Flat Earth

It was night, and the glow of the silver moon cast its reflection upon the endless sea.

There were some other lights at Lalivero's docks as well, Isaac noticed. Oil lamps spread out at regular intervals so that as one made their way down the pier, they were never stumbling through the dark. From what he'd heard, the oil came from whales – giant creatures that roamed the seas of Weyard, bigger than anything that could be found on land. Even the dragon that Saturos and Menardi had turned into, given the description the sailors had given him. Also from what they'd told him, whaling was a tricky business, where the whales died horribly, and sometimes men as well, but Isaac had kept quiet. He'd spent months travelling across Weyard, largely relying on hunting to survive. If the people of Lalivero hunted whales, then so be it. Hence, he'd kept his silence. Something that he'd done for years now.

And tomorrow, he and his companions would be doing something that they'd never done before. Sailing a vessel across the Eastern Sea, looking for Felix, Kraden, and Jenna. A friend who'd thrown in his lot with murderers. A teacher, who had consciously omitted any mention of Tolbi or Babi during his time in Vale. And another friend who…He took a breath. He was thinking of Jenna. Thinking about Jenna over the last few months hadn't down his state of mind any favours. But she was out there, and while he could take some comfort in knowing that Felix was there for her, he had to reconcile that Felix was tampering with forces beyond anyone's comprehension. Two lighthouses had been lit already, and a chunk of land was missing from this part of Gondowan to remind the world of the danger that represented. And he-

"Isaac?"

He didn't turn as he heard the voice behind him, but did take a breath. Less than an hour ago, he'd found himself welcoming the solitude, as the dock workers and sailors cleared off for the night. Now, however, he felt no desire for the solitude to return.

"What are you doing out here?"

He looked at her as she walked up to him, the moon's light dancing off her hair and eyes. He gave her a smile. "Just thinking."

"Thinking." Mia gave him a smile as well and looked back at Lalivero. "I suspect we're all doing that right now." She looked back at him. "Why out here though?"

He remained silent, turning his gaze away from Mia and towards the ship that Babi had gifted them.

"Thinking of the high seas then."

Mia must have seen where he'd looked, and he opened up. "I've never sailed," he said. "None of us have."

"But the ship on the Karagol, we-"

"Helped fight off monsters. We didn't sail it. The only one among us who's got any experience is Ivan, and that was from a trade run he did with Master Hammett years ago. We…" He trailed off. Mia was looking at him, once again smiling.

"What?" Isaac asked.

She gave him a playful shove. "You," she said.

"Me?"

"I've never heard you talk so much. Over all the time I've known you, it's as if you could only say 'yes' and 'no.'" She paused, before saying, "it suits you."

Isaac wasn't sure what to say. It wasn't just because of what Mia had said, it was what she hadn't. The way she just stood there. Looking at him. The way a warm breeze picked up from the sea, washing over them both. But in the knowledge that he couldn't just stand in silence, he instead sat down on the edge of the pier, looking out to sea.

He couldn't stand in silence. Sitting in silence was perfectly fine, however. Or it might have been if Mia didn't take a seat beside him, prompting a simultaneous yearning for isolation yet also company.

"I've never been so close to the sea before," Isaac murmured. "It's astonishing that even after leaving Vale, this was as close as I've come."

"And I," Mia said.

He looked at her. "You mean, at Imil…you never…"

She gave a small laugh. "Rush out to see the sea and all that?"

He shrugged.

"Angara's northern shore is covered in cliffs," Mia said. "They're hard to get down, and even harder to get back up."

"But from the top?"

She sighed, rubbing her hands together. "I've been there a few times," she murmured. "Before Mercury Lighthouse, I travelled even further north a few times during the summer months. The Tip of the World, that's what Alex…. I mean, my people called it."

Isaac remained silent. After months of travelling with Mia, he understood that when the subject of Alex came up, it was better to let it be like water under a bridge. Keep walking, don't look down, and let the water flow until it dried up.

"But even then I never saw the sea," Mia said. "Not really. Even in summer the North Sea's covered in ice sheets, and in the winter months…"

Isaac watched Mia shiver, despite the coastal breeze. Winters in Vale were frigid enough. Summer in Imil had been like one of them.

"And to think it's already autumn," Mia continued.

Isaac forced a smile. "Guess that's one thing we have to thank Saturos and Menardi for."

Mia blinked. "Thank them?"

"For stealing the Elemental Stars during summer. If they'd done it in winter, or even autumn…"

"Then chances are you'd have frozen to death before you reached Imil." Mia gave him a smile and a playful shove. "Don't worry. I'd have found you."

Isaac laughed and looked back out to the sea. It felt good, he reflected. Sitting here. Talking. He hadn't done anything like this for three years. Not after…the smile faded. Not after that night. Not when "sitting and talking" felt like something only children did, as he and Jenna were forced to grow up. For them, sitting and talking became a means to an end, of discussing alchemy and psyenergy. And sitting here, just talking…

You're still out there Felix. He cast his gaze out to the horizon. Somewhere.

"Isaac?"

"If the world's flat, why can't we see beyond the horizon?"

The question came tumbling out, like the waves before him might upon sand. And given the look on Mia's face, it had clearly been a subject she wasn't anticipating.

