A/N:There was an error in Rin-Tins' chapter. They're actually heading North West, but whatever. Thanks to AccessBlade for following the story and thanks to all of our wonderful readers out there.

Enjoy,

Orangepotato and Emil Lime

Chapter written by Orangepotato

Holtz Capella: Now's Hardly the Time for an Adventure.

The sea breeze brushed at Holtz' face as the Tokunaga split the ocean waters as it sailed towards the North West. He was leaning over the railing, letting the salty air fill his senses and the noise of rushing water carry away his thoughts. To their left, the rocky cliff sides of the Fooji continent rose from the water's depths, carving the way towards the North. Eventually, Rin-Tins said they'd move away from the cliff face and cut across the ocean towards Flanoir.

Or rather, the continent that Flanoir was on, as that mercenary –whatever his name was – had edited. He'd then gone on to say the continent's name and origins of the snowy place, but the red head had stopped listening.

Closing his eyes, he was now just enjoying the tranquility of the open sea. The only noise was the parting of the ocean water and the wind rushing past his ears...

"Interesting. An open haul design would allow for greater speed," the mercenary spoke, his voice rising above the sounds of nature.

Rin-Tins, the short new comer, responded in her squeaky voice, "Yeah. That's what I thought when I was building it. Plus, I made sure to construct it with alloys that don't break in cold water."

"Smart move. I bet you do a lot of business with Flanoir, especially in the off season."

"Yeah, that's why I needed to create a ship like this one."

"My only question is about the mast. Why did you build it so tall? A more compact design might have made the ship replicable."

"Yeah, well, it's good for spotting ice burgs and the like."

"That's true. What kind of metal is it made out of?"

"Oh! I made that out of-"

Holtz let out an agonized sigh.

They were still talking about the stupid ship? How long could they keep it up? Wasn't Rin-Tins supposed to be driving the ship anyways? If she wasn't in control, who was? He gazed out over the rippling waves, trying to ignore the enthusiasm from both parties.

The mercenary was just about to bring up another thing about the ship when the red headed teen interrupted, "Holy Martel, gramps! You're going to wear your dentures out if you keep talking." He span on his heel and faced the two, crossing his arms over his thin chest, "Don't you guys have anything else to talk about?"

The sandy haired girl shrugged, "I like talking about my inventions and if someone's willing to listen, I'll talk even more."

That almost implied that she'd carry on a conversation even if someone wasn't interested, but Holtz didn't ask. Instead, he shoved himself away from the rail of the boat and walked past the two, heading for the stairs in the center of the ship.

Clomping down the stairs and through the narrow hallways, he found the room Ilene had claimed for herself. Since they'd probably be traveling by boat several times during the journey, Rin-Tins had offered each of them a room, and his sister had chosen the most inconveniently placed one.

"Sis, save me. Gramps and Rin-Tins are still talking about boats." He collapsed on her neatly made bed.

He heard his sister laugh from nearby. She was busy putting away the few possessions she had in her pack. Already, she'd made it quite cozy in her room. Several pictures were hanging on the walls and she had a worn toss blanket she'd always had on her bed in the Church covering the bed.

"Don't you normally complain about Kratos' sun shiny disposition? You should take his change in attitude happily." She sat next to him, ruffling his curled red locks.

Scooting away, the teen sighed, "He was always the strong silent type. Now he's the talkative one?"

"If we're going on stereotypes, you're the annoying brat."

"And you're the annoying do-gooder."

She smiled, "I'll take that over a brat."

"Hey, just because I say it like it is doesn't mean I'm a brat. It just means I call out people's bull shit."

"That's right," she laughed, "That's what you do. I'd forgotten."

He playfully punched her in the arm, which earned him a similar jab. Soon, the two were poking at each other and Ilene was giggling up a storm. Luckily, she was ticklish and the red headed teen had figured out a long time ago how to ignore the sensation.

Soon, they were wrestling on the floor, chuckling and grinning from ear to ear.

After a second, Holtz was sitting on his sister's back, the Chosen laughing at him to get off.

"You're going to have to make me."

"Come on Holtz, move your big butt."

