Sea of Monsters Chapter 13:

The King and the Huntress

Day 25

Three days had passed since the incident with the Argo and the funeral of Asterios, and everyone was still rattled from the loss. While everyone else would work, Ritsuka, however, remained on leave to heal his ankle. Today, he was staying next to the wheel with Drake agreeing to watch after him and make sure he had what he needed. It was here that Drake got curious, and decided to ask Ritsuka a question.

"Say, what do you think about traveling with criminals like us?" Drake asked.

"I don't really see you guys in that light." Ritsuka replied.

"You do realize me and my crew are criminals, right?" Drake asked.

"Oh, I get what you're saying." Ritsuka countered. "But I don't really see you guys like that. I just see you all as regular people."

Drake laughed. "You're definitely an interesting kid. You want to know what I think of you?"

"Let me guess... I'm a huge disappointment because I'm not this super nice guy people want me to be?" Ritsuka asked.

"Not one bit." Drake replied. "You're someone who is good, but doesn't reject most evil. But you are also someone who CAN do evil, but remain good as well."

Ritsuka looked at the pink haired woman in shock. Drake tilted her head in confusion as she noticed his staring. "Is something wrong?"

Ritsuka immediately shook his head. "It's nothing. I'm sorry, but let's just change the subject."

"If you say so." Drake replied. The two of them then saw Medea chatting away with Stheno and Euryale. "Well, it looks like her mood has improved greatly."

"I think she's still grieving." Ritsuka said. "But it's good to see she's not shutting herself away anymore."

"I'm still surprised at how nicely she's been treating you lately." Drake replied.

"In any case, can you tell me about an adventure you had?" Ritsuka asked. "You're so well traveled, and I'd like to hear the things you must have seen."

Drake sighed. "Hate to break it to you, but there are so many to choose from. And I can't even figure out which one to tell."

"I understand. So how did you meet your crew?"

Drake smiled. "I met most of them during my voyages. I met Bombe in my second year as a captain, and he became my first mate not long afterwards. Willem was raised on the streets like you were, and now he spends his days in the crows nest as our eyes and ears. Richard was a man down on his luck, but the moment I saw how talented he was in maintaining equipment, I knew I had to hire him. Now he's the weapons specialist on my ship."

Ritsuka chuckled. "They sure sound like a colorful bunch."

Drake laughed. "From what I've seen and heard, this Chaldea you guys belong to is the same way."

Ritsuka smiled warmly. "Yeah, there's the genius Davinci, who makes so many inventions it'll make your head spin. Then there's Artoria. She's the first Heroic Spirit Tatsuko and I made a contract with that wasn't Mashu, and she's also my teacher in the ways of combat. I'm sure you have heard of Boudicca before, so all I'll say is that she is incredibly happy in Chaldea now, well…..unless Nero is around, then we have to make sure both of them don't try killing each other. And then there's Roman, our acting director."

"I can't help but feel he's still a chicken, but he's a good guy deep down." Drake said. "But what do you think of him?"

"He's a great person. I wished the men back in the red light district I grew up in were like him." Ritsuka answered. "Then there's the fact that he's…oh forget it, you'd probably laugh…."

"It's fine, just say what's on your mind." Drake replied.

Ritsuka took a deep breath. "He's….darn it's hard to find the words. I guess….he's the closest thing I ever had to a father figure in my life."

"Really? He seems to be more of Mashu's father figure than anything else." Drake countered.

"Hey, he can be both." Ritsuka said.

Drake smiled at the response. "You know when we first met, I could tell you were a kid who had a lot on his plate. And now I can see how this journey will be an important one for you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well there's something I've noticed about you. Something that you obviously don't realize." Drake said. "You never really had much to live for. However as this journey of yours continues, you'll probably find that thing that's missing, and you'll want to protect it. That thing will be something you think is worth living for."

Ritsuka remained silent as he heard the captain say those words. He never truly had anything to live for? And he's supposed to find it? How could he possibly figure something like that out when he's trying to survive?

