The excitement rippling through the Little Jack was second only to the collective shock. Against all odds and probability, they had crossed the South Ocean. A journey packed with pirate ruins, odd creatures, and massive storms. It was a combination of luck, engineering, and damn good sailing that made it possible. Now? The sky was filled with astounding emerald green and darker basil-shaded leaves that fluttered about like loose paper in the wind. The sky itself was celebrating alongside Vyse and his friends. Jubilant, triumphant, and awestruck that they'd manage what many called impossible.
"I've never seen anything like it," Vyse said from his post at the ship's wheel. "Even in Meridia there's nothing as green as this."
The young rogue heaved a contented sigh. He was tired and worn down but his heart leapt. Moons, how it reminded him how much he loved the sky. Yet in all his years sailing he didn't realize the sky could love him back quite like this. Were there more places like this to see? Filled with glory and beauty? He could only hope so. At his side, Aika gave him a happy pat on the shoulder.
"We've made it," she said with glee. "Leaves like that have to mean that land is close by!"
"Aye," Drachma said with a hint of pride in his voice. "T'were a right battle gettin' here but this view is reward 'nuff fer making the crossing."
Fina gestured at the scene before them as if she could reach out from the wheelhouse and snatch one of the leaves from the air. Her face beamed even as her voice commanded a surety and strength worthy of the task ahead of her. Celebration or not, they were sailing here with a mission.
"I'm sure those leaves are from Ixa'taka," she confirmed. "Ever since the ancient times and the Old World, the continent has brimmed with lush forests. The Green Moon's light basks down and invigorates the land with fertility and life. Even my Elders called it a blessing."
"Blessed by the Moon," Aika repeated in awe. "I bet there's so many delicious foods to eat! Fruit and veggies of all sizes and shapes! Bright and fresh..
Vyse managed a lean back and ribbed his friend slightly. "There's probably tons of monsters too. Roaming in the woods and lurking in bushes.. Waiting for a delicious fool to stuff their face with fruit."
Aika could see it now. Yellow eyes peering from the dark and a nasty snarling. She screwed up her face in annoyance. "Hey! Don't crush my hopes like that."
Fina giggled lightly before leaning over Aika's shoulder playfully. "I bet if you were hungry enough, you'd eat the monster too," she teased.
"Vyse! Look what you've started! Now Fina's joking around too!"
Drachma huffed. "Focus on sailing," he told Vyse before looking at Fina. "Know a smidge more 'bout where we're goin'? Yer the one what has all the knowledge."
Fina focused for a moment. Cupil swirled out from his spot on Fina's wrist and the pair honed their senses to their surroundings. She felt a jolt of information from Cupil's data lattice and looked out into the sky until dots of light came into focus. The Weave revealed what it could; further on, specks of light moves on what seemed to be land. The priestess broke her connection to Cupil and pointed to the starboard.
"That way," she half-ordered Vyse. Her friend turned the wheel with zero reservations. "There's some sort of settlement north-east from here."
Drachma raised a doubtful eyebrow. "How the Hells d'ya know that?"
"I just do." "She just does."
Aika and Fina's voice spoke up simultaneously and elicited a chuckle from the pair. Aika knew well enough how her comrade might have found the settlement. A shared secret for the moment and one that Vyse deferred to. The Little Jack turned and he guided her onwards.
"What about the people?" he asked excitedly.
"There's not many records," she noted. "Much of their technology was lost but we had some knowledge back where I lived. The Rains of Destruction hit hard here but they didn't burn the land like in Nasr. Instead, it broke apart into more and more islands."
"That would explain how quickly Valua gained a foothold," Vyse mused. "It probably wasn't a fair fight at all. Steel ships smashing through whatever they had here."
"If they were spread out in villages, the Armada would have an easy time capturing small targets," Aika agreed. "We can get more details once we find people."
"There'll be a language barrier," Fina noted with caution. "If Old World information was destroyed, the common tongue will be limited in favor of their preferred language."
"What do we do about that?" Aika asked nervously. "S'gonna make asking about the Moon Crystal hard."
"I can translate," Fina offered before pausing. "But there is another way: I could have Cupil link with your minds and provide the necessary information. It would make communication easy; it would handle basic speech so you'd mostly understand what is being said."
Drachma waved a hand at Cupil's direction. It was almost like a swatting motion and Cupil floated deftly out of reach. "Ain't lettin' that blobbo touch me head," he grumbled.
"We'd be able to understand people here?" Vyse asked with a grin. "I don't have any problem with that."
"Me either," Aika said with equal cheer. "Besides, we trust you. Go for it."
"It'll be a little strange," Fina said, approaching them with Cupil. "The captain should take the helm."
Drachma gave his characteristic grumble and hobbled towards the ship's wheel, seizing it from Vyse with care not to rock the ship. The Little Jack sped on without missing a beat.
"Dunno 'bout all this mind-boggling.." the old man repeated.
"Please," Aika said dismissively. "I've eaten moonberries before."
That caught Fina's attention for a moment. She didn't know that moonberries were consumed or even really understood throughout the skies. It would explain some of Aika's more flamboyant magicks and ease when it came to learning more. It might even mean less work for Cupil but that was some conjecture; her home never had anything more than rather unique rations. If they had fruit in Ixa'taka, it would be her first honest to Moons fresh grown piece of fruit. The Little Jack only had very strange dry fruits. It was exciting to think about; the vegetables in Johanna Dyne's food had been lovely.
She dismissed the wandering thoughts in her mind. It was time to focus and guide Cupil. She didn't have much experience with this process with other people although she'd been trained well enough. For people outside her home, there might be some panicked reactions. That didn't seem likely with the amount of trust Vyse and Aika were showing but she worried about their comfort nevertheless. They were sharing a part of themself quite willingly without knowing much about what they were doing after all.
Cupil drew close and stretched until two tiny tendrils hovered above the pirates. With closed eyes and whispered prayers, Fina commanded Cupil to share his knowledge. The Elders would certainly find the idea scandalous but it was a necessary step to completing her mission. Vyse, meanwhile, felt an odd chill come over his body as Cupil glowed with silver light. Aika keenly felt the cold as well before it began to shift to something invigorating and comfortable. It sunk deep into their bodies and down to their bones. A ripple of soothing magick that eventually gave way to the slightest snapping. A very bizarre jolt rippled in their heads followed by a feeling of expansion and security. Like if the gaps of a cottage were filled with cob. All subsided and the pair felt calm once more. Yet, somehow, their world had grown larger.
