Previously, on The Starburst Crystal: "Tell me," began Wintergreen, "do you believe in fate?" *Yes.* "Why is that?" The Starburst Temple Spirit lowered herself onto the pedestal at her feet. Curling her non-existent body into a fetal position she said, *I believe in fate because I am Fate.* Her blood chilled, the witch glared at the ghostly girl. The Spirit opened its eyes. The forests and fields of the world were poisoned with the salts of hatred, corrupting everything that sprang from their soil. Monsters and animals alike were twisted into gross parodies of living things, venting their hated existence on their unspoiled brethren. Even the eternal seas and mountains shuddered as the corruption of that overwhelming evil reached to every corner of the globe. Cities fell to ruin and the wisdom of ancient civilizations was lost. People turned on one another as the sword of conquest severed the ties of law and order. Civilians were treated as soldiers were, and met similar fates. Men and women of noble orders were captured and tortured, not to force them to reveal their secrets but because it was command by the would-be ruler of the world. And somewhere a child cried out for its mother, only to meet a swift end, because the armies that marched defiantly across the face of Mars cut down any that stood against their banner. All because of one evil, one woman. "I have done nothing yet," Wintergreen's face grew hot as an ancient anger welled up within her, "my heart, my HATE, will consume you!" She leveled the Spear of Mint at the Temple Spirit. "I will have destruction!" Ferocious emerald light exploded from the Spear of Mint, consuming everything in the Starburst Temple. The sky exploded. The Starburst Crystal Created by Ardweden Legend Forty-Seven: The Only Easy Day... Written by Nathan The quarterdeck of 'Crazy Mint's Satisfied Penguin' offered a lovely view of the receding land of Almond Roca; a view best appreciated after the trickster spirit, Anise, finished her farewells. Tsugiko kept her eyes on the mischief-maker, lest a joke worse than Kyouji in a mini-skirt befell her. "Hi, you guys. Couldn't let you leave without saying my farewells," Anise said. She smiled as she floated some three meters over the main deck, just enough to stay level with the Warrior Priestesses on the quarterdeck. She snickered as the occasional sailor below gasped oaths and warded against evil. Tsugiko grinned. The spirit had proven valuable against Twizzler and Walnetto. "Yeah, great to see you again, later," Kyouji said, speaking in a chill monotone. Anise and Kyouji bantered before the spirit turned to Tsugiko. "Which reminds me that I have a gift for you, Tsugiko." With a flourish, the spirit took out a large but fairly flat rectangular box, apparently from nowhere. Tsugiko's eyes widened as she took the box and opened it. "Thank you so much. I was afraid I'd missed my chance to get a new battle outfit in all the excitement last night." Too bad no one in Almond Roca had found Twizzler's body after she swan-dove off the tower. Anise grinned again and then faded from existence. Like the Cheshire Cat, her voice remained long after her body vanished. "Well, I'm not one for long goodbyes. So pleasure working with you, and I'll say hi to your next incarnations." Tsugiko hoped that she would not meet her next incarnation before Anise did. But that was in the future; the present held its own joyless trials. Tsugiko shot Yumi a pointed look as the pink priestess edged closer to Kyouji. "Well, I think I'll go try on this dress, and leave you two alone for a while." She turned her back on her friends and rushed down the stairs to the main deck below. Life was too short to watch your friends make kissy-faces at each other. As she rounded the stern before moving to the fore of the ship, she caught snippets of conversation. "Kyouji, do you still want to be my boyfriend?" "Yes, and I realize I've been doing a lousy job of it so far. That's going to change." "If you kiss me now, I promise not to hit you." Tsugiko's eyes widened as she stumbled, teetering over the railing before regaining her balance. As a thick green haze clouded her vision and the familiar fire burned inside, Tsugiko took a deep breath and focused on the new outfit in her hands. She would not let her emotions master her again. Oh, sure, later that afternoon Tsugiko would probably choke back the urge to chuck the nauseating lovebirds overboard, but for a few fleeting hours, she could revel in the fact that her schoolgirl-fetishist-designed wardrobe would soon be joining Twizzler at the bottom of the deep brown sea. As the Warrior Priestess made her way across the 'Satisfied Penguin's' deck, she weaved around sailors, stray lines, and moorings. The 'Penguin', of a class of sailing vessels known as tall ships, needed a large crew to squeeze the maximum speed from her three forty meter tall masts, each with six sails. That same crew also squeezed into 'Penguin's' sixty meters of length and twelve meters of width, creating a living obstacle course for those who braved her decks. As Tsugiko went below decks to her stateroom, she glanced at the ship's figurehead and shuddered. As befitted her name, a giant carving of a penguin on the ship's prow carried 'Crazy Mint's Satisfied Penguin' through the seas. But where most figureheads' represented a benign guardian, the wild-eyed penguin bore an even wilder, almost feral, grin, a stained cutlass in its one flipper, and what appeared to be a lit stick of dynamite in the other flipper. She double-timed down the remaining steps. Tsugiko stopped as a stray thought crashed through her mind. Knowing Anise's penchant for pranks, Tsugiko's new outfit might be the dreaded battle bikini or, even worse, pure illusion, visible only to Tsugiko herself. She blushed as she imagined being naked unawares in front of Kyouji, or even worse, an entire crew of sailors. Her eyes widened as she shuddered. She tore through the ship, darting past crewmen as she ran into her stateroom, slamming the door behind her. She placed the box on her unornamented bed. With a sharp intake of breath and closed eyes, Tsugiko opened the box. If Anise made a fool of her, again... Tsugiko opened her eyes. A slight smiled crossed her lips as she breathed once more. The dreaded battle bikini did not appear, thank Mars. As she set each item on the hammock, she learned that the box was full of green cloth of various shades, a stiff padded sheet of leather, thick gloves, white undershirts, and...a bra? A slip of paper caught Tsugiko's attention. "Try everything on. Trust me, Anice," she read aloud. Her mind, long inured to Martian oddities failed to notice the katakana-like script. "Right. And I'm supposed to trust that trickster?" Tsugiko stared at the clothes until she decided her hatred of her modesty nightmare outweighed most suspicions of Anice. She disrobed, looking over her shoulder for any sign of Kyouji or other peeping Toms. She slipped the garment on, frowning at the odd and unflattering fit as it both flattened and pushed her breasts together. She then slipped on a snug undershirt before donning a green long-sleeved leotard with a yellow-trimmed Mandarin collar. She picked up the leather plastron by its shoulder and neck straps and tightened it until the chest protector fit snug against her body. "Great, now I look like a boy," she groaned as she looked in the mirror. Anice's outfit murdered her figure. Well, she had wanted something a bit more modest. The green pants and the wide golden waist sash she tried on reassured her that the outfit was not a conspiracy against her femininity, flattering her hips and waist. Tsugiko smiled. She could finally bend her waist without exposing herself to half of Mars in the process. Brown leather cavalry gloves and a dark green cape all but completed the ensemble, hiding the plastron straps from view. Tsugiko looked in the mirror, craning