Maeve held [Wayfinder's Wayfinder] between her thumb and forefinger.
Bloodwave had called it a compass, and yet it looked nothing like a compass.
It was a small glass sphere which could comfortably fit in the palm of her hand. It was surrounded by a thin band of engraved metal that looked similar to brass. Maeve quickly understood what the engravings depicted. Ships sailing beneath a cloudy sky.
Within the sphere was where [Wayfinder's Wayfinder] piqued Maeve's interest; it was the part of the Memory that would lead her to the sunken ships. The glass sphere was filled with crystal-clear water, and resting at the bottom was a simple ball. The ball was made out of the same metal as the band of metal. Just like the band, the ball was engraved too, but Maeve couldn't quite make out what the engravings were as the ball was so small.
She moved it closer to her face, attempting to see what the engraving was.
"I think it's a person, or rather people."
Maeve flinched, hearing Kakuja's voice. Having leant in to examine the Memory with Maeve, Kakuja's was only a couple of inches from the other Master's face – something Maeve hadn't realised at the time.
Kakuja turned to Maeve.
"You think it might be souls?
Maeve's face immediately scrunched up in confusion.
"What?"
"You know, souls. Souls of the damned."
Kakuja pointed at the band of metal that encircled the sphere.
"The engraving shows ships at sea, and in the water are people. Very souls-of-the-damned imagery; it's like a metaphor."
Maeve slowly turned to look at [Wayfinder's Wayfinder], looking at the sphere; she tilted her head slightly to the side as she considered Kakuja's explanation.
"I think I see what you mean, although… I don't think you know how metaphors work. Anyway, stop distracting me."
Putting a hand on Kakuja's chest, Maeve pushed them away at arm's length. Turning her attention back to [Wayfinder's Wayfinder], Maeve channelled her essence to attempt to activate whatever enchantment would guide them to the sunken fleet.
Not knowing how much essence the enchantment would need, Maeve slowly let her essence trickle into the Memory, and before long, it began to take effect. The ball twitched. Channelling more essence, the ball began to move up the side of the sphere until it hung at an angle.
Maeve waited for something else to happen, but when it became apparent that was the full extent of the enchantment, she shifted her grip and slowly rotated the sphere.
The ball remained exactly where it was.
Despite the movement of the glass around it, the tiny sphere continued to be pulled in the same direction. Following the direction it indicated, Maeve lifted her gaze toward the distant horizon.
Dark Antarctic waters stretched endlessly before her, waves crashing against drifting sheets of ice beneath the cold grey sky. Somewhere in that frozen expanse lay the ship marked by the Memory.
"Seems easy enough. We just need to travel across the surface of the ocean until the ball is pointing straight down, then we just need to dive down to the ship."
Closing her fingers around [Wayfinder's Wayfinder], Maeve turned to Kakuja.
"I'm ready to go if you are?"
Glancing toward the horizon, Kakuja sighed.
"Alright…"
Blue sparks appeared beside Kakuja as they summoned something. From the amount of sparks, it was clear they were summoning an Echo.
The sparks settled as a horse appeared on the deck of the ship – although calling it a horse was generous.
Its body possessed the general shape of one, but little else about the creature was natural.
Its skin resembled tangled masses of dark green seaweed stretched tightly over a lean frame, strands swaying gently in the wind. What should have been a mane was instead a thick cascade of kelp hanging down its neck. The creature's tail was no better, a writhing bundle of seaweed that dragged along the metal floor behind it.
Most striking of all were its legs. Instead of four, the Echo possessed six. Three pairs of long, slender limbs supported its body, giving it an unsettling appearance as it shifted its weight.
The horse knelt, allowing Kakuja to mount it. One hand twisting around the kelp-mane, they offered a hand to Maeve.
"You want a ride? Or are you planning on just jumping straight in?"
Maeve glanced off the side of the ship, her eyes held on the frigid waters for a moment before she shook her head. She accepted Kakuja's offer.
"We have no idea how far out the ships sank… And that water is going to be frigid. I'll take any opportunity to preserve my happy day off, thank you."
Taking Kakuja's hand, she sat behind them. Wrapping her hands around Kakuja's slim waist, she adjusted her position until she was comfortable. As the Echo stood, Bloodwave stepped away from the side of the ship, stopping just beside them.
"Remember, whatever you do. Do not engage with what attacked the fleet. Locate the ship's black box and bring it back; that should give us an idea of what sank the fleet."
Her father was a man of very few visible emotions. Most people mistook his stoic nature for indifference, but Maeve knew her father better than 'most people'. Bloodwave cared deeply – he was simply terrible at showing it.
"We will, Father; you have my word."
With everything said, Kakuja gave the command to their Echo.
The six-legged horse immediately burst forward, its seaweed-covered limbs carrying it across the deck before it launched itself from the bow of the ship. Sailing through the air, wind rushing past their faces, they descended toward the dark Antarctic waters below. For a few seconds, they fell down the height of the ship, as they reached the waves below – instead of diving beneath the surface – the Echo landed atop the dark Antarctic waters.
A great spray of foam erupted around them as the creature absorbed the impact with its six legs before breaking into a sprint. The sea rippled and flexed beneath its feet, yet somehow supported its weight, allowing it to race across the water as though it were galloping over solid ground. The creature bounded over waves and through sheets of icy mist, carrying Maeve and Kakuja away from Falcon Scott and toward the distant horizon.
