Approaching

Something was happening. But Perses couldn't quite make it out. Only a haunting cacophony of screeching and distant raging of shadows informed him. It appeared his vision as a Blessed could be enhanced. It was permitting him to see. But it wasn't enough to really discern anything. The hazy, distant darkness shrouded the castle obscuring all from prying eyes. 

"Sorry, you two, but we don't have much of a choice."

Amelia carried the raft towards the ocean before either Perses or Asteria could recover from their bewilderment. Only the devil seemed concerned by their movement as she hurled protests at the absentminded Perses. Ignoring her words, Perses could only watch the dark, distant visage of the castle with concern as the raft was dropped onto the surface of the water with a splash. 

Amelia took steadfast steps into the water, continuing to push them forward. Her figure was quickly swallowed as she eased into the depths. Catching this amusing sight out of the corner of his eye, he managed to tear his anxious gaze away from the distant black storm. Soon only her green eyes and hair peeked out from the water.

Then she was gone. 

The raft stopped moving, and only a moment later, her head resurfaced. Perses would have had a good laugh had she not said anything.

"Oh, by the way, you guys should hold on tight."

"No, come on, not this again."

But Amelia had already submerged herself once again, escaping Perse's bitter complaints. Turning back towards Asteria, he recognized her bewilderment as she asked, "What did you mean, again?-"

Before she could finish, the raft surged forward. As if blasted by a canon, the water behind them erupted violently. The raft tilted upwards and raced forward, almost throwing Asteria off. Perses was far too heavy to be thrown off, and he was also prepared, for he had already experienced Amelia's carelessness once. 

He watched Asteria clutch onto the wooden raft with a pale face and anchor herself face down. That argumentative side of her was nowhere to be seen as her legs flailed amidst the raft's terrifying turbulence. Whiplashed cold and berated by the wind, her fingers turned white as slowly... her grip loosened. Soon it was clear she was frail. She was certainly not Blessed.

As her fingers finally slipped, Perses grabbed her. Without warning, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her towards him. A little disoriented, she looked at the arm around her; after recognizing what had happened, she looked up at him with heavy breaths. Fear still plastered across her pale features. She also didn't appear to be surprised by his herculean strength. 

"Huff huff, thanks, that was really, thanks."

"Oh, no problem. I thought you'd have seen something like this coming though. Isn't she supposed to be your friend?"

Her face scrunched as the pale-faced Asteria was reminded of the one responsible. Her face turned red as she prepared to yell at the submerged Amelia, but sending a glance behind Perses, she realized it would be useless. 

"That idiot, she'll have to resurface for air at some point. Could you please hold on to me until then? Sorry I know it's akward."

With an even tone, she cursed with words Perses didn't recognise under her breath. She had also ignored his question. Perses also wasn't fooled by her bristling tone. Despite being securely held by him, her hands still stubbornly clutched the raft with cold, desperate fingers etched into the wood. Splinters littered her soft fingers. 

"Sure, but you didn't answer my question."

Asteria's face lit up a little with surprise, embarrassed she'd ignored him. Perses didn't blame her. After all, he could feel her shaking. Honestly, he started to feel annoyed at Amelia on her behalf. 

"Right, sorry, of course. Amelia. No, we haven't known each other for that long at all. She helped me out recently. We were in the army together. That's how we met.

Perse's ears perked up at the mention of the army. Remembering Machia's words, he felt confused; if what Asteria said was true, then they were both members, yet neither had mentioned it till now. Not to mention there were not traces? In fact, they had stumbled across the lone girl, yet there wasn't even a hint of where they had come from.

"If I remember correctly, Machia told me she wiped out this army of the kingdom's army. Maybe it was a lie, did she really?

"...Wiped out. No, no that's not really what happened. Well..."

She didn't miss the jugful gaze Perses looked at her with as she fell silent, pondering her words. As the silence ensued, Perses started to feel a little cold; the water splashing them and the wind assaulting them hardly helped. The warmth of Asteria, who wore far more suitable clothes, was the only silver lining as he took on most of the brunt of the weather in her place. 

"It's a little hard to know when to start with all that... It might be easier if I explain from the beginning. But I don't want to bore you."

Perses looked surprised as he stared at the softly-spoken woman. Sending a single glance back towards the castle, which he could still just barely see, encouraged him. 

"Sounds better than thinking about anything else. So why not, I'll listen."

With a sceptical gaze, Asteria turned away from Perses towards the ensuing ocean. He noticed a hint of longing, maybe even a little excitement, in her light hazel eyes. Thanks to Perses' company, she appeared to have calmed a little as she met the raging wind of the voyage head-on, deep in thought. After a brief wistful pause, she spoke.

"I was born in the kingdom, and its true, I'm a Blessed like yourself. However I didn't know what I was back then, and my parents didn't either. But, they kept me. I even got the chance to know them, just like any other child."

Perses did not miss the stillness of her body nor the awkward motion as she gingerly rubbed her hands together, warming them. But as her gaze drifted towards her hands, a more complicated smile formed on her pale face. 

"I know from Amelia first-hand that that isn't supposed to happen. Before she left to go rescue you, she mentioned to me, that both you and her were likely born within the Empire and then brought over to the kingdom. But unlike you two, I really was born here, no back there."

Perses listened with a deep, thoughtful scepticism. Though Amelia was truly strong, bright and someone, at least so far, he had found difficult to hate. She did not exactly encompass the word reliable, but well... what would he know about that.

Asteria's soft-spoken tone was only barely audible amidst the harrowing wind due to their closeness. He couldn't say for certain, but he didn't feel she had any reason to lie, but maybe she was.

