Maya, Xavier, and Arvirdi sat down by the waterfront and waited for the others to appear. It took a while longer, leaving the trio to hope that the creature didn't somehow escape.

Meanwhile, the ice was slowly melting away on the island. The Maroki people had regrouped and begun trying to organize the port once again.

Several merchant ships and shops had been destroyed in the aftermath. It was a complete mess.

Xavier wanted to help with the cleanup, but the pirate was exhausted. Arvirdi had also insisted that the Maroki people could take care of themselves.

As the night started to come to an end, with the sun breaking out of the horizon, Atlas and Luna reappeared. With them, were Jacob and Helena. Everyone had completed their missions.

"So, where's the monster?" Atlas asked them.

Xavier pointed at the ocean. "Underwater, right now. We've got it stuck down there with a bunch of vines."

"What were you all up against?" Jacob asked while Atlas went up to the waterfront.

Maya put her hands together. "Some sort of giant ice snake! It was pretty crazy, especially when it froze all of the water."

Helena chuckled. "A snake, huh? We had to deal with some sort of fire moth. It was surprisingly tough to bring down, though the Centrixians really appreciated the help."

"Wish I had been there myself," Xavier admitted. "I hate to leave Centrixia when it's barely hanging on."

Jacob patted Xavier on the shoulder. "No worries, Cap'. I told them all that we were with the Ice Pirates."

"They seemed hopeful," Helena added. "This world is ready for change."

Arvirdi nodded. "Indeed it is. My own people surely must be realizing it as well. I must talk to them all later today and ensure their convictions are as strong as mine are."

Maya's mouth curled into a smile. "That's the spirit. Speaking of, what's next for us?"

Atlas returned to the group. "The seal's done. I need to go to the prophecy on this island, and then we need to get to the others."

Jacob furrowed his brow. "Shouldn't we focus on stopping Kingston and Astraeus? Won't he just unleash more of those monsters?"

Atlas sighed. "Those prophecies are the key to stopping him. We need to know how to prevent him from sinking another island before it happens again. The answers are there, I can feel it."

"I know I'm biased because they likely have answers as to what I even am," Luna added. "However, I also think we should prioritize these prophecies. Along the way, we can make plans to finish off Kingston. We'll need to get to every island, anyway."

Xavier noticed that Luna was explicitly avoiding looking at Maya. The girl rolled her eyes. "Where are the prophecies, then?"

"Usually in sacred spots on the islands," Atlas responded. "The shrines of Guardians, temples, ancient sites. Luna and I could feel their locations for a time, though that sense has started to dull. So, we need to search for them."

Helena racked her brain. "I believe I know an area on Clamerates that might fit that description."

"We already know where Heau and Marok's are, and I assume you went to Muerend's?" Jacob confirmed with Atlas.

The Guardian nodded. "I should mention. We also encountered Crius when dealing with our monster. Apparently, he was brought back during your fight against the Guardians in Lonore. Ever since then, he was just waiting to strike."

Xavier's eyes widened. "So the Guardians can't come back anymore, right?"

Luna nodded. "The others are gone, Crius said so himself." Luna's demeanor seemed to have changed greatly over the last couple of hours. The girl was now far more confident, and there seemed to be a new energy around her.

"The Kingston prophecy is in the capital building of Kingsmier," Xavier recalled. "Which means it'll be a real pain in the ass to get to."

"If I know where it is, it'd be easier to just go there myself," Atlas responded.

The pirate shook his head. "Kingsmier's a tightly locked up place, and it's where some of the strongest mages in the archipelago live and train. Once they catch a whiff of something, you'll be in trouble. Especially given you're still wanted after taking down all those Scalliers."

Jacob scratched his chin. "So we need some sort of plan to sneak in unnoticed."

"And how do we do that?" Maya piped up. "As Xavier said, we're all wanted and some of us stick out in a crowd."

A plan started to formulate in the back of Xavier's mind. "We'll need to pay a visit to some old friends of mine, but I have an idea in mind. For now, let's all get some rest. We've been through the wringer in the last couple of hours."

Arvirdi jumped at this statement. "Yes, you're all welcome to the quarters you had the last time you were here. I implore you all to get some rest and to refresh yourselves."

Everyone agreed that they would need to finish getting the sleep that had been taken from them. Atlas teleported off to go visit the Marok prophecy, while everyone else went up the hill.