Drake chuckled and patted the black haired teen on the back. "Don't work up a sweat thinking about it now. Just keep it in the back of your mind, and you'll figure it out someday."

"But how will I know?" Ritsuka asked.

"That is something for you to find out." Drake answered. "Think of it as something that resonates within you, and you'll know the answer."

Ritsuka thought for a moment to ponder what she just told him. This was something he had to figure out for himself, so that means that he would have to keep a lookout for anything that resonated with him. The male Master smiled and nodded at the captain. "Thanks, Captain Drake. I'll be sure to find whatever it is I need."

"Don't sweat it." Drake replied."

Not a second later, Ritsuka's communicator beeped before Davinci appeared on the screen. "Sorry to interrupt, but we've been listening in on this conversation, and I have a question for Captain Drake. How is it that you're able to know things about people with just a glance like that?"

Drake shrugged. "You want the truth? I've always been good at this sort of thing."

"That's quite the rare gift." Davinci said. "In fact, I think Ritsuka and Tatsuko have that same kind of ability."

"I wouldn't say I have that gift." Ritsuka said. "Lev kinda pulled the wool over my eyes when I first met him."

"Well if that's the only time it failed you, then it just means it was a unique encounter." Davinci replied.

"And how many times have they been right?" Drake asked.

"I'd say about ninety percent of the time." Davinci answered.

Drake whistled. "Damn, that's impressive for a couple of kids."

"I'm surprised you kept count." Ritsuka replied.

"Oh come now, you have to admit it's impressive." Davinci countered.

"Honestly, I'm kinda curious how you got it." Drake said.

"That's a good question." Ritsuka said. "I guess I just developed it because of the environment I grew up in. There were a lot of nasty people there, so I had to try and figure out who to trust."

"Let me guess, it was almost zero." Drake replied.

"There's more than you think, actually." Ritsuka said. "However, almost all of them ended up getting out of the red light district, or just died."

Drake and Davinci winced. That was…not what they were expecting to here.

"Well, at least some got out, right?" Davinci asked.

"Well yeah, and it's really a good thing they did." Ritsuka answered. "However, there are some…..consequences….."

"What kind?" Drake asked.

"Well for one, if you ever step foot in there again, your life is essentially in more danger…" Ritsuka answered.

Davinci's eyes widened. "Wait, does that mean they'd be killed?"

"Not always. In fact that is incredibly rare." Ritsuka answered. "There are some extreme gangs that will do that, however, but usually people get lucky and don't run into them."

"Oh. Well at least it's rare." Drake said.

"Yeah, the worst that usually happens is that the returnee gets beaten bloody and left on the ground." Ritsuka replied.

Davinci sighed. "I knew there was something that would rear its ugly head….I'm surprised that a district like that is still standing at all."

"It's shocking to me too." Ritsuka said. "I'm just glad that it's the only district in Fuyuki that is like this."

"Okay, seriously, how come no one in authority ever tried cleaning that place up?" Drake asked. "I might be a pirate, but the way that district lives is just too comically ridiculous."

"It's more of an out of sight out of mind thing." Ritsuka said. "They think the problem will fix itself eventually."

"Sometimes I doubt your claims of it being that bad." Davinci replied. "It sounds way too over the top to be feasible."

"Trust me, I know it sounds like that. Heck sometimes I have a hard time believing it all." Ritsuka said. "However, if I really was making things up, then I'd have fumbled over something already."

"And you plan to go back there?" Drake asked.

"I'd only do that to get Doc and the prostitutes out of there." Ritsuka answered.

Davinci raised an eyebrow, before gasping in realization. "Wait a minute ... .Ritsuka, you just said that there are consequences for leaving there right? Then, when you came to Chaldea…..that must mean…."

"Yep. I really can't go back there now." Ritsuka replied.

"So, you actually escaped from that place." Davinci muttered.

"Well I do intend to go back to bring the hiring forms to Doc and the prostitutes now that you guys helped." Ritsuka said.

"Can't you just send the paperwork via some bird or something?" Drake asked. "From how I see things, it's not really worth physically going back there."

"They might be skeptical about all this unless I tell them personally." Ritsuka countered.

