First Steps

When the group reached the bent palm, Kaldur, Caspien, and Lyra wordlessly began peeling off their soaked clothes, leaving only their underwear before draping their things over the curved trunk to dry under the sun.

Ethan, halfway through untying his hoodie, froze. His face burned, and he quickly turned his gaze toward the jungle, trying very hard not to let his brain go places it really, really shouldn't.

"What are you waiting for?" Caspien's voice carried a lilt of amusement. "You don't want to trek through the jungle in wet clothes. Unless you do want to find out just how many kinds of insects live here."

Ethan didn't need to be told twice. Muttering something under his breath, he yanked off his hoodie and hesitated only a second before shoving down his jeans and kicking off his sneakers. The wet fabric clung to his skin, but the warm air was already beginning to dry him.

As he hung them up alongside the others, he again noticed the way all three of them gave his clothes a brief, almost puzzled glance—but for once, none of them said anything.

Good. He wasn't really in the mood to explain denim.

Instead, his mind drifted back to what had happened beneath the water. That sword. Hovering before Kaldur, still and motionless, untouched by the currents. The image replayed in his mind, nagging at the edges of his thoughts. He wanted to ask. He should ask.

But Kaldur stood there, arms crossed, gaze distant. Unbothered.

So Ethan swallowed the questions clawing at his throat and asked something else instead.

"So, what is this place?" His voice was light, casual. "I mean, I get that it's an archipelago, but where exactly are we?" He hesitated, then added, "And what's so interesting here that you went through all that trouble to get here?"

For a moment, there was only the distant crash of waves, the rustling of palm leaves in the breeze. Then Kaldur spoke.

"Because it's a boiling pot." 

His voice was even, but there was weight beneath it.

"Elpades sits almost perfectly between two empires. That makes it a place where all manner of folk wash up. Some come chasing fortune, some come fleeing ghosts, and some…" His deep blue eyes flicked toward Ethan. "Some are simply cast adrift."

The words hung in the air for a moment before he turned his gaze to the jungle. "And we, for better or worse, are among them."

***

By the time their clothes had dried enough to wear, the midday heat had grown heavy, pressing down like a thick, humid shroud. The four of them dressed quickly before setting off toward the treeline.

Ethan lingered at the jungle's edge, taking in the scene before him. It was unlike anything he had ever known. The forest stretched out in a vast tangle of ancient trees, their thick roots twisting together. The canopy was a vault of emerald and gold, shifting with the wind, scattering light and shadow across the jungle floor. Vines hung from the branches, swaying with the lazy weight of the humid air.

And beneath it all, the jungle breathed. Insects hummed unseen, birds called from the depths, and somewhere far beyond the trees, the low, throaty bellow of some unknown beast sent a shiver crawling up Ethan's spine.

For someone whose life back on Earth had been... well, normal, this place felt almost unreal. The world, the events, the sheer impossibility of it all—it was like stepping into a fever dream.

Had it really only been just a few hours since he woke up on that ship? Since he was thrown into the ocean and then dragged through the depths by some magic sword? It didn't seem possible.

It was overwhelming. It was thrilling. 

And dangerous.

Kaldur's voice cut through his thoughts.

"I pulled us along the shoreline—not far from the port," he said, eyes scanning the treeline. "If we follow the coast, we'll be back within the hour." A pause. Then, with quiet finality, "But I'd rather not."

Ethan didn't need to ask why.

"Then jungle it is," Caspien muttered, already stepping forward. Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, he smacked Lyra's butt with the back of his hand. "Give the boy something sharp."

Lyra, unbothered, pulled a throwing knife from her waistband and twirled it once between her fingers before holding it out to Ethan, her smirk sharp as the blade itself.

"Try not to stab yourself," she said lightly. Then, more seriously, her blue eyes locking onto his, "And stay close."

The knife was heavier than he expected—solid, well-balanced, the cold steel pressing against his palm. A flat, double-edged blade, maybe a bit less than twenty centimeters long. Simple. Deadly. The handle was wrapped in dark leather, smooth and worn from use.

He turned it over in his hands. 

Uncertain. 

He'd never held a weapon before—at least, not in a way that meant anything. Back home, knives were for chopping vegetables, for slicing into steaks on a dinner plate. Not for this. 

Caspien, watching his reaction, let out a short laugh. "What, never held a knife before? You some kind of noble or something?"

Ethan didn't answer, still staring at the blade.

"Relax," Caspien clapped him roughly on the shoulder. "If we reach the city before dark, you won't even need it."

Ethan finally looked up. "And if we don't?"

Caspien tilted his head, as if considering. "Then you hold on tight, try not to scream, and pray. Because I highly doubt that toothpick will do you much good."

Ethan swallowed, fingers twisting around the knife.

Caspien chuckled at his reaction and turned back toward the jungle. "Come on, then. The faster we walk, the sooner we eat and sleep. Daylight's wasting." He waved a hand behind him without looking back.

Kaldur, who had been silent, finally spoke.

"Nothing will happen," he said, voice steady, unreadable as ever. "He's just fooling around."

Ethan turned to him. The young man's face was impassive, but there was something solid about his certainty.

"We find the road," Kaldur continued, "and from there, the path will be smooth."

Lyra gave him a sidelong glance, amused. "Yeah, you bet."

Kaldur didn't reply.

Ethan exhaled, adjusting his grip on the knife. It still felt foreign in his hands, but he nodded, forcing a bit more confidence into the gesture than he actually felt.

"Let's find it, then."

It wasn't like he had much of a choice anyway.