As morning light began to fill my surroundings, I woke up with a face full of candle wax and heavy circles under my beaten eyes. Luckily, I was the first to wake—I always was—so I had some time to clean myself. My cloak had a burnt cotton smell from a small black patch that blended in with the rest of the dark fibers, and my hair was as greasy as a stick of melted butter on a tabletop.

I headed upstairs, greeted by Mooks patiently waiting outside my room. “Hiya Cairo!” He welcomed me, yawning, ears perked.

I paused, listening to the unpleasant sound of his tongue pacing back and forth under the tavern heat. “Morning.” My voice was dry. A cup of cold water with a lemon slice would do nicely to fix that.

“There’s a girl in your room!” He said, jolly-like, which in turn helped me become more awake. “Would you like me to drag her out?”

“No. That won’t be necessary. Let her be.”

“Aye.” Mooks jumped back on all fours and rushed past me, bolting down the stairs with a wagging tail.

Now I was left with an unwashed body, a face that looked like it had been beaten three times over, and a room I didn’t have the right to open. If there was one thing my mother always said, it was ‘never wake a woman from her sleep.’ I think she only told me that because of the ruckus I always caused in the morning. Either way, I wasn’t going to test her theory just yet, so I headed outside the tavern to a nearby creek in the woods. There, I could properly wash and clean the mess atop my body.

Mooks, as per usual, was already there, as that was his usual place to bathe anyway. The sun reflected off the water with streaks of sparkling light, making Mooks look like a random iceberg peeking up from the water. A deadly iceberg, one that had a pair of deathly red eyes and a row of vicious white teeth.

The creek was small and narrow, running down a hillside that led to one of the town’s bridges. Vast patches of sunshine green and darish brown covered most of our view, and the leaves above us whistled along with the everchanging wind. I saw a moose in the distance, making me realize it was an animal not to be meddled with. However, Mooks howled at it, and it ran away without a second thought. A strong scent of lavender hovered atop the morning dew; a sign of safety from the wildlife, at least for now. From my previous travels, the dangers I had encountered in the forests of Harvoria have made me as cautious as can be.

As I began untying my cloak, something in the distance stopped my movement in an unexpected manner. I ducked down, using the nearby bushes as cover to gain a better visual, and to hide myself without making noise. Golden flocks flowed in the wind, attached to orange tights, and aimlessly running deeper into the wild.

Leonidas? It had to be him, I thought to myself. I never got a good look at him before, but my memory usually served me right.

Mooks and I were pretty far in the woods, and it couldn’t have been far past sunrise. Well, to be fair, we weren’t that deep inside, but who wanders through the forest in fancy clothes at sunrise. I could tell he was holding something in his left hand, a bag perhaps? My vision failed me the further away he got, and as I rubbed my eyes, he was already gone.

Mooks noticed it too, bringing his attention towards me as he saw Leonidas disappear beyond the trees. “I wouldn’t trust him if I were you.”

I gave Mooks a dry look, “I barely even trust you.” I said as I continued unbuttoning the tight combat robes around my body. “You think I’ll trust some freak I just met?”

Mooks growled at me, “Whatever, just keep your eye on him. I don’t like him.”

I dipped my foot in the water, feeling that nice cold sensation of nature’s tears running up and down my ankle. “This might be the first time I’ve heard you say you don’t like someone,” I squatted down, washing my cloak.

“It means you should stop acting so careless all the time.” Mooks hushed at me, his fur soaking in the water like a damp cloth.

I made a bowl with both my hands joined together, letting the fresh water from the stream fill it immensely. I then splashed it across my weathered face, returning the state of it back to normal. “Whether you like him or not..” I opened my eyes, brushing my wet hands through my black and white hair. “I only have one more spot for a scar on my arms. And Leonidas won’t be the one to take it. That, I can promise.”

“Be careful Cairo. Whether you trust him or not, keep your guard up. He smells… Not good.”

“You have dirt on your nose.”

Mooks sneezed, dunked himself in the water, then walked off, pouting.

…

After Mooks and I took a proper bath, we headed back to the tavern to prepare for the road ahead. Apparently, everyone had already eaten and packed any belongings they needed for the road. Kalvin welcomed me in, all while preparing the closing sign for their temporary absence from the bar.

I had completely forgotten this was a place for business. No, this was a Guild. A bar. A tavern. A hideout. It was all those things, and yet, it felt like a home.

I glanced over at the sign, seeing it read the following:

“Dear fellow customers,

I, along with the rest of my crew, are very sorry to inform you about our leave of absence. We will be gone from the premise and any or so inquiries will have to wait till we return. In the meantime, please wait patiently for our arrival back. Thank you.”

Mooks jumped atop the sign, smelling the freshly placed ink like a jar of honey. “How long do you suspect this journey will take?” He asked, wagging his tail.

Kalvin stroked the rough hairs on his chin for a moment, talking with his hands more than his mouth. “If we successfully cross the Black Sea, and find the Jewel before anyone else does… Prolly about a week or four. Besides, the longer we’re gone the more the wine ages!” He chuckled, his voice smooth and strong.

Oscar pounded his fist in the air as if he was holding a torch in a deep cave, “Hooray fo’ mo’ wine!”

I took this time to observe my surroundings carefully. I noticed Leonidas hiding his eyes below his gracefully long blonde hair. Almost as if he was purposely trying to hide them. He also seemed distant, while the rest were talking or tying up loose bags and other accessories.

Now that I think about it. I don’t think I ever saw his eyes. I was sure they were blue, but the longer I looked, the more my memory failed me. And my memory never failed me...

