As the ship emerged from the cavern, the trio stood on the deck, watching the sunset paint the sky in hues of gold and crimson. Elenei maneuvered the ship while Rhydian leaned against the rail, her eyes scanning the horizon.
"There's Coralia," Rhydian pointed out, spotting the mermaid's familiar aura nearby.
Elenei slowed the ship as Coralia floated up with Dominique, Hana, and Linnea by her side, her eyes wide with curiosity. "You did it! I knew you would!" Coralia exclaimed as she ran straight for Mira, who dodged her hug.
Mira froze the mermaid's ankles to the ship while nodding at the other three. Dominique smiled and jumped into her mother's embrace as the other two returned the nod and began exploring the rest of the ship.
"...Now that we have this, does that mean we won't be riding on Aunt Elenei anymore?" Dominique looked up and asked Mira with a pair of innocent eyes.
Both Rhdyian and Elenei stopped for a moment, their eyes widening as they hadn't even thought of that. Now that they have a flying boat, there wasn't a need for them to degrade themselves as mounts anymore, right?!
"That's right!" Rhydian shouted, dashing to the lower deck of the ship. She disappeared from sight, leaving only a few words behind. "Until this thing stops working, I won't be working!"
Elenei shook her head at the wolf's antics but agreed. "I'd appreciate it if you all stopped riding on my back as well, but not because I dislike it. I merely want to go off on my own and do my own thing."
Mira thought for a moment. Those two were right. If she wanted her two strongest companions to get stronger, it'd be for the best if they were free to do what they wanted. "...Very well. You can do as you please."
Elenei smiled and turned around to walk off, but Mira wasn't done yet.
"However, when I call, you return."
The Dracophoenix lost her smile and continued moving, but both of them understood that this wasn't a request–it was an order.
"You can ride me anytime you want, Mira." Coralia chimed in from the side. She tried to wiggle her way closer to Mira's side but was smacked away. Dominique and Mira both gave her a disgusted look, then moved away and followed Elenei.
"We should check the ship for anything useful," Elenei said when Mira caught up to her.
The trio then began to explore the ship, uncovering various compartments and storage areas. They found a cache of weapons, rare artifacts, and even a trove of scrolls and maps. Finally, near the engines, they found a massive stockpile of Spirit Stones, somewhere in the tens of millions, filled with Low, Middle, and even Late-Grade.
Making it back to the deck, Mira's attention, however, was drawn to the device she had taken from the cavern. She examined it closely, tracing her fingers along the intricate symbols etched on its surface. "...What is this?"
Elenei peered over Mira's shoulder. "...I have no idea, but I'm getting a bad feeling from it."
"You think we should destroy it then?" Mira asked, as her instincts remained mostly indifferent to whatever it was. At least, it posed no immediate danger. However, Elenei might know something she didn't, and if she told her it needed to be destroyed, then she'd seriously consider it.
"...Maybe," Elenei replied hesitantly, as something about the runes on it told her that whoever made this wasn't ordinary.
'No, more than unordinary. Whoever crafted this is a master, someone at least as strong as I was at my peak. Perhaps it's even one of the top powerhouses in this world.' She thought, her expression becoming grimmer by the second.
While the Qi emanating from the device wasn't intense, the subtle aura she vaguely felt from the craftsman told her more than enough information.
"But, it could be useful, depending on what you do with it."
Mira fell into thought. Should she keep it? Throw it overboard? Destroy it?
Of course, she didn't want to destroy something that took so much 'work'. This was her loot, her reward, and she would treat it as such. So, if possible, she'd like to keep it.
That's when she remembered the Communication Talismans Aelina had given her.
'An old woman like her should know what to do.' Taking one out, she injected Qi into it and waited. Luckily, she didn't have to wait long as, within seconds, she heard Aelina's cold voice on the other end.
"Who'd you offend this time?" The Sect Master immediately asked.
Mira scowled. "Tch. Is that really your first question? Why would I call you if I offended someone? I'd rather surprise you with another enemy."
"..." A tick mark formed on Aelina's head, but she kept her cool. It hadn't been long since Mira left, but somehow, the woman always seemed to know how to irritate her.
