“Dirk told me you were being a cod,” said Mister Castel as he turned the wheel. He looked the most drained from everyone on the Kingfisher since he manned the ship ever since they left Oxford Bay, but he wouldn’t give the wheel up to anyone.

“No,” said Maya, her arms draped over the railings of the quarterdeck.

“I thought it was you who said that being too hung up on the negative past was a bad thing.”

“Am I supposed to forget this one? Wouldn’t that be cruel?”

He grunted. “I didn’t say you forget it. There’s forgetting and then there’s forgiving.”

“Forgiving? I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“No, but you think that way, don’t you?”

Maya thought about it, and the more she thought, the more she realized he was right. She had been loathing herself ever since the start of the whole fiasco. It was her fault for being too weak to fight Zachary off. It was her fault for not being able to do anything for the town. It was her fault that civilians were crying, that Mister Castel didn’t get sleep, that Zachary could just get away with it.

Maya didn’t deny those thoughts despite knowing they were wrong. It was not easy telling herself that she was innocent, that she had no bad role in things.

“I can’t forgive myself,” she told Mister Castel.

“Then don’t. Save it for later.”

She snickered. She still regrets not inheriting his humour, but maybe she can learn it one day. That’s definitely going to be in her skill list someday in the future.

The ship’s bell started ringing. “Asma City ahead!” shouted a sailor.

Maya looked ahead, seeing an outline that was static and colorless, a big contrast to Oxford Bay’s rustic and homey charms. Everything was grey—from the tall and thin cement buildings to the dull electric lampposts. Even from afar Maya could see the lifelessness of the city, but it could just be Maya’s depressed mind.

As Mister Castel manned the Kingfisher for a safe landing at the docks, Maya’s mind became preoccupied with thoughts of the criminal Zachary. One look at the mourning people below on the deck and she knew that she couldn’t possibly keep still. She already knew the truth, and she could not let all these people down.

“Mister Castel,” she said.

“Not now, Malaya. I’m focused on the ship.” The Kingfisher was starting to halt, its heavy body creaking in the process. The sailors were getting the bridge ready. Families huddled together for an arrival to the hopes of a new home.

“About forgiving…” she started. “How do I know if someone deserves it?”

He stretched his body upwards. Finally, his work was done. The bridge was laid down, and the people were stumbling out. Civilians of Asma gathered around the Kingfisher, apparently the last ship to arrive from Oxford Boy. They’ll want news.

“I don’t know, Malaya,” he said. “When they cannot forget.”

That was when she decided. “I’m heading out.”

“To where?”

“I don’t know. I’m going to look for someone. I’ll make sure he’ll never forget.”

She ran down the quarterdeck and jolted for the bridge. Dirk stepped in front of her. “Where ya going?”

“Out of my way, Dirk!” She looked past him, trying to look for a hint of gold within the enormous crowd.

“When will you be back? We got cards in two hours, don’t miss it. Big money.”

“Yeah, yeah, I won’t. Move it!” She shoved past him and finally exited the Kingfisher. She was met with chaos.

People ran around frantically, passing on messages of news of who and where. Gasping here, chatter there, everyone was in some sort of hurry. They always seemed to bump into Maya, leading her tumbling down against other hurrying people.

Maya could no longer control herself within the whirlwind. She was swallowed by the wave of people.

Then, something glinted in the crowd caught her attention. Her eyes locked on it, but with each passing second, she was getting pushed farther away.

Maya planted her feet firmly on the ground, making herself an immovable wall. Her frantic eyes searched for Zachary and she spotted him already outside the crowd, striding down the street.

All this for a dumb rebel, she shoved her way through everyone else. It was hard, but she managed to endure the curses she received along the way. Once out, she bolted for him. “Zachary! Wait!”

He turned around, expression horrified. “What the… What are you doing here?” he said in a loud whisper.

Maya felt as though the wind got knocked out of her lungs. She put her hands to her knees as she said, “I… I have something to say to you…”

“Well, not here, you idiot! The soldiers form Oxford Bay will be searching for me!” He grabbed Maya by the arm and pulled her into a nearby alleyway. Brick walls surrounded the two, and the dark shadows kept them at least barely visible.

“Why did you follow me?” Zachary asked in irritation. “You’re going to get yourself in trouble!”

“You really thought I was going to let you go after knowing the truth?”

“Yes! I really did think that! Now, go back to your ship, and continue on with your pirate life before you get in trouble. I won’t be taking responsibility for you.”

