We arrive at Arrdus. The port city of Ballista. It's different from the usual sight, that's for sure. The dessert too. It stretches out as far as the eyes can see and even further than that... A sea of sand... Percival was right. The view is nothing short of otherworldly. Blue on the left and burnt gold on the right...

“Lady Evergreen!” A Noxian man approaches us. “Such a privilege.” He bows.

“Surely you gest.” Laira answers.

“Not at all.” He bows to Percy and me next. “Tiatus the Merchant, at your service."

“Marcus Tallen and Percival Skyrider, pleased to meet you.” I nod. Our Cleanser bows.

“An honor, truly.” Tiatus nods. “You're right on time. The ship is being loaded as we speak.”

“Perfect. That will give us time to settle in and speak with the captain too.”

“That won't be necessary.” An older Balli man approaches our party.

“Headmaster Harrenis. What a lovely surprise.” Laira bows, so does Percy. Oh? This the one who's arm she twisted. He reminds me of the old Shaman... Only this one has a colder look in his eyes. Guess Laira's antics weren't to his liking...

“You didn’t think I'd let our precious cargo leave our land without seeing to it?” The Headmaster answers, a bitter undertone lies in his well upheld, official voice.

“I did not realize the Headmaster personally sees to every shipment.” Try not to start a war, will ya? I glance over at Laira.

“Not every. Just the very important ones. I expect you to hold up your end of the bargain.” He gives Laira his hard stare. She counters it with ease.

“That's precisely the reason we are here.” The sudden tension in the air makes me question if all "negotiations" feel like walking a razor sharp tight rope...

“Well, that's only half of it. We won't be satisfied till our cargo reaches Existara safe and sound.” The old man's seasoned vet's expertise are echoing in every word he speaks.

“That is exactly the reason why I have a ship waiting in Crepitus with neutral flags. Your colorful accessories give you away. Making you an easy target.” Laira answers. “You’re costs for hired guards will be significantly cut in half too. The Araneum's Army has plenty of young, eager blood, to act as bodyguards for your shipment.”

“Pardon me, if I have little faith in fresh meat.” The Headmaster's hard to impress. Seeing this now makes me wonder how in the world did Laira manage to convince him in the first place. He doesn’t seem like someone who can be easily threatened into something.

“That fresh meat, as you call it, fought the Rebirth. I'm sure they can manage to keep an eye on some dried weeds.” Percival sounds uncharacteristically pissed off. Why wouldn’t he be. He watched his friends die... Of course, he'd take it as a personal insult. Sir Harrenis is quick to pick up on that. Life experience at it's finest. I grin. Point, Percy.

“Is there something else you wish to discuss?” Laira takes back the conversation. The old man hesitates.

“I'll be expecting to hear good news from you soon.” He says and nods. “If you'll excuse me.” The Headmaster leaves us. Soon, he says. Right.

“My apologies.” Tiatus bows to Laira again.

“Pay no attention to it.” She brushes it off. “May you please lead us to our ship.”

“Of course, this way, please.” Our Merch-guide leads the way. I pick Ether up and match my pace with Percy's.

“You ok?” I ask.

“Fine, thank you.” No you’re not.

“It leaves a foul taste in your mouth, doesn’t it? Having your siblings in arms trashed like that? Makes your blood boil. Your body tremble with rage and disgust. Even something, what may seem as minor, sets you off in turmoil...” I see the kid give me a questionable look.

“Speaking from experience?” He asks quietly.

“More or less...” We walk up to the ship's deck. A bunch of Balli sailors stop and stare at us. Such a warm welcome. It lasts barely an instant, but it's enough to set the mood. I feel Ether cling to me tighter. Don’t worry, I'll protect you. I pat his head.

“The Captain is a friend of mine.” Tiatus says. We hear a rumbling baritone raise up from below the deck. “Speak of the devil. Undahr!” The Merch waves.

“Huh? Oh, well, looky here!” The old man's scowling expression quickly lights up. He comes over. “Is this the bunch we're taking with us?”

“Yes.” Tiatus nods. Laira takes a step forward.

“Laira Evergreen, we'll be in your care, Captain, appreciate the trouble.” She bows. The Captain strokes his breaded beard. Sizing Laira up... Somehow that bothers me.

“Should have told me about this beauty. I would have charged you more.” He glances over at our guide.

“How about we just say I owe one, instead?” Tiatus smiles.

“Ha! I'll hold you to it!” Undahr responds with a glare. “Now then, make yourselves at home, this will be it for the next couple of weeks. But try not to get in the way of our work. We set sail in one hour.” The captain gives us the quick speech and walks away without anyone of us having the chance to answer.

“Milady, if you'll excuse me, I shall take my leave now too.” Tiatus bows.

“Thank you for your hard work.” Laira smiles warmly. “Appreciate the trouble.”

“My pleasure. Sirs.” He bows to us and leaves.

“Should we ask someone where are we staying?” I pose the issue.

“Let's try and go down below, they were told it will be a party of four...”

