While the days were grey and foggy, the night brought clear, dark and starless skies, with the shining crescent moon cascading over the boat that sailed through the seas and towards the sides of Morta.

Nighttime usually meant that the Tributals headed to sleep. Still, it occurred that they managed to close their eyes and drift off much later than any other race, which is part of the reason why Ambrosia fell asleep on a random rock a few times while travelling through the caves, and even now, alongside Morio and Anna.

None of the Discoverers were yet asleep, and it was only Ace who stood near the steering wheel and observed the surroundings, seldom rubbing their eyes and yawning. They had to ensure that their ship was far enough from the rocky shores to assure that nothing strange happens once they woke up, even though the last few days were nothing but boredom.

They squinted their eyes, wrapping themselves around with their jacket, resisting the pinching cold, while many sounds echoed from the room below the deck. Ace often glanced, spotting a warm light through the blurred window and hearing muffled conversations, some songs sung, cards played, sometimes broken by Rowan's unwilling yells.

Abruptly, though, things went silent, and Ace's small frown turned into a neutral expression.

"Go, Rowan." Kukhi's voice could be heard, and Ace sighed, staring forward.

"No, it's embarrassing!" Rowan added.

"That's embarrassing?" Damien asked. "You know most of Litson's songs and you're embarrassed about talking-"

"Shh!" Rowan shushed them.

Their sentences turned into whispers, and Ace didn't bother to try and make out whatever they discussed. Either way, the Tributal was already sure what all of this would come down to, and sooner than later, Rowan was pushed out from beneath the deck by Kukhi and Damien.

Ace glanced at them, as they stared for a few seconds, gritting their teeth, before knocking once on the door. A drop of sweat rolled down Rowan's face, and they closed their eyes before eventually facing Ace.

"Hi," Rowan uttered, blinking a few times.

Ace chuckled. Rowan fixed the collar of their robe, pursing their lips and taking a few steps towards the wheel and the other Tributal. They put their hands in their pockets and sighed, looking into the sky.

"It sure is dark out," they commented, seldom taking a glimpse at Ace's bored expression, which led them to grow weary.

"Amazing observation right there, Rowan. Expected of someone as brainy as you!" Ace muttered, spotting a small smirk.

"Hey," Rowan said with a furrowed brow. "I wanted to start a conversation, and you're already shooting arrows at my feet!"

"Thought you were the one with the bow."

"That's just mean!" Rowan put their hands on their sides, and Ace didn't say anything. Their judging glance was enough to force Rowan to take a few steps back.

"Need anything?" Ace asked.

"Nothing." Rowan shook their head, folding their arms. "Just came out to talk, as I mentioned earlier." they scoffed, closing their eyes.

"About what? The troupe, your Chicho?" Ace continued.

"No?" Rowan clenched their jaw. "I mean, sure I could, but why? Nothing changes either way. We've been stuck here for what, a week?"

Ace turned the wheel a little to the left. "Thirteen days."

"More than a week then." Rowan nodded.

"I've seen that you've gotten along with the other Tributals," Ace added. "So we're not as bad as you assumed? Not so boring?" Ace glanced at them, squinting one eye.

Rowan tapped their foot. "Yeah," they answered. "I guess you could say that."

Ace rolled their eyes. "Oh, my One!" Ace suddenly turned around. "Just admit it! You were wrong from the very beginning and now you feel bad!"

"What?!" Rowan's eyes shrunk. "I never go back on my words!"

"So why did you come here?!"

"To apolo- Oh." Rowan stopped. "Damn it, this doesn't add up," they whispered.

Ace covered their eyes, for a little too long, taking a few steps back, sitting on the wooden floor and pulling Rowan's jacket to essentially force them to join in. Rowan was sweating buckets, awkwardly staring at the ground while Ace seemed to humour this entire situation. "Are you going to say sorry?"

"Sorry." Rowan scratched the back of their head.

"Just sorry?"

"Uh." Rowan bit their lip. "I..." they gulped, avoiding eye contact. "...I'm sorry for being such a prick to you, Ace. All of you." they kept rubbing their cheek as if the simple thought of making up for something so trivial stung them. "I guess I was just-"

"No excuses," Ace muttered.

"Hm?"

"When you see the wrongs, you don't search for the rights. If you're really sorry." they looked into Rowan's eyes, putting their hands on their head. "Then admit it."

"But there was one right. I didn't-"

"Sh!" Ace shushed him. "No excuses."

Rowan raised an eyebrow, before a quick sigh. "Okay," they uttered. "I'm s-sorry, Ace."

"Have you apologized to the rest of the crew?"

"They didn't necessarily ask for apologies".

"The arrows that were your words didn't seem to wound them as much as they did me." Ace smiled. "Even though I didn't show it. Apology accepted." they bumped Rowan's shoulder.

Rowan smiled, nodding as if their head was heavy. Ace looked to the side, spotting all the sharp, rocky grey mountains that made the Harm Lands of Morta, slowly but surely turn smaller and smaller.

"Though, through kind words, I still feel like there's something you're not telling us," Ace added.

Rowan turned.

"Putting up spikes doesn't stem from something as simple as jealousy, right?" they glanced at the other Tributal, and they breathed out.

"It's-"

"No. I'll figure it out. Especially now that we can call each other friends, or, Bahiim." Ace uttered. "If we're meant to be there for each other."

Rowan's lip shook, as they blinked a few times and then glimpsed at the sea.

Ace scratched their nose, moving on with the topic.

"It's Gorro already." Ace continued.

"I-It is?" Rowan asked.