"Then Roman and I'll have some people go with you to make sure nothing bad happens." Davinci replied.

"I don't know…." Ritsuka said. "That might draw unwanted attention…"

"How about we talk about it later then." Davinci suggested.

"Then let's change the subject." Drake said. "Hey Tatsuko, Mashu, come over here for a second!"

The female Master and the Shielder looked at the captain in confusion for a brief moment before walking up towards the stairs.

"Is there something wrong?" Tatsuko asked.

"Nah, I was just thinking you two and Ritsuka here could have some sort of reward for all you've done so far." Drake "So here's what I'm thinking. You three take turns steering the ship, and I'll give ya guys some pointers."

The Chaldean Trio stared at her in shock. She wanted to let three kids who had no clue on how to steer….take the wheel.

"Are you sure it is okay?" Mashu asked.

"Oh it'll be fine!" Drake said. "In fact, how about you go first, Mashu?"

"Are you sure I should?" Mashu asked.

"Don't worry so much." Drake said. "You'll do just fine."

"I see….Then I shall do my best!" Mashu shouted. The pink haired woman stepped away from the wheel and allowed the lilac haired girl to take her position. As she steered the ship under Drake's guidance, Ritsuka watched with interest. However, something gnawed at the back of his mind. He couldn't help but think about Drake's description of him. A person who is good, but doesn't reject evil, and can do evil while remaining good…he heard those words before, but not about himself. Those words would describe humanity as a whole as well, and something felt…..off.

Those were the words Doc told him long ago.

"Wow, Chaldea sounds like a crazy place." Anne said.

"Oh, it isn't so bad." Okita replied. "Ritsuka and Tatsuko make the place incredibly bright and welcoming."

"You know, I can't help but feel something is off with those two." Mary chimed.

"What are you implying?" Okita asked.

"I can tell those two are genuinely nice kids." Mary answered. "But it feels like they're…forcing themselves a bit. It's more like they're scared of hurting others feelings."

Okita's eyes widened. "Now that I think about it….you may have a point. I wonder why they'd be forcing themselves to-"

"Don't think about it too much." Anne said. "To me it just means they're trying that much harder for everyone's sake."

"If you think it's for the best." Okita replied. "So, why did you two decide to become pirates?"

The two pirates laughed, causing Okita to cock her head in confusion. "What's so funny?"

"Because the answers are obvious!" Anne said. "I was in it for the money."

"And I wanted to go on an adventure." Mary answered.

"Huh, I actually thought Anne would have been for adventure while Mary was wanting money." Okita said.

"Eh, it's no problem if that was what you thought." Anne said. "Anyway, what about you? What was your life like?"

"My life?"

"Yeah, before becoming a Heroic Spirit we mean." Mary replied.

"Well it's kind of ironic." Okita said. "Because while you guys operated as pirates outside the law, I was part of a military force that enforced the law of my land."

"What do you mean by that?" Anne asked.

"It's just like I said." Okita replied. "I was part of the Shinsengumi, and we brought order to our homeland."

"How long did that last?" Mary asked.

Okita stared at her feet sadly as she clutched her knees. Even if they were all below deck, it was easy for the two pirates to see Okita was saddened by the question. The Saber then took a deep breath, and sighed. "It lasted only for a few years. And in that time, I lost so many friends to either infighting, desertion, and even when they fought against the Imperial forces….."

Anne stared at her sympathetically. "You weren't around when it fell, I can tell…."

Okita nodded. "Illness took my life before everything went down, but I wished I managed to live longer. If I did, then maybe things would have-"

"Don't think about that." Mary said. "The results would have been the same. You'd have died, but only much later on the battlefield."

"That would have been more preferable." Okita countered. "At least that way I could have given it my all until the bitter end…."

"I don't know if you'd have survived long enough to have gotten that far." Anne said. "You might be a genius swordswoman, but even you have a limit."

Okita said nothing, causing Mary to clear her throat. "Okay, let's change the subject here. We've had enough doom and gloom the past few days already."

