VIII : Captain of the Windy Fleet

After three days, they were somewhat prepared. The group stood in front of Losteria's town hall, which is the biggest building in the city and where the banquet will be held.

Isaac felt so out of place, especially with the fancy black outfit of a noble. Everything about the outfit felt uncomfortable.

"Would you stop scratching your neck?" Meng asked.

"I'm just not used to it," Isaac said. Meng had taken the liberty of designing their outfits for the night and she'd done a really good job.

Polus, as usual, wore his normal outfit since he was a merchant. Liliora wore a stunning red dress that glittered with white as if she were wearing the night sky. Unlike most royal dresses, it doesn't have that poofy skirt. Instead, the fabric hugged her body tightly, showing all her allures and features as a woman.

This was as per her request, of course.

Isaac on the other hand wore three-piece clothing. Similar to Polus's, but way more refined and stylish. A white shirt with a black buttoned jacket on top of it. A small crest was emblazoned on the jacket's left chest, but the insignia was unfamiliar to him.

Meng on the other hand opted for the low-profile route. A simple sleeveless white dress, but her defining feature was her blonde hair. Since she'd always tied it in a braid for as long as Isaac's known her, he'd never seen her let her hair loose. Now that she has, her hair was thick and luscious, but not so much as to become overwhelming. It's like the perfect amount of hair.

"I can feel them looking at me," Meng said as her face flushed with embarrassment. Similar to Isaac, she's not used to this kind of situation.

Liliora, on the other hand, was embracing it. "Just enjoy the attention, my dear friend." Liliora looked excited. "I'm gonna have fun with some royalties today."

"Just remember what we really came here for," Isaac said. Their true objective is to talk with Eiko, one of the Three Coins who would possibly know about the merchant fleet setting sail tomorrow, as Polus found out.

The four of them entered the town hall.

It looked surprisingly bigger on the inside rather than on the outside. Two massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling which is higher than it's supposed to be. The town hall expanded into a giant ballroom with several long dining tables stretched out to the left and right. The space in the middle of the building served as a dance floor with special honored guests sitting at the back of the ballroom, facing the dance floor.

One floor above, there was a balcony alongside the walls where archers were stationed just in case something happened. Armed bodyguards could also be seen placed throughout the room, standing by on watch.

It was already pretty crowded when Isaac went in. The band at the corner of the room was resting so there was no music currently. But all Isaac heard was chattering, murmurs, and hearty laughs.

"Security looks tight," Liliora said.

"Let's just make sure we don't do anything stupid," Isaac said. He was about to say something else when the music started playing all of a sudden and everyone cheered. They started to gather in the middle and start dancing with their partners.

Almost instantly, two gentlemen came up to each of the girls, both of them asking for a dance. Liliora didn't hesitate as she happily agree and went for a dance.

Meng, on the other hand, looked at Isaac as if she were asking what should she do.

Just say yes.

But I can't dance.

Just do what we practiced.

Isaac could almost hear Meng's internal groan as she faked a smile and accepted the man's offer to dance. That left him and Polus. The two exchanged looks.

"I'm not dancing with you," Polus said.

Isaac rolled his eyes. "Just do what you need to. I'll see if I can find Eiko." Isaac then leaned into Polus. "What does she look like?"

"Oh, trust me. You'll know her when you see her." Polus winked before leaving Isaac alone. He should be doing something as well as opposed to just standing here and doing nothing.

Isaac moved passed the dancing crowd to get a better look at the special guests' table. He's trying to see if he could spot the Fleet Captain if he got closer.

Unfortunately, things did not go his way.

On his way there, a guard stopped him. "You can't go through here. Honored guests only."

Isaac thought about lying, but seeing how big the guy was and how easy it would be for him to squish Isaac like a bug, he decided against it.

At least he got a good look at the table and no one stood out. A few princes, wealthy merchants, and some other big-name people, but no one looked like who he was looking for.

Polus said he'd know her when he sees her, but so far no one looked like Eiko. There's no one here that gave out the aura of one of the Three Coins.

