"Lord Galcian! Sergeant Ramirez is awake." The vice captain's voice roused Galcian from his thoughts. When he opened his eyes, he was back in his chambers on the Serpent, where he belonged.
He turned to the vice captain with a smirk. "Good. You're dismissed." He said with a wave of his hand. The vice captain saluted and left in a hurry, leaving Galcian alone with his thoughts again.
The young sergeant Ramirez had much potential as a soldier, that was for sure. But what interested Galcian most right now was the boy's origins. Ever since he'd first seen Ramirez during one of his tours of the fortress, his mind had been swirling with ideas. This would open new avenues to him that had been closed off before.
He descended from his chambers through the heart of the Serpent, past dozens of his men, each of whom saluted smartly when they saw him. He made sure each of them were paying attention as he went by. He'd learned to keep an eye on the details long ago. It was what allowed him to control others so effectively.
Eventually, he reached the crew deck. It was mostly empty with the Serpent currently patrolling mid-ocean in a token search effort after the Aquila's untimely sinking. His men had plenty of looking-busy to do while he dealt with his new guest. He stepped inside the suite he'd had set aside for that guest and shut the door behind him.
Sergeant Ramirez was sitting on the bedside, staring at the floor. He didn't look up when the door shut. "What happens next?" The silvite asked.
Galcian casually took a seat in the chair opposite the bed, eyeing the young man up and down. "That depends on how you handle the next few minutes." He replied.
Ramirez slowly raised his head to stare at his new "master". His silver eyes looked cold and dead. "What do you want?" He asked, evidently not in a talking mood.
Galcian frowned, though it only barely touched his lips. This boy was very seriously damaged, indeed. It meant he would be easy to mold, but it also meant he could easily break if mishandled. He would need to carefully consider his words and actions if he was going to get what he wanted. "Well, I was planning to have a conversation with you when I first defeated you, but you rather rudely blacked out a minute after pledging fealty to me."
Ramirez narrowed his eyes at the older man. "I remember that. I don't plan on going back on it, unless you prove to be weak too."
The boy had bite, that was for sure. He'd grow out of that soon enough. "Let's get straight to the point." Galcian said, leaning forward in his seat. "You did kill Admiral Mendosa, correct? That wasn't a lie in the heat of the moment?"
Ramirez grinned humorlessly as he crossed his arms. "I ran him through, then lit his corpse on fire with the most powerful fire spell I knew." The silvite's eyes gleamed with a dangerous sort of pride. "I'm fairly certain I was the cause of his death."
"I wouldn't go boasting about that to just anyone." Galcian said with a serious note to his voice. "But I will congratulate you on ridding me of a nuisance that I'd been trying to dispose of for quite some time." The older man's frown slowly turned into another smirk. "For that, I think I can forgive you the deaths of the rest of the Valuans that were on that ship."
Ramirez was plainly unamused. "How gracious of you." He said sarcastically.
This wasn't going anywhere. Time to make a point. "Ramirez…" Galcian said, momentarily glancing away, as if to stare off into the distance. "What do you know about the rains of destruction?" He asked.
Galcian felt a flicker of satisfaction as he saw the boy flinch out of the corner of his eye. "Why?" Ramirez asked.
Galcian's eyes flicked back to the silvite, staring him down. "I want to see if your facts match up with mine."
It was Ramirez's turn to look away. "The rains of destruction occurred several hundred years ago. They wiped out the ancient civilizations of the time, almost completely." He paused for a moment before adding, "Only the silver civilization survived, and even they lost a lot of people."
Galcian leaned on the arm of his chair, feeling his smirk grow by the second. "And do you know what caused the rains of destruction?"
Ramirez blinked, then glanced back at Galcian with a raised eyebrow. "No. Nobody knows what caused them. It just sort of… happened."
Galcian shook his head. "That's just patently untrue. Such a thing could not be random. It was clearly orchestrated by someone." He tilted his head to one side as he continued to watch Ramirez, who was growing more uncomfortable by the second. "Who could that be? Who seems to have benefitted the most?"
He could see the gears turning in the young silvite's head, as preconceptions and denial began to fall away in the face of the inconsistencies before him. "I can't think of anyone who'd do something like that." He said, though his voice lacked the cold determination it had had before.
"Don't lie to yourself. The silvites did it. You know they have the technology for it and much more." Galcian said.
"You're lying!" Ramirez snarled, clutching at the bed as he tried to control himself. "The elders, they wouldn't…"
Galcian could barely contain his glee as he watched Ramirez's confidence breaking. "They made a Gigas of their own, but this one was so very different from the others. Its power was not targeted destruction, but the annihilation of entire regions at once, using the moons themselves as weapons."
"Shut up!" Ramirez snapped, looking away again.
"And then they sealed it away so nobody else could use it. They locked it up under a seal of such power that it'd take all six moon crystals to break it. Then they took to the heavens to assume their roles as the ultimate arbiters of mankind." Galcian said. "Face it, 'Ramirez'. Your precious elders have been using you just like everyone else."
Ramirez shook with silent rage for several moments more before he seemed to deflate, staring at the floor again. "How… how can you know any of this? You have to be lying to me." He said flatly.
"Do you think you're the first silvite they've sent down here to be their errand boy?" Galcian said.
Ramirez's head snapped up at that, and he stared at Galcian incredulously. "What?"
Galcian bit back a chuckle before he continued. "They've been trying this shtick for generations. I met a young, hapless silvite just like yourself, a little more than twenty years ago. I guess she'd been better informed than you, though, because after awhile she broke down and told me everything."
Ramirez shook once more as he continued to stare. "What happened to her?"
Galcian's smirk faded. "She's dead, now." He said. "But her knowledge persists in me."
The young silvite finally seemed to accept the older man's words. His eyes got distant for several moments before he seemed to pull himself back. "Why are you telling me all of this?"
"Because you can never grow strong while you continue to be deluded." Galcian said with certainty. "And I only have use for strength."
Ramirez looked at the floor again. "So I'll be your puppet, then, instead of Mendosa's or the elders'." He said bitterly.
Galcian shook his head. "Not a puppet. A puppet does not know his master or his goals. I'd liken you more to a tool."
Ramirez didn't seem particularly enthused as he raised his head a little to stare Galcian again. "A tool?"
"A very precise instrument, informed by purpose. If you serve me well, you will always know exactly what it is I want from you." Galcian smiled, and this time it was a little bit wistful. "Perhaps someday you will even grow strong enough to kill me, and take my place."
Ramirez stared at his hands. "A tool…" He said quietly. His fingers slowly curled into fists. "I'd decline, but you've left me with few places to turn to, now." He said.
"That was the intention." Galcian said with a knowing look.
"Transparency. I can respect that." Ramirez said, straightening his back as he stared at Galcian once more before nodding. "I will serve you, until the day that I can finally kill you in a fair fight."
