Chapter 2 "Boats and Books"
Early the next morning, after a quick and light breakfast, the four of them packed up and took the southern trail from the Pass. Jay and Rethka had stowed their armor in a Wing Pack of sorts that specifically made for carrying their armor and equipment, though they still carried their weapons around with them. Without their armor and helmets giving their knightly anonymity, they easily passed off as travelers on a journey. Jay wore a subdued outfit, a neutral beige tunic under a brigandine with a deep blue cloth covering to make it look like a vest and a pair of loosely fitted black pants and a generic pair of boots. Rethka donned a long-sleeved green-collared shirt that hid a layer of leather stitched with a vest of chain mail with a pair of khaki-colored pants and black boots.
They were on the way to Izoold, or rather, as the Knights pointed out, "Sybak with a tiny village stuck right next to it."
"Don't you remember? It was all because we reunited the worlds; that village is called Izoold and it's a small fishing port," Colette stated. "The sea breeze feels really nice over there, and once you're on a boat... oh, I don't want to spoil the surprise!"
Rethka stopped dead in his tracks. "A BOAT?" He practically blurted it out so loudly that it rattled a nearby willow tree of its birds. "We are NOT going to go sink ourselves in those washtubs!"
"Of course not! You ride washtubs at the Thoda Geyser port; Izoold has boats. It feels a little weird riding in the washtubs, but they're so much fun!" Colette giggled. Lloyd chuckled in mild amusement; Colette was back to her old antics again.
"Washtubs... Hmm..." Jay mused.
"No, don't worry everyone, we'll make sure to get a real boat, all right? It isn't going to be that bad, either!" Lloyd pointed forward and announced proudly, "Just four more hours to go!"
"Well, this is quite a pickle," Jay huffed, dropping his pack.
"What are they doing?" Lloyd asked.
In front of them, the Sybakians seemed to have gathered in the city center, looking at a makeshift podium with a female speaker. None of the group could see her very well, as the podium was not very high at all. She spoke with a slightly condescending, yet didactic tone; they were harsh words, but they held the wisdom of a thousand years. The group edged closer towards the crowd of intellectuals and focused their ears forward.
She apparently spoke very fluidly and precisely, using language that confused the bored swordsman, but was the bread and butter of her audience. Not a single member of her audience dared raise a voice against her charisma. They were all completely enthralled.
"Who is that?" Someone muttered from behind the group. Colette was curious as well, and hopped up to see a flash of silver-white hair and a flowing orange robe.
Just at the apex of her tiny leap, she yelped, "Professor!" Then she tripped on a pebble.
"Colette, are you okay?" Lloyd chuckled, picking her up and lightly holding her by her shoulders.
"Yup, I'm okay!" she grinned. Rethka and Jay were very much confused, but shrugged it off, although Jay did panic a bit just as she hit the pavement.
"Who did you see up there?"
"It's Professor Sage!"
The group met up with the two half elves a little outside the Academy, earlier at the center of attention with all the scholars of Sybak. The Knights greeted them as they would any stranger, while Lloyd and Colette laughed, joked around and reminisced just as old friends should. Those two had set out a while before, seeking out places where half-elves were discriminated against and made speeches and other moralistic lessons wherever they went. In fact, Lloyd cleverly commented that Raine looked ten years older just from running around and dealing with angry townspeople, at which she promptly slapped the swordsman through his face. It turned more than a few heads around from the townsfolk just by the sound of the crack of the skin.
Not wanting to feel left out, Rethka spoke up first from the quiet Knights. "Um, Professor Sage, aren't you both half-elves?"
"Yeah, what's it to you?" Genis asked, raising his eyebrow slightly.
"Nothing. I'm just going to say that what you're doing is good. You're making more of an impact than either Jay or me could ever do in Ozette," Rethka stated. Jay nodded in reply.
"Coming from a Papal Knight, it says a lot about the person," Lloyd said. Raine and Genis gasped at the word 'Papal' and were about to ready their weapons, but raised her hand and shook her head. They hesitantly disarmed.
"Ah, it looks like we all have some explaining to do," Jay said. "Guys, I'll go look for a ride to go to the other side. I'll meet you at the gate that goes into that village place later on."