"Astounding," Vyse muttered. "I don't know how I know… but I can tell there's fresh learning in my mind."
"Yeah," Aika agreed. "It's not too much but it's right there. Words that I can almost feel on my lips."
"Rubbish," Drachma said from the wheel. "We'll see 'bout this suppose'n we find..."
He paused and looked ahead of the Little Jack . With a blinking eye and astonishment, he let out a blow of air that was only a half step removed from transforming into a whistle. "I dun believe it…"
Vyse rushed over to his side. Out in the distance, a rise of treehouses and tangled buildings peered out from a throng of trees. Life in touch with nature and nestled right within it. It was unlike anything he had seen; so vertical yet still locked mostly to the surrounding forest. What was the word Fina used during their time in the South Ocean? Jungle? He wondered if that applied or not.
Either way it was a lot of people in a village that extended upwards like the massive branches and tangles that supported their homes. He could see a small dock and even smaller boat with a mask-like carved face at the front and rudimentary fins that fluttered in the wind like a dragonfly's wings. Peering at the dock below, Vyse spied a small crowd gathering the docks. Were they friendly?
One way or another, he was about to find out.
It would be an understatement to call the mood at the village's makeshift dock "anxious." The energy that cut through the crowd was a mixture of dread and awe as Vyse and the others disembarked the Little Jack. Under hush breaths, his mind picked up words like "outsider" and "danger" while also flickering upon concepts like "god" and "trade." Cupil's rewiring of his brain allowed his mind to ever slowly adjust to the language around him and Vyse was glad to listen in for the moment. That listening turned less esoteric the moment that Fina stepped onto the docks. The mood burst like a blasting thundercloud.
Elation. Reverence. Awe. Astonishment. Disbelief. All of these things and more were contained in a cry that shot from the crowd. One person and then another. More and more; one single word repeated.
"Quetya!"
The crowd parted to make way for Fina's every step, some of the strangers falling to their knees in supplications. It was only then that Vyse took stock of the people around him. Many wore white robes and shawls with colorful accents. Hues of green that turned into lake blue and mixed with under wrappings of purple and hot oranges. Each person was a sparkling and wonderful fire crackle of color. Some wore wooden masks with wide eyes and snout-like features; these were similarly painted with various colors. For those that did not wear as much clothes—opting for minimal wrappings around personal areas—their bodies wore paint as bright and striking as anything else; it marked tanned skin with designs that barely suggested shapes. A bird, some type of abstract sun burning bright, the waving water lines of a river.
Vyse was astounding at the beauty of it all. Judging from Aika's gasp at his side, she was also amazed at the sight. So unique and signaling a culture brimming with art and music and possibility.
"The people with masks have spears," she noted. "Are they soldiers?"
"Should be careful," Drachma whispered. Vyse understood the apprehension but it wasn't even the second thing on his mind. For Vyse Dyne, he'd never felt more excited and elated than in this moment when he first saw something truly new to him.
Fina carefully took a step forward and more of the crowd parted. As if to take charge of the group, which no one objected to given her grasp of languages, she raised a careful and kind hand and was confused when the crowd immediately went silent as she did. That was most curious, she thought, although it did make it easier to be heard.
"Greetings," she said warmly. Her tongue shifted to match the language of the village. "Do not be alarmed by me or my friends. We did not mean to disturb you; we are here on a peaceful mission. If possible, we'd like to speak with your elder."
A small child broke from the crowd before her mother could pull them back; a young boy with a wide smile and curiosity in his eyes. "Are you Quetya?" he asked.
Fina did not know what to say. Although she understood that she was being asked a question, she did not understand the word. Neither did Vyse or Aika; it was not being translated at all. Was it a name? A title? The Silvite paused for a moment before speaking again.
"My name is Fina," she attempted to explain. "I am a Silvite looking for the Moon Crystals. Stones from long ago; when this land belonged to the Veridians."
She looked at the crowd once more. "It would be like a moonstone that powers your ships but much more powerful. I don't mean to take it by force but I have a duty to protect it."
Vyse stepped forward to stand at Fina's side. The Silvite exhaled a bundle of nerves as her friend spoke.
"Fina's a priestess," he added, feeling the words slip from his mouth in a language he'd never spoken. "Me and my friends are Blue Rogues.."
The latter word snaked through the crowd and was met only with questions. "This is a type of warrior?" someone asked. "You are Quetya's protectors..?"
"We're her friends," Vyse said reflexively. The crowd stirred again. Fina allowed her mind to expand for a moment until she was peering ever carefully into their thoughts. Not enough so as to intrude violently or be noticed but enough to grasp the situation with more clarity. What she found shocked her.
Her gasp was so sudden that even Vyse jumped at her side. Aika walked forward and placed a hand on her shoulder; she had a notion of what was happening. For all her fire, she could be just as intuitive as Vyse.
"They think you're something else," Aika said in the "common" tongue. "Don't they?"
"They think I'm their goddess," Fina replied in turn. "Quetya is a divinity!"
Drachma huffed behind them. "Ain't such things," he intoned with a cold surety.
Vyse frowned at Drachma for a moment. He didn't have much in the way of faith except for a belief that there was something underneath the truth of the world. The skies were too beautiful to be, as some scholars had suggested in books, a random accident. But this wasn't the time to debate; if the people here thought Fina was a god and acted like it, that was a problem.
It was a problem because they hadn't come here with the type of vileness the Valuans had. They were here on a quest that would help the world. Some explorers or other powers would relish the chance to play on the perception of being a god but he wasn't going to allow that. If Fina's goal was to save the world, they needed to meet the people they met with honesty and kindness. He felt Fina's hand slip into his for a moment and he reflexively gave it the smallest squeeze. Somehow, he understood that she was asking him to speak up. He also understood that this would not be the only time she asked.
Vyse took a step towards the crowd. Some backed away while a few of those with spears gripped them tighter. He spoke up, his tongue shaped once more into their language by Cupil's aid.
"There's been a misunderstanding," he tried to explain. "Fina is not your goddess."
"Why does she look like the vision our king saw in the mountains?" one of the masked men asked.
"Golden hair and white robes. Eyes as green as our moon," another voice added.
"The image is exactly as our seers have said!'' one woman called out in confusion.
"They are testing our faith," an older man said sternly. "This is the day we've prayed for! After so many years of Ironhead oppression and pain. She has come to save us!"
"Enough!"
