Realm Wars

When morning came, all went into the open deck to savour the warm air and clear sky after the never-ending storm last night.

Ryu smelled the ocean breeze. It was unbelievable how calm the ocean was now compared to last night that it almost tore the ship.

All sorts of flying creatures roamed the clear sky, and some sea creatures were hopping from the water like they wanted to play with their ship.

Ryu didn't know what they were. They were different fishes, and some were tentacle like creatures he didn't want to know. They were mesmerizing though, and he enjoyed watching them play in the water. Until an enormous jaws came out of nowhere and swallowed those tiny creatures. . .

Ryu was startled for a moment, and he leaned low on the railing to see what happened.

But he only spotted the blurred silhouette of a gigantic creature before it disappeared in the bottom of the ocean. The beast was massive, almost like the size of the boat.

Ryu leaned a little closer, hoping to have a second glimpse, but instead of the massive creature, he spotted Kai hanging on dear life at the anchor of the boat.

"H-help," Kai croaked. It was just one night, but he looked like all life was zapped from him. He was saved by his clothes hooked at the anchor, but he seemed like he would die at any moment.

Ryu immediately crawled to Kai using his claws and feet against the wooden boat. Without an ounce of delicacy and not caring if he's alive, Ryu flung Kai so high, and he smashed directly onto the deck, face first.

Ryu then jumped onto the deck and checked if Kai was still breathing.

Kai's soul almost flew from his mouth, but it was pushed back by Ryu into his body with a hard slap on his face.

"You okay? Ryu asked.

When Kai didn't respond, Ryu slapped him again.

"You okay?"

"Agh. . ."

Ryu slapped Kai once more when he didn't respond.

It continued again and again, and Kai's face swelled with bruises and bumps. When Ryu raised his hand again, Kai gasped with all his strength, "I-I'm. .. okay."

Ryu nodded to himself for a job well done. 

"C-can you. .. get Fifi. .. Please?" Kai croaked and passed out. But since he was afraid that Ryu might slap him again, his eyes opened though his one foot was already in the grave.

Fifi? Ryu hadn't seen her since yesterday. Maybe she was with Rosa? He didn't really like Rosa but. . . 

Ryu gazed at Kai. He just saved his life. Too bad if he died. 

Should I just toss him out of the sea? Ryu thought and entertained the idea.

On the ground, Kai wanted to cry when he sensed Ryu's thoughts. With the will of his mind, his finger snapped, and a jerky appeared in his hand.

"I'll give you. .. this," Kai gasped.

Ryu sniffed the jerky. Was it worth it? Yes, if Kai added another one. "Make it five jerkies."

Kai grumbled. It was his favorite Roasted bore jerky seasoned and spiced for months, smoked in a slow-burn fire for days, and then dried in herbs afterward. Damn it! He only had twenty left!

"F-fine. .. ," Kai grumbled in tears. Anything to stop the seasickness!

Ryu didn't say anything more and sprinted to where Rosa was.

Kai sighed, but his relief was short when he puked to the side. But since he didn't eat nor sleep the whole night, all thanks to the Myrmen and the storm, he hurled nothing but air. Not even water.

Agh. .. freaking Myrmen. Fucking storm. Cursed this Nightmare Sea!

Kai thought that traversing the Nightmare Sea was easy. If he only knew that he couldn't take a single day on a boat, he should have sought an Alchemist to forge him medicine for seasickness.

He didn't even bother to bring with him a Gravity Stone!

Agh. .. he was too overconfident and arrogant.

What now. .. his only hope was darling Fifi.

*poke

*poke

Kai's brows twitched, but he was too tired to open his eyes to know who was poking him. It was odd, though. This mortal stench of burnt smell and rotting flesh.

"Did you get dragged by the Myrmen last night?"

Kai turned to that childish voice and found obsidian dilated eyes starring at him.

----

A while later, on the open deck. Ever since Ferris declared that she would put distance between her and Ryu, she was hiding at the corner watching him.

It was not her intention to hide. .. it was just. .. That damn Lizard! Ferris gritted her teeth. Because of him, she was becoming conscious, and now thanks to the very recent information that Ryu's human side was her mate. .. her feelings were all in jumbles!

She didn't care much before but now. .. because she was made aware, she couldn't look Ryu in the eyes anymore!

This was why she hated feelings! It just made things complicated!

Ferris shook her head and took in a mouthful of air to cleanse her dirty mind. But every few seconds, she found herself staring at Ryu. Stealing peeks at his youthful face and every flexed of his muscles when he moved.

Ahhh. .. how nice would it be if he matured fast. 

".. ." Ferris realized what it was she was doing and screamed, "Nooo!"

She pulled what little hair she had left and stomped her feet repeatedly on the floor. But her attention was stolen when Ryu jumped from the boat.

"Ah!" She was about to go after him but realized that she promised to leave him be. 

"Curses!" 

Not before long, a human with dirty golden hair came flying and crashed on the wooden deck, face first.

Ferris tilted her head. "Who?"

She didn't know Ryu made friends with a human. Didn't he learn from Dorian?

Ferris observed Ryu and Kai's conversation at the side. Based on Kai's ragged appearance and where he was a while ago, the Myrmen must have dragged him to the sea, or he was just unlucky and lost his balance and fell on the boat and got stuck on the anchor.

But one thing was for sure. .. he shouldn't have survived the night.

Ferris went to Kai when Ryu left and poked him. "Did you get dragged by the Myrmen last night?"