Isaac wandered around aimlessly before stopping by for a drink, where the maid handed him a glass of wine. It's not as if he hadn't drunk wine before, but it's not his type of drink. But for now, anything would do. He sipped it, and held back the sour taste, before letting it settle down his throat.

He hoped the others were having a much better time than he was. In the corner of the room, he saw Meng idly chatting to a few people who looked like princesses. On the other side, Liliora was still full of life, dancing her hearts out but this time with another gentleman.

As for Polus, he couldn't see him anywhere. How a man that size disappear from Isaac's sight was ridiculous.

Isaac was about to call everyone to regroup and rethink their strategy, but then he heard gasps from the crowd. The doors to the town hall were open and they all looked towards it.

"It's her . . ."

"She's beautiful . . ."

"Gorgeous . . ."

Isaac heard whispers and murmurs from the crowd. Whoever this guest was, she was drawing a lot of attention.

Isaac squirmed through the crowd to get a good look of whoever just arrived and . . . whoa.

He found the Captain.

Eiko looked like a princess. She wore a black strapless ball gown with a poofy skirt. The dress had red outlines. But the feature that stood out the most was her blue hair. It reminded Isaac of the deep ocean. A dark midnight blue hair tied into a ponytail. Her face looked beautiful and intimidating at the same time.

Isaac noticed a scar on the back of her right shoulder, like a stab wound. Next to her were her two bodyguards that weren't dressed for the occasion. They looked like pirates with their vests, white shirts, hats, and the unmistakable swords strapped to their waists.

Almost everyone in the room stopped and stare at Eiko. To his surprise, Isaac could feel Eiko's Aura fill the entire place.

Ever since his encounter with Icirin, Isaac could feel the Auras of strong people. Not in the sense of strong as in they're good in combat, but strong in willpower.

Eiko's Aura made his skin tingle. She's not someone who should be taken lightly.

"Arriving to the Banquet," The doorman announced. "Eiko Kamura! Captain of the Windy Fleet!"

The crowd clapped as she made her way through the dance floor and towards the honored guests' table. After her arrival, the merry atmosphere gradually returned. The music picked up again and the chattering got louder.

"If you wanna go, now is the time." Polus suddenly appeared out of nowhere next to him. "Everyone will want to talk to her and you won't get any chance after this."

Upon hearing that, Isaac made his way to the table.

Once again, he found himself being stopped by one of the guards.

"You can't go here." The burly man said.

"I just want to meet the Captain," Isaac said.

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to wait like-"

"Hey there." Isaac heard a familiar voice behind him. Isaac turned around and saw Liliora but she looked different. It appears that she'd changed the way she looks now.

Isaac wanted to say something, but Liliora shot him a look that said, shut up, let me handle this guy.

"Hey, uh, miss." The guard seemed nervous. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for a stronger drink," Liliora said with fake sadness. "The wine here is not my taste. Do you have any stronger ones?"

"Um, we're not allowed to serve drinks to the guests. Maybe you could ask the maid here to-"

"Aw." Liliora pouted as she stepped in closer to the guard. She gently put her hand on his chest and leaned in close enough for her breasts to be touching him. "They won't help me. And I'm looking to enjoy myself." Liliora's hand slid from his chest down to his torso. "Can you help me?"

It seems the guard completely forgot about Isaac. "Um, uh, I . . ." He flustered. "I'll see what I can do."

"Why don't you help me look?" Liliora licked her lips and winked. "I get lost easily."

"C-Certainly!" The guard said. "This way." He led the way and Liliora followed giddily. She looked back at Isaac and mouthed Go!

Isaac nodded and went straight to the honored guests' table. Eiko sat in the middle of the table, so Isaac assumed she was probably the one with the highest status here.

Another guard caught Isaac going for it. "Hey!" He shouted.

But Isaac wasn't stopping he made his way quickly to the table and stood in front of Eiko. The two pirates behind her drew their swords and pointed them at Isaac, while Eiko just raised an eyebrow.

The other guards caught up with him and had their weapons drawn. Up on the balcony, he could see archers lining up their shots at him.

