-Three days later-
Diana woke up and headed to the main deck and smelled the salty air. She stretched towards the sun and closed her eyes to enjoy the warmth. Diana suddenly began to hum a song when Benwick noticed her.
"Diana!" Benwick shouted and Diana opened her eyes. He joined her and stared at the sea below them. "How're you feeling?" Diana smiled and a grin spread across his face.
"Better than yesterday at least." She said while placing a hand under her chin.
"I heard you humming, you should sing to the crew some time. Your voice sounds like a beautiful melody," Benwick complemented. Diana rolled her eyes and nudged him gently. "What? I'm only telling the truth."
"Benwick's telling the truth, Diana." Eizen said as he joined them and Diana smiled brightly at him. He smiled back as he stood next to her.
"So, what's next, First Mate?" Benwick asked. Eizen placed a finger in his chin and closed his eyes in deep thought.
Before Diana could get Eizen's attention, something moved in the corner of her eye. She stepped away from Eizen and Benwick to see what it was, it was a ship that resembled a Merchant's that caught her attention. They were heading towards the Vortigern Sea Gate Fortress. Diana ran back to Eizen and Benwick.
"Eizen, Benwick!" Diana called out.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"There's a merchant ship that is heading for Vortigern!" She exclaimed, pointing at the ship and Eizen's eyes grew wide.
"The Sea Gate Fortress. Why would they be heading there?" Eizen asked.
"They probably don't know the gates are sealed. Should we stop them?" Benwick asked. Eizen pondered for a moment, then his eyes met Diana's.
"Diana, are you up for this?" Eizen asked.
"Of course but I shouldn't summon for the time being."
"Aim the cannons for the water next to the ship. We'll ground the ship and warn them," Eizen said to the crew. They all nodded and went to their stations. Diana got to her position on the front of the ship and takes out her book as it levitated. "Aim your artes at the port side of the ship."
She nodded and prepared herself. The ship speed up and Diana used water artes to push their ship towards the nearest island. After a few minutes of cannon fire and artes, the ship grounded near West Laban Tunnel. Diana saw the people on the ship get off and prepare themselves for battle.
"Drop anchor!" Eizen shouted.
Eizen and Diana stay on board while Benwick confronted the strangers. After a few minutes of waiting, Eizen and Diana left the Van Eltia.
"That'll be us," Eizen said as they approached the strangers. Diana sensed something strange about two of them and could tell Eizen felt the same dark presence.
"Two daemons, a Malak, and a witch. That's quite a group you've got," Diana said with a smirk. "The little boy with them is a Malak with extraordinary power. I can feel it just by standing close to him."
"Why did you target our ship?" The girl with long black hair growled. Diana tugged on Eizen's sleeve and he looked at her.
"I'll handle this," Diana whispered in his ear.
"Are you sure you're not pushing yourself?" He asked. Diana smiled to reassure him.
"I'll be fine, Eizen." He nodded and Diana walked a few steps forward. "You were heading towards the Sea Gate. The gates have been sealed shut by the order of the Abbey. We stopped you to give you this warning so you wouldn't be killed."
"So, you stopped us to save our lives?" The man with hair covering one eye asked.
"Yes, and we plan to help you get past the gate. You're going to need all the help you can get." Diana said placing a hand on her hip.
"Why should we trust you?" The girl took a step towards them and her hand changed. It resembles a claw from a werewolf and a dark aura resonated from the limb.
"I see we have no choice. Ready yourself, Diana," Eizen said. Diana took out her book without a second thought and took a fighting stance. Without another word, their battle began.
Diana used her powers to knock away the malak boy even though she felt bad to do that to him before the black haired woman tried to attack her but Eizen used one of his earth Artes to force her back. The battle was intense even though Diana knew this was only a test for the newcomers if they were worthy to join the Aifread crew, so Eizen didn't use his full strength like she did to not reveal their potential. After a while, Eizen and Diana stopped as they were satisfied and took away their weapons.
"You pass the test. Join us." Eizen offered as their opponents sheathed their weapons.
"Well, aren't you the impudent one?" The woman asked.
"Says the daemon who torched Hellawes." Diana pointed out. After sailing away from the snow covered land they had gotten information rather quickly that there was a daemon that caught the whole village in flames in a matter of seconds.
"You knew about that?" The woman asked a bit shocked even though it didn't show on her face.
"I hope you realize we're doing you a favor." Eizen told the group. "Just like she explained. If you'd stayed on that course, you would've smashed right up against the Gate of Vortigern."
"You're heading for Midgand, aren't you?" Benwick guessed. "That means gonna have to go through the narrows up ahead. But the kingdom has a massive fortress there built to defend them... With a tremendous gate." The woman began to think about it.
