Morg: Heyo! Here we are on another beautiful day to write another beautiful chapter!
Ikuto: You're assuming everyone will like what you write.
Amu: I know that's not true. I don't enjoy any of it.
Morg: But the readers always love my stories!
Ikuto: I don't think that's true.
Amu: I literally just said that I don't.
Morg: You don't count.
Ikuto: We should.
Amu: Rude.
~The Eighth Sea~
One of the dragons let out a terrible roar before it lifted from its perch and dived out of the opening of the cave. The crew members ducked though there was plenty of space between their heads and the great beast as it passed over them.
Amu turned to watch as it disappeared before she turned back to the other dragons they'd been speaking to. "Is everything okay?"
One of the older dragons lowered its head to regard their small group. "We felt another approach when your boat did but thought them part of your crew. You have one magic user amongst you."
Amu glanced over her shoulder at Dia. She looked shaken as she whispered with Ikuto and Miki. "I believe that she is the only one," Amu said as she turned back to face the dragons. "Was she the one you sensed?"
"No," another dragon admitted. "It wasn't until we realized that she came inside with you that we understood."
Amu opened her mouth to ask what they understood. The dragon who had left so quickly swooped back in before she was able to. In its claws was a girl. Not just any girl. One made out of water and seafoam. One that she recognized with a growing horror in her chest. "Sirens."
The younger dragons all began hissing and roaring as the one who returned with the siren hovered in the cave. "This creature was following their boat and hiding in our cove."
The siren shrieked as she landed on the rocky floor of the cave. She began to drag herself back toward the opening but was forced to stop when the dragon who had caught her stood in her way. "The sea," she screeched. "I must return to the sea!"
"And you shall," the dragon boomed. "After you tell us what you were doing."
"I'm too far from the water," she cried. "I will die here!"
"Then speak quickly, child," the dragon responded without mercy.
Amu slowly stood from her spot. She moved until she could stand between the rest of the crew and the siren. The creature might be in agony for being out of the water but Amu remembered how deadly they were. She would never forget the feeling of their claws as they dragged their victims into the deep.
"Spying!" The siren's form shifted as she spoke. It looked as though she almost couldn't retain the shape of a woman while so far from her source of power. "They took what was rightfully ours! We tethered her! She belongs to us!"
Amu took a half-step back. She felt Ikuto move to her side as she shook her head. "She's not talking about me. She's talking about Utau."
Ikuto made a noise in the back of his throat. "That doesn't make me feel better."
Amu nodded as she looked at the pitiful creature. "So you've been following us to get the chance to take Utau back?"
The siren hissed as she became less human-like in her appearance. "We've followed both of your ships. Your doom is coming for you, despicable humans! He will slaughter you all and return what was stolen to us!"
"Kiseki," Dia breathed as she looked from Miki to Amu and Ikuto. "The sirens told Kiseki and Tadase of our ruse. That is how he knows to sail this way."
"He is a man," Ikuto spat as he turned back to the siren. "That would see you all taken from the ocean and dried out. He is the monster!"
The siren cackled as she melted into a puddle on the cave floor. "Your doom is coming, little human. Not ours."
One of the dragons brought forth another large bowl-like object. The siren slipped inside of it before she was carried out the door.
Part of Amu wanted to call out to the dragons to stop them from putting her back into the ocean. They were in grave danger because of the sirens. Still, she held her tongue. Amu was not the one who would or could condemn another creature to a horrible fate. Even one who had wronged them.
She watched the dragon leave before she turned back to Ikuto. "What are we going to do? They're coming for us."
"We have to open the portal," Ikuto said as he sank back down onto the ground. "I'm so worried about my father."
"You have a right to be worried," one of the older dragons told them as the younger ones settled down now that the siren was gone from the cave. "Dragons are creatures of magic. We can feel the magic of the world around us. Something is happening to the Eighth Sea. The magic is erratic. Portals open without want or need wherever magic has lingered. We fear that it will soon erode."
"Wouldn't that destroy the Eighth Sea?" Amu asked as she folded her arms over her stomach and looked up at the dragons. "Would that be such a bad thing?"
