Goldenrod Anaglypta

by ceryrix (styro)

Summary:

On Harkens , between a battle between The Empire and The Pirate Nations , cities are purged and lives are erased . A small group of people are chosen by a god released from an island to end the war and to become ready for Ragnarok . This group seems to come from all walks of life , but Raine Chrysanthem is the only one actually from imperial lands . What place does she have in something like this ?

Notes:

This is a story I have been working on for several years in my spare time. It is a story I care deeply about and hope to get published someday, but sometimes worry I will never complete.

I am praying it here, but I have also published it on Wattpad at https://www.wattpad.com/story/288148464-goldenrod-anaglypta

I hope you enjoy your stay here!

Chapter 1: I: The First Drop

The light breeze smelled of roses. It was a warm day for early spring and if you closed your eyes and focused on the feeling of the breeze, the smell of the flowers and the marketplace, and the sounds of the serene elven city, you might forget the battle raging on the shore. She couldn't though. The ships were too close. The gunfire too loud. It was all she could focus on. She hated the sound of it: the distant screams and cracking wood. It was like a nightmare come to life. One she couldn’t wake up from. 

It was a good thing this city had multiple taverns and inns. Some people still seemed to be acting normal, even through the fighting. Market stalls lined the cobble street square as people came out of their crystal buildings with baskets and carts to purchase everything from the stalls that they could before going back inside. Most were on edge and fidgeted, watching the battle every moment they could through closed doors and windows. Their faces showed their fear. Even through this, many stalls were still open, selling everything from breads and meats to elven jewelry and charms. 

Raine wasn't interested in anything the stalls had to offer as she was just trying to get out of this country as soon as possible. She had been working in a smaller town to the north of the city when she had decided to move on, not knowing of the fighting happening in the port until she had arrived. Without transport off of the small island nation, she was stuck here until the fight was over, just like everyone else. So far, she’d already been in the inn for two days. Maybe that's why everyone had decided to just stay until it was over. After all, the ships weren't attacking the town, only each other. 

As she made her way to the local tavern, the one she'd stopped in when she'd arrived in Crystalia, she watched what she could see of the battle. Imperial airships flew high in the sky; their flags stark against their metal clad ships. With them was a small battlement of Battle Sisters, mercenaries under contract of the Empire whose main task was the extermination of pirates. Their ship floated in the back, tied to one of the Imperial ships while they took down their enemies with magic that Raine could barely see from the distance. 

They were fighting smaller airships mostly made of wood, but none of them seemed to go together as a single type of front. Each ship carried a flag with different symbols on them. She recognized a few of them as pirate symbols from her travels but knew nothing of them beyond simple hearsay. The ships bearing pirate flags outnumbered the Imperials three to one, but the size of the metal ships made up for the disadvantage. It was like watching bees swarming on a flock of ravens and she couldn't tell who had the advantage. 

She decided to stop watching as she continued to the tavern, instead focusing on the buildings around her. They were close to the elven mainland here and the buildings echoed that. Some buildings were mostly made of wood with intricate carvings in the doors and windows. Plant life twisted into the buildings as if they were grown together. The only thing that set them apart was the crystalline structures molding everything into place. 

They were set like rafters and steps and in some buildings there was no wood at all. Even windows were made from vibrant crystal, cut thin and placed in to let colors bounce off the walls inside. She found it beautiful and nothing like her cold, frozen home at all. The colors of the crystals revealed beautiful purples, greens, and blues; blending seamlessly with the colors of the vibrant flowers and trees whose petals and leaves glowed with pinks and teals that would be hard to find outside of this region. It would be peaceful if not for the distant gunfire. 

With a sigh, she pushed open the door to the tavern and walked inside. A few people inside turned to look at her upon entering. A few quickly looked away while a couple stared at her uniform. She let the door slide closed behind her as she started toward the bar with her head held high and a blank expression on her features. Lenaya were not seen often towards the edges of Imperial air space and they were feared or despised by most people that knew what it was. Her people tended to stay closer to the main cities unless called out for help and they were especially more rare to see in warzones. Those staring were probably wondering why she was here and those that looked away were afraid of why. 

She sat in one of the stools as people to one side moved away. A man in a brown coat sat to the other side but didn't do so much as flinch. 

"What will you be having?" The bartender asked as he walked up, wiping his hands off on a cloth before setting it on the counter.

    “Do you have Sharton Vendimia?” It was answered with the shake of his head. “Xogeac Noir? Beltillon?” 

    “Have you seen the chaos outside, Miss? You think we’re getting shipments of any of the Imperial stuff lately? All local brew right now”

    She huffed in disappointment. She was hoping they’d at least have Beltillon. It was the most common wine she liked and it tended to be cheaper. “Alright. I will take whatever you have that is red then.” she waved with a sigh as she pushed a silver from her bag onto the counter. “Keep the extra for the trouble.”

    The man swiftly slid the silver from the counter and turned to grab a bottle of Shuijing Niang from the shelf before pouring it into a crystal glass and placing it in front of her. She thanked him before he moved away to assist other customers in the bar. 

    She leaned closer to the wooden counter, placing a crossed arm in front of her on the surface as she hunched over her glass. She gently picked it up by the stem, swirling the liquid as she smelled the wine. It smelled of berries and flowers and had a dark purple hue. The taste was just as floral. It reminded her of a field in the spring with the sun shining and bees buzzing between the flowers, carrying pollen to help the berries grow. She wanted a bottle of it. She sat up straighter, looking to see where the man went when she noticed the man next to her now looking her way. She glanced to him and pulled away from the bar, straightening out her slouch and letting her hands fall gently into her lap.

    “That’s an interesting uniform you have there, lass.” Warning bells rang in the back of her mind at his accent. He was definitely from the Pirate Nations and when she actually looked his way, she could absolutely tell. He wasn’t much taller than her, with shaggy brown hair. He wore a mask covering most of the left side of his face and his one eye was a vibrant emerald green while the other was hidden under colored crystal glass set into the mask. His clothes were plain and worn, brown boots and long coat with a dark blue vest, and she could see he was carrying two flintlock pistols on his hips. She didn’t see a blade but it didn’t mean he didn’t have one. 

    Why was a pirate down here in town if the Imperial army was fighting them in the sky? Was he a deserter? Did he notice her come into town before the battle began and had decided to stay on the ground? That was far fetched, she realized, but it was better safe than sorry when she was alone. 

    “Is it?” she asked.

    “Yup. Never seen it in my life.” He paused to look over her once again, his voice taking on a darker tone. “You're not fighting in that battle outside are ya’?”

    “No. I'm just passing through.” The tonal shift worried her more and her suspicions grew worse.

“Passing through? This isn't a large island and it isn't connected to any mainland. The only people passing through are the ones fighting out there.”

She was beginning to become annoyed. “You really don’t recognize the uniform? I’m a Lenaya.” It was a flat statement, finished off quick and acidic. What bothered her more was that after his pause, he didn’t stop or even back away. He looked confused and even intrigued.

“What’s a Lenaya? Like a traveling showman? Er, woman.”

What a weird man, was her first thought. Her second had her wondering where he even was from to not know that term. The next had her thinking it was a joke or a trap. With just a glance, she could see many in the bar looking at the two of them sideways. Fear shivered up her spine. What if it was a trap? Lenaya were hated, she’d experienced it many times first hand. There was a reason she was meant to be travelling with a guard. 

She looked at her hands. The wide palms with flattened knuckles showed her scrapes and calluses on short fingers and nails bitten to the quik. She shoved them into her lap as she looked instead to her crystal glass, still mostly full. Was it worth leaving behind?

    “Sure, you could call me something like that.”

    “Wow. Must be hard for a theater group to come up on a time like this. The rest of your troop around somewhere?”

    She shot him a glare as she stood, hands now to her sides. She picked up the glass and downed the rest of the wine before setting the glass gently back down. She huffed and looked at him again. “Yes, I am not alone. I have many people with me that will not be afraid to take on an entire ship by themselves.” She lied loudly, so that the onlookers would look away. When she looked again, they had. “Excuse me.”

    She turned to leave. He didn’t try to stop her, but he had an expression she couldn’t read. As soon as she was out of the bar, she let out a heavy sigh. Travelling alone was challenging enough for a normal person, let alone someone that was not meant to travel alone in the first place. Without looking back, she started back toward the inn. If there was no travel, she might as well bunk down now, before eyepatch got any bright ideas. She could find a ship tomorrow, after the fighting stopped. Hopefully.

    She weaved through the streets, keeping to the crowds and watching behind her every now and again. He wasn’t popping up and she didn’t notice anyone following her. After she got closer to the docks without any signs of foul play, she began to calm.

There was a small seating area with pink leaved trees and blue flowers. She sat on one of the wooden benches for a moment. She closed her eyes and leaned back, putting her hands on her face. From here, she could hear the sounds of the gunfire even louder. That’s all there was if she closed her eyes. Cannons, guns, ethyrium fire, distant screaming, laughing, and fire. She took her hands from her face and looked out. One of the ships was slowly falling from the clear, blue sky. 

    When she looked around her, she was the only one around. Everyone had retreated inside, afraid of the stray bullet or spell. Here she was in the open, afraid of a stray stranger who asked too many questions. Why was it that she found it safer here than in there? She sighed again, reprimanding herself in a whisper to get inside like everyone else. 

    As she stood, there was a flash. There it is, she thought, the stray bullet everyone is afraid of. She dropped to the side, hoping to be faster than the flash. She waited for the brighter flash or the sound of it hitting one of the trees or even the pain to start. Instead, she heard the clatter of metal and then a slow scrape followed by another slow scrape of metal on stone. She sat up, looking to the source of the noise.

    By her feet, where she was standing before she dropped to the ground, was a golden pocket watch. It seemed alive. It’s chain moved on its own with the help of a clip that looked like talons which grabbed at the stone pathway as it pulled it’s body around in several directions. She gasped and backed away from it quickly. She tucked her feet under herself as she tried to get a better look. It was a large watch, about the size of her palm, and all in gilded gold. There was a large, red eye where the face should be, that was moving and seemingly looking around in every direction. Around the eye, a gold chain held the eye into the socket of the face of the watch. The chain wrapped around the rest of the body of the watch before protruding off the end to drag the entire thing around. 

    She moved closer, now trying to get a closer look at the thing. She’d never seen anything quite like it, especially not a watch. She wondered briefly if it wasn’t a watch at all. She’d heard of magics that trapped people in objects before, maybe this was from one of the ships. 

    As she peered over it, the eye focused on her. The slit of the iris dilated and the chain whipped towards her. Before she could jump back, the clip dug into her hand and clung on, the chain pulling the body of the watch up and around her wrist. She yelped and grabbed at it, trying to pull it off of her, but it was already winding up her sleeve.  

    “Do not be afraid.” The feminine voice rang through her head as though the voice was speaking from the back of her mind instead of from a person. “Without that watch, you will die.”

    She stood quickly, no longer messing with the chain that continued to inch it’s way up her arm. There was still no one around but the ships in the distance. As she looked around, the only movement was a light breeze that ruffled the leaves nearby.

    “Hurry. Retrieve your possessions from the inn before they are gone forever.”

    “What? Who are you? Where are you?”

    “Soon.” The voice whispered, almost with an air of laughter. “Now hurry.”

    Raine started to run. Maybe it was the sudden watch falling from the sky or the ships in the sky, but she trusted that the voice might be right. She couldn’t leave her things at the inn. Her clothes, her identification, her journal: she couldn’t lose those things. Replacing her identification would require months of travel and her journal was irreplaceable. 

    She ran up the street, no longer paying much attention to anything around her. She dodged a couple of people that had come out of their homes and businesses to watch the falling ship. In a reflection, she could see that there were three of them falling from the sky now. Flames ate their hulls and one of them was breaking in half as the part that didn’t hold the ethyrium engine tried to fall faster than the rest of it. The sails cracked and bristled under the weight of the strain before falling off quickly and crashing into a ship nearby. She took her eyes off the reflection, not wanting to watch any longer. The screams, though distant, tore through her resolve and made her stomach turn. She hated it and so she ran faster, thinking maybe if she just kept going, it would disappear. She knew that it wouldn’t, not until the fight was over and one side was gone.

    She decided to cut through an alley, tired of seeing the reflection in the shop windows. She opened a gate and went inside to run past trash and barrels and clothes hung up to dry, hidden in the blocked alley where no one could see past the crystal buildings. She made it to the other side and opened the next gate to run out into a large square. The cobblestone circled with colored stones and amethyst and rubies placed into the ground in a beautiful spiral encircling a large crystal spire that was taller than any other building in the city. She’d seen the spire from other parts of the city but not up close like this.

    From far away, it looked black and thin, like a tall piece of slate that could break with a breath. Up close, she couldn’t help but pause. The black of the crystal looked oily up close: pinks and purples and blues and greens slimed through the light as she moved closer to the obelisk. It was huge. So large that it seemed like it held an entire other city inside of it. Something seemed off about it, like she could hear whispers coming from inside. She wanted to touch it. She wanted to know it. As she got closer, she could see herself in the reflection, reaching out to touch the surface. 

    Pain. Her arm. A pinch from the watch and then heat. She turned to look at her arm and the pull of the crystal seeped from her. She had to hurry. She didn’t look again as she ran off in the direction of the inn. She couldn’t get distracted again. The fighting was getting louder and she could tell that the ships were drifting closer to the city with the sounds of gunfire getting more apparent. She tried to stay close to the buildings as more people started to peek out of their windows. She noticed a family packing their children into a cart to start leaving the city. Too late, she thought, why did you wait so long? Why did everyone wait so long?

    They thought they would be safe. They weren’t a part of this fight. They would stay in the sky. They wouldn’t come into the city, they thought. 

    More people were leaving their homes now and starting for the edge of the city. There was arguing around her as some people began to follow. Most stayed. The Empire would protect them from the pirates. They would be safe. She continued further in, now dodging people as they packed carts and carried bags. Others went back into their homes, throwing their hands up at their friends and family as they left. She didn’t try to hear the conversations or the arguments or the fearful cries of children. The inn was so close now and she needed her luggage. She couldn’t travel anywhere without her identification.

    Finally, she was there. It was a nice inn, larger with ivy creeping up the stone walls. The windows were made of green and purple glass, set into place into the stone as if it was there before the building was. She opened the wooden door into a lightly lit dining hall. Inside, the sound of the ships was muffled and a soft voice sang to deaf, drunk ears. There were many people here, as many as in the tavern before it seemed. No one made the effort to move or leave as she headed toward the rooms. There were some drunken rants of great adventures and business endeavors to be heard, but mostly there were dull whispers as people leaned into their groups to talk of the war.  She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she wondered if they were thinking of leaving, like the people she saw outside. 

    She hiked her skirts and took the steps by two before fumbling in her pocket for the key to her room. As she got to her door, she found it and stuck it in the lock and turned. She heard the click as the door unlocked and she didn’t bother to take the key back out as she pushed past the door. She went for the side table first. Set on it was her journal, her identification stuck in between the pages, and inkwell. She placed that in her pockets before getting on the floor and reaching under the bed, where she had hidden her money. She searched around for it a moment, leaning closer in, before her hand landed on the bag and she pulled it out. She placed that in her pockets as well as she got up, only to hear a loud crash. 

    The sound of something huge scraping across glass and wood and stone filled her ears. Fire, screaming, gunfire hitting buildings. Her eyes focused on the window as it exploded from a stream of bullets flooding into the side of the building as a ship skidded by. When she looked up, she could see the ceiling creak and buckle under its own weight. She scrambled toward the door. There was a dying man in the hallway, blood pumping from his chest as a woman held a coat to him to try to stop the bleeding, and another had fallen down the stairs after receiving a bullet to the back of his head. She could hear sudden chaos downstairs as the drunks began to panic. 

    She started down the stairs. Most of them were trying to leave, some were raiding the bar and kitchen. One group stayed at their table and continued to drink, their hats still sat at the table and guns on their sides. She was sure they would have ordered another round if there was still someone to tend the bar. An explosion could be heard and then more grinding and the building shook before settling. As she finally got out of the building, she could see a large imperial ship directly overhead. The length of it’s metal body took up the entire sky.

She could hear the other ships and see the bullets hitting the hull of the thing. There were holes worn into the sides and a couple of the cannons seemed to no longer work. At least one of them had exploded and left a large cave in the side of the ship. She could see sparks and something oily dripping to the ground from inside. She felt a hand grab her arm and tug.

“Let’s go! You’re going to get hurt! Run!” It was a young man. He had black marks on his face and blood on his shirt. His hair looked singed. 

He tugged on her arm again. She looked at the ship again before looking at him and nodding. He let go and started to run back towards the sea, joining a group that wasn’t far ahead. She followed behind. She could see a lot of people running now with no real direction, just away from the main chaos. No one was going to one point, they were all just trying to get out of the city as quickly as possible. 

There was another loud crash and she could feel the earth shake beneath her. A bluish light suddenly enveloped everything and she could feel heat at her back. A few people in front of her stopped to look along with her. One of the Imperial ships sported a large cannon on it’s deck. Light and heat seemed to pull into it and the noise that came from it was a low whistle. As soon as she saw it, it fired. A thick, blue ethyrium energy beam shot from the cannon and collided with one of the pirate ships. As the ship drifted, the beam made contact with the black spire in the middle of the city. She could see the stone seeth as though it were alive and crack under the intense beam. Sound seemed to suck towards it and then a loud crackle more fierce than thunder shook the city. 

The spire exploded in a plume of fire and smoke and within it there was lightning; vibrant and loud. There was something massive with wings, flying in the destruction, roaring and pulling in the smoke. Lightning struck again, illuminating another winged figure in the haze. As she watched the smoke slowly clear, time seemed to stand still. The massive being rose into the sky, it’s wings larger than the imperial ship above her, and roared. It’s fanged maw seemed to split open into a cavernous horror. 

She couldn’t tell what it was at first, but as flames spit from it’s jaws and lightning rippled through the air, she remembered a book she had read as a child. It was a book about ancient myths and legends and inside was a being so large it could eat a city and so powerful it could grant any wish. Something from rhymes that people would sing to children to make them obey. Beings to be feared and to stay away from, lest something worse would come for you and tear everything you hold dear from you. A dragon. A god. 

The screaming around her dulled and the fire in the buildings seemed to grow. She could no longer see the people running as she focused on a being no one thought could exist. And then came the heat and the wind and the light. The ships were pushed from the sky and the crystalline buildings began to melt around her but she couldn’t find the strength to move. Wooden doors and supports burst and splintered and flew and punctured stone before being vaporized by the fire. As she drew her eyes away, she saw what happened to the people who were running and the ones that weren’t. Through the panic, lightning and fire ripped through both the buildings and the street, leaving everything in its wake black and charred. Those who were living a moment ago were now just thick, black ash before their feet had another chance to hit the ground. What once was here, was now gone.

She couldn’t move. She couldn’t think. She felt sluggish and lost, witnessing something she never imagined she’d see. What was seconds felt like years as the world around her turned bright white. She’d imagined that there would be pain at the end, as her skin ripped from flesh, but it was too fast to feel. So hot it felt cold. Behind it all, in the back of her mind, the slow sound of a drip of water welcomed her into the dark.

Chapter 2: II: Thin Ice

The fight in the sky was still raging. It had been days. He was growing aggravated, waiting here for his opportunity. A chance to do anything but sit in this desperate, creaky Elven bar. He gulped down another ale, groaning as he heard more tired whispers of scared town folk who were too afraid to do anything and too afraid to leave. Too afraid to even let him buy a ship to get off this forsaken island. He was starting to believe that he should just take one. Maybe they could get past the fight if they could maneuver just right. His pilot was a good one, most of the time. With only the two of them, if they waited until nightfall, they could have a chance of stealing one. 

    He groaned again, laying his head on the bar. He closed his eyes, letting the cool, smooth wood seep into his heated skin. For a moment, he thought about removing his mask, thinking that the other side could use some refreshment, but thought against it. Removing the mask is something he would never do, not if he could help it. 

    “I’m thinking it’s about time you laid off the alcohol there.” It was a familiar voice, one he’d come to know well over the last couple of days. Being this close to the Pirate Nations, the barkeep had a thick accent native to the region but tinged with something else. Some of his words were precise and rounded, as you would expect from a native born Elven speaker, but some were hard and short, more suitable to someone who had spent too long dealing with those who didn’t have much time for words. “Your face is getting red as a tomato and now you’re passing out on my bar.”

    Acyes opened his eyes and turned his face to look at the man, chin still touching the bar. “I’m fine. I’m going to keep paying you and you’re going to keep giving me ale.”

    The man behind the bar chuckled. “I might just start charging you more. Haven’t been able to get any shipments in and you’re wiping me out.”

    “Me and everyone else. I’m not the only one drinking away my boredom here.”

    “And I’ll be charging them more too. From now on, your cups of ale are five copper a piece.” He paused, now looking passed him and to the rest of the bar, speaking louder. “That goes for everyone, ales are 5 copper. Everything else is up too.”

