Arrival

The sea is restless, a steely slate pricked with frothy white caps. Despite stark winds the sky is clear, crisp air filling the lungs of a teenage girl as she watches the horizon and uncertainty hangs in her eyes. Tia feels mirrored by the tumultuous sea, leaning against the railing at the bow of the ship and brooding more the further they sail. When letting out a sigh one might mistake she had grown weary of being at sea, hair thrashing past stormy eyes. Instead, Tia counted each day, tallying how far they sail from the life she knew.

A man approaches her with a bright greeting prepared. Slate hair streaked by grey and the worn lines of his face express his middle age and he appears very average and unassuming. Tia severs his amiable attempt with a barbarous glare, pressing her lips into a uncompromising frown. The expression comes easily to her, far more dour than one might expect from such a gracile girl. Tia maintains this only briefly before dismissing him entirely, turning back to the sea.

 ‌    "Still punishing you?" a lilting voice welcomes Allen back as he retreats.

     "I doubt she plans to speak to me again!" Allen jests with a wry smile, his response comically dramatic.

     "She will,in time," Mina reassures him as laughter slips from her lips, a knowing expression settling into place.

As the ship cuts into a large wave, briney mist is splattered by the wind and washes over Tia. Mina catches the hint of a smile play on her daughter's lips despite her sour performance. Tia sneaks in a deep breath, enjoying the fresh scent, and her eyes close as another bout of mist and wind whip about her. 

     "I think, despite the changes," Mina insists, turning back to her husband, "This will be good for her!"

She gives Allen's hand a squeeze before striding Tia's side. Tia is silent, her eyes flitting to Mina only briefly. She has always struggled to remain cross with her mother for very long. Mina had a way of soothing those around her and could be surprisingly disarming. Tia believes it is her lissome beauty and adroit elegance, the girl possessing the utmost admiration for her mother. With almost idyllic beauty, Mina's porcelain complexion is pierced only by her cerulean eyes.

While Tia inherited Mina's dainty features, framed by billowing snow-white hair and cut by eyes swirling with indigo and violet clouds, Tia feels these are awkward and gawky on her by comparison. She is also far more petite than her long-limbed mother but has never treated herself as delicately as she appears. Tia had tried to match her mother's feminine mannerisms for some time but never succeeded. She is far more wild, brash and straightforward than Mina and possesses a contrary, almost forlorn quality unusual for her age. Tia sighs as Mina glides to the railing, musing about their unfortunate differences.

     "It's quite a beautiful day, isn't it?" Mina questions, watching her daughter's face tighten with another frown.

     "Our home was beautiful," Tia gripes stubbornly.

     "You might be surprised," Mina replies breathily, "Accia is diverse and cultural. Every day is going to bring you something new!"

Mina brushes matted alabaster locks out of her daughter's face but Tia swats her mother's fingers away, attempting to gather the brine-caked hair herself.

     "You were so bored and frustrated, lonely even. Always sneaking off..." Mina chuckles but Tia keeps her gaze planted firmly forward, "Coming home painted with mud—your father horrified you ruined the silks!"

Tia peeks at Mina's horrified expression and finds herself snickering at the memory. Her joy falls away quickly, fading like the shadow of a passing cloud.

     "I just..." Tia begins, her breath carrying aggravation, "I don't understand how we could leave now. At the worst possible time! I keep thinking about him," her voice begins to quiver, "I-I don't even know if he got out! He could've- h-he could be..."

Tia trails off, staring in the direction of her old home, her lungs expanded with a held breath as she struggles to acknowledge the worst possibility. 

     "Your secret friend?" Mina questions carefully.

Neither Mina or Allen had met the mysterious figure but they avoided prying, happy she had finally acquired a companion. Tia's nod is barely perceptible but tears spill down her face.

     "I'll never even know if he's okay...!" Tia croaks. Mina slides an arm around her and Tia leans into the gesture despite her obstinance.

     "I know, sweetie," Mina croons, rubbing Tia's shoulder, and a frown overtakes her face as she continues, "We all wish we could've stayed but with the state of things..." she looses a sharp sigh, "A diplomat has no place in war. Your father has to return to his country—our country." 

