Here. I'm not dead, don't worry about it. There's no excuse as to why I haven't been writing except the fact that I couldn't think of how to word things, then I just forgot about it for a while until I could pull it up again. Don't you worry, I'm gonna finish this story, then I'm going to start some more stories (Got three sitting around in my head). But I'm not sure what so start next.
Let me tell you, this has an awfully blank ending. I didn't know how to end it. Well I did, but I didn't know how to word it... But anyways, on to the show!
-
Vyse stared at Blueheim with cold eyes. He wondered why no one came to move the decommissioned Gigas. Oh well. It made things much more easier for him. He bent down, plucking one of the smaller feathers from Blueheim's artificial wing. It was heavy, made of a material that didn't come to Vyse's mind immediately. A few silver veins ran through the wing, sparkling sometimes. It still had some life in it. Vyse smirked, tucking the wing in his pocket. He almost felt proud of himself before he remembered the purpose of gathering bits of the Gigases. He cursed to himself before climbing back into his little lifeboat again.
Off to find Fina.
-
"I am sorry, Vyse, I have not heard any word of Fina in my lands"
Aika bit her lip, worried again. Her mind was torn between wanting to find Fina or... well, she didn't know what else there was, but Fina was her best friend, and once she was found, Aika would have to tell her about her relationship with Vyse. She snuck a look a Vyse, who had his head bowed. He really did look so regal and handsome. And he was hers. It made her smile despite herself.
Vyse noticed Aika's gaze and grin, but didn't acknowledge it. This meeting was for business, play time would be later. "Thank you, Lord Mikado. If you don't mind, but could my crew stay for a few more days? We heard a rumor that Fina might be in one of the surrounding islands"
"Anything for the you and your crew"
"Thank you, Lord Mikado," he said, bowing. He glanced at Aika, signaling that it was time to leave. She bowed once before turning and following Vyse out. Once out of the king's sight, she snuggled with Vyse, giggling. Vyse smiled, allowing her to cling to his arm. Aika stopped herself, sighing.
"Vyse, look at me. I'm giggling in joy when our best friend is out there missing"
"Its not wrong to be happy. You still grieve, that shows that you care." Vyse stepped into the guest house and sat on a pillow. He thought for a moment before looking at Aika, who was lost in thought. "I was planning to split the crew into groups, two or three per group. We have enough ships for about eight groups. Sound good"
"Of course. How will we contact each other"
Vyse pulled out a map of the Yafutoma airspace. Several islands were marked with a red pin. "Almost all of the islands are in sight of each other. A simple Pyri spell would be enough to alert others in surrounding areas"
Aika nodded, astonished at Vyse's swift reasoning. She looked at the map. "So who's going where"
Vyse took a pen out of his pocket, pairing members of his crew up. Almost every island had a group to search it. He wrote down the names of the groups on the map, saving one fairly large one for last. He paused, his pen hovering above the island. Aika looked at him. "What's wrong"
Vyse frowned, putting the pen down. "This island... We should have passed it on the way here, but we didn't. I remember, there were no islands on starboard side"
"That's odd," Aika stated. "You're sure"
"Positive"
"Well, we can always look and see if it appears. Could be something to discover, remember the dynamics of Mirage Lake"
Vyse shrugged, writing their names down under the island. "We have a lot more islands to choose from if necessary"
"Vyse! It's been forever"
Both turned, eyes falling on the Diago's broad stature. The prince had cast off his royal garb and chosen the more comfortable clothes he wore while in exile. He strode over to Vyse, clamping him hard on the back. Vyse winced, jerking forward from the hard motion. Diago sat beside the two, smiling heartily. "And the lovely Aika! Such company is rare"
Aika smiled. She always like Diago. Maybe it was because he reminded her of Vyse. Nonetheless, his friendly, approachable manor was nice compared to the harsh, old pirate types she mainly saw. "Diago, how are you doing"
"Excellent! I would have come to greet you at the docks, but I just got back. The Tenkou needed me. Seems they aren't complete without me..." He paused, frowning with confusion. "Where's Fina"
Vyse looked at the map, making invisible lines with his pen. Aika sighed. "She went missing a while ago. Kidnapped"
"Kidnapped!" Diago growled, clenching his fists. "When I find the scum that did it"
If it wasn't for the nature of the situation, Vyse would have laughed. Diago was a lot like him, though he had a bit of a dramatic flair sometimes. Vyse looked back at the map, pointing at the island with his pen. "Diago, do you know anything about this island"
Diago leaned over the map, studying it for a moment. His brow furrowed in confusion before he leaned back, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Most maps don't have that island on there. Where did you get it"
"It was in storage," Aika said. "We assumed the Empire made it"