"It could," a different dragon answered. "It could also erase the borders between this realm and that one to the point where the magic began to destroy this one, as well."
"Then we have to go," Ikuto said from where he sat. "This is no longer a rescue mission to save my father. We must open the portal and somehow tame the magic before it has the chance to destroy everything."
"This is a heavy burden," the first dragon said as it looked at them. "We will send one of our swiftest to find the rest of your crew and summon them here."
"What about Kiseki and Tadase," Amu asked as she looked around at the dragon. "They would see the world burn to have control over it."
"If there are any here who would like to assist, they may."
The dragons began to once more make a ruckus. Amu understood that they were speaking to one another and discussing their desires. None of them could be made to help, and most cared little for what happened beyond their cove.
Then, from near the back of the cave, two of the smaller dragons broke free of the rest and flew to Amu. They landed at her feet and purred as they rubbed their heads against her.
Smiling, Amu recognized the dragons that she'd slept beside and cuddled with. She uncrossed her arms and scratched at their horns as the other dragons noticed what was happening. "While I am glad," Amu said as she fought back tears. "That you are willing to help me, I cannot let you. This will be a vicious fight, and while you are brave and strong, I could not bear it if something were to happen to you. Please, stay here where you are safe."
The little dragons made noises in their throats as they continued to press against her. Then one turned to face the older dragons and let out a hiss before huddling against Amu's side.
From farther back in the cave where the younger dragons stayed during the night, more of the young ones came forth. They dove in and around the crew, seeking attention and scratches and huddling against the humans before they all turned their heads to look up at the older dragons.
Amu fought back both the urge to laugh and to cry. They were sincere in their want to help but they were far too little.
"It seems," the older dragon said as it looked down at them. "That our young have chosen for us. We will accompany you to the portal and help you as best we are able. The magic of that place will affect ours."
Amu bowed to the dragons without stopping her fingers from scratching at the younglings' heads and horns. Then she pulled them both into a hug and smiled at Ikuto as he looked back at her with an expression of awe as he let a small dragon cuddle in his lap.
XXX
Kiseki watched the siren leading them across the ocean from the forecastle. She seemed to know where to go without needing to surface to check on her bearings. He found the creature fascinating and wanted to invite her onto the deck to study her closer.
Then she twisted in the water as if in pain. He tilted his head to just watch as she writhed beneath the waves before she surfaced with a piercing cry.
Kiseki held up his hand in a signal for the sails to be tied so that they moved but a little as the siren approached the side of the ship. He moved until he could look down at her. "What is it?"
"They know," she spat out. "They pulled my sister from the sea and almost killed her."
Kiseki made a noise that he knew was nowhere near sympathetic. He didn't care about one siren. Or any of the sirens. "Do you know where to lead us so that you can seek your revenge?"
"I can take you to the place of the dragons," the siren replied after a moment of thought. "I can lead you to where they were."
"Do," Kiseki told her as he motioned over his shoulder for them to start moving again. "Let me know if something changes again."
The siren's face turned ugly for a moment before she dove back into the water and continued on at a pace they could follow.
"So they can't lead us directly to them anymore?"
Kiseki turned to look at his cousin. "It seems not, but knowing where they were recently greatly diminishes the search so we will use our guide for a while longer."
Tadase nodded before he went back to lazing about as the crew worked hard around him.
XXX
"It is time," the dragon said as it rose from its perch and landed on the cavern floor before them. "The sun is rising. Present the pieces of the map."
Ikuto rose from where he'd spent the night resting beside Amu and several young dragons. He hadn't gotten much sleep but resting was better than nothing. Slowly, he pulled the seven pieces of the map out of a pocket on the inside of his shirt. "The pieces of the map do not make sense. They're from different areas of the world."
"The map cannot reveal the location of the portal," the dragon said. "Because the portal can be opened from anywhere."
"Then what is the point?" Ikuto asked as he laid the seven pieces out on the ground. "Why make a map at all?"