her neck as she spun about. In the span of ten minutes, she had gone from pin-up exhibitionist to...cute. Boyishly cute, if boys had hips, in an outfit reminding Tsugiko of swordsmen in a movie she had once seen, but without the lace and the feathered wide brimmed hat. Weren't they called the Three Mouseketeers? She could not remember; Japan seemed too long ago. Pity, she rather liked those hats. Maybe she could find one in the next town. She picked up her hammer and settled into a combat stance. After a few test swings and a lupine grin, Tsugiko understood why Anise included the bra. She no longer got in the way of her arms as she swung her hammer. She had long adapted to the peculiar nature of feminine armed combat; the new freedom of motion would be a blessing lethal to her enemies. Built for function instead of form, her clothes were designed for the soldier she now looked like. Tsugiko loved her new outfit, more Warrior and less Japanese heterosexual male fantasy Priestess than the old skirt and blouse piled on the deck. Currently androgynous, without the plastron and the present undergarments, her clothing would flatter what it hid. Shame, really, that some Thing would bleed all over it. The only question, when? Such was the lot of a Warrior Priestess: serious injury, bloodstains, not all her own in origin, and a lack of decent boyfriend prospects. Just like an average St. Hebereke gym class, but with the added luxury of male rejection. Tsugiko bundled her old skirt inside the long box. With a wide smile and an often-missing spring in her step, the Warrior Priestess stepped outside her stateroom. Maybe she could get the crew to lend her a ballast stone. Time to deep-six her old Priestess skirt. Of course, knowing the planet's sense of humor, she would probably need the accursed rags at least one more time before this nightmare ended. As a low hiss escaped through her clenched teeth, Tsugiko spun around, hurling the box inaide her stateroom. It bounced off the deck, sliding to a stop underneath her bed. "Might as well see what those two are doing," Tsugiko sighed. She walked up the stairs to the main deck. Walking away from the forecastle, she muttered, "Hopefully they've come up for air." She stopped, the familiar bitterness and anger resurged at the thought of Yumi and Kyouji joined at the lips. Tsugiko groaned. She was trying to put it behind her. Her emotions had once consumed her in bleak despair, but she had crawled free, swearing to deal with the unfortunate truth that Yumi held Kyoui's heart. She had even convinced herself that she was finally over him. Reason, however, proved to be a poor rudder for emotion. It hurt to think of Yumi and Kyouji, together. Sure, the pain had lessened, but only by a few Angstroms. Tsugiko sighed. Under other circumstances and other choices, Kyouji could have been kissing her instead of her roommate. Tsugiko winced, as those thoughts led to madness. She had to face her problems, and she was, a piece at a time. But a piece at a time did not calm her volatile emotions, the fuel for her Priestess powers. Unbeknownst to Tsugiko, a familiar green corona flared about her. Thin tendrils of smoke rose from the deck planks under her feet, ignored as Tsugiko lost herself in her musings. "Are you-? Hey! Stop that!" a gruff voice bellowed. Before Tsugiko could react, something hard smashed into her jaw, hurtling her to the deck, her surpise extinguishing her flames. "What you are trying to do, kill us? The ship's made of wood and tar. Idiot! One misplaced spark and the 'Penguin's' a torch." Tsugiko groaned as she stood. With her right hand, she worked her jaw. The Warrior Priestess glared at her attacker, a graying barrel-chested man with hard muscles and an even harder scowl. The white uniform added to the promise of caged menace and authority Tsugiko saw in his eyes. "Didn't like that much, did you? Tough. I ain't swimming home because some crazy fire freak turned this ship into a floating bonfire. Just be glad that you're not part of the crew, you-" the crewman said before launching off a string of profanities. Tsugiko clenched her jaw and fists as she stood, weathering the verbal onslaught. First, he had the nerve to strike her; next he compared her to Twizzler, followed by even more insults. Her anger built, how could it not when he threw gasoline on it with every word from his mouth, but she had enough presence of mind to restrain her flames. She too did not want to swim to shore. The crewman finished his colorful hundred-word slander against Tsugiko's intelligence, body (or lack thereof), ancestry, and sexual proclivities without once repeating himself. "-otherwise I would have kicked you across the deck from stem to stern and back again for being so foolish. I still might, if only you weren't a little girl." Little girl? Tsugiko trembled as her anger went critical. "If I see so much as one spark while you're onboard..." he said, driving his unspoken threat home as he shook an oversized fist in Tsugiko's face. He turned and stepped away. "The Captain's a bloody idiot for letting her on board." "Hey, Boats, you made her cry," another crewman called from the rigging, using the common nickname for a ship's boatswain, or bos'n. "Hey, 'Boats,'" Tsugiko called out. The man turned around, and Tsugiko launched herself at him, driving her fist into his gut. Her second fist swung up, catching his jaw as the bos'n doubled-over, surprised. "Didn't your mother tell you not to hit a lady?" The bos'n staggered before rushing Tsugiko, wrapping his arms around her waist before slamming her against a nearby bulkhead. "Not bad, lass. Why don't-" Tsugiko slammed her knee into his groin, cutting off the bos'n's speech. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Yumi opened her eyes as her kiss finally ended, painfully aware of the flutters of her heart and Kyouji's closeness. Sinking from her tiptoes to her feet, she looked up and smiled at Kyouji. The Knight Protector blushed and returned her smile. Trapped by the other's gaze, the two teenagers stood, riveted to the deck as an uneasy yet welcome silence descended upon them. Even the wind-strained lines and sails stopped their cries, or so it seemed to Yumi. Unable to put words to the whirlwind of thoughts rushing past her faster than the speed of comprehension, Yumi almost swooned as a content warmth swelled out from her heart, filling her entire body. Her beaming smile widened further as she stepped towards Kyouji, wrapping her arm around his waist. As she pulled closer, she felt his arm tentatively slip around her shoulders. "Perfect," she said softly as she rested her head against the Knight Protector's chest. All she needed was for someone to proclaim "And they all lived happily ever after" over Kyouji and her. She giggled at the thought, soon feeling Kyouji's muscles tense next to her. "What's so funny?" he asked. A thin trickle of sweat rolled down his brow. "Nothing," Yumi said. "It wasn't about me?" "No." She giggled again at another thought. "But that one was." "And that would be...?" Yumi found his anxiety endearing, but chose not to prolong his uneasiness. She rolled onto her toes and smiled. "This." Their lips met once again. As his surprise melted away, Kyouji embraced the Priestess. As she melted into his arms, Yumi heard a roar of approval in her ears, much like the one in her heart. Her eyes snapped open, having but the tiniest fraction of second to see her shock mirrored in Kyouji's face before the two teenagers leapt away from each other. Her heart pounding, Yumi searched for the audience she knew had surrounded them, but she could only find the watch officer by the ship's wheel. Mercifully, he faced the bow of the ship and away from the nervous teens. As her hand covered her heart, she released a breath she did not know she had held. "That scared me." Kyouji nodded, the color returning to his ashen face. "I thought