Free Web NovelChapter 77: Set Sail!
The next day, Cetas woke up from the sounds of a footstep creaking in the ship’s floor.
Raising his upper body up and letting his eyes adjust to the darkness around, Cetas saw that the others were still asleep.
Currently, he was laying down on the hammocks in the crew’s quarters below deck.
Around him were Reid, Jones, and Galkan, all sleeping peacefully. Galkan, though, was sprawled all over his hammock.
It didn’t seem like he fitted in it.
Cetas slowly got out of the hammock and stretched his limbs.
Then he heard the slow creak above deck again, this time, it was a few distances away from the quarters.
He activated his Zeal and summoned the Sands of History.
Immediately, the world turned incorporeal and waves of sand formed around him.
Cetas looked up, searching for the figure of the individual walking on the ship.
A few moments passed and nothing out of the ordinary formed outside the quarters.
Odd..
With this, Cetas left the crew’s quarters and headed to the main deck. He donned his black cloak, grabbed Ivory Flintlock, and kept Sands of History activated.
Carefully, Cetas crept in the ship, looking towards the direction where he heard the footsteps.
Sands of History didn’t show anything peculiar, though, it just remained in its illusory form.
Cetas looked over to the forecastle and slowly walked towards it. Once the mast stopped covering some parts of the front of the ship, a figure slowly revealed itself from within.
Cetas saw the figure and held the Ivory Flintlock with cautiousness, however, once he saw the figure’s appearance, Cetas immediately let his wariness loose.
Once he got closer, Cetas addressed him:
"It’s you.."
The figure, an old man gazing up to the moon illuminating the waves in the distance, wore simple civilian clothing. From the back of his head, the temples of his glasses could be seen.
The old man remained in place, staring at the seas.
Met with silence, Cetas decided to call upon him.
"Mr. Historian, sir. What are you doing out here late at night?"
"Just gazing at the moon, boy." The Historian’s weary voice spoke out.
"I see."
Cetas stood beside him and looked in the distance.
The moon far above glimmered a serene glow, marking the waves and seas with its iridescent bloom. The waves were mellow, calm to a degree. The stars were dim, hidden by the moon’s glow. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
And still, it was beautiful.
In Cetas’ heart, a resounding peace soothed his being.
Then, the silent voice of the Historian sounded out, "Unlocking three Flourishes and of different Origins in a span of a few weeks is remarkable, Cetas."
Cetas looked over to him, "Uhh, yes, sir. Thank you."
The Historian laughed softly, "No need to be so formal with me.."
His voice was slow, evident in his elderly age.
But Cetas could not quite discern if his age truly matched with it. After all, the Historian was a Dreadspawn—his age is more than a thousand years old.
"Alright."
Cetas nodded.
Then, he asked a question, "Won’t you come with us?"
Again, the Historian laughed.
"I can’t, boy. Although I may be a spawn of Dread, this body of mine isn’t for fighting or voyaging."
Skadi’s words resounded in Cetas’ mind.
All-knowing, not all-powerful, huh.
"How is it—knowing everything?"
The Historian went silent, then his face looked forlorn.
"..It’s a curse, Cetas." he said with sorrow, looking up at the moon, "Knowledge is a curse."
Over these past few days, Cetas has been hearing about how having too much knowledge or prying too much on mystery could be dangerous.
He never understood it completely, though.
"Why is knowledge so harmful? Isn’t it good to know a lot?"
The seas remained solemn.
"Knowledge has its boons. But once you learn something, then it is impossible to forget it, even if you use Zeal."
He looked at Cetas.
"The heart remembers more than the mind."
Cetas didn’t get it.
What does it mean for a heart to remember more than a mind?
"I don’t understand." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
The Historian smiled.
"I’m sure you will soon, it’s something that humanity treasures."
Cetas looked lost.
"What is.. Humanity?"
The Historian looked at the moon, its glow emanating on his aged face.
The sun slowly rose in the west, clearing the grace of the moon.
The world steadily became illuminated, the blue hue of the sky faintly appeared from behind Cetas and the Historian.
"Humanity.. I’ve been pondering that for as long as I live. Humanity is.."
The Historian held a longing smile.
"Humanity is the memories that we cherish throughout our life."
*
In the morning.
The mess hall of the Aegir was crowded, the pirates of the Aegir crew sat on each of their respective chairs, waiting for their meals to be served.
The Historian sat at the very edge of the long table, to his right was Skadi and to his left was Galkan.
On Skadi’s side, a seat was empty, and beside it was Cetas.
On Galkan’s side, Jones and Reid sat beside each other.
