A Seabound Start

“Immigration is common in the Realm of the Living. However, between Senea and other countries, immigration is a rarity.”

—Robin Benz

After ten more minutes of packing, we’re all done. I shove the Sea Mask into my backpack and haul it onto my shoulders.

“There’s just one problem,” I state. Roo, who was just about finished throwing a shirt in his backpack, turns his head to look at me and rises from his kneeling position.

“What?”

“I need something to keep the water out of my ears.”

If I lose my hearing aids to sea water, I’ll be pissed. After all, I spent a long time running after kids just to get them, and ended up being transported to another world. I’m gonna protect these bad luck machines till the very end.

“Okay,” Roo says. “I’ll see what I can find.”

He spends a good two minutes ruffling around in the clutter of his desks before pulling out two bronze half-spheres. I grimace at the sight of them. They appear rusted and uncomfortable, all jagged edges and ancient dents. When Roo hands them to me, I gawk. The insides of them are completely hollow.

“These look so uncomfortable,” I remark, wrinkling my nose. Roo only takes a small step closer to me, expression softening. He raises his hands to cup the bottom of mine, which still retain the gloves. My breath slows as his magic seeps into my skin. Mirei shuffles closer and stares closely, fascinated. It’s as if the familiar green light courses through the blood in my hands, for I can see a faint outline of my veins.

I watch, just as mesmerized as Mirei, as the space inside the two half-spheres fills with thin plant stems. They spiral from the bronze like a sunflower from soil would. In the blink of an eye, the entire empty space is completely full of plant stems. I assume these would act like the cushioning on regular headphones.

With an extra drop of magic, three plant stems sprout from the outside part of the two spheres and braid together, connecting the two spheres. They now appear like real headphones, just with stems and bronze.

“Wow,” I breathe. Roo’s hands slip from mine.

“These are Sea Muffs. Or just regular muffs. They muffle sounds and also block out water, but because you’ll need to hear us, I chose the sea setting. I usually use these on the muffle setting, so let’s hope the sea setting still works.”

I place the muffs onto my ears, and instantaneously, the braided plant stems tighten to adjust to my head shape. They become stiffer and stiffer until, if I were to take them off, they would stay in the shape of my head.

“Cool!” Mirei remarks. She strains up to touch a finger to one of the bronze muffs. While I let her explore the muffs on my head, Roo walks away to lug his gray backpack onto his shoulders. All of the magic items and vials hanging from the buckles clink together.

“What are all of those things for?” I ask Roo as Mirei yanks on the muffs. I playfully shove her.

“Healing salves, magic restoration solutions, oracle balls… and some more stuff,” He summarizes brilliantly. I chuckle at the wrinkle between his brows. He looks like he’s trying really hard to remember all of the items hanging from his backpack.

“On the way to Senea, would you like to tell me how they work?”

Roo’s hold on the backpack straps tighten. His lips part, shock written all over his face. The expression is brief, however, when he lights up and moves his hands broadly as he speaks. While he rambles on about the science behind them, Mirei and I get our things together. The cot will be bought at a traveling supplies shop nearby, so we exit the mansion and pass by the teleportation array in Benz Square. I can’t help but smile to myself as I listen to Roo explain the chemistry behind a healing salve versus a magic potion. He is very passionate and animated with a pep to his step.

None of us wanted this outcome, but we’re stuck together whether we like it or not. At least as fate would have it. Slowly, as we make our way to the shop, feelings of trust bloom in my chest like wildflowers.

Roo is no deity. He is a simple boy like me, with simple likes and dislikes.

He may be the future head of the country, but for now, he is simply sweet Roo Benz.