She lifted her chin, her head feeling the heat of her anger. “No, you don’t have to. But what about the others, huh? Those whose homes you’ve bombed? Will you be taking responsibility for them?”

His eyes appeared hurt for a second, but they were quickly topped over by pride. He started to stumble with his words. “W… well... Yes. Yes, of course I will!”

“How, Zachary? Tell me how, and prove that you won’t just forget of them.”

Zachary held his intense glare at her, but Maya knew he was weakening.

This was when she was supposed to feel victorious. Justice was served in terms of making him pay, but somehow, she did not feel happy with herself. Was what she said really needed? Of course it was. But why did she feel as though she had just killed a person?

“I, I won’t forget,” Zachary said. He put his fist over his chest. He hasn’t lost yet. “I will never forget. I’ll give them what they’re due, what I’ve taken from them. It will take a while, but I promise that I’ll do it. It wouldn’t be right for me not, but I have a job as a rebel first. The Military has to fall.”

Maya stared at him, emotions mixed. She had never seen someone so honest as he was, and she wondered about how he could be that way. Maybe he did deserve forgiveness, but it wasn’t something Maya was ready to give.

“Why is the rebellion so important to you?” she started to ask. “Why does making the Military fall matter so much?” She never understood the rebels she came across, but she also was never interested in it anyway. Now that she had met Zachary though, she felt like she needed to know.

Zachary seemed to have known this question already. He looked prepared and serious. “Because nothing good can come out of the Military.”

“How would you know that?”

“Trust me. I know the Military better than anyone else. Osreon will be doomed if no one takes them down. Why do you think are they so set on bombing rebel areas?”

She frowned, ready to return the question back to him, but a ruckus of shouting men distracted her. It was outside the alley, from the docks.

She peeked outside the alley and saw a crowd gathering just below the Kingfisher. People jeered and tried to stand tiptoed as if an interesting fight was happening. “What the?” said Maya. Without meaning to, she found herself running towards the chaos, an unsettling feeling building inside of her.

Zachary appeared right next to her when she got to the crowd. He peered in, trying to get a look. “Wait, isn’t that—”

“Mister Castel!” Maya said. She began pushing her way to the front of the crowd, her heart thumping heavily. Soldiers were dragging her uncle by the arms, hitting him whenever he tried to retaliate. The people around them were crying curses and throwing whatever they had onto the defenceless Mister Castel.

“Pig!” wailed a mother, clutching her swaddled baby in her arms.

“Bastard! Where is he?” screamed a man, pointing his finger right in front of Mister Castel’s nose.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” said Mister Castel, still struggling. His eyes were in a frenzy, scanning for every person in the crowd. A soldier kicked him behind the knee. “I’m innocent! I’m innocent! Dirk! Tell them I’m innocent!”

Maya was about to reach out to Mister Castel, but she tripped back when a soldier blocked her way. “Move along, everyone!” she said. “Even you, darling.”

Maya couldn’t even get mad anymore. Her eyes met with Mister Castel’s, and she knew she had to do something. “He’s my uncle!” she screamed. “Let me talk to him! He’s my uncle!”

Mister Castel’s frantic eyes changed. His angry demeanour disappeared, replaced with something Maya could not read.

“Who are you?” he said.

“W-what?”

“Move along, darling,” said the soldier again. She tried to push Maya away, but Maya managed to dodge.

Maya put her hand on her chest. Her cheeks started to heat up, and tears started to well up. “What are you talking about, Mister Castel?” she asked, voice rising and cracking. “It’s me, Malaya!”

He jerked his head back, gaping. “How do you know my name?”

“Move along, I said!” This time for sure, the soldier really did shove Maya back.

Maya could not understand why Mister Castel was acting this why, nor why he was getting dragged off. She looked at him one last time before he could get swept away into the thick crowd of angry men, where she could not reach him anymore.

He mouthed, I’m innocent.

Of course you are! she thought, and he was gone.

She blinked, trying to get herself to steady. It’s been too many slaps in the faces in row, and now that Mister Castel was most probably going to a jail for crime he didn’t commit, Maya didn’t know what to do next.

Someone grabbed her by the arm and led her outside the crowd. “Are you okay? What happened in there?” Zachary asked. “Wasn’t he the captain?”

“My uncle…” she said. “He… he’s innocent…”

She looked up. Dirk was up on the Kingfisher’s deck, watching the situation from above, his face stoic. He was bound to know something, and Maya was set on finding the truth.