A powerful voice called from the crowd and silence fell once more. The villagers further parted until the source was revealed: a bold looking man in garb unlike anything Vyse had seen. His mask was carved of red wood with eyeholes large enough to evoke the wide gaze of an owl. A sharp jaw, holding a sprinkling of stubble, jutted from underneath the visage. A short top of shocking blue feather draped over the mans body; sky blues mingled with tan skin which was further marked by sharp tattoos shaped like arrows. His chest was bare and on display. It was largely unmarred save for the smallest nicks and marks. A cerulean wrap covered his waist and high boots with light flicks of mud covered his feet. He stood tall and proud.
Vyse could not help but smile at the man's confident strides as he approached the group. He was older than the rogue; somewhere in his twenties perhaps. Drawing close, he leaned towards Fina and twisted his head as he examined her. Each movement was sharp and suddenly, twitching movements like an alet blue jay upon a branch. With a snap, he moved away and bowed his head. Up and down like a knife.
"I am Tika'Tika," he said proudly. It was like a knight presenting himself to a queen. "God or mortal, the elder requests your presence. I will take you."
Fina shrank for a startled moment before finding a fresh strength within herself. The flickering embers of a leader. The stark surety of a pilgrim. The Silvite bowed back respectfully.
"We would be honored," she said warmly.
It was more than enough for Tika'Tika's ears. He twists sharply with all the snap of a rooster before walking through the crowd. "Come," he all but ordered.
He didn't need to say it twice. Their arrival had been full of shocks and lighting-clapped excitement; there was a sense of relief as Vyse and the others followed after the brash man. Each step felt important. For all the troubles under the Green Moon, there was a strength within the people living in its light and while the future was far from certain, that strength radiated outwards to embolden their pace. For a moment, Vyse dared to glance back towards the crowd. Their eyes remained fixed on Fina as she walked away, the entangled villagers gazing as if there were of one mind. And for a moment, Vyse saw something.
Behind the crowd, leaning against a massive tree, was a young man in what appeared to be Meridian clothing. Stained green shorts and a matching vest under which was a bright orange shirt bold enough to match the villager's colorful garb. The young rogue blinked, and when he opened his eyes there was no one to be found. He turned to follow the group. Perhaps it had been a trick of the eyes.
If Tika'Tika's steps held resilience, the village itself was a deluge of steadfast indomitability. High walkways carried the group over flowing river waters. Study wood dwellings with thatch roofs and walls lined the way. This itself was an impressive merger of man and nature but it wasn't until Aika looked up and loudly gasped that Vyse realized it was the smallest part of the village's majesty. High above them, nestled in the canopies and leaves, were the homes they spied during their flight. Vyse had nearly forgotten them in the hustle and bustle of their arrival but there was no ignoring them now. He lacked a proper word for it. "Treehouse" was close but incorrect. These weren't some lucky child's play house or even a village lookout's perch. These were homes and other dwellings. Some were connected by high walkways; others gaps were bridged by steep slides or odd ziplines.
"Unbelievable," Vyse managed. "I've never seen anything like it."
"We're gonna say that a lot on this trip," Aika laughed.
It took mere minutes to arrive outside a well adorned hut whose entrance bore a bold deer-like mask over the entrance. Tika'tika nodded but did not enter. Fina smiled at the man before pushing aside the draped cloth door to the dwelling. Vyse offered a quick salute to Tika'Tika before he and the others entered the hut. The inside was modest but held touches of refinement. A rack of tools, a small sleeping nook. Some artwork, paint upon dried animal skin hung loosely on the walls. A finely woven rug covered much of the floor with a blood-red hue that lead up to a stout chair upon which the village elder sat.
His hair held an unusual hue close to a light purple with streaks of white. This was not found on his head, which was cleanly shaved, but rather in a mighty beard that fell all the way down to his waist. His skin bore the tired lines of a long-lived life and looked raw as forgotten leather. A streaking line of green paint cut down his face in a marking of unknowable meaning. He was a picture of wisdom with only one sign of weakness: eyes that seemed hardly open. The lids were heavy and fallen low; from a distance they seemed closed. It immediately became clear that this was not the case.
As Fina drew closer, the elder's eyes open somewhat to reveal one iris of crackled blue and another eye of pure white. Perhaps it was an injury or the ravages of age. Whatever the case, he leaned forward as Fina approached in a clear attempt to see her better. It took a moment as he looked the woman up and down with an elongated humming. Eventually, the weakest of smiles touched his face.
"We have waited very long for this day," he said, voice dusty and light. "A silver-white dream held within our peoples' hearts. Hope that we were not forsaken. And yet…"
His white eye twitched ever so slightly. "You are not as I imagined."
Fina bowed cautiously before finding her voice. "I thank you for this meeting," she said formally. "My name is Fina and I fear my arrival has already caused confusion."
Vyse did not speak up nor did Aika. Drachma seemed barely at attention. His ears did not understand the words slinking and sliding around him. Regardless of cause, all the others could do was defer to Fina.
"I am Xolin," the elder replied with another hum. "They rushed to say that Quetya had returned but you are a confused thing; flesh and garb like our visions with silver light within. Bright but unfinished."
Fina tilted her head as a realization snapped through her mind. "You see me."
"You are a falling star," the elder affirmed. "Burning hot and flickering like nothing else in nature."
The Silvite turned to look at Aika. "We've seen this before."
"The seer in Maramba," her redheaded friend agreed.
"The one who told you about the temple?" Vyse asked.
Fina didn't answer. She returned her gaze to the elder. "If you can see me, then you must know already. I am not Quetya."
"I am or I am not," Xolin said wisely. "Are these the only answers?"
"I'm a priestess," Fina insisted. "Nothing more."
"A modest answer," the old man conceded. "Perhaps it is as you say. Perhaps you are nothing but a dangerous traveler from the east. Perhaps you serve Quetya regardless. There are many possible truths."
"Like what?" Fina asked. She feared the answer.
"That you are Quetya," Xolin chuckled tiredly. "But without a memory of yourself."
Recumen's words slithered through her mind. A whisper terrifying and tantalizing. Tiny Silvite, broken Silvite. Silver shard-sliver stumbling on the star-way of our souls' salvation. You are not what you think..
She shook the thought away. "It does not matter," she said after a moment. "I am here with a mission. There is a crystal in this land. It controls a terrible beast; my task is to find it and keep it safe."
"The giant," Xolin said. "Necoc Yaotl, a god of light and dark.. life and destruction.. He once ravaged our land. Quetya reclaimed the stone that birthed him and saved the people."
"My people know your giant as Grendel," Fina replied. Carefully, so as not to reveal too much. "They say nothing about a "goddess" who defeated it."
"Either they didn't know.." Aika began.
