It happened just like she pictured in her nightmares. Men whose faces she couldn't see tied her arms behind her back. She was led off to an unfamiliar place and left to wait for her fate. The people she cared about most came with her, doomed to share her ultimate end.
The small town was fairly bustling with Valuan soldiers now. Evidently they'd been lying in wait, anticipating their arrival. Everything that was happening to them now had been planned. The tiny, dark tent they'd been escorted to offered her nothing to distract herself.
Aika could feel her eyes stinging with unfallen tears as she hunched over on her knees in the darkness. She couldn't see a way out of this. The last time they were trapped like this, Drachma had come to save them. She didn't see him coming to their rescue again, especially after the way they had parted. Nobody else knew where they were.
Her worst fears were being realized. They were trapped. Soon enough they'd be hauled off to Valua, and from there it could only get worse. She might not even see Vyse or Fina again after today. She glanced to one side to see the two of them, vague shadows in the darkness, sitting silently, no doubt lost in their own thoughts.
And then there was Narissa.
That little glimmer of irrational hope. A fleeting connection that had made her smile. For what felt like a moment, her worries were assuaged.
And then she was thrown to the wolves.
She didn't care if anyone saw her crying then. It was dark enough that nobody would, anyways.
"Aika… it'll be okay." Vyse was speaking to her. Somehow he was still maintaining that upbeat tone he always used when things were at their worst. Did things really just never get to him, or was he simply an amazing liar?
"I don't… I don't think so, this time…" Aika replied, not looking his way. She didn't want him to get even a hint of the miserable expression on her face.
"It's only over if you give up." He said, his voice softer but still insistent.
She smiled sadly. She didn't believe him, but the least she could do was make him think she did. "Thanks, Vyse…"
He quieted down, and she hoped he believed she still believed.
Belleza, Narissa and her lieutenants gathered around a makeshift table on the other side of the oasis.
"We need to find the red crystal, or our mission won't be complete. We can't afford to return without it." The admiral explained. "Neither of you could find it anywhere within the temple?"
Thalia, who'd tied her hair back into a tail to make herself more distinct from her commander, shook her head. "We saw no signs of it, anywhere." She frowned intensely. "And you know me, Bella. If there was something valuable in there, I'd have found it."
Damian nodded to his companion's assessment. "I agree. It seems most likely that the crystal has been removed from the temple by a third party."
Narissa stayed back, looking like she wanted to shrink away out of existence. "Are… are you sure you need it now? If it's not in the temple it'll probably take you a very long time to find it…" she protested softly.
Belleza fixed her with a hard look. "I told you - that's not an option. We must find the crystal." She turned to Damian. "Can you do anything to track it down?"
Her darker-skinned lieutenant closed his eyes, looking thoughtful. "I can scry for its location. Its magical signature is strong and unique enough that I could likely isolate it among the noise, given enough time." Narissa whimpered from her corner of the tent.
"Assuming it's still in the Nasr region." Thalia added. "I know you've got your limits."
Damian smirked at her. "Something tells me it hasn't gone far. Call it intuition."
Belleza furrowed her brow in thought as she stared at Damian. "But you can find it, then?"
He kept his eyes on Thalia as he nodded. "Indeed. And when I locate it, you can depend on Thalia to retrieve it." Thalia winked at him from across the table without saying anything.
Belleza nodded, looking calmer than she had before. "Then we have our plan of action." She turned towards the other end of the table. "See, Narissa? You'll get your father back s…" she stopped speaking as she realized that the spot Narissa had occupied now stood empty. "What? Where did she go?"
Thalia glanced at the opening of the tent, hissing under her breath. "Shit. Come on, Damian." She waved to her companion, who nodded to her before hurrying out of the tent with her, leaving Belleza alone.
"Eh?" She blinked, before scowling down at the table. "One of these days, I'm going to teach those two to explain themselves before going off to do their own thing." She chastised herself before storming off out of the tent in search of her wayward underlings.
Aika was considering talking to Vyse again when she heard a commotion immediately outside the tent. A rustling, grunts, and then a thud. She glanced up at the flap with a confused expression.
A figure slipped through it, hard to discern in the darkness. She could tell it was wielding a gently-curved sword, however. That alone made her shiver as she considered what they might be about to do.
The figure walked with a hurried pace over to where Fina knelt. They stepped behind her as Fina's wide eyes tracked them. Then, with a careful flourish of their sword, they cut away the ropes binding Fina. She stared at the intruder in mild shock as she stretched her arms. "Up." It said, its voice urgent.
And familiar. Aika stared at them as they drew closer to cut the ropes binding Vyse's arms. He turned around to quirk his head to one side at them. Aika knew what he was going to say before he said it, and it made her grit her teeth. "Narissa?"
"No time. Hurry." She said in that same urgent voice before moving to Aika and kneeling down to slip the blade between her back and the bindings around her arms. "Hold still." She heard Narissa whisper.
A moment of tension and the cool flat of the blade against her inner arms was followed by the snap of the ropes. Aika stretched her arms out before her, staring at them.
"Come on. We have to h-" Narissa began. She was cut off as the palm of Aika's hand crashed into her cheek with a resounding crack. She stumbled from her knees onto her hip as Aika quickly moved to stand over her, snatching the blade out of her hand.
"How could you?!" Aika spat the words with a considerable venom as Narissa rubbed at her aching cheek. She froze up as Aika leveled the edge of the blade with her throat. "Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you." She hissed.
Narissa stared up at her in shock and fear. "Aika!" Vyse's hand grabbed Aika's wrist, restraining her sword arm. "She just cut us free!"
Aika turned her head to glare hot daggers at Vyse. "Shut up! She sold us out! The only reason we were tied up in the first place was because of her." She turned her attention back to Narissa, clenching her teeth over strained words. "I can't believe I…" she couldn't finish her sentence as her arm trembled with tension.
