Abyss

CHAPTER 15

The sun had finally risen, hitting the warm waters of the Regimere. The waves rocked the wooden ship with the softest of splashes. Darius and Aloysius sat next to each other on the wooden deck, just waiting for the crew to finish packing. The two were silent, still thinking about what had happened last night.

Aloysius sighed, looking over at Darius who seemed to be deep in thought. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and stood up.

"Do you think they are still out there?" The man questioned him.

Darius only stared in the distance, hands in his pockets before he shortly answered, "The sirens? I can't be certain."

Darius stood up as well and grabbed his bag, slinging it across one shoulder. Aloysius grabbed their bags and followed the captain. They walked down the wooden steps and into the main room of the ship where many of the men had gathered. The crew had finished packing the supplies and was now ready to depart.

Darius turned to look at Aloysius. "I am going to check the rest of the ship and see if we're missing something. If you have to say something to Solstice, it might be best to do it now."

He told Aloysius before walking inside the ship. Aloysius nodded and watched him and was thankful for the opportunity. Soon, he took off to find Solstice and let her know that they were off to Arkenheilm. The captain, on the other hand, had set his mind on learning more about Arkenheilm. He was quite nervous to set foot on another land once more without any protection.

Arkenheilm focuses on knowledge and power. This means that its fortification would be more than what Everfrost has and more people would be quite defensive of their arrival. Darius thought, looking around as he wandered the halls of the ship.

If they could get hold of the leader real quick and a peace talk would be possible, then they would be able to avoid conflicts with the nation. Though, if it starts off just like the one in Everfrost, they knew that two nations would now be included on the list of their problems. 

Aloysius had finally come back. He seemed quite satisfied as he found the captain. He approached him quietly before patting Darius' shoulder. "Captain."

He began quietly, gaining the captain's attention. "I talked to Solstice. Gathered some information. Apparently, Arkenheilm's leader, Arsen, always goes with her right-hand woman on expeditions."

Darius frowned at him. "Then, that might be a problem."

Aloysius nodded nervously. Darius gave him a friendly pat on the back to reassure him. "Don't worry. We'll figure this out. We always do."

Darius left and went straight towards the bridge. It was time to get them all underway. When he entered the large hall, the crew was already gathered. Darius looked around and saw his lover sitting on one of the chairs, her gaze fixated on the people around her.

He then took a deep breath. If he wants to make sure that the crew gets to Arkenheilm alive, he can't afford to make any mistakes in planning. It took a while before he had finally gotten his crew's attention. "Alright, is everything loaded? Everything boarded up?"

Some of them nodded as they reported that there weren't major damages on their ship. Now that's a good thing considering that they might encounter Arkenheilm's ships once they're in their territory. At least it would hold on for long. 

Darius cleared his throat, turning to look at his crew. "Alright. Now listen everyone."

They did as they were told as they were instructed. After that, Darius went to get a map and laid it on the table in front of them.

"Now that we've sorted our way, here is how we should proceed. First of all, we must secure ourselves against possible attacks. We cannot afford an attack right now. Unless your plan is to let the ship sink."

"Second, we need a plan on when we should enter Arkenheilm's territories. Third, if we happen to run across any more archenemies, we must take measures to defend ourselves. And fourth, we must ensure that we have enough supplies if all goes wrong," he continued.

"That is why we had to gather enough materials to keep us going until we arrive at our destination. Is that understood?" Darius waited for the crew to respond in unison. There was silence as the men pondered over what Darius said but eventually came out with unanimous replies. "Very well then. Prepare to sail."

Darius returned to the helm and made the preparations. They needed to stay calm for most of the voyage. That would be difficult as they sailed through uncharted waters. The ship had finally moved slowly and Darius could feel his nerves beginning to rise at the prospect of seeing land again. His eyes darted at the map, trying to memorize all his surroundings so he would know which direction to turn towards.

Calista was always a very considerate person, never wanting to bother anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. She even helped to organize meals or pack the supplies along with the crew to help out. She was kind and understanding and could give others a positive feeling when they were low.

Even though Darius knew that this trek was something beyond her plan, he was still very grateful for her company. 

As the ship ventured through the Regimere, Calista watched the scenery go by. She wasn't aware of it until she spoke up. "You're staring at me. What is it?" 

Darius only hummed, giving her a sideways glance. She tilted her head and smiled at him. 

"Nothing," Darius responded, "It's nothing. Just admiring the view."

She grinned and gave him one last glance before returning her gaze to the vast waters.

Darius simply shrugged in response. "Perhaps, depending on how we are welcomed. You know that no nation is exactly friendly."

"But, we have no idea if any of them would want to hurt us. So we won't be safe until we reach the city," Darius explained carefully. The thought of entering an unknown nation's territory made his stomach churn slightly, but he continued. "And hopefully, their leader would accept a peace talk instead of resulting to war."

She merely nodded in response and then leaned against the railing. The sun was finally setting by the time the ship reached half of its way to Arkenheilm. Calista and Darius looked back at the vast ocean, the water glowing like a blue sapphire and an orange hue filled the sky. A smile spread across both of their faces as they both sat, watching as the crew settled in and various voices of conversation filled the deck. 

For once, they felt at peace.