Xavier was gifted with another dreamless night as the day turned to evening. For the last few months, he hadn't been having his usual dreams.

The pirate didn't mind, though. Dreams were ruined for him after Rose died.

It was hard to believe it had been so long at this point. Xavier had barely even known the girl, yet he felt such a longing for her.

Now Xavier was sitting up and staring off into space within the tent.

"You doin' alright, Xavier?" Jacob's voice broke the man from his thoughts.

The pirate looked to see his rebel companion was dressed and ready for the day. "Yeah, I'm fine lad. Just thinking about Rose."

Jacob nodded solemnly. "Ah, I see. It's still a lot, I imagine."

Xavier stared down at the ground. "I barely even processed she was gone for so many months. I just kept pushing it away, pushing it down."

Jacob placed his hand on Xavier's shoulder, filling the pirate with warmth. "I didn't know her like you did, but I know she meant a lot to you. In time, you'll begin to heal."

Xavier glanced into his friend's eyes. "Thank you, lad. How are you feeling? You've had some similar tragedies lately."

Jacob looked off to the side. "It's weird. Knowing so many people I knew are dead. A lot of Carosites escaped, but now they're adrift without a home and I don't even know where they are. We can get the island back, but it won't be the same. However, it hasn't all hit me yet. It's insane to even imagine Caros in the air like it was."

Jacob and Xavier started walking out of the tent to join the rest of the crew. "I get that. When the time comes, though. I'll be here to talk about it all." Xavier told his friend.

Jacob's demeanor perked up as they went outside. "Thanks, Xavier!"

They joined up with everyone else. Helena was chatting with Maya and Luna, while Atlas stood off to the side impatiently.

Arvirdi approached everyone, now wearing a large backpack. "Good morning, everyone! Is there anything else that needs to be done before we set sail?"

Nobody spoke up, and so the group started to walk down the path. They went down to the docks and all piled aboard the ship.

Kingston soldiers whispered and pointed at the group. It was no surprise that the Ice Pirates had been recognized. "There they are, the terrorists." One of them mumbled.

The gold-plated guards were standing behind a woman as she acquired numerous items from stalls. The woman's uniform seemed to denote her as some sort of higher-ranking officer.

Xavier rolled his eyes while Maya unfurled the sail. The girl was quick to get the ship ready for launch. "I'd love to take a crack at them," Jacob grumbled.

Maya tied down the sail while Xavier went to the wheel. "Don't get too trigger-happy. Mr. Neutrality is here."

Xavier sighed as the ship pushed out. "Maya, what did I say?"

The girl grumbled and Luna put her hand on Maya's shoulder. "Come on, honey. It's not worth it, we've got bigger things on our horizon."

Maya's mood brightened a bit. "Right! I'm sure you're super excited to finally get some answers."

Luna glanced over at Atlas. The Guardian was distantly staring at the water. "Something is missing, I can feel it. It's as if there's a part of me locked away. All I can remember is the resonance of Solanja's prophecy. The answers are there."

Arvirdi smiled knowingly. "Our spiritual siblings of Solanja held many secrets on their island. Just as Marok has its own secrets and power, Solanja surely does as well."

The group sailed away from Marok on that thought. Racing across the water and occasionally making conversation with one another.

Jacob was talking with Maya and Luna, while Helena and Arvirdi caught up. "Has Xavier been taking care of himself?"

Helena laughed. "Himself? I can't say. But he's been taking care of the crew."

"As a pirate captain should," Arvirdi responded.

Helena gestured to Maya and Luna. "You saw them before, right? When they weren't in our crew."

Arvirdi nodded. "It's a remarkable transformation. They both seem much healthier and happier."

"He's made real pirates out of them," Helena concluded. "It's nice to see the tradition continue."

Xavier felt a bit embarrassed by the sudden praise. All he had been doing was helping his friends. They wanted to become pirates, and so he trained them.

And of course the man would also provide them food. The girls were transitioning from barely getting to eat to having to do hard labor.

It did remind Xavier of something. "Maya, can you come here for a second?"

The girl left her girlfriend and went up to Xavier. "What's up, Cap'n?"

The pirate gestured to the wheel. "Well lass, now that we're on the open water I figured I'd offer to let you sail for a bit. If you'd like, that is."

Maya was left speechless by the offer for a few moments. "R-really?"

Xavier nodded. "Kid, you know everything there is to know at this point. It's good to get some experience. I'll be right here to guide you."

Maya glanced at Luna, who immediately gave her girlfriend a reassuring thumbs up. Xavier stepped away from the wheel, and Maya took his place.

She gently gripped the wooden circle. "Am I h-holding it right?" Maya was shaking a bit, and the boat's course drifted to the left.

