Kairo, approx. 3pm
~Pax’s POV~
“We’re here,” says William.
I look up at the huge tower looming over us. I grab the plank and use it to connect our sailboat to the small island. I grab my medallion instinctively as I look around before walking onto the island.
It took us 5 minutes to sail from Savaria. Mostly because we go questioned by a soldier on our way there. Apparently, the AG captain from yesterday was found dead at a nearby bandit camp. They don’t know who took out the entire camp and are questioning everyone leaving the island.
“C’mon,” I tell William.
We explore the island, avoiding the tower for now. Nothing.
Me and William walk to the tower. At the entrance, a cold feeling washes over me. I shiver.
“You feel that?” I ask William.
“Yeah,” he responds. “It feels like bugs are crawling all over my skin.”
I gulp and look at the tower.
“Let’s go further,” he says. “We need to find the source of this. That’s why Reese needed us. To do what he can’t do.”
I nod. We walk into the tower, darkness surrounding us.
Savaria Harbor, onboard the Rumbling Caldera
~Romulus’ POV~
“Why are we here,” Sevika asks.
I toss a cannonball casually in the air.
“I told you, we need repairs on our ship,” I respond. “And I told you, ever since Ramses II died, we haven’t been able to get repairs because of the AG.”
“Stupid tornado,” one of the crew murmurs.
“Just wait, Reese promised to repair our ship if we investigated Kairo.”
“And then he turned around and asked 2 kids to do the same thing.”
“He’s desperate, ok. He’s actually scared that whatever’s at Kairo is extremely dangerous. Trigno himself’s over there. He trusts Reese.”
“Because he was one of us. Loyalties change.”
“Just trust Trigno, ok.”
That shuts them up. As vice captain of the Mantle Pirates, I have to keep them in line while Trigno sneaks over to Kairo.
It gets annoying sometimes.
~William’s POV~
“Yaaaah!”
Me and Pax run from the horde of undead Savarian soldiers to our boat.
We went through the main area without any issues minus the bad feeling. Dead bodies in various states of decomposition surrounded us but we didn’t pay them any mind.
That turned out to be a big mistake.
The moment Pax opened the door to the staircase, groaning sounds started behind us. The dead bodies began to stand up.
And now we’re running for our lives.
“Just a little further!” Pax yells.
Just then, a group of 7 undead warriors appear in front of us. I waste no time and grab my sword. Pax charges and readies his dagger as we lunge at the group.
They may have been soldiers before they died, but time has dealt a number to their bodies. They move slowly as I cut through 2 of them and Pax explodes 3 with a well placed explosion (how the fuck does he learn magic so quickly?).
I cut through another and Pax attacks blasts the last one with his spirit medallion.
“C’mon!” he yells.
We continue running to the boat. We’re almost there.
Whoosh!
Thud!
“Ack-”
Pax falls down, an arrow embedded in his left thigh.
“Pax!” I yell. I take a defensive stance between the horde of undead and Pax.
“Shit,” he groans. He pulls the arrow out of his leg and pushes himself up before falling back down again. Blood flows from the puncture.
“Leave me behind,” Pax groans. “Get out of here.”
“Not without my best friend,” I retort. I pull out my sword, prepared for the end.
KABLAM!!!
Something hits the ground in front of the undead with a loud explosion. I gag and cough as my eyes sting from the smoke. The horde of undead burn as magma flies at them.
Wait… magma?
Oh shit.
In moments, the undead are gone. I activate my sensing and immediately pull out with a headache. The amount of magic energy emitted is overwhelming.
A man rises up from the crater created by the explosion. An undead soldier somehow untouched by the explosion slashes at the man. The sword goes right through with no effect and comes out melted to a stump. The man’s arm turns into magma and whips at the undead’s head. It disappears and falls to the ground.
He turns to us.
“You ok?” he asks.
His body turns back to normal as it shifts from magma to a human body again. Tan skin, black hair, orange eyes the color of magma, and the sigil of the Mantle Pirates, a flaming skull on an erupting volcano, tattooed on his arms.
I gulp instinctively. His face is a familiar sight to anyone who has seen the bounty boards.
Trigno, leader of the feared Mantle Pirates and possessor of the Magma Curse.
We were saved by one of the leaders of the 3 biggest pirate organizations in the Seven Seas.
End of Chapter XIV
