Reaper's Crown

Ch. 86 - Anger at the Cusp of Greatness

A few hours had passed since the ship set sail, and Jyuzou had been fast asleep since. Koyote, along with other passengers and the few women steering the boat, guided the Morian to an inside sleeping chamber, while the former took her opportunity to stare out at the empty seas.

The skies were blue and poignant that day, although to most they'd seem bright and rather happy. It was particularly warm, but Koyote didn't necessarily feel that.

There it was, in the distance, the first signs of land appearing. It was neither Malikan nor Lignoria, but a very remote, small village placed atop an island even smaller than Galliath.

She recalled seeing a few people, mostly children with tired parents waving as hard as they could. Koyote waved back, before turning and smirking under all her bandages.

This wasn't the first time she trod those roads. She didn't necessarily remember why, but there was that one distinct light amongst the nightshade, being all the lamps they held despite the rain pouring in. While the rest of the road consisted of sleeping, this was the one break from when all hell went loose.

She clenched the boat's side tighter, closing both eyes for a second. Maybe even if greatness existed upon the cusp of that anger, there was no reason to look for the night.

Alas, when the island disappeared, so did she, wandering inside the deck and getting a few items out of her bags. Coincidentally, that's when she heard a yawn.

Jyuzou stretched, hands almost hitting the floor above him. He rubbed his eyes, searched for his glasses blindly and then looked around, before noticing Koyote's calm gaze. "Ah," he uttered, pulling on his limbs and promptly hopping off the bed.

"I'd say good morning but it's about sixteen in Gallian time now." she turned to her pocket watch. "So I'm just glad that you're awake, I guess?"

"I didn't expect to fall asleep so easily..."

"You four slept like logs on our way to Harabara, so I didn't question it" she uttered, stepping closer to the door.

"Yeah, but the first time I travelled it was Morio who slept in my place," Jyuzou explained. "I... couldn't close an eye."

"Or maybe..." she opened the door, letting some sunlight in. Jyuzou covered his face with his hand and Koyote chuckled. "You were just tired."

***

After a while, the restaurant atop was empty. Not that Koyote and Jyuzou's arrival scared them, it was more that Harans ate in regular patterns. Breakfast when they woke up, dinner at about fifteen, an hour-long nap, and then until the sun didn't set, supper didn't concern them. Most of the ship's crew moved to the now empty cabins, and even though the crew's cook wasn't serving anything, the two sat down and stared out at the sea, seldom talking or playing with a deck of cards.

"You excited?" Koyote asked, putting one leg atop another, searching through something in her teeth.

Jyuzou put his hands on his legs and peeked his head out to meet his reflection in the zooming waters. "K-Kinda."

"Kinda?" Her eyes turned to him. "You don't smile unless it's plants or Genni."

Jyuzou blinked. "What is that supposed to mean?!"

"It means that you're not even 'kind of' excited," Koyote added. "Am I right?"

Jyuzou looked at her for a while, before sighing. "I'm just a little stressed." he put his hand on his neck, gritting his teeth.

"No, I get it. Biggest and most important town in all of the Mainland. Then, you're specifically invited because you're royalty." Koyote shook her head. "What a world, huh? You never know what's coming."