(Lavashipping) Tend to the Flame: The Lost Pendant

XIII| Crossing the Borders

This was written with a big fat smile, hasten yarselves

Hornswoggler - a fraud or cheat
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     When Scott said there doesn’t seem to be a scintilla of hope, Zane had never wanted to be an optimist so bad — well, since the death of his father that is.

     The atmosphere seems to be getting warmer and warmer. Everyone is fanning themselves. Sweat is trickling down Zane’s nape and he swears his throat is going to be real dry at any moment now, mostly from his nervousness. Nothing’s working out for the pirate, and neither does it look like he can do something about it.

     “Can’t we at least try to stop the ritual?” He tried to convince the others, only to be responded to by a cooperative silence. A cricket would’ve been more helpful; he’s got an ego and optimistic side to save, thank you very much.

     With the most exasperated sigh he could muster, he pulls his hands away from the bars and leans on it. Who is he kidding? It’s been already made clear they’ve got no chance of succeeding in whatever the hell they intend to do. Don’t get Zane wrong, he’s literally the most rational person on this cell. He’s just so desperate that he’s willing to exchange his sanity on a gamble with those almighty deities.

     He shoves his hand in his pockets, hoping that maybe the crew didn’t completely fish him out of everything. So this is what people mean by saying that everyone becomes religious during dire hours.

     Oh right.

     He only carried daggers, boomerangs, and a singular pendant.

     And that singular pendant just so happens to be the pendant.

     His earlier sigh wasn’t enough, he had to groan and slap both hands onto his face.

     He senses a presence kneeling down in front of him. “What is it?” Pixal asked, placing a hand to his elbow.

     “The ruby I was holding onto, I don’t have it anymore.”

     “Ruby?” She tilts her head. “Where d’ye get a ruby?”

     He drops his hands to his lap. He opens his mouth, seemingly contemplating on his words and says, “...remember Kai’s purpose in being here?”

     This makes the other frown. “To retrieve a family heirloom. What about it?” She stares at Zane’s face in confusion.

     The albino doesn’t answer, instead, he longs his gaze on her with unblinking eyes. And then it hits Pixal, causing her to let out a silent gasp and a hand to her mouth. “This whole time?”

     “Rocky and I just realized it at the last second.” He brushes his fingers onto his hair, completely messing with it as to let out his frustration. “Pixal, do rubies glow? Not the fluorescent kind of glow, but actually glowing like a torch.”

     “If enchanted, I believe yes.” The lass grows all the more puzzled at the question. She hasn’t even moved on from the recent revelation. She takes a short while to answer as she connects the dots in her head. From what she knows, it’s quite rare to see enchanted minerals glowing, and they definitely only glow if it is responding to something in particular.

     An enchanted ruby that glows aboard the Bounty, owned by Kai, and a family heirloom?

     That sounds freakishly familiar for the training witch.