II. A Leap of Faith
"You want us to jump off a cliff?"
As Rena and Shugo gawked his way in disbelief, Lantus leaned back against the vined wall, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. The high-pitched, unified cry had given him a slight headache. Apparently, his comrades could not envision the true scenario, nor could they recognize the brilliance of his plan.
"If one was to put it that way, then yes, I suppose it would seem dangerous."
"It seems crazy," countered Rena, narrowing her eyes.
"I don't know... Maybe it's not as high as it looks?" said Shugo, looking up the cliff's face with hope. A queasy smile formed on his face when, eventually, his eyes reached the top.
"You're really thinking about doing this?" asked Rena, turning to him and receiving a blank stare. A droll expression slid onto her face. "You're not Lord Balmung, Shugo. You don't have wings."
Shugo gave her an annoyed look. The last person he wanted to be compared to was Sir Chicken Feathers. He didn't get what was so great about the guy, anyway. Sure, he had a special character, but it wasn't like that was a unique trait. It certainly didn't make up for his annoying, dramatic disposition - and especially not for the wannabe acts of chivalry that always seemed to happen around his sister. Meanwhile, Lantus let out a weary sigh, opening his eyes.
"At the very least, let us ascend. A vantage point will assist us in judging whether the jump is possible."
The twins looked at each other in uncertainty, but Lantus gave them no time to discuss things further. He was already testing the strength of the vines, pulling down on them from his place on the ground, ensuring that they wouldn't snap. With the strength of a golem, he hoisted himself onto the wall, securing his feet upon a ridge. As Lantus began to climb, Rena sighed, walking up to the wall and pulling upon a second vine. Shugo watched her as she did, his eyes drifting down to her armored skirt.
"H-hey, hold on!" blurted Shugo, running over to her side. He grabbed onto the vine, gripping it just above her own hands. As she looked his way, he smiled nervously. "I'll go first, to test it!"
Rena looked at him in confusion, but she didn't object, stepping aside as he prepared to climb. She watched him dig his feet into the rocks, tapping her foot as, step by step, Shugo made his way off the ground at a snail's pace. Suddenly, an idea came to her, and a mischievous smile slipped onto her face.
As he made his way upward, Shugo felt a sharp metal tip poke him in the backside. He let out a yelp, scrambling up the wall and putting a few feet between himself and the object, only looking down once he was sure to be out of its range. Standing upon the ground was Rena, sword in her hands, holding it upwards like a spike.
"R-Rena!" he cried.
"Too slow, big brother," said Rena, smiling warmly. As Shugo shut his eyes and let out a drained sigh, she grabbed onto the vine, joining her party in the ascent.
The rest of the climb went without incident. Rena thanked their luck that the vines were durable enough to support their weight (especially that of Lantus, who, had he fallen, would probably have killed them both). As she neared the top, Shugo, already kneeling upon the summit, reached out and grabbed her extended hand, helping her up over the edge. Moving a safe distance away from the cliff, they stood up and took in their surroundings.
The view seemed to stretch on for miles. The mist, proving so troublesome earlier, now floated below them, a sheet of hazy white, filling the far-reaching plains. The night sky was remarkably clear, but, strangely, there were no stars in sight; only the moon stood against the dark canvas. And, in the distance, a row of jagged mountains formed a faint horizon against the landscape. The entire scene was stunning, and as they looked on in awe, Shugo turned his head and peered over the grassy plateau, curious to see the reaction of their last party member.
Strangely, though, Lantus seemed uninterested in the view. He was standing a good distance away from the edge, facing to the side, looking off in thought with a serious expression.
"Hey, uh..." said Shugo, staring his way. "Where's the spot you told us about?"
Lantus's narrowed eyes flashed towards the voice, broken from their trance. A strange look of surprise appeared on his face, but it vanished quickly, familiar laughter taking its place.
"Ah, yes," said Lantus, chuckles subsiding. He turned in the direction of the ocean, walking down the plateau as he called over his shoulder. "Come, come! This way!"
Shugo and Rena followed his lead, their soles treading over the short grasses. As they advanced, the plateau gradually narrowed, eventually becoming more of a ridge than an expanse. After a short walk, they came upon a sharp outward curve in the edge of the cliff. It led to a small, rocky area - a tiny headland, jutting out over the water, overlooking the bay.
