's feet. Every once in a while the priests would speak to her and she would reply in a tiny voice, which only elicited more roars from the crowd. They were too zealous; it was hopeless.
By the time the ceremonies were finally done, Vyse's stomach was roaring mightily. The priests brought them up the choiceiest bits of food from the serving pit, including an entire roast boar that Drachma proceeded to ravenously rip into. Only when the meal had been 'blessed' by Fina's presence were the others allowed to get up and serve themselves.
Dinner lasted a while, and everybody couldn't help but to stuff themselves, particularly Cupil. The Apis had stuffed himself so full that he was a good six times his original size, and no longer able to float. He dropped to the ground, a big squishy blob, and Fina had to roll him out of the way for later. Fina herself barely ate anything, but Vyse knew her appetite was small.
When most people were done eating, powerful drinks were served. Vyse could tell they were alcoholic, but it wasn't loqua; whatever it was, it was immensely strong and it took his breath away. His head began to swim a little and he wondered if there was some sort of hallucinogen in the sacred elixir. Aika began to get giddy, but Drachma seemed to handle it fine.
"Oh, show me the way to go home!" she sang at the top of her lungs.
While they were left to finish off their drinks (the priests confused as to why Fina wouldn't touch hers), a whole group of musicians came in, composed of all three of the tribes. They brought with them very primitive but rhythmic instruments, although Vyse noticed a few of them had guitars, likely hocked off a couple Valuan soldiers. Soon the tribal orchestra struck up the liveliest, most rhythmic tune he had ever heard, and the crowd sprang to its feet, beginning to dance around wildly as if there weren't a care in the world. Vyse's heart leapt, and he sprung to his feet, drawn by the freedom of the celebration. Before long he was dancing alongside the other warriors, moving completely to the beat. Aika eventually joined the crowd as well.
He could not recall a time where he had more fun. These people were alive and carefree, living their lives in the present, completely attuned to nature. They loved nothing more than good music, good food, and good company, and he began to envy them for their simplistic but enjoyable lifestyle. As far as he was concerned, this was what life was all about. He realized he wouldn't mind staying in Ixa'Taka's jungles for a while.
The energy in his body was limitless. It was as if the music channeled the wild powers of the jungle through them all, and nobody was yet to tire. When he thought to look up at last, he saw Fina hadn't budged, though she was smiling a little, tapping her fingers to the music and watching him. When their gazes met, she quickly and bashfully looked away, but he only grinned and ran up to her.
"C'mon!" he shouted over the din of the music.
"W-what? I..." Fina's voice was barely audible over everything. "But I can't dance. I only know Silvite dances, and..."
"So?" Vyse gave her a trademark grin, holding out a hand to her. "You think I know what I'm doing? There's no official dance to this sort of music; you just move your body along with it!"
Fina hesitated a long while, gazing up into his eyes with a fair amount of color tinging her cheeks. Finally, after a long while, she lifted her hand and slipped it into his, and his grin only grew as he pulled her to her feet. She gave a startled squeak as he excitedly tugged her down into the crowd, but he only laughed in response.
He was quick to resume his dancing again, moving to the beat, completely unrestrained. Fina's movements were tentative and unsure, and she didn't look ready to loosen up, so Vyse took her by the hands and swung her around. Again she was startled, but after that she seemed to realize that perhaps this was fun after all, and at last danced around with him. Though there was no obvious pattern to her movements, they were smooth and graceful of the likes Vyse had never seen in anyone before, not even in Belleza and her Nasrean dancing. It was decidedly something influenced by Silvite culture, foreign to him, but beautiful.
Again he took her by the hands, and she allowed it, laughing delightedly as they pranced about together. He spun her, dipped her, and danced in circles until she was breathless, but she was so caught up in the energy of the moment that she refused to quit. Her robes floated around her as she twirled about, tiny bare feet gliding effortlessly over the ground, as light as a soap bubble. Every time their bodies met, their hands twined together, or their elbows locked, he felt his vivacity -- and hers -- only grow.
This was a Fina he had never seen before, a Fina that was new and yet familiar. Perhaps she was finally coming out of her Silvite shell, or perhaps this was the influence of the Blue Rogues, a livelihood she was beginning to adapt to. Whatever the case, their time together came to a grinding halt when Fina suddenly realized that the crowd had long ago parted and formed a ring around them, watching in an awed stupor as the great goddess Queyta danced with her warrior. Her self-consciousness and shy nature immediately returned and, turning completely red, she ran off and back to her throne, halfway hiding herself behind Drachma's mass. She didn't dance for the rest of the night.