"Well, the Empire did know practically everything about the world." Diago tapped his finger on the island, looking at the two seriously. "This island is called the Island of Misery. Many people have wasted away looking for it. Its said to have mountains of treasure on it, out in the open for anyone who wants it. The catch is that it appears at random. You can never be sure when you'll see it, or if you will. There is a legend among my people that says that there was an evil wizard that sold his soul to the demons of the sky to become the richest man in the world. He hid his riches on the island, casting a spell on it so that no one would be able to see it as long as he was wandering the world. Eventually the demons took his body as a sacrifice. His ghost remains on the island, moaning his misery, hence the name. The spell he cast remains partially intact, since his soul remains to watch us, but he is not here physically"
Vyse and Aika sat silently, stunned by the story. Vyse nodded slowly, taking everything in. Aika smiled. "You say mountains of treasure"
"Well, that's what they say"
Aika laughed triumphantly. "Vyse, we're going to search for this island until it kills us"
Vyse didn't know whether to sigh or to laugh. "What about Fina"
"We'll find her, too"
Diago laughed heartily. "You two bring life to this boring country. You must visit more often. By the way, how is my sister doing"
Vyse rolled the map up into a tight cylinder, standing up. He smiled. "She's in Valua with Enrique now. Next time we visit them, we'll see if she wants to come back for a bit." He looked at Aika, tapping the map in his hands. "Aika, I think we shouldn't waste time. Lets tell the others"
-
Vyse looked at the map again, alone in the bridge. Everyone was in the hall eating dinner, and he had slipped away unnoticed by anyone. He thought about the date, trying to figure out when the Island of Misery would reappear once again. Many people didn't realize, but there was a pattern as to when the island appeared. It was a simple math trick. Two days in a row, then the second day after, then the third day, then the fifth day, then the eight day, then the thirteenth day. 1,1,2,3,5,8,13. The last day was considered the first day again, so the day after that it appeared for another day before disappearing.
This would have been the last day, so tomorrow the island could be reached. Very fortunate for him, for he didn't have time to waste. The project was sensitive, and if he took to much time on it, then all of his hard work would have been for naught. Tomorrow his crew would go out to search, and he and Aika would go to the Island of Misery and do some investigating there.
He almost chuckled before stopping himself, eyes wide in surprise and fright. He was proud of his accomplishments. It couldn't be denied, he had steadily stopped hating his job and took pleasure in it. But after his night with Aika, who wouldn't be? But why would he enjoy such horridness? Unless that fool was at the island commanding him to enjoy it. Was it possible? He wasn't too sure if anything was or wasn't possible these days. His whole life had been turned upside down, and he could be sure of nothing. Vyse sighed, leaving the map on the table and retreating to the dinning hall.
-
Aika sighed, watching the other members of the crew take the miniature boats and go off to their assigned islands. The only crew members left on the boat were Marco and Belle, who would remain to watch after the ship. Hopefully someone would find Fina. If they didn't this time around, Enrique and Moegi were to come in a few days times and aid in the searching.
She looked over at Vyse, who was stirring the ship with an expert's hands. He seemed tense, as if he anticipated something. What that something was she probably would never know. Even though the two had a close relationship, he still kept secrets. But Aika had long since decided that it didn't matter; she knew that Vyse wouldn't do anything to hurt her or her friends. So what harm would a secret do?
"I'm going to circle this area for a bit," Vyse said, looking over his shoulder at her. "Look out the port side windows, tell me if you see an island"
"Okay." She got up from where she was sitting, walking over to the windows. The whole idea of this Island of Misery scared her. An entire island that disappeared randomly? What would happen if it disappeared and they were still on it? Where would they go? Was it possible that there was an area like the Dark Rift around here that the island was periodically sucked into? She shivered. The Dark Rift was definitely not her favorite place, and she would have rather not have anything to do with it again.
She gasped. "Its there. There's an island right here"
It was more like a continent than an island. It had looked much smaller on the map. Vyse, smiled. "Guess we've made another discovery"
Aika returned the grin. "I guess we have"
She looked back at the windows, her excitement banishing her worries for the moment. It looked so quaint, with its green forests, blue lakes, small villages, wide fields-
Small villages? "Vyse, I thought this island was inhabited"
"Isn't it"
"There are houses"
"Hmm..." He didn't say any more on it, a thoughtful look falling on his face. "Lets anchor right on the southern tip, we can get on a boat from there"
"Alright," Aika said, going back to the machines and controls. Soon the two were out of the ship, cruising around the fields in their miniature boat. They hadn't run into anyone or anything when the boat made a sudden sputtering sound and stopped, dropping to the ground heavily. Aika gripped the edges of the boat as Vyse pressed numerous buttons.
