Xavier sailed across the sea in the direction of Marok aboard Marius's ship. The vessel was small enough that it could travel decently fast but wasn't as cramped as the dingy he had been using before and the pirate felt much more at home on the larger ship.

Being out on the sea helped to calm him down and think of a plan for what he could do about those two. They seemed to hate each other with a passion and Xavier had no idea how to diffuse the tension.

They were both fire magic users and Xavier couldn't relate to how heated they got. Xavier had captained a large crew for a few years but while there were disagreements, everyone was united under the same cause and never had a bloodlust for each other.

Even then, Xavier wasn't much for playing peacekeeper. His people skills were never his best aspect and he usually left his second in command, Helena, to deal with those problems.

The whole issue left Xavier feeling disappointed and frustrated with himself. He kept trying to come up with scenarios that would've let him better handle the situation but the fire in their eyes made it clear that things wouldn't have de-escalated without disarming them and separating them.

But there needed to be a better plan going forward. The group would need to be working together in harmony if they stood any chance against Astraeus and his goons alongside all the other fights they'd have to have on the way there.

The puzzling situation kept Xavier preoccupied as he sailed the ship towards Marok and was pleased to find that the rocks were now moved out of the way which made entering the island's main port a breeze.

Xavier expertly guided the ship to port and docked it. The pirate then hopped off of the boat and soaked in the warmth that the island's earth exuded.

A few people at the port recognized Xavier and waved to the captain. Xavier made friendly conversation before turning his focus to the village and marching up the dirt path.

It was late in the afternoon at this point and sunlight glistened off of the water and cast giant shadows on the village from the trees in the jungle.

Xavier arrived at the top of the hill where the homes that made up the village were stationed and where Arvirdi was speaking to a few villagers.

The pirate waited for his friend to finish his conversation before approaching the village chief. "Ahoy, Arvirdi!"

Arvirdi immediately lit up when he noticed Xavier and the two shook hands. "It's good to see you again Xavier. And so soon at that. Did your mission go well?"

"I wouldn't say it isn't going well but it has certainly become a lot more complicated," Xavier said before explaining everything that had happened over the last few days.

Once Xavier finished, Arvirdi didn't seem all that confused. "Mm, so it seems the Guardians have taken a turn for the worse. That's a shame. I'm glad you've at least got one on your side because they're incredibly powerful beings."

"You've met a Guardian before?" Xavier confirmed after doing a double-take.

Arvirdi shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. "Indeed. I had many a conversation with Rhea in my time. I used to visit her shrine regularly on this island. And, on the Isle of Muerend I encountered one watching me from the distance."

"That was Atlas," Xavier explained. "They began guarding the Isle of Muerend after Solanja went underwater."

"Well, it seems you've gotten yourself wrapped up in quite a big plot, Xavier," Arvirdi observed. "Unfortunately I can't do anything to help other than provide you supplies for our usual price. Though I really do hope you come out of it alive."

Xavier sighed. "I do too. Thanks, Arvirdi, we'll need all the supplies we can get. I still need to figure out how to get Rose and Jacob to reconcile before one of them ends up killing the other on top of all of this."

"Well Xavier, as I've said before magic is based on emotions and the opposite is true as well. They're far easier to fire up than you. The best advice I can offer to you is to keep both of them calm by directing them back to their common enemy, Astraeus." Arvirdi offered.

The advice seemed to make sense but Xavier couldn't help but worry that in practice it wouldn't be as simple. "I'll be sure to try that. Thank you again, Arvirdi."

Arvirdi grinned. "Not so stubborn now, eh? Only when it comes to magic?" The village chief jested.

Xavier rolled his eyes. "I don't need to learn any healing spells. I've been holding my own quite fine for 20 years. If I get hit the last thing I need to do is worry about anything other than the thing that hit me."

"Ah forget I mentioned it." Arvirdi sighed. "I'm very proud to see how far you've come since you stowed away on one of our ships. Good luck, Xavier. May the Gods be with you."

