A Crash Course in Shipwrecking?!

[Fox]

Bee Bee soaked in the pond that he used for a bath. It wasn’t heated or anything, so it didn’t feel all that good. There were hot springs close to the temple, but that meant going past the village. Bee Bee wasn’t so sure that he wanted to risk it. He sniffed and let out a tiny sneeze, shivering and sighing. It did get awfully cold when the sun went down. He glanced at the sheer cliffs that encircled the heart of the island like a dome. There were two beach accesses. One in the back where Bee Bee lived, and the other was a stone pier out in front of the temple. Not many people went out that way though with the temple being sacred and all.

Dunking his head under the cold water, he ran his hands through his hair again to try and shake out all of the sand. He’d already washed his clothes and hung them out to dry on a nearby tree branch. He could even hear the faint sound of Arelya hard at work in the distance. He smiled sheepishly, silently admiring how she could work so hard like that. He wondered if she didn’t need things like sleep. Or maybe she just needed less of it? He wasn’t sure. Mm! But he knew that she would probably appreciate a hot bath! That always made him feel better after a long day.

Climbing out of the water, Bee Bee shivered and tried to shake himself dry like a dog before throwing on his still damp and now unpleasantly cold clothes. He grimaced a little at the way it rubbed against his skin. Heading back to his shed, he ducked inside to grab a small barrel that he’d wrapped some rope around to make into a backpack. Tossing it onto his shoulders, he stretched a little.

Okay! He was just gonna sneak past the village to get some hot spring water for Arelya! He could do that. He’d snuck into the village hundreds of times to get some odds and ends. Mostly food. Rolling up his sleeves up to his shoulders, he readjusted the rope straps to rest against that extra bit of padding. Hehe! Plus, he could dip his toes in the warm water. He was careful to tip toe back outside, sneaking the long way around so that Arelya wouldn’t see him go.

He wasn’t sure not telling her where he was going was a great idea, but he was too excited to surprise her to really think of that. Especially when she had been disappointed by the sand before… Bee Bee frowned at the memory of her face. He wanted to show her something good! Though, he wasn’t sure what all that she had up in the clouds. Maybe he could… borrow something from the temple…? The thought made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end… but… maybe.

Finding his way through the woods by the faint moonlight, Bee Bee got a lot more careful as he drew closer to the village. As he was passing behind one of the villagers’ homes, he froze when he heard voices nearby, dropping low to the ground and holding his breath.

“What has he done this time?”

“Well, according to the village chief’s son…”

Bee Bee felt those words like a punch to the gut. He put his hands over his ears and shut his eyes tight to block it out. His mind drifted to happier times. Granny from the pastry shop always used to make the best red bean buns. She’d always smile and give him one but not James, saying that it was their little secret. So many people in the village used to smile at him. Hearing them say such nasty stuff about him now… it hurt. Still, there were some good people left in the village that helped him out every now and then. Even if he felt a little bit like a stray dog that only got scraps left out for him.

After a few minutes, he dared to open his eyes and move his hands from his ears. Either they were gone or they weren’t saying anything anymore. Either way, Bee Bee wanted to get moving again. Picking up speed as the village fell behind him, he broke out into a light jog as he spotted steam rising over the treetops. There! Alright!

[Vio]

Sawing. Hammering. Carving. The occasional sound of air releasing from a specially designed tool. These were all rather standard sounds to be expected in the presence of the Skypiean shipwright known as Gaille Arelya. So engrossed in her work was she, with Dial headphones playing music from her homeland, that she failed to notice the stealthy escape of Bee Bee. As far as she knew, he’d bathed and gone to rest for the night, and thus was comfortable working away.

This was her element. No disturbances from the people — nobody to interrupt her or to cause problems. As much as she had a certain rapport with the boy, he was still another annoyance, though somehow still a welcome one. Alas, she continued, pulling ropes taut and securing beams in place. Sharpened jets of air carved pieces of wood into suitable shapes, allowing her to lock them together like an enormous jigsaw puzzle, or bored holes through which to slide supportive plugs.

