Chapter 8: The Great Ei Locus

Once, a blue moon first met the skies of ancient Galia, its thin waves of light had traversed even through the place's infamously thick and ever present clouds, where its diluted rays kissed the Great Ei Locus in the outskirts of the Azazelean sea.

As beautitul as it was, the citizens of the deep sea believed that the eerie moonlight meant no good. Aegir also thought so.

Loci are unique places with margined spaces of corrupted mana; a territory that had been claimed for the mayhem and progeny of the creatures of dark origins. For the corrupted energy was a fruit of the bleak and distant past, of the fleeting ghost of crushed lives and ambitions that had resulted from the great war of realms.

So why would a strange celestial body of differing color that shone focusedly on a locus be an auspicious sign?

However, Aegir's focus was not on its origins and lore, but instead, in the great Ei Locus itself.

Blackening waters, misty surroundings and wails of disembodied origins. It was all tales about the phenomenal locus, and they had experienced them all.

Perhaps, they really had come to the place by mistake and now, is trapped within its mysterious misty reach. Aegir subconsciously took a step back, and another. Focusedly looking over the quagmires of exuberant murk, hoping to see something that could be of help.

Unknowingly, he had retreated far enough to bump into Cornelius in the chest, earning an unheard 'oomph' from the pirate captain and becase of the sudden change of balance, they descended ungracefully to the woodplank floor of the Solaris' ship, Aegir on top of Cornelius.

Although their foggy surroundings hid it well, the warming of Aegir's pink cheeks was an evidence that revealed of his affected feelings. Of shame, or of something else, he did not know, and he didn't want to dig deeper.

He could feel the thumping of Cornelius' heart against his thin tunic clad back, feel the warmth of the other's wide front. He had felt the want to stay in the familiar feeling yet unfamiliar embrace, but hurriedly, Aegir still frantically tried to get up, but failed when a scar covered arm held his waist tight.

The Pirate's mouth moved against the back of his ear, Aegir couldn't hear what the other said but the warm breath that tickled his sensitive auricles made him feel strange.

"Cornelius" As an experiment, He let out a whisper that carried a miniscule amount of mana.

The only response he got was the arms wrapped around his torso tightening.

"Cornelius." This time it was not a vocal statement imbued with a spell, but instead, was a mindlink done through Aegir's gift from when he was first crowned a deity.

"Let go."

Cornelius softened his hold on the Siren and tilted his head at him, confusion etched on his face. He tried to speak as well but realized that it was in vain.

Aegir removed the vice-like grip from his person and stood up in a huff. Using the same method of communication, he relayed: "Cornelius, where the fuck are we?"

Again, Cornelius' unusually blank stare was directed at him, making him feel novel and guilty at the same time.

'To Chhaaya', The other mouted. Aegir had to squint a bit in order to see the shapes of his mouth and determine what he was saying amid the mist that crippled a bit of their eyesight.

"But this..." Aegir bit his lips. "The Great Ei Locus is dangerous and if I recall correctly, is far from the general direction of chhaaya."

This time, it was Cornelius' turn to look at him dumbfoundedly. He looked like he wanted to say something, but the unique curse of the Ei Locus kept his mouth unable to.

'Trust me.' Cornelius was not able to do anything but hold Aegir's hand to reassure the worried Siren. The sailor gazed at the Siren from the floor, his eyes finding the other's own ones in a half pleading half smiling manner.

Aegir looked at the lackadaisal manner that Cornelius still had. The man just negligently stood up and gazed at their unclear surrounding.

Affected, he unconsiously unfurled his worry for a second and relaxed. He wanted to give Cornelius the little bit of the trust the guy was asking for.

He cannot help but feel helpless and trusting towards the pirate captain. A feeling that Miyu was okay, and that he, too, will also be fine. It was a strange mix of emotions but Sirens generally relies on their instinct and rarely their brains.

"Just this time."

.....

A few hours has passed uneventfully and the wails and groans grew louder and louder, resulting in an almost ever present buzzing tinnitus on Aegir's overstimulated ears. Cornelius seems unaffected, but he has a more noticeable fidgety demeanor to him.

The rolling waves against the ship's hulls had become infinitely louder with no crew hollering or Miyu to talk to. The waters had went entirely black and bottomless as well with a misty surface and only the raging winds against squinted eyes and folded arms held a sense of reality.

Aegir's eyebrows flew high up and hid in his fallen bangs–which Miyu had taken the initiative to cut much earlier on. With Gray eyes holding wonder and surprise, the clear orbs held the reflection of a towering sillhouette of a building.

"..Don't tell me that's the Akasa Tower..?"

Structure wise, indeed, it seems to be exactly the same as the Akasa Tower he had been once familiar with. Although only the tower's shadowy outline can be seen from far off, the bulging of the verandas against its cylindrical frame and the unique upside down cross on top mostly confirmed his suspicions.

Cornelius clenched at Aegir's hand and confirmed with a little shake of his own. Holding hands was an action both of them did not disliked nor adressed, it came naturally.

Aegir took his eyes away from the tower and looked besides him to Cornelius. "oh."

He couldn't fathom how but they had really arrived in chhaaya, the land of shadows—The Akasa tower being a landmark of the independent country.

The brief journey remaining was spent in the continued silence of Aegir and Cornelius–not like the latter could talk in his usual flamboyance anyways—but it was comfortable, in a way. The duo just watched as the misty and faint light of the civilizations of Chhaaya come closer and closer with hands still clasped together, like they were just in a getaway for two.

Suddenly, Aegir felt warmth on his ears as the two sensitive parts of him twitched in response. A chin was placed on the top of his head, a body pressed closed to his back as he saw their surroundings becoming increasingly distorted as they go near the dock.

"..Close your eyes.."

He seems to hear a whisper, to which he could not help but obey.

Cornelius' embrace on him felt tighter and tighter as they forcefully broke into Chhaaya's barrier.

A few minutes passed by and the warmth on his ears was taken away—it was the Pirate Captain's hands—Aegir opened his eyes and turned to look at Cornelius.

In horror, Aegir's mouth gaped open at the man's bleeding ears and nose.

Myanyan's Corner:

Some random beta reader(sam): This sentence..."Sirens generally relies on their instinct and rarely their brains."..Are you or are you not indirectly calling your mc an idiot [skull emoji]

author(myanyan): well, I can explain....[doge]