Sunbeams streamed brightly through the window curtains as Olivia awoke in the bed of the small stone house. At first she struggled to remember where she was as memories of the previous day slowly surfaced in her mind: the cave, the search for ships, the horse, the scam, the boy.

Startled, she raised her head. From the main room she heard no movement. Perhaps Silas and Milo were still asleep, although by the intense light it must have been quite late.

But they couldn't keep wasting more time. It had already been two days since they had arrived at the port and all she had managed to do was wander the streets and be swindled. Silas had wanted to accompany her but his golden eyes were already too striking for normal people and they couldn't risk running into some wizard. It had been a miracle that they had met Milo and that he had been so willing to help when he knew nothing about them.

The very same thing she had thought when they had met The Walking Dreamers.

She jumped off the bed only to fall backwards onto the mattress after getting tangled in the shreds of her own dress and losing her balance. She had become confident as she felt much more rested than she had been the last few days since they had fled the village but her legs still felt heavy as if they were in shackles. She tried to get up carefully and shuffling her feet she made her way to the room where she only found Silas standing with his back to her and his arms resting on the window sill overlooking the vast blue sea.

He had changed his clothes. This time he was dressed in a manner similar to the sailors she had seen working on the docks: a loose white shirt, dark pants, cinched with a simple cloth belt, and a pair of worn leather boots.

Milo must have gotten him those clothes but there was no sign of the boy at the moment.

“Good morning,” she said, and Silas turned around with his intense golden eyes looking her up and down. A few strands of his long, sunlit hair floated in the cool breeze coming through the window, which, coupled with his attire, added a fearless touch, similar to what Olivia imagined when she read about the heroes in her novels.

She held her breath.

“How are you feeling?” he asked in a neutral tone that did not show any concern, though Olivia wanted to believe he was just trying to hide it.

“Ah...” she blinked. “Much better... I really needed a good night's rest.”

He pursed his lips and looked down.

“What's wrong?” she asked.

He pursed his lips even tighter before answering, as if he was about to confess something he knew would upset her.

“It wasn't just one night... You slept for two whole days.”

It took the girl a moment to process what he was telling her.

“Two days... two days... Two days? Silas!”

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

“I shouldn't have told you.”

“How could you let me sleep for two days when the Council could be arriving at the port at any moment?” she exclaimed angrily.

“You needed rest,” he pointed out firmly. “Your body must still be feeling the effects of the witches' power.”

“But still...”

“It's no use trying so hard if you can collapse at any moment.”

“I'll rest when we're on the ship!”

“About that... I've spoken to Milo.”

“And what did he say?” anxiety crept into Olivia's voice.

“He didn't know of any ship sailing to the island at the moment... but he told me that as soon as he knew something he would come and let us know. He should be here soon, it's almost lunchtime.”

As Silas predicted, Milos showed up shortly after with a basket of food.

“You woke up!” the boy exclaimed once he saw her, his eyes shining with joy. “Finally!” he put the basket on the table. “I hope you're hungry because I've brought you lunch.”

As soon as Olivia heard that, her stomach began to cramp.

“Thank you, Milo, that's very kind of you... but I think we're giving you a lot of trouble.”

Milo ignored her and started lighting the fire with some dry kindling that he had probably collected at some point while Olivia slept. Soon afterward the smell of bacon and fried eggs flooded the room. He had also gotten a loaf of bread, a large piece of cheese, milk and fruit. Olivia's eyes filled with tears as if she were standing at the table of a huge feast in Shadowrock Castle.

As they set everything on the table, Milo asked her:

“Did you like any of the dresses?”

“Dresses?” Olivia hadn't had time to go through the clothes he had left piled on the chairs, but at his insistent eyes she began to study the garments more closely. Almost all of them were women's clothes, except for a few others that Silas had discarded for being too small.

“These will do,” Olivia replied, grabbing a pair of pants, a shirt and a blue vest before Milo's confused gaze. “Though I would also need a pair of boots...”

“But...”

Olivia blushed with embarrassment at the thought of all the effort it must have taken him to get those beautiful colorful dresses.

“The dresses are very uncomfortable for traveling...” she apologized. “I'm sorry you waste so much time...”