This was probably one of the most nerve-wracking situations he's ever been in. "What do you think you're doing?" One of the pirates asked.

The guards grabbed his hands and shoulders a bit too roughly for Isaac's taste.

"I just want to talk with the Captain," Isaac said.

"Well, get in line!" The pirate said. "You will have your chance during-"

Eiko held her hand up and interrupted him. "Interesting," Eiko said. "You just couldn't wait until the formal meet?"

"I really wanted to see you." Isaac managed a nervous smile.

"Well, you're here." Eiko crossed her arms. Rather than alarmed or confused, Eiko looked amused. Her lips curved into a smirk. "What did you want to say to me?"

Isaac knew very well that he couldn't just blurt out what he wanted to ask. Too many eyes were on him. He needs time alone with her.

"A dance," Isaac said. "Might I trouble you with a dance?"

There was a moment of silence when Isaac uttered those words. A dance? Just for that, he was willing to risk getting killed?

The first one to break the silence was Eiko with a hearty laugh. Despite that, there was still tension in the air.

"All that for a dance?" Eiko asked. "You must be out of your head."

"I've been told that a lot," Isaac said which wasn't wrong.

Eiko snickered. "Very well then." Eiko stood up. "Let's dance."

"But Captain-" her pirate bodyguard wanted to say something but Eiko cut him off.

"Relax," Eiko said. "It's just a dance. I've got to reward him somehow for his bravery. A gift before he dies."

"Before I what?" Isaac asked.

"Come." Eiko walked around the table and offered her hand, which Isaac gently took as he led her to the dance floor. The crowd parted and made way for them. They even cleared the dance floor for them, which made Isaac even more nervous. Now everyone was going to watch him and if he does even so much as made her trip during their dance, he'd die.

Eiko turned to face Isaac and he put one hand on her waist while he held her other hand gently.

The music began to play and the two danced slowly. Isaac didn't know how to dance but luckily, he and Meng spent the last three days practicing so he was average at best.

"Good thing you know what you're doing," Eiko spoke in a hushed tone. A smile was evident on her lips. She did find this amusing.

"I had three days worth of practice for this." Isaac managed a smile. Eiko chuckled.

"So, I'm sure you didn't just risk your head just for a dance with me," Eiko said. "What is it do you truly want?"

"What makes you say that?"

Eiko shrugged as they twirled slowly together. Isaac made a mental effort to remind himself to not step on her toes. "Everyone wants something from me. No matter how much they want to hide it."

"Fair point," Isaac said. Something about her made it very difficult for Isaac to lie about anything. Maybe it's her Aura or just her confidence. "I do want something for you."

Eiko smirked as if she'd expected that answer. "Must be pretty important for you to just rush in like that."

"In terms of importance, I'd say it's in second place right now."

"Oh really?" Eiko said as they continued dancing. "What's the first?"

Isaac grinned. "This dance," Isaac said. "This moment with you."

Eiko put on a confident grin, but the blush on her cheeks betrayed her true intentions. She definitely blushed at Isaac's comment. Isaac was surprised himself. He doesn't normally flirt, but he needed the time alone with her.

"Confident, aren't you?" Eiko said. "What's your name?"

"Isaac," Isaac answered as he lifted her hand and she twirled once before they get back into each other's arms. Maybe it was just him, but the gap between them seems to be closer than before.

"You're different than the ones I've met," Eiko said. "Are you a prince? A merchant?"

"And why should I answer that?"

Eiko shrugged. "Why should I just give you what you want?"

Isaac chuckled. "You're good," Isaac said and Eiko beamed proudly. "I'm just . . . an adventurer."

"And what might an adventurer like you have an interest in?" Eiko asked again. "Money? Fame? Or perhaps . . ." Eiko laced her fingers with Isaac's. "Are you looking for a woman?"

It was Isaac's turn to blush. It wasn't as if he had no experience being flirted on. He has been flirted on before, and most of it came from Liliora.

But something about Eiko just made it feel more intense.

