The day star shines over the horizon illuminating Vitas’s distant land mass. Olivia, the arachnid, approaches Mateo in his chambers.

  “As an orb weaver I can reinforce your armor with my silk.”

  “That must be why you left my void palace, very well,” Mateo says pulling the Raiment of Del Toro from his inventory and placing it infront of her.

  “Wow, this is fine quality gear for being such a low proficiency item,” Olivia says holding it up.

  “What improvements can you make to it, if I may ask?” Mateo says flipping through his new spell tomes.

  “My silk will increase your maneuverability, what proficient citizens call dexterity, and infusing it with my mana will enchant it with a blood drain ability, at the cost of increased fire damage, if you’re interested,” she says.

  “That’s fine, I seem to have a high tolerance for fire damage due to my draconic nature, or whatever ties me to dragons,” Mateo replies.

  “I’ll have it ready in an hour or so, you should check on the kitten, she’s quite upset that her prey escaped before she let it go.”

  “Thanks Olivia, I owe you,” Mateo says heading toward the door.

  “No, I owe you my life, It’s the least I can do for you,” Olivia says her mandibles doing the best they can to form a crooked smile.

  “You don’t owe me anything, any other realm walker would have done the same.”

  Olivia pauses for a moment only speaking as Mateo puts his first foot out of the room.

  “No Mateo, they wouldn’t.”

  Mateo peers over his shoulder giving her a forced smile.

  “That’s disappointing to hear.”

  He steps out of the door and heads up a small wooden staircase pushing open double doors. The illuminating light of two moons, one violet, and one crimson, rain down beams of light upon him.

  “She’s mad at me, she won’t say it, but she glares at me like prey to be gutted and left for her partner,” Mitsu yells.

  “Of course she’s mad at you, you dumped her, weren’t you mad when that rat Jane dumped you over that cat boy Seth?” Mercedes replies.

  “Don’t call her a rat, she was a,” he pauses, “you’re right, I should apologize to her,” Mitsu says lowering his ears.

  Mateo falls near on his face as a heavy body leaps onto his back. It’s Azul. Her increased proficiency has caused her to develop at an abnormal rate increasing her bone and muscle density which also increases her weight.

  “Awe, I thought you’d be able to handle me, but here we are on the floor,” Azul says.

  “You’re not quite the light boned ice ogre you were when we met,” Mateo replies.

  She climbs off him holding out her hand. Mateo takes it and she lifts him to his feet.

  “Have you seen Jade around, we were supposed to get lunch, or dinner, or whatever time it is, that Dulmond guy said he’d make us something special.”

  “No, I just got up, have you seen Stitches?” Mateo asks.

  “Her and Zenara disappeared to spar in her private dojo, bottom deck I believe, Sapphire was looking for you though, she’s in the kitchen with Dulmond, probably making chocolate.”

  “Thanks Azul, I’ll check on her first.”

  Mateo peers up at the two moons for a moment taking in the sight. Tendrils of blue mana seem to ascend skyward trying to reach out to them before dissipating into what must be the upper atmosphere of the astral. The sight is a wonder to him, an alien vision even in a world he has become more accustomed to. He lowers his gaze toward a staircase leading below deck and begins his descent.

  Before heading to the dojo, he stops by the kitchen. Sapphire sees him and abandons her post at the stove. Dulmond rushes to stir the large pot of bubbling cocoa that she’s supposed to be making before it burns to ruin. Viscous arms wrap Mateo in a loving embrace as Sapphire presses herself against Mateo.

  “Chocolate!” Sapphire yells.

  Mateo runs a gentle hand over the membrane on her back before embracing her. She lays her head against his shoulder, and he smiles.

  “How have you been sapphire?” Mateo asks.

  “Chocolate,” she replies.

  “She missed you,” Natalia says appearing above them.

  “Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate,” she states holding him closer.

  “She doesn’t want you gone so long, she worries about you,” Natalia says pulling a small sugary bar from her inventory.

  Sapphire’s eyes burn alight with greed at the sight of the bar. Natalia waves her finger no, and Sapphire pouts, her eyes turning to a torrent of despair. Natalia brakes off a piece of the bar and Sapphire releases Mateo grabbing it. Mateo pats Sapphire’s head gently.