Xavier went down to the docks and paid for the supplies that had been loaded into his ship before pulling out of the port and getting back onto the open sea.

The ship was now packed with gear and rations and Xavier had a clear head that he held high as he sailed off to the Azure Cove.

The sun was setting below the ocean as Xavier finally arrived back at the pirate haven. The added cargo made the trip back take far longer than it normally would have but Xavier didn't mind. There was always something comforting about being on a ship and out in the sea.

Xavier returned to the tavern after docking the ship and found that Jacob, Rose, and Atlas were already back and had seated themselves at a table under the supervision of Marius and Cannonball.

The captain approached the table and cleared his throat. "First thing's first. I want your status updates for the mission."

Jacob decided to go first. "Marius and I got a decent amount of berries and then managed to convince a few pirates to join in. A lot of pirates said they'd lend a hand if the Stormcasters were committing to leading the charge."

Xavier sighed. "Of course it all depends on them." The Stormcasters were high-profile pirates which made Xavier extremely wary that they would join in the battle. "And did you find out where they are?"

Rose nodded and Xavier felt a weight lifted off of his chest. "They were chased out to sea nearby Heau and the Isle of Muerend."

"And those idiot Scalliers awoke Cuthulaken!" Atlas cut in. "And for whatever reason, Rose didn't let me stab them there!"

At least Atlas is using Rose's name now. Xavier noted. "Hold on now, what is a Cuthulaken?"

Atlas looked at Xavier like he was stupid. "Do you have a sea mollusk for a brain? It's one of the ancient monsters that was sealed away hundreds of years ago. Used to rein terror on sailors."

Xavier looked over to Marius and Cannonball for help but they were both just as lost as he was. "Hang on! Do you mean the Spirit of the Sea?" Cannonball confirmed.

That was a name Xavier recognized. A terrifying squid monster that conjured storms and was said to be the cause of all the sudden terrible storms in the archipelago but Xavier had always assumed it was just a legend.

"Call it whatever you want. Either way, it's back." Atlas stated. "And as someone alive when the ancient monsters were unleashing their wrath on these isles, that's a very bad thing."

"Just our luck," Xavier groaned. "We have to fight an ancient monster just to get some pirates on our side. The legends of Cuthulaken don't paint a pretty picture for entire crews and we're just one tiny ship."

Atlas nodded. "It was a massacre for the longest time because Kingston refused to enlist the help of the mages of Solanja and they still had antiquated ideas of magic, so it was a pretty much impossible fight until they finally let Solanja aide them. I didn't get to see the fight personally but things went a lot better with magic involved. And it should still have most of the seals on its power intact if it hasn't created enough of a fuss that everyone knows about it. Since we have a light mage, a Guardian, and a Solanjan superweapon we might stand a good chance."

Xavier decided to ignore the fact that he was excluded from the list of positives as if he wouldn't be the one getting them close to the beast and turned his attention to Rose and Jacob. "Sounds like we're in for a real fight and you two need to be fully cooperating if we're going to stand a chance. Is what happened earlier today going to be an issue?"

Neither party said anything until Rose finally broke the standoff. "Fine, I'll go first. Jacob, I'm not going to pretend I don't care about Kingston and its people. But I'm not going to allow that to interfere with our mission. I had to fight a close friend to get the information I got and I'll do it again. I'm committed to this revolution."

Jacob sighed and uncrossed his arms. "Ok. And I welcome your support with open arms. I'm going to be taking all that passion I had building up against you and using it to fight even harder for freeing Caros."

The two seemed to have reached a delicate truce and shook hands. "Well then, team!" Xavier said with a grin. "Let's get some sleep at the nearby inn and then set off for rescuing the Stormcasters tomorrow!"

Even the ever impatient Jacob and Atlas didn't protest the chance to take the night off and get some rest in a bed for a change. Xavier had a bit of hope that things would work out, even though he was about to sail directly into a storm conjured by an ancient monster.

The sheer danger excited Xavier. And with a united crew by his side, he knew they would win.