"What in creation is going on, Vel!"

Seko pushed his way through the huddled groups and crew performing their duties, the Arc Control room before him. Vel, Sunte, Paz, and Reeves were each at their stations or tending to bits of shattered crystal. Two of the primary control Gewels were cracked and splintered across the room, Cria tending them. The room was a wreck, more so than usual.

"What the HELL is going on?!" Seko shouted. "The ships barely in the air! This isn't flying us out Vel."

"I'm trying!" She ran her hand over the console's gem, changing it from a steady blue to a dimming red, "Shit! Cria!"

"Got it," Cria said

Crias hands were leveled over the shattered gems and a bright sapphire glow emanated from them. The gems he'd seen as lost junks of rock mere moments before were returning to their previous state in a slow swirling. It took only a minute for the work to finish, but the waiting had felt like a lifetime.

"Here," Said Cria, handing a gewel to both Reeves and Sunte "We need these back in working order."

"Race ya," Reeves said

"You're on!" Sunte said

The two nodded and held their Gewels between the palms of their hands. Seko had seen them "discuss", as they called it, with the items once before when the four had first joined, but even now he found the process wildly confusing. He pressed the thought aside with a minor spike of anger, He didn't have time to consider what was interesting, Seko had lives to say.

"Done" Reeves exclaimed, he pressed the Gewel into the open slot.

"Ruki!" She snapped. She pressed hers into the remaining slot and folded her arms. "You cheated."

"Hardly," said Reeves smiling "You're just getting slow is all."

"Slow?" Sunte looked offended "How dare you, sir."

"The ship!" Seko shouted. "We've lives aboard, ours and the crew!"

"I've pushed it to its peak," said Vel "There's nothing left!"

"That Chaser will be able to track us at this rate. Can't we do anything?"

"We could fall?" Paz suggested

"Noted." Said Seko. He gave the room another look and frowned "How did this happen?"

"When we took off," Sunte said "something happened to the controls."

"We lifted too fast," Vel corrected "I pushed us off faster than we should have. You heard the pitch these things made when we started."

"That's what that was?"

"Is the crew okay?" Paz asked "Up top, I mean, I've seen some of the others around here already."

"Better than I'd have hoped." Seko took a breath and let himself recalculate the situation. "Honestly, I'm suprised we got out."

"We had the whole thing well in hand." Eado stepped into the doorway covered in dried blood but otherwise unbothered. "You should trust yourself."

"Theres nothing more we can do then?" Seko directed the question to Vel who shook her head

"Nothing, and its possible that the whole system may be critically damaged."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, I hope you like this height, because it may be the highest you get without swapping out the entire ship."

"Fine, in that case we're as safe as we can be. Good work getting us out of there."

It was a strange juxtaposition of a compliment, but Seko never wanted to let a chance to remind his crew of their skill go to waist. They HAD done a good job, and complications aside, it was successful. Vel gave a nod and turned away, her usual dismissal of him during times of heavy work, so Seko turned to Eado and pressed a hand to the mans shoulder.

"It almost doesn't feel real, you keep on walking through every fight."

"Would you prefer I drop dead?"

"No, no. Just commenting on how much we rely on you. Have relied on you. Thank you, is what I mean."

"Aye."

"How's Nakyan?" Seko asked.

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He needed to make his way back up to the helm, needed to inform Aithur and Yan of the developments. Eado followed.

"Yan is great, happy to have had an enemy." Eado sighed, "Not that he needs another."

"That sounds about right..." Seko shook his head. Yan was a fighter, one of the best, but his need for constant fighting was growing to be a concern. He let the thought pass and tried to calm his still shaking nerves, it wasn't something he could control, and he wasn't about to start that fight. "The Crew?"

"We lost three."

"Who?"

"Jau-lu, Strella, and Diavre. Freua managed to save Shurel."

"Remind me to thank her. And the crew?"

Eado gave a solemn nod and slowed, drawing Seko to a stop as well. They stood on the top deck, away from the stair downward and in the direct way of the passersby.

"Not many of the soldiers survived."

"What do you mean?" Seko asked, "I watched us load some on, who did we manage to save?"

"Some women and children. The ship was housing a few families, one said."

"But not all?"

"We grabbed who we could, but I'm afraid that the Deep Mother will eat well tonight."

"Right..." Sekos mind was awash with shame and regret. "Right. Well, we did what we could."

"Aye, that we did."

"Go ahead about your duties, we're deciding what to do now."

"Aye sir."

