Skylands Legends

16.1 A Broken Temple

Desolate, gray islands drifted past the ship as they descended deeper into the Lowlands. Knight Light flew at the head of the craft, illuminating the way through the dense fog. Astroblast stood at the ship's bow relaying directions back to the helm. Jet Vac took them all in and steered in the direction he was told. It was a mindless sort of task, one he didn't have a problem with doing. It gave him time to reflect on everything the King of Chaos had said. The point about Ethersin, the story of chaos, and the crimson dagger. He contemplated the use of the dagger and how it would help him — assuming he could find it.

He assumed someone like Finidan Quamara, an overzealous Crimson cultist, would go to the place of Crimson's power. And according to the Book of the Seven, the Ancients all stayed at a temple in the center of Ethersin. It was a massive building dedicated to them, a testament to their power. And if it was true, that was the best place to begin their search.

A cold feeling washed over Jet Vac, ruffling his feathers. He shook himself and looked out over the ship. He noticed a few others doing the same. They were nearing Kaos Kastle. The place where all of this began. Just the thought of the island made his blood boil. He began white-knuckling the wheel out of spite.

He heard a set of soft hoof beats behind him and slackened his grip. Turning his head, he saw it was Splat who was joining him at the helm.

The faun leaned her shoulder against one of the metal walls and looked out at the armored angel ahead of them. She brushed a short lock of her pink hair out of her eyes, tucking it back behind her horns. Her eyes flicked towards him and he found himself trapped in her violet gaze. "I understand, you know." She said after a moment of silence.

Jet Vac grunted. "Understand what?" He shook himself and looked back out at the gray. He didn't know why, but something about her put him off balance. He didn't like it.

"The anger," she responded. "The rage and the regret. The urge for vengeance... The sadness."

Jet Vac remained silent. Astroblast called out another direction from the bow and he turned the wheel to acquiesce.

"You know I want the beast dead as much as you do." She continued. "Maybe even more."

Jet Vac couldn't keep himself from scoffing. He felt the heat of her glare on his back and immediately regretted it. He heard her hoof beats once more as she stepped around the wheel and positioned herself in front of him. She said nothing, just glaring at him.

Jet Vac hesitated for a moment then did something he hadn't expected himself to do. He apologized. Judging by the look on her face, she hadn't expected it either.

"I didn't mean that, or at least shouldn't have done that." He continued. "You lost your work, your home, your family... I have no right to act this way."

Splat leaned back against the wall and looked him over. "It's fine." She said,  "It's hard to accept what's happened and it... it just makes you feel so angry sometimes. Just looking back on how it all played out, you can't help but see the points at where you could have done something different. Something that would have made it so none of this ever happened. And finding those moments always seems like it will help you cope, but it doesn't. It only makes you more frustrated."

Jet Vac nodded. "I never should have said those things to you back at Fizzland. Hell, we should have never gone there in the first place."

Splat shrugged. "What's done is done."

"Still. It's like the more we try to do, the worse things have been getting."

"Yet we keep going," Splat whispered.

"Yet we keep going," Jet Vac somberly agreed.

Splat stepped back out of his way and returned to her original spot, leaned up against the wall. A comfortable silence reigned following their quiet understanding of one another. And Jet Vac was fine with that.