“Captain Valhart, take a look at what I found!” A blonde boy with a white tank and torn shorts said through his binoculars that peered at the horizon. The boy had tied his hair back into a ponytail to keep the hair out of his eyes, even though the other sailors made fun of him for appearing more feminine.

A brawny man with a long tangled beard appeared behind the boy and snatched the binoculars out of his hands. His breath reeked of alcohol and his gut stuck out far enough to push the boy off the sailing ship and into the depths below. He stumbled but didn’t whine.

“What did ya’ see, Chammie?” The brawny man peered through the binoculars, his eyes settling on a group of people and a penguin riding in a boat made purely out of magic.

“Well, I’ll be…” Captain Valhart lowered the binoculars before returning to the Fore-mast. “We’ve got some live ones. Front an’ center men!”

Chammie hopped off the railing and scrambled his way down to Fore-mast and got in line with the other sailors. All of them had various lengths and sizes, and many of them were unable to dress in more than rags. Captain Valhart popped open his canister and began gulping down some of his special drink that kept him feeling good. He leaned against the mast behind him.

“We got three people and a penguin ridin’ in some magic wagon. They wearin’ some fancy shit. Leave the girl alive, she’s for me.” His laugh came out with hiccups.

The men started chatting amongst themselves and laughing, their eyes filled with mischievous ideas and plans. A bunch of them scrambled to the railing and looked out toward the sea for who they were going to be kidnapping.

Chammie stayed behind and started to climb up the main mast to his place of reading. He didn’t like violence. He enjoyed the thrill that came with adventure, but ever since he had been forced to work for Captain Valhart things hadn’t been the same. He climbed up to the top and found a beautiful view of the world before him.

Clouds that expanded over the sky and stretched into boundlessness. A sea that rippled with excitement and fell into the depths of the unknown. Its pit was so bottomless it could house the tallest peaks in the world and then some. This warm vibrance in the air that attracted the Hullibren birds with long beaks and extensive wingspans told Chammie that he was in the Southern Mariot Sea. One of the most beautiful places in the world.

It took his breath away.

“Prepare to turn! We’re heading straight for 'em at full speed!” Captain Valhart shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice carrying on the water and traveling up the mast to Chammie’s ears.

Chammie situated himself in the crow’s nest and nestled himself between the wood that held him suspended high up in the air as the wind carried the flags to their destination. He picked up a book that he had kept with him for a long time now. This was a fantasy book, one that had left a deep imprint on him.

He picked the book up and wiped it off before opening it to where he had last left off.

~ - ~ - ~

“You don’t have to go Isabella! Count Fahren doesn’t care about you! He’s only using you as a political tool. Don’t go...you’re better off adventuring with me and exploring the world.”

Klein pleaded with Isabella. Her face was full of complicated emotions as she looked at Klein. She slipped her heel on and closed her eyes and then slipped the other one on, before throwing her hair back.

“As much as I would like to go with you Klein, I can’t leave my family out for the rats. Count Fahren would have my family massacred if I didn’t marry him. It’s because of this I tell you I can’t go with you. Please understand.”

She walked out of the door and left Klein in the room by himself. He pulled his shirt back on and looked at his trembling hands.

“You’re not thinking straight Isabella.” He clenched his hands.

“I’ll make everything right. I’ll free you from this nightmare so you can live freely. I will take Count Fahren’s life.”

~ - ~ - ~

Aldweck was being pestered by the penguin named Alex constantly. He didn’t know why this penguin wanted to come with them and why he thought it was entertaining to have Zaya here to be a part of this ungodly slow boat ride, but despite all this, he was here to make his life hell.

“Hey, Aldweck. Aldweck, fuck face.” He snickered, “I bet you’re gonna die here in the next couple hours. Not that I would particularly like that since you’re the only one who can understand me. But don’t get the wrong idea, you’re disposable.”

Zaya had her arms crossed and wouldn’t look at Aldweck. Her eyebrow twitched uncontrollably as the penguin cawed as if it were speaking to Aldweck.

“Hey, shit-face. Can you make the penguin shut up before I throw it out? I don’t even know why you brought that penguin. Did forming a contract with the God of Hell turn you into a raging lunatic as well?” Her voice petered out.

Erick was still asleep, yet to have woken up after that whole ordeal. His face was full of complex emotions as his body recovered from the harsh battle he had with Zaya.

“I’m trying to tell you that I didn’t--”

“That I’m carrying him with me because I want to. Shut up you stupid bitch.” Aldweck’s motor functions had been taken over by Alex once again.

His heart dropped once again as the magicless Zaya lept across the magical boat the penguin had erected and started strangling Aldweck. In response, Aldweck pushed her off with his superior physical strength. Without her magic, she couldn’t reinforce her physical strength to fight Aldweck.

“Just chill out for a bit.”

“Tell me to chill out again, when I’m being held captive against my will by a lunatic who made some deal with the God of Hell!”

