It was early afternoon on our sixth day of sailing. The sun blinked in and out of existence, hiding behind large fluffy clouds racing across the sky with the quick, sharp winds. I was up in the crow\u2019s nest of the Onyx Glory with Jeremey, the sea elf sailor, scribbling down the many ways he described of how he defeated different sea monsters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The smaller ones seemed pretty easy to handle, but then Jeremey started talking about fighting dragon-sized snapping turtles and krakens. I shivered. Apparently, Jeremey had been the sole survivor of his ship, the\u00a0Eyebright Corso<\/em>, that was attacked by a kraken a few years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey always say that krakens don\u2019t strike the same person twice, so this ship is the safest ship to be on,\u201d\u00a0he said, nodding to himself as he thrust his short sword into the air with fast precision.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI heard something similar said about lightning strikes,\u201d\u00a0I said, looking out to the horizon far beyond the boat and ducking a little lower out of his sword\u2019s reach. He\u2019d nearly given me a haircut earlier when the ship swayed unexpectedly.\u00a0\u201cI believed that saying until I saw Grouse, a goblin small-folk I know back in Hill Hollow, walking home from work one day in the middle of a thunderstorm. He was hit by lightning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeremey\u2019s bright green brow creased with confusion, just like everyone elses did when I told this favorite story of mine.\u00a0\u201cBut he was only hit once,\u201d\u00a0Jeremey corrected me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I grinned, meeting his green-blue gaze.\u00a0\u201cTwo years later, I saw Grouse walking home from work in the middle of a storm again.\u00a0He knew that\u00a0lightning never strikes the same place twice<\/bdi><\/bdo><\/em>, so he was being extra careful, only stepping where he\u2019d once seen lightning hit before.\u00a0Right when his foot landed on that spot where he\u2019d been hit by lightning the first time \u2014\u00a0Bam!<\/bdi><\/bdo><\/em>\u201d\u00a0I clapped my hands together for added dramatics and\u00a0Jeremey jumped at the unexpected sound effect.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe was hit by lightning in the same exact spot?\u201d\u00a0He asked, eyes wide and jaw dropped with shock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I nodded.\u00a0\u201cSurvived both times, too! But as it turns out, he wore metal armor underneath his clothes every day. No wonder. We amended the saying a bit after learning that, so now it\u2019s something more like\u00a0l<\/bdi><\/bdo><\/em>ightning only hits idiots twice<\/bdi><\/bdo><\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeremey laughed loudly, throwing his head back and clapping a hand to his leather-armored stomach after a couple of seconds, still unable to stop his laughter. One of Jeremey\u2019s favorite things in the world was jokes. I\u2019d learned that from the other crew who liked to make fun of him for not being\u00a0\u201cas smart\u201d\u00a0as the rest of them. But Jeremey was the only one who\u2019d survived the unthinkable and now he laughed like someone who hadn\u2019t seen the horror of a kraken sinking their ship.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe Jeremey was the smartest of us all.\u00a0What if laughter was a kind of medicine?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeremey chuckled under his breath and sunk onto the planks of the crow\u2019s nest next to me, his sword thunking on the soft wood. Tears streamed down his face, and he cracked a wide smile.\u00a0\u201cYou should give a humor class to the crew before we all part ways. I could use some funnier jokes onboard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I smiled, thanked him for his compliment, and stared back into the horizon. What kind of joke-telling could I teach to a bunch of sailors? I mused for a second about a bunch of humans and elves learning small-folk humor, but then I noticed a dark spot in the distance, spreading slowly over the slight curve of the sea. Was that land?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJeremey\u2026 is that Roahdhan I see ahead?\u201d\u00a0I asked, pointing to where the horizon was changing. He pulled out a spyglass, looked through it where I was pointing, and gasped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He jumped onto his feet and leaned over the side of the crow\u2019s nest.\u00a0\u201cLand ho!\u201d\u00a0His shout rang out clear over the lulling deck below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the decks below, people started shouting orders and scrambling to begin preparing for making landfall.\u00a0\u201cCan I use that to see?\u201d\u00a0I asked, pointing at Jeremey\u2019s spyglass. He unhooked it from his belt and handed it to me. I aimed, adjusted, and caught my first real glimpse of the country of North Roahdhan.