"Aika…" Fina's voice came to her, pleading, and though it made her a little sad to hear the worry in her voice, it still wasn't enough. She was waiting for an answer from the woman herself.
Narissa seemed to realize this, and she spoke in a soft, shaky voice as she tried not to breathe too hard, lest she press up against the blade. "I-I know where the crystal is…"
Aika spat at her. "That's what you told us last time." She strained ever so slightly against Vyse's grip.
"It's the truth!" Narissa protested. "I just… wanted to save my father. He's all I have…" she stared at Aika with wet eyes. "I'm so sorry for turning you in, Aika. I shouldn't have… but it's like I told you last night." Her voice came out softer than ever. "I know what it's like to be afraid."
Aika felt like she'd been slapped in the face. She took a step back, and as her arm slackened, she felt Vyse let her go. She stumbled back and fell into a sitting position with her sword at her side, staring at Narissa. "You…" she breathed.
"I'm sorry…" Narissa sobbed. Aika couldn't tell if she was really crying in the darkness of the tent. It sounded genuine.
Aika took a slow breath to calm herself. She narrowed her eyes at Narissa. "We'll deal with you later. We need to get out of here."
The other three looked visibly relieved. Aika didn't care. She just wanted to be away from that place. She stepped out of the tent to see two uniformed Valuans looking very unconscious. Vyse stepped out behind her, seeing the same, and quickly knelt to grab the remaining guard's sword. "Where's the ship?" He asked as Narissa and Fina emerged from the tent behind them, the former looking shaky,
Narissa pointed roughly to their right. "About that way." She said. As the four of them glanced in the direction she'd indicated, an orange-red light shot into the sky from the other side of the encampment.
"What is that?" Fina asked.
"Looks like a flare." Vyse observed. "The Valuans are signaling to their ship. We've got to hurry."
The group moved quickly in the direction of Narissa's ship, but before long they found themselves cut off by a duo of soldiers. "Halt!" They snapped.
"Two versus four?" Aika called, amused. She twirled her sword as if it were her beloved boomerang.
"Not quite." The voice came from behind them, and Aika grunted as Vyse plowed into her from her side, taking her just barely out of the way of a delicate-looking blade that moments later came to occupy the space where her spine had been.
Thalia scoffed at Vyse as she turned to him, brandishing her slender sword. "Tch. It would've been so much easier for you if you'd let her die."
Her darker-skinned companion strolled into view from behind another tent, his hands bare of weapons. "Surrender. You will not escape - not any of you." He said, staring at Narissa. As he extended a hand, palm-up, a small ball of fire blossomed above it. "Come quietly."
Aika scowled and spoke up before Vyse could. "Not this time." She snapped, taking a sudden swing at the red-headed lieutenant that had been smirking at her moments ago. Thalia tumbled away quickly with a look of amusement on her face.
"My, my. Someone's in a mood." She teased. Aika rushed at her with a cry of anger, and like that, the tension broke.
Vyse charged at the two soldiers blocking their way to the ship. "Out of the way!" He said with a grin. The nearer of the two soldiers lifted his sword into a defensive position as he anticipated the attack.
"Go, Cupil!" Fina's voice was sharp and clear. The soldier let out a grunt as an amorphous silvery hammer slammed into the back of his head. He collapsed quickly, leaving Vyse with just the one remaining soldier looking frantically between the pirate and the bizarre silvery weapon that had just felled his comrade.
"What the hell?" He snapped as he found himself being accosted by two swords at once, one normal and one made of silvery particles.
Damian watched the chaos with an eyebrow arched. He was halfway through gathering his will for a fire spell when Narissa moved to stand in front of him. "No you don't." She chastised him.
He smirked his usual smirk at her. "Are you planning to stop me then, Guardian?"
She flinched at the name he gave her. Then she nodded. She closed her eyes and assumed a fighter's unarmed posture. "Moons, embolden my spirit…" she murmured. Red light flared from within her, and when she opened her eyes again, they burned with an inner light.
Damian's smile only grew. "Come on, then." He said, before slinging his floating ball of flame at her. "Show me what you can do!"
Narissa leapt to one side to evade the explosion of fire that bloomed from the little fireball, before running at Damian bowed forward, looking to close the distance in a hurry. The mage scoffed before casually slinging another fireball at her. "Dodge this." It came straight at her, too fast to dodge.
Narissa raised her palm in front of her as her eyes flashed again, and the flames that erupted from the detonation of the little fireball seemed to flow all around her without ever touching her. Damian's eyes widened in shock as she finished closing the distance to him and drove a fist into his gut.
He staggered back, clutching as his stomach. "How?!" He demanded, conjuring a burst of cutting winds to eviscerate his opponent.
Again, her eyes flashed as she extended her palm. She winced as a few cuts appeared in her fingers, but by and large the gale passed her by like she wasn't there. "Don't underestimate me…" she growled, before throwing a punch at his cheek.
Damian grunted as it collided and sent his head sideways. Another hit connected with his chest, followed by a kick that sent him tumbling down into the sand. He stared at Narissa in disbelief before glancing behind her. "Thalia!" He called as he clutched at his midsection.
Thalia glanced in Damian's direction from where she sparred evenly with Aika. She hastily disengaged from the red-headed pirate before smoothly shifting her momentum to begin sprinting at Narissa.
Narissa didn't react in time. She whirled around and lifted her palm, but Thalia's sword swept right by it and carved a furrow into the girl's chest. She let out a pained cry as she stumbled back a step. Thalia grit her teeth as she raised her sword to deliver a killing blow.
Aika slammed into her from behind, and they both fell to the sand in a pile. "You bitch!" Aika screamed as she took a sucker punch at Thalia's face. Thalia took it with a grunt and a wince before throwing Aika off her. Aika was about to dive right back in when Vyse's voice called to her. "Aika! We need to go, now!" She turned her head to see that the two soldiers who'd been blocking their path now lay in a heap on the sands.
