The Apostle of Ruin

Chapter 4: To the Seas

"We were away for ten minutes... ten fucking minutes?" Kisane exclaimed, her voice laced with shock and disgust.

Rei, equally astonished, chimed in, "Twenty bottles of Davy Jones Rum... That's got to be a record."

Their eyes remained fixed on Kris, who was on the brink of ordering yet another bottle, prompting Kisane to intervene. She reached out and firmly grasped Kris's hand. "That's enough for you," she declared.

Kris protested in her drunken haze, "B-But..."

Kisane signaled to Rei for assistance, tossing a handful of runes onto the counter. "C'mon, let's get her to an inn," she urged, her tone urgent.

Reluctantly, Rei hoisted Kris onto his back, with Kisane's support, the overwhelming scent of alcohol assaulting his senses. "Why am I the one carrying her?" he grumbled, shooting a glance at the shorter, white-haired woman beside him.

Kisane responded bluntly as they exited the Black Pearl tavern, "It's practical. And if she vomits, it's your problem."

"Wow, how considerate," Rei retorted sarcastically, only to be met with stony silence from Kisane.

Rei began to think, "How do I always find myself in these situations?"

Earlier that night...

Kisane, Rei, and Kris eventually arrived in the coastal town of Depp Port, their final halt before reaching Seiran.

"Finally, no more walking..." Rei exclaimed, leaning heavily on a nearby pole for support.

Kisane and Kris exchanged a knowing glance. "He's going to need more training," Kisane remarked quietly.

"Don't worry, stamina is one of the areas we'll focus on when we get back," Kris reassured.

Rei turned to see them both seemingly unfazed, his own heart pounding in protest. "How are you two okay with this?! My heart feels like it's ready to kill itself!"

"Tell it to prioritize mind over body," Kris quipped as she strode past him, his clothes and sword magically restored to their pristine state.

"What did she just do?" Rei questioned, bewildered.

"Relax, I just utilized my relic on you. Everything should be back to its peak condition, with a few minor enhancements," Kris explained calmly. "Can't have you not looking presentable."

"First let's get checked into an inn it's getting late." Kisane looking at the setting sun.

Kris was eyeing The Black Pearl, "You guys go I'm going to get something to drink..."

"She's going to get drunk isn't she?" Rei asked.

"Yup."

Kisane and Rei made their way to a nearby inn to get checked in. Now settled in their room, Rei sat comfortably in a chair, engrossed in a book, while Kisane occupied one of the beds, meticulously attending to her sword.

After a moment of quiet, Rei decided to break the silence with a loud slam of the book closing. "Hey, Kisane?"

"What's on your mind?" Kisane responded, her attention momentarily diverted from her sword maintenance.

"How did you meet Kris?" Rei inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Kisane's hands faltered for a moment, nearly causing her to cut herself as she was caught off guard by the question. "That's... a touchy subject," she admitted cautiously.

"Sorry, I didn't realize..." Rei apologized, sensing the sensitivity of the topic. "Well, then... How did you get your sword?"

"Also a touchy subject. You're not very good at this, are you?" Kisane teased lightly, attempting to lighten the mood despite the weight of their conversation.