she- never mind," he muttered. By unspoken mutual consent, the couple slipped off the quarterdeck, drifting towards the 'Penguin's' aft. You thought Tsugiko-chan was here, didn't you, Yumi thought. She sighed, fighting the grimace that crept into her smile. She did not blame Kyouji for his Pavlovian reaction. Tsugiko's wrath, even if only imagined, became but one more reason she needed to talk things over with both Kyouji and Tsugiko. She did not want to see her boyfriend in the hospital, even if it meant she could kiss away his injuries. Yumi's cheeks burned, sending the young woman into momentary panic. She turned away from Kyouji, lest her blush cause self- combustion. "Oh, my," she gasped. Tsugiko hobbled towards her friends, supported by a woozy monster of a man in ship's dress. She sported a new green outfit decorated by ragged tears and stains and a leather plastron hung from half its straps. As she and her human crutch neared, Tsugiko smiled between oozing split lips. She brushed matted hair from her face, revealing the shiner dotting one eye. The sailor shared many of Tsugiko's injuries, but hunched over, guarding his groin. "Tsugiko-chan!" Yumi shrieked. She ran towards her roommate. "What happened?" "I fell down a ladder," Tsugiko said through rapidly unsplitting lips. The familiar pink glow surrounded her, washing away her injuries and the blood stains on her new clothes. She nodded towards the Bos'n. "Could you help him too?" "What's wrong with him?" Yumi asked. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at her partner. "He fell first." Tsugiko's face glowed with satisfaction. The bos'n suddenly developed a persistent, almost intelligible coughing fit. Yumi could barely make it out. Something about animal droppings, but she could not be sure. "Tsugiko-chan..." Yumi warned. "What? Yumi, I didn't push him-" Tsugiko began. "The first time," the sailor said without rancor. He wore an amused smile on his face. Kyouji snorted, while Yumi listened in growing horror. "At least I can walk without tripping on my own two feet," Tsugiko answered. "I was too busy tripping over yours," the sailor said. "I'm not the one limping, though." "Tsugiko-chan!" Yumi shrieked. Turning to the wounded sailor, she apologized for her roommate. "Do you want healing, Mister-" "Bos'n. Bos'n Berry, but I'd be much obliged if you would call me by my first name." "And that is-" "Boats." The Bos'n flashed a toothy, wry grin before casting his eyes towards 'Penguin's' forest of masts and lines. Yumi blinked as her brain wrapped itself around the telephone pole of the Bos'n's answer. "Okay..." The Bos'n turned away from the trio, mortifying Yumi as he addressed another sailor in a mixture of scatological and psychological terminology. "Dress those lines properly!" he shouted, storming towards the offending sailor with ham-sized fists. "What really happened, Tsugiko-chan?" Yumi said as she stared at her friend. "Tell me the truth." "Nothing. I was just earning Boats' respect, that's all," she answered. "And what do you need for that," Kyouji said. He, too, leveled a cold stare at Tsugiko. "A good right hook." The three Warrior Priestesses stared at each other as an uncomfortable silence settled between them, occasionally punctuated by the caustic spray of a righteously indignant boatswain. "So, Tsugiko, that's an interesting outfit," Kyouji said, coughing. Yumi chewed her lip. If not for the tears and stains, Tsugiko's clothing would be attractive. An unsettling queasiness filled her stomach, increasing whenever she glanced at Kyouji. He gaze finally rested upon Tsugiko, in her embarrassing dishevelment. A faint blush crept across the other priestess' cheek, to Yumi's dismay. Her eyes brightened as a half-formed idea glimmered in her mind. She walked over to Tsugiko, whispering behind cupped hands the truth, partially exaggerated, about the modesty of Tsugiko's current appearance. Tsugiko's eyes widened as she drew her cape around her. With reddening cheeks, the green priestess sprinted to the safety of her stateroom. Yumi slumped as she sighed. Inspiration's glow had faded, leaving her with a dry mouth and a sinking heart. The green priestess should have known better than to brawl and insult the crew. If Tsugiko had not acted so unlady-like, Yumi would not have needed to... ...to lie. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Perhaps the greatest benefit of nobility, Xocolatl mused as he ate in the ship's crowded mess, rested not in invisibility, but in isolation. After all, everyone noticed nobles, if only to avoid their wrath; some realms considered it a survival trait. Yet few seemed inclined to bother him with news less urgent than the 'Satisfied Penguin's' imminent sinking, no doubt another survival trait. Besides, only a noble could cajole his way on board a ship chartered for the Warrior Priestesses. Pity that such glorious solitude was wasted on the nobility, the tall, bronzed man thought. The guise offered him greater freedom of movement than his normal identity. How else could he get a table of his own during the crowded evening meal? Even Wintergreen would think twice before striking him, if only to consider realpolitik consequences, a luxury denied his true position. Her persecutions proved bloodily efficient sport for her ill humors, as some of Xocolatl's acquaintances had learned. Martyrdom became a privilege Wintergreen readily offered to and visited upon the planet's various religious orders. To spite Wintergreen, and to repair the devastation she wreaked upon the planet, Xocolatl was more than willing to play the bare- chested savage noble, complete with a feather cloak that melted red into blue, silver and turquoise banded bracers, dark breeches, and ceremonial silver-handled obsidian dagger. The imposing façade gave him the peace needed to watch and listen to the most unusual company seated across the hall to where Xocolatl's gaze drifted. "Kyouji-kun, let's have a fight." Kyouji panicked. "Why?" Tsugiko rolled her eyes as she drank from her mug. "So we can make up afterward," Yumi said. Tsugiko choked on her drink, spraying the dark liquid across the table. The man watched as Kyouji gulped. The crewmen present laughed. The Knight Protector blushed and slinked out of the mess. Yumi pouted and chased after him, leaving a hacking Tsugiko alone at her table. "I'm...just fine," she wheezed. Glaring at the closing door, she snarled, "Nice of you to notice." "That went well," Xocolatl muttered, hiding a smile. A thick stein crashed down next to her. She looked up, into the grinning face of the Bos'n. "Thought I'd bring you another drink, since the first wasn't to your liking," the seaman said. The grin grew wider. "Thanks. Er, what's this?" Tsugiko said. With her fingertips, she picked a fluorescing purple pepper out of her drink. "Tamale beer. Puts hair on a man's chest. Can't say I know what it does to the ladies," the Bos'n said. He drained his stein in one long pull before slamming onto the table. "Hits the spot." Tsugiko stared into her mug before bringing it to her mouth. Waves of capsaicin and alcohol assaulted her nose and stung her eyes. Blinking back tears, Tsugiko set the mug back down and pushed it away. "I think I'll pass." The man rolled his eyes as Bos'n Berry extolled the many wondrous virtues of tamale beer, including its uses as an industrial strength cleaning solvent powerful enough to remove unwanted ship from fingerprints, as emergency fuel for a fire, and as a weapon of war banned by international law. The more Tsugiko squirmed, the more outlandish and improbable the uses for tamale beer became, much to the amusement of the sailors clustered around her. Xocolatl shook his head. The planet had to be insane to trust mere children with saving it. But who else would do the task? Mars' citizens had homes and families to lose, while otherworlder children had nothing of the sort. Certainly