She hastened to her feet before grabbing Narissa's wrist without a thought, dragging the stumbling girl along with her, heading for Vyse and the ship. Thalia got to her feet moments later, ready to give chase, when Damian restrained her, evidently having managed to get up himself. "Don't bother. The Lynx is here." He explained, before gesturing to the sky. Above them, approaching rapidly, was the sleek red ship they'd come to Nasr on.
Thalia gave the retreating pirates a last look before grinning at Damian. "Let's return to the admiral, then."
Narissa's little ship took to the skies a scant few minutes later as the looming specter of the Lynx drew ever closer.
"They're awfully close." Vyse grit his teeth as he spun the wheel at the helm, slowly turning the vessel away from the approaching flagship.
Aika knelt over Narissa, who sat slumped against the outer wall of the cabin, clutching at her chest. "You need to move your hands." Aika snapped, half frantic, half angry.
She felt her weight shift as the ship started moving, hurrying away from the impending threat. Narissa stared at her with wide, frightened eyes, but let her hands fall to her sides. Aika grimaced as she was given a clear view of the angry red wound that had been torn through the woman's chest. Her top was quickly being stained red. She shivered and set her distaste aside as she reached out with both hands, letting them hover inches from Narissa's torso.
"Moons, help me to heal." She implored urgently. She felt the tingle of magic run through her as her fingers were slowly suffused with a reassuring green light. The panic and pain on Narissa's face dwindled slightly as the healing magic flowed into her.
"Vyse!" Fina's voice was shrill, off to one side. Before Aika could fully turn her head to look in her direction, she heard a loud crash, and the ship rattled and jerked violently beneath her. Her magic stuttered and nearly faded, and she had to lift a hand and set it on the cabin wall to steady herself. Narissa let out a shuddering breath beneath her.
"We've been hit!" Vyse called from the helm. Aika glanced in Fina's direction once more and realized that the large red ship had caught up to them and was now flying alongside them. She could feel the little ship shaking beneath her as it tried to cope with the damage it had suffered.
Aika set a hand on Narissa's shoulder. "Does this ship have any weapons?" She demanded. Narissa stared at her for a long moment, and Aika was about to ask again when the girl shook her head.
"N…nothing…" Narissa gasped out.
Aika pounded on the cabin, shouting upwards at Vyse. "We need to get out of here!"
"This is as fast as this thing'll go!" Vyse protested.
"Another one inco-" Fina's voice began, but she was drowned out by another thunderous crash as the little ship rocked violently under cannonfire. Aika heard a sputtering, clattering sound from below her, and moments later she felt the ship jerk lower, starting to descend.
"The engines…" Aika hissed.
"They're going to sink us!" Vyse called. "All hands, brace for impact…"
Aika huddled over Narissa, focusing instead on doing what she could for the girl's wounds while they were still airborne. At least they weren't in free fall, she mused darkly. She fully expected to be recaptured once they touched down. Her eyes fixed intently on the woman beneath her, and she reflected that at least she'd gotten to feel one more rush of hope.
Another boom, another crash. This time, however, it wasn't on their ship. "Look!" Fina called, and Aika lifted her head to follow her pointing finger. Her eyes widened.
"By the moons…"
"Who just shot us?!" Thalia snapped as she paced around the bridge of the Lynx.
The soldier at the ship's helm leaned close to a horn-like instrument near where he stood. "Looks like a big green fishing boat. Apparently pretty old, too."
"Narissa's ship is already failing. Turn our fire on the newcomer." Belleza ordered, standing on a raised platform at the center of the bridge.
Soldiers bustled around the room relaying her orders. Thalia moved to stand at Belleza's side as her superior adopted a thoughtful expression. "Do you know who's attacking us?" Thalia asked.
Belleza glanced at her, her delicate red brow furrowed. "An old green fishing boat broke out of the Grand Fortress not two weeks ago. I hardly think it coincidence."
Thalia's eyes widened. "So they're the ones…" Just as quickly, her eyes narrowed. "Vyse's ship?"
Belleza looked uncertain. "Maybe…" before she could add any further thoughts, another distant boom sounded, and the ship rattled slightly beneath their feet.
"We've been hit!" One of the soldiers called.
"Again?!" Thalia demanded angrily.
"They're fast. They keep blindsiding us." The helmsman called.
"It's no matter. They're not going to sink us with the kind of firepower they're bringing to the table." Belleza called. As she spoke, the big green boat flew past the front of the ship, past the windows on the bridge. She watched the main cannon, below them, swivel and take aim before loosing another blast of fire in the direction of its target.
"Another miss." The helmsman reported. "We need to…" he was interrupted by yet another boom. The main cannon exploded into flame as its twin barrels shattered. "Shit." He snapped.
"Tch." Belleza hissed. "It's fine. Have Damian ready the magic cannon."
Narissa's little ship was about halfway to the desert floor. Vyse was making a valiant effort to keep them from descending any faster. "I can't believe he came back." Fina said in disbelief, staring at the green ship that had just crippled their attacker's offensive capabilities.
"I knew he cared about us!" Vyse laughed from the helm.
The fishing boat loomed closer and closer, until it was alongside them. Nobody emerged onto the deck, but the message was clear. Fina hurried across the deck of Narissa's ship. "We need to go!" She called, waving to Aika and Vyse both.
Vyse hopped down from the top of the cabin and moved alongside Fina before glancing at Aika and Narissa expectantly.
Aika let her magic dwindle and set her hands on Narissa's shoulders, shaking them gently. The girl looked halfway unconscious, her eyes glazed over. "Narissa! Can you stand?"
Narissa's eyes suddenly snapped into focus, and she nodded her head a bit before setting her feet under her. She took a deep breath and set a hand on the wall of the cabin before forcing herself unsteadily to her feet. Aika stayed close, and when Narissa wobbled upon attempting to step away from the wall, she caught her and steadied her. "Damn it. You're not going to make the jump like this."
