Skies of Arcadia: The Heritors of Arcadia
Disclaimer: I do not own SOA. If I did, I would make a sequel and a TV series right now. =P
Pairings: VyseXFina, EnriqueXMoegi (Of course =P) a possible AikaXOC pairing perhaps? =3
Note: This is a novelization of Skies of Arcadia in a way. But it includes new characters and an extra sub-plot, but it's more or less the same thing other than those two things. I hope you enjoy it. It also starts off just before Vyse and Aika arrive in Valua for the first time. =D
Please Enjoy =3
Summary: Ciel is a blue rogue taken under the wing of the Captain of the Sand Wolves, Sinbad when he was rescued by their ship ten years ago. Ciel had long hoped to find clues to where he came from and who he really is, and explore the world to find those answers. When his path becomes intertwined with that of certain pair of Blue Rogues while in Valua, it was only the beginning of a much grander adventure waiting him. A journey of self-discovery and unlocking the mysteries of Arcadia itself was about to begin.
Episode 1: A Fateful Encounter
The skies of Arcadia were dark, ominously dark. Ciel looked in confusion as he analyzed the world around him. He looked down at himself to notice his body was ghost-like and seemed to be more of a spectator than actually living it.
But for some reason, if this was indeed a dream, it felt a little too real for his liking, as he could feel the heat and wind around him.
Wait...heat?
It was then he looked to the ground below to see that the land was set aflame, forests burning like wildfire, the ruined buildings that were being turned to dust in an instant when unengulfed in a beam of powerful light.
It was there that he saw them, giants bigger than he had ever seen before. Could these be the fabled Gigas from the old stories of the old world that he heard of as a child? It was the only thing he could think of that would fit these giants accurately. The red Gigas locked in combat with the blue flying Gigas. Then he saw the yellow Gigas fighting against the green Gigas with the purple one flying high in the air, hovering around the battlefield seeming as if to be awaiting orders.
It was a terrifying sight to behold, he could see that the land was slowly but surely started to crumble and crack below, causing huge fissures and large valleys of endlessly darkness beneath.
It wasn't until he felt something else arrived that he looked upwards to see a rain of moonstones falling from above from not only one moon but all seven of them, they pelted the land below causing such devastation, it was almost like he was watching the end of all Arcadia unfold right before him. Wait, seven? There was only six moons weren't there? But indeed he could see a seventh moon, it was black but unlike the other moons, there seemed to be a severe reaction coming, it almost looked like as if the black moon was breaking apart completely as a result of the moonstones falling from it. From afar it almost looked like a lunar eclipse with the black moon with cracks going through it.
He couldn't see clearly but as he continued to look up he could make out what appeared to be two Gigas fighting in the sky above while the rain of moonstones continued to fall, one seemed to be of silver and another of pure black, they were both locked in combat furiously as if trying to see who was the stronger Gigas.
When one of the moonstones was aiming straight for him, everything turned to a blinding white.
Ciel shot up in bed with a terrified gasp, realizing that he was just in his bed in his small but comfortable room on the airship 'The Nadia', he slowed his panicked breathing until he had finally calmed himself. He placed a hand over his forehead and exhaled deeply.
He had turned seventeen a month ago and had long silky black hair with stray strands of his hair framing his face. Usually he would have his hair tied but when he was sleeping, he let his hair down since it was easier to sleep that way. He had the owner bright amethyst-shaded eyes which was an unusual eye colour to have, especially in a place like Nasr.
"That damn dream again. That's two months in a row now, just when I thought I was finally rid of it, it comes back with a vengeance. What's wrong with me?" Ciel lied back down but he couldn't bring himself to go back to sleep, lest he see that dream again...no not a dream it was more like a nightmare but why did it feel more real every time he relived it?
"I can't let this distract me. We'll be in Valua tomorrow, I've got to get some rest before then. Who knows what will happen when we're inside..."
Little did he realize at that moment that his words would come back to bite him.
When the sun's rays shined through the porthole of Ciel's bedroom, he groaned in annoyance at the light and tried to pull the blanket over his head to cover himself from the sunlight. He wasn't able to sleep well at all since that dream last night, so he only had a few hours rest at most.
But he knew today was important so he forced himself awake and sat upright in bed with a crazy bedhead as a result from all his tossing and turning from last night.
"Ugh, I don't feel rested at all."
Ciel then got out of bed and made his way to the wash basin. "Well I better get dress, it would be embarrassing if I wasn't ready before the Captain is. The guy could probably sleep through a black pirate attack if he wanted."
After freshening himself up and doing his usual routine of brushing his hair and teeth and dressing into his usual air pirate attire, he left his room and started to make his way to the deck of the ship where his fellow crew members were probably already waiting.
His long hair was now tied up into a ponytail to keep it out of the way since they do quite a bit of raiding. He wore a black form-fitting sleeveless vest with a pair of goggles worn loosely around his neck. He wore baggy black pants with many belts around the waist, some where even left loose while others were strapped already. He also wore brown pirate boots with just as many belts around the ankle and cloth armlets that started at his upper arms all the way down to his wrists.
He had a necklace that was also around his neck like his goggles were, it was a black crystal shaped like a crescent moon.
That black crystal that he wore were the only memento of his parents-whoever they were-so he always made sure to keep them safe and hide them under his shirts to prevent unwanted attention from would-be pickpockets or anyone who would try to convince him to sell it away which was something he'd would never do.
He didn't know why but something at the back of his mind told him that these crystals must never be seen or shown to anyone they couldn't trust. It was faint but he could tell there was a great power dwelling dormant inside the black crystal he possessed but he could never figure out how he could tell that though.
When he arrived at the deck, he saw three of his fellow crew members waiting on deck, Sheva, Kit and Ashley.
Sheva was an woman of Nasr who was very muscled and tall for a woman, she even had a six pack from all her daily workouts. You wouldn't think she was a woman with how intimidating and fierce she could be in battle, but beyond her scary exterior was one of the most big-hearted people you would ever meet. She acted like the mother of the whole crew even to Sinbad despite he was their Captain. She had braided deep red hair and brown eyes, wearing traditional Nasr clothes but with light battle armour.
