Chapter 3 – Buckets of Abundance
The sight of Maramba in the distance was a clear relief to the four occupants of the Little Jack as they were tiring from the morning's events. After a particularly entertaining segment regarding Aika's comedic interpretation of what the lands of Nasr would be like, the group had been attacked quite ruthlessly by a gang of maroccas – peculiar floating shell creatures with a tendency to jab hard with its two extended tentacles. Vyse specifically had been the subject of much abuse by these monsters; he had actually fallen over a few times with dismayed grunts before being rescued by a well timed boomerang. The sacri crystals and magic droplets that had been purchased the previous evening had proven to be an invaluable decision – battle after battle had begun to wear on their supply, but it had pulled through when they needed it the most. Random encounters were sure to be scarce as they reached the port… or so they hoped, at least.
"This is so exciting!" Aika exclaimed, walking over to the window to press her face against the glass. "We finally get to see what life is like on the continent of Nasr… I hope we don't need too many buckets!"
"Buckets?" Fina echoed; her expression one of uncertainty. "Whatever do you mean?"
"Don't listen to her…" advised Vyse quietly, so that their eccentric red-headed friend couldn't hear. "She's got a wild imagination; don't pay any mind."
"Well, this continent is a desert because the moons affect the climates of their regions, right? This place could have been vibrant and lively at one point in time, so I'd imagine if we're not careful, our hair might be set on fire!" Aika strode over to Fina, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "We certainly don't want that, do we?"
"No… that would be most unpleasant." Fina replied awkwardly, her voice slightly shuddering from the nervous laugh emitting from her throat. Aika bumbled on about how Vyse's hair would likely be the first to erupt into flame (she gave an elaborate reason as to why, but the rest of the crew had tuned her out by this point) and how she would heroically save his life with the bucket she was smart enough to carry around. Drachma was the only one to give a response to this; a rather loud snort that he quickly dismissed as needing to clear his throat. Aika threw up her arms in frustration. It wouldn't be her fault if they caught on fire, not after her repeated warnings…
Vyse expertly handled the Little Jack and manoeuvred it to glide into an open space at the port without incident. He had plenty of spots to choose from; most activity in the region was directed towards Nasrad, the capital to the north. There was a small ship docked on the far right end; a testament that Maramba did occasionally receive tourists despite the competition. Once the ship was secure, the four made their way to the door that led to the deck. Drachma stopped himself though, apparently recalling something in his mind as he told them to go on ahead and he would catch up to them momentarily.
"So this is Maramba… It's so… hot!" Vyse uneasily pulled on his collar as the three stepped onto the port. He could already feel himself beginning to sweat; his outfit dark and uncomfortable in the blazing heat. He felt envious as his childhood friend twisted her head about in wonder, straining to see all that there was to see in a quick look. There was not much that presided beside this port, with the exception of the ship parts store and a large set of stairs that presumably led up to the town. Aika stretched out her exposed arms, enthralled with how warm the sun felt on her skin. Pirate's Isle was certainly much milder than this place.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what they sell here!" Aika grinned, twirling back in her spot to face her friends. "With the treasure we're sure to collect from the temple, I'm sure we could buy anything we wanted! What would you buy first, Fina?" The red-head took a step forward, leaning in to curiously stare up at the Silvite with her almond pools. Fina shuffled uncomfortably in her spot, her mouth forming a small frown as she attempted to decipher the question.
"Um… What does that mean… exactly?" Fina's voice stuttered as Aika's face erupted into one of clear shock.
"What?! Fina… you don't know what that means?" Aika shook her head incredulously, unable to wrap her mind around the implication. How could Fina not know what a purchase was? As far as she knew, the whole world had their own distinct marketplaces for selling and trade, so for the Silvite to be this naïve about such a simple concept…
"It's what we did yesterday." Vyse stepped in; noticing the concern in Fina's eyes as Aika soundlessly gaped at her. "A shop will have items that they wish to sell to make a profit. They will part with their wares for gold, which is the most valuable currency – if not the only one – we have. Buying essentially is just parting with some of your gold for any object you want, in other words."
