Chapter 4: The storm part 2

"Woah, you can talk." Sometime later into their trip, the four of them, the two friends, Cauã and Shamsi, found themselves huddled in a circle, Thayen's sack of food -which he'd initially reserved for his master- between them. As the original awkwardness ebbed away, they'd somehow fallen into easy conversation. And when, at some point, the two boys had remarked the android perched on Cauã's shoulder, Little Sister had naturally introduced herself. 

Cauã raised an eyebrow, catching on the slight skepticism in his voice. "Of course, she can talk. And that's not all. Little Sister has an internal library of information. You could ask her anything on any subject, from navigation to medicine. That's without mentioning her ability to record and retain information. She's the greatest creation on this earth." He let out a self-congratulatory chuckle. "A real gem, straight from my ingenuity.

"You built her?" Thayen asked, sounding awestruck.

Cauã reveled in the admirative gaze of the younger boy. "Of course I did. I may not look like it, but I'm kind of a genius." He shifted in place, showing his side profile and resting his face in the crook between his thumb and index finger. "You see, could say I'm a modern-day Einstein."

The three teenagers looked at one another, sporting similar lost expressions, with Thayen leaning closer to Shamsi. "What's an Iensten?" Shamsi's shrugged, equally clueless.

"So she's a bit like a toy?" Xóots asked, scratching his head and looking back to the gloating thief.

Cauã was quick to take offense at his words. "Little Sister is not a toy," he refuted vehemently. "She's my oldest companion. We've been through a lot together."

"Oh," Xóots raised his eyebrows and swirled around to look at the bird on Thayen's shoulder. "She's like our Yp." The offended squawks of the kinglet resonated clearly. 

"Yp says you shouldn't compare him to that tin-" Thayen stopped midsentence, shifting to look at the bird. "Hey, that's not very nice." he chastised his winged friend. 

"Wait, you can understand him?" Shamsi asked, wide-eyed. 

Thayen nodded, gently prying Yp off his shoulder and holding him between them. "Yp is my familiar, but to be fair, I've always been able to understand him." 

"It's not just him," Xóots chimed in. "Thayen can understand and communicate with any bird." He grinned proudly, putting an arm around his shoulder. "Back home, we called him the bird whisperer. Okay, it's mostly me, but still, isn't that awesome." 

Cauã bobbed his head in agreement, muttering 'fascinating', while Shamsi leaned forward, eyes sparkling with glee and excitement. "Ah, I wish I could speak to animals too." she spoke dreamingly, in all likelihood already envisaging all the conversations she could have if she'd had that power. 

"It's nothing special really." Thayen waved off the praise, his flush, apparent even behind his mask. "I'm sure there are others with much more impressive ability." 

"Stop, selling yourself short." Xóots scolded his younger friend. 

Shamsi bobbed her head in agreement. "That's a pretty cool power." She grinned. "And the bird whisperer is a dope name. Maybe as should call you that, from now on." 

Thayen's blush intensified as he held his gaze to the floor. "Please don't." He voiced timidly. 

"I have to agree with them." Cauã joined in on the encouragement. He pondered. "They're probably a lot of strategical advantage to such- ouch. What did you hit me for?" Cauã yelped. 

"You were speaking weird again," Shamsi told him, lips pursed. 

"You're one to talk, " the thief retorted, rubbing at the spot where she'd hit him. 

Their banter was interrupted by Thayen's low giggles. Both turned to look at him, questioningly. "Sorry, it's just... you two are like two peas in a pot. You must have known each other for a long time." 

"We met like an hour ago," Shamsi stated casually, ignoring Cauã's grumbled; you could have worded it better, choosing instead to focus on the two actual friends. "What about you two? Have you been friends for long?" 

Both teens nodded. "We've been friends for years." Thayen confided enthusiastically. "Xóots is a few years older than me and even though we're opposite, we've been inseparable since the day we met. He always comes to my defense, I don't think I would be doing very much if not for him. he's actually teh season I'm on this boat, to begin with." 

It was Xóots' turn to blush. "Ah, Thayen stop. Don't you see you're ruining my tough guy image?" 

observing the exchange between the two friends, Cauã took further notice of the tattoos on their bodies. His eyes drifted sideways to his left breast and shoulder arm. On the older boy's chest stood the intricate formline tattoo of a bear, with more animals hidden in it, whilst he and Thayen shared a similar red-green-black formline design that resembled a whale, that one also bore traits of varied animals if one looked closely. The whale and bear tattoos shared the prominent presence of what looked to be an eagle with the whale tattoo possessing an eagle-like beck as its fin. He recognized the patterns. "I know this might be a bit intrusive, but are you two by any chance Daaḵláadeń?" 

Xóots and Thayen's eyes widened. "How do you know about that?" 

"I traveled to Abya Yala a while back and met some people with similar patterns as your tattoos. I also remember some of them having them on their face."

Xóots flinched while Thayen took charge of answering the inquiry. "You're right. Xóots and I are Daaḵláadeń, from the killer whale clan. We are Kéetweidi."

"Abya Yala, that's like super far away." Shamsi chimed, contemplative. "You guys must have been at sea for a while." 

Cauã had to agree with her, and if his memory was correct, the Daaḵláadeń territories lay all the way north of Abya Yala. "Did you guys really make all that journey just for a silly tournament?" He sounded disbelieving.

"Well, originally, we were supposed to accompany our mentor on vacation, but Xóots thought we should sign up for the tournament to prove- 

Thayen was interrupted by Xóots loud groans. "Thayen, stop oversharing," he warned his younger friend. "They're our competition, the enemy." 

"But Xóots, they've been nice to us." he faltered slightly. "But if you don't want to tell them."

"Ugh, Fine," Xóots huffed in the end, leaning slightly back. "I'll tell you since you guys are insisting." 

