The Goddess Returns

Chapter 3: Impenetrable Jungle

Levana came to first. She sat up and clutched at her aching head, then looked around the vicinity for both a clue as to where they were, and for her partner. The storm had abated, at least, so she counted that as a positive. And she still seemed to be alive, another helpful piece of knowledge. Now, where was Sui...?

She clambered to her feet and looked up the ribbon of dirty brown sand she had washed up on. Everything was wet and generally macky—a word she had heard Sui use occasionally which perfectly described the feeling of sodden sand beneath one's feet—including her clothes, which hung from her body like wet paper draped over a tree branch.

Looking to the left side of the island, their vessel had smashed up onto the rocky shore. The old girl wouldn't be sailing again any time soon, that was certain. At least they had insurance for the pricey cargo; one of the many perks of the Guild.

Directly ahead, a small mountain towered over the island, poking up through the dense jungle like a Volkan Monk's bald dome rising up above his ring of hair. And to the right, much further up the beach, her beloved Sui, collapsed on her side.

Levana rushed over and dropped to her knees. "Sui! Are you all right?"

Placing a hand to Sui's forehead, there was warmth there, though fortunately not the type of red hot heat that indicated a fever. She used her own Mind Powers, which leaned more towards knowledge of Body and Self than Sui's externally-focused skill, to probe for injuries. None revealed themselves, so Levana relaxed a little.

With a cough and a splutter, Sui sat up. She glared at Levana. "That was possibly the worst landing in the history of the world."

"Blame the storm, Sui," Levana said, giving her a tight hug.

"Sometimes, I really think we should swap our powers," Sui added, accepting the generous bounty of Levana's chest, something she was never averse to.

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the idea of you having my powers," Levana said with a giggle, relaxing from her previously taught state.

"Hey, I'd only use them for good! Probably," Sui muttered. Getting to her feet, she saw the ship and her face dropped. "Better go see what state she's in."

They jogged over to the Carval and Sui clambered up the side of the vessel, using shattered planks as makeshift handholds. She now stood on the deck, peering down into the hold. "What a mess," she muttered, scanning the trashed cargo. "Four years and not a single claim made. Until now."

"There hasn't been a really bad storm on the Lonely Coast in decades, I'm not sure there's much more we could have done to prepare," Levana called up from the beach.

"We'll just have to hope the Guild decides to go easy on us," Sui said, barely audible. As paid members of the Guild, they naturally enjoyed a number of perks, insurance being the biggest, with enforcement of contracts coming in a close second. But while these were great perks to have, actually making a claim would mean higher premiums next time, and Sui had always had a firm grasp of their purse strings.

Their food stores had fared little better. Navigating to the galley, Sui picked through what little still seemed to be edible—primarily the cured meats and some of Levana's chutney—and packed it into a sack that had been spared the fate of its compatriots.

"Managed to salvage enough to last a day or two without too much trouble," Sui called over the edge.

"That's good!" Levana replied, cupping her hands around her mouth to project further. "I've found some dry wood for a fire as well!"

Dropping to the sand, Sui handed the sack over. "Let's find somewhere to make camp, then."

A circle of three tall stones near the beach, each around the size of a person, made an excellent windbreak, at least temporarily. Here, they constructed a fire out of small stones in a ring with Levana's wood laid on top, combined with a number of leaves as a catalyst. Sui then snapped her fingers to produce a spark. And another. After fives solid minutes of trying, one of the sparks finally took and the fire gently crackled to life.

"Perhaps you should have practised your fire magic a little more at school, Sui," Levana giggled.

"Shut up! I've never needed it before," Sui muttered. She nodded at the little campsite they had made. "It'll do for now, but we weren't due to arrive for five days. It'll take a while before they notice we're missing and send out search parties. Could be a while before they find us as well, even then. Hmm..."

"Yes, we need to find some food and shelter, and quickly. Standing around muttering all day won't help us do that," Levana said.

"Where'd this island even come from?" Sui asked the world at large. "I've never heard of an island off the Lonely Coast."

"Yes, it's quite the mystery," Levana said with a nod.

"In any case, let's have a look around, we need some proper cover over our heads before it gets dark!" Sui added, getting to her feet. "The smoke'll be visible, at least."

"Assuming anyone sails along the Lonely Coast," Levana said. "It's not called that for nothing."

"Of all the times for the viaduct to break down," Sui said, throwing her hands up. "'It'll be a nice simple job!', they said. 'Just transport this load of spices while the Landrail is being repaired', they said. Hah!"

"We can't blame the Guild for that," Levana said.

"Probably some stupid god or other toying with us," Sui muttered.

Stuffing their faces with some of the cured meats and a little chutney, they spent a moment filling a pot with some water to boil while they were away, and made for the treeline. Fortunately, Sui's brand new blast pistol, bought from the Guild for an exorbitant price—on one of the rare occasions she had been open to the idea of spending money—had been on her person when they wrecked and, unlike old flintlock and other powder weapons, was all but immune to the adverse effects of getting wet.

Clever, those fellas over at Arcus Company. Figuring out that it was possible to essentially distil raw magic into a pellet form that could be used for all manner of handy things had truly rocked the world, revolutionising both warfare and the lives of regular people.

Sui checked her pistol, nodding in satisfaction at the silver frame and barrel still being shiny and pretty even after a trip into the salty ocean waters. They didn't call it stain proof for nothing. The pistol grip, while wooden, was also in perfect condition; a coating of magic-infused water essence ensured the material was utterly flawless and perfect no matter the weather conditions. Truly, it had been worth every single ingot she had paid. Sui rarely opened her purse, but when she did, she made damn sure to buy things that would last.

Heading into the jungle a little way, they were presented with a thicket of branches and creepers and bushes that had very much earned the name; it was so thick that they would need some heavy blades to get through it. Blades were, alas, one thing they were short of.

"So much for this way," Sui said, heaving a sigh. "Not sure I feel comfy heading into the jungle anyway."

"Yes," Levana said. "Perhaps we should try further along the beach? There are rocky formations over there, possibly a cave or similar we could use?"

This sounded reasonable, so they left the jungle and took a jog back to the sandy beach which had, by now, dried a little since the storm of the previous evening. It now looked rather more like a proper beach, shimmering and golden under the morning sun. A quick check in at base camp showed that their water was nicely boiled, so Levana left the pot to one side to cool, and they headed further along the beach.