"Oh… I understand now." She smiled gratefully at the eye-patched wearing teen before returning her gaze to Aika. "I suppose it depends on what is being offered here before I can make a decision."
"We'll hit up the stalls soon." Aika promised, sparing another glance up at the gate that the staircase led to. Impatience began to nip at her as she played with her hands. "Hey, where'd the Cap'n go? Shouldn't he be here already?" Her two companions shared a confused look before they laid eyes upon the resting Little Jack, which Vyse could swear was starting to move backwards…
"Hey!" Vyse called out, his eyes wide. Aika jogged the length of the dock, reaching out with her gloved hand as if it alone could stop the steel contraption.
"W…Wait! Cap'n! Where are you going?" Aika was waving frantically, trying to get the attention of the bearded man that was about to ditch them. Her voice carried over to him as he appeared on the deck, his face emotionless as his one eye stared back at them. Her desperation did nothing to soften him as he remained placid, gazing at them with a look that could make children cower.
"This is where we part company. I've got my own quest to worry about." Drachma took a step back. "I've got to find Rhaknam."
"W-what? Wait a second!" Aika threw out her arms, her eyes glaring with the anger and exasperation she now felt. "What are we supposed to do? We're in the middle of the desert without a ship. How are we supposed to continue on our mission?" Eyebrows furrowed in as Aika defiantly challenged Drachma with her own intense face. Vyse and Fina were silent, watching the exchange with unease as Aika balanced perilously at the edge. She hadn't realized how close she was in her frustration.
"That is not of my concern. I have no interest in crystals or temples." He crossed his arms. "I must find Rhaknam. I cannot waste any more time babysittin'." Without another word he entered his ship, took control of the helm, and began to turn around. Aika started waving her arms in a huge arch again, venting her feelings as it all spewed out in one go.
"Hey! Come back here, you eye-patch wearing freak! You rusty old man! Hey! Are you listening to me?" She was shaking, she was so mad. They had been played for fools! Drachma never had any intention of helping them; that much was clear now.
"Oh my…" Fina held her hands together, at a loss over what had just happened. "This isn't good at all… What should we do?" Aika sighed, her stubborn nature dying down as reality set in.
"We can't even go exploring… We're stuck here." Her shoulders stooped over in defeat.
"Guess we don't have any choice but to explore Maramba now…" Vyse finally said, providing leadership for the trio. "Maybe we can find someone who can take us to the temple then." He turned and started walking towards the stairs, the girls to follow a moment later. Though things did look bleak right now, Vyse kept his hopes up. Someone could help them out, he was sure… and in the meantime, this unexpected hitch gave them more time to venture through Maramba.
"You are just in time." The voice spoke with volumes of relief. "Happy hour is fast approaching, and my daughter forgot to book a shipment for the night. We were worried that we would have to close the tavern today." Her robust figure wobbled from around the counter and over to the pair that hovered near the door. "Is the cargo ready for unloading?"
"All packed in a wagon and ready to be brought up here." A curly-haired girl replied cheerfully, pleased that they would be able to help the woman in her time of need. Her companion could have been less interested with the tavern keeper's welfare, but the amount of gold they would receive for this delivery… it was enough to make her care. "Hopefully one of your friends could help two pretty girls out? I fear that we're not strong enough to pull it up the incline…"
"If Polly here serves me one for free, I'm all for it." A large giant of a man interrupted, gaining the attention of the talking ladies as he leaned back in his chair. His muscles were huge! He would be the perfect person to drag up their cargo for them. Polly rolled her eyes at the sight of him.
"Always trying to get away from paying, aren't ya?" She placed her hands on her hips, her tone stern as she looked him over. It would work out mostly in her favour if she agreed, she supposed. "Fine. Try not to hassle my friends here too much now, would you?"