"This looks to be the place," said Lantus. Carefully, he made his way out to the end of the formation, kneeling down as he looked over the edge. "Hmm. A bit higher than I suspected, but certainly possible."
Shugo joined him at the edge, eager to see the view for himself. But, as he knelt down and looked out over the bay, that eagerness instantly vanished.
It was true that, technically, the jump was possible. The stern of the ship was almost directly below them, and the raised deck was more than wide enough to act as a platform for landing. There were no significant waves traveling into the bay, either; coupled with the ship's size, there was practically no chance that the decks would shift. On top of all that, the vessel floated in the most favorable alignment, forming a near perfect medial line from the tip of the bow to their place upon the ledge. If one were to jump, it would be nearly impossible to avoid landing upon the ship.
Of course, all of that didn't account for the sheer 25-foot drop from the cliff to the deck.
"Speak for yourself..." said Shugo nervously, eyes widening as he stared downward. Walking over to the edge, Rena knelt down by his side, noticing her brother's fearful reaction before taking in the view. Her brow furrowed as she stared down at the ship.
"We're going to need some help to do it," said Rena, rising to her feet and taking a few steps backwards. Looking back, Shugo found her holding several scrolls in her arms. She looked through them carefully, smiling as she found her targets. All but three vanished back into her inventory, and as Shugo approached, she held out one of the parchments. "Here."
"... Green Gale?" said Shugo, taking the lime-green scroll from her hand. He examined it closely, a confused expression upon his face. "What's this for?"
"Ah, I see your plan," said Lantus, rising to his feet and walking to her side, grinning as he took the scroll offered to him. "Quite clever, young lady."
Perplexed, Shugo looked on as Rena began to walk back down the rock formation. As she did, Lantus edged to the side, standing clear of the headland's tip. After a few yards, Rena stopped, spinning around and looking towards them.
"Out of the way, Shugo. I'm going first."
"You're jumping?" exclaimed Shugo, shocked. "But you're the one that said this was crazy!"
"I changed my mind," said Rena, her sudden caprice making Shugo gawk in disbelief. "We can do this. It's not that hard."
"Not that hard? It's like jumping off a building!"
Rena simply smiled.
"That's the nice thing about The World, Shugo. Heights only hurt your hit points."
And with that, she broke into a dash, heading straight for the cliff's edge. She was almost a blur as she passed by Shugo, who watched in astoundment as she leapt from the ridge. She sailed through the salty night air, hurtling down towards the deck, one hand upon the hilt of her sword, the other holding the last scroll out towards her landing point.
"Juk Rom!"
Instantly, the scroll unfurled, the runes upon the parchment glowing bright green. It vanished a moment later, forming into a tornadic gust of wind that impacted the deck. Rena dropped right into it, the spell dramatically decreasing the speed of her descent. She landed feet first, rolling forward a short distance with the momentum. The tumble ended with one revolution, and as her dizziness faded, she found herself sitting on her bottom, knees held near her chest. Brushing her shoulder, she picked herself up off the wooden planks, not a single scratch upon her character.
And all the while, Shugo looked down from the top of the cliff, nearly convinced that he had just seen something out of a dream.
"Wow..." he murmured subconsciously, blinking down at her. A huge smile formed on his face, and his hands flew up to his mouth, cupping themselves as he called out to her. "Rena! That was amazing! You should sign up for gymnastics!"
Rena looked up to the cliff, sticking her tongue out to the side, her hand in a V sign next to her cheek.
"Come on, Shugo! You can do it!" she called.
"She leads by example, I see," said Lantus, chuckling as he turned to Shugo. "Remember, lad. The incantation is Juk Rom."
"Right!" said Shugo, a good deal of his apprehension gone. He swung around, dashing down the headland, stopping at just about the same spot from which Rena had begun her jump. Then, he faced the edge, readying himself for the leap, brow furrowed and a confident grin upon his face. "All right! Here I go!"
Shugo's jump went a little less smoothly.
At the start, he made no mistakes. A dashing leap from the cliff; the correct incantation; a drop feet first into the spell - everything about the technique of the jump was perfect. However, the jump itself wasn't the problem: it was the landing that outwitted him, and the fact that he had forgotten to roll.
