Chapter Text
Since Safina’s departure from Ikenfell and since Maritte had declared, with a bit of persuasion from Rook and Gilda, that she would become a student in the next term, she had taken over Safina’s room. It had sort of become her new home. It’s not like there was really anything left for her where she came from, anyway.
But today was an exciting day.
There was a knock on her door.
“Come in!”
The door creaked open, revealing Rook and Gilda. They both wore backpacks and were both appropriately dressed for the now noticeably colder weather.
“Oh, are we leaving already?”
Rook nodded. “Whenever you’re ready. Ima will see us off at the gate. Ze gave me a map which will tell us where to go.”
Gilda grinned. “This is gonna be so much fun! Exploring exciting new… DANGEROUS..!-”
Maritte laughed, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. “I don’t think we will be going anywhere dangerous, Gilda.”
She pouted, crossing her arms. “Aw booo! What’s the fun in that?”
Maritte took one last look around the room. It didn’t seem like she was forgetting anything, so it was time to leave. “Let’s go.”
The group exited the dorm, instantly being hit by the cold air. Rook and Gilda visibly shivered, but Maritte barely noticed.
“H-how are you not c-cold?” Rook shivered.
A valid question. Maritte only had her usual bandana, along with a recently acquired tank top and shorts. “Fire witch.” She said simply.
Rook huffed. “W-well could you maybe h-help us out then?”
Maritte still didn’t really know how her magic worked, or why it seemed to keep her warm, but some floating fireballs would work, perhaps?
She nodded, summoning a pair. They floated next to Rook and Gilda respectively. They were pleasantly warm and not burning hot, as one would expect. They both visibly relaxed.
Bingo.
Maritte smiled, and the group pressed on to the gate, where Ima was waiting.
Ima was dressed in a heavy yellow coat and pants, reminiscent of zir usual attire. Ze waved as they approached.
“Okay, are you three ready to go?”
They all nodded in unison.
Ima smiled. “Great!”
“This is so exciting! I can’t wait to hear about what you see out there. Strangely, we have very little on record about what’s gone on outside of our region besides a likely outdated map…”
Rook replied, “Don’t worry, I intend to make a detailed report of our findings. We’ll even see if we can bring back anything of use.”
Ima waved a hand over the gate. “Thanks, Rook. I’m sure you will. Have fun on your trip!”
They said their goodbyes and stepped through the gate.
They wasted no time in proceeding down the path. “So, where are we headed?” Maritte asked.
Rook was already looking at the map. He held up his hand to stop and gestured for them to gather around and have a look.
He pointed at the dot. “We are here.” He then traced their finger along the line until there was a slash through it, marking the pathway they were heading to. “This path will lead us to the port.”
Maritte nodded. “Oh! Are we heading to the South?”
Rook followed the dotted line which went from the ocean to… “Why yes, yes we are.”
“I went on vacation there once a few years back… believe it was to the very place we are going! I wonder if it’s as I remember…”
Rook rolled up the map and held it out towards Maritte. “How about you be our guide? You know the place better than either of us, I’m sure. I’ve never been there, have you, Gilda?”
Gilda shook her head. “No… never have actually stepped foot outside this region.”
Maritte took the map, sticking it into her pocket. “I think you two will like it. Now, let’s get going.”
And with that they started walking towards the path which would eventually lead them to the port. Thankfully, it was only a few miles away. They could make it there before sundown pretty easily, with stops included.
About an hour had passed, so they decided to rest.
It had gotten slightly warmer in this time, to Rook and Gilda’s relief.
“You said you’ve been to the south before. Do you remember where specifically?” Rook asked.
Maritte hummed. “I think… I don’t remember the name but it was a massive city. There was tons of stuff to do!”
Maritte looked like she remembered something. “Ah, yes! At the time I went there, there was some kind of big festival. I don’t remember what it was about or what the theme of it was, but I remember it created quite the headache when simply trying to go from place to place.”
Maritte, now curious, unfurled the map and looked to where the boat at the port would lead them.
Wait, THAT place?
“Oh! That’s what it is! Adevo City. Now THAT sounds familiar!”
While Gilda pondered the city’s name and what it actually meant, Rook looked intrigued. “Oh, I’ve heard about that place! One of the most advanced cities in the world, supposedly. Guess we’ll see if those claims are actually true.”
Maritte nodded. “I recall it being very expensive… it wasn’t a very long vacation by any means. Though we didn’t have gold back then.”
