Adventurous Skies (Skies of Arcadia)

[Skywalker_T-65]

Prologue​

The world of Arcadia. A world orbiting an average star, in an average system. Nothing unusual there. However, the third planet in the system was anything but average. Arcadia was a world of extremes. Larger than any terrestrial world, the 'surface' of the planet was hidden deep beneath endless clouds. Much as with any gas giant. What made this world...different...was the presence of exactly six moons, hanging in stationary positions around the world. Beneath these moons, continents and islands of rock floated gently in the clouds.

Upon these islands, life developed. Each of the moons created a different ecosystem beneath their light. The burning deserts of the Red. The endless ocean of the Blue. Neverending thunderstorms and earthquakes of the Yellow. A land perpetually gripped in an ice age under the harsh Purple. Fertile grasslands and forests of the life-giving Green. And, finally, the calm and gentle light of the Silver.

Beneath these colorful moons, human civilization arose. Men and women who used the power of their moons to craft great civilizations, the likes of which were never seen before. Great cities were carved beneath the ice, high in the forested mountains and underneath the storms. Each of these societies grew and expanded over their continent, eventually meeting the others. These first, faltering meetings were borne atop craft that conquered the skies. Distance meant nothing. These people traveled across Arcadia, exploring without a care for the various lifeforms around them. It was only when they met other humans that this changed.

To this day, none know who fired the first shot. The peaceful meetings turned to violence and bloodshed. Fire, ice, life, lightning, water. They were brought to bear on one another in massive conflicts that shook the very world. Monsters roamed the world, destroying everything in their paths. The great civilizations continued to fight anyway, even as their people suffered and their lands were broken.

Until, one day, the moons themselves took notice. Upset at their power being used for destruction, the moons wept. Endless rains of stone fell from the sky, devastating the Civilizations. Cities were torn asunder, land cracked and burned. The monsters were put to rest and their creators destroyed. Few survived these Rains of Destruction, and those who did forgot their heritage and technology.

The land of Silver was reduced to scattered islands.

The land of Green was left a ruin, primitive tribes barely eking out an existence in their primeval forests.

Beneath the Red Moon, the sands covered the ruins of a brilliant land, as the survivors crowded around the few remaining oasis'.

No one truly knows what became of the people of Purple.

The great mariners of Blue entered into splendid isolation, forgetting their great navigators and explorers.

The land of Yellow became fragmented city states, that would take centuries to band together.

It is only now, thousands of years later, that this has changed. Valua, land of Yellow, has united and begun to expand anew. Ships of metal and fire once more sail the skies of Arcadia, fueling a war machine and people eager to rule. Only in Nasr, land of Red, has anyone truly stood against Valua. Even they can only control their own territory.

To truly resist Valua, one has to look to the beautiful Silver Moon, where a new group stands against tyranny. These brave men and women are called...Air Pirates...

 

[Skywalker_T-65]

Chapter 1​

There were few things that Vyse Dyne enjoyed more than the thrill of a hunt. The wind blowing through his hair, bitingly cold in his post at the very top of the Albatross. Inside the little crow's nest, there was no one but him, staring out in the distance. He knew there was a Valuan ship out there. Right down in his bones. The very idea of raiding one of those monsters had him on the edge with excitement. Valuan ships were the best prizes. Dangerous and rich, filled with adventure and plunder.

It was enough to have him wearing a grin, underneath a scarred cheek. Vyse idly stretched, his youthful body easily moving with the motion. At seventeen, he knew he was young for a Pirate. His dad never cared, though. Vyse was always the first to board a ship, with his blue-moonstone cutlasses out and ready. Not many Valuans could fight someone who dual-wielded cutlasses. The thought only served to make his grin widen.

"Briggs! Bring us up to full speed, now!"

That was his father, far below. Vyse craned his neck, easily spotting the tall man in the bridge. His father was a commanding presence, arms crossed over his chest and pistol resting on his hip. The crew ran around, following each and every order with a precision that no Valuan ship ever had. Ha. Suck it, military discipline!

Laughing to himself, Vyse turned back, and reached a hand to his face. His light blue tunic blew in the fierce wind as the Albatross picked up speed, while his fingers brushed against the single eyepatch he wore. Unlike a traditional one, this eyepatch was more of an eyeglass. Made of the finest glass that money could buy, it included a twinge of Silver magic worked into the material. Magic that allowed the teenager to 'zoom in' as if he were holding a traditional telescope. Part of the reason he was up here, really.

Gotcha!

It didn't take long for his brown eyes to lock on, anyway. Chugging along in the distance, completely oblivious to the Albatross, was a Valuan battleship. From the rear, it looked like any other battleship. Fat stern, massive gallery, and four propellers churning through the clouds. The only difference was yellow moonstone alloy along the keel, standing in stark contrast to the dull iron of the rest of the hull. Whoever was in command of that ship had deep pockets. Or it was just gaudy yellow paint.

Probably someone important then.

Ah well. More gold that way!

"Bring us right along side, Briggs!" Dad's voice echoed up again, as the Albatross rapidly gained on the oblivious Valuan. From their position, hidden in clouds, the other ship likely couldn't even see them. "Ready grappling hooks!"

While the crew ran around and started twirling grappling hooks, Vyse pulled his own free. Idly passing it between his hands, he watched as the ship drew closer and closer. With an almost lazy turn, the Valuan exposed her bow. An extremely gaudy and ostentatious golden prong shot up, yellow alloy rippling as it pointed up from the bow. Vyse groaned, and shook his head.

"Damn, that's ugly." He muttered under his breath. Give him a good old sail ship any day.

Ugly or not, the ship was a prime target. Before anyone aboard could react, the Albatross pulled alongside. Briggs easily spun the agile sailor alongside the metal behemoth, dwarfing her. When her wings scraped against the side of the Valuan ship, the word Cygnus barely visible on her flank, the crew of the Albatross tossed over their grapples. A grinding sound rang through the night, as the two ships locked together. Panicked shouts in Valuan echoed from the Cygnus, while Vyse grinned and spun his own grapple.

Pulling his arm back, the Blue Rogue tossed it over. With practiced ease, the hook caught upon the deck behind the bridge, creating a rope bridge that Vyse was only too eager to use. One of his cutlasses, the small off hand one, was perfect for that. Taking a flying leap from his position in the crows nest, the teenager hooked it to the rope and slid down with a whoop of exhilaration. Wind blew by his face. The blue tunic he wore, normally loose with its open sleeves, clung tightly to his chest. His body coiled in preparation.

And he let go, flying over the railing of the battleship. Vyse's feet caught on the thick metal plating, skidding while his thick moccasins found their purchase.

"Air pirate scum!"

Right in front of five Valuan marines, all of them kitted out in full plate armor. Helmets hid their faces, and broadswords were raised up. It was impossible to tell if they were shocked or not. Vyse didn't much care either way, grinning cheekily at them, idly spinning his cutlasses in his hand. Searchlights came to life behind him, their electric light glinting off the bright azure blades in his hand. The dull shine of equally dull green armor came from the soldiers.

Vyse just rolled his eyes at them. "Nice to see a welcoming party! So, you Valuans want to surrender or...?"

That got a reaction. The soldiers tightened their grips on their weapons, and one stepped forward. The marks of a sergeant were carved into the shoulders of his armor. A deep voice, speaking in Valuan, rang over the deck. "This is a ship of the Valuan Imperial Armada! Do you realize who you're attacking, welp?"

"'course I do! You guys have the best stuff!" Vyse shot back, in Valuan as well. You didn't live in Mid-Ocean and raid without picking up that language quickly.

"Attacking us all by yourself?" The soldier shook his head, almost seeming perplexed behind his anger. Almost. "You're incredibly brave, or just stupid. We'll be tossing you overboard!"

Vyse could have shot back with a smart ass remark, but he didn't need to.

"Not if I'm here, you aren't!"

Because a female voice did it for him. Dropping lightly to the deck next to him, spotlights shining on her green moonstone boomerang, was his best friend. Aika sent Vyse a lazy grin, completely unconcerned by the Valuan guards. Not much younger than Vyse himself, the teenage girl looked every inch the Air Pirate. Her body was clad in a tight fitting yellow dress, her arms and legs left completely bare safe for skintight shorts preserving her modesty. Her lean body rippled with muscle, from long years raiding and training to use her boomerang- a weapon that dwarfed her -properly. That her long orange hair was tied back into two ponytails only served to accentuate the image.

No one would call her ugly, but she certainly wasn't classically pretty either, with her tanned face and sharp features. Or her brown eyes, narrowed at the soldiers.

"Sorry I'm late," she did grin cheekily, though. "Name's Aika, I'm a Blue Rogue like Vyse. And we're here to rob you blind!"

The Valuans were distinctly unamused. Vyse laughed. "Oh Aika, never change."

"Not planning on it!" She trilled at him, though her eyes- and Vyse's, for that matter -never once left the guards or their sharp blades.

Guards who had quickly tired of this nonsense, clearly. "Enough! We're going to kill you brats, and toss your bodies overboard!"

"Ooh...scary!"

Vyse rolled his eyes, "Aika."

"What?" His friend winked out of the corner of her eye, even as she pulled back her arm to let her boomerang fly.

She wouldn't get the chance. The sergeant began to rush forward...only for the bang of a handgun to echo. His cheap armor provided no protection. The spark of an impact flew from his helmet, and the man tumbled to the deck. Blood flowed from a massive hole in his helmet, as the other soldiers spun around to see where the shot had come from.

As it turned out, it was from Vyse's father. Dyne held a smoking pistol in his hand, while two of his crew stood on either side of him. "Are you two done? We have a job to do."

"Heh..." Vyse scratched the back of his head with his off-hand. "Sorry, dad."

Dyne rolled his eyes, "When we're on a mission, it's not 'dad'. It's Captain." His pistol never left the Valuan guards, though. "Now, get to the bridge and shut off the engines! We'll deal with these guards."

"Aye aye, Captain." Vyse gave a mock salute, waving at Aika as he spun on his heel. "Come on!"

"Right behind you, Vyse!" The redhead grinned wildly, her hair whipping behind her while gunfire broke out on the deck. Neither teenager looked back, as they shot into the dark bowels of the Cygnus, looking for the bridge.

---

​

Been on one battleship, been on them all.

Vyse couldn't help but roll his eyes, as he slammed the door marked 'bridge' open. All Valuan ships followed the same layout, and as ugly as she was, the Cygnus was no different. Her bridge, however, was completely empty.

"Aw, come on!" Aika complained, slinking in behind Vyse. Her moves were all elegance and smooth, as she stalked around the empty consoles. "Did they all run away?"

Her friend shrugged, "Guess so? Not every Valuan is brave I guess."

While Aika pouted, Vyse scanned the bridge. Consoles were laid out facing the expansive windows. A traditional wheel rested at the very front, though it was empty now. The blinking lights meant exactly nothing to him, though. He did curl his lip a bit at the massive chair at the back, raised above everyone else. Valuans...why they needed to be above everyone was beyond him.

Oh well, something for another time. His brown gaze shifted, coming upon a swaying door leading deeper into the vessel. Reaching out a hand, he tapped Aika on the shoulder. Spinning around, her eyes narrowing at the door, Aika responded with a nod. And an absolutely evil grin.

He almost felt sorry for the Valuans.

Almost.

"Bet they're running for the lifeboats?" Vyse asked, almost rhetorically.

Aika snorted, "Fool's bet, Vyse."

Grinning at his friend, the brunette waved a hand with his cutlass. "Ladies first."

"How honorable!"

Aika gave a mock bow, and shot forward through the door, almost faster than Vyse could follow. He shook his head, a fond smile crossing his face. The pair had been friends since they were just little kids. Best friends. It was why they teased each other so much, as he followed after her rapid footsteps. They had been on more than one raid together, and could match each other perfectly. Vyse would normally go first, and Aika would normally follow. Right now, though, he let her go first. After all...

Few things annoyed her as much as cowards who abandoned their men.

I don't want to ever be on her bad side like that!

Grin refusing to fade, Vyse slowed his pace, as he and Aika came out inside what he thought would be the lifeboat bay. Instead, they found themselves inside one of the cannon rooms. Probably the lower one, secondary guns retracted into loading positions. The Valuans hadn't been expecting combat...but, even so, someone should have been in the room. Instead, there was just the cannons, dully glinting in the light. Gunpowder and cannonballs neatly in their containers on either side.

It was deserted. Save for the sound of shuffling, on the walkway leading to the upper level of guns on this deck.

"Aika?" Vyse shared a look with his friend. A single eyebrow crawling up his face.

The redhead rolled her eyes and mouthed 'cowards' at him. She shook her head, and shot over towards the stairway at the center of the cannon gallery. Vyse shook his own head, following after her. A short climb later, and they were staring across the way, at...well.

Vyse wasn't quite sure. A blonde figure, turning their head to look his way. His first instinct was to say it was a woman. Slim, aristocratic features. High cheeks and a narrow nose, over full lips. Bright blue eyes, staring disdainfully at him underneath a mop of blonde hair. The hair was slicked forward a bit, raising in a puff over one eye, while the rest fell on the figure's shoulders. Broad shoulders underneath a bright white uniform, glaringly decorated by golden tassels hanging off pauldrons. On the figure's chest, were a dizzying array of Valuan medals. The tight black pants they wore only added to the incongruity of it all. Wasn't this a combat vessel?