Despite the isle’s chill, she was beginning to work up a sweat, and took the opportunity to doff her jacket. White wings spread themselves, now free of their leather confinement, slightly crumpled but perhaps enjoying the chance to stretch. Few had been sure as to why she hid them, but it had been said that she had always rebelled against culture and tradition, and now her hair — disturbed by salty sea air — was rebelling against her. Two curls of green stuck up from her crown, unwilling to be flattened.

“Ugh… Whatever,” Miss Gaille mumbled, continuing her efforts. By now, most of the hull had been pieced together around the keel, and supportive arms were locked in place with enough flexibility that they would not snap when they hit the harder waves. At least, she hoped that would be the case. The mast was, quite frankly, a bit wonky, but she lacked perfect materials to work with. She still needed the balances, mainsail, halyard, and stern, but so far she was quite proud of her work.

---

Gaille Arelya | #50c878
Bee Bee | #eeeeee
James | #555555

[Fox]

It wasn’t long before Bee Bee’s head emerged from the shrubbery surrounding one of the hot springs. He craned his head around to make sure the coast was clear. The steam made it hard to see, but he didn’t spot any movement around the hot spring, which set him at ease. Eagerly plopping down by the edge of the spring, Bee Bee set the barrel down and dipped his toes in the scathing hot water. “Ouch!” The water burned his frozen toes, but he was persistent and toughed out the pain until it was nice and tingly and pleasant.

Bee Bee shivered, rubbing his chilled arms. He really wanted to just dunk himself in the water to get rid of the chill that he felt all the way down to his bones, but then he’d just get cold again on the way back to his house. Plus, his pants would chafe something fierce. Bee Bee grimaced at the thought. Resisting the impulse to just jump in and soak, Bee Bee lowered the barrel into the water and filled it up to the brim. With a loud grunt, he managed to heave it out of the water and onto the rocks. With this, Arelya could have a nice, warm bath. He chuckled to himself. He was gonna be the best host! Being a good host was one of the things that his father had drilled into him from an early age. Bee Bee wondered if he would be proud of him, knowing the lengths that he was going to for his guest.

His smile turned into a despondent frown. Well, he didn’t know. And he didn’t care to know. Shaking his head, Bee Bee hoisted the barrel back onto his shoulders, earning a splash of hot water over his head for being a bit too quick. He sputtered, hissing and hopping around as the hot water burned at his cold skin. He huffed when the burning stopped and checked the water level in the barrel by reaching a hand back there. Mmm, still enough for a bath. But he had to be more careful! He couldn’t think about stuff like that.

Backtracking through the woods and taking the path by the village, Bee Bee paused when he felt a sneeze coming on. He clasped his hands over his nose to stifle it. As he did, he heard some voices close by again. He couldn’t really focus on what they were saying, trying to stay quiet, but he did catch snippets.

“...down by the beach.”

“Oh my, how terrible. But, at least, the curse will be-”

“CHUU!”

Unable to hold it back anymore, Bee Bee sneezed - loudly. The water in the barrel sloshed out onto his head again at the sudden movement. His mind was reeling from what he’d overheard, but what he heard next was enough to put the fear of the gods into his soul.

“Who’s there?!”

He took off at full tilt, racing past the two village women who were gossiping down the side street. He heard them gasp and scream in his wake, but he didn’t care. They’d said something about the beach! They’d said something about the curse, which… could only mean him. He was scared, but he had to get there and warn Arelya before anything happened to her. If anything happened… it- it would be because of him! The straps holding the barrel dug into his shoulder as he ran toward the beach. The water sloshed all over the place, making the heavy load a little lighter but still left him gasping for breath.

“ARELYA! RUN!”

Bee Bee abandoned stealth, hoping that she could hear him from over by his shelter. If she could maybe hide away somewhere, he could deal with whoever came looking. As he spotted torches on the beach, Bee Bee felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach. He had a hunch about just who was leading the villagers. There were only a couple torches, but still more than he expected. He counted five, maybe six. Maybe if he could get out ahead of them. Maybe if he-

“OOF!”