"I look forward to seeing you try." Galcian said, his grin unwavering.
A few hours later, the Serpent docked in the Grand Fortress. "Time to make a report." Galcian had said.
Rami - or rather, Ramirez, as he now chose to think of himself - examined his new clothes as he followed Galcian to the upper deck to disembark. He'd gotten rid of his scorched and dented armor from his time as Mendosa's puppet, replaced now with a dark uniform with red accents, which was apparently standard for Galcian's officers. He wasn't sure if that meant he'd been promoted, but he was certainly grateful to be out of that damned armor.
Together they strode out onto the upper deck, and across a walkway into the hangar itself. He stepped off the walkway to discover someone waiting on them.
A woman, flanked on either side by a soldier in blue and black armor. The soldiers looked fairly ordinary, the woman stood out. She looked about as old as Galcian, with short, dark hair and pale eyes framed by glasses. What stood out the most about her, however, was her uniform. It was largely white with only a few black accents here and there. He didn't think he'd seen white on anyone but Doc since he'd first come in contact with the Armada.
Her attention was on Galcian as the two of them drew near. "Lord Galcian." She said, bowing her head slightly towards him. "I'm here to escort you to the palace. The empress is awaiting your report on the Aquila situation."
Galcian smiled slightly and nodded. "No wonder you're all dressed up, commander." He said. "Are you certain the Grand Fortress won't fall apart with you away for a few hours?"
She smiled too, ever so slightly. "I'm sure it will survive, somehow." She said, before turning to look at Ramirez. "Who is this?" She asked.
Galcian's grin grew wider. "A witness. Sergeant Ramirez, formerly of the Aquila." He said.
Ramirez stared at the woman, and she stared back. "Seems like a friendly one." She quipped. "What the hell's with his hair? Did something happen to it in the fire?" She asked, eyeing his unkempt silver hair.
"I'm not from around here." Ramirez said curtly, narrowing his eyes at her.
She narrowed her eyes right back at him. "Definitely friendly." She turned to Galcian again. "Do you really need him for this?" She said with a note of protest in her voice.
"Are you questioning my motives, commander?" Galcian said, raising an eyebrow at her.
She looked away a second later. "No, sir. Sorry, sir."
Galcian nodded. "Then let's be on our way."
She nodded back at him before turning and beginning to lead the two of them out of the hangar. Galcian waited a moment before moving to follow her and her guards, leaving space between them and himself and Ramirez. The young silvite glanced at him questioningly at the pause, matching the older man's pace once they began to walk.
"You'd do well to behave yourself while we're here." Galcian said.
Ramirez scowled as he watched the woman ahead of them. "She rubs me the wrong way. Who is she?" He said.
Galcian's smirk was back. "Commander Dulcinea. She runs the entire Grand Fortress. You'd do well to avoid mouthing off at her."
Ramirez's scowl only grew deeper. "I'll try my best."
The five of them ended up on a railcar a few minutes later, zipping through the slopes above upper city towards the palace. Dulcinea sat across from Galcian towards the front of the car, talking to the older man about something, while Ramirez ended up sitting across from the commander's two guards.
"So. You survived the fire?" One of them said. Ramirez couldn't look the man in the eyes through his helmet.
He tried to anyways. "Yes." He said simply.
"You're a weird lookin' one. Where are you from?" The other one asked.
Ramirez sighed and closed his eyes. "That's none of your concern."
"He definitely fits in with Galcian's crew." The first guard said, his head turning in the direction of his fellow.
The second guard nodded. "I heard Mendosa was crooked. Sounds like he finally got what was comin' to him."
The first guard leaned closer to Ramirez. "I heard that too. You got any news on that front, pretty boy?"
Ramirez grit his teeth as he schooled his frustration back and away from his thoughts. "I'm sure you'll find out everything when Galcian makes his report." He opened his eyes and narrowed them at the two talkative guards. "Until then, you'd be doing me a favor if you'd both shut up."
The two guards were silent for a moment, before the second turned to the first. "Yep. Definitely Galcian's crew."
"I can't believe it. Mendosa's really dead." Alfonso said, staring miserably across the grand hall as he stood in his position to one side of the large doors leading to the throne room.
"You've been talking about that nonstop. Was he really that important to you?" Belleza said, glancing across the carpet at him from her position on the other side of the door.
Alfonso looked genuinely hurt as he turned to stare at her. "Important?! He was like an uncle to me! His family was very close to mine, you see…" He said. Anger flickered across his face a moment later. "I can't believe I missed him during his last visit. Maybe I could've done something…" He trailed off without finishing his thought.
Belleza eyed the young man skeptically. He looked hurt, but Alfonso tended to make a big deal out of everything. It was hard to take him seriously sometimes. "Well, I'm sorry for your loss." She said.
"Thank you." He said simply, turning away from her.
A moment later, prince Enrique approached after entering the hall from one of the side doors. He glanced first at Alfonso, then at Belleza. "Lord Galcian will be here soon. Try to be on your best behavior."
Belleza tried to disguise the shiver that ran through her at Galcian's name, but she could tell Enrique saw it by the change in his expression. He leaned a little closer to her when Alfonso wasn't looking. "See me after the report is made, okay?" He whispered.
"Right…" She whispered back, doing her best not to avoid his eyes. She set her hand on the door and pushed it open for him. "Go ahead, my prince." She said in her normal voice as she bowed her head.
He nodded at her before passing through, leaving her alone with Alfonso again. "This is the worst part of being in the royal guard." The young man said with a sigh.
Belleza eyed him again. "What, guarding?"
Alfonso nodded. "Yes. I'd much rather be overseeing others. Honestly, the 'guarding' part of our job is so ceremonial it may as well be pointless. We're really more like royal attendants, aren't we?" He said.
His observations felt uncomfortably accurate, and Belleza didn't say anything back to him as she stared ahead, trying to focus on potential threats.
Fortunately, she didn't have long to be alone with her thoughts. The doors on the other side of the room soon opened to admit a woman in a white uniform, flanked by two guards, and she was soon after followed by the familiar figure of Lord Galcian. She realized, too, as the woman approached, that this was also a familiar face.
"Commander Dulcinea." She greeted the woman in white. "I didn't recognize you in formal garb." She said with a small smile.
Dulcinea's eyebrows rose as she took in the sight of the redheaded vice-captain. "Belleza. It's been a long time. I'm glad to see you're doing well for yourself." She said, returning the smile before gesturing to the doors. "If you would?"
Belleza's eyes flickered to Galcian for a moment. He wasn't looking at anyone, evidently focused on the space right ahead of him. Her eyes were drawn to the man at his side, who she realized was staring at her. His silver hair and piercing eyes made her uncomfortable, and she quickly looked away from him, too, as she nodded. "Of course, commander."
