Vai considered himself strong as a person. He had always been tough in the face of hardship. He’d had boats wash away, he’d been stranded multiple times. He’d even gotten lost at sea for nearly a month and managed to make it back alive.

But now his entire family was displaced. He didn’t know who was dead and who had lived.

He didn’t panic. Nor did he mourn the unknown dead. Despite his vulnerable nature, he was far too practical for that.

Worried was the right word. The Nikan had always been trying to interfere with affairs among the islanders. But they’d never been this big of a threat.

This magnitude of slaughter was unheard of among his islands. And a Nikan prince at the head? It was clear to see that Nikan no longer wished to offer Aotearoa the mercy of diplomacy.

Vai tied his sail in place as the winds started to pick up. The mood over the entire boat was somber, as it well should have been. Darkness hung among the steady beat of the waves and a tune of devastation was picked up by the wind.

Shakti sat down next to him. "Hey. Are you alright?”

Vai nodded. "I’ll be fine. Fine enough.”

Shakti shook her head. "Not what I mean. But if you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine. Just let me know when you do.”

After a short pause, Najeem got to his feet in the middle of the canoe, addressing the other four of them.

“Never once have I seen a man Banebend like that before," Najeem said. "I haven’t a clue why it is they’ve chosen to wage a fourth war. But...with their arcane power, it wouldn’t be that out of the picture to think they have nothing but Bane Knights lining the Khogirat front. We should be wary of such power moving forward.”

“Does picking more fights with the Nikan have something to do with your mission?” Vai asked, half joking.

Unfortunately, Najeem nodded.

“That was supposed to be sarcastic," Vai muttered. "What the hell are you two up to that would make an encounter with a Bane Knight so possible?”

The Asasiyun sighed. "I suppose I’m not so paranoid to still think that you two would work for the Empire at this point.”

Shahla stood with him and took off her headscarf for the first time since Vai had known her. He was stunned to see Plague Scars going through her eyes.

“You have Plague?” Vai asked, shifting away from her.

“It’s not a plague," Lokapele muttered. "I have those same markings in my tattoos. It’s what allows me to control magma.”

“That part isn’t important," Shahla said. "I am Shahla al-Samara, princess of Qahtan and wife to Prince Ahmed. This is my bodyguard, Najeem al-Iqbal. He has actually been rather upfront with you about who he is.”

“You’re a princess?” Vai’s jaw dropped. Then he closed it and put on a mask of disappointment. “Oh wait, you married into royalty. Nevermind what I was going to say, then.”

Vai lurched as Lokapele landed a solid punch to his jaw, a little too strong to be friendly.

“Ow!” Vai whined.

Shahla shook her head, grinning. "Anyways, a month before we met you, Prince Ahmed’s capital was besieged and taken by his older brother Prince Ali. As far as we know, Ali is more or less a thrall under the Nikan Empire. Koinelia, an empire to the west, is the only power in the world with the might to oppose Nikan. So Najeem and I intend to make our way there and request aid from their armies such that Qahtan might be free of Nikan interference.”

“I’ve been considering this, but now I believe without a doubt that it may be mutually beneficial for you to join us in our quest," Najeem said.

“Join you?” Shakti asked. "Why? These two have a whole fleet of refugees to help. Moreover, you’re crazy.”

“The refugees will find a leader," Najeem said. "But you’ve just seen here why we must fight them, however daunting an enemy they may be. The Nikan are powerful and for the sake of all our peoples, must be fought against. They weren’t afraid to send a fleet after a small island of a few hundred. Imagine what lengths they would be willing to go to against a whole nation. If Ali realizes that we may be looking for aid and tells them, they will send powerful sorcerers like the one today. We need Lokapele’s firepower. Shakti, you know best about the lands we’re going to arrive in that could help us go undetected. And Vai, we have no maps. We will likely not even be using roads and pathways. And we have a long distance to travel. Your navigational skills would be invaluable, even on land.”

Vai got the urge to smile upon hearing Najeem’s praise.

“I’ll go," Lokapele said.

