Once again, they were back on the ship, the dark blue waves lapping lazily against the side of it. The ship creaked and groaned in exhaustion as the great sea serpent, Syldra, diligently pulled it along, doing all the work now that there was barely a wind to even blow through Lenna's hair. Bartz and Galuf were somewhere below deck, but Faris hummed solemnly at the helm, keeping his eyes on the horizon and both hands on the wheel. He had opted to leave his pirate crew behind on the notion that the journey ahead would be a long one.
"But, Captain!" they had protested, "You know we'd follow you to the ends of the earth!"
"And I'm thankful for that," the captain had replied. "But I need you louts to stay behind and watch the hideout. We can't have just anyone barging in and taking our treasure."
The pirates looked to each other, a sad but understanding look in their eyes. "Aye, aye, Captain."
Lenna now leaned against the railing of the right side of the ship, or the star-board as Faris had corrected her, contemplating the dream she had the night before. It was strange to say the least; she felt like she had invaded someone else's thoughts or she had seen things that were not meant for her to see. The man and woman, both obviously cared deeply for each other, and the young boy, someone she suspected she knew. That someone aboard the very ship she stood on.
She continued to gaze over the edge at the small waves below. She had a sudden callback to Galuf leaning over this very railing, spitting into the depths below. She had a sudden idea.
She had never really spit before, it was not a lady-like thing to do, but nonetheless she gathered all the saliva in her mouth that she could and parted her lips to spit as far as possible. It fell to the ocean, a piece of her now a part of it, part of the never ending sea. She felt so small in the world now that she had seen a portion of it. It was much bigger than anything she could've ever imagined, and she was now part of a mission she could've never even dreamed of. A child, that's what she was. A small and lonely and lost little child that had no business outside of her home.
She heard footsteps behind her and she hastily wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. She stood up from the rail but kept her grip firmly around it. She held her breath, waiting for the other person to speak.
"Lenna," It was Bartz; he kept his voice down so Faris would not hear their conversation. "What's wrong?"
She kept quiet for a minute trying to decide if she should tell him what she had been thinking. Maybe he would laugh at her and her stupid ignorance, or perhaps he would pity her and treat her like the child she was.
"The wind crystal has shattered," she said instead, deciding to address the issue at hand. She tore her hands from the railing and turned to face him. The sun was starting to set; it painted his face a light rose color.
"Right now, the only difference is that the wind has slowed," she gripped the sides of her dress tightly. "But soon it will stop blowing completely. And in a few years, the air will grow stagnant, and the birds won't have any place to fly."
Her head turned down to address her feet, her hair coming undone to hang in her face. It was all hopeless if they did not protect the other crystals. They had to; she could not disappoint her father because his words to her might've been his last. The thought brought tears to her eyes.
She heard the floorboards creak and she spotted a familiar pair of boot in front of her.
"Father said we have to protect the three remaining crystals." She looked up in time to see Bartz extending his hand, but she ignored it and walked to the front of the ship, placing her hands behind her.
Ignoring her ignoring him, he stepped up beside her, looking to the west at the setting sun. "If the others were lost too, then…" He was fishing for some answers.
"At first, nothing would happen," she began, "but it wouldn't be very long before the earth began to decay. The seas dirtied and rivers ceased to flow, fires lost their heat and the world became dark and cold."
Bartz hummed his acknowledgement, taking in the depressing information.
"It really would become an unlivable world…"
She saw him step towards her once again, but she heard heavy footsteps approaching from behind. Their conversation had not been as quiet as they had thought.
Galuf stomped up to them, raising a fist into the air. "We've gotta protect the crystals!"
"Did that trigger any of your memories, old man?" Bartz raised a brow, amusement on his face.
Galuf thought for a moment, scratching his head. "Nope, but it doesn't matter. I'm still gonna help."
"Well said, old man," Faris called, stepping away from the wheel and walking the length of the ship to meet them. "I'm coming along too."
He crossed his arms across his chest as he stopped in front of the three. "Plus, we still have to find Lenna's father."
"King Tycoon?" Bartz asked, "But he disappeared into thin air."
Faris punched Bartz in the arm, giving him a scalding look. "He still lives; I feel it in my bones. Never for a minute think otherwise."
