“What the fuck happened to New York that made it sink?” I belatedly sighed, testing the strength in my left arm after Un had let me know he finished healing it.

I started to make my way back to the cabin I had left some of my companions in, listening to X’s explanation in the meantime.

“Technically it’s just Long Island. Tectonic activity caused the area to become disconnected from the continent entirely, turning it into a floating island.” X replied. “Within 30 years, it had drifted out into the Atlantic Ocean, causing it to become properly separated.”

I very nearly rolled my eyes as the rest of the crew started to stir. Lilian was the first to wake, shaking his head and simultaneously dislodging his girlfriend from her place beside him.

“Ugh, my head.” He muttered, slowly picking himself off the floor. A small lump had begun to form in the middle of his head, and I had to look away to avoid making any unicorn comparisons.

“What hap-” His voice caught in his throat as he looked down to see his beloved on the floor next to him. “Christna!” He held her in his arms as she started to come to.

Winter was the next to move. Unlike the rest of us, she had actually strapped herself into the seat she used, and hadn’t moved too much from her initial position. Only…

“Ugh… why do I feel like my boobs got squished from the front?” She unstrapped herself from her seat, and started to lightly massage her chest.

“Indecent.” Viina muttered, extracting herself from a tangling of limbs with Lucina. “Who does that in public?”

“You’re not one to talk.” Lucina replied, stretching her arms after sitting up straight. “I saw how you looked at-”

“Shut up!” Viina quickly intervened, placing a hand over Lucina’s mouth. “We’ll have a talk about this later. Understand?”

Lucina’s eyes shone with inner glee as she nodded her head. The Metronian princess had always been good at poking and prodding people to get the response she wanted. This was just another example of that.

Once Viina had removed her hand, Lucina stood up straight to her full height and stretched. “So,” she began, “what happened to the ship? One moment we were sitting there, and the next we’re… where are we?”

“The Charlotte Abyss.” I replied, and for the first time since they woke up, everyone seemed to notice that I was in the room. “We crashed after lightning struck our aircraft.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” Viina replied. “This is a shared space between our nations. Unless something can interfere with Judgment on a fundamental level and allow for natural weather to come through, then-”

I think you’ve said enough. I replied to her in a private chat. I’ll fill you all in later, but there are people who are unvetted here. I included Lilian, Winter, and Lucina in the chat for that second message as well.

“Well, regardless of why we’re here,” Lucina said, shifting the focus of the conversation, “how do we get back to the Metronian Kingdom? Are communication lines up?”

I briefly glanced at X, who shook her head. “I don’t know, but a trip to the communications room couldn’t hurt, right?”

“No, it wouldn’t.” Lucina replied. “Why don’t you and Viina handle that, while Winter, Lilian, and I go check on the rest of the crew that was riding in the cargo hold?”

“Sounds like a plan.” I replied, and walked off, leaving a very bewildered Viina to follow me out of the door.

“Is she always like that?” Viina asked, as she allowed a hint of annoyance to creep into her tone.

“Who, Lucina?”

“Yeah. Your fiancé.” The Primal Kingdom princess replied, monotone. “Does she always like to get under people’s skin like that?”

I shrugged, and stopped walking, turning to face Viina. “She does.” I was going to stop there, but I had a feeling that keeping to monosyllabic words in my answers wasn’t going to help her trust me more than she did.

“It’s how she gets a read on people… I think. Either that, or she’s just a massive bitch that enjoys causing other people discomfort.”

That actually got a chuckle out of the princess, whose expression quickly reverted back to her solemn state.

“Still, I’m surprised.” I added as I began walking again. “I thought you and Lucina knew each other? The way it was spun for me, all the world powers have this gathering once a year, and the people who essentially govern the world mingle.”

“Well… that’s true and untrue.” Viina said with a slight frown. “The meeting does happen, and people do go, but they split us into age groups so we can better forge connections with our contemporaries, instead of people who will rule before or after us.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I see…” I muttered, placing one hand on the biometric scanner that led to the communications room.

“So you were basically sitting at the kiddy table while the adults were off doing the important things?”

“I was not at a kiddy table!” Viina growled, putting one hand on my shoulder, and stopping me short. “We were at a meeting with the best and brightest minds in politics!”

“Ok.” I replied. “So you were at a special kiddy table then. With the finest grape juice money could buy.”

Viina’s grip on my shoulder tightened as she said, “If you want to know how to keep yourself on my good side, you won’t make any other accusations like that in the future.”

I rolled my eyes, and shrugged her hand off of me. “Sure, sure. Whatever you say. That does mean that you met Reya then, at least.”

