The Forgotten Hero

I - The Calm Before

The endless sea stretched out on all sides as a tiny brown speck crossed its serene waters.

Another day was beginning, although it made little difference to the occupants of the little boat. This was their sixth day out at sea, and for the last three they had seen nothing but the unending ocean that filled the world.

The soft swaying of the boat brought Liana Keamy from her troubled thoughts. She considered dressing for the new day, eyeing her filthy clothes that draped over the old chair across from her cot. Once, she would have been too shy to sleep in just her undergarments in the company of a young boy–her mother's scolding's of what's proper had successfully ingrained into Liana's beliefs–but after so long in Jerrim's company, she no longer cared for such modesty. Even so, she quickly pulled on her blouse and shorts, not taking the chance of being caught dressing.

She rubbed her eyes and couldn't help but smile when she saw herself in a dusty mirror by the door. Weeks ago she would have spent a good half hour readying her hair and face before leaving the house. But of course this was no house.

Up on deck, she saw the bare back of Jerrimas Lightrun as he steered the boat through the early morning haze. The soft wind and the creaking boat were the only sounds in the quiet morning. She hesitated before disturbing him, not wanting to ruin his peaceful moment. If it was one thing she was sure they had both learned during their trip, it was the necessity of spending time on your own.

Jerrim seemed to have accustomed well to the sea-faring life, not having complained nearly as much as Liana had so far. He stood only in his cropped blue shorts–not even wearing sandals–his wavy brown hair ruffling in the warm breeze.

"Morning," Jerrim's light voice called over his shoulder.

Liana smiled. Somehow he always knew when she was around.

Jerrim had certainly grown in the two years Liana had known him. The hardening lines of the man he would one day become were evident even in his nineteen year old frame. Liana found herself wondering what it would've been like to have been friends with him in the time they had known each other, rather than just being two people that saw each other around town. She still couldn't believe that she had run away from home with a boy she hardly knew, with dreams of finding a treasure in the Islands of the Mare.

"You've missed an eventful day so far," Jerrim continued without turning around. "A pod of Delphin's came by to sing us the morning song, before they dropped off a nice hot freshly made persebanae pie. Oh and you missed the synchronised thumb dragons that gloriously danced overhead just a while ago."

Liana hugged herself and stepped to him, preferring to keep quiet and not let him know he was funny, which only encouraged him.

Jerrim turned as she came to him, flashing his winning smile. "A singing P'sarri merchant conjured a magical rainbow–"

"Enough, Jerrim," she said, suppressing her smile.

"Just say I'm funny and I'll stop," he huffed, feigning frustration in a childish voice.

Ignoring him as she'd learned to do, Liana studied the never ending ocean. At first she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. After so long at sea she wouldn't be surprised. But, squinting, she was sure that she saw something out there now.

Faint brown marks smudged the misty horizon. The longer Liana looked, the clearer the protruding shapes became. She rested a hand on the ship's mast, the large white sail billowing above her.

"The Mare," Jerrim declared in a deep, melodramatic voice.

Liana's breath caught. They had finally arrived.