“Not at all,” replied Milo, raising both hands to play it down. “They were given to me by an old dressmaker who owed me a couple of favors... that's all... So...” he tilted his head and looked at her strangely. “You don't like dresses?”

“I like them... I just don't like to wear them all the time, especially since I started my journey with Silas.”

The chimera had remained silent throughout the conversation, busy scarfing down his lunch with a voracious appetite that earned him a disapproving glance from Milo.

“Leave some for the rest of us!” he scolded.

Olivia laughed and began to pick up a piece of each item.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“Silas told me you were talking about the ships going to the island.”

“Ah...” Milo's eyes seemed to dim for a moment. “I may have found out something...”

She noticed that he was reluctant to share the information although she didn't understand why.

“We need to find out, we can't be here any longer,” she insisted, feeling increasingly guilty for depending on someone so young.

“Do you have to leave so quickly?” it was more of a plea than a question and the girl felt her own heart clench. He was a street child...or son of the port as he had so proudly introduce himself but still he must feel very alone in the world. Just like Silas when she met him.

But as much as it weighed on her, the life of a chimera was in danger.

“If we stay here, the wizards will get Silas.”

The boy remained thoughtful and suddenly snapped his fingers and his eyes lit up again.

“Ah! Then you don't have to go, only Silas!”

“Yes but... I don't...” Olivia gestured to Silas with her head asking for help, but he didn't play along.

“Why do you want to go to the Isle of Demons?– Milo continued insisting–. They don't accept humans there. It would make more sense for you to head for the northern islands.”

Because, precisely, they were not human, or at least not quite as in Olivia's case, but she could not tell the boy any of that.

“It's a secret mission. The less you know, the better it will be for you.”

As if his pride had been wounded, Milo pounded his chest with his fist.

“I've lived my whole life on the streets! There's nothing that scares me!”

“It's too dangerous. This involves the Council of Wizards.”

A small flame seemed to burn in Milo's eyes.

“I hate wizards! Everyone here in the port hates them! Whatever it is, I'll help you defeat them!”

Olivia sighed and took his hands in hers. The gesture caused the boy to calm down and his gaze swung between his hands and Olivia's face. Silas watched the scene with a bored look on his face as he continued to chew.

“Milo, listen, I'm so glad I met you. You're a very special person and you've helped us a lot but... it's not safe for us to stay here... It wouldn't be fair to involve you in something that you totally ignore and that I can't share with you either.”

Olivia remembered with regret the betrayal of Deema and Gorwan who had acted guided by the fear that something would happen to their children, who by then must have also despised them after the fire she herself had unleashed. If Milo found out the truth... would he act in the same way? She dared not risk it. She couldn't bear the thought of that sweet, innocent child looking at her in the same terrified way Deema had, as she allowed the wizards to take the girl away without having been able to defend herself. At worst, Milo must have thought they were mere fugitives who had made an attempt against the Council.

Milo, however, suspected something.

“You don't trust me...” he said, withdrawing his hands.

Olivia knew that if she lied to him, it would be an insult to his intelligence.

“Besides you, many people have helped us get this far, and I can't let their sacrifice be in vain.”

The boy's eyes remained fixed on the wood of the table. She thought he must be starting to hate her, but when he looked back into her eyes he was even more determined:

“I'll show you that you can trust me. I will help you in any way I can. The next ship sails for the island in four days.”

“Four days!” Olivia exclaimed, her hopes growing dimmer and dimmer.

“That is, if there isn't a storm.”

They could not wait that long. By then, the entire port would be crowded with wizards. The actors knew they were headed for Stormbrace. Olivia was paying dearly for her innocence in trusting people she didn't know.

Silas folded his arms knowing what that wait meant. Maybe they wouldn't even be able to make it to the ship without the wizards finding out.

“There is no other way to get there,” Milo continued. “With a decent wind it takes about five days to get there, they say.”

“Couldn't we get a small boat for ourselves?” proposed Olivia.

Milo looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

“Are you serious? Have you ever been to sea?”

“Eh... no...” Olivia felt ashamed of her ignorance.

The boy shook his head.

