(RoS) The Island (Part 1) (Read after Meeting the Heart) (Patreon)

Maya drew in a ragged breath. Her eyes snapped open. The heavy fog still surrounded her, and it was impossible to see more than a foot or so ahead of her. She waved a hand through the air, white whisps curling through her fingers.

“Patty?” Maya called.

“I’m over here,” the puppet called from somewhere to Maya’s left. “What happened with the Heart?”

“I merged with it, I think,” Maya said. The fog slowly started to disperse as the sun’s heavy rays finally found purchase within the chick white cloud. “How did all this fog get here?”

Patty’s small form appeared from the fog. Maya nearly jumped, but she managed to control herself.

“It showed up when the Heart disappeared,” Patty replied. “I think you made it. There was also a pillar of water, but that stopped pretty quickly.”

“I see,” Maya said.

“So? What’s your awakened ability? Can you use it yet?” Patty asked.

Maya extended her hands towards the fog and concentrated. It shifted backwards slightly, but that might have just been from the sun and her movements creating a slight amount of wind.

“You might need a bit of practice,” Patty observed.

“I get the feeling we’re about to have a lot of that,” Maya said. She picked a strawberry from a bush and popped it into her mouth. “I doubt Cyll and Akrun are going to finish building a boat anytime soon.”

Maya swallowed. She grabbed another red fruit and ate it.

“But food first. Practice can wait,” Maya said, eyeing the bush greedily.

Just over an hour later, Maya let out a satisfied groan, flopping onto her back and staring up into the clear sky above her. Patty sat at her side, rubbing her stomach contentedly. The puppet had eaten considerably less than her captain, but it was evidently enough for her.

“We can train tomorrow,” Maya decided. “I would pop like a balloon if I tried to do anything now.”

“Whatever you say, Cap,” Patty said.

Maya glanced over at the puppet.

“Cap? Not you too, Patty! How much time have you been spending with Cyll?”

“We’ve been meeting at night,” the puppet admitted, giving her an abashed grin. “Neither of us sleep, so he’s been teaching me about the human world.”

“You’re learning about modern humans from Cyll? Oh boy,” Maya laughed. “I’m glad he’s been helping, though. I feel like I haven’t been a good captain. I should have at least tried to help you a little more.”

“You’ve had other concerns,” Patty replied, shrugging. “You’ve already shown me more than I ever thought I’d see. Cities, the sea, gods, it’s all amazing. Just because you’re caught up with something important to you doesn’t make you a bad person.”

“Either way, I’m still your captain. I’ve got a duty to my crew, even if you don’t expect much from me. I’ll do better in the future,” Maya said.

The two of them descended into silence. A few minutes later, sleep overtook Maya. Patty, while unable to sleep, laid back and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her body.

The sun dipped below the horizon and the moon took its place, casting the island in a silvery glow. Waves lapped gently against the beach like a soothing lullaby. The lake was perfectly still, and Patty still laid beside the bushes, her face peaceful.

Maya, however, had woken abruptly several minutes earlier. An invisible force tugged at her chest, urging the tired woman to the sandy beach. She sat, watching the gentle waves with a complex expression on her face.

She put her hand on the wet sand. The small waves chilled her fingers as they seeped into the beach.

“Why are you pulling me here?” Maya murmured, putting a hand over her chest. “And how am I supposed to control you?”

Predictably, there was no response. The pirate sighed, cupping her hands and lifting some of the seawater up between them. It trickled out through the gaps between her fingers, splashing back to the beach and disappearing.

Maya narrowed her eyes and focused on the water, visualizing it rising up before her in a pillar. She squinted until a headache threatened to come on, but the sea ignored her demands. After several minutes, she gave up, letting her outreached hands drop to her sides.

“That clearly isn’t going to work,” Maya said to herself.

“Maybe it’ll come to you if you practice fighting instead,” Patty said from behind her captain.

“Oh, I didn’t you realize you were there, Patty,” Maya said, rising to her feet and turning to face her crewmate. “I hope I didn’t bother you.”

“It’s okay. I was lying down. I’ll admit that I was getting a little bored, if you’re looking for a sparring partner,” Patty said. She scratched the back of her head and gave Maya a small smile. “And don’t worry, Cyll has been helping me learn to control my strength. I can pull my punches. Usually.”

“I think some training is exactly what I need right now,” Maya said, smiling. “I’ll take you up on that, Patty. Thank you.”

The puppet’s response was to unclasp the axe from her back and drop it on the ground in front of her. Maya drew her sickle and tossed it onto the sand beside Patty’s weapon.

They exchanged a nod. Sand flew into the air as both women burst into action at the same time. Maya shifted to the side, allowing Patty’s strike to fly harmlessly past her chest. She spun, driving a kick towards the puppet’s stomach.

Patty flipped backwards, landing in a handstand before launching herself back to her feet. Maya closed the distance and swept at her crewmate’s legs. The puppet leapt over Maya’s leg and hopped backwards, putting space between the two of them.

This time, Patty dashed at her captain. Maya was forced backwards as a flurry of blows whizzed towards her face. The pirate’s feet caught in the sand and she tumbled backwards. She turned the fall into a roll, springing back to her feet.

Patty was faster. The puppet appeared in front of Maya and touched her fist gently to the captain’s nose.

“Point to me,” Patty said.

Maya nodded, panting slightly. Then she grinned. Patty returned the smile, and the two blurred towards eachother again.