"I can't get it to respond," he said finally. There was a pause where both of them contemplated what to do. Vyse turned to her with a desperate grin. "Guess we go on foot"
"Walk this entire island?" she responded with disbelief. She'd never walked so much in her life... but what choice did she have? Vyse hopped out of the boat, holding a hand out to help Aika down. She took it gratefully, even though she could get out by herself. Normally she would have smacked a guy for thinking she needed help to do something like that, but Vyse just made it romantic.
He smiled at her, not letting go of her hand. "Alright then, lets go"
Aika was too busy staring over Vyse's shoulder and the abandoned shack in the distance. "Someone lived here once," she distantly pointed out. Vyse turned, looking at the shack. The shack was small and of early design. It was leaning to one side, as if its foundation couldn't bare to hold up all the house's weight.
"How depressing"
"Vyse, we have to look inside." She tugged on his hand, pulling him towards the shack. "What if there's a clue"
'She's too eager,' Vyse thought. 'Why is she running into things like this with such determination'
Aika opened the door carefully, revealing a cloud of dust. Was that someone behind the dust? "Is anyone there?" she called out gently. She stepped inside a bit, her hand falling from Vyse's. "Hello"
Vyse backed up from the house. It was tearing his heart to have to do this. This was possibly the only time he had completed part of the plan and not been happy about it. He closed his eyes and waited five seconds. There was the thud of a body hitting the floor heavily. He walked back in the house, the sleeping gas not effecting him at all. He scooped Aika into his arms and walked back outside, not surprised to see a small caravel hovering fifteen feet above his head. With a single bound he made it to the railing. He didn't make eye contact with anyone on board, not even when he handed Aika's body to a crew member who took her below decks. He sat with his back against the railing, taking a distance look.
-
And there you have it. Who saw this ending coming? I'm going to tie up any loose ends in the last chapter, but so that I don't forget anything, review and ask me any questions about the plot that has been bugging you for a long time. Though I'd like to think I've kinda revealed everything... no questions about what they're about to do, you'll find that out soon (in six months.
Please review.
Let me tell you, this has an awfully blank ending. I didn't know how to end it. Well I did, but I didn't know how to word it... But anyways, on to the show!
-
Vyse stared at Blueheim with cold eyes. He wondered why no one came to move the decommissioned Gigas. Oh well. It made things much more easier for him. He bent down, plucking one of the smaller feathers from Blueheim's artificial wing. It was heavy, made of a material that didn't come to Vyse's mind immediately. A few silver veins ran through the wing, sparkling sometimes. It still had some life in it. Vyse smirked, tucking the wing in his pocket. He almost felt proud of himself before he remembered the purpose of gathering bits of the Gigases. He cursed to himself before climbing back into his little lifeboat again.
Off to find Fina.
-
"I am sorry, Vyse, I have not heard any word of Fina in my lands"
Aika bit her lip, worried again. Her mind was torn between wanting to find Fina or... well, she didn't know what else there was, but Fina was her best friend, and once she was found, Aika would have to tell her about her relationship with Vyse. She snuck a look a Vyse, who had his head bowed. He really did look so regal and handsome. And he was hers. It made her smile despite herself.
Vyse noticed Aika's gaze and grin, but didn't acknowledge it. This meeting was for business, play time would be later. "Thank you, Lord Mikado. If you don't mind, but could my crew stay for a few more days? We heard a rumor that Fina might be in one of the surrounding islands"
"Anything for the you and your crew"
"Thank you, Lord Mikado," he said, bowing. He glanced at Aika, signaling that it was time to leave. She bowed once before turning and following Vyse out. Once out of the king's sight, she snuggled with Vyse, giggling. Vyse smiled, allowing her to cling to his arm. Aika stopped herself, sighing.