His foot caught on something, flinging Bee Bee face first into the dirt. The water in the barrel splashed out in front of him onto the sandy dirt. Wriggling the barrel off his shoulders, he kicked off the ground and launched forward. He had to get there first! Arelya had been so nice to him. If something happened to her because of him… he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

[Vio]

“It’s got good water resistance, I’ll give it that,” Gaille Arelya muttered to herself quietly, appraising the qualities of the timbers with which she worked. By now, she was hard at work carving the balancing pieces — a couple of logs made from smaller trees she had felled with her Axe Dial. Conventional blades would have dulled quickly to shape such lumber, but that was the benefit of pressurised blades of wind. Somewhat uncertain of buoyancy, she stood for a moment, mentally debating whether or not to hollow the pieces out.

^{“I’ll need to caulk it as well,” she groaned:
“That’s going to take some time… Hmm.”}

Shasha… Snick! Ears covered by the Dial headphones she wore, whose Lamp Dial projected a small beam of light to work by and whose Tone Dial churned out her favourite melodies, the Skypiean shipwright failed to notice the crackling of fallen twigs and the rustle of foliage. With her back turned to the shoreline, she didn’t even catch the glimmer of torchlight through the trees. Perhaps worse still, she did not hear the desperate outcry of Bee Bee in the distance — lost on the wind.

Click! Switching the Lamp Dial’s glow off with a tap of her headwear, Miss Gaille pulled them from her head. Lime cowlicks coiled somewhat, much to her dismay, forming an almost halo-like circle of hair over her crown as they tried to remember the conditioning of bygone years. But, despite the light being doused, there was still a shadow being cast out before her — a weak yet angelic silhouette of herself. She did not turn, at least not completely, for she could see the shades of others at her feet.

^{“Who’re you…?”}

---

Gaille Arelya | #50c878
Bee Bee | #eeeeee
James | #555555

[Fox]

Standing behind Arelya was a group of men dressed in traditional garb. When she stood up, the men let out several gasps. There was some muttering from the group until one man - taller than the rest - stepped forward. Of the bunch, he was the best dressed and most well kept, having a cold dignity to his harsh looks. He was grievously gaunt to the point that the shadows produced from the torchlight only further accentuated his severe features. He held up a hand and the mutters ceased.

“I am the chief of the village on Oni Island. My name is Miura Rin, although that has not always been the case. If you prefer, you may address me as William Barrow.” He paused for a moment to take in her appearance. Two white wings on her back and vague halo that sparkled and gleamed dimly in the torchlight. “And just who or what, in this case, are you?” William’s gaze was sharp, his tone skeptical.

From the rear of the group, another person shoved their way to the fore, earning that individual a subtle sigh from William. This man was much shorter than the village chief, but somehow was even better dressed in robes and carrying a staff with obvious religious iconography. His features were older and wizened with his hair bleached silver by age. The village priest and constant thorn in William’s side. “Miura! Don’t tell me you’re trying to reason with that little devil! This is the last-”

With a gasp, the priest took in Arelya’s appearance, staff dropping to the ground as the man flung himself on the ground to bow before her. “Y-You fools! Show your devotion to the messenger of the gods!” The men in the group behind the two leaders of the village all hastily and somewhat ungracefully got to their knees and bowed down before the angelic Arelya. A distant snap in the woods drew William’s gaze to the darkness, his eyes narrowing briefly before he felt a tug on his clothes. The priest.

“Down, you fool! Do you wish misfortune on our village?!”

With a bit more reluctance, William followed the suit and bowed down with all of the other villagers. The priest was the first to pop his head up, looking nervous. “M-My deepest apologies, my lady. I hope our village chief did not offend you! I-If I might ask, what purpose has our god sent you to us?”

From in the woods, Bee Bee froze to the spot where his foot had snapped that twig. He had managed to catch sight of his father. His breath caught in his chest, and his blood ran cold when his father looked over in his direction even briefly. As soon as he looked away, Bee Bee let out a quiet sigh of relief and put his hand over his chest. A little more carefully, he snuck over closer so that he could make out their voices. There was one in particular voice that he knew that made him want to stand up, march over, and punch him in the face. That was the village priest - perhaps the meanest person ever, next to James anyway. For some reason, they thought Arelya was a messenger of the gods? He didn’t get that… He glanced over and noticed a pair of white wings on her back. Whoa! Where did she get those?!

