Chapter 237 – Reunion

Chapter 237 – Reunion

 

Rays of dawn bounced off the vaulted ceiling. Kai grasped at the fleeting serenity. He had paid extra coin for a single cabin after the last accident. The rocking of the waves had delivered him four wonderful hours of restful sleep. He had only woken once when Hobbes had slid under the covers of his cot.

You lovable pest.

His fingers scrubbed the snoozing furball curled against his leg. The evil mastermind leaned into his hand with a soft purr, licking his thigh. Impressions of warmth and safety slipped through their bond.

Mhmm… you look so innocent you could trick a truthteller, right before you rob her blind.

Kai contentedly rubbed the silky fur, knowing it wouldn’t last. The Ylena creaked under him with a few jolts and settled into a gentle lull. The bustling voices of sailors and dock workers drifted in from outside.

They had reached Sylspring.

He pulled the sheets over his head, wishing to delay the inevitable. His family was out there, within walking distance. Nerves and excitement rippled through him with equal intensity. Perhaps he could check on them from afar and delay the reunion till he felt ready.

It was so strange. There was no need to check the wards of his shelter for intruding beasts, he didn’t have a list of deadly tasks to accomplish, and he could get as much as food he would ever need by tinkling a little silver. Nothing would stop him from lazing around or going anywhere. Overwhelming freedom and limitless possibilities.

Hobbes yawned, exposing his little pearly fangs. He arched his back and paws with a satisfied meow. Violet eyes contemplated him silently as the king took in his domain.

“Morning to you too.”

“Mew,” Hobbes jumped off the cot and disappeared in a silver flash before touching the floorboards.

He’s so much nicer when he’s asleep.

With a deep groan, Kai sat upright, almost hitting his head on the ceiling. Procrastination never made anything easier. He raked a hand through his hair and donned his new clothes. If he got to hug his family and little brother, he didn’t care if they cursed him after.

In the cramped corridor outside his door, Flynn was chatting with another passenger, a foreigner judging by his pitch-black hair. His friend’s eyes darted to him. Excusing himself from the conversation, he discreetly checked on the state of the cabin before grinning. “Got your beauty sleep?”

“Yeah,” Kai pressed his mouth in a grim but determined line. “I’m ready to go.”

“C’mon, stop worrying. Your family will be overjoyed to see you. Then, they might want to chain you in the basement for the next three decades. But hey, I promise to visit at least once a year.”

“Your generosity knows no bounds.”

“I try my best.” Flynn gave him a friendly slap on the back. “Do you want me to go first and warn them?”

Kai grabbed his bags to head outside, taking the time to think. “I— Would that help?”

“Probably not. I’ve already told them you were too stubborn to die, especially to an orange drake. So I’d need to share the details to make them believe me.”

“Wait… I was killed by a drake? Who said that?” He had taken for granted that Seryne would cover up his escape, but they couldn’t even bother to make up a believable story.

“That’s the official version the Republic stands by.” He nodded, amused. “No one believed it, naturally.”

“Does my family think I’m alive…?” A string of hope wove into his tone. If they suspected he wasn’t dead, it would make the reunion a lot less awkward.

“They know there was something shady going on with the circumstances surrounding your disappearance, but…” Flynn’s hesitation closed the picture.

“They think the Republic is just hiding their responsibility for my death,” Kai concluded for him.

“Probably. I can’t say for sure… After your funeral, I didn’t want to bring up the subject.”

“My funeral?” Kai blurted out, stumbling on the uneven steps to the deck. Three sailors eyed him weirdly but backed away when he stared straight back. “I had a funeral?” He struggled to moderate his tone.

“Oh, yeah.” Flynn’s chuckle carried a somber note. “I wish you could have seen it. You got a casket and everything. The Republic even provided an urn of ashes to bury. Hopefully, they weren’t human, that would be morbid…”

I— How—

Kai didn’t know how to feel anymore. The bustle of Sylspring washed over him, making him lose sight of his worries. He should have expected the town to change after visiting Higharbor, but the sheer extent of the transformation baffled him.

Long piers branched out from the paved port into the Shallow Sea, a fleet of boats ferried visitors from larger vessels. The Ylena moored amidst a forest of masts. While the sun hadn’t fully escaped the horizon, sailors and merchants already scurried around like busy ants.

Kai couldn’t recognize even one of the pastel blue, yellow and pink establishments that crowded the shore. Everything was alien and new.

“I can show you around if you want. Half the pubs on the main roads are overpriced traps to rip off wealthy tourists, though they also get the best bards and don’t water down their ale. On the inside, it’s more of a mixed bag…” Flynn pointed out the places he had been to in an endless deluge till they stepped on solid ground. “What?”

“Nothing.” Kai smiled, he appreciated the distraction. “Do you visit here often?”

“A few times a year. It’s not hard to learn these things when you talk to people, especially if they’ve already had a few drinks. You should try it out sometime.”

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

“Why? I already have you to do it for me.”

Flynn grabbed his own shirt in dramatic shock. “Is that why you’re being nice all of a sudden? You’re using me!”

“You found out my evil scheme,” Kai nodded with a straight face. “Now, are you going to lead the way or not? I don’t have all day.”

“Fine, but I want the right to snuggle Hobbes in exchange.”

“Be my guest. You can scratch his back all day long if you manage to convince him.”

“Deal.” Flynn shook his hand and leaned closer to whisper. “Are you sure he’ll be fine in such a busy town? Won’t he get lost?”

Spirits, do I need to remind him again that the cat’s an awakened animal, an entire grade higher than him?

“Don’t worry, Hobbes can always tell my general direction. He’ll nose around, maybe haunt some poor guy, and come back when he’s hungry.”

“If you say so.” Flynn threw a mourning glance at the ship, unaware the sly feline was observing them from a roof on shore. “Do you want to go directly there or wander around for a bit?”

“Now’s fine.” Kai marched down the streets, unwilling to let his determination falter.

“Wait, they moved houses last year.”

“Oh…” Another piece of his past that was gone.

“Sorry, it slipped my mind.” Flynn scratched his head. “They wanted a quieter place for Kien, and that building had too many memories.”

How much did I miss…

The roads grew less crowded the further they were from the port. Flynn attempted to play the tour guide, though Kai couldn’t hear a word he said. There were a few flashes of familiarity when they crossed into posh town and the merchant district. The strict confines of Sylspring had blurred together with different areas of enhanced mana density.

After two years in the Sanctuary, Yanlun felt like a desert to him. No matter how deeply he breathed, the air was never quite filling. He couldn’t fault the mainlanders for comparing the archipelago to mana-starved rocks, but if he had to choose between safety and a dense ambience, he would pick the first every time.

There is still plenty of time before Zervathi causes chaos.

A new residential district had sprouted up on the southern side of town. Fenced little villas and houses of brick and plaster. The closer they got, the faster his heart raced. Kai dried his sweaty palms on his pants. He had been less nervous sneaking into the ice dragon’s den.