Despite it, Isaac focused on his mission. "I would tell you, but not here. I prefer it to be behind closed doors."

"Hasty little child." Eiko grinned. She leaned in closer and whispered in his ear. "Midnight. Meet me outside." She said before they finished the dance with an elegant pose.

The crowd around them clapped and applauded. Isaac could feel some of the men here glaring daggers at him out of jealousy. "Thank you for the dance," Isaac said.

"Don't be late." Eiko gave him a wink before heading back to her table. Isaac made his way back to the crowd where Meng and Polus were waiting.

"So?" Meng asked. "Did you learn anything?"

"She'll talk to me soon," Isaac said. "At midnight."

Polus whistled. "An invitation from the Captain herself. I must admit, I am quite jealous."

Isaac rolled his eyes before turning to Meng. "What about you? Did you find anything?"

Meng shook her head miserably. "Not anything that we don't already know of," Meng said. "There will be some merchants and mercenaries on board, but they don't know anything about their guide. They just know they're going to the White Kingdom."

Isaac cursed under his breath. They had already found out just about everything they could save for the traitor that would lead the fleet through Shipwreck Maw into the White Kingdom

They knew the fleet will depart tomorrow. They knew it was going to be filled with merchants and mercenaries. What they didn't know anything about was the traitor.

"What time is it?" Isaac asked.

"It's almost midnight," Polus said. "After the formal meeting between the Captain and her followers, she'll probably leave soon."

Isaac nodded. "You can enjoy the party if you like. It's all me from here on out."

"I'm coming with you," Meng said. Isaac nodded as the two went outside and waited for Eiko.

After the merry atmosphere from the Banquet, the silence of the night took Isaac by surprise.

Finally, Isaac could let loose some of the buttons on his shirt. He felt suffocated by some of it

Meng looked relieved to be out as well. She tied her hair in a bun and threw away the jewelry she was wearing.

They were fake, anyway. Courtesy of Polus.

Isaac breathed out a sigh of relief when he could properly breathe. "How was she like?" Meng asked as she continued to tie her hair.

"Intimidating," Isaac said. "And beautiful."

"Uh-huh," Meng said. "Do you like her?"

"What do you mean?"

"When she walked in, I swear every man in the room looked like they were head over heels for her," Meng said. "Just figured maybe you'd fallen victim to her spell."

"I didn't fall under any spell," Isaac said. "And what's wrong? Are you jealous?"

Meng scoffed. "As if. I don't care about the attention."

Isaac raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you do."

"I don't."

Isaac just shrugged as the two waited for Eiko to show up. It felt longer than a few minutes, but soon the doors opened and his dance partner showed up. When she saw Meng, she raised an eyebrow.

"Your lover?" Eiko asked.

"Uh, friend," Meng answered. "Not even that. More like acquaintances."

Isaac rolled his eyes. "She's a friend."

Eiko continued to raise her eyebrow, but she said nothing of it. Her two pirate bodyguards weren't with her, so they have some alone time. "So, what do you need?"

Isaac decided to just get right into it. "Information," Isaac said. "About a certain upcoming trip that a few merchants will undertake."

"Ah." Eiko seems to know what Isaac's talking about. "The Northward Voyage. That's your interest. Are you looking to join in?"

"That's taken care of. As I said, I need information." Isaac said. "Your guide."

Eiko inhaled sharply through her teeth and wagged her finger. "That information has a hefty price tag on it. You're not getting it for free."

"How much gold are we talking about?" Meng asked.

"Hmm." Eiko tapped her chin before she answered. "Enough gold for a trip around the world."

"What? We don't have that kind of money." Meng argued.

"I know." Eiko grinned. "Sorry, but I value my customer's privacy."

Eiko was about to turn away but Isaac stopped her. "Wait. What if we make a deal?"

Eiko raised an eyebrow. "And what would you offer?"

"Depends on your true purpose," Isaac said. "You will be going along with the merchant fleet, correct?"

Eiko nodded. "We're hired to protect them from any sort of danger from here to the White Kingdom and back here again."