She and Alfonso leaned on the doors to open them both, and Dulcinea nodded gratefully before leading her entourage through. Once all five of the guests had entered, Alfonso and Belleza stepped inside as well, shutting the doors behind them before assuming their previous posts, albeit now in the throne room instead of the hall.
It was a luxurious room decorated with marble and gold, and most of the rest of the royal guard was already assembled in the full measure of their violet armor to either side of the aisle. Dulcinea, her guards, and the silver-haired man broke off from Galcian's side, moving to stand near Belleza and Alfonso in the back of the room as Galcian alone sought an audience with the empress.
She briefly locked eyes with Enrique, who stood near the throne with his mother. Then she turned her attention to the empress.
Empress Teodora I was what Belleza would consider quintessential nobility. And to her, that was an unflattering description. Her hair was exquisite and pompous; her robes were exquisite and pompous; and her face was wrinkled from too much time spent glaring at people. Still, Teodora stood as though she were in control of everyone in the room as she watched Galcian approach - and to be fair, she was.
"Lord Galcian. Welcome back to the capital. I trust your report on the situation will be a satisfying one?" She said.
Galcian bowed his head slowly. "Yes, empress. I will endeavor not to waste your time."
"Good, good. What happened?" Teodora demanded.
Galcian raised his head and nodded. "Early this morning, the Aquila caught fire while departing into mid ocean. We believe approximately one third of the crew was lost, and another third remains unaccounted for. Admiral Mendosa is among those confirmed dead."
Silence rang in the throne room as Galcian briefly paused. Those who watched him carefully could see a flicker of a smile on his face as he continued. "But my most interesting find is one which likely never would have come out had the good admiral not died."
Teodora gave him an impatient look. "Out with it!"
Galcian bowed his head again, this time apologetically. "Of course, empress. You see, I've begun to receive reports from some of the men that admiral Mendosa had been cheating the empire during his time spent in Ixa'taka."
Teodora looked aghast. "And you can confirm this?"
Galcian nodded. "I can." He turned and waved subtly to the silver-haired young man in the back of the room. "Ramirez?"
Belleza watched as he strode past her and down the aisle. His expression hadn't changed since he'd got there. It chilled her a little to watch his measured steps as he made his way towards the throne to stand by Galcian's side.
"Who is this?" Teodora asked, frowning at the young silvite before her.
"He is sergeant Ramirez, and he is the one who uncovered the details of Mendosa's wrongdoing." Galcian explained.
Ramirez nodded. "Mendosa was tasked with ensuring all moon stones mined in Ixa'taka would be delivered directly to Valua. However, he was frequently working the Ixa'takans overtime, and keeping the resulting excess for himself, likely to sell on the black market."
Galcian smirked as he briefly glanced towards Ramirez. "This would also explain why the late admiral never reported a surplus from the mines. We all thought he was simply being fair to the Ixa'takans, but he was really swindling us all."
"That… that insolent swine!" Teodora hissed, visibly shaking with anger. "If he wasn't already dead, I'd have him drawn and quartered!" She snapped.
"Mother, you shouldn't get so worked up. You'll hurt yourself." Enrique cautioned her from nearby.
She whirled on him. "Don't tell me what to do in my own throne room, Enrique!" She scolded him. He quickly withdrew with a meek nod, before she turned her attention back to Galcian, evidently having found her composure again. "Lord Galcian."
Galcian looked at her expectantly. "Yes, empress?"
She smiled at him, though it didn't look good on her. "You have done well in service to me, and to Valua. As thanks to you for bringing these treasonous acts to light, I am promoting you to Lord Admiral of the Valuan armada. You will oversee the expansion of the new armada."
Galcian bowed his head once more. "You honor me, empress."
"Your suggestions to me in the past have always proven favorable. I will consider this no different." She said. "Assemble for me an armada that no force in the world can oppose."
"I will do as you ask, empress." Galcian said, barely keeping another smirk off his face.
"Did the empress just do what I think she just did?" Dulcinea said as the lot of them exited the throne room. Belleza and Alfonso watched as they shut the doors behind them.
"Indeed she did." Galcian said, a self-satisfied smile evident on his face.
Dulcinea shook her head. "You may as well be in control of the entire armed forces." She said. "Congratulations, Galcian." A smile crept across her lips as she added, "Or should I say, Lord Admiral?"
"Just 'Galcian' will do for you, thanks." He said.
A moment later, the doors opened again to admit prince Enrique, looking frustrated. He quickly put on a smile as he caught sight of Galcian standing in the hall. "Congratulations on the promotion, Lord Admiral. I'm sure you'll do wonders for the empire." He said.
Galcian had evidently caught the prince's mood, if the fading of his smile was any indication, but he made no mention of it is a he nodded. "I will do my best for your sake as well, young prince."
Enrique maintained his polite smile for another moment before turning to Belleza. "Can we speak in private?" He said.
She blinked, then nodded at him, and he quickly took her hand and led her out of the room and into one of the waiting rooms off to the side. "What is it?" She asked him.
Enrique crossed his arms, grimacing as he looked away from her. "I was afraid this would happen. Galcian's in control of the military now."
Belleza frowned at her prince. "What's so bad about that?"
Enrique looked briefly shocked at her reply, before running a hand nervously through his hair. "Haven't you seen him? He's manipulating my mother. He's manipulating everyone. He'd probably been sitting on that information about Mendosa for months, waiting for the right time to make his move."
Belleza stared at him for a long moment before frowning. "Maybe your mother needs to be manipulated."
Enrique's jaw dropped. "What are you saying?!"
She wasn't entirely sure herself. "Your mother wants another war with Nasr, and you and I both know it. We don't know where Galcian stands, though. But we do know that he has quite a bit more self-control than Teodora does."
Enrique put his face in his hands. "You really think Galcian's armada will create a world at peace?"
"Who's to say it won't?" Belleza snapped at him. Why was he so hung up on Galcian?
"Belleza, please…" He said in a long-suffering tone.
"Please, what?" She said, irritably. She wasn't sure why she was so upset. Maybe it was seeing the empress make a fool of herself again. Maybe it was Alfonso's observations on the guard. Or maybe she was feeling a little condescended to.
"We need to do something about this." He said. "Will you help me?" He asked her, pleadingly.
She felt her anger fade slightly at the desperation in his tone, but it was still hard for her to sympathize with what he was asking. "I'll have to think about it, Enrique."
He sighed wearily. "That's all I ask."
Belleza felt herself deflating further as she calmed down, but before she could say something else, someone else spoke up behind her.
"Ah, so here's where you two went."
Belleza turned around to find commander Dulcinea standing in the doorway behind them, leaning on it and smiling at the two of them. "Commander…" Belleza greeted her somewhat sheepishly. She wasn't sure how much the older woman had heard.
"Actually…" Dulcinea said, her smile growing, "It's Admiral now."