"We're not insisting, though," Shamsi noted.

"These," Xóots pointed to the tattoos on his left chest and arm, ignoring her remark. "Represent our clan. While these," He then pointed to the tattoos across his and Thayen's right arm. Unlike the left tattoos, these were not in formline but rather in simple lines and symbols. The thief suspected, however, that one could interpret them as a script. "Tell our story. Our names, birth season and year, family line, and so forth. For now, mine and Thayen's are pretty short, but someday, all we'll ever accomplish will be on that arm." His eyes were scintillating as he explained the meaning of each tattoo. However, his mood visibly soured as he spoke next. "As for the face tattoo you mentioned earlier. In our tribe, they're a sign of adulthood. Once one comes of age, they typically receive one to mark the transition. However, the symbols and design are different from one another. Within the clan, everyone has a role they fulfill, their strengths if you want, and that's often reflected in the symbol on their face."

"So, I take it there's one in particular you want." Shamsi surmised. 

Xóots nodded. "It's been my dream since I was a kid to become a warrior. You know, be our clan protector and all that."

Cauã frowned. "Don't do all men of your tribe automatically defend your clan." 

Xóots shook his head. "Like I said, it's based on one's strength. Not everyone is a fighter, you know. Some are great at stuff like music, craft, healing, and on. Generally, when there's a conflict, we send those whose strength lies in fighting, men and women. But of course, if it calls for it, everyone in the clan will be ready to defend it."

"So, what's the problem?" Shamsi asked, cocking her head to the side. 

At that Xóots let out an exasperated huff. "It's not that simple. You don't just become a warrior. There's a trial, you have to earn the title. You have to prove yourself." He sighed, looking off into the distance of the vast ocean. A mistake, as he was back to gagging at the sight of the wave. 

"Xóots already failed three times. Next year is basically his last chance to make it." Thayen shared, earning a grown from his taller friend. "If he doesn't make it, he'll probably become a hunter. Xóots is the best hunter in the whole clan." The masked friend shared, oozing pride. "You should see him during hunting seasons." 

"Enough!" They turned to Xóots. The older boy had stood up. "I'll become a warrior, period. You know that's the only thing I desired." He proclaimed, turning to Thayen with a hint of accusation in his voice. 

"I know, I know. But-"

"So why the tournament." They were brought back to the original conversation by Cauã. 

Xóots sat back down. "Aana-...our master wanted to go on vacation and, I don't know, she just brought us with her. But we'd heard about the tournament beforehand, old rumors of a guy from another tribe who'd win it, and received the title of champion of Litaui." He leaned forward, his eyes having regained their spark. "Now, imagine if I win it. It's basically getting recognized as the best fighter in the world. Besides, it's great training for the next trial. And who knows, they might even just let me get the tattoo if I bring the win home."

"What about you, Thayen?" Shamsi turned to the younger boy. "Whatcha doing here?" 

Thayen startled as the attention shifted to him. "Ah, I-I'm more here to support Xóo-."

"Of course, Thayen wants to be a warrior too." Xóots cut in, elated. "He just had his first trial this year, but I'm sure we'll both succeed next year. We promised each other to become warriors together." Shamsi's brows knitted together as her eyes stayed on Thayen. "But enough about us," Xóots resumed. "What about you? what are you guys doing here?" 

Three heads turn towards Cauã. The older man blinked. "Me? Uh, well, I'm here for the money, of course." Little Sister, who was still on the ground, tilted her head. I thought we were here to inspect the island inconspicuously.

Cauã paled as the three teens looked from the android and back to him. "What she means is enjoy Eden. You know it's our first time here." The thief shot a glare at his creation. "Also, I have no intention of winning this whole shebang. By being in the competition I get to have first-hand information on each participant. I'll get rich by betting on the best ones." He cackled, it was partially true. It might not have been his first motive, but wherever there was money to be made, rest assured, Cauã would be at the scene.

"Lame." Shamsi and Xóots opined. 

"Hey! No judging." Cauã shot at their remark. "And what about you, huh?" the thief pointed a finger at Shamsi. "Why are you here? You've yet to tell me.

"Oh, I'm here for the exam."

Three sets of brows scrunched up into frowns. "Exam?"

"The varan exam. It's not official official, but I can still become one if I win the tournament." The varan exam was held once every year, on the last two weeks of the last month of the year. However, with the summer festival coinciding with the spring year, over time, the exam had been transformed into a game open to all who thought themselves capable of going through the same grueling examination as the most formidable of Eden. With the influx of boastful strangers and the renown that the tournament gained over the years, it was decided to scrap the varan spring examination. This didn't mean that the children of Eden who ventured into competition and placed high did not find a place among the ranks. While anyone who made it to the last phase during the exam was accepted as Varan, special considerations were made for those who reached a similar feat during the games and immediate acceptance if one were to win the tournament. 

"What's a varan?" Xóots asked, turning to Thayen, who looked equally as clueless. 

"They're like elite warriors. The best of the best." Shamsi explained excitedly.

Cauã jumped in to add. "Eden's varans are recognized across seas. That's kinda why this tournament is a big deal." He suddenly frowned as if something about it didn't quite make sense. "But why doing it now?" Cauã voiced his puzzlement. "If anything you could have taken the exam next year or last year?"

Shamsi shook her head. "My uncle wouldn't have let me enlist. But then again, even if he had I still wouldn't have done it back then or next year." She looked over to the rest of the crowd on the deck. "I don't want to become a varan by simply completing the examination. I want to become one by winning the tournament." She smiled dreamily. "I want to measure myself against the best fighter across Litaui no, Te Ao, and best them all. That's the only way I'll do it." 