Kit and Ashley were identical twins from the mid-ocean area but had different hair colours, Kit had blonde hair while Ashley had orange hair but they both had the same blue eyes and freckles that decorated the bridge of nose and a little of their cheeks. They both looked more like merchants than actual air pirates but looks can be deceiving as the two could fight just as well even when dressed like merchants. Kit's hair was also mid-length but unruly while Ashley had a side ponytail with a blue ribbon attached.
"Hey, Ciel. Finally awake eh?" Sheba was the first to greet his arrival.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I had a rough night. I take it Claude is waking up our leader as we speak?"
"As usual, I can't believe how deep our Captain sleeps. If we left him to his own devices, he wouldn't wake up til noon." Sheba grinned.
"Where are we exactly now?"
"Well, I think we're on the outskirts of Valuan airspace, Captain Sinbad is the only one with the passport needed to get through security so we couldn't go further even if we wanted to." Ashley explained.
"No kidding. Especially since we still have the loot we stole from that Valuan warship, ah now that was a good raid." Sheva stretched her arms out.
"That being said though, they've been sending out more of their warships in the recent years, while it's good for us air pirates, I can't help but have a bad feeling about what they're up to." Sheva noted.
They heard a loud scream coming from the captain's quarters.
"Sounds like Captain Sinbad's awake. That frying pan trick works wonders." Ciel teased.
"Oh don't be so mean." Ashley giggled.
They saw Claude leave the Captain's quarters with frying pan in hand.
He was a man in his mid-twenties who looked dressed between an air pirate and a butler, he had dark blonde hair with a thin but elegant ponytail and rested softly on his left shoulder. Despite his age, he was Sinbad's oldest friend and vice captain of the Nadia. "You'll be pleased to know Captain Sinbad is now awake. Honestly I don't know where he gets his sleeping habits from. I've never met a Captain so lazy to get out of bed." Claude informed everyone with a calm smile and casually holding the said frying pan in hand.
"Honestly, how did he even survive this long?" Sheva sighed.
"Oh trust me, I gave him one of my lectures on the matter. I don't think he'll make the same mistake twice...at least not for a while."
That made everyone cringed as everyone on the Nadia knew that Claude's lectures were a living torture and a punishment they'd never wish on anyone, and it made everyone give a silent prayer for their captain.
After half an hour, Captain Sinbad finally appeared although it did look like he had dark rings under his eyes, perhaps he didn't have a good night last night either.
He was a man of Nasr heritage like Sheva and twenty-eight years old. So he was at least a few years older than Claude. He had exotic brown skin and peircing topaz-hued eyes. He wore captain's shirt and a swallow-tailed pirate coat with long sleeves. He wore ankle-length white sarouel with leather boots befitting an air pirate captain. He had mid-long and messy black hair that had one long strand of hair braided with a feather attached at the end. And he even had a captain's hat to top it all off, with a feather attached to it as well with the symbol of Nasrad engraved on the front of the hat.
"Was the frying pan really necessary, Claude?" Sinbad scowled.
"Well if someone got up on time." Claude retorted swiftly merely opening one eye to stare back at Sinbad.
Sinbad coughed to regain his composure and hide a faint blush on his cheeks. "Okay, since we're all here. Let's go over what we're here for in Valua. First off, as you know we usually sell our raid loot back in Nasrad so why are we in Valua you ask? Well we're actually here for a rescue mission as the Sand Wolves and not as merchants this time around."
Sand Wolves was their real identity as Blue Rogues that operate on Nasr-Valua trade routes, hence why they are always in-between Nasr and Valua and they have their base in the heart of Nasrad itself.
It was under the guise as a trading company known as 'The Oasis Trading Company' and as far as everyone in Nasr knew, it was just very successful trading company, but it served as their base well, hiding right where the Valuans had no control and the best thing was that the Nasr Navy leaves them alone since Valua was their long-time enemy so any economic damage they did to the Valuans was a boon to Nasr itself.
"A rescue mission, Captain?" Ciel asked in confusion.
"Yup. According to one of our sources for intel, we got word that the Dyne Family was recently captured by one of the Admiralty. We don't know who but I have a hunch it was the leader of the Armada himself, Lord Galcian."
"Dyne? You mean Captain Dyne? No way, he was captured? But how?" Ciel clicked as he remembered who Captain Sinbad was talking about now. He had met him a few times as a kid when he had started his training as a Blue Rogue in Nasrad.
Apparently Sinbad and Dyne were good friends and often helped each other out so he would sometimes see Captain Dyne in Sinbad's office at the Oasis Trading Company. Captain Dyne had a son around Ciel's age but he wanted to wait until his son was older before he took him raiding with the other members of the Dyne Family.
But still, Captain Dyne would help him train if he was in Nasrad visiting Sinbad at the time, he was a good mentor to him, not that Sinbad or Claude weren't good teachers themselves but he had a great amount of respect for Captain Dyne.
"Aye, he's old friend of mine and he helped me out a lot when I first started out, this was a really long time ago you should know, but nonetheless, I wouldn't be who I was today without his guidance. There's no way I'm letting those Valuans have their way and lop off their heads."
"Oh no! The punishment for piracy is death in Valua, isn't it?" Ashley gasped.
"And that's why we're going to save them before they're executed, according to our source in Valua, the execution is happening tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?! That's hardly any time to prepare at all." Ciel panicked.
"Aha, this is why I'm the pack leader, I always have a plan prepared." Sinbad smirked. "We'll be able to sneak into the Colosseum where they hold the executions publicly via the old catacombs underneath Valua. According to our source, they've been around since the old world so that means it'll probably have connections to every part of Valua itself, Valua was built over the ruins of the old Yellow Moon Civilization after all."
"That's a rather big oversight for Valua, you would have thought they'd fill in those old catacombs to avoid such a thing from happening." Sheva raised an eyebrow.
"So who was the source in Valua Captain was talking about?" Kit wondered.
"That stays a secret with me for protection reasons. I mean, it would be not only bad for business on the merchant side of things but if they found out our source was working for air pirates, they'd add him to the execution block."
"Ah, a fair point. A merchant has to be as good as their word if you want to earn the customer's trust." Kit understood.
"Exactly. You're learning, kiddo." Sinbad winked.