Xavier put his hand on her shoulder. "Deep breaths, it's ok. Hold firm, straighten up your arms. We're going the right way for now, there's nothing to worry about." The pirate's words seemed to reach the girl.

She called herself down a bit and looked out at the ocean. It was beautiful and seemingly endless. Maya raised her arms and the boat's wheel moved back on course.

This continued, as Maya kept the course steady and got a bit more comfortable. Soon, she felt confident enough to talk again. "I can't believe it. Why is it so easy?"

"For starters, it's a smaller ship," Xavier answered. "But, you've also learned ships inside and out. That knowledge is in your mind as you pilot it."

Maya smiled as she gently guided the ship around some ice floating in the water. "I guess you're right. Thank you, Xavier."

The man nodded. "Don't mention it, lass. You've really grown, you know?"

Maya chuckled and didn't say anything else. Luna went to join them and lavish praise on her girlfriend. "You're so amazing, Maya! I can't believe you're piloting the ship! It's like you were born to sail!"

"Maybe I am," Maya replied. "When's it going to be Luna's turn to steer this thing?"

Xavier shrugged. "You're welcome to try, Luna. Though I assumed you wouldn't be interested."

Luna immediately shook her head. "I think that's something better left for my girlfriend."

They continued to soar across the water, making their way through the archipelago. Xavier kept his eyes transfixed on the stars, looking for the signs up above. It was difficult to see them, given it was still bright out. However, Xavier was confident in his navigational skills.

Atlas seemed to be looking at the ocean. Their gaze wasn't one of thought, it was intentional. "Aye, Atlas! What're you looking for?"

Atlas turned to the man. "I'm looking for Solanja. We're getting close."

The pirate raised an eyebrow. "What? We shouldn't be anywhere near it!"

Jacob chuckled. "You can't rely on the stars for everything. Especially during the middle of the day. I don't know what method Atlas is using, but they're right."

Atlas stared at Jacob. "Method? I can just feel it. What are you using?"

Jacob stood up and held out Lumis. The blade shockingly drifted to point in the area Atlas had been looking. Maya recognized this and adjusted the course of the boat.

"Since when could Lumis do that?" Xavier questioned.

Jacob laughed. "Since any time I'd think about going to Solanja. Pretty neat, right?"

The boat moved towards this new location. Xavier was shocked by this new revelation and sighed. Once again, he was outclassed by magical deities and ancient artifacts.

The boat slowed down as Xavier rolled up the sail. They couldn't get too close, or else they'd be launched into the sea by the waves from the island.

Atlas motioned for Luna to stand next to them. "Alright, the more Relics the better. So everyone, hand me your relics." Jacob placed Lumis into Atlas's hand. Divios drifted into the Guardian's palm.

Xavier took the Dragon Fang out from his satchel and added it to the pile. Atlas gave Divios to Luna to hold onto.

"Here's the tricky part. This is going to take a lot of magic, so we have to do it right." Atlas continued. "Follow after me."

Atlas took Luna's hand with their right hand, holding the Dragon Fang in it. Atlas raised their left arm, holding Lumis in the air. Luna did the same with her right arm. Lumis and Divios reflected light off of them as power swirled around the siblings.

Dark purple magic moved between the two and then pulsated out into the ocean. "Rise! Solanja!" Atlas called out.

"Return from the sea! To where you belong!" Luna continued the chant. Xavier was left flabbergasted by the power channeling from the Guardians.

The energy nearly blew the pirate over. The ocean started to ripple not far from the ship. It was a mesmerizing sight.

Then, the first hints of something more began to make themselves known. There was a low rumbling from the ocean, and a small pointy stone emerged from the water.

The stone continued, as it ascended. Soon, it was clear that this was the peak of a mountain. Solanja continued to ascend, higher and higher up now.

Then, the rest of the island started to follow. A beautiful city, covered in seaweed and water, slowly made its way out of the ocean. A massive temple, followed by steps leading down to numerous buildings.

Everything was constructed from yellow stone and marble, that had been broken down and tinged during its time in the depths.

It was a truly marvelous sight to watch. An instant island had appeared in the water, looking like it had been frozen in time from the point of sinking.

The ascendence came to a stop, sending massive waves out from the island.

Atlas held out their hand and dissipated the waves. Then, Luna and Atlas both collapsed.

Xavier rushed to Atlas's side while Maya went to Luna's. The Guardian glanced up at Xavier. "W-we're fine. Right, Luna?"

Luna's eyes flicked open. "Mhm, it was just a lot of energy. I feel fine, though."

"It's really here," Jacob awed. "Solanja. I've only ever seen some of it when salvaging. This is... this is beautiful."

