Gavin's ship was fairly impressive. It was a mid-sized ship, painted in the traditional Nasr colours of gold, red, and white. The red and white triangles lined the wooden supports holding the golden-painted ship together. It was a simple ship, the front bare with only a headpiece that looked like a snake. The deck was mostly bare, without so much as a small box on board. Lastly there was the hind of the ship, which had the bridge on it. It was raised to look slightly over the headpiece, a ladder leading up to it, and a staircase led down below the deck. Below the deck there were a few rooms. The engine had its very own room, and it hummed with a deep vibration, rattling most of the area around it. Gavin's room was as far as he could get it from the humming engine, being at the far end on the opposing side. There was a storeroom beside that, smelling of salted meat, dried out fruit, sweet milk, and loqua. But the most important room was at the very end. There was a small hangar, and within that hangar were the lifeboat, and copious amounts of treasure from Gavin's last run. Of course, it takes little wonder to know whom the sight exactly infatuated.
"So, done looking around?" Gavin asked as he stepped out of his room.
Gavin had changed slightly in appearance. He had removed his nomadic veil, allowing his long dark brown hair to hang down. He had combed it as well, so it was fairly straight, and it reached his lower neck at the most. Other than that, he hadn't changed at all. Though he was very relieved that he was able to convince Lia and Maxwell's parents to let them come on the trip with him. He knew those little cards would come in handy. Though for some reason, he didn't know why he had chosen a couple of teens to accompany him. That, and he didn't know of any use for them. But with some quick thinking, he had discovered a purpose for them. Gavin decided that he would drive the ship while Maxwell and Lia navigated and worked for him. The two Air Pirates had no intention of saying no, so Gavin was sailing smoothly. After all, looking after a ship that size, and managing its cannons, was difficult all by yourself. He had allowed the two Pirates to look around the ship. But he stressed that if they touched any of the treasure in the hangar, he would tie rocks to their feet and throw them overboard. Of course, he wasn't serious.
"Yep, we're all done." Lia said with a smile.
"It's a pretty nice ship. It's even nicer than your Dad's, Lia." Maxwell said as he took one last look around.
"I'm flattered, really!" Gavin laughed. "It cost a pretty penny to buy this baby alright. But I had no problem, with all the treasure I had dug up in the desert."
"I've never been to the desert before." Maxwell blinked in realization. "What's it like?"
"Well, think of a big hot sandbox." Gavin said.
"That doesn't sound very nice." Maxwell said.
"Well, it grows on you." Gavin said. "So, Maxwell was it? You know how to navigate? I mean I would normally ask a hired hand to take the wheel, but you're just a kid. So I'll take the wheel, for safety's sake."
Maxwell followed the older man to the bridge of the ship then. He never really realized how tall Gavin was. He was certainly above average height, standing at around six feet, give or take. Gavin climbed to the bridge, giving Maxwell a hand up, and then took off towards the wheel. Maxwell looked around in surprise. As small as the room was, there was a whole terminal at the front, windshields gazing into the blue sky. The steering wheel, a dull bronze in colour, sat at the middle of the gray terminal, while gauges and buttons of all different kinds were scattered about the terminal as well. Nearest Maxwell was a small table, made of wood commonly found in Mid Ocean, and on it rested a brand new map. The map didn't cover much area, as Maxwell saw. When he looked at it, it seemed that it merely covered Mid Ocean and the neighboring continent of Nasr. A lantern hung from above with a glass underside, allowing light to shine down on the map at night and light up the bridge at the same time. Though it was only the afternoon, so there was no need for such things yet. Maxwell was a little surprised to notice that Moonstone Mountain's village had not been identified on the map. So taking an ink quill, he added it on.
"So, navigator." Gavin spoke up as he finished the preparations required to start the ship and let it take off from Sailor's Island. "Where to?"
"Hm, well…" Maxwell took a look at the map. "Nasr is to the west, so head in that direction. But a stone reef is blocking the way, so when you see it… I guess you should head a few leagues north towards Nasrad."
"Right you are sir!" Gavin said enthusiastically. "From there, the guards will take me around the reef, where I can sail to Maramba, my home town."