     "'Our country'," Tia mocks, growing disdainful as she shrugs off Mina's grip, "You barely talk about it most of my life and now, suddenly, it's 'our country'?"

     "Your father didn't think we'd ever return to Accia," Mina reassures her.

She seems intent to keep speaking until her expression drops, her eyes drifting past Tia. Tia turns and sees for herself. The outline of land pierces the horizon in one long streak. Mina releases a drawn out sigh before meeting Tia's gaze, her lips pressed together.

     "Anata! (Darling!)" Mina calls without turning to look. Tia's father pops his head up from behind a mess of crates and barrels.

     "Dad!" Tia exclaims, accusatory.

Mina gives them a fluttering laugh and gestures to the growing coastland. Allen steps forward, clapping a hand on each of their shoulders and staring out. Tia observes his mixed reaction, his home on the horizon after decades. It falls into a grimace in the end.

     "Well..." Allen breathes, bracing himself with a chest full of briney air, "We'd best get ready!"

The ship slides along the coast and Tia watches as they sail parallel to sheer cliffs, depriving the land of sandy beaches for miles. Gulls dive into the sea, the jagged heights marked with their nests, and the ship maintains a cautious distance as the waves crash violently into this natural barrier. This continues on for some time until the coast finally breaks open. Atop the cliff's end is a stony, sun-bleached fort populated by soldiers in gleaming armor. It flies a flag unfamiliar to Tia—the flag of her homeland. Another fort on a mirrored cliff forms a pincer at the mouth of a vast bay. The two cliffs drop back until meeting sandy shores and a maze of docks, bridges and islands lay inside. The largest and closest island is cluttered by a sprawling city, taking up every available inch with different layers of architecture from various eras. The bay continues behind it, embracing a few smaller islands before the true coast hugs the water. Two massive bridges stretch between the first island and the mainland, north and south. The boat slows to a halt between the two forts. 

Shadows flutter overhead and, at first, Tia believes gulls to be passing overhead until the shadows expand, rapidly swallowing up sunlight. Tia loses all breath as she turns her attention upward, backing away from the railing with faltering steps. People glide overhead, leathery wings the length of their bodies supporting them. They linger briefly before swooping onto the boat. Two men land in the ropes of the main mast while one woman steps onto the tip of the bow, her wingbeats causing Tia stumble further back. The woman searches their faces as she steps down and the captain is quick to rush forward, brushing past Tia to greet her while Tia continues to gawk, dumbfounded. The captain produces a handful of parchments and the soldier shuffles through them quickly. Tia glances to the men above, scanning the boat with their hands lingering on the hilts of their weapons. Their armor is strange to Tia, very unlike the ornate plates she was accustomed to. They eye Tia and her mother in their Yaxiyan  silks with suspicious unfamiliarity. Allen, the only one of them in Eluzian  clothing, steps just behind Tia and places a hand on her shoulder which she hadn't realized was gripped with tension.

     "Ah!" the woman exclaims, her eyes snagging on Allen, "We were expecting you much sooner!"

She bows her head to him, her smile oddly proud, before waving to one of the men above. He swoops down to meet her and, as she points to something in the paperwork, astonishment washes over his face.

     "See that they are ready for his arrival!" she instructs. He salutes to her, a fist to his chest, and leaps off the railing to fly into town. "We'll escort you ourselves!" the woman proclaims.

The captain calls out orders and the ship comes to life again. Tia squints at her father, confused but suspicious.

     "I might've told you more if we were speaking!" Allen teases, unable to keep the laughter from his voice, "But I guess now it'll be a surprise."

     "What-" Tia begins but he holds up a hand to her. 

     "You wont have to wait long!" Allen assures her playfully before stepping to the bow.

Allen gives Tia another smile before approaching the winged woman. She gives him a small bow again and they begin to converse, her wings shrinking until they fade entirely. 

     "Mom?" Tia calls and looks around. Mina remains in the background, keeping to herself. She stares at the soldier remaining above, her eyes fixed just past him, dazed, "Ka-san? (Mom?) Do you know what dad's up to this time?"

     "Up to...?" Mina mutters.

     "Daijoubu ka? (Are you okay?)" Tia questions, a bit concerned, but Mina musters a smile.