“You the special package?” A voice reaches us from above. A Balli girl hangs upside down from the ropes. Special package? Guess that's one way of putting it.

“Yes we are.” Laira answers. The girl swings around and jumps down.

“Follow me.” She leads us below the deck. The Balli people really need to work on their poker faces.

“Here. Four cabins. Two here and two here.” She points to the doors opposite each other at the back of the passageway. “Lucky swine.” She mutters walking back out.

“Thank you!” I shout to her back.

“How are we swine?” Percy asks.

“I guess they usually don’t have passengers.” Laira says entering a cabin. The sight of it is proof. It must have taken Tiatus a great deal to persuade the Captain to let us on board... They must have moved some stuff around.. Not a single window either...

“Lets just be happy they didn’t toss us in with the hammocks...” She says opening the door to the next "cabin".

“Uh-huh.” Percy hesitates. “I'll take this one then.” He says opening the second door on the left.

“I'll take the right one.” Laira tells us. Wait.

“You’re not staying with me?” I stare at her.

“We have Ether to think about now.” She answers.

“Then we take these two.” I tell her, entering the second door on the right. Only now I notice how tiny the beds are... Laira would never fit in it... Suddenly I feel like a colossal moron... I step back outside and go in the other room. I set Ether down on the bed.

“This will be your room.” He gives me a worried look. “Don’t worry, I'll stay with you.” I pat his little head. “But in case you want to lay down or something, know that this is yours. Ok?” He nods. Good boy. We take our time settling in. Rather, try our best not to cause trouble as everyone else prepares for departure. Ether hangs out in my room. I'd love to take him up, out on the deck... I take another look around the "cabin"... Depressing... A window does make a difference... I sigh.

“Come here.” I grab Ether up and stretch out on the bed, with the little one curled up next to me. I barely fit... This will be one long trip back...

    I wake up with Ether still next to me. I feel a slight sway. We're moving. Finally. I nudge the boy and he slowly opens his eyes.

I smile at him. “Wanna go up?” He nods. Right then, we get up and step out. I stop by Laira's door, but something holds me back... I stand in front of it with my hand ready for a knock yet it doesn't move. I drop my arm down and continue walking up the deck. It's not as busy as before... The weather's nice too. I notice Percy being busy with something in the corner by the port. We walk up to him.

“What's up?” I ask our Cleanser.

“Oh, ah, I asked if there's anything I can help with, they gave me these to knot.” He points to some ropes next to him. “I think they're testing me.”

“You ok with that?” We sit down too. I cross my legs and Ether fits himself in between them.

“I feel like we're intruding, so I wanted to help out, to try and easy the friction.” He says tying another knot. “I'm not a sailor, so it's only fair that they would have their suspicions. I wouldn’t want a dumbass ruining something important either.”

“I hate it how you make sense out of everything.” I tell him taking a rope too.

“Sorry.” He nods.

“No no, it's fine. Show me how?” I hold the rope in my hands.

“Sure.” Percy shows me slowly and carefully how to tie a knot. He takes his time explaining it. I feel like a kid again with him acting this way. But I can't complain. It's fairly easy to follow his instructions and I manage to tie a decent knot.

“Where'd you learn these?” I ask the kid, letting Ether play with the knot I just made.

“On the way to Noxanda. At the beginning the Lady wasn't feeling well, so I couldn't do much for her, but have her sedated or resting... So, I asked the crew to teach me at least the basic stuff. I already knew how to use a mop, so we went a bit more technical. Hence, the knots.” He shows a more difficult one that he just made.

“You’re good at this.” I praise the Cleanser. “You’re good at explaining things too.” I tell him taking another rope and following his lead. “Ever considered being a teacher?”

“At some point I did.” He admits.

“But? I feel like there's a, but...” I mess up and start over.

“But I wanted something different, something more, something...” He stops.

“That something that you don’t even know...” I finish the sentence for him. He looks at me.

“Guess so.” The kid agrees.

“What's going on here?” Laira's voice reaches us.

“Training.” I show her my failed knot. Ether runs up to her. He's really attached to her... She picks him up. “Percy figured we might as well try to help out. So...”

“That's a great idea. Maybe I can do something useful too?”

“No need.” The Captain walks up to us. “We'll use the men if they can manage, but not you, missy.”

“Captain Undahr;” Laira bows her head; “why not? I’m a Ravo, I can help.”

“Oh, I'm quite sure. But you have other priorities.” He gestures to our boy. Balli are known for their strong sense of responsibility when it comes to family...

“Well, thank you, Captain.” She nods again. “But please, do not hesitated to ask, should you change your mind.”

“Sure sure.” He nods and leaves us again.

“He reminds me of Tonso.” Percy says.

“Me too.” I admit.

“Me three.” Laira follows.

    Our days go by with Percy and I helping out to the best of our abilities. From the kitchen, to the mopping... I haven’t worked this much since joining the Army... After finishing up with the after dinner clean up, I head over to Laira's room. I knock, but she doesn't answer. I crack the door open just a bit. I walk in on Laira practicing her casting. I stand in the doorway for a brief moment. Watching her. Her face tells me she's struggling. The chair rumbles and the Vines retract. Laira stands there, panting. I walk inside her cabin and close the door behind me. She turns to me.