"Or they didn't tell you." Vyse finished.
Fina froze. She was in her cell on Galcian's ship pleading with Rami and trying to find answers. His face flashed with shock and disgust. Not at Fina; he was furious at the Elders. Heartbroken and broken by betrayal, it was all he could do to stop himself from laughing as he realized: They never told you .
"Do you know where the crystal is?" Fina asked. She pushed her private terrors aside for the moment.
Xolin shook his head slowly. "I do not," he answered directly. "That knowledge is granted only to our king."
"Then we need to speak to him," Vyse said with urgency. He didn't know if he was breaching protocol or not. Taking a step forward towards the elder, he stopped at Fina's side. "Where is he?"
Xolin twisted his head slowly, leaning in to examine the young man in front of him. Vyse thought he saw the old man's eye cloud further but couldn't tell if that was a trick of the light. The young rogue stood up taller as if to present himself but took care not to speak further. The elder seemed perplexed—his curiosity rising above what he'd show with Fina even—and took a moment to think before speaking again.
"Your friends resemble the men from the east," he told Fina. "Dangerous. Moving with abandon."
The old man regarded Vyse with an impassive gaze before continuing. "Why should I tell you where our king dwells? You are like a spark; you will either bring warmth or burn everything down."
Vyse didn't know what to say. It was true that he was putting these people in danger simply by arriving in their lands. The Valuans would seek Fina at all costs, and they would move mountains for a chance to repay the insult he and Aika wrought on the nation during their rescue mission. It might have been better to search for the Moon Crystal entirely on their own. If anything else, it wouldn't risk bringing Valua's gaze further upon the people of this land. He dismissed the notion quickly; the Valuans were already corrupting the skies here. They'd choke the continent for years. The solution was not to remain apart from the people under the Green Moon. He needed to walk among them and earn their trust.
The rogue nodded. "We have endangered you with our arrival," he conceded. "It is not our intention to disrupt your lives or bring troubles to your doorstep. We are here to ask for your permission."
"Permission…" Xolin repeated with a wry smile. "What might a Man from the East know of permission?"
"We will not take from this land without your blessing," Vyse said sincerely. "I am not like the men you've known nor are my friends. If your king turns down our request, we will not seek the crystal further"
Aika half-gasped behind him. "Vyse.. We can't leave th-"
He turned to look at his fellow pirate. Aika stopped immediately. She'd seen her friend in nearly all possible states. From purest delight to rawest anger, Vyse's face was as known to her as the back of her hand and yet she still froze. This was new. His gaze bore a burning sincerity beyond anything she recalled. It wasn't mere stubbornness either. He meant what he said. If the king told them to stay away from the Moon Crystal, he would stand down and leave things at that.
For her own part, Fina felt shock and a strange indignation. Vyse was making a decision that was not his alone to make. He had stepped forward, wrested control of the conversation, and made a promise that Fina did not know they could keep. Her mission was clear; she needed all the Moon Crystals. In spite of this, she somehow still trusted Vyse's instincts. Had he disrespected her by seizing such bold initiative? Perhaps so and it was something they'd need to talk about in due time. For the moment, the Sivite could only look at her friend with deep admiration as he knelt before the elder.
"I won't betray your trust," Vyse insisted. "I swear."
A silence fell through the hut as everyone—even Drachma—waited to see what would come next. Xolin leaned back slowly. His smile grew wider. Like a crack spreading on top of a frozen lake. Slowly but steadily, the elder's face resolved into genuine delight as he shifted in his seat and leaned forward. His outstretched hand searched for Vyse and eventually found purchase on the young man's shoulder.
"Your fire burns pure," the old man said with an amused huff. "The king dwells in the forest to the north. Tomorrow, I will have Tika'tika guide you there so that you can speak to him about this crystal."
Vyse smiled in return. Brash and bright. He felt Xolin's hand give a tired tug—a signal that it was okay to stand once more—and rose to his feet. The young man stepped back and once again took his place beside Fina. "Thank you," he exhaled. "But must we wait until tomorrow?"
Fina nodded in agreement. "Each moment we are not searching is one where the Valuans may find it."
Xolin shook his head. "They will not," he offered with honey-warm confidence. "The sun will rest soon and I would like to have a feast in honor of our visitors."
"I don't mind free food," Aika chuckled behind them. Fina shifted nervously.
"What of the villagers? Will you explain to them who I really am?"
The elder lifted a tired shoulder. "If you do not know who you are, who am I to say?" he asked. "Be you goddess or traveler, you are guests. That is reason enough for celebration."
Fina smiled and Vyse peered over to find that her features weren't marked by her usual reserve. She looked happy. He couldn't blame her. After the trials in Riqueza and rocky adventure in Nasr, it was refreshing to sail under a new moon and receive a kind welcome. His friend has endured too much mistreatment thanks to Valua's greed; the elder's words were comforting and her reception was certainly a welcome change from her entanglement with Alfonso. Even if it came with some misunderstandings.
"Thank you," she finally managed. Bright and full of hope.
"Then I welcome you to our home," Xolin proffered. "I welcome you to the village of Horteka."
Everywhere Vyse stepped, he felt dozens of eyes fall upon his back. The group had split following their time with Xolin. Drachma growled and insisted that he needed to look after the Little Jack . Fair enough. They'd been sailing through the South Ocean for slightly more than twenty days. Even a ship as deceptively hearty as the Little Jack was bound to bear scars from the voyage. The old man made a grand show of annoyance at his current circumstances but Vyse spied a vital lift to his footfalls. The salty bastard would never admit it but he was clearly enjoying—perhaps subconsciously—their adventure.
For his own part, Vyse took an opportunity to wander in relative calm as Fina was soon occupied by the petitions and questions of countless villagers. Aika kept close at her side to play a hybrid role of confidant and bodyguard. He'd seen the pair weather the crowd admirably; Fina insisted on her mortal status but could not help herself from aiding those who asked. She healed injured hunters and listened closely to stories of Valua's incursion. Goddess or not, she was an undeniably blessed presence. Aika, in a grand showing of gregariousness, granted Vyse her permission to explore while she looked after their friend. Vyse was grateful although he'd taken some umbrage as Aika herself was soon swarmed by plenty of young men and women who were curious at the fiery-haired warrior that guarded their beloved Quetya.