Seko stepped into the Quarterdeck and moved around the central box running the Helms ropes. The six rooms on the deck were spread out and separated to allow easier access, and realistically it had only taken moving the doors on the left two rooms to make space enough for Yans ego, and wishes. The right side held three officers rooms and a storage room of finery, the left held only two rooms; the Captains Cabin and the Navigation room. He knocked on the Captains door twice and turned the knob.

Nakyan stood half dressed near a partition, bottle of rum nearby and plate of food set. He turned to see the intruder to his domicile was only his brother, and while Seko had expected him to relax at the realization, Yan had only seemed to grow more tense. The bloody black leathers and blades lay in a pile near where he stood, new clothes laid out and ready.

"Brother." Yans voice was ice "Here to chastise me on my bloodshed?"

"Considering the bodies drew the Deep Mother... No, I'm not." Seko crossed the room and slid into the chair opposite the plated food. "I'm here to tell you that you did a good job."

"That's a surprise, but I'm neither a child nor your inferior."

"Should you need to be either for me to compliment you? You're my brother, my blood."

"What do you want, Seko?"

"I'm here to check up on you. Your plan worked, and judging by the chip in your shield gem, I'd say you had a good time."

Yan laughed, "Aye, that I did. I trust you dealt with Cria."

"Depends on the definition of dealt with, she's working with the Arc team and seems to have talent."

"How long are we going to keep her around? Its obvious shes going to betray us at the treasure."

"Yan," Seko said, "I'm not going to have this conversation right now."

"Just take it into consideration, that's all I ask."

"Fine. What about the journal?" Seko asked, blatantly attempting to change the subject.

"Am I supposed to have read it already?" Yan took the seat across and fiddled with the food. With a smile he asked, "Are you excited?"

"If two idiots have their eyes set on the same treasure, then there must be something to it."

Yan pulled the red book out from a pocket in a nearby tossed coat and placed it on the table.

"With this, we'll be able to find that old pirates horde and become legends on the seas."

"We have to find it first." Seko reminded him. "Not the easiest task."

"I know, I know. But the fact that we found it! The fact that its real!" Yan was nearly bursting with excitement, he almost seemed like child with his eyes on a brand new toy.

Seko knew the man well enough by now, knew his tendencies, his temperament. His father had adopted him as a boy, telling Seko that he should be happy to have a brother. He was, in his own way, but Nakyan was far more of a street rat and the prospect of interacting with some "noble priss" was of no interest to him. So that had been there life until their father died, that was when they'd gotten close.

When they'd served in the naval corps to follow their fathers footsteps, it had been Nakyan that had convinced him to keep pushing. He was the one that reminded Seko of their duty to the memory of the man. He'd pushed Seko out of his despair, helped him back up and into a nobleman again. Seko loved him as if he were blood, and Yan seemed to respond mostly the same.

But Sekos worry was beginning to mount, He couldn't ignore the failings of the man just because he was blood, and doing nothing could give the situation more room to grow. He seemed to be thinking more and more of the violent responses that each outburst had resulted in, and that was something Seko couldn't allow. He wouldn't allow.

Honor and duty were fine, but often they fell flat against the harsh nature of reality. Yet standing true to ones beliefs was part of the factors in training to become an Arcanist. The world could never make up its mind on whether the concepts were good or bad, and that made each decision all the more foreboding to Seko.

He wanted to restore more to his family than just its name, and he wanted it to be done in a way that wore that honor. Hang his crimes, justified, or otherwise he'd avoid hurting people as best he could, that had to count for something. He was trying, always trying. Maybe that was why he'd decided to learn more of the strange ether magic that Arcanists wielded so easily. Control the inconceivable.

"Seko?" Yan waved a hand in front of Sekos eyes. Seko blinked and looked around. He'd lost track of the conversation, and thus the current reason for the table to be empty a plate and extra a red journal.

"Sorry, thinking. What did you say?"

"You look tired Sek, you sleeping well?" Yan seemed genuinely concerned, something that surprised Seko. He'd also called him Sek, a name he'd not used since their father had died.

"No," he admitted "not really."

"Well, get some sleep, you look terrible." Yan tapped the open journal, "I'm going to read. You should go sleep. We can talk tomorrow."

Seko wanted to protest, but it would have done no good against his brother. Yan was already invested in the entirety of the book before him. He'd always been like that, diving into any book of interest with single-minded focus. Seko stood and walked to the door, he turned to say goodbye but instead just left. He cross the short distance to his door and entered his own room.