Both Belleza and Enrique's eyes widened. "You're taking over Mendosa's position?" Enrique asked.
"Well, yes and no." the newly-minted admiral said as she pushed off the wall and walked into the room proper. "I'm the third admiral right now, alongside Galcian and Gregorio. But we're not dividing the fleets between offense, defense and expeditionary forces anymore. Galcian's expanding the armada to be a bit more… diverse." She said.
Enrique frowned. "Are you going to be recruiting new admirals, then?" He suggested.
Dulcinea winked at him. "You always were a sharp one, prince Enrique." She nodded slowly. "We're going to be building a lot more ships, and with that we're going to need more leadership."
"Who are your candidates?" Belleza asked, staring at her old superior curiously.
"To be honest, while we've got a lot of people high up in the ranks who'd be plenty suited to conventional leadership positions, Galcian's not looking for conventional. That means most of the current top brass is out." The admiral's smile was turning mischievous as she spoke, and it sent a little shiver down Belleza's spine as she realized the older woman was watching her quite intently.
"Who are you looking at, then?" Belleza asked.
"I'm looking at you, vice-captain Belleza." Dulcinea responded. "You were a rising star back at the Grand Fortress. But you're not like most of my men. You've got different ideas than most about how to get things done."
Belleza froze as her suspicions, as fur-flung as they'd seemed, were confirmed. "You want me? To be an admiral?" she asked, dumbfounded.
Dulcinea laughed at the shock on the girl's face. "Don't be so surprised. You're a natural at these kinds of things." Her amusement faded slightly as she continued. "But you wouldn't be an admiral right away. I'm going to be looking at several candidates and testing each of them personally. I'll be training those who I think are capable, and then we'll see where things shake out."
Enrique and Belleza were both silent for several moments before the young prince spoke up. "That's… quite an offer." He turned to the redheaded soldier beside him. "Belleza?"
It took her a moment to register her own name. "I, uhm…" She smiled nervously at the admiral. "I'll have to think about it."
Dulcinea nodded respectfully. "Of course. It's a big decision. But don't think too long, okay? I gotta get started on this training thing pretty soon, you know?" She said.
Belleza sighed. "I understand."
"Well then," The older woman said, "You two have a nice evening." She gave the both of them a knowing look as she stepped out.
Belleza was left alone with Enrique again. He watched Dulcinea leave before turning to Belleza. "Are you going to go through with it?"
The redhead stared at where the admiral had been. "I don't know."
"You probably shouldn't do it."
Belleza blinked, then turned to look at him. "Why not?"
"It'll pull you away from here, back to the Grand Fortress… the little life we've started building here will go away. Plus, you'll be stuck with Galcian." Enrique said, looking miserable as he made the last observation.
Belleza blinked again as she processed that. The life she'd been building with Enrique. Happy, but with the threat of discovery every day. And Galcian… She shivered slightly. "It'd be a chance to make a difference, though."
"But you can make a difference here." Enrique protested.
"Can I?" She asked. "Because in all my time here I've only seen the empress grow more and more bloodthirsty." She smiled wistfully as she reached out and stroked Enrique's cheek in a gesture she'd grown so fond of. "She won't even listen to her own son."
He set his hand on hers, frowning. "Belleza…" He said quietly.
"But she'll listen to Galcian." Belleza said just as quietly.
Enrique closed his eyes, as if in pain. "Belleza, don't."
She looked away from him and slowly withdrew her hand. "I think this is another one of those decisions that's already been made for me."
Enrique opened his eyes and shook his head seriously. "It's not. You can stay here."
"And just what will I achieve if I do that?" She said, still not meeting his eyes.
"You'll be with me." Enrique replied, taking a step closer.
Her heart fluttered. She wanted that very much. Enrique had made her life considerably brighter in her time at the palace. But then an image came to her from her memories - her mother wracked with tears as soldiers marched through the streets at the end of the war. Her first night out on the streets after that.
"I'm sorry, Enrique… But that's not enough." She admitted, breaking her own heart in the process.
Enrique was silent for a minute. "You're sure about that?" He asked.
She nodded. "I am."
He smiled at her. It hurt her to see it - it was the same smile he'd worn back when they'd first split up in lower city, almost four years ago. "Then I guess this is goodbye again, Belleza."
Piastol's eyes fluttered open to the sight of a butterfly hovering curiously in her face. She jerked back, and it flew away at once. She rubbed her forehead to nurse an oncoming headache as she looked around. She was still in the lifeboat, but evidently she'd landed on an island at some point. She didn't know when she'd lost consciousness.
She was surrounded by greenery, mostly trees and bushes. She wasn't sure if that boded well for her. Plenty of islands in mid-ocean were still uninhabited, but many that were still had stretches of woodland here and there. She let out a groan as she sat up properly and hauled herself out of the lifeboat.
It looked like it was in bad shape. As she inspected the little craft, she could tell it wasn't going to be of much use to her, considering the rough landing she'd apparently gone through. She sighed and looked up at the blue sky above, silently thanking whatever moon was watching over her that she hadn't plummeted into deep sky.
Then she started walking. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't know where she was. But she knew she wouldn't find out if she stayed and sulked by the lifeboat. Various parts of her ached as she walked, and she wondered how many scratches she had that she didn't know about yet.
Eventually, she wandered into a small clearing around a smaller lake. It was apparently fed by a river coming from the north, but it was nearly dry in the warm weather. Still, the shore of the lake was circled with colorful flowers, and it made her smile just a little to see it. At least wherever she was didn't look like a place where she'd starve.
She walked over to a lone tree standing near the lake and sat down, leaning against the trunk. Her legs were aching more than the rest of her, and she didn't want them failing on her when they were all she had. The little butterfly she'd seen before came back into view, evidently still interested in her despite the fright it had endured earlier.
She watched it flutter around in front of her for a few moments, before it seemed to lose interest and flew away. She watched it go with another sigh. It was starting to hit her now.
She was alone. Really and truly alone. She didn't know what had happened to anyone else from the Aquila. Not her father, not her mother, not Maria or Doc. Not Ramirez, either. She hadn't seen any of them during her escape, only random soldiers or crew members who she only barely knew. While she was glad that she'd been able to help some of them it didn't do anything for her current situation.
She felt her breath getting a little shaky, and she had to blink back tears as she wondered if she'd ever see any of them again. It didn't work for long, and soon they began to spill over her cheeks. She buried her face against her knees as she cried out her sorrow, her worries and her frustration.
She didn't know how long she stayed like that. But eventually, she was roused from her tears by a voice. "Hey, are you okay?"
She flinched, then stood up as quickly as she could, her hand going to the handle of one of her knives around her waist. The young boy who'd spoken had a look of shock on his face as he got a good look at her. "Who are you?" She demanded.
