“Interesting.” Aclysia closed the little book that Reysha had brought back and put it aside. Head in Apexus’ lap and laying on the bed, she was at the peak of nightly comfort. “This book portrays a fairly regular tale of a powerful individual consolidating a realm and then pulling up the ladder behind him. An assurance that his inheritors will be successful.”

“A uniquely sapient behaviour,” Apexus commented. “To have the power to create a society that then caters to the needs of few that are fundamentally the same as those that serve them. An odd arrangement.” After a few moments, he added. “And a doomed one.”

“What makes ya say that?” Reysha asked, while running a fine-toothed comb through her tail. She hated the way salt stuck to the fur. “I mean, I agree, but it's fun to poke your weird thoughts.”

“Power is acquired through adversity. Strength of muscle and of character does not come about without resistance. Change is inevitable. To try and ward your children from it dooms them to an eventual fall.”

“…Say that again?” Reysha hummed.

“Power is acquired thro-“

“No, no, the middle part.”

“Change is inevitable.”

“Yeah, that!” Reysha pointed at him with the comb. “Change is inevitable! We should change our team name to that!”

“Uhm… huh?” Korith stopped stacking coins to shoot the redhead a confused glance. “Wait… I think I get it? From ‘Change Seekers’ to ‘Inevitable’ because what we bring is inevitable, right?”

“Yeah, and because it's way less lame,” Reysha stated. “Come on, ‘We’re Inevitable’ has so much more impact than ‘We’re the Change Bringers’!”

“It is pompous,” Aclysia countered. “With such a name, you attribute to yourself a power that we do not have. It is a threat in and of itself. A promise that, whatever we do, we believe is unstoppable.”

“If we don’t believe that, what’s the point in even doing it?” Reysha asked.

“I am quite fond of the potential of reverting course once the sunk cost is revealed for what it is,” Aclysia stated. “To seek change is much less threatening.”

“I wanna sound threatening. Ya don’t get respect for entering a room and declaring yourself the safe people. The safe people get fucked with.”

“Actions speak louder than words. Any attempt to annoy us will be met with appropriate force,” Aclysia pushed back.

“You two are kinda losing yourself in a whole different argument?” Korith intervened. “I get it’s a message and all of that, but you’re way overthinking it….”

“Labelling is of great importance. Titles and presentations set the mood for whatever play you’re watching. A name is no different.”

“Yeah, so we should have a name that makes it sound like we mean business, not one that makes people think we’re looking for spare coins.”

“Well, you know, we are though?” Korith asked.

“”You are!”” Aclysia and Reysha responded in unison.

“Awwww… but why wouldn’t we want extra money?”

“We are not beggars,” Aclysia stated.

“Yeah, our wealth is Inevitable!” Reysha declared.

“Given our current trajectory, it most certainly seems to be the- Wait a second!”

The redhead burst out laughing, when the angel caught onto what the tiger girl had said. While one woman struggled to breathe and another glared, Apexus came to his own conclusion. “I am with Reysha on this one. The best way to avoid predation is to make predators think it is not worth it. Also, one word is easier to say.”

Aclysia let out a long sigh. “A vote then. Everyone for the old name, raise your hand?” Only her own hand made it up into the air. “Korith?”

“Uhm, uh…. We seek change… our wealth is inevitable… I can’t decide!” the kobold threw her hands into the air. “I withhold my vote.”

“Then that means we have two in favour, one against, one absconding,” Aclysia let out another long breath. “We are ‘Inevitable’, then.”

“See? Goosebumps!” Reysha declared.

“Speak for yourself.” Aclysia just closed her eyes and enjoyed her darling’s lap.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

“Did someone else expect us to run into trouble?” The question came from the redhead just as they left the city towards the north. After a good night’s rest, they had packed up and simply started walking. There had been a guard tailing them at basically all times. Tailing was all it ever stayed at. The quartet made it to the much smaller northern gate and simply walked out.

There barely even was a road leading out of the walled city. Even the path up to the northern wall had been narrow. This part of the city was too far inland to be concerned with pirate attacks. Same could not be said for the people who chose to live in the green area between the island’s mountain chain and the sea. There were few of them, taking the risk of much decreased protection to grow a variety of crops that fetched a high price in Pernero and abroad. Food crops were imported en masse from Mayana and Elaya. To grow food here would have also attracted hungry pirates, so the plants of choice were cotton, spices, and other such things that didn’t have a direct nutritional benefit.

“They’re likely just happy to see us leave,” Aclysia provided her answer. “We cannot stir up additional trouble if we’re not present.”

“I guess,” Reysha shrugged.

Their plan from here on out was simple: make their way to the Serpent Tail, then the Aqua maze.

The two dungeons would provide challenges worthy of the party. The idea was to take the land route to Inero, then get a ship there and get to Hebero, and from there back to Pernero. A first look into getting to the dungeon in the north, the Dreadnoughts, had been met with uncertainty. No one navigated those waters, pirate infested and distant from any worthwhile trade as they were. Consequently, getting a boot up there was a matter of either finding an unusual captain or of them acquiring their own boat.