While Gavin was doing that, Lia was, well, busying herself beneath the deck. She was sweeping the floors in the hallway, just doing the usual things, when she had a thought. Gavin was the captain, meaning he owned all the treasure in the hangar. She knew he really wasn't going to throw her nor Maxwell overboard if a piece of treasure went missing. After all, how would he know? But being the captain, he must have hidden the best treasure in a place only he was allowed to go. He must have hidden it in his bedroom! So gradually, she swept closer and closer to Gavin's room. Soon she was right at the door, and with a quick scan, left to right, she opened the door and threw herself inside, shutting it behind her. She grinned to herself with her back against the door as she faced the room, taking an eyeful. Sadly, there didn't seem to be much there. There was simply a bed, an end table, and a desk with all sorts of papers and things scattered about. The rest of the room was clean and well organized, all except for the desk. Lia sighed when she couldn't find any treasure at first sight, but she wasn't discouraged. She began searching on Gavin's desk with a grin – after all, she was an Air Pirate.
While looking on the desk, Lia stumbled upon a picture. She picked it up, blinking and looking at it. There were three people in the picture, and one of them was Gavin, so they must have been people he knew. On the left, there was a woman, dressed in common Nasr clothes. She had brown hair, like Gavin's, but it looked to be fading. The woman must have been entering the elderly stage. Lia giggled to herself, wondering to herself if she would still be beautiful even when she was that old. Beside her, several inches taller, was Gavin. He had his arm around her shoulder, and they both seemed to be equally tanned, so they must have both lived in the desert. Gavin was winking to the camera with a cheeky grin, while having his gloved left hand on someone else's back. Being at the far right was a girl that looked to be around Maxwell's age. She had beautiful red hair that framed her tanned face and green eyes. She looked to be rather… buxom, in Lia's opinion. She shook her head, wondering just who these people were. Maybe they were friends of Gavin's, or perhaps his family? But Lia's thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone open the door. She scrambled then, dropping the picture, but just barely catching it.
"What are you doing?" Maxwell poked his head into the room with a knowing grin. "You're not rooting through Gavin's room, are you?"
"No, no way!" Lia laughed a bit, putting on her best fake smile and pretending to have been organizing Gavin's desk. "I was just cleaning up this mess that Gavin left on his desk!"
"Yeah, right." Maxwell opened up the door the rest of the way and leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed. "I don't think it'd be nice to steal from Gavin. He hired us after all, and it wouldn't be right."
"We're Air Pirates, Maxy." Lia said flatly. "That's sort of what we do."
"Well still, if you do, I'll have to tell your Mom." Maxwell said, still grinning. "And we both know how she gets when she finds out you stole something from someone else."
"You wouldn't dare." Lia stared at him with agitated snake eyes.
"I would so." Maxwell chuckled.
"You're a real card Maxy, you know that?" Lia asked. "You'd make any Air Pirate look like a chump with the way you act sometimes."
"We did it earlier the other day." Maxwell shrugged as he left. "I'm an Air Pirate, Lia, it's sort of what I do."
It was several minutes, possibly over an hour of loitering while Gavin steered until the ship jerked to a stop. Maxwell and Lia were surprised to see that they had come upon a land made entirely of sand. Gavin really wasn't lying with his description. From what Maxwell could see, the ground was covered in sand that skimmed across the surface at each warm breeze that passed through. The heat beating down on them was equivalent to a hot summer's day in Mid Ocean, and there was barely a cloud in the sky that would block the sun. Before them, across from the docks was an old building with two signs, both symbolizing a Sailor's Guild and a Ship Parts Shop. Maxwell smiled to himself, realizing that merchants probably passed through here enough to require such things. Across the docks, lighthouses stood with flames burning eternally in red Moonstone, though it wasn't on, since it was only mid-afternoon. The dusty trail led up to a set of gates that more than likely led to the city. Lia shielded her lavender eyes from the sun's rays to look around. She didn't seem too pleased.
Gavin explained the theory towards the unbearable heat, which he seemed so adjusted to. The theory actually was devised only a few years before, during Vyse's early time, before he became even close to becoming a legend. There was a stone in the temple that rested a few leagues north of Maramba called the Temple of Pyrnn. Within this temple was said to be a red Moon Crystal, the most concentrated form of a Moonstone that ever existed. It shined with a bright red glow, and was a little smaller than a cannon ball, and a lot lighter. It came from the Red Moon in ancient times, when Moonstones rained from the sky and killed millions. It was said that the heat exerted from this Moon Crystal had seeped into the land, making it into a barren desert that supported little to no life. No more description was required about the stone. Both Maxwell and Lia knew of Vyse, and the Crystal's actual purpose. They both knew of the horrendous monsters known as Gigas. In fact, rarely did anyone visit the Temple of Pyrnn, because the Red Gigas slept a few leagues away from it.