"The problem is I don't know where in Lower Valua we should start looking for a way into this sewer. So we should try and find a way in before we do anything else." Sinbad added.
"We need to get into Valua first." Ciel noted.
"Don't worry, Ciel. Our passport into Valua is genuine, not a fake. Surprisingly we got through the intense security checks without any hiccups thanks to our good reputation as reliable trade merchants. It looks like Sinbad's reputation as a merchant precedes his reputation as an air pirate."
"Exactly." Sinbad nodded before he realized what Claude was implying. "Hey! What do you mean by that?! I'm an awesome air pirate!"
Claude snickered. "I meant it as a compliment silly. It's good that they know you as Sinbad the Merchant and not Sinbad the Blue Rogue, otherwise we'd never would have gotten the passport."
"...Man I hate it when you're right. And time isn't exactly on our side." Sinbad grumbled.
"Precisely. If we had to rely on a fake passport it would have endangered not only us but the people we're trying to save too. Look on the bright side, at least the Valuans won't be expecting us to show up tomorrow, giving us the element of surprise."
"I'm beginning to see why you're the vice-captain of the Sand Wolves, Claude." Ciel smiled and crossed his arms.
"Well someone has to keep this idiot on his toes. He's the man with the plan and I work out the kinks in that plan." Claude shrugged. "I honestly didn't expect that we'd have to use our passport so soon but the Dyne Family had been good to us. And we as the Sand Wolves always back up our friends."
"So that's the plan. Everyone to your stations. Operation: Blue Rescue is starting from now."
"Aye aye!" Everyone shouted in agreement and went to their usual spots on the ship as Captain Sinbad and Claude headed for the bridge to direct their helmsman to continue to Valua."
The dark skies of Valua soon covered over the Nadia as the yellow moon rose on the horizon and the sounds of a endless thunderstorm rang in their ears.
"Yeesh, this place gives me the creeps already and we're not even inside yet." Ashley gave an involuntary shiver.
When they encountered the sentry gunboat that acted as the security checkpoint for anyone entering Valua, they thankfully got through thankfully thanks to the passport and they currently had their merchant flag up. It was their main method of avoiding trouble by pretending to be a merchant ship, and when they got close to any ship that they planned on raiding, they would quickly switch the flags out for their flag for the Sand Wolves.
If there was one thing that the Sand Wolves prided themselves on, it was their cunning and their ability to operate like a pack when it came to raids. And their Captain while he tends to act like the fool around his crew, when it comes to down to the actual raid and fighting against Valua, he was fearless and dangerous as he was cunning. He struck fear into the hearts of both black pirates and Valuans.
Either way, they moved closer to the gates of the Grand Fortress.
"So this is the infamous Grand Fortress. I've only heard tales of it but I never thought I'd see it up close, well, without getting shot." Ciel looked up at the intimidating sight before him.
"Impressive isn't it? Apparently the perfect prison in all of Arcadia, no one to this day has managed to break out of that place." Sinbad came over to Ciel's side.
"Oh Captain. I thought you would still be on the bridge."
"Nah, Claude's got me covered up there. We passed the hard part of getting through security, so there's not much else I can do until we dock in Lower Valua."
"I see...I'm not going to lie, I'm a bit nervous." Ciel admitted.
"I can't blame you. Valua isn't known for their warm hospitality-but don't you worry, I'll think of something, everything has a weak spot, it's the same for this place too. Besides, the only reason no one's broken out of the Fortress because they haven't had someone like me behind bars yet." Sinbad winked.
"Heh, you always seem to sense when something is amiss with one of your crew huh?"
"Listen well, a good leader always puts his crew's safety before their own. Trust is very important to have when you're a Captain. They look up to you and put their lives on the line for you, so you have to respect that trust and never take it for granted."
"Those were the words that Captain Dyne taught me when I first started out. Even before that though, I was always looking out for Claude since as you know, he's a half-Valuan so growing up in Nasr was probably not easy for him." Sinbad recalled.
Ciel nodded. "Yeah, I can imagine. Especially with the Valua-Nasr war still fresh in people's minds back then." He recalled that Claude was half-Valuan and half-Nasruan, it was Claude who told them that himself as he never hid anything from his crew. His parents were killed in the war, so he was left to fend for himself on the streets. While Claude looked seemingly harmless, he was actually very skilled with knives which was something he probably picked up early as a child. He might look deceivingly weak to most, but everyone in the Sand Wolves knew just how deadly of a fighter Claude can be.
That was all he really knew though, neither Claude or Sinbad ever explained how the two met, but from how close the two were, Ciel guessed that they had been friends since children.
"It's been ten years now hasn't it? Since we first found you and took you on board our ship. I'm sorry we couldn't do anything for your Mother back then."
Ciel had been six years old when Sinbad and his crew rescued him, Sinbad himself was probably only just eighteen and just started his career as an air pirate with Claude who would had been sixteen when they had found Ciel and his fatally wounded mother. Ciel couldn't even remember why or how his mother had been injured nor how they ended up like that in the first place.
From what Sinbad remembered of Ciel's Mother, she must had come from Esparanza given how near she was at Cape Victory at the time of the incident. She told him to give her black crystal to her son for reasons she couldn't say. She also asked him to look after her child if she did not survive the night, which she didn't as the wound claimed her life that night despite their best efforts to save her. Before she passed on though, she also warned him to keep Ciel away from his father at all costs. He never quite understood the meaning of her words, he probably never will now.
Sinbad kept his word to the dying mother and took the boy under his wing, the woman died to protect her child from whatever attacked them, he'd be damned to hell itself before he'd leave the poor child all alone without someone to care for him. The poor child didn't even seem to understand what had just happened, whatever tragedy unfolded that day must have caused Ciel to subconsciously lock away his own memories, which meant no chance of trying ask Ciel where he was from or why he and his mother were attacked in the first place. All the boy knew was his name and his mother who had just been cruelly taken from him.