---

#a38938 - Village Priest
#a75c5c - William Barrow (Miura Rin)
#f3f3f3 - Bee Bee

[Vio]

Miura Rin…? William Barrow…? A man with two names was not too unusual a thing, but the name by which this man had first introduced himself was strange — it sounded like a completely different name as opposed to a title. Indeed, as she turned to face him, Miss Gaille noted his introduction as Village Chief. What kind of community needed a man with three names? Peculiar as it was, that was the least of her concerns.

Before she could speak, another had stepped forwards. Elderly, wizened and greyed by the years. At first, he seemed angered and disruptive, but soon his tone and presentation changed entirely once his small eyes caught sight of her. He dropped to the ground with haste defiant of his old bones, pressuring the rest of the entourage to do the same, but for a reason that utterly flabbergasted the Skypiean. Perhaps in any other circumstance, she would have chortled, but not this one. The imposing figure of William Barrow, presence stifling, saw to that.

^{Messenger of the Gods…? Arelya blinked:
What on Vearth is he talking about…?}

“My deepest apologies, my lady,” said the zealot, now that he had swayed Miura Rin to bow as well. “If I might ask, for what purpose has our god sent you to us?” Had she not been Skypiean, such words would likely have been lost upon her. Were they referring to Gan Fall? While it certainly seemed to imply as such, she doubted it so. Sure, the two-time God of her homeland was a wise individual who knew of ways to reach the White Sea from the Blue below, but she could not believe he had swayed the influence of people below. This was something else entirely — a messy net in which she had become entangled involuntarily.

What do I do? What do I say?! I’m not sure what they’re expecting from me… Arelya’s mind whirred. I don’t know what they believe in. If I say something stupid, it’s over immediately. C’mon, Arelya, think… think! A metaphorical Lamp Dial clicked on in her mind, taking note of the features of Chief Barrow. He had to be; from the hair to the eyes, everything screamed it despite the sharpness of his form. This was Bee Bee’s father! There’s a chance I can make this work out, for both of us, if I play it right… Steeling herself, stifling her insecurities and disgust, she straightened her back and inhaled.

^{“I am Arelya,” she announced:
“One of God’s Messengers!”}

The deceit made her tense, nervous.

“I have been sent from the heavens above to speak with the inhabitants of this, Oni Island,” she decreed with a pause — a slight pause as she did what she could to recall any and all information spoken in her presence. “There are matters that must be discussed,” the awkward angel continued, doing her utmost to try and appear equally imposing and gracious. How did Gan Fall do this? “But I have been sent, first and foremost, to hear your people and offer my advice.”

---

Gaille Arelya | #50c878
Bee Bee | #eeeeee
James | #555555
Village Priest | #a38938

[Fox]

The so called messenger of the gods’s hesitation made William lift his head slightly and his eyes narrow at her. Before he could do anything or say anything to the contrary, the winged woman spoke. He lowered his head back down to the ground, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead to the ground. Her voice was strained, but the high priest didn’t seem to notice. Maybe he didn’t care in the face of possible divinity. Whether or not her claim was true, her arrival had already shifted the power balance in the village. William sighed inwardly, contemplating his options.

“O-Oh! We’d be honored to receive your divine council!” The high priest exclaimed, looking up from his reverent position, clasping his wrinkled hands together. “But please, my lady, let us honor your arrival! There shall be a celebration! A feast, yes! And of course, we’ll prepare your quarters in the temple immediately.” Rising up with every bit of deference resonating from his old bones, the high priest turned to the village men and gestured at them with a shooing gesture.

“Go now! Make sure all is in readiness! Spread the word! The gods have sent a messenger!”

The village men stood up uncertainly, casting fearful gazes to the high priest and then the winged woman. With another look from the high priest, they scattered in the direction of the village. William also rose from his reverent position, subtly dusting his hands and knees off. The high priest turned to the winged woman, bowing and stepping aside. With some reluctance, William mirrored the high priest’s motion.