Xavier looked out at the island. It was there, all of it. He half expected it to vanish. The whole thing felt like some sort of trick. Would Astraeus appear to ruin it?

Atlas sat up. "I can't believe it... I'm home." Helena guided the ship forward towards the island. "It's all still here." The Guardian was practically shaking.

Luna put her hand on their shoulder. "Are you alright, Atlas? I know this must be a lot for you."

The Guardian gently removed Luna's hand. "I'm fine. Let's do what we came here to do." The boat brushed against the docks, and everyone slowly got off the ship.

The docks were actually stone platforms, likely not made for docking ships. The group would make do. Arvirdi erected a tree using his magic, which Helena then used to tie the boat down.

The ground was coated in water, everything was. Large streams of water rolled down the stairs and into the ocean. The verticality of the islands was helpful in that regard.

Xavier could see a few crabs trotting around on houses. Some fish were flopping between puddles.

Barnacles coated most of the buildings, and many others had collapsed to some extent. Solanja was far less preserved than it first seemed.

Still, it was enthralling to walk around. The group started making their way up the stairs. Jacob held out Lumis, and the sword pulsated with energy.

"This is so surreal," Xavier mumbled.

Atlas led the way up the steep incline. "I remember these houses. I remember some of the people who lived in them. Let's get to the temple at the top. Anything we need to find will be there."

Atlas was eager to lead the way out of the residential areas. There wasn't much to explore, so Xavier didn't want to stick around.

Jacob frowned. "Lumis has never felt like this before. I think it's... happy to be home."

"How's that possible?" Maya questioned. "It's a sword, right?"

"A sword with a will," Atlas corrected. "Lumis chose Jacob as the hero. It is now guiding him to where he needs to go."

Arvirdi had been in a stunned silence up until then. "What a marvelous sword. A marvelous world. I could spend the rest of my life exploring this island."

"Slow down, pal," Atlas called back. "We've got a war to win, first."

They ascended up the steps, higher and higher. As they got further from the lowest parts of the island, the architecture became slightly less dilapidated.

A massive temple rested at the peak of the city. Marble columns held it up, and it seemed to glimmer with a bit of light. This was one of Solanja's great beauties of legend.

They went inside and were hit with a dank and musty smell. Everything smelled exactly how it looked, completely drenched in water.

Everyone looked around, unsure of where to go next. "Let's all split up, and check the rooms." Helena proposed.

Jacob held up Lumis, and the sword gave him no direction. "That sounds like a smart plan."

They all broke off. There were two hallways going down either side of the entrance, leading to other rooms. Directly ahead, was a foyer hall that seemed to be some sort of church.

Xavier went down the right hallway and opened the first door he saw. The man was surprised to find that the door was able to open normally.

Inside, there seemed to be numerous old papers and scrolls. The entire room appeared untouched by the 500 years underwater.

What the hell? This doesn't make any sense at all. Xavier thought. The man sifted around the scrolls, looking through a few of them. They were records being kept by the Solanjans.

The language was incredibly old-fashioned, but Xavier could still get the gist from them.

Xavier found a map of the layout, describing multiple rooms. There was a note attached to one of the rooms that said 'Key, here.' The room belonged to someone named Kai. There was another note that said the key could be used in the church room.

The Ice Pirate poked through a few other scrolls, finding one talking about the room he was in. The room was apparently made as a safe zone, that would be untouchable upon being closed. Until the magic is broken by being opened again.

It seemed the Solanjans were anticipating being destroyed. They claimed that they were at risk of attack from Kingston. The scroll was incredibly interesting with the information it seemed to contain.

Xavier decided to go find the others, poking his head outside. Everyone else seemed to still be looking around. The captain followed the map to Kai's room, which was down the hall.

Atlas was standing in the center. They didn't seem to be looking around for anything. It was as if the Guardian was frozen. "Atlas? Are you alright, pal?"

The Guardian jumped and then sighed. "I'm... fine. What did you find?" Xavier held up the map. "How is that still intact?"

Xavier explained what he had found. "Some sort of safe room. It seems like they thought Kingston was going to attack soon. There's supposedly a key in this room that goes somewhere in the church."

Atlas furrowed their brow. "That's... very odd. I had no idea they were expecting a full invasion. Or that they were capable of such a spell. Let's find that key."

Atlas and Xavier searched the room, finding a key underneath a bedside table. Xavier held it up and Atlas inspected the key.

The two people were about to leave the room, but Xavier noticed Atlas's hesitance. "Atlas, I won't ask again but I just want to one more time. Are you alright? Did you know Kai?"

Atlas looked into Xavier's eyes with their orange gemstones. They sighed, a few tears slipping down their face. Xavier had forgotten that the Guardian was capable of crying.

"Alright, I'll tell you. About Kai and I."