    Acyes sat up now and looked back, there were several grumbles. One drunken man stumbled to a stand and pointed to the bar while speaking in a language Ayces only understood as Elven. The words were quick and short, loud and harsh. He thought that even if he did learn the language, as old and convoluted as it was, he would still never be able to understand it. 

    “That’s the point. If you don’t like it, there are other taverns in the city.” The barkeep said back to the drunken man. It seemed that they weren’t happy about the price increase. 

    The man started cursing, the only words Ayces could understand, and speaking more before he wavered and sat back down. More curses and opposition could be heard, but none spoke up besides for chatter amongst themselves. Several of the men left quickly and others didn’t make it very far out of their seats before either tripping onto their face or leaning against a wall to keep steady. The rest of the cowards seemed all too drunk or too afraid to even go outside, let alone stand. Acyes could hear some laughter and commotion as a group started laughing at one of their peers making an attempt to get out of the door. 

    In the commotion, after several customers left, the door opened once more and the room began to quiet. What was a moment ago raucous chatter and commotion among the tables was now whispers and stool legs screeching across the wooden floor. Several of the groups continued at the level they had been before, not noticing the change in the rest of the tavern, but the change was noticeable enough to him that he had to look.

    Ayces looked back toward the door, expecting to see some important imperial guard or a beast, anything to cause a reaction in a boisterous room, but all he saw was a woman. Her skin was pale against the black clothing that covered her from her chin to the floor. The dark dress was pressed and straight: fitted tightly and stitched precisely like a uniform. Her long, black doublet was split down the sides to hug tightly to her waist and flow freely over the rest of the dress, coming to a point in both the front and the back of the ensemble. The split revealed a belt worn at her waist in between the layers where Ayces assumed she kept her gold and silver. Stitched along the edges of the doublet was fine, embroidered flowers, also stitched in black. Attached to the high collar of her doublet, she wore two pins that looked to be some type of sigil he didn’t recognize. There was one more pin she wore in the place of the top button of the doublet. As her clear, ice blue eyes scanned the room, the patrons began to huddle and whisper, shooting glances her way as she walked toward the bar.

    He watched her as she came closer. Her long, wavy black hair reaching near her waist was like he hadn’t seen in this city. Every woman he’d come across on the imperial side of the border had short hair that didn’t make it far below their shoulders and the women that did were not of the lower class. In the empire, only women of high class were allowed to have hair longer than their shoulders. Any woman who didn’t follow this standard would be punished severely to the point that if it did happen, it often was seen in the papers afterwards. He’d always found it a bit barbaric: something you tell little children and young women to keep them in line. It was something the rich had to hold over the poor and the poor to hold over the destitute. He couldn’t count how many imperial slaves he’d seen with hair butchered close to the scalp and ragged, without anyone to cut it even. Seeing this woman now, here, he knew she must have been of an extremely high class. 

    He turned his eyes off of her and back to his drink as she came closer. Those next to him got up and moved away leaving a few seats open to his left. The room started to rustle again with talk and movement and whispers. Out of the corner of his uncovered eye, he saw her sit next to him. She began to ask the bartender for different wines, none of which were available apparently. He only recognized one. Xogeac Noir. It was an expensive wine from the northern Imperial continent Lumeria. Ayces didn’t know much about the country other than the short memories from his few visits over the years. In the markets back home, shipments of food from Lumeria were rare and expensive, but he’d seen a bottle of that wine a couple of times. According to his peers, it was made with berries that only grew in the northern mountains of Lumeria. The berries and a few other ingredients added a special zing to the wine due to the massive amounts of ethyrium deposits in the continent. 

    He looked her way again when he heard the tink of her coin. She slid a silver piece onto the counter and told the man to keep the change and Acyes knew for sure that his previous observations were true. No one would pay a full piece of silver for one glass of local wine. He looked back to the elf behind the bar as he snatched that silver as though he didn’t want anyone to see. He’d just made twice what he normally would on one glass and that was after his sudden price increase. 

    Why was it that this woman with long hair would come into a fearful tavern in the middle of a battle and pay way too much after everyone else scuttles away from her. He was astounded, intrigued, and confused. When he looked her way again, she was gingerly sniffing the wine before taking a sip. He could see her pale eyes close and a slight smile pull at her stoic expression. He saw her relax just a bit as a strand of her long hair fell over her shoulder. Now that she was closer, he could see that the pins she was wearing on her collar were not sigils at all but lettering. The one on the left was written as “PA” the one on the right was written with the letters “LC”. The pin in the place of the first button under the collar was there seemingly to keep the collar closed. Up close, he could see that the pin was in the shape of a chrysanthemum. The flower was intricately carved out of what he assumed to be red opal. The many petals were carved smoothly and skillfully out of the stone with stones on the outside petals being a darker red while the petals moving towards the center were lighter and lighter to the point that they were nearly clear in the center with only the speckles of the opal shimmering off the light. Understanding pooled over him like a flood and he immediately knew who and what she was. She was a lenaya, and not just any one lenaya either. She came from the Chrysanthem house, of which there was only one heir, and was well known in Guerlain, the main Imperial city.

    Suddenly it seemed as though she noticed him staring at her. She straightened up and placed her hands in her lap before she stared back at him, her face going back to that stoic expression. 

    “That’s an interesting uniform you have there, lass” he said.

    “Is it?”

    “Yup. You’re not fighting in that battle outside are ya’?” He said it questionly, though he wasn’t sure how it came out through his drunken slur. 

    “No. I’m just passing through.”

    “Passing through?” Ayces almost laughed. Of course she was just passing through a warzone. “This isn’t a large island and it isn’t connected to any mainland. The only people passing through are the ones fighting out there.”

“You really don’t recognize the uniform? I’m a Lenaya.” She was beginning to sound annoyed.

“What’s a Lenaya?” he asked. “Like a traveling showman? Er, woman.”

He grinned at her, expecting an answer that would make her falter, but she only started to look around. Her expression changed as she looked to her lap and then to the counter. “Sure, you could call me something like that.” she said, her tone now harder and short. 

“Wow. Must be hard for a theater group to come up on a time like this. The rest of your troop around somewhere?” 

Her expression went from stoic to fridged and he knew he’d struck a nerve. She stood and gulped down the rest of her expensive glass of wine before looking at him again with defiance in her icy eyes. “Yes, I am not alone. I have many people with me that will not be afraid to take on an entire ship by themselves.” She said it loudly, almost yelled it. It took him aback by the force and the growl of it and he was intimidated enough to shuffle his seat back an inch or two. Even with his sobriety in shambles, he was aware enough to know that he was not wearing his armor. After a moment, when he’d regained his composure, he looked around to see she was already gone. 

Ayces stared at the door for a moment as the tavern slowly started to creep back into focus. The whispers and the ruckus before had turned up to loud chatter and drunken laughter to match the rest of the tables in the tavern. Only a few people besides himself were still staring toward the door as if the woman’s presence had never left. For a moment, he thought to follow her. He wanted to. His curiosity pulled him to his feet and towards the door. Before he made it, a familiar voice pulled him back.

“Where are you going Ayces? I thought you were going to wait for me.”

He stopped and turned. Alex. His first mate and pilot. Her auburn hair which faded to bright blue at the ends was cut short with long wispy bangs framing her handsome face. Her eyes were the color of charged, blue ethyrium and they matched the stones and gear she wore.

“I was.” He laughed skittishly and grinned. At her look, he repeated it more sternly before looking back to the door. “I heard a noise so I was going to check it out.”

“Sure you were.” She rolled her eyes as she dragged her statement. “Because that’s the look of someone who was checking out a noise outside. The outside where there’s a giant Empire versus Pirate Nations battle.”

“Honest,” he said. 

She sighed, peering at him again through another glare before shaking her head and letting it go. “Anyway, from the three workers I could find at the docks, there is no one willing to fly us somewhere else. Or sell us a ship. At least until this,” she waved her hand in the air with emphasis, “is all over.”

He huffed and started towards the door again, waving her along with him. Once they got outside and were walking away from the tavern, he pulled his arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer as they walked. “Alex, I want you to scope it out some more. Find which ships have no crew staying on board” he whispered. 

“Most of the crews in this city are hiding in the taverns. They want nothing to do with that fight” she whispered back as her arm snaked around his waist.

“Exactly. Find a ship like that. Come back to me before dark and we’ll slip off under the island after dark.” He patted her shoulder lightly before letting her go. She hesitantly pulled back. “I’ll find you by the docks when Arios is nearly out of the sky.”

She gave him a toothy grin and waved before slipping into an alley while he continued down the street. He watched the distant battle as he walked and already there were signs of one the Imperial ships starting to smoke and spark. He could see the ships illuminated by Yura, one of Harken’s three moons. Yura was so large you would think that all you had to do was reach up to touch it. Its pale pink color radiated through the sky and though it was the largest of the three moons, the light it gave paled in comparison to Arios: the second largest moon. Even though it was much smaller than Yura, Arios gave off so much vibrant light that it was hard to look upon. When Arios was in the sky it was almost like day and Ayces sometimes wondered if the entire thing was just a giant mirror circling the world.

He wasn’t sure if he really saw it but he was sure there were some soldiers falling from the sky. For a moment, he wished he could be there, wrecking havoc upon the enemy himself. After that moment, he remembered that that was a near impossible feat. Not only had he lost his entire ragtag crew, aside from Alex, when they crashed here, he didn’t have a ship. If he wanted to join in the fight, he would need a means to do it. He would also need supplies.

Most of the shops that weren’t taverns in the city were closed or sold out by now. He could see a few stores still open with people with wagons and carts outside loading up goods on their way out. He could see children in one of the wagons, huddled together with fearful eyes, staring at him as he passed by. He could hear them whisper under the sounds of the distant fighting; one of them was crying. He kept his eyes off of them and continued on towards the docks. There had to be other shops there that were less crowded. 

With a sigh, he turned a corner that led down a hill. Trimmed trees with purple leaves dotted the edge of the intricate stone path. Manicured bushes and flowers circled the bases of the trees and in between there were a few benches for seating. He stopped as he noticed a glint of light coming off of something in one of the trees further down the hill. As he focused on it, he saw it. A silver pocket watch was hanging off of one of the branches, slowly twisting and swinging as if it was just placed there. 

“Hello? Is someone there?” he called out as he moved closer. “You left your watch.”

No one was around that he could see. No one answered. He looked down the next turn and again there was no one. He went back to the tree and pulled the watch from the branch. He turned it over in his hands, looking for a maker’s mark or an engraving. It looked like it could be worth something with the intricate design of the silver backing and what looked like a purple eye of some creature peering out of the cover. He palmed it over a couple more times before attempting to open the cover, but when he did, it moved. The pupil of the eye dilated and the chain of the watch started to move and wrap around his fingers like a snake. 

He yelped and tried to drop it but it stayed. When he tried to throw it, the chain tightened. “This infernal -- Get this thing off of me!” He started grabbing at the chain with his other hand when he heard an odd cackle coming from the tree. He stopped and looked to see glowing eyes in the leaves focused securely on him.

“It won’t let go now. Even if you throw it into the ocean it will come back for you again.” It was a deep voice, lilting with a playful tone. “You shouldn’t have touched it if you didn’t want it.”

“What the? Who are you? What is this thing?”

“Me?” The voice asked. “I should be asking who you are, touching things that don’t belong to you. You were trying to steal it weren’t you?”

“I tried to find the owner.” Ayces grunted. “You should have answered when I called if it’s yours.”

“And where’s the fun in that? Besides, it is yours now. Congratulations!”

The leaves of the tree started to shake and a moment later, a large black cat walked up one of the branches and jumped to the ground, another watch in it’s mouth. Ayces watched it in confusion as it dropped the watch to the ground and then stared up at him. He looked back to the tree.

“If you think I am touching another one of these things, then you are mistaken!” He was still trying to pry the watch's chain links from his fingers. “I don’t want or need another one. I don’t even want this one.”

“But you will.” The voice spoke again. He was expecting it to still be coming from the tree but when it wasn’t, he began to look around confused. “And you’ll want this one too, or you might lose something very important to you.” 

“Where are you? Show yourself! You can’t leave me with these and no explanation!” He turned, trying to find the source of the voice once more, but there was no one here but him and the cat and the two watches. He was starting to wonder if he’d gone crazy and was now just hearing voices. After all, there was currently a pocket watch trying to dig itself into his forearm. 

“I haven’t left. I’m right here you nincompoop.” The voice sounded somewhere between annoyed and amused and it was coming from the cat. When he finally focused his eyes on the fluffy beast, the look on its face looked somewhat like a laughing grin, if a cat could even make that kind of expression. Now he was sure he was crazy. Or dreaming. It had to be a dream. Why else would he even be here?

“What?” he stuttered out. He lost grip of his battle with the chain as it began to inch further up his arm. “Laura! Stop this! Cats can’t talk.”

“Who are you talking to? Did too much go to your brain? Besides, I am not a cat! I am The Great Malzahar!” The cat stood on all four legs now in a proud pose with his face turned away from Ayces, his tail swishing high in the air. “I am the terror of the dark, the scourge of the underworld, rememberer of histories unknown, and eyes to the God of the Land himself! Do not begin to think that you can perceive me, mortal, for I am far more strapping than you could ever hope to imagine.”

Acyes couldn’t keep it in. His shocked expression cracked into a snicker before breaking into a full on laugh. The watch was fully in his sleeve now, the chain inching up to his shoulder and slithering down to the inside of his shirt. He was definitely crazy. There was no doubt to him that this was some kind of fever dream. Maybe he’d drank too much and just hadn’t realized it until now. 

Malzahar fluffed up at the laughter. His head turned to Ayces without the rest of him moving along. “This is no laughing matter! I will show you true power if you think it’s so funny!” 

Ayces used his free hand to rub his face as he looked down toward the cat again, trying now to stifle the giggles that were still coming. They quickly stopped when he saw the black cat’s eyes now glowing a bright red. Sharp runic letters glowed from under Malzahar’s dark fur, starting from his eyes and wrapping around the entirety of his small body. It looked to Ayces like glowing veins that might explode at any moment. He stepped back in surprise, bringing his hands up in expectation of some kind of attack. 

Instead of coming from the cat, the attack came from above. A large pot fell from the sky and nearly hit him on the head before clanging violently on the cobble path. “Where in the winds did that come from?!” There was nothing above where it could have come from. The only ships in the sky were still far off and the windows on all the buildings near to them were shut tight. He was starting to wonder if someone threw it when he saw a red magic circle appear above him. From the middle of its lines and ancient runic text, a black hole expanded and a metal pan slunked out. He didn’t have time to move.

“Ha!” Malzahar exclaimed as the pan bounced off of Ayces face and onto the ground with a loud grunt from the man and a loud bang from the ground. “I’m sure you no longer doubt my claims.”

Ayces finally moved, still looking skyward, he lightly touched his fingers to his nostrils as he checked his nose to see if it was bleeding. No blood. Just pain and stinging and confusion and rising anger. “You little--”

“Come on, let’s go find your friend.” 

Acyes could see Malzahar was now sitting on a broomstick that was floating in the air, the second watch wrapped around the base of it. The pot and the pan that had fallen from the sky sloughed into magic circles in the ground. He reached for one of his pistols. “You’re not going anywhere until--” 

“Before you lose her for good.”

His hand faltered. “What are you talking about? Why would I lose Alex?”

“If you don’t get this watch to her in time--” Malzahar’s tail twitched over the watches chain. “She’ll die.” 

“How do you know?”

“Just trust me!” The broom was already flying away from him and Malzahar’s voice turned louder and louder as he got further away. “I’m a talking cat. What’s not to trust about a magical, talking cat?”

Acyes had no choice but to follow, now worried for his friend. He wasn’t sure how it was that Malzahar knew something was going to happen but he knew it had something to do with the clock that was still biting into his skin. He clenched his fist, trying to ignore it as he started to run after the broom. From his view on the cliff, he could see that he was a few blocks from the shore. From here, he could see that there were several ships docked. There were pirates and imperial soldiers fighting on the ground.

A few ships waving pirate flags were in the water, firing cannons at an imperial ship that had landed on the beach. Troops were pouring out of the imperial ship, firing at the pirate ships in the bay. There were still more ships in the sky. He could see that one of the imperial ships was starting to lilt cityward. He could see fire blazing inside of it and imperial soldiers spilling off of the deck. As it turned, he could see one of the pirate ships detaching from the back of it and flying towards another imperial ship further off that had developed a giant hole in the side. 

He couldn’t waste his time staring at this and lose the cat. He couldn’t lose Alex. He focused back in front of himself as he continued to run, nearly missing a turn down an alleyway. He skidded and slid on a patch of wet green grass as he turned, narrowly keeping himself on his feet and running after the flying broom. There seemed to be absolutely no one left in this part of the city. It was a good thing as far as Ayces was concerned. The less people in the city there were, the less casualties there were. As far as he could tell, the only people that were left were those who cared more about their homes than their lives and those who waited until the last minute, hoping it would all just blow over. 

The broom turned around another corner and then another before stopping. Malzahar was looking back and forth, up and down the empty street. The only thing Ayces could hear was the distant gunfire and the sound of the cat chittering and talking quietly to himself. It almost sounded like he was arguing with someone. Acyes moved closer, trying to hear what he was saying, but the cat flew off again down the street.

“Hey! Wait!” He yelled but the broom didn’t stop. “I said wait, damnit!”

He chased Malzahar down a couple more turns before he stopped again and Acyes was able to catch up. He reached for the broom and grabbed at the base, pulling it toward him as he caught his breath. Malzahar stood and turned towards him, his tail flicking in sudden agitation. 

“Watch where you grab! You want to rough up my beautiful, perfect fur?” His green eyes narrowed as he turned around and batted at Ayces hand. “Hands off.”

Acyes didn’t let go. He stood up straighter, breathing deeply as his head turned back. After a moment, with a sound of a magic circle ringing in his ears, he let go. “Ok, ok. Sorry. Just. Where are we going? How are we supposed to find Alex this way?”

“Wow. You have the mind and the patience of a doorknob, don’t you?” Malzahar’s tail twitched as the broom slowly drifted away from Ayces' reach. He turned again to look up and down the street. “Yes. I heard you the first five times. Well maybe if you gave better directions we wouldn’t be running in circles.”

Anger flared up Acyes’ neck. His hair stood on end as he fingered for his gun again. Who did this cat think he was talking to? Not only was he a talking cat but he was a crazy talking cat. Acyes voiced his confusion and his frustration, yelling that he was going to shoot the ball of fur, but was ignored.  

“Excuse me? Cats have a fantastic sense of direction.” Malzahar’s fluffy body lowered down on the wooden pole of the broom, his tail now waving back and forth. “And wonderful eyesite. I am a treasure.” 

“You’d be more of one if you weren’t so loud, Malzahar.” It was a separate voice, one that Ayces knew well, Alex. He turned to see her walking up the ally behind them. “Hey, Ayces. Thought we weren’t meeting until dusk.”

“Alex! How did you get here?” His hand pulled away from the gun again. How did she know Malzahar?

“I’ll tell you later, Ayces. From what I’ve heard,” she turned to face the huddled, floating cat. “We haven’t much time.” 

Ayces looked back to the cat to see his ears turn forward in alert. He sat back up and fluffed his chest out. “Yes, that’s right. I, Malzahar the Magnificent, have brought to you the next step of your destiny. Time is nearly up and for this round, you have been one of the selected.”

“Why didn’t I get the fancy intro?” Acyes grumbled. 

“Oh no. No.” Alex scoffed. “I came because she told me it was important but I never agreed to that. I’m not taking one of those things.”

“It’s already decided.” Malzahar turned on the broom once more and bit the chain of the watch wrapped around the handle. He pulled it off with some effort before dropping it to the ground. “He’s chosen more this time. It will keep you all in check. You’re to help with that.”

“Didn’t I help enough last time? I want nothing to do with it.”

“And yet here you are. You only have a short time left if you want to save more than just yourself.” Malzahar looked at Ayces before looking back at Alex. “Well, you can decide, but you already know it will be easier if you just take it.”

Ayces watched as the broom started to raise skyward, dwarfed by an imperial ship looming overhead. There was a large hole carved into the side. How did he not notice it come into the city border? He watched it slowly pass as he now could hear gunfire and screaming both from it and from the city itself. How had he not noticed the sound? As Malzahar’s small shape flew away from the ship, Acyes saw something else fly towards it. It looked like a man with the head and tail of a lizard and the wings of a bat. The man went into the ship via the large gash before disappearing into the fire. 

“I must be dreaming. First a talking cat and now a flying lizard man.” He was mostly speaking to himself, trying to see where the man went as the ship drifted further into the city and out of view beyond the tops of the buildings. 

“It’s not a dream, Acyes.” Alex had the watch in her hand now as she stood in front of him. “Unfortunately, this is all too real.” She slipped her watch into a pocket and Ayces wondered how hers wasn’t clinging and biting like his was. 

“What are you saying, Alex? How do you know that cat? And how did you find us?” 

“We don’t have time for this right now, Ayces.”

“We have plenty of time. Tell me.” He grabbed her arm before she had a chance to turn away.