“Oh, been standing there long?” She asks with a strained smile.

“Not at all. How’s the training?” I sit down on the bed.

“A pain. It's a lot harder than I thought...” Her eyes are focused on the chair. I pat the bed next to me. She sits down.

“Wanna tell me about it?” I suggest. Laira shrugs her shoulders.

“I thought that forming a dome would be easy enough. Simply encase the object, right? Well, apparently, I need a lot more mana and Vines to sustain the new form, without reshaping the original object...” She pauses. I put my arm around her. “I’m beginning to think that it was only possible because it was Breeze who did it...”

“What makes you think that? You said that Zaltem and Aodynna helped, so."

“Yes. Gave her a hand. I spoke to Zaltem about it earlier. He said that all he did was cast extra Vines from the sides of the ship to help enclose it. If it weren't for Aodynna's Shaman powers, he might not have been able to pull it off... Is what he said... But Breeze...”

“Think this has something to do with what we spoke about that time?” I whisper.

“I’m beginning to think that...” She murmurs... “She cast the Vines right from the bottom of the sea... That's how she grabbed onto the ship and pulled it under...” She pauses again... “I think she may have wrapped the ship in Vines, instead of merging them with the ship. That might have damaged it... Right now, I'm trying to conjure the Vines from the seat;” she points to the chair; “and at least form a dome over the back and the top, without changing the bottom... But... I can't do it without using my own Vines.”

“Could it be that the surface of the seat is not enough?” I wonder.

“That's exactly how it is.” She admits.

“What if you use your Vines. Can you do it then?”

“Easily. But we're talking about a ship here. My bag of Vines won't be enough for that...”

“What about if you use the main mast as your base? And have a few other Ravos cast the net from the sides? Merging your Vines together?” I look at her. Is she pouting? Wait.

“Don’t tell me you’re competing with her?” I ask laughing softly. Laira doesn’t answer me. She just turns away from me instead. Geez...

“You’re cute when you pout.” I tell her.

“I don’t pout!” She says, turning around suddenly. I pounce her lips with mine, looking into her yellow, captivating, eyes. The surprise reflects there nicely. I grin.

“You don’t need me telling you something you already know. Yet, I'll do it anyways...” I brush my fingers down the side of her face. “Nobody said you need to do this alone.” I smile at her. “I'll go check on Ether. Meet me at my place?” I wink at her playfully. She hesitates.

“Sure.” She smiles back.

“Perfect!” I jump off the bed and go to Ether's room. He should be asleep by now. We've managed to work out a deal when I have to work after dinner. I slowly creek open the door and I see Ether sitting up in the bed, in the dark, like a puppy, waiting. I sigh.

“Did you wait for me?” A nod. Another sigh. I close the door behind me. “You don’t have to wait for me. It's ok.” I tell him, tucking him back into bed. He doesn’t respond. I pat his head. “You sure you're ok?” I ask to make sure. He nods. Good boy.

“Come over if you need anything or can't sleep, alright?” Another nod. Good. “Sweet dreams.” I give him a quick peck on the forehead and slowly retreat. I come back to my cabin.

“How is he?” Laira asks me.

“Brave little boy.” I tell her tossing my gear off me. “I told him to come over if he gets scared or anything. He nodded. I couldn’t help, but get tearful.” I sit on the bed.

“I don’t know if I can sleep without him anymore.” I confess kicking the shoes off. Laira stands up to undress too.

“To be honest, I’m kinda worried too. But he's been doing great so far. Rotating a night each to let him sleep alone once every couple of nights will do him good. You too, by the way...” She makes fun of me. Oh ha ha...

“Even if. I can’t help, but worry.” I say staring at the door.

“We can take a peek at him later. How’s that sound?” Laira gives me a look.

“Deal!” I tell her. “I've been meaning to ask you...” I hesitate, as I watch Laira undress... She turns to me with her usual smile.

“What's on your mind?”

“The wedding ceremony... It was quite short, is it also because of how it started?” I ask.

“Yes, pretty much.” She answers. “Something bothering you?” I see the concern in her eyes.

“Not really, it's just that your weddings are different. You don’t have vows either...”

“Well, yes. You could say that The silver ribbon represents the vows. It symbolizes our decision to tie our lives together. That kind of in itself are our vows.”

“Would any ribbon work?” I ask carefully... Laira gestures her head to the sides.

“Well, yes and no. Technically, yes, any ribbon will do the trick, as long as there's someone else officiating the ceremony. Like it doesn’t work if the couple tie their hands together by themselves. Nowadays, they make special ribbons for the occasion, so there is a "special" ribbon to use if you want.”

“Interesting...” I sigh with relief.

“Oh, right, one other thing.” She smiles clumsily. “Because our weddings are so rare, any Noxian has the power to marry two Noxians.”