Vyse did not have to endure such excitement, something for which he was rather grateful. He relished the chance to learn more about the Ixa'takan people but was more than content to simply see the beautiful new land he'd found himself in. He knew, of course, that the Green Continent was not idyllic; Valua had a strong foothold here and the weight of their greed undeniably fell over Horteka. It showed in some of the more paranoid glances that darted his way. Some people looked at him with awe while others merely held curiosity. The others? It took him a while to recognize but he eventually understood that they were fearful. He was a stranger from the East and even with the elder's blessing and 'Quetya's' friendship, his presence raised questions. Tired eyes locked with his own only to gaze down quickly. For all the excitement in the air and beauty stretched before him, he could not deny a fundamental truth: these people had suffered for far too long and he did not know if he would be able to put an end to that.
He certainly wanted to. He wanted to lift sail and burst headlong into whatever stronghold the Valuans held, grab their commander by the throat and hurl him into the Deep Sky. Doctor Ortega's story played in his mind. The hypocrisy of Lord Admiral Medosa, Ramirez's despair, the horrid enslavement of the Ixa'takan people. That a land of such majesty could hold such pain was terrible. He saw that contrast in every face he walked by; there was as much tenacity as there was anguish. His mind lingered on Doc's descriptions of the terrible moonstone mines and the native peoples that were forced into slavery.
It needs to end, he thought. That was obvious but less clear was the pathway for accomplishing it. What he did know was that he didn't want to simply grab the moon crystal and leave things as they were. But the Little Jack was one ship and her crew a measly four adventurers. For the smallest of moments, he felt a dangerous thought cross his mind: use the Gigas. Take the crystal, summon the giant, and use that power to shatter every Valuan warship into broken shards of steel and splintered wood. The thought exited his mind as soon as it entered. No, he wouldn't allow that. He would never betray Fina like that.
The answer, he assured himself, was all around him. The people of Ixa'taka held a bravery that radiated outwards in spite of their circumstances. Horteka was not a hidden village; it stood in view of any ship passing by. For Vyse and the crew, it was a haven. For the Valuans, it was surely a target. Yet the village stood even if the kingdom suffered. Their king ruled although he did not walk amongst his people. That was no small feat and understanding that reality helped Vyse chart a path forward in his head. Liberation, he decided, was not the task of one person. It was a communal effort. You couldn't fly a ship without a crew and it was foolish to think you could change the world all by yourself. It took friends and neighbors.
That understood, he knew that all change required a "moment" that allowed people to truly believe in a better future. Xolin said he was a spark. Valua would be the kindling. He simply needed to figure out what to bash his metaphorical flint against. Damned if he was going to take the moon crystal and run.
Stirring from his thoughts, Vyse saw the vibrant village around him and realized that he'd wandered far from his friends and towards the edge of the outer hamlet. He sighed, well and truly lost.
"Yeah, it's overwhelming at first," a voice chuckled behind him. The words weren't Ixa'taxan. They were in the dubiously named "common" tongue. The accent was pure Meridian.
Vyse turned around to find a young man standing before him. Slick brown hair hung over a grease-smeared face that somehow helped his blue eyes stand out more than they might've otherwise. Green shorts and a matching vest with a vibrant orange underneath, red bandana wrapped on his left arm. He couldn't have been more than a few years younger than Vyse. It took a moment before the young rogue recognized that he'd seen the other man before: he was the strange figure behind the dock's excitable crowd. Not a trick of his eyes but flesh and blood. Vyse did a double take.
"I don't believe it," he said with amusement. "I thought we were the first people besides the Valuans to reach this continent but here you are! I just… Wow! How did you.."
The brown haired teen smirked. "You'd be surprised how far a good South Ocean storm can carry a ship."
"You're shipwrecked?"
The young man tilted his head back and forth. "Yes and no," he admitted. "Ship's in rough shape but not unfixable. Repairs have been slow and we can't leave yet."
There was an odd tone to his words. Vyse immediately understood that there was more than a busted ship's engine keeping him in Horteka. The mystery could wait; he extended his hand.
"I'm Vyse," he greeted. "Vyse Dyne."
A confident hand clapped into his own and gave a quick tug that left a small dotting of dirt and grease on Vyse's hand. "Hans Maertens."
That caught Vyse's attention. "Maertens. Like Centime?"
Hans pointed playfully at the young pirate. "Dyne. Like Blue Storm?"
An uproarious chortle lifted through Vyse's body and rang through their small corner of the village. He slapped a knee in merriment. "I'll be damned! Your old man is Centime the Tinker?"
"Guilty!"
"He fought with my dad in the war! They liberated Nasil together! Smashed right through the siege."
"Caught the blockade unawares in the middle of the night."
"Blew up the the Ursa and scattered the Valuans to the winds!"
Hans nodded. His smile was mischievous but marred by sadness. "Yeah, Dad's told the story."
Vyse looked around the village as if he was going to spot the old pirate walking into view. There was nothing except the cool breeze swaying trees back and forth. He took a breath before grinning back at Hans. Nothing in his imagination could have prepared him for this and while he had plenty of questions, Vyse couldn't hide his excitement. Someone else had made it! Incredible!
"Are you alone?" he asked energetically. "Did you get carried all the way here by yourself?"
"Not at all," Hans answered with a hair-swishing shake of his head. "The whole family was sailing around. We live on the ship and wander from point to point. Came too close to the South Ocean edge on a dark night and once the damn storm ended, we'd landed right on the island."
"Amazing.." Vyse pictured the tempestuous journey in his head. It was a miracle anyone survived.
"C'mon," Hans ordered with a nod towards the village outskirts. "Let me show you."
The pair didn't have far to walk. Hans guided Vyse off the village's wood-planked walkway and further towards the forested edges. A modestly worn path, largely the result of countless footfalls, lead through a small tangle over overgrowth that they ducked through. There was the briefest darkness as leaves hid midday sunlight before a fresh rush of light and sound flared up as they reached the other side. Vyse expected more jungle but was surprised to find a picturesque clearing full of children at play. Two young girls in muddy Meridian garb drew pictures with small sticks while a handful of children—including a raucous Ixa'takan boy with searing bright red paint on his face—ran about in a furious game of tag. They were far too caught in their game to notice Hans and Vyse but the girl turned and gave a happy wave that the young men returned. A small stream trinkled to the side of the clearing; it was a little slice of paradise.
That alone would have been enough but the most striking feature rested in a half-broken heap against a nearby cliffside. A moderately sized ship, stocky and somewhat box shaped, lazily floated over a cliff's edge, dangling above clouds. Two large pipes popped up from the deck, each expelling a meager hint of smoke and perhaps even steam. The ship was not made of treated wood like the Albatross ; each and every part was made of metal. It was a hodge-podge of steel and patchwork iron replacements, portions marred by rust and other parts bearing the slightest hints of moss coverings accumulated over a long resting period. A proud blue flag fluttered near the stern: a metal-jawed skull with a "crossbones" made of a wrench and screwdriver. Wires extended from the crow's nest downwards towards smaller pipes; clothing of all sizes and makes were draped over the coil, drying in the hot sun.