"Give her to me. I'll take her across." Vyse offered. "You can help Fina." Fina offered him a weak smile off to his side.
Aika looked searchingly at Vyse before nodding. She hurried over to Fina, taking the girl's hands. "Ready?" She asked. Fina nodded, and together they leapt across the gap to the larger ship alongside them. They stumbled a bit upon landing, and Aika felt a small rush of relief when she turned around and realized Vyse was already leaping across the gap with Narissa lying across his arms.
As if on cue, the smaller ship beside them exploded into flames as a massive fireball hurtled from one of the smaller cannons straddling the top of the red ship that continued to hound them. The fishing boat drifted a safe distance away from the now-burning wreck before starting to move again.
"Thanks for the rescue, cap'n." Vyse said gleefully as he climbed the last step to the old ship's bridge.
The large, surly old man behind the helm didn't spare him a glance. "Hmph. We ain't out of trouble yet. You can thank me after the Little Jack is safe."
"Right…" Vyse said, looking suddenly sheepish.
"Get below decks and start preparin' the harpoon cannon. I'm never going to get a better test run than this." The old man instructed him.
"Aye aye, cap'n Drachma!" Vyse hurried down the steps.
"Still ain't your damned captain…" Drachma muttered irritably to himself as the boy disappeared.
Vyse passed by Aika and Narissa amidships as he made his way down to the bottom level, where the cannons would be. "Is she going to be okay?" Vyse asked.
Aika was checking on Narissa's wounds. They looked a bit better and had stopped bleeding, but the girl still looked terribly frail in this condition. "I think she'll live." Aika replied, lifting her gaze to fix it on Narissa's eyes. Narissa gave her a shaky smile.
"Right." Vyse said, offering the both of them a smile before hurrying down the next set of stairs.
"Thanks, Aika." Narissa's voice was as weak as the rest of her looked right then.
Aika frowned at her. "Yeah, whatever." She looked away. "You've got a lot of things to make up for before you can die."
Narissa froze, and her gaze fell to her lap. "Aika, I'm so sorry…" she began.
"Save it." Aika snapped. Whatever Narissa's reply might've been, however, it was interrupted as the ship swerved violently beneath them. Narissa clutched at her chest with a wince, and a crash sounded as something collided with the side of the ship, sending shudders through the wood.
A wave of cold washed over the cabin, and both girls shivered hard. "What was that?" Aika muttered aloud.
"T-take me outside." Narissa said urgently.
"What? Why?" Aika looked at her incredulously.
"Please!" Narissa begged, already trying to get to her feet. Aika sighed and took her hand, helping her the rest of the way up.
"Fine." Aika snapped, opening the door to the deck and leading them outside.
She nearly slipped on the ice that had patterned the deck in a mix of green and purple. As she hurried to get her footing, Narissa looked around with worry on her face. "They're using magic to attack the ship. You won't be able to dodge anymore." The Little Jack creaked beneath them as it tried to shed its new ice layer.
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Aika asked, suddenly feeling the panic rising in her chest once more. "I need to tell the cap'n." She turned to head back inside, but Narissa's hand grabbed her wrist with surprising tightness.
"Please… stay. I need you." She said.
Aika looked at her in confusion before nodding. Narissa closed her eyes, steadying herself with Aika's support as she whispered, "Moons, embolden my spirit…" It wasn't nearly so pronounced as last time, but Narissa's stance grew steadier and her posture more relaxed as a faint aura of red flashed into being around her. "Okay." She said, taking a deep breath.
Aika's expression only grew more confused. Distantly, the red ship loosed another ball of flame in their direction. She looked at Narissa with wide eyes. "We need to get inside, now!" She grabbed at Narissa and tugged, but the girl stayed where she was.
"Protect us…" Narissa implored as she cast her gaze skyward and extended her arms to either side of her, palms outward. As the oversized fireball hurtled towards them, Aika thought she could see a faint shimmer begin to coalesce around the ship. The fireball collided with it and splashed outwards, as if hitting a dome-shaped wall. Narissa shuddered but stayed on her feet, and the fire dissipated without ever reaching the Little Jack.
Aika looked frantically back and forth between Narissa, and the spot where the fireball had sputtered out. "What in all the moons…?"
"That damned guardian!" Damian's voice came through the speaking tube with barely-restrained fury.
"Keep up the attack! I doubt she can do that for long, especially injured." Belleza advised. She heard an annoyed sound from the other end of the tube, but no further protest. She turned to the rest of the crew on the bridge. "Try to maneuver around behind them and hit them with the secondary cannons. We just need one clean hit."
"They're shaking off the ice, admiral. They'll be back to full speed again shortly." The helmsman reported.
"Then make every shot count." She replied.
"Is the harpoon cannon ready, boy?" Drachma's voice was a little muffled as it rattled out of the little tube beside Vyse. "We're avoidin' their fire for now, but we can't keep it up for long."
Vyse wiped the sweat off his brow as he flipped a last switch into place. Is it hot down here, or am I just having too much fun? He thought to himself. "About as ready as it'll ever be, cap'n."
"Good." Drachma replied. "She's tryin' to outmaneuver us. I'm gonna give her a little surprise. Be ready to fire on my signal."
"Are we around them?" Thalia asked. The bridge had fallen almost eerily silent. The battle was approaching its deciding moment.
"They've come to a complete stop. We'll need to circle the rest of the way around." The helmsman explained.
"What are they doing?" Belleza wondered aloud, her face creased with worry. "Stop and take aim. This is our chance."
"This is our chance, boy. They're sitting still for us." Drachma almost sounded excited.
"Ready at your signal, cap'n." Vyse said. His fingers gripped a long lever, ever so slightly tensed.