“Say what now? So you don’t need to have someone like a priest or something to make it official?”

“Exactly. All you need is a third Noxian to recite the pledge. But that only works for us. We can’t marry people of another race.”

“Oh...” I exhale somewhat disappointed... “Does that apply to mixed couples too? Like you and me?” I ask with an idiot's hope...

“In that case it's up to the couple to decide how they want it. But sure. If one is a Noxian then it can be applied.” She finishes taking off her gear. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason, was curious ever since their wedding, but it didn’t seem like a good time to interrogate you.” I give her a silly grin and make room on the bed for her.

“Uh-huh. Well if that's the case then you should know that we don’t have rings either.” She tells me slipping under the covers, curling up on top of me as much as the stupid bed allows her...

“Why not?” Though I don’t remember seeing them exchanging anything beside the ribbon...

Laira shrugs her shoulders. “No clue, it's just how it is.”

“Then how do people know if you’re married?” That concerns me the most right now... She makes herself comfortable on my shoulder.

“Oh well, after the ceremony you tie the ribbon above the door of your home, or above the bed or something. Basically you put it on display for others to know that this couple is married. It's like a charm in that sense. Noxians don’t really need confirmation that they are together.”

“What do you mean?” I ask playing with a strand of her hair.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

“I mentioned before how rare Noxian weddings are, right?”

“Yeah.” I pause. “Is there another reason for that?”

“Well, kind of.” Laira squirms next to me. “Noxians don’t believe that marriage is necessary for two people to love each other and live together. If two Noxians agree to be a couple then they are so. It's as simple as that. Once our minds are made up it's difficult to change our decision. That doesn’t mean that we lack emotions, we simply value them differently... We may not look it, but we have frail hearts. To protect them we think about a lot of things, before committing to someone...”

“Sounds more like a well calculated plan, rather than a feeling...” I murmur.

“Not at all. Our emotions are too powerful. If we acted on them, we'd hurt ourselves and others too. To prevent that, we leave it up to our minds to make the decision for us. But once that happens we give our hearts away and let our emotions loose.” She flashes a smile for me. “So, when two Noxians decide to get married it's because they really can’t live without each other anymore. That's how strong our emotions are. You see. When you have all the time in the world, you might get bored being with the same partner, so we don’t find it fair to tie each other down with marriage. I mean, cheating never looks good, no matter the reasons.” She laughs nervously.

“I'll say...” I chuckle too.

“That's why we don’t believe in marriage. Well, no, it's more like we revere it? It's kinda sacred. It's not that we fear it, it's just... How to say this? We respect it that much? It's not something that should be taken lightly. That is why we prefer to call our relationships long-term commitment. It's an individual decision if two people want to be together. It's also up to them to decided if they wish to stay in it or if they choose not to. A decision to go behind someone's back is that person's decision too. You know who you're with, so if you do something, it's all you. Can't blame someone else, you know?" She pauses for a moment. "Am I making sense?” She looks at me.

“Well sure, I mean if you’re the kind that will sleep with anything that moves than why pledge undying love to only one someone? Sleep away, I say!” I gesture into the distance. Laira laughs. Much better.

“Kind of like that, yes.” She nods.

“I have to admit. I like this idea. It doesn’t stain the name or the meaning of marriage.”

“Well, yes.” She nods again. “Some of us live our lives together without ever getting married, but that doesn’t mean that we are unhappy about it. Of course, things change if a child is born.”

“Oh?” I try to look at her.

“If a child is born, you can consider that to be your wedding without actually having one. As a matter of fact, the pledge you heard has another meaning to it.”

“I don’t follow?” I confess.

“Well, just because you have a child with someone, doesn’t mean you need to marry them. But. For the sake of the child - you’re gonna have to be together and make it work. The pledge is more or less of a warning about what it feels like having kids... It hints at the hardships you might face and that you should work together to get through them... Even if you don’t like it...”

“Sounds more like a punishment to me...” I confess again. Wait. “If you have a child out of wedlock - how do you know it's yours? Like...” Ah damn, I don’t know if I want to finish that sentence out loud...

“I can see how you'd think that... There are some ways, but that too is a responsibility in itself. Not to make a woman pregnant and not to get pregnant.”

“Sounds like a lot of work...” I thank our crossbreeding curse for the first and the last time ever...

“That's why Noxians don’t bare that many offsprings’.” I Laira says quietly...

“Wait, Tigglia mentioned having two brothers? That makes them at least three children?”

“Ah, well, see, once two Noxians decide to live together and have children on top of that - then it's only the matter of how many they want.”

“So, basically you’re telling me that once Noxians get serious about having a family - they go all out?” I stare at Laira in the dim light. She giggles.

“Pretty much, yes. It's complicated, but there is a reason for it.”

“I'm listening.” I focus my attention again.

“Our ancestors had difficulty conceiving. Nobody really knows the reasons why... But. After the first Priestess gave birth to a child, she removed herself from the top, to raise her child. A child is precious. That's why that day was named the Festival of Life in our nation. It's not that we celebrate life in itself. We celebrate the future of it.”