The Gigas, as they were called, were super-weapons, in a way. A few years back, Valua had attempted together the Moon Crystals to summon the Gigas, though Vyse was able to stop them. The Gigas were capable of mass amounts of destruction. There was one under each Moon, one of each colour: red, green, blue, yellow, purple and silver. Luckily they were never all awakened at once since the Ancient times, when the Old World still stood proud and everyone was technologically advanced. But for a few years since Vyse's legend, there was peace, and everyone lived in harmony. The Gigas were anything but a threat, all having been put back to sleep where they had awakened. Needless to say, both Maxwell and Lia listened to Gavin as he explained this while heading towards Maramba.
Maramba was still a small portside desert town. Upon opening the big doors, the wide expanse of desert was littered with several buildings. There were large ones to the left, and smaller ones to the right, though housing didn't seem to differ much. All the buildings were the proper size depending on what they were. The inn and the mayor's homes were the largest, while regular residence and the shops were smaller. People busied about carrying water to store, and Dhabu – large dinosaur-like animals with small trunks - roamed the streets lugging supplies. There was a wooden fencing around the city, separating the town from the sand that seemed just too hot to walk on, with noticeable heat waves coming from it. Gavin led them through the town, going to the smaller houses, just past the weapons shop, to a small home, that was slightly larger than the rest. He stopped there and turned to him, his tanned skin lit by the over-head sun. He smiled to them and leaned in close to speak quietly then.
"Okay you two, I need you to be good little Pirates or whatever you are and be on your best behavior." His grin made it seem like what he was saying was anything but serious, but when he rested his hands on their shoulders, it became clear that he was. "This is my family's home. My mother and younger sister live here. I don't visit too much, so I don't want you guys being bad, okay?"
"Yes Daddy." Lia rolled her eyes.
"Call me that again." Gavin smirked. "I liked it."
"Uh, right, let's just go already. We'll be good." Lia sighed.
Gavin chuckled and turned to the door on it, giving a playful, rhythmic knock on it. Soon, some movement was heard from inside, and both of the young Air pirates waited curiously to see who would answer. Soon, the wooden door opened, and out stepped a girl. She looked about Maxwell's age, wearing a coral coloured dress with sleeves that reached a little passed her wrists, which made the dress look a little big for her. It flowed down to her feet where a corn silk shade lining was at the bottom, which showed she was wearing light leather moccasins. Her red hair was shining with health, and it came down with a curl to frame her green eyes and stop at the lower most back of her neck. Her skin was tanned from the desert sun, and even with the large dress, prominent curves would show slightly from within. She looked up at the twenty one year old man before her for a moment, then at the people behind him. That was when her face seemed to light up upon noticing Maxwell. The stare he was receiving made him feel a little awkward. He blinked at her with a dumb stare.
His red hair, with its cute curls left and right, and his flawlessly tanned skin… His powerful, yet somehow contained build, and even his choice of clothing seemed to arouse interest in her. His brown eyes that held a very small, almost unnoticeable gold hue captivated her, bringing a burning blush to her cheeks. To her, Maxwell seemed to come off as a handsome wanderer, and the sword dangling from his waist completed this infatuating courageous flare for the girl. Her gaze lingered on the young man for what seemed to be an eternity to her, but in all reality, it was only just long enough to make the people standing at the door wonder what was wrong with her. Gavin raised an eyebrow while reaching out to poke his gloved index finger at her forehead, making her snap back to the real world. Gavin looked at her with a flat look.
"Mom!" The girl called back into the house with her cute though upbeat voice, turning her head to do so. "Gavin's here!"
She looked back at Maxwell again, and then turned back into the house. "And he brought a girl and a dreamy guy!"
"W-What?" Maxwell blinked nervously, clearly surprised by the comment.
"Let them in." A calm voice called back.
