Marblemen airships hovered over Hela like floating sentinels. Streets of this Cliffside city were so narrow you could only traverse most places on foot. The roads were ancient passages, whispering tales of their long history with each step the adventurers explored. Despite Hela being so actively dominated by Marblemen, they blended in just fine in their disguises thanks to the chockful of population in Hela.
Klein suggested their usual tactic to split up into two groups to gather any information about the town and anything about "Reflected Map" quicker.
"Three groups will make it even quicker." Davy crouched to pet little Bear's head. "There's up to six of us anyway. I'll go with Bear."
"I'm with Handyman!" Klein beat everyone to select. Tom opened his mouth to protest but once again Klein beat him to it. "Unless anyone thinks two girls on their own couldn't handle themselves."
That forced Tom quiet.
Little Bear tailed Davy past vendors peddling their wares and residents on about their daily business. Conversations flowed as freely as trade yet Davy was having a one-sided conversation with the dog.
"But what else can I do? I have to leave them, leave all of you once we find the Sea Majestic. If I tell them where I came from it will only raise more questions. I tell them why I've been after the Majestic they'd try to help because they're… good people. But… it's suicide. You get me, don't you Bear?"
Meanwhile,
Hardly a word spoken between Klein and Tom. At the cliffs of Hela was a sturdy bridge wider than any street in this town, which crossed them over on a small plateau island elevated tall enough to match Hela's height above sea level.
Ships of all sizes and shapes anchored all around at the watery foot of this plateau. Aromas of fish, tar, briny sea, and the loud shouts of sailors mixed in the air. People either took historical, steep steps carved into the plateau's sides; or the more modern means in the form of a mechanical crane.
That right there rose dispute between them. Klein wanted to take the crane down, whereas Tom suggested it'd more discreet taking the steps because of Marblemen presence around the crane.
"It's not like they know our faces. Relax." Replied Klein. "Plus have some trust in the disguises."
Yet Tom insisted. "You just want to take the crane 'cause it's easier!"
"Hey, if you love the steps so much, knock yourself out." Klein brushed him off.
"I knew you didn't want to partner with me to get along. You just didn't want me going with Adonna, didn't you?"
That accusation stopped Klein from walking away. "That's it, new guy, I've been nice enough. You don't join our team and try to disrupt it. One: you don't move on someone's girl – especially not your crewmate. Because, two: it is plain wrong. And, three: it wouldn't be my business except someone has to keep the group together and remove anything that could inevitably cause a fight."
"You're right, it's none of your business!"
"Why even did you come along, Handyman?"
"To keep my enemies closer, Klein!"
Tom's sarcastic response struck a nerve Klein all of a sudden shoved him.
He shoved back.
Both stared daggers at each other but contained themselves.
Each went his way.
Meanwhile,
Adonna and Rwby giggled down Gazette Row. Countless of men lined up reading newspapers. Though they'd found something similar in Deron's cabin on the Hangpole, newspapers were entirely new to them that Rwby stopped to ask a couple of gentlemen how someone could write such lengthy refined text in so many copies.
Irritable, one of the men answered, "You never seen prints before? What are you from? The jungle?" The man went back to his reading, "Could have been reporting the Sharke games in this thing, not meaningless nonsense." He grouched at the newspaper.
Curious Adonna shoved her face into his read. "Hmm… does it say anything about the Reflected Map?"
"No!" The cantankerous man barked.
"Is there another print that mentions the Reflected Map?"
"No!"
"Well, do you know about the Reflected Map?"
"No!"
"Do you know someone who might know about the Reflected Map?"
At this point the man flung his newspaper at her and stomped off in a huff.
"Maybe I know something." A scrawny geezer rubbed his chin, perverted eyes flicking from her chest to Rwby's.
They cringed with grimaces turning their faces.
At the port,
There was a character in a mishmash of dark clothing. Petite woman slipped through crowds so quietly most didn't notice her, just like most didn't notice the sudden vanishing of one item after another from their bodies once this pickpocket passed by them.
As Tom descended the wide, steep steps to the port he crossed paths with her in the midst of her pilfering when her deft fingers swiped something off another pedestrian.
The middle-aged man who had been robbed reacted swiftly in a yell, while the pickpocket – quick on her feet – cringed back as if terrified. In so doing, she intentionally bumped into Tom. She feigned confusion in front of the victim's accusing finger and snarl.
That soon attracted a small crowd.
"I didn't do anything." She protested, her voice trembling with apparent fear. "Please, I didn't steal anything!"
She was searched. Except a switchblade, nothing more in her person. The man was left lost, apologetic, cuddling his wrist and searching for where he lost his precious item.
Klein, who took the crane got down much earlier. Unbeknownst to him, his disguise resembled the attire of landsmen of sailor crews.
This quickly led to a sailor approaching him, mistaking him for a member of his crew. Then again this rough looking man sporting unkempt stubble reeked of spirits. "Oi you there! You young'uns all slacking off now 'cause I hailed ya good job, eh?"
Klein tried to speak but the sailor tugged him along. He led Klein's steps towards skiffs and galleons – each with distinct numbers painted at their sterns. The sailor scolded him in whispery, cryptic voice. "Back to the ship right now, lad. You boys did good catching a Sharke but I ain't give any of ya break just yet." He ended with a sigh.
