As Bram followed the young girl and knight, he couldn't help but feel relieved. His tenacity hadn't let him down this time. After hours of pleading with ship captains, he had finally found someone willing to give him a ride—albeit for a price—but it was a relief nonetheless.
"So, your name, Bram, was it? That's not a name I have heard before"
Bram, not surprised by how uncomfortably close the girl was, chose to answer her without minding her proximity.
"Yes, my lady, it is an unusual name because, you see, I was named by a gypsy woman, so the name must have originated from her homeland, or so I think."
"An unusual name for a brat indeed. You're not from this part of the country, are you, rat?" the knight spoke in a harsh tone.
Bram, used to these looks from a very young age, was unaffected by the doubt in the knight's voice. He just needed to prove himself reliable, so he answered with a smile.
"I was born in Raikem City, sir, but I wouldn't call it home. Ever since I can remember, I have been wandering from city to city."
"Pray to your god, rat. You were lucky enough to impress our young miss with your tenacity, or else you'd be in the same situation as them," the knight said, pointing at the people left with no options, jumping into the sea, hoping to swim to the island. Bram shuddered as he saw the cruel spectacle of helplessness. The people jumping had no hope on land, so they chose to gamble by jumping into the sea. But deep down, they must have known that this option was fruitless. They were essentially committing suicide, for the seas could not be tamed, especially not after the Ashen Sun rises. But the gods were on his side today—he was now on his way to a noble's vessel. Judging by the girl's attire, it seemed to be a very rich one.
After walking for a few minutes, he finally arrived at the grand sea-faring vessel of the noble girl—or so he thought it would be. But reality was often disappointing. The ship floating in the port was neither grand nor glistening. It was a rather ordinary-looking ship, not nearly as big or fancy as he had hoped.
"You look rather disappointed. Would you rather swim?" The girl asked, her tone annoyed.
Bram, panicked for a moment, heard the girl erupt into laughter.
"I'm not that cruel, but yes, it does look pretty normal, doesn't it?" she said, pointing at the ship.
"You see, I am a noble, but not every noble is rich, Bram. And if you're thinking about why I'm dressed so extravagantly—well, let's just say a noble must still keep up appearances," she said with a melancholic smile.
"I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? I am Arcia, Arcia Lovencroft."
Bram vaguely remembered hearing the girl's last name but couldn't quite place where. Still, it was clear it was a prominent family name.
Bram, ever the fox, quickly started praising the ship. "No, my lady, I was in fact thinking the opposite. The vessel seems ordinary, but I can see that it is really well-built and quite grand from certain angles."
Bram was lying. The ship was not grand, and as he was not from here, he knew nothing about ships or how they were built. His talent lay in flattery. If there was one thing Bram knew from his experiences, it was that if his bosses were happy, he was happy, and vice versa.
"You don't lie very well, Bram," the girl said as she climbed onto the ship gracefully.
"Enough dazing, boy," the knight said, standing near a pile of boxes. "Carry them into the boat's storage area in the back of the ship. I don't want you slacking off for a second. This is the least you could do to help out."
Bram was no stranger to hard labor. The childhood stories he heard about how lazy people get eaten by the world always haunted him. So he started to carry the boxes, Although he was extremely thin and on the border of malnourishment, he was surprisingly strong—something he suspected he had inherited from his parents, whoever they were. At least they had given him something to help him survive all these years.
Bram, thinking of loading the boxes onto the deck before carrying them to the hold below, divided the work and time. This reduced the effort and increased efficiency, as Bram thought. As Bram finished carrying the cargo onto the deck, he noticed there was no one else on the ship but them. The ship wasn't big, but it could still hold dozens of people. The fact that he hadn't seen anyone else was surprising and a bit worrying.
"You're a slow worker, Bram," came the mischievous voice from above him. The owner of the voice was, of course, his boss Arcia. This time, he was a bit confused as he saw her walking down the bridge. Gone was the elegant noble girl he had seen before; now she adorned dark blue waistcoats paired with grey trousers and black boots, looking more like an adventurer.