"Is that…" Vyse rubbed his eyes as they drew closer to the ship.
"The Iron Clad ," Hans confirmed affectionately. "Less of a warship and more of a home now."
Vyse gestured at the children running about. "Who are they?"
"Brothers and sisters," the other man explained. "Ever since the war, Mom and Dad have been looking after orphans wherever we go. Some are only guests for a time before they find families and others stay."
"Were you adopted?" Vyse asked carefully. He didn't want to pry too much.
"Nah," Hans voiced with an accompanying chuckle. "End of the day, it doesn't really matter. Iron Clad 's always bustling with fresh faces and new siblings."
"All of you were carried here in a storm? Hardly seems possible."
" Clad's a sturdy ship," Hans explained. "Dad built her strong and I'm no slouch at keeping her running."
"She looks beat up," Vyse noted, gesturing towards the ship. "Broke down after you landed here?"
"Partly," his new friend lamented. "It's been hard to repair our engine without many replacement parts. We scrounge what we can from the Valuans but.."
"But what?"
"We're laying low for a while."
Vyse raised an eyebrow. "Did something happen?"
Hans was silent as they reached the outside of the Iron Clad , taking a moment to look over the ship he loved. He'd poured so much time into repairing and working on it. In some ways, he had partial ownership of the vessel if only by whatever transitive property hard work imbued into an object. If you ask a carpenter about a chair he's sold, chances are he'll talk about it as "my chair" even if he doesn't own it. The Iron Clad was his father's ship but Hans felt a deep kinship with the vessel as well. One that he discovered through tireless hours of rifling around its guts. But there was more to it than that.
Metal and steam, grease and rust. It was the ultimate father and son project.
"Me and Dad went out on a scrounging run," he started quietly. "We took two small ships and grabbed what we could from a wreck patrol ship. Valuans found us and took Dad away; said they needed him to retrofit their own ships and work on weapons."
Hans sighed, walking forward to place a hand on the Iron Clad 's hull. He rubbed it idly back and forth, leaving the smallest oil stain on its metal exterior. "He agreed to go with them so long as they left me."
"Wasn't your fault, son," a light if ragged woman's voice called out from right below the ships deck. She walked up and into the light; brown hair like Hans save for the parts which had faded from a proud hickory to ashed out cedar. Her face was kind with some pronounced lines including a rather long one slither across her forehead. She stepped up and clapped Hans on his shoulder.
"Besides, it'll take more than a steel door and some bored guard to keep your father locked up."
Hans smiled though Vyse could see it was forced. "He wouldn't be locked up if it wasn't for me."
"That's not true," Vyse said immediately. Hans and the older woman turned towards him. "The Valuans do whatever they want. If they want something, they take it. Took my dad and our crew.."
Even after the rescue, the incident was a sore spot for Vyse. He understood Hans' desire to beat himself up over losing his father; Vyse sometimes dared to imagine that if he and Aika were back on Pirate Isle when Galcian arrived, they could have stopped everything. It wasn't. At best, they have been hauled to Valua as well. More likely, they would have been killed.
If his words reached Hans, the young man didn't show. Instead, the woman at his side finally seemed to notice exactly who wandered into the camp even if her face was a monument to disbelief. Smirking at the raw impossibility of it all while also unable to find words. It took a moment before her voice caught up to her mind. "You're Meridian.."
Hans gestured to Vyse. "Mom, this is Vyse. He and his friends just landed here."
Vyse extended a hand towards Han's mother, which she took. "Vyse Dyne."
"Dyne? You're Victor's son?! And they've taken him? But wait.. How are you here?!"
"To answer the questions: yes I am, he was but we rescued him, and.. uh, we sailed here."
It was quite the tale but Vyse told it as best he could. He saw no point in hiding anything from Hans or his mother. The story was getting easier to tell each time he told it. At first, Vyse worried that everything would seem far too fantastical; it had actually made him a little embarrassed. Would people think he was boasting or spinning a tall tale in order to seem more impressive? Plenty of sailors had stories they told and even the most boisterous failed to include magical crystals and giant monsters. After their escapades in Valua, he figured there was no reason to hide anything. If he didn't come clean, then rumors would flitter either ahead of him or after. There was little chance of that happening all the way out in Ixa'taka, of course, but there was also the simple matter that Vyse didn't want to lie to people if he could avoid it.
He placed every card on the table. The raid on Alfonso's ship, Fina, Galcian's attack and their rescue, Drachma, Nasr and Belleza. Much to their credit, neither of the Maertens did anything other than listen even if it was clear that Hans was packed to the brim with questions. Vyse appreciated their courtesy.
Far from his expectation, it was Hans' mother who spoke first. She gave a sliding whistle that belied a more adventurous youth before declaring: "You're certainly Victor Dyne's kid."
"You say stuff like that about everyone," Hans chuckled. "You're always saying 'you're certainly your father's son' and all that."
Vyse gestured to the various oil and grease stains on Hans' vest. "Your dad's Centime the Tinker and you certainly look like a gear-head's kid."
"Hans is engaging in a time honored tradition," his mother said warmly. "Worrying about his own legends. I'm sure you understand, Vyse."
"Don't I ever," the young rogue admitted. "All it takes is time and luck. Maybe you'll have a mysterious lady wander into your life and whisk you away on adventure too."
Hans rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, if I wasn't worrying about dad so much.. I'd probably ask if you needed a good engineer on your trip."
"Aika can handle most of it," Vyse allowed tactfully. "But if I was captain? I'd find a bunk for ya."
Han's mother reached out to ruffle his hair. "And I… would need to think about it."
"You'd let me go?"
"Your father and I would have a long talk," the older woman offered with a sly smile. "And if you two could spruce up the Iron Clad enough? Well, who would I be to keep you away from adventure?"
"Some day," Vyse told Hans with a quick salute. "You'll have your shot."
"If only we could find a way to get dad back.."
Vyse had already been bold in Xolin's dwelling but the young man felt a fresh surge of energy and confidence rush through his blood. His heart already burned with a desire to smash Valua and break whatever chains he could find. Freeing an old family friend and fellow Blue Rogue? Well, that seemed like an equally noble cause. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for someone who sailed under the blue.
For the second time since arriving in Horteka, he spoke without thinking. "I'll save him."
