Just a short break, Karanos promised us. None of us realized that Karanos’ version of “short'' might be skewed. Those assumptions were shot on the second day, when the ascendant laid out an agenda for the next two weeks. It’s been only a handful of days and I’m already feeling guilty–aren’t I supposed to be getting strong as quickly as possible?

One moment we were fighting for our lives to get the return beacon as soon as possible. Now, all of us–me, Maria, Crystal, Sah, and Karanos–are waiting in a line to board a pleasure-yacht set to travel down the Micorhhus river delta. From the pier, we have an excellent view of the clear and green water. It’s filled to the brim with slow-moving, flat fish that photosynthesize near the surface. The fish have beautiful coloration, some of them purple with bright pink accents, while others are aqua with cyan and white spots.

Looking up, I see a zigzag of alternating blue and red light shining down from a slash in the heavens, as though the two colors are wrestling for control. Looking out, alternating vertical columns of red and blue light illuminate the world, casting the same building in different colors. The effect also reminds me of a subdued dance club.

None of us are speaking. Karanos seems content at the front of our stretch of the queue, oblivious to the awkward atmosphere. We’re not the only party in line–there are around fifty others, all mortals who purchased a sightseeing package from a nearby plane called Furemarn. Like Vracoola’s Domain, it has a large population of non-ascendant people. But where that plane’s inhabitants live closer to nature, Furemarn’s people live in cities. The plane is dominated by technology that can be created and maintained entirely by regulars, the legacy of its Beginning founder.

That was the first place Karanos took us after leaving the lightless plane. He decided that we needed to see how wide the world was and get a new perspective. I wonder how long it’ll take him to realize we’re not in the mood. A truce doesn’t mean we all become friends overnight, not that I think Karanos knows much about having friends.

The struggle of a few days ago isn’t something I can just forget or write off.

The kind of people who go on this kind of cruise are all affluent–purchasing a plane pass isn’t cheap, let alone a commercial sightseeing package with protection provided by an ascendant.

The only ascendant nearby emerges from the docked ship and floats down to the top of the queue, landing adroitly on one of the pier’s white wood posts. Her eyes are an intense cyan, matching hair dyed equally blue and unnatural. It hangs in a ponytail down to mid back. Her skin is the color of creamed coffee, and most of it is visible–she wears a gray crop top and loose-fitting cloth shorts. I suppose when you’re the only ascendant, you can dress however you want when you’re working.

“Hello guests,” she says, smiling. Her gaze stops on our group for a moment, scrutinizing Maria in particular. “Have your tickets ready. Step up and on. I can see your tickets just fine from up here, come already, sooner everyone’s on the sooner we can go.”

“Karanos is staring at the blue-haired woman,” Crystal observes. “I wonder if he knows her.”

I guess we’ll see soon enough.

The line moves forward lethargically. I’m surprised we don’t get to skip ahead because we’re ascendants, but it’s almost a relief in a way to be treated like everyone else. The people around us have no clue we’re more than mortal; sapients like Crystal are uncommon but not rare, while Sah is assumed to be a large, eccentric pet. He’s not even the weirdest animal companion–one group of sightseers has brought along what looks like a winged tiger, though the feathered wings look more cosmetic than useful.

The only one they seem uncertain around is Maria.

“Something about her just feels...off,” Crystal explains. “They do not understand their discomfort.”

Maria isn’t unaware of the space the mortals give her, nor is she ignorant to their frequent glances. With Crystal’s help, Maria has managed to cut down on the passive thought and emotion transmission, though some still slip through, especially when we’re in close physical proximity. I can sense her unease through our nascent bond.

I don’t get it, I think, addressing Crystal. Before we left the lightless plane, I did everything in my power to make Maria look human. She’s even wearing her actual skin, her real hair. Soolemar goes out in public without anyone suspecting anything is amiss. I frown. Am I just incompetent?

“Her irises glow blue. She’s quite pale, and she doesn’t breathe.”

People don’t notice breathing, and she could be a shut-in who never gets sunlight. As for her eyes–

I look around at the guests. At least five people here have obviously modified eyes. I refuse to believe that woman in green was born with sparkling red sclera and white irises.

“Poor choices of eye color aside, Maria has something that these mortals don’t. There’s something dangerous about her. Remember, Ian–undead are weapons.”

But she’s barely even able to use her End and Sun affinities, I protest. I’m not particularly worried on that front–Maria has been regaining more of her old capabilities by the day–but currently she’s little more than a sack of animated flesh and wood.

“I do not know what else to tell you. Human instincts are hard to pin down.”

Eventually it’s our turn. I present tickets for myself and Crystal, while Maria and Karanos hold out their own; Sah is exempt. We’re some of the only people in the line to use paper, lacking the glossY-like mobile devices of the Furemarnish.

The ascendant hops down from the pier post and onto the deck, landing before Karanos, hands on her hips.

“I haven’t seen you in a long time,” she states. Karanos’ heartbeat remains steady, his facial expression the pinnacle of composure. “We’ll talk later.” She sidesteps around him and comes right up to Maria. “You’re an interesting one, aren’t you?”

Of course it’s me, she groans internally. Ian, please try harder in the future. For the blue-haired ascendant woman, Maria offers a polite smile. “I’m just along for the ride.”