Gilda went wide eyed. “Ooh! You mean we’re not just passing through!?”
Rook tapped their finger on the map. “Well, that’s not our final destination, but there’s no true deadline other than how long our supplies last us.”
Maritte read out the next destination. “Lotus Isles… now that’s a place I’ve never heard of. Guess that’s why we’re going there?”
Rook surprisingly didn’t know of the place either. “Maybe… not even I know anything about that place, and I’ve read practically every book in the library at this point! Guess they were short on material for that particular place.”
Gilda jumped up, pumping her fist. “Alright! Mystery island! I’m pumped!”
Maritte was really enjoying Gilda’s enthusiasm. Rook seemed to get a kick out of it too, though perhaps he was more used to it than she was.
She got up, slinging her backpack over her shoulder again.
“Alright, let’s keep moving to the port. The boat is supposed to leave in a few hours from now, so we should be able to make it in plenty of time.”
About an hour had passed. They were nearing the port, but still had a short way left to go yet.
Maritte decided to begin the conversation. “So… Rook. Have you heard from Nel?”
Rook smiled. “Yeah. They’ve been writing to me whenever they could manage. Actually, they were the one to suggest going on this trip to begin with.”
Maritte was surprised. “Oh?”
Rook explained, “While it is true that working for the Coven gives you much more supplies and equipment, there’s some resources that just cannot be found both at their home base and various outposts around the globe. They found a location of interest that may have a few things that could possibly be key to unlocking new potential in alchemy…”
“I’m no alchemist, but it seems important.”
Maritte grinned. “Ah, that makes sense. Tell them I said hi!”
Gilda, not wanting to be left out, said, “Me too!”
Rook laughed. “Alright, alright. Will do.”
He took out the notepad he took along, and began writing.
They fell into silence after that. Slightly uncomfortable silence.
Gilda was trying (and failing) to keep herself from staring at Maritte. Why of all days did she choose to wear that!?
Maritte caught her looking, and did a fake flex with her arm. Gilda looked away, her face bright red.
Oh now that is just unfair!
She caught a break though, because they could see the port ahead.
“Look!” Gilda pointed.
Rook looked up from his notepad. “Ah, we’re here. I thought it’d take longer, honestly.”
Maritte took off her backpack, now opting to carry it. She stretched. “A good long rest sounds great right about now. Plus I’m curious to see how the city has changed!”
They headed towards the port, their next destination: Adevo City.
The trip took a few hours, but sure enough they eventually arrived at Adevo’s port, with the city immediately coming into view as soon as the three stepped outside.
“Wow…” Gilda breathed.
“It’s even nicer than I remembered!” Maritte commented.
Rook, true to their word, was already writing stuff down.
The city was lit up in a variety of colors, buildings stretching as far as the eye could see. Many of them reached high up, something that was not common in their region.
The colors and lights were made all the more dazzling by the fact the sun had already set at this point, making their colors really pop.
Still, that meant they had to find a place to stay for the night.
Rook spoke up. “We can sightsee later, but we need to find a place to stay first.”
Maritte nodded. “Right. I’m sure there’s some sort of hotel somewhere around here…”
The three entered the city, searching for a place to stay.
It was truly unfortunate they wouldn’t be here for too long, because it felt like there was so much to explore. Maritte didn’t quite find the area she originally stayed when she was here a few years prior, but she was considering looking around after they found a place to stay.
They eventually happened upon a large, towering building, that simply said “HOTEL” on it, located on a bright sign.
“Huh. Straightforward.” Maritte commented.
The group wandered inside. It was truly a sight to behold. It wasn’t laid out like a conventional building, as in there was no ceiling in the center. You could see all the way up to the top floor, each individual floor being circular in shape from the lobby. In the center, there was a massive staircase. At the center there was a tall pillar of light which kept the stairway lit at all times.
There were also four different elevators, something that only Maritte had seen and used once before, those were tucked into the corners of the lobby.
They walked up to the desk, being greeted by the clerk. “Hello, travelers! Don’t suppose you need a place to stay?”
Maritte nodded. “As a matter of fact, we do. Do you accept gold?”
The clerk was taken aback by the question. “Come again?”
Maritte placed a gold coin on the counter.
The clerk at the desk didn’t know what to do. “U-um, yes, of course! I uh…”
“Um… h-here, let me lead you three to your room.”
The clerk led them to the nearest elevator, and pressed the button to take them to the top floor.