  “I need to go see Stitches, so keep helping Dulmond until I get back,” Mateo says stroking the viscous fibers that resemble her hair.

  “Chocolate,” Sapphire replies with a four fingered thumbs up.

  Stitches remains in place as Zenara’s strikes with her dual falchion blades assault her ward. Zenara falls back just far enough to leave an opening. Stitches’ staff changes to a scythe and she swings with a mid range attack. Zenara cartwheels over the strike moving in to counter. The scythe digs into the floor and Stitches uses it to propel herself at Zenara leaping between her blades and digging her claws into her chest.

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  Zenara grips Stitches’ wrists as her swords clank to the floor. Stitches’ back claws cut into the belly of her armor. Zenara smiles releasing her wrists.

  “This round is yours, I hope you’re as ferocious in the bedroom as you are on the battlefield,” Zenara says with a smile.

  “You can’t even imagine,” Stitches replies.

  “Hey,” Mateo says waving awkwardly at them.

  Stitches’ face turns blood red.

  “Um, how long have you been there?”

  Mateo motions his fingers as if they are claws, “rawr, I’m so ferocious.”

  Zenara pushes Stitches off her discarding the flustered kitten so she can return to her feet. She steps up to Mateo.

  “Should I leave you two to, um ‘spar’?” She asks.

  “We won’t be sparring, but I do need to talk to Stitches alone,” Mateo replies.

  “I didn’t think you would be sparring,” Zenara says with a wink.

  “No, that’s not what,” before he can finish Zenara exits the room leaving the two of them alone.

  Stitches raises her staff.

  “You want to go a few rounds, no spells, just melee combat,” she asks.

  “Since you’re asking, I don’t see why not,” Mateo replies.

  After their sparring session Mateo returns to his chambers where Olivia presents him with his newly stitched armor.

  Raiment of Del Toro has been reforged. Plus two points of dexterity when the full set is worn. Effect unlocked; after striking an enemy you will drain five vitality per second for five seconds. Striking an enemy again will reset this effects timer.

  “Thank you, Olivia, I appreciate it,” Mateo says returning his armor to his inventory.

  “No, thank you for believing I could be more than just a monster, now, I have to go weave a very special dress for a very eager woman,” Olivia replies taking a short bow before she leaves.

  Mateo lays back for a short instance shutting his eyes. It’s nice to have a few moments to himself. The bed shifts and a familiar mouse girl lays her head against the pillow beside him staring up at the ceiling.

  “Mercedes, I thought you and Mitsubishi had your own room.”

  She places her arms behind her head crossing her legs as she makes herself more comfortable.

  “You still spying on me for Garren?” Mateo asks.

  “Kind of, but not really, I’m mostly along for the ride, I want to travel, just like I said when we were in the Twilight Everglades, why, does it matter?” She asks.

  “You aren’t worried about Stitches coming in here and seeing you in bed with me?”

  “No, she knows I’m in here, hasn’t stopped stalking me since her and Mitsu broke up, plus if she was worried about any other woman here it would be that Balli Ballista chick, she’s volatile, and aggressive.”

  Mercedes takes a deep breath looking up at the ceiling.

  “Mitsu’s been pretty upset about his breakup with Stitches, I thought you might be upset about you and Serenity, and that you might not want to talk about it with Stitches because you and her feel for each other,” Mercedes says.

  “You’re right Mercedes, I don’t want to talk about it with her,” Mateo replies.

  Mercedes moves closer to Mateo tugging on his blanket as the cool mana dense air flows around them.

  “I’m not here to be a rat for Garren, I’m your friend now,” Mercedes says with a smile.

  “Do you want to rest for a bit?” Mateo asks pulling the blanket over her.

  “A couple of hours if you don’t mind, I don’t trust these pirates, but I trust you,” Mercedes says cuddling up to him.

  Mateo embraces the small, several century old mouse girl. She seems to fall asleep effortlessly in his arms, after he uses calm on her. His eyes close and for some reason he too feels at peace. Perhaps from an ability that Mercedes possesses.

  Mateo’s rest is cut short as the ship lurches violently attempting to come to an abrupt stop. Mercedes clings to him as they are thrown from the bed and into the floor.

  “What’s going on?” Mercedes asks.