Xavier staggered into one of the tents and laid down. The pirate wasn't as exhausted as he normally felt, though he knew he needed some rest.

Xavier also needed time to process things. Did Maya view him as some sort of father figure? Would that be a role Xavier even deserved? The girl was already so grown up, and Xavier was hardly much older than she was.

Yet, thinking back on it, Maya had done much of that growing up while with the captain. The pirate also wouldn't hesitate to call Arvirdi his father. He would need to talk to her directly about it all some time.

It was an interesting thought to have.

Jacob awoke to the sound of crashing in the distance. The man was on his feet in a matter of seconds, placing Lumis on his belt and running outside.

As Jacob burst from the tent, he felt a wave of heat blow into him. The rebel remembered where he was now. His Kingston military training had kicked in without a second thought.

It was a disturbing thing to have happened. Jacob shook it off, however. "Jacob, are you alright?" The boy jumped at the sudden question.

Jacob turned around to see that Luna was sitting in the grass outside of her tent. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just got a bit startled from the noise."

Luna pointed down by the docks. "They dropped some lumber down there." A few men were hauling large trees down by the water to repair some of the docks.

"Why're you up?" Jacob asked, glancing down at Luna.

She shrugged. "I don't really feel the need to sleep anymore. Plus, I don't want to be in the same tent as Maya right now if I'm being honest."

Jacob knelt down. "What's going on? I didn't really catch all of it last night."

Luna looked off to the side. "It just... it feels like Maya doesn't understand me right now. There's so much about myself that I still don't know, I just awoke a bunch of power within me that I didn't know I had! Yet Maya doesn't even want to look at me because I went off with Atlas."

Jacob sighed. "I know the feeling. I still don't get why Lumis chose me. I don't know how to deal with the destiny that's been dropped on me."

Luna rapidly nodded her head. "Exactly! I'm 17! How am I supposed to know what any of it means? Much less how to handle it in a way that makes Maya feel included."

The boy stared at the sword on his hip. Then he looked up at Luna. "I think she's just processing things. And it's not fair of her to treat you how she is because of her own fears, but I don't think Maya wants to be left behind."

Luna glanced up at the sky. "That's true, but I told her that I wanted to be with her the last time we talked about all of this. I keep telling her and it feels like she isn't listening to me."

"That's fair," Jacob replied. "Might just be hard for her to believe. I don't know Maya all too well myself, but I imagine you're the single most important thing she's ever had in her life."

Luna sighed and started to toy with some magic in her hands. "That's true. I just don't know what I can do to help it."

Jacob got to his feet. "Right now? Nothing. She has to come to that realization herself. I think when she sees that you and Atlas are getting along better, it'll help."

Luna got up, brushing herself off. "Maybe you're right. Thank you, Jacob."

The boy smiled at her. "No problem at all! You're my friend!"

Luna was now smiling. Jacob noticed how her eyes had a bright tinge of orange in them. "As for our destinies, I think they're intertwined. You aren't alone in this fight. Nor are you alone in fighting to find your purpose in this world."

Jacob felt a bit of warmth surge through him. "Thank you, Luna. Let's find our destinies together, then."

The two walked off, chatting about whatever was on their minds. It was a nice reminder that Jacob had long since escaped Kingston.

Arvirdi was preparing himself for the speech he would give following the attack. The Maroki people were on edge after the monster. The trade port would be closed for at least a day.

However, Arvirdi was hoping that he could get everyone to see reason. This was not a fight that Marok could choose to sit out on.

Arvirdi was planted in his tent. The man had been thinking over what he could say for the last few hours. The meeting would be taking place in only a bit longer.

Marok was a large island with a united community. It wouldn't be easy to get all of them to understand him.

"Uhm, excuse me!" Arvirdi heard someone's voice from outside his tent. The man pushed open the flaps and saw Maya standing outside. "Hi, sorry to bother you."

Arvirdi's face relaxed. "Maya, you aren't a bother at all. Is anything the matter?"

The girl sighed. "I just... I wanted to talk to somebody and I can't really talk to Luna right now." Arvirdi let the girl inside of his tent. "I know you have something important you have to do, I just can't find anyone else."

Arvirdi raised an eyebrow. "Xavier is gone?"

"Well, some of it is about him," Maya responded. "It's just, yesterday was a lot and it wasn't something I felt would ever happen. Then there was everything with Luna that I'm still mad about."