"I'm sure you have other purposes rather than just being a protection detail," Isaac said. "What's the reason you'd want to go there?"

Eiko regarded him with her dark blue eyes. "Whatever it is, I am sure it is none of your business."

"I can get you there safely," Isaac said.

"What do you think you're doing?" Meng asked but Isaac ignored her.

"I've already got a person for that," Eiko said, but Isaac was insisting.

"I don't mean through Shipwreck Maw. I mean into the White Kingdom. I can guarantee that you will be safe. All of you. The White Kingdom will not attack you on sight." Isaac said.

"And how would you guarantee that?" Eiko asked.

Isaac pulled out the White Kingdom's merchant pass from under his shirt. We're from the White Kingdom as well."

Eiko looked surprised while Meng smacked his hand. "You said don't show this to anybody," Meng said.

"Otherwise she won't believe me," Isaac said. He glanced at Eiko who was still in disbelief. "Have you seen this merchant pass before?"

Eiko nodded. "Long time ago, but yes." She seemed reluctant. "Fine. I'll believe you. I'll tell you what you want to know."

Isaac was relieved, but it was cut short when Eiko continued her sentence. "But, I'll tell you when we've arrived."

"Deal," Isaac said. The two shook on it.

"I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow," Eiko said as she walked back into the town hall. "Isaac, was it?" He answered with a nod. "Interesting."

With that, she went back inside.

That went surprisingly well, much to Isaac's surprise. "That was reckless," Meng said. "We still don't know if we could trust her."

"I'm not trusting her," Isaac said. "But she's the only one who knows the guide. It seems that no one else knows about this person."

"I hope you're right about this," Meng said. "We could be heading to a trap, you know. They could be plotting against us."

"That's just a risk we're going to have to take." Isaac knew that Meng knew that he was nervous.

If this was a trap, Isaac had just basically given them a free pass into the kingdom. This is a gamble that he's making, and he's got the rest of the voyage to figure out if he made the winning bet.

Line Break

Isaac, Meng, Polus, and Liliora made it to the harbor relatively unscathed.

Emphasis on relatively.

Both Polus and Liliora stayed late at the Banquet last night and had too much to drink. So much so, that Meng and Isaac didn't see them throughout the morning until they found Polus in the Town Hall and Liliora trying to negotiate on selling her hair with a pony.

Isaac and Meng had the stupid task of having to sober them up and drag them all the way to the pier.

"Unbelievable," Meng said as she looked at the sorry state of both of their friends.

"Well, at least they're here." Isaac sighed. He looked around the harbor and they were definitely preparing for something. A fleet of similar ships was being stocked up with supplies with just about anything you could think of from clothes to food to weapons.

One ship stood out among the rest. While the others were small merchant ships with green sails made for fast traveling and easy maneuvering, this ship in particular was massive. Several cannons lined up on the deck near the railing of the ship, and several more down the cargo hold with each of the cannons sticking out like thorns.

On its figurehead is the wooden carving of what appears to be a dragon and a serpent mixed together. Its three masts all had dark blue canvas tied to the beams and a flag with three gold coins on top of the main mast.

Isaac knew whose ship this was.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" Eiko suddenly appeared out of nowhere next to him. "I've had her for almost five years."

Compared to last night, Eiko looked like a completely different person. A white off-shoulder cotton blouse, dark leather pants, and boots. Her hair was tied to a ponytail and she was wearing a black captain's hat. Strapped on her belt was a sword.

She looked more like a pirate today compared to last night.

"Morning, Captain," Isaac said.

Eiko grinned. "Ready for the adventure?"

"Well, some of us are." Meng gestured at their two drunk friends who were hopelessly out cold.

"I can have my men carry them on board," Eiko said. "We'll leave in half an hour. I'm assuming you'll be sailing with me."

Isaac nodded. "If there's anything you need to do before we set sail, now would be the time. This journey will take about a week or two, so I suggest you prepare accordingly. If you die on the way there, well." Eiko shrugged before heading to her ship.

So Meng and Isaac went through a checklist of things that they need to do before finally going aboard the ship.