The teenage girl let them inside the house then, Gavin walking inside first while the two Air Pirates followed behind, Max looking at the girl for a moment to see her eyes glue on him. With a slight blush, he jerked his gaze away and looked around the house. The house was fairly small, only having one other room, more than likely being the bedrooms. The house certainly held a feminine sense of decoration, since it looked like two females were the only inhabitants. Red Moonstones burned in the fireplace, a smell of blissfully cooked meat filled the house, the source being fresh meat over the blazing fire. The house had simple tiling on the floor, and stone walls and roofing. There were a few windows for light, and a low table was rested before them made of fine wood, a few cushions on the ground around them. An old rocking chair sat before the fire, accompanied by more cushions, and there were various supplies upon the counters along the far left corner. Most of the tools on the counter were for skinning animals, and cooking tools to prepare the meat. Along the walls were a few exotic paintings, and a hanger for coats and such. Other than that, the small house was fairly plain.
A woman got up from the rocking chair wand walked over to Gavin, giving him a hug, which he kindly returned. She had brown that was tied into a long braid at the back, though it looked to be fading. The woman must have been entering the elderly stage. She was still a few inches shorter than Gavin, and she wore a long cream-coloured dress that had coral linings on the cuffs and hem. Her feet could not be seen. Her body was fairly well hidden beneath the dress, even her neck, as it had a slight collar. Her bangs hung down over her eyes, and as she pulled from Gavin, she brushed them aside and examined the two young Air Pirates with a sweet smile, her green eyes showing a gentle nature. Gavin smiled, looking to the two girls.
"Hello mother, how have you been?" Gavin asked.
"I've been doing quite alright." The woman smiled to Gavin. "Who might you have brought home today? Are these friends of yours?"
"Ah, right." Gavin chuckled. "Mom, these are Maxwell and Lia. They agreed to come with me on a treasure hunt."
"Maxwell, Lia, this is my mother, Sarine." Gavin then said as he turned to the two teenagers.
"Nice to meet you." Both of them said.
"The pleasure is all mine." Sarine insisted. "A friend of my son's is always welcome in my home. But I must warn you, be careful while hunting for your gimmicks in the desert. Gavin is usually in dangerous places, and gets himself into trouble."
"Don't worry about it." Gavin rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine."
"Gavin, you're forgetting someone." The young girl then spoke, standing beside Sarine.
"Right, Maxwell, Lia, this is my little sister Nola. She's sixteen." Gavin said, feeling a little awkward introducing the two Air Pirates to his family.
"Well hello Maxwell." Nola said, next to him in a minute.
"Uh, hey." Maxwell chuckled slightly with a nervous little smile.
"Well, please, sit down, all of you. Lunch will be ready soon, you can tell us about yourselves." Sarine said with a smile.
"Sweet, lunch." Gavin grinned. "I think you guys will love Mom's cooking. I have a spice I picked up in the ship, a whole vase full of it that comes up to my waist. I think you'll like it."
The five of them soon sat at the table on the floor. Maxwell and Lia were a little uncomfortable having to sit on the cushions on the floor. It was a lot different than what they were used to back in Mid Ocean. They conversed over the smell of spicy, perfectly cooked meat that would make any person's mouth water. Sarine and Nola didn't seem as surprised about Maxwell and Lia. Gavin had always come home with tales of the places he'd been to, and all the customs and things. In fact, most of the entire continent of Nasr knew about Mid Ocean and North Ocean. Since it was such a successful trading continent, they were all too familiar with foreign lands. Nola, though, seemed especially interested in Maxwell. She sat beside him, very close. It was obvious to everyone there that she seemed very attracted to him. She may have been pretending, but again and again she would ask Maxwell questions about him, and where he lived, and what he did. She found the idea of him being an Air pirate especially interesting, though. She even asked where he had gotten his lovely sash from, and when he explained that his father gave it to him, she asked about his father.
Maxwell had mixed feelings about talking about his father. His father was dead, so talking about him was always difficult. Maxwell wasn't like most other kids without a father. He had actually known his father before he passed away, and loved him with all his heart. On the other hand however, it was always interesting for the other person to hear about his father. Maxwell's father was a very successful sailor. He sailed around the world, just like Vyse the Legend had done, and clarified that Vyse was not lying. He visited all sorts of places, and apparently got Maxwell's sash from a place far to the east. Maxwell never had a chance to ask him about it, because shortly after, his father's ship sunk beneath the clouds. Nobody knew why, there didn't seem to be a reason for it, but it happened. Maxwell hated that part, so he was very brief about describing his father to Nola and the others.