"Vyse, look at me. I'm giggling in joy when our best friend is out there missing"
"Its not wrong to be happy. You still grieve, that shows that you care." Vyse stepped into the guest house and sat on a pillow. He thought for a moment before looking at Aika, who was lost in thought. "I was planning to split the crew into groups, two or three per group. We have enough ships for about eight groups. Sound good"
"Of course. How will we contact each other"
Vyse pulled out a map of the Yafutoma airspace. Several islands were marked with a red pin. "Almost all of the islands are in sight of each other. A simple Pyri spell would be enough to alert others in surrounding areas"
Aika nodded, astonished at Vyse's swift reasoning. She looked at the map. "So who's going where"
Vyse took a pen out of his pocket, pairing members of his crew up. Almost every island had a group to search it. He wrote down the names of the groups on the map, saving one fairly large one for last. He paused, his pen hovering above the island. Aika looked at him. "What's wrong"
Vyse frowned, putting the pen down. "This island... We should have passed it on the way here, but we didn't. I remember, there were no islands on starboard side"
"That's odd," Aika stated. "You're sure"
"Positive"
"Well, we can always look and see if it appears. Could be something to discover, remember the dynamics of Mirage Lake"
Vyse shrugged, writing their names down under the island. "We have a lot more islands to choose from if necessary"
"Vyse! It's been forever"
Both turned, eyes falling on the Diago's broad stature. The prince had cast off his royal garb and chosen the more comfortable clothes he wore while in exile. He strode over to Vyse, clamping him hard on the back. Vyse winced, jerking forward from the hard motion. Diago sat beside the two, smiling heartily. "And the lovely Aika! Such company is rare"
Aika smiled. She always like Diago. Maybe it was because he reminded her of Vyse. Nonetheless, his friendly, approachable manor was nice compared to the harsh, old pirate types she mainly saw. "Diago, how are you doing"
"Excellent! I would have come to greet you at the docks, but I just got back. The Tenkou needed me. Seems they aren't complete without me..." He paused, frowning with confusion. "Where's Fina"
Vyse looked at the map, making invisible lines with his pen. Aika sighed. "She went missing a while ago. Kidnapped"
"Kidnapped!" Diago growled, clenching his fists. "When I find the scum that did it"
If it wasn't for the nature of the situation, Vyse would have laughed. Diago was a lot like him, though he had a bit of a dramatic flair sometimes. Vyse looked back at the map, pointing at the island with his pen. "Diago, do you know anything about this island"
Diago leaned over the map, studying it for a moment. His brow furrowed in confusion before he leaned back, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Most maps don't have that island on there. Where did you get it"
"It was in storage," Aika said. "We assumed the Empire made it"
"Well, the Empire did know practically everything about the world." Diago tapped his finger on the island, looking at the two seriously. "This island is called the Island of Misery. Many people have wasted away looking for it. Its said to have mountains of treasure on it, out in the open for anyone who wants it. The catch is that it appears at random. You can never be sure when you'll see it, or if you will. There is a legend among my people that says that there was an evil wizard that sold his soul to the demons of the sky to become the richest man in the world. He hid his riches on the island, casting a spell on it so that no one would be able to see it as long as he was wandering the world. Eventually the demons took his body as a sacrifice. His ghost remains on the island, moaning his misery, hence the name. The spell he cast remains partially intact, since his soul remains to watch us, but he is not here physically"
Vyse and Aika sat silently, stunned by the story. Vyse nodded slowly, taking everything in. Aika smiled. "You say mountains of treasure"
"Well, that's what they say"
Aika laughed triumphantly. "Vyse, we're going to search for this island until it kills us"
Vyse didn't know whether to sigh or to laugh. "What about Fina"
"We'll find her, too"
Diago laughed heartily. "You two bring life to this boring country. You must visit more often. By the way, how is my sister doing"
Vyse rolled the map up into a tight cylinder, standing up. He smiled. "She's in Valua with Enrique now. Next time we visit them, we'll see if she wants to come back for a bit." He looked at Aika, tapping the map in his hands. "Aika, I think we shouldn't waste time. Lets tell the others"
-
Vyse looked at the map again, alone in the bridge. Everyone was in the hall eating dinner, and he had slipped away unnoticed by anyone. He thought about the date, trying to figure out when the Island of Misery would reappear once again. Many people didn't realize, but there was a pattern as to when the island appeared. It was a simple math trick. Two days in a row, then the second day after, then the third day, then the fifth day, then the eight day, then the thirteenth day. 1,1,2,3,5,8,13. The last day was considered the first day again, so the day after that it appeared for another day before disappearing.
This would have been the last day, so tomorrow the island could be reached. Very fortunate for him, for he didn't have time to waste. The project was sensitive, and if he took to much time on it, then all of his hard work would have been for naught. Tomorrow his crew would go out to search, and he and Aika would go to the Island of Misery and do some investigating there.