"So, you're dream is a bit like Xóots'," Thayen concluded. "You want to be a warrior too." 

Shamsi shook her head. "I don't want to be a warrior." And then grinning. "I want to be a hero." 

Her three companions wore different degrees of incredulousness on their faces when stifled laughter beside them attracted the foursome's attention. The boy from earlier had his eyes closed but was so obviously trying to keep his laughter in and failing miserably. 

They all knew he'd obviously been listening to their conversation. Something that made Shamsi perk up. "What about you, Tuah? Why are you here?"

The monk's eyes sprung open, his laughter dying in his throat. He sat straighter and narrowed his eyes. "Where did you get that name from?" His voice was low, a slight threat to it audibly by all.

Shamsi didn't appear the slightest bit affected by his sudden shift in demeanor or the slight hint of danger in his voice, simply shrugging. "I heard Sūryakāntiḥ call you that." She flashed him an impish smile. "You seemed to like it when he called you that." Then, tilting her head to the side. "I could always just call you Don Juan."

The monk rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna kill him," he muttered under his breath, the tension easing off his shoulder. He leaned back against the railing, returning to a lounging position. "Neither," he bit. "It's Prayaspratta for you. Better yet, don't call me anything at all." He closed his eyes once more. "And for my reason for being on this death trap, it's none of your business."

"Aaasshooole," Xóots lilt to Cauã, who nodded in agreement. 

Shamsi pouted and motioned to the four of them. "But you've listened to ours?"

"No, thank you."

Still not appearing deterred by his dismissal, Shamsi kept trying. "Do you want to sit with us?" The girl seemed intent on bringing him to their side for some reason. "Must be boring sitting all by yourself."

The monk, Tuah, opened his eyes once more, eyes flickering between the foursome. "Flunking warriors, a bettor, and a wannabe hero. What a catch." He stated sarcastically. 

"Hey!" Xóots offended squeal forced the monk to turn to him, looking at him blankly. "You schmuck." he tried to stand up but was held back by Thayen.

"Calm down, Xóots." the younger boy pleaded.

"Let me go, Thayen. I need to teach that jerk a lesson."

The jerk in question rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to Shamsi. "I truly don't feel the want to-" His speech was interrupted by the rumbling of his stomach, his digestive organ betraying his hunger. The monk flushed, mortified, turning his head away from their sights.

Xóots was first to laugh, guffawing as he pointed at the embarrassed monk. "If you're hungry we have food with us." Shamsi offered, already reaching for Thayen's sack and looking through it. 

Xóots laughter died down immediately as he sent the girl a look of disbelief. "You can't be serious," he whined. "You can't possibly offer that schmuck food. It's not even yours. Thayen says something." He'd turned to his friend, hoping he would say something, but the younger boy simply shrugged.

"I don't really mind." 

Cauã, who till then had stayed quiet, joined in with Xóots. "Shamsi, that guy doesn't look straight." 

"That guy can hear you."

"Why not?" She asked, not looking away from the salmon skin bag. 

Cauã found himself sputtering, looking for words. "Well, for starters, he's been quite unpleasant since we got here." That earned them another eye-roll off the monk. 

"He's mean." Xóots shot adamant. "He'll ruin the journey."

Shamsi was contemplative for an instant before offering them a lopsided grin. "I don't know, but I have a good feeling about Tuah. and my intuition is never wrong." She reinforced her belief with a nod and resumed her perusing of Thayen's snack selection.

Both Cauã and tXóots threw their arms up in defeat. The monk's mouth pulled into a line. "Well, for your information, I don't want your food either. And it's Prayaspratta." 

Xóots quickly swirled around. "What, you think Thayen's food is not good enough for you?" He sounded offended at the monk's dismissal. 

Tuah raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "I thought you didn't want me to touch it?" The comment shut Xóots up as he stammered for a witty counter.

"Okay," Shamsi spoke out, ignoring the banter between the two boys. "We have some honey cakes, meat, bread with meat, kibbehs, oh what's that?" She pointed at the little piramide-shaped snack wrapped in banana leaf with something brown peaking to Thayen. 

The boy thought for a second. "The man at the stand called them pulut inti, I think."

"I already told you I don't- wait did you say pulut inti?" Tuah sat upright, looking at the youngest of the four.

Thayen slowly nodded. "Yeah, that's what the man said." To everyone's surprise, he'd shifted to sit beside Shamsi. He held a hand, palm up, in her direction. Beaming, the wannabe hero put the wrapped snack in his waiting hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you always give your food to that bird?" Tuah eyed the younger boy as he fed a piece of his honey cake to the bird on his shoulder.

His inquiry received a few angry squeaks from the green kinglet as Thayen cringed. "Sorry, Yp doesn't like to be referred to as a bird." 

The monk raised an eyebrow. "But it is a bird." 

That earned him more angry chirping from Yp. "He doesn't like being referred to as an 'it', either." Tuah caught the glare -if that was even possible- of the kinglet and made a mental note to keep some distance between himself and the bird.

"Say, you're a monk, right?" The monk turned to see Cauã lean, eyes on his forehead. "The name Prayaspratta sounds like something from Ayuetotan, and Shamsi mentioned you knowing Suryakantih earlier," he deduced, eliciting a clap or two from impressed Shamsi and Thayen. 

"How come you know so many things?" the youngest among them quizzed. 

A boastful smile blossomed across the thief's lips. "Well, what can I say? I'm just that smart," and then quickly added. "Did I told you, I speak 26 languages?" Cauã had fully veered into one of his favorite pastimes, flaunting his intelligence. That resulted in the thief almost forgetting his previous line of questioning, almost. "But enough about me." He spun back to Tuah. "So, is my deduction correct?" 

