Chapter 10

Five days flashed in a heart-beat, and the group of four found themselves sailing towards Xicram. During those five days, under the strenuous and mentally exhausting training, Chrono built his resilience and skill enough for the approval of Captain Cason and Auran.

As for Ise, she was cultivating herself in the Cave of Melodies. Her bloodline to be exact. The Cave of Melodies in face value is but a simple cave one could find anywhere. The reason for its name is the natural phenomenon that occurs inside the cave. The condensation of water and the drippage from the ceiling. When someone with Siren’s bloodline focused and honed on the dripping of water - it’s rhyme, frequencies, and pitches - Siren can strengthen the essence of her voice. Though this training is considered primitive by her ancestors, it was an effective method for Ise to enhance her power and gave her the rights to go on the journey with them.

The distance from their home base and Xicram was a ten-day journey which the crew put to good use. Due to Captain Cason and Auran being poor in their academics, Ise tutored Chrono of the world and the many races, factions, and places in the world using the many books she collected over the years. While Ise tutored, Captain Cason dealt with flying and Auran dealt with the maintenance of the ship. Ise and Chrono were hunkered down in Chrono’s room with Chrono and Ise sitting side by side facing the desk.

Pointing to the text on a heavy duty book filled with an abundance of pages, Ise lectured. “We are currently in the Kuki Empire. It is one of the many empires and an empire that lies somewhat in the middle regarding power. It is located at the edge of Woodland Dusk and the Myriad sea!”

“Sea?” Chrono’s eyes lit up “We should go visit the sea sometime!”

Ise nodded her head, “We’ve only been there once, but it’s beautiful. Especially Brinbreeze falls!”

“I can’t wait!” Chrono said delightedly. Reading through the books thick text, he pointed to a section in curiosity. “Au-to-ma-tons?”

“Automatons.” Ise corrected, “They’re robots.”

“Robots!?”

“They’re like us, but they’re also like the ship.” Ise described “They look like us, but the way they move, speak, and eat, it’s all mechanical.”

“Mechanical? They have metal moving inside them?” Chrono said agaped.

Ise nodded her head and turned a few pages in the book. To the left of the book was a design of an automaton. The automaton was a ballerina automaton who was raising one of her legs high into the air. In the space around the automaton were parts and gears that pointed to different parts of the automaton, with a brief description of what each part does.

“My head hurts,” Chrono said grasping his head in slight pain.

“Don’t overthink it.” Ise smiled and rubbed his forehead.

Chrono nodded and stared into her eyes in contemplation for a while until he asked “Are they like us? Are they alive?”

Ise was silent. Disregarding his overthinking question, thinking about it, she asked herself the same thing during her study. But she hadn’t put deep thought into it. They were made of metal, gears, and all other assortments. They didn’t have bones, skin, blood, or even a brain. Though they could speak, eat, and drink, they didn’t exhibit emotions one would find in a living being. She knew in her heart that they were alive, but she couldn’t bring herself to fully accepting that notion. Maybe it was due to her past; her stoic expression she always had on. If another person had asked Ise before she met Chrono, she would’ve immediately said that those who didn’t show emotions weren’t alive or at least human. They were monsters. Now she was conflicted. Left in a trance Ise gazed off into the distance until Chrono spoke. “I think they’re human.”

“Why do you say that?” Ise asked curiously. She wanted to know how he came to a conclusion so fast.

“I just do.” Chrono answered “It shouldn’t matter if they don’t look exactly like us. As long as we can talk to each other, I don’t think it’d be lonely anymore.”

Ise took in Chrono’s words to heart and recalled the little experiences he had since arriving here. Ise gave a small smile and moved on from the conversation.

“Since you know the basics of the world. Let’s talk about Xicram.” Ise said flipping past a number of pages.

“Xicram, the city of the Azure Sky, the Empyrean Halo. Xicram is a major economic force in the Kuki Empire with the focus of jewelry and gems. Due to border disputes between the Kuki Empire and the Yinyia Empire, Xicram was the location of many battles. One of the most famous and major battles being the Golden Light. To defend from an approaching armada, the Kuki Empire sent what it could; a fleet of four Golden Battlecruisers armed with heavy weaponry. The fight began at the strike of dawn with the Yinyia armada outnumbering the Kuki empire four to one. A hopeless battle meant to delay the fleet as best as it can until reinforcements arrived. Through a miracle, the light from the rising sun struck the golden plates of the battlecruiser causing a strong blinding light to hit the Yinyia armada. The light gave the Kuki fleet the advantage they needed to defeat the Armada. As a result of the light, the Kuki empire achieved its first devastating victory over Yinyia. Causing Yinyia to lose all but three ships while Kuki only lost one of its battlecruisers which is now displayed in the National Museum.

“Cool!” Chrono cheered as he envisioned himself in the battlecruiser. Though there was one thing that confused him “How did the light blind them from so far away?” Chrono in his free time would gaze through his window or walk around the roof of the airship. At times the light would reflect from the metal plates, but never enough to impede his vision to the extent that he couldn’t move.

“That’s one of the many mysteries of the battle!” Ise said “How did a reflective light do so much damage that it could cause a one-sided slaughter. Why did at the crucial moment after the lights effect faded from their eyes that their weapons were non-functioning?”

Chrono nodded and asked himself these questions, but he couldn’t find an answer that was reasonable.

“Though it was five years ago, the questions regarding the event are plentiful. These questions are what makes history fun.” Ise smiled, “Learning of the past while contemplating the many questions that it brings.”

“Do we have history?” Chrono asked innocently. Having just been introduced to it, history seemed so profound to him. He wondered if he could truly be included in the many pages of the book they were reading.

Ise misinterpreted Chrono and slightly blushed. “O-of course we do.” She said as quiet as a mouse and held her head down.

“Ise?” Chrono asked moving his head to get a better look at Ise’s face.

“Anyways! It’s almost time for dinner.” Ise squealed and got up and paced herself towards the door. Opening the door with one of her feet out, Ise turned around and said “Make sure to read about the regions.” before gently closing the door behind her.