Chapter Forty: Voyage to Samarkand
After two days of repairs, the Marianne was seaworthy once again and the heroes gathered at the docks with President Sound there to see them off.
"I've said it before but I can't say enough, thank you, heroes, had you not been here I fear to think what would have become of my people and this country," Sound smiled bowing her head in respect to the group.
"It was our pleasure Madame President," Connor smiled watching some dock workers loading crates onto their ship.
"Seeing you off to Samarkand with enough supplies is the least we can do," Sound spoke before looking to Voltage who learned on a beam with his arms crossed, "I also have a favor to ask of you, Hero of Westcliffe."
"What is it?" Connor asked with Roscoe at his side tilting his head at Sound who he could see her fist was shaking.
'Is she fighting back tears?' Roscoe thought.
"I ask that you take Voltage with you," Sound spoke this request making the young man's eyes widen.
"What?! Mother I can't leave! Our home needs me here!" Voltage spoke approaching.
"No Voltage, the South Islands don't need you to be a hero here, the world needs you to be a hero out there," Sound smiled touching her son's cheek, "you have always made me so proud my son, I know you will bring glory to our family name."
"I can't leave you," Voltage spoke placing his hand over his mother's with sadness in his eyes.
"There is nowhere in this world that I won't be with you, we both know this island was too small for your glory, go, be the hero I know you can be my son," Sound smiled looking to Connor, "Think your ship can fit one more hero?"
"I believe it certainly can if Voltage wants to join us," Connor smiled watching Voltage press his forehead to his mother both were silent for a moment saying their goodbyes before pulling away.
"If you losers think you can handle me!" Voltage smirked.
"Oh, this will be fun," Kyler chuckled leaning on the side of the ship with the others.
"Get your arse up here already!" Ash chuckled watching Voltage walk up the ramp to join them on deck.
"Let's get ready to set sail then!" Seth called.
With everyone going to their stations Connor and Roscoe climbed on board pulling the ramp up and began to set sail.
Once they were a bit out of sea Voltage stood at the side looking at his mother still at the ship port watching her hold three fingers to her mouth and kissing them before holding them high in the sky above her.
Doing the same Voltage held his fingers to the sky with Connor watching, "what does that mean?"
"It's a Southern Island ancient tradition, it's how we say goodbye."
"You'll see her again soon," Jaya reassured waving goodbye to Sound.
On the dock Sound watched the ship with her son slowly vanish into the distance whipping a tear from her eye, 'Voltage, this journey will do far more than bring honor to our family name, it will open your eyes to other things, cherish these moments with the companions you will fight with now, their friendship will give you something to truly fight for, fight with honor, courage and most of all fight for something you treasure.'
Smiling as he watched his island home slowly fade into the distance Voltage turned to Connor, "So brave leader, where we going?"
On deck Connor placed a map of Samarkand on a table with the group all circling around the map, "we will dock at the port town of Fairwinds, and we will have to try and get transportation to make our way across the Great Trade Road."
"Shouldn't be too hard, I'm sure we can rent a vehicle or maybe get on a bus, this may be the only country where we can let our guard down a bit," Kyler spoke.
"Nah don't count on it mate," Seth spoke, "Tirich is after all the heroes no doubt he already knows the Hero of Will here in Samarkand as well, he will send the most Elite Guards to capture her, I am putting my money it will be the Warden."
"Who?" Voltage asked with a raised brow.
"The Warden of Albions two prisons, a real nasty bitch, she also murdered Kyler's father so he has first dibs on killing her," Seth explained.
"Oh man, I'm sorry mate," Voltage spoke looking too Kyler.
"I will avenge my father soon enough, just have to be patient," Kyler spoke looking to the map, "Tercero, does Samarkand have an Assassin Brotherhood we could contact for vehicles?"
"Samarkandi Brotherhood? Hmmmm, that would be a no bueno, mi amigo, the last thing we need is the possibility of their base to be exposed," Tercero spoke shaking his head.
"Guess we will try our luck with renting a vehicle or maybe Samarkand has bus or train transportation?" Ash suggested unaware the masked Neo was studying her.
"You ok Ash?" Neo asked able to tell her normally cheerful smile seemed forced.
"Huh? Oh! No, I'm ok, really," Ash reassured her expression while showing a smile that couldn't hide the lie.
Noticing Connor's expression Neo saw it looked like he wanted to say something but kept quiet, 'did Connor know?'
"You sure baby girl?" Kyler asked now curious what could be bothering Ash.