The monk scrunched up his nose. "So what if I was?" Instantly, Cauã brightened up. His eye gleamed with curiosity, a flurry of questions on the tip of his tongue. The thief had never met a monk of Suryatan. They were as elusive but equally, if not more, illustrious as Eden's varans. But the monk raised a hand before any of his inquiry could leave his mouth, effectively shutting him up. "Let me stop you right here. The last thing I want is to talk about that. I'm really only here for the food." And for the food he'd been, Tuah had already eaten through their pulut inlits -granted there'd only been two pieces- and a good chunk of their meats. Yet the monk still felt famished. He'd been trusted unwillingly, he might add, in the competition with little time to prepare. "I'm here entirely against my will and would very much like to spend this time not playing guidebook."

"Monk, my ass," Xóots mumbled, feeling dejected that he appeared to be the only one still displeased at the monk's presence. At least it seemed he had a kindred spirit in the green kinglet, who looked to despise Tuah as much as he. 

Tuah didn't react. If he'd heard him, the monk didn't show, ruffling instead through the salmon, his lips pursed as he eyed the honey cakes, sole remaining snack. "Don't you have anything else?" The younger monk shook his head. 

"I have some more if you want."

The monk turned to the only girl in the group, raising an eyebrow, only to crouch both in disgust at the sight of the reddish-brown tentacles-filled biscuit. "What are those?" 

"They're calamari cookies," Thayen supplied enthusiastically. "They're really delicious. You should try one." 

The monk looked to Xóots and Cauã, who shook their head vigorously. "Yeah, I'll pass." 

Shamsi shrugged, putting the biscuit back in the pouch and bag when something fell out of it. Picking it up, Shamsi's face lit up as she observed the small token in her hand. "Hey, since we're all partaking in the tournament, it means you all have a token, right." She placed the small wooden token between the five of them. "What if we compare them?" 

"Sure." Thayen took out his first, putting it beside Shamsi's. While hers was of a faded yellow, his was indigo. Similar to hers, Thayen's bore his name and the letter D. A letter also found on Cauã's. 

The thief pursed his lips. "Seems like we're all Ds." Admittedly, he'd expected Shamsi to have a higher rank. As the three stared at the harsh D of their respective token, laughter resonated as a preening Xóots brought his to the mix. "You got B."

Xóots smirked. "Of course, you have before you a redoubtable opponent." His gloating was interrupted, however, by the sound of snickering emanating from the monk. Xóots frowned. "The heck you're laughing for?" 

Tuah shook his head. "Nothing, I just find it cute that you find that impressive." 

Xóots gritted his teeth, glaring at the other boy. "As if you can do better." 

Smirking, Tuah brought his token with the rest. 

"No way." 

"Pinch me." 

"Impossible."

"Woah."

"I think that settles it." It was Tuah's turn to gloat as the black of his letter S stood proudly against the orange of his token. An S-rank, Tua had received the highest rank dealt out in the tournament, making him the objectively stronger competitor among the five of them. Xóots, defeated, let himself fall back on the deck. Monk 1 - Xóots 0. 

It's currently 3:30. T-2 until we enter the evening bound.

Tuah shrieked at the sound and appearance of the android, jumping a few feet back, frightened. "W-what is that?" He directed a shaking finger at the metallic humanoid. 

The android tilted her head, rotating around to face him. I'm not an 'it'. My name is Li- Little sister stopped mid-sentence as the two glassy eyes got sight of Tuah. The android turned around and buried her face in her smallish hands. Cauã frowned at his creation's uncharacteristic behavior as the burden of explanation fell on Thayen. "That's Little Sister. She's an android Cauã created. He's kind of an Iensten" 

The monk's expression remained as clueless as it was before. "A what now? And what the heck is an Iensten?"

Thayen shrugged. "None of us really know." 

"What's gotten into you?" Cauã, for his part, had his attention fully turned on the little mechanical humanoid. 

Little Sister brought her head up. The android turned once more to look at Tuah, the action ending in a similar result as the robot turned quickly away and put her metallic head in her hands. H-ha-handsome. The reason behind her behavior suddenly dawned on Cauã and apparently on Xóots, too. "Ah hah, seems Little Sister has a crush on that guy." 

Tuah watched the robot warily as he retook his place in their makeshift circle. "Is that even possible?" The youngest among them asked Cauã. "Is she actually like capable of feeling things?" 

Cauã pressed his lips together, eyebrows drawn in a frown. "Well, I programmed her to be able to learn human behavior and mimic it, but I've never seen her act like this." 

The monk rolled his eyes. "Well, at least she has taste." He sighed. "I really am too good-looking for my own good."

Xóots scoffed. "Rude and a narcissist, what a monk you make." 

"Untalented and ugly, must be tough being you." 

"What did you- say that to my face, scumbag."

"I just did, moron."

"Guys, guys, relax." 

"Xóots, calm down." 

"Ahah hah hah hah hah." The four men turned around to find Shamsi cracking up with laughter. The girl seemed entirely amused by the whole situation. "It's really more fun with friends."