"Sea travel calls for a change in outfits, don't you think, Bram?" she said, noticing his surprise. A change of outfit? She looked like a completely different person. Gone was the elegant lady, and in her place was someone who seemed much more at home. The dress had hidden it well before, but now it was clear how toned her body was. She was no normal noble girl, that was certain.
"Stop staring at the young miss like that, brat," the knight—Knight Orden—was now in different attire as well. He wore a black shirt, a wool coat, and brown boots, looking more like a pirate than a noble knight. Bram was hesitant after seeing the knight and young miss change clothes because he himself had nothing to change into, even if he wanted to. His only possessions were a grey, loosely fitted t-shirt paired with a brown leather coat, black breeches, worn-down black boots, and a small backpack made of sheepskin, containing a wool blanket, which was his most treasured possession, as it had helped him on countless nights to fight off the cold.
As he got back to work after grumbling with Orden, there was a sudden shift in the port. The Ashen Sun had risen. The Ordanian port, which had been bursting with color, was now like a monochrome painting, as if all the color had been drained from the world. Moments later, the sounds of water surging could be heard, and the loud noise of people could be heard—some amazed, some fearful, at what they saw.
Bram ran to the front of the deck and laid eyes on it. The myth was now fact: the Island of Genesis was visible. It was but a speck to Bram, who had no spyglass to see clearly from, but it was still a speck that had not existed a minute before. An island born from the ashen world, the island that grants humans power beyond comprehension.
"Weigh the anchor!" Orden screamed, which Bram initially thought was directed at him. But suddenly, a tall, bronze-skinned woman walked up to the deck.
"Is it time already? I was just enjoying my nap."
A short-haired woman, taller than Orden, who was already taller than most, and more muscular than any adult knight Bram had seen, was now pulling the anchor up from the water alone. Impossible! Although Bram didn't know much about ships, he knew that an anchor should not, or at least could not, be pulled up by a single person. Yet here it was, being lifted out of the water by just one woman. Bram was shocked by the impossibility he was witnessing. He had seen all kinds of people in his travels and prided himself on knowing many cultures, but this woman was different from anything he had seen.
Noticing Bram, she said, "Oh, did you finally get a chore boy for the ship, Orden? Thank gods, now I won't have to do these soul-eating chores anymore."
The tall, muscular woman walked up to Bram after pulling the anchor in mere minutes.
"What's your name, little man? I am Solveig, hailing from Drakoya," the woman said, making sharp eye contact with him. Bram was overwhelmed by her loud voice but now understood the reason for her strength and imposing presence. She was from East Drakoya, an island in the Stroven Archipelago, made up of seven islands, with Drakoya being the only one that was friendly with the outside world. These islands were inhabited by tribes of barbarians, whom most people feared even sailing to, as they were known to be violent and difficult to maintain trade relations with.
"Hello, Miss Solveig, I am Bram," Bram mustered all his courage and introduced himself while keeping eye contact with the giant. A thunderous laugh erupted.
"As a man should be! A faltering eye is a sign of a coward!" she said as she walked away.
"I'm impressed, brat," Orden spoke as he adjusted the sails. "Looking Solveig in the eye takes a lot of courage. Never would've thought a brat like you had it in you."
A moment later, Bram realized the ship had already set sail. He was so nervous while answering Solveig's question that he didn't even notice the ship had moved.
Bram knew from the unreliable information he had gathered that the journey to the island would take at least six hours. As Bram, back to carrying boxes into the hold, heard a horrifying scream from outside, he sprinted to the deck. What he saw was eerie: a strange mist was covering their ship. The sounds of screams grew louder as the ships beside them became completely invisible, shrouded by the mist. Not a moment later, a horrifying scream was heard near Bram. It was unmistakably Solveig's. Bram shuddered at the thought of what monstrosity could make Solveig scream. He had been naïve to think the trials would only begin when they reached the island; in reality, the trials had already started.