The waters of the Imperial Strait separate the two continents of the Empire of Five Kings, it acts as a natural barrier between the two worlds. Inside the strait are hundreds of island groupings brimming with tribesman and savages, completely removed from the surrounding societies. Ships sailing the waves were often instructed to avoid interaction with the peoples unless absolutely necessary.

The waters of the Equinswade were crystal blue and clear through to a concerning depth. The worlds in the tides shifted and lived similarly removed, yet something about the removal with fish seemed so much more natural. They didn't care for the days or nights, they just lived. They swam, ate, mated, passed. It was a simple life.

It was a life far simpler than Sekos, and sometimes he could see himself disappearing into the crashing seas to escape it all. The world was so strange, life was so strange. He'd followed alongside his brother, and if he was honest, he'd driven some of those actions himself. They stole a ship and fled with a crew, they did everything proper Pirates should do. They were following in the footsteps of legends, so why wasn't he content with the life?

Was it the food and drink? While the food, if one could call that slop food, was awful, it still kept one going through the days and nights. Was it the adventure and danger? That couldn't be it, he had been a seaman and warrior before this life, and that wasn't going to change. So what in the world was the reason he no longer felt the desire to be who he was.

It was the lack of legitimacy, it had to be. The world always seemed more simple when it was warped by autocratic red tape, there was an ease to moving through the political world that you had to find. Once you had it in hand, you could wield that movement like a weapon. Seko missed that weapon, he missed the nobility and the cut-throat issues of politics. If he deluded himself, he could believe that it was also that he could help people in the process.

"...ko?" Vel waved her hand before Sekos eyes, trying to pull him back into reality, "Seko? You alright?"

"Hmm...what? Oh, aye." Seko sighed and leaned against the side rail of the deck, "Just a bit distracted, is all."

Vel lowered herself into a squat beside him and leaned her back against the wood. She spread out and stretched, then adopted a relaxed pose and expression. Vel waved a hand of dismissal and shook her head.

"That's fine, we have a month. Training won't go anywhere."

"Aye.." Seko caught sight of a fish as it breached and pulled itself high into the air.

They'd been traveling for fifteen days already, and had another fifteen more before they would reach the area indicated from Dotans Journal. Yan had made himself very well known about the exact location and after their narrow escape from the Empire, the entirety of the crew was interested in chasing the treasure.

"Ah," She said "I guess its less now that we've been on the way for a while."

"Two more weeks. A fortnight out from the unknown." Seko mumbled

"What do you plan to do about going underwater?"

"We have solutions to that," Seko went to pull energy and cast a breathing spell but stopped himself, casting was becoming second nature. That was good, but it didn't mean much if he wasted the energy constantly. "I know a trick for breathing."

"You're becoming rather adept at the whole process." Vel smiled with a look of pride and nodded her head, "Yes indeed, you'd be lost without me."

"Oh, is that right?"

"Aye," She pulled herself up and mimicked his posture and tone. "That it is."

"Now listen here,"

"Now listen here," She echoed "You're really one of a kind, Sek. Stick in the mud and all."

"Don't let Yan hear you, he'd throw a feast for you for saying that."

She chuckled, a short, light sound, and nodded again. "He really would, wouldn't he?"

"Yans a good guy, but he hates how I am."

"Well," Vel said "Isn't that the way you feel about him?"

Seko mumbled a response, but found that it died on his lips. She was right, but he had no desire to admit that currently. Instead, he tried to change the subject back to training.

"So, what more do you have to teach me?"

"Hmm," Vel placed a few fingers to her forehead, visibly showing the faux effort of remembering. "Well, you've gotten most of the basics down. Was there anything that you were interested in?"

"Abstract magic?" Seko asked. Vel frowned.

"No, I don't think you should explore that."

"Any reason?"

Vel crossed her arms and turned away. "It’s complicated and few have the power of it."

"I heard about a Battle Mage that became a master of it, made a name for himself some thirty years back."

"Aye, Alder of Mehonoris. Good kid," Vel trailed off

"You knew him?"

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"Know him," Vel corrected "Hes a professor at one of the Bonsuian academies currently, but he was little more than a stranger to me when I met him at first."

"So why not teach me then?"

"Because Alder himself warns against the art. The man spent most of his youth trying to attain magic, once he had it he became consumed by it. It hasn't killed him yet-"

"But it will," Seko finished "I understand. He's family then?"

"In a way," She lowered her head as if in shame.

Veldria rarely spoke of her past, and hardly ever in detail when she did. She was from the Kesanage, a strange group of arcanists that had existed for thousands of years and would likely exist for thousands more. She apparently lived a storied life, but whenever she spoke about herself, she would slowly grow quiet and distant.

Seko didn't know what had happened to cause her so much distress in all the years before, but he wasn't about to fight her or force her to explain anything. Everyone had their demons, especially the ones they created themselves. Seko had his own, Yan had his, Vel was entitled to her own as well. She didn't need to explain herself to teach him magic.

Yet he wanted to know more, he wanted to understand what it was that seemed to bother her so much about her life. He didn't know why, exactly. He didn't care for Vel in any way other than a close friend and demanding teacher, but it still made him curious.

"I appreciate you telling me," Seko said, "If this is all you wanted to say about it, that is."