“We’re just going in circles now. One day you’ll understand. At least I hope.” Aldweck sighed.

Erick’s eyes fluttered open. In his vision, he saw Zaya and immediately summoned a fireball.

“You bitch!” He screamed.

The fireball flew off into the sky, his aim drastically off the mark.

“Erick!” Aldweck grabbed Erick, his face full of mixed emotions.

“I know some of the details, but don’t attack her. I’ve got it under control.” Mitch lied.

Erick’s vision filled with Aldweck and tears welled up in his eyes. His face was flooded with emotion as water ran down his cheeks. He grabbed hold of Aldweck and wrapped his arms around him like a baby.

“Master! You’re alive...I thought you were dead.”

“No, I made it. All thanks to you. Don’t even worry about it.” Mitch sighed, even in his heart he felt relieved. Knowing that Erick was okay and that someone truly had his back had touched his heart. Even though he knew he wasn’t really Aldweck, part of him felt connected to Erick. As if he could trust him with any secret in the world.

Erick’s eyes snapped open, he let go of Aldweck and turned his head toward Zaya.

His eyes narrowed, “I’m not forgetting what you did you wench--”

“Look kid, you were the one who decided to fight me.”

“And you were the one who was so flabbergasted by being saved by master that you had to go and try and kill him! Now the Duke, and even Ronnie...are probably dead. All those civilians and people’s blood is on your hands!”

“The amount of blood on my hands could fill the Southern Mariot Sea!”

“I should kill you!” Aldweck put his hand on Erick’s shoulder.

“Don’t forget your promise to me. Right now she’s even weaker than me because I’ve taken her magic away.” Aldweck said, hoping to somehow make it sensible.

“W-Wha…?” Erick looked at Aldweck before his eyes locked onto the penguin.

“Why is there a penguin with us? And how did you take away that wench’s magic?”

“He’s my good luck charm. I found him on the brink of death and was able to save you guys because he brought me back to reality.”

While there was some truth to that, it was clear to Mitch that he couldn’t just tell them the truth and be satisfied with that.

“Oh...okay. Well, how did you take away Zaya’s magic? That shouldn’t be possible.”

“He’s made a contract with the God of Hell! How else could it be? You should know better than anyone Erick. Magicians know no greater enemy than someone who can erase magic itself. Your master has sold his soul for unrivaled power it seems.” She threw her arms to the air and sighed.

Erick looked to Aldweck, “Is that true?”

“No. It’s not. Through a near-death experience. I learned this power. Though I can’t always use it. It has a mind of its own and I haven’t quite mastered it yet.”

Erick nodded, “Well, I know you wouldn’t lie, master.” He thought about how strange Aldweck had been acting ever since the Glowing Mariot and now with these new powers, Erick felt complex once again. His eyes gravitated up toward the ship that was heading straight for them.

“I think we have bigger problems to worry about.” Erick stood up in the magical boat, looking at the ship that was headed straight for them. It was several times larger than their ship. In fact, it made them look like easy bait that could be capsized just by being near that sailing ship.

A whistling sound peered through the air before a cannonball exploded near them. Causing the boat to struggle to stay afloat.

A few of the sailors laughed in the distance.

“Jeri, you’re gonna get us in trouble! Captain wanted the girl brought alive. We aren’t supposed to be shootin’ the cannons!” Aldweck managed to hear travel over the water.

The ship quickly arrived beside their boat and many of the sailors slid down from a spider rope and stood on their ship.

“Now, take it easy. Just come with us and everything’ll be fine.”

Zaya reared her fist back and punched the man into the water.

“You bitch!” The other one exclaimed, whacking her sword at her and leaving her with a shoulder cut as she narrowly dodged.

A bullet traveled through the sailor’s head as he collapsed into the water. Smoke traveled from Captain Valhart’s small flintlock.

“I told you to not touch the woman.”

“Come with us, and we won’t hurt you.” Captain Valhart grinned, a bunch of his men behind him.

Mitch was freaking out. That pirate had shot one of his own men without hesitation, and it was clear they intended to do terrible things to Zaya. What would be left of Aldweck and Erick? Forget the penguin, but what would happen to them? His breathing was out of control as he looked at the gun. A gun was a gun, and he was sure it would go through him as any other gun would.

“We will go with you, but you have to promise not to touch her or harm any of us,” Aldweck said.

Erick looked at Aldweck, “Master, why don’t we just fight them and take their ship?”

Aldweck whispered, “I have a plan. Just follow my lead.”

“Heh...alright. Climb on up. We will treat you better than those scum who dare hurt a woman. I promise.” His grin said everything that was the opposite of what was coming out of his mouth.

“Okay, we’re coming up there,” Aldweck said.

Alex clapped his hands in excitement, “Things are getting fun. Fun I say! Climb like monkeys. Climb!”

Aldweck’s eye twitched as he put his hands to the spider rope on the siding of the ship.

“Here we go.” He sighed, hoping that things couldn’t possibly get any worse. Which of course, they probably were.