Dispute

The fear he felt made his eyes contract to the size of a mosquito's mouth. He quickly reached down to pick up the clam and examined it to see if the fall could be considered as a disturbance.

Seeing no change, he ran out his room and towards the starboard side of the ship with newfound speed. When he was just by the railings, he heard someone shout his name.

Astro slowed turned and looked over to see Charles coming over wearing one less layer than before, and Tomas following behind him.

"What is the rush, Astro? If you keep running in this heat and humidity you will blackout faster than you can say help." Warned Tomas.

"Ah! It's you two." Astro was not happy to see them. What he wanted to do now became much more harder. He had read it in the description, it said the target can't let go of the clam. So the second Charles saw the clam or the clam came into the conversation, Charles will lose his rationality.

"Stop, and listen." Astro said trying to buy himself time. After all, it is better to say sorry than ask for permission.

"What's going on Astro? Did you find out something?" Charles was alerted when he saw the boy in front of him with panic in his indigo-starlit eyes.

"Astro what's wrong? Tell us. We have been tasked to take you to the mainland in perfect condition." Tomas chimed in from behind. It looked like he might be the second-in-command.

Astro was hoping he was. He quickly had to do something, Charles had continued to walk even after his demand.

"Stop Charles, and Tomas, trust me." Saying that, Astro turned and chucked the clam which he was hiding behind his back with all his might. He didn't add any spirit energy because he knew that doing so would be considered disturbance.

"NOOOO!" Charles yelped. He already felt something was off. Unfortunately, he realized a bit too late. He saw the star-spotted clam going overboard and finally entering the sea 100 meters away from the goliath. He was fuming.

"Astro. What have you done?! I gave you that in confidence. Is this how you repay me?"

Charles had stopped charging forward but had called out his Fae from somewhere around the ship. It was 8 feet tall octopus with star patterns all over his skin shimmering in dark-green. he clearly had a thing for stars, thought Astro relieving some of his tension.

Tomas who was at a loss for a moment, quickly regained his ability to move after seeing Charles' octopus.

"Charles, have you gone mad?" Tomas yelled, while moving so he would be in between Charles and Astro.

"Tomas, leave him be. Just drive the ship as fast as possible away from that position." Astro whispered from behind as he motioned to the area where the clam fell.

Tomas had placed his trust in Astro. Why, he didn't know. He was sailing with Charles for half his life but the moment this child said "trust me" he did. Deep down he felt it was because Astro was a descendent with higher purity than Charles.

He gestured toward the crowd that had now formed. Some knew who Astro was while others didn't. Those who knew stayed quiet and observing, the others were ready for a fight.

Seconds after gesture, the goliath picked up tremendous speed that practically made the ship blip across the sea.

Just after the ship was roughly 500 meters away from its original position Charles' eye regained a hint of clarity.

"What hap- What happened." Charles who had escaped the jaws of calamity was looking around for answers.

"Not here, Charles. Let's go to my room," Astro said, ready to escape the stifling atmosphere and the lingering effects of his adrenaline rush.

Charles dropped himself on the lounge chair in Astro's room the second he saw it, Astro had to take the bed, while Tomas stayed standing by the door.

"I will start by saying thank you for trusting me, Tomas. Things would have been much deadlier had you not. As for you, Charles. From which godforsaken place did you get that clam from?" Astro asked Charles in an accusatory tone.

"Well, during a family meet we raided a small island near our lands and I was conceded the clam with no opposition. If there was anything suspicious then I would not know. Why? Was the clam a trap?"

"Trap?" Astro felt aggrieved "More like a death sentence."

"Astro, stop speaking in riddles." Tomas chimed in once more. Honestly Astro felt that Tomas' attitude was becoming less servile and more authoritative. However, he didn't devel to deep into it.

"Sure. I would like to disclose that I have a way to analyze Fae without the compendium. As for how..." Astro trailed off hoping they understood his hints.

"100 percent accuracy. By the gods." Charles was shocked. Tomas, not so much.

"Moving on, the clam in Charles possession was called {Clam of Calamity} it was a mutated form of the {Salier's Avarice}. This creature had reached Nebula X || Sun I. It was a parasitic Fae that had chosen Charles as its target." Astro finally explained.

When Tomas and Charles heard the clam's name they showed no reaction but when the heard it was a mutate form the {Salier's Avarice} their hair stood on end and they both shivered a little.

While they were processing what ifs, Astro displayed what he saw as a page in the compendium.

After taking a minute to read the abilities the two were disturbed to say the least. While Charles counted his lucky stars.

"This- th- This, I can't thank you enough, Astro." Charles said practically chocking on his tears.

Tomas still had not spoken even after reading the abilities of the clam. This made Astro hundred percent sure that Tomas was not someone who he said he was.

"Regardless of how you feel Charles, what Astro has shown us can't leave this room. From our earlier interactions I assume you know why Astro?" Tomas finally spoke clearly understanding the ramification this could have on the crew.

"Ah yes, Its fine." Astro wanted to be alone now. The clear change in Tomas unnerved him more the the clam had.

As if sensing his reluctance to continuing the conversation, Tomas walked over to Charles picked up up by the elbow and dragged him out. It seemed that Tomas was not even keeping up the pretenses anymore.

After they both had left, Astro collapsed onto his bed, his racing heart finally slowing down, and allowed the bubbling sense of security he had to overtake him.

"I need to be able to fight."

With renewed vigor Astro got up and pulled out {Everlasting Night} along with a drop of {Water of Eternity}. He felt that he was as ready as can be in this situation. Now that he was at odds with half the crew, he felt it more appropriate to have some strength of his own.