The dragon was silent for a moment as it regarded the pieces that Ikuto and his crew had worked so hard to collect. Then it chuffed. A small flame fell from its mouth and engulfed the pieces.
Ikuto wasn't able to make a sound as he watched it all burn.
"The final piece of the map has never been an actual piece but an assembly of the previous pieces. The Pirate King came to us and told us of his worry so we created something for him."
"Look," Amu said from where she was still sitting. "They aren't burning."
Ikuto squinted to look against the brightness of the flames. Through the fire, he could see that the pieces weren't burning. They were melting and reforming. "You gave him the parchment that the map was created on."
The dragon dipped its head and watched as the fire began to die out. What remained was a reformed piece of parchment, though it was nothing like regular paper. "Once divided, the map will look like ordinary paper. Made whole, this is its true form."
In wonder, Ikuto picked up the newly made map. It shown as if it was made from gold. But the details on it changed. "Why is it showing me different locations?"
"Because the portal can be opened anywhere and has been doing so where there are large pockets of magic," Amu reminded him as she got to her feet. "Maybe it's showing you where potential portals will open."
"You said there was a place not too far from here where we could open it," Ikuto said as he looked up from the map. "I don't see it on here."
"We will guide you to the place," the dragon replied. "The map will help you open the portal. It is like a key."
Ikuto dipped his head in understanding before he rolled the golden map and stored it in his inner pocket. He needed to be careful with it, but he also really wanted to show it to Yoru. He knew his youngest charge would be delighted by it.
"Thank you," Amu told the dragons as the bowed to them once more. "We will return to our ship and prepare to set sail."
"Our fastest dragon left last night to find the rest of your crew. Let us hope they are able to return in time to help if they are needed."
"They could be leagues away," Ikuto said as he turned to look at Amu. "It could take days for them to sail all the way here. We cannot wait."
"No," Amu agreed. "And we won't. If they can aid us then I hope they do. If not, I hope they remain safe."
"We will set sail immediately. Please, whoever is coming to help us, be ready."
The dragon dipped its large head in a nod.
Ikuto moved to get the rest of the crew up and joined them in eating some of the fruit and drinking the water before they began to make their way down the rocky slope of the isle. Their little rowboat sat safely on the shore where they'd left it.
Ikuto helped everyone into the small boat before he pushed them off the shore and climbed in. He nodded to Kairi as he took up the other oar. As quickly as they could, they made their way back to their little ship.
"Our task might have changed a little," Amu said over the wind and the waves as she watched Kairi and Ikuto row. "But we will still do everything we can to save your father."
"If the magic is deteriorating as quickly as the dragons fear then I am mostly worried that it's already too late."
"No," Amu said as she looked off over the ocean. "I will not lose heart now."
"Amu?"
"You have stood by me through everything," Amu said as she turned to look at him. "Maybe not willingly in the beginning, but you have not abandoned me to dark thoughts once since I hid on this ship."
"Nor I," Dia said as she lifted her gaze to meet Ikuto's.
"Nor I," Miki agreed as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Nor I," Kairi gently added without stopping as he and Ikuto continued to row.
"We will not let you," Amu told him. "You have cared for us. Now we will care for you."
"Your father is not gone," Dia said quietly. She turned to look out beyond the cove at the sea. "He is waiting for you there. You will not fail him, Ikuto."
Ikuto clenched his jaw to stop himself from crying. He nodded his head and put more effort into his rowing. "Then we will go to save him and the rest of the world."
As they reached the hull of the little ship and attached the ropes to pull the rowboat back to the deck, Amu sighed. "I just hope that this little ship is fast enough to get us there quickly."
A dragon roared from over their heads. "It is not the wind that shall guide this ship," it said.
Nade and Rhythm gasped as they hung onto the railings. They'd been trying to help the returning crew get back onto the deck.
"Ready your sails," the dragon roared.
"You heard them!" Ikuto called to his little crew. "They'll guide us. Let's go!"
Nadeshiko turned to look at them with widened eyes. "Once we're sailing, someone is going to explain what happened in that cave!"
