Myriad thoughts sward Ulysses’ mind as he struggled to remain focused while steering Athena through the slightly turbulent waves of the Azure Seas, his expression the epito of worry.
Due to his disturbed mind, he did not react even as there was a knock at the door behind him.
Only when he had felt a warm palm rest on his shoulder did he react, snapping out of his reverie with a jolt that scared the owner of the palm?
He turned back to find that instead of a dangerous entity as he had feared, it was rely Ana.
Coughing awkwardly, he remarked. "Sorry about that. I thought you were sothing else."
"It’s fine," Ana replied as she looked him over before inquiring. "Are you alright?... You don’t look so good."
Ulysses let out a tired sigh as he shifted his attention back to the ocean ahead while gripping the steering wheel tightly.
"How can I be?" He intoned.
"Is it about what the Enclave envoys had said?"
"What else?" Ulysses dryly chuckled. "I wanted to make sure we didn’t co across it by taking the safe routes but now... now I don’t know what to do."
"Is it so terrifying?... The Ash Triangle."
"It is one of the many anomalies of the Azure Seas and perhaps, the most dangerous one."
"What is it?... Is it a relic or a Mutant or perhaps a dead god’s corpse?"
"I don’t know and reports on what it truly is aren’t helpful either. All that is known is that it manifests as an area filled with ash, and anything caught within it never leaves."
"Have you experienced it?"
"No." Ulysses shook his head. "But my father told stories, really scary stories on my first voyage across the sea. Left quite an imprint on ."
Pursing her lips, Ana reached out and grabbed. "Well, you don’t have to worry. It’s not ascertained that we would end up in the Ash Triangle, so how about instead of worrying, you think about other things."
"I’ve tried," Ulysses admitted. "It’s harder than it sounds."
"Then let help you." Ana offered with Ulysses raising a brow.
"You would?"
"I don’t have anything to do and I don’t feel like talking to Alex."
"Still mad at him?"
"Not that. He... don’t worry about it. He told the third Trial of your Wheel involves you heading to the Abyss."
"Unfortunately," Ulysses replied as he focused on the expanse of water.
"Are you going to do it?"
"Left to , I think I’ve been corrupted enough for one lifeti. It’s already difficult ignoring the whispers, I’d rather not make my situation worse."
Letting out a sigh, he added. "However, Alex did say he would figure out a way to help remain sane and still complete the trial."
"Well, you can trust him. Despite his nonchalance, he can be quite ingenuous with such things. I an, look at . Once upon a ti, I’d have never thought that I’d get to travel the world soday, but here I am today, and it’s all thanks to him."
Ulysses managed a smile. "Well then, I guess I can be hopeful."
"Absolutely."
"You know, sotis I feel like I can’t figure him out."
"Alex?"
"Mn. Between his grand goal of claiming the Branches and the journey to get there, I find myself questioning why he would take such risks."
"It’s dangerous, I’d admit but I believe it’s for a good cause."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because no man would take such risks if there wasn’t a good reason behind it."
"There could also be a bad one." Ulysses pointed out.
"I trust Alex. When the ti cos, he will surely do the right thing."
Silence followed before Ana intoned. "Alright, enough about that. How about you tell about your first voyage across the Azure Seas."
"There’s not much to tell. I an, this voyage has been quite eventful with the whole incident with the Undead Wheel Mystic."
"Nonsense!... There has to be sothing." Ana insisted, forcing Ulysses to dig into his mories for a bit before replying.
"Well, there is that one ti..."
As Ulysses spoke and Ana listened, Alex lay comfortably in his room on the lower deck, dreaming with a smile on his face.
His lips moved, uttering the nas, Isabella and Mary Jane.
It was a good dream, it was a wonderful dream.
***
The floating city of Natalina was governed by Miss Nereyda, sixty-sixth of her na and third most likely to receive the title of Songstress.
Appointed by the Sea Kings with approval from the Sea Conqueror, she ensured law and order in the city, using her powers as an Ocean ister to enforce the rules set by the Goddess.
Currently seated in her office while dressed in a flamboyant translucent dress that seed to have been made using jellyfish, she was accompanied by her assistant who was reporting the results of the search from earlier in the day.
"So they claid to have t the Conqueror." She intoned, her silky smooth voice enough to entrance weaker n.
"Indeed."
"I have heard that the Conqueror has been missing for a while, supposedly on a mission given to him by the Goddess."
"According to those that carried out the search, they didn’t notice any signs of deceit from the humans onboard."
"In that case, all is well."
"Should a ssage be sent to the capital?"
"Why?"
"To inform them that the Conqueror has been discovered."
"That’s unnecessary. What if we are asked to provide proof?... Are we to tell them that we reported based on hearsay from inferior humans?"
"Apologies."
"It’s fine." Nereyda intoned. "You may drop the rest of the tablets and leave, I’ll look through them later."
"As you wish."
As the assistant did as he was told, placing the files on the table before heading for the door, there was a knock at the door, one that was made with an underlying sense of urgency judging from the frequency.
The assistant glanced back at Nereyda to gain her approval which she gave before he proceeded to open the door, revealing a humanoid male donning colorful fish scale armor.
"Commander, what seems to be the matter?"
"Apologies for the disturbance, governess, but he is here."
"Who?"
Before the commander could respond, another voice answered from outside in a calm but authoritative tone. "."
Nereyda froze as she laid eyes on the person who had spoken, quickly discovering that he was Sinbad, otherwise known as the Conqueror of the Deep Sea.
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