He almost chuckled before stopping himself, eyes wide in surprise and fright. He was proud of his accomplishments. It couldn't be denied, he had steadily stopped hating his job and took pleasure in it. But after his night with Aika, who wouldn't be? But why would he enjoy such horridness? Unless that fool was at the island commanding him to enjoy it. Was it possible? He wasn't too sure if anything was or wasn't possible these days. His whole life had been turned upside down, and he could be sure of nothing. Vyse sighed, leaving the map on the table and retreating to the dinning hall.
-
Aika sighed, watching the other members of the crew take the miniature boats and go off to their assigned islands. The only crew members left on the boat were Marco and Belle, who would remain to watch after the ship. Hopefully someone would find Fina. If they didn't this time around, Enrique and Moegi were to come in a few days times and aid in the searching.
She looked over at Vyse, who was stirring the ship with an expert's hands. He seemed tense, as if he anticipated something. What that something was she probably would never know. Even though the two had a close relationship, he still kept secrets. But Aika had long since decided that it didn't matter; she knew that Vyse wouldn't do anything to hurt her or her friends. So what harm would a secret do?
"I'm going to circle this area for a bit," Vyse said, looking over his shoulder at her. "Look out the port side windows, tell me if you see an island"
"Okay." She got up from where she was sitting, walking over to the windows. The whole idea of this Island of Misery scared her. An entire island that disappeared randomly? What would happen if it disappeared and they were still on it? Where would they go? Was it possible that there was an area like the Dark Rift around here that the island was periodically sucked into? She shivered. The Dark Rift was definitely not her favorite place, and she would have rather not have anything to do with it again.
She gasped. "Its there. There's an island right here"
It was more like a continent than an island. It had looked much smaller on the map. Vyse, smiled. "Guess we've made another discovery"
Aika returned the grin. "I guess we have"
She looked back at the windows, her excitement banishing her worries for the moment. It looked so quaint, with its green forests, blue lakes, small villages, wide fields-
Small villages? "Vyse, I thought this island was inhabited"
"Isn't it"
"There are houses"
"Hmm..." He didn't say any more on it, a thoughtful look falling on his face. "Lets anchor right on the southern tip, we can get on a boat from there"
"Alright," Aika said, going back to the machines and controls. Soon the two were out of the ship, cruising around the fields in their miniature boat. They hadn't run into anyone or anything when the boat made a sudden sputtering sound and stopped, dropping to the ground heavily. Aika gripped the edges of the boat as Vyse pressed numerous buttons.
"I can't get it to respond," he said finally. There was a pause where both of them contemplated what to do. Vyse turned to her with a desperate grin. "Guess we go on foot"
"Walk this entire island?" she responded with disbelief. She'd never walked so much in her life... but what choice did she have? Vyse hopped out of the boat, holding a hand out to help Aika down. She took it gratefully, even though she could get out by herself. Normally she would have smacked a guy for thinking she needed help to do something like that, but Vyse just made it romantic.
He smiled at her, not letting go of her hand. "Alright then, lets go"
Aika was too busy staring over Vyse's shoulder and the abandoned shack in the distance. "Someone lived here once," she distantly pointed out. Vyse turned, looking at the shack. The shack was small and of early design. It was leaning to one side, as if its foundation couldn't bare to hold up all the house's weight.
"How depressing"
"Vyse, we have to look inside." She tugged on his hand, pulling him towards the shack. "What if there's a clue"
'She's too eager,' Vyse thought. 'Why is she running into things like this with such determination'
Aika opened the door carefully, revealing a cloud of dust. Was that someone behind the dust? "Is anyone there?" she called out gently. She stepped inside a bit, her hand falling from Vyse's. "Hello"
Vyse backed up from the house. It was tearing his heart to have to do this. This was possibly the only time he had completed part of the plan and not been happy about it. He closed his eyes and waited five seconds. There was the thud of a body hitting the floor heavily. He walked back in the house, the sleeping gas not effecting him at all. He scooped Aika into his arms and walked back outside, not surprised to see a small caravel hovering fifteen feet above his head. With a single bound he made it to the railing. He didn't make eye contact with anyone on board, not even when he handed Aika's body to a crew member who took her below decks. He sat with his back against the railing, taking a distance look.
-
And there you have it. Who saw this ending coming? I'm going to tie up any loose ends in the last chapter, but so that I don't forget anything, review and ask me any questions about the plot that has been bugging you for a long time. Though I'd like to think I've kinda revealed everything... no questions about what they're about to do, you'll find that out soon (in six months.
Please review.