“I'm confused?” I tell her flat out.

“A newborn child represents the future. As being the ones who brought a child into this world, we also bare the responsibility of raising them. It is our duty to teach that tiny, helpless creature and take care of them until they no longer need us. For the sake of raising our future we need to sacrifice our past and give all of ourselves to the present.” Laira stares in front of her. I wait.

“In other words, as parents we give ourselves up to the child. Everything we ever were, everything we ever wanted to be or to have - becomes meaningless. There are no more "us" and "what we want". It's all about the child and what "they need and want."

“I can understand how important that is... But what happens when a child is born to abusive parents or something?"

Laira shifts her weight a little. "Nobody said it's a perfect philosophy... That's just what the original idea was..." There's something uncomfortable in her words... "Times change and so do people." She says. I take a moment to think about it.

"Can two people even manage to live this way?” I have to wonder...

“Some do... Some agree to see other people while raising the child, but the child is the priority...” She dies down... “My parents managed...”

“We don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to.” I tell her quickly.

“It's fine...” She whispers... Damn it! What do I do here now? “I remember them fighting a lot...” I hear her voice, as tiny as ever... “But they also laughed and cried together a lot too... I remember asking them a few times if they loved each other... They... Never really did give me a clear answer... They said the same each time: it doesn’t matter, we love you. My dad once told me that as long as I am alive and well, he doesn’t care what he has to put up with... Mom was the same... She said that for my sake she'll do whatever it takes...” Her voice breaks up... I stroke her back...

“I loved them both too, so I stopped questioning them... Years later, after their deaths, the Priestess told me that it was their idea to volunteer for the trip to Cobalus. They said that they wanted their child to grow up in a peaceful world... They took upon the name Evergreen, which was granted to them by the Priestess, without ever marrying... I inherited their name and tittle...” Oooh... So that's what happened... A twitch...

“They managed to put their differences and feelings aside for my sake... It's almost like I killed them...” She sobs quietly on my shoulder... I stroke her back... Why is it that I cant think of anything smart to say...

“I don’t think that’s fair to say...”

“Huh?” Laira's eyes are sheer confusion...

“I think what your parents meant was, that their feelings for each other, or the lack of, is not your fault... I kind of understand it...I think…” I keep stroking her back... “Children are not responsible for their parents mistakes... I don’t think they would ever blame you... They did what they did, because they wanted for you to be happy, even if they themselves couldn’t be... They didn’t lie to you... They called it as it was... You were more precious to them than their own, individual happiness... That's something you should be proud of...” I finally find the courage to glance down at her again... She seems lost in thought...

“Is that why you are afraid of raising Ether?” I ask her carefully. I never really thought about it that way... It would make sense why she's reluctant about it... Even with her growing affection for him...

She shakes her head. “Not at all.” She sniffs a few times... Cute. I grin like a moron in the dark... “Not many of us have the strength needed to take on such a responsibility as raising the next generation. So, you could say that we choose not to have children. If it happens so that we do have one, then we try our best to make it work. Some succeed. Some fail. It's a learning process. I'm simply worried if I can manage, regardless of wanting it... I wouldn’t want to be the reason that ruins the boys life, you know?” She gives me a sad, warm smile. I brush her hair away from her face.

“Nobody is perfect. We'll make mistakes. That's a given. But trying, failing and learning from them is still a better option for me.” I tell her quietly. She smiles at me. For real this time.

“Will you marry me?” The words slip out of my mouth without my consent. I hold my breath. Slowly, Laira's face changes into a hesitant smile. She tackles me.

“Yes!” We crash on the bed. I definitely broke something... I hug her to me. She lets go and kisses me. I kiss her back. I can’t hold back anymore... I pull her in for more. We sit up. Her hair cascades down over us. I search for her legs and thighs. She lifts her ass up and slams into me. I squeeze the side of her thigh. She locks her legs behind my back. My hand slips down, right in the middle. I slide down with my fingers and quickly swipe back up. A moan. I glide my fingers up and down the lips. A tremble. She tries to pull away, but I pull her in. My fingers get swallowed up. I thrust my hand in and out. Rough and fast. Her nails dig into my back and neck. Her moans break through our kissing. She grabs the shaft, almost tearing it off. She strokes it eagerly rough and hard. I pull my hand out and smear the wetness onto my dick. Laira guides it inside. It slips in balls deep. A groan. I can’t take it any more. I grip her ass and pound her. She breaks off my lips and hunches over me. Her quiet moans deep and heavy, her clutches on me tight and painful. I bite into her breast, suffocating myself on the nipple... I keep on pounding through... Faster... Harder...

“Marrrrcuuussss....” She grips me tighter, almost breaking my ribs. I thrust in a few times more and explode with a grunt, teasing the sweet nipple... I feel her drip down the shaft. I grin with the nipple between my teeth still.

“I missed this...” I tell her chest, kissing it. She tilts my head to her.

“Me too...” We kiss again. Deep...

