Rumors were wild on Sailors' Island the night that Domingo, Lawrence, and Ilchymis returned, claiming they had found the Temple of Pyrynn in the furthest reaches of the Nasrean deserts. No one believed a word of it, of course, until Domingo presented the guildmaster with his detailed sketch of the vast pyramid and precise coordinates, describing how to reach it. A team of confirmation sailors set out that night to see if the claims were true, and they returned three days later to announce to the baffled tavern that the pyramid truly existed! Domingo was presented with a mound of gold, and although Ilchymis attempted to refuse an equal share the treasure hunter ended up giving him a third of the spoils anyway.
Lawrence spent his share at once, returning to the tavern later that night with a Nasrean broadsword in place of his old weapon and a chain around his neck that boasted a glittering sapphire. This, he told them, was a Warrior's Rune gem, a mystical item that would magically boost his physical strength and stamina in battle. Ilchymis would not replace his Warrior's Heart ring, saying it was far too valuable to sell, and used some of his gold to purchase a few chams for an ecstatic Cupil.
Domingo spent all the next day wandering up and down the bustling avenue, a grin on his face and a sack full of gold clinking on his belt as he wondered what to buy. Ilchymis was off exploring the city with Cupil, and Lawrence was at the docks looking for a merchant ship to take on.
He left Roscoe's Armory with a new pair of kukris, refinished with a diamond edge, and then walked out of Accessories By Bonita with a gold ring on his thumb set with a fine pink stone that glittered in the playful sunshine. It was a Gem of Fluidity, a stone that magically enhanced his speed and agility, and he even had some gold to spare. As he was returning to the inn he saw Lawrence, talking with a merchant about a shipment of grule, and his heart sank.
Ilchymis was waiting for him in the room the three had shared the last five days, reading an enormous book in a language Domingo didn't know, and Cupil was snoozing in a patch of sun on the windowsill. His face must have reflected some of his worry because the mage asked, "What is troubling you, Domingo?"
Domingo stared out the window, watching Lawrence exchanging words with the merchant ship's captain. "I just can't believe Lawrence is abandoning us to go catch fish. That doesn't sound fun at all."
"'Us'? You're going to continue looking for the Moon Crystals with me?" said Ilchymis, clearly surprised yet pleased.
"Oh, sure. I've only just scratched the surface of finding discoveries; imagine what I'll find if I follow you around the world." Domingo sighed heavily and added, "Besides, I don't abandon my friends."
Exhausted, Domingo spent the afternoon catching up on his sleep. When he woke, Lawrence was packing his things and Ilchymis was chatting excitedly, though the helmsman did not seem to be listening.
" - Shipping out tonight and bound for Ixa'taka! I've heard stories, but I never imagined it truly existed!" Noticing Domingo was sitting up and rubbing sleep from his eyes, Ilchymis rattled on, "Domingo, a Valuan cruiser has docked for a brief re-fueling; they're bound for the lands to the west!"
Well aware that Lawrence was staring at him appraisingly, Domingo tied his hair back and said idly, "We'll have to sneak on board; I don't think they'd be happy to see you."
"Oh, so you're going with him?" said Lawrence in a would-be-casual way, but his tone was somewhat stiff as he continued haphazardly stuffing his knapsack. "What happened to looking for discoveries? Bored already?"
"I'm sure there's more than enough ancient history waiting for me in Ixa'taka," Domingo replied, and his voice was like steel. "Besides, after what Ilchymis said about the Moon Crystals, I'm willing to try and keep Valua away from the rest of them. Not that we're blaming you," he said calmly, as Lawrence sort of winced with guilt. "If you want to run away like a coward, we won't judge you."
With that, Domingo set to packing his own personal items into his knapsack, keenly aware that Lawrence was shaking with rage and his face had reddened in anger.
"What's that supposed to mean?" the helmsman gritted out.
"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. I was just suggesting that it's a bit cowardly to join up with a crew of merchants, especially after sacking the Temple of Pyrynn and learning about Valua's plans to conquer the world." Domingo straightened suddenly, and the look on his face was a terrible one indeed. "Especially after people started to count on you to help with the things that really matter."
Ilchymis sat there, gazing back and forth between the two, and wisely decided to keep silent.
"Don't you dare judge me," Lawrence growled, and his hands balled themselves into fists threateningly. "Don't you dare judge me, you foul little worm. I'm doing something with my life! I'm ensuring my future! What would you know about something like that?"
There was a very tense silence, during which Lawrence panted under the strain of his fury and Domingo gazed coldly back at him in an eerie calm sort of way. Then the treasure hunter said, in a voice so icy quiet that they had to struggle to hear it, "You're right - I wouldn't know anything about that. I'm too busy following my heart to take the safe way through life. But you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"
"Not all of us have limitless leisure time, Big-shot! Some of us need to work hard to survive!"
"And some of us actually have brains, Scar-face, and realized a long time ago that their dreams and their friends are more important than all that!"
Lawrence swung the pack onto his back so fast that Cupil awoke with a tinny sort of growl. His face was now an unattractive shade of purple.
"As far as I'm concerned, Domingo, you and I were never friends."
Then the mercenary stalked from the room, leaving the others stunned and speechless.
Author's Note: Ouch ouch ouch. That's pretty harsh. Lawrence is more of an asshole than even I gave him credit for; I must look out for that in the future.
Meowzy-chan: I think you may have gotten the wrong impression in that particular chapter. Alfonso wasn't hitting on Centime. The smile was because he was pleased someone else was going to make things rough for De Loco and Galcian, and the wink was sort of a way to show Centime that Alfonso was going to do something sneaky to do just that. Make more sense now? Perhaps that was a bit vague on my part, and if so, I apologize.
Lady Lanet: Argh...stop poking, lol, I'm working, see? (BTW: your e-mail address did not work.) I'm a big slasher too, but you'll know that after reading "I Pledge Allegiance".
Next update in a few hours. Enjoy this one until then, and hate Lawrence with me.