Moon Chasers: Into the storm [Finished]

Chapter Nine: Land Ahoy!

For many more days they sailed the open ocean. The compass was doubtless of were to go and led them steadily across the infinite blue. Eleon, who had never been on a boat that long was starting to doubt that they were sailing to a definite destination. Qa kept reassuring him that they were bound to join a cost at some point now the real question was to when. Jory did his best on the ship as the only really ready to put his life in danger in order to fix it a little. Qa was still sick but somehow beating the god of the sea had made him more confident and his footing had become more steady but not enough to really help with the repairs.

The sails had been pretty battered both by the storm and by the fight but still hanged on the mast like white wings pushing the boat forward, water was coming in from the broken bridge but, and that was surprising everyone every day, the boat was not coming apart yet. It was still in one strong piece.

They sailed for another two weeks before the scenery changed. The water became clearer, exploding with colors, the sun made it look like liquid gems. The sand was now visible and the teal waters were proof of a good place to be.
They passed immense fish banks, all more colorful than the last. The birds were back at flying overhead and the air was warmer. The wind was warm too, they had sailed all the way to better latitudes. The days were hot and the night were warm, they all shed layers to adapt to the weather.

When the sun was high Jory couldn't go out without his hat. Qa seemed in his element in this tropical environment. But when asked he replied that he grew up in the desert. There is a lot of difference between desert and tropic but at least he resisted the temperature.
Jory discovered that when it's hot you are more subject to sea sickness and found out that he was now feeling less confident on the wooden vessel.

Eleon liked this changed of air and spent long minutes in the turquoise waters. He swam among the fishes and told them about the colorful coral and sea grass growing on the ocean floor. The elf felt really lucky to be able to see such vastly diffrent areas. It reminded him of all the books he read in the Royal library, none could've prepared him for the reality of the colours here. Even if he knew about them, the experience was much diffrent. The dream cut short when he got a sunburn and was forced to wear more covering clothing.

Qa graced him with his iconic emotionless "I told you" but was met with an aggressive "Oh quit it, you judgemental statue!" from a pissed elf who just discovered the reality of sun exposure. Jory watched them bicker from afar his fishing rod in hand. Those two made the ship lively on their own, which is quite ironic when you realised that Qa perhaps spoke five words per day.

The man started to worry about the water depth since the ship had a keel but I never seemed to be a problem during that week. Jory took advantage of that time to question Eleon about his people.

"So, how was it in the Evergreen? "

"Life was good and easy. I guess that lived sheltered for all that time. My days were filled with art and training but everything was brought to me like a distraction and not like mandatory tasks"

"That's normal you were the king's son after all"

"You would think that but no, if I only were the king's son I would have lived a vastly diffrent life during those fifty years. No the reason why everyone pampered me was because I was born with pink eyes and fair skin." He stoped to drink some water "You might not know about our superstitions but we consider those born with pale skin and pale hair to but lucky and those like me to be luck bringer. They took great care of me in hope that it would bring them all great luck, I never complained I only had advantages out of it."

"But did you have friends while growing up?"

"I guess that I did not have much of them" he didn't seem to care his face only showed joy but to be honest Eleon first real friend had been Qa and if he was so bold as to assume another thing, it was that his second real friend was Jory

"Life in my town was idyllic, I guess. Growing up in Verdant Field meant growing up along twenty other children whose parents let loose in the town. We had freedom and as soon as we know how to walk we go out and the other kid more or less raise us until we are old enough to go to school which is to say when we are fifteen."

"That sounds...Loud"

"Yes, but the funny thing about it is that, halfling have trouble having children on their own because they are always working on  their garden or their bakery, travelling is not we seen unless it's a journey to go and find a child to adopt and bring back, I grew up along orc and half-elves from all around the Kingdom."

"That might be the funiest thing I've heard about your people"

Jory caught a fish and brought it on board, it was small and colorful. The elf and the halfling had no idea what it was or even if it was safe to eat it.

"We should put it back in the water"

"Well go on"

"No you touch it!" Eleon laughed and lifted it by its tail to throw it back in the water

"I though you were brave"

"Brave not stupid!"

Qa was wondering what they could be talking about to be laughing so loudly but something on the horizon caught his attention. Where the sun was setting there was a spot of darker blue.
The more he looked at it the more he thought about it. Could it be that he had lost his mind during the trip? No, even though Eleon tried his best to make him go mad during the last two month he was sure he had all of his sanity still. More or less. Less. But he was not blind.

When the sky turned from inky black to greying blue the next morning Qa could not ignore it anymore, there it was on the horizon, much closer to them than before. The first piece of rock on this endless marine hellscape. And it looked huge!

"Wake up people!" That was the most emotion he had put in his speech since his pationate speech in the snowy forest

"The heck !" The tone had startled Eleon awake

"Wow, what is going on Qa, another sea god?"

"No! It's much better, come!"

He went back out giddy while Eleon stared at him wondering if the real Qa hadn't been kidnapped during the night, Jory was worried that the sword man had lost his mind. The reality was that Qa sick of the sea and couldn't contain his relief.

The two other adventurers followed outside only to be met with the still distant but definitely there :

"Land!"