"We're not friends." The response from the three older boys was immediate. Cauã, Xóots, and Tuah looked at each other as their rebuttal resounded in a chorus. It all only made Shamsi laugh harder.

~~~~~~~~~

"Sigh."

...…

"Sigh."

.....

"Sig-"

"Would you stop that? It's grating on my nerves." Tuah shot a glare Shamsi's direction, where the girl stood sprawled around in their little corner on the deck.

Shamsi rotated her head so that she could look his way, mouth pulled into a pout. "But, I'm bored." She moaned,

Tuah looked unimpressed, watching the encyclopedia atop her abdomen rise and fall in rhythm with her breathing. "I don't know, find something like the rest of them." he motioned to the three others. Thayen was playing with Yp, it almost looked like the boy and the bird were deep in a conversation. Xóots was hunched hallway over the railing, alternating between dry heaving and throwing up. By then the waters had become much more agitated, the boats rolling as it rocked with the waves. The side-to-side motions were getting more pronounced by the minute, so much so that some even struggled to stay up without swaying. As for the third member of their merry band, Cauã had his back turned to them, shoulder hunched as he was observing something on his lap. 

"What are you looking at?" Intrigued, Shamsi had covered the distance between them and was looking over Cauã's shoulder at the device propped up on his criss-crossed legs. 

The thief startled at the sudden intrusion, the device slipping off its precarious position. Eyebrow raising in alarm, Cauã hastened to catch the gadget before it could hit the ground. The whole ordeal attracted the attention of Thayen, the younger boy quick to join their side as Cauã shot a huffy glare Shamsi's way. "Are you crazy!? You almost gave me a heart attack." He barked off, holding on to the gadget like his life depended on it. Shamsi threw him a sheepish grin, before nodding her head toward the appliance, restating her question. Her eyes were drinking in the flat illuminated surface with a circular display area and concentric circles.

Soon even Tuah had joined in, looking at the flat, large appliance in the thief's hand and echoing Shamsi's query. Feeling the pressure of three curious gazes his way, Cauã was quick to click on a small button and the device folded in on itself until it was barely larger than the palm of his hand. Under two amazed gazes and one skeptical one, the thief shoved the gadget back in his sack. 

His strange behavior only elicited more quizzical looks thrown his way, with the older of the three teens before him, narrowing his eyes. "What was that about."

The accusatory tone of the monk, deeply unnerved the thief. "What was what about," he sputtered, eyes flickering to the two others present. 

"That thing you were looking at, what was that?" 

"Oh, that." Cauã did his best to sound as nonchalant as possible. "Just one of my many many inventions, nothing to see there, by the way, didn't you say you were bored? Perhaps we could do a quick tour of the boat, you know stretching our leg," he spoke in rapid fire, the words tumbling out like he'd they'd never. Cauã was normally much more eloquent than that but something about the monk's narrowed eyes unmanned him, it made him suggest they explore the ship amidst the beginning of a deadly storm as he vaguely recalled Shamsi whining and used it to get out from under Tuah's scrutiny. 

Shamsi perked up at the proposal of doing something else than sitting. Jumping up swiftly and joining the thief side. "Oh, that's a good idea. We could go see Ai." Thayen switched his attention to Shamsi, head tilted as he questioned who Ai was. "She's a girl we met early, she must be somewhere over there." She pointed at the side opposite to where they stood. The brigantine was quite large and its deck slightly crowded so they couldn't quite see the friend she and Cauã had made early that day. "Do you want to come with us? She's nice, I'm sure you'll like her." 

Thayen rejoiced at the notion of meeting someone new but deflated quickly as his eyes drifted to Xóots. "I wish but someone got to keep an eye on Xóots" he stated somewhat morosely. 

"Don't worry about me." Xóots rasped, attempting to sit straighter. "I'm fine, go do your thing." He grimaced once the words were out, and reeled around to throw up once more. 

Cauã cringed. "I'm starting to wonder if he doesn't have food poisoning and not seasickness." the thief mumbled as he stood up. 

Xóots whirled back around shooting them a pained smile. "Told you I'm all peachy."

Thayen didn't look entirely convinced but still stood up and joined the two others. "What about you, Tuah?"

The monk huffed. "It's Prayaspratta, and no, I'd rather stay here." His plan consisted entirely of napping. 

"I don't understand how he can think of sleeping through a storm," Cauã whispered to Shamsi who nodded in agreement.

Thayen, for his part, appeared reassured. He could go without feeling too guilty about leaving Xóots if there was at least someone there with him. "Could you look after Xóots while Yp and I are gone?"

The monk raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like a babysitter?"

"Well, I wou-....wouldn't want-" Xóots couldn't finish his remark feeling too tired for the verbal spare. Despite the monk's sarcastic tone and the two boys' less-than-friendly disposition towards each other, Shamsi, Cauã, and Thayen still felt emboldened enough to leave the sick Xóots in Tuah's care. If only for the fact that if he'd wanted to, the monk could have pushed Xóots overboard a long time ago. 

Before they went on their way, however, Cauã noticed the in Shamsi's hold. "Why are you bringing your shamshir?" The thief asked, perplexed. 

Shamsi gazed down at the shamshir at her side and back to her friend. "I never part with it." She shrugged. Cauã shook his head but didn't ask further. 

It was with lightheartedness and semi-sturdy steps that the three musketeers set out to find Ái. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Attentive dark brown eyes surveyed the surroundings, noting the growing bounds of activity around them. The sky had considerably darkened, and the water now had an inky tinge, appearing more dangerous than it'd been when they boarded the ship. Fussing forced brown eyes to shift focus to the three companions at her beside.

"You should drink some water. You need to stay hydrated." The older woman handed the waterskin to the hunched-over girl. She had beads of sweat all over, her breathing was laborious, and she looked paper-white pale. In short, she looked beyond sick. She'd been riddled with dizziness and headaches since they'd boarded, but her state had drastically worsened as the water became worse.

"Should she eat something?" The boy at the two women's side asked, awkwardly twisting the handle of the polearm in his hands as his eyes shifted from the woman to the girl.