So, rather than landing with a graceful tumble, Shugo touched down in a full-blown run, stumbling into a half-cartwheel before dropping into a barrel roll across the deck. His clumsy shouts of surprise ended as he came to a stop upon his back. Opening his eyes, he found Rena standing over him, the mast behind her extending up into the backdrop of the sky. Looking down at him with a smile, she held up seven fingers.
"Come on, Rena..." breathed Shugo, still dazed and heart racing. "That was at least a ten."
Rena giggled, smiling wider as a grin formed on Shugo's face. "Silly."
"Juk Rom!" came a loud, husky shout. Suddenly, a third tornado swirled onto the deck, no more than five yards from their position. Before they could raise their arms to shield themselves from the wind, Lantus made his landing upon the boat.
Unfortunately for him, the tornado had little effect on his armor's heavy weight. He crashed right through the decrepit wood planks, his surprised yell echoing from within the depths of the ship. As they lowered their arms from their faces, the twins gawked at the large hole left in his wake.
"I guess that's an eleven..." murmured Shugo, blinking in disbelief from his seat. Still on her feet, Rena raced over to the hole, careful not to fall in herself, cautious of the weakened planks.
"Lantus!" she called, looking down into the dark chasm, tilting her head. "Are... you okay?"
Hearty laughs echoed from within the darkness. As Shugo walked up beside Rena, the two shared a strange look.
"That was quite the entrance, if I say so myself!" declared Lantus, still chuckling. "Come, come! The dungeon awaits!"
Shugo glanced over at Rena, already aware of the apprehensive expression upon her face. Turning his head, he looked back to the deck behind him. His eyes stopped upon a soft orange glow; it was emanating up through the wooden rails that divided the upper and lower decks, its source hidden from view. Scampering past a large bundle of rope, he made his way to the deck's staircase, taking a few steps downwards, peering over the rail.
Upon the inner wall hung a lantern, suspended by an iron hook, perfectly within reach. Grinning victoriously, he lifted the lamp from its peg, holding it out at arm's length as he returned to Rena.
After giving each other one last nod of assurance, the twins hopped down into the darkness.
This wasn't like any dungeon that he could remember.
Shugo had visited some pretty strange areas during his time in The World, but this one came close to the top of the charts. He had known that it was anomalous from the start; it wasn't exactly common for a field's dungeon to be an ancient ship. Still, the sight of the exterior hadn't prepared him for what lie within.
The room in which they had landed seemed to be some sort of cabin. Aside from the 'skylight' in the ceiling and a small porthole nestled in the back wall, there were no avenues for moonlight to enter the room, leaving it relatively dark in comparison to the deck above. Shards of timber were strewn about the intricate golden designs of the vermillion rug covering the floor. Several kinds of swords, ranging from cutlasses to scimitars, hung from the walls, supported by racks meant for safekeeping. Trapped within an oil painting hung near the room's cot, a beautiful, blonde-haired maiden stared down at Shugo, her eyes seeming to follow the light of the lantern as he raised it for a better look.
"Too bad Mirei's not here. She would have gone crazy for this place," murmured Shugo, taking in the room's treasures.
"Mirei?" said Lantus, his gaze diverting from the weapons upon the walls. Rena, standing close to Shugo's side, looked back to him as she answered.
"She's a friend of ours. A Rare Hunter."
"Ah, I see. I suppose it's fortunate to not have competition," replied Lantus, chuckling. His gaze returned to the blades, a look of admiration in his eyes. "Still, it is a shame to have to leave such fine weaponry behind."
"Huh?" said Shugo, looking over his shoulder in surprise. "But... I thought that's the reason you came here?"
"Indeed, lad, but one man can only carry so much," explained Lantus, turning and walking towards the closed door. He peered out the exit's porthole, seeing only his own reflection against the darkness. Furrowing his brow, he turned back to the twins. "The greatest riches lie in the deepest depths. We should begin our descent."
Shugo nodded, stepping forward, holding out the lantern to light the way. Rena quickly followed suit, intent on staying within the radial glow.
"From this point on, we must remain cautious," added Lantus, his hand upon the door's handle. "There is no telling what awaits us from here."
A long, echoing creak broke the silence as Lantus pulled the door open. A long hall of darkness lay beyond it, oak columns running down its middle, moonlight entering only through the square cannon ports that lined its sides. Lantus trod into the hall carefully, his heavy footsteps leading the way as Shugo followed close behind him. Even closer to Shugo was Rena, scanning the hall nervously, the fear in her eyes reflecting off the metal of the cannons as the trio passed them by. Glancing backwards, Shugo found her practically against his own shoulder.