Sinbad was quite proud of how little Ciel turned out, although the boy was still a bit shy and hint of an introvert as he never really talked to anyone outside the Sand Wolves, he knew he would be a great Blue Rogue one day once he spread his wings and left the nest. Until that day though, he'll continue to keep his promise to that brave woman who died saving her child. The ship she had been using was also unlike any other kind of ship he had seen. It looked way too advanced to be something from Valua and it was too refined for a ship that any normal person could get their hands on. They kept it back in their headquarters in case it ever came in handy someday...that and Sinbad loved mysterious things so he made a habit of making a collection of 'mysterious' relics as a hobby of his.
All Sinbad knew was that Ciel was different from other children, there was something special about him that he guessed he'll never know, especially since Ciel had forgotten his own memories.
"I'm sure you did the best you could, Captain. I just wished...that I knew why I don't seem to remember anything from before you rescued us. My memories of those early years feel so clouded and hazy, like a heavy fog."
"Those memories are still in there kiddo. They're just...sleeping that's all." Sinbad tried to cheer up.
"Perhaps..." Ciel clenched his fists. "What if someday I do remember? Would I have been better off not knowing at all? Would it change who I am as a person now? Or would those memories help me find peace of mind and move on?"
"That's a tough question. The answer's different for everyone. You've got to search for your own answer to that question. That's the only advice I can give you as your Captain."
Ciel nodded and smiled softly. "I understand, thank you Captain Sinbad."
Just then they heard a noise coming from the Grand Fortress and seeing its gate turn vertically to its side.
"Hey, that gate is turning! Is that how they allow ships in?" Ciel asked.
"Yup, there's a tunnel right in the middle of that Fortress that acts as both entrance and exit to Valua's city. See the interior of the gate that's lined with canons? That's their offensive side and the side we saw was it's ironclad wall, nothing has ever gotten past it...yet."
"Do you think we have a shot, Captain?" Ciel questioned.
"HA! I'm the 'Terror of the Sands', or so my wanted poster ever so eloquently calls me. This is one Blue Rogue who won't be shackled nor bow to any tyrant, especially not by Valua. I say bring the challenge on." Sinbad boasted proudly.
"Heh, that's our Captain alright. I'm going to go ahead to get the Nadia ready for docking at the nearest port." Ciel informed his Captain.
"That's my boy, go ahead." Captain Sinbad gave a thumbs up. Ciel gave a small salute to his captain before heading off to prepare for docking. Just as Sinbad was about to follow suit and head back to the bridge to help guide the Nadia in, he saw something interesting in the corner of his eye.
A green fishing boat with a familiar flag waving in the wind above and the name of 'Little Jack' etched into the side of the ship. "Hello there, what do we have here? What's One Armed Drachma doing over in this part of the world?" Sinbad whistled.
His curiosity became even more intrigued took out his spyglass and spied on the bridge of the Little Jack. He saw two air pirates alongside Drachma, he recognized the two right away.
"Well well, Captain Dyne's little boy and his feisty partner Aika. So the Valuans didn't get everyone in Dyne's crew after all. I think this rescue mission of ours just got more interesting~" Sinbad smirked. "And I think my little Ciel could use some more friends his age." A plan began to formulate in Sinbad's mind, not one involving the rescue mission but instead about Vyse and Aika, perhaps this is the push Ciel needs to finally spread his wings and see the world on his own.
He knew Ciel wanted to see the world and rediscover who he is but was too scared to take the first step, while Sinbad knew the limits of what he could do for the boy, he could at the very least give Ciel a little nudge in the right direction.
And who better for the job than the son of the Blue Rogue who inspired him in the beginning?
"Lord Galcian. Your Admirals have assembled...As you have commanded." Ramirez informed his Lord Admiral who was looking out of the large window that gazed outwards beyond Valua, showing the bright yellow moon above clearly, one of the few spots where the moon could be seen without the endless thunderstorms above clouding it from sight.
"Excellent." Galcian answered. He turned around gracefully to directly face all his fellow admirals, staring them all down.
"Admirals of the Valuan Armada...Let me first offer my gratitude to each of you for assembling on such short notice."
"Let it be known that we have successfully captured a citizen of the Silver Moon Civilization, as Empress Teodora requested." Galcian announced.
"What?! How?!" The elderly Admiral known as Gregorio -also known as Ironwall Gregorio- was shocked at this announcement.
The buff and muscled man known as Vigoro chimed in. "So, we've finally captured one...Who accomplished this?"
"Hah hah hah...Of course, I was the one to find her first...I crippled her own ship and captured her. But I was betrayed by my own Vice Captain and she was taken from me..." An arrogant blonde man known as Alfonso spoke with pride and arrogance.
"I'm sure Empress Teodora is very pleased she was recovered. Now, if we can just persuade her to give us the information we need, it would be worth all the effort we spent tracking her down." Gregorio responded with a calm yet gentle tone.
"You said that the citizen of the Silver Moon Civilization was a woman?! Now THAT is something worth getting excited over. How old is she? Is she good looking? Does she wear leather? I like my women wild and crazy!" Vigoro proceeded to ask a barrage of questions that really had no place in a meeting room.
"You're out of luck, Vigoro. The girl is the exact opposite. She's very shy and demure. Her name is Fina. She is currently being escorted to see Empress Teodora in the Imperial Palace." Belleza, the only female Admiral who was also a very beautiful woman herself shot Vigoro down.
"Hehehehe...Very good, Admiral Belleza. I see that you are our espionage expert for good reasons." A small but very intelligent Admiral known as De Loco snickered. Of course being the head of weapon development, I have a deeply vested interest in the technology of the Silver Civilization! Hehehe!"
"I have yet more to say. We've not only been able to acquire one from the Silver Moon Civilization but we have also acquired another descendant from a different moon civilization. He was found in the Lands of Ice, a land that Valua had occasionaly visited to try gain entry into the ruins of the city within the ice."
"Another one? In the Lands of Ice? How could that be possible? No one could survive in such hostile cold conditions!" Gregorio asked.
"Aw, it's a guy? Not interested." Vigoro sounded deflated by the news.
"You are certain of this Lord Galcian? You could have picked up some foolish explorer." Alfonso challenged.
"You dare question Lord Galcian's words?" Ramirez challenged back in his quiet but deadly tone.
"Ramirez, calm yourself." Galcian ordered Ramirez but in a stern voice.
"I apologize my Lord."