"If that is true, we're in your debt." The daemon man said grateful.
"We desire to pass through as well, but we lack the strength. I propose we form a partnership." Eizen requested.
"We might be Malakhim but we can't just rely on our abilities in combat." Diana explained further.
"I'd be a fool to blindly trust the words of a few pirates." The woman responded.
"It's up to you if you accept. But that's okay if you don't want to. You should look at the gate for yourself. We won't stop you. We'll even throw you a nice funeral, if you like." Eizen said before walking forwards them with Diana by his side, the small group thought they would be attacked again before they figured it out.
"So what? We're allowed to refuse?" The witch asked confused and Diana turned around.
"It's your call." She answered simply.
"Your business is your business, and ours is ours. There's nothing more to say." Eizen continued. Benwick ran over to them quickly.
"But First Mate! Y-You can't go alone! We'll come with you!" He said.
"You'll only get in the way. Stick to the plan and focus on your duties aboard the Van Eltia." Eizen replied before continuing forward.
"Don't worry, Benwick. I'll look after him." Diana assured him before following the earth malak.
"Be careful." Benwick said as he watched the malak girl climbing up the vines to follow Eizen.
When she reached the top, Diana took a glance at her friends before going inside the very tunnel. She hadn't seen anything so beautiful and peaceful since her rescue from her old master but daemons was in the cave too which was nothing she couldn't handle on her own thanks to being around the pirate crew and Eizen's curse. It didn't take long before she found the earth malak.
"Eizen." Diana called out which made the Reaper stop and turned around with a grin.
"You weren't followed on your way here?" Eizen asked and Diana shake her head.
"No, they were about to talk to Benwick when I walked in." The malak girl replied with a small smile. "After all, you can't say no to me following you."
"I could but I know you can take care of yourself." Eizen pointed out and Diana giggled.
"Let's go deeper before they catch up to us." Diana said as she walked over to his side. "Or else they are going for an easy walk in here."
"You're really clever, you know that." Eizen said and Diana nodded.
"I'm not Van Eltia's little witch for nothing." Diana explained as a small light flew by her face. "It was I who found that group of misfits."
The two malakhim continued on their way through the tunnel forwards Vortigern. The pirate crew loved being around the girl and whenever she performed with her special powers, she was able to wake constellations inside her book to life and other things that can make normal people think of magic. That is why the crew called her a 'magician' or a 'witch' which the second Diana preferred to call herself, what she didn't know was that the people on the ship was starting to come up with a title since people around the world have noticed the girl on the ship and rumored powers.
Eizen was glad to have met Diana, the first person to not be affected by his curse. The two was a really powerful duo, Diana's magic could be close range and long range so her attack pattern was like his own. Eizen was proud to see much progress on her since it has only been a few weeks since she was freed from her bind of her master and taken on a really kind and unreadable personality which fits her mysterious aura. They had just defeated a giant scorpion daemon when they heard footsteps behind them which revealed to be the black haired woman with her companions but Eizen didn't turn around to face them.
"So, you've chosen to trust a pirate?" Eizen asked them.
"Not for a second. But if you're prepared to lend us the use of your ship and crew until we reach the capital, we'll help you." The woman replied and Diana sighed in relief.
"I'll agree to those terms. But there's something I should tell you first." The pirate malak explained as he took his coin out from his pocket and threw up in the air before catching it with the same hand, showing it landed on tails once again. "I bring ill fortune to all those around me. The 'Reaper's Curse'. I could flip this coin a thousand times and still land on tails. Trying to get through the fort once cost the lives of five good sailors. If you join up with us. I can't guarantee your safety."
"Why would you go out of your way to warn us?" The woman asked, obviously not believing in the curse.
"He cares for everyone around him that is affected by the curse that isn't considered an enemy, besides you wouldn't want to meet an unwanted death." Diana said as Eizen threw his coin to the woman, who caught it in her human hand, surprising the female malak. "If you still want to come with us, you know the risks around us."
"Works for me." The woman said as she threw the coin back to Eizen. "I land on tails, I'll flip it to heads on my own." Eizen opened his hand and started to grin as he showed the coin to Diana, the coin had landed on heads which made Diana smile big.
"You were right." Eizen confessed.
"Of course, I was." Diana said hugging her book, getting the trio's attention as the malak boy eyed the book in her arms.
"Your name?" Eizen asked the group.
"Velvet. This is Number Two." The woman introduced her and the boy malak, who stayed quiet as Eizen crossed his arms and Diana got a little worried.
"I'm Rokurou. A pleasure." The daemon swordsman told them his name.
"Eizen, this is Diana." Eizen introduced them.
"A pleasure." The witch malak greeted while bowing slightly. "We're grateful for you accompanying us."