Arvidi nodded his head. "I see, do you not see Xavier as a father figure?"

Maya shook her head immediately. "N-no, I do! hat's the thing, he's taken really good care of Luna and me. I had been thinking about it for a while but it's just a lot and now I don't know if things will be weird and different because kind of he acknowledged it."

"Ah, that's understandable," Arvirdi assured her. "However, Xavier is a very awkward man. I think he likely shares those concerns, though I also think he won't want anything to change either."

Maya's face seemed to relax a bit. "That's good. That's really good. I just get a bit freaked about that sort of stuff."

"You're afraid of change, it seems." Arvirdi asserted. The man had been monitoring Maya's body language during the conversation and the girl seemed to tense up.

Maya immediately put up her hands. "I-I wouldn't say afraid. I'm fine with things changing I just don't want them to be r-ruined, ya know?"

Arvirdi placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's ok. I think it's the same reason that you're finding yourself so frustrated with Luna. Things are changing, she's getting closer with her sibling and carving out her own path."

Maya crossed her arms. "I-I guess. I know she won't leave me behind, and I'm really glad that she getting along with Atlas. It's just frustrating because they barely paid her any mind before due to their own issues. Yet Luna still wants to be so close with them. I guess I just feel like an afterthought."

"I understand where you're coming from," Arvirdi told the girl. "Though I think Luna's dealing with a very complicated situation right now. It might feel a bit weird for some time, but the best thing you can do is support her so things can return to normal."

Maya listened to the advice of the chief. "You're right... thanks for talking me through it. I really need to stop getting into my own head about these things."

Arvirdi smiled. "It happens to all of us. Unfortunately, I have to cut our conversation short. I need to attend a meeting with the Maroki people about entering the fight against Kingston."

Maya's face suddenly perked up. "Could I go with you? If you aren't getting through to them, I think having someone who actually grew up under Kingston's Regime might help."

Arvirdi considered the idea and then nodded. "It certainly can't hurt. Let's go."

The two walked down to the central square of the trading port. Maroki citizens and merchants alike had gathered for the meeting. All of the representatives were present in the back.

Arvirdi cleared his throat as he went to the center of the gathering. "Everyone, your attention, please. The attack on this island was perpetrated by an ancient beast who was partially freed last night. The creature has been subdued and sealed away once again. However, I think it must be said that our security will not protect us from the threats in this archipelago. Kingston is one of those threats. Something must be done to stop them from further expanding their empire, and you all know that we are next once the unrest in Clamerates is settled."

Arvirdi let the message sink in and reverberate throughout the gathered crowd. "Have you gone mad? Marok lives off of its neutrality!" One of the representatives shouted.

Fear crossed the faces of various citizens. "That neutrality will no longer protect us. Kingston will steamroll everything in their path."

"And so what if they do?" Another representative chimed in. "Better to remain neutral and get a deal on our surrender in this hypothetical situation. We would lose a fight against Kingston!"

A citizen held up her arm. "Would they not just sink our island if rose up against them?"

Arvirdi shook his head. "That was not the doing of Kingston. That was the doing of another force entirely."

"Who? The Scalliers?" A third representative asked.

"Clamerates's officials surrendered after the invasion was overwhelming them." Arvirdi was relieved by the voice of a merchant speaking up. "Damien and the other council members are dead. Only those who refused to surrender remain alive."

The first representative rolled his eyes. "That's because they're Kingston's long-time rivals. Of course they would not be given the treatment our island would be."

"Doesn't Kingston believe you sank Solanja?" Maya chimed in. "Don't you remember what happened to Solanja? To Muerend? To Heau? This archipelago tries everything it can to resist Kingston! The land itself! And yet they've ruined places like my homeland!"

Several voices were left speechless. Some of the citizens started to speak up. "We're connected to this island, are we not? Is it not our duty to protect all in the archipelago? I have family from Centrixia, they've been suffering for so long! Caros fought for decades for independence! How's it fair we get this peaceful life if nobody else does?"

Arvirdi smiled and held up a hand. "Spread the word, my people. Marok's neutrality is no longer certain, for the fate of the archipelago itself. The people will decide how we proceed."

The representatives scowled at Arvirdi as citizens stayed behind to chat with Maya. The girl shared her experiences growing up on Heacha.

Arvirdi laughed and looked back at the forest. It seemed that the mass of trees was sending their approval out to him.