----
Maeve rested her head against Kakuja's, her head easily resting atop the smaller Master's. Maeve's eyes were closed as they were both shrouded by the endless Antarctic night. Only opening them periodically to summon a light Memory to check [Wayfinder's Wayfinder].
Kakuja shifted, prodding Maeve with their elbow.
"Hey, Maeve. Are you still awake back there?"
Maeve tightened her grip on Kakuja's waist as their Echo leapt atop a sheet of ice, crossing the sheet; it quickly returned to the water.
"Sadly… Mmm, how long have we been travelling?"
Kakuja looked around the pitch-black that surrounded them.
"Hard to say, my best guess? Two and a half hours."
Blinking, Maeve let go of Kakuja. Summoning it appeared in her left hand, the luminescent Memory took the form of a small silver lantern. Its glass panels were clear and unadorned; a small flame appeared within it. Bright enough to illuminate [Waywinder's Wayfinder] as Maeve unfurled her fingers.
Holding the two Memories close to one another, Maeve looked at them and frowned. Closing her eyes, she rubbed them with the back of her hand. Opening her eyes, she looked at [Wayfinder's Wayfinder] again.
The ball was pointing straight down.
"Stop!"
Maeve yelled with such urgency that Kakuja's Echo came to such a sudden stop that it almost threw its Ascended riders off.
Kakuja's head quickly scanned the darkness around them, fingers twitching, prepared to summon their weapon at a moment's notice.
"Did you see something? a Nightmare Creature?"
Maeve leaned forward, slipping her arms beneath Kakuja's arms and around their sides. Holding the lantern close to [Wayfinder's Wayfinder], Maeve held them both closer to Kakuja's face. Looking at the glass sphere, Kakuja took the ball from Maeve. Shaking it a few times just to be sure, Kakuja turned back to look at Maeve.
"We've arrived."
Maeve smiled.
"It seems we have. Time to get ready."
Dismissing [Wayfinder's Wayfinder], Maeve crammed the lantern between her thighs. As she did this, Kakuja dismissed their white cloak, leaving them in only their black wetsuit.
Almost at the same time, sparks appeared around both Maeve and Kakuja as they summoned their Memories.
The sparks surrounding Maeve formed into jagged, bone-white plating that clung to her form like the remains of some ancient abyssal creature. Maeve's helmet formed last, shaped like the gaping jaw of a shark, its curved bone-like ridges framing her face while serrated edges extended backwards in layered arcs like teeth frozen mid-bite
Kakuja's armour was reminiscent of their Echo, tangled strands of dark seaweed coiled and draped across their black wetsuit, clinging in uneven layers that crossed over their torso and hips in a crude, almost improvised pattern – like a handmade bikini fashioned from the remains of a sunken forest.
Next, their weapons formed.
Kakuja's took shape first; a long harpoon of yellow coral appeared from the sparks.
Next, Maeve's weapon appeared – an anchor made of dark, sea-worn metal. A chain trailed from its base, the end of which was wrapped around her right wrist. She rested the anchor on her shoulder.
Maeve summoned the Memory that would allow her to survive the depths. A charm appeared around her neck, a jellyfish etched from smooth, pale marble. The Memory contained two simple enchantments: The first allowed the wearer to breathe underwater as though it were air, the second granted perfect clarity of vision beneath the surface, making even the deepest, murkiest waters as transparent and well-lit as an open room.
Kakuja summoned, and soon what looked like a clam was in their hand. Putting the nail of their between its lips, they flicked it open, within the clam were seven small pearls. Taking one, they put it in their mouth, they held the clam to Maeve, who took one too, putting it in her mouth.
With her tongue, Maeve pushed the pearl so it was between her teeth and cheek.
"Ready?"
Dismissing the clam, Kakuja summoned one more Memory, a small nose ring that appeared between their fingers. It was simple and unadorned, a ring of wood with a small missing portion which allowed Kakuja to slide it between their nostrils.
Kakuja nodded.
"I'll see you down there."
Shifting the anchor off her shoulder, Maeve allowed the weight to pull her from the back of the Echo and into the waters. The chill hit her first – Antarctica's freezing waters biting through her like a living thing. For a moment, the cold was absolute, a crushing emptiness that stole breath and sensation alike.
Then Maeve got over it.
It took everything for her to not gag and wretch, despite the charm she summoned, allowing her to breathe water like a fish. Her body still attempted to refuse it.
Opening her mouth, Maeve swallowed a mouthful of water, the cold seeping through her body in an instant. She forced herself to inhale. Her body tried to reject it on instinct, every reflex screaming against what she was doing to herself. It took everything for her to not gag and wretch, despite the charm she summoned, allowing her to breathe water like a fish. Her body still attempted to refuse it.
It took everything she had not to gag or wrench in panic despite the charm's enchantment taking effect.
After a minute, Maeve managed to acclimatise to the feeling of water in her lungs. She lowered her gaze and saw it:
Far below her, one of the ships from the fleet rested precariously on a vast underwater shelf. Its massive hull loomed in the dim Antarctic depths, partially grounded against jagged stone. But part of it extended too far – its stern hanging out over nothing.
The edge of the shelf was fractured, broken clean in places as though something had torn the seafloor apart. Beneath that shattered lip, the ocean simply fell away into darkness. Yet in that darkness, something flickered somewhere far below the stranded vessel.
One single light seemed to dance eerily in the dark.