"You got a plan to attack, I'm sure. Let's hear it." Velvet said to get to the point.
"To put it bluntly, Vortigern is impregnable. It won't fall to an attack whether by sea or by land." Diana explained as she unsummoned her book. "The walls and gates are big and thick, made by stone."
"So, no plan?" Rokurou asked.
"Wait. What about both at once?" Velvet asked.
"Exactly. First we send the Van Eltia to draw their fleet out of the narrows. Then we slip inside and open the seagate ourselves. The Van Eltia will then break away and rush back into the channel. We'll climb aboard and push through." Eizen explained with Diana nodding in agreement.
"So we are sneaking in through one of the entrances on the other side of the wall to open it by ourselves and then get on the Van Eltia as she comes in." Diana finished. "It won't be easy, especially when Vortigern's security is tight and with Eizen's curse. There'll be guards everywhere which is why we needed your help."
"One slip and we're all as good as dead." Rokurou pointed out nervous.
"Then don't slip, and we're not dead." Velvet replied.
"Walking with the reaper, huh?" Rokurou said sweat dropping.
"The plan is already in motion." Eizen said serious. "Let's move. This cave leads to the fortress."
The group started walking through the cave and the malakhim were right to add the trio with them. However, Eizen and Diana would glance at Number two a few times since they were worried about him and his lack of communication with them. Eizen also had feeling that Diana would notice about what's actually wrong with the boy. Velvet and Rokurou was in for a surprise when it came to Diana's abilities and had their suspicion that maybe Diana wasn't just a malak but something else.
"The kid's awfully quiet. You think maybe there's something wrong with him?" Rokurou said.
"Number Two always that way." Velvet replied.
'That's true. He's really quiet unlike Velvet and Rokurou.' Diana thought worried as she glanced at the boy. 'I hope he's okay.'
"Stop that. Calling him by a number is cruel." The daemon swordsman said.
"What's 'Rokurou' mean?" The black haired woman asked.
"Well. 'Son Number Six'. Technically." Rokurou answered.
"Same thing then." Velvet replied.
"Not even remotely!" Rokurou exclaimed a little irritated.
"Number Two, do you have something in mind?" Diana asked as she turned around.
The malak girl gasped when she saw that the boy covering his mouth as a big scorpion was in front of him. Number Two just stood there, he didn't move, he didn't shout and was waiting for the daemon to strike. Diana couldn't handle it and disappeared into white mist and sparkles, reappearing over the boy and forced themselves to the ground and Diana used her vines to tie it down as an arrow of wind hit it, finishing it off as the rest of the group as the malak witch stood up with Number Two.
"You alright, you two?!" Rokurou asked as Eizen came to Diana's side.
"Yeah, barely." Diana replied as she felt a small pain in her right arm.
"Why didn't you say something?!" Velvet said upset. "If Diana hadn't noticed in time, you'd be dead!" The malak boy lowered his head.
"... you ordered me to keep my mouth shut." He answered and Velvet realized something while Diana was shocked and Eizen noticed this, knowing that the female pirate finally noticed the similarities between the two of them.
"That's not what I meant?! Why? Why did you do that?" The daemon woman exclaimed and started shaking the boy, her tone was filled with concern.
"Whoa, take it easy, Velvet." Rokurou said as she stopped and let go of the boy.
"Let me guess, kid. You were bound by an exorcist?" Eizen asked and Diana covered her eyes with her bangs. Number Two nodded as an answer and Eizen sighed with a sad look in his eyes. "I thought as much. The boy's will has been sealed away. Malakhim have individual personalities, just like humans. But exorcists have developed methods to seal those personalities away... So they can use malakhim as uncomplaining tools."
"Eizen..." Diana said which caught everyone's attention. "Did I... act like this before you saved me?" Eizen sighed as an answer and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Diana was just like him until we took her from her master under a raid with that exorcist's ship, however I've never seen someone escape from an exorcist." Eizen explained to the group. "But it is possible to regain their will over time, we have taken time to help Diana which is why she can talk her thoughts and experience things like people and malakhim do. We can't guarantee it is possible he can regain it like she did." Velvet wasn't listening and looked at Number Two, who was looking at Diana's arm.
"Are you hurt?" He asked and Diana smiled sadly as she got down on one knee, showing the small bruise on her elbow.
"I'm alright, it is just a bruise from the fall." Diana explained. "It'll heal on its own or I'll use an arte on it. Thank you for asking."
"Thank... you..." Number Two repeated as Diana stood up.
"Listen, kid. If you ever in trouble, speak up ok?" Rokurou said.
"If I'm...In trouble?" Number Two repeated a little confused.
"Yeah. Don't hesitate to call for help if you're about to get attacked by a monster okay?" Diana said with a gentle smile and the malak boy only nodded.