“You wouldn't survive a day. The Freedom Sea is a dangerous place, storms are a constant. The only option is to take a merchant ship. The problem is... if they agree to take you.”

Olivia looked down at her plate, which by now she had barely touched. Her stomach was still bothering her but no longer from hunger.

Silas noticed and pushed the plate towards her.

“Don't make me keep taking care of you, I'm tired,” he complained. “Eat. We have four days to figure this out.”

“We won't be able to get to the ship without being discovered... unless...”

Silas' eyes darkened in the same way her father's did when he scolded her for something.

“Don't even think about it,” he warned her.

“But...”

“Your body won't take it. It's too soon. We've already talked about it. I'm sick of telling you this again and again.”

“Maybe in four days I'll be better and...”

“We don't know that. You didn't see what happened... all that power,” Silas fell silent knowing he couldn't say more in front of Milo.

“This is just a talisman, maybe Dawn doesn't need...”

“Have you already forgotten that you disappeared that night and we found you unconscious far from the camp?”

“This time I wouldn't need to hide. I could do it here.”

“You don't know that... Besides, I don't trust them.”

“Them?” asked Milo trying to make sense of what they were talking about.

“Some friends of mine,” explained Olivia. “They helped us...”

“But they also got us into trouble,” finished Silas. “Besides, at what point did they show up when you called them? They only do it when it suits them.”

“Then maybe this time they'll show up because it's convenient for them if we take a ship.”

“More likely they'll destroy the port before we...”

“Destroy the port?” Milo's eyes widened.

“Silas!” exclaimed Olivia.

“Sorry, kid ... maybe it won't come to that.”

“Maybe?” Milo's eyes flickered between the two.

“Spark is the only one who has been destroying... things...” continued Olivia.

“So far,” said the chimera.

“We were in danger, that's why what happened... happened... Remember all the times they saved you too.”

“I remember...” Silas sounded warily. “But now I'm wondering if it wasn't convenient for them that I kept you safe while you couldn't wake up. Then, the day they won't need me anymore...”

“That's...”

“Can you assure me that won't be the case?”

Olivia couldn't.

“They must even be listening to this conversation right now,” Silas added with a hint of mockery.

“What?” alarmed by Silas' words, Milo began to turn his head in all directions.

“You see, kid, why we're protecting you?”

“Stop scaring him!” Olivia protested.

“And I'm not a kid, I'm a man”

“Besides, they wouldn't... because... even though...” on second thought, Olivia realized that the witches surely had a way of knowing what was going on, otherwise they wouldn't know when to show up.

How was it possible that such powerful beings did not feature in any stories, legends or even magic books? How had they gone unnoticed for so long? What relationship did the elves have with them?

“You don't need them!” exclaimed Milo. “I'll find a way to get you safely to the island!”

“And how do you plan to do that?” Silas asked when he saw that Olivia was still lost in thought and didn't say anything.

“We'll need money to bribe one of the crew to hide you in the hold of the ship,” explained they boy with such confidence that made Olivia flinch.

“What about the wizards?” she asked.

“You can board the ship during the night as long as no one sees you.”

“The problem is not that they only see us...” Olivia tried to make him understand. “The wizards could sense Silas...”

“Sense him how?”

“Magic, they can sense the presence of people,” it wasn't entirely untrue since the most advanced wizards could sense the presence of magical beings.

Milo folded his arms thoughtfully, then snapped his fingers.

“Then Silas will have to get away from the port and wait in an area where the wizards can no longer discover him. I'll charge a favor to a fisherman friend of mine to catch him to the ship once it has sailed.”

“But where will we get the money to bribe the crew?”

“We'll get it. We have four days. I've got some saved up too.”

“No, Milo!”

Olivia kept arguing that they should be the ones to solve their own problems but there came a point when Milo got tired of listening to her. He got up from the table and headed for the door.

“I promise I'll pay you back someday, I don't know when or how,” Olivia told him.

“You don't have to,” he said as he shut the door. “Outwitting wizards is already a priceless pleasure for me... but...” he paused for a moment. “If it's the payment you're really worried about... there are different ways to pay someone without having to use coins,” the boy winked at her and disappeared behind the door.

Olivia looked at Silas somewhere between confused and worried.

“What did he mean by that?”