"Then let's go up and get some fresh air." Anne said. "We can talk while on the deck anyhow."

Mary and Okita nodded and walked towards the hatch. They soon opened it up and walked onto the deck, and to their surprise, the first thing they saw was Mashu steering the ship with a bright, excited smile as Drake continued to coach her from her side.

"Must be her first time doing something like that." Anne said.

"Mashu really likes experiencing new things." Okita replied. "I'm glad she's having fun."

The three women watched as Mashu let go of the wheel, and allowed Tatsuko to have a turn. The moment the female Master took the wheel, her eyes widened in shock for a moment, before a bright, wide smile formed upon her face. It was then Tatsuko let out a loud laugh, causing Anne to stare in amusement. "Looks like someone's going to be enjoying this for all it's worth."

Okita giggled. "Tatsuko's the most energetic of the Trio, that's for sure."

"She definitely looks like it." Mary said. "So what can you tell us about her? Like what was she like before becoming a Master?"

"She doesn't really share a whole lot about herself." Okita answered. "The only things we learn are small tidbits, and those are usual and mundane."

"How interesting…" Anne muttered. "I remember Tatsuko told me yesterday that Ritsuka doesn't really like talking about his past much, and yet it's usually brought up almost constantly and he gives more details. And then we have Tatsuko who, while still a Mage, had a more mundane life, and she doesn't really talk about it at all…"

"Yeah, that is strange…." Okita said. "It's like they're exact opposites…."

"I have a theory, if you don't mind." Mary said.

"Feel free to share." Anne said.

"From how I see it, Tatsuko refuses to elaborate much about her childhood in order to get Ritsuka to actually open up more." Mary said. "If he was the one who told her he didn't want to talk about it alot, then maybe she silently made a vow to not elaborate on her own, and in doing so, would force Ritsuka to talk more about his past, which would allow him to get more help."

"That makes a lot of sense." Okita said. "I'm surprised you were able to come to that conclusion despite only knowing us for a couple of days."

"It's just a theory." Mary countered. "I'm not that good at reading people, so I could definitely be off the mark here."

As this was happening, Tatsuko continued to beam with excitement as she steered the wheel of the Golden Hind. Okita tilted her head in curiosity as she stared at the female Master's face. "I wonder what she's thinking right about now."

"She's probably thinking how great it is to steer a ship for the first time." Anne said.

"That or she's thinking of food." Mary chimed.

"I think she's just hiding her fear of accidentally sinking the ship if she hits something." Okita replied.

"That's highly unlikely." Anne said. "Captain Drake would never allow that to happen."

"Everyone duck!" Artemis shouted.

Not a second later, everyone did as she instructed as they braced themselves for whatever was coming. A second later, something hit one of the masts with incredible speed, but did not destroy it. Artemis looked around and sighed. "Forgive me everyone, it seems that this is the only thing we need to worry about. False alarm."

"I don't think that counts as a false alarm!" Tatsuko shouted.

"Hang on, there's a note on that arrow." Orion said.

"Let me read it." Medea said. "If there's a curse on it, I can dispel it before anything happens."

Artemis stepped aside for the Caster to take the arrow out of the mast. Medea studied the arrow for a moment, and slowly opened the note. As soon as she read it, a grin formed on her face as she noted the handwriting. Artemis looked over her shoulder, and chuckled as soon as she saw why Medea was grinning.

"What's so funny?" Medusa asked.

Artemis grinned at the Rider. "I think we may have a solution to all of our problems."

Medea turned to Drake with a devious smirk. "Captain, there's an island not far from here that we have to check out."

"Where exactly?" Drake asked.

"Do not worry." Artemis replied. "I shall point the way and guide us there."

"Very well." Drake said. "Ritsuka, I'll let you steer in a little bit, but for right now, I'll have to take over."

"Sounds good to me." The male Master replied. Not a second later, Tatsuko let go of the wheel, allowing Drake to take control and steer the ship as per the instructions of Artemis. While she did that, the Archer and Medea could barely contain their amusement and excitement.

It was time for them to see an old friend.

"The message has been sent." The woman said.

