Chapter 25: Set Sail for Borikan

Six days passed faster than I thought. between all the training I’ve been doing and some research at the city library, it seems like the time just flew by. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any details on Jazari. I also searched for any books about void walkers but got the same result. The clerks there all gave me funny looks when I asked about it. I guess I should’ve expected that though. Dawn relics are super rare and mine seems to be even more mysterious than the average one. Minerva’s not been of much help either. No matter how I pose the question I still get the same ‘access denied’ response.

My party and I stand at the harbor, overlooking a dark grey sea as we wait for Camilla. It’s an overcast, foggy morning and the docks are packed with vessels. It’s a busy day at the harbor, although I’m sure it’s always like this. It’s loud, dangerous and reeks of fish. We have to stand up against a wall to avoid getting run over by sailors and dock workers.

“What a beautiful morning! A perfect day for sailing!” Camilla beams as she approaches.

Her tireless optimism is refreshing at times but now is not one of them. My stomach is in knots just thinking about the journey. I laid awake last night not getting a lick of sleep, probably because Kizzik thought it was a good idea to tease me at supper. They told me stories about deep ocean beasts that rip ships apart with their giant teeth, and fish people that drag you into the water so they can sacrifice you to their fish god. I did my best to play it cool like the stories didn't bother me but I’m scared witless, magic mech suit or not.

We make our way to the end of the dock where our ship is, seagulls crying overhead. The vessel is a rather large teak wood Barque, its three masts towering over us proudly. Its white sails flutter vibrantly in the breeze. A team of sailors hurry about their tasks on board, loading gear, tying things off, prepping the sails. I’m almost bowled over by a pair of men carrying large drums of drinking water.

“Admiring my girl I see!” A voice calls from behind us.

We turn to see a young blonde haired man approaching. He’s wearing a frilly white shirt and has a rapier at his side. The man looks like he came straight out of Treasure Island. After a second look, I realize I know him! It’s the swordsman from the training grounds that everyone was watching!

By his side is Lord Guille who is in turn being tailed by about a dozen servants carrying all different sized luggage. I guess packing light doesn't apply to nobles. The blonde man comes up to us and starts shaking our hands.

“The name’s Read. This is my ship, the Bonny. A beautiful vessel meant to carry beautiful passengers to their dreams.” He takes a moment to kiss Rina’s hand gently. She’s as stoic as ever, giving the suave man nothing to work with.

He forces an awkward smile and hurries past us. We all board the ship together, and a member of the crew (I think he said his name was patches) takes us down below deck. The Bonny is a very spacious ship. There's the mess hall and kitchen, storage rooms, gun deck, the crew quarters, the captain’s quarters and we each have our own rooms as well.

“I’ll need some time to organize my things, but we can have lunch together. Just need a couple- ¡Carajo!”

Lord Guille exclaims when a box falls on his head as he tries to squeeze between two large pieces of luggage. ”Just give me a couple hours please.”

I set my bags on the ground, trying to catch my breath and my balance. I have no equilibrium to speak of on the swaying ship that is already making my stomach flip. Deep breaths. In and out. You got this. I stagger my way back up the stairs to the deck as the ship begins to pull out of the harbor. I watch in dismay as the last tether is undone. No turning back now. Captain Read stands at the helm, cool as the breeze. This is a man born to live on the high seas, my exact opposite. Maybe I can learn a thing or two from him though. I at least need to get this sea sickness under control. I grasp the railing tightly and slowly walk over to him. He flashes me an annoyingly easy smile.

“Not got your sea legs about you? Give it a day and you’ll be dancing across the deck.” He says.

I try to smile but it comes across more like a grimace. “How long will this trip take?” I ask.

“Weather permitting, we should see Borikan in about… Ten days.”

The pit in my stomach opens wider. Ten days of open ocean?! Maybe I can have Camilla just knock me out for the whole thing.

“You look a little green. Here chew on this.” Read fishes something out of his pocket and hands it to me. It's a short fat root. Ginger?

It definitely tastes like it, and it does help settle my stomach. “Thank god, I was worried I’d be blowing chunks the whole time.”

Read just laughs and tells me there's more in the kitchen if I need it. We settle in to a nice pace and sail for a good hour or so before Guille comes to join us in the mess hall for lunch.

“Phew! Now that that’s handled, I wanted to talk with you all a bit about Borikan.”

Over a meal of dried fruit and cheese, Guille tells us about his home. Borikan is an archipelago south east of the mainland of Dusud. It consists of one main island surrounded by various smaller ones, housing a tropical forest. While the weather is usually warm and temperate, they do experience severe storms and flooding towards the end of summer. Guille also tells us about the culture and people of Borikan. Vibrant and proud, the Borikano are a diverse group that share a mixed culture both native and foreign to the island. Because it’s a center for trade, many different groups have found their way there and left their mark in the book that is Borikan.

“Now as to the business we are there to handle. I want you all to know that the Council is not the most trusting group of people and will likely take some convincing to accept your help.” Guille says.

“Wait, I thought you said they sent you here specifically to ask for our aid?” Rina says, arching her eyebrow.

“That is… part of the truth. The larger truth is only one member of the council approved my diplomatic mission. Prince Agüeybaná went against the others because he knows how serious the issue is.”

Rina and Kizzik shoot each other looks from across the table. I can tell they’re pissed. It’s not like we have much of a choice though. From what Guille and the King explained, we can’t let the Demon army get a foothold in Borikan. We’ll just have to figure out a way to gain their trust.

We finish out the day with a round of training. Camilla has me climb up and down the center mast until my arms feel like jelly. It’s a good distraction though. It almost helps me forget what could be lurking in the water beneath us.