"Ah...I see that Air Pirates have decided to infest my ship." The figure spoke, with a distinctly- if very feminine -male voice. A man, then. Admittedly a very pretty man, but a man nonetheless. "How quaint. Do you plan to steal everything I own as well?"

"That was kinda the plan, yeah." Vyse rolled his shoulders, cutlasses tightening in his hands. "You are?"

The man's lip curled in disgust, as if he were looking at a particularly disgusting bug. "I am Alfonso, cherished son of Valua's Royal Family. As well as the First Admiral of the Imperial Armada. I should hardly be surprised an Air Pirate does not recognize me."

"Nah, not ringing a bell. Besides, I thought the Prince was..." Vyse didn't actually know the Prince of Valua, but he sincerely hoped this man wasn't it. He may not like Valua much, but he didn't wish this man on anyone.

"I'm not the Prince, you ingrate!" Alfonso's high-pitched voice rang out indignantly. "He is my cousin!"

Beside Vyse, Aika pouted. "Aww...that means you aren't as loaded as he probably is. Do you at least have some gold around here?"

While Alfonso began to twitch in irritation, Vyse's eyes trailed over to his side. A man in silver armor, bearing the rank markings of a Commander, was beside him. Over that man's armored shoulder, hung a small white...something. Narrowing his eyes, the Pirate looked a bit closer...and felt his blood run cold. Hanging over his arm with blood rolling down her forehead, was a young woman. A girl no older than he was. Her pale skin and almost platinum blonde hair stood out, looking like nothing he had ever seen before.

Even if she were as dark skinned as a Nasrean or as fair as a Valuan, it wouldn't make much difference to him, though. What mattered was the fact that an Admiral of the Armada was apparently kidnapping a young girl.

"Hey, what's with the girl?" Vyse asked, his voice deceptively calm. Angry brown eyes narrowed, when they turned to a smugly smiling Alfonso. "I didn't think someone of your stature would stoop to kidnapping."

Alfonso laughed haughtily, flipping a cape over his shoulder. "Who she is, and what she is doing here, are none of your concern Pirate. Now, if you are quite finished, I have places to be." A snap of his finger had four men in light armor, lighter even than the marines on the deck, appear beside him. "Guards, take care of the trash."

Without even looking back, Alfonso spun on his heel and marched out of the room with his apparent Vice Captain following along. Vyse would have called after him, however, he was rather distracted by a Valuan guard jumping forward. A dull steel blade, not a hint of moonstone ore, clashed with a hastily raised cutlass. Vyse felt the impact in his bones, his entire body vibrating with the impact.

Gritting his teeth, the teenager brought his larger blade up in a swift vertical stab. It wasn't designed for it, as a cutlass was a cutting weapon.

It didn't matter. The sharpened Blue moonstone cut right through the man's thin armor, and impaled into his stomach. The Valuan let out a strangled gasp, even as Vyse pulled his weapon free and spun away. Without another sound, the guard fell into the darkness below, while Vyse spun and met his comrade head on. His cutlasses were raised in an 'x' pose, catching the Valuan blade between them. He imagined that the man behind the helmet was gaping.

"Nice try!" Vyse taunted, yanking his blades. The Valuan stumbled, even as Vyse brought his leg up and delivered a sharp kick to his chest.

Even through his armor, the man felt the blow. He grunted in pain, pulling back and shaking his head. Vyse didn't give him much of a chance to rest, sprinting forward. His cutlass, the offhand one, slashing horizontally at the man's weak neck armor. The soldier raised his own blade, catching Vyse's weapon...

Leaving his chest undefended, as Vyse's other blade came up and slashed across it. Carving through metal and flesh, dropping the man in a puddle at his feet.

"Bruja! Bruja!"*

Cries of 'witch' echoed behind him, and Vyse turned away from his downed foes. The remaining two guards were coated in flames, jumping over the edge in a mad escape from Aika. Who flashed him a thumbs up, grin crossing her face. "You really think the Valuans would learn by now. It's not like Magic is that rare!"

"Sure, but they're not from Nasr. They don't use red Magic." Vyse rolled his eyes, smiling at his friend.

"Meh." Aika shrugged, and pointed her boomerang at the door. "Should we chase after pretty boy?"

Vyse bit his lip, frowning deeply. Strictly speaking, they owned the ship. That was what they were here for. And if he was a Black Pirate...that would be enough.

He wasn't.

"No, we need to rescue that girl." The teenager squared his shoulders, and marched across the walkway towards where Alfonso had fled.

Aika laughed behind him, "Knight in shining armor, much?"

Sending his friend a flat look, Vyse didn't bother raising to that bait. Instead, he raised his leg and kicked the door open, rushing through with his weapons ready. Only to see an empty room, with a heavy bulkhead locked in front of him. He wasn't going to get through that. Biting back a curse, the Rogue shifted his gaze, coming upon another- much smaller -door.

One that even from here, he could tell lead to the exterior of the ship.

Yay. Climbing a ladder down the side of a Valuan ship.

---

​

"Aika...get the girl." Vyse whispered to his friend, as the pair hid in the back of the lifeboat bay. Dozens of the little craft surrounded them, while Alfonso and his Vice Captain stood at the rear of the ship. Valuan lifeboats were held in the stern of the warships, and the elaborate crest on the back was actually a hatch leading to the sky.

A hatch that was currently, and very noisily, falling. Perfect.

Or it would have been, if Vyse couldn't hear Alfonso over the roar of gears and the rushing wind outside.

"I've finished my own preparations...to dispose of a traitor." The Admiral's high voice was filled with malice and amusement, as his Vice Captain spun in shock. "Oh don't act so surprised! I can hardly return to the Empress and tell her that I lost my ship in a fair fight. No, there must be a scapegoat."

While the panicked, and clearly unarmed, officer backed up...Alfonso stalked forward. From his side, he drew a fancy Yellow moonstone rapier, pointing it squarely at the Vice Captain. Vyse couldn't see more than the edge of his face. But he could see the grin upon it.

"Admiral, please! Reconsider what you're doing!" The Vice-Captain protested, begged. He held his hands in front of him, clasped in surrender. "I--I won't tell anyone what happened!"

Alfonso laughed merrily, "Come now, you don't honestly expect me to believe that, do you? My reputation is at stake here, and I'm afraid sacrifices must be made." Stabbing forward with his blade, Alfonso stabbed the helpless man straight through without an ounce of hesitation. "Now kindly die."

The Vice Captain gurgled something, and fell to the floor. Alfonso looked down on him, whipping his blade to the side to clean the blood from it. "Pitiful. Still, you had some use at the end. I'll make sure the Empress knows you were a traitor who---"

"Alfonso!!!"

Vyse had enough. He no longer cared about stealth. He charged forward, cutlasses held at the ready. Alfonso spun about, blue eyes wide with shock and...perhaps...a hint of fear.

"You murderer! What Admiral kills his own men?" Vyse continued to shout, raising his blades to bring them down on the Admiral. "I won't forgive you for this!"

Alfonso just curled his lip, though the fear never left his eyes. "I'm afraid I could care less what a mongrel thinks of me. Not that it really matters, either." The Admiral backed up, and raised his fingers to his lips. An ear-piercing whistle echoed through the bay, followed by a single shout. "Antonio!"

Slowing his pace, Vyse felt a chill on his spine. "Antonio?"

"Yes, I'm sure you'll be fast friends." Alfonso raised his hand further, and brushed his hair back disdainfully. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I really must be going."

Before Vyse could so much as move towards the coward, the bay doors- that he had seen out of the corner of his eyes -were bodily flung open. An utterly massive Valuan Warrior Bull stood in the entrance. It snorted and pawed at the ground, beady black eyes looking for its master. A master who stood in a lifeboat, smiling smugly.

"Farewell, pest. I'd wish you luck, but..." Alfonso arrogantly flipped his hair, grinning evilly. "I'm afraid I really don't care. I can get another ship, and replace Antonio. I simply can't stand to be near you anymore."

Without another word, the Admiral blasted off into the sky, leaving his dying Vice Captain and Warbeast behind.

"Damnit!" Vyse ground out, even as he jumped to the side. Antonio had taken his momentary inattention to charge.

The massive bull, clad in dull grey armor, practically rippled with muscle. Each footstep shook the Cygnus beneath the beast. And Vyse knew that he could be crushed without effort.

How am I going to kill this thing? He mentally screamed, rolling to the side again. Antonio charged past him, slamming through lifeboats and splintering them like so much kindling. The bull snorted in frustration, and spun back around. It stomped on the ground, lowering for another charge.

"Vyse!"

Aika's voice rang clear and true, as her boomerang spun in and clonked the bull on the head. Antonio grunted, and shook his head to clear it, while the green moonstone weapon twirled back to its owner. Aika stood above the pale girl, her hands outstretched. Beneath her feet, a red runic circle was glowing brightly.

"Keep it busy, I'm going to burn it!" She shouted, her voice strained by the need to concentrate. "Moons..."

Vyse tuned his friend out, and grimaced. He raised his cutlasses at Antonio, daring the bull to charge at him again. Antonio was only too happy to oblige. Pounding upon the deck, massive dents following each step, the bull charged right at Vyse. Praying to every single Moon that his friend knew what she was doing, Vyse did the only thing that came to mind. He couldn't stop the bull. He didn't think slashing its face would do any good.

So he coiled his legs and jumped. Antonio snorted in confusion, as the Blue Rogue flew in a graceful arc, and landed on his back.

The confusion rather quickly changed to raging anger. The bull began bucking in a desperate attempt to unseat the Rogue. Vyse cried out in frustration, his off-hand blade flying out of his grip when he was forced to fall to his stomach and hold on for dear life. Antonio practically jumped and bounded, destroying more lifeboats in a desperate attempt to get rid of Vyse. Who could only grit his teeth, his arms and legs tiring as he crawled forward.

His eyes had locked onto an opening in the armor, right where the neck was. If he could just...a little...

"Vyse! Move, now!"

He didn't even hesitate. Vyse let go of his grip on the raging bull and was tossed aside like garbage. He spun head over heels, his vision clouding...until he landed, painfully, inside a pile of crates. Groaning in pain, the Rogue's entire world spun, as a cry of pain echoed.

When his vision cleared, he saw Antonio burning. His very armor alight, as the bull charged out over the open bay door, falling into the endless sky beyond it.

"Heh...heh...that took a lot out of me," Aika laughed weakly, swaying on her feet. "Wooooowwww, never do that again."

Vyse would have laughed, but he was rather distracted by punching his way out of his resting place. Wood fell around the Rogue, as he stumbled to his feet. After a quick glance to make sure Aika was fine, he sprinted over to the fallen Vice Captain.

Valuan or not, that man didn't deserve to die. Vyse fell to his knees by the man, frantically reaching into his pack. Even as his own aches and pains reminded him that he probably needed to rest, he pulled out a little green crystal. It was a quirk of Green Magic. If you had a good focus, and a good mage, you could crystalize spells. The one he held in his hand was the weakest of the Green School.

Even Sacri had its uses.

"Come on..." Vyse muttered, pressing the crystal into the man's gaping stomach wound. Vyse watched, unable to do anything else, as the bright green light suffused the man's body.

Before his eyes, the skin began to stitch itself together. The man's pained breathing slowly evened out...and didn't stop.

Thank the Moons...

Sighing in relief, Vyse gently pulled the soldier out of the way of the bay door, and propped him against an intact lifeboat. He left him resting there, and returned to his friend. Aika sent him a weary smile, and gestured at the girl next to her. "Want to take a look? She seems fine, even if her clothes are odd."

Now that he looked, the teenager couldn't dispute the point. Up close, the girl was a tiny little thing. Her body was thin and petite, covered in a white dress that covered everything except for her shoulders and a little part around her chest. Her almost deathly pale skin was only marred by three strange tattoos, one upon her forehead, and two on either shoulder. She...looked like no one he had ever seen before.

"I wonder where she's from?" Vyse asked aloud, eyes drifting over to Aika.

The redhead shrugged, biting her lip in thought. "I dunno, but we should probably take her with us. Whatever reason Valua had for wanting her couldn't be good."

As he looked at the unconscious girl, Vyse couldn't dispute the point...

---

*I'm choosing to interpret the nations as they are in game. Valua, being the 'Spain' analogue will use Spanish as 'Valuan'. The mid-ocean language is English, the Nasr language is Arabic...and so on and so forth.

Also, there we go. The proper first chapter.

Anyone who has played the game, will note the first major change here. To anyone reading this who hasn't, you'll see.

Also, it's entirely possible some of FSN Gilgamesh leaked into Alfonso's character. Trying to poke at my muse for the SI involves watching FSN, and...yeah. Alfonso is basically a (cowardly) amalgamation of all of Gil's negative traits, without any of his positives.