Alex sighed, looking defeated. When he let her arm go, she leaned down and pulled a wand from the inside of her tall boots. “We really do not, but fine. I didn’t tell you this, but I’ve been here before. A very, very long time ago.” She paused at the sound of a large crash: metal skidding over ground. “I helped seal something away here. In this city. Before it was a city.”

“This city has been here for thousands of years.”

“Yes, it has. You touched up on the local history while we have been here, I see?”

“I have a bit.” 

“Well? What did you learn?” She was speaking almost like a parent trying to keep their child calm. Ayces didn’t notice, his mind trying to forget the sounds of the city. They didn’t sound that close, he thought. Even that loud crack and roar of an explosion and something else he couldn’t determine felt far away. It wasn’t that close. 

“Crystalia is an elven city built on the ruins of a depleted ethyrium field. It’s been here for over ten thousand years. Most of the field was worked into the cities’ buildings except for one. The giant black pillar at the center of the city is apparently still active.” Ayces continued to speak, even when Alex looked to focus on something in the sky. “The city was built around it like some kind of monument. The people who live here say that that pilar is the only one still active on this half of the island.”

He paused when Alex started whispering something and waving her wand in small, delicate circles, still looking skyward. Her fingers on her other hand flexed and curled with the incantation as runes etched in a watery blue began to glow from the wooden wand. Acyes eyes shifted, looking for whatever spell she was performing to see thick ice forming around them on the ground. It grew up into a sphere around them before solidifying into a thick wall. Acyes pulled his coat up tighter with a shiver as he watched shining runes made from light and magic dance across the ice. His breath came out in a thick mist. 

Thick, dark, rumbling clouds formed above them high in the sky. He could see the lightning streak across the darkness before feeling the rumble of thunder in his bones. He didn’t know where the storm came from but he knew it wasn’t from Alex. Through the ice, he could hear a muffled roar as lightning erupted from beyond the clouds, lighting up a large creature with massive wings. From the flashes illuminating the twilight sky, he could guess that the creature was the size of at least two large ships put together. It seemed to dwarf the town with its presence and Ayces could not take his eyes from it. He watched as fire spewed from it’s jaws and lightning danced around it. It’s wings seemed to move the clouds like water and he suddenly noticed that the screams of the city were dimming. 

“Alex.” She didn’t look at him. “Alex!” He grabbed her arm with a shaking hand. It was then that he realized how still she was, how focused she was on something that wasn’t the monstrous beast. How hard his own heart was beating in his chest. He saw her lips move but didn’t hear her voice and she still didn’t look at him, stern expression set on her smooth features. He turned now to follow her gaze, trying to see what she was seeing. 

That’s when he saw her. She was tall and broad with lightning spewing from the fingertips of her only hand like living whips. Her skin was ghastly pale with what looked to be shining white scales covering her exposed skin. He would think she was some type of albino Lucertol if not for the large wings attached to her back. Long, pin straight hair rested over half of her scarred face and her tail whipped powerfully behind her. She was staring right at them. 

Acyes felt his thrumming heart skip a beat. Seconds felt like minutes as the winged woman’s arm pulled back, hand stretched wide open, before swinging violently in the direction of their iced dome. Her whole body moved with it, as if she were throwing a ball at high speeds, but there was nothing thrown at them. Even while he couldn’t see anything hit the ice, it still cracked and splintered. Alex was chanting again and the crack started to seal, but not before there was another blow from the woman. More cracks appeared and spread and the entire wall shifted back. He could now see how thick it had really gotten as nearly a foot of it was revealed from the shift with more still connected.

Alex finally stopped. Her wand lowered to her side with a sigh before she finally looked at Ayces. “Maybe we should have tried to run. I didn’t think she would be this vengeful.”

“You know her?!”

Alex moved to block his view before he could see the ice begin to crumble and fly. Her free hand reached up to slide gently over his hair and softly caress his shoulder. “From a long, long time ago. Before anyone can remember anymore.” Her words were softened with a light smile. “Try not to get too angry about what’s about to happen. We’ll be dealing with her for a while after this and I’d really hate to watch you die more than once.” 

Before he could speak, before he could breath, the woman was there. She stood tall behind Alex, dwarfing her in more than just height. A single blue eye leered down at him and he could see now that she was missing more than just an arm. Her bright hair shined like crystals that moved like links on a long chain while the scars on her face stood out harshly against her alabaster skin. In his mind, louder than his own thoughts, he could hear a woman say that this was necessary. It was a lesson. One that no one would forget. One to signal a return. One to signal the end and also the beginning. 

His face felt wet before anything else. He felt like he could have drowned when Alex burst upon the winged woman’s punch. Her physical form deteriorated quickly, the color of her features and her clothing vanishing into the colorless water that she had manipulated into being. As Alex seeped into his front, the cold of her and the ice dome overwhelmed him. His body shuddered without him before he could notice the warmth taking over his back. Looking down, he could see as the clawed, white hand of the tall, scarred woman ripped back out of his middle. He hadn’t even had the time to realize the woman’s hand had punched through him. He coughed and sputtered up thick red, wanting to yell but unable to bring any sound other than gasps and a slow wheeze. It was only then that the intense pain began to radiate through his chest, letting him know that something had gone wrong. 

He moved mechanically, reaching out for the retreating alabaster arm. Trying to do something. Trying to do anything that wasn’t useless. It was too late. She was already away from him, the gust of her wings sending him to the ground as she took flight from the shattered ice dome. He didn’t feel himself hit the cold cobblestone, but he could feel Alex’s now still water all around him, seeping into his clothes. His temporary warmth returned to striking cold as he shuddered his last breath into the crackling silence of a dying city. The world around him grew fuzzy and dark until he could no longer see. Through the sounds of crackling fire and shifting ice, he could hear the familiar sound of ocean waves welcoming him into the dark.

 

Chapter 3: III: New Friends

Notes:

Time to meet a small chunk of our cast! Buckle in because this chapter is long!!

The erratic crackling fire interrupted the slow familiar sound of dripping water. Something small and soft pushed at her hand, making her twitch and curl her fingers. When she didn’t open her eyes, it pushed again, nuzzling a small, cold nose into the curl of her fist. She could feel warm fur and long ears attached to a small, furry body. Slowly, she rested her hand on it’s curved back, quietly wondering how it was alive in the middle of all this destruction, but too afraid to open her eyes and see if for something else. 

The creature moved closer to her with a slow lop, its front legs stretching out its body as it’s long hind legs bounced it into place. Her hand fell away from it naturally with its movement, touching what felt like glass below her. It was solid but warm and she realized suddenly that she felt it hard and encasing all around her. Panic began to creep in, but she pushed it down. If she was dead, she was dead. But why was she so tired?

The cold nose of the creature touched her own. A small, furry face pushed against her cheek, as if coaxing her to wake up. When she didn't, the creature pushed at her again, this time placing small, soft paws on her cheek and pushing until her eyes finally slid open. When she looked, all she saw was a small rabbit with white fur contrasting a flickering, grimy, melted ruin. It’s delicate whiskers tickled her face. It’s ears twitched and it’s fur bristled against a slight breeze. She moved to touch it again, but before she could, it turned away and hopped a few feet away from her. She let her hand fall back on the cooling crystal below her. 

“Wait--” Her voice was more hoarse than she thought it would be. Her lungs filled with air that was thicker than she expected and she only realized now that this was the first breath she had taken since being engulfed by the lightning. “Don’t go. Please.”

The rabbit turned to look at her as she struggled to move. The feeling of her own body was coming back to her in waves and she realized that she was curled in a fetal position with one arm stretched out across the ground in front of her. The glass around her was thick and was high enough to nearly incase the arm on the ground, and as she tried to pull it out of the glass, she could see the pocket watch clenched in her numb hand, the chain wrapped tightly around her wrist. 

She let go of it, pulling her arm out of the glass and using her free hand to push herself out of the encasement. Her long hair pulled away with her, leaving small streaks and lines in the cooling crevasse. As she stumbled to her feet, the watch inched toward her, curling slowly up and around her boot. She could see now the sizzling husks of the buildings around her with their oozing, crystal walls bleeding into the streets. The skeletal forms that she knew were once people were slowly being encased in the crystal that she just pulled herself out of and it was only now that she realized that she was somehow alive. This was real. Everyone that has been here before was now gone. The boy that tried to help her was gone. It was just her and a rabbit. How was the rabbit still alive? Where did it go?

She felt crazy, but she searched for it anyway, looking now for where the white animal went in the haze of fire and destruction. She turned a few times, unable to see any trace of it. Calling for it heeded no answer and she saw no movement except for the fires still whispering inside stone buildings. Her eyes instead rested on the enormous hull of the crashed imperial ship that had drifted into the city earlier. The metal creaked with a withering cry as something moved. Her eyes shifted to the sound, waiting for some sign of life that wasn’t her and a rabbit she was no longer sure was real.

A few stories up, a piece of splintered metal wall was bending out from the hull of the side of the ship. It was fractured and bent and torn and covered in still dripping liquid. What emerged from behind it caught her breath in her throat. It was a man with the head of a reptile and the leathery wings of a bat. He looked like a humanoid version of the creature that had emerged from the spire. She wasn’t even sure if it was a man, but at least she was sure she wasn’t alone. She called out for his attention, waving her arms in the air, but when he noticed her and his eyes met hers, she stepped back half a step, suddenly wondering if this was a good idea or not.

“Can you hear me?” The voice was deep and gravely with an accent who’s origin she did not recognize. She could see his toothy maw moving but the sound of his voice came from her boot. She leaned down and grabbed the watch, pulling it gently from around her ankle as the same question came through a second time.

“Yes. I can.” Confusion ran through her as she palmed over the watch, trying to find the source of the sound. “How is it a watch is talking?”

“Oh, good. You have one too.” The voice said. “We can talk through these, no matter how far apart we are. Are you the only other one?”

“I-- don’t know. I thought I was the only thing left alive.” Except for that rabbit, that is. "I'm glad I'm not."

When she looked back up, the man had already jumped from the ledge of the ship. His wings flapped a few times as he gently landed in front of her. She could see more details on him now, like his penetrating, green eyed gaze peering from a dark gray, lizard-like face. Even darker scales edged along his skin and up the back of his head, disappearing past the hem of his plain tunic. He wore no shoes on his thickly scaled, clawed feet and a long tail waved behind him before settling to a lazy twitch. His hand held a watch that was similar to hers in design but seemingly less erratic. He shoved it in a trouser pocket as she felt the chain of her own watch creeping back up her arm. 

“I’m Draco. It seems we will be working together from now on.”

“Working together? What are you talking about?”

“Well, you have a watch, don’t you? And you’re not dead when you very much should be.”

“So?”

“So. You’ve been chosen.” He huffed and a puff of smoke steamed from his nostrils. “Draconis decided to save you.”

“Who’s Draconis?” She asked it slow and careful. She was starting to wonder if she would have wanted to be saved. “The voice I heard earlier, when I got the watch. Was that Draconis?”

“Possibly?” He shrugged roughly. “You should have already seen him, before you died. I’m sure he’ll be finding us soon, now that he’s been released.”

“Wait, released? You mean that huge monster? That destroyed everything?”

“Dragon. You mean dragon.”

She paused for a brief moment, trying desperately to maintain a calm demeanor. She steadied her expression and her voice. “Dragons are extinct.”

“I think you’ll find that that simply isn’t true.” He grinned. “You have seen a tarragon haven’t you? You know, little shoulder dragons no bigger than a cat? Greedy little bastards.”

“I’ve read about them.” She had seen pictures and read everything she could about them, but never had the pleasure to see one up close. She had always wanted one and that had fueled much of her research into dragon lore and history, but had never been brave enough for the markets that sold those kinds of species. 

“And if they’re so extinct,” Draco continued. “What do you think I am?”

“I don’t know. A lucertol with wings? And an unfortunate name.” He looked offended, but she continued, now bristling to explain herself at his expression. “How am I supposed to know? I’ve only read about the lucertol species from text books and there wasn’t a lot to go on. They tend to stay in the Pirate Nations.”

“I’m a half dragon!” He grumbled, almost yelled. Her face fell, looking sceptical, but he spoke before she could interject. “I was human, like you, a long time ago, before going into service under Draconis. And before you think you’re going to be like this too, I chose this. And my name.”

“How,” she struggled to find a kinder word. “Quaint.”

“Let’s just go.” He groaned. “They’re waiting for us.”

Draco tucked his wings close to himself with another steamy puff from his snout and started chanting. The language was guttural and completely different from anything that she’d ever heard, but she listened intently anyway, trying to discern the meaning. A ring on Draco’s right hand began to emit a soft, white light as magic began to envelope him in the same glow. His wings and tail disappeared and his long face became human like while his scales faded away. She wasn’t sure if it was a transformation or an illusion and she didn’t want to ask. She had already insulted him at least twice in their short interaction and if she was in fact going to be with him for a while, she didn’t want to start out negatively. Draco stepped forward, brushing by her with a grunt that sounded less menacing without the grinding voice of an apparent half dragon. She wondered if his magic also had changed the sound of his voice. 

As he moved by, she noticed a sword at his hip and a pair of straps over his shoulders connected to a low hung backpack. It sat on him in an odd way and had attachments to keep the straps placed between his shoulder blades. She wondered if it was placed that way to accommodate for his sizable wings. He had short, pale hair that stood out against his darker skin and while stocky, he was the same height as her. He walked in an odd way as well, like he was trying to remember how to look human with a stride that didn’t quite work the same, but also with his chest puffed and arms wide as if he were trying to appear larger than he was. 

“Wait.” She spoke suddenly after he passed. He stopped and turned back to look at her. “Didn’t you want to know my name too?” She couldn’t read his expression, but it looked somewhere between annoyed and surprised. When he stammered out a yes, she wondered if he’d forgotten that she’d never said hers back. “My name is Raine. Raine Chrysanthem. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.” His voice did sound different. 

 

 

_______________________________

 

 

He couldn’t see anything but darkness. He couldn’t feel anything but the empty freeze of hard ground beneath him. He was cold. If he could feel his arms, he would have moved them to his pockets with the shiver that shuddered through him. Where was he, he wondered. What happened? Was he dead? The feeling of cool wet all over him came back to him as he remembered the scarred face of the pale, winged woman. He remembered Alex bursting before his eyes and wondered if she was ok. If only he could move and check if her sash was still in his bag. He willed his fingers to move, but still couldn’t feel them. 

“Ayces.” The voice sounded distant. Among the slow crick crack of thick ice splintering around him, the voice itself seemed to thrum against the base of his skull. “Ayces. Wake up. Please.”

But, I am awake, he thought. Where are you?

The first feeling that wasn’t pure cold caused him to crack open eyes that he didn’t realize were closed. A familiar face above his came into focus with a soft, flickering orange glow. He saw her scream his name again but only heard her voice in a whisper. She looked scared and worried and tired. Broken. It was a look he’d never seen her wear. His mouth formed her name, but no sound came out: Alex. Without feeling it, he reached up to touch her face in the same way he realized she was touching his. She said something else but he didn’t understand it. It sounded like a jumble of words that weren’t quite words.

Her hands moved from his face and his own hand fell back to the ground as he blinked slow. The darkness of his eyelids felt deep and long, like lost time, slow and meaningless. It was like sinking to the bottom of the ocean; the steady pressure of darkness ignoring the crash of the waves above. When he opened his eyes again, her hands had moved to his chest and pressed quick and hard multiple times. The force of it caused him to gasp and he suddenly realized he was choking while forgetting how to breathe.

His heart beat hard through his chest and his neck and his arms. He could feel the cold now more than before but he could also feel his arms and legs. He curled over as he coughed up globs of blood onto the icy cobblestone road. The coughs raked hard through his body as blood ran over his lips and down the sides of his face. Alex pulled his body onto its side before he drowned in a blood red version of his alcoholic lunch. 

Alex pulled him to his hands and knees before he was done so he didn't fall back into his own mess. She ran her fingers through his wet, matted hair before pulling her hand down to lay gently on his back as he breathed hard, eyes closed. She let him stay there until he began to stir and pull back to sit on his own. 

“Feel better?”

“Not really.” He slurred hard, his accent came out raspy and grinding. “I need a drink.”

“Is that really a good idea?” She sighed as she moved to stand. She motioned for him to stand as well. 

“Yes.” All he could think about was the taste of metallic vomit in his throat and his sinuses. “It is.”

“Well, I don’t think we’ll find a tavern around here.”

That’s when he noticed the destruction around him. Fires blazed through wooden buildings around them, crackling and dancing against the dark, late evening sky. The pieces of them that had been glass and crystal had melted onto the cobble, stopping to pool high against the thick barrier of ice that had encircled them. The ice sizzled and whined against the rapidly cooling molten rock causing bubbles and water to spurt as the liquid crystal spit and sputtered. When he looked skyward, Arios was already near the horizon, leaving only Yura’s pale pink light over the city. They had lost several hours in all of this and with the state of the area around them, he wasn’t sure if any ships were still left at the docks.

“How are we not dead?” He asked when he looked to Alex once more.

“I think it has something to do with the watches.” She huffed, crossing her arms as her posture changed to something more relaxed. “At least, that’s what Victoria implied when she insisted that we take the damn things.”

“Who’s Victoria?”

“The half dragon woman.” He looked confused and so she continued. “You know, the tall woman with wings that put her fist through your chest earlier?”

“You know her?!” Of course he remembered her. He didn’t think he could forget, no matter how much he hoped it hadn’t been real. “How do you know someone like that? What’s a half dragon? And why did she fucking attack us?”

“Yes, I know her. From a very, very long time ago. I helped lock her away here, along with one of the Gods, with her consent. Guess she’s a little regretful.” She shifted her weight with a sigh as she moved her hands to her hips. “Ok, let’s go see if we can find a building that is still standing and I’ll explain as we go.”

Ayces was more satisfied with that idea. While the idea of Gods existing was laughable to him, he trusted Alex and hoped to get a decent explanation as they moved along. He checked his belongings before they started to move, now noticing the blood all over the front and the back of his ensemble and the large holes in his tunic. He wasn’t missing anything and besides the cold and the taste of blood, he felt fine. It was as if it was a dream and his death hadn’t happened. Only his sullied clothes, ruined tunic, and the sight of the destroyed city all around them told him that it was real. 

 

 

_______________________________

 

 

    There was no sign of life other than the two of them. Hot, oozing crystal glass still seeped over the cobble and every now and then Raine could see bodies trapped in it. They were charred and steaming, reaching out in time, but showing no signs other than their shape that they were once elves or humans or dwarves. The stench of heat and burning flooded her nostrils and the sounds of cracking and timber sounded distant around her. Anyone that had still been in the street had only left a burnt, ashen husk behind and she still wasn’t sure how she wasn’t the same. Thoughts of the white rabbit again came to her mind. She still couldn't figure out how it was there or it's means of survival. As they walked, she continued to look for it. She scanned every alley and every building as they passed for any sign that it was around somewhere. Anywhere. 

    She could already feel her hope faltering and fading away and being replaced with anxious confusion. Why was she still here? And nothing else? She had yet to do anything meaningful with her life, other than run from everyone and everything. Could she even go home at this point? Her worries began to swirl in her mind as she continued to look down openings between collapsing buildings. She thought of the young man from earlier. The one that had stopped and pulled her along. How he had tried to help her within his final moments with no thought of himself but instead to those around him. As she remembered the sight of his body melting away, she wondered what his life had been before that moment. Before this day. What kind of choices had made someone like him? She wondered if someday she could make those types of choices too.

    At the end of one of the alleyways, Raine spotted two figures walking side by side. One was an auburn haired woman. She wore her mid length hair up with wispy sections falling along the sides of her rounded face. Instead of a dress, she wore trousers held up by a thick belt and an oversized shirt tied around her midriff, revealing her stomach. An ornate holster that looked as if it were made for show hooked under her breasts and connected to pauldrons on her shoulders. She was holding a short staff and wore a crossbow hooked to a clip on her belt. She looked like she was speaking, but Raine couldn’t hear the words. 

    The other figure was a man wearing half of a mask over the left side of his face with the eye piece set in colored glass. From here, he looked recently injured, but his stride showed that he hadn’t been. His tunic was in tatters and both his face and his body was wet with blood. In any normal situation, she would have assumed that he was a murderer, walking without worry in a wasteland after destroying his victim, but here, with the dragon in the sky, she wondered how he was alive. 

    “Hey. Draco.” She turned back to the dragon man, ensuring she got his attention. When she saw him look to her, she pointed in the direction of the others. “Look. There are people over there.”

    Draco turned his head to see them and his eyes lit up. He shouted a greeting and waved his arms in the air. When the pair stopped and looked in their direction, Raine waved her arms as well, calling to them to look over. The pair waved back, shouting to them as well. It was then that she realized it was the same man from earlier. The one in the inn who acted as if he didn’t know what she was. Worry shifted through her chest as her arms slowly lowered. What if he was a murderer after all? How could he have made it out of all of this?

    “Wait for us there!” Draco shouted. “We are going to come over to you.”

