Chapter II

  Mauve Island appeared over the horizon. It was Mitsuko’s turn at the oars when the water’s color shifted, from sea blue to a foaming pink liquid. One of the other passengers leaned over the edge, pointing and exclaiming, but the rest her still too shaken by the shipwreck that morning to care about the anomaly to be excited by it. They huddled in the center of the lifeboat and eyed the strange sea water with suspicion and fear.

  “A natural anomaly unique to Mauve Island,” the sailor said. “It’s harmless. In fact, it keeps away a lot of the bigger sea predators. Most can’t see in it..”

  Mitsuko popped one of the larger bubbles with an oar. It exploded into a dozen smaller pink bubbles which floated away. She smiled at them.

  A few years back, she might have been transfixed by the strange phenomenon. Now it was only a curiosity. She’d seen much greater wonders in her travels. Even so, moments like this sparked a restless urge in her chest. A yearning for adventure and exploration. The same sensation that had first carried her away from her tiny village.

  But she rowed on. She had no time to admire the pink bubbling sea.

  Half an hour later, they rowed into Crocus City’s harbor, While not as big as a city like Daitoshi or the massive trading ports on the mainland of Tross, it was still the hub of the archipelago and bustled with dozens of trade ships moored in the harbor. Deckhands unloaded goods on the docks, but as they approached, Mitsuko sensed tension in their movements. Few of the people on shore even glanced their way. Instead, most were distracted, staring up or out to the horizon. Towards the barrier.

  Mitsuko’s lifeboat was the last to arrive. They beached their boat alongside the others and a Kemon beastman with a purple armband moved to meet them. Mitsuko recognized the character for ‘official’ embroidered in the cloth. The man looked to be from a coyote tribe of Kemon, his angular face spotted with light brown fur and his wet black nose overshadowed by large pointed ears piercing through his receding brown hair. He watched them carefully as they clambered onto land.

  “Welcome,” he growled.

  A few of the passengers shifted uncomfortably and some muttered under their breath.

  “It’s a gnoll,” one woman whispered to her companion, slightly louder than the rest.

  The Kemon man’s eyes narrowed but he otherwise ignored the comment.

  “I-I assume my shipmates already explained what happened?” the sailor asked. She glanced over at the other beached lifeboats nearby.

  “They did. Bad luck.”

  “We’ll surely be compensated for our losses, correct?” a passenger asked. The man wore a fancy buttoned coat despite the heat and Mitsuko remembered him refusing to take a turn at the oars. “Should I report to the Sailor’s Guild? That’s who manages debacles such as this, correct?”

  “Sure, go and add your name to the list. Compensation is being discussed. I expect them to have a response for you next week. In the meantime, we’ll supply each of you with an emergency necessity pack.”

  “Next week?” the man asked, aghast. “I have business that needs to be attended to! Of vital importance! Do you understand who I am?”

  “A human more entitled than sensible.”

  “How dare you! What is your name?”

  “Fred.”

  “Fred? That’s not a beastman’s name!”

  “Hmm.” Fred shrugged.

  Mitsuko decided to step in now before her new companions insulted the official further.

  “Fred,” she said, keeping her voice calm and cool. “Was anything said about launching an expedition to recover the other lifeboat taken by the current?”

  “Yes.” He tilted his head in her direction though his shoulders still faced the irate passenger. “That is a priority concern of the guild. Normally, we would commence with the rescue immediately, but there are other… pressing issues.”

  “The barrier,” Mitsuko surmised. “What caused it? How far does it stretch?”

  “We have a team out investigating it as we speak. From what a scout reported, we believe it encompasses the entire island chain.”

  The muttering grew louder. Boxed inside a prison with no clear answers.

  “Now, if you will excuse me,” Fred said, bowing his head to the group.

  “One more question,” Mitsuko said quickly. She should have led with it, but had been curious about both the barrier and Holly’s safety.

  “Ask.”

  “Where is Emperor Sasaki residing?”

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  That got his attention. He turned to her and frowned.

  “Do you have a seal?”

  Mitsuko jabbed a thumb over her shoulder at the sea. “Over there. Might be a bit wet.”

  “I’m afraid I cannot answer any questions relating to any nobility who may or may not be present on the island. Not without proper authentication.”

  And with that, Fred left them behind.

  “Of course the beast-man was unhelpful. Typical.” The man who’d argued with Fred sniffed loudly, then continued to grumble about his misfortune.

  “They’re…going to rescue Papa. He said so, right?” The boy Mitsuko had saved looked near tears again. Thankfully, someone else knelt to comfort him. Nobody paid Mitsuko any mind.

  There was no reason to stick around with the other stranded passengers, so Mitsuko slipped away into the city, but not before claiming her emergency necessity pack at the Sailor’s Guild. It contained a blanket, a set of ugly baggy clothes designed to fit anyone, and a dozen of the silver coins they used as currency on the archipelago. There were five little islands etched into one side and the other side somehow glinted with a prismatic light, in contrast to its silver material. It should be enough for a couple meals and a night in an inn. From what Mitsuko had seen, most of the other shipwreck survivors planned to sleep at the guild hall.