"It is... and it isn't" She crouched again and leaned against the rail. "I hope you know it isn't because I don't trust you."

"I'd never dream of that being the reason," Seko said, "You don't seem the type to fake trusting someone."

"I guess that's fair, when I met you I did hate you."

"And you made that point known to everyone involved." Seko laughed

She had, Vel had struck him with a knife using magic. She'd cut his brow and left a scar, but he had been more concerned with having agitated an Arcanist. Secondary became whether or not she could teach him anything to help. Seko ran a hand over the long indent above his right eye and smiled. She was fierce, and just as loyal. I wonder if Veldria understands how powerful she actually is aboard here.

The rest of the Arc crew were standard casters or arcanists that had tagged along with Vel during their journey. Seko and Yan had found them hawking for a lift to another port, and Seko had decided to offer them the contract for labor. It had been a wonderful marriage of fate and chance.

The pair were on the top deck as the sun slowly drained into the seas and the moons rose to light the way. It was cooling, but the crimson of the sky always seemed to carry the heat of the sun each night. He lived for that, the crimson horizon and salt air. The crew moved around and performed their tasks, but everyone seemed touched by the beauty of the evening.

They had another fifteen days before they would arrive. Fifteen more nights under the clear skies of infinite stars. The equinswade was most assuredly the most beautiful of all the waters one could sail in the Expansive Seas. Clear as a sky and as deep as any ocean should be. If one was lucky, they could see the Wolfwhales hundreds of feet below.

"That I did," Vel snickered, "hope that scar doesn't bother you."

"Not much, certainly not as much as it could have, were it not for Reeves."

"Ah, yes. Reeves is a master when it comes to light wounds." Vel nodded, "I was lucky to find him when I did."

"As I was to find you lot," Seko said, "Never thought I'd actually get this old girl in the air."

Vel laughed and stretched out again. She was obvious when a topic made her uncomfortable. Seko didn't know if it was purposeful or not, but it always aided in staying on her good side.

"We really are amazing, aren't we?" She leaned her head back to lock eyes with Seko "You'd be Imperial Fodder if not for our innovations."

"That WE would." He said smiling.

Abin swirled the bitter dredge of liquid that the short tyrant before her deemed as satisfying wine and bit back her urge to vomit. The room was nauseating enough with the steady spilling of smoke from his cigar, filling the space with a suffocating haze that certain people seemed to find simply divine. She couldn't cough, she couldn't show weakness to this man. She could see the glint of his eye following her every move as she sat and listened to his speech.

"Its very... disappointing, Abin, that you have nothing to show for yourself." Rear Admiral Lower Half Hosan Yuhen lowered his glass onto the black marble side table, something Abin was sure hadn't been there the last time she'd visited, and stood to pace the room.

It was an action she was used to by now, He always did it when he wanted others to see an air of authority and mystic. It was childish, as was the blatant display of force. He was beneath her, if not in rank than in manner, but doctrine was doctrine and rules were rules. So she sat and let the man pace, running grubby hands through his short, patchy beard.

"You would normally lose your rank and position for such a failure. In fact, I've been rather lenient with you, haven't I? Perhaps you should be demoted further." Hosan smiled at the thought, clearly pleased with himself.

"Yes sir," Abin said. A thin beam of light split through the otherwise dim room, illuminating the Rear Admiral Lower Half’s disappointment, something he immediately corrected.

"No, that would be too easy. Shameful of you to prefer the easy solution. Captain Gosana, do you have anything to say in your defense?"

"No sir," She kept her voice atonal for each response, making sure to stick to the rigorous protocols of communication "Nothing."

"Hmmm. Not what I was hoping." Hosan plopped himself down into an elevated chair behind a dark wood desk. The beam of light spilling from his back and blinding her if she were to try and lock eyes. I wonder if he does that on purpose. Knowing the man as she did now, she thought it likely.

"Will that be all, sir?"

"Hardly," The man fiddled with a folder of papers and spread them out on the desk. She could only just make out the actions as they were happening. "I've reports here of attacks from a ship matching the description of the Pasongunan from months back."

"It was a threat that we were aware of, surely you knew that, sir."

"I was aware that we were being threatened, I wasn't aware we were becoming so flippant on the threats of piracy! I told you to find them and bring them in, and you return empty-handed?"

"We watched them fall from the sky, sir, with all due respect, there's little chance they could have survived that."

"And if they did," He didn't ask, he spoke as if it were true

"Then I'd rather not be willing to see what they do to escape if we should be forced to fight."

"That sounds like cowardice, Captain, are you afraid of this ship and its crew?"

"No sir," She said "However neither do I have a death wish. They sunk a galleon, sir, the ships old, but its seen some work done."

"Ah yes, the ingenuity of pirates. Those most brilliant minds of our generation."

"Shall I return to find them, sir?"

"YES," Hosan slammed a pudgy fist into the desk, sending parchment onto a lazy descent "GET OUT THERE AND FIND THEM! USE THE SCOUTS IF YOU HAVE TO!"

"Yes sir," Abin nodded and stood to leave

"And Captain, fail me again, and I'll see to it that you never command so much as a dingy for the rest of your miserable life."

"Yes sir."