The doors opened, and they were met with one, fairly large lone door.
The clerk led them to the door. “This is the master suite. It has its own balcony, individual bedrooms, and, well... I’d best let you explore the rest yourself.”
The clerk held out the key. “This is the key to your room. When you’re ready to leave, just return it to the front desk.”
Maritte was certainly not expecting a room of this caliber. “Oh, r-really? Thank you!”
“My pleasure. Now then, enjoy your stay. Do not hesitate to let me know if you have any further questions or require assistance.” The clerk took the elevator back down to the ground floor.
Rook hummed. “Interesting. Very interesting. I guess this place doesn’t use gold for currency like us. Wonder why?”
Gilda was practically jumping. “I wanna see what’s inside!”
Maritte chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Alright. Let’s see.”
She took the key and inserted it into the door, turning it. They opened the door, revealing what was within.
The room was a wide, expansive place full of things that they hadn’t seen before. A large screen was front and center, with a couch in front of it. To the side there was a full kitchen complete with a refrigerator and oven. There even looked to be a spa in one of the corners.
The three bedrooms were all next to each other. Each bedroom had a large, soft bed, and also had smaller screens inside, with a dresser underneath.
“You know… I think exploring can wait.” Maritte said.
About an hour had passed since they had first entered the room. Maritte was familiar with some things, but unfamiliar with others. Some seemed redundant now, like the oven, since she could just cook with fire magic. And she remembered that in her past it was either done with actual fire or with a much more… primitive looking version of this.
She supposed not all of it was necessary given that magic can help fill in the gaps, but she also supposed that the population here is mostly ordinaries. It was pretty fascinating to see the differences between here, her homeland, and Ikenfell.
Still, she remembered everything being a lot less…
She didn’t know a good term to use. Complex, perhaps? Like this screen in front of her. Even after seeing one a second time she still didn’t truly know how it worked.
It was a total field day for Rook, they had so many things to take notes on and even sketch. As for Gilda, she had taken to emptying the fridge of every drink that was inside, which was mostly just the caffeinated beverages.
But it was getting late, and they had to leave at some point tomorrow to go to where they needed to be.
"Alright, I’m getting tired. You two have fun, I’m going to bed.” Maritte said.
Rook nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. I think I will, too.”
As Maritte and Rook headed to their respective bedrooms, Gilda disagreed. “You kidding? It’s not even that late yet! And there’s a chance we may never return here after we leave tomorrow!”
Maritte hesitated. “Well…”
Rook shook their head. “There’s still tomorrow. Besides, I won’t be able to think straight if I’m half asleep. Night.” He entered his room, closing the door.
Maritte relented. “Alright. Guess I’ll stay up a bit longer.”
Gilda cheered. “That’s what I like to hear!”
…
Most of the time was spent watching TV. Gilda was really into this one anime that she found on there. Maritte wasn’t particularly into it but decided to remain anyway. She mostly just enjoyed seeing how passionate Gilda was about it.
Eventually they both got up from the couch and entered the balcony, gazing at the sights below. It really was a pretty sight from up there. It looked like the city went on forever.
“Wow, it looks beautiful from up here.” Maritte breathed.
"Yeah… just like you.” Gilda commented.
Maritte was about to nod in agreement, then quickly looked over at Gilda, making sure she heard that right. “Wait, what?”
Gilda, realizing what she said, blushed intensely. “I-I MEAN… um…”
Gilda awkwardly coughed. “I mean… uh... yeah! It really is!” She awkwardly scuffed her foot on the ground, hands behind her back.
Maritte smiled. “W-well, I think it’s about time I head to sleep now. Goodnight, Gilda.”
She began to leave the balcony. “W-Wait!”
Maritte spun around, looking at Gilda expectantly.
Gilda looked down, face still red. “I, uh… ummm… you know what? N-nevermind.”
Maritte left the balcony, entering her room and closing the door.
Gilda turned her attention back to the view, angrily muttering to herself.
It was now morning, and Rook was the first one awake. Since this was the case, he took it upon himself to begin planning the day out. Ideally they’d all arrive at the other place today, so-
Their thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Gilda, who was passed out next to the fridge. To their right was a pile of what looked like soda cans, with one still in her hand. He chuckled to himself. “Looks like someone partied a little too hard.”
Maritte also was now awake, and also saw what Rook had just seen. She snickered. “So does she just always do this, or…”
Maritte recalled a time a few months ago where Gilda was just passed out dangerously close to a fireplace. This time, thankfully, it was just a fridge.