  Crocus City was on edge, but life continued. Despite the dome overhead, people kept to their daily routines. Merchants plied their wares. Shopkeeps swept their entrances. Porters hauled goods down the cobblestone streets. Mitsuko empathized. Massive barrier domes? That was a problem for powerful mages to solve, not normal people. A problem for people like Mitsuko’s old friends and Emperor Sasaki. Not for someone like her.

  No, her immediate problem was food, shelter, and a way to rescue Holly. It would be convenient if she could somehow attract Sasaki’s attention. That was someone who could easily fulfill those needs. Money and resources were not something he lacked.

  And he definitely owed her. It was his fault she’d ended up stranded out here in the first place. He wanted to explore and update the Hon Empire’s maps of the archipelago while he was visiting.

  She strolled into a plaza where a group of humans were shouting at a lone guard. Mitsuko ignored them and ducked into a local drinking hole.

  The bar was unusually packed. Mitsuko squeezed through the crowd as she navigated through the tight tavern's tables and occupants. Like most day-drinkers, the patrons were sullen and quiet as they stared into their mugs. Mitsuko suspected that several of them had abandoned their responsibilities to be here today.

  There was a twang as a large beetle-like person plucked the strings of a wooden instrument in the far corner. A bard, but of what race, Mitsuko couldn’t say. Not one that existed in any of the many countries she’d visited. It might very well be a type of people unique to the archipelago. Regardless of his race, the musician was pretty good. Their back wings fanned out slightly, as if to push the music toward the crowd with slight gusts of wind. Clearly mindful of the current atmosphere, the song was a somber and rustic melody that suited the patron’s mood. The bard sang low, his voice buzzing in harmony with his instrument. It was a song about a love lost, and a child left unborn.

  Mitsuko claimed a vacant stool at the bar and waited a minute for the bartender to make his way over to her.

  “Sailor?” a human woman asked beside her. Her braids were unkempt, hair spilling free, and she wobbled on her stool.

  “Just a traveler passing through. I was supposed to meet a friend, but he neglected to give me his address.”

  “Poor thing,” the woman patted Mitsuko on the shoulder. She leaned in close, steadying herself on Mitsuko. Her breath reeked. “You got stood up. I’ll buy you a drink! Always cheers me up.”

  The woman shouted at the bartender and he glared in their direction. But, a minute later, the bartender set a cup of dark ale in front of Mitsuko. She sipped it. Sadly not great. But she didn’t come here to drink.

  Originally, she hoped to get information from the bartenders. In her experience, they liked to chat and were open to gossiping in the middle of the day as a means to pass the time. But with how cramped the bar was, that wouldn’t be likely today. Maybe if she’d searched out a different pub closer to the edge of town instead. She decided to make do with what she had.

  “Cheers.” Mitsuko raised her glass to the drunk woman who clinked it unsteadily against their own. They both took a swig of their drinks.

  “Ahh, that’s nice.” The woman wiped her mouth with a sleeve, having downed the dregs of her remaining beer.

  “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name earlier.”

  “Gina. Gina the Great! Gina the Wise! I’m known throughout the land. Goblins quiver in their boots at my name.” She preened for a moment, then slumped down, forehead pressed against the bar.

  “I just got into town,” Mitsuko said. “Anything I should know?”

  “Besides the dome that nobody can shut up about?” Gina spoke into the wooden counter.

  “Yes. Other than that.”

  “Ice men have beef with the crustaceans. Troll under an abandoned bridge trying to charge tolls. Rumors of a mermaid spotted by multiple ships. Half-goblin tried eloping with the mayor's daughter. Amber Island is sinking. Ember centipede infestation at the embassy. Witch with snow-white hair from the Hon Basin wandering around the streets. Lots and lots more. What kind of gossip are you looking for?”

  “The ember bug one sounds interesting,” Mitsuko said. The white haired witch rumor sounded…unideal. It sent a shiver up her spine. She told herself it was likely a random coincidence. Still…part of her wanted to ask about the rumor, but the embassy getting an infestation would likely get her information on the Emperor.

  “Got coin?”

  Mitsuko passed the woman half of her coins, which Gina greedily snatched them up, dropping one on the ground as she stuffed them into a sack. She stared into her sack, lips moving slightly as she counted the coins.

  “The centipedes?” Mitsuko prodded.

  Gina smiled, showing yellowed teeth. Then she hiccuped.

  “Not just any bugs. These be ember centipedes! Hot little things. They burrow into wooden buildings to make nests. If enough of them get together, boom! Down burns your house!”

  Mitsuko nodded. She’d heard of the creatures before.

  “You’re a summoner? Looking for a new magical creature to study?” Gina hiccuped again. “More coins and I can get you a look-see. Got a pal who’s on the extermination team.”

  “No. What about the ambassadors staying at the embassy? Where did they relocate to?”

  Gina frowned and swayed slightly. She was clearly fighting to keep her brain working. “Down in a fancy inn near the forest. Fairy’s Grotto.”

  “Thanks. That’s all I needed to know.”

  Suspecting Gina would forget to pay the tab, Mitsuko slapped another coin on the counter for her drink and left the pub behind.