     "Hai, daijoubu (Yes, I'm okay). I'm fine..." Mina breathes, seeming dizzy, "I... I think I'll go get our things together!" Mina splutters uncharacteristically before disappearing into the cabin.

     "Tia!" Allen calls her over, "Come take a look at this!" 

Tia follows after her father and he directs her attention into the water below. Deep down, far below the boat, an underwater city wavers below the surface. Tia squints, the wind-tossed water obscuring a clear view, but can make out the outlines of stone buildings assembled along the sandy floor and colorful aquatic plants hugging flagstone streets. She is even able to spot the silhouettes of people moving along and pointing up at their boat. Tia nearly leans over the railing at the sight of them and Allen has to pull her back.

     "How...?" Tia questions breathily, garnering a barking laugh from Allen. The winged woman seems befuddled and maybe even suspicious of her awe.

     "The people of the archipelago are secretive with their magic," Allen offers a quick explanation to the woman before turning back to his daughter, "You'll find Accians to be the polar opposite!"

Tia finds herself oggling the underwater inhabitants again. She had read stories about underwater cities and was aware of the kaithur, two inherited magic abilities,  which makes it possible. She has her own kaithur after all but seeing the shadows of people actually hover below the surface in person was another experience entirely. As her father said, the people of Nippon  consider their magic forms to be private—particularly among the elite. It was poor etiquette to show your form in public, vulgar even. Those of high rank or wealth rarely ever expose themselves in that way to anyone outside their own family. Tia can't help but marvel watching this underwater world flourish below her and feels a tinge of jealousy. They had a whole world of their own to experience! She wonders just how different their lives must be from hers. Tia notices her father watching her with a grin and forces a frown.

     "Noooo, I caught that smile, you are enjoying yourself!" Allen teases in a drawn out tone broken up by laughter. Tia grumbles and retreats to the cabin to help her mother pack up but not before Allen gets in another laugh. He looks to the soldier and sighs before throwing up his hands, "Teenagers!"

Alone

For the next few days of their journey Mina remains distant from her husband. She gives Allen quaint smiles from time to time, panging dread into his chest, or stares out at the landscape in silent contemplation. Tia struggles as the days go on, nearly slipping off her saddle multiple times and consistently griping for breaks. Eventually, Mina has Tia ride with her so they can keep up with the group. Tia pulls the hood of her cloak up and dozes off, Mina holding her in place. Allen enjoys the sight despite Mina's avoidant behavior, hugging Tia like a lifeline. At times Mina's lips will tremble when she gazes at him, knotting his stomach, but he reassures himself she just needed time.

After several days they arrive at a small village grazing the southern mountain range -the Tenebrous Chain- and make their way to an inn on the edge of an ominous forest. As they arrive, another group is waiting—General Stahlmann's unit. Mina ushers Tia up to their room immediately, sitting by the window and staring up the mountain. Allen dines with the soldiers, catching up with old acquaintances. When he makes his way up for the night both girls appear asleep and he slides into bed right away. He brushes the hair from Mina's face before rolling over.

Tia startles awake suddenly, alerted by the sharp click of their door shutting. She rubs her eyes and looks about the room, finding only herself and her father present. The floor nips at her toes as she pads to the window. Blinking and continuing to rub at her drooping lids, Tia spots her mother just outside the inn. Her hood is up as she glides to the stable, speaking with the soldier posted outside as Tia pulls on her boots. Mina places a hand on his shoulder and the man crumples to the ground. Tia pulls the cloak over her shoulders urgently, sneaking after her mother with quick steps. Strangely, every last soldier posted along the way is sound asleep and sloppily slumped along the walls of the inn. The night air is harsh as she exits the inn, biting at Tia's face and numbing her fingertips as her eyes scrape for any sign of her mother.

She glimpses a rider slipping under the creaking oaks behind the inn and Tia for the stable. Grunting, Tia throws a saddle over Angel and fumbles haphazardly with the buckles. She swings herself onto the horse, blinking up at the looming mountain before kicking Angel forward into the forest.