Anyway, to explain this entire thing: anyone who knows me, knows that Arcadia is, and always has been, my absolute favorite piece of media. Not Stargate, not Star Wars (username aside), not KC.

What has always stopped me from writing anything for it, is how small the fanbase is. I know, and have known, that it would never get much interest. This, and the knowledge that my other stuff does get attention, kept me from doing a novelization.

With work slowly killing me right now, I decided to go 'screw it' and make this. A novelization of the game, so mostly the same plot...though I will expand on the world and the last third will be where major changes crop up. Regardless, this- more than anything else I've written -is a pure vanity project. This is something I'm writing because I want to, more than because I expect a lot of activity.

Maybe I'll be proven wrong, but regardless, it's a very personal project for me. It really is.

 

[Skywalker_T-65]

Chapter 2​

Letting out a soft sigh, Vyse shifted in his seat. A discomforted grimace crossed his face. Aches and pains from his impromptu bull ride remained, and he refused to waste healing supplies on them. Keeping the Valuan officer alive required more than he did, and there was the girl too. A girl he was sitting beside, as she fitfully rested in a bed aboard the Albatross. As Blue Rogues often did, his father had let the Valuans go- well, without all their valuables -and take the Cygnus back to Valua. Why bother keeping the ship? They couldn't very well sell it! And they weren't Black Pirates, so they wouldn't just kill everyone either.

However, in addition to the biggest haul of gold Vyse had ever seen, Dyne had made the choice to take both the injured officer and the girl aboard his own ship. It wasn't a hard choice. The Valuans couldn't be trusted not to finish the job with the officer. And the girl couldn't be left with her kidnappers. Thus, two occupied beds.

I wonder who they are... Vyse resisted the urge to reach a hand out and pull the covers across the girl. She constantly tossed and turned in her sleep. I've never seen clothes like hers...

"Hey, Vyse," Aika popped her head into the room, knocking his thoughts off course. "She wake up yet?"

Vyse twisted his head, sending a tired smile at his oldest friend. "Nah, still asleep. Looks like nightmares."

His friend grimaced, and shook her head as she stepped fully into the room. Her feet creaked against old wooden planks with each step. The Albatross was well-loved, but she was also a bit long in the tooth. Her plain wooden frames didn't leave much to the imagination, surrounding the two pirates and the girl. Save for a single porthole, allowing natural light into the room.

Not that any of Captain Dyne's crew would give up their ship for anything.

"Can't blame her," Aika sighed, setting down in a seat across from Vyse. She let out a groan of frustration, stretching her lithe body to work out kinks. "Though I could probably sleep for a day, myself!"

"Tired?"

Aika nodded, leaning forward to prop her hands against her chin. Tired brown eyes stared over at Vyse, over a crooked smile. "I think that was the first time I ever used Pyres."

Vyse winced. He was utter garbage at any magic that wasn't Red-based, and he knew how tiring Pyres was. Especially in combat. His mother made him promise not to try it until he was much, much older. Desperate times...

"It's not a big deal, though," the redhead continued, sighing again. Her eyes drifted away from Vyse, and over the mysterious girl in the bed. "I wonder where she's from. Don't you?"

"Of course." Vyse snorted a bit, his gaze returning to the girl as well. Her breathing had finally evened out, from...whatever it was she had been dreaming about. In fact, the girl was shifting as if she was waking up.

Something confirmed by her eyes opening. Brilliant, bright green, and completely unlike anything Vyse had ever seen. He couldn't help but stare, because really, he had never seen eyes that shade of green before. If the girl's hair and clothes and pale skin were all odd, he could ignore it. He couldn't ignore her eyes, because he had been taught to always look someone in the eye.

And they're so different!

Shaking his head, Vyse smiled at the girl. And, suddenly beside him, Aika did the same. Though with a bit more 'oohing' and 'ahhing' about how the girl was actually awake now.

"Hi! About time you woke up, sleepyhead." Aika was a self-proclaimed master at cheering someone up. Or so she liked to say, as the strange girl blinked owlishly at her.

"H-hello..." She stuttered a bit, her voice softer than anyone that either Pirate had ever met. There was almost a musical tone to it, underneath her obvious nerves. "Um--where am I?"

"Aboard our pirate ship, the Albatross," Vyse took over, planting a hand on his chest and flashing his signature grin. He thought that the scar on his cheek and the glass on his eye made him look quite roguish when he did it. "We rescued you from the Valuans, when we attacked their ship."

The girl started, her already wide eyes widening further. "Attack?"

Both of the pirates shared a look at that, before Aika- much more gently -continued speaking. "Ah...don't worry, we're not Black Pirates. We're Blue Rogues, so we won't hurt you or anything. We just wanted to make sure you were safe!"

"I--I'm sorry, but I don't know what that means." The girl fidgeted in her bed, her green eyes bouncing between both pirates. Her head tilted to the side, silvery-blonde hair falling over her neck with each movement. "What is a...pirate?"

What.

Vyse blinked, very slowly, while Aika's jaw dropped open. "You don't know what a pirate is? Sailing alone in Mid-Ocean?"

"No...?" The girl's hands clenched in her thin blanket, as she bit her lip. She looked anywhere but at the two teenagers above her. "Is that strange?"

"I..." Aika seemed completely flummoxed by what she was hearing, as she looked at Vyse, then back at the girl. "A bit, yeah. Uh...can you tell us your name, at least?"

As she asked that question, the redhead leaned over to whisper in Vyse's ear. "Where in the moons is she from?"

"How should I know?" Vyse shot back, eyes narrowed in thought. Strange clothes, even stranger lack of knowledge. He didn't think the girl was lying. "We'll need to ask that, later."

Aika nodded, returning her smile to the girl, as she looked up. "Well?"

"...Fina. My name is Fina." The girl, Fina, smiled shyly at her visitors. A small, barely there, smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"Fina, huh." Vyse tasted the name on his lips. It was as strange as the girl it belonged to. Not Valuan or anything like it, and not really Mid-Ocean either. Huh. "Well, I think it's a nice name. It's so...feminine."

"Um...thank you?" Fina blinked slowly, looking at Vyse as if she were a confused Huskra.

Aika just slapped her face in her palm, and let out a long suffering sigh. "Vyse, if that was supposed to be a compliment, you have a lot of work to do."

The pirate gaped at his friend, before narrowing his eyes into a glare. And raising a finger to point at her. "Hey, Aika! I know how to compliment a girl!"

"Apparently, no, no you don't."

The two pirates glared at each other, though there was no real bite to it. Aika was teasing Vyse, and he knew it as well as anyone. Though it did annoy him a bit. It wasn't like he got to practice compliments much, when the only unattached girls around were Aika and a couple of the other raiders. Besides, he thought...it...was...

"You two must be good friends." Fina was giggling, behind her hand. Her wide green eyes sparkled with amusement, behind her lingering confusion.

Vyse let his glare fade away, like dust in the wind. A sheepish smirk replacing it, as he scratched the back of his head. "Heh...yeah, Aika and I have known each other since we were kids."

"And Vyse has always been bad with girls," Aika continued, shooting a smug grin at her friend. Who sputtered at her, while the redhead laughed and turned to Fina. "Anyway, you really don't know what Pirates are?"

Fina nodded shyly, looking a bit uncomfortable to admit that. "No, I'm sorry, I don't. I...didn't know about them, when I left home."

The other two teenagers shared a small sigh at that. Not that either of them let Fina see that, since the girl seemed uncomfortable enough as it was. Instead, they just sat back down beside her bed, and set about explaining things. If the girl was going to be traveling alone, she probably needed to know what pirates actually were. She was very lucky it wasn't Black Pirates who had attacked Alfonso. They would have killed her. Or done worse.

"Right," Vyse started, pointing down at his clothes. Blue fabric that fit what he was. "There are two kinds of Air Pirates. Aika and I are Blue Rogues." He grinned a bit, and hooked a thumb at himself- and the Albatross behind him. "Blue Rogues never, ever attack defenseless ships. We only attack armed ships, and mostly Valuan Armada ships at that. We steal from the rich, and give back to the poor and needy."

Aika nodded along, a distasteful frown crossing her face at what she had to tell Fina. "Black Pirates are the other kind of Air Pirate. They attack anyone, but mostly people who can't fight back. A Black Pirate is a coward, who only wants the gold for themselves."

After what had given Vyse his scar, which everyone assumed was a Black Pirate attack, Aika hated the other type of Air Pirate. Even beyond how much she didn't like that they attacked people who couldn't defend themselves. It was wrong.

Vyse couldn't really disagree with her.

As for Fina? She looked even paler than she had before, as her hands clenched down tightly on the cover she wore. Her green eyes were a bit panicked, like she didn't understand...and didn't want to. This wasn't the confusion, this was her being unable to reconcile what the Black Pirates did.

"These Black Pirates sound very scary," the blonde muttered, so softly it was barely audible over the rush of wind outside the Albatross.

"Don't worry, we won't let them hurt you." Vyse sprung to his feet, crossing his arms over his chest. He even spread his legs a bit, to strike a suitably fitting pose. His grin was at epic proportions now. "After all, we're Rogues. No one hurts anyone that we care about!"

Aika sighed, and laughed a little. "What the musclehead over there is saying, is that as long as you're with us, you're safe."

Fina looked between the two pirates...and relaxed, if only a little. A tiny smile appeared on her thin lips, and she nodded at Aika. "T--thank you."

"No problem!"

Well. There wasn't a problem with keeping Fina safe from other Pirates. There was a problem coming from the voice tube, mounted in the corner of the room. A scratchy, but very recognizable voice. Vyse flinched and dropped his 'heroic pose'. Aika turned pale as a ghost. Fina looked confused, both at the voice tube itself, and the reaction of the pirates to it.

"...that was Dad, wasn't it?" Vyse gulped, looking down at his hands. That were shaking a bit. "I forgot what time it was."

A nod came from his friend, "Yeah, you did. He is not going to be happy."

With the teenage pirates looking so scared, all Fina could do was ask the obvious question. "Was that Vyse's father? Is something the matter?"

Once more scratching his head, Vyse began casually sidling towards the door. "My dad is the Captain of the Albatross. I'm...a bit late for my shift."

While Fina titled her head at the word 'Captain', Aika just sighed. And stepped forward to push Vyse out of the door. While her friend complained about that, the redhead looked over her shoulder and sent a comforting grin Fina's way.

"Don't worry, we'll explain everything later. You should rest for now!"

And just like that, the two pirates left a very confused young woman behind them.

---

"You're late, Vyse."

The bridge of the Albatross was the second most expansive position on the vessel, after the gun deck. A thick blue carpet, adorned with the logo of the Blue Storm, covered most of the hard wooden planking. Across the walls, various flags and emblems hung. Some from prizes- Vyse saw the flag of the Cygnus hanging over a pair of pistols mounted on the wall -and some from other Blue Rogue groups. The front of the cabin was mostly taken up by the wheel, various consoles controlling the engines, and massive windows. Beyond those windows, the form of Pirate Isle was visible in the distance, floating in the endless sea of clouds that was Mid-Ocean.

Of course, Vyse didn't spare much more than a glance to any of that.

"Sorry, Dad..."

Because, standing by the large chart table, was his father. Dyne was an imposing man under the best of circumstances. Taller than his son, and much more ruggedly built. Where Vyse was lithe, Dyne was muscle. Where Vyse still had the ungainly and bony body of a teenager, Dyne was a man in his prime. He wore a simple tunic and leather pants, nothing ostentatious or even showing off his position as 'Captain'. And his gruff-featured face, mustache and all, was currently frowning at his son too. Which was something Vyse never liked seeing.

I feel like a little kid, whenever he does that.

Dyne's frown deepened, as he raised up a calloused hand to wave a finger at his son. "Remember, when we're aboard ship, it's Captain. Not 'dad'. How many times have I told you that, Vyse?"

"...a lot." The teenager flushed slightly, though in his defense, he knew Dad as...well. Dad. It felt odd to call him 'Captain' all the time! "Sorry, Captain. Aika and I were just talking with Fina."

"Fina?" Dyne's frown faded, replaced by a confused expression. He pursed his lips, and walked over to his son. A meaty hand fell down on Vyse's shoulder, as the elder man looked down into his son's eyes. "Did the girl wake up?"

"Yeah. She seems a bit...strange."

Letting go of his son, Dyne crossed his arms and hummed thoughtfully. "Normally I'd lecture you about how being late on a ship can mean life and death." A smirk crossed his rugged face, at the sputtering from his son. Dyne held his hand up, and continued, "But if the girl, Fina you said, woke up? At least that's a good reason. Did you find out anything about where she's from?"

Vyse shook his head, "Not really. She..."

"Doesn't even know what Air Pirates are!" Aika chirped, brushing past Vyse to look out the expansive windows.

Dyne sent a dry look at the redhead, shaking his head in amusement. It didn't hide the worry in his brown eyes. "Doesn't know what Air Pirates are...hm. No one who travels in these parts doesn't at least know the name. Unless she's from North Ocean and genuinely doesn't know because Valua keeps things locked down tight over there."

"But, why would..." Vyse began, only to have his eyes widen. "Oh. You don't think she is either, do you?"