"Can't make any promises." The burly man pushed himself off of his seat, giving a cheeky grin at the two lasses that hovered by the doorway. Skye caught him scanning them down with a quick glance and rolled her eyes. The man sure was primitive in nature, wasn't he?
"We'll be back, Polly." Vanessa promised, giving a short wave before turning and leaving the tavern. The girl was clearly not too comfortable with the man that volunteered to help them, a fact that Skye noticed early on; the blonde was quick to plant herself between the two to act as a secure barrier for her friend. Skye herself was not too bothered by the guy – he wasn't talkative nor did he attempt to do anything bold or rash in their presence – but she had come to realize over her time as a Red Rogue that Vanessa instinctively felt discomforted around bulky figures. Skye could not really guess as to why this was, but she had a fair assumption that it was due to her friend's choice of weapon. Not many men of his size would be intimidated by the small blade, regardless of how well Vanessa could wield it.
Confidence issues or otherwise, Vanessa wouldn't have to worry about it. Skye tentatively put a hand on her holster to ensure her gun was still there. Nothing would happen; not under her watch.
As they came close to the Thalia, the man let out an admiring whistle. He had not pictured that the two girls he now accompanied would own such a well-built ship, as seemingly generic as it was. His eyes dashed across the surface, very carefully taking into account the minor rivets in the woodwork that otherwise disrupted a completely smooth texture. The average fellow might not have caught the matching slats that covered the small rectangular holes on the sides of the ship. Based on how many that he could see it could only mean one thing… this ship had some serious firepower. Interesting.
Vanessa had entered the ship to open the loading bay doors while Skye stood out near their visitor, seeing how intensely he dissected their ship with his eyes. He was either a very smart man hiding behind the veil of an otherwise average sailor to notice the value of the Thalia, or she was just over-thinking it. Besides the near unreadable expression he wore on his face, there was nothing to indicate that he was a suspicious character at all. Here was a guy that simply planned on working for the free booze he was promised once he finished. Skye groaned inwardly at herself. Vanessa's occasional timid nature was rubbing off on her. That was just great.
"So what's your name, big guy?" Skye saw the man slightly jump in surprise at the question directed at him; he had already resigned to the fact that they would not be speaking to him. He tore his gaze away from the ship to stare at the girl beside him, who was dwarfed by his tall and large frame.
"It's Gunthor." He spoke slowly, as if he didn't wish to admit it to the world or himself. A flash of uncertainty passed through his eyes in a moment, which the gunslinger did not notice. "Yours, lassie?"
"Oh, it's Skye." She broke the uncomfortable tension that had formed while they waited. Skye didn't actually care to know about this fellow at all – his gruff exterior gave her the impression that he was likely just a common thug – but the insufferable boredom she was near drowning in sparked such an interest within her. She gestured towards the loading bay, which was only just now opening. "My friend's Vanessa. You really think you can handle this?"
"You doubt the big guns?" Gunthor scoffed, flexing his arms to emphasize the strength that rippled through them. "It'll be a piece of cake. You just worry your small head over how you and your friend will struggle to keep pace with me, a'right?" He smirked, his ego inflating as the blonde shook her head despondently at the response. The loading bay doors gave a whine as they became stationary again; another few squeaks were heard as a large ramp abruptly burst out from a slit in the ship's floor and slammed into the side of the port. Gunthor was stunned at the sudden quake of the ground beneath him, but his mood quickly changed to one of ecstatic elation as he let out a hearty laugh.
"Theora, I told you to take it slow!" The voice was exasperated as it yelled at the pre-teen standing behind the control panel.
"It's not my fault!" Theora snapped back, unhappy at the negative air that had formed between them. "I did what you said but one of the springs must have been coiled too tightly!"
"Then why is that button still flashing? You were supposed to press it before you pulled the lever, you idiot." Vanessa smacked her own forehead in frustration.
