Soul Interaction: Chain! (ENG)

38 • On the Way to Elandria

They had fallen asleep when the sky was still slightly sunlit. They probably woke up in the early morning. As soon as Herega opened his eyes, he turned around and noticed that Eavelin was standing next to him. He looked at her for a while. He did not want, and could not free his eyes from that vision. His face looked even sweeter than it was during the day.
«It's true, your eyes never stop shining.» She said in a low voice.
Herega took her hand, crossing his fingers with Eavelin's.
«Yeah, my little sister always told me that.» He replied.
He suddenly let her hand go. As he laid on his back, the memory of those two women who had left alone came to mind.
"I wonder how they are doing", he thought melancholy. Eavelin took back his hand. It was enough to get him back. A couple of minutes later, Herega got up and let her rest for a while. The sun was still not fully visible on the horizon. Ren was already awake. The young man approached her.
«It's been so long since the last real sunrise I had the pleasure of seeing. Yesterday I didn't miss even the sunset.» She said with happiness.
He smiled back. It seemed like something was going through the girl's head. She pulled out a dagger from the sheath, and from it she pulled out a piece of paper.
«Look, this is a painting of my parents... You know, we had a very special relationship.» She said to him and put it in his hands. Herega had no emotions in front of that piece of paper. For him, family was not important. But looking at Ren's face, he understood all the love behind it.
«I never had a strong bond with my parents. Especially with my father. But despite everything, I loved all three of them.» He said.
The girl understood that it was also referring to a brother or sister, so she did not ask any questions. She took back the painting and put it back in the sheath.
«If she is ready, call Eavelin, I heard you talking. I wonder what you were talking about...» She said, lowering her voice.
Herega turned to his companion, and passed a hand through his hair.
«We were talking about my eyes. Apparently it is not the first and not even the last that notices that they never stop shining. You know, I also heard you talking yesterday.» Herega laughed.
Ren, too, in response, laughed.

A few minutes later they were back in the commercial area. For the last time, Herega and Eavelin would see it. Before entering the forest they made a short stop at the tavern to have breakfast with some bread, oil and tomato, then continued.

This time they were not in danger when crossing that shady stretch of trees.
«You are a man of your word.» Herega said when he saw the old man who had led them here.
He laughed, heading towards the sails. The three looked at each other intensely, although they had only known each other recently, they had already formed a strong bond. Ren's look told enough to Herega's heart to allow him to reason. The young man reached out her hand:
«Your eyes shine like mine. Accompany us in this beautiful world.» He said to her.
Ren looked at his face, which blocked her view of the sun. For a long time she did not have any interaction with normal human beings; finally, at that moment, she had someone he could call "friend". She took his hand and got on the boat.
«Sure, Herega, Eavelin. I'll accompany you wherever you want.» She replied with a smile.

After a few minutes, the young man approached the old one.
«Old man, we must go to Elandria. Do you know any shortcuts?» He asked him sitting next to him.
«Elandria? Without tiring you, I can take you there by boat, but it will take at least two days to get there.» He replied.
Herega looked at the sky, thinking whether it was appropriate to pass by sea or by land.
«Why do you have to travel so much, what do you have to do?» He asked curious.
They were the youngest people he had ever seen using his boat. That they should move again, and so far away, was really unusual. Herega took a moment to reflect. After a long sighing he explained his story. The old man laughed.
«In essence you have to rebuild your soul?» He laughed again.
He couldn't believe what he heard.
«Why? Don't you like your present self?» He asked that.
«No, it is jus-» He was promptly interrupted.
«Is there anything you would like to change in yourself?» He continued.
Herega stood at the extreme point of the boat, looking towards the sun and then facing the elder. The star at the center of the galaxy fully illuminated that vision.

«There is nothing that I want to change in me. But what sense would life have if the meaning itself were not to live it? I want to explore, discover, live new and different adventures every day that passes, and they don't have to be outside me, they can also be inside me. I want to be free, free to live my life, to live the lives of others too, to be an inspiration for other people's lives and to have inspirations from others. I want to be one with myself, with the sky, with the sea, with everything, I want to decide what I can do, when I want to and if I want to. I want to be able to do whatever my mind or body tells me, for this reason I must know myself and everything around me fully, without thinking about the consequences, they will also be part of my adventure.
I want to live.»

The old man did not answer him, but he understood the spirit of that boy.
«Alright, young man. I'll take you to Elandria» He replied.
Herega smiled. Then he warned the girls of the decision.

The two days passed very slowly. There was not much to do on that boat. The only different moments were those when they stopped in the ports to eat something. Herega found the main amusement in reading the book and its spells, even trying to make some of them concrete, failing each time. Eavelin and Ren, on the other hand, talked a lot. The pink-haired girl told her how they had lived in their country and how she came from Shiitia, arriving to the south of the continent only later. The nation to the north was probably the most famous on the continent. Ren, however, was not very familiar with those names. Although she knew Shiitia only by name, Nustia seemed to be unknown. The trip cost two Crests each, and finally they arrived at one of the ports in Elandria.