The teen grinned, "I take that offensively. Apologize to my butt."

She made a disgusted noise and giggled, "That's not happening."

"Then forever be my butt cushion."

She managed to topple him, the two twisting around on the ground again in good humor. It wasn't until the mercenary came to the door, knocking solidly against the frame, that the two of them stopped what they were doing and looked up at him.

"What is it, Gramps?"

"Ms Ross thinks a storm's coming. I wanted to inform you both."

Ilene untangled herself from her brother, "I see. Does she need help?"

The auburn shook his head, "I can assist if she needs it, otherwise, it's safer for you to remain here."

She nodded, though the teen scowled, "Why is she worried about some little storm?"

"Have you ever been to sea, Holtz?"

"No."

"Then you have no idea what the sea is capable of. The sea is a fickle woman, and her unprecedented change of attitude is feared by even the most seasoned sailors. The people who leave from her storms alive, Holtz," a pause, "are the ones who don't underestimate her abilities." The man turned and left, his shoes echoing off of the interior of the ship before finally fading into the distance.

Holtz twitched an eyebrow, "The sea is… a woman?"

Ilene sighed and shook her head, "You'll understand when you're older."

Half an hour later, the ship started shifting violently. It rocked back and forth, almost like it was a toy in a child's hands. The siblings finally situated themselves in the narrow hallways to keep from being tossed about like dolls.

Even in the interior of the ship, the two could hear rapid rain against the metal hull and gale force winds bellowing outside. Thunder rattled the air and Holtz felt like the entire ship might be torn apart. Part of him wanted to go up and do something about it, but the other part didn't want to budge. He felt glued to his spot in the hallway, tightly clenching his sister's hand as the ship took another vicious turn.

At least the lanterns were still working…

Something burst from down the hall and the lanterns flickered and soon faded out. Whatever had been fueling the light source had been destroyed and a chilled darkness fell upon them.

He just had to think about the lanterns working, didn't he?

Icy terror went through his nerves and finally, he managed to speak, "This can't be good."

He felt rather than saw his sister shake her head, "No. We need to get up there."

The two of them shakily stood, groping the walls as they advanced towards the deck. Rain pounded against the ship, Holtz having to shield his eyes as they reached the top. A crash of thunder echoed overhead all while there was a nonstop flicker of lightning.

Darkness swam all around them. It was as if the ocean itself had been dyed black, only making it appear as if the ship was being tousled by the inky abyss itself.

"Gramps! Hey Gramps!" The red headed teen called into the storm. He managed to make his way across the deck without being washed over by the constant tide that ripped across the metal frame. The mercenary was near Rin-Tins, who was tightly gripping the wheel.

It was she who responded, "About time you made it up here!"

"Sorry, we got distracted," the teen snapped back, but he was pretty sure his retort went unheard. A loud boom echoed overhead, the sea seemingly becoming fiercer with each sound.

Ilene snatched onto her brother's arm, "Are you going to be able to steer us through this storm?"

He was sure she was screaming right next to his ear, but it sounded like a whisper.

In a flash of lightning, Holtz saw the sandy blonde nod her head, "I'll get us through this storm or my name isn't Rin-Tins Ross."

A rather large wave crashed into the side of the ship, making the siblings fall to the ground. Instantly, a wave washed over, tugging Ilene off of the ship and into the ocean with a faint scream.

"Sis!"

Holtz dashed over to the side of the ship, not seeing where the tide had yanked his sister. Again, he called out to her, but his voice was lost over the exploding thunder.

Heart in his throat, the teen started climbing over the rail, the ship seemingly tipping with his decision.

Foot slipping from under him, he almost fell into the ocean as well, but a firm hand grabbed his arm, "No! Don't!"

It was the mercenary.

"Let go! Ilene was washed overboard!"

"There's nothing you can do for her!"

"Let go you bastard!"

Yet another wave collided with the ship, water catching the teen and jerking him from the auburn's grip and into the depths of the ocean.

Water washed over him, never allowing him to catch his breath. Gasping and flailing through the towering waves, he tried to stay afloat, but it seemed like the black water was sucking away his energy.

