Atlas and Rose went out to sea not long after Jacob was taken to the woods. They wordlessly boarded the ship and Atlas piloted the boat away from the island.

Rose was left to sit in silence and replay what had just happened to her. The images of Jacob with the wound on his head, running at her with the intent to kill in his eyes.

She couldn't quite believe how it had escalated so far. The hatred Jacob felt for her and the constant ridicule he directed at her drove the mage insane.

Rose tended to get heated when she felt threatened but after seeing how Jacob mercilessly cut down dozens of Kingston soldiers without any hesitation, she felt as though she was in survival mode.

But to hear Xavier scold her, with a tone that oozed disappointment, was enough to break her and she couldn't help but cry as she remembered the words he had said.

Some captain... I just wanted to stop being yelled at. Rose whimpered. The tears stuck to her face from the combination of high winds and freezing cold temperatures on the sea. At least the wages weren't large enough to knock the boat over anymore.

Atlas picked up on her crying and they tried their best to console her. "Look... For what it's worth, if I was in your situation I would've let him off a lot less lightly."

She sniffled and looked up at the guardian, blinking away tears as she did it. Their expression was nonexistent and their eyes didn't tell much about their mood. "I just don't understand why he hates me. I never did anything!"

"There's no doubt that he has a firecracker up his ass." Atlas agreed. "But isn't this something of an inevitability? You're going against your own home after all."

"I never wanted to." Rose countered. "All I ever wanted was to get home and make sure my dad was ok."

Atlas shrugged. "Pretty complicated way of doing it. But we're both in the same boat when it comes to organizing a revolution we didn't want to organize. This whole thing is a giant waste of time but I suppose the sword had to choose a young passionate revolutionary."

Rose tilted her head. "Choose? You mean like that legend you told us about?"

Atlas looked at her as if she was stupid. "Legend? The prophecy of Lumis is no legend, girl. The weapon is enchanted to only make itself known to a true warrior. The only reason I'm entertaining any of this time-wasting is that it's the only way to get Lumis's wielder on board."

"Makes sense, you're not exactly one for politics." Rose chuckled.

"I'm not one for a lot of things," Atlas replied. "Regardless, it's important you figure out where you stand in all this. You're going to be crippling your own army if this plan succeeds."

Rose nodded and buried her head in her hands. "Trust me, I'm aware." The complicated situation had been giving her trouble sleeping for days. Her mind was plagued with constant concerns about how she would handle the big battle. "I don't want to hurt anyone from Kingston. I don't want my home to be hurt either even though they're doing these awful things."

"Well, why?" Atlas asked. They could sense that Rose didn't grasp the question and clarified. "What I mean is, why do you care about Kingston or people from it more than any other person? Especially since they're doing things you don't like."

The question was dumbfounding to Rose. "Because they're my people. And it's my home."

"What makes them 'your people?'" Atlas asked. "Where you were all born? Look, it's no secret my family sucks. And we don't have to beat around the bush, I don't fit in with my brothers and sisters.

"Ever since I was young I always felt out of place. It wasn't until I went to Solanja and learned of people who were different from the men and women there that I felt I knew who I was. And my family... they tried their best to be supportive of that at least but I could always tell they never really believed any of it. Astraeus was already down his path of screwing up our destiny and it was just one more way to cut me out of the family."

Rose had never seen such emotional vulnerability from Atlas. Even as they were facing down their own family. The orange orbs that made up their eyes seemed truly sad to reflect on it.

"So I adapted." Atlas continued. "I decided that they were no more special to me than any other person if they were going to treat me like a stranger. And if they were going to go against our duty, I wouldn't stand aside and let them. And I suppose that's why I can't really relate to this attachment to strangers who look like you."

The pair sat on the boat in silence as it sped through the vast sea. Rose eventually sighed. "Atlas, I'm sorry you had to go through that. And I know it must have been hard to tell me so I appreciate that."

Atlas shrugged. "I've managed to adapt. I don't exactly love how apathetic I am but it's just how I've done things. It's easy to survive when you're closed off even if I wanted to open up."

Rose stood up and gently touched Atlas's arm. They looked at her, confused. "Well Atlas, you're doing a great job opening up right now. People like Xavier and I, even Jacob. We want to be there for you when your family can't. I know it."

Atlas looked back at Rose's hand and then in her eyes again. "Thank you, Rose. I don't expect you to be able to do away with your conflicting feelings anytime soon, it took me decades."

Rose nodded. "It all feels weird... but I think the Kingston nation needs to be destroyed. At least in its current form. Both you and Xavier have given me a lot to think about regarding that and I don't think my ideas of change are realistic when I hear what happened on Centrixia or see what has become of Caros."

"Well, we can cross that bridge when we come to it. Our first order of business is dealing with Astraeus and my other siblings. And to do that, we need a plan for when we reach Centrixia." Atlas said.

