Bagness: "Good job, everyone. Since the trip will take a while, you're free to do whatever you want."
With that said, everyone headed to the kitchen, except for Anya, who went after Damian and Esme, who were about to enter the cabin. As soon as she reached them, Anya grabbed them by the shoulder.
Anya: "Where do you think you're going?"
Feeling Anya's hand, the two jumped. Then, they quickly turned to her and put on the cutest faces they could muster.
Damian: "Can't you let this one slide?"
Esme: "Pretty please?"
With a completely blank expression, Anya simply pulled them to the bow and left them there.
Anya: "That's not going to work this time."
Seeing that it didn't work, Damian and Esme just clicked their tongues.
Damian: "Tsk And how long are we gonna stay here?"
Anya: "You're only getting out tomorrow morning."
Esme: "What about food?"
Anya: "Don't worry about that... When it's time to eat, I'll bring you something."
Having said that, Anya followed the rest of the group and went to the kitchen.
Left alone, Damian and Esme chatted for a few minutes until Kalev came out of the tent and approached them on the deck. Once there, Kalev sat on a nearby ledge and started reading his book.
Esme: "What's he doing?"
Damian: "I knew you were a bit slow, but not knowing what a book is? That's a new low."
Esme: "I know what a book is! I know what I meant!"
Damian: "If you want to know what he's reading, just ask."
Saying that, Damian turned to Kalev.
Damian: "Hey! Kalev! What are you reading?"
Having ignored the conversation until now, Kalev took his eyes off the book he was reading and turned them to the two youngsters who were being punished.
Kalev: "It's a study book, demon boy."
Not satisfied with the answer, Esme spoke up.
Esme: "What kind of study?"
Kalev: "The study of my techniques."
Hearing that, Damian raised one of his eyebrows.
Damian: "So, you're telling me that the knowledge to use a power as versatile as a Devil Fruit is inside a simple book? Isn't that dangerous?"
Kalev: "Demon boy, you'd be right... if this were common. The name of the book is תורת הספירות (Torat HaSefirot), and it's not exactly a book of techniques, but rather of teachings. So, it's no use copying the movements if you don't believe in the teachings."
Damian: "So... you're telling me this is a religious book? And also, how did Mirage copy your technique then?"
Kalev: "Simply put? Yes... And the wolf boy only copied the movements of the technique, but it had nothing to do with my version."
Damian: "Got it."
Esme: "So your healing power... comes from God?"
Kalev: "Yes, the Almighty YHWH."
Esme: "YHWH? I don't remember hearing about Him."
Kalev: "That's probably because I'm the last follower of YHWH."
Realizing she had touched on a sensitive topic, Esme was about to apologize, but before she could say anything, Damian interrupted her.
Damian: "Tcharara~ How interesting! I've never heard of this divine power before! Since I'm free, Kalev! Could you explain it better to me?"
Seeing Damian's interest, Kalev's eyes lit up, and he began to ramble.
Kalev: "Sure, demon boy. But first, I have to warn you that the correct term is divine energy, not power. After all, YHWH is the only one who holds this power. I just use the 'tools' He left behind to channel the energy He provides and use it in the way He allows."
Damian: "I see. So you're a vessel for this YHWH's energy."
Hearing Damian's response, Kalev simply nodded. Then, he picked up his book and flipped to a specific page filled with sketches, particularly a sketch of a tree.
Kalev: "Think of the Etz Chayim as a tree, and each Sefirot as its fruit, representing an aspect of life, like Chokhmah, which represents wisdom."
Then, Kalev took a pencil and began drawing a stick figure near the tree, followed by lines connecting the figure to the fruits of the tree.
Kalev: "And to perform one of the feats I'm capable of, I need to channel the energy of a specific Sefirot. For example, when I perform Refuah (healing), it's when the energy of the Sefirot Tiferet (beauty) flows through me."
After listening to Kalev's explanation, Damian became thoughtful, while Esme was so confused her eyes were spinning.
Damian: "So, basically, the more you know and believe in this Sefirot, the more energy you draw?"