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n We were approaching a large city on the coast, and behind it, a gray, stony mountain rose up out of a thick forest at a slow incline. As more of Tonirn\u2019s coast came into view, I scanned further from the city we were sailing toward. Another, larger, port city was about fifty miles down the beach reaching for about a hundred miles toward icy waters and snow. No wonder it had gotten colder each day as we sailed. Back in the mountains we were sailing toward, strange, blocky things were carved into the side of the mountain to the south \u2014 almost like someone had built a city into the mountainside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhere are we going again?\u201d\u00a0I asked. Jeremey was writing something down on a scratch pad beside me, looking between a compass and the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFifteen notches\u2026.no, sixteen notches,\u201d\u00a0he muttered, tapping the glass of his compass. I cleared my throat.\u00a0\u201cOh, you asked where we were heading? That\u2019s the port city of Shallow Tides Bay, right there. And up in those mountains is Shalesteppes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finn would be thrilled. We\u2019d always talked about Shallow Tides Bay when we were younger. When the tide washed out super far, it was said you could see thousands of starfish of every color in the water. We were so close to achieving a childhood dream that we shared. And one step closer to my dream of finding the Dragon\u2019s Head Warrior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd when we travel past those, we\u2019ll see Yaunger, right?\u201d\u00a0I asked, keening my neck, hoping for a glimpse of further into the continent than those mountains ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeremey looked up at me from his note taking, like he was realizing just how inexperienced I was with travel right then.\u00a0\u201cYou\u2019ll have a week or so of walking beyond the Raulian Mountains \u2014 those mountains right there \u2014 before you get a glimpse of Yaunger. Luckily you\u2019re heading to Skai City, which is on the closest border of the kingdom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than a week of\u00a0walking<\/em>. And that was if we weren\u2019t slowed down at all. This trip was turning out to be longer than I expected \u2014 Ma and Da would have gotten my note by now. They would be worried out of their minds, and probably a little angry, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n I should send something back to them to let them know I\u2019m okay. We had a few more hours on the boat, and then we\u2019d be in Roahdhan. I had time to write something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThanks for the entertainment, Jeremey,\u201d\u00a0I said, climbing down on the ladder to the main deck. I\u2019d write a quick note to be delivered to my parents and ask if Captain Serpentis would send it for me the next time he was in Dellegan. Maybe I\u2019d get lucky and be back home before it even arrived\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank\u00a0you<\/bdi><\/bdo><\/em>\u00a0for the company. It gets lonely up here in the crow\u2019s nest,\u201d Jeremey said, holding out the paper he\u2019d been scribbling on to me. \u201cWould you mind taking this to the captain? He\u2019ll need it to dock the ship.\u201d\u00a0I nodded as I took it from his hand, then pocketed it before climbing the rest of the way down from the crows nest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finn was waiting for me at the bottom of the ladder, bouncing on his toes. A day ago, someone on the crew had plaited his fluffy brown locks into two tight braids against his scalp after he complained that the wind was tangling it too much. I liked the style on him well enough, but his curls usually bounced along with him when he was this excited, and I missed that a little.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCan we please stay in town until half-moon so we can see the starfish?\u201d\u00a0he begged, his brown eyes practically bored into my soul with how hard he was pleading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was going to ask him the same thing, but a flutter of mischief danced around my stomach.\u00a0\u201cOh, I dunno, Finny, we\u2019ve got a lot of walking between here and Skai City. Isn\u2019t\u00a0Aramedia the mage expecting us to come as soon as possible?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finnan\u2019s mouth gaped wide open, looking like a fish out of water.\u00a0\u201cI\u2013 But \u2013 Um,\u201d\u00a0he floundered over his words.\u00a0\u201cAramedia doesn\u2019t, uh, have any sort of predictive magic, though,\u201d\u00a0he said, looking uncertain.\u00a0\u201cThey couldn\u2019t know that we stopped for just a couple of days. Unless\u2026 Aramedia is a more powerful sorcerer than folks say they are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was only teasing,\u201d\u00a0I chuckled, poking the now relieved-looking Finn in his side.\u00a0\u201cI wouldn\u2019t give up the chance to see the millions starfish of Shallow Tides with my best friend for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finnan released a big sigh as if he\u2019d been holding his breath. He probably had been.\u00a0\u201cOkay, good. Do you want to go below deck and pack our bags now so we can see the city come into view?