She then looked around, looking for an avenue to get through, but she didn’t see one through all the melting crystal and burning debris. The buildings that once stood in this area were tall and the alleyways narrow. At least the pair couldn’t get to them. Raine turned to Draco, about to beg him to pause when she saw his hand extended to her. She could feel the worry in her chest morph into fear.

    “I’ll carry you.” He sighed at seeing her defensive expression. “I won’t drop you. I promise.”

    She backed away, crossing her arms. “I don’t like that idea.” 

    He almost looked disappointed and that made her back up a couple more steps. His arm lowered and he looked back to the two on the other side of the buildings, before looking at her once more. “Alright. I will go up and see if I can find a way through for you. We can talk through the watch.”

She nodded, relaxing again and taking the watch from her pocket. “I’ll see you on the other side then.”

Draco took his watch from his pocket too before rising into the air. She wondered if he was flying from magic or if his wings were still there but she just couldn’t see them. Feeling the push of wind coming from him and seeing the odd way he hunched forward told her that his human look was an illusion and not a full change like she had thought it might have been. She watched him float into the air, his chest rocking back and forth with the hidden movement of his leathery wings, before looking once again to her surroundings. 

The alley directly connecting her to the other side was collapsed and filled with creaking beams of smoking wooden supports. Going back in the direction they had come through had a few possible points of connection that she could remember, mainly between buildings that had been built from stone. Going forward may prove a way around, but she didn’t want to get too far from the area. Losing this meant ending up alone again in a wasteland of corpses. She turned on her heel, starting back in the direction they came from. 

“Wrong way.” The gruff voice made the watch in her hand feel as though it was vibrating. “I see a way around near where we were.”

She lifted the watch closer to her face. “Ok. Guide me.”

“What the--? This thing talks too?” It was a male voice with an accent, the same voice as the man from the inn, followed by a distant feminine voice who she assumed to be the auburn haired woman. “So there are others that have them?”

“At least one other.” It was Draco’s voice again. “Raine, there’s a road a little further up that looks like it wasn’t hit. You two should head in that direction as well.”

“Why?” It was the other male voice again.

“The others are waiting for us there.”

“Others?” Raine asked. “There are other survivors?”

“You’ll see. Just keep walking up the road. And you two need to go around a different way.”

Raine lowered her watch as she turned back. They were still speaking but she was no longer paying attention. From what she did hear, it sounded like confused arguing, but she was more concerned with getting out of the city. While she was hopeful to see other survivors, she was starting to think it might not be a good idea. Either way, she followed Draco’s direction and moved around the debris. As she slid past a steaming, wooden beam, she pushed the watch back into her pocket. As Draco said, the road began to open up. After passing through the smoke, she could see a few lit torches and some buildings that were still standing as if nothing had happened. When she made her way there, it looked as if this street just hadn’t been touched. She could see carts with bags of goods piled high and bushes and trees gently swaying in the breeze. She would have been fooled into the idea of the rest of the city being a dream if it weren’t for the sharp smell of glass and the firelight that illuminated the sky like a backdrop to a theater. 

At the end of the street, she saw two more figures before something colossal and breathing. Scales and wings and a giant maw filled with incisors. She felt her stomach jump and she knew it was the dragon that Draco spoke of earlier. Draconis. It seemed still now, waiting, positioned lazily at the end of the street as if it were ready to nap. 

“Don’t be afraid.” She heard the voice but didn’t know from where. It was coming from inside her mind, like before all of this. That feminine voice that told her to run. To get her things before it was too late. She realized it was the same voice. “You’re right. Now please, come over. Do not be afraid.”

The voice acknowledged her fear before she even realized she had felt it. Hesitantly, she slowly stepped forward, pangs in her gut telling her to turn back. Turn back to the broken city. Somehow, she would be safer in the ooze of melted buildings and fresh ghosts. But something was pulling her along faster, until she was at a steady pace, as if on a string and it wasn’t the voice in her head or the whispers from the black ethyrium before the city turned to rubble. It was deep and it was red, like the blood pumping through her veins, pulling her on a tightrope she couldn’t escape from.

As she got closer to the group, her eyes focused on the massive dragon. She felt her breath catch in her chest and her heart beat a bit faster. How did this thing exist? How was it so massive? Not even sea serpents were this large and those were known to take out entire ships if they were too close to the surface. It breathed deeply, as if napping, while one of its monumental wings twitched as if shooing off a persistent pest. 

“Well someone’s certainly fascinated.” There was a deep chuckle from her left, making her stop and look. It was one of the two figures she had seen from the back of the street. He was hunched, sitting on a wooden crate with a piece of bread in one hand and a steaming tin cup in the other. He was old, with salt and pepper hair and an air of aggravated boredom. His hunch did little to hide his height and even in the dark, she noticed his soldier’s coat, brass hand, and the ethyrium pistol on his left hip. He smelled sharp, like coffee grounds and metal shavings.

“You’re not?” She replied. 

“Hmm, when you get this old, nothing surprises you anymore.” She noticed a hint of a smirk before her attention was pulled the other way.

“Don’t let Eustace fool you. He was about to jump off the docks ten minutes ago.” 

That voice. It was the voice that had been in her head, but now it was spoken aloud. She looked the other way to see the other figure leaning against Draconis’ tail. It was a woman, tall with wings much like Draco but silver instead of black. Her long, needle-like hair covered half of her face while one, bright blue eye peered at her through the dark.

“And you are?” Raine asked. 

“Victoria.” She grinned, revealing sharp teeth whiter than her pale skin. “You’ve already met Eustace.” She waved her one arm in the direction of the old man on the crate before ending on the dragon. “And this is Draconis. God of Nature and Creation. And before you laugh, because I can tell that you’re about to, this is real. He really is a God.”

“What?” She held back her expression and kept her voice steady, not wanting to let this woman be right. “You really expect me to believe that? What kind of crazy cult destroys a city?”

“To make sure I could not be trapped again.” The deep rumble of Draconis’ voice shook the ground beneath her feet. She could feel it in her chest, pulsing and reverberating. A bright red eye, the same color as the one in her living pocket watch, opened in front of her. The pupil alone was as tall as she was and as it lifted its head from the street, she realized just how large this being was. The city might as well have not even existed. Time itself seemed to stop. She could hear her heart beating in her ears. Her feet felt like they were so solidly planted into the stone street that her body was an afterthought.

“Neither of you seemed to mind when it happened.” The new voice shocked Raine back to focus. She turned to see a woman with red hair, tipped with bright blue, tied up and adorned with braids standing behind her, hands on her hips. Accompanying her was Draco and another man. After seeing the half mask on him, she realized these two must have been the survivors they had encountered earlier. “You were all for it back then.”

“Have you ever been trapped inside a crystal with nothing but a giant dragon for thirty thousand years? I would have preferred a cage by myself.” Victoria growled.

“I’m still confused. What does this have to do with anything?” The heavily accented voice of the half-masked man sounded agitated as he flung his hands forward. At least he no longer sounded drunk. “Alex, what kind of weird friends do you have? Why haven’t you told me about any of this?”

“I don’t see how any of this could come up in normal conversation. Ayces, please calm down.”

Alex had her hands on her hips and Raine could hear Eustace erupt into laughter behind her. From the corner of her eye, she saw Victoria walk up next to her.

“And you! You killed me!” Ayces was pointing at Victoria, then at Eustace. “Stop laughing, old man. This isn’t funny.”

“Accident.” Victoria hummed. “I was really going more for Alex.”

He growled and reached for one of the pistols on his hip before Alex reached out and grabbed his arm. “Ayces.” Her tone shifted to serious. “That is unnecessary. See? We are fine. And we are about to get an explanation. Isn’t that right, Victoria? Draconis?”

“Actually, I would like one as well.” Draco finally spoke. “I was instructed to destroy the spire, but I don’t see why the city had to go with it.”

So that's what happened, Raine thought.

The ground shifted beneath their feet as Draconis rose his head higher and shifted his forearms to lay one clawed foot over the other. The group suddenly grew quiet and when Raine looked back, the dragon suddenly seemed much more regal than his previous lazy appearance. Draconis shook his head, much like a cat, shucking debris that had fallen on him from the surrounding buildings. If he didn’t seem imposing before, he definitely did now. 

“I’ve already heard enough bickering for today. You know I can hear everything you say into those watches? They are my eyes and ears to each of you.” The depth of his voice almost hurt. “You are all my new champions, chosen specifically for different reasons.” 

“Champions for what? What does that mean?” Raine asked. She couldn’t hear herself over the blood beating in her ears. 

“My champions for the fight against Ragnarok. I have chosen all of you to fight against the darkness when the time comes. If you should fail, the shadows will envelope all that you know, including yourselves.” He paused for a moment as his eyes scanned over each of them. “As my champions, you will work to become strong enough to wipe clean this world. Those watches I have given to each of you will aid in that goal.”

“The watches have immense power and will give each of you abilities you couldn’t have dreamed of.” Victoria spoke suddenly. She had moved to stand in front of the group. “Not only will they allow you to communicate with each other over vast distances, but you will also be able to speak to me and Draconis. They can aid you both in battle and in life, but most importantly, they allow Draconis’ power to reach you, so I suggest you keep them on you at all times. While in your possession, they will not only allow you to use a portion of Draconis’ power, but they will protect you from each other. Any natural abilities you have will be dulled when affecting another champion of Draconis. This includes death. If you attempt to kill one another, the watches will bring them back. This unfortunately will not work the same way if a champion of another god or a regular person decides to try their hand, so please keep that in mind.” 

The speech sounded rehearsed and Raine wondered how many times it had taken for Victoria to get it right.

“Why is that even important?” Acyes grumbled from the background.

“There have been … problems in the past between champions.” Alex said. Raine could hear venom and regret in her tone. She could see it on Victoria’s face and the way Draconis dug his claws into the dirt. 

Victoria spoke once more. “That’s not important right now. I’m letting you know the way it works. Any further questions can be asked later. For right now, you all have a job to do.”

The ground shifted again and Raine wondered if the entire continent would fall to Harkan’s surface as she watched Draconis come to his feet. “You all will end this needless war. The Emperor will fall by your hands.” The sound of his voice, now more distant, was less harsh. 

“Excuse me? You think this ragtag group can stop a war that has been going on for years?” Eustace, still sat on the crate, waved his tin cup at the dragon as if he were yelling at a disruptive child. “Only pirates want anything to do with his fight and if you want to lump me in with them then you can think again. And somehow I doubt you’re going to get little Miss Imperial over there to agree with that idea either.” 

Eyes were suddenly on her as the tin cup pointed in her direction. She straightened her back, and folded her hands securely in front of her. “Just because I’m imperial doesn’t mean I am a part of the war.”

“Please, you’re wearing your uniform like a badge of honor. The way you stand says it all. Who do you think you’re fooling?” 

Raine relaxed her shoulders as she breathed out slow and steady. “If I was attempting to fool someone, why would I be wearing my uniform?” she asked. “I was only passing through, just like everyone else here.”

“None of you were just passing through.” Draconis rumbling voice rattled the shingles on the nearby houses, immediately stopping Eustace’s spat. “You were all expected to be here on this date. At this time. Fate’s threads led you to me, as requested.”

“The hell’s that supposed to mean?” Acyes asked.

“It would be a good idea for you to learn to listen to others, Ayces. I chose all of you for different reasons based on what is in store for the future of the world and the war and The Gods. You all have a role to play in the coming darkness. Some more than others.” He paused for a moment as he looked between each of them before his wings began to push at the air. Raine felt as though those bright red eyes dug deep into her soul. “I suggest you all get used to each other.”

He rose with a great gust of wind and Raine wasn’t sure how she didn’t lose her footing beneath it. She watched in awe as Draconis rose higher and higher into the air, his wings casting great shadows over the city. She felt an air of apprehension and excitement. Interest and longing, yet confusion. She again wondered if this was a dream. She could only think that it had to be. In fact, she was sure she had even seen a few of these faces in her dreams before, maybe. At this thought, she focused on the group again.

Eustace was sliding off his crate after shoving his emptied cup into a bag. Ayces and Alex were whispering to each other. Draco had moved to Victoria, only to be told that he couldn’t follow her. She suddenly felt that twang of loneliness seep into her. In this group of distant peers, she already felt like the odd one out. She didn’t belong. 

She made her way towards Draco and Victoria now, still keeping her hands tucked neatly in front of her. “Excuse me.” she said softly, waving her hand in a soft greeting. Both Victoria and Draco turned towards her. Their conversation cut off quickly with Draco’s hands dramatically hanging in the air mid sentence. Only now did Raine notice that they may have been arguing. “Why, exactly, am I a part of this? Eustace was right, I’m an imperial. Why would Draconis think I would want to take part in destroying The Emperor?”

Draco’s hands lowered to his sides as he turned back to Victoria and then back to Raine before back to Victoria again. “Actually, yeah. Why is she a part of this?”

Victoria narrowed her eyes at Draco as she grumbled under her breath. “You think I’m the one that picked all of you out? I may be able to hear everything you’re all thinking every second of the day, but that doesn’t mean I want to. Actually, I block you all out on purpose. Because you make my head hurt.” She crossed her arms while she continued to chide Draco. “You, especially. Do you always have to scream?”

A deep growl came from the illusioned dragon man’s chest. “I do not always scream!” Raine could tell he was intentionally not screaming as he cursed at Victoria through gritted teeth. 

“Oh, you try so hard. Give it five minutes.” A snarled grin split Victoria’s pale white face, showing her sharp teeth that shined like the melted crystal glass only two roads away. Raine understood that expression well; this was fun for her. Victoria already knew the right buttons to press and was doing so on purpose. “Actually, maybe thirty seconds.”

Draco’s expression didn’t change except for maybe growing more intense, as Victoria continued to grin at him, waiting for him to blow. Raine thought about backing out of the area before he did, but Victoria’s one eyed gaze landed on her before she could step back. The imperial halted where she was as she watched that grin slide away, back into stone white features. 

“You asked a question, didn't you? Don’t you want the answer?”

“I’d rather not get caught in the crossfire.” Raine replied. 

“Oh please, he’s not worth the effort.”

“Bitch!” There was the scream. “I went through all this effort to get you out and I’m not worth the effort? Maybe you’re not worth the effort!” 

“Maybe not. But that’s not your decision, is it?” Victoria was grinning again. “Don’t be upset, we could have just as easily gotten Malzahar to do it. But look, now you have friends and you can leave me alone for two entire minutes. It’s a win-win.”

“Can you please just stop already?” Raine spoke suddenly. They both looked at her. “Don’t we have important things to do? Like getting off this blazing heap of rubble?”

“Actually, yes. That is something you should be working on, before I decimate the rest of it.” Victoria rested a fingertip to her lips with a dramatic flair. “Guess I forgot to tell you that you all should hurry. Not much time left.”

“Really?” Draco nearly yelled.

“Isn’t it destroyed already?” Raine asked.

“No.” Victoria replied. “It’s not. So I suggest you leave.”

Victoria was in the air before either of them could react. Raine looked to Draco, who was still watching Victoria rise into the sky, before looking to the rest of the group. Eustace had already packed his things and was carefully making his way through the debris and on his way to the docks. Ayces and Alex had moved to one of the stocked carts and were rummaging through its contents. Raine sighed, not yet sure where to go or even how they were to leave this place. She supposed that following Eustace to the docks might be a good start. From here, this road looked like a straight walk down to the ships, almost as if Draconis had placed his halt here on purpose. She wondered if he had meant to leave some people alive to tell the tale before seeing one of the damaged imperial ships slowly lifting into the air and drifting off to the west. 

It seemed some of them had survived at least and she found herself wondering if there were any others. She wanted to continue watching the sky but decided against it. Instead, she focused herself back on her surroundings. Draco had already made his way to the two rummaging through the cart and she found herself walking in that direction as well. 

“Well we need to get to a ship now, otherwise there might not be any left.” It was the auburn haired woman speaking.

“I’m sure there are plenty, Alex. First we need supplies.” That was the accented voice of the half-masked man.

“There are probably supplies on the ships already. Should you really be wasting your time on this?” Draco grunted. “Besides, we need to get moving. They’re going to destroy the rest of the city.”

“What? Why? They already destroyed the damn place. What else is there to burn?”

“Well, the thing you’re looting for one.” Raine said. 

She heard some rustling and grunts and after a moment, the half-masked man’s head popped out over the top of the cart, looking at her at first in frustration and then in surprise. “You!” he said as he pointed at her quickly. “You’re that traveling show woman from the tavern! Can you believe this crazy mess?”

She felt her eyebrow twitch as she sighed. “And you’re the pirate, I presume? I remember you.”

“What is there to forget?”

“Plenty.”

She heard the auburn woman begin to laugh as she also made it out from behind the cart. From here, Raine could see the tips of her hair weren't bright at all, but were soft and clear, almost like water. “I bet that one hurt, Ayces!” She giggled through a wide, sharp grin. “I like her already.”

“So how about some introductions? I’m Ayces. Captain Ayces Nichols. And this is my first mate,” he waved his hand to the auburn haired woman, “Alex.”

“Raine Chrysanthem.” She looked between the two of them as she crossed her hands in front of herself. “Pleasure to meet you, regardless of the current circumstances.” 

“We really should get moving.” Draco suddenly spoke up. “Introductions can come later. Besides, the old man has already started to move. We don’t want to get left behind.”

“Draco is right, we don’t know how many ships are left.” Raine replied. “And I would rather not stay here.”

“Oh please, what is one old man going to do by himself? Besides, I doubt anyone else is leaving, if anyone else is left.” Ayces replied flippantly as he turned back to the cart.

“Actually, I just saw one of the imperial ships take off.” That got Ayces attention and Raine took notice as she continued to speak. “There are probably other survivors other than just us. There may be people already at the docks that we can help get out of here.”

“She has a point.” Alex hummed. “Besides, if Draconis really intends on obliterating what’s left, I don’t want to be here for it.”

“Well I don’t want to leave all of this behind. It could be useful and I need a new tunic.” Ayces grumbled before poking his head back out. “Hey, Draco, right? Help us get this thing to the docks.”

“What do I look like, a pack mule?” 

Raine almost thought she could see steam rise from his invisible snout. 

“Well, you’re strong enough, are you not? Unless, you think you can’t?”

“Of course I can!”

“Well then, let’s see it.”

Draco’s chest puffed as he moved to the front of the cart and picked up the front of it. He motioned for Ayces to help him and waited until the other man moved to the front as well. Together they pushed on the handle and after a moment, got the heavy cart moving down the street. Raine watched as Alex followed behind them, guiding them over parts of the street that were still intact while moving rubble and stone out of the way at the same time. As she watched, Raine could feel apprehension building. This all felt too surreal, too alive. Her memories of the dead city sat in the back of her mind like a heavy weight and she still wasn’t sure what she was doing or why she was following these people. They seemed too calm to her. She seemed too calm. Everything felt wrong in a way she wasn’t sure she could get passed. 

She reached up to rub her fingers over the carved red opal chrysanthemum that connected the top button of her uniform. The cold ridges of the stone petals felt like small bumps against the skin of her rough fingers, but it was calming. She wondered again if she was dreaming, but knew she wasn’t. This didn’t feel like a dream. Everything was too awake, too alive, too detailed to be dreaming. As she followed the group and their thieved cart, she couldn’t help but wonder once again about the white rabbit. There was still no sign of the creature or any other living thing, even on this road that didn’t seem to be touched. She was glad at least some made it out, and it gave her hope for others. 

As they walked, she continued to watch the houses and alleys for any movement. Any sign of life, but saw none. The further they walked down the road, the more the street looked like the rest of the city. Melted glass oozed into the roads and the husks of people still reached out with skeletal hands. After a few turns, they made it beyond the ends of the burning buildings. From here, she could see the port. Some of the ships resting at the docks were still on fire, but half of them were already burned out shells of what they used to be. At the end of the boardwalk, away from the rest of the ships and further out from the rest of the city, there were two ships that looked untouched. They were both rather small, with one looking as though it was a small yacht meant for personal use while the other looked as though it could hold a crew of less than a dozen people.

Raine paused at seeing no signs of anything living. Even the buildings at the edge of the shore were decimated, with the windows blown outwards and wood splinters shoved into surrounding stone. Of course, she realized, this was one of the areas that people fled first. There was no one here except for the lanky shape of an old man in the distance, pulling in the small yacht by a long rope. Even from this distance, she could see that it was Eustace, firelight glinting off of his cold metal hand. She felt her hope sink to the pit of her stomach. Other than them and the battered imperial ship she had seen fly off while they were still in town, there was no one left. She found herself wondering if the entire island was this way and her gut told her that that was the case. 

The others were already dragging the cart down the wobbly dock. The sound of new wooden wheels on old wooden boards were the sudden notes that filled the night against the distant crackle of fire. They didn’t call back to her or even look in her direction, still minding their own way toward the two ships. If she wanted to, she could turn back now and they wouldn’t even know she was gone. She followed them anyway. If they took the larger ship, she could take the yacht. Flying it couldn’t be that hard and she already had the distinct feeling of unbelonging, not to mention her already stark feeling of distrust for Ayces from earlier in the day. Already, she thought, that felt like so long ago.