"Are you sure about leaving Tristina here?" Meng asked. "We'll be gone for a while."

"Polus told me a few days ago to not worry about it," Isaac said. "I don't know what he meant by that but I'll take his word for it."

Isaac and Meng felt so out of place on board the ship. The other crewmates were busy prepping to set sail. Isaac saw Polus and Liliora sleeping on the floor leaning against the main mast, so Isaac let them be.

Most of the crew looked at them funny, but they didn't say anything so long as Isaac didn't get in their way.

After a good few minutes, Eiko stepped out of her cabin.

"Captain on the deck!" One of the crewmates shouted. Everyone dropped what they were doing and stood up straight.

Eiko grinned as she stepped up to the ship's wheel. "Fair sailors. Today will be a day that will go down in history." Eiko started her speech. "Many have attempted, but just as many have failed. But we're not like those people. We're men of the seas. The ocean flows through our veins."

Isaac could feel the energy of the ship's crew rising.

"We are the Windy Fleet! We conquer the danger! We explore the unknown! We sail through the places where people don't dare go!" Eiko shouted. "The sea belongs to us! We are its masters! We don't cower in the face of the unknown but we embrace it! Who's willing to follow me into the dangers of death?"

A roaring cheer of approval came from the crew mates. Eiko grinned at their energy. "Then it's decided. Sailors of Leviathan! Hoist the anchors! Full sails! Make way for Shipwreck Maw!"

The crew cheered as everything happened in an instant. The canvas dropped and extended fully into sails. It picked up the wind and the whole ship lurched forward. Isaac almost lost balance. The ship was traveling fast for its size as it kept picking up speed.

With that successful launch, the crew cheered.

Line Break

It didn't take long before Losteria faded out of view and they were surrounded by nothing but a couple of merchant ships and the ocean.

The Leviathan took charge and led the fleet of merchant ships, which followed them at a close range.

Isaac did not know anything whatsoever about sailing. So he didn't know if they were going fast or slow or where they were. Everywhere he looked, he only saw nothing but open water and the occasional whale.

The poorest soul on the ship was Liliora, who was busy throwing up over the railing after the ship swayed one too many times.

"Why would you agree to ride on a boat when you get seasick easily?" Meng asked as she gently rubbed Liliora's back.

"Never been on a boat before." Liliora groaned. "I didn't know I get seasi-" Liliora suddenly urped again and threw up once more.

"Thank god I don't get seasick," Isaac said.

Isaac felt bad. It's going to be torture for her if she has to deal with this for a whole week. Polus on the other hand was still passed out. He snored loudly as his head swayed back and forth and hit the main mast multiple times.

How the guy was still asleep was beyond him.

The ruckus during the start of their voyage had died down once everything settled in. The sails have picked up the wind and they were steadily moving through the ocean. A few crew members were milling around, not really doing anything except checking the rigging and making sure everything was okay.

The person with the hardest job was probably Eiko, who was at the helm. She had one hand on the wheel and she held a spyglass on the other. Despite that, she looked right at home, feeling confident and smiling as they sailed to the White Kingdom.

Isaac decided to talk to her after hearing Liliora throw up for the last time. For some reason, he felt compelled to speak with her. Maybe it's because she was an interesting person.

"Hey." Isaac greeted.

"Got nothing to do?" Eiko grinned.

"What makes you say that?" Isaac asked.

"Well, you're talking to me," Eiko said. "Unless you have something important to ask, it means you have nothing better to do." Eiko shrugged. "Or maybe you just like me."

"Uh-huh," Isaac said. "I'm not the one who blushed during our dance."

"That's a lie and we both know it," Eiko said. "How are you holding up?"

"Better than some." Isaac glanced back to see Liliora hunched over the railing with Meng trying to make her feel better. "She's gonna have a bad week on this ship."

Eiko chuckled. "She'll be fine in a few hours. My men are cooking up meals that will make her feel better."

"Thanks," Isaac said. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you become a pirate?"

Eiko wagged her finger. "Tch tch tch. We're not pirates. We may look like them, but we're not."