The older woman pursed her lips. "She hasn't been able to stomach anything for long, I don't think-" Her train of thought was cut off by another gagging sound and the younger girl leaning over the railing to throw up once more.

Ji-Young had seemingly seen enough. The princess stood up and gazed at their sick companion, waiting for her labored breathing to stabilize before landing the blow. "You should head back." Instantly, the three faces of her companion whirled in her direction. Ji-Young barreled on. "Once we dock, take some time to rest and take the first ship back to Ama." The words rung like a sentencing. "Of course, if you feel yourself unable to, you should take the bridge. It would be a longer journey, but you won't have to sail." 

Three wide-eyed servants stared up at her, their mouths hanging open. It seemed like none of them had expected a dismal from her part. The sick girl, Ái, became visibly agitated, throwing nervous glances her fellow servants' way. They didn't meet her gaze, guiltily looking away as it became clear that there was nothing they could do to oppose a decision from the royal. The three servants knew what a dismissal would entail. They were there for one thing and one thing only. Failure to fulfill their duty would no doubt bring forth punishment. 

Ái gulped, freeing herself from the older servant's, and made use of the railing to haul herself up, struggling as her dizziness persisted and the swaying of the brigantine did nothing to assuage it. Her whole body was shaking. Whether from her ailment or the princess' words was anyone's guess. "Your royal Highness I..." Her voice was hoarse, quiet, weak. She hesitated, looking at the unwavering expression of the princess before her. "I..." She gulped down the rising bile in her throat, fisting the fabric of her robe in frustration and biting her lips hard as she willed the words to come to her. "I..." However, looking at the unwavering expression on the Grand Princess' face, her resolve left her. In the end, Ái hung her head low. 

"I know it sounds harsh," Ji-Young continued once no objections had been made. "But if this simple trip is already showing too hard for you, you might show more of a burden for the rest of the tournament." The sick sagged down, bowing her head further down, unable to meet any of the other's gazes. "You're inept for this, but rest ass-" 

Despite its faintness, the dull thud resonated like a thunderclap. Ji-young's face whipped. She staggered a few steps diagonally, her hip colliding with the wooden railing. She was momentarily stunned, bringing one hand to her stinging jaw as she turned around. She was met with a pair of icy grey eyes staring her down. Turning her gaze down to the finger grazing her injured jaw, the princess noticed the trickle of blood. Umber eyes returned to furious grey ones and to whom they belonged. She looked familiar, but Ji-Young couldn't quite place from where. 

"Your Highness!" And just like that, the stupor they'd fallen into shattered. The boy and woman servants rushed to their princess' side, accessing her split lip and bruised jaw. Ji-Young let them, eyes still focused on her assailant as the latter was joined by two men, a shorter boy with a striking bird mask and a taller one who was quick to grab the girl's arm. 

"What the hell Shamsi!?" He whisper-yelled, loud enough for all to hear. "We were just coming to say hi to Ái." The girl didn't look back at him, grey eyes still fixed on the princess.

Ji-Young furrowed her brows at the familiar name of one of her three companions. Her eyes glided from her attacker to the bewildered servant. Rightening herself, the princess stepped forward, closer to the forenamed Shamsi. She glanced back to the side of the railing she'd been sent into and back at the girl, frown firmly in place. "We've never met, but you seem displeased and punched me," she stated matter-of-factly. "Is there something I might have done to garner your ire?"

"You disrespected Ái. That's enough of a reason for me not to like you." 

"Ái?" Five pairs of eyes instantly turned to the sick servant, who seemed just as much taken aback as the rest of them. "That's the second time you mention her. I guess you two know each other?" the princess asked, eyes darting between the servant and her assailant.

Shamsi nodded. "We're friends." She declared with so much conviction that it seemed impossible to doubt. 

Ji-Young cocked her head to the side. "So, you two are friends, and you punched me because you felt like I disrespected her?" Shamsi nodded once more. Ji-Young's frown deepened. "Excuse me, but I fail to see how my words or actions could have been interpreted as disrespectful." 

"You diminished her. You spoke lowly to her and minimized her effort." Shamsi balled her fists. "Dismissing someone just because of something as small as seasickness, how can you do that." 

Realization dawned on the princess. "You're upset because I told her to go back." 

"You didn't even give her a chance to prove herself." Shamsi countered hotly. "So what if she gets sick at sea? It doesn't make her inept, like you said." 

Ji-Young sighed. "Doesn't it? You're like us on this ship and seem to know what we're here for. As such, I assume you're also partaking in the tournament," she guessed and continued when no rebuttal came. "In that case, you must be aware just how dangerous it's reputed to be. It may seem to you like something insignificant, but getting to the first phase is the easiest task. If she's already struggling with this, she'd be a hindrance during the rest of the journey." 

In seconds Shamsi closed the distance between them, fisting the collar of Ji-Young's hanbok and pulling her closer. An easy feat, seeing as they were of equal height. The outrage emitting from her grey eyes would have made anyone else cower. "A hindrance!? Is that how you refer to your comrade? She's here because she wants to be of use. She traveled all this way because of you. How can you call her a burden?" 

Ji-Young kept her composure, staring back at the girl holding her. "So what would you have me do? You may not like it, but having someone who's clearly unequipped would be nothing but a handicap. How can anyone focus when they have to constantly worry about the safekeeping of their teammates?" The princess was starting to get heated in return. 

Shamsi tightened her grip. "Isn't that what teammates are, covering each other's back, shoring up other's weakness? Or do you think yourself so above that?" 