"Bring in the boy, I believe Alfonso will change his tune once he sees him."
"At once, my Lord." Ramirez bowed before heading towards the exit of the meeting room to fetch the captive in question.
"As for your question, I will give you an answer. I very much doubt the boy is a explorer that got lost. The boy was wearing clothing designed for cold climates and a mere child at that."
"A child? Lord Galcian...Is this second moon citizen...a small boy? Forgive me for asking My Lord but...you didn't hurt the child while capturing him, right?" Belleza looked troubled.
"Fear not. The boy remains unharmed. Although we came to discover that the boy was highly skilled when it came to magic, he could cast spells without moonstones to focus from so we had to cast a Sylenis spell to silence him and keep him contained." Galcian responded before giving a cold smile.
"I predicted such a reaction from him but children are...easy to mold. Given time he will tell us what we need to know."
The doors opened once more with Ramirez returning with a smaller boy struggling to break free from his captor's grip.
"Let me go! Get your hands off me you silver-haired psychopath!" The young boy angrily yelled at Ramirez, even attempting to try and kick him.
"Well, kid's got spunk if he can mouth off to your Vice Captain like that, Lord Galcian. I like it." Vigoro grinned.
Ramirez brought the boy before Galcian and threw him harshly towards the Lord Admiral, so harshly that the child fell to the floor roughly. The young boy gritted his teeth and glared at the people around him as he got up.
The boy had long lavender hair that was tied into a loose ponytail and fell over his right shoulder. He also had vibrant red eyes, a very rare eye colour not seen among most everyday people.
He was still wearing his native clothes, being that of a warm purple hooded coat designed for such never-ending cold weather such as the Lands of Ice with puffy white trousers made from wool. His hood was currently removed to show his face. The style of the clothing looked alien to them. It was clear that there was a hint of design that could only belong to someone who descended from one of the Moon civilizations in the style of his clothes.
He also wore brown fur-laced boots that protected his feet from the bitter cold snow. He used to have gloves as well but they were taken off him when they binded him in these infernal chains, what's worse that these bindings were laced with a Sylenis spell so he couldn't use his magic. The most telling sign was his golden circlet with a purple gem adorned in the middle of the circlet with the symbol of the purple moon civilization.
"That symbol...Lord Galcian...Are you saying this boy is a descendant of the Purple Moon Civilization?" Gregorio asked.
"Indeed. What you see here-my Admirals-is a descendant of a moon civilization that was thought to have been completely wiped out and yet here we are-with a child of the purple moon standing right before us, a Purlite. I believe his name is Lute, it was engraved on the circlet on his head-perhaps some tradition among Purlites to carve their names into the circlets they wear."
"Well now I'm intrigued! I read that the Purple Moon Civilization was able to combine their magic with their technology together, being able to create magical wonders with their magical might. Imagine the kinds of weapons I could forge with that knowledge! Hehehehe!" De Loco became excited at the prospect of learning possible ideas for new weapons using the knowledge of an actual Purlite.
"You are planning to keep a child hostage? You will return him back to his people once he had told us everything we need to know, correct?" Gregorio narrowed his eyes, he also looked apologetic to the poor boy. He was clearly not happy to be here, dragged from his homeland against his will and torn away from his family if they were still alive back on the continent of ice. While he was incredibly loyal to Valua, this act of kidnapping a child-regardless if he was a citizen of the Purple Moon Civilization-left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Oh of course," Galcian eloquently lied. "That is if the boy will just tell me where the rest of his people are..."
"Never! You might as well just kill me now! I'll never help you enslave my people! Nor will I tell you anything about our ancestors!" The boy snapped at the Lord Admiral then glaring at Ramirez.
"And you! I can't believe you would do something like this! How can you help these people?! Don't you care about Arcadia's future?!"
"Hmph, what would a mere child like you know?" Ramirez scoffed.
"I know enough to know that you're a big dummy!" The boy retorted.
Ramirez's eye twitched by otherwise remained stoic.
"As you can see, the little one has quite a mouth. No matter though, he will be joining his fellow moon citizen from the Silver Moon at the Imperial Palace. I will also be returning to the Imperial Palace and await Empress Teodora's orders to commence the search for the Moon Crystals."
Lute gasped in horror. They really were going to try and search for the Moon Crystals to bring back the Gigas! And they even had another Silvite under their thumb? What was wrong with those people from the silver moon?!
"Fina and Lute, our new...allies shall aid in gathering all six of the Crystals from around the world." Galcian continued.
"Never! I will never help you no matter what you do to me!" Lute bravely cut him off.
Ramirez quickly came over and slapped the boy's face so hard that the boy was slapped back down with a red burning mark forming on his cheek. "Don't speak out of line, Purlite! Children should be silent when the adults are talking."
"What did you say?!" Lute growled but decided to not test his luck. Maybe if he bide his time, the spell that's stopping him from using magic will wear off and he can find a way to escape somehow.
"Ramirez, I believe they have seen enough proof. Take him to the rail-car for the Imperial Palace and await me there. No matter what happens, don't let that boy out of your sight."
"I will do as you command, Lord Galcian." Ramirez bowed gracefully before forcibly picking the boy up from the ground and dragging him back out of the meeting room.
"I know how to walk you jerk! Get your filthy blood-stained hands off me!" Lute continued to barrage Ramirez with insults that the young vice captain chose to tune out as the boy was becoming very aggravating and even beginning to test even his patience.
"Hmhmhm...What a spirited child. Hard to believe he actually came from such a cold environment to burn so bright." Belleza softly chuckled to herself.
"Continuing where I left off...As for you Alfonso, you lied in your report. And as punishment, you are now relieved of your position as Commander of the Mid-Ocean Fleet. And for an indefinite period of time, you shall be confined to Ixa'taka." Galcian continued on with what he was going to say before the Purlite had interrupted him.
"Huh?" Alfonso looked very shocked and taken aback by this news. "Y...you think that I lied in my report, sire? Ha...haha...w...what are you talking about?"
"You were attacked by Air Pirates and you deserted your crew and ship to save yourself. Your ship and your crew were released by the Air Pirates and returned recently. They filled a full...and ACCURATE... report."
"Bah..." Alfonso felt stung as his own plan had backfired drastically.