"Taking aim…" Drachma said. Vyse's grip tightened. "Fire."
Vyse grinned and pulled the lever. "Harpoon cannon, fire!"
Belleza lurched forward as something plowed into the side of the ship, rocking it from bow to stern. Alarms began sounding all around her. "What happened?"
The helmsman's voice reflected his confusion as he tried to reconcile a dozen different reports coming to him at once. "Some… some kind of harpoon weapon. Tore through the side of the ship. We've lost engineering."
The whole ship lurched again, and she heard metal creaking in the distance. "They've retracted the weapon and torn the hole wider." Another soldier called. "We're losing altitude, admiral. Should we still fire? They've remained stationary."
"Do we still have propulsion?" Belleza asked.
The helmsman shook his head. "We're going down. We either take them out with us, or…" he shrugged.
Belleza clenched a gloved hand into a fist. This wasn't how this mission was supposed to go. All around her she could hear reports of wounded coming in. She closed her eyes and sighed as she considered the lives of her men against her orders.
"Signal our surrender and set us down. We've lost."
"Are they…?" Aika squinted at the big red ship as it began to descend. They'd lowered their flag. "They're surrendering." She turned to Narissa, still standing beside her. "We did it! We beat Valua again!" She was a little too relieved to consider her grudge at that moment.
Narissa gave her a cracked smile, then slumped forward as her legs failed her. Aika stumbled as she caught her. She brushed the messy golden hair out of the girl's face and reflected with a lump in her throat that she looked very pale indeed. "'Gotta get you inside…" she muttered as she hauled the both of them back through the cabin doors.
"We did it, Cap'n!" Vyse cheered as he strolled up alongside Drachma to peer out at the descending red ship through the windows of the bridge.
"I've half a mind to finish them off while they're on the ground." Drachma growled.
Vyse's voice rang with protest. "Cap'n!"
Drachma pounded on the helm. "What? They just tried to kill us all!"
"Yeah, but…" Vyse sighed, scratching his chin. "They're still people. And they might have supplies we can use."
Drachma narrowed his uncovered eye at Vyse. He looked very much like he wanted to chastise the boy, but instead he set the Little Jack to descend. "Better be somethin' worthwhile." He grumbled.
Belleza was not used to losing, especially in circumstances like these. To think that a fishing boat could bring down her flagship…
She squinted against the glaring sunlight as she got a better look at the old craft. It was extensively modified, that was for sure. It almost didn't even look like a fishing boat up close. More of a war boat.
Or a pirate ship, she mused with a wistful smile as two figures, one lean and one bulky, approached her and her two lieutenants. "Hello there." She called, lifting a hand in greeting - and to show she was unarmed.
The smaller of the two was familiar to her. He was that "Vyse" kid they'd captured back at the oasis. As far as she knew, he was the mastermind behind the whole ragtag crew.
This made it all the more surprising when his first attempt to speak was cut off by his companion. "Right then." The old, grizzled sailor said, "We'll be takin' half of your supplies and munitions."
Belleza frowned at him. "You're asking for a lot. We might need some of those materials to repair our engine."
He shook his head nonchalantly. "Don't worry about that. We're takin' the engine, too."
Belleza gawked. "But…" She forced herself to resume her composure. "How are we supposed to get out of here, then?"
"You've got legs, haven't you?" The large man almost looked like he was smirking under his thick beard.
Belleza heard Thalia mutter a few choice words behind her. She wanted to echo that sentiment, but thanked the moons she knew better than to do so. "Very well… may I at least ask who you are? What is your association with these pirates?"
The old man snorted. "That's none of your-"
"One-eyed Drachma." Damian interrupted him. "He's eluded patrols in north ocean for decades."
The old man - Drachma, she now knew - narrowed an eye at her lieutenant. She smiled her most disarming smile as she noted that little detail down for later. "Well then, Drachma. We'll agree to your terms, so long as you'll agree to leave us and the rest of our ship and crew unharmed."
Drachma nodded tersely. Off to his side, Vyse suddenly perked up. "Wait. What about Narissa's father? You need to return him to her."
Belleza grimaced. "He was sent back to Valua upon discovery of certain unusual items in his possession…"
Vyse's expression twisted into a scowl. "You weren't planning to give him back. Just to dangle him over her head so she'd give you what you wanted."
Belleza shook her head. "I assure you, that was not my initial intention. I was planning to give him back at first. But once we found out what he'd been keeping from us…" she shrugged. "My hands were tied."
Drachma rolled his eye and made for the body of the Lynx, evidently having had enough conversation. Vyse watched him go. "What was he keeping from you?"
"That's classified." Belleza said stiffly.
Vyse set a hand on his hip and glanced back at the Little Jack. "You're not in much of a position to argue."
Belleza's shoulders sagged. Today was going to be a real hit to her dignity. "Very well…"
Narissa woke up. She hadn't particularly expected to. Her eyes were still closed, and her eyelids felt heavy. She could feel a nasty stinging from her chest, but it no longer screamed with pain as it had after she'd been cut. Breathing still made it ache, though. She focused on taking shallow, steady breaths, and opened her eyes.
Someone was leaning over her. Orange hair dangled a few inches from her nose. "Finally, you're awake."
Narissa smiled as best she could, given the circumstances. "Hi, Aika."
Aika, for her part, looked almost dispassionate as she surveyed the girl lying on the bed before her. Narissa thought she spied a hint of relief, but soon after dismissed it as wishful thinking. "Whatever that anti-magic trick you pulled was, it apparently took a lot out of you. You were out for a whole day." She crossed her arms over her chest as she gave Narissa an assessing look.
Narissa breathed out slowly through her nose. "Right… what happened? I'm not tied up, so I'm assuming you got away from the Valuans."
A nod. Aika's hair moved a lot more when she let it down like this, Narissa reflected. "Cap'n Drachma shot them down with the ship's new harpoon cannon. We took their supplies and engine and we've been drifting around the stone reef since, waiting on you."