"Of course," Amu said as she hurried to help climb the rigging and untie the sails. "Only, we've been followed and spied on by a siren so the Navy knows where we are and we don't have a lot of time before the magic of the Eighth Sea potentially rips apart that world and then consumes ours so we need to hurry."
"Is that all?" Rhythm asked in stunned disbelief before he was elbowed by Miki and returned to his work of lifting the anchor.
"About it," Amu replied as she moved along the topsail. "Dia had a vision and the dragons caught and almost killed a siren so it was a little hectic last night."
"I'll bet," Nade said with a shake of her head. "Ready, Captain!"
Ikuto nodded as he took his place at the helm. He looked up at the dragons once more. "Ready when you are!"
The first dragon that swooped down had them worried for only a moment as its chest filled. Instead of shooting flames, it pressed hot air into their sails that had their little ship groaning as it lurched forward and picked up speed.
"Oh, dear," Amu said as she rested her hands against the deck. "I do hope they don't tear us apart."
"What?" Ikuto called out to her as another dragon swooped in to give them another boost.
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Amu called back.
"At this speed," Kairi said as he held onto the railing next to Ikuto. "The other ship could reach us much faster."
Ikuto nodded as he held them steady. One of the dragons remained out in front to guide him while the others that were accompanying them continued to give them large bursts of air to keep them moving.
Through it all, Ikuto couldn't help but be thankful that none of the little ones managed to actually join them in their quest. He would not be able to bear it if one of them got hurt.
"Captain!" Yaya yelled after several hours of sailing. "There's some sort of island in front of us! It looks strange!"
Ikuto nodded to Kairi and let him take the helm as he collected his spyglass and climbed to the Crow's Nest. "Show me where."
Yaya pointed before lining herself up behind Ikuto and guiding his line of sight. "Do you see it?"
"Yes," Ikuto breathed before he lifted his spyglass for a closer look. "You're right. Something seems strange about it."
The bursts of air from the dragons became shorter and shorter as they approached the island.
"Take out the map," one of them called. "The island is not natural. It was made by magic. The map will show you how to open the portal."
Ikuto met Amu's gaze from across the deck as he pulled the golden map from his pocket. He unfurled it as their ship slowed down. The island, now that he was much closer to it, looked even stranger. There was a rocky arch that would have formed a perfect circle if it hadn't been broken. Not much of the island looked stable enough to hold any sort of weight. The rocks that made it up seemed as though they were moments from crumbling into the sea.
"That arch," Amu said as she studied it. "Looks to be the right size for a ship to sail through."
Ikuto nodded as he looked down at the map in his hands. The image shimmered until it reformed to show him the island before him. "Yes," he murmured to it. "I know. We're already here."
The image changed. Instead of rocks crumbling into the sea and a broken arch, it showed the rest of what was missing. The arch was part of a grander building. The two rocky outcrops that held it continued along a massive harbor where huge, beautiful buildings lined the sea. There were ships moored among the massive docks.
It was a place that he recognized. "I understand," Ikuto told the map. "Please, open."
The map shifted again to the arch. It wasn't broken in its image but whole. It was locked.
"Ikuto?" Amu called from the bowsprit. "Do you know what to do?"
"This place was made to be the front door," Ikuto called back. "The other portals that sometimes open are like windows or glimpses, but this place was made to be an entrance."
"Okay?"
"It's locked," he told her.
"So unlock it!"
Ikuto sighed as he looked down at the map once more. It still showed the image of the locked portal. He studied the image as he waited for it to show him what it wanted him to do.
The dragons waited nearby, hovering in the air as he figured it out.
"It's like a key," he muttered to himself. "The map is the key."
He looked from the golden paper to the empty arch. "Unlock," he told it.
The image changed.
The island rumbled as the air in the middle of the arch began to shimmer.
"You did it!" Amu cheered. "The gateway is opening! I can see into the Eighth Sea!"
.
Morg: Am I a little evil for leaving it there? Of course.
Ikuto: We knew that.
Amu: Just let this end!
Morg: Soon.
