The seas were only slightly choppy, but it was mostly smooth sailing across the deep blue seas. A man stood a the bow of the ship, his cyan hair going blonde at the roots swaying softly in the gentle breeze, never going further than a few inches past its placement halfway down his neck, his dark brown sandals still laced for battle underneath his bronze shin-guards. A dark blue cloak draped over one shoulder softly moving from the breeze as well. His sapphire eyes focused on the horizon straight ahead.

"Captain!" Someone called, their voice low and cold, causing the man- who was identified as the Captain- to turn to them. His eyes quickly flickered over them to identify them- dirty blonde hair, tanned skin, dark green eyes sharpened at him, but not out of aggression. Their linothorax and bronze breastplate were still on them, along with the bronze shin guards that the Captain also still wore. His second-in-command.

"Elias." The Captain responded, a Scottish accent gently soothing his words with his calm yet slightly cold tone. He turned to the other man who stood in front of him. The wind gently pulled his cloak away from his body, showing the white toga that lay underneath, cinched off around the waist by a black belt with a golden owl placed in the middle of it. His sapphire gaze now laid on Elias, who stared back intently.

"We've run out of supplies to eat. The war has depleted our food, there's nothing left to feed six hundred men. We need something that can justify the means to take what we can." Elias started, his brows furrowed at the Captain as he delved into thought, his gaze drifting out to the sea again.
"So captain, what's the plan for the resources?" The dirty blonde asked, walking closer and placing a hand on the Captain's shoulder. To which the Captain pushed over, Elias took a step back in understanding that he didn't want to be touched. His gaze followed the Captain's as he pointed to a bird high in the sky.

"Watch where the birds fly, they'll lead us to land. Which means we can go onto the island and hunt for food, go tell that to the men." The Captain said, lowering his hand down to hold the wooden frame. Elias nodded, moving over to the rest of the crew and commanding them to follow the nearest bird immediately.

"Captain!" A different voice called, the Captain turned immediately, brows raising as a small smile settled on his face. Their pale blonde hair was almost white in the sunlight, a light blue headband wrapped around their forehead to push back their fluffy and long hair, heterochromatic eyes settled on the Captain shining with glee as the sun rays caught their amber and ocean blue eyes at an angle to make them seem brighter, a pair of glasses sat on their nose the frame being golden and shining softly in the light. Their toga was left out to the world, a light blue cloth wrapped around their left shoulder and tied around their waist.

"Atlas!" The Captain greeted, watching as Atlas approached his side with a smile. Atlas pointed out to a distant island, birds in the distance flying towards it. A faint, orange-glowing light comes from the island. It stayed in place, or maybe to distance made it feel that way.

"Maybe they're people lighting a fire! Maybe they'll share some food with us!" Atlas said gleefully, the Captain's eyes sharpened on the unmoving glowing shape in the distance. It seemed like a fire, but it wasn't moving and there was no smoke rising from it. There didn't seem to be people on the island.

"Who cares? I saw we raid the place of its materials, take what we can, and leave." Elias said from behind, deciding he was a part of the conversation now. Atlas frowned at Elias, his mouth opening to fight back against the violence the dirty blonde wanted to intact.

"No." The Captain said flatly, hair fluttering in the wind as his eyes kept locked on the island as the crew rowed them closer. Atlas's eyes lit up happily, Elias just huffed angrily and muttered about the fact his idea was disregarded.
"Atlas gear up, you and I'll go ahead. We don't know what's ahead, so we'll find a way no one will end up dead. Give us until sunrise, and if we don't return then six hundred men can make this whole place burn." The Captain said sharply, walking away from the bow of the boat. Atlas happily followed behind and caught a spear the Captain threw for him. The two waited for the boat dock near the land before jumping out, sand warm on their feet as it poled around them. An odd, orange glow to the grains. The Captain led forward, leaving the shoreline and heading into the towering forest that seemed to have a faint glow. Atlas trotted after him, eyes wide in awe as they ventured deeper into the forest, the faint glow getting more present. Blue flowers illuminated the paths with a pale blue glow, trees had a dark blue colour shining through the cracks in the bark, leaves had an aqua-coloured glow to their venation patterns the grass a soft pale green. A glowing forest. It piqued Atlas's childish curiosity but kept the Captain on guard. If this forest was glowing, what other peculiar things were in this place? What threats could lurk in here? The Captain's hand on his sheathed sword was placed on the left side of his belt. His body is tense and prepared to fight anything that dares come his way.

"You can relax, my friend," Atlas said, walking over to the Captain and throwing their arm around the cyanette's shoulders as they planted the spearhead into the dirt. The Captain blinked, looking over at Atlas with a confused brow raised.
"I can tell you feeling nervous, so do yourself a service and try to relax, my friend!" The pale blonde said, patting the Captain's shoulder softly before the other man slipped away with his hand still clutching the sword tightly.

