The Revenant

Calm Seas

ESKARINA

Two days had passed now since Nova and I disembarked from the North, steadily making our way toward the continent of Elysium,home of the elves.

I hadn't seen the ocean in such a long time,I was almost enchanted by it all over again. The sounds of the cool sea water lapping on the sides of our ship as we sailed. Our ship was rather large, holding a massive crews quarters and private quarters,set aside for Nova and I, complete with a captains quarters, lower deck, and main deck. It was powered not by man-power,but instead, coal,which set clouds of steam to pour out of the chimney of the ship. I wondered how the steel ship remained afloat...I always assumed that metals had terrible buoyancy at sea.

"So this is the empire's technology I've heard about..."

"Steam engines. But so far,our mages and engineers have only been able to figure out how to make boats that run off of coal. They say they want to make a carriage as well, one that doesn't need horses to pull it along,but I think that's bullshit...never gonna happen." Nova said. He stood beside me,leaning against the edge of the ship. His right hand scratched lazily on his head before it fell back  down.

"You don't believe they can do it?"

"I know they can. I just think they're too lazy. The bullshit is them making the plans and believing they'll actually be willing to work toward making it reality."

"They made the ship though."

"At the emperors request. The carriage is their own idea,they don't have a deadline. No due date,no work. No work,means they slack off and do nothing till the emperor makes another order."

The scenery of the ocean was often ruined by my hair,which was blown into my face by the ocean breeze from time to time, slowly becoming a pain in my ass as I constantly needed to brush it away.

Nova giggled softly beside me every time I had to brush my hair away.

"What is it?"

"You could just cut your hair short."

"I'd look horrible."

"I think you'd be beautiful."

Nova's eye's fell away from mine, and I could see a subtle pink glow in his cheeks.

"So you've been to Elysium  Nova? What's it like?"

His eye's fell on me again,blinking rapidly.

"It's...it's beautiful...the entire continent was just forest once. It rains there very often, the crops native to Elysium grow and feed the elves there rather well. There are...monsters I guess,but they live in harmony with the elves rather than being hostile like Northern monsters."

"You said was."

"Hmm?"

"You said the entire continent was just forest once."

Nova sighed, scratching his head. "When the war started,Roman decided to cut down the trees native to Elysium. They have special bark, when it's snapped, they release a sap that has incredible healing properties. The tree's were also several homes to the native elves,so it made countless of the elves homeless. No home,no soldiers. Most elves were enslaved. The continent is a shadow of its former self now. It's sad really...when I was younger Elysium was so beautiful."

Nova tapped my elbow, pointing into the water. An aquatic creature leapt out of the water,making a strange sound and flapping it's fins.

"What is that?" I asked,my eye's widening.

"You've never seen dolphin's before?"

"I've only seen the ocean once in my life,twice now...I've never been this far out."

"It's called a dolphin. It's a really gentle aquatic mammal."

"It's cute."

"Most dolphin's are."

I watched Nova as he observed the dolphin,who leapt out of the water and back constantly,staying beside our ship.

So Nova likes nature...that's a first.

"Nova...what are you going to do if we find Alisha?"

"When." Nova corrected. "When we find Alisha. We will find her."

"Right...when we find her...what are you going to do?"

"Kill her."

He said the words without any hesitation. He knew he was about to kill someone...he said he would do it without even thinking about what he'd just said.

I understood killing Revenants...they were already dead. Although I knew now that not all were ravenous monsters like I'd heard so many say they were, Nova being proof, it was easy to block out the guilt of killing those we hunted by saying that they were evil, and that they were already just walking corpses.

But to say that he'd kill another living being without so much as a hint of hesitation in his voice... It made me question if I really knew the extent of how hurt Nova was over Elena's death. I had a sense that revenge drove him, a burning desire for blood. I worried about him. A part of me feared he would fall back into who he was before. How he was when we first met. It'd taken months for him to finally open up to me, get comfortable...

I felt closer to him instead of so far apart...

"And Amaani? She's our friend-"

"She sold us out...she got Elena killed..."

"You're going to kill her too?"

Nova was silent for a moment. "I don't know. A part of me wants to...but a larger part of me is telling me not to. I'm conflicted..."

I knew something would happen. I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to stop him if Nova were to enter a blind rage and murder Alisha... And I didn't know how I would feel if I allowed him to kill Amaani. She was the first person I met...who made me comfortable at the barracks...in the army in general. She was a friend of mine even if she wasn't that much of a friend to Nova anymore.

I pushed the thoughts aside. I told myself to worry about those things when the time came...for now, I could just admire the ocean, staring out at the calm waves of the beautiful blue sea.