“Found it!

I’m surprised it was actually here,” I exclaim digging into a pile of dirty clothes and loose ammo,

…….

“That was the quiver Lyra bought for you?” Apollo identifies the object I reveal

“Mhm,” I nod strapping the magic item back to side of my leg,

It’s been two days since the Roux island mission,

After pestering Himari for a bit, we were given clearance to go search the impounded seacraft of the trench pirates, I first awoke on this ring in…

(I could have asked the chairman to allow me, but I don’t like talking to him)

“I don’t really think I’ll be using this quiver much but it’s one of the few things I have that was gifted to me,” I comment,

“…….” Apollo nods distractedly looking around the pirate ship

“…

You know I believed you when you said it wasn’t you who committed those crimes with the pirates,

I can’t ignore all the evidence of you psychically being there,

I mean this is your room on their ship,

What were you up to for this past year when we were apart?”

(What was I up to?)

“Honestly….

……

Nothing…

Gray emptiness, a silent void

That is all remember, time didn’t pass for me,

One moment Karina was dying in front of me,

The next was nothing

I couldn’t see anything, hear anything, not even feel anything.

Then suddenly I was thrust back into consciousness, waking up in this very room.

It was all so bizarre”

(Might as well be semi-honest with him)

Apollo shuffles about a bit nervously unsure what to say to me,

“You sure are complicated Kage,” he eventually gives up trying to figure what to say, instead wrapping his arm around my shoulder ruffling my hair,

(Not again)

Umph!

“Aww!

What the hell Kage!?" Apollo pulls back from me as I’d just headbutted his jaw

“Don’t ruffle my head as if I were a child, that is annoying”

“Ok, bet” smiles Apollo slyly rubbing his jaw

“You do realize that it is just me and you here~”

(I have to get out of here)

Pushing the sturdy man, I dart for the door, but Apollo is already on my heels,

Vwhip!

I fire a sharp arrow behind at me,

He easily whacks it away with the back of his hand

“You’re not getting away Kage!” Sings Apollo

“You need to behave, act your age!” I yell back,

“No chance!”

(I’m finished)

……..

****

One of the larger more densely populated islands of the second ring, it is considered to be one of the main hub islands of the ring.

The musty feeling wind brushes past my face as I peer out the window of the car I’m in,

Along the road ahead is what seems like an endless amount of traffic…

(Maybe I have been on the ocean for too long, but this place is horrible)

Gray buildings, gray roads, gray dull skies covered by industrial gases, crowds of people moving along, whom to me looks like a grey blur,

Even Sweepstake city, a crowded city of the first ring, was nowhere near as lifeless as this heap.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost” comments Apollo looking back at me from the front where he sits next to the driver, Himari

“Where is the life in this city?” I ask disgustingly,

“Are you looking for your next victim?” Himari suddenly retorts

(Was that meant to be a joke?)

“This is how most islands are on this ring,” tells Apollo disregarding the tasteless remark of his supervisor

“This ring is technology focused what do you expect,

There aren’t fields of grass or any free space anywhere like our—well my and Lyra’s ring,

Even if you do find a park it will just be filled with plastic grass,”

“This is my ring, so don’t think I’ll sit here and listen to you two bury it,” declares Himari watching straight at the road

“Look, supervisor,” Apollo speaks in a softer tone,

“I know you are used to this, but I’m telling you, if you experience walking through vast stretches of just pure trees, feeling the breeze, nature itself singing,

You will never look back,

On the third ring we live in tune with nature not against her,”

“That sounds awful,” mutters Himari

“Do you know how many diseases you can catch from being out in the wild?”

“Not on our ring, if nature starts spreading diseases it means you have been harming her,

A virus cannot simply spawn from nothing,

On your ring there is constant poison going into the earth,

It is only natural that she would try to poison you back”

“I guess that is true to a degree…

But look at the skyscrapers, people living safely, happily, and as easy as possible because of the fruits of science,

What more could a person ask of the earth, if not to have a place to live safely?

I guarantee that if we left nature alone, it would just overgrow and take over what we have as well, Apollo”

“I have to take you to the first ring before it’s too late Himari,

You do not know what you are missing out on,

And as someone who has spent ten years living in a void beneath a city

I know what it means, to be disaccustomed to nature’s art,

Do not worry however supervisor, I will save you from this one day,”

“I wouldn’t mind that actually..” Himari says under her breath

………..

“Are you two fucking?” I ask randomly causing Himari to let her hand off the wheel for a second or two,

“Unprofessional,” she mumbles driving onward silently,

“I’ve noticed that you come over to the beach house every night and go out with Apollo,

Who comes back after midnight and then sleeps till ten or eleven the next morning” I continue

“How do you even notice all of that?” Apollo scratches his head

“I don’t sleep,”

(Last time I lost consciousness for a long period of time I woke up a year later)

“What do you be doing then?” Apollo using this as a good way to switch the topic

“I’ve been spending my time trying to gain as much information as possible, as well as trying to develop what I can call my art”

“Have you made any progress?”

“Something of the sort,”

(I got a new schematic into my glove besides the bow, that is all)

“Stop being cryptic Kage,

I have enough mysteries in my life,”

“You do realize you are talking to me?

I infinitely have more mysteries to deal with than you,”

“I never got to find out about my parents,” begins Apollo counting his fingers

“I still haven’t figured out Darius; requiem.”

“I don’t know why Giichi sir said we looked related,—"

“—You are related to this pirate?” Himari cuts him off,

“No, one hundred percent no, but I’d still like to know why that old man thought that” Apollo disputes

“It was something to do with your father, and that counts as a mystery for me as well” I put in

“Hey Himari, do you know that I am technically a king back in my home kingdom,” Apollo says somewhat arrogantly

“Ok.” She replies dryly

The conversation fizzles put after this

“…”

“……..”

…..

(Awkward as hell)

“Eh hem, so where are going actually?” I turn my face back to the awful view of buildings and people,

“To get your friend, she hasn’t been in contact with us for a few weeks now,” answers Himari

(Friend?

Does she mean….)

“Are we going to get Lyra?”