Indonesia - Banda Sea

Peter carefully climbed into their small boat, trying to not tip it over. He'd never been on a boat like this before, so he wasn't sure how much movement would be too much.

More accurately, he'd never been on a boat. A barge, yes, but that thing didn't have sides. Or a sail.

The boat wobbled alarmingly as he put his weight in it. Determined to not chicken out, he grabbed the pole hanging off the middle pole for balance. He then found out it wasn't solidly attached. It swung freely, in fact.

Peter yelped, failed to balance himself, and fell painfully into the bottom of the boat.

"You all right there, lad?" Marie asked dryly.

Nop, who was sitting at the front of the boat, shook her head as a hawk landed next to her to stare at Peter.

"Yep," he groaned, pushing himself awkwardly into a standing position.

The sail pole came back around and hit him in the chest. Peter reeled backwards; the only reason his skull wasn't cracked open on the bench was because Marie caught him.

"Out," she ordered, shoving him back at the beach.

Peter caught the side of the boat and pushed himself over. He slipped, ending up falling flat into the shallow water.

"I'm marooning you," his captain told him. "Stay here, go home, I do not care."

"Yes, Captain," he said, ashamed and waterlogged.

Sophie offered a hand to help him up, which he accepted.

"I'm sorry, Captain, but we do need him," Razan said, bowing respectfully.

Marie turned to him, an eyebrow raised. "We don't need someone who will fall overboard and drown."

"He will not," Razan promised.

Marie sighed. "Cowboy, do you want to be here?"

Peter looked out at the ocean. Somewhere out there, Grace was getting into her own boat. They might pass each other, and if he wasn't there, Marie would explain how he'd been pathetic and afraid.

"I do," he decided. "I've never been on a boat before, Captain. You can't fault me for simple lack of knowledge."

"That was more than-" She stopped, sighed again, and looked back at Razan. "Let his death be on your head, samurai."

Razan bowed.

"Right," she said unhappily. "Try again."

Swallowing hard, Peter did as ordered. He tried to be slightly less wobbly, not touching anything that might move. Nop and the hawk stared, which didn't help his nerves.

It was close, but this time he made it into the boat without anything going horribly wrong.

"Sit here," Marie ordered, pointing to the bench next to her. Then she pointed to the stick she was holding. "The tiller is not an arm rest."

Peter did as ordered, then took his poncho off to wring the water out.

He was just finishing when Nop stirred.

"Thirty seconds," she announced.

"Get ready," Marie said, taking hold of a rope.

Peter braced himself.

"Ten seconds," Nop said. She started counting down, ending with a sharp, "Go!"

There was a blue flash up the beach, and Sophie took off running for it. At the same moment, Razan dug his feet into the sand and started pushing the boat away from shore. Peter almost lost his balance as the boat jolted and started moving, but managed to not fall off the bench. Marie ignored him, focusing on the sail. Sophie came running back and slammed her hands onto the boat next to Razan. Together, they pushed the boat fully into the water.

With a nod to Sophie, Razan grabbed the side and jumped into the boat like he'd been doing this for years. She copied him on the other side, scrambling slightly but never fully losing balance.

Peter decided he needed more experience with boats.

"Well, navigator?" Marie asked, an eyebrow raised at Peter. "Where do we go?"

"North," he said, pulling a damp but still functioning map device out of his pocket. "Well, north-northeast."

She nodded curtly, twitching the rope in her hand. The triangular sail swung, filled with air, and the whole boat twisted sideways.

Razan watched the second island draw closer. This one was larger than the one they'd started on, with a few actual trees on it. The button wasn't visible from this distance, but he suspected he knew where it was.

Currently, they weren't directly facing the wind, but close to it. They were also going fairly quickly; Marie hadn't been exaggerating when she'd said she knew how to handle this type of boat perfectly. If it had been left to Razan, they'd be rowing at this point. He tried to watch how she held the sail, in case he ever had to take over.

"There," Peter said, pointing to the easternmost tree. "The button is right next to the tree."

"I see it," Sophie said, jumping onto the tip of the bow. "There's someone coming around from the other side."

"Colors?" Marie asked.

Razan saw the square sail behind the island and focused above it. On the mast above the tan sail was a long pennant with the group's colors.

"I can't tell," Sophie said, gripping the forestay as she leaned out over the water.

"Dark ones," Razan added.

"Do neither of you have a spyglass?" Marie asked, adjusting the sail slightly.

"Oh, yes," Sophie said, pulling one out of a pocket. She looked at it in one hand, looked at her other hand on the rope, and handed the spyglass to Razan.

He extended it and held it to his eye. "I believe it's the Heralds, Captain."

"Do you think they're likely to attack?" Marie asked him.

Razan considered it, watching the beach draw closer. "If it's convenient. As this contest is more about speed, and our boats won't pass near to each other, I believe they won't."