Viina sighed, and nodded her head. “Yes, she-”

“Welcome, Paladin Cole.” Viina gave me a dirty look as she was cut off by the mechanical voice of the ship’s programming.

“As I was saying, she and I have met a handful of times over the years. I won’t lie. It vexes me how someone with such little ambition could find herself in the driver’s seat of a whole nation.”

I used to feel the same way… but I know better now. Without going too much into it, I supplemented, “She is the youngest of all her brothers and sisters. I can’t imagine how demoralizing it would be to try and compete with people who have a head start, some of whom had ten years to establish their own brand of authority.”

Viina looked at me, then towards the door. “Let’s just get this over with.” Too early to bring up Reya, I see.

“Alright.” I muttered, and walked into the dimly lit room. It was a small space to occupy with two people, with most of the room’s capacity being taken by various machines that contributed to many functions of the ship.

We were essentially at the heart of the aircraft. “So, who are you gonna call? Just a reminder, I’ve recently fled my country as a refugee, so I can’t offer you anything.”

I rolled my eyes at her, and sat down at the console. X, dial the King’s Judgment panel. We’re off the coast of the Kingdom anyway, may as well try and get their assistance.

“We will need to input your Judgment number to use as the caller ID. Is that ok?” X asked.

I don’t see why not. Especially since he seems to be the only real ally I have inside Redfield palace. Do it.

A small loading bar, as well as an old school dial tone came out from the device. I raised my eyebrows and looked at Viina, but she didn’t even blink.

After ten seconds, the King’s face appeared in place of the loading bar, and he beamed a smile at me. “There’s my favorite Paladin! Honestly, I was expecting a call from one of my daughters, but I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised.”

“You’re happier than usual, King Metron.” I observed. However, in response to my criticism, the King’s smile only widened.

“Of course, we made a killing off that war game.” His smile dropped a fraction as he followed up with, “It’s not like you to call on a public line either.”

I shrugged. “For the benefit of my newly established partnership, I determined it was more conducive to talk to you where others could hear, and not just a conversation within my own head.”

“Ah, yes.” King Metron looked away from me, seeming to notice Viina for the first time. “Princess Viina Secela. Or should I say, ‘former’ princess?”

Viina took the obvious jab in stride, replying, “While my position has been undecided, your highness, I am thankful for the Paladin’s mercy in saving me from my home country. I can only hope that your leniency and poise will be close to his own.”

The king frowned, obviously not expecting the rebuttal. A slight grin cracked on his face. “Well played, Miss Secela.”

Viina returned the expression and performed a light bow. “I aim to please, King Metron.”

The King turned his gaze back my way, saying, “I assume you didn’t call just for courtesy’s sake then. What do you need?”

I sighed. “Our ship has crashed into the Charlotte Abyss. We’re off the coast of…”

“Leresia.” X supplemented.

Where?

“Rhode Island.”

The ruins of Long Island travelled up? That doesn’t seem right.

X’s miniaturized form appeared in the corner of my vision, giving me a shrug. “Blame the Gulf Stream. Within another 30 years, It will probably be closer to the Kingdom of Liones than the Metronian Kingdom. Underwater currents, and all that.”

The Kingdom of what?

“Europe.” X replied, deadpanning.

Ah.

I sighed, mostly to get my mind off of how much X had started to sound like my former crush since I had admitted to myself that she came from my memories of her.

Remembering I was still on the phone, I replied to the King, “Leresia. We’re off the coast of Leresia.”

The King’s frowned. “How did you manage to crash a national security grade aircraft into that godforsaken place?”

“Lightning. Lots and lots of lightning.” I said bitterly, remembering my exchange with the temperamental Starlord earlier.

“What an anomaly.” The King bit his lip in consternation. “Well, you’re in luck. The twins, Gina and Kuro, are there right now. They were opening a new museum up to the public. With their assistance, we should be able to get everyone off the ship and onto dry land. Afterwards, we can pay the fine to Judgment for polluting.”

“We’re not going to try and recover the ship?” I wondered aloud. Viina shook her head, saying, “The Charlotte Abyss’ waters are notoriously corrosive. Within a day, this entire ship will become a part of the sea.”

Pollution at it’s finest. “Ok. I’ll get one of your daughters to contact them then. It that’s all-”

I motioned to shut off the console, but King Metron’s voice hastily interrupted mine. “Wait! I need you to tell Lucina something for me.”

I raised my brows, but didn’t say anything, allowing him to continue. “The server is overloaded. One admin has moved to another.”

I nodded once it was clear he was finished, and asked, “Is that supposed to be taken literally?”

All traces of the earlier joy had vanished from the face of the King, as he studied me. He left me with some parting words just before the screen went to black. “Just tell her. She’ll know what that means. She’ll know what to do.”