"Of course not." The Captain smiled, uncrossing his arms to throw them up in a shrug. "I've been to North Ocean. She isn't dressed like someone who lives there, or Valua. I've never seen clothes like hers anywhere."

"I thought they were strange too," Aika spoke up again, now leaning against the navigation table. Landis, the navigator, was sending the odd glare or two her way, as she disrupted his work. "I mean, I've never seen anyone wear a dress like that!"

Dyne chuckled, "The day anyone gets you into a dress, Aika, is the day I retire."

While the redhead gave a sheepish smile and blushed brighter than her hair, Dyne turned back to his son. His entire bearing conveyed intense curiosity. From the twinkle in his eyes, to the little frown on his face. As well as the way he leaned forward and tapped his foot, the rhythmic beat audible over even the sounds of a ship in movement.

"Hm. As soon as we've docked, I want you to bring Fina to my office, Vyse." Dyne looked his son straight in the eye, and spoke with utmost seriousness. "I don't believe she is any threat to us, or our home. Not intentionally." As he said that, the older sailor's eyes drifted back to the flag of the Cygnus. A deeper frown crossed his lips. "But if the Valuans are after her, I want to know why. I won't send her off on her own, however, if we need to hide her..."

Dyne trailed off, while Vyse nodded his head. "I understand. I think you'll like her, too! She's...nice."

"A bit strange, but nice!" Aika agreed with a vigorous nod, her twintails bobbing with the motion of her head.

Smiling slightly, the Captain nodded. "I'm sure I will. Now, with that mystery out of the way, has the Valuan woken up?"

Both Vyse and Aika winced. They had...completely forgotten about the man they saved. He was in a different room from Fina, and in all the excitement, they hadn't bothered to check up on him. There was a guard posted by the door, to be safe, and he had seemed fine. Though, in all fairness, Luke didn't exactly talk much. Still! Everything had seemed just fine, from what they saw.

Though, if the disapproving look on Dyne's face was any indication, he didn't much agree. Oops?

"I'll let you off the hook, this time." Dyne sighed, shaking his head in fond bemusement. "Honestly, I'm not even surprised. We don't normally take prisoners home with us. Just...keep an eye out, alright? I want you working with Fina, but that Valuan is probably going to want to talk to who saved him."

"Got it, Da--" Vyse cut himself off, when Dyne narrowed his eyes. "Heh...got it, Captain."

"Good. Now, you two need to get out on deck and help stow the sails. We'll be home soon, and I want the Albatross docked as quickly as possible. The sooner we're all home and I can talk to our guests, the better." Dyne stepped away, muttering something under his breath about having a girl from a strange land and a Valuan Commander on Pirate Isle.

Vyse and Aika shared guilty grins, and set out to do what was asked of them. They wanted to be home as much as anyone, after all!

---

Christmas in retail royally sucks, by the by.

That said, now that I'm past that, I'm wanting to try and do weekly updates for this, whenever possible. Not because it's my most requested thing by any means, but because it is my favorite thing to write. For reasons I already went over.

That's part of why I'm not trying to ape the other novelizations on FFN and do massive chapters that cover large chunks of the game. This is my average length in anything, these days, and I doubt that will change outside really important parts. Which this, as a bridge between Alfonso and Pirate Isle, is not.

 

[Skywalker_T-65]

Chapter 3
​

Pirate Isle, known to the world at large as Windmill Island, was a quaint little piece of rock. Floating in Mid-Ocean, the land of A Thousand Islands, it was neither unique nor impressive. Not as large as the likes of Dangrel or Sailor's Island. Nor did it have any fascinating landmarks, like the nearby Shrine Island. It was, for all intents and purposes, a completely average and unassuming little island. Special only for having a proper source of water, and a little copse of trees that had allowed settlers to survive. Valuan ships never stopped there, and traders only came on rare days. A small rock, floating alone, with only a small town.

That, of course, was exactly what Captain Dyne wanted it to look like.

As the Albatross lazily drifted towards the rocky mantle of the island, the man smiled slightly. He had come across Pirate Isle when he was only slightly older than his son. At the time, there had been nothing but a handful of particularly brave men camped out on the deserted island. Dyne, recognizing the utility of such an ill-assuming position right on the busy shipping lanes, had immediately claimed the island as his own. Setting down roots with his crew, and starting construction of the notable windmill and town atop the island. And...

"The dock is opening now, Captain." Briggs' voice broke Dyne from his thoughts. The taller man stood at the wheel, gingerly steering the old girl towards Pirate Isle.

Towards a place, so well-hidden that even the Armada had never found it. A massive chunk of rock and wood, carved right into the side of the island, opening up. Even through the hull of the Albatross, Dyne could hear the creak of enormous chains. Slowly, ever so slowly, an entire side of Pirate Isle opened up.

The Armada never finds us, because they don't think to look inside an island. Dyne chuckled to himself, as he always did when returning home. It was so simple, yet so ingenious. That was what made it work.

Looking out the window, the Captain could see his son out on deck. Vyse had stopped stowing the sails, and instead, stood beside a girl in white. He was animatedly gesturing at the dock, and the dockhands alongside. The teenager gave a wide sweep of his arms to demonstrate, as ropes were thrown to the Albatross to tug her along. The thing was...

Even from where he stood, Dyne could see confusion plain on the girl. Fina.

"That's the girl, isn't it?" Briggs, freed from the wheel, had sidled up next to him. The muscular man was staring down on the deck, a small frown crossing his chiseled features. "Never seen clothes like that before."

Dyne grunted, his own eyes looking over the girl. She was a tiny little thing, slim and frail. Who in their right mind would send her out on her own? Even if she had known about Pirates and Valuans, it wouldn't make sense. If Vyse was right about how little she knew...

"I admit, I want to know where she's from." The Captain looked at his Vice-Captain out of the corner of his eye, his own face twisting into a scowl. "So I can go there and yell at whoever sent an unprepared girl out on her own, without any help or guidance."

Briggs' frown slid off his face, replaced by a slim smile. The man clapped Dyne on the shoulder, chuckling good-naturedly. "You're a father, Captain. Of course you want to. I heard a bit of what Vyse said, myself." The smile was gone, and Briggs sighed deeply. "I can't even say I blame you. Vyse and Aika were out sailing with us at a younger age, but you can't say they didn't know what they were getting into."

Dyne nodded, "And I never let them on a combat mission until I was certain they were ready."

"I'd say they were ready a long time before you let them," the Vice-Captain gave another squeeze, before backing away to dodge Dyne's swing. Chuckling, if not smiling, Briggs hummed a bit and tapped his foot on the old deck. He was thoughtful now.

There was a reason that Dyne kept him around, and his sharp mind was certainly part of it.

"I doubt we'll be able to get much out of her," the man began to pace, walking between the map table and the bridge instruments. Deep below, the sound of loot from the Cygnus being unloaded echoed from the holds. That was a process that would take some time, considering the sheer volume taken.

It was a secondary concern, right now, as odd as that sounded.

"That girl was attacked by the Valuans for a reason. They don't just send an Admiral after a single girl."

With a heavy sigh, Dyne leaned back against the console. He nodded at his pacing Vice-Captain, his eyes drifting over to the banner taken from Alfonso. No. They didn't just send the First Admiral of the Armada after a random girl. Question upon question ran through his mind like a herd of stampeding Warrior Bulls. Where was Fina from? Why had the girl been sent out, completely alone? Why did she seem to know so very little about the world? And, perhaps most importantly...

Why was Valua after her?

---

"This is...very impressive."

And the thing of it was, Fina wasn't even lying. Oh, certainly, it wasn't impressive by Silvite standards. Very little was! However, she couldn't help but be impressed by the ingenuity of the Island Dwellers, either. To hollow out an Island and use it for docking was ingenious. It was so massive, too! Wide green eyes stared up at ascending levels carved into the rock. Four different levels rose on one side of the harbor. Each was carved from the rock of the island, so sharply that it seemed natural. Two apparent resource areas, with many boxes and cannon. A further one that seemed to provide housing, and far at the top? A set of wooden buildings erected atop the final terrace.

Vyse's father was quite intelligent, to do something such as this.

"Yeah, Dad put a lot of work into this." Beside her, Vyse was grinning and scratching the back of his head. His brown eyes were shining with pride, as he thrust his chin out at the building at the top. "That's his office up there. He told me, one time, that he wanted everyone to know where he was. So they could come talk to him, if they had any problems."

Aika nodded her head, off to the side. She was grinning as well, bouncing back and forth on her heels as her eyes kept drifting to the pile of gold the pirates were sorting through. She didn't move, though. "That's why we all love the Cap'n. If we have anything going on, we can just go talk to him about it."

"I...see." Fina didn't, not really. The Elders were there, however, they always summoned anyone they felt the desire to speak with. One did not simply go to the Elders.

Perhaps, the Island Dwellers were more different than she thought? Certainly, she would like to experience this for herself. So long as Vyse's father didn't ask about her quest. As nice as the Blue Rogues had been to her, none could know of where she was from, or her reason for venturing through Arcadia. She must never tell them.

Even if they are enemies of Valua, the power of the Moon Crystals is too much for any Island Dweller. I...I want to trust them. But I can't. The Elders told me so.

Forcing those thoughts deep, deep down, Fina smiled and looked over at Vyse. The Air Pirate smiled back, even as he was placing his head in his palms. Fina tilted her head slightly, a question on her lips. A question that died, when she saw past her new...friend. Were they friends? She would like to think so, even if she would have to leave, one day.

Regardless, the question had failed, because she saw Aika. More importantly, what Aika was doing.

"Vyse?" Fina's voice was very tiny, and her eyes very wide. "Why is Aika jumping through your gold?"

Vyse let out a long-suffering sigh, "Because she does this every time we raid a Valuan warship." Sigh he may, the teenager couldn't help the smile on his face. Or the slight shrug of his shoulders. "Don't mind her, Aika gets a bit...odd...when it comes to gold."

"Come on, Vyse! You know that you want a share too!" Aika's cheerful voice echoed from the center of the pile of Valuan gold, as she picked up a scepter and stared at it appreciatively. "I think I found blondie's Admiral baton!"

"Of course you did," the teenage Pirate rolled his eyes, and laughed. "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't believe it. But Alfonso..."

Fina was not the best at reading emotions. The Elders were stoic, most Silvites followed their lead, and the only one to ever really show any care for her was...

'You know why I'm going, right? I'm the best Swordsmen we have, and if anyone will get the Moon Crystals...'

'I know...please, be careful, okay? Come back, Ram...'

Shaking her head, Fina refocused. Vyse was much more emotive than she was used to. But she could still see what he was hiding. He may laugh at the man who had captured her, but he was angry at the same time. He just didn't want anyone to see it. Why?

"Um...Vyse? Is something the matter?" Fina hesitantly reached a hand out, touching Vyse's arm. Her wide green eyes stared at him, asking an unspoken question.

Vyse just shook his head, his grin firmly on his face. "Nah, nothing's wrong. Come on, let's get in there before Aika steals all the good stuff."

"Hey!" The redhead protested, standing atop a pile of gold coins as the other Air Pirates alternately cheered her on, or jeered at her to let them take their own picks. Aika ignored them all, having what appeared to be a silk cap atop her head. "It's not my fault you're slow! First come, first serve!"

"Never change, Aika!" Vyse shouted up at her, even as he reached down and picked up a coin. He looked at a very confused Fina, winking at her. While Aika was busy using her scepter as an impromptu sword to ward off another female Pirate, Vyse pulled his arm back. Fina's eyes widened, when she realized what he was going to do.

Yet, before she could so much as say anything, a much more authoritative voice rang out over the assembled Pirates. Fina's eyes moved from Vyse, stumbling and falling face-first into the gold, and up to the building she had seen earlier. A tall man, more muscled than any Silvite, stood at the top. His arms were crossed over his thick chest, and a mustache over his lip. Even if it weren't for the jacket on his body, Fina could recognize him. He looked like Vyse.

Was this his father?

"Vyse! I want you to bring the girl up here. I have some questions for her." Vyse's father's voice rang out over the hidden harbor, and all eyes went from him, to Fina.

...oh. Oh dear.

The Silvite girl shrunk in on herself, eyes darting to the floor. She didn't want all this attention. And what if those questions were about her quest? She didn't want to answer any!

Before she could truly panic, Vyse was on his feet and by her side. "Hey, Fina. Relax...alright?" His brown eyes stared down on her, nothing but kindness in them. "Dad won't do anything, I promise. He just wants to talk."

"I...I understand." Fina stuttered, even as she saw Aika waving the other Pirates off. The redhead smiled at her, and shrugged her shoulders in an universal 'what can you do' gesture. "You're certain he won't? I...I can't tell you about a lot of things."

"Eh. Just tell him that, and it'll be fine. Remember," here, Vyse crossed his arms and grinned brightly. "We're Blue Rogues. We don't hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it, or throw out anyone who needs our help!"

