FIFTH TRIAL

[bathymetric]

[ It's not terribly long, once everything has been found, before Davy Jones heads out to round you all up once more and take you into the theatre. At least plenty of you are around the same area, so it probably doesn't take terribly long.

The ride down to the trial room is the same as ever - a blast of the organ, a slow descent. It's really starting to become clear, though, just how your numbers are decreasing. You're already down three, counting the absence of Chloe, potentially more when you come back up.

The crew of the Dutchman is singing as Jones lets you out into the trial room. ]

To business, passengers. I am about if you need guidance.

[ The circle of podiums is less populated than ever. So many of you are islands now, so to speak.

The song dies down, the waters quiet.

Welcome to your fifth trial.. ]

Comments

[dokkalfheimr]

Nothing would, at this point. Because this sort of thing is what mortals do to people like me.

[jibunwo]

That's what you think this is...?

[Zero trailed off, looking like Freyja had hauled off and punched him much like Plumeria had the week before.]

Freyja...are you out of your mind, no one here gives a damn what you are and none of us wants to think that you actually--I don't want to think you had anything to do with this!

[dokkalfheimr]

Then call your dogs off, because they clearly won't listen to me otherwise. They do seem to love the notion that I did it, despite having no argument for how or why.

[jibunwo]

Call my--?! If a single person here ever actually listened to me, then things would never have-...No one would have had to-...

[Frustration drained from his voice as Zero stammered and faltered with that same deer in headlights look, with a dawning horrified realization that he had never had any power to do anything of value from the minute he woke up on this ship. He could talk until his voice gave out, and nothing would change. People would keep killing one another, and Jack might have even had checkmate the minute the game began.]

[When he found his voice again, 'Zero' was gone from it. He was quiet and unsteady, almost as if he was actually just a seventeen-year-old child who was backed into a corner.]

...Plumeria was my friend, Freyja. I don't...I don't want us to descend into pointing fingers for no reason. And I can't let us all be outsmarted and die here, because she and I are the same. There's someone we have to live for, no matter what. I'd be doing Plumeria and that person alike a disservice if we fail now. But I can't stop this.

[dokkalfheimr]

Then vote for anyone else.

[sivard]

...what mortals do to people like you?

Freyja, what are your people? You're like me, but.. well, honestly from everything I've heard it sounds like the Dökkálfar are different from malakhim. It sounds more like an Empyrean than a regular run-of-the-mill malak to me.

[dokkalfheimr]

...Gods. We're gods, well above the mortal race.

[sivard]

...then you are like the Empyreans.

[cethflayn]

...No, Freyja. No, it is not. Not all mortals do such things.

[This is the point where Flayn starts to feel real bad about this.]