Lenna gave him an appreciative smile but turned her attention to the wanderer. "Bartz…Will you come with us?"
He frowned at the captain and rubbed his upper arm where he had been hit. A flicker of something that Lenna couldn't read crossed his face. "Before, I was just coming along for the ride," he told them, "but now seeing everyone here…"
He dug into the pocket of his pants, pulling out the familiar little pieces of glass.
"The crystal shards," Lenna noted. It was what tied them together now; they were one team brought together by broken pieces.
"We were given power to protect the world," he continued, "The power of the wind crystal…"
He stared at the shards in his hands a moment longer, then gently pushed them back into his pocket.
"That's it, I'm in. We've got some crystals to save."
Lenna flashed him a big smile, thankful for his help but also curious as to why he really was coming with them.
"To the canal then," Faris announced as he walked back to the helm.
Galuf hopped up on the front mast of the ship, raising Lenna's heartrate at the sudden fear of the old man falling. "To the canal!"
0-0-0-0-0
"Bartz! Please be careful!"
Lenna stared in horror as Bartz gracefully stepped onto the mast as Galuf had done the day before. He swayed back and forth with his arms out to his sides while trying to find his balance, something shone in his hand in the early morning sunlight.
They were docked in front of the gates of the canal, the big wooden doors locked before them. Bartz had asked their pirate captain that he get the point of the ship as close as he could to the doors for he had an idea of how to get through.
Now he stood at the narrow end where there was barely enough room to have one foot in front of the other. He squatted and leaned forward placing one hand on the door and the other fiddled with whatever was in his grasp. With a grunt he stood and pushed hard on the larger than life doors.
He teetered his way back across the pole, his arms spread once again to make him look like a desperate bird. He safely landed back on the deck and Lenna rushed forward to check on him.
Galuf stood beside him. "Bartz, where in tarnation did you get that key?"
"Does it matter?" he shrugged while throwing a quick look at Lenna. "Let's get going."
Faris took that as his queue to signal Syldra to pull the ship through the doors. It was slow going as Faris did not want to damage his ship in the narrow passage.
"He was just worried about you," Lenna heard in her ear. She turned to her left, suddenly face-to-face with Bartz.
"Who?" She felt the heat involuntarily rising to her face.
Before he could answer, Galuf shouted from behind him. "Can we go any faster, Captain?"
"It's my ship, old man," Faris yelled back. "If you don't like it, you can get off."
"We're not docked though."
The captain let out a wicked laugh, eliciting a giggle from Lenna and Bartz too.
It was slow going through the canal, but finally they had made it to more open waters.
Lenna and Bartz were once again hanging leisurely over the railing on the port side of the ship in companionable silence. The waves on this side of the canal were of a much brighter hue of blue, the water looked almost cleaner and clearer.
"I wonder how much longer," Bartz said, drawing out his words.
"I wouldn't ask the captain, he doesn't seem to be very good at estimating arrival times," Lenna mused.
"Mmm," was the only reply Bartz gave. His limbs dangled loosely over the side, a blank look in his eyes.
"Walse should be straight ahead from here," Galuf appeared to the right of Lenna; he stared down into the waves, a suspicious look on his face. Maybe he would spit again.
The three fell silent, the sound of the waves filling it for them. They rocked with the ship, the occasional monster breaking the surface to determine if they were worth the trouble. Lenna saw octopus-like creatures and oversized fish and something that reminded her of those damned devil crabs.
She also noticed that the noise of the waves was suddenly not as prominent as before; instead there was a constant roar now, still definitely water. She stood up straight, straining her ears.
"Lenna?"
"Do you hear that?"
The other two also stood straight, both turning their ears towards the sea. The roaring water was louder now.
Then the boat began to shake viciously, throwing Lenna and the others to the deck.
"Faris! What's going on?"
Lenna tried pushing herself from the deck, but could not find her balance as she looked towards the helm. The captain was struggling himself, trying to keep his grip on the wheel and the ship going forward.
"Thundering typhoons! The rudders not responding!" the captain cried, his voice sounding a bit higher in the panic.