Despite herself, Fina felt herself smiling. Vyse had...there was something about him that put her at ease. Enough that she just nodded at his words, and smiled at him. "Alright..."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
​

Fina had the feeling that Vyse and Aika had wanted to show her more of Pirate Isle. Vyse had stopped at a massive cannon, and began to say something, before shaking his head. And Aika was pointing at every door they walked past, chattering about what they were and who owned what. For all of that, however, they still moved ever onward. It was a matter of minutes before they stood inside the large building, even larger up close, that Fina had seen from the Albatross. A massive wooden table stood at the center, books- real books -and charts scattered across it.

A flush went up Fina's cheeks, when she recognized some of those charts. She knew that Vyse's father had likely been trying to figure out where she had come from.

He...is truly intelligent.

However, no man, no matter how intelligent, would ever find her home. It was impossible for the Island Dwellers.

"Hello," Vyse's father stood at the front of the table, a pair of even more muscular men on either side of him. Blue moonstone swords were visible on their waists, while a primitive pistol was on the table in front of the leader. For all of that, the elder man had a slight smile on his face and did not appear threatening at all. "Vyse told me that your name was Fina, correct?"

Fighting down her nerves, Fina nodded jerkily. She fought the urge to outright bow, as she always should for those in power. Different customs. "Yes."​

"I see," the man nodded, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes drifted up and down her body, and yet, Fina felt no fear. There was not a bit of hostility in his gaze, merely curiosity. "I suppose it's only fair that you know my name, then. I'm Dyne, the Captain of the Blue Rogues...at least, my little group of them."

"It--it's an honor, El...Captain Dyne." Forcing herself to remember the proper title, and praying to the Silver Moon that Dyne did not notice her slipup, Fina lost the battle. She bowed her head low, averting her eyes to the floor.

All she got for that was a chuckle, and the sound of a hand waving. "There's no need for that. I may be the Captain, but we're all equals here. We don't bow to anyone, or expect anyone to bow to us. Lift your head up, please."

Slowly, hesitantly, Fina did exactly that. She raised her head, and found Dyne smiling at her. His thin mustache twitched over his lips, and brown eyes- the same shade as Vyse's -had softened. He was, in fact, waving his hand. Not dismissively, but in a way to let her know he didn't stand on protocol. How...strange.

And yet, relieving.

"I'll admit, the main reason I brought you up here was to ask some questions." Dyne continued, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly, when Fina turned her head a bit to the side. "Will that be a problem?"

Fina shook her head rapidly. "N---no, not at all!"

"Good," Dyne nodded, before moving his hand to gesture at the spread of charts upon his table. His first question was painfully obvious. "I've never seen clothes like what you wear, and I've been from North Ocean, to Nasr and everywhere in-between. What country are you from?"

"I...can't answer that." Fina's voice was very small, when she replied. Her green eyes downcast, at how she was taking advantage of the hospitality of the Blue Rogues without giving them anything in return.

"Hm." Dyne frowned a bit, but didn't press her. "Very well. Can you at least tell me why someone your age was out traveling alone? Or why the Valuans would be after you?"

Fina fought the urge to hide behind Vyse. Or Aika. It must have been apparent that she did, considering the latter jumped in front of her and glared at her leader.

"Cap'n, why are you being so mean to her? Fina hasn't done anything wrong!" The fiery redhead certainly lived up to her hair color. Her twintails practically vibrated with each motion she made.

All it gained was Dyne slapping his hand down on the table. The only ones in the room to not jump, were the two men by his side. Even Vyse flinched a little bit. "Quiet, Aika! While I don't feel that Fina would do anything to intentionally hurt us, the fact remains that the Valuans are after her. I need to at least have an idea why they are. I won't let any harm come to my crew, or my family."

Fina felt her heart drop. Not because she was scared. But because she would not- could not -tell Dyne what he needed to know. Nor could she blame him for his reaction. She was a threat to anyone who took her in, as the Valuans somehow knew how to find her. Something that still made no sense. Could she really say they wouldn't find her here, as well?

"I...I am truly sorry, Captain Dyne." Fina's reedy voice brought all eyes back to her, and caused her to flinch back. She quickly took a deep breath, however, and brought her emerald gaze up. She met Dyne's eyes head-on, and saw nothing to fear in them. "I cannot tell any living soul of my quest, or my homeland. It is not my secret to share."

Fina stepped around Aika, and stared directly at Dyne. Nothing, not the books, not the men behind him...none of it mattered. There was only Fina and the man in front of her. The man who she truly, dearly, wanted to trust her.

"I promise you, that I have no intention of harming anyone. I...I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for saving me. I don't want to put you in danger, by telling you what I know."

And it would be putting them in danger. Her knowledge was her own, and no one else but a fellow Silvite would know it. Valua would hunt anyone who did to the end's of Arcadia in their quest for the Crystals. She could not put anyone in danger by telling them what she knew. She would not.

Silence greeted her words. Vyse and Aika were almost certainly sharing looks behind her. Dyne's guards stood silent, not showing any emotion. And the Captain himself? He merely stared at Fina, whatever he was thinking very, very well hidden. His impenetrable gaze would rival the walls of the Shrine in their durability. She couldn't read anything from him.

Until he let his shoulders drop down, and a sardonic smile cross his face.

"Looks like I lost this one, and to a teenage girl of all things." Dyne's voice was full of self-deprecation, yet, not harshness. He merely laughed a little, and shook his head. "I understand that you don't know much about Air Pirates, Fina. But you should know one thing...Blue Rogues have our own code of honor. And I swear on my own, that you are under our protection. So long as you are our guest, we won't let any harm come to you."

"T--thank you, Captain Dyne." Fina felt her face warm, as the man smiled at her.

"Vyse, why don't you show Fina around the village?" Dyne turned away from the Silvite, and looked at his son instead. "Make her feel at home. I get the feeling she may be here for awhile."

Vyse chuckled behind Fina, clapping a hand down on her slim shoulder. "Don't worry, Dad. I'll show her all the good stuff."

"It's Captain, Vyse."

As even the dour guards laughed, Fina felt a small smile cross her lips. She would not tell the Air Pirates the nature of her mission, no. However...perhaps she could find friends here. Relax, until the day she inevitably must find a way to continue on her quest. For she could never stay in one place forever, not so long as Valua was hunting the means to end the world as they knew it.

Her brother had failed, she would not do the same.

---

I haven't forgotten about the Vice Captain, he'll show up in the next chapter. I'm trying to expand on the viewpoints here, so you can expect more from Dyne's perspective and for him to play a larger role in the story. I like developing secondary characters, after all.

I'm also going to expand on the world building, moving forward. It's not just a rewrite of the game and nothing else, after all.

 

[Skywalker_T-65]

Chapter 4​

You know, I'm surprised. Even dad couldn't get anything out of her. Wonder why?

If Vyse had been curious about Fina before, it was nothing on how he felt now. He was burning with a thousand questions. His eyes kept drifting over to her, as Aika chattered animatedly with the shy girl. He wasn't going to actually ask the questions. Fina seemed nervous enough as is. That wasn't going to stop him from watching her, to see if he could wiggle something out. He'd done it with Aika before, surely Fina wouldn't be that different, right? Right?

"You know, Vyse, you've got two girls hanging around now. Lucky dog."

Turning his head, cheeks flaming red, Vyse fixed a glare on a chuckling pirate. Luke, one of their raiding party, just grinned back. His reddish-brown hair and eyes stood out among the pirates, though not quite as much as Aika.

Who, on that note, was currently flaming bright red and making a low whistling noise. Fina just looked confused, as usual with her.

"Luke..." Vyse growled, stepping forward towards the slightly-older man.

The raider just laughed again, and held his hands up. "Relax, Vyse. Just a little joke, y'know? I don't think you even have it in you to try and shack up with Aika anyway." A sly grin crossed Luke's face, as he looked at the sputtering girl in question. "Besides, I think Aika would shove her boomerang somewhere uncomfortable, before she let you do anything."

Aika looked like she was ready to do that to Luke, as Vyse sighed and palmed his face. "Luke, you're going to have that problem if you don't quit while you're ahead."

"Heh. Probably true," Luke smirked, and backed up a step. Even he knew when to stop pushing the flaming temper that was Aika. "Anyway, Captain said you can bring the girl topside if you want. Give her a grand tour of the place, will ya?"

Vyse rolled his eyes, "Grand tour...right. Come on, Fina, I'll show you around."

Luke graciously stepped aside, easily dodging a kick from Aika, laughing at the sour look on the redhead's face. Aika let out a huff of annoyance, spun on her heels, and stomped out of the base. Vyse sighed and sent a 'what can you do' look at Fina. Who giggled, holding a hand to her mouth to hide it. Unable to hide his own smile, the teenage pirate laughed a little and shrugged. Aika was too easy to set off.

That said, with one final glance back towards the harbor, Vyse turned to follow his oldest friend. Sunlight greeted him, through a hunk of stone that pushed out to open on a roughly-hewn path going down the side of the island. To passerby, it would look like something done to mine moonstones. Nothing special, in Mid-Ocean. And the moment that Vyse and Fina left the dock, the 'door' sealed shut behind them. Not so much as a hinge was visible.

"So. Where do you want to go first, Fina?" Vyse sent a little grin at the shy girl by his side, waving a hand up at the path leading to the town. "Aika probably went back home, knowing her. Want to see what she's up to?"

Fina smiled softly, looking down at her feet. A little flush on her face. "Um...I'll just follow you, if that's alright?"

Vyse shrugged, "Sure. Let's go see what Aika's doing, then!"

Behind him, Vyse didn't notice how Fina seemed to relax. Or the way she smiled at his back, when she followed up into the town-proper. He couldn't know just how much she appreciated being treated like someone normal. How different this was, to what she had known all her life. Fina had no intention of telling him and Vyse would probably never know, if she didn't.

"...I will miss them, when I leave." Fina whispered, even as she inwardly cursed herself for her weakness. The Elders wouldn't want her making any attachments with Island Dwellers.

"Huh?" Vyse looked over his shoulder, his arm outstretched to point at a house surrounded by flowers. A curious expression was on his face. "You say something, Fina?"

Fina shook her head, small smile firmly fixed on her face. "No, nothing important."

"If you say so." Vyse smiled back, seeing no real reason to doubt the girl. "That's Aika's house over there, with all the flowers. You know, with how she acts, I wonder how she manages to raise all those..."

As Vyse mocked his missing friend, Fina felt her heart lighten. Vyse and Aika were such good friends. And, for whatever reason, they clearly wanted to be her friend. That was a feeling she would forever cherish, even once she had to leave them behind.

"T--thank you, for all of this..."

---

In a darkened room, beneath the bustling town, a single Valuan sailor lay in a bed. The man's dark blonde hair rested atop his eyes, as he slowly came to. His eyes opening, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling...and promptly closing again. A soft sigh rumbled in his chest, and the man resisted the urge to bring an arm to rest against his face. Of course. He should be dead. Alfonso was a coward, he saw that now, better than ever. Yet, the Admiral did know how to use his rapier. Perhaps not to the level of the Prince, but more than enough to kill an unarmed man.

The fact he wasn't dead, nor aboard the Cygnus, told him everything he needed to know.

I take it the Pirates kept me as a prisoner. Do they intend to ransom me to the Empire? They'll be disappointed. Lord Alfonso will have already ruined me.

"You're awake, aren't you, Valuan?" A gruff voice spoke up, prompting the man to open his eyes again. His head shifted, slightly, and looked at a tall Pirate. A man with sharp features and a scraggly mustache. "I was wondering when you'd wake up. Vyse knows how to use a Sacri Crystal, after all."

The Valuan sighed heavily, "I take it that one of you, probably that boy, saved my life? You should know that you won't get anything out of me. I may be ruined, but I will never betray my home."

"Please," the pirate snorted, crossing his well-muscled arms over his chest. "You're talking to Blue Rogues. We don't need to do anything to you, and wouldn't. Do you think all pirates are like Baltor and his kind?"

"I'm a Valuan, you tell me." With a groan of annoyance, the Commander brought his arm up and did lay it across his eyes. He was a bit frustrated. Could anyone blame him? "To me, all Pirates are the same. You attack our shipping and steal from the crown. True, you Rogues are a bit kinder about it. Yet, you still do the same things."

There was silence after those words, save for the Pirate snorting and walking over to the bed. He pulled a chair out, spun it around, and sat in it. His arms rested on the top, and his dark eyes bored into the Valuan. Searching for something. Trying to intimidate him. Who even knew? The Commander didn't much care. Either they'd let him go, and he'd be killed when he went home, or they'd toss him off the side of the island. He didn't see many other options.

I suppose I should be thankful. At least the last thing I saw wasn't that smug bastard of a Royal cousin.

"You know, it always amazes me how few Valuans understand what we do." The Pirate spoke up, his gruff tone brooking no argument. He looked down on the Commander, with more than a little disdain leaking into his expression. "Blue Rogues attack Valuan Imperial warships, yes. How many people have you attacked and enslaved? How many islands in Mid-Ocean are forced to pay the Empress with all they have?"

Here, the Rogue laughed a mirthless kind of laugh. One filled with no humor and nothing but honestly held frustration.

"We don't even keep most of the gold. We use it to buy food and medical supplies for those islands. We give people hope. What can you say to that?"

