Fourth Vector Ch. 08

He decided to start simply enough. "Don't feel like sleeping?"

Kat's eyes rose to meet his. "I'm just not that tired yet. With the kind of day that it's been, I don't know if sleep would come easily at all."

Jack nodded. "I can understand that. You've been through a lot today."

"I'd almost rather sit and watch the fire than try to pretend to sleep," admitted Kat. "At least now I have conversation to take my mind off things. Otherwise, I'd have nothing else but to focus on it."

"I take it I'm the one to provide the conversation?" Jack teased.

Kat looked at him with a small smile and nodded her head quietly.

"Well, at least I can be useful during my watch," said Jack lightly.

"Besides, this is the time of day I like the most," she admitted. "When the world is starting to quiet down and the distractions go away."

"There's still quite the distraction right here," muttered Jack while looking over her features once more. Thankfully, she didn't seem to hear him.

"I just like it because it's peaceful," she said finally. "I'm not used to peace where I'm from."

Jack nodded. "Neither am I. Quite the opposite actually. My country is at war right now, and we're just about always in constant danger. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever see peace again in my lifetime."

"You sound like me now," said Kat with a smile. "I've seen enough conflict to last a lifetime. Unfortunately, I don't think it will get any better."

"Maybe it will here on Sorella at least," offered Jack.

"Maybe," she said while looking away. A few moments of silence passed before her eyes returned to his. "So how did you find yourself on Sorella, Jack? You mentioned earlier that you're not one of them."

He shook his head. "I'm Javan actually. It's a land that's far away from here. Have you ever heard of it?"

Kat gave him a confused look before shaking her head.

"It's one of the three eastern nations. The other two are Ruthenia and the Occitanian Confederacy. For the longest time, our nations thought we were the only peoples in existence," said Jack.

Kat began to laugh. "When did you find out there was more to the world than just your portion of it?"

"We've always known about this area," said Jack. "We called it the Fourth Vector because it wasn't explored by us. All those that tried in the past never made it home. There was a certain mystique about it. That is, until we were sent on a mission to find out what was inside."

"A mission? Sent by whom?" asked Kat.

"Our emperor," said Jack. "The Javan emperor Charles IX. You see this war that I was just telling you about has been heating up for a long time. Between us and the Occitanians. There's been some small actions here and there, but it has only recently spilled over into open conflict."

"So why aren't you back there? Why aren't you fighting these Oshtanians?"

Jack chuckled. "It's Occitanians. And we are, or at least we have. We sunk one of their ships right before we got here but our mission is different. We're not out here to directly engage them. We're out here to find alliances to help us."

"An alliance?" Kat perked up. "What do you need an alliance for?"

Jack shrugged for a moment as he wondered how to explain things to her. Finally an idea came to him, and he reached for the small stick that he had used previously to poke at the fire. In the dirt below him, he drew three circles in a vertical row with one in the middle.

"It's like this. The three eastern countries are arrayed out like this. Occitania is on the top, or the northern end, Java is in the middle, and Ruthenia is in the south." He pointed out each country as he named them. "As you can imagine, all three countries are large empires in their own right, and there's thousands of pages of history between all three countries, mostly containing wars."

"And you're at war now with this one?" said Kat as she pointed to the northern mass.

"That's right, but here's the problem," said Jack as he drew arrows between Occitania and Java. "While we're distracted fighting the Occitanians, it leaves our rear open to conflict with the Ruthenians. Now, nothing has been declared, and there's been no fighting, but with the poor relations between all the countries, there's been some worry that war with any one of the other countries will lead to a two-front war as the other one seeks to take advantage. If that happens, we'll be drastically outnumbered."

Kat began to nod. "So you came here looking for allies that will help you fight that war. The biggest question is what do you have to offer them besides certain war?"

"Well, plenty. Trading, for example. Both goods and technology. We can ally with them and help in their own wars, like we did with Sorella," said Jack. "But also, if anything should happen to Java, it won't be good for the rest of the Fourth Vector to have two hungry empires that will be looking to expand once we're out of the way. It benefits the people of the Fourth Vector to ally with us to balance the scales."