the drive to return home coupled with youthful idealism could empower otherworlders to achieve what natives could never. Xocolatl's teachers taught him to fear the one who had nothing to lose and everything to gain, with good reason. He doubted also that Mars would find willing volunteers from the populace. His order could not. Certain death for scant chances of success wooed few. "'Wanted, bright and courageous people seeking adventure, for new opportunities in drudgery, toil, and fatigue. Slim chance to save the world, most likely ending in failure and martyrdom. Apply within,'" he muttered. A bleak scowl shaded his face. Still, he thought as he considered the Warrior Priestesses' behavior, couldn't the planet find saviors who weren't so foolish? His society's plans depended upon the Warrior Priestesses' success. The world must be saved before it could be healed. Xocolatl sighed, mourning the inability to create new plans, no matter how tempting it may be. Besides, the gushermoss waited for him in Ganache. His order had discovered gushermoss some forty years ago in a search for promising plant life often interrupted by Wintergreen's death squads. Field tests discovered that the moss, a spongy rusty colored plant prone to spraying seeds without warning, could not only live in the barren, white-rock Scars Wintergreen inflicted on the planet, upon its death, it created a spongy soil-like layer that could support other plants that, in turn, could restore the destroyed ecosystem. The process took at least twenty years for the layer to grow thick enough to support the first grasses. It would be centuries before the first tree could live in the newly reclaimed land. Of course, if Wintergreen still lived, none of this would happen. She would turn the planet into one giant Scar. Mars help the otherworlders, Xocolatl thought as he sipped his drink. Someone had to. His mind whirled, examining the lore and teachings for anything to give the Warrior Priestesses an edge. If they failed, Mars was lost, not that he'd live long enough to see its death throes. He would talk to the Knight Protector, Kyouji. The girls might mistake his help for an unwanted advance, and he did not relish the Green One's wrath. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< The watch bell rang out three times, destroying the night's tranquil silence, much to Kyouji's dismay as he sought sleep in his stateroom's bed. The Knight Protector growled as he rammed his pillow over his ears. The periodic clanging ruined what would have ordinarily been a pleasant, if not odd, night. He had spent time stargazing with Yumi, when, without warning, she leapt to her feet and ran. He gave chase, unsure of what was going on. Yumi had run fast enough to stay tantalizing close, but still out of his reach. A kiss awaited him at the end of the chase, but Kyouji still could not figure out why Yumi wanted to run in the first place. He laughed without humor. He'd never understand women. Fortunately, the recent surprises were all good, instead of all concussion inducing. His luck had appeared to change. Yumi's closeness grew ever more enjoyable, Tsugiko had stopped using his head for a tympani drum, and even that mini-skirt incident proved to be a minor irritation. The sea voyage started uneventful, despite Tsugiko's continued bonding with the crew, a process usually including chairs, bottles, and other blunt objects. Kit Kat had even given him a wide berth. All in all, a pleasant change of events. Mars would soon throw more flotsam from the Frigate of Bad Luck into his path. It wasn't paranoia if the planet and half the creatures on it conspired against you. Besides, knowing that the future held the near deaths (hopefully) of your girlfriend and your next girl-, er, her best friend, by his own hand did not help dispel the foreboding that haunted Kyouji when he was alone. He shook his head and rolled over. Best not to dwell on it. Tomorrow would be a new day, with Yumi providing new distractions from his concerns. Thinking of his girlfriend, he settled down to sleep. Four clear clangs peeled out, rousing the Knight Protector from his near slumber. After throwing on enough clothes to prove decent, which, oddly enough, included his sword, he stormed out of his stateroom, ready to go all Tsugiko on someone. He stopped a sailor walking past. "What's with the bells?" The sailor snorted. "They mark the half hours of the watch." Lacking clocks of any precision, the ship relied on a thirty-minute hourglass and an officer's apprentice to ring the bell whenever the timer ran out. "Can't you use a clock like everyone else?" The sailor staggered away, folded over in laughter. So much for 'all Tsugiko.' Kyouji grumbled as he leaned against a nearby stanchion, bemoaning in exquisite detail the agonizing lack of earplugs on board 'Penguin.' "Hail and well met, Kyouji, Knight Protector of Mars," a voice intoned behind him. Kyouji spun away from the railing, his hand clenching the pommel at his waist. "I am Xocolatl de la Ardeal Dulce, of the Caramellean Order," the man said. His head bobbed in a shallow bow. "One of Riesen's stooges?" Kyouji said, glowering at the man. He had seen this Xocolatl before, always staring at him or the girls. And what was with that ridiculous feathered...thing he wore? Xocolatl sighed. "Since you have met Riesen, I cannot fault your caution. That traitor slanders the order whenever he can. Rest assured, however, that I am not him, nor am I with Wintergreen." "Why should I trust you?" "Why should you not? We have just met, and I have yet to prove myself untrustworthy." "You haven't answered my question." "You still cannot trust me? Very well. Without trust, we are at an impasse. I shall take my leave, then, as I will not waste my efforts," Xocotatl spoke as he traced a circle on the deck with the end of his staff. "However, I shall return if you should change your mind..." Both sage and speech faded from the ship. "Wait!" Kyouji said, reaching for the air where the man once stood. He groaned, "Not another spirit. Why is it that I always get the weirdoes?" >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Yumi hummed to herself as she stood in front of the stateroom's mirror, brushing out her hair according to her nightly ritual. Her trademark bow rested on the dresser before her. A dreamy smile lit her face as her mind drifted to thoughts of Kyouji. It truly had been a perfect day, except for Tsugiko's antics with the ship's crew. Yumi frowned. The stateroom door opened, and Tsugiko staggered inside, collapsing into her hammock. "At least take your armor and cape off," Yumi chided. She wondered where she could get a similar outfit, though sleeping with the plastron on couldn't be comfortable. Tsugiko mechanically readied herself for bed. Yumi's eyes narrowed as she watched in the mirror as her roommate fumbled with the various straps, clasps, and zippers fastening her clothing. "Are you drunk?" "No!" Tsugiko snapped, shocked out of her daze. "Just tired." Yumi set the brush down on the dresser and turned around, crossing her arms. "Another fight?" "No...yes, er, maybe. Maybe," Tsugiko said as she struggled out of her leotard. "I healed three sailors today, thanks to you." Yumi did think it was odd how the sailors were quick to place blame, but strangely quiet about the events prior to the brawl. The sudden epidemic of broken hands disturbed her too. "Sorry, didn't mean to ruin your pleasure cruise," Tsugiko said. She winced, holding her side. "Here, let me see that," Yumi said, retrieving her wand. After the familiar ministrations, Tsugiko's wince faded. "What does the captain think about your fights?" Tsugiko groaned as she rolled onto her stomach. The Captain's Mast had not been pleasant because of her reaction to sailors' wayward hands. "Locked them up for the rest of the voyage." "And?" Yumi said. "Until we reach our destination, I'm to assist