'Huh, now that she mentions it, I guess I am from the Empire. Sort of. Hey, devil, what do you think?'

'Yeah, I don't care.'

While Perses looked up at the sky, scrutinising the devil's callousness, Asteria continued none the wiser. 

"Talking with Amelia was the first time I learnt so many things about myself, about the world around me. The Empire, my entire home, was just a shelter, a disguise for the Blessed, and as it turns out, I'm one, too. 

Finally, failing to combat the urge to interrupt, Perses spoke. "You've seen what Amelia can do. You're not strong like we are. What makes you think you're like us?"

"I know. I have an ability, after all."

Perses tilted his head in surprise as he listened to Asteria's gentle words. She took a moment to pause and look back at Perses anxiously before continuing. 

"I can see the future. No, really, I live it. That's how I learnt about you. I saw you die. No, I experienced it. A... terrifying thing killed you. I saw a lot of people die in that time. To be honest, I haven't really been the same since then. 

With nonchalance, Perses listened. As if failing to emote, he asked. 

"So what does that mean? You think I'm going to die."

Asteria seemed surprised by his reaction, looking down estranged at the arms that wrapped around her. 

"What! You don't seem even remotely fazed. How come? No, first, I should clarify, I don't think that. My visions are definitely not set in stone at all. Honestly, it's really quite easy to change just one little thing. I even sent Amelia to rescue you. Well, I didn't really do that much. I just told her you existed. Ultimately, I couldn't keep her around to build the raft for long. She left without even notifying me."

Her eyes turned cold as the corners of her mouth rose into a smile. Startled Perses interjected, eager to know more. 

"You know this is a little confusing, and it really doesn't sound like the beginning."

Asteria's hands had ceased shaking and now lay comfortably by her side as the raft slowed. As their pace eased, they gently glided across the ocean. The kingdom behind them was no longer in view. With a wistful smile, she turned back towards Perses just in time to notice Amelia emerge from the raft. 

An entanglement of long, soaked strands of green hair entwined with dark purple seaweed failed to hide Amelia's wide, sheepish grin. As she rested her arms on the raft, they began to slow. Catching her breath, she chuckled nervously at Asteria's face, which began to turn red once again. 

"Hey, what was the big idea! Don't you know how to be gentle, you muscley freak?"

Amelia blinked with surprise before heartily laughing as she tucked her hair away from her face. Gently kicking her legs to stay afloat, she eyed the pair affectionately, noticing their closeness with a beaming smile.

"Aha, sorry about that. There was a reason, I promise, but it's probably better if you don't know. I just wanted to say I won't be able to push the raft for a little while. There are some errands I need to go and do, real quick. Well, anyway, Perses, keep taking care of Aseria for me. I'll be back."

Completely carefree, Amelia declared this and awaited some sort of acknowledgement. But it took too long. Only a moment later, something reared its head. Emerging from the water, it eyed them with hollow, sunken eye sockets. Its snake-like head leered at them, littered with strange yellow speckles. Its dishevelled, dark, withered appearance instantly reminded Perses. 

'Perses, it's just like that beast from underground! Don't just sit there, do something. My power didn't work on them last time.'

Nervous, the frantic yells inside his mind spurred him to turn to the rear of the boat with hopeful eyes, only to find Amelia completely missing. Only then did true panic set in as Perses turned to watch the giant creature. Its head and neck stretched dozens of metres into the air, allowing it to leer down at them from a distance. Its size dwarfed the black beast Perses he had fought. Yet, despite possessing no real features to speak of, somehow, the gargantuan fiend looked down below at the water, petrified.

Only moments later, it was yanked. With an eerily sentient screech, it was dragged suddenly into the water, causing an eruption that drenched Perses' and Asteria's helpless bodies. With the water subduing the screams of the massive beast, they watched in shock as the area it had submerged into was dyed black. Waves of inky blackness quickly dispersed throughout the water. 

'So that's what she meant, terrifying women. Perses, I kept telling you it was the right move to follow the green-haired thing.'

'That's not how I remember it. Also, her name is Amelia.'

With a relieved sigh, he looked down at the clueless Asteria sympathetically. Her face was almost distraught. Sure, the creature had been daunting, but oddly, she seemed especially shocked, even compared to distant shadowy calamity.

"Oh, that black stuff means it's probably dead already, so don't worry. I guess Amelia dealt with it."

With an estranged stare, Asteria resisted Perse's words, shoving herself away from him in panic. But Perses just held on unimposed by her struggle.

"Hey, relax already. Those things bleed black. I would know. It just means something bigger dragged it down and killed it. Like a freaky, strong woman, get it now? It won't eat us." 

A look of understanding dawned on Asteria's desperate pupils as she slowed her struggle. But understandably, her gaze maintained a strong angst as she stared at the ocean's murky disposition. 

"What the hell is that thing? That thing, the ocean is dangerous because of things like that. I, I didn't know, I didn't know it would be like this."

"Well yeah. Those black monsters are just monsters. What else is there to know? If you hit them hard enough, they die just like any other creature. So just relax. Amelia will deal with them."

As if confirming his words, water was kicked up a few hundred metres ahead. Asteria turned to watch, trying to ascertain what was happening with a tense gaze. Rather than follow suit, though, Perses felt compelled to turn around. 

They had come so far, too far to see the castle. That was why Perses was stunned to see it. Too far to evoke any noise, he watched a silent figure... walking. No, not walking, shuffling. Its deeply uncomfortable form swayed, its outline, it was all he could make out.

'What is?'

Just looking at it, caused searing pain to pour into Perse's disbelieving eyes. Estranged, he spoke to the devil through his mouth, unable to keep his thoughts to himself. 

"Do you, do you see that?"