Chapter 3 - Taking Leave

Sierra, Marth, and Roy walked into the town of Sarim exhausted. That walk seemed like an eternity. Marth decided to mention, “Guys, I have a hunch that the water natives won’t like the clothes that we’re wearing.....” “Who’s we?” Roy said. “You and Sierra. I’m fine because I’m wearing blue.” Marth replied. Roy sighed. He loved the red tunic he wore, and he didn’t want to change that. “I’ve heard of a spell that can change the color of fabric and metal...can I use it?” Sierra asked. “Sure,” Roy sighed again. She simply poked Roy’s shoulderpad, and like a flame licks a newspaper, a royal blue color raced across his body. His tunic was now blue, and his armor plates were now blue and silver. His leggings were a light denim instead of the reddish-blue denim they normally were, and his boots turned blue also. Sierra performed the same magic, and she got similar results.[p]Marth held the key up. “All I have to do is give the portman the key, and we’ll be able to leave,” he said. Unfortunately, the gates were frozen shut. No one was able to get in at this point. Everyone who was already in the snow-covered harbor couldn’t get out either. No secret entrances or exits. “I figured this would happen,” Sierra sighed. “I’ll get us through!” Roy said, thrusting his fist into the block of ice locking the gates. “PYRRUS!” he cried, and the ice melted within seconds. “Guys, I also have something to mention,” Sierra said. Roy and Marth turned to her. “Only water magic is allowed in the Water Continent....I checked in the archives of the sages who’ve been there,” said Sierra. “We’ll just have to see,” Roy said, already worried that his prowess over flame would give way once they reached the continent’s shores.They finally reached the pier where their ship was. The bridge to the gangway was locked shut. Marth got out his key, seeing that no portman was there, and opened the lock. Now all they needed was a captain to get them to the Water Continent. They decided to chat while they waited. “Did you know that each of the continents has a formal name?” Sierra randomly chimed. “No, I didn’t know that,” Roy said. “Well, our continent’s formal name is Elibe, the Water continent’s formal name is Aralon. Awesome, huh?” Sierra said. “I like Fire Continent better. It sounds cooler,” Roy said. “Well, I think Elibe is more refined, but I honestly don’t care either way,” Marth stated. Finally, they heard footsteps up the wooden pier. Actually, it was a whole crew. How they managed to break through the melded gates, Roy didn’t know. “You head’n for the Continent of Wa’er?” said the slightly scrawny captain, sending Roy on a mental goose chase as to where he was from, concerning the accent. “Sure, I guess,” Sierra said. “Well, c’mon then! Let’s get on wi’ it!”[p]Instantly as pie, they were on the surprisingly nice cruiser that had “Water Continent Express” painted on it, worn with age. They were shown to three different rooms; one for sleepng, one for eating, and one for practicing magic. “The first cap’n that sailed this ship was formerly a wea’er sage,” said the captain, “he used to prac’ice his magic and fencing ‘ere.” “Cool!” Roy said, “So, what’s our meal for tonight?” “Patience, m’lord, patience...we haven’t even set ‘er sails! Hang on!” The captain bolted to the engine and cranked it with a wooden lever. He rushed to the steering wheel and began to drive the ship out of the port. “We’re leaving,” Marth informed. The ship, despite a little rocking at first, steadily glided the waves. Sierra, Marth, and Roy watched the port dissapear, and they left the Fire Continent. “Wha’ you starin’ at? The voyage has begun!” The captain asked, “but it may be your last....” Startled by the change of dialect, they turned to face the captain. “Tell us,” Sierra said, “what’s your name?” “My name is Boris, but don’t tell anyone,” said the captain in a hushed whisper, “I’m a spy of Ebyon, sent to destroy the princess of Jarus. If you see her, let me know.” Sierra was horrified, but she bit her lip and took off her knight’s crown before it was seen at all. “Ok, we will......” Roy said, hesitant.[p]The SMR retreated to the sleeping quarters to discuss what happened. “Why could Boris be after me? I thought Kaira wanted nothing to do with me!” Sierra said. “I know, but she said that she’d get revenge, right? Why isn’t she fighting you now?” Roy asked. Sierra shrugged, small hints of tears percolating around her eyelids. “I guess that explains why we didn’t have a portman!” Marth said, “if there WAS a portman, this boat would have had an official hired sailor for a captain, not a spy of Ebyon.” Sierra, after wiping her eyes free of the small tears, put her knight’s crown back on. “If Boris wants a fight with the princess of Jarus and her friends, then that’s what he’ll get!” she said, determined. They reached the Captain’s Quarters, after some hall searching, and found Boris waiting for them. “Well?” he said. “I’m the princess of Jarus,” said Sierra. Boris got up, standing on what Sierra saw was a metallic peg leg. Rather than a hook attachment, his arm was a metal hook itself, as Roy noticed later. “You are? Why didn’t you say so!?” cried Boris, who charged towards Sierra. Suddenly, a wave of water came crashing onto Boris, knocking him down. “Thanks, Marth!” Sierra said, unsheathing her sword. Roy and Marth did the same. “You’re going down!” Roy cried, slashing his sword towards Boris’s hook arm. Quick as lightning, Boris’s hook turned into a sword, and blocked the attack. “You can’t defeat me! You’re wasting your time!” Sierra caused some wood planks to become un-nailed in certain places. When Boris stepped forward, WHACK! He was smacked by a plank. When he backed up, WHACK! Roy laughed, “Good one, Sierra!” “Boris! Since you have magic in that hook of yours, aren’t you the first captain of this ship?” Boris laughed. “Right you are, princess!” he said, “I just made that up as a lie. This boat isn’t going to the Water Continent!” “Or is it?” Marth said. Boris turned around. The ship’s steering wheel had a map to the continent stuck to the front, and the wheel was steering itself. “That’s just a charm I learned from a spellbook I got at Lyria a few months ago,” Sierra said, calling up some vines to tie up Boris. “How in the world!?” he cried, just before Roy tied a scarf around his mouth. “That’s what you get if you mess with us, pirate!” said Roy, grinning. [p]~[p]While the SMR were enjoying their victory, evil was brewing in an underground cave. A woman, about 20 or so, sat on a small throne made of moss-laden rocks. “How long must we wait, countess?” said a voice in the darkness, unrevealed in the shadows of the cave. “Not much longer, my servant. We’ll use all the magic of Akarus itself to cause this cave to rise and uproot the capital. It’s a brilliant plan!” said the countess. Suddenly, mass amounts of blue light and an almost smoky black raced around the walls of the cave. They sunk into the walls, leaving no trace of their existence. “RISE, MAGIC OF DARKNESS AND THE SEA!” the countess cried. An earthquake shook the walls and the damp floor, and the whole castle began to rise. Instead of uprooting a castle, like she had planned, they destroyed a modest village at the center of Akarus. Luckily, no one was hurt, but several fled. “The water continent will be ours!” said the countess, laughing.

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