"Our Armada is invincible. Showing any signs of weakness is unforgivable. I trust that you will not forget that. This meeting is over. I want you all to be ready to depart a moment's notice." Galcian finished.
"Yes, Lord Galcian!" All the Admirals present obeyed.
Once all of them had left, Galcian had returned to looking out the window. There was something that he had not told the Admirals yet, but Ramirez knew of it, there was a seventh Moon Crystal belonging to a moon that has long vanished from the people's memories and the moon had even disappeared itself. But Ramirez told him that the black moon does still exist, but it was trapped within the dark rift that was created by the Black Gigas that the fabled Black Moon Civilization created as a response to the Rains of Destruction. While these people never took part in the war that waged between the moon civilizations of the old world, they still mysteriously vanished without a trace.
Galcian somehow knows this to be true, after all, in his life-long mission in search for a greater power to rule over all, he came upon the forbidden knowledge of this so-called mythical seventh moon and its people by chance himself.
Chance? No that was not the right word, it was fate, destiny even, that he would come upon that ancient knowledge that was supposed to have disappeared along with the people of the black moon. It fueled his desire to acquire this power, if he had both the power of the black moon and the power of other six moons as well...he would truly become the ruler of all Arcadia.
Back in Lower Valua, the Nadia safetly docked in one of the empty lines of the pier and fastened a rope around the metal stand that kept the ship from straying from the pier itself. After weighing their anchor down to also keep it steady, the group disembarked from the Nadia and looked around their surroundings.
Sinbad turned to a few crew deckhands and gave them his orders. "Alright, I need you guys to watch the Nadia for me, if anyone from the Valuan Armada comes sneaking around, show no mercy, got it?"
"Aye aye Captain! We won't let anyone get near the Nadia. She'll be as good as ready when ya finish what you came here for." One of the deckhands saluted to his captain.
"Good, I can always count you guys. Keep Nadia nice and tuned for me til we get back, kay? Off you go." Sinbad beamed and nodded at them to let them know they were dismissed to carry out their job.
Ashley and Kit were looking out to the other side of Valua, seeing a lit-up and almost sparkling city in the distance.
"Wow, I heard about the disparity between Lower and Upper Valua was big but this...this puts all those stories to shame." Ashley awed.
"Yeah, apparently only the noble and wealthy can live on that side while the poor and and downtrodden have to stay on this side. Valua makes Nasrad look like a paradise in comparison for someone who used to be a street rat of Nasrad." Claude explained.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Claude. I didn't mean to bring up-" Ashley quickly apologized.
"Don't apologize. I see it as a badge of pride personally. I don't think even I would have survived if I had lived in Valua instead of Nasrad. I should count myself lucky." Claude winked at her.
"Is it true what they say about Valuan soldiers killing anyone who tries to enter the Upper City without permission?" Kit wondered.
"..." Claude didn't want to answer as it was most likely true that such things did happen, especially if you were desperate enough to risk it for a chance to escape the poverty.
"Never mind. That was probably a silly question." Kit meekly backpedaled.
Sinbad arrived to see the group that he assembled for the rescue mission, which was Claude, Sheva, Kit and Ashley. He would include Ciel but he had something else in mind for him.
"Alright Wolves, as you know the big event won't happen until tomorrow, but we still need to find a way into those catacombs to reach the Colosseum. Thus, we shall split into teams, Claude and Ciel will come with me and Sheva, you have Ashley and Kit. Let's cover as much ground as possible, if we're ever gonna have a shot at finding a way in, it's in Lower City. While we could sneak in through Upper City, there's too many eyes in there, if we're spotted, our mission is busted." Sinbad informed everyone of their next stage of the plan.
"Gotcha, we'll comb this place until there's nothing left to find. Let's go you two, we've got work to do." Sheva acknowledged and motioned the twins to follow her.
"Good luck guys! Don't blame us if we discover something before you~" Ashley teased before following Sheva.
Kit bowed politely and waved to them before running after his twin sister and Sheva.
"So, where do you suggest we start looking, Sin?" Claude asked by Sinbad's nickname that only a handful of people were allowed to say. Ciel and Claude were two of them but when they were still on board the ship, he was still the Captain and so they address him as such out of respect.
"I've actually got somewhere in mind, just follow me." Sinbad gave a secret wink to Claude before taking the lead towards the exit of the port.
Claude raised an eyebrow but shrugged, he trusted Sinbad completely so he would take his word for it. "I don't know what our Captain is up to but we better follow behind." It better not be getting drunk at a bar somewhere, I swear to the moons if that's it I'll- Claude told Ciel.
Ciel laughed. "Oh c'mon Claude, even Sinbad has his limits of joking around."
Claude sighed. "Dear sweet child, you've obviously haven't been around him long enough to know he won't pass up the chance for a visit to any bar he sees."
"Does this place even have a tavern like that?" Ciel wondered.
"...Touche. Anyway, let's go, before our dear 'Captain' does something stupid to attract the guards, as he tends to do when we visit places like this. Honestly, it's a miracle he's still alive!" Claude sighed.
Ciel smiled playfully but followed Claude regardless as they left the port to catch up with their leader.
Vyse and Aika along with Captain Drachma-the grumpy old man with the mechanical arm that saved them when their small ship was wrecked by Rhaknam, exited the lower city port into the actual lower city itself. It was much worse than they imagined it would be.
"Hmmm, Lower City looks worse up close. Everything is so dirty and rundown...and it smells like...garbage." Aika commented as she look in the sight of the desolate lower city of Valua.
"We still need to check the place out. We need to find a way to save Dad and the others." Vyse replied back to Aika. The young blue rogue then turned to Drachma, "Captain, what do you think we should do?"
"I'll be returnin' to the docks...I'll be overseein' the installation of the Harpoon Cannon." Drachma gruffly answered.
"Let's split up. Aika and I will check out the city, while you get your cannon. When we're done, let's meet back at the inn." Vyse told them about their next move.
"Sure. I'll see you two later then." Drachma nodded and then headed back to the port to check up on the Little Jack.
Just as Vyse and Aika were about to start their search someone stopped them.
"Long time no see, Dyne Jr. It's been quite some time since our last meeting."