"...Just tell me what you want."
"That's better." Mira nodded, smirking. Before Aelina could say anything, she continued, "Anyways, I killed some dude with a nice floating ship, and he had this weird device. I was wondering what I should do with it."
"....I'm going to need a bit more information than that." Aelina sighed. 'How come everything always comes to killing with her? And why do I get the feeling that whoever died wasn't some random schmuck?' She thought but decided to leave that for later.
Mira described the device in detail to Aelina, emphasizing the strange symbols and the faint aura it emitted. "It's about the size of one of my tails, covered in runes. It feels... ancient, powerful."
Aelina fell silent for a moment, pondering. "Can you be a bit more descriptive? Tell me what the runes look like in detail, what the material it's made from is like, how the aura feels, and other notable features. I might be able to identify it then."
Mira took a closer look at the device, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized every detail. "The runes are complex, intertwined in a pattern that seems to flow like water. They glow faintly, but the light is steady, not flickering. The material... it's unlike anything I've seen. Hard yet smooth, almost like it's alive. And the aura, it's subtle but deep, like an ancient tree with roots spreading far and wide."
Aelina listened intently, her mind racing through her vast knowledge. "It sounds like a creation from ancient times, possibly from the Era of Mystics. Those runes might be a form of lost script. This device could be incredibly valuable, possibly a portal, a communication device, or some sort of conduit to ancient powers. Hell, it could be all of those things."
Mira weighed the information, her expression thoughtful. "So, destroying it would be a waste."
"Absolutely," Aelina agreed. "But be careful. Such artifacts can attract dangerous attention. And their powers, if not handled correctly, can be catastrophic."
Mira nodded, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she felt a ripple coming from the device. The runes lit up, and the space above it started to crack, almost as if it was shattered glass.
Mira's eyes widened as she felt the device pulsate, a low hum emanating from it. She immediately relayed this to Aelina, who responded with a tone of urgency. "Mira, listen to me carefully. You need to stop whatever is happening right now. That device might be activating a portal or something far worse!"
Mira glanced at the device, now seeing hairline fractures appearing around the runes. "I'm not sure how to stop it."
Elenei, Rhydian, and Coralia gathered around with fierce expressions. The air around the device thickened, an oppressive aura emanating from the growing rift. Dominique, Linnea, and Hana were forced to the ground, faceplanting. Mira and the others tried to spread out their Qi to lessen the effect, but nothing worked.
Aelina's voice crackled through the talisman. "You need to disrupt the rune pattern. Break one of the runes, now!"
Without hesitation, Mira drew her scythe and struck the device, tearing out a chunk of metal that bore one of the glowing runes. She hurled the fragment off the ship, watching as it disappeared into the snow.
The cracks in the air began to lessen, with the oppressive aura weakening. But before they could breathe a sigh of relief, a deep, old voice echoed from the other side of the rift. "So, Varik is dead."
The voice sent shivers down their spines. Even Mira knew she shouldn't…no…couldn't mess with whatever was on the other side.
Elenei stepped forward, her eyes narrowed. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
The rift pulsed once more, and through the cracks, they could see a pair of cold eyes piercing back at them.
"I seek the one who ended Varik's life," the voice continued.
Mira stepped up. "What do you want?"
The eyes in the rift seemed to appraise her. "Not bad. The outer continents have groomed someone admirable for once. You can call me Aroth. I was merely curious who was the person who took my Heaven's Gate Mirror."
Aelina's voice came urgently through the talisman. "Mira, be cautious. This Aroth is no ordinary being."
Mira nodded, still keeping her eyes on the rift. "I merely saw a weakling and took what belonged to him. If you have a problem, go visit that man, Varik." Everyone, including Aelina, tensed up at Mira's words.
Inwardly, they all screamed, 'You fucking dumbass! Read the room! Now's not the time for this.'
Unfortunately, she had already spoken.
Aroth's eyes seemed to consider her words. "Your actions, though reasonable, have consequences. Someday, you will regret those words."
"I hope so," Mira responded with a smirk, nearly causing everyone to faint in frustration.
The rift slowly began to close, the oppressive aura dissipating. The eyes vanished, and the sea returned to calm.
