The next day after the group set off, they could see the waves were getting rougher by the second. Ravenbeard did his best to steer as Itsuki and Akeru went to him to see what was happening.

Akeru: W-Why is the ship rocking so hard?!

Ravenbeard: The sea be mad at us, lass...

Itsuki: What do you mean mad?! We didn't do anything!

Akeru: Pay our dues...but I thought that was a myth!

Ravenbeard: Nay...it be no myth, lass. The sea is angry at us for not worshiping her.

The waves rock the boat more and more as they see a maelstrom pulling them in.

Itsuki: That's not good!

Akeru: You don't say! Itsuki, do you have a spell or something?! Where is Ci?!

Itsuki: I think she is asleep; I don't know!

Akeru: Well, go wake her up or something, hurry!

Itsuki nodded and quickly left, but as he did, the ship rocked more and caused him to trip and fall off the ship. Akeru screamed as she ran to watch him fall into the maelstrom. He got dragged underwater and couldn't believe his eyes; he saw a mermaid swimming toward him. She had long teal hair and seashells in her hair. Her tail was also teal and had scales all over her breasts. She swam to Itsuki and smiled softly, holding his cheek as the maelstrom settled down.

Ravenbeard: Damn it all, the sea took him as payment!

Akeru: I'm going in after him-

Ravenbeard: If you do that, lass, you will die with him!

Akeru: I don't care! I'm not letting him-

Ci came from behind her and jumped into the water, freezing it around her feet as she walked to where Itsuki was. Itsuki looked up to see her, trying to swim toward her, but the mermaid glared and attempted to pull him further into the water. He was losing air; he couldn't keep going for much longer.

Ci: Let him go; he is with me!

The mermaid let him go as she swam at Ci; her tail turned razor-sharp as she did a flip out of the water, attempting to cut Ci, but Ci blocked it with an ice shield. The mermaid landed back into the water, where she looked at Itsuki, charging at him.

Unfortunately, Itsuki was losing his vision; everything was going black. He kept trying to swim to Ci, but his body gave out as he fell unconscious. As the mermaid got close, the water surrounding his body froze. She looked at Ci, who kept glaring at the mermaid. The mermaid tried cutting the ice with her tail, but nothing worked.

Akeru: Itsuki...please be okay....

As the mermaid kept trying, Ci was freezing more of the sea around him. Finally, the mermaid screamed underwater as the maelstrom slowly formed back, leaving Ci and Itsuki alone. Ci quickly rose the ice cocoon with Itsuki inside and sent it to the ship. Ci thawed it out as she went to Itsuki, Akeru following her as she kneeled to Itsuki.

Akeru: H-H-He isn't breathing! Is he dead-

Ci got on her knees and put her lips against his, giving him mouth to mouth. But, of course, Akeru didn't understand, so she just blushed heavily. Itsuki coughed as he slowly opened his eyes to see the two towering over him.

Itsuki: What...happened...?

Ci: Save your breath...girl, take him into the ship. I will help the pirate navigate through this!

Akeru: R-Right!

Akeru got him up and led him into the ship as Ci stood at the ship's edge, gazing at the maelstrom.

Ravenbeard: If ye are going to do something, now would be the best time!

Ci: You don't issue orders to me, pirate! I do as I please!

Ravenbeard: Damn Witches...all off them the same...

Ci's eyes flash as the water around the ship rose and froze into ice spikes, keeping the mermaid away and guiding the ship without it getting pulled into the maelstrom again.

Ravenbeard: Aye, my love...the sea, I am sorry for mistreating ya—next time, love...next time.

Ci mumbled as she glared at the ocean.

Ci: The sea isn't the issue here... it's the one in control of it... So, Arie, what have you been doing?

Two weeks passed, as Itsuki could not find a reliable way to speed up the ship...but he did learn new spells to use. Finally, the ship makes it back to the port town of Ravan. Ravenbeard parked his ship as the four got off the ship.

Akeru: Oh, thank heavens, solid land again!

Itsuki: No kidding...I don't want to look at the ocean again.

Ravenbeard: Mind yer tongue, boy! At least, thanks to the Witch, we were able to have more variety in food.

His words held the truth as Ci provided fruits and vegetables to the group when they cooked their daily meals.

Itsuki: That reminds me...how can you summon things like that?

Ci: Can you not? It is a more potent version of a Grade 7 spell; I believe that was called Chamber. It allows you to create a pocket dimension that you can enter and exit out of. Not only that, but you can store things in there and take them out at will. Of course, my version allows me to use it without issue, whereas if you used it, it would drain your magic usage up quite easily at a lower skill level.

Itsuki: I need to learn that then! That way, I can hold onto my books a bit easier!

Akeru: Ravenbeard, what do you plan to do? We don't need you to take us back and forth to the island anymore...

Ravenbeard: I've thought about it, lass. It wouldn't set right if I left you two alone, so I decided to travel with ye a bit longer!

Itsuki: Awesome!

Ci: Would that be wise? Your skeletal parts will scare people away from you.

Ravenbeard: Funny coming from a Witch.

Ci couldn't help but smirk as they proceeded to leave town. Ravenbeard stopped by a store and traded for a nice long metal pegleg so he could walk somewhat normally again. The four finally would step foot on the desert sand. It seems Cleo fixed her country's landscape while they were up north. They walked for hours to the city of Polisha; Ci helped the team by cooling them down with her ice magic. They all stared at the city gate, no guards were on duty, and the city was lively.

Akeru: Weird choice...what do you think happened?

Ci: Knowing my sister, she probably killed them all for trivial reasons.

Ravenbeard: Sounds about right...so what is our plan, mates?

Itsuki: We go in, get to Cleo, and warn her. After that, I'm not sure...

Ci: Prepare for a fight, especially once she sees you with me.

Akeru: Let's go...to the Sand Witch!