Kat nodded again. "I can understand that, I suppose. Have you been successful outside of Sorella?"

"We have with the Lishkerrans," said Jack. "But those are the only two places we've been."

"Not many can count on a friendship with the Lishkerrans. I hope you know what a unique gift that is," said Kat.

Jack began to smile. "So I've heard. We've had our share of luck along the way. And our share of misfortune as well. But eventually we'll have to leave Sorella and seek another alliance."

"That sounds like some mission," said Kat. "I imagine it's a little daunting being in a part of the world that you know little of."

He nodded and turned to face her. "That's part of why we're always on the search for maps. We knew next to nothing about this part of the world when we arrived here. Just that it existed except no one had made it back with anything firm on the details. We've collected some maps as the mission has gone on, but I still have yet to see a full map of the Vector."

Kat locked eyes on him and smiled. "Today is your lucky day then." She turned to grab her pack, rummaging through the contents on the search for something. Jack held his breath as she searched, wondering if she finally had what he was seeking—a full map of the entire Vector. Finally, she pulled out the map, a small, brownish-colored paper folded into four corners. After unveiling it, Kat turned to him and began to point around the map.

"This is where we are in Sorella," said Kat, pointing to a small island in the southeast quadrant of the map. "All of these islands on this map is what you would consider the Fourth Vector."

She offered the map to Jack, and he eagerly took it out of her hands to study it. Even from the small map that Heron had sketched for him aboard theDestiny, this was much more detailed. There had to be over a hundred different main islands in the entire Vector, all ranging in size from small continents to tiny landmasses like Lishkerra.

What was even better was that the map was labeled with the names of the various countries contained within. Suddenly, all the places that Jack had heard in passing only came alive as his fingers slid over names on the paper. Andalucia, Picardy, Swabia, and even Galicia all there for him to explore and sail to.

"This is incredible," whispered Jack as he scanned the map. "This is exactly what I've been looking for."

"I'm half-tempted to let you keep it," said Kat with a somber look. "That was Jacob's copy. Sadly, he won't be needing it anymore."

Jack turned away from the map to look at her. Kat stared into the fire, the look of sadness in her eyes back at the mere whisper of her companion's name. "I'm sorry, Kat," said Jack quietly. "About Jacob. If we could have only been there a little sooner, perhaps we could have prevented his death."

Kat wiped a tear from her cheek and then shook her head. "I think Jacob was about near the end of his rope by that time anyway. Death was a merciful thing for him. He was my companion for all these years but he wasn't meant for this. Traveling around as much as we did. Always skipping from island to island without a proper bed to sleep in. He was too old for this life. I feel foolish for dragging him along with me."

"What was he to you?" asked Jack. "Was he a family member?"

"He was a servant to my house originally," said Kat. "He was more like an uncle growing up and a friend when I became an adult."

"You've known him all your life?

She nodded.

He rested his hand on her arm. "I'm sorry, Kat."

She wiped away another tear. "I knew it was close to the end for him. I just wish I had a chance to say goodbye properly. Not like how it happened. Never like that."

"I'm sure if he was with you for that long, he knew how much he meant to you," offered Jack. "I'm sure he doesn't fault you for what happened or the manner of his death." Jack had to stop himself from saying more as Heron's words popped back into his mind. He still hadn't established yet that this wasn't a ploy on her part, and he reminded himself to tread carefully until he got further clarification.

"It still hurts when you've known someone for that long. Since I was a baby he watched over me," said Kat quietly. "He didn't deserve that type of end."

"Kat, can I ask you—where do you come from?" asked Jack. "What country are you and Jacob from?"

Kat sniffled before wiping her nose. "For the last few years, it's felt like we've had no country. All we did was travel. But Jacob and I are Galician." She pulled a string of her hair to show Jack. "If you couldn't tell already."

Jack looked at her lustrous hair and smiled. "I had my suspicions. Vera is Galician as well. I've lost count of how many times I've heard the link between that country and hair color."

"I suspected so about her," said Kat. "Galicia is one of the only countries where you can find it. However, I don't feel like Galicia is much of a home to me anymore."

"Why is that? What caused you to leave it?" asked Jack.