    “How much longer?” I ask Percy. “Any clue?”

“We should be at Crepitus in a few days-ish? Or so? See the dark clouds in the distance. That's a give away...”

“I'm kinda getting sick from all the chores...” I admit.

“To be honest, me too... There's so much on my mind...” The kid yawns like never before.

“You've been working on the RRD at night, haven’t you.” I give him a disapproving look.

“Only taking notes so I don’t forget. But I usually end up passing out...” He confesses.

“Well good. We don’t need you burning out on us.” I smack the Cleansers back.

“Ouch.” He lets out a breath. I chuckle.

    “What’s with the divested face?” I ask Breeze.

“I miss them. This place seemed livelier with them around…”

I laugh before I realize it. I see the glare she throws at me. “Sorry sorry, couldn’t help it…” I walk over to her chair. “You really have gone soft, haven’t you?” I look at her, crouching by the desk.

“Oh and when was the last time you had male friends?” She mocks me. I giggle.

“Touché.” I smile at her and put my hand on her cheek.

“They’ll be back soon.” I tell Zarri. She nods.

“Give it a few years and it’ll be pretty lively here without the others too.” I give her a silly grin. It clicks to her.

“You’re quite the comedian, aren’t you?” She rolls her eyes at me. I laugh again.

“Anything to make you smile.” I lean in, bent in half and give her a peck on the forehead.

    “Prepare to dock!” Captain Undahr roars and the crew gets buzzing again. Since it's our last day on the ship, we were asked, more like ordered, to keep out of sight till we reach land. Fine with us. The four of us been staying low in our cabins.

“Make sure you don’t forget anything.” I tell Ether, gathering up my stuff. Laira walks in.

“Are we reloading the entire cargo?” I ask.

“Yes. That was the deal.”

“That'll take forever.” I sigh.

“We'll see. Zaltem should meet us once we dock.” She tells me.

“Oh? He's here too?”

“Yes, they decided to let Zaltem meet up with us, while Aodynna keeps an eye on the training.” Laira explains.

“I see.” I stuff the last bit of my gear in my bag. Ether has already made himself comfortable in Laira's arms. Grinning silly. I freeze up for a moment.

“Something the matter?” Laira's voice reaches me. I shake my head.

“Not at all.” A heavy sway rolls over us. Land ho. I guess. A knock on the door.

“We've docked, you guys ready?” Percy asks us from the other side of the door. We gather up and step out.

“Lets get out of here.” I whisper to Percy.

“No kidding.” He says. We walk out onto the deck. The Captain's waiting. Laira takes front row center.

“We'll now be taking over the cargo.” She announces and a laugh rolls over the crew. Smug bastards...

“Ay, sure sure, go ahead.” Undahr waves to us.

“Does that mean we have your permission do enter your ship?” Laira asks. Something in her tone makes me think she has a plan...

“We ain’t dragging it out for you!” Someone yells.

“Get it yerself!” Another voice.

“Well then. Captain, do we have your permission do move the cargo ourselves?” She presses for an answer.

“Ay. Do as you please.” The old man tells us. Laira walks over to the board of the ship and waves down.

“Come on up!” She yells and a bunch of Vines shoot up. Youngsters come crawling into the ship. All with the Araneum colors. Zaltem lands next to us.

“Sirs. Pleasure to see you are doing well.” He nods. “If you'll excuse us.” He goes down below to get the merchandise. More of our soldiers come over. None of the crew bother with anything. They keep their eyes on us and their distance from us.

“How many are there?” Percy asks Laira extra quietly.

“Two ships. One. Figured we'd need the extra man power. And two.”

“Lemme guess. You need the second ship for protection.” I cut in.

“Yep. And it gives the guys the chance to practice on the job.” She adds.

“Clever.” I admit.

“Zaltem's idea. Tell him that.” She answers.

“I will, as soon as we get off here.” I whisper. A slide made from ice appears on the side. Vines roll out a box after a box from below the deck. Right. All we need to do is get them off the ship as quickly as we can. We can move them to ours later. Ether and I try to sneak a peek down to the docks. A bunch of troops work hard there too. I’m impressed. They are not wasting any time. Some boxes are already being moved to the other ships. Thin stone tracks roll the cargo straight out, as soon as it lands from the ice slide. Everyone is using their magic wherever possible. Think of it as practice, huh? That’s one way to put it. I smile. I notice Vines slashing the air a few ships away. Oooh. That's helpful. The Vines act as nets. They slither round the boxes and carry them up onto the deck. Sure makes the job faster. We come back to the other two.

“Are we separating the cargo?” I ask, keeping my voice low.

“Yes. The RRD ones are extra special, they've marked as such. I had Tiatus mediate that for us. The other boxes are the rest of their merchandise that we are sworn to delivery to their pick up point at the Royal Docks.” Laira gives us the quick break down.

“Nice. Is that also another reason for the two ships?” Percy asks.

“Yes. Makes things simpler that way. We can go faster that way too.” Laira explains.

