His head felt heavy, his eyes burning as he tried to open them. The coarse sands of the beach and the heat brought him back to his senses. Sage was still alive by some sort of miracle, and his wounds had healed. He could still feel the lingering pain from the bullets, two had struck him in the thigh while one struck him in the shoulder. He felt angry at the wasted shots. He sat upright, taking a moment to examine himself.
Sage felt stronger and lighter. He could tell his senses were more sensitive too. Whatever he grabbed would become a deadly weapon, regardless if it was a gun or a toothpick. He had an understanding about how to read maps and blueprints along with how to plan a proper escape.
Funny enough, most of the surfacing skills and knowledge were already something he had, a skillset he had developed from working under King Oyster, one of the gang leaders of Bayam. What is truly new to him is his increased speed, strength and sensitivity. Beyond that, Sage realised he had decent control over his heart rate and facial muscles, allowing him to remain calm and keep a poker face.
He never wanted to become a beyonder. He was offered to become a Sequence 9 Warrior of the Giant pathway three times and he rejected the offer three times. Now, he had become one of the madmen that fought madness. For now, he knew enough to keep him alive. Most Beyonders became one by drinking a potion or praying to a deity so he was unsure of what exactly happened that allowed him to become one. What he was sure of is that he was breathing and on an island.
Sage got up and felt something in his pocket. A card that he got from the chest. Its picture depicted a horrid figure, half its face human, a man with long brown hair, while the other half was an array of eyes. A raised right hand, lowered left hand, both hands held two fingers. Beneath this horrid figure was a barren land with two people, a man and a woman, chained. And finally above the card, was written 'XV'. Sage took a moment to realize he was holding the Devil Tarot Card. Was this card the reason behind the death of the navigator and boatswain?
He couldn't simply throw the card back into the ocean, so he slipped it into his pocket and searched the shoreline for signs of civilization. Drag marks scarred the sand, most likely left by boats, and he followed them until he finally encountered people again. After explaining what had happened, Sage learned he had washed ashore on Blue Mountain Island in the Rorsted Archipelago. The locals were kind enough to help him hitch a ride toward the capital.
Bayam, the capital of the Rorsted Archipelago, and also known as The City of Generosity, named for its abundance of gold, silver, copper, iron and coal. Nearly a quarter of Blue Mountain Island remained forest, while Bayam occupied half the island, with the New City of Silver as its neighbor. Fortunately for Sage, he was going to look for a way back to Bayam.
The streets of Bayam were as chaotic as ever. Sailors shouted, merchants argued, and the scent of salt, alcohol, and sweat hung thick in the air but his destination wasn't in the city but near to it. He wandered into the nearby forest on the outskirts of the city, following a shabby trail to a motel. As he pushed the door open, the woman who always manned the reception gasped. Sage could never remember her name.
"Little Wolf?" she called out, making Sage frown. He hated the name.
"I'm going to my room, can you let King Oyster know I'm alive?"
Sage spent an hour scrubbing himself clean, getting the filth out of his hair and the smell of the ocean out of his body. He noticed most of his wounds had healed but he was sure that his pathway had nothing to do with healing, the knowledge he got from the weird stone he ate didn't ingrain anything about how fast he would heal. This would be a question for later. In fact, he had many questions he needed answers to, but he had to seek them out with caution.
As his best friend would say, "Anyone can ask questions but are you sure you want to know the answer? Some come with a heavy cost."
After making himself presentable, Sage made his way to see King Oyster who sat in his so-called office. King Oyster was one of the four Kings of Bayam, leading a gang that scammed people into working ridiculous wages and hours. Sage was only fifteen when he ran away from home, refusing to allow his family's legacy to define him. He sneaked onto a boat leaving from Sonia island to Bayam. On the boat he met the two people who would change his life. The first was his best friend while the other pretended to be kind, feeding into his delusions of becoming a successful businessman and offered him a job to keep him stable until he could survive on his own. Clouded by excitement and alcohol, Sage signed a contract with that man and here he was. Working at King Oyster's Employment agency for the last ten years. The only upside was he had a guaranteed room and one meal since the agency served as both a work place and a motel.
Sage controlled his heart beat, keeping himself calm, as he entered the office. The office was stacked with paperwork, most there just for appearance. His eyes darted around mentally taking note of the nearest object he could use as a weapon, the distance between him and the door for potential ambushes and the distance to the window for an escape. The building had a total of six floors and the office was on the fifth floor. He knew the fall wouldn't hurt him. Finally, he took note of the painting in the office, his intuition told him there is more to it. King Oyster, a very fat man, was seated on a chair that barely fit him, his belly pushing against the oak desk. He leaned back, a hand beneath the desk while he stared at Sage.
Sage was disgusted by the sheer fatness this man carried. He was disgusted by how sharp his senses were, his nose picking up a faint hint of perfume while he could hear the sloppy work from under the desk. He wasn't surprised that the assistant that handled the paperwork was also handling his cock with her mouth.
"I thought you were dead, Little Wolf. Tsk, it would be less work if you were dead." the fattie said.
"What can I say? Fate doesn't want me dead."
"Fate wants you working for me."
An image flashed across his mind. The image of King Oyster choking for air as he drowned in his own blood, a pen sticking out of his throat. The thought of killing the fattie brought peace to his mind however now is not the proper time for it.
"Oh! Ahh~. Little Wolf, give Mandy your account of the events. She will send it to the Church of Storms. Take the next two days off, I need you at the warehouse." King Oyster said, groaning.
Mandy was the receptionist.
Sage gave him a small bow and left the room, not wanting to hear his 'climax'. He wasn't expecting King Oyster to be generous, giving him two days to rest. He could only thank the woman under the desk and her skills. With that out of the way, he had time to meet Shark, the only person he trusted. Although he couldn't help but wonder, What's with the seafood theme?
Any seafarer would know the beauties of this city, for it was also a hub for many extracurricular activities. His first visit was to The Red Theatre, the most famous brothel to exist among the seas, the place men visit after getting off the ship. "Oh, isn't that Sage?" he heard one of the exotic girls say, making him alert.
That's new… I feel…interested?
Sage had visited The Red Theatre on many occasions alongside whatever crew he was hired by, but never once had he indulged in such pleasures. He was known for his stubborn rejection despite advances by the workers. He was never interested in them before… Until now.
It must be the stone. He concluded as he walked in.
Inside, Sage noted all possible exits, including those he might need to climb to escape. He also took a mental note of his surroundings, planning his route to those exits and potential weapons he might have to use. Of course, this was just a precaution. His best friend would never betray him. Hopefully. He stood in front of the room and knocked furiously on it.
"SHARK." He yelled.
The door opened and a half naked angry man came up, but before he could say a word, Sage struck him in the body and left him writhing in pain on the floor.
"Come on Sage, couldn't you wait?" the woman said, sighing as she got her clothes. She noticed his gaze lingering longer than usual as she got dressed. "You always look away. You finally decided to be a big boy or realized I'm a woman?"
Sage didn't even realize he was looking. Although he did feel a pang of desire, he didn't want to act on it. "So you haven't heard? Did Wayland not reach Bayam?"
Miranda Jones or Shark as Sage would call her, was perhaps the best information gatherer anyone could hire. Although, she did have a habit of spending them at The Red Theatre for exotic men, often preying on beyonders. They met on the day they decided to leave Sonia Island, getting on the same boat. Just two kids with big dreams. Unlike him, Miranda was smart enough to stay away from any of the kings.
"Wayland? The young guy begging you to bring him on a trip? The fuck happened out there Sage?"
Sighing, Sage sat down and began narrating the chain of events.