Bartz pushed himself from the floorboards and stumbled like a drunken sailor to the front of the ship. Lenna tried the same, but was quickly pushed back down.
"It's a whirlpool!" he shouted, the noise now deafening and a hard mist now soaking the ship.
Galuf picked himself back up and staggered his way back over to the captain. "You better figure something out fast, cause we're about to be sucked in-"
He was interrupted as the ships nose started to dip wildly. Everything became a blur as Lenna felt the whole world start to spin; it was too late, they were already in the middle of it.
Lenna felt helpless as Bartz scrambled away from the stern and ran for the captain and Galuf, grabbing Lenna's arm and practically dragging her with him.
She wanted to cry, she was scared to die if this was her end. She would never make it to the water crystal if she was dead and she would never fulfil her father's wish.
There was a sudden unearthly screech from the front of the ship. The ship was now dangerously tipping forward, the view made Lenna sick, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut. She clutched onto Bartz who still had a hold on her arm and a grip on the stair railing to the helm. Her feet started to slide forward as the ship was pulled in even further.
The screech came again and Lenna opened her eyes to see the head of Syldra surface from the water. The captain, still hanging onto the wheel and trying to get it to budge, turned his attention to the beloved creature.
"Syldra!" he shouted, though Lenna wasn't sure the serpent had heard him. "What's wrong?"
"Look alive, something coming!" Bartz warned, nodding to the middle of the whirlpool.
Lenna felt all the hope she had left practically leave her body. Up over the front of the ship came the most grotesque creature she had seen yet. A massive crustacean, its body an ugly blood orange, two claws snapped hungrily at the crew. Its tail reached up and over its head, another set of pinchers on the end of it.
"What is that?" she cried, grabbing even tighter onto Bartz.
"A Karlabos?" she heard Faris say.
"What do we do?" Galuf shouted over the roar. Lenna risked a look up to see him holding on for dear life to the bottom of the wheel.
She heard Bartz take in a shaky breath before he spoke. "We gotta get rid of it!"
"But how?" Lenna wasn't sure they could even do it at this angle, and even so, how could they take on such a monster like that?
Bartz's eyes met hers, a determined glint in them. "We have the power of the crystal," he told her, "we can do this!"
Lenna nodded, waiting for his move.
"Just don't fall off the ship!" he shouted. As if any of them needed to be told that.
None of them were really sure how to call on the spirits of the crystal, but Bartz had figured it out quickly enough. He guided Lenna's hands to the railing he held, then let go of her to pick a crystal shard out of his pocket. He stared at it then held it up, closing his eyes.
"Great knight, Agro! I call upon you!"
Nothing happened for a good moment and Lenna became worried until there was a loud pop! and a bright green glow. A thick fog enveloped Bartz and it quickly fell away to reveal a new man.
Bartz was now every bit the image of a true warrior. He donned new armor that resembled the pieces the knight Agro had worn before. His broadsword was attached to his hip; a bright shiny chest plate adorned his chest. This is what the knights in fairytales look like, Lenna mused, and the thought gave her hope.
"Chantla!" she heard from behind her. "I call upon you!"
Lenna turned to the popping behind her and the same glow and fog from before came from Galuf. He now wore the dark blue robes and big round hat of the black mage. If not for the current situation, Lenna might've laughed at his getup.
The Karlabos scuttled it way up the incline of the ship and once it got close enough, the two sprang into action. Bartz let go of the railing next to Lenna and she nearly let go herself to try and catch him. He let himself slide towards the monster, his sword at the ready. The Karlabos hissed and snapped at him, his prey was coming straight to him!
Bartz swung his sword for the claw on the monster, earning him a cry of protest. He quickly stuck his sword into the wooden floorboard to stop himself from going any further, then reached for the nearest wooden post.
Lenna heard a weird chanting, a language she had never heard before. She looked up to see Galuf moving his lips, but the voice was not his own.
He held his hands in front of his chest, his index and middle finger and both thumbs connecting to make a triangle. His eyes were closed but when he opened them, they were not his. They glowed and thrummed with an energy Lenna could feel from where she was. It sent a jolt up her spine; what were the crystals doing to them?
Galuf pushed his hands away from his body in a fast motion; a thunderbolt from the sky released its energy unto the Karlabos at the same time.