"You okay, Rena?"
"Huh?" gasped Rena, her eyes speeding to his. She exhaled at the sight of calming teal, stiffening her shoulders and marching onwards. "I'm fine. This is nothing. Just a dingy old boat, right? Nothing to be scared of."
With the next step, her boot landed upon a particularly loose plank, causing a high-pitched squeak to shoot through the room. Instantly, Shugo's free arm was in a stranglehold, smothered by Rena as she clutched onto him for dear life. As her trembles subsided, she let her clenched eyelids blink open, blushing as she noticed the smile on Shugo's face.
"Nothing scary, huh?" teased Shugo playfully.
"N-no," lied Rena, totally unconvincing. "I'm... just cold."
Rena noticed a redness rise to Shugo's cheeks, but her gaze didn't stay upon him for long. She had just noticed something much more important - something discovered through the corner of her eye. Until this very moment, it hadn't been apparent; but, somehow, the quiet sound of waves lapping against the boat had made it quite distinct. As she looked around the room, her eyes grew wider and wider, her irises trembling at the sight.
"... Shugo...?"
"Rena...?" murmured Shugo, gazing at her in a bit of a daze.
"Where's Lantus?"
Blinking, Shugo raised his eyes to the hall. Only shadows greeted him.
They were the only ones in the compartment.
"I... don't know," murmured Shugo, staring at the empty space in surprise. Scanning the room, he spied the top of a staircase in the far left corner. The opening was enclosed by ornate wooden balusters along two sides. "There," he said, holding the lantern in its direction, looking to Rena. "He probably just went ahead of us. Let's hurry."
Rena nodded nervously, releasing her grasp upon his arm, following close behind him as he approached the stairwell. Placing his hand upon the banister, Shugo held the lantern down towards the stairs, shedding a bit of light upon the floor below.
"Hey! Lantus!" he called.
Only the sound of waves returned.
Furrowing his brow, Shugo began to descend, his boots thumping against the stairs as he slowly made his way downwards. The lantern's light reached past the rails of the staircase, revealing a smaller room than the one above. It too was lined with cannons and columns, but a small, half-circular table sat within the room's center, with several rickety chairs situated around its curved edge. His feet reaching the floor, Shugo walked over to the table, noticing the decayed, curled documents that were scattered upon its faded green surface. Lying amidst them was a deck of cards, an intricate red-and-white design upon its cover, cobwebs stretching from its edges.
Suddenly, a creak from behind made Shugo spin around. It was only Rena, but she looked terrified.
"... He's not here, is he?" she murmured, whispering against the deathly quiet. His body tense, Shugo looked around the room, peering into its dark niches, already well aware of the answer both of them knew.
"... No."
Rena lowered her head. A long pause of silence hung in the air.
"... Shugo... There's... something wrong with this place."
Shugo swallowed.
"Come on, Rena..." he said, an optimistic, yet nervous, look upon his face. "Just because it's a little creepy, that doesn't-"
"That's not it."
Shugo's lips froze, caught off guard by the quick, insistent reply. He watched as Rena raised her eyes, the distraught look upon her face sending a chill down his spine.
"Why isn't there anything here?" she continued, her voice wavering with fear. "This is a dungeon, right? Why aren't there any treasure chests? Where are all the monsters? We're already this far... and there's just nothing. And now Lantus is-"
Shugo's hand came to rest upon her shoulder.
"This isn't like that," he said softly, trying to allay her fears. As she stared into his eyes, he smiled, and his serious tone became a bit more lighthearted. "Hey, if he's anything like Mirei, he's already looking for the good stuff. We should get to the bottom while there's something left!"
Rena smiled, if only to convince Shugo that she had recovered. She had no doubt that he knew what was on her mind, but bringing up memories of the incident was never a good idea - least of all in a place like this. She wasn't about to make things worse by worrying him.
"Okay," she agreed, nodding. Utilizing acting skills acquired from daytime dramas, she feigned her normal, commanding tone. "But if he's not there, then we're getting out of here. I'm not playing hide-and-seek."