"Excellent. Now all we have to do is wait a bit." The man said. The man in question was a slender, attractive man with green hair and green eyes. In his hands was a shepherd's crook and on his side a slingshot. "How long do you think it'll take for them to get here?"

The woman grinned. "They're already rowing towards our location now."

"How many are coming?" The man asked.

"Quite a few." The woman answered. "I count seven…no wait, there's eight or nine on that boat."

"We should probably meet up with them somewhere close to the beach." The man said.

"I think we should wait on the beach itself just to put their minds at ease." The woman replied.

"If that is how you wish to do this, then let's get going." The man said.

Without even a nod, the woman leapt from her perch and walked alongside the man as they made their way towards the beach to wait for the landing party.

(Meanwhile)

"I can't believe our luck!" Medea said. "With her here, we have more firepower against Jason."

"Who are you talking about?" Tatsuko asked.

"Someone you all have met in the Singularity in France." Medea replied.

"Really? Who could it…" Tatsuko gasped. "Oh! You mean that cat lady!"

"Her name's Atalante." Ritsuka replied. "I remember mentioning her before back then, and how she was an Argonaut."

"Can she be trusted then?" Euryale asked.

"Oh she can be trusted alright." Medea replied. "She hates Jason just as much as I do."

"I heard a lot about her from SHEBA." Mashu said. "But can you tell us more about her that was not mentioned in the stories?"

"She was left in the mountain's wilderness when she was an infant. I saved her and she was raised by a bear for a time." Artemis answered.

"And as you all know, she is a devout follower of Artemis here." Medea replied.

"I also remember telling you all a few days ago what happened after she lost her race…" Artemis said.

"Judging by how you're acting, Medea, I get the feeling you and Atalante were close." Tatsuko chimed.

"We were when I was a child." Medea replied. "However, I'm not sure what she will think of me now."

"But you two fought against each other back in France, right?" Mashu asked. "Did you two not even discuss the things that happened?"

"In a way we did. But it was mainly us talking about the Dragon Witch's forces." Medea answered. "We never really had much time catching up when I defeated her."

"I get the feeling she'd be happy to see you again." Ritsuka said.

Medea smiled. "I hope you are right."

"Fou, Fou!" Everyone watched in confusion as Fou stood up on his hind legs, and spun around as if he was trying to dance.

"What the heck is he doing?" Orion asked.

"I think he is trying to tell us something." Mashu replied. "Fou, are you hungry?"

"Fou! Fou!"

"I don't think that's it." Euryale said. "Besides I think he already ate before we got into the lifeboat."

"I think he's telling us we're about to land on the beach." Orion said. "Take a look."

Everyone turned to see that Orion was correct. They were just seconds away from making landfall, and waiting for them on the beach was none other than Atalante and a man they have never seen before. As the boat started to hit ground, the girls immediately got out and pulled the boat closer to shore, with Ritsuka staying within. Atalante scowled at this, with Artemis noting her stink eye and raised a hand in reassurance. "He's injured, so we're trying to make sure he doesn't push himself too much."

"I see. I apologize for making assumptions." Atalante said. "Here, allow me to help you out of there."

"Oh you don't have to do that." Ritsuka said. "I appreciate the gesture, but I have something to help out."

As soon as the group gently put the boat down, Ritsuka slowly made his way out with a crutch in hand. The male Master slowly made his way towards the others, while Atalante knelt down in front of Artemis. "I am blessed to be in your presence once more, Lady Artemis."

"Please stand." Artemis said gently. "You don't need to bow to me now."

Atalante stood up silently, seeing Artemis smile at her. "It is good to see you doing well, Atalante."

Atalante smiled back before looking at the Chaldeans and the twin Goddesses. She saw the Chaldean Trio and raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's a small world afterall. I didn't think we would meet again like this."

"Wait, you remember us?" Tatsuko asked.

"Kind of." Atalante answered. "I remember the French Singularity quite well, but since I only met you all briefly, I don't have a good recollection of your names."

Ritsuka looked at her in shock. "So you remember everything that happened back then?"