The creature hissed as the electric energy made contact with its wet shell, buying Bartz enough time to make his way back to the railing. He once again released himself, sliding back down the ship to strike once again.
This time though, he failed to stick his sword into the deck, and slid straight into the territory of the Karlabos. It snapped at his leg, grabbing it, and Lenna heard the sickening crunch of flesh and bones over the roar of the whirlpool.
He cried out in pain but quickly pulled himself out of the grasp, using his sword to try and make it back to safety.
Galuf started chanting behind her again, the same gestures and the same words flowing from his body. Another lightning bolt hit the target, this one stronger than before.
Lenna looked back to Bartz who was slowly making his way up to the post. He was leaving behind a blood trail and the creature was close behind, trying to capture his escaped meal.
Lenna's mind raced, she had to help him before it was too late. But how could she? She was certainly no fighter, what else could she do?
An idea sprang forth from her mind, and she tightened her grip on the railing.
"Deidre," her voice shook with fear, "I call upon you!"
It was a very strange feeling to say the least. The popping was even louder than before like it was in her ears, and she felt giddy and light and anxious all at once as the light caressed her.
No time to waste, a voice said in her mind.
Lenna audibly gasped. So the warriors spoke to them while they used them? Did they plan their every move?
Heal him, the white mage from within told her. Lenna looked down the length of the ship just as another bolt hit the Karlabos. Her eyes scanned for Bartz, catching him hanging onto the wooden post in the middle of the ship, a pained look on his face.
She faltered, wondering if she would be able to do it, but her doubts were soon quelled when Bartz's eyes met hers with a pleading look. She had to.
Lenna wrapped her leg around the post of the railing then brought her hands to her chest like she had seen Galuf do, and before she knew it, the words to the incantation poured out of her. Her own voice seemingly different, more precise and calculated. She felt a heat rise to the tips of her fingers, a tingling sensation present. They started to grow unbearably hot and when she could not take it any longer, she thrust her hands forwards towards Bartz, praying that it would work.
A soft glow covered him, the light sprinkling him like dust. His eyes fluttered shut for a moment and his chin dipped for his chest; Lenna felt nauseous. Had it not worked?
But her worries were doused as he lifted his head and pulled himself up against the post, regaining his composure.
There was more chanting from Galuf, this time quicker and more precise, and the biggest bolt Lenna had seen struck the Karlabos. It screeched in pain, losing its footing. It started to slide backwards, unable to keep a grip on the drenched wood. It slid and slid until it hit the stern railing, it finally falling off the edge and back into the whirlpool.
There was even more violent shaking and Lenna's foot slipped from its hold on the railing. She hit her tailbone then her back and her head as she too started to slide down the length of the ship. The wood was wet but rough and she was flying down the floorboards at high speeds.
She screamed as she tried digging her nails into the wood but it only earned her splinters and the loss of a nail. Surely this could not be the end of her, not so soon.
But it would not be the end of her as she soon felt a hand and the sudden stop of her sliding. The force of which she was grabbed then stopped nearly ripped her arm out of her socket. She looked up, it was Bartz! He held a concerned but relieved look on his face as he held onto the hilt of his sword which was, once again, in the floorboards.
The ship groaned intensely and Lenna started to feel her whole world dipping once again. The back was falling back down to the water. The whole ship lurched dangerously backwards, until it fell, causing a humungous splash to drench the party and the deck. Lenna felt herself lift upwards then hit the deck with full force. She groaned in pain.
The ship was moving once again, but this time it was forward and flat and away from the whirlpool. Lenna rubbed her head then turned it towards Bartz. He still held onto her, afraid she was going to fall away.
"Are you okay?" she asked, a bit out of breath.
"Are you?" he returned. His chest was heaving, his hands were bloodied.
She nodded, wiping the sweat from her brow.
"Nice outfit," he told her, pointing to her body.
She looked down and was surprised to see that the white mage's robes were now on her. They were beautiful and intricate, yet simple and elegant. Red triangles donned the edges of the sleeves and hood, the rest was a delicate white. The inside was soft and fuzzy, a gentle and comforting feeling.
There was a familiar roar again, a pained one, and Lenna turned her attention back to the stern.
