The Legion fleet was left behind, reduced to ash and splinters that sank to the depths of the ocean. Also Kalina's ship. What had become of her? who knew After the sea beast appeared, everything became confused.
The fishing boat of the demon Justan came to the rescue of Igneo, Elian, Yaima, Alya, and Nahuel.
"I see you made new friends!" Gabu exclaimed when he saw Igneous and Alya board the ship. "Great, more bodyguards for me."
"Speech!" The girl jumped a little, pointing at the furry creature.
"Of course, I can talk," Gabu crossed his arms. "Why are humans always surprised by that?"
Alya looked at Nahuel, as if asking for an explanation, but the boy said: "It's a long story."
Igneous and Alya were guided to a small cabin, where there were two beds and where they could dry off and rest. According to Justan, they would arrive at their destination first thing in the morning.
"I don't trust them," the girl hurriedly said, immediately they were alone.
"What?" Igneous raised an eyebrow. "In case you haven't noticed, they saved us, fought alongside us, and gave us transportation and food, without asking for anything in return."
"Exactly. Doesn't that seem strange to you?"
"Normally, yes," the boy admitted, "but I know why they help us."
"And why would that be?" Alya crossed her arms.
"They want to team up."
"Huh?"
"Think about it. They are Marked One like us, so they have a mission assigned by the eons. Maybe it's the same mission as us. So they will want to join. And the System already explained it: having allies is important."
"Allies..."
"Yes. I'm a berserker, you a paladin. With them, we would have a mage, a shielder, and a rogue. Can't you see it? We would be a fairly balanced team."
Alya hesitated for a few seconds, then replied, "Maybe you're not as dumb as you seem."
"Well… the streets have taught me who to trust and who not to. Analyze hidden intentions and stuff. I have a hunch with them."
"If you say so," Alya sat on the edge of the bed and stared into the distance with a look of concern.
"What is it that bothers you so much?" Igneous asked.
"That blue-haired girl…"
"Yaima? I'm sure she's harmless. Why do you care?"
"That hair…"
"Look... maybe you should explain the Bish royal family better to me."
"Yish," the girl corrected.
"Well, whatever, Bish, Guish, Yish."
Alya played with her fingers nervously. "The royal family of the Marinus, they were the rulers of Yish for hundreds of years. Until they started experimenting with forbidden technology."
"Forbidden technology?" Igneous scratched his head.
"Yes. Technology of the ancient civilization of Lemuria. The sages and magicologists forbade interacting with any trace left by Lemuria, unless they approve it. It's dangerous for the Federation of Allied Cities. But the Marinus disobeyed. Nobody knows what they did, but one night, the unthinkable happened... an explosion in the center of the city that killed hundreds of people. Most of Marinus disappeared, but the survivors were hunted down by the irate citizens, who sought revenge for such a massacre. And so… the reign of the Marinus came to an end."
Igneous scratched his head. "Damn, I don't understand anything you're telling me, but that doesn't sound like something Yaima should be blamed for."
"Yeah, maybe you're right..."
***
"I do not trust them," Elian stated.
"What? Why?" Nahuel opened his eyes wide.
"Well, I really don't trust the green-haired girl," Elian clarified. "The fire boy, on the other hand, seems too foolish to distrust him."
"Yes, Igneous seems cool."
Elian, Nahuel, and Yaima were in a different cabin than Alya and Igneous, at the bottom of the demon Justan's fishing boat. The waves of the sea could be heard hitting the hull of the ship. And the wood creaked as the boat rocked.
"But," Nahuel said, "why don't you trust Alya?"
"Are you serious?" Elian cast an unfriendly look. "Didn't you notice her attitude towards Yaima? She didn't even want to combine powers. I don't think she wants to be our ally."
"Besides…," Yaima spoke up, "what…what about the royal family?"
"Oh, that's true," Nahuel admitted. "She mentioned something about a royal family. That was pretty weird. Yaima is not even from this world."
"What will you do with those two?" Gabu's voice was heard at the cabin door. The three boys turned around and focused their attention on the little furry creature. "They can certainly be powerful allies. We will need them on our journey to Kamsara."
"What do you think?" Yaima asked Nahuel.
