Tales of Cadence/Chapter XIII

Raven quietly leaned against the side of the ship, clenching and unclenching his fists as he kept his eyes focused on the horizon. Stephen had suggested staring at the ocean in order to overcome his seasickness; however, the inventor had made a run for the other side of the ship the second Raven began gagging or complaining. Elsynne hovered nearby, silently petting Reo as she absorbed the warmth from the sun.

Rhett had easily transported the group to Brancove, where they had decided that they would return to Austror in order to throw Ilia off their trail for a while.

“There are still several Spirits located on Austror,” Elsynne had said, “so going back won’t be a waste of time.”

“But isn’t it stupid to go back to the continent that’s tracking us down anyway?” Raven had asked, frowning skeptically.

“No...it might sound like a foolish idea, but it’ll work.”

Skylar’s eyes seemed to brighten when he spoke, “We can return to Evala. I know a family in the community that makes excellent maps. We could use those,” he had suggested earnestly.

The ship that sailed to the port near Estershore was relatively quiet and empty; most travelers went directly to Itona instead of heading for the small city in the countryside. Raven had been reluctant to board the ship, and was surprised that he spent the first half-hour in good health. He helped the others scour the ship, making sure that there was no one like Ilia or Ophelia shadowing them. Once they had sailed into the open sea without any sight of the shore, however, Raven fell ill again and let himself collapse on the deck of the ship. The trip back to Estershore would take even longer than the one from Itona; Raven had been putting up with his upset stomach for almost two days.

“I *hate* sailing,” he muttered, his voice muffled as he ran his hands over his face. “There’s no point.”

“It’s the only way we can get to Estershore,” Elsynne said reassuringly as she placed another damp rag on his forehead. “There’s no other way to cross the ocean.”

“If the Penna are so *advanced*,” he said the word distastefully, “then have they invented anything that can fly over the ocean, or teleport people from one place to another?”

Elsynne shook her head, smiling calmly. “No, nothing yet. We’ve created land vehicles, though, and we use those to travel quicker and easier.”

“Then be useful and invent something that’ll make ships obsolete.”

She laughed lightly, “You’ll have to talk to Stephen about that.”

“No way. He’ll just make some machine that’ll blow us to pieces once it gets in the sky or...touches a cloud or something.”

Reo jumped from Elsynne’s lap and landed on Raven’s stomach. Her eyes seemed to gleam with amusement as he protested loudly, brushing the small cat off his abdomen.

“We should be there pretty soon,” Elsynne said as Reo crawled back into her item sack. “When will you have to meet with Joseph again?”

“I don’t plan on seeing him when we get there,” Raven replied, closing his eyes to block out the bright sun. “I’m employed at the moment. I don’t need to talk to him unless I’m unemployed and need a client.”

“Do you regret taking on this job?”

Raven paused for a moment, thinking. “I...don’t know. I’m still indifferent about the whole Heir and Messenger thing, but seeing an actual Spirit...”

“Eye-opening, wasn’t it?” Elsynne asked, forcing a smile. “I probably wouldn’t believe all of this either if I was in your position...I only believe everything because I’ve either seen it with my own eyes or I’ve grown up learning it.”

“What’s your position in your homeland?”

“The Heir’s family is only a figurehead. We make no major decisions in the government,” she replied evenly. “Saying that we’re a ‘beacon’ would be an understatement. The Penna are dependent on the Heir because she has the ability to revive their god and bring glory back to the race.”

“Whereas the Messenger has no impact on the humans and elves at all...according to scripture, anyway,” Raven mused.

“That’s because the Messenger doesn’t play a big role in your religion like the Heir does in hers. It’s the Messenger’s job to stop the Heir – you already have your god, so you have no need to act,” she explained quietly. “I suppose if the Heir were to resurface, there would be a need for the Messenger, but...”

“So basically, if you go out and do something crazy, the Messenger will show up?”

Elsynne bit her lip. “If he knew about his position and job, he might...”

“It’s none of my business,” Raven suddenly said. “It’s my job to follow you around while you go on your ‘journey’, or whatever. It doesn’t affect me if the Messenger does come, or if you end up reviving Albasta.”