"Syldra!" Faris cried, running from the wheel to the front. He slipped on the deck, landing on his behind but he quickly got back up, his boots sloshing.
Lenna and Bartz stood, Galuf joining them and the captain. Syldra was shaking herself free of her harness, swimming headfirst back into the whirlpool.
"I'm sure he's okay," Bartz reassured the captain, though it sounded like he was trying to convince himself. "She's a fighter and you know it."
Faris jumped onto the mast as Bartz and Galuf had before. "Syldra!" he cried again. The serpent was now shrieking wildly, it was painful to hear as she disappeared beneath the waves.
Galuf and Bartz rushed forward, each grabbing an arm on the captain. They pulled him back off but he thrashed about, knocking Bartz in the face.
"Let me go!" his voice was trill, he shook violently. "I said get off! Syldra!"
The whirlpool was gone, no more roaring waters and no more searing mist, only the sound of the small waves. The captain fell to his knees, the two men still holding his arms. He cried out for his beloved friend, who was now forever lost to the sea.
Lenna could've swore that she heard the man sniffling as he stood and threw the other two off him. He stomped off, probably to retreat to his captain's quarters below deck, leaving the rest to wander about.
Galuf turned towards the helm, an understanding look in his eyes. "I'm gonna clean up the deck a bit. We've made quite a mess."
Lenna nodded, watching the old man walk off, picking up a bucket on the way. He was drenched from head to toe, they all were, and he still wore the mage's robes. He threw the hat to the ground so he could see better as he went about.
Bartz suddenly grabbed her wrists and held her hands up to her face to see. They were bloodied and splintered and very, very dirty. Her eyes widened in shock, she had never seen herself in such disrepair.
"Maybe you should do something about this?" he teased, dropping her hands.
She started to pick out the splinters from her hands. "Maybe you should do something about yours," she quipped, nodding to his.
He looked down in surprise, his hands were much worse than hers.
She grabbed them and quickly pulled out the bigger splinters first. They were caked in dried blood and his finger nails were worn raw, the tips of his extremities red and tender. He winced as she worked, curling his fingers in to try and stop her. She gave him a warning glare.
"Look at you, a natural healer."
"How's your leg," she asked, keeping her eyes focused on his hands. They were bigger than hers and much stronger, little callous were starting to form on his palm, and there were many lines stretching the length of them.
He grinned. "Much better, thanks to you."
Lenna blushed, her own small grin forming on her face. It was practically nothing; it was in fact not even her own skill. It was the work of Deidre, she provided the words and Lenna simply spoke them. It was like a performance; the spirit was the composer and Lenna was just given the sheet music to play off of.
All that was left was tiny cuts that would easily heal on their own, but Lenna had a different idea.
"Watch this," she told him, and held her hands in the triangular shape as before. She chanted the foreign language, quick and clean. Instead of pushing the symbol out towards Bartz, the crystal told her to push it up towards the open sky.
The glow came back, covering both of them, and Bartz stared in wonder as the tiny cuts closed quickly and efficiently, no scars and no scabs, it was like it never even happened.
Lenna eyes met Bartz, a look of wonderment and shock on his face. His mouth was slightly open, his eyebrows were raised.
Then he laughed, a light and quick one, but it made Lenna laugh too. It made her feel better in a weird way. He grabbed her wrist once again and held it up to his face this time, looking for any sign of the damage.
"I guess you can just wash the blood off later, but the wounds are completely healed," Lenna said, giggling once again as he looked over her hand.
"Thank you," he smiled, releasing her wrist.
"You two!" Galuf shouted from the other side of the ship. "I could use some help cleaning this up!"
Bartz sighed. "Better help the old man."
"It's the least we could do for Faris," Lenna told him, making her way towards Galuf.
The least we could do for a heartbroken man.
0-0-0-0-0
The pirate captain stood by himself at the wheel, a stern and stony look on his face; one of sadness and sorrow, he had finally come out from below deck. Lenna stood next to him, allowing a silence to fill the space. She looked across the ship to where Bartz and Galuf stood; they were having a private conversation, a very serious look on Bartz face.
"The ship is moving by itself," Faris spoke up, "we're at the mercy of the currents."