the crew during the morning watch and the second dog watch," Tsugiko said, exhaling sharply. Noticing the puzzled look on Yumi's face, Tsugiko explained that, starting from midnight, the ship's day was divided into four hour watches. However, the watch from four in the afternoon to eight in the evening was split into two two-hour watches known as dog watches. "It's new to me, too. But the captain feels it'll keep me out of trouble." Yumi nodded. At least Tsugiko would pay for her temper. "He wasn't too happy about your fight." "I'm not too happy about it either." Nor would their enemies be thrilled to face a stronger, hardier, and meaner Tsugiko. "Really, Tsugiko-chan, what are you thinking? You've been fighting and insulting the sailors since the cruise began. St. Hebereke taught you better," Yumi said, crossing her arms. Tsugiko tilted her head to look in Yumi's eyes. "You weren't in my gym class, were you?" "You aren't acting lady-like. It's disrespectful to you and to others. The people expect us to act proper." "'The people' only want us to kill the Big Bad that they can't. As long as we win, they don't really care how we act." Tsugiko sat up, crossing her arms. "We're Priestesses." Tsugiko snorted. "Right. We're Warriors, Yumi. Killers. Mars lets one of our incarnations loose when it needs us, only to cage us again when we aren't needed." If we survive, Yumi thought. "That still doesn't mean that we shouldn't have some dignity." "Like you've been acting any more dignified," Tsugiko said, between laughs. "I'm not the one hanging out with sailors," Yumi snarled. "No, but you are the one chasing her boyfriend throughout the ship without a care of what other people think," Tsugiko said, flashing a toothy, predatory smile. "Trust me, you don't want to know what the crew thinks." Yumi paled. "That was just once." "Oh yeah, what about telling Kyouji, 'If you kiss me now, I promise not to hit you,'" Tsugiko said. Her voice modulated into a passable copy of Yumi's with an added helping of sarcasm. "How's that 'respectful?' Especially to me." Yumi was taken aback. Her shoulders fell as she spoke. "I didn't mean that." "And then there was Twix." That stoked Yumi's fire. "Oh, no, you aren't blaming that on me. That wasn't my fault." "Was it Kyouji's?" Tsugiko said. Yumi gasped. "Of course not! He did what he had to do. I wouldn't think that you of all people would be upset about it," she said. "I'm not. It was either her or me. Since I'm alive and she's not, I have no complaints with Kyouji's choice," Tsugiko said. She stood to her feet. "It's you I've got the problem with." "Tsugiko-ch-" Yumi protested. "Come off it. You practically cry rivers whenever you stub your toe on something Wintergreen touched. You acted like Winis's death all but killed you. Yet you joke about Twix's death? What the hell's wrong with you? All that kissing melt your brain?" Yumi seethed, her mouth moving without a sound. She grasped at a passing thought and found her voice. "You're jealous, aren't you?" Shaking her head as she fell to her knees, she offered, "If it means that much to you, I'll break up-" The words caught in her throat, and tears welled in her eyes. Tsugiko sighed and rolled her eyes. Kneeling beside her roommate, she said, "Yumi, he's yours, okay. Yes, it hurts, but I'm getting over it." "I didn't mean for this to happen," Yumi sniffed. Well, not at Tsugiko's expense, anyway. Tsugiko smiled weakly. "I know. It's my fault more than yours. Yumi, I just crawled out of my own little world; I just don't want to see you crawl into yours." Yumi blinked, rubbing the salt from her eyes. "Which one is that?" "Kyouji." "Are you sure you aren't jealous?" Tsugiko sighed. "I, We, need you if we're ever going to defeat Wintergreen and leave this forsaken world. You have healing talents and empathy towards the people and the planet that I could never have." "Tsugiko-chan..." Yumi tackle-hugged the other girl. "Just don't let Kyouji distract you too much from the task at hand." "Too much?" Yumi asked. Tsugiko forced a laugh. "Well, he can be a distraction." Yumi laughed, and then stopped. "You really think I'm getting too wrapped up in Kyouji-kun?" She saw a slight twitch tug at the corner of Tsugiko's eye at the change in Kyouji's honorific. "Well, there was this morning on the main deck, that 'let's fight so we can make up,' your sudden playfulness, that 'kiss me and I won't hit you' comment-'" Tsugiko said, counting on her fingers. "I'm sorry about that one, Tsugiko-chan." Her roommate's face softened. "I'm not asking you to give him up. Just don't forget about the rest of the world," Tsugiko said. She stretched and yawned. "Or I'll toss both of you overboard." Yumi caught the twinkle in the other priestess' eye. "You wouldn't dare," she said, reaching into the nearest hammock. Tsugiko grinned. "Want to find out?" She grunted as a pillow caught her upside the head. After the proper pleasantries, the pillow fight began in earnest. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< After her first watch ended, Tsugiko tore across the ship's deck, clenching bloodied raw hands. Upon seeing Kyouji looking out to sea by the stanchion she thought of as the lovebirds', she bee-lined towards him. As she neared, she heard a splash. Kyouji smiled as he turned around. "Good morning, Tsugiko," he said. His eyes widened as Tsugiko grabbed his shoulders. The girl winced as she touched him, but her discomfort did not prevent her from shaking Kyouji. "You've got to help me. Where's Yumi?" she said. Urgency filled her voice and eyes, accompanied by a touch of fear Kyouji never associated with the priestess. "What's wrong?" he asked. He grasped her wrists, pulling them away from their uncomfortable proximity to his neck. He grimaced as he turned her palms over. "Ouch. What happened?" "The Bos'n's got me learning knots and working the lines during my watch and I can't wear my new gloves," Tsugiko said. Her discomfort pulled at the corners of her eyes. "Could you let go?" "Lines?" Kyouji said. He wondered why he did not sense her injuries. Tsugiko's voice lowered. "Y'know, ropes. Don't let the Bos'n hear that I called them that." "Tsugiko," the Bos'n's voice bellowed. "Where's Yumi," she said as her eyes darted about the rigging. "Tsugiko-chan! Kyouji-kun!" Yumi called out as she approached. "How was your watch?" Tsugiko held out her hands for Yumi's inspection. "Hurry, before he tries one of his remedies." "What kind of remedy?" Kyouji said. His voice dripped with suspicion. As Yumi's pink light regenerated Tsugiko's skin, the Bos'n called out once more. "Come on, lass, a little tamale beer and gunpowder works wonders." Tsugiko paled as the crew's laughter filled the ship. "Thanks." She leaned against the railing and looked down at the sea. Her eyes widened as she stood up. A finger against Kyouji's lip silenced her unspoken question. "Where's Kit Kat? I haven't seen him all morning," Yumi said. "Chumming around, I guess," Kyouji replied. "Oh, he's making new friends?" "Something like that," Kyouji said, biting his lip as he fought back a smile. Tsugiko looked out to sea. "Here comes one now," she said as a long, slender fin knifed through the waves. "Gummi shark to the starboard aft!" The Warrior Priestesses leaned over the railing. "GI-KAAAAAAAAA!" A sopping wet orange and green missile shot out of water, hurling itself up the prow and into Yumi's arms. "Tsugiko-chan..." Yumi growled as she cradled a trembling Kit Kat in her arms. Tsugiko held her hands up. "Wasn't me." Kyouji whistled as he slipped away from the bickering priestesses. But before he reached the safety of the main deck, he winced as a load soprano scream resounded throughout the ship. "Kyouji-kun!" The Knight Protector turned around, shrinking under the laughter of the ship's crew. Yumi descended upon him like a pink Fury. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< For the second night in a row, Kyouji found himself against the forecastle-railing stanchion he had claimed as his own. Staring at the horizon proved to be a popular pastime aboard 'Crazy Mint's Satisfied Penguin.' He found that one occupied one's mind by whatever means possible. The entertainment options on ship were scant at best. The mind wandered, however, as the horizon held little besides clouds dawdling across the sky and the occasional lone avian. Instead of wandering, Kyouji's mind riveted itself to one thought; Yumi. "She did say that she wanted a fight," Kyouji muttered without joy. In hindsight, his little joke on the rodent wasn't funny. But the carret had been on his nerves since the first day it "gika"-ed into his life, and the Walnetto hadn't improved his opinion any. The pest had a talent for avoiding peril and always made it through the toughest of battles without so much as a scratch, mostly by not being in them. Kyouji never thought that the carret would be in danger. The Kit Kat came back, always, welcomed or not. He should have known that Yumi would see it differently. In Kit Kat's eyes, the sun rose and set on Yumi, and the priestess returned the creature's affection. Kyouji sighed, knowing full well he should not have tried to explain himself. Whatever he said came out wrong. Now, Yumi was upset, cold, and distant. Her disappointment hurt more than any of Tsugiko's swings. Well, almost any, he mused, as a dull ache settled in his bones where once an especially angry Tsugiko had belted him. Yet Tsugiko had been amused where Yumi had not. Teru had once advised Kyouji to but take things as slow with Yumi as possible, because the Knight Protector's affections had favored Tsugiko instead of Yumi. "Too late," he whispered, tasting the faint salt spray in the air. Yumi certainly felt no pressure to slow things down. To his surprise, with each kiss, smile, and quiet conversation, Kyouji's reluctance faded. Yumi was his girlfriend now, not Tsugiko, and his girlfriend was upset at him. Kyouji listed Yumi's admirable qualities, starting with her physical appearance, her compassion, her gentleness, and her sense of right. Sighing, he wished he shared her sense of unwavering rightness that gave her the confidence that she was doing the right thing. It would have been most useful countless times throughout the entire journey. Kyouji knew that he had been forced to make decision after decision between a host of tough choices, few clearly better than the rest. That split-second choice between Twix and Tsugiko proved to be the latest example. He knew that one girl would die no matter what. While the decision to save Tsugiko was simpler than most, he wondered if he could have saved her without killing Twix in the process, and if so, how. Kyouji sighed again, shaking his head. Who had made him judge and executioner? Why was this unrequested burden placed upon him? Why did Twix's death bother him more than the deaths of the pikemen that threatened Tsugiko in Guylian? Did Twix's death lead to the mercy he showed Twizzler? He rubbed his temples. The combination of too many questions, not enough answers, and too much meditation nurtured a small, unnoticed headache from earlier that evening into a vice pressing against his head. "Have you changed your mind?" Kyouji rolled his eyes as he turned around. As he expected, the feathered Xocolatl stood before him. Unwilling to endure another lecture on trust, he opened his mouth to send the arrogant noble away. However, the man might provide a respite from the storm inside. Xocolatl may not have been a welcome distraction, but Kyouji welcomed any distraction from his thoughts. "Yeah, sure." Kyouji doubted that Xocolatl could mess up his mind more than any of the others he had talked to. "Good," Xocolatl said, resting against a nearby stanchion. He cupped a pipe in his hands and lit the bowl. He sniffed the acrid smoke, before putting the stem to his mouth. "As I said, Riesen has nothing to do with us. He wants to rule, and we'd rather learn." "He betrayed you, too?" Kyouji's eyes narrowed as he spoke. He was not surprised in the least. Xocolatl exhaled sharply. "He's got a knack for it. He wallows in intrigue, may he choke on it. While you," he said, pointing at Kyouji with the pipe. "You wallow in certainty." Kyouji blinked. "Um, what do you mean?" "You've convinced yourself that Wintergreen's prophecy is true and that Fate's going to ambush you for being a male. You're more concerned about 'when' instead of 'if.'" Xocolatl shook his head as he tapped the contents from the pipe bowl. Kyouji deflated, sliding to the deck. "How did you know?" Xocolatl rummaged inside his belt pouch. "Let's just say that your quiet inquiries weren't as quiet as you thought. If we learned about it, I'm sure Wintergreen's howling in laughter." He smiled as he dropped a pinch of crushed herb into his pipe. Kyouji's head spun faster than before. "Great." Xocolatl's smile widened, brightening his eyes. "Yeah. Isn't it? She gloats and grows sloppy. Makes it easier to act against her." "If she doesn't kill us first," Kyouji said. "True, that may happen. Or it may not," Xocolatl interrupted the pre-smoke ablutions long enough to shrug. "Who knows?" "But don't you believe in the Wheel of Fate that Mars created?" "Many people do," Xocolatl said. He puffed on the pipe. Kyouji caught the unspoken implication. "But you do not." The noble shrugged. "I may have the occasional reservation." "I thought it might be universal." Xocolatl's brow furled as he sat motionless. Only the irregular puff of smoke caught in the moonlight convinced Kyouji the he watched something other than a statue. "Well, people do crave certainty," the feathered man said. "Some of us even cling to muddled oracles, forcing our lives upon their words, because the uncertainty is too much to bear." Kyouji sighed, shaking his head. "The Wheel gives the people certainty. We know that our lives follow a playwright's script for good and evil, blessings and curses. If you destroy Wintergreen, it is because Mars, through the Wheel, wills it. Likewise, if she kills you and your lady friends, she will have done so according to the Wheel's plan." Kyouji shook his head. He knew the planet had pulled Yumi, Tsugiko, and himself to Mars to defeat Wintergreen. The planet's desire seemed clear. Playing Devil's advocate, he said, "So what's the point of trying?" "None," Xocolatl said. "At least for the people here. But you and your friends want to go home, right?" "Sometimes I wonder. But we must beat Wintergreen first." Xocolatl's eyes focused on some distant point. "Ever wonder why you might be here?" Kyouji snorted. He had just mentioned the reason. It seemed pretty clear to him. "To kill Wintergreen." "True, but why three people from your world instead of three from this one?" The Knight Protector's brow furled. After a few moments, he hazarded a reply. "Old souls? Maybe some sort of interdimensional mix-up?" he said, shrugging. He looked at Xocolatl, who stared at the Knight Protector with puzzlement. "Never mind." Xocolatle shrugged, returning his attention to his pipe and his thoughts. "Maybe its because the people here stagnate in fatalism. Everything is as it always was and always will be. There's no incentive to create, to improve, to question. People are content. Why fight the status quo if the status quo will just reassert itself?" "And those who try get crushed by Fate, right?" "Yes, sometimes," the savage noble said. "But aren't the nations fighting Wintergreen?" "Yes. But some that should aren't, having allied themselves with Wintergreen because the omens instruct them to. Fate isn't as binding as many wish to believe." "I guess it makes sense. After all, if all history is on the Wheel, someone should be able to predict the future." Xocolatl sighed. "Yes, some do indeed claim that skill. I could tell you of myriad arts designed to do that through