Marie nodded. "Go with Sophie to the button, then. Protect her, but don't dally, and don't attack unless they make the first move."

He bowed, putting the spyglass into his pocket.

"Brace yourselves," the captain said slowly, and then the boat suddenly hitched and swerved ninety degrees, turning parallel to the beach.

It rocked over, the edge nearly going under water, then bounced back and righted itself. Razan peeled himself off the bottom of the boat as Sophie untangled herself from the rope. Marie giggled.

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"I'd like to change my mind about being here," Peter said, sounding seasick.

"Too late," Marie said cheerfully, then looked at Razan and Sophie. "Off you get; any closer to shore and we'll run aground."

Razan bowed, then jumped over the side into knee-high water. A wave rolled through, briefly making it hip-high water, and Sophie dropped next to him.

There wasn't much of a current or undertow here, which made getting to the beach easy. Sophie took two running steps, then slowed back down to walking, trying to squeeze water out of her trousers. Razan walked easily enough in his waraji sandals, wondering how much water was trapped in her boots.

They reached the tree with the button next to it just as the Heralds finished pulling their boat ashore. One man held up a rifle and shot at them, the paint ball whizzing by Razan's arm. Sophie squeaked, hiding behind the tree as one of the women fired a pistol at her. The group, not being waterlogged, started running up the steep beach at them.

Razan pulled out his knife as Sophie jumped to the button and hit it. She stumbled back towards their boat, trying to run, while Razan dodged another paint ball and watched the enemy reload. Satisfied they only had three ranged weapons, he turned and ran after Sophie, quickly catching up.

A paint ball hit her in the calf, and she stumbled with a yelp. Stopping, Razan pulled her in front of him and held her there, shielding her as he watched the Heralds. One of the women hit the button as the leader ordered them to save their ammunition and go back to the boat. They needed three shots to bail someone, and only had two shots left.

The moment their backs were turned, Razan pushed Sophie into a run again, and they hurried back to the water.

Sophie peeled her wet socks off and put them in the sun, wishing she could do the same with all her other clothes. She debated asking Marie if it would be acceptable, just for a little while, but suspected Peter would be extremely against the idea.

"Next time can we get a little closer to shore?" she asked.

"We'll see," Marie answered. "Probably not, though."

Sophie grumbled, looking at Razan's shoes. They were woven sandal things, and already looked dry. She decided she might have to get something like those for the next contest like this.

"Boat," Peter said, pointing left.

Sophie stood, trying to see it. The sail was obvious, but who the people were or what colors they wore wasn't visible yet.

"Diamonds," Razan announced, looking through Sophie's spyglass. "They've seen us."

"Will they attack us?" Sophie asked.

"No, they're pacifists," Marie answered.

"Should we attack them?" Razan asked.

"What would we gain from doing that?" she countered. "Leave do-gooders alone."

Peter cleared his throat. "Not that I disagree, but I'm surprised you have that point of view."

Marie adjusted the sail slightly. "Groups who do not fight and try to make the world a better place are either stomped out quickly or have a significant force who are willing to fight behind them. Like nuns. This group has not only been here many years, but they do quite well and everyone likes them. Meaning if we antagonize them, we'll end up making enemies of whatever force approves of their ideals. I'd rather not find out who all that is."

"Have you ever attacked nuns?" Sophie asked.

"Once, but I had a very good reason."

Razan spoke before anyone could ask what that reason was. "They appear to be motioning us over. Their boat is also far lower in the water than ours is."

Sophie looked over at them again. A woman was waving her arms, while two men seemed to be arguing. The fourth person in their group wasn't visible.

"Is anyone else in view?" Marie asked Razan.

He scanned the horizon. "Yes. The Bees are heading… south, away from us."

Sophie squinted at the blob he was focused on. They were too far away for her to see any detail.

After a moment, the sail shifted, and their boat turned towards the Diamonds.

"We're helping them?" Peter asked.

"Possibly," Marie said. "Depends on what they want."

It took a good ten minutes for them to get within shouting distance of the other boat. The fourth person was using her hands to block two holes in their hull.

"Ahoy there!" the Diamonds' leader, Max, called. "Would you be able to lend a hand?"

"In what manner?" Marie called back.

"As you can see, our boat is beyond salvation," he said. "If-"

"I don't see that at all," Marie interrupted. "Boats get holes in them all the time. What I see is a lack of preparation."

Max glowered at her as their boats drew up next to each other. Sophie and Peter grabbed the other boat, holding them together while the conversation continued.

"You have a way of fixing holes?" the woman who had been waving asked.

"Naturally," Razan answered. "We are in open ocean; not having a way to keep the thing which is stopping us from drowning watertight would be exceptionally stupid."

"Well, can we borrow it?" Max asked.

Marie smiled far too sweetly. "Certainly. Just describe the items, and I will hand them over."