“Yacht is busted.” Eustace said as the group of them got closer. “The core is completely drained. Won’t even start.” 

“What about the other ship?” Ayces asked.

“Not there yet.” Eustace’s reply was gruff and filled with annoyance.

“We could tow the yacht and recharge the ethyrium in the next port. It will be good to have an extra life boat.” Alex added.

“Like I’m going to stick with you people that long.” Eustace said with a wave of his hand as he disappeared into the ship. Raine found herself thinking the same thing. There was no reason to stay with these people. Soon, the threat would be gone and she could go back to normal life. At least, the life that had become normal to her.

Alex sighed as she hopped off the cart. “Well, I guess we should get started. Draco, can you secure the yacht to the ship?”

“Oh, you get to boss me around already?” He huffed. At the look she gave him, he grumbled. “I’ll find some rope, but you’re helping me!” He pointed at Ayces as he ambled to the yacht and began to untie the rope connected to it from the cleat hitch. 

Acyes walked over to him and immediately began chiding the half dragon man on his technique before ushering him out of the way. From what Raine could tell, Draco had so far only served to tie the knot tighter instead of loosening it. Already, they were arguing and she could feel a headache coming on. 

“Hey, you. Imperial.” It was a feminine voice. Raine’s attention refocused on Alex, her arms filled with a large sack from the cart. “Aren’t you going to help? At all?”

“Um, yes. Sorry.” She stuttered momentarily as she straightened her back out. They remembered she was here after all. “What do you need me to do?”

“Carry the goods onto the ship.” Alex rolled her eyes as she said it, as if it was the obvious answer, before turning to carry the sack up the wooden ramp.

“Right.” Raine whispered to herself with a huff before moving to the cart. 

There was a lot here and it mostly looked like food. There were some clothing and other household items as well. She could see a mixture of fruits and vegetables, dresses and jackets, cloaks, candlesticks, a hand mirror, and some kitchenware. Whoever had packed this cart had really tried to move their entire life at the end. She briefly wondered what happened to them before deciding against it. She grabbed one of the larger sacks, making sure it was light enough that she would have no issues carrying it before hauling it up the ramp. Alex was already coming back down for another load and after looking around for a moment, Raine saw that the auburn haired woman had just set the first sack on the deck. 

She placed the one she had next to it before feeling the rumble of the ship turning on. Lights on the deck flickered on and the familiar feeling of the ship's engines kicking over rattled through the floorboards and up her leather boots. She braced herself for the next part. The feeling as her stomach dropped for a moment as the ship tried to float out of the water, only to be yanked back by the ropes tying it to the dock's hitches. It was a feeling she’d always hated but was one that she had gotten used to over the years of constant travel. After a moment, the ship settled back down into the water and Raine’s feeling of unease settled as well. Alex was already on the deck with another sack, looking as if she was starting to get frustrated with Raine’s lack of assistance, so she quickly hurried along back down the gangway to continue on her assigned task.

The two of them made quick work of the cart. By the time they were finished, Draco and Ayces had finished maneuvering the yacht around the docks and were pulling it onto the deck by use of the pulley system already installed for lifeboats. Eustace had also made his way back topside and was rummaging through the sacks, sorting the food away from the rest of the goods. Alex had gone back down to the dock to remove the ropes tying the ship in place while instructing Raine to pull the ropes onto the deck while at the same time coiling them onto nearby hooks.

After they were done with the ropes, Alex moved up the gangplank before helping Raine unhook it from the dock and pull it onto the ship. Alex then moved to Draco and Ayces to help them finish with the yacht while Raine moved to Eustace to help with the sorting of the sacks. When she came over, he scuttled to the side as he dragged one of the smaller sacks with him. When Raine looked at it, she could see “Gourmet Coffee Beans Imported from Linderia” printed in bold Elven lettering on the side of the bag.

“Don't worry, I’m not going to steal all of the coffee.” She said as she knelt next to the pile of goods while neatly folding her skirts under her knees. 

“It’s not you I’m worried about.” Eustace grumbled.

“Are you sure? You don’t have to be from the pirate nations to steal.”

“While that is true, Miss--”

“Raine.”

“Miss Raine. I am more worried about your touch than you stealing something from me.”

“You act as if I would want to touch you.”

“Who’s to say you won’t? I’ve seen your kind in the cities before. We’ve even had a couple in my home country.” Eustace’s metal fingers made a small whirring noise as he began shifting through a new sack. When he realized it was filled with clothing, he pulled it to sit next to another sack he’d already checked. “Lenaya aren’t exactly known to be shy when it comes to getting their way.”

So he recognized the uniform as more than just "Imperial". Maybe that's why he had been so hostile earlier. “I suppose we’re known for a lot of things.” Raine whispered. He seemed more calm now, so she grabbed for one the bags he hadn’t checked yet. “I won’t pretend I am any different. Besides, I don’t think you’d have anything I want.”

“You can never truly know the information people possess, Miss Raine. Who’s to say you won’t find something you want from me one day?”

Raine let out a deep sigh as she shifted through the bag. She suddenly remembered why she preferred traveling alone. “I doubt we will be together that long.” She tried to keep her tone soft, but it was laced with venom and she wasn’t sure how much of it came through. 

“True.” He huffed. “I don’t plan on making my bed with pirates and I suggest you do the same.”

Raine watched as Eustace pulled himself to his feet and grabbed the sack of coffee. The gears in his leg whirred against the pressure of his weight as he pulled the bag of coffee off the ground to rest in the crook of the arm with the metal hand. As he stood, Raine’s pale eyes drifted to the approaching figures of Ayces, Alex, and Draco. 

“Hey, don’t run off just yet, gramps.” Ayces said. “We have to figure out where our next stop is.”

“Next stop? Are you deaf, boy? I’m not travelling with pirates. I’m away from you all as soon as we get to another port.” 

“I’m not stopping you.” Ayces said quickly, his heavy accent slurring his defensive tone. “I’m only asking because you know how much energy we have.”

Eustace huffed and grumbled. “We have enough to make it to Costa, at least. They have a small ship trade there and regular merchant vessels so we should all be able to go our separate paths with no trouble.”

Raine looked between the old man and the youth, before she stood with a sigh. “Then we should get going. I do not want to get stuck here any longer than we already have been.” She laced her fingers together in front of her stomach. “I don’t think that the … dragon that destroyed the city will be willing to wait for us much longer and, as Eustace stated, it is best we go our separate ways.”

Draco suddenly snorted a chuckle from the edge of the group. “Don’t you remember what Draconis and Victoria said? We’re all working together from now on.” 

“And?” Raine replied. “They said we would be working together, not that we had to stay together. Not only that, but why must we suddenly follow a giant flying reptile just because it came from a rock and claims it’s a god?”

“Because he is one.” Alex said suddenly. “Seems you missed it but the city is gone and we now have magical, living watches.” 

“And who says they aren’t just enchanted?”

“When’s the last time you heard of an enchanted watch that allows you to speak to others and hear voices in your head?” It was Ayces this time. For some reason, he looked amused: his expression didn’t match his words. “Actually, when’s the last time you died? And then came back to life with a dead city all around you while you’re perfectly fine?”

“Why do you seem excited about that?” Raine shot back, careful to keep her expression neutral. 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Ayces actually laughed and Raine wasn’t sure if she was able to hide the second of concern. “This is a great opportunity for us! We’ve been told to bring down The Emperor by a powerful dragon who is giving us the power to do it.”

“Allegedly.”

“You saw what they did! You were in the city! You must have died too!”

“What does any of that matter? Why must we do what they say? Why must we assume that we have to?”

“Oh, I’m not assuming anything. I’m going by what we were told! And what we were told already aligns with my goals. Why would I go against it?”

“Because it’s ridiculous!” Raine’s exterior broke in that moment. Her hands unclasped as she clenched them by her sides. “Why would any of us want anything to do with the war? I can understand a pirate wanting to go after The Emperor, but what about me? What about Eustace? Why must we have a part in it? Why must so many innocents die here for it? Just to make a point?”

“Maybe because he’s crazy?” Ayces answered back, now just as heated. “We wouldn’t be in this stupid war if not for him. He’s only been running things for a few years and the war has already gotten this bad! When his father was still alive, the world was at least at peace! I even heard some people say he killed the man himself.”

Raine had heard that rumor herself. Multiple times. While she didn’t make a habit of listening to rumors, that one came up often. The previous Emperor, Luthor Crawford, was known for keeping a semi stable truce with the pirate nations during his time. There had always been conflict between the two sides of the world but his reign was a time of relative peace with breakouts of violence only happening every so often when a ship crossed over the wrong border. However, as soon as he passed and his son, Lawrence Crawford, took the throne, the Empire grew more bold and violent in their strategies and battles against the opposing side. While Raine had only been traveling on her own for about three years, she knew that the atmosphere now was much more heated than it had been when she first set out. As far as Emperor Lawrence killing his own father, though, she found the accusation to be a baseless rumor at best. 

Everywhere she went, the story was different and no one had any actual conclusion as to why he would kill his own father. On top of that, no one had any clue what the murder weapon was. She had heard wildly varying accounts in every port city she had been to over the years. One person would say he was stabbed, another shot, another poisoned, and yet the news stated he died from sickness. In the end, Raine didn’t care to pay attention to any of it. As long as she could continue to travel freely, none of it affected her or mattered to her either way.

“So you’re not even going to deny it?” Ayces voice interrupted again. Raine realized she’d been quiet for too long. 

“Should I?” She asked. 

Ayces sputtered a weird laugh. “You’re an imperial and you won’t even defend your own king!”

“Must I defend someone who already has plenty of others to do that for them?”

“The empire really has fallen! Even it’s own military can’t stand beside it.” Ayces weird laugh turned into a full chuckle as a smile spread over his face, revealing teeth a bit too sharp. 

“I am not a part of the military.”

“Your uniform says otherwise.”

“Does an imperial badge on a uniform make it part of the military? Even maids wear a uniform with the imperial badge.”

Outside of Ayces, everyone else in the group wore different expressions. While Draco’s general attitude seemed haughty and annoyed, his stance otherwise suggested apathy. Alex, on the other hand, presented herself as indifferent to the argument, but her neutral expression held a sharp glint of something else. That something else seemed dangerous and even though it sent prickles up Raine’s arms, she still couldn’t place the source of the feeling. Eustace was… Eustace had already left. She was about to make note of this when the ship lurched forward and up. No one else even blinked against the sudden movement, but Raine could feel her stomach jump into her throat. 

Raine stilled herself and planted her feet. She automatically crossed her hands to her front as she found a steady balance against the ship's rising movement. Except for a momentary sway, no one else even braced themselves. Ayces, however, was now distracted from her and instead heading in the direction of the helm. He was saying something Raine couldn’t understand in a language she didn’t speak, but it didn’t sound happy. After a moment, and a pointed look, Alex spun to follow him. Draco watched them go before turning back to face Raine. 

“So if you’re not in the imperial military, what is your uniform for?”

“Can’t we just move on?” She sighed and Draco shrugged. “Excuse me.” She gave a curt bow before making her way to the edge of the deck. 

Raine positioned herself near a railing with a good view of the island they were leaving. The ship was small, but fast, and already the city looked distant. What used to be an abundance of houses and shops lined neatly between streets now merged together in the melted glass and oppressive smoke. She found herself scanning for movement around the buildings. When she didn’t see any, she looked to the outskirts and then to the skys. Aside from the imperial ship from earlier, it really did seem like they were the only survivors. 

Chapter 4: IV: Ebb and Flow

While the ship was well crafted, it was too small. While the crew had a long galley next to the cargo bay, the only occupiable private room on board was a small captain's quarters. Being both what she was as well as a private person, this was something Raine simply couldn’t accept. At first, she thought of sectioning off a part of the crew quarters for herself by making some type of makeshift room, but quickly realized that she neither had the skills nor materials for something of that nature. She didn't have any desire to waste more time with the others either. And so she took the captain's quarters for herself.  

The captain's quarters itself was small, the bed mediocre, and the writing desk old and worn. Aside from a few empty shelves about the desk, nothing sat on top of it. The only exception was a long voicepipe running from the ceiling and down, closed off with a simple cork connected to a small chain. When she looked inside the few drawers of the desk, she found it was stocked with the ship’s manifest, writing implements, and a half emptied bottle of rum. 

She plucked the bottle of rum from the desk drawer with a grimace. It was old and worn, looking as though whoever had owned it only drank from it on rare occasions. She pondered over it for a moment, imagining what this captain's life could have been like. Had they drank when they were upset? When they'd had a rough day? Or as a celebration of some goal they had accomplished? 

At this moment, she wished she was a fan of rum. With a stiff sigh, she gently set the bottle back into its drawer. Turning about the room before sitting on the mattress, she looked over the room's wooden walls for a few moments. Simple wood grain adorned the entire space, with no extra coin spent on luxury and with no decoration to speak of. 

When she ran her hand over the bed's blanket, she took note that the bed itself, while tidy and clean, was stiff and the blanket was at the same state of quality as everything else. The touch of the fabric was far from the soft silk she usually enjoyed, and she already found it scratchy and uncomfortable. One could only imagine that the pillow would be just as disappointing. She decided she didn't even want to check.

She sat still for a moment, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Anxiety pooled in her chest, itching and beating along with her pulse. Nausea pushed up her throat, but she forced it back down, her hands now clenching together into a fist in her lap. She focused on her breathing for a few moments longer, only opening her eyes once more when she felt the ship hit a bump of air. Her pale blue eyes shifted to the large window before she finally began digging into her pockets. 

The first items she pulled out were her identification and a worn, leather backed journal. She began checking the pages. They had been on her when the city melted, but just like her, they were left undamaged. Drawings of the city she had made that morning still sat sharply on the page, lending a peaceful image in contrast to her last memory of the burning city. A feeling twinged in her chest, but she pushed it down again before pulling the now calm dragon’s eye watch from her pocket. Until now, she hadn’t had the time to properly look at this thing. In fact, she had forgotten she had it.

As she turned the object over in her hands, the heavy chain curled around her wrist like a tail. The metal was a smooth, dull brass, etched in delicate filigree. Swirls and floral elements spiraled over the back in an intricate pattern that made its way around the sides, to spiral around a vibrant red eye placed in the center. 

With a pupil like a cat, the eye moved about in the chained socket, swiveling around as she turned it this way and that. It was almost as if the movement made it dizzy. She wondered if was trying to figure out where it was. She wondered if it could even think.

She swept her thumb over the engravings and then over the chain holding the eye in place. When she did, the pupil of the eye contracted and moved, as if trying to flee from her skin. With a soft, curious murmur, she stopped touching it before her focus moved to the pendant and the crown. She found there was no way to set the time, and when she pressed down the crown, the face popped open to reveal the crystal. When she did so, she found that the watch had more than a single set of hands. There were the normal ones one would expect to tell the time, but there were also several other shorter hands that didn’t seem to move. She tried to get a closer look, but there were no words or other lines to go along with those smaller, unmoving hands. 

Wondering if it was broken, she tapped against the crystal a couple of times before looking to see that it still was unchanged. She then put her ear to it and listened to the tick. It sounded like what she would expect, but underneath it was another tick, quicker and of a different tone. She pulled back from it, looking at the crystal once more, trying to determine if the smaller hands had begun to move, but they had not. She thought briefly about prying the back plate off to look inside, but when the chain seemed to curl around her wrist tighter, she stopped.

“Ok, ok. I’ll leave you alone now,” she said softly. “I wouldn’t want to be curiously prodded either.”

She moved, pushing the watch back into her pocket. She gingerly unwrapped the chain to let it go along with the watch before looking to the window. Crystalia was far away now and the city's fires made it glow brightly against the night sky. It looked like a bright sun flickering by itself in an ocean of stars. 

This time, she couldn’t keep thoughts of the city from her mind. The ruined streets, with its melted buildings, stretched before her eyes as if she were still standing among them. The bodies and the smell of death and burning still filled her senses. She could still smell it, sharp and clear. As if she were still standing in that place. Dead. Along with everyone else. 

She thought of all of the people on the street, just before her world had filled with light and then darkness. She thought of the boy that had stopped and pulled her along, trying to help her while everyone else ran. He had stopped for her in his final moments, with no thoughts of himself, but instead to someone he didn’t even know. The vivid memory of him flashed against the back of her eyes. His being had melted away before her, his face still holding nothing but care and worry for someone else. Only now, in this dark room, after that young man was long gone, did she once again think again about him. 

Her chest tightened as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She desperately tried to control her breathing, not wanting to let the tears fall, but it was too late. She huffed through ragged breaths, trying to keep it all in, her wide fingers digging into the thick fabric of her skirts. When she closed her eyes, she could still see him. She could still see it all. What had that boy’s life been like before today? What kinds of choices had made someone like him? What could have made someone like that young man who could look at even her with such kindness? 

Her hand rose to her mouth to hide a choked sob, only to notice that dazzling sun of a city through the window turn even brighter. She faced it as it dimmed out and then brightened again before exploding into a large plume of light and sound. Fire raged through the city anew, to the point that she thought she could feel the heat. If there had been anyone left, they were definitely gone now. 

The tears finally fell over, streaming down her face as she looked. A moment later, the ship tossed against the strength of the blast, only coming after the light and sound had already made it there. She only watched for a moment, the scene too bright against the darkness, before finally turning away. With a quick hand, she went for the desk and reached for the half-drunk rum. She pulled it out and yanked out the cork before downing the liquid as quickly as she could. It was rancid and warm, but she didn’t care. She downed it as fast as it would come out of the bottle; ignoring the tears falling down her face. 

Too quickly, the bottle was gone, the aftertaste of burnt molasses burning angrily at the back of her throat. The putrid aroma of bitter alcohol crawled up into the top of her mouth but the thought of it couldn’t distract her mind from the city for even a moment. 

That place clouded her mind too heavily to be forgotten with only half a bottle of bad rum, and so she fell to the stiff mattress, suffocating her sobs into the rough blanket. She cried for what felt like hours, until the blazing sun turned into a sputtering flame, its wick cut too close to melted wax. She stayed there until that flame turned into a simple speck of light, just bright enough to match a single star in the sky. It was only at that point that she made her way fully onto the bed, no longer caring about the quality of the blanket or the pillow. 

The alcohol in her stomach pulled her into a fragile sleep, addled by dreams of ships crashing through panes of stained glass and bullets pouring into cut stone. Wooden pews lining a stone room with knights clad in heavy silver armor, standing far taller than a human should. Two men standing on a dais, one old and gray, the other young and proud. When she looked up, the ceiling was vibrant and sparkling, like an endless night sky filled with stars.

Raine took a step forward but stopped when she felt something slosh and ooze under her feet. Her gaze shot down quickly to see that the wooden floor was coated in bright red blood, rippling from her with each step. She quickly realized that she was wearing a floaty dress, dressed in ruffles and ribbons and gauze with the bottom dragging heavily on the floor. It was a beautiful bright white, the edges dyed red by the floor. 

Filled with horror, she gripped at the dress in a panic and took a step back. And when the loud sound of gunfire suddenly erupted, she quickly looked up once more. The once crisp stone walls were perforated with bullets, letting in bright light from outside. The shining knights were just as battered, blood pouring from their wounds like waterfalls. They fell one at a time, their bodies sinking into the wet floor as if it were a vast ocean. When she looked back to the dais, she saw the men there were also shot down.

Just like the knights, the old man sank into the ground, but the young man somehow stayed on the surface. As he lay on the floor, his clothes tattered and torn, bloodied beyond recognition, she could see that his face was still turned towards her. His blood seeped onto the dais, into its inlaid patterns as if it were sprawling tendrils, stretching into every nook and crevice. His blood flowed over the edge and joined the now ocean-like floor. The young man's blood turned into a dark ink as soon as it touched the rest, reacting against the other like a contrasting dye. It spread like smoke, turning the entire surface into something that resembled an endless black sea. When she looked back to him, his eyes locked with hers and his lips distorted into a sinister smirk.

A single, loud heart beat erupted in the air around her. Like a slow, steady drum, it made the floor bend and ripple as if it were a tide coming on to shore. Fear pulled sharply up her spine as the entire room began to distort. The stone walls erupted with flowers painted in gold before they began to shift, oozing and bending and collapsing in on themselves until they sank into the ground. With the room gone, the darkness of the floor oozed out into what seemed to be an endless, crystal blue ocean, blanketed by a sunset sky. The black sea swirled against the vibrant water, draining it of all color and vibrance. Her eyes followed it to the horizon, where the black also began to eat at the sky. In no time at all, she was left in a dark void, bereft of everything that it was just a moment before.

A sudden scraping sound from the dais brought her attention back to the young man. As he began to stand, his body bent in a way that made him look like he was a puppet guided on strings. His limbs contorted just like the walls, but didn't collapse like them. He looked as if he were pulled up by something, even though he shouldn't be. A sharp gasp escaped her lips and she moved back, white heels sloshing through what now felt like thick sludge. 