Ji-Young narrowed her eyes, hand flying to the one holding her and detangling it from the fabric of her robe. "You think you know so much better," she bit. "But what if I let her stay and she gets injured or worse? Would you be there protecting her?" She pushed the hand roughly away from her. "Talking about camaraderie is all well and good, but idealistic. In real life, getting into something you're woefully inadequate for is the quickest to get you and others killed." Her composure was slowly cracking, and the determined look on her opponent wasn't making anything to calm the building anger inside Ji-Young. 

By then, the scene between the two girls had attracted quite the audience, but neither seemed to notice or care. "I don't agree." 

"You disagree?" The princess asked incredulously. 

Shamsi nodded. "How else can you improve if you don't put yourself in situations where the only option is to surpass yourself? Always playing safe won't get you nowhere." 

The grand princess shook her head in disbelief. "Not only is it reckless, it's playing with the life of those around you." 

Shamsi didn't flinch. "I don't believe that. I believe that if ever in a situation where I had to put my fate in the hands of others, I'd trust my teammates. I'd trust that they'll be able to handle themselves, and if need be, I'll be there to assist. But I'd always give them a chance to prove they can surpass themselves."

Ji-Young massaged her temple, taking a long breath before looking back at her interlocutor. "I don't think we're getting anywhere." She sighed. 

"What about you?" Shamsi uttered, abruptly.

Ji-Young furrowed her eyebrows, taken aback by the sudden query. "What about me?"

"Would you run away if you met someone stronger than you, or do you think yourself so much stronger than anyone else?" Shamsi asked, tilting her head to the side.

The princess considered what was being asked of her. "I'll choose to do what's best." She answered earnestly, not expecting a smile to bloom across the other girl's face. 

"Then fight me." 

"You're not really going to fight her, right?" Thayen and Cauã had hastened to pull Shamsi away the second she'd challenged the princess. The younger of the three shot nervous glances the Grand Princess's way. "She seems quite threatening." 

"Shamsi, we're on a ship, practically in the middle of a storm. You can't possibly want to fight her, even less now." Cauã desperately tried to make her see reason. By then, the wind was roaring, the sea's water falling on them like thick cords. As if to accentuate his point, they hit a particularly large wave, making them all stagger a few steps. Unfortunately, the thief's reasoning didn't lessen his friend's determination. 

Shamsi remained impassive. "She keeps saying stuff that annoys me." 

"That's not a good enough reason." Cauã cried exasperatedly. 

"You want to fight me." It wasn't a question, more an utterance in astonishment. The trio turned back to the princess, eyes lost, somewhere above their head. Then, turning her attention to look at the girl who'd challenged her. "You really want to fight me?" It came as a question this time. While one might have wrongly assumed the disbelief in her voice came from the fact that Shamsi seemed to believe herself capable of defeating her, Ji-Young was more perplexed that she wanted to fight at all. 

"I already said I wanted to." 

"You keep talking about not putting yourself in situations you can't handle." She grinned. "So if I beat you, wouldn't that mean you did just that? You'll have to do as you dictated Ái and withdraw from the competition, or you'll be a hypocrite." 

Ji-Young tilted her head to the side. "So you're trying to use my logic against me." She correctly inferred. "It still doesn't answer why." Shamsi huffed, opening her mouth to speak, but stopped as Ji-Young shook her head. "I get what you're trying to do. But why? Why go to such length." And that was the crux of it. The princess appeared profoundly perplexed by Shamsi's determination. "Is this really all for Ái? We arrived on this island today, so I doubt you two had much time to get to know each other that well." 

"We don't need to know each other long to be friends. Friends stand up for each other no matter what." Shamsi tightened her hold on her shamshir. "You disrespected her. As her friend, I'll defend her honor."

The princess seemed to think it through, eyes darting between the self-assured girl and gaping servant, and nodded once as if coming to a decision. However, before the words could leave her, the older woman servant put herself between the two girls. "Wait a minute!" She was looking at Shamsi as if the girl had lost her mind -which in retrospect, she might have-. "What you're asking for is madness. This person you want to fight," she angled herself, motioning her open hand to point to the princess. "is Her Royal Highness Grand Princess Yoon Ji-Young, white tiger of 석양국 (Seogyangguk) and second claimant to the throne of 天下帝國 (Tiānxià Dìguó). Do you know what that means?" 

She waited expectantly, but no recognition colored Shamsi's expression. It did, however, seem to ring a bell to Cauã. Wide-eyed, the older man grabbed his friend by the shoulder, turning her back to face him. "Shamsi don't fight her." He urged. "Didn't you hear what she said? That woman just called that girl a pretender to Tiānxià." Cauã sighed at the lack of concern in his friend's demeanor. "Do you really not know what they say about the reigning royals of that place kingdom." 

Shamsi shook her head, cutting him off when he opened his mouth. "I don't care." 

The thief scrunched up his face. "What do you mean you don't care? You need all the facts about your adversary before fighting them." 

Shamsi shook her head once more. "She could be a god for all I care, I'll still demolish her." 

"You're not that far off, actually." The thief mumbled under his breath. 

"Alright." Heads wiped around to stare at Ji-Young. Dark brown eyes didn't stray from greys. "If this is what you want, I shall oblige." 

Despite attempts by both parties to prevent it, the two girls carried forward, moving to stand at the center of what had become a significant crowd of onlookers who egged them to fight, shouting continuously, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" 

"Wait, think this once more over." Cauã gripped Shamsi's arm, bringing her to look at him once more under the boos of their audience. The thief cringed at the crowd before turning back to his acquaintance. "Think about it. You could be making things worse for Ái."

The girl stopped at that, brows furrows. "You don't have to fight her." The two friends turned back to the sick servant. She still looked ghostly paled and stood on shaky legs. Ái eye remained trained on the ground. "She's right, you know. I'm not good enough, I'll only be a burden." She let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "Being here, thinking I could be of help. That was just wishful thinking. You shouldn't get hurt for someone like me."