Narissa blinked her eyes. "Waiting on me?"
The door to the little room they occupied opened to admit Vyse. "Oh! She's awake?" He strolled over and sat down in the seat next to Aika's. "Great. We've got some questions for you."
Aika spared him a slightly annoyed glance before nodding at Narissa. "You need to tell us where the red crystal is."
Narissa froze, her eyes flitting between Vyse and Aika. "I…"
Vyse leaned forward in his seat, assessing the girl with newfound interest. "You have something to do with it, don't you? There's more to you than meets the eye."
Narissa sighed. Part of her wanted to keep secrets no matter the cost, but the rational part of her mind quickly reminded her that she had precious few people to depend upon now - and these people in particular seemed more than worthy of trust by now. "Are you sure you want to know?"
Vyse and Aika glanced at one another. Both nodded, almost in unison. "Tell us. No more secrets, Narissa." Aika's tone brooked no disagreement.
Narissa nodded, too, and slowly sat up, leaning against the wall behind her bed. She set her hands in her lap, staring down at them as she spoke. "In truth, I stole the red crystal from the temple where it rested, and hid it. I didn't want it going to the Valuans." She slowly lifted her gaze to first Vyse's eyes, then Aika's. "I'm descended from a family that was tasked with protecting the temple and the crystal."
Vyse crossed his arms over his chest, looking like he was deep in thought. "Is that why you know how to fight?"
Narissa paled a little and looked down again. "Barely. I know just enough magic and martial arts to defend myself against a common looter. But against Valuan soldiers…" She eyed Aika. "Had you not helped me, I'd probably be dead."
Aika shrugged. "No sense dwelling on it." The frown that creased her features made it difficult to read the feelings behind it.
"So, was your father a temple guardian too?" Vyse asked curiously.
Narissa took a long moment to answer. "Yes. I still haven't found him…"
Vyse reached out and set a hand on her shoulder. "I gathered some information from Belleza when she was grounded." Narissa gave him a hopeful look, to which he grimaced. "Apparently, they took him back to Valua when they discovered artifacts related to the temple in his possession…"
Narissa's shoulders slumped. "Valua…"
Vyse's hand squeezed her shoulder. "People have escaped before." He winked at her. "Don't lose hope."
She gave him a weak smile and nodded. "Right…"
Aika drummed her fingers on the edge of her chair as she watched them. Her eyebrow twitched, once. "So where's the crystal?"
Narissa flinched at the sharpness in her tone. "I buried it in an oasis in the southwestern desert. But… are you sure you need it? It could be safe there."
"There's no telling what means of detecting it Valua has at its disposal." Vyse warned. "It's better off with us, at least until Valua stops pursuing the crystals."
Narissa took most of a minute to consider before she responded. "Alright. I'll lead you to it."
The Little Jack descended slowly over a relatively barren stretch of desert. A few scattered trees here and there were the only things to break up the landscape. Almost as soon as it touched down, three people disembarked. Aika turned around to call up to Vyse. "Make sure the cap'n doesn't ditch us this time!"
Vyse grinned as he leaned over the railing of the deck. "Aye-aye!"
Aika grinned back at him, before turning to Narissa and Fina. "Let's go."
Narissa nodded. "Right… it's not far from here…" she closed her eyes, and the faint tingle of magic filled the air. When she opened them again, her gaze was unfocused, and she began walking in a straight line towards one of the nearer trees.
Fina and Aika exchanged a look before following her. Narissa said nothing as she went, leaving the trio in a slightly awkward silence on their way to their destination. Eventually Narissa came to a stop a few steps from the tree. "Here." She said quietly, tapping the sand beneath her with the tip of one shoe.
Aika slung the little shovel she'd brought with them out of her pack and went to work digging, piling up sand to one side of the indicated spot. "How deep?" She asked.
"Not too far down… maybe four feet?"
Aika sighed as she hurried up. "At least it's sand and not dirt." She wasn't sure how long it took, but her shoulders were definitely starting to grow uncomfortable when her shovel at last struck something solid. She set it aside as she started digging the item out with her hands, eventually liberating a small wooden chest from the sandy hole in the ground. Aika gave it a cursory examination before trying and failing to open it. "Locked."
Narissa reached out with both hands. "Another precaution. I can open it for you." Aika gave her a look before handing it over. Narissa pressed two fingers to the latch on the front of the box and closed her eyes. A moment later, it let out an audible click, and she passed it back to Aika. "There…"
Aika stared at the chest in her hands. It wasn't very heavy or special-looking. Was this really what they'd been searching for? She slowly opened the lid and was greeted by a shimmering, radiant red light that bathed her cheeks in crimson. "It's beautiful…" she turned her head to look questioningly at Fina. "Is this it?"
Fina gingerly reached into the box to retrieve the shining red crystal. It was shaped like a triangular pyramid, and fit neatly in her two hands. "There is no mistaking it. This is the red moon crystal." She looked up at Narissa with wide eyes. "I can't believe you managed to steal it from the temple all by yourself. I've heard that place is filled with traps and monsters."
Narissa smiled sheepishly. "Filled with secret passageways, too."
Aika leaned over the crystal in Fina's hands, her eyes sparkling with reflected red light. "I have to wonder how much a stone this beautiful would sell for."
Both Narissa and Fina gave her an incredulous look. She glanced quickly from one to the other. "What? I'm a pirate." She said defensively. "I'm not actually going to sell it…"
Fina giggled. Narissa smiled a little. "Let's head back to the ship."
"What do you want to do when you grow up?"
The little girl smiled mischievously. "I want to be a great fighter like you! Fast and strong and brave!"
Rami chuckled at her childish enthusiasm, shaking his head. "Surely you have other aspirations? Being good in a fight is useful, but it can't be your sole purpose in life. What do you want to do? To be?" He asked as he sat in front of her.