“Cairo.”

How could I not remember the color of his eyes? I knew Kalvin’s were hazel with a few streaks and ripples of silver.

“Cairo.”

Paris’s were amber-brown, similar to Mooks’s but slightly less scary. Rina’s were… Wait, where was Rina? She was the only one I couldn’t see.

“Cairo!” Kalvin yelled for the final time, snapping me out of my thought process. “The hell is wrong with you! You ain’t gotta be nice but at least show some respect…” Kalvin snared, crossing his arms.

“Sorry,” I said, realizing how stupid I looked.

“Anyway,” Kalvin started. “We leave in a couple hours. Pack any things you and Mooks might have and ready up.”

“Where might Rina be?”

Kalvin gave me a puzzled look, “In the kitchen… Why are you so suddenly interested? Hmm?” His voice sounded as if he was a father protecting his daughter, but the creeping smirk on his face dismissed that thought in an instant.

“Hungry... That’s all.” I lied. Lying never felt good. Lies always told the most sincere truths, and the type of person you were. Nevertheless, I was hungry. So it wasn’t a complete lie.

I made my way towards the kitchen in the back, greeted by countless fires, pots and pans, and shelves stocked up with all sorts of food. I was taken back by all the food scattered about, considering how deserted this place gets at times.

As I entered deeper, I noticed Rina sliding a few eggs and vegetables off a steel pan onto a perfectly clean plate. The eggs still had that sizzle and pop from the oil that remained on the plate, making them just that much more delicious. Now, I was even more hungry.

“Here,” She said, her voice as stale as the look on her face.

I grabbed the plate gently, “Thank you, Rina.” The second my words burst through my lips, she dipped her head down, avoiding any further interaction with me.

Normally, I wouldn’t question something as silly as this. However, I wasn’t used to her face being so dull. Dull like my own.

Did I do something wrong? I thought again. Did she find something in my room she wasn’t supposed to? No, she couldn’t have. The only burdens I carried were inside me, and of course, that tiny piece of paper my mother left me all those years ago.

I ignored it for now, heading back to the bar table and enjoying my meal in peace. I needed to regain my thoughts, and my plans.

After my meal, we would be headed for Bonemount, which was well known for its large harbors and fishermen. I’ve spent some time there in the past, but the townsfolk were ignorant and didn’t follow any sort of rules. I would find myself paying double for a room and meals. Sidewalks and roads were dirty and covered in filth. Rooftops were shattered and broken. And my curiosity would only diminish the longer I stayed there.

As I finished the last bite of my meal, I grabbed any remaining items in my room upstairs and joined the rest waiting outside. This was going to be a long walk. A silent, uneventful kind of walk. A walk where the rustling trees would guide us, and the late summer breeze would forge our path.

…

On our journey out of Worcester, Mooks and I kept to ourselves in the back. Rina would occasionally glance in my direction, and Leonidas kept eyeing me down from the confinement of his blonde hair. He kept grinning too; it was unsettling. I knew I was a stranger to them, but these kinds of acts were odd. So, I kept my guard steady.

By the time we arrived at port Bonemount, the sun was beginning to set in the horizon, and the clouds became torched by a purplish haze. Any and all ships that were planning to leave needed to act quickly before the port closed for the night.

Dozens of old, broken, and weathered ships filled the countless docks from left to right. Some had missing sails, some didn’t even have a wheel to turn, and some looked as if they were just brought out straight from Davy Jones’ locker.

Smelly, dried seaweed was scattered throughout the dock like pinecones in a forest. Drunk sailors passed us more often than not, giving us an evil eye that said, ‘Folk like ye ain’t welcom hee’.’

Kalvin however, didn’t care in the slightest. It's as if the sailors were figures in his painted canvas. He flung his hands in the air as if he was about to perform the most brilliant dance ever created, but all he did was stuff his face into that salty sea smell before him. “Ahh! The waters at last!”

Carrying our luggage in a small wooden cart, Leonidas led us to his ship on the other side of the docks. Rina kept her distance away from me, and Mooks jumped atop my shoulders due to his fear of the deep blue sea. It was possibly his only fear, aside from the grumbles his stomach made when he was hungry.

Leonidas stopped the wagon, bowing towards us as he stepped aside to reveal his ship. Thankfully, his attention was more focused on everyone’s expression rather than just my own.

Now when I say this ship was big, I mean it was big. Bigger than the tavern I’d been sleeping in for the past six months. Bigger than the royal gates at the king’s castle. Bigger than any ship I had ever seen, and I’ve traveled across the waters more times than I can count.

Brilliant white sails sprung open like clouds reaching for the heavens. Golden-white wood and perfectly polished aluminum bordered the main deck of the luminous ship before us. Small squares of opened windows and locked-away barrels concealed themselves throughout what seemed like the first and second floors of the interior. The bow of the ship had an amazing wooden sculpture of a mermaid crafted to perfection, looking as if she was giving grace to whomever she was looking at. The stern carried the name of the ship, giving its followers what they desired, ‘La Pionera.’ A gorgeous name for a gorgeous ship.

There was a single raft attached to the lower part of the ship, hanging by what seemed like a pretty loose rope. It seemed odd for a ship this size to have only one raft, usually, there would be two or even three. Why even attach a raft so close to the water? It seemed suspicious, so I kept that thought hidden inside my head.

The lower compartments of the ship had plenty of empty rooms that we could use, so I managed to grab a room with Mooks beside me. I got the bed, and he got the floor. The way we always shared rooms together.

Shortly after, Leonidas let go of the dock and we set sail for our next destination—The town of Torchmire.