Ren laid in her bed in the dormitory. After the news of the destruction of her hometown at the hands of agent Izmena, she rarely got out of bed, even to eat with the crew. She knew she had work to do, maintaining the Humo Robinson… but she could barely move, wrecked with the thoughts of how Kowalski and her other employees were feeling in their last moments.

“I barely escaped with my life… I… I don’t deserve to be here…” she thought. “Kowalski must have been terrified in his last moments... the kind of fear I barely escaped myself. Every time I close my eyes, I see them. I should have stayed. I should have died with them. I don't deserve this second chance.”

The door to the dormitory creaked, and Zinnia entered, quiet as a shadow. Meilong slithered off her owner and up to the bed, coiling around Ren instead, a cool yet comforting presence. Zinnia sat, her face blank, unsure how to approach grief like this.

“How are you feeling, Miss Ren?” Zinnia asked.

“Ah… Ah’m fine… I just…” Ren’s words faltered, the flood of emotion too much.

“You miss your hometown.”

Ren started sobbing with her face in her hands, the sobs shaking her chest. Zinnia just sat there with a blank stare, unsure of what to do. Meilong, on the other hand, gave a calming hiss; that was her usual routine whenever Zinnia broke down crying as if to say “you’re not alone.”

“I… Ah…” Ren stammered, sobering up a bit. Meilong nuzzled into her cheek. “I should have been there! WHY AM I STILL HERE?!”

“Miss Ren, why do you have two separate ways of talking?” Zinnia wondered aloud.

Ren stopped crying. “Can’t ya read a room, woman?” she asked angrily. She gave Zinnia a death glare, but Zinnia averted her gaze almost reflexively.

Ren sighed. “If ya must know… I wanted to be someone else. A hero, like the ones in my comic books. Someone strong who doesn’t let people down. Ah really lahk comic books. Specifically superhero comics lahk Cap’n Losan or The Amazin’ Four.”

Zinnia tilted her head in confusion. “What is a ‘comic book’?” she asked, genuinely curious.

“Ya really are foreign, ain’t ya?” Ren asked, brow furrowing as she wiped away tears.

Ren reached under her bed and pulled out the most recent newspaper, flipping to the comics page. “This is a comic strip. Put enough o’these together and you can make an entahre book. Mah fav’rite is Cap’n Losan, the representative of the Unahted Provinces who beat ev’ryone in th’Great War! Although… Ah’m not too sure how Ah feel ‘bout the Provinces these days…”

Zinnia blinked. "But if you know you're not a hero, why pretend to be one?"

Ren put the newspaper down and shook her head. She sighed. “I dunno, Zinnia. It made sense at the time, okay? Just… try not to ask so many weird questions when I’m havin’ a moment.

“Anyway, Ah really lahk superhero comics and adventure novels. Mah fav’rite character in the Cap’n Losan comics though is his genius inventor friend who makes all his gadgets, Beauregard! He’s the cat’s pajamas!”

Zinnia looked confused. “Why would a cat wear pajamas?”

“I… I decided to talk like him because I thought it would help me stand out back in Mazurka City. It’s a pretty ho-hum, run of the mill town in middle Losan. It made me feel… special. In a way that the Father Above and Serenicus don’t,” Ren said, talking normally.

“Tell me more about this ‘Serenicus’,” Zinnia said.

“You’ve never heard of Serenicus?” Ren asked, a confused look on her face. “The good news of His resurrection?”

“I am sorry, Miss Ren, but much of what constitutes your western culture never reached Orinoca. We are quite closed off from the rest of the world. The empire of Bright Island attempted to open up the Queendom by supplying us with drugs, but we fought them off in a brutal war that took place some decades before I was born. That is what our history books say, at least.”

“The Holy Order of Serenicus is what built the western half of the globe, basically,” Ren explained. “He was capable of using any potentia he could dream of, in defiance of natural science. He walked Caldris over a thousand years ago, preaching about the Father Above and performing miracles like making the lame walk and raising the dead. When they finally put him to death by hanging, he miraculously came back three days later.”

She reached down the front of her dress and pulled up the charm on her necklace: a noose charm. “Most of us in small town Losan are still Serenists. It’s those city folks who have discarded His teachings.”

“And you are certain a man like this truly existed?” Zinnia asked.

“It’s what makes the most sense,” Ren said resolutely. “I don’t want to go into a deep discussion right now. It’s just… I guess… I guess I need to believe in something bigger right now. That there’s some reason why… why this happened.” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them and said “Anyway… what tahm is it? Ah’m gettin’ pretty hungry.”

Meilong unwrapped herself from Ren and slithered back to Zinnia. “It was around 4:17 p.m. when I last checked,” Zinnia replied.

