Blade(Part 3): Dusk

Chapter 32: Ptolemar

"Nice ship," Ptolemar complemented, walking across the deck of the Falcon with Catherine.

"Radames is the one who added onto it," said Catherine. "And modified the cannons and ram. I never would have made it off of Sparrow without him."

"And this was after you killed the Manticore?" asked Ptolemar.

"Right," Catherine answered. "I'm glad to be off that damn island, too. I'd rather be with you and mom."

"I can understand that," said Ptolemar. "I know for a fact that I would go insane staying on Sparrow for longer than you did." That was a major understatement. Sparrow was a beautiful island, but that was all it was. It was just a small rock off the coast of Skaola, and nothing more. For the whole two years that King Aziz had been fighting his second war with the colonies, he wished that Catherine was with himself and their mother instead of alone on Sparrow. Ptolemar could only imagine how lonely it was for her every day without them.

"I'm sorry you had to stay there," he sighed. "Especially for as long as you did."

"No, you and mom were fighting against Aziz," Catherine reminded. "I think that would take more than a month or two. You don't need to apologize. So, Azia."

"Oh, right," said Ptolemar. "Well, you and mom did her a big favor by wiping out all of the Peacekeepers in a single blow like you did, but there's just one problem."

"What's that?" Catherine wondered. "Everyone in that room should have died."

"Everyone did die," Ptolemar assured. "Other than Apeph."

"What?" Catherine gasped. "How?"

"I don't know," Ptolemar admitted. "There must have been some kind of tunnel he ran into right as that flame crystal fell."

"Gods, and he ran right into it while his friends all burned," Catherine spat. "Sounds like a Peacekeeper, alright."

"You know that whole gathering was probably so all of those Peacekeepers could mourn the others," Ptolemar guessed.

"As if they're worth mourning," Matilda suddenly said. Ptolemar jumped at hearing his mother's voice so suddenly after weeks clear on the other side of Skaola.

"There you are!" he scolded. "I found you in Septe, then you were gone for weeks! What happened?"

"Queen Azia and I were discussing our next course of action," Matilda answered. "Catherine, how fast is this ship?"

"The fastest on the Sea of Orathan," Catherine assured. "Why? Where are we going?"

"Skaola's far eastern coast," Matilda enlightened. "Specifically, the Islands of the Forsaken Sailor. Azia is already on her way there with three of her own ships. I'll explain why on the way."

"The islands aren't too far away, aren't they?" asked Ptolemar.

"We'll be there in a few hours," Catherine promised. "Especially on the Falcon." The three of them walked to the helm of the ship, to Radames.

"Radames, we're returning to the Islands of the Forsaken Sailor," Catherine informed. "Set a course."

"Aye, Captain," Radames complied. He pushed the ship's throttle forward, then turned the ship to the port side to set the Falcon on its way east. Matilda began to explain what their new mission was as the mainland faded into the distance.

"So, neither of you will believe this," she began. "But Azia is working on an alliance with King Matthias Karvine the Eighth of Aetherian." Both Ptolemar and Catherine looked to their mother with their eyes widened and their eyebrows raised.