An open sea with no wind to guide them. How awful.
"Where do you think we'll end up?" Lenna asked, apprehension in her voice.
"There's no telling, we're at the mercy of the sea," he repeated, keeping his gaze straight ahead of them and his hands on the wheel.
Lenna cleared her throat, afraid of offending him. "If there is no way to control the ship, why do you still stand here?"
"What else am I to do?"
"You can't stay here forever. If we are lost at sea, and we don't know how long we'll be on the ship, you will need to rest eventually."
"This is where I'll stay."
"Faris, Syldra is-" Lenna was nervous, she was afraid he would lash out at her, "Surely Syldra is still out there, alive, somewhere."
Faris set his jaw and kept his eyes on the horizon. He didn't speak, he didn't move, he just stood there in agonizing silence. He was in pain, a silent suffering pain, and all he could do was just stand there.
"I'm sorry," Lenna told him, barely able to make her voice above a whisper. She left him there to join the other two men. She had royally screwed up again. She realized that it was much harder to make conversation outside of the castle where people had real feelings and talked of things other than politics and manners.
The two men grew quiet as she joined them, their conversation ended by her arrival. They eyed her, trying to pick her mood.
"How's the captain?" Galuf asked, turning to rest his elbows on the railing.
"I'm not sure," she admitted. He was distant and off put.
"He'll be fine," Bartz assured her. "I'm sure of it."
Another strong silence that Lenna was getting too familiar with fell upon. They stood there watching the waves, the ship barely rocked. It was already night, late in fact, and the moon was high and full, its light dusting the ship and its occupants. It was beautiful, Lenna decided, and it was familiar. The only familiar thing in the current moment; it was the same moon she saw from her bedroom window in Tycoon. It was the same moon all of them had seen; it was familiar to all of them. It belonged to them and everyone else in the world. A shining beacon that sailors and a guiding light for wanderers.
Lenna noticed they were all staring up at it, all save the captain, and she wondered if they all felt the same way.
"Everything feels hopeless," she lamented. The comment earned her a look from both of them.
"We're lost at sea," she continued, focusing on the waves. "Faris has suffered a lost, we have no supplies. What will we do?"
The other two stayed quiet for a moment and then Bartz spoke.
"It's not hopeless," he stated flatly.
Lenna looked at him, confused. How could he be so sure?
"We thought it was hopeless when we couldn't get through the canal, and we thought it was hopeless when we got stuck in that whirlpool, and we thought it was hopeless when that thing climbed aboard the ship," he tapped his fingers against the railing. "But we beat the odds, on all those things."
"This isn't hopeless," he told her, "this is just a bump in the road."
He pushed himself away from the edge and made his way for the stairs. "I'm gonna get some sleep."
Galuf chuckled, giving Lenna a sympathetic look. "He's pretty inspiring."
Lenna sighed, feeling small and ignorant. He was right, if they had done the impossible before, surely they could do it again.
Galuf clapped her on the shoulder, his blow nearly knocking her over.
"Maybe you should get some rest, too."
Lenna looked to the helm where it seemed the captain hadn't moved a muscle. "What about Faris?"
Galuf turned his head too, another sympathetic look. "I'll keep an eye on him. He'll be fine."
Lenna nodded reluctantly and headed below deck to the crew's quarters. She quietly opened the door to see Bartz inside, his back to her. In a weird way, she felt bad like she had done something to offend him. Maybe he didn't like having to constantly reassure someone that everything would be okay. Maybe he didn't like that she was so unsure of herself. Maybe, maybe, maybe.
She settled down into the bed closest to the door, bringing the covers up to her chin. She was incredibly homesick, she longed for Castle Tycoon and she longed for her own bed and she longed for the chancellor and her handmaiden and her wind drake. Most of all she longed for her father, his comforting words.
She wished she was able to see the moon from where she lay, to see the beautiful diamond that covered them all. Maybe her father was out there, somewhere, looking at the very same moon, longing for his daughter to return to safety. Maybe, just maybe.
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AN: This chapter is the longest one yet and it still feels short to me! Next chapter is pretty exciting if you know what's coming next ;) Thank you for reading and reviewing.