“I like it. It won’t be as cramped too...” I mutter. I see the look Percy gives me. “Oh hush.”

“That's the last one!” Zaltem calls out to the crew below and comes over to us. “We're done.”

“Perfect, appreciate making quick work of this.” Laira nods. The Ravo bows and leaves. Laira turns around and takes a lungful of air.

“To the Captain and the crew of this ship, we thank you for your hospitality!” She bows. We follow her lead.

“We appreciate delivering us and the goods here safely!” I throw in.

“Safe travels!” Percy adds and we get off the ship. Zaltem waits for us.

“You guys are impressive.” I tell him shaking his hand.

“Thank you, we try our best.” He almost blushes.

“How’s the progress with the Domes?” Laira takes over.

“Good news and bad news.” The Ravo says as we walk to our ships. “Good news is - we can do it.”

“And the bad?” Percival asks carefully.

“It takes a handful of us to manage.” Zaltem admits. Laira may have been right... With Breeze having an extra boost in her powers that allowed her to wield all three types... I see the expression Laira's face makes.

“Those Vine nets, are those a team effort too?” I quickly join in.

“Yes. A few Ravos, sharing the burden can easily manage tasks as you've just witnessed.”

“The Divide?” Percy joins us.

“Yes.” Zaltem nods. “Unfortunately, we are unable to perform this level of casting alone... Last time I exhausted all of my mana and it took me weeks to get back to normal... Lucky us that Lady Deathbreeze taught us Meditation.” He flashes a quick smile for us. We board the ship. A middle-aged Cornutese woman approaches us.

“Captain Matile, at your service.” She salutes us.

“Laira Evergreen, please to make your acquaintance.” The women shake hands.

“Marcus Tallen, we'll be in your care.” I shake hands too.

“Percival Skyrider. Appreciate the trouble.” Percy adds.

“Not at all. I've been rotting away at the docks, this is quite a nice change of pace.” She has quite a husky voice, for a woman of her stature...

“We asked around within the Army and the Navy if anyone would volunteer...” Zaltem stretches out the silence...

“All of them here are volunteers?” Our Cleanser looks around.

“More or less.” The Captain nods. “Ah, there you are.” We turn around. A Cornutese man, around the same age as the Captain, walks up to us. "This is Ibrar. He's the Captain of the other ship and my husband. She announces proudly." Well now.

“Must be nice. Working together.” Percy says.

“Hardly can call being on separate ships together.” Ibrar disagrees.

“We appreciate the trouble.” Laira makes the first move.

“How could I not. She wouldn’t shut up about it...” He shakes Laira's hand. Then Percy's, then mine.

“What's this?” He stares at Ether.

“Our son.” Laira stands next to me, taking Ether by the hand.

“We adopted him.” I add. The man keeps his gaze on our little one a moment longer. I’m not sure I like his expression...

“Lucky boy...” He mumbles. Ok... “Can we set sail already?” Ibrar asks.

“Do we have everything we need?” Laira asks both of the Captains.

“We restocked while waiting.” Zaltem answers.

“Then lets move.” Laira gives the green light.

“Finally.” The man mumbles again and walks away.

“Please, don’t pay any mind to him, he hates being on dry land.” Matile explains it.

“You must be a saint...” Percy lets it slip and quickly bites his lip. The woman roars with laughter.

“I wonder sometimes.” She walks away laughing.

“Shall we get you settled in?” Zaltem suggests.

“Sounds good.” I agree. He takes us below the deck.

“We put aside these three cabins, unfortunately that was the best we could manage...” His voice apologetic.

“Don’t sweat it. We've seen worse.” I try to joke.

"I'll take this one." Percy goes in the closets one.

“Ether can have the middle one.” Laira says. I open the doors to the last one. What a sight for sore eyes! The bed! Finally! I can't help, but grin.

“Then I'll leave you to it.” Zaltem excuses himself.

“Oh, one last thing.” Laira calls out quickly. “Please keep an eye on this one.” She points to Percy. “He needs plenty of bedrest and food.” She mocks him and I can’t help, but laugh. Percival's face is not amused... Zaltem takes a moment to process.

“Understood.” He says with a coy smile.

“Honestly, I can take the babying from the Lady, but you too?” Our Cleanser gives Laira an annoyed glare.

“On whose orders do you think I’m working here?” She answers, making me laugh harder. The kid realizes he can’t beat that and goes inside his cabin.

    “You look exhausted.” Laira's face covers the sun.

“I feel like I've heard that before...” I sit up. “Percy was right, it ain’t easy... There's a lot more to it than simply casting.” I wipe the sweat off my face with my shirt. Laira hands me a water pouch. “Thank you.” I take it and gulp it down.

“There's the herbs, the chants, the mana infusion and all while on the move if you want to fight...” I’ve been practicing more of the Shamanic casting, ever since we switched ships and yet I can barely see any progress... It's been days now...

“There's a reason why Cleansers stand still.” She says.

“Yeah, I’m kinda getting that now...” I agree. “I also get why Shamans barely ever fight...” I dangle an empty pouch of herbs upside down...