the use of animal entrails, tea leafs, stars, and still water, but I will not." Kyouji's eyes had narrowed at Xocolatl's mention of tea leafs. "Why not?" "I could also tell of those who search the stories of times long past for clues to the future." "That would be useful," Kyouji said, mulling over the thought. "Or I could tell of those who seek the future through the colors and locations of lightening in the sky. Of this, I know little, save that a brilliant flash that blocks out everything else foretells immanent disaster," Xocolatl said, glancing at Kyouji as he paused. Kyouji leaned closer to the older man. "What? What's that?" "Electrocution." Xocolatl grinned before breaking into contagious laughter. "None of these are reliable, though, due to human greed and fallibility. Only Fate's oracles consistently proved true, if a person could get one. She was ever more concerned with protecting the Starburst Crystal than with soothsaying." Kyouji's attention fixed on one stray word. "Wait a minute, 'was?'" Xocolatl nodded. "You knew her as the spirit of the Starburst Crystal Temple. Wintergreen killed Fate when she destroyed the Temple." "Isn't there supposed to be some nasty trap or counterstroke against Wintergreen for that?" "Yeah, you, now that the Walnetto's sealed," Xocolatl said between puffs of smoke. "I'm so impressed," Kyouji said dryly. "How do you think I feel? This is my world, after all." Xocolatl ignored Kyouji's glare. "Anyway, actions always have consequences, regardless of Fate. But without her, there's no sword waiting to strike down those who step out of line or who have the unfortunate luck of being a man thrust into a woman's job." "You know about that, too?" Kyouji groaned. Nothing remained secret. Xocolatl ignored the Knight Protector. "Without Fate, Wintergreen will find it easier to ravage Mars and subjugate the people. I expect more lords will flock to her banner, freed from Fate's reprisals." "How encouraging..." Kyouji growled. Another mirthful smile crossed the older man's face. "It is." "You're a real 'glass is half full' kind of man." Xocolatl's brow furled as his eyes narrowed in concentration. Shrugging off Kyouji's reply, he continued. "It has been the doom of the Warrior Priestesses to imprison Wintergreen, or the earlier evils she wields, inside the Starburst Crystal at the cost of their lives. You can face Wintergreen in the grand old way, and most likely die in the same grand old way as your predecessors have..." A chill moved down Kyouji's spine as he contemplated enduring Teru's fate as a passenger in their successor's mind. "Or?" "I've always wondered what might happen if someone were to change the pattern inscribed on the Wheel, say, with something as powerful as the Starburst Crystal. Perhaps you could change a person's destiny, or destroy Wintergreen and the incarnations of her evil forever. You could defeat Wintergreen without facing her directly, without your likely death. But that is not my decision." Kyouji pondered that. "But wouldn't that be inviting a tragic future onto ourselves?" Xocolatl groaned, rolling his eyes. "Kyouji, you aren't from this world. What makes you think its rules apply to you?" >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Yumi tiptoed across the deck with a mischievous grin plastered across her face. Covering her eyes from the bright sunlight, she searched the decks, finding Kyouji on the forecastle deck, searching the horizon. Suppressing a laugh, she slipped towards the Knight Protector in silence. Slowly, cautiously, she crept the last few meters separating her from her target before leaping at the unsuspecting man, wrapping her arms around his chest. He staggered against the railing and turned around inside her arms before looking down at Yumi's smiling face. "Hi!" she said. Her voice held musical overtones. "Hi," Kyouji said. "Um, you aren't still mad at me?" "Well, you are sorry, aren't you? And you'll not do something like that again, right?" Kyouji nodded in emphatic agreement. "I guess I can forgive you," she teased, not wishing to unearth last night's argument. "Just don't do it again, okay." The ship's bell rang out eight times, followed by the watch officer's yell of "Eight bells and all is well." With the current watch completed, the sailor formerly on-duty dispersed upon the arrival of their replacements. Some didn't even wait that long. "Don't you two ever stop," Tsugiko said, exaggerating a groan as she shuffled towards her friends. "It's too early in the morning to watch you two flirt." "Tsugiko, isn't it noon?" Kyouji said. "It's too early in the afternoon, then," Tsugiko replied, flashing a wry grin. "You're in a good mood," Yumi said as she disentangled herself from Kyouji and examined Tsugiko's hands. Sighing, she undid the four hours' collection of rope burns and blisters on Tsugiko's hands. "Thanks to you, I am now," Tsugiko said. She worked her hands, accustoming herself to the missing soreness. "Today wasn't as difficult as yesterday's watches. Just as draining, but not quite as overwhelming." Her attention shifted away from her hands. "So, Kyouji, find anything ere besides water?" The Knight Protector nodded, pointing to a small, but distinct spot on the horizon. "I think that's an island. At least it's the first I've seen since we left." "That it is," a loud voice boomed. The Warrior Priestesses flinched before turning towards the origin of the voice. The Bos'n smirked. "How're your hands, lass?" A smirking Tsugiko held out her unmarked palms for inspection. The Bos'n sighed, shaking his hands. "I tell you, you've got to let the calluses build. 'Tis why I don't let you wear your gloves." "But, Bos'n, I can't, I'm a lady." "You don't hit like one," the sailor riposted. "So, 'Bos'n'," Kyouji said, testing the name on his lips. "Do you know what island that is?" Bos'n Berry laughed. "That I do. You're looking at the Isla d'Fender, one of the strangest islands on all of Mars. 'Tis the isle of the Strato tribe, a strange and cunning people who language none have learned." "How strange is it?" Yumi said. The old sailor grinned, surveying his audience. Kyouji and Yumi listened with rapt attention, while Tsugiko stood with crossed arms and an expressionless face. He lowered his voice, adding a mysterious and conspiratorial air to his words. "All that's known is that the Strato are fiercely protective of their axes, using them in secret ceremonies before towering stacks of squarish rocks representing their three gods, Wu'fer, Twui Tar, and Marischall. Some claim the ceremonies involve beautiful young women, but none will speak of what they saw." Yumi shrieked as she cuddled against Kyouji, while Tsugiko rolled her eyes in disgust. The Bos'n stepped back in smug appreciation of his handiwork. "I can't believe she swallowed that garbage," Tsugiko said, shaking her head. As Yumi's face matched her dress, Kyouji quickly asked, "So, Boats, are we heading towards that island?" The Bos'n shook his head. "I would think you'd know where your travels end." "Someone else made the arrangements," Tsugiko said. "Happens all the time." The Bos'n raised an eyebrow before a quick shrug. "Our destination is the port city of Ganache." "Could you tell us about the lands around there?" Tsugiko asked. "Don't see much of any place but shore and pub," the Bos'n answered. "But I have heard the countryside is filled with brilliant scarlet fields and a network of green canals." "What about temples, caves, fortresses, man-eating superbeasts, or guardian specters?" Kyouji asked. The Bos'n shrugged. "Always have been more concerned with the sea. I let the land take care of itself." "How far away is Ganache?" Yumi asked. The Bos'n mulled it over. "With luck and good winds, two weeks at the fastest. Under normal winds, and avoiding the Calms, four weeks." The Calms were unnatural instances of still wind that could last for days. The sails