Yet just as Klein wanted to speak, he continued, interrupting him. "I trust you boys, okay. Right now we're telling only Riders about it. We're gunna show 'em the Sharke. Riders only! So you boys can't join the parley just yet. Marblemen can't know so I need you boys up and about like nothing's amiss. Savvy?"
Once again, Klein's attempt to speak was interrupted as the sailor patted his back, nudged him forward towards the ship, then left.
That confusing encounter sharpened Klein's eyes, he began to notice the secret whisper circulating among select few people all around the port. Anyone that received the circulating gossip would slip away to the same direction. Curiosity guided Klein's feet that way too.
As for Tom, only after he descended the steps did he realise his pocket felt somewhat heavier. He pulled a silver bracelet which wasn't there before. A magnificent piece; it glistened when struck by daylight. Engraved along its entire length were rows of shark teeth, and it weighed much more than its size suggested.
"She must have planted it on me back then!" He recalled when the pickpocket bumped into him.
Wandering aimlessly while inspecting it, his eyes shot wide soon as he realised she'd likely come back for her loot.
Then and there, she stuck her switchblade against his back. She'd been tailing him all along; now she'd caught him all alone.
Back in town,
Davy was sat at a doorstep next to little Bear. Still lost. Still uncertain whether or not to tell the others the truth.
A stack of posters released from a hovering airship scattered down like leaves over streets of Hela. One landed on his lap.
Back at the port,
Cold sweat trickled down Tom's cheek as he stood frozen.
"Hand it over!" the thief's voice poured into his ear.
"HANDYMAN!" A shout came.
He instantly recognised Klein's voice, whereas the thief recognised threat of attention.
She scrammed.
Tom, trying to salvage his pride, said, "You just scared off my new friend, you know."
"Oh, sure she was dying to hear how you always have everything under control."
Tom chuckled, so did Klein. Neither of them had even begun probing for the Reflected map. Klein admitted to getting distracted by curiosity, which mounted when he saw the engraved shark teeth on that silver bracelet still in Tom's possession. The sailor who mistook him for a crewmember mentioned something about a captured shark and folks were holding a secret meeting about it, he explained.
"You know where they're having the meeting already, don't you?" Said Tom.
Klein grinned.
Having already explored around the port, he understood that there were chambers carved into the rock of this plateau island around which the port was constructed. Most were shallow pockets, but he'd tailed someone, who disappeared into a concealed passage into the island's bowel despite Marblemen presence in the air.
On their stroll there, Tom just out of the blue apologised for their little fight earlier.
"Now you've gone and made it awkward." Replied Klein.
"Yeah that's what you get for being dramatic." Tom's tone shifted afterwards. "You asked why I tagged along earlier… My mother always said folks of Ana weren't welcoming to outsiders. That's why we were living at the outskirts and why she didn't let me outside. I couldn't still go inside the city after she passed away. Met Arlo and Rowan in the woods searching for an urban legend called Demon of the Wilds. They were my first ever friends and first time I entered the city. Maybe ma was mistaken or it must've been a long time ago when people were unwelcoming. But you know… I still couldn't help feeling out of place even among Arlo, Rowan and Carla. They're like family to each other, while I'm… the truth is I really do want to explore the seas, but I also wanted to make friends with you all, that's why."
"I had many friends. So many I couldn't keep count. Just that none of them were human. Adonna and Rube were my first human friends too. In fact you and Captain Pebbleton are among my first five. But you know, finding one's place is the easier part."
"There's a tough part?" Asked Tom.
"Keeping it." Klein answered. "Look, I understand your feelings. But emotions have a way of making us believe we're doing the right thing. Always. Indulging every feeling without thinking of the consequences is like riding a horse through a market blindfolded. Chances are you'll get hurt, or with luck on your side you won't. But no telling how many people you will hurt."
Tom fell quiet, absorbing those words.
They'd reached their destination. Or so Klein said, however there was no passage there.
"It's concealed somewhere behind here." Klein groped around the rocky surface.
Tom glanced around in doubt.
"I followed someone who disappeared here. There must be some trigger or keyword or something."
"If there's someone on the other side, how about say we're here to see the shark?" Tom suggested.
"I believe it's called Sharke,"
"Not shark. Sharke?"
A hole opened in the rock, snapping both their attention all of a sudden. A small hole, from which a firm voice spoke, "Riders only."
"We are Riders." Klein stuttered.
The voice from the other side demanded proof, leaving them both fumbling for response before that engraved bracelet suddenly called Klein. Displaying it at the hole, the rock began shifting as a stone doorway was raised open.
"How'd you know that was it?" Tom whispered.
"Total guess, I swear."
It was a whole cavernous space of mechanical architecture inside the plateau island. Lit by lamps and torches, glows bounced weakly off the dusty surfaces of the network of lifts and platforms overhead, once used for hauling things go various levels of the cavern.
Large, empty glass tanks dewed by settled dust. A crowd of men gathered at the central area, where wide pipes sourced water from the outside ocean into a central pool.
There, Klein and Tom too beheld the Astrid swimming inside: it had the form of a shark but much bulkier. Different shades of blue polished its sleek skin, most notable was the streamline of silky hair along its back so blue it had a hint of glow about it. As the Sharke flapped around in the water, they could see the same silky hair at its tail and both sides of its belly like pouches.
"Whoa!" Klein exclaimed.
Back in Hela,
The showers of posters fell over Gazette Street too. Adonna plucked one off the air. Looking at it shot her eyes wide with shock.