She looked confused for a moment, as if she'd never given the question much thought. The expression didn't last long, however, and was soon replaced with another bright smile. "I want to help people! I want to be famous, and popular, and I want to be the girl people turn to when they're in trouble."
The young man grinned at her. "That's quite a goal."
She beamed right back at him. "Papa says I can do anything I set my mind to." She leaned forward, closer to him, and spoke in a comically conspiratorial whisper. "I also kinda want to try being a pirate."
Rami blinked, then gave her a bemused look. "I'm sure no matter what you set out to do, you'll get where you want to be eventually." He reached out and mussed her hair with one hand. She pouted at him. She always hated being treated as a child. "C'mon. You can help me finish my latest model." Her smile returned like it had never left.
"Fine, but you have to let me cut some of the pieces this time!"
Rami closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the girl was gone. Instead, he was staring out at mid ocean through the curtain of dark fog that perpetually surrounded Valua. His name was not Rami, either, but Ramirez. He sighed and leaned on the railing in front of him as he tried to organize his thoughts. At least out here, outside the fortress, he could be alone.
Piastol... he thought. What have I done to you? The bleak skies of mid ocean offered him little solace. Whether he'd meant them to or not, his actions seven years ago had taken that little girl's dreams and twisted them into nightmares. He'd pictured her becoming nobility, or an admiral in her own right, or maybe even a blue rogue. But this…
His silvery eyes went distant as he lost himself in his conflicted feelings. He was unaware he was being approached until a gentle hand set upon his shoulder. He whirled around, eyes wide as his hand went to the hilt of his sword, only to come face to face with admiral Dulcinea, offering him a quizzically-arched eyebrow. "Not like you to sulk." She mused aloud, evidently unperturbed by his reaction.
He forced himself to let the tension out of his shoulders, and his hand fell away from the weapon at his side. "No, I suppose it's not." His own voice surprised him a little. He didn't feel nearly as calm as he sounded.
Dulcinea leaned sideways on the railing as she glanced out at the view he'd been taking in not moments ago. "Hell of a place to go for some peace and quiet. I had to clamber through a cannon to find you here." She turned her gaze back to him, her eyes betraying a seriousness that her posture did not. "You planning to tell me what's going on?"
Ramirez had to wonder how she'd thought to look for him here in the first place. He'd been fairly certain nobody outside of maintenance workers would ever come here. Then again, she was the commander of the fortress for years… he shook his head and set aside his thoughts. "It's not important."
She gave him a flat look. "If it's enough to put you in a funk, it's probably important."
Ramirez gave her the faintest hint of a humorless smile. "I met someone that I used to know. They're not doing well."
"There's got to be more to it than that." Dulcinea insisted.
He looked away from her as he nodded. "She was like a little sister to me. I was excited to see her grow up strong and happy. Now… now she's a deluded mess, and it's mostly my fault."
Dulcinea was silent for a long time. "Do you want to talk details, or…?" Ramirez shook his head. She sighed. "Whatever you did to this girl, there's no sense dwelling on it. She was your family then, but you've got a new family now."
Ramirez turned his head to scoff at her. "Are you including yourself in that 'family'?"
She rolled her eyes. "A hated stepmother is still family."
Ramirez let out an amused breath and nodded. "Fair point." He shrugged. "I'll get past this eventually. Thank you for coming to find me."
Dulcinea adjusted her spectacles. "Sure, but that's not the only reason I found you. I've got work for you, admiral Ramirez."
"Work?"
"Work." She said, rapping her knuckles once on the railing. "Lord Galcian wants to task you with an invasion plan. It's a big one."
Ramirez was already starting to feel more in his element. "I will not fail him. Where will this invasion be staged?"
Dulcinea gave him a deadly serious look. "There's only one place in the world that can still stand up to Valua…"
"Nasrad…" Narissa sighed as she peered out at the distant sight of the south Dannel Strait. It would be a few hours until they arrived, but once they were there, she would be safe to recover in peace, away from Valua's reach.
She wasn't happy, though. Her father was trapped in Valua. She was leaving behind her home in Maramba, and her duties as a guardian. What purpose would she be left with? And then there was…
"Don't look so gloomy." Narissa flinched as she turned around to find Aika standing on the deck behind her, arms crossed as she met her gaze. "It doesn't look good on you at all."
Narissa smiled the best she could. "Sorry."
Aika shook her head. "And stop apologizing. You messed up plenty, but I think you've proven by now that you're not out to get us. Maybe a little naive, but…" she shrugged as she strolled over to Narissa. "So, what were you thinking about?"
Narissa still felt a little guilty, talking casually with Aika. She tried to swallow her discomfort, and mostly succeeded. "Just Nasrad. You and Vyse were right that I'd probably be safe there. I just don't know what I'm going to do once I'm there."
Aika smirked at her. "Start by giving yourself time to heal up. That wound of yours isn't going to get any better if you don't let it. After that…" the redheaded pirate eyed Narissa critically, almost assessing her on the spot. "You could always start telling fortunes."
Narissa stifled a giggle. "I could, though I can't imagine too many people would be willing to pay to watch me stare hopelessly at a bunch of cards."
Aika tapped her temple with one fingertip. "It's all in the act, how you sell it. Vyse's mom used to be a swindler, you know? She always told me the greatest skill she developed was the confidence to convince people she knew what she was doing."
"I'm not sure I want to fleece people, though…" Nonetheless, Narissa smiled sincerely this time. "It'd be nice to meet her sometime, though. I'd like to see where you come from."
Aika gave her an amused look. "I guess I do owe you a tour. Maybe once Vyse and I are done with this adventure."
Narissa nodded quickly. "Right, of course." She glanced toward the windows of the helm, above them, where she guessed Vyse would be. "I'm, ah, sorry if this is prying, but…"
Aika's expression turned quizzical. Narissa began to wonder why she was asking. "Are you and Vyse…" she sighed as she struggled for words, making several half-formed gestures. "Together?"