"We need to focus on the mission guys, the Hero of Will won't find herself you know," Ash spoke wanting to take the topic off of her.
Looking around the group Voltage raised a brow, "Did someone here make you feel bad Ash? If there is a transphobe here I'll gladly kick their arse for you!"
With eyes wide Ash said nothing creating an awkward silence, Kyler was the first to speak, "Did someone Ash?"
"You knew?" Ash asked quietly.
"About you being trans? Well not at first," Connor spoke honestly, "but when it clicked, I really didn't see an issue, how you identify is your business, if you're a boy you're a boy, if you're a girl you are a girl, period."
"You can be honest with us Ash," Neo spoke removing his helmet and setting it on the table, "we are a team, if something bothering you we wanna help."
Silent for a moment Ash took a breath before speaking, "No one said anything, it was our fight with Sloth, my nightmare...it brought back some unpleasant memories, I thought after all this time I had moved past them but..."
"They crept up on you and made you relive memories you wish you could forget," Jaya filled and nodded, "I have days like those too."
"I wasn't honest with all of you, before I sought out the warrior monks, before I had turned into a Balverine, I was sent to live with my Aunt and her family, they were never kind, as were some of the town's residents," Ash sighed removing her glasses to rub her eyes.
"Give me names," Tercero spoke cracking his knuckles, "I'll make sure they suffer for tormenting you."
"Get in line! I want arse-kicking rights first!" Mika spoke slamming a fist on a table.
"Like hell you are! I get first whacks at their skulls!" Kyler argued.
Snorting Ash burst out laughing breaking up the argument of her companions who looked to Ash, "Hahaha you would kick the arse of horrible people for me?"
"Of course, we would Ash, you're one of us, if someone makes you cry, we will make them bleed! It's a simple trade!" Seth added with a kind smile.
"Thank you," Ash smiled putting her glasses back on, "but arse-kicking won't be needed, if the time comes, I'll be the one to deliver the arse-kicking," Ash spoke putting on her fingerless knuckle dusters around her hands.
"So then," Connor spoke pointing his finger to the map, "when we arrive everyone remain vigilant, this isn't Albion, we do not know the dangers that await us, Tirich will not stop, no doubt we will encounter one of his lackeys, if we do encounter one, we deal with them!"
"Sounds good to me," Roscoe yawned.
"Let's make a quick call," Seth spoke pulling out his phone and dialing, "Professor Faraday you are on speaker phone."
"Greeting heroes! How may I be of assistance?" Faraday asked on the other end.
"We will be arriving in Samarkand soon, we suspect that Tirich's dark seer or one of his other lackeys will attempt to stop us from reaching the Hero of Will, we need eyes in the country," Seth explained while Faraday moved live feed images on his massive computer.
"Well let us see, Samarkand under a new rule now, the former Emperor Lion passed away two years ago," Faraday explained.
"Who is on the throne now?" Connor asked.
"The eldest Prince of course, the new Emperor Rayan, under the new rule it seems nothing outlandish has occurred the new Emperor has been doing well ruling over his country," Faraday explained looking over the royal family information then paused, "Oh?"
"Oh?" Seth repeated, "What you find Faraday?"
"I see that among the late Emperor's children I am noticing quite a lack of information on the fourth heir, Lion's second son, Prince Zain, curious, with all the other heirs I see noticeable accomplishments and news reports, this son has a lack of a digital thumbprint," Faraday explained.
"Perhaps he likes his privacy?" Jaya explained.
"Maybe..." Faraday spoke digging deeper, "Oh ho ho~ or maybe the royal family has been really good at erasing any information on the second son from the internet, I am seeing digital traces of removed data, someone went through a lot of trouble to make sure Albion didn't notice this young man."
"Wait, someone erased any information from the public about the second son? Or maybe hiding him from Tirich? If I remember correctly aren't the current royal families also descendants from your bloodline Connor? It could be possible he too has hero blood," Seth suggested.
"You think he is a hero like Connor?" Mika asked looking at Connor, "Is that even possible for two heroes at once?"
"Wouldn't be the first time, if I recall my Albion history, the Hero King Adam and his brother Logan both awakened their hero blood, of course they didn't both become heroes at the same time, their blood was fully awakened when they fought in the War for Samarkand," Kyler spoke crossing his arms.
"You think he's like me? Both of us are heroes?" Connor asked going into thought, 'Does this mean we're in the same boat?'
"What else can you dig up Faraday?" Kyler asked looking at the phone on the table.
