Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Rain had a hard tie concealing his chuckle; those names were quite simplistic, but at least he held back his thoughts. In any case, Rain realized that Branden, Orcis, and Lorene reacted to the name of the first guy, and he wanted to ask why, but he decided to do that later.

"Rain, we will be counting on you to move fast," Branden said.

"It will be hard to move with so many people," Rain said. "Do we have any leads already?"

"No, but we will have it soon. Let's talk in our tent," Branden replied.

The group made their way toward the large tent set up in Orcis's house. As they walked together, Rain couldn't shake the feeling that something unusual was happening around their three sea folk guests. It was as if a subtle, almost imperceptible magic was at play.

Rain figured that the coral spear wielded by Seadir likely gave him enhanced control over water, allowing him and his companions to remain sufficiently hydrated while moving on land. This explanation seemed to align with the properties of the coral weapon, offering a rational explanation for their endurance during extended periods away from the sea.

Upon arriving at the tent, Rain and his group were greeted by a scene of intense concentration. Inside, Lorene and Orcis were deeply engrossed in a stack of books and logs, meticulously reviewing records detailing the arrivals and departures of ships at the port over the past several months.

It was clear that they were in search of crucial information within these documents, their expressions reflecting urgency.

"Thank you for accepting our offer," Orcis said. "My name is Orcis Viola, and I am the ruler of this town. I will do my best to help you find those involved in the disappearance of your people. Still, before that, I need to know when was the last time that one of your people disappeared? We need to know the exact date that the last person saw that person."

"It was seven weeks ago," Seadir replied.

"The ships stopped coming around five weeks ago, around the same time you destroyed three of them," Orcis said while separating some book logs. "That leaves us with a time window of two weeks and ninety ships… and around fifteen owners."

"We sure have a lot of ships, considering that we only have one port town," Rain said. "Aren't you the guy who has the most of them?"

"Yes, I do," Orcis replied. "Half of the possible ships belong to me. I suppose I will have to prove my innocence instead of just declaring that I didn't give orders for the sea folk to be captured."

"What if your captains did that out of their own volition to earn some extra money?' Rain asked.

"We will handle them as promised to Seadir. I will also do my best to recover the prisoners no matter where they are to clean my name from this situation," Orcis declared.

The situation looked quite complicated for Orcis. If he was linked to these long-standing abductions, clearing his name seemed like an almost impossible-to-complete task. Seadir's revelation that his people had suffered such kidnappings for decades raised suspicions about anyone tied to the port city after all.

Rain contemplated the possibility that Orcis's family might have been involved in the past. Still, the information he'd gathered suggested their demise in a tragic storm, leaving uncertainties about the events. If they were involved, how come Orcis got involved in such a shady business at a young age?

To aid Orcis and Lorene, Rain and Branden pitched in to sift through the archives. Together, they methodically examined the records and plotted on a map the locations and details of those who might have connections to the abductions, hoping to visit and investigate all the possible suspects.

Unfortunately, they will have to cross the whole country to visit ten places… two of them even were on the other side of the country. If Rain wanted to fly as fast as possible, he would have to leave Jori, Reca, Liss, Asche, and Terra behind alongside his sisters… he didn't want to leave them in a place that could become the first targets of the rage of the sea.

"We will depart light to decrease Rain's workload," Branden declared. "Seven people are fine, right, Rain?"

Rain felt really annoyed as Branden made the decision for him. Nevertheless, deep down, he understood that it might be wiser to keep his sisters and the others away from these three formidable warriors.

Despite their relatively human-like appearance, these individuals emitted an air of potential danger that couldn't be ignored. They might not be as large as dragons, but their presence held a certain ominous weight. It was a tough choice, but it appeared to be the safest one under the current circumstances.

The group split up for a short while, and then Rain went to explain to everyone what they had to do. Much to his surprise, his little sisters didn't seem that bothered; they had gotten used to flying, and it wasn't that novel anymore. Seeing the kraken-like monsters looked way more exciting.

"I give up. I can't understand you at all," Rain said.

"I want to eat something from the area. Is it bad if I ask for an octopus?" Gila asked.

"Just make sure the sea folk don't hear that," Rain said. "Anyway, can I trust you guys with them? Please, don't let them wander anywhere… I already have too much experience dealing with missing family members."

"Don't worry, we got this," Terra said.

"This mission is turning into something quite different," Jori said. "Are you fine with the way things are going, Rain?"

"Meaning?" Rain furrowed his eyebrows.

"We figured that you would feel bothered without fighting that much," Jori said and then laughed a little.

"I guess I really look like a bloodthirsty dog for you guys, huh?" Rain frowned. "I suppose it can't be helped given what I have shown recently."