Silence

Chapter 5

Jordan

I'm sure for a moment that I have woken up,  suddenly aware that I'm lying down but the moment I open my eyes, my surroundings tell me I'm not fully awake. I'm floating through a space similar to the end, it's empty but there's still the lingering feeling like someone is watching me. I know who it is, of course, and it's not hard to guess why she's summoned me here.

"My lady," I say, unsurprised when she appears in front of me. The pirates are her followers too so no doubt she wants to explain to me what exactly we're meant to be doing.

"Jordan, I'm sure you know why I'm here," She looks nervous, most likely because of the events of the day. I don't know how I'm going to explain why we knocked one of them out, or even why it took me so long to figure out why we were having a communication problem. "And I have to say, I'm sorry I couldn't talk to you about this earlier."

"Why would you need to be sorry? You haven't done anything," She looks down as if I've just said something that is deeply hurtful to her.

"My champion, that is, unfortunately, the point. I had meant to inform you that my pirates were coming but I didn't have the power to talk to both you and my priestess. I should've put my fears to rest and talked with Mianite," She talks as if she made a mistake but I can't help but be more concerned about her wording. Mianite has been the one who's been telling us how to help her, it doesn't make sense that she'd be scared of him.

"Has Mianite done something to you?" She laughs a little, a casual shake of her head at least makes me relax. I don't think I'd fare well against two gods, I'm not faring all that well against one of them.

"No but had I told him that I planned to send only Capsize and Redbeard to help you, he would've," She looks a little upset as she speaks. Honestly, I can see why. Mianite should trust her to pick her won rescue party. "He would've wanted a bigger crew and wouldn't have wanted Capsize away from my island."

"Because she's mute?" I ask trying not to feel shocked that a god could care about something like that. It wouldn't have even been an issue if we hadn't knocked Redbeard put. Ianite pauses, mulling over words no doubt, but it doesn't make me all that confident in what her answer is going to be.

"Not completely, it would've been a part of it though. Capsize could've done as much help back at her home as she can with you, he would've most likely just preferred to keep her in a place where translation isn't an issue," Questions start spouting in my head about Capsize's home, wondering what a place full of Ianite's followers would be like but I know that isn't the conversation I'm currently having. "He wouldn't consider the price for her capture being offered by Dianite of course but that's to be expected."

"Price for her capture?!" It shouldn't be that surprising, she's a pirate which would imply what she's doing is less than legal but a bounty from a god? Ianite laughs at my surprise as if this is something I should find normal.

"Yes, if he hasn't upped the reward again, Dianite is currently offering what the rest of the realm sees as worth what a thousand diamonds would be worth to you and the other champions," I almost choke. It seems wrong, the idea that Dianite is willing to give away that much away for one person, especially for them alive. Yet the information just brings more questions about everything.

"You're sure she's safer here?" Ianite laughs again but I can't help but think how Dianite shows up every other day and that someone he wants that badly is now here. What's to stop him just taking her when no one's looking, or when we are looking for that matter.

"Whether Dianite cares to admit it or not, this island is under Mianite's control. Unless Capsize is forced into the Nether without expecting it, he won't be able to do a thing."