Rose grinned. "I think I have an idea! It's no secret I'm from Kingston but not many people would have any clue what I look like so we might be able to convince them that I was sent by Kingston to deal with the Stormcasters. Apparently, they wiped out dozens of Scallier ships so they must be a high priority."

Atlas grinned. "I like the idea. I trust that you'll handle the diplomacy?" Rose nodded and the two fleshed out the plan as they approached the island in the center of the archipelago.

Dozens of giant wooden ships flying the Scalliers flag circled the medium-sized island. A massive ship with a deck large enough to easily hold dozens of people was parked on the main port of the island.

As far as Rose understood it, Centrixia and its people were fully occupied by the Scalliers after their failed rebellion and were treated mercilessly for their attempts to overthrow their rulers.

The tiny dingy approached the island and was spotted by several patrol ships. Rose waved her staff in the air and shouted out. "Do not attack! We come from Kingston! Hold your fire and keep your wits!" The phrase was one known by all Kingston as a way of identifying each other and the Scalliers picked up on it.

Atlas and Rose were allowed to sail into port under the moderation of two patrols and disembark from their tiny boat.

The port was built with beautiful marble and was well maintained, but just beyond it, one could see the dilapidated stone buildings that made up the island's main village. Many were crumbling or had sunk into the ground.

"State your name and business." One of the Scalliers patrols said. Rose snapped back into her situation and cleared her throat.

The man was dressed in loose-fitting clothes and had a sword hanging from a belt around his waist. They were surrounded by other soldiers on all sides so Rose had to proceed carefully. "I'm Anne. I come from Kingston to speak with your commanding officer about the recent incident involving your fleet and a pirate ship." Rose was extra careful to choose words that emphasized her Kingston accent.

The patrol sighed and glanced at Atlas. "And what's with the shadow person?"

"They're a Shade I tamed. I'm a special operations warrior and I take my job seriously," Rose replied.

The patrol glanced at some of his buddies and then shrugged. "Alright, follow me to the boss then."

The group walked down the marble port and to the massive ship. The bridge was already down so they began the arduous climb aboard and Rose tried to keep her composure as they ascended high above the ground onto the wooden battleship.

Once they were on board, the patrol went up to a muscular man leaning against the mainmast and spoke with him. The patrol finished speaking and the man walked over to Rose and Atlas.

"Alright, my goon here says you're from Kingston. What do you want?" He asked. Something about his voice was familiar. The man's entire complexion had a familiar feel to it. The chiseled jaw and cheekbones, silver eyes, and a short black beard.

Wait a minute... that's Uncle Titus! Rose used all her willpower to not shout out her sudden realization. The man was the captain of the first envoy sent out to make contact with Kingston and had helped establish the Scalliers-Kingston alliance.

Rose had also grown up around the man before she was sent away and now she had to pray he didn't recognize her. "I'm here regarding the attack on your fleet by some pirates. We've received word that your fleet was significantly damaged by the pirates. Is that true?" Rose tried modulating her voice to be a bit lower than usual.

Titus hesitantly nodded. "Indeed. They were a powerful crew known as the Stormcasters and created a vortex on the water. We believe they were seeking us out to cause damage because we've been pushing into Azure Cove territory per the King's orders."

"I see," Rose responded. "I've been sent to track down and neutralize the ship. I'm trained for this type of operation so if you'd kindly point me in the direction where the ship went I'll take care of it."

Titus shook his head. "Now hold on a second, I've never even heard of you. I can't in good conscience send a young woman out to fight an entire pirate ship filled with powerful mages."

Rose narrowed her eyes and gestured to her staff. "I'm not just any woman. I'm a very powerful mage and more than capable of holding my own. I've even tamed a Shade to fight by my side. Kingston wouldn't send me if they weren't certain."

"I'm not so sure Kingston sent you," Titus responded. "I've never heard of special ops and I haven't heard anything about one from Kingston. Who sent you?"

Rose was in a tricky position. She had to sound sure but she had been out of the loop for so long. Would the general she named still be on active duty? She just had to name one of the younger ones and hope for the best. "General Eis, sir."

Titus's reaction seemed to confirm that Rose had made a correct educated guess and shrugged. "Well, tell you what? You beat me in battle, and I'll give you the information. If you can handle those pirates, you can handle me no problem."

That's Titus for you. Always wanting a fight. Rose groaned. There would be no convincing him otherwise now. She had to face off against the man and win without making it obvious she had fought him before.

Atlas stepped forward. They seemed to sense Rose's internal struggle. "No worries madam Anne, I'll take care of this." They drew their swords and Titus produced two blades. Each made of reflective metal and curved at the center.

Magic began to flow from Titus's hands into his swords and wind swirled around the weapons. Rose wanted to pull Atlas aside but they were already charging directly at their foe.

The two clashed blades before Atlas was blown back and teleported away. Rose's mind began to race and she tried to think of a spell or even an approach she could take to the battle.

