The Forgotten Land of Myria
Chapter 17 - Into the Water

SAFIRA

The moon glistened brightly over the silvery ocean.

I sat at the edge of the boat, brushing my hand across the cold water, blurring the reflective image of the starlit sky. My chin rested against the border of the ship and my nose took in the leathery smell of wood as the wind brushed my hair back. Though it seemed soothing, I was in fact restless. My other hand was white from three hours of clutching the golden bow I had received that morning. The reason I was looking over the side of the ship was to avoid having to look at the deck, where the two boys were now probably fast asleep.

My wet hand grazed the silver badge on my chest. Just two days ago I had been named Second Warden of Teva and, in all honesty, I felt unprepared. Unprepared to cope with the burden of having to guard and command the entire guild of Teva, at only seventeen years of age. Unprepared for all the cheers, applause and pats on the back that I received everywhere I went for being the youngest Warden in Myria. And most of all, unprepared to reunite with two Commonlanders, who just so happened to be only childhood friends, twelve years later. I bit my lip as hard as I could. How stupid was I? Always creating problems and situations to feel anxious and concerned.

Behind me, I heard the heavy sound of creaking wood. I looked to see Roy climbing the mast. I watched him for a while, leaning over the rail, his shoulders tense with what was probably a lingering feeling of remorse.

Now that’s a problem, I thought. As I examined his silhouette under the moonlight, I tried to imagine how he must’ve been feeling. A Commonlander who had just arrived in Myria, the wildest of places, only to find that his own sister--though I don’t remember him having one--had been taken by Theon. Whether she was actually his sister or not, he had lived with her all this time. He now had to train a whole week with weapons and people he didn’t know in places he had never been before to take on a quest with the sole purpose of saving her. Gradually, I began to feel empathetic towards him, and the next thing I knew I was choking up my ineptitude and climbing the mast to join him. Probably lost in his thoughts, he didn’t hear me at first. He only turned once I took a step forward, making the wood creak loudly.

“H--hey,” he said, turning his face away to avoid me seeing the red in his eyes.

“Hi,” I whispered as I leaned on the rail next to him. We stood in silence for quite a while before he spoke again. In Aust--the...Commonland...we don’t see a starlit sky so often.”

“That is why you are all so lost,” I responded dryly. He bowed his head and once again I felt my heart soften. I reached out my hand to pat him on the shoulder but brought it down to my side just as quickly.

“It’s okay,” I said, instead. “We’ll find her. We’ll find Alice.”

I could see a couple of tears fall like glitter down his cheek, under the moonlight.

“I just--I should have never let this happen...I--”

“Don’t blame yourself,” I snapped. “Blame Theon. He did this. And we’ll get her back. We have an extremely skilled group of people, including, Leof, the greatest warrior Myria has ever seen--even greater than the late Dimitrio Zord.” S~ᴇaʀᴄh the FɪndNøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Those words--that name--stung at my throat. Through the corner of my eye I could see Roy smile. He turned to me, his eyes glistening and his nose red.

“Thanks, Safira,” he said. At that moment, I froze. My hands shook as I stared back out into the ocean to avoid his gaze.

“Is something wr--”

Before he could finish his sentence, I was already making my way down the mast. I left without another word and repositioned myself on my cot. Back to staring at the silver water. On my way back, I caught sight of two eyes on the far side of the ship staring straight at me. Angus.

Just what I needed, I thought. I lay down, turning towards the wooden wall of the ship, hiding myself from everybody now. I pulled the wool shawl up to my chin and squeezed my eyes shut. The only thing I wanted to do now was fall asleep. To forget that moment. As crazy as it may have seemed, and thought I hadn’t a single memory of him, back at the mast--Roy’s look, his smile--it reminded me of my father.

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