That caught everyone's attention. Even some of the children playing away from the Iron Clad seemed to pause for a moment. Vyse wondered again if he'd made a promise that was all but impossible to keep. He'd already gambled on one promise with Xolin and here he was again insisting that he would be able to rescue a well-known Blue Rogue from the clutches of Valua as easy as hauling cargo from 'Windmill Isle' to Aster Island and beyond. A simple trip without any possible risks at all. Routine and ordinary.
"That's a fine offer," Hans finally empathized. "But I have no doubt they took Dad to Moon Stone Mountain; the mines there have expanded to a small shipyard. Probably making him on fresh cruisers."
Vyse shrugged nonchalantly. "Rescued one dad from under Valua's nose," he bragged. "Could try another. It's not like I can sit by and do nothing."
Both of the young men smirked with cocky glee before Hans' mother brought them to reality. She tapped Vyse on the forehead—not so hard that it might hurt—before shaking her head.
"First thing you need to do, mister, is check in with your crew. Because it sounds like you have a captain to listen to and a fine young woman who you've promised to help. Focus on them."
The pirate hesitated. "I won't do nothing," he insisted.
"There's a proper moment for all things," the older woman replied softly. "Let's worry about what's happening here and now. Your ship, this village."
Hans took a breath before finding himself. "Though if you have a few fresh moonstones to spare, I won't complain. Sooner the Clad 's in shape, the better. We can't stay here forever."
Vyse clapped Hans on the shoulder. "I can manage that," he insisted. "See if we have anything to spare that can help get her floating steady. After that? I suppose it's all moon crystals and mayhem."
His new friend nodded. "Nothing lasts forever," he said with wisdom beyond his years. "Not even the bad things; we'll find a way to fix all of it. Just happens that starting with the ship might be easiest."
"We have shards from a big stone that fell not so long ago," Vyse explained. "Used up plenty on the crossing but there's enough that could kickstart your engine. Maybe a spare push rod or camshaft."
"Give that Drachma fellow a heads up and I'll make my way over later," Hans said.
Vyse grinned. "Don't wait too long," he noted. "They're holding a feast tonight, and it'd be a shame if you missed out on the fun. As for everything else.."
He didn't even need to say it. Hans only nodded. "Find your magic rocks," he said. "And give 'em hell."
Giving the Valuans hell would have to wait even if there was plenty of fire to spare. As night fell and unknown stars dotted the sky with their friendly light, the village erupted into a spectacle of music and crackling fires. Some were simply there to provide warmth, others were used to cook sizzling foods that Vyse had never seen before, and a few were meant only to light the village enough so that dancers and revelers could keep track of their steps as they furiously danced their fears away.
When the festivities initially kicked off, Vyse wondered if this was even a good idea. Wouldn't the Valuans come quickly to snuff out any and all joy that remained in Ixa'taka. Miraculously, the answer was no. The people were allowed phenomenal respite which they used to thank various spirits for their ongoing survival; they also used it to praise Fina whether she wanted it or not. It didn't really matter how many times she explained that she was not Quetya. While some of the villagers seemed to understand that she wasn't a god walking amongst them, many others could not understand or perhaps did not want to understand that their goddess was little more than a seventeen year old Silvite scared out of her wits. She sat in a place of honor near Xolin, with plenty of petitioners eager to keep her cup—Fina had successfully managed to explain that she only required water—flowing and her mind sharp with questions. A small child, somehow more nervous than even Fina was, shuffled over and offered the Silvite a small crown made of woven flowers; reds and blues and even whites threaded together wonderfully. Fina demurred but finally accepted the gift at Vyse and Aika's urging. In the flickering firelight, she looked like a queen.
The meal was a veritable medley that felt like a journey unto itself. There was a hearty porridge seasoned with hot peppers whose bite far outstripped anything in Meridia, a pot of sizzling bean that paired with anything and everything, a vegetable mix of squash and tomatoes with drizzled sauce. Vyse's favorite was a soft wrap containing seer fowl and another mix of peppers. It came in a crinkling corn husk that he almost ate as well before a very helpful—and somewhat inebriated—local explained that he didn't need to eat that before wandering off into the blistering medley of dance and song cascading throughout the village. This was the only time that Vyse saw Drachma; the solitary man hobbled through the vibrant crowd, scooped whatever he could into one of the Little Jack 's few loose plates and disappeared.
Vyse hoped to make his way over to Fina and check in on her but before he could rise to his feet, he also found himself swarmed by curious villagers and excitable children. He didn't mind in the slightest. Not because he craved attention but because he was all too excited to learn what he could about Ixa'taka. It became a sort of verbal trading game. He would colorfully tell one portion of the adventure that led him here before asking his own questions. Where were the other Ixa'taka's? Split about on various islands, led by elders that could report to the king. The villagers said that it made them safer overall even if Horteka was still large by any standard. After a dramatic recounting of the rescue in Valua, which led to quite a few rounds of laughter from those who were clearly warriors, Vyse asked how their ships worked. Not like the Little Jack or the Iron Clad . They didn't have traditional engines; instead their moon stones went through a ceremony. It sounded like Old World magicks almost; a smith or perhaps more accurately a mage would work on the stones for three days' time until they were charged with enough energy to create a field of life-affirming energy that vessels could sail on as easily as a fluttering feather.
So it went; story for story. Knowledge for knowledge. Curiosity for curiosity.
That would have been a more than comfortable enough evening but before he knew it, a familiar hand pulled him up to his feet and hurried him down towards the fire where a swirl of native villagers were dancing in deepest revelry. It took a moment before he realized it was Aika, hair looking even hotter in the firelight and steps light as a jungle cat. She winked playfully—a gesture containing more suggestion that he'd ever seen—as she spun him around and around. In time, Vyse felt his steps begin to mirror his friends. She moved and he responded. Natural, obvious. Like sparring practice fit with fresh energy.
"Heya, Dreamer."
Vyse smiled, improvising a sort of stomping twist around his friend. "Hey, you."
They lost themselves for a time, shifting and slipping in and out of each other's reach. Laughing with reckless abandon as their hearts thought of birthday parties, raucous post-plundering celebrations, and the undeniably joy that came from sharing your happiness with a friend. The fire leapt and instruments swelled as the pair drew plenty of eyes. Fina, having spent far too much time with would-be servants nearby, rose from her seat and joined the small crowd that was gathering around her friends.