Her sparring with Titus had been minimal and the idea of fighting him like this terrified her. Get used to it Rose... you need to fight your friends if you want to better the world. She told herself.

Atlas reappeared and fired magic from their hand at the Scalliers commander. He blocked the blast with one sword and swung his other blade at Atlas. A current of green wind traveled from where the blade was swung and over to the Guardian.

They flew past it and towards Titus and he continued to send more waves of wind at them as Atlas approached.

They prepared to strike their target when suddenly Titus leaped back and summoned a vortex of wind. It carried Atlas into the air and suspended them there helplessly.

Titus grinned and jumped up to meet the Guardian, carrying himself with more wind. Titus reached Atlas and slammed his fist into their stomach.

They were launched into the deck of the ship while Titus gracefully landed and prepared to end things with his signature flash. He held out his swords in front of him and they began to spin as green wind magic swirled around them.

Titus wound up like he was going to throw the wind blade and Rose knew what was coming next. She wouldn't sit idly by while Titus hurt her friend even if he was close to her. She would just have to test her Spellcrafting and come up with a strategy she had never tried before.

Rose began to run at the older man as he tossed his weapons at Atlas. She summoned a pillar of fire in between Atlas and the attack which stopped the swords in their tracks.

The weapons flew through the air and returned to Titus while the man turned around to face Rose. "Can't say I'm impressed by your Shade. I hope you've got more to offer."

Atlas started to struggle to their feet and Rose called to them. "Don't worry about it Atlas! I can handle this, trust me!"

Titus scoffed and began to send waves of wind at her. Rose countered by pointing her staff at the oncoming wind and letting fire erupt from it like a pillar of flames.

The increased magic from her wand upgrade was still taking some getting used to but the fire easily did away with Titus's attack.

"You've got quite a lot of firepower, girl," Titus commented and he ran at her with his swords drawn. Rose noticed off to her side that a wind vortex had formed. Titus was planning to corner her.

That simply wouldn't do and Rose had an idea that could turn the battle in her favor. She ran over the steps for the old spell she had practiced and the new one she was about to create on the fly and waited for Titus to approach.

Rose used her prior knowledge of how the Scalliers warrior liked to attack his enemies out of a run and prepared to dodge. Titus swung his swords in wide arcs and shot wind from then that would make it almost impossible to dodge if you weren't prepared.

Rose fortunately was and jumped over his head. She landed behind the old family friend and cast her first spell. Fire pellets appeared above her and threw themselves at Titus's feet.

They exploded upon making contact with the ship's floor and threw the man in the direction of his vortex. Now it was time for something new. Rose sent forth a wave of fiery air and turned the wind vortex into a firestorm.

Titus was sucked into the trap just like he had done to Atlas and was suspended in mid-air in a spell under Rose's control.

She held the head of her staff behind her like she was about to swing it and prepared to use another original spell to finish things.

Fire burst from her wand and propelled the girl forward and into the air on a collision course for her uncle Titus. Rose braced for impact as wind blocked her vision and the tip of her staff slammed into Titus.

The two of them descended from the air in a crash and Rose scrambled to her feet. She located Titus and spun her staff around to point it at him. The staff let up with fire for a brief second before extinguishing to signify that had this not been a friendly fight, Titus would be toast.

The warrior slowly got to his feet and teetered for a bit before righting himself and laughing. "That was incredible! You really know how to fight, girl! I've never seen half of those spells before!"

Atlas reappeared next to Rose and she began to blush. "Well, I'm a Spellcrafter so I created those spells on my own."

"Now, the information." Atlas interrupted.

Titus nodded. "Yes, yes. Well, we chased them out into the part of the sea near Heau and the Isle of Muerend, and then after they destroyed a few more of our ships we decided we couldn't beat them on our own. So we awoke some sort of ancient squid that was sealed on a nearby island to take care of them. Not sure what's happened with it all but be careful."

Despite not having Fire Magic, Atlas seemed to heat up and began to breathe deliberately. "You awoke an ancient deity to kill some pirates? A being that countless lives were lost trying to seal away because of its power? Give me one reason why I shouldn't KILL YOU!"

"Now now, don't overreact Atlas!" Rose cut in before things got ugly. "We best get going! Thank you for your help!" She grabbed Atlas's hand and turned to leave, practically dragging the Guardian with her.

"Farewell Rose," Titus said. Rose stopped in her tracks and turned around to face him. He chuckled. "Come on, you didn't think I'd notice? Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I know why your father would want your return to be secret. You've become so strong, and you're really doing something special. I'm so proud of you."

Tears filled Rose's eye, but she couldn't think of what to say. She just nodded and Titus gestured to the exit. "Now go on before people start to get suspicious."

Rose took a deep breath to calm herself, and dragged Atlas off of the ship while they screamed profanities and threats the entire time.