Tia follows the road cautiously, grateful there appears to be one singular path. There are no lights lining the mountain road as it weaves its way up a steep slope, lined by twisted trunks. The forest is thick and a pall of black mist lingers along the forest floor, swallowing up what little natural light the moon provides. Strange sounds echo between grasping branches and persistent underbrush but Tia is forced to a slow pace or risk being thrown by a stray root. She knows she could use her kaithur to conjure up light but she dreads what else might be drawn to her in this eerie place. Fear creeps over Tia as she realizes she may lose her mother in this darkness, its cold fingers dragging down her back.

     "Mom! Are you there?" Tia calls out, squinting into the path before her. Only the eerie clicks and hoots within the forest answer her, a bone-chilling chitter creeping by behind her. "Ka-san, watashida yo! (Mom, It's me!)" Tia calls again, desperation tainting her voice, "Doko iku no? (Where are you going?)"

There is a long, agonizing silence.

     "I'm here!" Mina finally answers.

Tia's heart jumps and she urges Angel forward. After rounding the corner, Mina waits illuminated by a ray of moonlight. She gestures for Tia to follow and continues her way up the mountain path.

     "Where are you going??" Tia questions again, barely catching up with a steady trot. Mina brings a finger to her mouth.

     "I... I can't stay," Mina answers, barely audible.

     "What do you mean?" Tia squeaks, glancing to the inn below and then back to her mother.

     "I thought..." Mina struggles with her wording, uncertainty breaking through her calm facade, "I thought Accia would be safe, that Allen could keep us all safe, but I was wrong. Especially not for you, Tia!"

Tia finds herself struggling to respond, astonished by her mother's words.

     "What-what about dad? We can't just...!" Tia begins and Mina grimaces as if in physical pain, tears welling up.

     "Your father doesn't have a choice," Mina croaks, regarding Tia as sorrow touches every corner of her face, "He can't leave... And I can't stay...! I don't have a choice either. There is something I have to do."

Tia is baffled into silence, her mind whirling and cloying to try to understand. She had never seen her mother this way, distress wracking her every word and pain caught in her eyes. At least to Tia, her mother always possessed eternally steady composure. She peeks down the mountain again, at the glow of the town beyond the inn. They were one or two switchbacks from the top now. Tia turns back to Mina with a solemn expression and clear resolution.

     "I-" Tia begins but Mina silences her, alerted.

     "Shizukani! Chottomatte... (Be quiet! Just a moment...)" Mina whispers and they pause, listening intently.

The sound is faint but distinct. Horses barreling up the mountain and the voices of men urging them forward. Fear washes over Mina's face, her eyes darting and trying to make sense of their pursuit until they land on Tia with realization. They had seen her.

     "Nigero, imasugu! (We have to run, now!)" Mina raises her voice with extraordinary urgency, abandoning stealth, and her horse's nostrils flare as she kicks it forward.

Tia hesitates briefly but panic urges her to follow after her mother. Stars glitter to life across Mina's arms as she gestures and amplified moonlight breaks onto the path before them, quickly swallowed up again by shadow after they pass.

     "Why are we running?!" Tia shouts but Mina concentrates on the path before them, silent.

Tia peers down the mountain and can see torchlight illuminating one of the switchbacks below, this orange luminescence far warmer than the celestial light guiding them forward. At least three torches hover below while another is much farther ahead than the rest. Mina's urgency is unremitting and Tia struggles to keep up, her exhausted body faltering. They race across the final path and are about to crest the mountain when a ball of light careens through the trees, flying between Tia and her mother.

As this light collides with the road the earth explodes with sudden light and fury. Wads of hot mud fling onto Tia and Angel, the rest flying past her. Angel rears, screaming in response. Tia rips at the reigns furiously, pulling back too hard in an effort to keep her balance, and the stirrups give out beneath her. She tumbles backward, crashing into the road as Angel takes off past the last bend.

     "Tia!" Mina shrieks, pulling her horse back around.

Tia coughs and gasps from the unexpected collision, the air knocked from her lungs. Sharp pain radiates through her back, rocks and roots poking at her from the mountain path. She manages to sit up, finally, and finds herself on the road, feet still in the stirrups of her saddle--a consequence of her own clumsiness. There is a hole in the mountainside to her left, catching her gaze before it slides to her mother.

     "Come on, koi (come here)!" Mina urges her, moving astride and reaching down to offer her hand.

