"What is your plan to get me out of here?" Miwah whispered to Yalch as she hid herself behind the frame of the hull's exit, peeking just enough to look into the empty hallway.

"It's complicated," Yalch whispered back.

"Yet you expect me to just... follow whatever you say without any explanation?"

"So there are wo parts to my plan." Yalch raised his right hand. "Part one. I'll go around, scouting ahead."

Miwah nodded. "All right."

Yalch then raised his left hand as well. "Part two is where it gets complicated."

"Please, just tell me what you had in mind," Miwah pleaded with exasperation.

Yalch took in a deep breath while closing his eyes. "So... I'm going to need you to grab that bag over there." The ghost zipped towards the pile of treasure and hovered over a small brown sack on top of a chest. Miwah followed and plucked the bag up. "Take out one of the necklaces inside of it," Yalch said.

Miwah loosened the string that kept the bag sealed. Opening it wide, she peered inside to get a look at its contents. Buried inside a pile of long gold chains were glimmering jewels that lit up despite the limited lighting. Her hand gravitated, almost against her will, towards a white diamond that stuck out from the center of the pile. Miwah carefully lifted the jewel up and the golden chain attached to it trailed behind. 

The diamond rested in the palm of her hand while the chain dangled between her fingers. It radiated a dim light. Miwah lifted the necklace closer to her face and rocked it from side to side in her hand, examining every corner and edge. 

"I know it's pretty but you've got to put it around your neck!" Yalch called out. Miwah's gaze broke free from the jewelry.

"Oh, right." She hastily put the necklace around her neck and let the diamond rest on her chest. 

"How do you feel?" Yalch asked.

"The same."

The ghost flew forward and examined the necklace, closing one eye and squinting the other. "Any reason why you picked this necklace specifically?"

Miwah shrugged. "It was glowing when I took it out."

Yalch wiped his hand across the space above his eyes that equated to his forehead. "Whew! So you picked the right one!"

"Right one?" Miwah asked in confusion. 

"Yep! Those necklaces hold extraordinary power!" Yalch pointed at the bag still in the young woman's hand. "But they'll only work if it fits you."

Miwah tugged on the chain. "It fits me just fine."

"No, no, no. Not physically fits you. Magically fits you. Like a magical glove or shoe."

"I'm still confused." Miwah looked at the entranceway to the storage room. "Can you just tell me how this will get me out of here already? Someone could come back down here any moment!"

"Fine, fine," Yalch hovered in front of Miwah's face, looking back at her with large, round and black eyes. "That necklace is actually a Beacon. That's why it was glowing once it was in your hand. You are attuned to it and it to you." The ghost lowered himself next to the necklace. "There's a special power within it that only you can unlock."

"How would I do that?"

"Just press the diamond against your heart."

Miwah grabbed the jewel with her right hand and began to move it to the left side of her chest. 

"Wait!" Yalch exclaimed with a blunt whisper as it waved its hands in front of the woman's face. 

"What now?" she replied, both irked and perplexed.

"The power stored within the jewel is limited! Especially at a novice level like yourself. You'll probably only have access to the magic for a couple of minutes before it has to be restored."

"So you're suggesting I save it for an emergency?"

Yalch bobbed its entire body up and down. "Yep."

"But my current situation is not enough of one?" Miwah asked as she rested her other hand on her hip.

"It is, it is! But if you activate the Beacon's power now, it might not last long enough for you to get off the ship. That's why I wanted to scout ahead. Help guide you through the boat. And in case you get surrounded..." Yalch eyed the necklace once more. "That's when you draw the Beacon's magic."

"Let's say I do need to use it then. What will happen once I press against my heart?"

"A blinding light will consume you and give you a new form. After that, you'll be given a host of new abilities and strength!" Yalch couldn't stop a smile from forming on his face.

"Will it be... painful?" Miwah asked.

Yalch's looked up at the ceiling of the boat, pressing its hand against its face. "Hmm... I don't think so. Never had anyone complain about it before."

"What kind of abilities will I get?"

"Depends."

"Depends on...?" Miwah's hand moved in a circle, gesturing to the ghost to finish his sentence.

"A lot of things. On your innate abilities. And on the necklace you chose. I can give you a more elaborate explanation once you actually activate the Beacon."

The young woman took the palms of her hands and began to rub her eyes. "I think I should have stayed inside that crate."

"These plunderers would have found you eventually! I'm listening to myself and even I'm having a hard time believing what I'm saying." Yalch let one of his hands phase through Miwah's shoulder. "But it's my job to make sure people like you reach their full potential. Let me look ahead and see what's beyond the stairs that lead to the main deck. I'll report back to you. How does that sound?"

Miwah took her hands off her face and looked at Yalch. He continued to pat her on the shoulder, despite his hand slipping through with each motion. The ghost gave her a soft and reassuring smiling. 

