The Lands of Ralosia & Ranuulo- Short Story Collection

Orephi Chapter 2- The Expanse

~Chapter 2- The Expanse~

Mauri divided up his crew. Mala stayed with a few others on their ship while Mauri, Ladi, Jirro, and Ruben headed towards the crashed ship of the outlaws. It looked like it landed somewhere in the woods nearby.

Most of the crew either had a blade at their hip or one of those projectile firing weapons. Ladi explained that they called them guns or pistols. Mauri didn't carry a weapon; he was powerful enough that he had no need for them. Jirro and Ruben felt the same way.

As they walked through the woods, Jirro noticed Ladi staring at him often. "Why're you looking at me like that?" Jirro finally asked.

"Oh, my bad. It's just that... you're a Ralosian," Ladi replied.

Jirro raised an eyebrow at him, "Uh-huh... you are too."

"Yeah, I just haven't met many other Ralosians in my life. It's surprising to find one on this world," Ladi explained.

Mauri spoke up, "Honestly, we were surprised to find anyone on this world."

"Why's that?"

"Everyone says this world is cursed. People tend to stay far away from it."

"Cursed? There's nothing wrong with it," Jirro answered, honestly offended that people thought that way about his home.

"What is this world called anyways? Everyone in the Expanse calls it Zal Planet 137," Ladi asked.

"That's a terrible name! But we call it the Lands of Ralosia."

Mauri, Ladi, and the rest of the crew suddenly stopped in place. Mauri looked at Jirro, "This is the Ralosian homeworld?"

Jirro shrugged, "I don't know what that means."

"Are most people in this world Ralosian like you?"

Jirro nodded, "The majority are."

Mauri smirked, "Yup! This is definitely the Ralosian Homeworld! I wonder if the boss knows about this place? This must be the place that most Ralosians originated from. It'd explain why there are so few in the rest of the Expanse."

Jirro pondered the idea for a moment. The idea made some sense. It would explain why Ralosians outnumbered the Densius, Mecarne, and Phantine people. They continued to walk through the woods.

Ruben spoke up, "Is there a Densius Homeworld?"

Ladi looked at the red-eyed boulder child and answered, "There is, but I've never been there. It's pretty uninhabitable to people who aren't Densius like you."

"I'd love to visit one of those places," Jirro announced, "Any chance you could take me?"

"Maybe, after we've taken care of those outlaws," Mauri eyed Ruben, "Are there many other Densius in the Lands of Ralosia?"

"Yes, my tribe lives nearby," Ruben pointed to the grey-scale mountain to the east of them.

Mauri placed a hand on Ruben's rocky shoulder, "Tell me, is it true that all Densius have a gem inside their chests?"

Ruben nodded, "Yup. It's our Heartstone. It's what gives us life."

Jirro had a question on his mind. He wondered why they thought the Lands of Ralosia was cursed. But before he could ask it, they spotted the wooden ship of the outlaws crashed into a creek among the woods. He'd have to ask later.

They found the ship's frame was cracked with a few holes where cannonballs had struck. Its sails had been broken at their base and fell over. They boarded the ship and took a look around. Jirro and Ruben discovered two separate wheels used for navigation, one facing whoever would be steering it, and the other turned at a 180-degree angle from the other.

Below the deck appeared to be living quarters, with two cots, a wall lined with various books, and a peculiar console at the center. Jirro stepped into a room at the back of the ship that had a large metal device with pipes that seemed to route all through the ship. He figured it must be the drive that allowed the vessel to fly. Unfortunately, it looked terribly damaged.

Ladi placed a hand on the drive of the ship, "Their little schooner is grounded. There's no way it'll fly again. They must've run off when they realized that."

Mauri, Ladi, and the other members of the crew roughly looked through the lower deck of the vessel, tossing the books around. They were searching for something. Mauri pulled out a metal chest from beneath one of the cots, shattered the lock with a punch before tearing it open. Inside were many shiny trinkets. Jirro could tell they were valuable.

Mauri smirked, "I can't believe they left this behind. Boys! Take this back to the ship!"

Two Pizon walked over to the chest, picked it off the ground, and carried it up to the top deck. Ladi was looking through the books with a disgruntled look on his face, "Looks like they took off with their map."

Mauri sat on the center console of the ship, "I know how we'll track them. Half of us will go back to the ship, sail over the landscape, and see if we can't spot them from above. The other half will travel on foot and try to track them from here."

"Where do you want us?" Ladi asked.

Mauri looked at Jirro and Ruben for a moment, "Ladi, I want you and Jirro to take half of the crew and search for the Orephi on foot. Ruben and I will head back to the ship with the rest of the crew."

Jirro cocked his head, "Any reason why you want us to split up like that?"

"I've seen how tough you are, kid. You'll be able to help catch the Orephi. Ruben can help me navigate the ship. Don't worry, we'll pay both of you for your help!" Mauri assured them with a smile from his elongated mouth.

Jirro shrugged. It made enough sense. Before they left, Jirro noticed Mauri whispering something into Ladi's ear. Jirro and Ladi headed south with half of the crew, while Ruben and Mauri headed north with the rest.