“Dirk!” she said, shrugging off Zachary’s grip. She hurried for the ship. Zachary ran beside her. “Wait, Malaya,” he said. “I can’t go there—I have to hide now—but something’s not setting right. Find me back at the alley if you need help… I smell a plot.”

“Do whatever you want.”

She climbed the bridge up to the deck. Dirk was still there, leisurely sitting on the railings. “Dirk,” she called out, and he looked. “What is happening? Why is Mister Castel getting apprehended by those soldiers?” Her breathing was frantic, but she tried to get herself to calm down. She was going to solve this.

Dirk cocked his head. “Oh, you didn’t know?” He tapped his chin. “He was harbouring a rebel, one that blew up Oxford Bay, even. That’s a serious crime against the Military, you know.”

She furrowed her brows. The soldiers from Oxford Bay must have seen Zachary enter the Kingfisher back then.

“He didn’t harbour a rebel!” she said. “He was saving lives! He couldn’t care less about who he let on the Kingfisher! How would he even know who the rebel was?”

He shrugged. “Could’ve been in cahoots with the rebel in the first place. Good thing the soldiers didn’t know the captain had a niece, though. They would have took you in, too.”

Maya froze. That was why Mister Castel pretended not to know her. “He wouldn’t ever dream of bombing Oxford Bay!” she reasoned. “He’s innocent!”

“Of course he was.”

“See? You agree!” She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him with her. “Let’s go to the Military base and tell them!”

Dirk laughed. “Are you kidding me? And lose the fifty-thousand dinoles I received? No way!”

She gaped. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to make sense of what Dirk had said. “What… do you mean?”

A cold wind blew by as Dirk stood up. The white clouds above were starting to look grey, and the blue sky turned muddy. “The Military will pay anything for a lead for that ‘golden-eyed’ rebel,” he said coldly. “Just gather a couple of witnesses who saw that boy back here at the Kingfisher, and boom.” He spread his hands. “We got ourselves a case.”

Maya stepped back. She found herself suddenly looking for the fastest way to get off the ship. “Is… is this mutiny?”

He raised a brow. “Mutiny? Nay. This is just me. And I don’t want this stinkin’ ship. I just want the money.” He eyed Maya curiously. “Oh, you’re scared! Haha! Don’t worry, we can split the money. No more information trading for us, huh?”

“I didn’t do it for the money.”

“Of course you didn’t! You didn’t need it. And now, you won’t be needing it ever. You get to be captain, and I get my money.”

“I don’t want to be captain!”

He stared her down. “Well, you can leave then, but don’t expect the captain to come back. The Military will be wringing him dry.” His smug face inched closer to Maya, threatening to scare her.

She spat at him. “You’re scum.”

She ran for the bridge before Dirk could do anything else.

The next seconds were a blur. She couldn’t remember where her feet led her, but she remembered stumbles, angry faces, a whole lot of alleyways, and wet cheeks. There was even no idea in her mind where to go, and yet she arrived upon Zachary ripping posters off a wall.

“Malaya…” he said, face concerned.

“You’re right,” she said, shaking her head, drying her tears. “There was a plot. They were looking for leads of you.”

He bit his lips. “Damn it… I’m… I’m sorry, Malaya. This was all my fault.”

She glared at him, but she was too tired to get angry anymore. “Yeah, it is. But you’ll never forget, right? You promised you’ll give everyone what’s due of them.”

He nodded, more sullen than determined this time.

“Then… please help me,” Maya said. Her tongue went dry with that statement. She rarely asked for help, and it somehow was painful knowing that she was powerless without someone’s support.

“I want to visit my uncle at the jailhouse. I want to tell him what’s happened. Tell the Military what happened.”

Zachary looked down, defeated. “That’s not how the Military works, Maya… They’re not bringing him to jail. They’re bringing him straight to the Capital. And it would be too dangerous for you to tell them that they made a mistake. They might kill both of you, erasing any evidence of their wrong.”

She pointed to her side, gesturing for Zachary to move. “Then what if you go? You’re the one they’re looking for. They’ll listen to you! Tell them you don’t know who Miser Castel is!”

He rubbed his the back of his neck. “I can’t do that, Malaya. I told you already. I have some things to do. Even if I did go, who can say that I wasn’t lying? Your uncle and I would both be in trouble.”

That was it. Maya was out of ideas. She felt blood in her mouth. Static in her ears. She was useless and doomed.

“I can still help,” said Zachary. “But I don’t think you’ll like it.”

She raised her eyes at him.