After lunch, Gavin suggested that Maxwell and Lia go and look around Maramba. He was going to gather supplies and prepare for the trip out into the desert. Maxwell and Lia didn't see any reason why they shouldn't have done what he said, so they left his home. Outside the house, next to the wall though, was a surprise. Maxwell looked over to see his little brother Taylor. Both Maxwell and Lia were surprised to see the young boy, sitting in the sand in his over-alls with short legs, his red bangs spiked to a point on his head. His slightly tanned skin was lit up under the sunlight, and he hopped up, looking at his brother with his deep blue eyes. His large boots stayed firmly planted in the sand where he was, a pair of binoculars hanging from his neck. He raised a tan, long sleeve covered arm in a wave and opened his mouth to speak. But as soon as he did, Maxwell took his arm and led him away from the house.
"Taylor, how the heck did you get here!" Maxwell shouted when he was at a distance away from the house, Lia following close.
"I snuck aboard Lia's Dad's ship and followed you onto that guy's ship." Taylor said as he pulled his arm away from Maxwell.
"Why would you do that, Taylor?" Lia asked, a lot calmer than Maxwell was. "Won't your parents be worried?"
"Nope." Taylor crossed his arms cockily. "I've done this a whole bunch of times. They know EXACTLY where I am."
"Gavin's card…" Maxwell spoke in realization, but then went back to being mad at Taylor. "You little…! You KNOW you're not supposed to follow me out!"
"But you have all the fun!" Taylor shouted back, the twelve-year-old boy looking up at his brother. "It's not fair!"
"You're too young!" Maxwell pointed out.
"Am not!" Taylor snapped back. "Vyse had young children on his ship!"
"Do I look like Vyse?" Maxwell asked rhetorically, with a handful of sarcasm. "You're going home!"
"No!" Taylor shouted.
"Yes!" Maxwell shouted back.
Lia blinked at the two bickering boys, looking from one to the other as they shouted yes and no, back and forth. She then took her eyes off them to look around. Although they were away from the house to avoid any embarrassment brought about by Gavin and his family, nearly everyone else in sight was looking at the three of them. Lia's face went red with embarrassment as she turned to look at the two guys then. They continued fighting ignorantly, ignoring everyone around them. Look back and forth between the two boys and the people around her, Lia's embarrassment soon converted itself into anger. She grit her teeth and reached out, grabbing both of them by their ears. They both stopped and looked to Lia dumbly before she began to drag them off to a more private place. They whined and complained about them being hurt by her, but she ignored them until she got into private.
"Smarten up!" She scolded. "Maxell, there's not much we can do right now about Taylor, he's too far away, and we're leaving to go on our hunt soon."
Maxwell sighed. She was right. Taylor grinned and stuck out his tongue at Maxwell.
"And you!" Lia turned her attentions to Taylor. "Quit pestering, or else."
Taylor was almost like a scolded dog when Lia raised her hand threateningly.
"Sorry." They both mumbled.
"That's better. Now let's go find somewhere to have a drink." Lia said.
With that, they left their private spot between a couple of buildings and looked around. There didn't seem to be any sort of place to ask for a drink, even though it was burning hot. So, asking someone who passed, they discovered that there was a tavern across the heated sands. Looking towards the heated sands, they saw an extension of Maramba, which seemed to be separated by sands so hot, they would melt someone's feet. They walked all the way to the fence marking where the "safe sand" stopped and leaned against it, eying the heat waves coming from it. Their mouths got dry just by looking at it. Luckily, there was a mode of transportation nearby. After all, the inhabitants got over there, why couldn't a few visitors? They were forced to get across by way of a Dhabu. Conveniently there was a man stationed next to the fence that gave people Dhabu to ride on in order to get around.
Now Dhabu were no small animals. They were pink dinosaur-like animals, all as tall as most of the buildings in Maramba. They easily towered over people, and could have squashed one if they stepped wrongly. Luckily, nearly everything about the Dahbu said lazy. They walked slow, though faster than a normal human's leisurely stroll, and their eyes seemed to sag, as if they needed to get to sleep. Their trunks, fairly narrow, and small for most senses of the name, sagged and flopped about when they walked. Maxwell, Lia and Taylor were all able to fit on one, that being just how big they were. They all sat upon the cream-coloured saddle, Lia sitting behind Maxwell, arms around him to keep from falling, and Taylor in front of Maxwell, between his arms while he held the reins required for riding. Maxwell then rode with the two of them to the fence, which opened and allowed the Dhabu to pass through. Dhabu were the only known animals able to withstand such high temperatures, and were able to cross the sands without so much as a slight tingle in their feet. They passed to the other side of Maramba, which merely had two buildings, and got off the Dhabu, leaving it where it was, and heading towards the tavern, which was clearly marked with a sign.