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRace you,\u201d\u00a0I said, taking off, darting around a couple of busy sailors, and making my way toward the stairs to the berthing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few hours later, we were close enough to North Roahdhan to start making out the details of Shallow Tides Bay. Seagulls swooped around us and squawked overhead, following the ship to shore. I could now tell that the coastline was crescent-shaped here since some land reached beyond our boat and into the sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Close to the water\u2019s edge, the docks brimmed with lively activity \u2014 at least two dozen wooden piers were lined with ships, from wee fishing boats to large merchant vessels. The town behind it rose with a hill toward a grand, white-bricked manor. That must be city hall or something. The rest of the city was a mix of clay, wood, stone, and brick buildings of every shape, size, and color. It was like the town was saying,\u00a0\u201cHey, look at me! Come to me! I\u2019m fun \u2014 can\u2019t you tell by how colorful I am?\u201d<\/bdi><\/bdo><\/em>\u00a0And it did seem more fun compared to the other port further down the coast \u2014 which was mostly a mix of dull browns and earthy colors from this distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A tall, stone lighthouse stood guard over the bay on the edge of town. Its light was out due to it still being daytime, but it looked ready to guide ships traveling by night. Finn and I stood at the bow, taking in the sights as they grew closer and closer. My pulse raced under my skin, seeing people in the town grow from ant sized to where I could start to make out differences about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How would my life change in when I stepped foot in Tonirn? Would I find my mysterious warrior? Would they let me train with them? It was all I\u2019d wanted to do for so long now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We passed the first dock, full of small fishing boats, and headed for a long, empty pier at the edge of the docks. The air was filled with the creaking of wooden ships around us, the dockworkers\u2019 calls, and the town\u2019s distant murmur of people.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cranes and pulleys lifted cargo from boats bigger than ours, and sailors and traders haggled loudly over unloading fees. The scent of saltwater mingled with that of fresh fish, tar, and the faint, inviting aroma of cooking food wafting from market stalls that must be hidden just behind the city\u2019s outer walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo,\u201d\u00a0Toni said quietly. How\u2019d he sneak up behind Finn and me without either of us noticing?\u00a0\u201cI guess this is where we part ways, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I turned around to look at my friend. His under eyes were red, irritated\u2026 almost like he\u2019d been crying. Who\u2019d made him cry? Did they need a talking to? And by talking to, I meant a talk with my fists. Toni was too nice to be made to cry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you upset about something?\u201d\u00a0Finn asked, a little more blunt than I would have asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat? Me? Upset about something? Never!\u201d\u00a0Toni replied, wiping a very obvious tear from his face.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t want to leave without knowing if Toni was alright.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re your friends. You can tell us anything,\u201d\u00a0I said, reaching out and gently squeezing Toni\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Toni burst into tears, and my heart broke into pieces.\u00a0\u201cWho\u2019s behind do I need to kick?\u201d\u00a0I asked.\u00a0\u201cCause I\u2019ll do it. I can swim the rest of the way to shore now if the Captain kicks me off for fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m not ready to say goodbye to you two,\u201d\u00a0Toni said, dropping onto a knee and pulling Finn and me into a bear hug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn\u2019t ready to leave Toni, either, if I was honest with myself. Beyond being a potion-making genius, over the last six days, he\u2019d become like the big brother I\u2019d always wanted. He was more courteous and kind than I ever thought I could be, but he too dreamed of grand adventures. Adventure was part of what drew him to Captain Serpentis\u2019s crew in the first place. Had he found enough of it on a merchant ship?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Toni let go of us, wiping the free-flowing tears from his face.\u00a0\u201cBut I guess I gotta let you kids live your lives and go find your destiny,\u201d\u00a0he said, trying his best to hide his frown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOr you could come with us?\u201d\u00a0Finn said, glancing sideways at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I nodded.\u00a0\u201cToni, come with us. We need you and it wouldn\u2019t be the same if you weren\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Toni was stunned into silence for a moment. Then, he said,\u00a0\u201cI mean, I\u2019d have to ask the Captain \u2014 though I don\u2019t think he can say no\u2026 Are you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMore than sure. If you don\u2019t come with us now, I\u2019ll be extremely insulted,\u201d\u00a0I said, smiling. Our duo would now be a trio, and that felt right to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Continue the adventure into chapter seven here.<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n