Aika blinked once, then twice before quickly shaking her head. "What? No." Her cheeks turned faintly pink. "I mean, he's great, and probably my best friend, and…"
She saw the look on Narissa's face and set her own in her palms. "Moons above…" Aika swore. "No. Vyse and I are not… together."
Narissa squirmed in place, well aware she'd struck a nerve. "I'm sorry… no, I mean… thank you for clarifying that! I know it was probably awkward, so…"
Aika waved her hands dismissively, evidently hoping to be rid of the topic as quickly as possible. "Aaaanyways! Uh, so, you're pretty good with magic, huh? I don't think I've ever seen someone deflect magic before."
Narissa perked up quickly at the change of topic, grateful for the chance to talk about something easier for her. "Oh, that! It's a very old spell devised by some of the original temple guardians. It protects the temple itself from the elements, and it can protect an individual caster from elemental magic of most sorts."
Aika nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "Huh. That sounds… super useful. I'm a little jealous."
Narissa gave her a sheepish smile as she clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "I could try to teach it to you, if you like?"
Aika's smile returned. "I was kind of hoping you'd offer…"
A banging on the door of the cabin stirred Piastol from her thoughts. She sighed as she got out of her little cot and headed over to the door. It opened to reveal the familiar figure of Lawrence staring at her from the other side. "Piastol! Why didn't you tell me you were back in port? I had to find out second hand at the sailor's guild!"
Piastol gave him a flat look. "Go away, Lawrence." She tried to slam the door in his face, but he caught it on his foot. She growled and put more pressure on it.
"What are you doing?" He snapped, setting a hand on the inside of the door and pressing back against her efforts. "Maybe you don't care about me, but surely you at least care about Deathhound?"
Piastol flinched, and finally stopped trying to shut the door. She didn't bother to open it the rest of the way, though. "I do… I care about both of you, but…" She closed her eyes as they started to sting. She had no idea what she wanted to say after being holed up on her ship for two days. Everything was still upside-down. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore."
Lawrence was already starting to look uncomfortable. "Do you need to talk about it?"
She gave him a searching look, then shook her head. "Did you bring Deathhound?"
She could immediately see the relief on his face as he nodded. "Here, boy." He called as he turned his head. The thudding of heavy paws sounded across the deck outside before Deathhound's shaggy green visage appeared before the opening in the doorway. He panted excitedly as he saw her.
Piastol knelt in the doorway as he trotted over to her. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "It's good to see you again." She pulled away to give him a serious look. "Lawrence treated you well while I was away, right?" Deathhound continued panting, then turned his gaze up to the man in question. Piastol followed suit soon after, giving him a small smile. "Looks like you've got the seal of approval."
Lawrence almost smiled. "Glad to hear it. I hope you'll feel better soon, Piastol. I'll leave you to it." He turned to leave with a wave of his hand.
"Thanks, Lawrence." She already felt a little better.
Belleza wiped sweat from her face with her sleeve as she trudged through the sands of Nasr towards the little town visible in the distance. "Now that I know the size of the desert, I mostly find myself wishing it were smaller." She snarked breathlessly.
"Such has been the wish of many a traveler, admiral." Damian said from behind her. "Sadly, wishes of such magnitude do not often come true."
Thalia took a swig from her waterskin. "You think they'll have the parts to build an engine there? Or be willing to part with them?" She didn't feel at all like discussing the desert.
"They have to." Belleza squinted against the sunlight. "We need to get out of here and report back."
"I don't think the world itself answers to the will of Lord Galcian, Bella." Thalia teased.
Belleza scowled at her over her shoulder. She'd managed to remind her of both Galcian and Enrique in the same breath. "Just be quiet, won't you? We need to save our breath, anyways."
"You were the one who spoke up first, admiral." Damian reminded her.
Belleza sighed and rubbed at her forehead with one palm. "Yeah, well, I'm also the one who's going to speak last." Damian and Thalia exchanged a silent glance before nodding. The trio trudged onwards.
Aika waved to the retreating merchant ship as it made its way through the strait, towards Nasrad. She leaned on the railing of the deck as she watched it go, until it became difficult to pick out in the distance. She was going to miss Narissa more than she'd expected to. At least she'd be out of harm's way now. She set those thoughts aside and went indoors to check on the bridge.
Fina, Vyse and Drachma were already there when she arrived. They looked as if they'd been expecting her. "So, what's the plan?" She asked.
Vyse glanced at Drachma. "First of all, cap'n. Are you sticking around this time?"
Drachma let out a hearty harrumph. "Considering you've probably managed to get my name and face plastered over every wanted bulletin in Valua, I imagine I'm gonna be stuck with you brats for the time being."
Aika grinned at him. "Aw. You really do like us." He glared at her, only confirming her suspicions.
Vyse smiled and nodded before turning up Fina. "Where are we headed next, then?"
Fina closed her eyes as she briefly consulted her knowledge of the crystals. "From what I understand, the nearest crystal would be in the lands under the green moon, west of Nasr."
Vyse's jaw dropped. "There's a land under the green moon?!"
Drachma nodded as he moved to the helm. "I've heard of it. The Valuans've apparently been poking around there for years…" he checked the gauges by the helm, nodding as he found the readings to his satisfaction. "We'll need to head through south ocean. Normally I'd call that impossible, but with the engine we took from that admiral lady…"
Vyse started talking excitedly. It made Aika smile, but she wasn't listening this time. She reached into her pocket and fished out a single card with an image of a strange fish-like creature gracing its front - "The Dolphin". It was a parting gift from Narissa, a last attempt at telling her fortune. She wondered how to interpret it.
She sighed and put it away as she moved to catch herself up on the conversation. It would be a long journey indeed.