Walking into the building, it was noticeably different than most. The walls were coloured like white smoke, and the floors and ceiling were both a dull gray. There was a man at the counter who greeted them and asked them to help themselves to a table. They did so, walking to a table and sitting down, the table being much the same as Gavin's, being low to the ground. They sat down and looked around the atmosphere. It seemed suited for daytime, but there were only a few tables, so it wasn't really big. At the far end, though, there was a stage, and upon the stage, a woman was dancing. It must have been some sort of common thing to have exotic dancers in taverns. With all the men who had more than likely come in to gawk at her, it seemed to Maxwell at least, that she must have gotten paid quite nicely. She was dressed in revealing, fine silks that showed her figure well, and flowed with the movements she made. Maxwell didn't pay too-too much attention though as Lia spoke about what was going on to Taylor.
After several minutes, and the teenager's discovery of the loqua being spicy, the dancer approached them.
"Well hello there." She said, looking at them all.
"Oh? Hello." Lia blinked up at her.
"Can we help you?" Maxwell asked, blinking up at her too.
"No, I just haven't seen you here before. I figured you must be travelers." The dancer said as she sat down beside Maxwell, cross-legged. "Any reason why you're here in particular?"
"We're going on a treasure hunt." Maxwell answered. Not sure what we expect to find though…"
"Oh." She laughed a bit, combing her bright red hair out of her eyes. "Gavin must have talked you into doing that."
"Huh? How did you know?" Lia asked.
"Oh, Gavin comes in here all the time, when he's around." The dancer giggled. Her long red hair seemed to flow down her back, and curled out in some places at the sides. "He keeps hitting on me, to tell the truth. I don't mind attention, but he certainly makes it a habit."
"He hits on Lia too." Maxwell laughed.
"That guy sounds stupid." Taylor chimed in.
"Gavin is very bright." The dancer said. "But he tends not to show it so often. He can do a lot of things if he really applies himself. What I don't get is why he hasn't realized that a group of men have already come for the treasure I'm sure you're speaking of, and have claimed the site for in excavation."
"What?" Maxwell asked.
"Many men have come in here recently. They kept saying that they're looking for a treasure under the sands. They're part of an official archeologist group." The dancer said. "When Gavin hears that, he'll more than likely be crushed."
"Man, that sucks." Taylor said.
"Yeah, that means we don't get any treasure." Lia frowned.
"Hey!" A voice called out, and everyone looked over to see Gavin. He approached them, a sword sheathe on his back, a leather strap across his chest holding it on. He walked over to the dancer and grinned, taking her hand.
"And hello to you, beautiful Chelle." He said.
"Gavin, how many times have I told you not to hit on me at work?" Chelle, the dancer that had been speaking to them, scolded Gavin in a mock tone.
"Sorry." Gavin said, letting go of her hand and looking to the Air Pirates. "You all ready to go? Hey… who's the kid?"
"That would be Taylor, my little brother." Maxwell said. "He snuck his way here with us. We didn't know he was going to come though."
"Tut tut." Gavin shook his head, looking to Taylor. "Well, don't worry, he'll get his just desserts."
"And we're not ready to go. A bunch of men have already claimed the site, apparently." Lia sighed.
"I know." Gavin smirked. "Are you ready to go?"
"Huh? But Gavin…" Lia went to speak.
"Are you, or aren't you?" Gavin asked, crossing his arms.
"I… guess we are." Maxwell looked at Lia, confused.
"Good. Chelle? Would you mind looking after the little one?" Gavin asked, turning to Chelle.
"Certainly, no harm's going to come to him while you're gone." Chelle answered. It didn't seem she was lying. As beautiful as she was, she was very fit for a woman.
"Then come on you two, back to my house." Gavin said as he turned to leave.
