Kingdom of Tales

Chapter 10: All Aboard

I set an uneasy gaze upon the massive fake gold and silver painted ship before us. It was at that point that I realized my fears were starting to envelop me.

Father disappeared while he was coming back from his trip on a ship...

I swallowed out of fear.

Shiro's parents blew up on their journeys...

And my breathing became shallow.

Have I developed a fear of the sea? Or did the thought of just being on a boat stir that phobia within me...?

Just as I could feel the ground fading from my feet, I felt a warm hand on my left shoulder. "I can feel your anxiety from all the way over there," I turned to see Alpine jokingly pointing toward the other end of the pier. "I-I apologize for making you worry." I attempted to keep my composure through my speech. "Just take a deep breath, Noire. Nothing bad will happen." Alpine then smiled softly at me, trying to reassure me. I smiled back in response, but I still had my doubts. What if something happens to me- no, to all of us?

I couldn't afford to think selfishly. I feared for all of the lives that were to embark on this journey. I took a slow and deep breath before the captain announced for passengers to start boarding the vessel. I glanced behind myself and noticed Shiro staring at the horizon.

On his face read unknown uncertainty.

It was only until he looked back to make eye contact me that I realized I had been staring at him for a long period of time. I turned my gaze away and hurriedly made my way to the boat. A small thought at the back of my head could not help but make me feel even more anxiety.

"You have something sinister within you. It's costing you your natural body heat at this moment. I fear that it may cost you your mind later on."

"Allow me to find out what that thing specifically is. It's already taking a toll on you mentally. You're becoming more paranoid, more anxious, and more possessive."

"Maybe it is the thing in me that's keeping me calm. I don't really know either. But a part of me feels like this was meant to happen."

I tightened my fists, both out of frustration and confusion. What is this sinister thing? And why is Shiro so eerily calm about this? I don't understand either, Alpine... I thought back to Shiro's facial expression last night. It felt as if he was reluctantly accepting his fate. I wish I had studied Sprites more... I sighed from the disappointment of my own lack of knowledge.

As we all boarded the ship, a part of my anxiety started to ease up. "See? This isn't so bad," Alpine continued to support me. I only laughed nervously. "We haven't even left the dock yet, Alpine." As we both chuckled to ourselves, we noticed Shiro still gazing out to the sea. On closer inspection, his uncertainty turned into wonder. "S-Shiro?" My hand reached out to poke him on the shoulder, however, Alpine hastily put his hand on my wrist from behind and set my hand down. O-Oh, right. No contact. I could feel my heart race from barely avoiding a small disaster.