Once he finally got to his feet, his head tilted as if it were to fall off, and his crooked smile spread into a wide grin. With a chatter, he took one small step forward. All of his weight pushed heavily to one leg as he took a step forward, and then to the other leg as he took another step and then another and another. 

“I did it. I did it. Raine …” His voice was grated and it bubbled as black blood spat over straight, white teeth. “You can’t run forever.”

Suddenly, there was a loud banging sound. It sounded like the door to the chapel room, which she knew wasn't there anymore. She wanted to look but couldn't bring herself to, her eyes still set on the man slowly advancing towards her. 

“You can’t hide forever,” he said. His body creaked, his shoulders setting into a weird angle as he took yet another step forward. For just a moment, under the blood and the grime, the broken body and the bullets, she thought that he looked familiar. 

“You can’t hide.” His voice was like a record, scratching out a horrid tune. A song she knew but couldn't recall, but repeated to her many times before. Over and over and over again.

The sound of the door came loud again and she finally tore her eyes from the man to look in the sound's direction. It was back. It really was there and she could hear a voice calling from the other side. The voice was unintelligible, but it was so loud; louder than anything else. Louder than the gunfire earlier. Louder than the broken and bloodied man. 

She turned more towards it, her body pulling in the door's direction, before there was a forceful tug on her arm. She was whipped back around, that man’s face suddenly right in front of hers. Speckled green eyes looked into her own ice blue set, and his dark blonde hair was pressed against his blood stained forehead. His grip on her arm was strong and unrelenting. When she tried to pull away, she found that moving out of that grip was next to impossible. His grip only tightened even more, becoming crushingly painful very quickly. She cried out and stopped trying to pull, instead leaning back into the grip in an effort to stop his hand from clutching even tighter.

“I didn't say you could leave.” Blood splattered from his lips, creating freckles on her cheek as he coughed and sputtered each word.

He started to pull her again, but now he was moving with her. He too started sinking into the floor, just like the rest of the room and its people. Her fear reached new heights and she started to try to pull away again. No longer fearing the pain, she began to struggle, trying once again to get free. She gripped her fingers against his, trying to pry them away, as they sank. 

After a moment, she realized that while he was sinking into the void she was not. For her, the floor was still a floor. She fought even harder then, scrambling to get a grip to the ground so she couldn't be pulled under. As he sank even lower, she was brought to her hands and knees, struggling to not be pulled into the ripples of the space he left behind. She was brought even lower until she was laying flat, her face pressed into the water. There was even more pain then, as if her arm was being pulled from the socket.

She started screaming, tears joining the water below her. The sound of the door began again, even louder now. The voice she couldn't understand now sounded urgent. She couldn't do anything but scream and cry and try not to be dragged under. Slowly, the feeling of being pulled down weakened and she was finally able to rip her arm from the floor. She created large splashes as she desperately moved back from that spot. 

All at once, it was over. She was all alone. There was nothing to see or to fear. Only the void remained. For a moment, only the sound of a slow plink of a drop of water, the banging on the door, and the pain in her arm was left to keep her company. 

She blinked and the small captain’s quarters suddenly came to focus. Confusion coursed through her, but the door continued to bang. Her arm still hurt. She could still hear water. The loud voice at the door was clear now. Accented. She looked around the room without moving. All signs of the young, broken man were completely gone. 

“Open up already! I'm not leaving!” the voice yelled.

Her heart beat in her chest, her arm hurt, and her head was pounding. With a loud groan, she clutched her arm and sat up. She decided that while the dream felt surreal, it was just a dream. She was definitely awake now.

“Give me a moment,” she croaked; her throat hurt. The knocking finally stopped with another loud huff. 

Standing was a bit difficult and took her longer than she would have liked, but she supposed that’s what she got for passing out with rum in her stomach and her uniform still on. With a stumble, she made it to the door and opened it slowly, peeking out of it with tired, pale eyes. Ayces was standing there with his arms crossed. His foot tapped impatiently against the wooden floor until he noticed the door creak open. He stopped and turned to her, a glint of light reflecting off the crystal of his mask.

“Finally,” he grumbled. “You sleep deeper than the stars.”

“What exactly is it that you want?” she asked.

“I want my fucking room. I’m the Captain. This is the Captain’s Quarters.”

“Captain?” She almost laughed. “I don’t remember anyone calling you that. Or electing you.”

“What? Captains don't get elected. I'm the Captain because I'm the one qualified, unless you think you can take it,” he scoffed. He tilted his head high and looked at her through his nose, looking just a bit grumpier, if that was possible. She didn’t have the energy for this.

She sighed, trying to keep her own look of aggravation pushed down. “I just want to sleep. In peace.”

“Well, since that’s the case, you can do so in the bunks like everyone else.” 

He suddenly reached out, placing a firm hand on the door and pushing it in. She pushed back against it just as hard, not wanting to let him through. 

“No,” she snapped back. “I got here first."

"There is another single room below deck, you can have that one."

"It's taken up by junk. No one is sleeping there."

"Then clean it out!" 

"You clean it!”

He pushed harder, and the slick soles of her boots skid easily over the floorboards. She adjusted her weight then, pushing back against the door with her hip and shoulder, turning sideways to keep herself from being pushed further.

With a grunt, she said, “you can’t just rush in here like this. You don't own this ship or this room.”

“You think I can’t?” He struggled a bit against the new force, now being pushed back a bit himself. “What makes you think you can just take it then? You obviously can’t contribute to anything on this ship, yet you think you can take the Captain’s room.”

He shifted, shoving his boot between the door and the wall, preventing it from closing. She kept pushing, soon moving to try to push his foot out when she realized it was in the way, but when she did, she let some pressure off of the door. He pushed it back enough to snake a hand in, grabbing her by the wrist. Immediately becoming startled, she let out a stifled noise and lept back, ripping her arm away from the doorway as if there was a venomous snake. She stepped back swiftly, until she met with the desk, and held her hands against her stomach as if she were in pain. 

The door swung open and he looked at her, now moving to lean against it almost casually as he watched. His eye met her face, and what was almost a triumphant expression turned sour and confused. Seeing her now, huddled and holding her hand as if she were touched inappropriately, spread a weird shock through him. The ice cold gaze he had seen her hold earlier in the day seemed as if it had cracked somehow. 

His change in gesture made her suddenly aware of how she must look, and she hardened once more. Her expression pulled cold and rigid while she moved her hands to her sides and squared her shoulders, turning her pose to something more controlled. With a roll of a single eye, he scoffed. A small chuckle came from his chest.

“You really feel that wronged? To not have your own room?” He said. 

“I can’t let you have the room.” She replied. 

He grit his teeth and flexed his jaw, rolling his head against the doorframe. “You have got to be kidding.”

“I won’t give you the room.”

“Get over it.”

“I can’t sleep around other people.”

“Can’t sleep among the commoners? What a princess.”

She paused, bit back her words and looked to the side. At the moment, she found herself staring into the wood grain of the wall. She would much rather see that than his smug, judging expression. This pirate who decided to wake her in the middle of the night, to take a room she was already asleep in. The nerve of this masked man to take this from her with no reason. To barge into the room of a Lenaya by himself, with no defense. No sense. No help behind him. To grab her so easily. 

She heard him move and her eyes shot back to him, watching as he pushed himself away from the door frame with a huff. She suddenly noticed that he looked tired, with bags under his exposed eye and red lines from his mask. His movements were languid and stiff. Uncaring and unaware. He moved as if she were a mouse and not a bolt of lightning. 

“So, you going to get out or you just going to stare at me all night, princess?” he grumbled. 

“You cannot have the room,” she repeated. “I must have a private room”

He groaned. As if he’d had enough, his arms flailed out as he bent at the knees and threw his head back in an expressive gesture. He looked at her once more. “Why?! Why? Why must you be the one to get the room?” 

“I’m a Lenaya.” She said it flat and simple. Cold and direct. Her fingers twitched with her own words, as if the word itself was enough to set a fire. She felt the need to set the spark, to scare him, to pull him to the word with force, but she stopped herself, only grasping the word in her hand and squashing it. Squeezing it into a pointed threat and nothing more. But he didn’t react. He didn’t move. He watched her as if there was a punchline that she didn’t deliver. 

His mouth opened and closed as his expression shifted multiple times before he settled on a deadpan, “What. That make you any different from the rest?” 

Her trained, stoic expression cracked with confusion. “Do … you not know it?”

“That word supposed to make you more important or something?”

She blinked a few times. “You really don’t know?”

He rolled his eye as he shrugged and he plunked right onto the mattress, swinging his arms under his head. “Why should I?"

"How couldn't you?" 

"You expect me to know every branch of the Empire’s ridiculous military? Heh, right. Ok.” 

Her gaze shifted away from him again as she gulped down her astonishment. Her left hand drifted to toy with the chrysanthemum pin acting as the top button of her uniform. Her thumb rubbed over the cold ridges of the stone petals as she thought it over. As someone who had always assumed that every person knew of her people, she had never thought she would run into someone who didn’t. She was so used to fear filled eyes that she had never considered that people outside of the Empire might have never even heard of it. 

Of course there were people who could have never even heard of her people, she thought. Who knew nothing of the Empire aside from the fact that it existed. Something inside of her creaked and she could picture the world as a pair of flowers on a single branch. The second flower had suddenly bloomed before her, while the first had already been stripped of its beautiful petals. Her teeth chewed against her bottom lip while she thought over it again. How many people really didn’t have any idea?

On the bed, Ayces rolled over, suddenly noticing the emptied bottle of rum. He picked up the bottle and shook it with a groan, before moving to sit up. “There was rum in here?” He huffed, seeming more upset now than when he was trying to get her to open the door. “Damn. Was it at least good?”

She looked at him again, her fingers pausing over the stone flower. “It was disgusting.” 

His face slowly shifted towards her and once again, his mouth opened and closed as his expression shifted from anger to upset. He pushed the empty bottle into the mattress as the other hand slapped against the cushion. “Are you--”

His words were cut off by a loud crack of thunder. The entire ship shook as light flashed into the room. Raine was immediately clinging to the closest surface and they were both looking to the window. She hadn’t even noticed the sound of the water pelting the glass. Ayces rose to his feet. He moved to the window while Raine watched him, her fingers digging into the edges of the desk. 

He looked around as thunder shook the ship again. “What in the winds is that? There weren’t any storms near us before.” He was grumbling to himself as he continued his gaze around the room. He moved once he found the voicepipe above the desk. He flipped the cap up and spoke into it with a voice filled with command. “Alex. Can you hear me?” 

He was now far too close and Raine stepped back quickly, letting go of the secured furniture. The ship shifted harshly, as if pushed by a big hand and water peeled across the window in turbulent rivulets. Ayces’ weight shifted into the desk while Raine managed to brace herself before she fell against the wall. 

“Alex! Come on,” he called as the ship shook with another shock of thunder. Still no answer. He waited another moment before he slapped his hand against the wooden wall. He turned to the window again before looking back to Raine. They stared at each other for a moment, as if searching for the right words to say, before he pushed himself towards the door. Before she could say anything, he was already slamming the door behind him with a command to stay where she was.

As soon as he was gone, she found herself gasping and clinging back to the desk. This ship was not made for storms and she was not made for ships. She gulped heavily as she let go of the desk and sank down the wall, shaking in fear as the ship continued to rock and shudder. Raine tried to pretend she was safely on the ground and not in a small, wooden yacht caught in a storm several miles above the ocean, in the middle of nowhere. The ship creaked and groaned, bumped and rattled. Lightning crackled past the window. 

She closed her eyes, clasping her shaking hands to her chest as she tried to calm down. Remind herself that it was just a storm. Everything would be fine. She steeled herself, gripping the fear deep and pushing it down, swallowing it with gritted teeth. She could feel her stomach rising into her throat. This was nothing, she reminded herself, she had been through worse. So much worse. This was only just a storm tilting the ship like a toy in a pool. She wanted to scream. 

With a shake of her head, she forcefully calmed her breath, taking air in and out slowly until she was able to open her eyes to the room again. After several moments, she was able to reach up and grip the edge of the desk. She pulled herself to her feet and focused on the dark window, hoping to somehow see the end of the storm. Water still streaked heavy over the panes, lightning coursing over the sky like angry, bright rivers. In the rippling tide of water and light, it seemed as if the clouds spun into the eye of an oceanic storm several miles off. It hummed and pulsed as if it were alive somehow. Beating and crying. Screaming and turning. Her heart pulsed to a separate rhythm, but she watched it still. She watched for what felt like both too long and too short, until the turbulence became almost normal and her arms and fingers shook on their own against the wood. 

After what felt like hours, it finally seemed like they were moving further away.

Ayces’ voice suddenly sounded over the ship’s communication pipe. “We are almost free from the storm. Hold on tight.”

Her fingers involuntarily dug at the desk once more. She repeated his words softly, holding on to them like a weak lifeline. There was a sudden, loud crack as light filled the room, thunder making the windows buckle in their frames. The ship shook harder than it had at any point before. There was a hard jolt and then a shake. For a moment, there was stillness, but then her stomach rose in her throat. Her body lifted from the floor. The water falling down the glass was now trailing up. Raine began to realize that they were falling. 

The next several moments felt too short and too long all at once. She could hear words over the pipe again, rushed and frantic, but she couldn’t understand them. She tried to pull closer to the desk but she couldn’t get a good hold and it slipped from her fingers. The next thing she knew, her back was against the ceiling. Water gushed up past the top of the window's view. The room plunged into darkness. And she fell.

Notes:

By this point, I realized the error of my ways and made my chapters much shorter. Fun times~

Chapter 5: Churn

The sound of dripping water sprang to the front of her mind. She could hear a voice calling her name. Was it a call? Or a whisper? She felt so dizzy – the darkness enveloped her like a warm blanket. She thought for a moment, if she could just fall asleep, everything would be over. She would be back home, safe by the fire, with a warm cup of tea and a book in her hands. Her mother would come in and give her a soft kiss upon the head before heading out for the day. Sebastian would sneak her a warm bun from the kitchen. 

She would spend time in the library while snow slowly drifted down outside. The warmth of the house would permeate everything from her body to her heart to her soul. She would still be there. She would be happy. She could already see it, as if she were really there: nestled in a soft chair, wound in a blanket near the fire. The memory of her mother's smile rested upon the backs of her eyelids. The memory of her soft voice, calling her name, rang in her ears. 

In the dark lull of the ship, rolling over the waves of the deep ocean, she could feel her mother’s embrace. Taste the bread and see the fire in the hearth. She was dreaming again, she knew. She couldn't remember how many freckles had speckled her rosy cheeks or the color of her eyes. When she blinked it all disappeared.

Where was she? Oh, right. Memories of the night before came back in short bursts. Realization of her current situation sparked and spurted in the thick feeling of malaise. Her eyes fell to the wall and then the door frame and finally the soft flicker of light coming through the window.

The ship was no longer crashing and vibrating in the storm. Instead, it rolled gently over the ebb and flow of the sea. The sound of waves lapped at the hull, crowded by the murmur of distant voices. Soft, amber light brightened the outside of the window, but when she moved to sit up, she felt dizzy. 

Her stomach hiccuped and lodged in her throat. As she moved, she realized exactly what that feeling was. She must have bashed her head off of something in her unbelted collision course. She reached up to touch along her scalp. Her fingers twitched back at the touch, but from what she could tell, there was no blood. She would have a big, painful lump for a while but she was lucky she hadn’t suffered more damage. 

Sighing heavily, she slumped back down once more, closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to process everything. She felt like she had slept a long time, in a way, but otherwise felt oddly tired. Her limbs felt heavy and languid in a way that she was very sure was not a good thing. Her arm felt like someone had tried to tear it off. When she looked at it, there were signs of bruising but she couldn't figure out where they came from. 

In the end, she decided that she had to force herself to get up. She knew from experience that going back to sleep now would be a horrible idea. She slowly blinked at the stagnant doorway while telling herself she couldn’t stay here. The floor was unbecoming and uncomfortable and she didn’t want to be found like this. In what felt like the creaky, old motion of a machine that hadn't been oiled in a while, she finally pushed herself up from the floor.

Once she made it to her feet, she looked to the window. She opened it, seeking a clearer view, and looked up at the sky. High and far away, she could see the storm that they had been in. From here, it seemed so far away and self contained, like a swirling mass whirling in and around itself. A shiver ran through her spine at the memory of it and she quickly moved to close the window again, only to spot something else riding on the waves.

There was clearly something on the water nearby. With the stars still covered by the storm, she couldn't tell what it was, but she knew it was gigantic and menacing. A myriad of sea monsters and creatures from history and oceanology books came to mind. Everything between sea snakes to mermaids to giant squid, and now dragons. All of the possibilities swam through her thoughts, much like the bobbing movement of the thing over the waves. She backed up for a moment in surprise, her body locking in fear until lightning flashed again. Light glinted off the metal hull of an Imperial ship. Her fear was replaced by confusion and questioning. 

She leaned out of the window a bit, attempting to get a better look, but it wasn't much use. There weren't any sounds of fighting, only soft voices. Perplexed, she moved back in and closed the window. As new questions emerged in her mind, she decided it was time to investigate. She checked her hair and her pockets, making sure she had all of her papers, before leaving the room. 

She searched the crew quarters first, and then the small kitchen. No one was here. From what she could tell, no one had been injured. The ship itself was undamaged. As she walked through, she could see the items from the bags that didn’t make it into storage had been tossed about the hall and the bunk areas, yet nothing seemed broken.

When she made it to the top deck, she could immediately see the massive Imperial war ship on the port side. They were connected by way of a metal plank. The metal looked to be a piece of the Imperial ship, which was a bit too big for their small yacht. It pushed again the wooden boards of the deck, propped up by the railing and attached via a large hole on the imperial’s side. Because one deck was far too tall to sit close to the other, the position reminded her of a children's playground slide. 

As she moved closer, she found the source of the voices. A few soldiers, no longer clad in their armor, were working to secure their ship to a pulley system meant for towing. Out of everyone from her group, only Ayces and Eustace weren't helping. They instead stood to the side while they spoke to the Imperial commanding officer. 

No one noticed her at first, not until she reached the gangway. She inspected it, checking the thickness and stability of the metal. It looked thin and wobbly to her, even though it seemed to have a wide beam running up the middle. This sheet was definitely not the ship's original gangway plank. It looked like it was actually a piece of wall that had been partially melted off, before being torn away to be repurposed.

As the ships rocked over the waves, the metal wall-turned-gangway creaked and shuddered. The movement made it ripple and groan and clank. She wondered how anyone had walked over it, while at the same time thinking about how scratched the  wood would be when this was all said and done.

 She moved closer in an attempt to inspect it further, only to find that it was not secured to the yacht in any way. She was sure that anyone who had crossed over this thing had to be crazy. It was when she took a step back that someone finally looked in her direction. It was a male soldier on the other ship that noticed her first. His eyes focused on her before he turned to the commanding officer.

"Sir, there's one more." He said.

The officer looked in her direction now, along with Ayces and Eustace. 

“Oh, you’re finally here. About fuckin’ time.” Acyes said with a roll of his eyes. "Well, come on over. They're going to get us to Costa."

She looked between him and the officer, placing her hands to her sides before shaking her head and backing up another step. The man that had noticed her first, as well as another, stood up, watching her now. She stopped moving back immediately, now moving to hold in place. 

"Come over the bridge. Now." The second man said. 

"It's safe, don't worry," said the first. 

Even without their hulking armor, they still seemed intimidatingly big and serious. More of them looked in their direction now and she could feel a pull of tension in the air. She stepped forward once more, moving to carefully tip-toe onto the bridge. She pulled her skirts up as she watched her feet.

With a gulp, she took a few steps up as she tried to be careful of any holes or parts that looked unsafe. She wasn't up very far when she started to slip back down. She scrambled for a moment, trying to find some type of grip under the slick bottoms of her leather shoes. She wavered and slipped a bit before sliding back down, her hands slapped down on the sheet as her shoes caught against some of the holes in the metal. A couple people started to laugh.

Her immediate reaction was mild anger and she had no problem showing it, but the tide rolled under her and she suddenly remembered that she was on a thin sheet of metal between two giant ships in the middle of the ocean. Her expression quickly molded into one that was more fearful as she stared at her feet and gulped, now finding herself unable to move forward or backward. 

The waves rolled in her ears, as if growing much louder all of the sudden. She couldn’t tell if it was the metal sheet that was shaking, or her. The waves rolled in her ears, as if growing much louder all of the sudden. She tried to remember training drills and other things over the vastness of the rippling water, but it was too difficult. Instead, she closed her eyes and forced her head up, exhaling slowly as she calmed herself. 

When she opened her eyes again, she tried to focus on only the metal under her. She searched for a better way to get up for a moment. There were a few more bullet holes that she could try to use as hand holes but they looked jagged and painful. She decided to try for them anyway. A bit of blood and pain wasn't as bad as falling into the water. 

She leaned back, bending her knees, before she bounded up in an attempt to grab the safest looking one. Her fingers caught against it but didn't stay and she slid back down. The safe looking hole was merely a shallow divot that looked deeper. She let out a frustrated grumble as she started looking again, only to see Ayces suddenly above her. 