Gavin told them that the men who were digging for the treasure had it all wrong. Regardless, the only way to get inside was to sneak in. His plan was to sneak in with disguises. Maxwell and Lia both liked that idea. They went back home, and Nola oh-so-graciously showed them the cache of clothes she had hidden away in her home. They weren't just women's clothes though, oh no, they were all kinds of clothes. She let Maxwell and Lia loose on it – though, only when Maxwell asked. The two Air Pirates had to choose their outfits accordingly. They had to look as if they were from Nasr, or hired to work with the men. Both found outfits that would fit them, Gavin having his own outfit stored away in his own hiding spot for just this kind of thing back on his ship. Maxwell and Lia came out with their outfits and changed, Lia going first. It took a few moments until she poked her head out of the door.
"I… don't know if I really want to wear this so much anymore." Lia said, hinting at a blush, which she rarely got when nervous.
"Come on, how bad can it be?" Maxwell pointed out.
"Fine." Lia sighed as she stepped out of the bedroom.
Maxwell had to blink once or twice to check if his eyes were right. Lia was wearing a very exotic outfit! Her hair was done up in a long braid at the back, her bangs worn to frame her lavender eyes. Much of her pale skin was exposed until it reached a top much like her own, though much, much smaller. It was made merely to hide the necessary amount of her chest, nothing more. It held tightly to her form, the light pink top being somewhat tight to her chest. She still wore her golden bracelets and Sapphire earrings, but she also had golden, solid lining on the waistline of her pants. The waistline was shaped to a point that showed more of her trim, smooth stomach than her skirt would have. The pale pink pants were puffy, unique to Nasr, and her dainty feet in a pair of decorative shoes that came up to a point like Taylor's hair at the toes. She held her left arm shyly, her right arm draped over her stomach, her lavender eyes averted, her ruby red lipstick all glossy and beautiful. She felt very exposed in her new outfit.
"Lia…?" Maxwell said her name, but it almost came out as questioning.
"…" Lia didn't respond.
"Lia, you look fantastic!" Maxwell smiled.
"Really…?" She looked to Maxwell, a light smile appearing on her face.
"Certainly." Gavin's mother approved. "You look like a beautiful young lady."
"There's ab-so-lutely nothing wrong with showing off what you've got every now and again!" Nola said enthusiastically. "I'm sure you'll catch the attention of all the guys."
She looked to Maxwell then, who was still studying Lia's outfit. The teenager stared at him with snake eyes for a moment before nudging him to get his attention. "You next, Maxy!"
Maxwell went to change into his outfit then. It took him a few minutes until he got out. He stepped out and put his arms out beside him, looking at himself. He had a pair of goggles on, which seemed solid, like he couldn't see. In all reality, it had shutters rather than glass to see out of. He looked down at the lime-green vest he was wearing that was open at the front, exposing his tanned chest. At about his slightly toned abdomen, he still wore his red silk, decorative sash that hung down to his right side. Salmon coloured pants came down much like his old blue ones, and ended at the pair of leather sandals he wore rather than his old wooden ones. He didn't quite know what to think. His sword still dangled from his hip, which made him look somewhat like a bandit. Lia smiled somewhat at him, while Nola stared at him dreamily.
"Pretty spiffy there." Lia said as she crossed her arms.
"You think so?" Maxwell grinned, striking a little pose.
"You look absolutely dreamy…" Nola said, as if she was in a trace. Maxwell blushed as both him and Lia looked at her.
"Whoa there." Gavin's voice came in from the door. "Look at you two!"
Gavin was looking fairly spiffy himself, if not a little bit comical. Nobody would have known that it was Gavin beneath the outfit the young man was wearing. His nomadic veil was on again though it was longer, only a few of his bangs hanging down, the rest of his hair being hidden. A large pair of sunglasses hid his eyes from sight, while a white silk face cover hid his mouth. He wore a white sort of cloak that was pinned to his chest with a broach, a long sleeve white shirt beneath it. He wore baggy pants almost like Lia's, though he had a red sash almost like Maxwell's over his waist, the only difference was his had no extra fabric to hang down. His cloak ended at about his knees, almost like a cape, and his decorative shoes, almost like Lia's but more masculine, showing. His sword was still on his back, the golden handle with a piece of red Moonstone glimmering at the hilt.
"And look at you!" Lia said.
"Isn't that a little bit suspicious?" Maxwell asked.
"Nah." Gavin responded. "It'll be fine. Are we ready to go?"
"Does Maxwell have to go so soon?" Nola complained.
"Yeah, I do." Maxwell said, almost as if he wanted to leave. "I have to go right away, right Gavin?"
"Yeah, they men that are going to the dig are leaving soon." Gavin said. "There's no time to waste."