Kalev: "Correct. And besides that, the more powerful the technique becomes."
Damian: "Makes sense..."
Still confused after Kalev mentioned Etz Chayim, Esme punched the ground.
Esme: "What do you mean, 'makes sense'!? This doesn't make any sense at all!"
Hearing Esme's complaints, Damian and Kalev exchanged glances, thinking of how to simplify Kalev's explanation even further.
Damian: "Hmm~ I got it! Esme, listen here."
Esme: "Huh?"
Damian: "Think of it like this: the Sefirot is just a way of saying 'hope.' And when that hope comes into contact with Kalev's faith, a miracle happens. That would be his technique. Did that help you understand?"
Looking straight into Damian's soul, Esme, in the most innocent way possible, said:
Esme: "No... It actually made it worse."
The two sighed upon hearing Esme. Just as they were about to try explaining again, a voice stopped them.
Anya: "I think it's better to leave this for another time."
It was Anya. She was holding two plates full of food and handed them to Damian and Esme. Meanwhile, Kalev, seeing that the food was ready, went to the kitchen to make a plate for himself.
Damian/Esme: "Thanks for the food."
Then, the two took their first bite of the food and put it in their mouths.
Esme: "Ahhhhhhh! It's so hot!!!"
As soon as the food touched Esme's tongue, she jumped while fire came out of her mouth.
Damian: "Crack At least yours is hot..."
On the other hand, Damian's food was so cold it seemed frozen.
Anya: "Bon appétit."
Anya said, laughing as she returned to the kitchen.
Esme: "Remind me to never get on her bad side..."
Damian: "Tcharara~ I'll keep that in mind."
Watching Anya leave, the two turned their eyes back to their plates of food.
Esme: "What are we gonna do with this?"
Damian: "This stuff is inedible... I guess we'll have to thro-"
Before Damian could finish speaking, both his and Esme's stomachs growled.
Damian/Esme: "Ahhh... We shouldn't have stayed up late training..."
With no other options, the two decided to just eat in silence.
---
In the Kitchen of Le Mystère
Inside the ship, it was incredibly... normal. There were no circus or magician decorations. This caused a slight unease for everyone (except Bagness). Then, Kalev, who had returned from outside, asked:
Kalev: "Mr. Bagness?"
Bagness: "What is it, Kalev?"
Kalev: "Nothing too serious... But why aren't there any decorations here?"
Hearing Kalev's question, Bagness's face fell, looking almost depressed, and then he replied:
Bagness: "Sigh Do you know how much it costs to decorate a ship this size? And besides, this isn't even my main ship... I'm still saving money to finish paying for its decorations."
Kalev: "I see."
After that, everyone just ate in silence.
---
The Following Days
After they finished eating, nothing too important happened. Just a quick tour that Bagness gave around the ship, showing the dormitories, the cannon room, etc.
Damian and Esme, who had been released from their punishment, decided to make the most of the trip. Esme found a fishing rod on the ship and spent the rest of the days fishing. Meanwhile, Damian spent most of his time with Bagness and Anya, studying the island and the groups at war there. When he wasn't with them, Damian was reading a book about diplomacy.
When Anya was alone, she stayed in her room, meditating with her Romphaias.
Mirage, during these days of travel, spent his time drawing in his notebook.
Meanwhile, Allana spent her days chatting with everyone and occasionally transforming into her Skypian form to fly through the skies.
And lastly, Kalev, to no one's surprise, spent the entire trip reading his Torat HaSefirot.
After a few days at sea, Esme, who was fishing, saw a strange shadow on the horizon.
Esme: "EVERYONE!!!"
Hearing Esme's shout, the crew rushed out to see what had happened.
Bagness: "What happened, Esme?!"
Seeing that everyone had come, Esme pointed to where the shadow was.
Esme: "There's something over there!"
Bagness then ran to the edge of the ship, pulled a spyglass from his sleeve, and began observing the shadow. A few moments later, he lowered the spyglass.
Bagness: "We're arriving, everyone. Get ready."
To Be Continued...