The old man was speaking with the bulky Galkan. Skadi remained silent, and Reid and Jones were talking to each other about medicine.
Cetas watched as the crew remained the same as ever.
Then, after a moments passed, Elishia came to the room, wearing an orange apron and an orange bandana.
She held a large pot in her flimsy hands.
Noticing this, Galkan stood up, "Let me help you!"
Galkan held the pat from the bottom, the heat that insulated from it didn’t affect his callused fingertips.
Once Cetas saw this, he was reminded of their light argument back at the alley behind the Cathedral.
So they’ve made up.
The two carefully set down the large pot in the middle of the table.
Elishia then opened her mouth, a proud look painted on her face.
"Behold! Everyone! Golden-Honey Braised Rabbit Stew!"
Revealed from inside the pot was a golden soup with steam curls furling from it. The aroma of several spices permeated the air and tender chunks of rabbit were nestled among the vegetables.
With a simple aroma entering everyone’s noses, their bellies could already feel the sheer delicacy of the meal.
Immediately the crew consumed the stew with gluttony.
Afterwards, their faces were satisfied, their bodies were enhanced, and their energy completely replenished.
Cetas felt that he could run several paces without getting tired!
As to the reason why, he didn’t know!
"After finishing your meals, please stay for a while, I have an announcement to make in regards to our next destination and goal."
The crew collectively agreed.
So, once they finished the stew—no stains left in their kitchenware nor the pot itself—the crew waited for Skadi to speak.
Skadi cleared her throat and gathered the attention of her crew.
"I have found the whereabouts of the first Fae!"
Immediately, the crew tensed.
"With the information I gathered with Cetas yesterday, I verified our gatherings with the Historian and he responded with mere silence. However, in the long years that I’ve known him, that silence would mean that the information is true."
"..?" The Historian looked confused.
"Still, the location of the first Fae—the Fae of the Winds—is quite tricky."
Skadi retold everything that the Captain of the Sea Dog Pirates had said. She even added her own thoughts, her theories, and her final decisions.
"However, the risks that this method poses is not worth the price."
She looked at each one of them.
"Therefore, we must find another clue to one of the Faes. With the factors such as us being starved and weak, if a Leviathan of high level were to appear, then we might get gravely injured or even be killed."
The crew agreed to her. The dangers of being at a disadvantage in the middle of the sea could pose a risk to their lives.
They all knew the dangers of the seas and the Leviathans that crept below.
To add more to that fact, Cetas’ Droplet of Divinity would attract a lot of dangers once they set out.
They needed to be careful.
"Thus, we should obtain the Fae of the Winds second to last—when we have found the other three.."
"I agree." Jones interjected, "..and I have a suggestion."
"Go ahead."
"We should head over to the Central Trading Hub at Nero, the island-country of Meridia, where trades over all sorts of items transpire.
Jones remained formal, his accent still elegant.
"I’ve heard that there are many Zealot gatherings in its shadows. Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from the people around the world who happen to visit it."
Skadi looked around.
"Anyone opposed to this?"
No answer, no objections.
"It’s settled then!"
She stood up and raised her voice.
"Onward we go to Meridia!"
*
That morning the Aegir Pirate crew set up the ship in order to finally leave Flag.
They unfurled the sails, releasing the lines. They de-anchored the ship, making it completely free from the Harbor.
Many people watched from the docks as the Aegir Pirate Crew prepared to leave.
Some were disappointed that they had to go but others were simply thankful.
No more dreadful pirates would pose a danger to their peaceful abodes. Not that Skadi and her crew did anything to harm them of course.
Additionally, the Sixth Layer was not that peaceful too.
Nevertheless, once the ship was ready, Skadi summoned the winds to push it away from the Harbor.
From the First Layer, once can see a large Schooner with 24 Sails leaving the Port City Flag.
Among its common citizens, watching ships come and go turned into a pastime.
But to the Aegir Pirate Crew’s perspective, the First Layer was miniscule.
Slowly, the Port City became farther and farther, turning the individuals to resemble ants.
Cetas didn’t have the pleasant feeling of being reminded of ants right now.
Still, he brushed it off of his mind and focused ahead.
The sea was vast and bright—illuminated by the scorching sun up above!
Below the ship, the seawater was being separated by the Schooner! The speeds in which the sails captured the winds made them sail forward rapidly!
It was the very first time that Cetas would set sail!
And it definitely wouldn’t be the last!
He treasured this feeling forever, looking ahead with great enthusiasm!
Finally, he would get to experience the world!
But that enthusiasm was short lived as hours later they would already face their first catastrophe.