The boy raised his hands in a placating gesture, smiling despite the fear evident on his features. "I-I don't mean any harm, miss. I was just looking around here and saw you and wondered if you needed any help…" His smile faded a little as he eyed her. "It looked like you were cryin', yanno?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. He looked about her age, maybe slightly older, with brown hair cut short. He didn't seem armed - he was dressed like most average kids her age would be, with a simple shirt and shorts. She felt herself relax slightly as she realized he probably wasn't out to get her. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She said, frowning.
His smile returned. "That's okay! But, uh, who are you? I don't think I've seen you around town. I think I'd have noticed a dress like that." He said, gesturing to her clothes.
She looked down at herself. Her outfit, though muddied and torn now, was still quite obviously out of the norm for most mid ocean islands. Her frown persisted as she looked up at him. "The ship I was sailing on sank. I escaped in a lifeboat, and crashed here." She kicked idly at the dirt under her feet as she continued, "I don't really know where I am…"
The kid's eyes widened. "Woah! I think I heard about a ship sinking near here, actually. You should come to town with me, I'm pretty sure the people there can take care of you. Maybe they can help you find your shipmates?" He said hopefully.
She crossed her arms over her chest as she evaluated him once more, carefully. She still wasn't sure she could trust him. Still, she was armed, and likely better trained than just about anyone she'd stumble across on a random mid ocean island. This boy, at least, seemed harmless enough. "Okay. You can take me there?"
"Sure can!" He said, taking a few steps closer. "My name's Daniel, by the way. What's yours?"
"Piastol." She said, smiling just a little at the earnest enthusiasm in his voice.
"That's a cool name!" Daniel said with a grin, before waving her along to start following him. "Let's go. We're not far from the town limits."
Piastol gave the little clearing one last look before moving to follow him.
It was indeed a short walk to town, Piastol reflected as they passed through a small gate that marked the city limits. She couldn't read the sign that was affixed above it - the letters were too worn and dirty for her to parse. It made her wary as they followed a short path down towards some buildings that looked to be made from a mix of lumber and smooth stone.
"It's not exactly a pretty place, but, well, it's home." Daniel said as he led her further into town. The buildings began to close in around them as they made their way down streets paved with cut logs and cobblestone.
Piastol's frown deepened as she looked around them. The streets were mostly empty and not terribly well-lit. "Is this one of those shanty towns?" She asked.
"It's not nice to call them that, little girl." An gruff older voice said. Piastol flinched as a large man stepped out from between two buildings near them. Fortunately, he didn't produce any weapons, but Daniel stopped in front of him anyways.
"Oh, hey Jacque." Daniel said, his smile faltering slightly.
"Hey, Danny. Who's this? Looks rich." The older man said, leering at Piastol's dress.
"Oh, she's…" Daniel began, looking at her uncomfortably.
Piastol stared the man down as she took a step closer. "I'm Piastol, daughter of admiral Mendosa of the Valuan armada. And I don't appreciate the way you're looking at me."
Jacque's eyes widened as he took in that information, before a toothy grin spread across his face. "Well now, ain't that a surprise. I'd heard the old admiral's ship had gone down, but I didn't know he had a daughter." The man's eyes flicked to Daniel. "Where are you takin' her?"
"Just… to the inn, you know?" Daniel said, his smile still distinctly uncomfortable. "She needs help."
"Aren't you the good little boy." Jacque observed. "Why don't you run along then?" He said, giving Piastol one last look.
"C'mon, Piastol. Let's… let's go." Daniel said, grabbing her hand and hurrying off.
Piastol flinched as he grabbed her, but didn't pull it away until they'd gotten out of sight of the unpleasant older man. "Is everyone here like that?" She asked, rubbing at her fingers unconsciously.
Daniel frowned as he looked back towards where Jacque had been. "Not… everyone." He said, laughing weakly, before turning back the way they'd been going. "Okay, let's keep going. We're almost there."
She stared at Daniel's back as he hurried off in front of her. This was all very strange, she thought as she moved to catch up to him.
Soon enough, they arrived at what Daniel identified as the inn. It looked like most of the other buildings in town. Maybe slightly larger. "We should be able to get help just inside!" Daniel said, ushering her in with him.
The door shut behind them, and Piastol immediately realized it was uncomfortably dim inside. There were lanterns and candles here and there, but they were interspersed too infrequently, leaving long shadows throughout the main room they eventually came to. "What's this?" Another older man's voice came to her from a table nearby.
As the man stood up, she realized he was quite tall. His scruffy black beard hid most of his face as he strode over to her. "This is Piastol, the daughter of admiral Mendosa. The ship that just went down a little north of here?" Daniel said, his voice a little shaky.
The older man slowly knelt down in front of her. He was still a head taller than her like that. "My, but she's a pretty one. Looks like the old man really cared for you, didn't he?" He said with a smirk.
His breath smelled of loqua. Piastol wrinkled her nose as she turned her face away slightly. "What's it to you?"
The man snatched her wrist. His grip was uncomfortably tight. "I bet there's quite a few people who'd pay to have you back safe." He said, his grin growing wider. Around the room, she heard people rising to their feet as chairs were pushed back from tables.
"W-wait, Roy… Sh-she's…" Daniel began.
Piastol's vision flashed red. Pirates. Filthy, no good, murdering pirates. In a flash, she had a knife out of her belt. The pirate - Roy, she supposed - evidently hadn't seen she was armed in the low light. He didn't have a chance to react before she'd plunged the blade into his neck. His grip slackened as he let out a sputtering cough, before stumbling back.
She briefly caught sight of Daniel gawking at her before she turned to face the rest of the men coming near her. "What the hell?! She got Roy!"
"Kill this little rat!" Another one snarled.
Piastol felt everything slow down as her training kicked in. She normally carried ten knives. She'd lost one back on the Aquila, and another was now lodged in the throat of the man formerly known as Roy. That left her with eight. She grinned, her white teeth gleaming in the low light of the inn. That would be more than enough.
She dodged to one side as the lead man swung a scimitar at her. Another caught sight of where she'd gone to and turned towards her a second later. She drew another knife and flicked it at him. He let out a pained gasp as it struck him in the chest, before stumbling back and out of the way of his fellows.
Piastol ducked under another, poorly-aimed swing before driving a knife into this man's leg. He let out a cry as he clutched at it, and a quick kick to the injury took him off his feet. She dashed forward between two more and tossed another knife at one of them. It caught him in the throat, and he fell where he'd stood.
Three men down, one injured, and what looked like two to go. Still five knives left. The remaining two looked cagey as she hurried to the other side of the room. She saw the injured one slowly hauling himself to his feet. "Worthless little…" He spat as he glared daggers at her.
"Corner her! Hit her from both sides!" One of the other two shouted.