Desperate, he screamed, "Ilene! Answer me!"

Something violent dragged him under the sea, air escaping his lungs in a wail. Then, inky blackness was all around him. It was absolutely impossible to see. The icy water chilled his core and he found it difficult to move. He wasn't even sure he could swim towards the surface because he had no idea which direction it was.

Shit, he thought. Was he really going to die on this journey? It seemed a bit anti climatic, didn't it? Wouldn't it have been better to die in style? Protecting someone or something? No… he was going to drown because he was unable to save his sister.

Ilene…

Lungs burning in his chest, he limply clawed at the water, fighting without a purpose to escape.

Which way was up?

Was he near the boat?

Was Ilene safe?

Something rammed into him and any breath he'd been holding was released. Water filled his mouth and he coughed under the icy surface, feeling it penetrate into his lungs. It hurt, chest heaving in more and more water as if his brain couldn't understand that, by doing so, it was killing itself.

Holtz wanted to scream out in pure agony and terror, but never had the chance.

Everything slipped away.

…

…

…

Something's burning. Something nearby is burning, but I can't see what it is. Are my eyes closed? No. I don't think so… someone is… covering me?

Words come to my mouth, but I don't say them. Perhaps it's all the ash in the air? Yes, that was it. All of the ash. I was told to be quiet. If I spoke, more could get into my lungs and that'd be a bad thing…

I don't understand.

Why is that bad?

Burning. Everything is burning.

It'll be fine.

Someone says that, I'm sure of it.

It's from a voice I recognize.

It'll be fine.

Is that… Ilene? No. No, that's not my sister. That… that couldn't be…?

"Mom?" Holtz shot up in bed, the blanket that covered him flopping uselessly around his stomach. His heart hammered in his chest as his mind slowly faded from the dream, coming back to reality.

Gingerly, he placed a hand to his face.

How long had it been since he'd last dreamt about his mother?

Blinking slowly, memories of before started coming back. He'd been on a ship and a storm had hit. Then, Ilene had gone overboard and he'd jumped in to save her and then-

"That was quite foolish."

The voice caused the red headed teen to jump, and instantly, he looked to the left. Sitting on another bed was the mercenary. His auburn hair hung in his face and his arms were crossed over his muscular chest.

Holtz found his voice, "What was that, gramps?"

"I said that was foolish. You shouldn't have jumped in after your sister without a plan. You could have easily died."

"What does that matter to you? You don't like me anyways." Gray eyes glared at the auburn, but the look didn't get reciprocated.

Instead, the older man changed the subject, "the Chosen is safe."

Relief hit the teen, "Really? Where is she?"

"She's already up. She's exploring the city with Ms Ross."

"How was she saved?"

"She's quite the swimmer. She managed to stay afloat long enough for me to reach her."

"Then… you saved my life as well, didn't you?"

The auburn shook his head, "That was Rin-Tins. As soon as I pulled the Chosen onto the ship, Ms Ross handed the wheel off to me and leapt into the water. She saved your life. You should be thankful."

"Oh, so when I jump into the water, it's reckless, but when Rin-Tins jumps in, it's heroic?"

There was almost a smirk on the mercenary's face, "I suppose it's a matter of semantics." The man stood, "Regardless, the storm threw us off course. The ship has minor damage, so the two girls went to shop for the items Ms Ross needs to make the repairs. Meanwhile, we're making temporary camp here, at this inn."

Swinging his legs off the side of the bed, the teen stood, frowning slightly at the fact that he only reached the older man's shoulders, "What city is this, anyways?"

"It's the holy city of Risheal. It's on a peninsula, thick walls surrounding all sides of it. It's where the second largest Church of Martel is, next to Meltokio. Rumor has it that the Church sits on ancient relics from the Kharlan War and that those relics have the power to teleport you to the mythical world of Sylvarant."

Holtz squeezed his eyes shut in concentration.

Sylvarant? Wasn't that the place where equality supposedly reigned and that there was no war or poverty? The Pope usually spoke about it like another version of Heaven. And it was where Martel was supposed to reside… right?