"… Gee, what's got into you today?" Theora muttered; feeling disheartened as she watched her captain pace back and forth. "This isn't like you at all."
"Ugh, I know… I'm sorry, Theora." Vanessa felt sincere about that apology, though she was not too sure if it came off as one; the nervous energy she felt was driving her mad. Was she coming down with something? The last time she had felt this way, she had become quite ill the next morning; a memory that she did not want to have a repeated session with. Vanessa shook off the thought, turning her attention to the big man and Skye as they secured the ramp before walking on it.
"No need to apologize to the squirt, Nessa." Skye teased, her eyes glinting as they stared down the disgruntled brunette. Theora crossed her arms and turned away to instead have a sudden fascination with the crates that occupied the room. Skye wasn't going to ruffle her feathers, not today!
"So… is this it?" Gunthor touched the extended bar of the wagon lightly, his face showing signs that his ego had just been harshly popped by reality. The wagon's contents, make no mistake, were obnoxiously heavy in general, and with the rough incline to the town ahead of him…
"Yes." Skye stifled a snort she felt coming on as the man, whom had only just a moment before bustled with righteous confidence outside the ship, now wearily took his place behind the handles. She was looking forward to this moment; the one she personally was allowed to deliver as the crippling blow. Playing with a moron's feelings never became old. "You make sure to keep up with us, now! Can't keep good ol' Polly waiting, can we?" She received a weak laugh in reply while the man flexed his big arms in preparation for what was the come. Skye's mouth twitched in amusement as she thought back to the previous night, when Ivan had so effortlessly pulled along the same wagon up and down grassy slopes. Gunthor was all talk in comparison to the blind Ixa'takan lad.
"Theora, you'll carefully close up after us, all right?" Vanessa told their pilot, who gave a mute nod. The girl had clammed up and refused to speak now, for whatever the reason. It drew a bit of concern from Vanessa, but she didn't have the time to question Theora's behaviour. She would ask later. "We'll be back once we've delivered the shipment."
With that said, the curly-haired pirate stepped out onto the port, taking a moment to attempt to relax and enjoy the cooling air. Skye followed her, giving her a whimsical smile as she nudged back in the direction from where they had just come from. Vanessa turned back to see what Skye was pointing out – oh, of course she would be making fun of the struggling man that slowly pulled the wagon behind him. If he was having that much difficulty on a flat surface, she couldn't imagine how he'd deal with the steep incline ahead.
Guess they'd just have to help him out when he got there.
"I'm so hot…" Aika complained for the fifth time since their Maramban adventure began, fanning herself futilely with her hand in an attempt to cool her face down. She groaned out loud, unable to help herself.
"So are we, but you don't see us complaining." Vyse retorted, still wearing his signature blue jacket over the black t-shirt. Fina did not speak, the tell-tale of her discomfort being the wiping of her brow with a white sleeve.
"The tavern has air-conditioning… if you need a place to cool down." A male voice interrupted them. Aika saw the man approach first; dhabu in tow as he crossed the desert terrain to reach them. Aika was glad that she was flushed from the humidity, because she could already feel her cheeks start to burn as she realized what a good looking man he actually was. The outfit was nothing too spectacular; a collection of various fabrics with nice patterns and a jester-style hat perched on his red mane, but his face and those hazel eyes…
"That's a great idea, thanks." Vyse wore a grateful smile, which the man returned in kind with his own caring gaze.
"To reach the tavern you will need to cross part of the desert… here, I will loan my dhabu to you. She can be a bit of a stubborn one," he tugged on the rope to prove his point, as the creature instinctively pulled back, "but she's fast and stable. You'll just need to click your tongue sometimes to get her attention."
"Oh wow, thanks!" Aika was excited. The beast was a strange breed of a liking she had never seen before, so that made the idea of riding it all the more thrilling. The dhabu appeared awkward to mount, as noted when the man was teaching Vyse on the proper way to get on the saddle, but overall it was a manageable affair. Vyse was left to sit on the creature's back as the man disappeared and then reappeared a moment later with two more dhabu for the girls.