Tia takes a deep breath and gathers herself up, attempting to rise from the road, but a cutting sensation pinches her leg. She collapses with a grunt. Wide eyes land on the stone sliver embedded in her thigh, large enough to poke out both sides. Tia sobs, astounded she hadn't felt it happen. Her hands hover around the stone, too fearful to actually touch it.

      "Your kaithur...!" Mina gasps, "Use your magic! Haiyaku, haiyaku!! (Hurry, hurry!!)" Mina urges her again, glancing down the path as their pursuers near closer. Tia nods but still sits frozen, struggling to focus.

Tia gathers up her will and quiets her mind. She taps into her own life-force before letting it flow out into her body. Mina watches her daughter transform. The first rider is close now, only one switchback from them. Mina gasps, her eyes hazing over.

It begins with her fingers and toes, her flesh melting into pure, transparent water lit by an incandescent glow. Tia focuses the transformation on just her leg, opening her eyes to watch the stone sink until it falls to the ground. Tia lets the magic fade and scrambles to her feet, wary of the gash still present in her thigh which spills her blood onto the road. She looks back up now, reaching for her mother, and freezes... Tia is alone.

     "Iie...! (No...!) No, no, no!" she whimpers and limps forward, over the crest. She can see her mother descending the mountain on the other side, "Oite ikanaide! (Don't leave me behind!)"

Tia's deperate plea explodes from her lungs and echoes down the mountain, leaving her breathless. Yet Mina doesn't stop, doesn't slow, doesn't even look back at her daughter. Very quickly, Tia loses sight of her in the gloom of the gnarled forest.

     "Stop!" a voice shouts its demand and Tia whips around.

Her pursuer rounds the corner, barreling towards her on horseback. He is dressed in the uniform of a soldier, clearly one of their new escorts. His armor glints in the warm light, another peculiar orange ball readied in his free palm. He rides without slowing, his hand wavering with the rhythm of his horse as he takes aim. Tia's breath is haggard, stricken by her own helplessness, limping backwards instinctively and stumbling to the edge of the road. A cold panic fills her stomach as their eyes meet. A wordless shriek passes her lips as he gestures, the orb hurtling towards her. 

Tia brings her arms up as if to block the blast and activates her form again in desperation. Fueled by fear and instinct, the transformation is nearly instant as it flows swiftly across her whole body. Her flesh fades into transparency, her entire body rippling into clear water lit by a celestial glow. Stars twinkle throughout her form but two gleam in place of her eyes while the largest shines in her chest. This ethereal luminosity refracts onto her surroundings as the water ripples yet her body retains its shape.

The soldier is stricken at the sight of her, jaw going slack and eyes wide. Martin rounds the corner just as the explosion ignites, blinded by their combined light. The harsh golden tint of flame licks Tia's body and she feels herself evaporating to steam where it touches her. Her magic tames the meager blast but she is also pushed back by the force, falling into the forest behind her.

Tia feels branches, leaves and twigs pass through her form as she falls. In her panic, she loses concentration and the magic fades. As her body solidifies back into flesh, branches and leaves still stuck inside her, she tumbles and rolls down the slope. Tia marvels at her own silence as her body collides with the mountain, feeling she ought to shriek as her body slams into unrelenting trunks, vicious stones and ornery roots. As she tumbles, the mountain smashes her bones, lacerates her limbs and brutalizes her organs. Tia's head spins and her consciousness falters as she thuds into the bottom of the gorge a broken doll.

     "You damn fool!" Martin roars at the soldier as he approaches.

      "I-I" he stutters and waits at the place Tia stood, his face blank and frozen, doubting what he had just witnessed.

Martin peers down, spotting her limp body on the forest floor. He whips around with a vicious swing, backhanding the soldier hard enough that blood spills over his lips. 

    "She didn't...need...to...die!!" Martin trembles as his words seethe out, a scowl plucking at the vicious expression on his reddened face, "Do you have any idea what you've just done, Ben??"

     "I m-m-missed! It w-w-" Ben splutters, cowering and going silent as Martin sneers at his wobbly excuses.

      "You two! Keep after the other one, there were two horses. And you!" Martin barks, stabbing a finger into Ben's chest, "You'd best steel yourself. You'll be the one telling the duke what you've done to his wife-" he glances down at her again, his voice growing more grim, "Or heir. His Grace is not a forgiving man."

