Chapter 101:Sail.
Outside, a sharp call rang out. Orders and profanities reached their ears. A few moments later, the ship shifted, subtly at first, then forward.
The departure had begun.
"We’re leaving already?" Atheline said in surprise.
He had not expected it to be that fast.
"I didn’t come here to wait," she answered.
The motion of the ship deepened as it turned, the pull of the current catching beneath it.
Atheline breathed a small sigh of relief.
Getting on the ship felt like the ultimate victory and he was also finally leaving the elven continent.
The ship moved further from the dock, the sound of the shore fading behind them as the open sea stretched ahead.
Atheline couldn’t fall asleep as he had expected and he was starting to get bored again as the ship sailed forward.
The sound of the sea was hypnotic.
He sat up in excitement and walked to the small window. Lilith followed right after.
"You should be lying down," she chastised.
"I want to feel the open sea," he said and took a seat.
Lilith rolled her eyes.
"The sun has already set."
Atheline flashed her a smile.
"It’s still beautiful."
He could see the rolling waves as they crashed loudly against the ship.
The suppressants were slowly wearing off and the familiar pain had started to return but it was still manageable.
"Get back to bed," she quietly said," you shouldn’t be up this long."
’It was only a few seconds’
"You’ve already said that," he warmly said then added, " and I’m still okay. "
She stepped closer. Atheline could feel her studying him.
"Barely."
He huffed slightly but didn’t argue.
For a moment none of them spoke as they looked out at the ocean.
"The air feels different... " Atheline said, glancing out at the horizon," ... Further from the world tree."
That made her still just for a second but Atheline noticed it. Her hand came to his shoulder.
"You’re sensitive to it."
"It’s hard not to be," he replied, "I grew up with it. It’s... everywhere. In the soil, water, even the wind."
His gaze became distant.
"You know, it feels alive most of the time. A small hum would always reach my ears once in a while," he smiled fondly, " most people don’t hear it unless they’ve lived long enough close to it. Its root passes through our home making it more accessible. "
She said nothing at first, just stared at him.
"We don’t have that."
His eyes flickered to her.
"I know, the world tree roots slowly sink into the ground after it leaves the capital."
She nodded.
"You’re very lucky," she said quietly," since you’re near the world tree, your aether chooses equally. "
Atheline frowned, turning to her.
"I don’t think so," he refuted," if it chose equally, I’m sure everyone would have been powerful. "
She chuckled softly her head tilting a little.
"Not in the literal sense," she calmly said," lunar aether is violent in nature, that’s why it’s classified as dark and only a specific individual can wield it without getting corrupted."
The words lingered between them.
"It chooses not from talent alone but from luck itself. We don’t have a collasol tree that balances it out."
He studied her carefully now.
’So that’s why there is a lot of corruption in the kingdom more than in others’
The high elven kingdom was actually the least affected until now.
"And your people?"
"They adapt, "she said simply, " or they don’t survive."
He turned fully this time, resting his arm lightly against the edge of the window frame.
"That sounds... harsh."
"It is," she answered without any hesitation," it has to be."
Silence stretched between them. This just highlighted how incompatible their worlds were until they met.
"When I was younger," he said, quieter, after a moment, "I used to fall asleep under the roots, mostly at home but sometimes in the palace."
She frowned slightly.
"The roots?"
"Of the world tree," he clarified, a faint smile forming, " there are places where they rise above ground. It’s warm underneath it."
His gaze softened turning distant.
"My mother hated it, said it was improper, but my grandfather used to block me from her view" a small breath of amusement escaping, " it was the only place that ever felt.... still, quiet."
She carefully watched him.
"You trusted it?"
"I did," he paused, " it never gave me a reason not to."
’It even gave me that system thingy’
Something in her expression shifted, subtle but still sharp.
"Thats naive."
He didn’t flinch.
"Maybe," he held her gaze," but it was still real and a sort of comfort since I was young."
’Especially after getting punished by father’
The quiet confidence in his voice felt both uncomfortable and unfamiliar to Lilith.
She shifted closer to him.
"In my kingdom, " she slowly said," there is no place like that."
Her voice was softer now but still distant as though she was talking about something trivial.
"The strongest take what they can hold. The rest," she exhaled faintly,"... learn quickly where they stand."
Her eyes lowered slightly.
"There is no safety in what you can’t control."
There it was, the difference between them.
He leaned forward slightly but not enough to close the distance.
"And yet," he said gently, " you let your healers treat me."
Her gaze snapped back at him.
"Thats different."
"How?"
She was quiet for too long, Atheline thought the conversation had ended.
"Because I chose to let them."
The answer came slowly as though she was tasting an unfamiliar pronunciation.
He tilted his head slightly, studying her.
"And if you hadn’t?"
"Then you would have died."
The words came out sharper than intended and the glare didn’t help her case but underneath it all something unspoken lingered.
He didn’t look away.
"You didn’t let that happen," he affirmed.
Silence.
The ocean pressed softly against the hull.
Her fingers lifted at her side then stilled.
She exhaled softly.
"When I was younger," she said, quieter now," I was told that anything beyond our reach is either a threat or a lie."
Her gaze darkened.
"Hope. Trust. Attachment." A faint pause," those were luxuries for those who could afford to lose them."
’Thats dark’
He listened without interrupting or correcting.
"So, I learnt not to."
Her voice didn’t waver but thinned just slightly.
"And now?" he asked softly.
Now he wasn’t challenging her but asking her to choose.
Her gaze lifted slowly to meet his.
For a moment, she said nothing.
"Now I think," she said, each word deliberate, " not everything needs to be controlled... to be kept."
’One step in the right direction at least’
The admission was quiet but it changed everything.
He exhaled softly, something easing in his expression.
"That sounds like progress."
A faint, almost irritated look crossed her face.
"Stop that."
He smiled.
"What?"
A comfortable silence settled over them.
Her hand moved before she could even reconsider, resting lightly against his sleeve.
He glanced down at it briefly but didn’t move his hand.
Atheline’s gaze went back to her. His hands open and she slipped hers into them.
"Your world," she quietly said after a moment, " sounds... gentle."
He lightly squeezed her hand.
"It can be... but not always. "
She studied him.
"Would I survive there?"
The question slipped out before she could stop it. A rare moment he knew would take years to even lull her into again.
His expression softened.
"Yes," he said with certainty.
Something in her chest tightened.
"You didn’t even think about it."
"I didn’t need to."
Their eyes held and for once, she didn’t look away first.
"Then don’t die," she said quietly without her usual controlling tone.
’This really messed her up’
He pulled her closer to him and rested his head on her shoulder. Her hand came to his hair.
"I wasn’t planning to," he said quietly, "I still have things I want to see."
Her fingers stilled, just slightly.
"Like what?"
His hand softly rubbed against her waist.
"You."