To his credit, the Commander- the Vice Captain to an Admiral -looked away. His violet eyes held a shame that he often tried to forget about. He never doubted his duty, or that Valua was in the right. It was hard when he was required to watch Alfonso order a town burnt to the ground, or rebellious airships shot down. Valua's grip in Mid-Ocean was mostly limited to a few outposts, but her reach was far indeed. Sailor's Island and the various councils never were able to put up any real resistance.

That was why piracy was such a problem. Pirates like the Blue Storm or Claudia were the only real problem in Mid Ocean. And they were a massive problem.

"You don't understand duty to a cause," the Commander finally spoke, his voice soft and tired. "Valua has problems. Of course it does. As does Nasr and as does Sailor's Island." He stared at the Pirate, and dared him to dispute that point. "Do you steal from them, or just from Valua?"

The Pirate snorted, "Do Nasr or Sailor's Island go around kidnapping innocent girls?"

That brought the Commander up short. He winced, and looked studiously away from the Pirate. He had no defense for that. He didn't even know why they attacked the girl, or how they had found her. Only Lord Alfonso had been privy to that information, and it had come direct from the Serpent and Lord Galcian himself. And through him, likely directly from the Empress Teodora. Why a girl, no matter how strange her ship, warranted dispatching the First Admiral? He didn't know. He didn't claim to know.

I didn't like doing what I had to. However, I have- had -to follow orders. There was no other choice.

Somehow, he didn't think the Pirate would care much for that answer. Just a feeling.

"Look, I know you Valuans take duty seriously." The Pirate continued, his voice softening. Ever so slightly. "I even understand it. No matter what you think of us, the Rogues have a sense of honor." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder, presumably out at wherever they had brought him. "I'd give my life for anyone out there, and I expect them to do the same. We have a duty to each other, not to some Royalty."

Staring deep into the Commander's violet eyes, the Pirate dared him to dispute his next words.

"And, thanks to your Admiral, that includes you and the girl now."

"You don't even know the--" the Commander blinked, and stared hard at the Pirate. "Me?"

A snort answered him, "You don't take me for a fool, do you? If that coward planned to kill you, he'll try again. I'm not going to send you to Valua and just let you die after all this trouble." A magnanimous shrug followed. "I don't exactly expect you to jump to join the crew, either, and to be honest...I wouldn't trust you if you did. However, you can stay here until you've recovered and then we can take you to Sailors Island. If you'd rather not stay."

It...it hadn't really occurred to the Commander that he could stay here. Why would he? He still loathed pirates and all they stood for, yet, these pirates saved his life. They gave him a chance that he probably wouldn't have gotten, if he had been betrayed by Alfonso with no one there to save him. He owed them his very life. That was not a debt that could be easily repaid, when he had nothing but the clothes on his back. He couldn't even get to his gold. What did he really have to give them?

He didn't want to join the Pirates. But he didn't want to just leave without repaying them, for at least saving his life.

Nor could he give them inside information on the Armada. He would be condemning his men, and who knew how many others, to death. He couldn't, wouldn't, do that. So where did that leave him?

I suppose I can work here, for a little while. Once I'm recovered, I can go to Sailor's Island. I'm sure someone there could use an experienced ship hand. It's better than dying or becoming a Pirate.

Sighing heavily, the Valuan looked at the Pirate and held a hand out. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage. My name is Tomas Pena, formerly a Commander and Vice-Captain in the First Fleet of the Armada."

The Pirate stared at the offered hand, and snorted softly. He reached his own, larger, hand out and shook firmly. "Dyne, of the Blue Storm. I'm sure we'll find a use for you, Commander."

Neither of them really knew just what would be coming, in the following days. How could they?

Events in Valua and the rest of the world would soon overtake these men and the quaint little island they rested upon. Valua mustered her fleets and Admirals. A man and woman at the center of it all, vied for power. For global dominance. A younger man hunted for his lost sister. And the world continued to spin, moving ever closer to confrontations that would shake it to the core...

---

I debated including the Moonstone scene here. In the end, I decided to cut it here, even if it makes for a shorter chapter. This seemed like a more natural place to end it. We'll start with the aforementioned scene in the next chapter, as a lead-in for Shrine Island.

Hopefully within a week, since I do want to do that update schedule. Work should hopefully slow down a bit. Hopefully >.>

 

[Scia]

official staff communication While shipping is allowed, as in our hearts we are after all engaging in gossiping about characters and wanting them to be happy there is a line between "I want these three to be in a polyamorous relationship later", and "Give me the Underage orgy now" , heed well to talk more about the former then the later.

 

[Skywalker_T-65]

Chapter 5​

"Pow! Knock it off, will ya?"

Vyse found himself in the somewhat unique- and dubious -position of glaring down on his pet Huskra. The little furball was staring up at him with his big eyes, tilting his head to the side in the way only a puppy could. A little whine rumbling up from him. Confusion quite clear. Vyse knew that he never really had to act like this with the little guy, but did he really have to pull that card out? The entire reason he was doing this, was because Pow had come up and barked at Fina. Something he knew better than to do!

...okay, to be fair, he did that to everyone. No one on Pirate Isle ever reacted like Fina did, though. She had ducked behind him, staring down with wide eyes. Like she'd never seen a Huskra or any other dog breed before. Pow wasn't special, really. His spiky top coat, a brilliant sky blue, didn't contrast with his white stomach. He was...just an average old Huskra?

"I---I'm sorry." Fina stammered out, gingerly stepping out from around Vyse's shoulder. Her wide green eyes were filled with less fear, and more curiosity. "He just...startled me. You live with animals on this island?"

Blinking very, very slowly, Vyse nodded his head. "Yeah, of course. Do you not have pets where you live, or something?"

Almost as soon as he asked the question, Vyse knew the answer. Or, at least, he thought he did. Fina wouldn't tell him anything about her home.

"Ah...no, we don't." Fina looked away, a light blush dusting her cheeks. Her hand went to a silver bracelet along her arm, gently running her fingers along it. A small smile crossed her face when she spoke again, "Not like this, anyway. I'm sorry, is that strange?"

All Vyse could do was shrug, "I mean, not really? Not everyone has pets. Pow's the only one here." Here, the teenager grinned, and reached his hand out to the Huskra. Pow, realizing he wasn't in trouble, happily darted forward to accept his head-scratches. "And he's normally a good boy. He just barks a lot...which is why I named him Pow."

Fina giggled, "You named him for the sound he makes?"

"...yes." Vyse knew his own cheeks were red now, as he coughed into his free hand. "I was a kid, give me a break!"

The giggles only continued. Letting out a small sigh, the pirate couldn't stop a familiar grin from crossing his face either. At least Fina seemed more relaxed now, as Pow tired of his scratches and moved to rub against her leg. He'd attempted to introduce Fina to the other Pirates, and every time, she flinched away. One or two were fine, but groups? No. She was too shy and easily startled. Seeing her at ease and laughing? It was worth everything.

That said...

"Want to see if Aika's ready?" Vyse drew Fina's attention away from the Huskra at her leg, getting a curious look in response to his question. Chuckling a little, he hooked his thumb over his shoulder and towards the house perched at the other end of the island. The largest house on the island, for all that it only had one story.

"Um...should we interrupt her? Didn't she have something to do?" Fina worried her hands in her dress, looking like she didn't want to go to the house. "I don't want to be a bother."

Vyse shrugged, "Nah, it's not a big deal. Aika might snap at me a little, but she doesn't mean it." Reaching down to grab Fina's hand, Vyse grinned at her in the cheeky manner only he could. "'sides, I think this might be a bit of payback for earlier."

"Earlier?"

Electing not to answer that question, Vyse pulled Fina along towards the house. The flowers in front of it, the lack of windows, it was all different from his own house. Not enough to throw him off, of course. He thought Fina might be confused thou---

Wait, when did that get there?

Vyse's original plan had been to knock on her door and bug his friend until she came out. She did it to him- he had a distinct memory of her throwing a rock at his window, and almost taking his eye out -after all. That plan had been thrown out, however, since he saw something off about her house. Tucked into the corner, a piece of brightly colored fabric rested against her wall. A very out of place, piece of fabric. Uh...huh. Weird. He should probably make sure one of the kids hadn't done something. They liked playing over here, and it wouldn't really surprise him if they were playing a prank.

Sighing heavily, Vyse let go of Fina's hand, though he knew she was still following him. He marched over to the fabric, and frowned a little. A...handkerchief? Where had anyone even gotten one of these things?

"What's wrong, Vyse? Is something the matter?" Fina's soft voice echoed from behind him, as Vyse leaned forward and placed a hand on the edge of the handkerchief.

"This shouldn't be here," absently tugging on the thin fabric, Vyse frowned. He didn't look back at Fina, instead lifting the corner of the handkerchief up to see what was beneath it. "Wait a second..."

A hole?

There was a hole in Aika's wall, underneath the handkerchief. A neat, round, hole. Wait...what? Also, it was probably a good idea to drop that back down. Vyse let his hand fall numbly to his side, shook his head, and stepped away from the wall. Nope. Nope nope nope. He wasn't a pervert and he wasn't going to look through that hole. For all he knew, it was looking into his friend's room. And while Aika was attractive, she was his friend. And he wasn't a pervert. Not at all.

Right.

"Anyway," coughing into his hand again, Vyse sent a smirk over at Fina and tossed his hands behind his head. "Let's go knock on her door and see if Aika's ready. Sun's about to go down, and I want to show you something."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-​

As it would turn out, 'showing her something' amounted to climbing a ridiculously tall ladder at the center of Pirate Isle. A ladder that lead up into the clouds, and to a small island. An islet, really, perched in orbit of the larger island below. There wasn't anything on the small piece of rock, really. A railing to keep people from falling, a bench at one end, and some thick grass. It was just used as a lookout post, in most circumstances. It was high enough to see over the horizon and give early warning on if Valuans were poking around. Whenever the Albatross was docked in her home port, the lookout would be up on this islet, scanning the sky during the day.

At sunset, or night, however...it was empty.

"I love coming up here, you know?" Vyse was fine with that, as he sprawled out on the bench and looked over at the girls with him. Aika had let her hair down and it fell in flaming rivulets down her back, sparking with fire in the light of the setting sun. Fina hadn't changed at all. "The sunset is amazing from this angle."

Aika nodded, grinning while she threw her hands up and leaned back next to Vyse. "Yeah, it really is. I always feel so...calm up here, y'know?"

Beside them both, Fina remained standing. Her eyes softening greatly and the stress falling from her body. Her own gaze looked out at the setting sun, and she couldn't help the smile on her face. This was...this was nothing like home. She'd never seen the sunset, not from this angle. Not really.

"It's beautiful," the strange girl breathed out, her smile remaining firmly fixed in place.

Vyse smirked, "You know, sometimes, I wonder what it would look like beyond the sunset. Wouldn't it look even better, that way?"

"Beyond...the sunset?" Fina turned to look at Vyse, confusion clear in her tone of voice. He couldn't possibly... "What do you mean by that?"

A shrug answered the question, the pirate leaning back to stare up the stars above them. "You know, there's a lot of stories about the edge of the world. People say that if you try and go past it, you'll fall right off the edge. Or that there's a massive storm that sucks any ship in, never to return."

"Don't forget the giant monsters that eat ships," Aika chimed in, sending a sly look over at her friend. "Those always scared us when your dad threatened us as kids."

"...don't remind me," Vyse groaned, reaching a hand up to smack at his friend. Aika just dodged it and giggled at his reaction. Huffing in frustration, Vyse turned to look over at Fina again. "Ignore her, it's what I do." Proceeding to do just that, when Aika protested loudly, Vyse continued speaking as if nothing happened. "I've always wanted to sail past the sunset, when I'm the captain of my own ship. I want to see what's out there, with my own eyes. Maybe it's the Moons themselves, maybe it's something else entirely. I want to see it all. Whenever someone says something is impossible, it just makes me want to prove them wrong!"

"Don't try him on that one, Fina." Aika leaned over her friend, stage-whispering to the blonde standing beside them. A devilish look in her eyes. "I told him it's impossible to fly without a ship once, and his dad had to keep him from jumping off the island."

"R---really?" Fina's eyes went comically wide, whatever her thoughts about Vyse's statement forgotten for the moment. She turned her wide green eyes on Vyse, begging him to deny what Aika had said. "Vyse, that is silly. Why would you...?"

In response, Vyse brought his hand down on Aika's back. The girl let out an 'oof' and fell down atop his lap, groaning a bit in faked pain. Vyse shook his head at her theatrics...well-used to them by now.

"No, I didn't try and do that." Rolling his eyes, the teenager shrugged in a 'what can you do' kind of way. "I'm not an idiot, I know there are some things that you can't do. It's when someone tries to give up on something because it's hard...that's when I want to prove them wrong."

Holding his hand up to the sun, Vyse clenched it down. A fierce smirk decorating his face now.

"If someone tells me it's impossible to help everyone, I want to prove them wrong. If someone says its too hard to get a job done, I'll do it anyway. And if someone says that the edge of the world is the end...I'll just sail right past it and come back."