Atalante nodded. "It has been a boon considering it means I can remember your faces, but it is also a curse, since it means I know what I did under the Dragon Witch's servitude."

"Then allow us to introduce ourselves. I'm Ritsuka Fujimaru."

"Tatsuko Tachibana."

"I am Mashu Kyrielight. It is a pleasure to work together with you."

Atalante nodded before looking at Medea. The two of them stared at each other for a few moments before bright smiles formed on their faces, and the two ran up and embraced each other in a warm embrace.

"It's good to see you." Atalante said.

"I'm surprised to hear you say that, considering the last time we met." Medea replied.

"Heracles did most of the work." Atalante said jokingly. The two girls then let go of each other, allowing the man to clear his throat and wave at them all.

"I apologize for interrupting, but allow me to introduce myself." The man said. "I am David, King of Israel."

"WHHHAAAAATTTTT?!" Roman shouted from the comms. "King David is here?!"

David looked at the acting director for a moment in confusion before returning to a calm expression. "Are you going to be alright sir? Do you have water to soothe your throat?"

Roman blushed for a moment as he scratched the back of his head. "Ye-yeah…..sorry about that….I was just surprised."

"Well alright." David said. "But please don't push yourself too hard, otherwise you could do serious harm to your health."

Mashu raised an eyebrow at the exchange. David sounded quite fatherly and gentle with Roman there…The Shielder shook her head and buried that thought away in the back of her mind. It wasn't really that important of an observation anyway….

"Would you like some candy?"

Mashu widened her eyes in shock. David was now standing right in front of her, holding what looked to be candies from his time period in his hands.

"Wow, talk about creepy 101." Tatsuko muttered.

"How sleazy." Medea said under her breath.

"He's got some nerve making moves on a pure maiden like that." Euryale whispered.

"Maybe he needs someone to discipline him." Artemis said.

"Okay buddy, that's close enough!" Ritsuka said as he got in between them. Mashu blushed at Ritsuka's reaction while David merely stared at him in confusion.

"Did I do something wrong?" David asked.

"I don't know what was going through your mind when you did that," Ritsuka replied. "But asking a kid out of the blue if they want some candy makes you look like a creepy bloke."

David's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, my apologies! That wasn't my intent. I just noticed this young lady looked a little down and thought she could use something to brighten her spirits."

Mashu looked at the male Archer, and the candy before gently taking a piece from his hands. "Thank you."

David smiled as he looked at the others and Ritsuka. "Would any of you like some?"

No one stepped forth, however, Ritsuka's curiosity got the better of him and David handed him one of the candied treats in his hand. The male Master and Mashu took a bite of the candy given to them, and widened their eyes at how nice it tasted. As that was happening, Tatsuko looked at David in curiosity. This was the man who defeated the giant Goliath, and held the…..

"Oh my God, Jason's looking for you!" She shouted.

"It would seem you all had an encounter with him already." Atalante said.

"We have." Medea answered. "And we lost some good people to them as well."

"I'm sorry for your loss." David said.

"It isn't your fault." Artemis replied.

"But he's after me, or rather, it is what I have that he wants." David countered.

"What he wants…." Ritsuka muttered. "Wait, then that means you have it?"

David nodded. "I have the Ark he speaks of. It is my own Noble Phantasm."

"Well we know why he'd probably need it." Euryale said. "He would want to use it to sacrifice us, and then use the Grail for his wish."

"Which brings us to a simple question." Stheno chimed. "How did you manage to hide for so long?"

"I wasn't actually hiding." David answered. "I didn't even know that someone was looking for me until Atalante showed up. And ever since then, we have been hiding and waiting for people such as yourselves to arrive and help."

"Perhaps we should discuss this a little later." Atalante chimed. "You should get your captain and the rest of your crew over here soon so they can have some rest and solid ground."

Mashu nodded and brought out her communicator to inform Drake of the situation. After a few minutes, the lifeboats were packed and on their way towards the island. It was only then that the others looked back at David and Atalante with knowing looks. It would seem another fight with the Argo would be coming sooner than they thought.