For Vyse and Aika, nothing else existed. All was the dance. All was . Whipping wind and kicked up hair. Furnace hot heat and fleeting touches. Hands that threatened to interlink before breaking apart. So close and yet never completing the journey. Sweat that might mingle if only for a few more inches.
Standing within the crowd, Fina couldn't help but feel a deep desire wash over her. Her friends were so wonderful, so deep and damnably perfect. It took all of her energy to not rush out there and join them, which would have been a feat unto itself given that she had no clue how to dance. But she understood the idea of dancing and, in her time since arriving on the surface, her heart had grown beyond anything that could have developed back among her people. It was a battle—a pull between proprietary and a deep yearning to submit to something careless and free—which she set aside to happily watch her friends.
Her eyes saw more than anyone in the crowd. They saw two friends, perhaps more than friends even, dancing without reservation. Fina saw a supernova. She saw the birth of a universe. Nothing but light and love and deepest delight. And as soon as it had started, it stopped.
Vyse was speechless. Aika stood before him, grinning so hard that you'd be forgiven for thinking she'd stolen all the gold in Valua. The young woman reached out and flicked his nose.
"Not bad," she conceded before bursting into laughter. It didn't take long for Vyse to join her.
Yet from the corner of her eye, Aika spotted Fina and beckoned her in closely. It didn't matter if so many eyes were on them. The redhead pulled her friend in close and beamed at her. Fina couldn't help but smile back. She hadn't danced but she was clearly a partner. "That was wonderful," she exclaimed.
"Proof that you can train a huskra to do anything," Aika teased with a loose punch to Vyse's shoulder.
"S'easy when I'm following your lead, Spitfire."
"Some of my awesomeness rubbed off on you, I'll admit."
Fina played nervously with her fingers. "One day, I would like to learn how to dance like that."
Vyse placed an affectionate hand on her shoulder. "When we've won? We'll dance so hard it'll be like we're stepping on the stars."
Aika giggled. "That was surprisingly smooth," she noted. "But we don't need to wait to see some stars."
That made Fina tilt her head for a moment until she realized what her friend was talking about. She giggled in return. "You think we should show him now?"
"Fina, I think we should show him now."
Vyse looked between the two in a desperate attempt to decode what they were talking about. "Show me what? What's going on?"
They didn't answer. Instead, they took him by hand on either side and began to make their way through the crowd. This was easy enough, as most parted while "Quetya' passed. They pressed further and further down wooden planked lanes and away from the fire's light. Vyse almost protested but eventually tossed the notion aside; whatever they wanted to show him was clearly important even if he couldn't imagine what it was. A fresh view of the sky, like the one he loved back home? A field of stars and constellations that he'd never beheld and would now have the chance to chart in his journal?
No, that was too obvious. Something else was going on here. His suspicion was confirmed when the girls plopped him in a quiet spot near the edge of the village, facing the rustling jungle. It wasn't necessarily remarkable; loosely swaying leaves, bugs darting in the moonlight, a rustle here and there.
"I've seen the jungle since we arrived," Vyse told his friend bemusedly.
Aika raised a sharp finger. "But have you really seen it?"
The young man scoffed. "Yeah, I think so."
Fina moved closer to his side, wrapping her arm around his and guiding him slightly closer to the natural world spread out before him. "You haven't," she said softly. "Not really."
"What do you mean?"
Aika stood next to his other shoulder. "Fina showed me back home," she explained. "The Silvites have some sort of gift. It's a way of seeing the world. Or, well… it's like the world behind the world."
Fina gestured out towards the jungle. "There's a web of life all around us," she told Vyse. "A weave of energy and light and souls that we Silvites see every moment of every day. Waves of magick."
"It's amazing," Aika said softly. "Sounds scary but once you see? S'nothing but hope and warmth."
"I can show it to you," Fina said, leaning over towards Vyse. "But only if you want."
Vyse hardly understood what Fina meant. All he knew was that one of the most important people in the world was offering to share something beautiful with him. Of course he wanted that. Of course he wanted to be even closer with his friends. Of course. He nodded. Aika's hand finally slipped into his own while Fina's soft touch pressed ever so slightly on his shoulder. The haziest silver light glowed from her finger tips; he felt her magick seep into his body and within moments.. He saw everything.
The jungle was awash in fluorescent light that rippled out like so much phosphor. Every bug that flew by was like a passing ship, ever falling leave held the importance of an entire village. He could see eyes in the darkness but he didn't fear them. They were a part of him; slinking cats and sleeping birds. Pinpoints of light and softly crackling energy that expanded outwards into the world around him was nothing but an intricate mesh of life and souls. Trees held the wisdom of ages, the light of stars above teased of wonderful worlds. Dots far beyond what was in front of him seemed to cut through the web and he was astounded to find that he could identify them. His father, his mother, Luke and Mabel. Marco even.
He understood that this wasn't some temporary trick. This was Fina's reality. She wandered day to day in a bubble that contained an universe. What he saw in the sky, she saw in the heart of every single person she encountered. An energy beyond the moon's glow and more potent than any conjured spell. It was a deep and fundamental fact of our being. He, and every living thing, was far more than mere flesh.
"This is.."
"What I see."
Such simple words and yet nothing else needed to be said. Vyse nodded, turning to look at his friends and found they were pure light. Clean and everlasting and intoxicating. Wonderful. And he knew, more than he'd even known before, that he would do anything and everything for them.
If you'd asked Vyse Dyne what night he wanted to relive, if Heaven was the sort of place where you simply relieved a perfect day, he might've said something daring like the night of his most successful raid. A night of courage and adventure, a night of pride and accomplishment and recognition. If he was particularly pensive, he might've talked about a quieter night on Pirate Isle. Warm meals of buttery squash and his mother's deviously delicious meat pies. Maybe he would say it was the day he first sailed in Arcadia's skys, cutting the wheel and feeling as the Albatross moved in turn.
Not anymore. From now until forever, the night he wanted to relive would be this one. The world and all of its magick laid bare, the soft wind rustling his hair, the distant sound of flutes and drums. Most importantly: Aika and Fina. Who he cared for so much in this moment that it nearly broke him into tears. No friendship could be stronger, no love deeper than what he felt. Which, to be frank, startled him.
He loved them. Both of them. And he did not know what to do.
There was little he could do in the moment other than enjoy the gift he'd been given. Fina's airy yet undeniably present hand upon his side; Aika's fingers linking with his own. The entire world before them.
Nothing else was said. Nothing needed to be said. They stood in the dark, looking at lights that only the three of them could see. Their journey would be harsh and trials would come as soon as the next day.
For now? They had this night. It would take every Moon falling at once to stop them from having more.