Skilshar’s ship left Australia without a hitch, though the process felt more convoluted than it should have (according to Jack). At first, followed by about a hundred ships, the small fleet travelled down the stream in the cave until they hit an impasse. Then they all waited until the water levels dropped. As it did so, a large, stone door came into view that opened up to a passageway which they all went through until they hit yet another impasse. This process continued several times; too many to count. It took at least a good couple of hours to get out of that system and into the clear waters of the ocean at last. Now, with the walls that bordered the continent well behind them, Jack looked to see if he could do anything.

He started with the upper deck where about a fifth of the crew worked on various tasks. From setting up the boat’s masts to the pickling of the various meats and fruits to those who scouted the sea for natural danger, Jack noticed how little practical work he knew. Even if he did, he couldn’t compete with the likes of the four-armed mages who could multi-task with ease or the eagle-eyed scouts with vision several times stronger than his own. He would also have done a worse job than the picklers who made the required juices from their own body! Place is too clean to offer to help tidy things up as well, he cursed his luck.

Knowing he could do nothing, he made his way down the steps to the next layer of the ship but ignored it. After all, the “harvesting quarters” with all the farmer types made him salivate a little even if it wasn’t lunchtime yet.

As he surveyed the floor, he realised he didn’t know anyone either. That and the fact he didn’t understand the proper procedures to help with the harvesting meant he couldn’t weasel himself into any of the conversations between the mages. He had no right to. Is there really nothing I can do? he cursed his luck again, getting more agitated by the second from his uselessness.

He reached the third level: the sleeping chambers. Fewer torches adorned the walls compared to the previous layer and several netted hammocks hung from the sides with a few sprawled out on the floor. Some napped while others chatted amongst themselves (again no one that Jack could recognise).

But before he took the steps to the next layer, he could hear the bellowing of “row row” coming from below. Well, less of a bellow and more of a shout, Jack corrected as he decided not to go further. He wasn’t going to give credit to the unique voice of Skilshar for at least trying to be in command of his men. He didn’t want to become complacent in thinking the man is competent when everything else the captain did and said showed otherwise.

‘Yes,’ Jack mumbled to himself, ‘even the timing of the “rows” is off. He’ll only make the people rowing this boat be off-sync!’

At that point, despite his lack of tiredness, he took to one of the hammocks and plopped right on top of it. He stared at the flickering torches above, deep in thought. Maybe he was being too harsh on the captain. Maybe even a little jealous that he’s doing something when Jack could not. Granted, he didn’t have the best impression of the man but he seemed to be doing his earnest; Better than any of his previous partners at least, even if he got that job because he was one of Bastion’s favourite

‘You look glum,’ a woman’s voice called out to him.

Jack looked to his sides where a woman stood beside him. It took a while but he remembered her name, Elivia - the woman who would always get shouted at for speaking in front of Bastion. However, she looked different. Instead of the long, white coat and trousers she usually wore, this time she donned the dress code normal soldiers had: a vest made out of vines and leather trousers. She also had her hair down in a singular braid.

‘Think this is the first time I’ve seen you without the king nearby,’ Jack mumbled, though loud enough for her to hear.

‘Well, I was told to take care of you and Skilshar by Bastion. It just so happened you two were under my supervision while in the MBP and so I was best suited for the job,’ she responded. ‘After all, I know everything about you. Your rank, your type, your sizes yada yada yada. You should be grateful you’re in my care.’

Jack sat up in shock. This was the same Elivia he saw in the MBP, right? Then where did this arrogant confidence come from if she was meant to be the shy, stuttering type of person?

‘I also know what you’re thinking,’ she smirked. ‘I only act that way because Bastion’s scary. It’s best to be submissive to avoid consequences.’

‘Uh-huh,’ Jack gave a meek response, remembering how he fell to his knees in front of the king.

‘So anyway, what’s on your mind?’

‘Nothing,’ Jack lied to himself and her.

‘Ha! That’s great! Means your head’s empty and I can ask you a question.’

‘Excuse me?’

Elivia hopped into the hammock beside him. She made herself comfortable, tidied her hair then stared with great enthusiasm, the light of the torches reflecting in her eyes.

‘So, anyway, you’re a Eurasian, right?’ she started. ‘I’ve always wondered why you haven’t done anything crazy yet. I mean, I know Bastion is a crazy guy so his actions to save you was always going to be weird, but you?’

Jack blinked several times.

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‘Yeah, you could be the clever, patient type, waiting for upgrades like with your new claws and fixed your voice,’ she carried on without his permission, ‘but how did you know our king is like that? He could just as easily have tortured you until you spill all and any secrets. Even if that gamble pays off, which it sooo did, why haven’t you assassinated him with your newfound abilities yet? That’s what’s so baffling about you!’

‘You’re not acting as a spy for the king, are you?’ Jack narrowed his eyes.

‘Ooo. I forgot you were the cautious type. That Electric elemental always complained about you always planning and being careful before you brutally killed him haha.’

‘Esper?’

‘That’s the one! Oh, don’t worry, I won’t rat you out like him,’ she cupped her mouth and giggled. ‘I have my principles. However, I suppose I should give something in return of worth to make you talk. Or are you still suffering after I fixed your voice box when you first came in, hm?’