“Nobody ever said it would be easy...”

“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.” I throw a pouting look her way. She gives me a quick peck on the lips.

“Sorry, my bad.” She smiles.

“Oh sure, now you’re sorry...” I tease her. “Well, I guess that's to be expected... We cant all be perfect…”

“All?” Laira looks at me with a surprised expression.

“Yeah, like Breeze or Percy, even Crile... Who else?” Laira laughs. “What?” Now I look at her confused.

“You honestly think those two were always that perfect?”

“Well sure, I can tell they have their shortcomings, but when it comes to fighting I mean...”

Laira shakes her head. “Oh, that never came easy for her. Crile was the only one who would seriously spar with her. But that had it's limits. She could never test her strength against different opponents and it infuriated her. Eventually she'd go out looking for a fight...”

“Somehow I’m not surprised...” I admit.

“Creativity requires knowledge and research...” She says calmly. I watch our Cleanser, who volunteered to teach Ether whatever he can, to keep himself busy... Knowledge and research, huh?

“I can see that... What about you then?” I ask Laira. “Was there something you struggled with?”

“Plenty. Learning under Lady Devona was nerve wrecking to say the least.”

“But you managed.” I turn to her.

“I... Was strongly motivated?” She gives me a dumb smile. So am I... I stare at her...

“What?” Her expression changes... I lean in and steal a kiss of her luscious lips.

“Percival! Let’s spar!” I call out to the kid, standing up.

“Now? But you...”

“Come on! Show me what you got!” I tease him, inviting him with my hands. Percy stands up and Ether runs over into Laira's arms. The kid takes up a stance. So do I.

“Best out of three?” He asks. Ha!

“Why not.” I agree. We circle round the deck. “Anything goes, right?” I grin.

“Wouldn’t expect anything less...” The kid's eyes seem different. He's focused. Tailing my every move... Let’s dance. I throw the first punch. He steps back. I follow up with a kick. He grabs my leg. Oh shit. And throws me. I turn mid air and manage to soften the landing by sliding backwards. Not bad. He charges me head on. His mouth is moving. He's chanting. Not good. I feel something grip my foot. Air. Right. I begin mumbling something too, lets see if it works. The grip loosens and I dive in, tackling Percy. He grips my shirt. I slam him down on his back and quickly straddle him with my hand over his face.

“Point. Marcus.” Laira announces. I get of the kid and help him stand.

“You countered that spell with your own.” He says patting his spine.

“You noticed?” I smile proudly.

“I felt some what of an interference... Round two?” He says, stretching.

“Bring it.” I step back and take up my stance again. This time Percy doesn’t wait. He charges in with a barrage of punches. Dodge. Dodge. Back step. Side step. Ouch. One to the ribs. I counter. I miss. The kid ducks and sweeps the leg. I stagger and manage to counter with a round house. He dodges. Not bad. I start chanting. I break a vial and let the fire roar. I charge in. Huh? Where? A kick to the ribs. I fall to my knees.

“Point. Percival.” Laira says.

“Damn. I thought, I had you there.” I say, taking the kid's hand as he pulls me up.

“And you would have, if the fire had been shot forward or if you had charged me with it. You let it burn in a quick flare, like a smoke screen, but that made it easier to dodge you.”

“Ouch. That hurts more than the kick.” I sulk.

“Last point. Make it count.” Laira says.

“Right!” We answer. We take our time again, circling round. Percy draws a knife. Oh? Fine. I draw mine too. He throws it straight at me. I step to the side and barely avoid the blade, as it catches the corner of my shirt. I keep my eyes on the kid. He chants something again. Now what? I jump back. Nothing happens? I don’t see any water or fire? Air again? I don’t feel it? I look up. No movement. I look down and see the kid come in for a head on assault. His punch connects. I catch his arm with my knee and elbow. Gotchya. I slash at his side and feel a blade in the leg.

“Draw!” Laira says and runs over to us. I let the kid go.

“Nice one.” I tell him taking the blade out of my leg.

“Likewise.” He says holding on to his side. He baited me with that chanting. He wasn't casting anything. It was just to distract me and get me closer to the knife he threw earlier. He let me catch him, to lock us in... I grin. Percy patches himself up.

“Where'd you learn such tactics?” I ask as he heals my wound too.

“I learned a lot from the guards when traveling to the Land of Race. Just watching them was enough. How’s that feel?”

I move the leg a bit. “Just fine. Thank you.”

“No problem.” He smiles.

“Well, if you two boys had enough, then how about you get cleaned up a bit before dinner?” Laira seems pissed.

“Yes ma'am.” Percy nods and excuses himself.

“What?” I keep my gaze on her.

“Reckless much? It's only training. No need to draw blood.”

“Can’t learn anything otherwise.” I tell her softly. “Besides, I have you looking out for me.” I grin.

“Yeah yeah, sure.” She waves me off. “Get changed, you reek.”

“Ouch. Now that really hurts .” I pout.