"Seems like I have no other options."

"I'll be right back! Don't go anywhere." Yalch flew into the ceiling above, disappearing from view. Miwah stayed behind, staring into the wood paneling above her. She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes before squinting at the spot that the ghost had faded into. A few seconds of silence passed before Yalch returned in the storage area with a frenzied look on its face. He flew down in front of Miwah with both arms flailing about.

"Press your Beacon against your heart!" the ghost exclaimed. He turned his head from Miwah to the entrance to the corridor. "They should be coming through any second now!"

Without saying a word, Miwah's hand clutched onto the diamond. She moved the jewel onto her heart. A blinding white light emitted from the stone. It flashed, soon obscuring her entire body in radiance. Through the light, only Miwah's silhouette could be seen. Her arms stretched to her sides. Her head tilted back. Both legs spread apart to form a grounded stance. The outlines of her clothing faded away in a vertical manner; her original attire gave way to a new clothing with a tighter and more form fit. 

The transformation took a few seconds before the light disappeared completely. Miwah stood still with her eyes closed shut and her arms hanging by her side. Miwah slowly opened one eye and hesitantly looked down at her head. She jumped back as she looked at the long white glove that stopped at her fingers. With both eyes now wide open, she darted her gaze from various parts of her body, turning and twisting her legs as she examined every part of her magical outfit.

A tight white dress with blue trim covered her from the chest down. Towards her waist, the new clothing draped into a long and narrow flap with golden tassels at the bottom. Long white boots covered her legs all the way up to her thighs. Matching white gloves travelled from the back of her hands to halfway past her elbows. A golden mask with sharp and intricate curves covered her eyes, topping off the new outfit.

"What... what happened?" Miwah looked at Yalch with exasperation.

"You Transformed!" he said with a wide smile.

"T-to what?" Miwah stammered. "Some kind of dancer?"

"No, no. You're a Purifier now!" the ghost replied as he clapped his hands together. "Very interesting Ensemble you were given. I like it! I wonder what your weapon is."

Miwah presented both of her empty palms to Yalch. "I do not have a weapon," she said dryly.

"You do. You just haven't summoned or equipped it yet."

"Is that how I will escape? By getting a weapon to use to fight my way off this ship?"

"Yep!"

"But I cannot fight! I was only a seamstress back at my village. I practiced martials arts here and there, but I was never fully dedicated! Even if I did have a knife or a sword... I... I would not be able to take on all of this ship's men." Miwah rapidly took in a series of deep breaths. She pressed her hand against her chest as she began to pace around the boat's storage room. Yalch flew next to the woman's head and hovered beside her as she continued to pace around in an erratic circle. 

"You're still a novice. Don't worry about all the intricate parts of being a Purifier. Since we don't have much time, I'll just explain the basics."

"What should I do first?" Miwah asked.

"There are a few things I need to know about you when you're in your Purifier form. That necklace..." Yalch hovered in front of Miwah as she looked down at her chest. She pressed her hand against her bare skin as she tried to feel for the necklace. "Even though it isn’t there now, it will tell you the really important information. You just need to channel your mana into casting Insight. Have you ever done that before?"

Miwah's eyes darted from the jewel to Yalch. She nodded. "Just once. Maybe twice. It's not something I use too often. I'll see what I can do."

She took a deep breath, shut her eyes and calmed her nerves. Yalch nodded as a vision came to both him and Miwah simultaneously. "Do you see what I see?"

The woman's eyes remained closed. "I assume you are talking about the chart with all those terms and numbers?"

"Yep! Now let's see what you're working with here..."

Yalch mumbled to itself, slowly listing off the information presented via the Insight spell. "There's your weapon!" he said with glee. "Liberator. Now, to summon it, all you have to do is focus. Just like how you did when you used Insight. Except hold out your hand like you were getting ready to grab it."

"All right. I will try." Miwah’s eyes closed tighter. She stretched out her right hand and opened the palm wide. A deep breath went in through her nostrils and out through her mouth. A shining white light glowed in her hand. It took the shape of a long, curved weapon before taking a physical form. Miwah clutched onto the handle of a tonfa. A long and curved steel blade jutted out from the bottom section. She held it with both hands, slowly angling it so she could see all the intricate curves and patterns carved into its material. 

"How do you like it?" Yalch asked.

"It is pretty. But I've never used a tonfa before," Miwah said as she let her fingers rub against the top of the bladed sections. It was cool and smooth to the touch. 

"Your stats say that you have should be decent with it because of how many points you have in Proficiency. That means you should have at least a basic understanding of how to handle Liberator. When the time comes to use it, just... focus."

"Are you sure about that?" 

"I've been doing this for centuries," Yalch replied, unable to hide his coy smile. "I think I know what I'm talking about."

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Art Spotlight: Miwah Lu-Hwung (Purifier Form)