The ascendant blinks. “...Right.” She walks to the pier post and jumps back up. “You’re clear, go on up.”

—

So Karanos does know the woman, I muse.

“Her thoughts were as guarded as his,” Crystal replies. “But a relationship explains why Karanos chose to come here over the thousands of other options.”

He acted like he didn’t know her, though. He was like a stiff board around her.

Maria absently scratches Sah behind his ear holes, the frost dragon’s head angled in the direction of her fingers.

“What a mommy’s boy,” I say, sighing.

Maria snorts. “Jealousy doesn’t become you, Ian.”

I gaze between Maria and Crystal. “Maybe he just likes women.”

Maria’s jaw drops. “You’re accusing Crystal’s frost dragon of being sexist?” She scratches a little harder and the dragon closes his eyes. “Ian, you’re going to hurt his feelings.”

“Y’jeni, how did I ever get roped into this...”

“By force,” Crystal replies. She’s not wrong: Karanos essentially dragged us out of the lightless plane. “Wait, Karanos is going inside.”

I turn to see Karanos ducking into the cabin of the yacht. Maria and I look at Crystal expectantly. The fish rears up on her hindlegs and places her paws on the guardrail, peering down at the flat fish below. “He does not yet know where she is, and this is a large boat; I will keep you both updated if anything interesting happens.”

“You know,” Maria begins, joining Crystal at the rail. Sah gives her a grumpy look and turns away, abandoned. “This is the first time Karanos has left us unattended. We could try to escape now, if we wanted..”

My eyes narrow. “How does that help us? I can’t make a return beacon. Besides, going against Karanos last time ended in disaster. I can’t believe you’re suggesting we risk ruin again. We don’t even have the element of surprise.” Karanos won’t let himself fall into Maria’s array a second time.

Maria frowns. Her thoughts are filled with tension. “Now that we’re back in civilization, so to speak, you can leave Crystal and Sah and run without fearing for others. If you move fast enough and cover your tracks, you can escape him.”

I take in a deep breath and cross my arms on the guardrail, leaning out over the water. “I’m so tired, Maria. I tried, I really did. I listened to you and Crystal and attempted to do things my way, getting out from under Karanos’ thumb. But I failed. In the end, I could have avoided all this strife if I’d have just gone along with his plan from the beginning like a good boy.”

A strong sense of concern comes over our one-way bond. “Is that really how you feel? Regret?”

I turn away, shame coloring my cheeks. “Yes.”

“You missed the point,” she murmurs. “Look, you failed, but you struggled and learned. That’s how we grow–by taking on challenges. And often we learn most from our failures.”

“I can’t spin off everything as a learning opportunity,” I snap. “This experience was a nightmare, and I almost lost two people under my protection.” I grab onto the guardrail and clench my hands. “I hate him, and yet he is my way home–I need him.”

“You do not need him, Ian,” Crystal interjects. “As Maria says, you can run away at any time. I would not fault you for it. Oh–Karanos found the woman.”

Maria and I lock eyes. I’m not going to drop this topic, she states.

Of course she won’t.

Crystal begins to give us a play-by-play of Karanos’ interaction. She can’t read their thoughts very well, but the words they speak and their immediate impressions are clear and at the very surface:

“Marina,” he says. She’s at the far end of the hall with her hand on the door of an equipment closet.

She turns his way, the door forgotten. “Karanos.”

“Have you heard the news about Ari?” he asks, voice filled with trepidation.

Marina freezes. “No. Why?”

“She’s dead.”

The blue-haired woman blinks rapidly. “How?” she asks, voice hoarse.

“It’s complicated, but boils down to Achemiss.”

“How have you been handling it?”

“Like I always do.”

Marina begins to count on her fingers. “Moody outbursts, taking out your anger on others, blowing things up...”

Karanos chuckles. “Oh, you know it’s all of the above.” He turns and rests his forehead on the wall. “What am I to do, Marina? That’s another one of us gone forever. I’m really starting to...”

Marina’s expression turns ugly. “Don’t you dare. You’re such a fucking idiot sometimes. If I’m the last of us, I’ll...”

“What?”

“Kill...you.”

“You’ll kill me, if I die?”

“Insufferable prick.” She joins him at the wall, her hands crossed under her chest. “Fuck you if you end it. You know I don’t have that option.”

“So you spend your days living like this, among the mortals?”

“Better than with an idiot like you.”

The two of them are quiet for a moment. Then Marina pulls Karanos into a hug, the man’s head sinking against her shoulder. She rubs his back and whispers soft encouragement into his ear. “Shh, it’s okay. You’re okay.”

“None of us are okay,” he murmurs. “I’m ruining your shirt.”

“I have literally five-hundred of them.”

He snorts. “I believe you. How many shirts did you use to go through in one day of adventuring?”

“An embarrassing amount,” she snickered, still rubbing his back. “Why don’t we go somewhere more private.”

She leads Karanos up a flight of stairs and opens the door to a plain bedroom.

Suddenly, the scene cuts off.

“What happened?” I ask.

“Marina’s room is protected. I cannot see anything.”

The three of us fall silent, mulling over what we’ve just seen. I don’t feel bad for eavesdropping after everything Karanos has done, but I can’t help but feel sympathy.

For the first time since I’ve met Karanos, he actually seemed human.