"When you were there at the Tip of the World," Isaac continued. "Could you see the end of it? The actual edge of Weyard?"

"Um…" Mia took a breath. "No."

Isaac grunted.

"There's people who once thought the world was round," Mia continued. "How the north was colder than lands to the south, not to mention seasons. How we couldn't see beyond the horizon. How, if the sea was on a flat plane, why the water didn't just run off the edge into nothingness. But then over time, it was shown that the sun casts more light in some areas than others, and waxes and wanes in a cycle, explaining the seasons. How we couldn't see beyond the horizon due to haze within the air. And water? Well, no-one's been able to explain that."

Isaac stared at her.

"What?" Mia asked.

"Nothing," he said. "Just…didn't know any of that."

"When one's alone in Imil, one has a lot of time to read. Especially after Alex…" She trailed off.

"You must miss him," Isaac said.

Given the way Mia looked at him, the way fire danced in her eyes for a moment, he regretted the words immediately. But when she spoke, it was in a low, controlled voice. "That's one word for it," she murmured. "But Alex…" She took a breath. "Alex has disgraced my clan, my village, my people. That's all there is to it."

Isaac didn't say anything, as his mind lingered on Felix. All of that could be applied to his former friend as well. Which begged the question, what happened when he found him? Would steel meet steel, or worse, steel meet flesh? Or would Felix come quietly? And if so, what then? What future was there for him in Vale, if any? His mind was so caught up in it that he didn't notice Mia taking his hand in hers until she gave it a tight squeeze.

He looked at her, and saw that she was smiling again. Saw the wind pick up her hair, and how she brushed it aside.

"I'm thankful, you know," Mia said. "For everything."

"For everything?"

"For being there at the lighthouse. For being…well, for coming this far."

"Mia, you don't need to thank me for any of that. Or Garet, or Ivan, but-"

"Isaac, you've led us this far, even if you don't think you have. And…" Mia took a breath. "And I know that Felix has friends of yours, and this won't stop until he and Alex are brought to justice, but…"

"What if it's if?" Isaac asked.

Mia's face fell. More so as Isaac got to his feet, breaking hands with her.

"I've talked to the sailors," he said. "No-one's found land east of Lalivero. I mean, there's old maps, sketches of the coasts of lands called Indra and Osenia, but…" He trailed off. "We barely know how to sail, and we're sailing into the unknown. The world's flat, and I can't see the horizon. And I've already failed to stop two lighthouses from being kindled, and I don't know where the rest are, and if I fail, if I fail the Wise One, if I fail my people, if I fail Jenna…"

"Isaac." Mia got to her feet and put a hand on his shoulder. "You haven't failed. You won't."

He looked at her. "How do you know that?"

"Because of Vault. Kolima. Xian. Colosso. Hammett. And yes, even Venus Lighthouse. We fought. You fought. And we won. Saturos and Menardi are dead. And while I mourn for them, that's still a victory in of itself."

"You mourn for them?"

Mia's eyes darkened slightly. "I'm a healer of the Mercury Clan," she said. "I mourn for any life that I take." She gave a sad smile. "Does that make me a hypocrite?"

"No. Never." Isaac smiled and put a hand on her shoulder as well. "Never call yourself that."

Her cheeks blushed. "Isaac…"

"But we've still failed," Isaac said, turning away. "And that's why we set sail on the morn. Flat earth or not, maps or not, hope or not, we set sail. We find Felix, we stop him, and we bring Kraden and Jenna home." He yawned. "Which is why I think I hear my bed calling to me."

Mia nodded, before looking away out to sea. There was a sadness in her eyes, Isaac noticed. No doubt she was thinking about Alex. So instead of asking if she was coming, he let out a simple "good night, Mia."

She looked back at him. "Good night."

He turned to leave.

"Oh, and Isaac?"

He glanced round at her.

"If you ever want to talk…I'm here. I mean…" She gestured at the water, her fingers dancing, ice forming at their tips. "It's just water, at the end of the day. And water can take you to…unexpected places." She took a step towards him. "Places that you never thought possible."

"I know. It's probably taking Kraden and Jenna to those places right now."

The ice stopped. Mia's eyes lowered. She glanced aside, muttering, "of course."

Did I say something? It was possible, he reflected. Usually he didn't say much at all, now his foot was in his mouth. Perhaps he'd said something to upset her, or not said anything at all. He took a step forward…

…then turned and left.

The sea was calling. His friends were calling.

And tomorrow, under the light of a golden sun, they'd set sail.

A/N

So I've had this thought for awhile. In fantasy fiction, flat worlds aren't that uncommon. However, I can't think of many that actually factor in the mechanics of how a flat world would operate. Like, how do seasons function? How does sailing function? How does temperature variation at various latitudes? Now, granted, this only really touched on such things, but still, drabbled this up.

Also because it's been ages since I've written anything for Golden Sun, and even though it's nearly been a decade since Dark Dawn was released, I haven't forgotten about the series. Even if Nintendo has. :(

Also, flat earthers are somehow a thing in the 21st century, and because of Dark Dawn, I can only toy with mudshipping, so, um, yeah.