Jack sat with a blank expression. But bit by bit, a smile crept upon him. He couldn’t explain it, but he trusted this person. Despite her blabbermouth nature he only just discovered, he could tell she was cunning. She didn’t shy away from doing what she needed to do. In simple terms, he liked her style. Plus, he enjoyed having someone to talk to for once – someone competent.

‘If you put it that way, I owe you for fixing me up. What do you want to know?’ he replied with his smile in full force.

‘Hmm,’ Elivia placed her finger on her lower lip, ‘First off, why did you betray Eurasia? I mean, you kinda were forced into coming to the AAA’s MBP, but still. Would have thought you kept some sort of loyalty, no?’

Jack leaned against the wall and sighed. He mulled over the question for a good while. He already knew the answer, but wasn’t sure whether to give it. In the end, he went with his gut instinct. ‘I have no loyalties to a nation. Or even a particular group. Only certain people.’

‘Oh? Did something happen in your past?’

Jack gave her a blank expression. But, all of a sudden, he laughed. He laughed so hard that the other mages looked over their shoulders to the pair. Then, without warning, he stopped.

‘I believe that’s the first someone has asked what my past is like. No, wait, second time,’ he glared at Elivia, making her flinch. ‘What about you? You look the type who has had it good at the MBP, huh? You sound so chipper to talk like this to me. So curious, so eager to know what I’m like even if I could kill you this very second like you said.’

‘You won’t,’ she regained her composure with a witty remark. ‘However, I have seen what others have to go through. So, I’m just happy I am treated the way I am by Bastion.’

‘If AAA’s MBP is anything similar to EA’s, then you know what it’s like for low-ranks like me. The things I had to go through to test my abilities as a child when I had none. Sure, they feed well, but at what cost? How you’re born determines how you live. If your body mutated in a way that stopped you completing their tasks, you were discarded. Left to rot. But that’s not the worst part…’

He paused.

‘It’s not?’ Elivia tried to carry on the conversation.

‘No. It’s the ridicule,’ Jack carried on, now leaning forward in a hunched position. ‘You don’t fear changing for the worse. Rather, you fear not changing at all. You survive the tasks adequately but never in the way they want you to. Not if you want a higher rank once you’re released.’

‘You’re ranked relative to the type of mage you are instead of your overall abilities,’ Elivia commented, entranced by the conversation at hand.

‘The MBP doesn’t care about your smarts, your tactical intellect or your character. Not until you can do the fundamental thing stealth bestials can do: go into stealth. While the prior traits let me live, the latter meant they look down on you, think you’re incompetent and berate you until you’re no longer a person.’

‘They?’ Elivia noticed the stressed word.

Jack covered his face, smirking beneath his palms. ‘Did you know I have two names? Darius, Jack. You know what that means, right?’

‘You have siblings,’ Elivia’s eyes widened. ‘From the same “Jack” batch you were bred with. Some of which must have lived through to adulthood to get that second name...’

‘Well, they’re no longer alive. Guess what I did to them.’

‘But how?’ she figured out the sequence of events.

‘As luck would have it, turns out I wasn’t a dud. More like a late bloomer. They didn’t know what hit them. Well, more like they didn’t see what pushed them to their death.’

Jack started laughing again. He enjoyed telling that story so much to Elivia’s concern and everyone else’s disgust. However, she didn’t stop him. Instead, she let him simmer down from his moment of madness the second he saw her face.

‘Don’t worry, I know there are some good people in Eurasia. I’ve met them! Likewise, there are some people in the AAA who I like and some who,’ Jack stopped talking and grunted, ‘are just plain imbecilic.’

‘Pfft, you’re thinking of Skilshar, aren’t you?’ Elivia took her turn to laugh now.

‘No,’ he lied.

‘Yeah yeah. But you sure are a weird one,’ her smirk grew. ‘Loyal to certain people instead of the nation? I can see why Bastion likes you. Something about that just screams “Manush!” as he would describe it.’

‘I just hate the system.’

‘No!’ Elivia stood up and wagged a finger.

‘Eh?’ Jack furrowed his brows.

‘The way you said it, that’s not it. You don’t hate the system, but the people who follow and use it in a similar way. You don’t hate me and Bastion even if we follow that same system. We just do it differently.’

‘I never said I liked you two.’

‘Psh. Nonsense,’ she waved her hands at that comment. ‘However, you get what I’m saying, right?’

‘I think so,’ Jack realised how he was being strung along by the woman much to his annoyance. ‘By the way, I don’t hate Skilshar either if you’re trying to read my mind again.’

‘Of course! Speaking of which, I’ll go check on Skilshar. He’s probably making things worse despite his good intentions,’ Elivia waved goodbye before stopping at the steps to the next floor. ‘Just warning you for the future: please don’t underestimate him. You’ll regret it. He is our best gorgon type after all.’

‘What?’ Jack’s mood soured. However, she was already gone before he could get an explanation.

Jack slumped back into the hammock and closed his eyes. Stupid woman. I would never be so complacent, he cursed Elivia as he went to sleep. Wait. What even is a gorgon?