He leaned out over the edge of the imperial side while holding his hands out to her. Like a lifeline, she jumped up to him. She was able to reach and as she grabbed his forearms, his hands wrapped around hers. He started pulling her up then until she reached the edge and was able to grab the edge. She started pulling herself up then, grabbing at the deck as she tried to get over. She lifted her legs as well, trying to hook one over the edge, but her skirt was too long and bulky. She kept slipping. After another moment, she found Ayces helping her again, grasping at her enough to pull her fully onto the floor before helping her to her feet. 

“I was starting to wonder if you were going to make it.” He laughed.

She frowned at him before she looked down and started checking over her uniform. The skirt was jostled but nothing was torn or discolored. She backed off suddenly, pulling her hands to her sides as she gripped the cloth of her skirts and shook them out until they rested properly. 

Ayces spoke up again. "You might want to get something less … flashy when we get to Costa. That can't be easy to move in."

She looked up at him again and said in a gruff tone, "I don't usually plan on jumping between ships."

"Of course, lass. Someone like you wouldn't." He replied.

She didn't know how to react, so she didn't. Instead, she wore a straight face before looking over to the Imperial officer. As expected, his armor was huge and imposing. Metal covered and protected every part of him from the bottom of his feet to the ends of his fingers. Powered by etherium and no smaller than two men put together, the armor was like its own self-sustained ship. The only part the officer was missing was the helmet, which made his face look comically small in comparison. Like a child in their father’s suit.

 While she had seen them from this distance many times over the last few years, she was still mystified by how they worked. Imagining precisely how someone would fit inside was difficult and she could only imagine impossible proportions. Having never had a chance to get close enough to one to really see inside, she could only think of them as giants in the past. So now that she saw one without the helmet, she felt baffled and confused.

The officer coughed lightly and she realized she was staring. Her gaze shot back to his face to find that his expression was something akin to amusement, but also something else. It was a look she knew all too well. While she was looking over him, he had been watching her in a similar way, trying to figure out who she was.

The length of her hair, she knew, denoted her worth all on its own. But with the dim light, her uniform looked like any other dress. The only striking features was that it was adorned with some shiny trinkets and tailored nicely. There was no doubt that he was trying to figure out how a lady of her status had made it to the middle of the ocean on a dingy yacht with a ragtag crew of maybe pirates. He didn’t seem to dwell on it long, nor did he speak to her directly. With another little cough, he turned back to Ayces.

“I presume that is the final member of your crew?” he said.

“Yes.” Ayces replied. "She is the one I spoke of."

“Wonderful." The officer said in a gruff tone. He turned his attention back to Raine. "Miss, if you would please wait for a moment while we finish securing your ship to ours, someone will lead you to a common room in a few moments.” 

Raine nodded in agreement then looked around them. This area of the ship had been torn open with the hull riddled with bullets. Where they stood was jagged but stable, with planks and metal panels laid out to step over. As she moved away, the officer gave the go ahead and a couple of soldiers moved to remove the gangway while the rest continued to work on securing the vessel. Now that she was watching, she realized that they had already rigged up a pulley system to bring the ship up. It looked like it was connected to a nearby cargo area, most likely already meant for this type of thing. 

She didn’t know a lot about military ships, or flying vessels in general, but it made sense that a military ship as large as this one would have a need for smaller vessels, as well as systems in place to transport them. She turned back to Ayces, filled with questions.

“Are they going to give us some fuel so we can continue to Costa?” 

He puffed out a snicker, his arms crossed as he glanced in her direction. “You mean to recharge our core? No, lass. They don’t have that much left functioning. We’ll be hitching a ride with them for now.”

She leaned a bit closer to whisper to him, “Didn’t you mention how much you hate the Imperial military?”

“I did.” He replied gruffly. “But. The captain here said he can help us get where we're going and I’d say we need all the help we can get.”

She hummed as she leaned back, giving him a light look.

“What?” he asked.

"Nothing," she said. When he tried to speak again, she stepped away from him.

She moved depper into the ship's open corridor and was nearly taken aback by the vast open space of it all. She knew this ship was big, but the actual size from inside was more than she could imagine. This room alone was enormous. Thick, brass-toned metal walls stretched seven meters high. Metal walkways positioned around heavy, clunking machinery spread throughout the room for as far as she could see. 

The machines moved up and down as they worked in place like large spoons churning a stew she couldn't see. Each machine was labeled and connected with small disks and dials placed strategically along them. The glow of blue etherium lit each little disk, window, or dial up from the inside. It all created an eerie glow completely alien to her.  As she continued to look, she found that only a few of them were actually still working. 

The more she looked, the more she was struck with awe. Her gaze glinted over the hard edges and smooth curves of the space. How the ceiling felt as tall as the sky in the darkness and the machines seemed like buildings come to life. All sound from within was distant and dull, as if something in the room was thrumming and beating to a heavy pulse. She felt the hair rise on her neck, feeling fear and curiosity prickle through her all at once.  

She almost didn't notice her group walk over. She was expecting some chatter, but there was none. Everyone simply moved together quietly, waiting for their escort. Ayces and Alex stood close together, while Eustace fidgeted idly with what appeared to be a screw on his metal arm. Draco, however, was moving closer to her. When they locked eyes, he paused and waved her over. She turned fully then and walked over to join everyone else. 

As she did, she carefully clasped her hands together in front of herself. She moved near Draco first, since he was the one that called her over, before leaning closer to him. 

"What's going on? I seemed to have missed a lot. " She whispered. 

"After we crashed, Captain was able to signal for help. Luckily, this ship was still nearby." He replied, not in a whisper. 

It seemed like he was trying to whisper but instead was just speaking at a level Raine could only call normal. She wondered if he was even capable of speaking more softly than that. She bit back a chiding comment. She leaned back with her arms crossed in front of herself while one of her eyes twitched in annoyance. While his lack of noise control was a bit frustrating, the true feeling of aggravation sprouted from the idea of Ayces being captain.

"We're actually going to call him that now?" She asked. 

"Well, that's what he wants to be,  so why not?" Draco said. 

Raine tried to keep her expression neutral, but ultimately failed. "Are you kidding? I really hope–"

"Ah, ah! I have the majority vote, lass." Acyes piped in.

Raine turned to him, suddenly glaring darkly. She then looked to Eustace, seeing him still busy with his arm. "Is this true? Everyone wants him to be the captain?" 

Without looking up to her, Eustace huffed. "Not like I care. The boy wants to be captain, then fine. Gives me more time to sleep."

Ayces grinned manically, as if he were about to laugh.

Her jaw tensed as she paused. She was ready to speak up again, but before she could, two women dressed in imperial plate armor walked up to the group. They were dirtied and bruised, but naturally beautiful with honeyed skin and bright, soft complexions. Their amber eyes were filled with liveliness and they looked incredibly similar to each other in face. Like a mirror of one person projected onto the other, they were obviously related, Raine thought. 

The biggest difference was height and hair color. One was taller, with hair the color of wheat and a rather large bust. The other was shorter, more squat and wide, but still just as awe striking, maybe even more so. They both gave off the same bright energy, filling the space with smiles and light. They seemed similar enough to each other that Raine could only assume them to be sisters. Maybe cousins.

“Hello, everyone,”  the shorter one said with a smile and a wave of an armored hand. "We will guide you to the resting area." 

She then began to walk away while the blonde woman stepped to the side. Starting with Ayces, they moved to follow her down the hallway in a loose group, only Alex staying close to him. Eustace walked along lazily in the middle of the group, with Raine and Draco walking together at the back. As they moved, the other woman lingered, only walking once they had passed her to carefully follow along.

 It didn't take them long to leave the large room they had started in.  As they walked down winding hallways, the ceilings became shorter but the walls started to seem decorated. Statues sat against corners as if they were holding the copper ceiling up. The steel doors were intricately carved, each depicting a dark scene; battles filled with lightning and thunder. 

Panels lined each door, requiring the entire group to stop at the end of each hall while the woman at the front pushed in a short code. Each button she pressed let out a soft beep and Raine found herself trying to get a peek at them. When she realized she couldn't quite see it, she tried to remember it by the sound. By the time they had reached their final stop,  she was pretty sure she had it. 

After circling what seemed to be most of the ship, they stopped at a door in the middle of a hallway. The woman with the code activated the final door before stepping to the side. The woman at the back waited in place,  still behind the group. While the first woman still presented a smile on her features, the second never smiled once, watching the group the whole time with a stoic expression. 

Alex and Draco entered the room first, while Eustace and Ayces waited by the door. Raine looked at them both with a questioning eye, only for Ayces to grin and wave her inside with a dramatic flair. She sighed,  rolling her eyes, before finally going inside as well. 

Surprisingly, this room was fully intact, as if nothing had happened to it. Perfect glass windows lined the wide room, which had a few card tables, a billiards table, and a small but relaxing looking seating area. Raine thought that this must have been a relaxation room, or somewhere soldiers could go when they weren’t on duty. Without hesitation, she went straight for the seats, testing them for the level of cushion. They seemed to be rather firm and unyielding. Nice to sit if you were only going to sit for a few minutes, but not near the level of comfort she had been hoping for. She sat anyway, turning her attention to the window. 

Alex walked over to the seats as well while Draco started playing with something on one of the card tables. Ayces stayed behind to chat with the two female soldiers at the door, while Eustace stayed outside. Raine leaned to the side slightly, attempting to watch and listen to what they were talking about. She couldn’t quite hear what he was saying, so she turned to Alex as she approached, who looked rather tired and upset. 

"Are they not joining us?” Raine asked.

Alex planted herself down on the cushions as if she were to melt into them. “No. They're going to help fix some things on the ship. ”

Raine hummed lightly. “I see.”

Alex hummed in a noncommittal way as she tried to get comfortable. 

"What are they doing? Maybe I can help?"

“Doubt it.”

Raine frowned and shifted in her spot. She looked at her hands. "Well, I'm sure I could help in some way."

Alex waved her hand in the air with a groan as she moved to simply lay down instead. "Unless you know metal working or welding, I doubt it. They won't let us go further than that, that's for sure."

Raine looked back to the door with another soft sigh. She watched for another moment, trying to decide whether or not to go over. The longer she watched,  the more odd the conversation seemed. Ayces was grinning. The women were blushing and laughing. She could see Eustace in the back tapping his foot impatiently. 

"Didn't Ayces say that he didn't like the Imperial military?" She asked. 

Alex didn't give a response, only letting out a light groan as she closed her eyes and laid her forearm over her face. It was obvious that she was done talking to her and Raine had the distinct feeling that she wasn't liked very much. Raine lowered her sight to her hands in her lap, inspecting the shape of her own fingers gripping against her black uniform for a moment. No matter. Being disliked was something she was very used to. 

She decided to stop talking, now moving to lean against the backrest. It would be good to try and relax while she could. She turned in the seat, setting her eyes on the dark window. She tried to focus past the reflection of the room and into the dark night, but it seemed impossible. 

Her eyes snapped to the view of the doorway,  watching as it closed. The room was only left with Draco, Alex, and herself.  Alex continued to lounge, allegedly feigning sleep, while Draco wandered about the room. Aside from the distant hum of the motor, the crisp static of electric lights, and the sounds of metal straining under Draco's heavy footsteps, there was no sound. 

Several times, Raine tried to look into the dark, but her eyes fell back to Draco’s moving form every time. Eventually,  she sighed and closed her eyes. Just closing them for a bit wouldn't hurt, she thought, but Draco’s approach snapped her back awake. She couldn't sleep here. Absolutely not. She turned in his direction as he stepped down into the recessed seating area and sat in an open spot. 

“We probably won’t see him for a while.” Draco chuckled while Alex grumbled quietly to herself. 

“Why’s that?” Raine asked with a sigh, trying to keep her attention away from Alex, who had grumbled so hard and so much that her whole body had vibrated. Raine thought for a moment that if Alex could, she would become one with the pillows. 

“He was flirting … a lot. And they were flirting back. They all seemed to really like each other.” He paused, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as he leaned back and got comfortable as well. 

“Really? Now?” Raine asked, confusion evident over her features, only for Draco to nod in response.

Alex nearly shouted as she shot up. “He’s trying to see the captain!”

“Didn’t we already meet him?” Raine asked. 

“That doesn’t mean that we don’t need to talk to him about where we are going and what needs to be done. They’re taking us to Costa but we still need to know if they are going to let us go.” 

Draco spurted a laugh. “It was definitely not the captain he was looking for.”

Alex’s glare focused on him, which only made him cackle. She nearly got up from the seat, but a moment later, she just slumped back down and turned away. "He's working on the ship with Eustace."

Raine was pretty sure Alex’s skin was turning blue and sudden coldness sprouted in the room as if it was about to snow. She decided to attempt to fix the conversation. “Well, we won’t know until he’s back. Maybe we should just try to relax for right now.”

Alex went back to grumbling while Draco shrugged his shoulders and turned the other way.  The group grew quiet, all of them falling into their own places, separated from each other even though they were in the same room. Raine turned to look out the window once more. It wasn’t too long after this that the ship started to lift into the air, causing that familiar feeling of rock sinking into her stomach before finally lifting once they reached a steady altitude. 

They stayed like this for what seemed like hours, and while the others eventually fell asleep, Raine kept herself awake. When she began to feel tired, she stood and paced the room. When she felt like she might sleep while standing, she began to run or jump in place, keeping herself focused on the movement of her body. When she ran out of breath, she would pace again, looking around at the separate areas the soldiers that manned this ship had for entertainment. It was a general mixture of card and table games layered inside a few lockers built into one of the walls. 

Along the inner edge of the room was a singular short shelf bolted into the wall that held a few samplings of books. Among them was a short romance novel, a few comics, the Imperial Soldier’s Guide, and a couple of tabletop role playing guides. While most of these seemed interesting enough, the only one she hadn’t seen before was the guide book. With a soft hum, she pulled it from the shelf, leaving behind a clean spot in a shell of dust. How old of an edition was this? Noting the worn binding and the dusty top edge, she looked over the cover for the release year. 343 AWW, published only six years ago. When the previous Emperor died a year later, all regulations were most likely updated to fit under his son's name instead. With a hum, she surmised that this copy hasn't been used since then.

She turned it to a random page and moved to lean against the billiards table. The pages were filled with what she had expected: charts and images detailing normal service schedules, quick guides to equipment maintenance and repair, do’s and don'ts when dealing with civilians, and acceptable uniform etiquette. She had her own small booklet of a similar nature, but that one was dramatically different. As she fingered over the pages, she found herself paying particular attention to the drawings of the standard uniforms from the time. As far as she could tell from time spent with Imperial soldiers, the design and type of armor worn between the current power and his father had changed drastically.

At the time this guide had been published, soldiers and guardsmen would generally wear light, durable fabrics with a simple set of armor. Each set was the same with attachments and patches of different colors and symbols to denote rank and file. In the last couple of years, however, all armor had been replaced by large, heavy metal suits. They were like walking tanks: tall and imposing machines that completely engulfed the person inside, standing at least a full head taller than the average man. Just like what the ship's officer wore.

Before Raine had begun to travel on her own, she had seen a few personnel in these armor suits between her time in her homeland and her handful of visits to the Imperial capital. At the time, all of the ones she had seen were purely silver in color, with no extra adornments like the ones she saw everywhere now. Just like in this guide, the colors and symbols for normal military seemed to denote the same ranks as before, only now they were painted over brass or gunmetal pauldrons. 

While she found it a bit odd that at no point in this guide did she see anything about guards in silver, she didn’t think too much about it. She hadn’t seen armor like that in years, and now that every guard had this type of armor, it was easy to assume that those had simply been prototypes for the elite. Even so, she continued to turn through the pages as she paced around the room, until the door opened. 

She paused, looking up from the book's pages and toward the open door. Ayces walked through the frame, closing it solidly behind him as their eyes locked. She stopped, placing a finger between the pages of the guide as she turned in his direction. After a moment, her eyes narrowed at him and she grimaced before she crossed her arms, now looking him up and down.

“What?” he asked.

“I was unaware that a visit to the captain took several hours and included a bath,” she replied.

He scoffed at her before flipping her a grin. He moved a few steps closer as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I can’t go around covered in blood now, can I, lass?” 

"Does that mean I am entitled to a bath as well?" She asked.

Ayces’ eyes shifted from her to the seating area, and then back again, "just ask Alex for one if you want one so bad."

"Excuse you."

"She's a nereid. Made of water," he says with a flourish of his hands.

"First of all, that's disgusting. Secondly, no."

"Well, it is up to you, Miss Raine."

She huffed, a slight grimace taking over her features as she crossed her arms, the guidebook still in one hand. "I'm going to go find the bath."

"Um, no, lass. You can't do that." Ayces moved to stand in her way, a more serious expression now taking over his features. 

Raine shot a serious expression back, now moving to step around him. When his hand reached out to grab her arm, she turned away, now shooting him a darker look. Her words came out short and precise as she said, "Don't touch me."

His fingers seemed to flex for a moment, but his hand stayed in place as he watched her. She wondered what he was thinking. If he thought he should still try to stop her by force or not. After a moment, his hand clenched, as well as his jaw, and he slowly retreated his reach. 

"Listen," he said, his tone strained. "The only reason I got anything was because I had an escort while I worked on the ship. They won't be too kind to a random woman wandering the ship."

"Last time I checked, we are not hostages." She started towards the doorway again, only to be blocked by Ayces. 

"Are you daft? These are Imperial soldiers."

"I have my identification." 

"And? You came in on a pirate ship, lass. They're not going to see you for anything else."

She stopped, turning to lock her gaze with his. She stayed in place for a brief moment before turning away with a huff, "Fine. I'll stay here for now." She paused, thinking for a moment. "I would appreciate it if you helped me get my own room or sleeping area."

Before he could react, she turned back to the billiards table once more, now moving to lean against the side as she brought the book back up. She opened the pages again to find her place and started to read, only to notice Ayces move closer, tilting to read the cover. Her eyes shifted back to him as she studied his features for a moment. The way his odd mask glinted in the light, covering only half his face, reminded her of something. The work on it wasn't intricate or ornate. While it was simple, it was nice and well crafted, in an industrial type of way. 

Now that he was close and in good light, she could see that the simple thick leather fit perfectly to the curve of the man's cheek and temple. Metal rivets held the gilded eye piece in place, completely obscuring that part of his face from view. A thick leather strap connected to the mask in three places to wrap over the back of his head, holding it snugly in place. From afar, it was a mask that looked as though it could have been made by any shop. Up close, the fine details showed through and she found herself wondering how much the covering had actually cost.

Ayces suddenly shifted, looking up at her once he noticed her staring. She immediately turned away, turning the book away from him when she did. He smirked, showing off a small bit of white teeth, before turning away with a chuckle. With his hands in his pockets, he shuffled in the direction of the seating area. 

"Sweet dreams, Miss Raine."

What a weird man, she thought.

Notes:

A thousand thanks to Ketsal for beta reading for me! I truly appreciate your help <3

Chapter 6: Scattered Stars

Pacing and reading wasn't helping anymore. Tiredness had crept in so deeply that she was falling asleep on her feet. After what felt like forever, her mind twisted her thoughts around. The thought crept in that maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be so bad if she fell asleep. Maybe if she just tucked herself into a corner, they would leave her alone. No one would touch her. Everything would be fine.

Every time these thoughts came up, she fought them vehemently. Impossible. Shameless. Dangerous. Death in waiting. There was no way she was going to do that. She couldn't. Sleeping with those she knew well in the room was one of the worst decisions she could make, and she didn't know these people at all. But, she was so tired. Her feet hurt so much. Sitting for a little while couldn't be that bad, could it?

Eventually, she found herself doing just that. In the far corner away from everyone else, near the small bookshelf, with the soldier's manual clutched in her hands, she curled up in the corner. She still tried to read. She still tried to stay awake. She was only resting her feet and her legs. Nothing more. She wouldn't sleep. Except that, the more she sat there, the less control she had. Minimal comfort turned into sinking consciousness. She nodded off between the paragraphs. The book dropped from her hands several times. Her head ended up on her arms, propped up on her knees. Every distant voice and sudden movement shocked her awake, but she did, eventually, sleep.

It was the sound of the thick door grinding open, and a squeaky metal cart that finally woke her completely. With a loud gasp, her eyes shot open and she bolted upright. Confusion washed over her for a moment. The group was still in their section, backed by bright windows, while Eustace struggled to get a tall, multi-tiered cart through the doorway.

Realization dawned on her like a heavy weight. Against all conviction, she had slept. Her heartbeat sped up. Her breath caught in her throat. She began to frantically check over herself; her bag, her hands, and that vibrant knot of energy in her that threatened to burst at any moment. She found she was untouched. No one was near her. Everything felt fine. Normal.

The immediate terror subsided and confusion replaced it. She began to turn the waking information over in her mind. How long had she actually slept? She didn't notice the door open the first time, so she must have slept through it. The group sat in the seating area, chatting about things she wasn't awake enough to listen to. The windows were bright, illuminated with vibrant white clouds against a shining blue sky.