"It's a long story," said Kat in a whisper. "I don't know if I'd want to tell you the whole thing."

"You can start with half and tell me the rest of it later," said Jack with a smile. It was enough to bring a small giggle to her lips, but she shook her head once more. "Let's just say I'm not wanted by my family anymore."

Jack grimaced. "Did they kick you out? How could they not want you anymore?"

Kat nodded. "I can't go back. They wouldn't take me back even if I went. I'm afraid if I stepped foot back in Galicia, they'd probably put me to death."

Jack recoiled back from her and looked at her all over. Aware that he still knew little about Kat, she appeared to be quite harmless. The beautiful blonde was quite tiny in her stature, no more than a few inches over five feet. Jack estimated that she was barely over a hundred pounds by her slim figure. Yet part of him wondered just what she'd done to be cast out by her own family. She seemed friendly enough so why did they hate her so?

"I'm having a lot of trouble figuring that one out," said Jack. "What could you have possibly done to warrant death? Are you some kind of criminal?" His heart started beating rapidly, wondering what she might say.

"The only crime I've committed is perhaps being born to the wrong family," said Kat with a huff. "Otherwise, I've done nothing to warrant the amount of suffering I've had to deal with."

"That sounds tough. I can't imagine having my own family turn on me."

Kat took a deep breath. "It doesn't bother me as much anymore. Perhaps I'm just numb to it? It hurt a lot more in the beginning when Jacob and I couldn't find shelter or anyone to take us in. Sometimes it felt like we were the only two in a world set against us. I wonder why he stuck with me so long and for all these years. I know now it's because he was a good man. The best of men."

"How long did you say you've been gone?" asked Jack. "Perhaps there's still hope of reconciliation?"

Kat shook her head vehemently. "I've been gone for three years but they would never take me back. I just have to accept that that door is no longer open to me. It hasn't been all that bad even though I know we've touched on some of the darker aspects of it."

"I hope it gets better from here," said Jack quietly. "I wouldn't wish that one anyone."

"I'm on my own mission you can say," said Kat with a small smile. "I have a calling of my own. Something that sustains me and keeps me going."

"I take it you're referencing this prophecy you told me about?" asked Jack.

Kat nodded solemnly. "That's been my purpose for the previous three years. It was just an interest in my younger years, something that fascinated me as a child. Hearing about this prophecy for the first time and learning the coded bits that made up each line. It was totally engrossing for me."

"I'm guessing as you got older, it became more than just an interest?"

"Now, you can say my life depends on it," she admitted quietly. "It's of paramount importance that I find this person. I need his help greatly."

"His?" asked Jack.

Kat smiled shyly. "I fear I've said too much about it already. Yes, I need his help. I cannot say more about it currently, but this is of the utmost importance to me. I need to find him before it's too late."

"Are you on a deadline then?"

"In a way," she answered cryptically.

"Do you know where you'll find him?"

Kat didn't answer but instead looked deep into the fire before them. As the flames danced in her eyes, Jack watched her with steady fascination. What kind of mission could she be on and who could she be looking for?

"You'll have to forgive me," started Jack after several moments. "I'm afraid this whole prophecy thing is quite new to me. We don't talk of such things among my people."

Kat turned to face him with a shocked look on her face. "You don't have prophecies? Premonitions? Divinations?"

Jack shook his head to all three.

Kat slumped back into her spot on the log. "Java must not be the most imaginative of places."

Jack started to laugh. "It's imaginative all right if you find warfare and technology imaginative. But that type of unseen imagination largely escapes us as a people."

Kat turned to look back at the fire. "Do you believe in fate though, Jack? That each of us has a destiny and a preordained path in front of them? That there are forces at work that guide our steps without any influence from our minds or will?"

Jack shook his head. "Not quite. I've always been raised to believe that we make our own destinies. That we're responsible for our own success or our failures. It's the Javan way. We don't rely on others for our fortunes."

Kat began to shake her head. "Neither do we in Galicia but some people have a preordained future. A future that was predicted long ago and transcribed for those to see throughout history. Great people always have a path, and this person that I'm seeking is the greatest of all of them."