Vyse and Aika turned around and got ready to attack before it quickly dawned on them who it was.
"Capt-Captain Sinbad?!" Aika gasped.
"The one and only. Nice to see you again, my dear Aika. Same to you Vyse." Sinbad toothily grinned with a casual salute.
"Wow, it really is you Captain Sinbad! It's been years since we've seen you last!" Aika beamed brightly.
"Heh heh, seven years is indeed a long time. Last time I saw you both, you reached right to my knees, now look at you both, makes me proud that I lived this long to see it."
Vyse and Aika remember seeing Captain Sinbad seven years ago when he visited Pirate Isle for a casual visit to Vyse's father. Sinbad had always been very kind to the both of them, he even taught Vyse a few things about sailing during his week stay with them. From what his dad told him about Captain Sinbad- He was the leader of a group of Blue Rogues that live around the Nasr area known as the 'Sand Wolves'.
It was Vyse's father who helped Sinbad out when he first started out as a Blue Rogue himself and since then, the Sand Wolves had become very well-known to all that live under the red moon. He even had a merchant business known as the 'Oasis Trading Company', where he sold all the loot from his raids of exclusively Valuan warships that come near their territory. So he was both a Blue Rogue and a Nasr Merchant at the same time.
It always amazed Vyse how Captain Sinbad could be a merchant and an air pirate at the same time, probably gave the Black Pirates the fright of their lives when they picked a fight with the Sand Wolves as they mistaken them for a merchant ship and got totally trashed by Sinbad and his crew (or so that's the tale his dad recited to him). Since then, even Black Pirates were terrified of the Sand Wolves and stayed away from their territory which was right where Nasrad was so that made the Black Pirates' pickings even more slim. According to his wanted poster he was known as the 'Terror of the Sands'.
"You've gotten a lot more popular with the Valuan Armada as well. What was it your Wanted Poster said again: The Terror of the Sands?" Aika smirked and playfully teased.
"Oh I know it's awful isn't it? They could have given me a cooler title. Terror of the Sands makes me sound like a bloodthirsty villain. Why not the 'Robin Hood of the Sands' or something?" Sinbad played along.
"Heh heh, you haven't changed at all Captain." Vyse grinned.
"Same to you both. I knew you were plucky my boy but wow, planning to rescue your Dad and the rest of your crewmates from the hands of Valua themselves. You really are fearless-which is a good virtue to have if you ask me."
"Wait, how did you know about that?" Aika's eyes widened in surprise.
"Sweetheart, I'm a merchant as well as a Blue Rogue. Thanks to that I have a nice underground network. One of my sources in Valua informed me of it so as Captain Dyne is an old friend and my mentor, I'm here for the same reasons as you."
"Really? So you'll help us save everyone?" Aika excitedly asked.
"Of course. I'm kind of hurt you two didn't come to me for help first, I would have gladly given my help." Sinbad faked his hurt.
"Sorry, we were really in a rush to get to Valua." Vyse felt a bit guilty.
"Hahaha! Aw I'm just kidding, Vyse. Don't worry, I understand the feeling well. If it had been anyone from my crew I'd so worried for their safety that I wouldn't think straight. To be honest, I thought you two were captured along with everyone too, good to see I was wrong for once." Sinbad winked.
"Sin! Wait up for us!" Claude's voice yelled out through the tunnel connecting the lower city to the port.
"Oh that'll be Claude and Ciel."
"Oh I remember Claude, he's your Vice Captain right?" Vyse recalled.
"Yup, he'll be glad to see you too."
"Who's Ciel though?" Aika wondered out loud.
As if to answer her question, Claude and Ciel finally caught up to Sinbad.
"You idiot! How dare you leave us behind like that? You know this is Ciel's first time in this dreadful city! I had to fend him off from some floozy who tried to make a pass at him." Claude raged as he scolded his Captain.
"Alright calm down Claude! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I thought you guys were right behind me though."
"I'm sorry too, I thought she was asking for directions." Ciel added.
"Why are you apologizing Ciel? Sinbad here is the one at fault and don't defend him! He should know better!"
"Hahaha! I see Claude still wears the pants around here." Aika laughed.
"Hm?" Claude then noticed Vyse and Aika. "Goodness! Vyse and Aika? It's been so long since I've seen you last! It's good to see you both safe! I thought you two were caught by the Valuans as well! Thank the moons that my fears were unfounded." Claude smiled warmly at the two.
"Do you know these two Captain Sinbad? Claude?" Ciel asked curiously.
"Oh right. You've never met them before." Claude recalled.
Sinbad smiled mischievously and went behind Ciel to place both of his hands on the boy's shoulders, Ciel felt a bit embarrassed but stayed silent. "Vyse. Aika. I like you to meet Ciel, he's actually been with the Sand Wolves since he was a child but he recently became a member of my crew. He's young but a skilled fighter, he uses dual knives just like Claude, so you can guess where he gets his excellent fighting skills from."
"What are you up to Sinbad?" Claude was suspicious but also added his own input. "Anyway, he's been with us for ten years, I wouldn't try asking him about his childhood before we took him under our wing as there were... tragic complications...that resulted in him losing his memory of those earlier years."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Ciel. That must have been awful to lose your memories like that." Aika offered her condolences.
"It's alright. It was so long ago, I don't really remember much of what happened when I first met Captain Sinbad, Claude or the rest of the Sand Wolves. It always felt natural that I grew up with them and I probably wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for everyone in the Sand Wolves."
Aika smiled sadly. "I can definitely relate to that. I lost my parents at a young age too and it was Vyse's family who took me in. I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for Vyse or the Captain."
Ciel nodded and smiled kindly. "I feel exactly the same. I'll admit though, I don't think I would mind if I rediscovered those memories someday, but I'd be lying if I wasn't scared of what I'd remember as well."
Sinbad's smile grew into a wolfish grin. "Say Vyse, I have a favor to ask~ Since we're all working together to save your Dad and the rest of your friends...and you three are roughly the same age-well Ciel's sixteen but you get the idea-how about you let him tag along with you two while we're here? I bet you guys would be great together~"
Vyse, Aika and Ciel blinked in shock.