The boy hesitated for a few seconds and replied, "I think we should give them a chance. Sometimes first impressions are the wrong ones."
Elian snorted in frustration and crossed his arms. "If you say so."
"I do," Nahuel replied. "In fact, we should all try to get to know them better. Talk to them. What do you say?"
Yaima nodded. Elian didn't seem very convinced.
"Elian?" Nahuel cocked his head.
Elian didn't reply. He smacked his lips and strode out of the cabin.
'I don't trust that girl,' he told himself. 'Maybe we should throw her overboard.' The downside of that idea was that Igneous would get angry and produce a fight that would destroy the ship. 'Maybe when we get to dry land.'
The boy went up to the deck, where Justan was, looking at the horizon full of black mist. Elian approached and noticed that the old sailor had a compass in his hands. Justan's concerned look caught the boy's attention.
"Is something wrong, Justan?" He asked.
"Look at the compass," the demon indicated. Elian lowered his eyes and raised his eyebrows as he noticed that the compass arrow was moving in all directions as if he did not know where to aim.
"What is that?" the boy asked.
Justin shrugged. "I do not know. And it worries me, because the thick mist does not allow me to navigate using the stars. I need to guide myself with the compass."
"Has something like this ever happened?"
"Never. This is unprecedented among sailors. If it doesn't get fixed, I don't know how we'll get to shore."
Elian frowned as he watched the arrow spin and spin without stopping. Then he looked up into the thick, dark mist. He saw it shudder, unfold, dance. There was something different about it that night. Something ominous. More gloomy than normal. As if she was restless, anxious.
'What the hell is going on?' The boy wondered.
***
Igneous stood at the stern of the ship, looking out over the ocean covered in dark mist. He waited for her to speak to him again. He wanted to confirm that he hadn't imagined it.
'Speak to me,' he requested.
But there was no answer.
'Maybe I did imagine it all,' the boy snorted.
"Hey, good to see you here," Nahuel greeted him, leaning on the stern rail, next to Igneo.
"How are you, mate?" Igneous returned the greeting.
"It's scary, right?" Nahuel pointed to the mist. "The first time I saw it, I wasn't able to get close for days."
"Yes, the truth is that it is disturbing. I won't deny it. It doesn't even go away in the sunlight. It's like It's alive."
"They say it comes from the depths of the world."
"Yes," agreed Igneous, "and no one has ever reached the bottom and seen the source."
Nahuel shuddered as if a shiver had run through his entire body, from his head to his feet. "That makes it even scarier."
Igneous thought about telling her that he heard her talk about her, that he told her about her brother, but he didn't. Surely he would think he was crazy. Not even Alya believed him. And she was with him when it happened.
"So," Nahuel spoke, "are we from the same world?"
"So it seems. I come from the southern cone. And you?"
"Oh..."
"What?"
"It's just… I'm from the Central Alliance. Does that make us enemies?"
"Not at all," Igneous smirked. "These problems belong to our governments. We do not have to continue with their wars."
"You're right. Fuck our governments."
"Fuck them, ha, ha, ha."
"Ha, ha, ha."
"I'm going to be friends with all the southerners that I want."
"Well said! And I will be friends with all the northerners that I want."
"We are in another world, so those wars don't apply here."
"You got that right, brother!"
"Ha, ha, ha."
"Ha, ha, ha."
'I like this boy,' Igneous thought.
"Um... speaking of being friends and stuff," Nahuel scratched his head and hesitated, as if he was about to say something very difficult, "my friends have... reservations about Alya."
"Oh… sorry, she can be… too much."
"Yeah, well, I'd like us all to get along because I've thought about it a lot and I'd like us to be allies."
"Hey! I thought the same!"
"Cool! And what is your mission?" Nahuel asked.
"I have to liberate the shrines."
"Wow!" Nahuel opened his eyes like two large plates. "It's the same mission as Yaima, Elian, and me."
"So… We HAVE to be allies."
"Of course! It can not be any other way."
"Hey," said Nahuel, "how about we all have dinner together? We could get to know each other better and stuff. What do you say?"
"I think it is a great idea."
Igneous' blood froze.
Igneous looked one way, then the other. Was it happening again?
"Are you okay?" Nahuel asked.
"Do you hear that?" Igneous asked.