Elsynne sighed and clenched her fist in her lap; she could still hear the faint traces of disbelief and mockery in his tone. “It will be your business, though. You’re getting yourself involved.”

Before Raven could ask her what she meant, the captain called out from the wheel of the ship. “We’ll be landing in the port in half an hour!”

“It looks like we’re going to be there soon. Are you ready?” Elsynne asked as she took the rag from Raven’s forehead.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he replied, gritting his teeth as he tried not to think about the rolling waves. Looking at them had only seemed to make his symptoms worse. “I’m going to murder Stephen once we get off this ship.”

“You mean once you can stand again without staggering?” Elsynne challenged, smiling slyly.

Raven managed to roll his eyes sarcastically. “Oh, shut up.”

After landing, Raven kept to his promise and used the blunt edge of his sword to hit Stephen in the back. Unfortunately, the impact had set off another device – whether it was a bomb or not, Raven did not want to know – in Stephen’s bag and ended up injuring himself in the process.

“Well, at least I know now that this one will set off if hit with enough force...” Stephen said sadly as he held the mangled machine in his hands.

“Would you take those stupid devices out of your bag before one of us dies?” Raven demanded angrily, brushing the dirt and dust from his clothing. “I thought you promised that you wouldn’t carry that kind of stuff around anymore!”

“I didn’t know this one would go off. And besides, you were the one who hit me,” Stephen replied calmly.

*‘Why is he always so passive about everything?’* Raven asked himself as Stephen took the destroyed machine and replaced it in his bag, now smiling cheerfully as if nothing had happened.

Raven shrugged angrily and ignored him. “We’re almost to Evala. Try not to screw anything up.”

“I won’t, I won’t,” Stephen replied reassuringly. He slung his bag over his shoulder. “As long as you don’t attack me again, I’m sure we’ll get there in one piece.”

Skylar looked out over the empty plains. “It looks like there’s nothing out there... No monsters, no dragonlings...nothing.”

“If something goes wrong, we can just use Rhett, right?” Felix asked, grinning at the thought of being able to summon his Spirit again.

“That’s right,” Elsynne agreed. “Hopefully we won’t...run into anything.”

“Like the dragonlings?” Raven asked, looking over his shoulder as he spoke. He had taken the lead of the group again; it was becoming a habit. “We haven’t seen any since we ran into Ophelia and her companion on the ship.”

“I wonder why she had a dragonling, though, and why she was targeting us...I’ve never met her before.”

“She was always sort of weird. Who knows what she wanted?” Raven replied nonchalantly. “The black magic probably destroyed part of her mind. That’s what the theory is, anyway.”

Elsynne looked down at her item sack; Reo was poking her head out, mewling lightly as she demanded attention. “If you use it correctly, you won’t get hurt,” she said, reaching down to pet the cat.

“Yeah, but according to the rumors, she was using black magic in high doses.”

“Oh...”

“Once there was an elf in my clan who overused black magic...” Skylar said in a quiet voice. “They...say it mutated and destroyed his mind and slowly began to alter his appearance. He was exiled from the clan after that...”

The group fell silent again until Stephen started humming. For once, no one told him to stop or shut up; although, he never did stop when they asked him to.

“I’ve never seen an elven community before,” Stephen said, finally breaking the awkward silence. “Come to think of it, I’ve never been to Austror, either...it’s too sunny and flat for my liking.”

“We don’t have any forests, and the mountain range here is even smaller than the one we saw in Libra,” Raven said, “but it’s what I’m used to, so Libra was pretty strange to me.”

“Oh, hey, Elsynne,” Felix suddenly asked, “What Spirits live here on Austror again?”

“I know that Evadne is somewhere near here...perhaps she’s close to the elven community.”

“I think I’ve heard of her, now that you mention it,” Skylar said with an air of confidence. “I’ve heard a few rumors about a Spirit living in an underground cave somewhere around here. We could go check it out after we pick up the maps.”