Ben's face is pale, swallowing bile as he tries to fathom the consequences. The other two chase after Mina, continuing down the mountain. Martin's eyes linger below and he curses, spotting an animal approaching her.

     "With me!" Martin calls to Ben, re-mounting his own horse, "We've got a body to collect."

Tia teeters on the edge of consciousness. The front of her body is melted where she had evaporated, heat overwhelming her remaining flesh which resembles sloppy, bubbling wax. Even her uncharred, skin is dusted with gashes, punctured by twigs and a number of nubby bones protrude out from misshapen limbs. Tia can hardly rasp in a breath as her own ribs cut into her her lungs, gasping and coughing up blood. She manages -despite the pain- to roll onto her back and it wracks her with further anguish. Tears sting the warped flesh of her face and her vision begins to fade along the edges, her eyes locked onto the moon above. Worst of all, she can hear the gentle babbling of a stream nearby—waters which could heal her, taunting her with a hope her broken limbs could never reach.

Tia's thoughts drift to her mother, to her father. To the life she had led so far, unaccomplished and trite. To the world she wanted to explore and the bonds she never managed to forge. She coughs and sobs, believing she could've, would've, done something more. Instead, her consciousness begins to fade. As her vision narrows, she sees a shadow pass over her, the moonlight blotted out by some black creature looming over her.

...The wholeness of her being begins to vibrate—skin, bones, blood. The darkness she fades into begins to consume her, penetrating and soaking into her soul ravenously. She struggles as she filters into the shadows and they filter through her. She feels unbearably cold, empty, heavy, hollow, hungry. She drowns in this feeling, floundering as it pulls at the threads of her existence. Yet a warmth remains at her center and she clings to it desperately, an island in the storm. An eternity passes and then, finally, returned warmth course through her again. She feels her body tremble violently as her bones crack and snap into place. An invisible stitch pulls her skin back together like the seam of a cloth under a careful hand. The pain which yanked and pinched at her body begins to fade. Air sucks back into her lungs, the blood flows back into her veins and her heart flutters before pounding with renewed strength. All of her injuries rewind and her body is whole again. Yet she still reels from the pain she endured and the darkness which overwhelmed her. Not only was her body weary, it felt as if her soul itself was fatigued. Stretched to its limit. Tia fades back out…

...Tia feels movement, her limp limbs swaying and her heavy head rocking. A film of sweat coats her body and she could smell something unfamiliar but not at all unpleasant. Warm skin is pressed against her face and cradles her torso--far gentler than the cruel air biting at her as it passes. They move in sporadic, jerking motions Tia can't make sense of. Glimpses of tree branches and starlight peek through her squinted eyes and an unfamiliar face focuses on the path ahead, glancing down at her only briefly...

     "Tia?!" Allen shouts. The one carrying her pauses but moves towards Allen, still tensed and ready to flee.

     "You know her?" a deep voice answers him, rumbling Tia's head.

Tia tries to move, to open her eyes, but she only musters a groan and tosses her head to the side.

     "She's my daughter!" Allen claims, both desperation and relief touching his voice, and Tia can feel the one holding her relax, "What's wrong with her? What happened?"

     "I found her like this, in the forest," her rescuer answers, adjusting his grip for Allen to take her, "She tumbled down the mountain, was in bad shape. But when I got to her... she was healed."

Tia feels her father's arms slip under her, scooping and cradling her, and she feels herself drop lower.

     "...Healed?" Allen breathes, brushing away the hair pasted to her face.

     "There was a black creature hovering over her, protecting her," his voice drops, speaking slowly with heavy emphasis, and there is a moment of silence between the two men, "Soldiers were chasing her and they almost killed her. I managed to get her away before they descended the mountain." 

     "Thank you, son! How can I repay you...?" Allen husks, shifting his weight.

     "Just don't tell anyone you saw me!" her rescuer laughs, "Good luck, Mr...."

      "Minx, Allen Minx," her father answers and watches his eyebrows shoot up. Yet his smile is quick to return after he shrugs off his surprise.

      "Good luck Mr. Minx and good night!" he calls out, followed by silence as the man departs. Tia fades out again as her father begins to move...