It took Neil a moment to realize the general wasn’t referring to him or Val. In fact, it didn’t seem as though he even noticed the pair at all.

He observed from the water as the men lined along the side of the boat. The same symbols Neil had always drawn with the compass, manifested on the men’s very skin. A bright light emanated as each intricate circle drew itself. Before the effects of these spells could be fully realized; the sea began to shift.

It’s waters rose high above the ship. It rocked the vessel back and forth like a violent storm. The wave carried Neil and Val with it over the ship. Then it dispersed. They crashed onto the sleek metal of the floor. Just as Neil got his bearings, he noticed the same glow on Edmund’s skin.

Edmund stood between them and the Gramorian mages. The circles covered his own exposed skin. Before anyone had the chance to react, he moved. With quick precision, he leaped over one of the men. He grabbed the steel-plated armor. Using the velocity from the fall, and magic, he managed to toss the man. Their weight knocked into each other. It brought them overboard. Edmund then squeezed his hand into a fist. This ignited flames. He glared at the general next.

Then froze.

His flames extinguished.

The general held a dagger to Serra's throat. "Now then, boy, surrender to me or it's the girl’s life." Serra gasped as he pulled on her hair. Pain ripped at her scalp. Her body shook as she felt the cold metal of the blade.

Anything he attempted to do wouldn't be fast enough before he reacted and slit her throat. A strange taste crawled up from his gut. It was that same dread he first felt when her execution was decided.

There was nothing more he could do now. His arms lowered to his sides. This was it. They lost.

"Good man." His dagger remained at the child's throat. "You should behave like the proper nobleman you were trained to be."

Edmund tightened his fists. "Let her go, Marshal." His voice deepened and hissed past panted breaths.

"Apparently her life is the only thing that keeps you obedient. Now let's try this again, sha-" A heavy book slammed into his face. His neck snapped to the side.

The book dropped and opened to a page describing Waterloops. The dagger clinked metallicly onto the floor. Baring his teeth, he shot a nasty glare in the direction the book had originated from. "What the fuck!" He squinted into a glare as a shimmer of the stone in Neil’s necklace reflected into his eyes. As he turned away from it, he met eyes with Val. The demon snarled.

He recognized the monster immediately especially as it grew with its burning flames. He’d never seen one but heard the legends of these beasts. He ran.

The flames caught off his attempt. They burned against his skin. Val growled loudly in his ear. Like a predator on the hunt, she pinned him against the side of the ship. A charred smell stung in his nostrils. It made him dizzy. His vision started to fade to black. He reached out to catch himself but threw his hand back as the conducted heat of the metal blistered his skin. The fox bore her teeth into his shoulder making him scream. He fought in vain against her. The heat was so intense, so numbingly painful, that he didn't even realize he'd fallen until he landed in the salty waters below.

The general clenched his jaw, looking at his men as they tried desperately to stay afloat under the weight of their armor. He attempted to move. To try anything to reclaim his ship, but every small bit of movement was like swimming in acid.

Before anyone had the chance to reboard the ship, Edmund snapped his fingers. Vibrant symbols decorated over the sails. The force of the magic glowed brightly, pulling the ship as a powerful gust of wind.

Neil ran to the side to watch in pure satisfaction. “Boom! Ships mine now, General. Oh, and do be careful of the palado underneath you. I heard they enjoy showing their teeth!” He laughed. Satisfied with their capture, Neil turned to the fox now cooled down to simmered embers. "Looks like we won't be dying out at sea after all, huh, Val?"

She rolled her eyes. Her tail wrapped comfortably around her. "We got lucky. That's all. Now about them..." Her attention turned to Edmund, who was leaned against Serra.

Edmund held onto her tightly. His heart raced and his breath shortened as the lights embracing the sails shone brighter. As the lights intensified, the ship moved even faster. "Are you alright?" Edmund forced himself to speak, despite the fact he could barely keep himself awake.

"I'm fine. We're fine." Serra tried to assure him. The lights seemed to dim, but only once Edmund was confident they were far enough. Only then did the lights disappeared.

His body felt heavy. "Damn it. Are you sure you're okay?" His red eyes darkened as he brushed his fingers over the shallow gash in her neck. "That prick. I should have killed him."

Serra flinched. "Ed, I'm fine." She promised. The frantic look in his eyes seemed to relax some. Neil and Val took a seat across from them. "Thank you for helping us."