"Who is he, Kat?" asked Jack. "Tell me more about this person?"

She opened her mouth to say something but shut it promptly. "Like I've said before, I've said too much already. This is not something that's ready to come out yet. It cannot be broadcasted."

"Will you tell me some day? With enough time?" pressed Jack.

"Perhaps someday." Kat turned to him and grinned. "If the fates don't make it known to you before then."

Jack pursed his lips as he mulled over her last words. She was such an enigma to him. Even getting to know her was generating more questions than it solved. There was a depth behind her words and a painful past that colored each of her steps. He just wanted to know more about her. As his eyes flickered down to her body, even questions of a sensual nature began to take hold.

As if sensing his thoughts, Kat turned to look at him again. Being caught so unawares as he looked over her body led to a heavy red color filling his cheeks. Kat seemed to notice.

"I want to ask you something, but I don't know the best way to ask it," she said quietly before looking back to the flames. Jack was glad she turned her attention elsewhere, giving his cheeks time to return to their normal hue.

"It's best that you just come out with it and ask me," said Jack. "How bad can it be?"

Kat took a deep breath and then met his eyes again. "Are you attached to anyone?"

Jack frowned. "Attached? As in, am I seeing someone?"

"Yes, do you have a love? A woman to call your own?"

Jack thought about the question for a few moments. There was no good way to answer that question. While the official answer was no, the unofficial answer was complicated as well. His mind drifted briefly to Abigail. While he was more than fond of the woman, and he was certain she was to him as well, they weren't even a couple even by nontraditional standards. For that reason, he would give the truth.

"I don't have a woman to call my own, as you call it," said Jack. "I thought it would go in that direction with one particular woman recently but that really hasn't come to pass. So you can say I'm rather unattached."

Kat nodded while he spoke before a shy smile appeared on her lips. "Interesting," she said finally.

"Why is that interesting?"

"It just is. I wouldn't expect a man such as you, in your position, to be unattached."

"Perhaps I'm just a little on the smelly side?"

Kat started to giggle and slapped her hand against her knee. "I think I'm beginning to like you, Jack."

"What about you? Is there anyone waiting for you back home or elsewhere?" he asked.

The smile dropped from Kat's face. She was silent for a few moments before she opened up. "It seems that the last few years spent without a home hasn't done any favors for my personal life. If I had stayed at home, possibly. Now that option is barred to me. I can say it truly doesn't disappoint me though."

"Why is that?" asked Jack.

She turned to face him. "Because that's not the life that was meant for me."

"Ah, I see. Your calling, I take it?"

She gave him a surprised look. "Are you making fun of my calling?"

He shook his head quickly. "Not at all. Just forgive me if it seems hard for me to wrap my head around it."

"That's understandable. And I won't hold it against you," she said with a smile. "Perhaps this journey will be good for the both of us. You can teach me what it's like to be Javan with all your normal sensibilities."

Jack chuckled. "As long as you teach me all about Galicia and your supernatural beliefs."

Kat giggled. "That sounds like a fair deal to me." She offered out her hand. Jack instantly reached out to grab it, shaking on their deal. He quickly noted how soft her hands were in that regard, smooth and warm yet there was also something else to them. A strong grip that showed she was used to using her hands to work. It was an interesting combination, and he found himself not eagerly letting her hand go.

"Are you going to let go?" she whispered after a few moments, nodding to her hand with some amusement.

"Sorry," said Jack with an embarrassed laugh. She gave him a wide smile as they reluctantly parted, both turning away from each other in a moment of awkwardness. For a few moments, the only sounds that could be heard was the crackling of the fire and the sounds of nearby mosquitoes. After a few moments of looking in the fire, Jack heard Kat take a deep, exaggerated breath. He turned to look at her to find her already staring back at him.

"You know, I'm not sure if I ever really thanked you for what you did today," started Kat. "If it hadn't been for your fortunate arrival, I don't know if I'd be still alive right now."

Jack smiled. "Just doing what I thought was right. You can't mistake a scream like that. Once I heard you, I just reacted and came dashing in that direction. It almost felt like I didn't have a choice. My body just responded to you."