The other group was silent for a few seconds, looking at each other uncertainly.

"Glue of some kind?" the woman in the bottom of the boat guessed.

"Alas, that is not one of the items," Marie said. "Good day." She nodded to Sophie and Peter.

Sophie immediately let go, but Peter hesitated just long enough for Max to reach over and grab their boat.

"Wait," Max said, his voice annoyed. "Would you be willing to take Kaliana with you?"

The woman who had been waving smiled hopefully.

"We are not in a truce with your group," Marie answered. "What would we gain?"

"You'll lose nothing," Max said.

"Heavier boats move slower," Razan told him.

Max sighed, annoyed. "What do you want?"

Marie looked at Sophie. "Thief, what do we want?"

Sophie hesitated, not having expected to be a part of the conversation. She looked into the sinking boat, and saw Max was wearing sandals similar to Razan's, but made out of leather rather than plant material. She looked at her still-wet boots, and pointed at Max's feet.

"I want your shoes."

His eye twitched.

"Yes," Marie said smugly. "Give us your shoes, and we will take Kaliana with us."

"Seriously?" Peter asked under his breath.

Grumbling something about pirates and a witch, Max angrily untied his laces and spent a few moments pulling his sandals off. He handed them to Sophie as Kaliana climbed into the Drifters' boat.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Marie told Max, motioning for Peter to let go.

"Sure," he said, watching as their boats separated.

Kaliana moved to lean on the mast as Sophie sat down to put her new sandals on. Marie twitched a rope, and they picked up speed.

Moving the tiller slightly, Marie avoided a large dark patch underwater. It might have just been seaweed, but there were enough half-submerged islands in this area she wasn't going to risk it. She wondered just how much volcanic activity there was or had been in this sea to get this many boulders jutting off the seafloor.

"Uhm, map says the next button is right there, but there's no island," Peter said, pointing east.

Marie looked over. With how the water was acting, there was unmistakably something large just below the surface.

"The button is floating," Kaliana said. "There's a rock under the surface which the button is anchored to. We… got stuck on the rock, and the Bees pushed us off while stabbing holes in our boat."

That was the first thing Kaliana had said since joining them. The woman was probably in her thirties, with thick black hair Marie would have killed for in her younger years, but she seemed very shy. Or at least, she didn't want to join in idle chatter.

"Sophie, how big is the rock?" Marie asked, after nodding to Kaliana.

"It's… about the length…" Sophie held her hand out, and Razan put the spyglass in it. Without acknowledging him, she put it to her eye. "It's the length of this boat, but three times as wide, and it looks like it slopes on this side but has a bit sharper dropoff on the other side."

"Do you see the button?"

"Yes, in the exact center."

Marie maneuvered the boat closer, debating. "Razan, I'm going to ask you to swim. Jump off on this side, and I'll collect you on the other."

He sighed, bowed, and started taking his shirt off. Kaliana immediately turned away, her cheeks darkening. Razan noticed and grinned, his hands moving to his belt after dropping his shirt.

"No," Marie warned.

His face turned neutral. "I'm sorry, Captain? No what?"

"Test me and I will leave you in the water," Marie stated.

"Ah, I have suddenly gained clarity."

Sophie finally lowered the spyglass, pointing to something bobbing on the water. "There, can you see it?" She glanced in Marie's direction, but focused on Kaliana. "Are you all right? You look seasick."

Peter shook his head, pulling his hat over his face.

"I'm fine, thank you," Kaliana said primly, still not looking in Razan's direction.

"If you're feeling unwell, it might be because you're in the bottom of the boat," Sophie continued, unphased by Razan stretching next to her. "Being able to see the horizon might help."

Kaliana shot her a glare, which seemed to confuse the thief.

"Razan, ready to jump?" Marie asked as they got as close to the button as she was willing to risk. He nodded, putting a foot on the edge of the hull, and she ordered, "Go."

He pushed himself off the side into a perfect dive, sliding through the water as if he were part fish. Keeping an eye on him, Marie adjusted the sail and rudder to have them safely circle the submerged tower. Sophie gave up on Kaliana, instead turning to watch Razan swim. He got to the button, pushed it, and let the waves carry him to where Marie was taking the boat.

"Next button is about straight ahead of us," Peter said, not looking up from his map. "Maybe fifteen minutes away?"

"Thank you," Marie said, trying to slow down a bit as they approached Razan.

Sophie leaned over the side, her hand out. The samurai caught it, and she helped pull him back into the boat. Marie watched them, trying to sense any kind of embarrassment or hesitation from Sophie, who was still holding his hand as he found his balance, but she seemed perfectly at ease. As did Razan.

"Would you mind telling him to…" Kaliana trailed off, looking meaningfully at Marie.

Marie smiled kindly at the woman. "I'm not his mother; if it bothers you, feel free to leave."

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