“Why do we need maps, anyway?” Raven asked. “Can’t we just take...ships...” He instantly regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.

“Ships don’t go everywhere, Raven,” Skylar replied evenly. “We’ll have to think of a way to get to the other continents where the Spirits might be.”

“And we have to figure out how we’re going to get back to Lavinia,” Felix said solemnly. “My boat was stolen, and Elsynne’s was destroyed...”

“Maybe the Spirits could help us,” Stephen hypothesized, putting his hand to his chin again. “It’s worth a try to ask, isn’t it? And I could always help by inventing something.”

“Ah! That’s a good idea,” Elsynne agreed excitedly. “Thank you, Stephen.”

“It’s not like we couldn’t have thought of that ourselves,” Raven said sullenly.

“What’s wrong? Are you jealous?” Felix asked innocently, tilting his head to the side. Raven shivered again as Felix’s naive, harmless smile got to him again.

“Not jealous...” he replied tensely, “just thinking out loud...”

“Keep your thoughts to yourself for a while,” Skylar said warningly. “Besides, we’re at the community now. Don’t say anything foolish in front of the elves, remember?”

“I know, I know. You don’t have to be so strict with me all the time. I’m not a kid.”

“You act like one.”

“Oh, shut up already...”

They passed through the unseen barriers of the clan and stepped into the small community. It was just as Raven remembered it; the green fields of waving grass surrounded the small huts and tents. It was past midday, and many of the elves were outside either eating or socializing during their breaks.

“It feels nice to be home,” Skylar said, taking a deep breath. “Although I’m probably going to get in trouble for having left so suddenly...”

“Skylar!”

“Ah, speak of the devil...” Skylar turned as a young elven woman approached them cautiously, wringing her hands together, “...and the devil shall arrive.”

Raven saw Elsynne stiffen out of the corner of his eye as she saw the elven woman who had called Skylar’s name.

“Do you know her?” he asked curiously.

Elsynne shook her head. “N-No...she just looked familiar. I think I saw her here the last time we came.”

Raven looked back towards the woman, who was speaking with Skylar in undertone. She was not terribly significant looking; she wore the same traditional dress as the other elven women and had long, dark blue hair reaching down to her waist.

“Everyone,” Skylar started, interrupting Raven’s reverie, “this is Lianne. Her family is known for making maps of the continents. She can help us.”

Lianne bowed her head nervously. “H-Hello...” she murmured. When she looked up and her eyes met Raven’s, she froze.

“There’s no need to be shy,” Skylar said reassuringly, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Well, Raven’s face can be a tad frightening, but...”

Lianne seemed to snap out of her trance and nodded absentmindedly, exchanging a quick glance with Skylar. “I suppose...”

“Ha ha... She agreed with him, Raven,” Felix said teasingly.

Raven did not respond. He stared back at Lianne for a brief moment, wondering why she had looked at him so strangely.

“Let’s go get those maps, shall we?” Skylar suggested enthusiastically, turning back to Lianne.

“What kind of maps do you need?” she questioned, leading them in the direction of her family’s hut.

“Austror, Libra...maybe Snowcap, in case we have to go there.”

Elsynne tilted her head to the side. “Snow...cap?”

“The smaller continent between Austror and Eus-Aen,” Stephen replied. “The people around here call it Snowcap, for the snow, apparently.”

“Yeah, state the obvious,” Raven said sarcastically before adding, “I’ve heard that a few dragonling packs have settled out there. It’s almost impossible for humans to live there.”

“A few elves managed to get out there to map the continent,” Skylar chimed in. “Lianne’s father was one of them.”

“Yes...he’s made many maps of the continents, even Eus-Aen,” Lianne offered hesitantly.

“Eus-Aen?” Raven said. “I’m impressed. It’s really hard to find someone to get you out there. It’s dragonling country.”

“He worked very hard...”

Lianne’s family’s hut was slightly larger than the others; Raven noticed that they were running their mapmaking business from inside the home. Lianne ducked inside, looking back at Skylar one last time as he and the others waited outside for her.

“She’s pretty quiet,” Felix observed, scowling. “Is she afraid of us?”