"I'm fine, Atlas." The Captain muttered, brushing the other off of him as he walked onwards. Glowing grass bending softly under his feet he left Atlas, who eagerly followed after him like a bounding puppy.

"Think of all that we have been through! We both know we'll survive whatever we all get into. I know that you're tired of the war and bloodshed!" Atlas said as they trailed behind the Captain who kept walking onwards with a flat face.
"C'mon, Captain! Is this how we're supposed to live? Look at how you grip your sword, for Hera's sake!" The pale blonde said, grabbing the cyanette's shoulders to make him stop walking for a minute. Atlas walked in front of the Captain, taking his rough and calloused hands in their own.
"Why should we take when we could give?" Atlas said, taking one of their hands away to gesture to the glowing forest, the Captain's brows furrowed slightly as he glanced around before staring back at the pale blonde.
"You can show a person that you trust them when you stop and lower your guard." They said a gleeful smile on their face even with the Captain's confusion.
"We have plenty of chances for some adjustment! And I know you can give it a try, we both know it's not that hard! You used to be kind in the past anyways." The pale blonde said, taking their hands from the cyanettes to ruffle his hair. He was not pleased with their playful actions as they jogged off to a clearing, the Captain trailing behind as they witnessed their gleeful spinning.
"I'm telling you, this life is amazing when you greet it with open arms! And I can see it in your face, there is so much guilt inside your heart. So why not replace it and light up the world? Here's how to start; greet the world with open arms!" Atlas said, slightly wobbly on their feet as they grinned at the Captain.

"Greet the world with open arms..." The Captain muttered to himself, testing the thought out and weighing the words on his tongue before softly nodding.

"Welcome!" A lot of high-pitched voices said from low, like a hive mind speaking at once, the Captain immediately drew his sword, pointing it where he heard the voices. Small creatures, no bigger than six inches tall, chubby, and coated entirely in dark grey fur with two large ears entirely coated in their black fur, two pure magenta eyes staring up at the pair.

"Stay back!" The Captain exclaimed, pointing the sharp end of his sword at any nearby ones out of the sea of them. Their ears dropped a little as they backed up.

"Stay back!" The creatures repeated, keeping their distance from the glinting sword. Atlas put their hand on the Captain's shoulders, offering a small smile to him.

"What did I tell you, my friend? Greet the world with open arms." Atlas said, placing their hand on the Captain's to push the sword away from the creatures. The cyanette took a breath, trying to steal himself into staying calm and lowering his word.

"We're only here for food, we have six hundred men to feed." The Captain started, sword ready to raise as the creatures started to approach. His brow furrowed, body tensing up as he took a step back.

"Food!" The creatures exclaimed, continuing to approach, causing the Captain to raise his sword and point it at them. He didn't know what they were capable of, he wasn't risking it. One of the creatures made a noise equivalent to a 'num num num'... guess it's hungry?

"Stay back, I'm warning you!" The Captain spat, sword going left to right, then middle. Backing away from the creatures more, even as Atlas stayed where they previously stood.

"Here you go!" The creatures said, pulling out a fruit from somewhere only the Gods had seen. A dragon-fruit-like shape, but with dark purple skin and blackened leaves.

"See?!" Atlas said gleefully, picking up the fruit offered by the creatures. Splitting it open to reveal the inside, glowing orange seeds and a softly glowing purple inside.
"I told you! This world is amazing when you greet it with open arms!" The pale blonde said, going to take a bite but being stopped by the Captain's sword placed on the fruit.

"My friend, I wish that I could say that I agree. But look at the way this fruit is glowing and filled with glowing seeds." The Captain started, pushing the fruit down away from Atlas's mouth which caused them to pout.
"It took me a while to notice just what kind of fruit they eat. But now I can tell for sure that it's a lotus, it controls your mind and never lets you free. That's what we'd get with open arms." The cyanette said, voice slightly cold as he lowered his sword to the floor. Atlas huffed softly in response, passing the fruit back to the, now identified, Lotus Eaters.

"Lotus eaters, I'd like to show my friend that kindness is brave. Could you tell me where there's other food to eat?" Atlas asked as they bent down, smiling at the small critters happily

"The cave! Scary cave!" The Lotus Eaters responded, ears perking back up as they attempted a smile on their furry face.

"A cave! You're saying there's a cave where we could feast? And where do we sail to find this food-filled cave?" Atlas asked, reaching out to pat the closest Lotus Eater with a finger. Smiling down at them happily.

"East!" The Lotus Eaters exclaimed, pointing to the general direction of it. One even muttering a 'that way!' while pointing to the direction, it made Atlas's smile widen.

"Thank you!" The pale blonde said, stand back up and walking to the cyanette's side, smiling softly at the man who slowly sheathed his sword.

"Welcome!" The Lotus Eaters said, waving goodbye. Atlas waved back as he took the Captain's arm and happily bounded back to where the ship was. Dragging the other man behind him with no care in the world.