"WHAT?! Sinbad! Are you out of your mind?! You can't just force Ciel with people he only just met! You know he's scared of strangers outside the Sand Wolves and our company!" Claude exploded.
"But these two technically aren't strangers. Sorry, could you let me and Claude talk by ourselves for a moment. Don't worry Ciel, these two are the best people you can find and call friends. You guys will hit it off in no time I just know it! Go ahead and socialize!" Sinbad sighed before turning to Ciel to reassure him and then gently nudging Claude a bit of distance away so they could bicker to themselves quietly.
"Heh, I swear those two are like an old married couple." Vyse snickered.
"You can tell those two are really close though." Aika teased.
"They really are." Ciel smiled softly at the pair before turning to the two younger Blue Rogues. "I'm really sorry about this. This feels so awkward."
"Oh it's fine. Aika and I do that a lot too. It's all part of the package." Vyse reassured.
"Hey, what's that meant to mean?!" Aika huffed. Before turning to Ciel, putting her hands behind her back. "Is it true what they said though? You don't have many friends outside of the Sand Wolves?"
"...Well...yes. One of the few things I remember about my Mother before...she died...was that she always told me to be wary of strangers, especially Valuans. I suppose that always stuck to me in the back of my mind so I always stayed close to the people that I did know. Before I joined Captain Sinbad's crew officially, I helped out in the Oasis Trading Company so I never really went outside of it in fear I would attract unwanted attention and get taken away just like she warned me."
"Oh Ciel..." Aika felt awful for him.
"It's alright. I'm sure Captain Sinbad means well."
"I can understand where the Captain is coming from though. It's good that you think of Captain Sinbad and everyone in your crew as family but it doesn't hurt to make some friends outside of it."
"But...I'm not sure how...strangers become friends in the first place."
"Why not start with us? And we'll start with you." Aika grinned. "We'd be happy to have you as a friend of ours. C'mon! I bet we'll be able to learn something here if we work together."
"Are you sure? I'm not as outgoing as you two seem to be, you might think I don't fit in."
"Since when has that ever stopped me? If I think of you as a friend that's how I'm going to think, besides, friendships take time to grow, you'll see. I'm sure you'll get use to Aika's constant yakking in no time." Vyse joked.
"Vyse!" Aika grabbed Vyse's head into a headlock. "What are you implying huh?! I don't yak!"
"Ow! Okay! Okay! I'm sorry Aika!"
"Just try and say it again, I dare you!"
Ciel softly chuckled at the two's antics, eventually it grew into a laugh.
"Huh? Hey! You broke a smile! See? You're liking us already! And I think we're going to get along just fine." Aika beamed, releasing Vyse from her hold.
"I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh at your pain Vyse."
"Hahaha...I really wasn't in pain." Vyse sheepishly responded before grinning. "Anyway, we Blue Rogues stick together and we're considered outcasts to begin with. You're already fitting in with us, so don't be afraid to talk to us whenever you want, okay?"
"Yeah. Thank you, both of you. I'll do my best to help you save your father and your friends. After all, I would do the same for my own family."
Aika and Vyse smiled happily at the fact they've managed to win Ciel over as a friend. Hopefully they'll be able to include Fina into their group when they finally rescue her as well.
Meanwhile Sinbad grinned victoriously while glancing a look at Claude's flabbergasted face. "Told you so~"
"...Grrr..." Claude grumbled as he admitted defeat at least on this matter.
"This will be good for him and for those two as well. I bet together those three will go far in the world." Sinbad confidently stated.
"What if Ciel decides to stay with us even after all of this?"
"I don't think that'll happen but if that's the way it is, so be it. But I want Ciel to decide for himself what he really wants to do, and I think this is that moment where he learns for himself if he's ready to fly on his own or not."
Claude smiled softly and crossed his arms. "Well, something tells me those kids are going to go far in the skies, probably even more than we possibly ever could and if Ciel wants to be part of that, I will gladly see him off with a smile."
Sinbad grinned. "I knew you'd see it my way~"
Claude then glared. "But I still don't approve of you just throwing him into the line of fire like that!"
"Oh c'mon Claude, why are you still mad?!"
"Captain Sinbad? Claude? Sorry to interrupt but would it be okay if I travel with Aika and Vyse, at least while we're in Valua. We might be able to cover more ground this way." Ciel asked.
Claude smiled. "You don't need our permission. You're old enough to make your choices now, Ciel. I see no reason why not." He then turned to Aika and Vyse. "Take good care of Ciel for us, won't you?"
"Don't worry, Claude! Ciel will be fine with us." Aika waved.
"We'll all meet at the Inn once we've checked this place inside out. I'll tell you all I know about what I heard once you've arrived." Sinbad told Vyse.
"Sure thing, Captain. Oh! There's another person with us, he's-" Aika remembered and was about to tell Sinbad and Claude about Drachma.
"Captain Drachma of the Little Jack right? I saw him talking with you two moments before, don't worry, I'll introduce myself to the Captain and let him know that we're on the same side so he won't try to kill us if we enter the inn before you guys. I'd rather not get my face be crushed by that metal hand of his." Sinbad winked and reassured.
"Nothing gets pass you huh?" Vyse smiled hopelessly. "Alright then, see you later, Captain. Let's go you two." Vyse motioned to Aika and Ciel.
For the first time in ten years, Ciel followed someone who wasn't Captain Sinbad or any of the Sand Wolves. Little did he know back then just how much of an impact this choice would have on the rest of his life...
And that's Chapter 1 done! What do you guys think? =D I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can.
I mean since we're all on lock-down might as well work on my fan fics right? XD I really need to work on my KH series as well, I've been incredibly neglectful on that and I do intend to continue it, but it's kinda hard when you're not in the right mind for it. I'm sure it'll come to me eventually.
For now, I'll work on this since I've recently been replaying Skies of Arcadia and I've always, always, wanted to do a fan fic inspired by the Black Moon stone discovery in the game. As I'm one of those people who believe in the Black Moon theory and this basically my way of trying to weave it into the narrative. =3
I hope that you all enjoyed this first chapter and I hope you continue to keep tuned for the future installments. Until next time, happy reading folks!
Moogle Empress out!
Moogle: Kupo!