“This way, my lady. Both the village and the temple await you,” the high priest said, allowing her to lead his eyes squarely upon her face. William’s eyes were elsewhere, staring into the nearby underbrush. There was a subtle shake of his head that the high priest failed to notice, but Bee Bee certainly did not. The exact meaning was lost on him, but he guessed it meant something to the effect of not to interfere. Bee Bee bit his lip and clenched his fists as his heart sank deeper into the pit of his stomach.

---

#a38938 - Village Priest
#a75c5c - William Barrow (Miura Rin)
#f3f3f3 - Bee Bee

[Vio]

This was awkward, but somehow she was managing. She just wasn’t sure how well. As far as she could tell, the Priest had accepted her offer and was making the motions, signifying her success. A soft exhalation escaped Gaille Arelya’s lips, at least somewhat confident that she had succeeded in making her case. The tension remained. She was by no means out of the woods yet, both literally and proverbially, and watched in strict silence as both Priest and Chief bowed themselves.

^{“This way, my lady,” the Priest said:
“Both village and temple await you!”}

Why am I doing this? Why am I trying so damn hard?! Inconsistencies danced through her thoughts, but the soulful Skypiean’s eyes caught a glimpse of something that nobody else did. Miura Rin’s head, though lowered in respect, had turned away from her. Stepping forth, she took a moment to follow his gaze, subtly casting aside her one weapon into the pile of lashings Bee Bee had previously helped her make. In her heart, though uncertain, the green-haired girl hoped to God that it would be of some use.

Bee Bee… I’ll get you out of this mess. I just have to make sure I don’t get stuck any deeper, she said — practically screamed in the silence. Everything she was doing wasn’t just for her sake. She could have ignored it all and headed to the village at any point, yet did not. She could have told the truth immediately, yet did not. But the guilt of deceit did not hang heavy upon her heart; only the guilt of having to leave an innocent soul behind. She walked by her unfinished project, her cast aside jacket and tools, and Uirlis Ilchuspóireach — the multipurpose device. Hopefully, somehow, the boy could use it to his advantage.

As she walked — away from the boy’s little seaside refuge tucked away in the greenery — she turned her head briefly, hoping to catch a glimpse of those dark eyes of his. Something, anything she could use to convey what she was feeling. But she knew all too well, she was terrible at portraying her emotions. Her deepest feelings were always trapped behind a mask, a false bravado with which she concealed her insecurities. And insecure was something she felt bearing down upon her as she made the slow march.

^{It almost feels like, Arelya whispered:
I’m walking to God’s Shrine…}

---

Gaille Arelya | #50c878
Bee Bee | #eeeeee
James | #555555
Village Priest | #a38938

[Fox]

As Arelya, the messenger of the gods, walked past them, William and the high priest both turned to follow behind her. The high priest hurried in a way that looked almost comical to catch up to her before bowing his head and passing her so that he might better lead the way to the temple proper. If William had to guess, there was a specific route through the village that the high priest wanted to parade their so-called messenger through. Whether to try to impress her or placate her, William couldn’t guess his intentions. What he did notice was the slight turn of her head back toward the greenery. He did have a guess as to what that meant, but he carefully averted his eyes.

From within the shelter of the underbrush, Bee Bee poked his head up as he watched Arelya being taken to the temple. His face creased with concern and worry. He had to get her out of there. He… he had to save her! She was the only person who had shown him any kindness or affection in a really long time. With one lingering look before she disappeared beyond some trees, Bee Bee ran to his shack. He looked around for something, anything he could use and tried to formulate a plan for Operation: Bust Arelya Out of Heaven! Or something. He could work on the name later.

Bee Bee put on a brave smile and glanced over to the temple in the distance. “D-Don’t worry, Arelya! I’ll save you for sure!” Like heck he was just gonna leave her to that dummy dumb high priest and his dad! No way, no how! He could do this! He was gonna do this. Then they'd escape and see the world! Together! Yeah. Definitely. With big sis Arelya. Heh!