  “Nothing good, stay here,” Mateo replies.

  Upon returning to the deck Mateo notices that all of Zenara’s crew are on high alert. An armada of astral vessels has surrounded the Currents of Rage. Mateo equips his Del Toro armor joining Zenara and his party on the deck.

  “What’s going on?” Mateo asks.

  “Scorpio pirates, they must know that portals are acting up and came out in full force because I’ve never seen so many in one place before, it’s almost a blockade,” Zenara replies.

  “Can we handle that many ships?”

  “Absolutely not, I’ve already sent out a distress signal, I just hope Commander Kosaku gets it before we are obliterated.”

  Zenara steps to the front of the ship raising one of her twin falchions. Grelak joins her.

  “Morier Invictus, we die unconquered,” Zenara yells rallying her crew.

  “Morier Invictus!” The crew shouts.

  Zenara steps down returning to Mateo on the deck.

  “They’ll project an avatar to declare their terms, we need to stall them until the Yamato arrives.”

  “What if we can’t stall them long enough?”

  A Scorpion figure vaguely resembling a humanoid appears on the deck of the ship. It’s not a physical object but a projectoral being. Zenara approaches it.

  “We seek passage to Vitas, what is your toll?” Zenara asks.

  “You think me a fool, I know you Voidtrekker, you owe me more than one life, and I’ll breed them all out of you, turn over yourself and your ship and I might drop your crew on a sustainable astral land mass,” a tyrannical voice grumbles.

  Zenara scratches her chin pretending to ponder the terms. Then she steps forward placing her hands on her hips.

  “How about this, I don’t give you shit, and you all go fuck yourselves, that sound good,” she says with a smile.

  “Your death will be unpleasant,” the avatar replies.

  “So will yours, let’s see who finishes first, shall we, mages, power the canons.”

  The avatar disappears and Mateo steps up to Zenara placing a hand on her shoulder.

  “How fucked are we?” He asks.

  “If you believe in a god, you should start praying,” she replies.

  A rift opens between the Scorpio pirates and the Currents of Rage. The hull of a massive vessel emerges from it. The vessel seems tattered and torn, almost like it has already met a watery grave. Hold on, is it flying the rising sun?

  The massive vessel is covered in barnacles and filled with holes. It’s a wonder it can even float in whatever passes for a current in the astral. Mateo looks closer and notices, all the crew members on the ship are either specters or liches. One lich boards the Currents of Rage from afar seemingly instantly.

  “Commander Kosaku,” Zenara greets with a bow.

  The lich bows and then stands firm before her.

  “My forces will distract as many of them as possible, take this time to make your escape.”

  His words don’t match his mouth, making it obvious that Natalia is translating his speech from Japanese.

  “We can win this fight together,” Zenara says.

  “No, we cannot, I will draw their fire while you escape, do not argue with me, time is precious, and you have little of it before someone is in need of you, as I did before you were in need of me.”

  “Thank you, Kosaku,” she says with a respectful bow.

  “No, thank you Zenara, without you me and my crew would have wandered the astral aimlessly and without purpose, you gave us something to fight for again.”

  “Holy shit, Kosaku Aruga, commander of the Yamato in WWII?” Mateo questions.

  “You know of me?”

  “Only from the history channel, World War Two now in living color.”

  “Hopefully from the right side of history,” he stops turning back to Zenara, “time is precious, and we have little of it, I will return to the Yamato and fire her full battery, that is when you slip past the enemy blockade.”

  Without another word the lich disappears returning to his war-torn vessel.

  The Yamato’s canons roar to life echoing across the astral in a vacuumous thunder. Two of the Scorpio’s vessels break formation following the Currents of Rage as it flees. Zenara stands at the stern of her vessel staring off at the Yamato as its full battery tears through the blockade of Scorpio pirates. Her hand quivers as she raises it giving them one last salute, and then a graceful bow. Mateo steps up beside her staring off toward the battle as ships burst into flames.

  “They aren’t going to make it, are they?” He asks.

  “No, maybe one of the heavens will take them this time, gods know they’ve been through enough hells.”

  “We’re still being pursued,” Mateo says pointing out the two Scorpio vessels.

  “Good, I want to kill something,” Zenara replies.