"So… we're in another damned holy city, right?"

"Yes."

"Great. That's just great. Exactly where I want to be… in the middle of some town where everyone wakes up and greets Martel, eats lunch while blessing Martel and go to bed each night thanking Martel for the glorious day."

The mercenary didn't say anything. He didn't have too.

The teen strolled out of the inn, the sun greeting his eyes. All around, houses upon houses circled a large and ornamented Church. The dome seemed to shimmer with real jewels and all around it; people were bowing their heads in prayer.

Yeah. Exactly what he needed. A bunch of Martel worshipping freaks.

He supposed he could see the sights. Perhaps he could find something to do while Rin-Tins patched up the ship. With any luck, they could leave the place by nightfall.

The auburn kept pace, probably because he had nothing better to do than bother the teen, and the two strolled around the many active shops. The streets were filled to the brim with people of all shapes and sizes, origins and designed. It was surprising, how better off these people seemed, though he suspected that the towering walls hid them away from the world's problems.

It wasn't until late afternoon that he found one of the exterior walls. The dull metal shined a faded red, the sunset quickly setting behind the walls. The city darkened quickly, torches burning by every corner to keep the streets lit. Business was still booming, most of the walkways packed no matter how late the hour.

Holtz looked out over the city, absently wondering where Ilene was.

As if reading his mind, the auburn spoke up, "I bet the Chosen is repairing the ship right now."

The teen shrugged noncommittally, "Why do you do that?"

"Hmm?"

"Call Ilene 'the Chosen'. It's like you don't want to get close or something."

The mercenary paused, "It's her title. She is your sister, but she is my client. I address all of my clients' formally."

Making a soft noise, the red head responded, "You're actually pretty formal with everyone excluding me."

"Children don't deserve formalities."

Holtz was about to snap at the older man, but sighed instead. He simply didn't have the heart to fight at the moment. Instead, he gazed across the many rooftops of the city, "it's probably best that we left Ilene and Rin-Tins alone, you know? Sis has never had any female friends before. It's probably really exciting for her to have one."

Whether the mercenary noted the change in conversation or not, he didn't comment, instead, he simply nodded and turned away from Holtz. The man moved down the hillside, the teen following. It was when they passed one of the city's main gates that he froze.

Outside the walls, in the harsh sunset, was a small pack of Desians. They were snickering, several of them brandishing a weapon. They weren't focused on the city; instead, they were circled around a single person.

A female, pink hair tied in a loose pony tail and dressed as if she was travelling, was yelling at them from the middle. Her voice rose harshly from their laughter, "Give me back my mother!"

"What was that, girly? A half elf who wants her human mommy back? Pathetic!" He punctuated it by smacking the broad side of his sword against the woman's face. She let out a yelp and stumbled, barely catching herself.

"Stupid girl. Why don't you run back to the city if those humans love you so much."

Holtz felt something between sympathy and rage go through him. Without waiting to get the auburn, the teen charged out of the gate, drawing the short blade at his side, "Hey! Get away from her!"

The Desians were slow to react. The red head was able to stab one in the back before the others caught on. Instantly, he was engulfed, the enemies surrounding him and the woman.

"How dare you kill one of us!" One spat, the armor on his face seemingly too small, "You filthy human!"

Holtz didn't even flinch, "Go to hell."

Another one, this one slender, hissed while raising his blade, "Why don't you go there first and tell us how it is!"

The blade whistled through the air, but it never landed. Instead, Holtz was shoved out of the way, the woman bringing her arm up to stop the blow. The blade dug deep into her arm, but she barely flinched.

Her eyebrows furrowed over her deep red eyes, "You're just in the way."

The teen felt a spark of anger go through him, "Hey! I came here to save you." They stood, back to back, ready to face the opponents.

"I don't care about your 'knight in shining armor' routine. Go back to the hellhole you crawled from."

"That's no way to talk to the guy who saved your life."

One of the Desians spoke, "By order of Grand Cardnial Everence, you're hereby ordered to surrender."

"That really sucks," a smirk came to Holtz face as he swung his blade out, "because I've never been really good at following orders."