“Lianne’s just shy around people she doesn’t know very well. It took her a few years to get used to me,” Skylar replied casually.

“Years?” Felix repeated, staring at him with disbelief. “That’s a long time...”

“It was worth it. She’s been an invaluable friend to me during all the time that I’ve known her.”

Raven crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. “Then why did she look at me so strangely?”

Skylar shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know. I can’t read minds.”

Raven opened his mouth to reply, but stopped as Lianne reemerged from the hut, holding a few pieces of folded parchment in her hands. She handed the squares to Skylar. “Here you go... And don’t worry, you don’t need to pay,” She added as she saw Elsynne pulling her gald pouch from her pocket.

“Oh...thank you very much,” Elsynne said, smiling gratefully. “These maps will be very useful for us.”

“I’m happy I could help,” Lianne replied, although she only looked at Skylar as she spoke. “Be careful on your journey.”

“We will, don’t worry,” Skylar replied quietly. “I’ll be back soon after everything’s been taken care of.”

She nodded. “I know.”

Raven coughed loudly. “We’re going to that other Spirit, aren’t we?”

“Yes, yes,” Skylar said as he placed the maps in his pack. “Grow some patience for my sake, will you?”

Raven scowled and turned away, sulking as the others said their good-byes to Lianne. She followed them to the edge of the small community, where Skylar had to stop her and asked her to go back to her home.

“I promise I’ll be back soon,” he said, emphasizing each word carefully. Lianne nodded nervously and turned to leave, casting one last glance over her shoulder as she left. Skylar sighed and gave her a halfhearted wave.

“Lianne seemed...very concerned,” Elsynne said quietly as the elven woman returned to the safety of the community. “What’s your relationship with her?”

“We’re just friends,” Skylar replied, “though I’m sure that Lianne hopes otherwise...”

“It seemed more like a dependency to me,” Stephen observed, arching an eyebrow.

“Yes, it is, actually. Lianne has a co-dependent nature; once she latches onto someone she can trust, she’ll never let go. She depends on me to answer questions for her, and to guide her through her life. I was all right with that when I was still apart of the community, but now...” he trailed off pensively, biting his lower lip. “I wonder how she fares without me helping her.”

“Anyway, it would probably be best if we got going soon,” Elsynne said, glancing nervously at Raven. He was still moping, arms folded defiantly over his chest. “How far is the underground cave from here, Skylar?”

“Not too far. I used to go there all the time, but unlike Stephen, I didn’t hear the Spirit speaking with me,” he replied eagerly, pulling a map from his pack. He unfolded it and traced his finger along an invisible path, stopping at the base of the small mountain range. “Right here.” He said, stabbing the point with the tip of his index finger. “This is where we need to go.”

“I wonder who will form a pact with the Spirit this time?” Felix wondered aloud. “What does Evadne control, again?”

“Lightning,” Elsynne replied. “Other than that, I don’t know very much about her.”

“Maybe this one will actually want to make a pact with me,” Raven mused, “since Rhett refused to admit that he just didn’t want to form one with me...”

“He honestly couldn’t see your soul, Raven,” Elsynne said, frowning.

“But why couldn’t he see it? It doesn’t make any sense to me.”

“Doesn’t it worry you at all, Raven?” Felix questioned, looking at him sadly. “I mean, if a Spirit can’t see your soul...”

“Who cares? It’s probably no big deal,” Raven replied indifferently. “If he couldn’t see it, then that’s his problem. Maybe I’ll have better luck with Evadne.”

“But if Rhett couldn’t see your soul, then what makes you think that Evadne will be any different?” Skylar pointed out coolly.

“Well...maybe Evadne’s more powerful than Rhett. Maybe she can see things better.”

“In terms of strength, each Spirit is essentially the same. The only things that really differ between them are their personality and what type of magic they control,” Elsynne explained calmly, although there was a hint of nervousness in her blue eyes. She looked up at Raven as she spoke, watching his reaction.

