The two of them walked in silence for a time. Zara was clearly focused on what was to come, while Red, well, he was still trying to wrap his head around the entire damn situation.
Gearborn were coming here? That seemed to have come out of nowhere, but he guessed that they'd known for quite some time.
Zara paused and turned to him, "You need to listen when I say something."
Red grimaced, "You've haven't been telling us anything. It has been weeks since we received any updates. What did you think I was going to do?"
She raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?"
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You just remind me of someone."
"Well, that someone would probably agree with me, then wouldn't they?"
"Perhaps. Perhaps that is why I am not angry because I would have done the same thing as well, not so long ago."
"Then why haven't you been telling me anything? Or anyone else for that matter?"
"You heard everything just now, Red. That should be plenty enough for you to understand why I neglected to tell any of you the situation. You might be able to get over the incoming enemy, but the others?"
"Ask yourself, if Vizim found out about the gearborn coming here, what would he do? I very much doubt that he or the rest of the sailors, for that matter, will so easily move on. The gearborn are mythical figures for a lot of people. You and Derrin may have experienced them firsthand, but everyone else will be facing the end of their world."
Red scowled, "Like they haven't already."
"Don't play bashful with me. You know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Whatever."
"Now, if I tell you to do something, you need to do it. Especially if you don't know what is going on. If that man had attacked, you would have been in the crossfire."
"That's only if he saw me," Red countered.
Zara snorted, "Red, when exactly do you think I noticed that you were hiding there?"
He shrugged, "I don't know. You want me to guess?"
"I noticed you were there within the first minute. If I hadn't already been in conversation, I would have said something. I'm sure you thought that since I was distracted, you'd be able to remain unnoticed."
She turned to him.
"I want to make one thing clear. No matter what you may expect from someone stronger than you. Never underestimate them. That man likely noticed your presence as well, and he doesn't even have powers related to that."
"How?"
"When you get to higher, more powerful levels, you begin to pick up on things that others tend to overlook. I noticed your heart's resonance because you weren't trying to conceal it. The Pirate King would have noticed the same given time. Our power level is simply so much greater than yours that it doesn't matter what you may do."
"Always assume that someone of a higher rank is stronger, faster, and more perceptive than you expect. Otherwise, you may find yourself dead before even knowing what hit you."
"If that's the case, then how does Derrin fight people stronger than him?" Red asked, "I've seen him do it multiple times."
"Do you want the short answer or the long answer?"
"I'll take whatever I can get."
"Very well. Firstly, Derrin is not actively fighting people an entire tier above him. Could he if it came down to it? Potentially, but it would be nearly impossible. The fact of the matter is, each time a person completes a Seas' challenge, they get a massive power boost. That boost only continues to grow exponentially."
"A person with more layers on the heart than your own could very likely take on at least two or more of you at the same time. That is something you need to remember. If you ever are in a situation where you need to fight someone stronger than you, then you need to catch them off guard. Ideally, that situation never comes, but if you can prepare for them, then you just might have a chance."
Red briefly considered what it would be like to fight this Pirate King. The man seemed to have gotten everyone riled up. Based on everything that Zara had just told him, there would be nothing he could do to even harm the man. Would a bomb even be enough to kill him?
"Then there is the other matter?"
"What's that?"
"His powers. I'm sure you've already heard this before, but the biggest problem with fighting people is not knowing what their powers do. For example, you can't attempt to drown a man who can control water. That is how all fights are. If you set a trap for someone, you must know that their powers will be unable to counteract it."
"Seems like I would be better off fighting the gearborn instead. They are coming here, aren't they?"
Zara nodded, "Obviously, there is no guarantee. However, based on everything I can gather. That is the most likely scenario. That being said, no, you don't want to fight a strong gearborn. While they are predictable, that isn't always a good thing."
"I experienced plenty of that already," He sighed, "I thought I would be done with those blasted things after I got off their ship. But I guess not."
She chuckled, "Nope. That is simply how life goes. No matter how much you prepare for something, it always has a habit of throwing a wrench in your plans."
The two of them lapsed into silence and started walking again. Red honestly had no idea what he would do if the gearborn showed up. He'd been preparing in case he needed to fight other humans. However, the gearborn were a totally different story. Many of his gadgets might not work on them at all.
Currently, his best bet was finishing his shield. He had been getting closer and closer as the days went by. In another day or two, the device would be ready for initial testing. That didn't guarantee anything, of course. With engineering, one could never be certain that things would go according to plan.
Just like life.
However, just like life, he could be prepared. That was all he could do. Only time would tell how everything would play out. It would be best to prepare as thoroughly as possible.