Piastol sighed as she watched them lumber towards her. Ramirez had been right. Everyone really was too slow. She flicked another knife at the one to the left. He tried to dodge it, but it caught him in the shoulder, and he didn't have time to react as another blade sailed into his chest to take him down.
The other one was most of the way to her when a knife came tumbling at him. He sidestepped it, grinning at his momentary victory before Piastol was suddenly upon him, leaping at him to drive a second knife into his belly. He let out a pained sound before collapsing in front of her.
That left the injured one. One knife, one man. She twirled the last blade between her fingers as she stared across the poorly-lit inn at him.
He stopped in his tracks. He shook once, then turned and fled for the door.
She hurled the last knife, then hissed as it went wide and struck the wall beside him. He got out the door and out of sight, his voice fading as the door shut behind him.
Piastol sighed and went to work collecting her knives. She'd gathered about half of them before she realized Daniel was still there, cowering in one of the corners and watching her with wide eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him before heading his way.
He practically curled up into a ball as she approached. "W-what the hell are you?" He asked.
She pointed one of her knives at him. One of the pirates' blood dripped off it to the floor at her feet as she did so. "Do you work for them?" She asked, her voice cold.
"N-no! They came into town one day and t-took my parents hostage. They'll only let them live as long as I bring them valuable things…" He stammered.
She glared at the boy. "So you do work for them."
"Not voluntarily!" He shouted, raising his hands in a pleading gesture.
She turned away from him to look at the dead pirates scattered around the room. "Was this all of them?" She asked.
Daniel was shaking his head when she turned back to him. "No… there's a-a few more scattered around town. L-like Jacque…"
Piastol glanced at her knife. Maybe this was why she'd spent all that time learning to use them. She felt herself starting to smile as she sheathed it in the belt around her waist. "Guess I've still got work to do, then." She said as she turned towards the door.
"S-seriously, what the hell are you…?" Daniel muttered as he watched her go. "Y-you're like the angel of death…"
Piastol turned to smile sweetly at him as she reached for the door. "That's right, Daniel. That's what I am." She opened the door and caught sight of the last pirate from the inn talking to Jacque just outside. "The angel of death."
It took a long time, but Doc eventually managed to land his lifeboat safely on a small island. Though he was tired by now, he made sure not to crash it. He'd need it to get anywhere else - he just desperately needed a rest right now.
The little lifeboat's engine clicked as he shut it off, before turning to the little toddler clinging to his leg. "It's okay, Maria. We've stopped. You can let go now."
"N-nuh-uh!" She shouted from below him.
Doc sighed wearily before scooping the little girl up into his arms and striding over to one of the seats in the back of the lifeboat. He sat down with a little grunt before looking her over. "Are you hurt?"
She pouted for several seconds before looking away from him without saying anything. Her eyes were red from crying. He wondered if she'd run out of tears to shed.
"Maria, I can't help you if you won't tell me anything…" He said. She still said nothing, and when he gently set her down on the floor of the lifeboat, she curled up into a little ball.
Doc sighed and set his head in his hands. He didn't know where anyone else from the Aquila had ended up, or how many people had survived. All he knew was that he needed to keep Maria safe for now. "Maria, I'm going to search the area for food, okay? Can you stay put while I do that?" He said, eyeing her.
She still said nothing, and didn't even move in response to his question. He grimaced as he considered that what was really hurting her right now was probably something he'd never really be able to heal. "Okay. I'll stay close." He said, before stepping out of the lifeboat and looking around. There were a few trees in his immediate area. He'd just have to hope they bore fruit.
Luckily, he found one that bore… something fairly quickly. The fruit was green with a leathery rind. He picked one off the tree and stared at it. He was a good doctor, but he didn't know much about plants. For all he knew, this one could be poisonous.
Then his stomach rumbled. He'd been flying for hours. His shoulders sagged. He'd be no good to Maria if he made a mistake because he couldn't think straight. He raised the fruit to his mouth and took a bite.
It tasted tart and faintly sweet. He waited several minutes, but didn't feel any different. Then he took another bite, and another. He glanced back over his shoulder to see if Maria was still where he'd left her. She'd stayed curled up in the lifeboat. He frowned, wondering if she'd ever move a muscle.
He picked another fruit off the tree before heading back over to the boat. "Maria - I've got something for you to eat. Hungry?" He said as he offered the uneaten fruit to her.
She didn't move. "Maria, please." He said desperately. "You need to eat."
She was silent for a long moment before she raised her head and stared at the fruit. Her eyes were too distant for a girl her age. Still, eventually she reached out and took it from his hand, staring at it for a second more before biting into it with a sullen look on her face.
Doc felt a small rush of relief, and he hopped into the boat and took a seat once more as he continued eating his own fruit. The two of them ate in silence, and he passed the time by looking around, both at the island and the skies around it.
At first he'd been planning to go straight back to the Grand Fortress, but as he considered it more and more, he realized that idea didn't sound very appealing. He'd heard some bad things about Mendosa's reputation, and with the man now dead, he could only assume his secrets were now fair game for anyone looking to cash in. Valua might not be a safe haven for him anymore.
As he glanced down at Maria, silently chewing on fruit, he realized it might not be the right place for her, either. She didn't need to grow up surrounded by people who would only associate her with her father, who would remind her of the horrible tragedy that had befallen her.
"Maybe I'll become a free doctor." Doc mused aloud as he finished off his meal. "What do you think, Maria?" He said, glancing her way.
She simply stared at him. "You're going to have to talk again sooner or later, you know." He said.
She said nothing, and eventually Doc looked away uncomfortably. So that was it, then. No more Valua. He'd take care of Maria to the best of his ability, and maybe someday he'd find someone she knew to help out.
And maybe they were all dead, and he'd be the only one to take care of her. He was ready for that too, even if it depressed him to no end. "I guess you take the hand life deals you, huh?" He said with a bitter smile at the blue sky above.
Maria chewed sullenly on her fruit and continued saying nothing.
A few days later, Belleza found herself back in the Grand Fortress. She'd been led to a large, long room towards the top of the fortress, with a tall window at one end facing out onto mid ocean. It looked like the room had just been refurbished, and a long table stretched down the center of the room. There weren't any chairs around it just yet. She wondered if this was to be where the admirals of the new armada would meet.
She was not alone. To one side of her stood Alfonso - moons only knew how he'd gotten there - who'd exchanged his royal guard violets for a strapping white uniform. He gave her a flat look as he caught her staring.
To her other side stood a tall man wearing a short blue coat and black pants. His hair had been slicked forward into a point, and his arms bulged with muscle. She didn't recognize him, but when their eyes met he gave her a wink and a smile.
A minute later, the doors opened to admit admiral Dulcinea and the silver-haired young man she'd seen with Galcian back at the palace. Ramirez, she remembered he'd called himself at the time. He took a spot standing beside the tall man, while Dulcinea moved to stand in front of them all.