"Yeah, I'd be surprised too if I wasn't keeping count of the days." Ace stuck their tongue out, taking a small journal out of their back pocket and opening it in the middle. "The first of Gorro." they looked up. "But you couldn't tell. It's all cold here."

"The waters always were and always will be just a little bit colder than the land." Rowan signalled with their fingers.

"It's not the sea, Rowan. It's Morta." Ace squinted their eyes, before standing up. "All the cold is coming in waves and winds from there." they pointed, and Rowan followed in their footsteps, fixing the jacket they wore. They huffed, before seeing their breath, rather surprised.

"Then, I wonder," they muttered. "How hot is Malikan right now?"

"Heh." Ace chuckled. "Bet the shadows of the massive Lotus leaves aren't even enough."

"As much as I hate Gorro," Rowan tapped their foot again. "There's a certain charm to the weather." they laughed a little. "Yeah?"

"Hehe, yeah. Just thinking of running from one shadow to the other and screaming as the sunlight's wrath pushes itself onto you!" The other Tributal signalled with their hands, and Rowan giggled again.

However, the smile on Ace's face turned into a frown. "How long has it been since you've left Malikan?" they asked.

All of a sudden, the great atmosphere suddenly turned a little dense and heavy.

Rowan waited for a few seconds, opening their mouth a little. "Fifteen years," they answered, hesitating. "I ran away to Magna and never looked back."

"Hm." their eyes were half-closed.

Rowan scratched their forehead. "What about you?"

"I've been there three years ago, but only for a moment to get my things from the ruins of my house in Fort Apharel." Ace shook their head. "Barely recognized the streets."

Rowan tapped their sleeve with one finger. "J-Just... how life is, I guess."

Ever since the Second Errarion War, Tributals have only greatly decreased in numbers, turning from a massive, influential race to only a speck of what once was their power. Even before what happened fifteen years ago, things were already looking bleak.

The cricket-like noises sounded.

***

"Special?!" Elton asked, but before an answer could form itself in Chyuuichi's mind, the two were already soaring through the air, above and beyond the thousands of skeletons, all focused on eliminating the three intruders.

Jyuzou ran alongside the big boulders, seldom jumping in through the black towers and avoiding the multiple arrows, spears, axes and swords thrown his way, tumbling through debris and leaping out of the ruins.

"WAAAH!" Elton yelled, in fear, as shots avoided his body, making quick, swooping sounds. He swiftly turned to Chyuuichi, seeing the smile as if it were a gleaming light that illuminated the road he carved.

The Paladian's eyes lit up before Chyuuichi jumped onto a boulder that hung off the ceiling and let go of Elton, hastily. He slid down, but the Mirillian quickly caught him, grabbing his hand, as the two overlooked everything from above.

"Etlan! You and Jyuso, start running towards the exit!" Chyuuichi pointed. "I'll be the one destroying the skeletons!"

"W-What? You won't handle them all by yourself!" Elton shook his hand aggressively.

"Word?" Chyuuichi asked, grinning.

"Which word? I said a lot of them!" Elton panicked.

"Trust me on this, Etlan!" Chyuuichi raised a fist. "I'll catch up to y'all!"

"We shouldn't make unsure decisions, Chyuuichi, we need to wait for a moment- WOOOO!"

Chyuuichi grabbed Elton's hand and chucked him towards the hills and rocks Jyuzou ran on, as he safely landed near the Morian, who quickly helped him up.

The Mirillian himself leapt into combat, flipping midair and diving into the horde.

"What is Chyuuichi doing? W-What did he tell you?" Jyuzou uttered, and Elton quickly glanced at the army.

"That we need to keep running and he'll fight! All by himself!" Elton raised his voice. "That's ridiculous, isn't it?"

"No, it's..." Jyuzou thought, as a beam formed from ear to ear. "It's exactly what we need to win! Shin, Chyuuichi," he muttered to himself.

"I haven't heard a more stupid thing! We all need to fight to win!"

"But our battle is already over, Elton," Jyuzou informed, smiling. "You solved that issue, remember?" Jyuzou got up, slowly turning a stride into a sprint, and Elton struggled to follow.

"I didn't do anything! They're still fighting!"

"But they're not fighting against each other! They're fighting us!" Jyuzou turned around, his mouth opening widely for each loud word that came out from beneath his lips, and Elton furrowed one brow, and raised the other, pretending to understand whatever the Morian entailed.

"You're saying they're all against us because I called out their stupidity?!" Elton asked.

"Yes, pretty much!" Jyuzou nodded.

"Oh, great!" Elton thrashed, still running. "Like that's a good thing!"

"I get his plan, though." The Morian kept eyeing the Mirillian. "They'll focus on Chyuuichi while we make it out, confirming if there's something at the end of this cave!" Jyuzou started swinging his hands back and forth, picking up speed.

"But he won't handle it by himself! If he dies, we'll be one to blame!" Elton panicked.

"Don't jump to the worst-case scenario! I don't know what happened to him...!" Jyuzou sounded. "But Chyuuichi's stronger than ever before."

Chyuuichi spun atop his scythe, digging through the army of skeletons, jumping down into his frosty arena and slashing through the thousands of enemies while wearing a smirk on his bruised, yet, joyous face. He leapt up, flipping again, while skillfully avoiding shots and blasting everything he learnt into the faces of the skeletons.

"I was always a weakling." Chui's voice sounded, while Chyuuichi stared at the ceiling.

"But I knew how to fight," Yanma uttered when Chyuuichi closed his eyes.