"Tell me, Ái," The servants looked up to the taller girl, whose gaze didn't stray from the princess patiently waiting for her. "Do you no longer want to bring money back to your family? Do you no longer want to help your brother?" 

The servant shook her head. "Of course I want to help, I- I want to..." She was crying. Before Ái knew it, the unshed tears building up in her eyes since her dismissal were finally flowing down freely. The servant fisted her robe in frustration. "I want to help them." She murmured in the end. And then more fiercely. "I want to be here. I promised myself I'll do my best." 

Shamsi detached her gaze from the princess to lay it on her shorter friend, her focused expression shifting into an easy grin. "Then, don't worry." She put a hand on the servant's shoulder. "I'll make sure you can honor that promise." She patted her once, twice, and then left to join the princess back in the center of their fighting zone. 

"Hey," she called to the princess as she came to stand opposite her. "If I win this, you'll have to let Ái back into your team and not hold her responsible." 

Ji-Young seemed to think it over for a second before nodding. "Fair enough. But if you lose, she'd have to return once we dock." Shamsi had no problem with that. The princess turned to look at the boy servant in a silent ask for the weapon he'd been dragging along. The servant hastened to bring the clothed polearm to his princess, who retrieved the cloth from the blade. In her grasp stood a long, wooden handle with a Crescent-shaped blade at its end with a blue tassel attached to it, not unlike a guandao. The blade had a light greyish, steel color to it with faint tinges of blue. "This," the princess started, settling the polearm beside her with a thud. "Is 월호의 발톱 (Wolho-ui Baltop). This weapon has served many before me. And I shall honor our dual by making use of it." 

Shamsi beamed giddily. "Your weapon has a name too?" She raised her shamshir in kind. "This is تیغ میهرآور (Tigh-e Mihr-Avar)." The princess nodded solemnly at the blade in her opponent's hand. 

"Well, ladies and gentlemen. It looks like our two competitors are ready to duke it out." He motioned to Ji-Young. "Comming to us from the eastern continent, the white tiger of.." He leaned to the older woman servant, asking her to repeat the term she'd used to refer to the princess. "Of Seogyangguk. And on this one, ready to defend her friend's honor,..... euhm what your name again?" He'd slid to Shamsi, whispering his question to the stoic girl. 

"Shamsi." She answered without looking away from her opponent. 

He shook his head. "You gotta have something cooler. She's the white tiger. You can't just be Shamsi." Like a stage name.will win this showdown." The girl pondered for a second before leaning in and whispering in his ears. "The Demolisher!" He roared, getting back in the center. "Which one of these two indomitable girls will win this showdown." 

"Who even are you?" Cauã questioned, observing the man who'd just appeared with a healthy dose of disbelief. From his attire, one could rightly deduce that he was part of the crew of the brigantine, but that didn't explain where he'd come from or even why he had a paper megaphone with him. 

The man turned towards him and slided to where he and Thayen stood. "Oh, right now, I'm nothing but a humble sailor. But my dream has always been to be a renowned announcer." He blushed slightly, scratching the back of his head. "It's mostly a side gig for now, but I'm hoping to make it legit soon." The sailor put his hand in his pocket, producing two small pieces of parchment, and handed it to the thief and his shorter friend. "Give me a birdcall if you ever need someone to host your event." He winked, and just like that, the man was gone, retaking his position close to the two dualists. 

Cauã tssk and shook his head as they watched the would-be emcee rowdy up the crowd. "There really are people who have no respect." He muttered to Thayen. 

"Bets! Come place your bet on the competitors." Cauã ears perked up. The thief was by the small cluster in an instant, hunched over among the other men, ready to place his bets. 

"Then zilk on the girl." "Fifteen on the white tiger." "Nah, have you seen her? That girl looks ready to tear her up. 40 on the demolisher. "

"Twenty on the princess." All eyes turned on Cauã. They held a particular judgment the thief wasn't too fond of. 

"Isn't that your friend fighting?" The bookie queried, pointing his thumb to where Shamsi stood as the other men, joined by Thayen, shook their heads in disappointment, joined by Thayen. 

"You gotta stand for your mate, man." 

The thief became flustered. "Since when is there integrity in gambling?" He grumbled as the judgy looks remained. 

"And, GO!" 

Ji-Young kicked the foot of her polearm, twisting the handle in her right hand before extending her hand to the side, the handle coming behind her back. Simultaneously, Shamsi unsheathed her shamshir, gently putting the scabbard down. She expertly turned the curved blade in her hand, eyes on her opponent. Unlike the woldo of the princess, the blade of Shamsi's shamshir was of a surprisingly dark steel color with barely noticeable yellowish undertones that gave it an almost gold tilt. Similar to that of Ji-Young, the weapon didn't appear to be actually made of steel.

The two girls appraised one another, waiting for the other to make the first step. In the end, two feet darted forward simultaneously as Ji-Young and Shamsi launched concurrently with brazing speed, but before any contact could be made, the ship's sudden, rough sway to the left brought them all off their footing. 

The two duals stumbled, managing justly to right themself and not collide with the wooden deck as shouts from the crew resonated over the thundering of the wind. The sailor who'd minutes before stood as the dual's mc had thrown away his megaphone, rushing to stand at his post as the captain roared instructions. Shamsi's grey eyes took in the sudden chaos that had befallen the ship when a scram caught her attention. 

"Ái!" The woman servant called, looking beyond the railing. "I think she fell overboard." 

Cauã had just gotten up from the ground when the sound of his name caught his attention. "Cauã!" The man had just enough reflexes to catch the sheathed shamshir tossed his way. What he hadn't expected, besides getting the weapon thrown at his face, was the sheer weight of the thing. The thief staggered a few feet back and let out an audible "Ouf". 

"What the-" He'd looked up just in time to see Shamsi disappear beyond the railing and into the inky sea. "fuck." He hastened to where she'd stood seconds before and peered into the dark, agitated waves.

"Shamsi!" He called, but she didn't resurface." 

"Uhm, guys?" They turned to the boy servant whose eyes were bulging as he stared at the opposite side from them. Swirling around, the thief's breath caught as he watched the giant wave coming their way.