"Mostly dead ends, anything I find in relation to the prince are articles written by conspiracy theorists who are convinced the royal family using their power to cover up the prince's heinous crimes," Faraday replied.
"Typical trashy tabloids targeting the royalty of the world," Mika spoke rolling her eyes.
"Faraday, are you picking up any sightings of Albion Patrol or maybe a strange flock of ravens?" Connor asked.
"Gimme me a moment," Faraday spoke waving his hand bringing up live feeds and having a software scan faces of every citizen looking for anything that matches their searches, "looks like you are in the clear, no Patrol yet, and I see no ravens they aren't native birds species to Samarkand."
"Good that means we may have a head start," Connor sighed in relief, "be our eyes Faraday let us know if trouble arrives."
"Will do! Be careful you lot," Faraday spoke hanging up.
"Since it will be a few days till we arrive I will return to the Sanctuary, I must start going over Mary's formula so I can start on the cure," Jaya spoke.
"Cure? Is someone sick?" Voltage asked confused by Jaya's comment.
"Of sorts," Seth explained looking to Mika who crossed her arms and looked away, "Mika was the victim of horrific experiments by Reaver and a dark alchemist, they turned her into a Half-Breed."
"Half-Breed?" Ash repeated looking to Mika, "hm that explains why your scent is so odd, I was under the impression you were like me, a Balverine of sorts."
"Well, Balverine was part of the original recipe from my understanding," Jaya spoke holding up a hand to her chin in thought, "this is a twisted old recipe this dark alchemist used, I suspect he added his own tweaks to it. Mary Godwin performed experiments on herself. The two experiments are so similar I am confident that Mary's notes are the key to a cure."
"I see, how awful, I hope you can create a cure, Jaya," Ash spoke watching the alchemist wave farewell before vanishing in a beam of light back to the sanctuary.
"To your posts everyone, we will take turns through the night, we don't want any more surprises catching us off guard," Connor spoke rolling up the map.
At the Sanctuary Gabriel studied the map table watching the hero's fate cards heading towards Samarkand.
"Everything going to plan then?" Ginjer asked with Nova riding on her shoulder who hopped down onto the map.
"Indeed, the strands of fate have shown me a blurred outcome in Samarkand, meaning another of the Sins has made their way to the country," Gabriel spoke.
"So that only three remain now? Envy, Greed, and Wrath are still alive?" Ginjer asked.
"Correct my friend, the Sins of Lust and Gluttony were destroyed by me, the Sin of Sorrow by Logan, while Pride and Slot met their end by Connor and his allies," Gabriel spoke studying the map.
"I remember Wrath, the Vexator right? Evil masked bastard," Ginjer growled recalling her encounter with the sin when he attacked Queen Anna and her allies so many generations ago.
"He has been pulling the strings so far, I sense that he has something planned for us," Gabriel spoke narrowing his eyes.
"What about this bird-faced fuck? Will he be an issue?" Ginjer asked.
"Raven is a trickier subject, two seers at play is something I never thought possible, we must hurry and get our hands on the Hero of Will, she is the only hope we have of pulling the rug out from under his feet," Gabriel spoke study the new fate card with illustration of a flock of red eyes ravens with black ink dripping from their bodies.
"What do you think going to happen in Samarkand? Should I go just in case?" Ginjer asked.
"That won't be necessary, but I will have a special job very soon, it will be dangerous, but if you play our cards right you will be able to keep Seth safe," Gabriel spoke looking at the gnome.
"What do I have to do?" Ginjer asked looking at Gabriel's hand when he held a knife to her.
"You will know when the time comes, you just need to be ready to use this," Gabriel spoke watching Ginjer take the knife and attach it to her belt on her side.
At Bowerstone Castle Tirich studied a map table before looking to Reaver and Lady Grey, "I think it time to put your new friends to the test my dear Lady."
"Oh?" Lady Grey spoke her shadow behind her moving like multiple bodies were trying to break free, "What would you have me do?"
"While Greed deals with his task, I am tasking you with the capture of the Hero of Will, Raven has informed me that it is possible the Hero is connected to the royal family of Samarkand."
"Possible? Since when does Raven take guesses?" Lady Grey replied looking to the darkness in the corner of the room when Raven appeared.
"I do when someone uses cloaking magic, or, to be more précised someone has placed a cloak around the hero, only one person fits this bill and that is the Royal Court Wizard, he knows where the hero is," Raven explained looking to Tirich.
"Very well, I will see to it then, I've been dying to test my magic on a worthy foe," Lady Grey smirked before vanishing in a beam of light of a teleportation spell.