“Oh mah! Ah’ve been in bed all day! Ah really should get somethin’ t’eat!” Ren exclaimed, throwing off her covers. “Thanks, Zinnia. You an’ yer snake friend helped me feel a bit better. Haven’t really had a good crah lahk that since this happened.”

Zinnia smiled and Meilong let out a hiss as Ren got up and headed for the kitchen.

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Carne sat at the front of the gondola, a medical textbook propped open on his lap. Occasionally, he’d glance through the telescope, pretending to scan the horizon for the mountains. In truth, his eyes kept darting to the dirty magazine tucked between the pages of his book, hidden from any wandering eyes. Every few minutes, he'd make a show of flipping the page. Eventually, as dusk settled, he nearly dropped both book and magazine when the faint outline of the Panipuri mountains came into view. "Look alive, everyone! Panipuri Kingdom, dead ahead!" Carne called into the microphone.

Zinnia headed for the helm, as did Shaska and Samudra.

“Alright, prince, where’s the closest open plain we can land?” Shaska asked.

“Near the village of Gaanv in the Talahatee Foothills is a plain. From there, we can trek to the mountains and the capital of Shahar,” said the prince.

“You heard him, snake girl!” Shaska declared, pointing forward, to which Zinnia nodded.

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The Humo Robinson landed at nightfall in a remote spot of the central plains of the Panipuri Kingdom, bordered on all sides by forest. The crew gathered at a table in the promenade to look at the map one last time before they disembarked.

“Alright, everyone, here is the plan as it stands now,” said Samudra. “We will cross this plain to the Van Forest and to the village of Gaanv. There, we will spend the night and procure disguises for our trek north up the Talahatee Hills to Shahar. Once there, I will enter the palace so I can attempt to talk to my brother in person before his coronation.”

“As for the rest of you, you will join the Shahar Regulars to attempt to stall my uncle’s forces when they attack. We need to capture as many of his soldiers as we can so we can potentially get his contact information, that way we can negotiate a peace deal that works for everyone.”

“And that will make the Unclean ‘clean’?” Lulupo asked.

“We will worry about that when the time comes,” Samudra replied. “Right now, we need to make sure the prophecy is fulfilled and the kingdom is saved.”

“Who’s gonna watch the ship?” Schwarz asked.

“And what will us non-combatants do?” Roxanne added.

“Carne can tend to the wounded, but what about me and Roxie?” Andy asked. “I’d sure love to get my hands on some authentic Panipuri recipes!” he exclaimed, mouth watering as he rubbed his hands together.

“We will need as much help as we can get in the battle, so all who can fight must come to Shahar,” Samudra said. “We have landed in an area bounded by forest. I pray to the gods that our airship is not spotted.”

“As for steak guy, every breath you take, and the perv doctor…” Shaska added. “Take these.” She pulled out three handguns from the Robinson’s armory. “You guys are gonna help us fight monsters on the way to the capital. I don’t expect you to actually help on the battlefield, so do what you can to keep your heads down. And learn some Panipuri food recipes and pick up whatever booze you can here. That way we can have some variety in our food in the future. Not like we can start a new business here, anyway.”

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“That sounds unbelievably dangerous and could end with us dead,” Roxanne said bluntly, her gaze boring into Shaska’s soul.

“It’s an adventure, Roxie!” Andy replied cheerfully, taking one of the guns and spinning it around his finger. The gun went off and shot into the floor.

Shaska puffed on her cigar and unflinchingly said “that’s coming outta your pay” as Ren cringed at the lack of trigger discipline.

“Why aren’t we using Schwarz’s potentia to get to the city? That seems so much more convenient,” Roxanne asked. “And… Less dangerous.”

“My Nobilis Foramen has a lot of limitations. I think,” Schwarz said.

“You think…?”

“Look, potentia abilities don’t come with instruction manuals. As far as I know, I can only use my portals if I know the exit relative to my location. And far away portals consume a lot more Aether, so even with a map, I can’t just make long-distance portals willy-nilly. I’d need to focus for weeks!” Schwarz explained, somewhat annoyed. “Can we just go?”

"Fine, fine, Mr. Portal Master," Roxanne said, hands raised. "I’ll keep that in mind the next time we’re trekking through monster-infested woods."

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Worldwide Smoke left the Humo Robinson behind, stepping into the suffocating embrace of the humid forest. The thick air clung to their skin, making every breath feel like it weighed twice as much. Insects droned endlessly in the background, a constant, high-pitched hum that grew louder as the sun dipped below the horizon. Everyone was dressed in short sleeves and pants, though even that felt like too much under the weight of the oppressive heat.