After they saw him off, they secured a bench in front of the Academy to sit and talk. A few half-elf researchers passed them by and thanked Raine and Genis themselves for enlightening their former human captors, although the researchers and scholars themselves were willing to do so anyway, as they wished to focus more on research rather than be subject to Papal whim. Their conversation progressed as it did the night before, with Lloyd and Colette and the Knights, with the explanation of their respective journeys, interspersed with the light reminisce between old friends.
Lloyd felt that Rethka was left out, Lloyd included him and the two began to explain their mission from Martel, the fight to destroy the dragon, Nidhogg. Yet, when they started to tell of their mission, Raine's eyes began to sparkle, a spark that not any one of them had ever seen for a long time. All the time that Genis worried and voiced his concerns Raine seemed to almost hyperventilate to near-excitement.
"WE MUST ACCOMPANY YOU!" Her eyes darted to the Dragon Knight who looked at her with fearful eyes. "Rethka! You will not believe the massive amount of information I know about the Dragon from the Church of Martel's Apocryphal Texts!"
"What's with her?" Lloyd whispered aside to Genis.
"Remember her in ruin mode? Ever since we visited all the ruins during our first journey, she's actually lost interest in it. Now, this mode is what I call biology mode. All she does is document this and label that... It's insane, and it's no use to hide it from Rethka anymore..." Genis breathed. Raine babbled on and on to Rethka and Colette about everything she knew about the Dragon, most of it already common knowledge among the Dragon Knights. The two victims smiled plastically, inching their way from the crazed Professor.
"Professor," Rethka interrupted meekly.
She glared at him, eyes roaring in fury, and yelped, "Do NOT interrupt my lecture; you are but a mere student."
"But, Professor Sage, isn't saving the Eternal Tree more important than documenting the Dragon? If all we did was watch it, then it there wouldn't be anymore animals left to name, because it would destroy the Tree. Besides, we're making Jay wait. Let's go everybody!" Colette pointed out. Lloyd and Genis nodded silently and followed Rethka's lead away from the Academy.
"Hmph... you'll never get any animal named after you," Raine muttered, shuffling behind them all.
"Aw... I wanted to name something 'Poochy,'" Colette groaned.
Jay sat on a freshly cut stump, remnants of a tree used to sever the municipalities via a hastily made wall. His eyes were war away, looking over the white foam crests and the salty spray that scattered through the sky. No one paid him any heed passing him by, figuring him to be another traveler or adventurer reminiscing over the past. Most of all, however, it was not how he sat alone staring at the sky, but it the blankness that draped over them that drove the others away from even making acknowledging each other.
Of course, he snapped back quickly once Colette's voice sang in his otherwise deaf ears. "Jay!"
He hopped off the stump and stumbled forward to meet the Chosen, greeting her with a meek "Hello," and a wide, embarrassed grin with little hint of blush in his cheeks. The others strolled beside him, including two new silver-haired beings he had never seen before.
"Oh yeah, this is Professor Sage and my best friend, Genis!" Lloyd said, pointing to the half-elves. "Guys, this is the other Dragon Knight, Jay Lin."
"Pleased to meet you."
"The same goes for us, as well," the Professor replied.
Rethka stepped forward and asked, "How'd the boat thing go?"
"The guy was a little hesitant, but we shove off tomorrow after he leaves," Jay stated.
"Wait, we're going to pilot the boat?" Rethka blurted.
"Don't worry about it! Trust me," Jay winked, evoking a little chuckle.
"Yeah! We're going to sea again. Oh man, I can't wait at all!" Lloyd cheered, pumping his fist into the air.
"Yeah, me neither!" Colette giggled. Genis cheered as well, joining the fist-pumping scene with Lloyd and Colette.
Raine slowly turned a bit pale, staring out at the ocean, shuddering. "I hate the sea..."
"Well, let's rest for the day. We have to leave bright and early. Genis, where do you want to stay?" Lloyd asked, as he led the group away, leaving Rethka and Jay behind. Rethka had pulled his friend aside as was about to leave with them.
"Jay, what did you do?"
"I told you, Rethka, don't worry about it. Just leave it to me, all right?"
Jay pried his arm away and joined the jovial group as they sauntered off, debating on what inn to stay. Rethka folded his arms and lagged behind.
"You're like a brother to me, Jay, but then even brothers can lose trust with each other."