"Then what are you?" Isaac asked.

"Simply put, we're more similar to adventurers," Eiko said. "We go where the wind takes us and where the sea demands it. We travel for the sake of making the world a bigger place, traveling to foreign and unknown lands."

"Is there a purpose for that?" Isaac asked.

Eiko shook her head. "It's just fun discovering new things. Plus, any unclaimed land is automatically yours if you're the first one there. We actually have our own hiding spot because of this."

"Where is it?"

"It's not a hiding spot if I tell you where it is." Eiko grinned.

Isaac groaned. "You still haven't answered my question," Isaac said. "What made you want to become an explorer?"

Eiko pondered on the question for a bit. "I grew up on a ship," Eiko said. "I've been wandering the seas for all my life for as long as I could remember. I never knew my parents or where I came from. They found me floating in a basket near Losterian shores."

"Sorry to hear that."

"Don't be," Eiko said. "If my parents didn't like me then I for sure as hell wasn't going to like them. A few sailors took me in and raised me as their own. And now, I'm here."

Isaac smiled at the story. "So you're an explorer and a mercenary. How did you join the Three Coins?"

"Nu-uh." Eiko wagged her finger again. "My turn for questions."

Isaac shrugged. "Fire away. But if we're gonna do this, I'm gonna have you promise one thing."

"And that is?"

"No work questions."

"What do you mean?"

"No questions about why we're here or the purpose of us being here. Aside from that, everything's fair game."

"No work questions," Eiko repeated. "Got it."

And so they talked for hours as Eiko steered the ship. Isaac talked about himself, and the experiences he's had in his life. His parents, the adventures he's had, the people he's met. He even told the time when he almost got his friends killed because he snored too loud.

That made her laugh.

Isaac felt close to Eiko, which is weird since they've barely known each other. But whenever he was talking with Eiko, he just felt like opening up to her.

In exchange, Eiko told about the many adventures she's had. The places she's been and the beauty she's seen. Compared to Isaac's, her adventures were a lot more eventful.

"And that's why you never try to pull a donkey by its tail." Eiko smiled. "So, what about you? What made you wanna go to the White Kingdom?"

Isaac tensed. "I thought we said no work questions."

Eiko shrugged. "Don't tell me the work part, then. You told me you came from Rost, right? But you're currently in the White Kingdom. Why?"

Isaac thought about telling her that he was forced to go there, but he decided against it. After all, suddenly telling someone that you're king wouldn't be the best bombshell to drop.

So Isaac told her what is kinda sorta the truth. "I just wanted an adventure," Isaac said. "My life isn't as adventurous as yours, obviously, but I've always wanted to have a life full of one. My parents have been adventurers their whole life so I kinda want to live up to that."

"I'm sure if they're alive, they'd be proud of you," Eiko said.

Isaac managed a small chuckle. "Guess it's up to me to keep the House of Aether high on everybody's standards"

"Aether?" Eiko asked. "Your family name is Aether?"

Isaac nodded, not noticing the surprise on Eiko's face. "My mom has another family name, but she's never told me about it."

"Aether," Eiko mumbled. "Aether. Aether. Aether." Eiko kept repeating the word like an incantation. She lightly bumped her fist against her forehead, like she was trying to remember something. "Where have I . . ."

"What's wrong?" Isaac asked.

Eiko was deep in thought as she lightly chewed the end of her thumb. Whatever Eiko was trying to remember, it seems like it was highly important.

"House of Aether," Eiko mumbled. Then, she snapped up with a surprised gasp. "Didn't you say your mother was an archer?"'

"She uses a bow, yes." Isaac was confused. Why was Eiko in a big fuss?

"Then that means . . ." Eiko looked at Isaac in realization. "Oh."

"What?" Isaac asked. She was being weird.

"You don't know, don't you?" Eiko said sadly. "The truth about your family."

"What truth?" Isaac demanded. He was getting annoyed.

Eiko looked around just in case someone was listening. They were alone on the deck so no one was going to hear them.

"It's better if you don't know," Eiko said. "I'm very sorry about this."