She crossed her arms over her chest as she looked them all over. "So. This is everyone who showed up?" She said.
Everyone was quiet for a moment before the tall man spoke up. "I guess only we had the guts for this." He said, sounding confident.
Dulcinea frowned at him, adjusting her spectacles as she did so. "That may be so, but don't think that serves as a qualification. We've already got an overabundance of bravado in the armada."
"Don't worry, admiral. I've got more than just bravery to offer you." The tall man said, his smirk unfailing.
Dulcinea sighed wearily. "That's quite enough, Vigoro."
Vigoro didn't say anything else, but his smile stayed plastered on his face as he continued to watch the new admiral.
She shook her head slightly as she looked away from him and began to pace in front of the four of them. "So. You're all here because you're being considered for admiralty. But I can't just hand that position out, you see. I need to make sure anyone who gets this position is up to the task." She stopped and faced them all once again. "To that end, I'm going to be testing and training the lot of you to see who makes the cut."
Everyone stared straight ahead and said nothing, though Belleza could tell Vigoro was just itching to hit on Dulcinea again. She was grateful when he remained silent and Dulcinea continued. "Well, let's get started then. Follow me, everyone." The older woman said as she stepped between Belleza and Vigoro, opening the doors and leading them all out into the hall beyond.
She led the four of them down and deeper into the fortress, until they entered another wide-open room, this one with no furniture in the center. The walls, however, were lined with benches and racks laden with equipment and weapons. Belleza recognized it - it was one of the larger training rooms used by the soldiers stationed at the Grand Fortress. She'd been here many times back in her time stationed there.
She caught Dulcinea giving her a knowing look as they filed in and took their positions once more standing before her. "I'm sure you can guess why I've taken you here." Dulcinea said.
"You're going to test our combat skills." Alfonso said with a smirk. "It's fairly obvious."
Dulcinea stared at him evenly. "That's one of the things I'll be testing, captain Alfonso. But I suppose I'll get better results if I don't explain the exercise."
"Will we be fighting you?" Vigoro asked. "I wouldn't want to hurt you." He said.
Belleza's eye twitched with irritation at the man's tone, but Dulcinea simply frowned. "I assure you, Vigoro, you won't hurt me." The older woman calmly drew the sword at her hip. "To demonstrate that, why don't you be my first opponent? Pick whatever weapon you want." She said.
Vigoro blinked. "What, no armor? Isn't it a little dangerous to be using real weapons in just uniforms?"
Dulcinea smirked as Belleza and the others withdrew to the sides. "Just pick your weapon, Vigoro."
Vigoro huffed as he strode to one of the nearby weapon racks, examining his options before selecting a hulking greatsword and hefting it with two hands. "Well, it's your funeral, admiral." He said as he moved back to the center of the room to face her.
Dulcinea raised her sword, watching him carefully. "Are you ready?" She asked, ignoring his comment.
"You bet." Vigoro said.
"Then let's begin." Dulcinea said. Belleza blinked, and in that moment the older woman had closed the distance to Vigoro, casually knocking aside a heavy overhead swing from his greatsword before arcing a swing towards his neck.
Vigoro gasped and lurched aside, resettling his grip on his oversized sword before growling and taking another swing, this time horizontally towards the admiral's midsection.
She tumbled clean over the blade before whirling and pressing the edge of her sword against Vigoro's neck. He froze in place as the greatsword slipped from his hands to clatter on the floor. "I believe you've lost, Vigoro." Dulcinea observed.
"How the hell did you do that?" He asked, flabbergasted and still unwilling to move with her sword pressing against his throat.
Dulcinea almost reluctantly withdrew her blade, and Vigoro sagged with relief as she did so. "Raw strength is not the key to winning battles." She said. "Go sit down, Vigoro." Then, she gestured to Alfonso. "You're next."
Alfonso flinched where he sat, before standing up and putting on a confident smirk. "Rest assured, I'm not an oaf like Vigoro." He said as he turned to fetch a rapier from one of the racks behind him.
"No doubt." Dulcinea said flatly as he returned. She raised her sword once more as she faced him. "Are you ready?"
Alfonso assumed a fencer's form before nodding. "Come at me." He said.
Dulcinea was just as fast this time as she was last time, thrusting her blade at Alfonso repeatedly like a rapier. Alfonso, to his credit, evaded the first several strikes with elegant sidesteps before launching his own counterattack once he had an opening, aiming several quick thrusts at the admiral's chest.
She dodged them all with small, efficient movements that kept her close enough to him to counterattack, and it quickly became apparent that despite his good form, Alfonso was starting to be outmatched. His evasive motions soon became harried, and he let out a hiss as one of the admiral's constant strikes bit into his side.
He raised his rapier to catch her next strike, and the two blades clashed. Strain showed on the young man's face as he tried to hold his ground, but Dulcinea hardly seemed to be breaking a sweat as she leaned on him. Alfonso took a step back, and then another, until eventually Dulcinea shoved his blade aside and drove her sword at his chest.
It stopped an inch away, leaving Alfonso frozen just like Vigoro had been. "Y-you win." He said.
Dulcinea sighed as she pulled away, shaking her head. "Good technique is valuable, but that won't win you a serious battle either." She turned to Belleza. "Sit down, Alfonso. Bel, you're next."
Belleza watched Alfonso as he strode dejectedly back to the benches to sit down. Dulcinea seemed almost superhumanly good, and she really didn't expect she herself was that good with a blade. She bit her lip as she considered her options, standing up and heading over to the weapon rack.
She looked over the blades and clubs, passing over each of them before coming to a more interesting option. She gently grabbed the handle of a whip that had been coiled around the top of the rack, laying the cord across her free hand as she examined it. Strength and technique wouldn't do it - maybe changing the game would.
She sighed and briefly wondered if she was making a fool of herself as she strode back to the center of the room. Dulcinea was smiling as she caught sight of Belleza's choice of weapon. "You always were one for doing things differently, Belleza." She said as she raised her weapon. "Are you ready?"
Belleza took a deep breath as she tightened her grip on the handle. "I'm ready." She said.
Dulcinea's eyes flashed as she lunged towards the redhead, but Belleza had seen this trick twice now. She was ready, and she sidestepped, then hurried several steps more away from the admiral's reach before unfurling the whip and lashing it in the admiral's direction.
Dulcinea dodged to one side to avoid the arcing cord before rushing at Belleza again, even faster this time. Belleza hurried aside once more, getting clear of the admiral's reach only just barely and aiming another whip strike at her, this time focusing on a different target.
Dulcinea gasped as the whip coiled around her blade and began to tug it away from her hand, and for a moment Belleza felt a flush of triumph. It faded quickly as the admiral smiled and shook her head ever so slightly before tearing the whip from the redhead's hand with a forceful flick of her sword arm.