"No problem!" Neil beamed. "But I do have a few quest-"

"What was that bright light for!" Val interrupted. Her fur flickered rapidly as her crimson eyes flared vibrantly. Beneath them, the steel warmed as her temper ignited the flame in her tail. She didn't trust anyone associated with the Gramore. And she wasn't about to let Neil forget about the strange circumstances surrounding the pair's arrival.

The two stared blankly at the firefox in pure bewilderment. Firefoxes did not speak. Faltering over his words, Edmund said, "Y-you just talked."

"She does that," Neil replied. "And doesn't seem to stop." His gaze narrowed on her, silently warning her.

She ignored him this time. "Explain the lights. Explain this ship. Who are you and why are you here?"

"What about you?" Edmund accused, not forgetting the strange tools laid out just moments before the ship arrived. "How did you heal my injuries?"

The fox growled low and harsh, rising her rear end in the air as if ready to charge. But before she could claw the man's eyes out, Neil laughed his usual, anxious, chuckle and held his arm out in front of her. "Let's all just calm down, now." He suggested. "We'll ask and answer everyone's questions, yes?" He waited for both parties to agree, but no one spoke. "Okay, well, we'll answer first."

Val snarled at him, showing her pearly white teeth in protest. "Like hell we're answering these Gramorian's questions!" She just about gagged on the name. Like Neil, she hadn't had the best first impression of the Gramore Empire.

With a sigh, Neil softly patted her head. "Calm down, Val. None of us are a threat, right? We all hate Gramore?" He watched Edmund and Serra's expressions closely.

Serra spoke first. "That's right. We're running from them."

Edmund snapped at her. "Serra don't-"

"But he helped us." She reminded him. "You said you would go first. What kind of magic did you use on my brother? I've never seen anything like that."

"It's the same as yours." He explained, much to Val's dismay. "In a written form. My turn, what were those lights?"

Before answering, Edmund quietly considered what this man had done for them. They were strange, to be sure, but not a threat. Sighing, he finally said, "Teleportation magic. Not that I'll ever be able to do that again." He subconsciously rubbed the sore, healing injuries of his arms.

Neil didn't have to inquire about that sort of magic. He'd read about it in one of Onagi's journals. There was magic that required higher aptitude. Basically, a born ability necessary to perform specific, higher-level spells. For example, the massive aptitude needed to freeze an entire ocean. "That explains the lights, but what about the sea? How did it...go solid, like that?"

"The sea?" Edmund frowned. How could he forget something so bizarre? "I can't explain that." He glanced nervously at the fox. "Who are you?"

"Neil." He replied without hesitation. "And this is Val."

"She can talk. How?"

"Uhh," He looked at Val. "I'm actually not too sure. She was around before I was."

"You don't know?" Edmund doubted that.

But Neil kept to that, even further explaining, "She doesn't know, either. If anyone knows, my father does. But he was killed by the Gramore guard."

Edmund's expression seemed to soften. "They killed your father?"

"They did. Your people destroyed our home. Val and I have nothing to go back to, so we're going to fight in the war." He paid careful attention to Edmund and Serra's reactions.

Finally, Edmund let out a sigh. "Gramore destroyed our home, too."

"You?" Val laughed. "You're one of them."

"Not me," Serra explained. "It's because of me."

"Because I won't let them kill her." A fire ignited in Edmund's eyes.

Neil knew that look. It was the same fire in him, the same rage and hostility he felt towards Gramore.

Serra's tone was hard. "I can't use magic. In Gramore, that's a crime punishable by death."

However, Val only scoffed. "They want to kill you for that?"

Edmund's eyes turned downcast with Serra's. "I'm going to Enimahri to seek sanctuary for my sister."

"You too!" Serra insisted, but Edmund held his hand out to stop her. "But-"

"It doesn't matter if Queen Rowan doesn't take me. I just want my sister to be safe." He glanced at Val. "I know this is asking a lot, and I don't blame you for not trusting me. My people have done horrible things." His voice became nearly inaudible as he added, "I've done horrible things." He shook his head, looking right into Neil's emerald green eyes. "If you're heading for the frontlines, please take her. Even if it's just her, I can't..." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I can't protect her."

Suddenly Neil jumped to his feet. "Ah, come on now, don't be so pessimistic. Look, I'll make you a deal, I need a magic teacher. These books you see," He gestured to the very one he threw at the general. "Only teach so much. Val and I will take both of you to Enimahri. In exchange, you teach me all you know about magic."

Edmund nodded, wasting no time. "Deal."

They shook on it.