slackened, as the wind stopped pushing against the fabric, until each sail in turn fell slack. The Bos'n cocked his head. "Maybe longer." >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Kyouji could not remember when he first joined the Master at Arms' daily lessons; a quick sword swung towards his head. He met it with an easy parry, only to find the Master at Arms' boot in his belly. The Knight Protector staggered backwards, pushed by the sailor, until he tripped over one of the random obstacles scattered on the boat deck. Somewhere in the crowd ringing the two men, Yumi gasped as her boyfriend crashed to the deck. "You aren't going to kick him while he's down, are you, Boats?" a sailor called out. The Master at Arms grinned as he approached Kyouji. "Why do you think I knocked him down in the first place?" The Knight Protector rolled to his right before springing to his feet. As the Bos'n pivoted towards him, Kyouji's blade lunged forward. The sailor met it with a parry, and then with a yelp. The Bos'n dropped his blade, massaging his hand. Kyouji lunged, watching in horror as the Bos'n spun away from the blade. His off hand snaked out and grabbed the Knight Protector's wrist. The Bos'n shook the sword from it before drawing Kyouji into a massive bear hug, to Yumi's horror. Kyouji lashed out with his feet as the bigger man lifted him from the deck. As his world quickly shrank to the back-cracking clave of popping vertebrae and the struggle for breath, he thrust his hand against the Bos'n's side and concentrated. The crowd backed away as a pale blue nimbus engulfed the two combatants, vanishing only as the men fell away from each other. Kyouji crawled on the deck, gulping ozone-laden air into burning lungs. "We'll...call it a draw," the Bos'n gasped. Shouts and grains burst for from the crowd as money changed hands. With slow, uncertain movements, the Master at Arms stood to his feet, swatting away any attempts to help. Yumi ran forward, bathing both men in pink light from her wand. As his strength returned, Kyouji struggled to his feet. He staggered again as a giant paw clapped against his back. "Not bad," the sailor said, handing Kyouji a bloody-stemmed poppy. "I believe this is yours." Kyouji gulped. He had jabbed the flower into the seaman's side before electrocuting him. By breaking the skin, he insured that the sailor absorbed most of the current. It was just as cheap and underhanded as pressing a charged poppy against his sword's bell guard to electrify his blade, but his new teacher demanded it. In addition to his usual duties, Bosun Berry periodically taught the ship's crew to fight according to his personal code: dirty, filthy, nasty. What he lacked in polish, he made up for with steely determination and devilish creativity. A firm believer in practicing under the same conditions in which he fought, he would often cover the practice area in sand, seawater, tar, hemp lines, or whatever debris he could find before taking on all comers with sword, boarding pike, boots, and seawater-hardened fists. Even before Kyouji joined the sessions some two weeks earlier, the Bos'n's hard-fought lessons kept Yumi's wand busy healing a regular series of customers: the slow learners. Originally joining to break the monotony of the voyage, Kyouji had quickly learned that to fight by a set of rules invited death, especially when the foeman did not share the same rulebook. Only by using every bit of advantage he could muster could he hold his own against the fiendish seaman, whether it be skill, timing, or refusal to give quarter. The drills were grueling (mostly) bloodless battles, where the Bos'n pounded home the day's lessons, usually with his fists. "Take a breather," the Master at Arms said, pushing Kyouji from the center of the circle into the crowd. Pointing at the next victims, he said, "You, and you. Get out here." As the unfortunate sailors squared off, Yumi lead Kyouji by the arm towards a lifeboat moored to the boat deck. Tsugiko sat inside the smaller craft, fussing over a set of ropes and dowels. She stopped her attempt at lashing long enough to offer a terse "Good job." Xocolatl harrumphed as he rested against the lifeboat. Between draws on his pipe, the nobleman illuminated Kyouji's mistakes, offering the occasional correction. Like most aboard, Xocolatl had come to view the Master at Arms' session as entertainment, although he drew the line at placing bets. Kyouji nodded occasionally as the other man spoke. The nobleman's keen observations proved useful, but sometimes the Knight Protector wished that the Bos'n would choose Xocolatl for the daily games. "Land, ho!" The loud cry cut through all the chatter, interrupting the practice bout. With a quick nod, the Bos'n ended the weapons practice. The crowd rushed from the boat deck to the forecastle deck, reserving the foremost railing for the Warrior Priestesses and Xocolatl. Kyouji laughed as Yumi craned forward before climbing onto the railing for a better view. He strained his eyes, searching the horizon as each heartbeat intensified the anticipation. The ship's crew cheered as a rusty red line separated sky from sea. A goofy smile lit up Kyouji's face. The three-week voyage had all but ended. Slowly, the line thickened until Kyouji saw two lines of mountain cliffs jut out in opposite directions into the sea. In between the mountains, he could see a scarlet plain and the golden buildings of the port city of Ganache, the gateway to the continent of Godiva and the home of the final unclaimed piece of the Starburst Crystal. "It's beautiful," Yumi said. Tsugiko nodded her assent. Xocolatl burst out in laughter. "What?" Kyouji said. Dread filled his heart. "Godiva once believed that the Warrior Priestesses would return as three effeminate men," the nobleman said. As he turned away, he called out, "Have a pleasant journey." As Tsugiko keeled over laughing, Kyouji groaned and slid to the deck, doubting that the journey would prove pleasant and break with Mars' honorable traditions. >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< >o< Author's notes: This part includes excerpts from Legend 44, Savory Truffle, by Doublemint; and Legend 46, The Carret that Roared, by Greg Sanders. Used without permission. I used the diagram of a tall ship from the follow website as a guide to the layout of the 'Penguin': http://freespace.virgin.net/scott.kennedy1/images/sch1000.gif The 'Penguin' has also sailed the equivalent of a round trip from San Fransisco to Hawaii. Xocolatl de la Ardeal Dulce - Xocalatl is Aztec for chocolate. "De la Ardeal Dulce" is mangled Romanian for "from the Sweet Transylvania." Converting Transylvania into its meaning renders his entire name into "Chocolate from the Sweet Land Beyond the Forest," again, in mangled Romanian grammar Bos'n Berry - Read as "Bosun Berry" or Boysenberry. I'm going to Punster's Gehenna for that and the chum gag. A bosun, short for boatswain, is the warrant officer or petty officer in charge of a ship's rigging, anchors, cables, and deck crew. In the old days, a bosun would use "Rocks and Shoals" discipline, that is, his fists, to enforce discipline for minor offenses and to "teach" seamanship. Thus the Bos'n's "friendly reminder" to Tsugiko about fire on board ship. "Crazy Mint's Satisfied Penguin" - One of my favorite restaurants when I lived in Arizona was called Crazy Ed's Satisfied Frog. Mix in a couple candy names (Mint, Penguin) and we've got the name of our ship. Tamale beer - From Hot Tamales. While visiting the Satisfied Frog's website (www.satisfiedfrog.com), I saw an ad for "chili beer." Think of a beer with serrano peppers instead of lime, for starters. I couldn't resist. Ganache and Godiva – A ganache is a type of candy found in Godiva's candy assortments. I also could not help but revive the old Godiva Heresy from part 28, I think. More notes to come with the inevitable revision. Nathan achariyth@attbi.com