A question for then. For now, they would travel.

“How long are we expected to be on the road anyway?” Reysha asked.

“An estimated 13 days,” Aclysia had the answer ready immediately.

“…Why didn’t we take a boat to Inero?” she asked the next question.

“I looked into the matter and all common routes would have included several stops that ultimately made the journey longer. Additionally, I am sick of boats,” Aclysia stated.

“Same,” Korith groaned. “I don’t wanna share a room with ten other passengers or sailors again… can’t be loud…”

“The Change Mansion wouldn’t work on a boat,” Apexus pre-empted the redhead’s questions. They had gone over all of this while she was gone. “We would step out in the middle of the ocean.”

“Drat,” Reysha cussed. “Urgh, let’s just hope there’s some magical meat on the way.”

There was, either in the form of more mantis shrimp, electrical stags, or various marine life that they spotted as they used the various serpents to hop from island to island. There was a swift chain of three of them that brought them from the large island Pernero was on to another, not quite as large island in the north. It was the upper curve of the Serpentine Path.

On the fourth day of the journey, when the island was coming into view, Reysha spotted something unusual. “Hey, Apexus, ya see that?” she asked.

Apexus rose from his position near the heating crystal at the centre of the mechanical snake’s sitting area. Walking over, he followed the direction of her finger. A sizable island, sizable enough to be on the map anyway, located west of their destination. Fundamentally, as unassuming as any other minor and medium isle they had passed. An addition to the archipelago with grass, cliffs, beaches, and trees.

Straining his eyes a little more, Apexus did spot something that was off. Where usually there should have been green and grey dominating, there was a hill of brown. Around it, there was movement. The tip-off was a tall entity moving on a high point.

Crouching down, Apexus leapt upwards with all his might. It wasn’t quite as impressive as Korith’s ability to jump several times her body height, for reasons of training and shorter bones being beneficial for such techniques. It was, however, enough to give Apexus the initial height to have his wings direct his fall. He went into a low soar, mere metres above the shifting waves, and then beat his wings to gain altitude.

The brown hill on the island very quickly became apparent for what it actually was: a ship. Turned as far sideways as a sea-faring vessel of moderate size could be, it laid on the beach, slightly hidden by a bay. Dozens upon dozens of crates were scattered around the area, tents pitched and canvas spread to create temporary shelters that had been in place for quite a while.

‘It doesn’t look like they were washed ashore,’ Apexus thought, while circling above. There was shouting by the people down below. Apexus hadn’t tried to be stealthy. Difficult to remain unseen when using a statically moving god-made serpent construct to move along a set route.

Apexus looked back in the direction he came from. As quickly as she could, his metal fairy was catching up. Her fluffy moth wings were spread out, but unmoving, leaving behind particles of the mana she burned to accelerate her typically slow flight. The sacrifices she made for her entirely magical capacity of resisting the pull of gravity.

To synchronize their circling speeds took a moment. Aclysia had to hover upside down underneath him, to not get in the way of his flapping wings, and he had to match his speed to hers despite the winds. A lot more awkward than matching one’s steps, especially since stopping wasn’t an option.

“It appears we have spotted pirates,” Aclysia stated.

“Are you certain?”

“Analysing the location of their ship and the presence of logging around their camp, I deem that they are in the process of maintenance. Such would not be necessary to do here, if they had access to regular ports. Therefore, pirates is the most likely explanation,” Aclysia outlined her reasoning. “Do you wish to make contact?”

“I am considering.” Apexus would have to think fast. The distance between where Reysha and Korith were waiting and where the ship was quickly grew. Landing without them was an option, but splitting the party was never pleasant. The alternative, to land on the main island first, then travel over from the shore, would cost them several hours. Hours the people may use to break camp themselves. “I will get the other two. Find a good landing spot.”

“As you say, darling,” Aclysia agreed.

They separated, one heading down to the island and the other turning to dive back to the moving vehicle. He landed momentarily, said only, “We’re making contact with the pirates,” then grabbed Reysha and took off again.

“At least buy me dinner first!” the redhead shouted over the howling winds. Legs wrapped around his waist, his arms holding on tightly to her torso, she was attached like a sloth to a tree. Not an optimal position for long term flights, but for the few minutes it took them to bridge the distance to this island, it more than sufficed.

Reysha dropped down from three metres up and Apexus immediately turned back around. Korith minorly surprised him, by jumping up high in the air. Catching the shortstack was fundamentally easy, but her dense weight dragged him down for a moment. He stabilized, then returned to where Aclysia and Reysha were waiting.

The landing spot was an elevated bit of terrain. Easy to access by air, not as much by land, and thus would have prevented any nasty ambushes the pirates could have sprung on them. No such thing was even attempted. The quartet was reunited, climbed down, and made their way across to where the ship was on foot.

 It was time to get another perspective on the state of the leaf.