Vai and Shakti looked at each other. She had uncertainty written across her face, with knit brows and a flat gaze into nothing. Shakti had left her home at just fifteen and had never stayed in the same place or on the same track for more than a few months. Vai was probably the largest commitment she’d ever made. 

Odds were she wouldn't be too amicable with the idea of a long quest. In addition to the whole fighting an empire thing, obviously. Ultimately, Vai didn’t think she’d care if both Qahtan and Aotearoa were wiped off the map. Her home was already at war with them. But...perhaps there was something she’d be willing to try for.

Vai himself didn’t like the situation. If they didn’t address the cause of attacks like this, they might keep happening, which would end in even more death. But...to abandon his people? Again?

But the truth was staring him in the face. The Nikan were not afraid to throw yet more of their vast forces at Aotearoa. They would not surrender. Meaning his people would be enslaved to the empire if they couldn’t be fought.

“I’ll go with you," Vai sighed.

“What?” Shakti reeled back. "Vai, are you insane?”

“Think about it, Shakti. At the rate the Nikan are going...just think about Seang," Vai blurted out.

Shakti flinched, then glared at him. "I would reprimand you for using her name in such a way...if you weren’t correct.”

It was a low blow, but it was necessary to make Shakti really consider the consequence of a future under the Gongsun dynasty.

“Sorry," Vai muttered.

“Fine. I’ll go," Shakti turned to Najeem. "But if you go and drag us into something so stupid that our deaths are more guaranteed than they already are, I’m out. Got it?”

Najeem nodded.

Vai pulled on the sail rope, causing the boat to swivel around. He moved to keep pace with Mahu Kaeo’s boat. Obviously, they were the one sailing that canoe.

“Mahu!” Vai called to them. "I’m going to take Hokule’a north and travel with these people. To see if perhaps there is a way to draw the Nikan away from our waters.”

Kaeo nodded. "Safe travels, Vai. And may the gods bless your winds.”

“You too," Vai said before turning Hokule’a towards the bright constellation of the Twin Mantas and catching the wind.

He tied the sail once again.

“I still have some questions, though. Mainly regarding you two.” Vai looked pointedly at Lokapele and Shahla. "You said the Plague Scars weren’t...plague. Care to explain all that so I put my desire to throw you overboard to rest?”

“You can’t catch it from us unless you have the same potential as us," Lokapele said in Qahtanad, so everyone could understand. "And in that case, it won’t kill you. We are called Rangatire Rewera. Shedim Masters. They’ve existed for thousands of years and are often in legends and stories. What we do is often called magic. That’s not correct.”

“Then what is it? How else do you explain being able to will a volcano to erupt?” Shakti asked.

“We are masters over Elder Shedim," Lokapele said.

Vai frowned. He knew of Shedim. Water, Air, Earth and Fire Shedim were all commonly traded for and let people perform magic. But there was a very big difference between having an eternal lamp and chucking molten boulders at people.

Lokapele explained the concept of Shedim Mastery and how Elders differed from ordinary Shedim, including their...godhood?

“So we’re safe, right?” Vai asked.

“Unless you encounter one who cannot handle his Scars, yes.”

“Wait, so that means I’m going to be okay?” Shahla exclaimed.

“Did you not just hear me say yes?” Lokapele sighed. "Still, you should also find a better way to hide those scars.”

“How?” Shahla asked. "The headscarf was all I could think of. And I’m not getting a tattoo.”

“I can make a paste that’ll blend in with your skin. We performers use it all the time to cover up blemishes on our faces. It won’t cover it completely, but it should make it harder to be spotted. You can...”

Lokapele’s voice drained out of Vai’s mind as his eyes glued themselves to the roiling heavens.

“That’s if we make it to land," Vai said.

“Why wouldn’t we make it land?” Lokapele looked at him.

Vai pointed out across the sea at a dark cloud in the sky. "There’s a monsoon on the horizon. And we’re the only ones headed straight for it. Everyone tie yourself down. It’s gonna be a rough night.”