Rook nodded. “Yeah, sometimes. There are times where she’s just, so full of energy. Doesn’t want to sleep. Inevitably though she completely crashes and just ends up like this.” He said, pointing to her position on the floor.
He picked up one of the cans that was on the floor, giving it a look over.
“Yeah, this would do it.”
Maritte laughed. “So, I guess we’re heading to that island today, huh?”
Rook nodded. “Yeah. I’m genuinely curious what we will find there. I’ve heard absolutely nothing about that place until now. It’s anyone’s guess what we’ll find!”
Maritte glanced outside. “Me too… but not before exploring this city a bit, right?”
“Yeah.” Rook replied. “I’ve already got a few theories regarding the differences to here and Ikenfell.”
Maritte looked over at Rook. “Oh yeah?”
Rook began, “Yeah… I think it all comes down to there being little to no magic here versus an abundance of magic at Ikenfell. Like… assuming that this place is mostly made up of ordinaries, I think that they must’ve found different ways to live their day to day lives and make them easier. Like much of the stuff in here could more or less be accomplished by magic, or be created by it.”
Maritte hummed. “It wasn’t quite like this where I was from though… guess this place is bleeding edge compared to most?”
Rook nodded. “Right. I guess it’s not called the ‘most advanced city’ for nothing.”
Then, Maritte and Rook heard the rolling of cans on the floor. Looks like Gilda was awake.
“Mmmmm…” Gilda groaned.
She took a look around, rising from her position on the floor. Then she looked at all the cans strewn across the floor. “Oh…”
Maritte got up. “Well, as soon as we’re all ready we can go have a look around and start making our way towards the docks that will take us to our final destination.”
Rook gave her a thumbs up, and Gilda made some sort of sound of confirmation as she worked to clean up the mess on the floor she had made.
In a matter of minutes, they were off. Maritte returned the key to the front desk, and left the hotel building.
They took a look around. They could really go anywhere.
Gilda started pointing. “Look, over there!”
Maritte and Rook looked in the direction she was pointing. There was… a very large amount of people gathered ahead. Looked like some sort of stage?
Say… whoever was on that stage looked awfully familiar.
Before either of them could comment, Gilda was already on her way to go watch whatever was going on in front of them.
They followed, wondering what it could be.
As they got closer, Maritte stopped. That voice..!
Rook looked back at her. “What’s wrong?”
Maritte’s eyes darted forward, not seeming to hear Rook’s question. “Perty..?”
Rook’s eyes went wide. “Wait, do you think…”
The two hurried forward, getting in closer. They had caught up to Gilda now.
It sure looked a lot like her. The blue dress, the hair...
The scar.
It really was her! Is… is this what she’s been doing all this time?
Maritte let herself just listen. Listen to her voice, listen to the tone of the piano, all beautifully weaving together in harmony to create a work of art.
She felt a tear run down her face.
It was beautiful. She had an idea of what she could do, yes, but to actually see and hear it for herself…
It came to an end, however, the crowd cheering.
Maritte stepped away to let herself think for a moment.
She understands now. She must’ve left to take a mental break… and mental break that was in the form of just doing what she loved. Doing what she couldn’t before.
And by Wala, was she good at it!
She was happy for her. And now, she knew she was alive and well. That’s one less thing to worry about, she supposed.
Rook and Gilda caught up with her. Rook looked concerned. “You alright, Maritte?”
Maritte slowly nodded. “Y-yeah. It’s just… it’s been awhile.”
“I hear you. It has been for me too, for all us. She looked like she was really having fun up there, though.”
“I know, right!? She’s really good!” Gilda gushed.
Maritte smiled. “Yeah…”
She took one last look over at the stage, where the crowd was beginning to disperse. Pertisia was now leaving.
Maritte really did want to talk to her, but she hesitated. She had just thought about the implications of her leaving.
Perhaps she needed some more time. Besides, she at least now had a rough idea where to look.
She sighed. They had an island to go explore, anyway. “Alright then, let’s go. We’ve got a boat to catch.”
Gilda whined. “Already!? But I thought we were going to explore the city…”
Maritte shook her head. “We’ll pass back through here again on the way back.”
Rook nodded. “I agree with Maritte. I personally would like to see a few things for myself before the sun goes down again.”
Gilda pouted. “Fine… but I’m holding you to it!”
The group left for the docks, saying their goodbyes to the city.
The real journey starts here.