As Nyrion and Seraphina arrived at the bustling shipyard, they were greeted by a diverse array of ships. From small fishing boats bobbing in the water to massive hulks and cogs that could handle intercontinental voyages, the scene was a vibrant display of maritime life.

"Alright," Nyrion said, while scanning the docks. "Let's start by speaking with the crews. I doubt we'll find one going straight for another kingdom, but just getting off the island will buy us a lot of time."

"Should we split up?" Seraphina asked. "Actually, never mind. I don't know the town names, and if they see how clueless I am, they might not take us seriously."

"Good point. A map would be handy. I'll give you some money to buy one. In the meantime, I'll ask around about the destinations of each ship, just knowing the names will save us time. Let's meet back here in an hour."

She nodded and after taking the money quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Over the next hour, Nyrion talked with well over 50 people, and nearly as many ships. The results were promising, almost all the big ships had destinations which were off the island.

He then made his way back to the designated spot where he waited for Seraphina, and waited, and waited.

'Where the fuck is she. How long does it take to buy a fucking map?' He considered looking for her but quickly discarded that idea, what if she came back as soon as he left?

After another 10 minutes passed, she finally came. And she was holding a piece of cheese skewered onto a piece of wood. She was late because of food. Nyrion. Was. Furious.

But before he could say anything, his vision suddenly became yellow, Seraphina had shoved it right in front of his face.

The cheese was a small, golden sphere, its surface crusted with a mix of finely chopped herbs and spices. Skewered onto a stick, the cheese had a fragrant, herbaceous aroma.

"Before you say anything, I'm sorry that I came late. Some guy was harassing me and I had to teach him a lesson. I should have ignored him, i know, but I didn't. I bought this cheese for myself, but as an apology you can have it."

Nyrion stared at the cheese, dumbfounded. "Are you serious? You made me wait because you were dealing with some asshole and snacking?"

Seraphina looked sheepish. "I know, I know. But look, at least I got the map. I have it here." She pointed to a rolled-up parchment tucked under her arm.

Nyrion sighed, trying to suppress his irritation. "Fine. Let's just look at the map and figure out our next move." He grabbed the cheese, took off his helmet and begun eating it. Its flavor was a savory blend of herbs with a hint of spiciness. He might be angry but hey, free cheese. "Wait a second, did you buy this with MY money?"

Seraphina winced slightly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Well, yeah. I didn't think it would be a problem. You did say to buy a map, and I got a little sidetracked. I can give you the money back!"

Nyrion took a bite of the cheese, chewing thoughtfully before responding, it was really good. "A bit sidetracked? More like you had a snack break while I was out here busting my ass trying to find us a ship."

Seraphina rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile a little. "Okay, okay, I get it. I messed up. But hey, you're still eating the cheese, so I must've done something right."

"Swear to me, you won't be late again, and I'll forget this ever happened. Also, keep the money. How much can a fucking cheese on a stick cost?" Nyrion said, taking another bite.

"5 gold." Seraphina said while lowering her head.

Nyrion spat out the cheese. "5 pieces of gold? Are you out of your fucking mind!? That's enough for a night with breakfast at a decent inn! For the both of us!"

Seraphina winced as Nyrion's outburst which though subdued by the many passerby's was still audible across the docks. "I know, I know," she said quickly, raising her hands defensively. "It was a bit pricey. But you've got to admit, it's a fantastic piece of cheese."

Nyrion shook his head, trying to compose himself. "Good cheese or not, that's not the point. Wait, the way you said that… Motherfucker, you bought two! And you already ate one of them!"

As Nyrion continued shouting, the space around them grew even emptier than before, with passersby clearly avoiding the area. The yelling was enough to make anyone think twice about getting closer.

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Before Seraphina could respond, Nyrion continued, "You are irresponsible, tardy, and recklessly wasteful. You may be young, but that doesn't excuse stupidity. Keep the money, you're going to need it. From now on, until you prove otherwise, I will handle all finances."

Seraphina's face flushed crimson as Nyrion's tirade echoed through the shipyard. By now, he had been screaming long enough for the immediate surroundings to quiet down.

She bit her lip, struggling to maintain her composure amidst the mounting embarrassment. She didn't particularly care about the stares, but not being able to counter anything he said really hit her ego. "Alright, alright, I get it. I messed up. I'm sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Nyrion took a deep breath, his anger still simmering but his tone now more controlled. "Look, it's not just about the money. We're on a tight schedule, and we need to be more disciplined. I can't have you dragging us down with these… mishaps."

Seraphina nodded, her gaze fixed on the ground. "I understand. I'll be more careful from now on. I promise."

Nyrion's expression softened slightly. "Good. Now let's focus on getting this right. We've got a map now, so let's look at our options." He then proceeded to make his way to a nearby curb on which he sat down. It wasn't very big, but considering his Dwarven stature, it served just fine. Seraphina, meanwhile, had to awkwardly bend down to look at it. She didn't know if he did it on purpose to further humiliate her or just wanted to sit down.

The map displayed the Island of Ishlin, which they were currently on, in great detail, along with the closest parts of the western continent, which belonged to the kingdom of Osari, though less detailed.

Many town names were displayed on the continent, but neither of them had ever been to any of them. Nyrion only recognized one.

"Harua, it's where Kaius met Cassian," he said, reminiscing about his friends. It was the longest time he had ever been separated from them since they met. And it would only get longer…

They continued until they settled on the four biggest ports among those they could see. It didn't matter which one they arrived at, but each one was bigger than the one they were currently in, giving them more options. Once they arrived, they would choose where to go.

Nyrion already knew which ships headed to the four port cities they had chosen, so it didn't take long. The ship leaving the earliest, that as willing to take them, was called The silver wind. Apparently it was called that since the captain dreamed of having a ship full of silver in the future.

The ship was leaving in two days, which wasn't ideal but it was the best they could do. According to Nyrion's speculations, they had about three to four days before anybody that would be chasing them would arrive.

After all the arrangements were done, they made their way to a nearby inn the captain had recommended. His friend owned it and, for the duration of the ships stay, he allowed the crewmen to stay there for free, excluding food, as long as nobody had rented the rooms. The crew had beds to sleep on and the owner made his inn seem more popular than it actually was. It was a win-win situation.

Two days passed without anything of note happening. Seraphina had hoped to grow closer to Nyrion, but that was before the whole cheese incident. They still communicated when necessary, but she needed more time.

On the morning of the ship's departure, Nyrion boarded without a backward glance. Despite having spent the last seven years on the island, he felt no sadness; it was merely another step on his path to becoming stronger.

Seraphina, on the other hand, took her time. When she finally stepped onto the deck, she couldn't stop gazing at the land they were leaving behind. Having spent her entire life on the island, she was now saying goodbye. When Nyrion looked over, her expression was one of sadness.

She had never mentioned any family or home, and given that she had been a vampire hiding in a cave when he had found her, it wasn't hard to guess what her past might have been like. But that was a story for another time. For now, their only future lay with the open sea.