Schwarz, his shirt lazily unbuttoned, revealing muscles and a massive scar on his chest, caught Ren’s wandering eyes. She tried not to look, but her lingering gaze betrayed her, much to her own flustered delight. All the while, the sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs beneath their feet was the only accompaniment to the insects’ incessant song.

“Are we sure it’s a good idea to be going through a dangerous, monster-infested forest at night?” Roxanne asked, tying her hair back. “Sounds suicidal if you ask me.”

“The wildlife is usually asleep around this time,” Samudra said. “And my brother’s coronation is tomorrow at 2 p.m. We must hurry.”

“Well, if the monsters are asleep, I guess all we have to deal with is some bugs biting us,” said Shaska.

“I suppose it’s good we have these guns, just in case,” said Andy. “I brought snacks in case anyone gets hungry!”

The party set forward into the forest. Shaska and Samudra led the way, each holding a torch. By and large, they looked down at the forest floor to make sure they didn’t trip over any tree roots. It was incredibly dark and dank, the torches serving as the only light due to the trees blocking out the moon. Everyone began to sweat profusely due to the humidity. Shaska was the exception, as merfolk lack the ability to sweat; the humidity was actually quite pleasant to her.

“Not gonna lie, this is pretty boring,” Schwarz said. “I was expecting some more action when the prince said this place was chock full of monsters.”

“Don’t jinx it!” Roxanne chided.

"Prince, you got any folk remedies for bug bites?" Carne asked, slapping at his arms.

Samudra glanced over his shoulder, the torchlight casting deep shadows across his face. "Of course. Why do you—" He froze mid-sentence, his eyes widening.

Carne was a walking cloud of bugs, a buzzing black mass covering every inch of exposed skin.

"No reason," Carne replied dryly, eyes half-lidded in resignation.

Samudra’s response was swift, blasting Carne with a hot steam gust that sent the insects scattering, but not before several had left their marks. "Those are machchar mosquitoes," Samudra said, shaking his head. "Quite the pests. Their bites itch terribly and—"

Carne swayed, then crumpled to the ground.

"—they drain an absurd amount of blood if they swarm." Samudra crouched over Carne, inspecting his pale face. "Particularly dangerous for creatures with type AB blood."

"H-help..." Carne croaked, barely audible.

"Goodness," Lulupo murmured, casually extending his hair to scoop up Carne. "I suppose you’re lucky we haven’t run into anything worse yet."

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As they marched through the humid forest, a strange light flickered off to the side, nestled beneath the thick brush. Zinnia’s eyes immediately locked onto it. "Ooh..." she murmured, stepping off the path.

The rest of the group turned. "Pretty..." Zinnia muttered, approaching the glow.

"What is it?" Ren asked, squinting in the dim light.

Zinnia knelt closer. "It is... a bunny rabbit?" she said, the light revealing a tiny, glowing creature nestled in the leaves.

"Snake girl, we don’t have time to be distracted by rabbits!" Shaska called, clearly annoyed.

"R-rabbit?" Samudra's voice quivered as his eyes went wide, scanning the brush nervously. Samudra focused his eyes as best he could and saw something. “Lady Zinnia! That is no rabbit! Be careful!”

Zinnia looked back at Worldwide Smoke, then back at the light rabbit. She then looked up and saw what it really was. The rabbit was attached like a lure to a fleshy tendril, which was in turn attached to the forehead of a massive, pitch-black tiger-like creature.

Everyone’s (including Meilong’s) eyes popped out of their heads at the sight of it, except Zinnia, who was a bit slow on the uptake. Zinnia just cocked her head to the side, only to be smacked through a tree by a mighty swipe of the monster’s paw. It was then that her eyes popped out of her head like everyone else. Meilong rolled her eyes at her partner’s slowness.

“It’s an angler tiger!” Samudra shouted.

Schwarz watched as the tiger thrashed Zinnia. Memories flickered in his mind—a younger version of himself, promising his sister a trip to the zoo to see the tigers. Then, her bloodied face, gasping for air. He clenched his sword tightly, eyes narrowed. "Dammit, not now," he muttered, forcing the memories back.

Without hesitation, Schwarz warped through a portal and dropped down from the air, his blade plunging deep into the angler tiger’s back. The beast howled in rage, thrashing violently, throwing him off before he could land a killing blow.

"You’re one tough bastard," Schwarz growled, as he wiped blood from his forehead. "But so am I."

Shaska rolled her eyes. “Ugh… Let’s just get this over with.”

She hardened the moisture in the air into jagged ice bullets, firing them toward the tiger. The beast roared as they struck, but only seemed more enraged. It swatted at her, sending Shaska skidding across the dirt, crashing into a tree.