She was not surprised when she saw his frustration. “I wasn’t asking for a lecture. I was just saying that I hope Evadne has more sense than Rhett, that’s all.”

Another long silence fell over the group as Raven moved to the head of the party, taking the lead even though he did not know exactly where they were going. Felix awkwardly tried to start conversations, but each new topic was greeted with a muffled reply or exasperated groan. Even Stephen was not humming his usual tune as they walked through the plains.

As the sun began to set, the once-visible trail leading them through the fields began to disappear until they were walking aimlessly across the plains, following the route Skylar pointed out on one of the maps Lianne had given them. The mountains loomed closer in the distance, capped white with a layer of fresh, pristine snow.

“Let’s stop here for the night,” Elsynne suggested, trying in vain to disguise the weariness in her voice. They had encountered several small groups of monsters along the way; Elsynne tried her best to fend off a few with light magic and ended up wearing herself out.

“All right. Let’s set up camp,” Raven said as he stopped, turning to face the others. It was the first time he had spoken since his minor outburst earlier that day.

“Are you sure? There’s still a little daylight left, if Elsynne’s willing to travel for just a while longer,” Stephen suggested warily.

“No, we’re stopping,” Raven said firmly, narrowing his eyes. Stephen looked away, pretending that he had not seen Raven’s glare.

“Do we need anything to light a fire with?” Felix asked.

“No. There aren’t many trees out here on the plains, so it’s against the law to burn them for a campfire. Besides, the grass here isn’t as tame as it is farther north and there’s a higher chance of starting a wildfire,” Raven replied evenly. “We’ll have to make due without a fire tonight.”

“Ah, I forgot about the dangers of lighting a fire in a grassland like this,” Stephen said as he carefully set his bag on the ground. Felix flinched away as it made another ticking sound; Stephen responded by kicking the bag so that the sound stopped. Raven tensed, waiting for an explosion.

Skylar began fixing a cold meal, using his sharp eyesight to work without needing light. Felix hovered nearby, offering to help. Stephen leaned back in the grass, closing his eyes as he tried to relax.

“Are you feeling all right?”

Elsynne looked up wearily as Raven spoke to her; he was sitting nearby, carefully cleaning the sharp blade of his sword. He glanced at her from the corner of his dark eyes.

“Yes, I’m just a little bit tired,” she replied presently. “I shouldn’t have used so much light magic...”

“I’ve noticed that you’re doing a bit better, though,” he said, smirking. “You don’t get as tired as you used to. Did you practice light magic often at your home?”

“I only used very basic skills. I very rarely had to use anything intermediate or advanced. But I think you’re right...maybe my body’s beginning to get used to the strain.”

“Don’t overdo it, though.”

“I won’t,” Elsynne promised, smiling lightly. She looked at him again. “You’ve never shown concern like this before.”

Raven stared back, then frowned. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m just curious.”

“Raven, are you trying not to blush?” Felix asked, smiling innocently. Skylar had finished preparing the meal and was getting ready to serve the cold food.

“Why would I be blushing?” Raven demanded hotly. “You don’t need to jump to conclusions!”

“I was just kidding around. But since you replied like that...”

“Raven, you’re a horrible liar,” Stephen said, lazily opening his eyes as he sat up, dusting the dirt from his white shirt. “You and Elsynne have been traveling together for quite a while, so I’d be surprised if you didn’t show any concern for her wellbeing.”

“I’m just curious, not concerned,” Raven said, clenching his fists at his sides. “Honestly, the four of you are-“

“Give Raven a break. He’s just an immature human teenager; it’s in his nature to deny the truth,” Skylar said teasingly.

Raven bit back a violent curse and began sulking again. “I give up...I hate all of you. I’m only in this for the money.”

“Of course you are...” Skylar said sarcastically, fighting back the urge to roll his eyes. “I can assure you that you’ll be asking Elsynne the same concerned questions tomorrow.”

Elsynne found herself smiling again even as Raven buried his head in his hands as he set his sword aside, waiting for his meal. She had traveled with him long enough to read his emotions a little better; the light concern in his voice had been well hidden, but not good enough for her to miss.