Fina could only stare at Vyse, dumbfounded by his...complete and utter belief in what he was saying. Aika, giving up on pretending to be hurt, had sat back up and sent Fina a knowing look. The corner of her lips curled up into a smirk, underneath her curtain of fiery red hair.

"This is how he always gets, you know," she wasn't stage-whispering this time. Nothing but fondness was in Aika's voice, when she smiled at Vyse. Who wasn't paying the slightest attention. Sighing fondly, she looked back at Fina. "It's what I like about him, though. Vyse never gives up on anything."

"That's why I always trust him to be there, when I need him. No matter what."

Even in the short, short time she had known him, Fina could see the truth in Aika's words. When she looked at Vyse, it was so easy to see his brown hair replaced by the same shade as her own. To see the one person who had always cared for her. He and Vyse were....so similar. If that went more than skin deep, she knew that Aika was correct. Vyse was someone you could always, always count on.

It must have been nice, to have that kind of person, even here. Beneath the stars.

"We should probably head back down," Vyse finally spoke up again, standing up to stretch his arms. He sent his signature smirk over at the girls, jerking his head down towards the larger island below them. "Mom's probably nearly done cooking---"

Before he could finish speaking, a thunderous roar echoed in the silent twilight.

"Vyse! Look over there!" Aika slammed her hand down on her friend's arm, dragging him into her side. She excitedly bounced up and down on her heels, pointing into the far distance. "Moonstones!"

Flashing through the darkening sky, several points of brilliant light crossed through the air. Each one a comet trail through the thick clouds, marked by a bright, blinding light. A silver light that could only come from the moon, far above.

Moonstones. The source of all power on Arcadia and all magic on top of that. Every moon had a distinct color and a special moonstone associated with it. Every Arcadian ship stayed aloft through the power of their moonstone fuel, and each mage relied on a moonstone to channel their latent magical ability. To see them fall like this was...not exactly rare, but not common either. All three teenagers stared at the largest, and brightest, of the moonstones. It sliced through the sky, falling towards the endless depths of Arcadia...only to impact an island, barely visible in the distance.

Save for the distinctive tower atop its rocky base.

"That moonstone landed on Shrine Island, didn't it?" Vyse asked, though it wasn't really phrased as a question. He knew that island anywhere.

Aika nodded, spinning around to give Vyse a blinding grin. "You're right! Vyse, we can't just leave it there, you know that." Her eyes were alight with the promise of gold and riches, if they brought back a moonstone that big. "It's enormous, that thing has to be worth thousands of gold!"

Vyse rolled his eyes, "Or it could fuel the Albatross for a month. Either way, we do need to get that." His own smirk was back in full force at the idea of adventure. "Shrine Island...you know, I don't think we've ever actually landed there."

"Nope! I've always wanted to take a look around there, can you imagine what might be hidden inside that Temple?"

"Probably a lot of old ruins, maybe some gold..."

Fina stared between the two teenagers, quickly becoming lost in their discussion. They continued to excitedly chatter about the moonstone, even as they went down the ladder to eat dinner at Vyse's house. Fina...Fina followed, though she couldn't help but look at Shrine Island, one last time. Her teeth worried her lip, and she wished she could just tell them what it was. That Island was dangerous, if anything was left behind. Things that the Island Dwellers had no comprehension of. Those two were going to get hurt, she just knew it.

Yet...yet...she couldn't go with them. She wasn't a fighter. She could only pray to the Moons that they came back okay, and that they weren't hurt.

Please, let them be safe. I...I think they're friends, now. I don't want them to get hurt.

 

[Skywalker_T-65]

Chapter 6
​

With morning, came the first solo trip that Vyse and Aika had taken in months. The two teenagers, joined by Fina, stood beside the smaller 'public' dock of Pirate Isle. A little wooden outcropping, on an equally small islet beside the main one, connected by just a single bridge. At the moment it was empty of any traders, space taken only by one of the Albatross' skiffs. A little thing that had no weapons and could only carry a handful of people. Perfect, really, for something like this.

I wonder why Dad agreed to let us take her?

Shrugging his shoulders, Vyse turned away from the loading of supplies. He, instead, looked at his friend and Fina. Aika sent him a nervous- yet excited -grin. Fina seemed more worried than anything else, anxiously crossing her arms and bouncing on her heels. She bit her lip and stared at Vyse with concerned green eyes, asking an unspoken question. 'Will you be alright? Going alone like this?'

Vyse could only grin, and slap a hand down on her slim shoulder. Gently. "Don't worry about us, Fina! This isn't the first time that Aika and I have gone off on our own."

"First time we've gone to Shrine Island, though." Aika chimed in, her own nervous energy having her bouncing up and down. No real fear was visible, though. "Everyone thinks the place is cursed and no one explores it. Don't think we'd bother if the Moonstone wasn't there."

"Dad wouldn't let us, if that Moonstone wasn't there." Shrugging his shoulders, Vyse grinned at the thought. "'Don't even think about going there. It's too dangerous, and there's nothing there worth hunting. It's just an old tomb.' Moons, I can already hear it."

Aika wasn't the only one who burst into laughter at Vyse's totally-accurate-copy of his Dad's voice. The men loading the skiff chuckled under their breaths, and even Fina relaxed...a little bit. Just a little.

"Vyse..." Fina's soft voice wasn't relaxed at all, however. It was filled with worry and concern for some reason. "I don't know, maybe your father is right? People don't go to that island for a reason, yes?" She worried at the hem of her dress, her wide eyes staring into Vyse's brown. "Maybe you should wait until the Albatross is ready and go with your father?"

A little shake of the head answered that. Vyse grinned. "Nah, it's not that bad. Shrine Island probably just has a bunch of overgrown fish and maybe some Maroccas on it. People are superstitious around here. Like Aika."

That cut off the giggles, as the girl in question placed her hands on her hips and glared at her friend. "What was that, Vyse? You're not making fun of me about the ghosts again, are you?!"

"I wouldn't dare make fun of my friend," Vyse replied, winking at Fina. She seemed to be calming down a bit, and if poking at Aika cheered Fina up...well. His friend would catch on. "Not over her totally rational fear of ghosts hiding in the night."

"You know that I've seen ghosts around the dock at night!" AIka practically whined, moving to crossing her arms across her chest and sticking her tongue out at Vyse.

"And I'm sure they'd just love to say 'hi' to all of us."

Before Vyse or Aika could get much further in this little game, Fina spoke up with a highly confused tone to her voice. "Um...what is a 'ghost', exactly?"

There was such a sudden silence in response to that question, that even the wind seemed to stop. The men aboard the Siren stopped moving. Aika and Vyse stopped mid-argument, both of them turning to stare at Fina with their jaws hanging open. Fina, bless her innocent heart, just tilted her head in even more confusion. The unspoken question this time very clearly being 'did I say something strange?'. What did it say about their relationship that Vyse had reached the point where he could read that expression without even trying? Not for the first time, he wondered just where Fina had actually lived her entire life.

Not knowing what ghosts were?

"U--um...did I say something silly again?" Fina asked with a hint of nervousness, returning the questioning stares directed at her.

Despite himself, Vyse laughed at the absurdity of it all. "Nah, you didn't. I'm just not used to you not knowing things yet."

"Yeah! It's strange that you don't know what ghosts are!" Aika nodded rapidly, her twintails bouncing with the movement. She bounded forward and grabbed Fina's hands, shaking them up and down. The poor blonde looked incredibly confused by the reaction. "I mean, I know you don't know about a lot of things and all that, but ghosts are something every kid knows. Ghost stories are what our parents use to make us go to sleep at night!"

"I'm sorry...?" Fina was even more confused now.

"Ghosts are---"

Vyse coughed, cutting his friend off. "Something we can talk about later. If we want to be back before dark, we really need to get going."

Indeed, the Siren was ready to leave. The dockhands had left, and the trio of teens were alone on the windy outcropping. Aika reluctantly pulled back from Fina, while the blonde looked newly concerned again. She really was worried about them, wasn't she?

"Don't worry about us, Fina," Aika had picked up on that as well. She placed her hand on Fina's arm, much more gently this time, and smiled. "Vyse may joke about it, but there really isn't anything on Shrine Island that can stop us. Not even ghosts!"

"I...sorry." Fina apologized, bowing if only out of instinct.

"Don't be! We're experienced Air Pirates, so this isn't anything new to us!"

Beside her, Vyse nodded. "Yeah, we'll be fine. Just got to grab the Moonstone and get back in time for dinner. I've got some old books I want to show you, later."

And that was that, really. Whatever worries Fina still had, she didn't share. Vyse and Aika boarded the ship after saying a final goodbye, only stopping to let Fina look at the Purple Moonstone that Vyse had gotten from his father. She said that it was pretty and that he should hold on to it...and reluctantly let them board. She was clearly unhappy, even when the Siren left port and left Pirate Isle behind. Unhappy and worried, because of something she couldn't- wouldn't -reveal. It was safe to say that, had Vyse and Aika known what Fina knew...they wouldn't have been quite as excited about roaming around the deserted tomb that was Shrine Island.

Well. They would probably have been more excited, actually, but at least a little more cautious.

---

There she is...Shrine Island. It's a lot more impressive up close.

A few hours later, with Pirate Isle nothing more than a speck in the distance, the Siren hovered over Shrine Island. Vyse stared past the wheel, out at the imposing spire jutting from the ancient chunk of rock. How in the Moons did the ancients build this thing? It's bigger than any tower I've seen before, and it hasn't even fallen over! How many storms have gone through here, anyway?

The aforesaid spire stood at least a few hundred feet above the crust of the island, if not more. The shadow it cast over Shrine Island was every bit as massive, even as it reflected off a pond about as big as Pirate Isle was wide. Probably about as deep as Pirate Isle was tall, if Vyse was being honest. When you only saw it as a distant blur, it was easy to forget just how huge Shrine Island was. It was easily one of the largest islands in Mid Ocean, even though bits and pieces had been worn away. Big enough to have the largest body of water Vyse had seen, outside of the waterfalls south of Pirate Isle. All from centuries, thousands of years even, of rain water.

"You know, I wonder what they actually built this place for." Aika's voice held a tone of awe, and Vyse couldn't really blame her.

"Dad thinks it's a tomb for a King." Vyse replied, tearing his eyes away from the tower to look for a safe place to land. "Must have been richer than the Empress to get something like this built."

Aika could only numbly nod, completely enraptured by what she was looking at. "Maybe it was a temple or something...hey, Vyse?"

"Yeah?"

"...how much gold do you think is hidden down there? Maybe some jewels too? I mean, if this was a tomb or a palace or whatever, there has to be treasure. Right?"

Snorting softly, Vyse just rolled his eyes and didn't deign to reply. At least, not right away. He'd found a little rocky piece of the island jutting out that could almost fit as a dock. Gently, carefully, he brought the Siren down beside it. A dull thump echoed when he bumped the rock, but nothing more. They'd landed, across from a bridge connecting their little space with the massive spire at the center of the island. From this angle, it only loomed even larger above them.

Shaking his head, Vyse idled the Siren and turned to look at his friend. "Just because we don't know about anyone coming here, it doesn't mean that no one has. I'd be surprised if Shrine Island hasn't been looted a few times by now. The place is ancient!"

"Way to rain on my parade, Vyse." Aika pouted at him, before shaking her own head with a grin taking shape. "Nah, you're probably right. Besides, that Moonstone is probably worth more than anything here."

"Going to be a pain getting it out, though." Vyse smirked, leaving the wheel to grab his cutlasses. Aika was right behind him, her boomerang already in hand.

The two teenagers shared a grin, and stepped out of the Siren. Rushing wind and an eerie howl greeted them, without any sign of life. The grumbling stone and faded bridge were the only things on the island, save for rocks and the massive temple/tomb/whatever-it-was the dominated it. Up close, Vyse could tell it...wasn't made of stone. Or if it was, whoever made it was able to make the stone shine and gleam like metal, even under centuries of moss. Here and there, in cracks and crevices, there was what looked like Silver Moonstone. It gleamed in the dim light like silver fire, tracing arcane lines across the tower.

Only leading to the single marking on the tower, a massive Silver Moon Crest, etched into the stone.

"You know, it's even bigger up close." Vyse idly commented, glancing at Aika over his shoulder. "I wonder what they used to make it."

Aika shrugged, "Not any stone I've seen before. Whatever the Old World used this place for, they didn't do anything small!"

Neither of them could dispute that point, as they began walking over towards the bridge. Vyse stared out at the tower, scanning for any sign of the Moonstone or an entrance. He could see a doorway, barely, but what interested him more was something at the side of the building, towards the water. Zooming in with his eyeglass, the Pirate let out a wince. Something that Aika couldn't fail to notice, sending him a confused glance. Vyse...didn't want to tell her what he'd noticed.

Ah, damnit. She isn't going to like this.

"I think the Moonstone's inside the temple, Aika." Vyse prefaced, trying to deflect her curious glance.

His friend didn't bite. "...okay? I figured it landed in there anyway, Vyse. What's wrong?"