"Tch," Shaska spat out her cigar, stomping out a small fire from the torch she dropped. "This is gonna be one hell of a fight."

“It would be best if we ran,” Samudra replied. “Lady Shaska! I am serious! We must flee! No good will come if we stay here. We might wake up more animals!” he called out. "We must leave! There is no honor in senseless battle!"

Shaska, now wrestling the tiger’s tail in the dark, barely heard him over the beast’s roars. "Sorry, prince, much as I’m tired of all this crap, I don’t back down from a fight!"

"We’re waking up the entire forest!" Samudra groaned, his fists clenching. The noise echoed from every direction, and in the distance, shadows stirred. His heart raced as he realized what was happening.

"Lady Shaska!" he shouted again, but it was too late. A wave of small, elephant-like creatures burst into the clearing, their calls reverberating through the trees. Behind them, more glowing eyes appeared.

"By the gods…" Samudra muttered. "We’re surrounded."

“Ow… ow…” Schwarz moaned as he picked himself up. “I’m not leaving until I get my sword back!”

He teleported onto the angler tiger’s back again to retrieve his sword, which was a struggle, as the sword was lodged in between several bones in the monster’s back.

“This is Umbra Lux. It’s a family heirloom, passed down through the generations since long before our family emigrated to the United Provinces,” said Chernit Eisenberg, Schwarz’s father, who greatly resembled his son, just older and with a goatee. “When you marry and have a child of your own, it shall be yours.”

Schwarz finally managed to pull Umbra Lux out of the monster’s back, which caused it to roar in pain again. “Alright, prince! We can go now!” Schwarz called, teleporting over to the prince’s location.

“Lady Shaska! Lady Zinnia!”

Shaska and Zinnia faced the monster from either side.

“Sorry, prince, this thing made me sore!” Shaska called out.

She snuffed her torch, charged the monster again and managed to find its tail in the darkness. She grabbed onto it and started spinning. “Stupid cat! I’ll show you what happens when you mess with Shaska!” she shouted as she swung the creature around.

“You… you’re the one who started it…” Roxanne thought, face in her hand.

As she spun faster and faster, Shaska let go of the monster, sending it flying out of the forest at top speed.

“That was awesome!” Andy shouted, pumping his fists with stars in his eyes.

Sure enough, though, the rest of the party was surrounded by monsters, who were woken up by the noise and drawn to the light of the one remaining torch. Shaska puffed her cigar, then started running over to help them, followed by Zinnia. But, help was unnecessary.

"Enough!" Samudra stepped forward, his frustration boiling over. He handed his torch to Lulupo and inhaled rhythmically, letting the Aether fill his lungs. With a sharp exhale, he blasted steam toward the beasts, the scalding vapor filling their nostrils and sending them scattering into the night with pained howls. He retrieved the torch from Lulupo, his eyes narrowing as he turned to the group. "Let us proceed. And this time, let us not wake the entire forest."

Zinnia looked a bit dejected after the whole affair. “Those poor animals…” she mumbled.

----------------------------------------

At around 11:00 p.m., Worldwide Smoke reached a clearing, and saw a village in the distance. The buildings were haphazardly constructed, made of stone with thatched grass roofs.

“That is the village of Gaanv,” said Samudra. “We should be able to find shelter for the night, as well as a place to buy clothes so we can better disguise ourselves.”

“Would longleg clothes fit us? You’re really tall, prince,” said Roxanne.

“Longlegs come in a variety of heights, just like normal humans,” he explained. “We should be able to find clothes that fit you.”

He turned to Shaska and said “Lady Shaska, I am most displeased with your actions in the forest. I thought I made it quite clear that we should run before more animals woke up.”

Shaska blew some smoke. “Prince, I love ya and all, but–”

She caught herself and turned as dark a shade of purple as she could.. “I mean! You’re a friend and all, but sometimes the action calls me. It’s part of being an adventure capitalist.”

Samudra sighed. “I suppose, Lady Shaska. But please, many of the creatures that inhabit this country are extremely rare and only exist here. You must not be so hasty to destroy the local ecosystem.”

“Duly noted, prince, duly noted.”

As they moved closer, the tension in the air thickened. The village was quiet—too quiet. No singing, no laughter, not even the sound of livestock. And then, through the flickering torchlight, they saw it: a small group of armed villagers approaching, rifles in hand, their postures rigid with suspicion.

“Stop! Who goes there?” the leader shouted.

“It is okay!” Samudra responded. “We are friendly! It is I, Prince Samudra, brother of Prince Ta’Gup XIV, here to stop the war! We have come to seek shelter for the night before we head to Shahar!”

The villagers raised their guns.