In a flash, Dulcinea was on her, blade pointed at the redhead's chest. "Sorry, Bel." She said with an apologetic smile. "Even great cunning isn't enough to win it all."
Belleza shivered slightly as the point of the admiral's sword menaced her for a moment more before the older woman withdrew. "You can sit down." She said, and Belleza breathed a sigh of relief as she hurried back to the benches.
"Are you all starting to understand the lesson I'm teaching here?" Dulcinea asked as she looked them over. Only Ramirez was left, and he got to his feet without being called, striding to the center of the room to face the admiral.
"Enough of this." He said coldly, extending his hand to one side. Suddenly, a long and silvery sword was in his hand, as if from nowhere. Belleza's eyes widened as she considered where he must've been hiding it and came up with no answers.
Dulcinea raised an eyebrow at the silver-haired young man. "That's quite a trick you've got there. You really are full of surprises, sergeant Ramirez." She said. "It's a shame you're such an absolute pain in the ass to talk to."
Ramirez scowled at her before raising his sword. "I'm ready."
The admiral narrowed her eyes at him. "So be it."
Both of them were on one another at the same time, blades clashing with loud metallic clangs as they both rushed to offense. They circled one another, dodging and swinging almost in unison as their movements became hard to follow.
As Belleza watched them trying to keep up, she realized they were going gradually faster and faster. Their movements started to become a blur as both Ramirez and admiral Dulcinea began to show signs of strain in the rare moments where their faces were visible. Neither of them was able to land a hit on the other, so quick were they both.
However, as they both continued to push their limits, it soon became apparent that Dulcinea had the upper hand. Her swings began to get closer and closer to Ramirez's body, and he began to backpedal as she pressed the offensive. His expression was one of disbelief as he found himself struggling to defend against her assault.
Soon the dueling pair neared the edge of the arena. The admiral's strikes looked vicious. Belleza wondered if Dulcinea would be able to stop herself from simply beheading Ramirez now if the younger man failed to block a strike. It didn't look like a practice fight to her anymore. This looked like a duel to the death.
Dulcinea's sword arced towards Ramirez's shoulder, almost too fast to see. In a flash, Ramirez's silvery sword was interposed between the two of them, holding her back in a duel of strengths, just like Alfonso had tried - and lost.
Ramirez seemed to be faring better, however, and Belleza blinked as she saw Dulcinea take a faltering step back as the silver-haired young man pushed harder into their locked blades. "Looks like you're not as tough as you like to think you are." The young man gloated.
Though she couldn't see all of the admiral's face at this angle, Belleza could tell the words had had an effect on her. An expression she'd never seen on Dulcinea's face before crossed the woman's features, and she let out a furious sounding shout as she drove back against Ramirez with newfound strength.
Ramirez's eyes widened in surprise as he stumbled back once, then twice before his guard was broken. Dulcinea swept his blade aside before driving the edge of her sword against his shoulder, stopping just short of actually cutting into him. Still, Belleza thought she saw a trickle of red seeping into the man's uniform.
Ramirez's face was frozen in an expression of shock. "How?" He said.
"It seems, Sergeant Ramirez," Dulcinea said as she almost reluctantly pulled her sword away from the young man's shoulder, "That even hating your opponent is not enough."
Belleza hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath. She let it out with a long sigh as she watched the admiral stride away from Ramirez. She stood in the center of the room, wiping a bit of sweat from her forehead before addressing the three still sitting on the benches.
"You've all still got a lot to learn about what it takes to win in any circumstance. Overspecialization is just as bad as being a master of none. You must cultivate many strengths and have support that safeguards your weaknesses." Dulcinea said. "This is my first lesson to you all."
Belleza already felt tired. She missed Enrique, and she could tell that this was going to be very difficult. Still, this was an opportunity to change things that would likely never come to her again. And as she caught another glance from Dulcinea, she knew that she'd be able to to do this if she set her mind to it.
Still… she had to wonder about Galcian. And now, about Ramirez. Her eyes flickered to the silver-haired young man as he continued to stand in the corner of the room, staring now at the floor as he took deep, but unsteady breaths. What was wrong with that young man? She knew she'd have to keep an eye on him going forward.
Galcian stood at the end of the admirals' meeting room, peering out at the world through the tall window at the end of the chamber. Out there, somewhere, he knew that Gregorio's men would be cleaning up the mess left behind after Mendosa's death. From there, they would be instrumental in cementing his power.
A voice caught his attention from behind him. "'And as I looked out on the varied peoples of the world, I realized that soon, all of them would fall under my dominion.'" it said.
"Emperor Ulises II. I suppose it's apt." Galcian said as he turned to face admiral Dulcinea.
"Personally, I never liked his quotes." She said, frowning as she stared at the window for a moment before closing the distance to him.
"He's a bit blunt, but he had some good ideas. He just never managed to act upon them."
"It's hard not to feel like you're following in his footsteps." She said.
Galcian scoffed. "Please. I'm not following him. My ambitions are of my own imagination."
Dulcinea smiled wistfully at that. "Sometimes, that's what scares me most."
Galcian frowned at her. "How did the training go? I heard you didn't get many applicants."
Dulcinea sighed and leaned one of her forearms on the edge of the window as she peered out of it at the cloudy night skies of mid ocean. "They've all got their own strengths, but I don't think any of them are ready. Won't be for a long time, likely." She admitted.
Galcian raised an eyebrow, even though she was turned away from him. He knew she'd catch it anyways. "Even Ramirez?"
Dulcinea scowled at her reflection in the translucent glass. "Especially Ramirez. I don't like him, and I don't trust him."
Galcian sighed. "He's just a tool, Dulcinea."
"Tools can be misused. A scalpel made to save lives can end them just as well."
Galcian gently grabbed the admiral's arm and pulled her away from the window to face him. "But do you really think I am one to misuse a tool so ineptly?"
Dulcinea stared at him for several moments before looking away. "I don't know." She admitted.
Galcian set a hand on her cheek and turned her head to face him once more. She reluctantly met his eyes again. "You'll see. In time, he'll serve me well. He'll serve you well, too, if you let him." He smirked at her. "You've never been one to control people like I do, but I know you're perfectly capable of it."
"There's a difference between 'can' and 'should', Galcian." She chided him.
His smirk didn't falter. "And that difference is smaller than you think it is."
Dulcinea stared at him searchingly for a minute before closing her eyes with a sigh. "I'll keep training him, along with the others. I'm not giving any of them the admiralty yet, though. I meant what I said about them all being a long way from ready."
She shivered as his hand slid down the back of her neck. "I will continue to entrust that task to you, then. I know you will get me the results I need." When she opened her eyes again, he was looking out the window again. "Soon, we'll be able to change all of Arcadia to our liking." He said.
She followed his gaze to stare out the window as well. In the long distance she could see the sun just barely beginning to rise. "Yes, lord Galcian."