"What are you talking ab-" And that's all Isaac remembered before Eiko snapped her fingers sharply right in his ear and Isaac fell unconscious.

Line Break

Isaac found himself swaying in a hammock under the deck, tucked in nicely with a blanket on him.

He groaned as he woke up. The sun was beaming playfully in between the rigging. His memory was blurry. All he could remember before his sleep was talking to Eiko. Then everything was a blur after that.

"Morning, sleepy head." A familiar voice said. Isaac opened his eyes and saw Eiko standing over and looking down at him. "Feeling better?"

"What happened?" Isaac asked.

"You really don't remember?"

Isaac shook his head. "I remember talking to you. Something about a donkey?"

Eiko chuckled. "Something like that. You got seasick and passed out."

"Oh." Isaac's face felt red. "Sorry."

"Happens to the best of us." Eiko grinned. "Though most of us don't pass out for two days straight."

"Two days?" Isaac was in disbelief. That's pretty unusual to be out for two days just from seasickness.

"You didn't miss much," Eiko said. "A few monsters attacked, but it was nothing we couldn't handle. I'm surprised you slept through it though. That giant squid roar was anything but quiet."

Isaac's brain felt mushy. It was as if it was trying to adjust to waking up to a different reality. He felt like he was processing everything at the pace of a snail.

When they went to the top deck, Isaac found Liliora and Polus happily dancing as the crewmates cheerfully clapped along with them.

He noticed Meng on the helm, her blonde hair tucked in a ponytail, and a bandana on her forehead. She seems to be smiling along with Liliora and Polus.

How much had changed in just two days?

Eiko led him to the helm where Meng raised an eyebrow at him. "You don't get seasick, eh?" Meng teased with a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Shut up." Isaac groaned. "Why are you the one steering the ship?"

"I'll have you know I'm an experienced ship steerer," Meng said.

"Sailor." Eiko corrected. "And she is a good one."

"Since when?" Isaac asked. "You didn't tell me you could sail."

"Because we didn't need to sail until right now," Meng said. "I can do more than just smash my hammer onto metals you know?"

Isaac turned towards Eiko. "And you trust her with the ship?"

Eiko shrugged. "Land is not for another week, and the only things I have to worry about are monsters, storms, and pirates."

"So you're saying it's safe because there's nothing for her to crash the ship into," Isaac said. Meng sent a kick on his bottom side in retaliation.

Eiko grinned. "We have another week's worth of journey ahead of us, possibly more. You're just gonna have to get used to-"

She was interrupted when an ungodly roar pierced through the sky. Isaac had never heard something roar like that before.

The dancing stopped on deck as everyone looked around to find what made that ungodly sound.

"Captain!" A sailor shouted from the crow's nest at the top of the main mast. "Serpent ahead!"

Eiko cursed under her breath. "Everyone to your stations!" Eiko shouted and the crew scrambled into battle position. She turned towards Isaac. "Can you fight?"

"Uh." Isaac stammered. "I'm somewhat good with a bow."

"Then grab a bow," Eiko said. "We have a hard battle ahead of us."

"What are we fighting against?" Meng asked.

"Sea Serpents. Massive snake creatures have been known to destroy ships. They're about the most dangerous monsters you can find out in the ocean." Eiko explained as she grabbed a spear from one of the weapon holders. "But I've never heard one like that."

"Is that a bad thing?" Isaac asked.

Eiko stared far into the distant sea. "Serpents are stealthy monsters. They swim deep underwater to avoid detection and then shoot toward their targets at incredible speeds. If the Serpent announces its arrival, that can either mean two things. Either it's fighting with another monster or . . ." Eiko gripped her spear a bit tighter. "It has a vendetta."

"They can hold grudges?" Isaac asked.

Eiko nodded. "And there's only one Serpent in the world that would remember us." Eiko jumped unto the deck. "Load the cannons and mortars! An old friend has come to visit."

"Captain, surely you don't mean-"

"I do," Eiko said in a nervous tone. "Men! Get ready for the Leviathan!"