Shugo grinned, his hand leaving her shoulder. Without a thought, he took her hand into his, missing her blush as he turned towards the far end of the room. Following the lantern's light, the two walked over to a set of staircases - one upon each side of the room. As the right lead to the floor above, they opted for the left, cautiously making their way down the stairs.
The next hall was much longer than those of the previous floors. It was also much more narrow; several small cabins lined its left side, alternating with cannon ports, their doors shut tight. As the twins left the stairs, Shugo left Rena's side, approaching the first cabin that had come into view, peering into the porthole upon the door of the protruding structure.
"What are you doing?" asked Rena, sounding a bit irritated. "I thought we were looking for Lantus."
"It doesn't hurt to look for treasure along the way, right?" said Shugo innocently, paying little attention to the narrowed carmine eyes behind him. "He could be in one of these, too."
"Shugo, he couldn't fit into one of these."
Shugo shrugged off her logic, choosing to place his hand upon the door's handle. Looking on nervously, Rena watched as he gave it a slight tug. Scraping against its wooden frame, the door creaked as it opened, and Shugo held the lantern into the compartment.
There was nothing but a cot inside.
"What a discovery," said Rena, rolling her eyes. "Now can we please get going?"
"Hold on. I want to check the other ones," replied Shugo, jogging off down the hall to the next cabin. Glaring at him, Rena followed, stopping at his shoulder as he reached for the door's handle.
"Shugo, there's nothing here. Stop playing a..."
Rena trailed off as he opened the door. Sitting inside the room was a yellow treasure chest, each side marked with a cerulean diamond.
"Nothing here, huh," said Shugo, grinning as she glared off to the side. Walking inside the cabin triumphantly, he knelt down in front of the chest and opened the lid.
There was nothing inside.
Dumbfounded, Shugo stared at the empty box for a few seconds before looking up. Rena was hovering over his shoulder, smiling down at him.
But, before she could prod him about being right, a long, loud creak echoed from down the hall.
Shugo was on his feet in an instant, one hand upon his sheathed blade, peering around the corner and down the corridor. Acting just as quickly, Rena bolted to the back of the cabin, looking on from her hiding spot inside the tiny den.
"The light!" she whispered frantically, barely reaching Shugo's ears. "Put out the lantern! They can see it!"
"What?" whispered Shugo, looking back at her with a bewildered expression. "No way! If it's Lantus, he won't-"
"What if it isn't Lantus?"
Shugo swallowed before peeking back around the corner. The hallway still appeared to be empty, but much of it was veiled in darkness; the lantern's light only stretched so far. It was entirely possible that there was someone far down the corridor, watching them silently from the shadows. Still, despite Rena's insistence, he couldn't extinguish the lantern. There was no guarantee that it would light again when tried, and the possibility of being attacked in complete darkness was much more terrifying to him. So, instead, he decided to take the opposite course of action.
"HEY! LANTUS!" he shouted.
Several seconds went by, but there was no response.
A bead of sweat running down his neck, Shugo looked back at Rena. Her eyes were wide, and her face was pale; the blood had drained from her cheeks. He could see the trembles overtaking her body. She was absolutely terrified. It pained him to have to say it.
We can't stay here, he mouthed, only moving his lips, not making a sound.
Looking even more frightened than before, Rena shook her head vehemently, pressing her back against the cabin wall as Shugo approached quickly. When he grabbed her wrist, she resisted, latching onto his arm, pulling against him as he tried to leave the safety of the cabin. Suddenly, he whirled back to her, looking straight into her eyes, his face filling her view.
I won't let anything happen to you.
Stunned, Rena felt the warmth return to her cheeks. Her lips parted to speak, but no words followed. She had been robbed of her ability to respond: her mind consumed by fear.
This... It's fear, right? In her heart, she was still able to pose the question. Each violent beat that resonated through her chest was an echo of memories of fright - and yet, this was different. But it wasn't that. It couldn't be that.
And, as Shugo turned and led her out into the hall, she was sure. It was definitely fear. It encircled her like the darkness within the hall, wrapping around her and leaving no hope of escape. It tormented her like the unknown within the shadows, always able to strike, but not yet willing. It gripped her heart like the glove upon her wrist, gradually squeezing tighter as she was dragged down the passage.
But, most of all, it relished a surprise. It loved the taste of a sudden revelation, savoring the saliva that slid down her throat when the lantern's light reached the end of the hall.
Upon the far wall was a single door.
It was halfway open.