How long had she been asleep? What day was it exactly? Was today really a light day? She had stayed in that inn for two days before the incident. And when she had arrived in Crystalia, it had also been a light day. It was now the morning of the next one. Had everything really happened all in one night? It felt too long to be accurate, but she knew time couldn't lie. Not like that.

She shifted her focus back to the door. Eustace made it inside, dragging the cart behind him. The two imperial women from last night followed it. They were dressed similarly to before, looking to be relaxed and in good spirits. After entering, they let the door close and lock behind them, but they stayed stationed near it.

As Eustace pulled the cart to the table, he called out that he'd brought breakfast. The group began to lazily move over, each grabbing their own trays before sitting down with their meals. The smell of food hit her and she realized her stomach was churning from hunger. So she moved to get up as well, using the wall to support her. It was only as she stood up that she realized just how hungry and drained she felt: aching muscles and weak legs, standing on sore feet still trapped in leather boots. At least she wasn't plagued with a headache.

She started over, only to see Eustace was already on his way to her. She paused, watching him with a confused expression. They stood face to face for a moment, before his hand lifted towards her, holding a plain porcelain cup. Her pale blue eyes shifted between it and him.

"You didn't have to bring it over. I was on my way." She said.

But he simply waved it slightly at her, so she took it. The mug was nice and warm, cupped in her hands. Steam lifted off of the dark liquid inside, emitting a warm smell; deep, earthy, and sweet. Coffee. She took a sip. The bitter drink washed through her mouth, hinting sweet, but not too much. Warmth plunged down her throat and burst into her stomach.

"Did you make this?" She asked, as she took a longer drink.

"Yeah. Got access to the kitchen." He replied.

"It tastes really good. Thank you."

"Well I do hope so." He leaned in slightly as he lowered his voice, "yours has the most sugar."

She smiled but felt confused. "Why's that?"

"You looked lonely, in that corner by yourself. Now, come on. Get some food."

She looked back down to the liquid and gripped her fingers around the cup just a bit tighter. When she looked back up, he was already walking away. He picked one of the trays from the cart before moving to sit at the table. She watched for a moment before slowly following him.

After only a few steps, her focus shifted to the two women by the door. They seemed to be having a good time, standing close to each other and giggling as they talked. They didn't seem to pay any mind to anyone but themselves. Were they actually here as guards? Or were they just shirking their duties? No way. Maybe she could enlist their help. With that thought, her lips turned up into a slight smile and she walked over.

"Good morning." She said.

The women stopped talking and looked over to her. Their expressions were still calm and happy, with no change upon seeing her.

"Morning." The shorter one said.

The blonde just nodded, before saying, "can we help you with something?"

Raine tentatively took a sip of the steaming coffee. "Yes, I ... was wondering if I would be able to gain access to a private room."

The short one wavered a bit, looking to the other as if for approval, before looking back to Raine. "Uhm, we can find out? The captain would have to approve it though. What do you think, Juliet?"

So, the tall blonde was Juliet.

Narrowing her beautiful blue eyes for a moment, Juliet shrugged and grinned. "OK, maybe we can help you ... But you're going to have to do something for us."

Raine suddenly felt a bit stressed. "Do something? Like what?"

Juliet leaned forward, pushing her cleavage in Raine's direction as she began to whisper, "tell us more about the eyepatch guy. And the loud one too."

Raine blushed and looked up, trying desperately to keep her eyes either on the blonde's face, or the ceiling. This made both of them start to giggle. Raine started to back up a bit as she tried to answer in a stammer, "I ... um ..."

Juliet turned around to her sister? Cousin? "Aww, Marry, she doesn't want to tell us."

Raine coughed and took another sip of her coffee before looking back to the two. "I would help you if I could, but I just met them."

Marry started to move closer now, grinning just as wide as Juliet as she also leaned in. "Well, you have to have something!"

Raine frowned and shifted. "One is loud. The other is ... annoying?"

They both seemed to give her some type of look that she couldn't read. When she replied with an expression of confusion, they looked at each other and straightened back.

"OK, we'll help you get a room," Marry said.

Juliet nodded with a bright smile.

What? What happened just now?

She looked between the two before taking a step back. "Thank you. I'm going to go eat now."

With that, she practically ran away. The two women turned to each other and started whispering and giggling again. Raine quickly made it to the cart, which only had one tray left on it. She grabbed it and looked at the small card table. There were only four seats and each chair was filled with a person that had their own cups of coffee and trays of food. Draco was leaned all the way over his tray as he shoveled food into his mouth. Alex and Eustace sat like normal people, but Ayces was leaning back in his seat, coffee in hand. As she walked over, he immediately stood. He grabbed his tray off the table and started moving towards the cart.

"Hey, hey, about time. It's going to get cold." He said.

"You don't have to get up. I can sit somewhere else."

"No. I'm done already. Go ahead, lass. The seat is yours."

His concern felt misplaced. It felt weird. She didn't know how to react, so she decided not to. She simply continued to the now empty seat. With an almost timid air, she set her tray down and sat. Nervousness swept over her in a way that was almost suffocating. Everything felt a little too close. She couldn't remember the last time she had sat with others like this.

Ayces suddenly let out a loud, satisfied-sounding sigh. He placed his tray back on the cart as he patted his stomach and walked back towards the table.

"Eustace." He said, grinning from ear to ear. He leaned near Alex, placing an idle hand on the back of her chair. "How about you be the chef on the ship? I'll keep you paid."

Eustace grumbled and got an annoyed look on his face. "Just like a damn stray. I feed you once and now you want to stick around? I already told you that I'm leaving as soon as we land."

Instead of getting upset, Acyes just grinned and leaned closer to the table. "Oh, come on. That dragon said we should stay together, right?"

With a mouthful of bread and scrambled egg, Draco lifted his head and said, "no. He didn't. They just said we'd be working together. We don't have to stay near each other."

Even though the smile didn't fall off, Raine could see Ayces clench his jaw. She slowly pulled forward and started to eat, quietly watching and listening.

"It would be easier for us to stay together for now." Alex said. "We all need to get stronger and work together. It's better if we travel together."

Eustace snorted and pulled back from the table, rolling his eyes so hard his head moved back. "I can't believe you all really believe this bullshit. Dragons aren't real. Gods aren't real. We got lucky. So take your lucky ass and move on."

Draco looked in his direction, sitting straight up. "Then what do you think I am? I'm a dragon too."

"No. You're a decent illusionist; who's probably too stupid for his own good."

Draco growled, about to start shouting with just one insult. Alex loudly sighed as she leaned forward. She placed her elbows on the table, hands cupped just under her chin.

"It's real. I know you're in shock right now, but it's real." She paused, her eyes staring directly at Eustace's grumpy face. "All of the gods were sealed away a long time ago, that's why you don't believe in them anymore."

Eustace crossed his arms with a shake of his head. Draco nodded intently. Raine looked down to her food. As far as she knew, and the world was concerned, the gods were fairy tales. In all the matters of history she had ever read, no god had been seen or proven to exist in thirty thousand years. Not since The Stormcaller had destroyed the leaders of worldly religion.

Legends say that The Stormcaller swore to destroy any leader of mass religion since, and they didn't lie. They continued to make appearances throughout history, destroying any religious practice that dared to grow. Now, to most of the general public, gods were seen as historical boogeymen. People now believed more in The Stormcaller than any concept of a god. Yet, as always, there was a broad mix of opinions.

Many still believed in their own gods, and worshiped them quietly. Others continued to fear the legends and shut any religious activity down before it could start. Many wars, attacks, and burnings throughout the past started this way. Because of this, most written or spoken records of such things had disappeared into history. Only the rich, powerful, and educated enough to afford the information dared to push against it and build chapels or monuments.

Currently, the biggest religion like this was amongst the elite peoples and military sections of the Empire. As far as Raine could tell, they believed that a certain god would bring them luck in battle. Or something. She wasn't quite sure.

Otherwise, she had heard over time of a few sprinkles of stories in outside towns or villages. They never spread further than a couple cities or sets of people. No one wanted to be any louder, for fear of The Stormcaller deciding to come back and targeting them too.

"I don't believe in them because they're not real." Eustace said.

"They are real. Draconis resurrected me and made me into a half dragon. And that's before he was released." Draco said, a little too loudly.

Eustace gave him a skeptical look. "So what? He's a big dragon that destroys things and turns people into other things? Sounds like a weird witch to me."

"Then how do you explain that city? How do you explain how all of us got out of that city?" Acyes said. "And us being able to speak through a watch? That's not just a witch."

Raine looked between them. Ayces glared at Eustace like he was ready to fight about it. Eustace looked like he wanted the conversation to end. To the side, Juliet and Marry had started to notice. They were listening intently and whispering with each other.

Conversation suddenly stopped when the door opened. Raine looked over as she raised another bite of food to her lips. A male guard dressed in plain clothes walked in, holding papers attached to a clipboard. Ayces moved over first, now talking to the man about tasks for the day. Eustace moved about to gather the trays and place them back on the cart.

"Don't worry about it, Eustace. I'll take care of it." Raine said suddenly.

"You don't know where to take it. I've got it." Eustace replied.

"It's ok. I'm sure I can figure it out."

He looked at her for a moment before giving a light nod and then lazily walking towards the door.

By the time she was finished eating and cleaning up, both Ayces and Eustace had left with Juliet and Marry. The guardsman was still in the room, shuffling through his stack of clipped papers. As she started towards him, she pulled the cart along.

"Unless you can weld or use a bolter, I don't have anything else you can help with." He said. He didn't look at her, instead continuing to stare at the documents. He flipped through them with a soft hum.

She stopped in place, the cart behind her. "Actually, I just wanted to take this cart back to the kitchen. And speak with the captain."

He hummed and sighed. "Yeah, I can show you the way to the kitchen, but the captain is a no-go."

"Thank you."

He nodded and finally looked up, only to jump back like he'd seen a ghost. For a moment, his face resembled the expression of a frightened puppy. He gripped his clipboard in front of his face like a shield. The atmosphere had completely shifted. Raine felt the edges of her mouth turn down and her shoulders square up. Before he had the guts to look at her again, she made sure to set her face to a neutral expression. She also took a couple steps back, her hands finding their place tucked together in front of her, but he retreated even further. She took a couple more steps back, moving her hands up a bit more, clasped at her stomach so he could see them.

"I suppose I can let you take the cart then?"

They stood silently for a solid ten seconds before he regained his composure. With a cough into his hand, he straightened his spine and pulled the wrinkles from his simple shirt. "There was a report about there being a Lenaya on the ship, but I thought it was just a joke." He said it plainly and stupidly. His eyes drifted over her multiple times. She could still see the fear in his eyes.

Raine sighed. "Are you going to guide me to the kitchens or not?"

"Absolutely not." He shouted with a trill of anger in his voice. "You will follow protocol. You will wait here for someone to come and collect you."

Shit.

Raine tried to keep a calm expression, but her mind was swimming with mixed emotion. She hadn't expected them to realize so soon after the way Juliet and Marry had acted around her. Unfortunately, the uniform was too recognizable for her own good. Too bad everything else she owned had already been destroyed.

With a sullen nod, she kept her hands where they were and bowed deeply to the man. "Yes, sir. I understand."

He huffed and stood up straight, now squaring off his shoulders. His fear now seemed to have turned to bristling rage. With an aggressive motion, he shooed her away from the cart before grabbing it and pulling it towards the door.

She backed even further away from him, but couldn't help but continue to watch him. As he exited the room, cart in hand, he never turned his back to her for a single second. It was only after the door finally slid closed and locked with a clank, that Raine let her expression fall into a cold frown. Before doing anything else, she looked in Draco and Alex's direction. Neither of them had seemed to notice the interaction. Good. Good.

Her frown turned into a grimace and she mentally began to kick herself. The last couple of years had been spent running with nowhere to go. If she stayed in one place too long, Paige would always find her, and try to force her back home. Every time this had happened, Raine adamantly refused, no matter what type of coercion Paige tried to use, and found a way to slip free. Over the course of these years, she had grown good at pulling herself out of sticky traps, and bending situations into her own favor. Getting free from the woman now felt oddly like a training ritual. She sometimes wondered if that was somehow the point.

Eventually, she grew tired of playing the escape game, and stopped following Lenaya location guidelines. Gone were the days of checking in at each town for work. Instead, she lived off her savings from single jobs, or off of people she met in her travels. Now that she was recognized on an imperial ship, that meant that she was back on the map. Paige would no doubt be scrambling to find her as soon as word got home. Worse still, her previous bodyguard was no longer with her. She was going to have to report that too. The more she thought about it, the more the revelation weighed on her. The more it sank in, the more she wanted to tear her hair out.

She began to pace, trying desperately to think of a solution. Going home was not an option. Obtaining money quickly without checking in at yet another stop was something she wasn't going to do again. Maybe, just maybe, this odd grouping was actually a boon for her.

Thoughts of possibilities poured in like water. If this really was a pirate group, maybe she could leave the Empire altogether. If it was true that none of them grasped who she was, maybe she could accept some idea of safety. If she hid well enough, maybe she could live life freely. A smile spread over her lips and she stopped in place. Continuing with this group for now wouldn't be that bad.

With her decision made, she looked back to Draco and Alex. They were sitting down, still talking together, their attention not reaching her. Good.

She moved back to the table, and to her book, and sat down with it. A couple hours had passed by the time they came back for her. By then, the coffee and the food had worn off. Drowsiness set back in and she was once again pacing around the room. She felt like a caged tiger, unable to get out and unable to calm down. The door unlocked with a metal clank, and then slid open.

The same man from before walked in, looking angry. He pointed at her aggressively before shouting, "You, Lenayan. Out. Now."

Draco and Alex looked over, between her and the guard, but they didn't make a move. They didn't stop her or say anything as she quietly walked towards the door. She didn't make it two feet before the man scurried back out. Draco snickered. She wished she could. With a huff and an eyeroll, she continued towards the door, only to be met with the sight of four fully suited soldiers. Her stomach turned. It took her a moment to continue moving.

Like a reflex, Raine moved her hands up, clasping them carefully in front of her at her waist as she stepped into place. The four soldiers stepped around her, surrounding her on each side, before they all began walking down the hall together. She wished she could say that this was unexpected, but it wasn't. Every visit to the Empire was met this way. Every visit was left with something lost.

She made a mental note of each step and turn. Each new door and every exit burned itself into her mind. One right turn, one left turn, a long hallway, two flights of stairs, three more turns and several doors and stops in between. She felt like they'd walked the length of a city by the time they stopped in front of the door that would be her room for the trip. The door was labeled with "Lenaya Designated Officer" and a number. The door itself had a large caution sign on it, warning others against venturing inside. It also had a window and a large mail slot.

The door slid open to reveal a small room with few furnishings. There was a bed and a closet and a desk, but it was cramped and small. With an imperceptible sigh, she moved inside. On top of making her feel even more like a caged animal, the stuffy room was laden with an odd smell; nauseating and smelling somewhat like bad alcohol. She wondered when it had last been used.

From just looking for a moment, she could see that they had at least given her fresh bedding and dusted off the desk before they had placed her paperwork there. The pencil pusher did not follow her in, but one of the armored soldiers moved halfway through the door.

"Complete the paperwork before we leave." The man said. His hand landed on the hilt of his sword. "Once we confirm your identity, you will have access to the door code for this hall's facilities. Someone will bring you three meals a day until we arrive at Costa."

She nodded and moved to the desk to look over the paperwork. It was simple, a single thick page with lines for her to fill out with info on her name, identification, and traveling information. It was similar to the documents she needed to fill out each time she arrived in a new town and intended to work. This one was a bit different, most likely because she was on a ship now.

She leaned over and picked up the pen laid on the desk for her before she began to fill in the details. Name, faction, identification number, destination, and accompanying guard ... she still didn't have one of those. She chewed over her lip as she thought for a moment and eventually just wrote "deceased".

She finished quickly and handed the paper to the soldier. He took it and then exited the room without another word. The door slid closed and locked with a hard clink, followed by several smaller metal sounds. This room was much more secure than the other one.

Great.

At least she could finally sleep soundly. She moved to the bed and spread the blanket out before moving the pillow into place. She started to undress, removing her heavy jacket, skirt, pockets, petticoats and then, finally, corset. She let out a huge breath. There was nothing in the whole world she could have wanted at this moment than to fall directly into the bed. Instead, she folded her clothes neatly and set them on the desk. With a plop, she sat on the bed and leaned down to remove her boots. They took her a moment, a heavy tug and pull, but the relief of freedom was immediate.

Long awaited comfort coursed through her like a sweeping hurricane. Once she laid down, pain spread up her spine as the surrounding muscles began to relax. All energy seemed to leak out of her at that moment. She couldn't even move into a more comfortable position before sleep took over.

It would be many hours before she finally woke up, but the soldiers stayed true to their word. For the week-long trip, she received three hot meals a day and was able to walk through the hall outside of her room freely. Aside from this, the week itself was lonely. The soldiers only paid her visits during meals, and they didn't allow her any contact with her new group. So she filled these days with checking the nearby rooms for interesting things to do. In one of them, she found some bound paper and pens. It was blank and unused, old and dusty, so she took it. She filled the first few pages with her thoughts and memories. She detailed her plans and goals. The more she wrote, the more she was able to settle her mind. The more she put to paper, the more she remembered. And the more it felt so surreal.

As she spent the days writing, walking, and drawing: she truly began to wonder if she really had died. Was this what death was? Being stuck in one place with nothing but yourself? For who knows how long?

By the third day, she had begun to draw the city how she remembered it before the disaster.

By the fifth day, she began to draw it how it had been left.

By the time they arrived at Costa, she never wanted to look at those papers again. She found herself pacing and looking out dark windows. She found herself checking the watch over and over, messing with it, talking to it. But there was no answer. Not from the watch, and not from the soldiers.

The long, tall corridor and empty rooms didn't help. Unfamiliar sounds clicked and turned at seemingly odd times, lights flickered as soon as the ship turned or hit any type of turbulence, and the vast emptiness made her feel as though she was always under watch. Her only safe haven was her tiny room and the papers she grew to hate. She felt like she had far outgrown the already too-small cage in just a few days, and the feeling of confinement was stronger than ever.

When they finally made it to Costa, she couldn't wait to leave. Her heart felt like it might beat from her chest with the anticipation of the wait. After they landed, it felt like they had left her waiting for hours before they finally escorted her onto the docks. The soldiers that came to lead her from the ship were dressed the same as before. All of them wore those giant suits of armor.

Her first view of the city as they exited the ship was awe-inspiring after a week locked away. The next light day wasn't until tomorrow, so the streets were brightly lit with gas lamps. The streets themselves were filled with people either walking on foot, taking carriages, or riding ethyrium-powered motorcycles. As they walked down the steep metal ramp, she could see several suits of Imperial armor out in the crowds.

Her view shifted when they made it to the dock. Every imperial soldier here was wearing their armor. She couldn't recognize a single one of them from that first night. She wondered who was who, but decided that it wasn't worth the trouble. The ship her group had commandeered was already set at the docks and she could see Ayces and Draco standing near it.

Before she could make it off the docks, the soldiers stopped her at a table. They instructed her to sign some documents and reminded her to sign in at the town hall before they finally let her go on her own.

She practically ran away. She couldn't leave fast enough.

The first thing she did was walk over to Ayces and Draco. As she moved closer, she could hear them talking about the ship and what they were going to do now. They didn't notice her, so she moved towards the ship. Before she could step on the gangplank though, Ayces called out to her.

"Hey! Miss Raine!"

She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him. He had moved forward, his hand held high as if she wouldn't be able to see him. When he saw that she had seen him, he let his hand down and moved forward with a grin. Draco moved with him.

"We thought you might not come back." Draco shouted.

"We thought that maybe–" Ayces sliced his hand across his throat.

She sighed. "I'm fine. It was just ... standard procedure."

"So, you're coming with us then?" Draco asked. "You're not staying with them?"

"Why would I ever do that?"

Ayces snorted. "They're your people, ain't they?"

She frowned and shook her head. "I'm Lumerian, not imperial."

"What's the difference?"

"Plenty."

Ayces let out a heavy sigh and locked his jaw. He looked like he had something else to say, but Draco didn't give him a chance.

"Just call for me next time, ok? Don't forget that you can use the watch to call us. I'll come help if you're in trouble." Draco said.

Help? Yeah. Right. She couldn't believe that. She wouldn't believe that.

Even so, a unique feeling swelled in her chest; sparkling and sprinkled throughout like stars. It was uncomfortable, but strangely not unpleasant. Was this what belonging felt like? Like the stars inside her were points in a constellation, now connecting to another person? Rather than alone, on the edge of the map, guiding no one, and with no one to reach out to?

No. She couldn't think like that.

Without another word, she started up to the deck.

Behind her, she could hear Draco turn to Ayces and say, "did I say something wrong?"

"I think you came on too strong, lad."

Notes:

Thanks as always to ketsal for beta reading this for me! You are truly the best!

Also, this took me way, way, way, way, way too long to get out. It was done in December and beta read in January and here I am in April. Eyyyyy