CHAPTER 53: HIGH SEA

’Deep breath. Probably just a few parting words. No need to plant unnecessary bad feelings in someone.’

"Is there something that I can help you with, Miss Cora?"

"If I may be so audacious, might I presume you’re going towards the river, and you’ll be needing to cross it?"

She asked him with a sly expression, laughter slowly bubbling up on her expression.

"That would be correct. Is something wrong?"

"From that I can infer, forgive me if I’m mistaken, that you have also been sent directly to this accursed place without knowing the situation around this."

Noctis heard her, and turned around fully, facing her direct line of sight.

The expressions on her face were of pure and utter delight and Noctis could only hope whatever it was would not end up winding him down for another long week or so, or worse.

With a dead expression, he voiced,

"Whatever do you mean ’also’, miss Cora."

"Wahaha~ I’ll take that as your affirmation then village boy. It seems that even fate wants us to confide in each other."

"Can you please stop with the riddles already?"

He dropped any pretense of honorifics, his exhaustion suddenly creeping up to him in a matter of seconds.

He had been walking for the last two without much rest, he hadn’t felt a thing till now, but just looking at the devious smile, his muscles started unwinding.

"Fret not dear, for you’re in safe hands. It just so happens that we have a way to get it solved, but were lacking capable help. With your assistance, I’m sure we’ll get you to your destination. Right Regina!?"

"That.. is true actually..."

Regina’s voice trailed as she went deep into thought, slowly nodding as if seriously contemplating her suggestion.

"Just tell me what it is first, will you? What do you mean also, what had happened?"

***

Unbeknownst to the swirling waves of the high seas knocking and tuning around him, Noctis had been stuck in the Île Majolie’s mysterious forest, famed for the rich presence of rare herbs and treasures but equally rich presence of danger of otherworldly nature.

People from around the kingdom of Quameisa and beyond, travelled to this place whenever they get the chance to gather these herbs.

Squaring up against the various beasts and illussions, some to prove their mettle, some desperate for cures, the unforgiving forest threw around its barbed branches without bias.

The noble girl along with her knight retinue and soldiers, had just been digging around the region, not even intending to go anywhere near the river, much less the river island inhabiting the forest, when they had discovered themselves transported to this forest.

Luckily they had managed to escape with their life, much to the surprise of Noctis, although they had lost the soldiers in the process.

However they encountered another trouble as they left.

The river that held the island in its broad belly, that usually ran brown and sweet, had swelled up after unseasonal floods and water from upstreams.

Had that just been the case, it still wouldn’t require much worry from the sheltered noble girl.

Sure the tides prevented any more ships coming from beyond, for the experienced ferryman, native to the island, it was everyday job.

With much experience around the waters, they had enough ways to go through this bind.

No it wasn’t just that. It was something else.

Something much sinister.

What held them was the invasion of high seas, deep into the waters of the benign river.

Being close to the border where the rivers tussled with the high seas, occasional few currents were commonplace still, but the massive amount of heavy and bright seas had rendered even the most daring of sailors to fold their sails.

It was less of a river now, replaced with the unforgiving ocean deep inland. The shining deep blue with its characteristic march crept closer and closer to the safekept havens of man.

"Why can’t we go through the sea again?"

Noctis felt a bit perplexed at the heavy emphasis on the sinisterness of the oceans as if they were tentacles of an unfathomable being rather than just the same waters, just more saline.

"You... you can’t be serious, right? Who would want to enter that place?"

Cora looked at him as if he had said the most stupid thing one could possibly utter.

Noctis however just arched his brows while tilting his head in utter ignorance.

"Hmm.. it seems you’ve never even heard of their tales, much less been to one. You’re indeed a village boy, dear knock. Much to learn.

Not important however, just know they don’t dare."

"So how are we to cross? Swim?"

"Heavens! Please don’t say such a thing."

Cora reacted as if he had asked her heart for this process. Made worse by the fact that even Regina showed a horrified expression at this, making him question his own thoughts.

"Don’t treat it as if you’d a river or a pool of water deep inland please.You’ll be labelled a heretic by someone less understanding.

Not us, of course.

So where was I...? Yes! So even after going to all the sailors, all we got was denial to venture, leaving us feeling as if the only way to escape was waiting out the season until the ocean retreated."

"We have to wait for the whole season now!?"

"No silly. Did I not tell you we have found a way. We would have to wait, unless we hadn’t found a sailor willing to go."

"So we are going to that sailor?"

"No..."

"Listen first." She interrupted before Noctis could question.

"The thing is, he has agreed to help us for the right price, but there’s a problem. He lost his oars in the last voyage."

"So....?"

"He needs a new one."

"And....?"

"We are going to organise that."

"Is that the price?"

"Nauhhh silly. He asked for silvers of course. Daylight stealing prices but... you know beggars can’t be choosers."

"Uh so why are we the one who needs to get new oars for him?"

"Because he won’t, actually can’t set sail without it. And! He can’t get it himself."

"Why?"

"Because the tree of the wood needed to make it is in the middle of the ocean tide."