"Take care of yourselves." He said as he assisted Aika and Fina onto their own mounts. "If you could bring them back to the stable over there," he gestured to a building that was removed from the main stretch of road, "that would be great."
"We will, friend." Fina spoke softly, before she ordered her dhabu with a flick of the reins to follow Vyse's departure. Aika hung back though, still staring at the red-haired man with a puzzled look on her face.
"Is there something on my face?" He asked playfully, snapping her out of her stupor.
"Oh, n-no… I was just going to ask what your name was." Aika stuttered, embarrassed. He gave a warm smile.
"My name's Milon. It's a pleasure to meet you, miss…?"
"Aika." She filled in, feeling more uncomfortably hot than before if that were even possible.
"Aika… That's a beautiful name. Well, Aika, I hate to cut this short, but your friends are waiting, and I must get back to work."
"R-right… Sorry for the hold up. I'll see you later!" Aika recomposed herself, gave him a cheerful wave, and kicked the dhabu hard with her shins. The dhabu had not expected such a harsh command and bolted away, leaving Milon to chuckle as the girl attempted to right herself and regain control of it. He was not concerned about Aika; he knew that she would be able to handle herself. He watched her struggle and then successfully manage to force the dhabu to slow down into a trot, hearing the sound of her male companion laughing as they trudged off together. Milon smiled at the sight before turning to head back to the stables. He always enjoyed interacting with tourists. They were much more lively and interesting than his fellow Nasr residents.
"I cannot thank you enough for your service." Polly gushed as the two pirates and Gunthor finished carrying in the boxes of loqua. Her backroom storage was now brimming with these crates, nearly overflowing with the sheer overabundance of the delivery. Each of them was red faced from the physical labour; the one worst off being Gunthor, who now collapsed back into his chair with the occasional wheeze. That hill had been an absolute nightmare – about halfway up the strain on his muscles had threatened to give way, and his pride was further hurt as the two girls had to assist him in completing the objective. Skye had opted to pull the wagon alongside Gunthor in the front while Vanessa chose the more precarious position of pushing from the back. It was a dangerous and reckless move, but Skye was still entertained that her friend would rather risk being struck by the cart than to be stuck pulling the wagon next to Gunthor.
Vanessa's distrust of the man had slowly eased up while they had been relocating the crates into the storage area, engaging in banter with the fellow as she handed him the loqua to stack up. They made pleasant conversation as Gunthor chose to tell her of his background a bit; how he decided to live his life as a mercenary for hire and was often paid to provide merchant vessels with on-board protection. He told her stories of how he had fought off pirates and monsters to ensure his employers made it to their destination safely. Vanessa was intrigued by the concept, though it was more because she had always been the person in the position that he would be protecting the ships from. Skye and she had a tendency of targeting merchants to steal most of their cargo.
"You must come back here soon!" Polly told the two of them, having clearly enjoyed the female company. In general she only had individuals like Gunthor to chat with, which admittedly could become dull after repeated visits. An idea formed in her head as the two girls were about to head out the door. "Oh, I know! How about you come back tonight? I'll serve you free food and loqua to show my appreciation, so please come."
"That isn't really necess-" Skye clamped her hand over Vanessa's mouth to stop her from finishing the sentence. They couldn't deny an offer for an expense-free meal!
"We'd love to, thanks. See you later!" and before Vanessa could say anything against it, Skye dragged her out the door.
END CHAPTER THREE
Author's Note: If this feels like a slightly abrupt ending, that's because it was spliced. With the plans for what is going to happen in the next few segments, Chapter Three would have been unusually long compared to the other chapters, and I generally like to try to keep a consistency for chapter length so that they're easy to dissect. Tune in next Thursday (I plan on updating every Thursday with a new chapter) to find out what happens next! :D