In response, he could only point at what he had seen. Aika, lacking his eyepatch, simply stared with dawning comprehension crossing her pretty face. Her mouth dropped open and her tan skin paled to a shade nearly as fair as Fina. The redhead began to rapidly shake her head, backing away from the bridge and into Vyse's back.

"Oh no, no no no no no." Aika cried, spinning around and grabbing Vyse by the shoulders. She shook him like a ragdoll, sending Vyse's head spinning. "You are not telling me that Moonstone is underwater. You can't." Her wide eyes showed a little seen fear and panic, something that Vyse...it hurt him to see. It always brought a strange pain to his chest. "You know I can't swim, Vyse. I can't!"

Vyse gently moved Aika's hands from his shoulders, and hugged his friend. Nothing calmed her down from one of these moods more than that. "Aika...Aika, calm down. I'm not going to ask you to swim. We'll just head into the Shrine and see if there's any way to get at the Moonstone. If we can't, I'll just have Dad come out here later and pull it out with the rest of the guys. I'm not going to make you get in the water."

Slowly, painfully slowly, Aika calmed down.

"Sorry, Vyse." Her voice was soft and entirely unlike her, when she pulled away. The redhead absently rubbed at her eyes, before sighing and squaring her shoulders. "Let's go. Maybe there's some treasure in there!"

It was a weak deflection. Vyse didn't comment on it.

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As it turned out, they hadn't needed to worry about swimming. Aika was forever grateful for that. When they'd first entered the Tower, past a door that somehow opened on its own, it had nearly prompted another panic attack. She'd been in a dark temple, with only the faintest light from Silver Moonstone torches illuminating it. The sound of rushing water and the deep, black hole at the center had brought up memories she'd rather not think about. Memories of falling and sinking. Drowning around her panicked cries for help, while the darkness and cold surrounded her.

If Vyse hadn't been there that day...if he wasn't beside her right now...

Stop! I can't let myself be weak! Not for Vyse, and not for myself!

Pushing the memories back, she instead grinned at the shining light of the Moonstone. A chunk of black rock, peppered with glints of silver. There was enough ore there to power the Albatross for a year. Or to supply Pirate Isle with gold to rival what they'd taken off that prick Alfonso. Sure, they'd had to run around in the high-winds on crumbling walkways outside the island. Sure, they'd seen the tower rise even higher as the temple beneath it sunk. But it was all worth it, in the end, if they could just carry that Moonstone back out with them.

Of course, things could never be that easy.

"Hey, Vyse? You hear something?" Aika breathed out, her grin fading slightly. Her ears perked up, the sound of something echoing. No longer was it just wind and the groans of the old structure. She heard...

Grinding stone.

Vyse spun around, eyes quickly scanning around the pair. "Yeah, I hear that too. Think there's something in here with us?"

"Not taking that bet, Vyse!" Aika shot back, raising her bright green boomerang to a ready position. "There's a trap in here or something."

Without another word, the Pirates backed up to each other, standing back-to-back. Their eyes scanned around the room, looking for any sign of what they had heard. It was Aika who was the first to see it. What the hell is that?!

"Vyse! It's over there!" She barked out, pulling away to let her friend look. "That thing's huge!"

In a corner of the Shrine, a pile of stone began to grow together. Silver light reflected from the dull grey, as what looked like a deformed human stood on thick legs. Massive arms, one of which was open on the end, met beside a pointed head. In the center of that head, a silver orb stared at the Pirates. There wasn't any emotion to it. It wasn't a monster or something like that...Aika didn't know what she could call it. She'd never seen anything like it. Not in stories, not in paintings, not in her wildest nightmares.

Before either Pirate could react, the statue- for what else could it be? -rumbled forward faster than anything like it should have been capable of. The right hand, fist clenched tightly, came down between them.

It's fast! What the hell is this thing, anyway?!

"Don't let that thing hit you, Aika!" Vyse barked out, the barest hint of panic underlying his voice. It stabbed Aika in the heart, to hear that from him.

Vyse never shows fear.

"How are we going to stop it, then?!" Aika shouted back, pushing her worries deep down. Locking them away where she didn't have to think about it. "It's bigger than your house, you know! I don't think hitting it really hard is going to do much!"

To his credit, Vyse only grunted in response, ducking underneath a swing of the massive arm. His cutlasses shone dimly with reflected light, as they screeched off the metal-like stone of the statue. Aika could see, past the bulk of the monstrous construct, his brown eyes widen in shock. A crack was clearly visible in the moonstone edge of his larger cutlass. A blade that could gouge clean through the toughest of Valuan plate...nearly shattered on one cut from this monster's skin. Aika's eyes snapped to her boomerang, wondering if it would fair any better.

No choice, really.

"Keep it busy, Vyse! I'm going to try something really stupid!"

Vyse's eyes shot over to her, even as he shouted back. "What are you talking abouuuu---!"

The question was cut off, as Vyse was forced to duck between the legs of the statue, his abused cutlass skidding off it's 'flesh' once more. Groaning in frustration, Vyse rolled away and got some distance between himself and the statue. It wasn't easy, the thing was maddeningly quick on its feet. Even more problematic, and Aika noticed it first, the thing had some sort of red light it was shining on Vyse. No matter what way he ran, it never shifted. It always aimed unerringly at the center of his chest.

Right at his heart.

"What is it..." Aika's eyes widened, when she saw the other arm come up. Oh no. Not like that!

Without a moment's hesitation, she tossed her gleaming green boomerang. The weapon flew in a graceful arc, guided as if by the Moons themselves. And Aika screamed her lungs out, desperately looking at Vyse.

"Vyse! MOVE!"

Even as her scream reached him, even as her boomerang ricocheted off the head of the statue, Vyse jumped. The statue stumbled. Silver light that had gathered at its arm shot forth in a torrent of magical energy, boring a hole clean through the tough stone of the Shrine. Sunlight poured through the burnt crater, that had missed Vyse by a matter of inches. Both pirates gulped in shaky breaths, the statue slowly turning around to look at Aika instead. The red light returning. The arm raising again.

"Oh. I didn't think about that." Aika's voice was dull, her boomerang laying on the floor some distance away.

With nothing else to do, she squared her shoulders and stood her ground. Beneath her feet, a red crest once more sprang to life. If the weapons wouldn't kill this thing, she'd just burn it down. It was her only option, her only chance to survive this. Aika grit her teeth and held her hands out, desperately ignoring the shining red light, fixed between her eyes. She ignored the silver light down the barrel of the thing's arm. All her attention was focused on calling down the same spell she'd used on Antonio.

Moons...give me strength...

"Aika, you need to move!" Vyse's anguished shout didn't make her shift an inch. She couldn't break her focus now. "That thing will kill you! Aika!"

Without saying a word in response, Aika clenched her fists down. The fire roared through her veins, the warmth of the Red Moon casting through the ancient ruin. "Pyres!"

Flames surrounded the statue, licking away moss and other accumulated growth. The entire edifice vanished behind a wall of flames, unnatural fire that caught even in the cracks and crevices of its frame. Aika watched, her entire body shaking with protest at using that spell again.

"Did I get it?" She wondered aloud, panting heavily. Sweat rolled down her brow, completely unrelated to the heat of the blaze. "I got it, right Vyse?" Turning her head, she looked for her friend, wondering why he was silent. "Vyse? Where'd you go? Aren't you going to come out here and thank me?"

No response came from Vyse. Only the grinding of stone against stone. Aika's eyes widened, and snapped back to the statue. "You've got to be kidding me?! That didn't---how is that thing still alive?!"

Scorched and sparking from some unknown source, the statue strode out of the remnants of Aika's spell. It's arm remained raised, ready to fire at her. The redhead could only grit her teeth and try to summon up the energy for another spell. Like hell she was going down without a fight!

Before she could do much more than try to call on the moons, however, the statue came to a sudden halt. It froze in place. Before Aika's widening eyes, purple ice spread through the singed and burnt cracks. Ice that grew out through the torso. Ice that shattered the 'eye' at the center of the head, the red light fading away. The barrel of the cannon began to crack and shatter, the silver light vanishing to be replaced by purple. Glorious, cold, purple.

"I--I didn't think that would w-wo-work..." Vyse's voice, chattering with cold, spoke up from beside Aika.

Starting in shock, the redhead spun around and flung her arms around Vyse's shoulders. She ignored the frost dusting his arms and the ice in his hair. She just laughed, long and merrily, as the statue fell to the floor. "Vyse, you idiot! You've never even used Purple magic before. I don't think your mom has used it!"

Vyse, smile firmly in place on his lips despite how his teeth clicked together, just shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time? I mean, all magic is just focusing on the Moonstone right?" While Aika groaned and shook her head at how silly her friend was, Vyse looked past her flaming hair towards the shattered statue. "Still, I didn't know if that would work. I just thought...if the fire didn't break it, the cold would. Dad's told me to be careful with cooling the cannons, since it could shatter them if we do it too fast."

Aika raised an imperious eyebrow, looking at the statue herself. At the pile of ice and broken shards of stone. She gave a little chuff of laughter, nodding her head as she spoke. "You know, I'm glad that sometimes you have good ideas."

"Hey!" Vyse protested, as his friend let go of him and moved over to the Moonstone. "What's that supposed to mean? Aika!"

The redhead just laughed at his response, already thinking about how they were going to get the Moonstone out of this temple. They'd have quite the haul and quite the story to tell, when they got home. That was for sure!

---

Valuan Warship, Serpent​

---

Alfonso is a failure of an officer. He is a useless glory hound, who cares nothing for those underneath him. Who would sooner throw his own ship and men away, than stay and fight. He is the worst of Valua, the worst of Arcadia. He is who I swore to destroy.

Standing silently upon the bridge of an old battleship, a young blonde-haired man stared out at the stars. For the bridge of a warship, the Flagship of the Armada, there was no noise to be had. Men worked at their stations quietly, not a single word passing between them. The young man was aware they were staring at his back, when they weren't doing their duty. He was used to it. No matter how many years he worked with Lord Galcian, those beneath them still mistrusted him. That was fine.

He would never trust any person, not even Lord Galcian himself, again.

"Fina." A single word escaped his lips, as the young man idly placed his hand on the hilt of the strange sword by his hip. He clenched on a misshapen handle, made of a metal that no Valuan smith could even dream of creating. "I shouldn't be surprised they sent you when I 'failed'. The Elders are nothing if not predictable."

It was safe to say he also didn't care, that much, if the sailors overheard him. None of them would dare breath a word of what they heard, for fear of Lord Galcian. Even if they had, they would never make any sense of it. Fools. Carefully shifting beneath his form-fitting armor, the young man wasted no movements. He merely shifted his eyes, looking up at the light of the Silver Moon. If he looked close enough, he almost imagined he could be back at what was his home.

A part of him, the part that had burned in the fires of the Aquila, lamented that. He could never- would never -return. He was no longer that man. Valua was his home now, for what little that term even meant to him.

"There was no one else to send, no one else who knew what we knew. No one else with our abilities, our bloodline." Continuing to speak to himself, so softly that even the grinding of gears in the bridge consoles was louder, the young man stared at the Moon. "There could be no one else, could there, Fina? I wonder what they will do now. Send a child? Look through the population for someone with our blood?"

"Or will they accept their loss, and let the World burn while they watch and judge it all?"

Letting his eyes drop from the Moon, the young man instead looked at his blade. Carved from the light of the Moon itself, shaped by the finest smiths to ever exist. He could cut through any material with pitiful ease. No man living, or dead, could match his swordsmanship. It was a shame that he had so few chances to prove himself, before that fateful night. He had once sworn to never dirty his blade unless he absolutely must. To never raise it on his fellow man.

Hah. He was so innocent. So naïve. The Elders had made a mistake, truly, in telling him what their ultimate plan was. He wondered if they had made the same mistake with Fina. She was too kind-hearted. Surely, they would not. A pity.

It would make it so much easier, if she knew. She would know that, in the end, power rules all. And that the Elders are no different. It would be easier. For both of us.

He knew it would never be that easy. Fina would believe she was protecting the Arcadians from themselves, and perhaps, she was. It was a false dream at best. He would let Lord Galcian show her the truth. Maybe they could work together. He knew that Fina, more than anyone, would understand him. He would never trust anyone ever again.

But, maybe, he could at least let Fina see the part of him that still cared. The burnt, shriveled husk of Rami.

"Ramirez. Will you be able to find the girl, even if the Air Pirates hid her?"

The young man, Ramirez, turned his head. He stared at Lord Galcian, staring at him with no emotion. The blonde man nodded in response to the question. "I can find her, no matter where she hides, my Lord."

"Hmph. See to it that you do. We will reach their home at first light, and I expect they will not fight."

As his Lord left with a twirl of his cape, Ramirez turned back to the Moon. To his thoughts about the girl they were going to take.

Fina...my sister. You will join us. We are the only ones who can save these people from themselves.

---

ARISE DEAD THREAD

Finally got my muse working on this again, so here we go. Half the fun in this chapter, I'll admit, was diving into Ramirez's head. Expect more of that moving forward, since I want to touch on all the characters a bit more than the game did. Especially characters as important to the story as he is.

(I'm not going to say what his ultimate fate is, though.)