Rall's mind was in a daze, his vision blurry, his earing muffled. He felt his legs moving, someone supporting him from the shoulders. Inside him was emptiness, devoid of energy or emotion. Often the image of a large man in golden armor with a bloodied hole in his chest.

I have killed a man!

I have killed a man.

I have killed a man...

I-I have killed a man...

I...

...

Another image accompanied those words that gurgled in his head, the shadow of a shrouded figure, his father's killer. Like many of his nightmares, the shadow removed his mask. However, this time, it was his face that smiled at him. It was the face of a killer.

No...

It's not me. No!

No!!

"NO!" Rall woke up, screaming those words. He was on a bed inside a small wooden cabin. There were no windows, just a couple of metal crates stashed in a corner and a simple desk with some nautic cards on it. He could hear the sound of people shouting orders and the cry of seagulls hunting. When he tried moving, he noticed that the cabin was slowly rocking side to side. It was a new sensation, but one he could easily explain. With the hem of his shirt, he cleaned off the sweat that drenched his forehead, then moved to stand up.

At the same time, someone opened the creaking door that led to the noisy exterior. Rall was thankful that it was someone he knew.

Tui entered the room with a gentle smile on her face. For the first time in a couple of days, her blue hair was free to flow in all its exotic beauty. Her Fairylight followed her loyally, illuminating her path in its golden luminescence. The mermaid moved towards the bed, sitting on its side beside Rall.

"Hey," she started.

"Hey..." was his answer. "What happened?"

"We are on the Lady Veronica. You fell unconscious after... after you cast the spell."

She noticed that Rall's eyes lowered to the floor when she said those words.

"I know that face. I have worn it many times. Hating yourself will do no good."

"I killed a man!" He retorted with teary eyes.

"You protected me. You protected us," Tui said decisively.

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"It's still wrong..."

"It is. But sometimes, we only have bad choices. I am thankful for the one you took." She smiled softly and hugged the blonde boy tightly.

Quietly they stayed like this for several minutes.

When she felt that Rall had calmed down, she freed him from her hug. "Let's get up. The Admiral plans to say something once we are far from the port, and he said you cannot miss it."

Rall's visage darkened again. "How do you still trust him?"

"I don't, but I can feel the love in his speeches. He's not embarking on this expedition with greed in his heart. It's the same feeling I get when I think of my little sister. That emotion is something I can trust."

The boy could not understand her words, but he nodded either way. He was already on the ship anyway. Now it was time to see if luck was on his side.

They walked out of the cabin and into the lower deck of the Lady Veronica. Around fifteen sailors were busy moving around chests and supplies. The quartermaster, a short, muscly dark-skinned man, conducted the operations like an expert orchestra master. Thought a rowdy bunch, the crew moved with efficiency and confidence, finishing each task with the ease of those who had repeated them a thousand times.

There was something else that Rall noticed as they traversed the deck towards the stairs. As Tui passed, they all looked in reverence and silently moved out of their way, some even taking their hats off. He had seen their reaction at the tavern when she was introduced as their light mage. At the time, those whistles were certainly not out of respect.

"Don't mind them. When we departed, Conrad revealed that I was a mermaid. It seems these seamen have a lot of folklore on our kind, most depicting us as daughters of the gods of the sea. Some even think of us as vengeful demigods," she giggled. "If only they knew how they treat us in Motu Rere..."

Thus, they reached the stairs unimpeded. One creaking step at a time, Rall could hear the sound of the waves impacting the ship and feel the warmth of the Sun against his body.

On the bridge, there were around twenty people occupied managing the sails and cleaning every surface of the Lady Veronica. All three masts held fully lowered sails, the wind blowing from south to north as if agreeing with their route. On a heightened platform was a familiar old man in blue military attire. The hands of Admiral Delaux were tight around the wooden wheel but still delicate like he was caressing the curves of a lover.

However, Rall did not notice any of the people on the bridge. In his eyes, there was nothing but an infinite expanse of blue, equal parts fascinating and terrifying. He had tried to imagine the ocean countless times while listening to his father's tales or reading his history books. But the real thing, it was a completely different spectacle. Beside him, Tui too looked at the immense sea, but her eyes gave out a feeling of longing more than one of wanderlust.

"You are smiling," said Rall. He remembered the first time he had met the mermaid light mage at the Opal Palace. She wore her rugs with reddened eyes, desperate to return to her constant mistreatment to save her little sister from the same. Along the way, he had seen her smile, but it always held traces of sadness. For the first time that day, he felt it was genuine.

"Is my smile that bad?" She asked cheekily.

"No. No! I like it a lot!" Said Rall, his face slowly reddening.

She laughed, then her gaze returned towards the sea. "It's the salty air, the gentle cradling of the waves, the vastness of the ocean. I feel it in my bones, a call to something deep inside me. I feel home."

At that moment, it felt like her Fairylight was giving out a warmer gleam as if to signal the tranquility of its master.

"My boy! How are you feeling?" Shouted Conrad, unknowingly interrupting the beauty of that moment. He left the wheel to the helmsman and dashed towards Rall and Tui.

A scowl appeared on the boy's face. "I'm fine."

"Good. Come with me then. I need to inform the crew. This time, I will tell the full story."

The two light mages exchanged doubtful looks. This man is full of stories, isn't he!

Still, they followed the Admiral to the helm. At that time, the small figure of the quartermaster appeared from the stairs. "Captain! All done below deck."

"Good. Call every hand on the bridge. I have important news to tell."

"Aye aye, Captain."

Two minutes later, the whole crew stood on deck, speculating what the legendary Admiral had to say so urgently.

With Rall on his left and Tui on his right, Conrad stood from the height of the helm, observing his sailors patiently. Then, he raised his arm. Instantly, all the voices vanished, leaving only the sound of the sea to break the silence.

"My brothers and sisters. I have called you here to confess something. I have lied to you."

That's how the Admiral's speech started, earning looks of confusion from every single one of his listeners.