The Chronicles Of New Havens

The Sea of the Crystal was one of two seas that the Alzar Kingdom controlled, the other being the Acessentia Sea. Exactly as the named implied, this sea was a peerless beauty. The waters were crystal clear, allowing one to easily peer into its depths. At the bottom where the corals hid and darkness normally lurked, the coral could reflect light like a mirror. Combined with the clear blue water, on a sunny day, one could see countless sparkling diamonds in the sea, sparkling across the seabed. The underwater world would be fully illuminated for all to see! However, the harmonious sight was broken by a pitiful girl…

Elizabeth vomited pretty colors over the ship railings. She heaved her stomach repeatedly, until tears and mucus were streaming down her face. She was frustrated but whenever the ship rocked fiercely, her body would betray her. There was nothing she could do! Initially, she was overjoyed in seeing the behemoth of sh.i.p.s docked in Corasen's harbour. After all, New Havens was small, and the one body of water could hardly fit a ship. Therefore, it was a new experience that she wanted to try. Unfortunately, she was a complete newbie with regards to seafaring. The waves were unrelenting and brutal. She regretted her choices deeply.

Her head was dizzy after another round of vomiting. Just as she was cleaning up, the ship rocked to one side violently, helping Elizabeth evacuate her stomach once more. She cursed violently. The other passengers shot her bizarre looks. It was rare to find someone as pitiful and foolish as Elizabeth. The journey from Corasen to Port Silic would take weeks. Embarking on such a long trip while being very prone to seasickness, was it not the very definition of foolishness? Who would willingly choose to torment themselves like that?

"There, there… Are you okay?"

Someone patted her on the back to comfort her. Elizabeth was disturbed by the sudden contact and prepared to give them an earful. Yet, she was oddly at ease. It reminded her of her own mother. Inwardly grateful, she turned to thank the motherly person, and was stunned that the perpetrator was a girl not much older than herself. The girl had tanned skin and was taller than Elizabeth by a little. With her big round face and big smile, she radiated energy. Furthermore, she was skinny and curved in the right places, igniting Elizabeth's animosity. She was wearing the standard military uniform of the Alzar Kingdom's Quinvoren Army, but her status was clearly low.

"Is something on my face?" the girl wondered.

"No," Elizabeth regained her senses. "Thank you."

"Hehe. Not a problem! I have two younger brothers and I take care of them all the time."

"I've never been on a ship before so…" A wave crashed into the boat, forcing her stomach to heave. "As you can see, I'm not having the best time."

"Oh, you're seasick? I have a solution to that. Here, take a bite of this."

Elizabeth watched the girl pull out a strange fruit from her pouch. It was a mixture of red and yellow, had leaves growing off the top, and spots all over. Hearing there was a mystical solution, she did not hesitate before taking a mouthful. A bitter and sour taste pervaded her mouth and she felt her hairs stand on end. It was simply disgusting! The smell alone was enough to send her hurling off the ship again.

"It didn't work at all!" she cried.

"That's strange. It worked for me when I left Lour Island. Or maybe it was another fruit…" she chuckled clumsily. Elizabeth despaired! This girl was truly undependable! "My name is Shirley Adonina. What about you?"

"Elizabeth Etu…" She stopped herself. "I'm Elizabeth Silvera."

"Elizabeth, huh? Where are you from?"

"New Havens," she replied before thinking wryly, You wouldn't believe me even if I told you.

"I'm from Tino on Lour Island. It's way south of here, off the mainland. I doubt you would've heard of it. How come you're headed to Port Silic? Are you going to join the military?"

"Military? No, why would you ask?"

"The army is recruiting for a largescale war campaign in the north. We got reassigned from General Gordon's army to General Illion's army."

Elizabeth inadvertently thought back to Korogin, who was undoubtedly suffering under the pressure of the war. Her feelings were very complex. On one side, she was indignant and frustrated that Korogin was manipulating both her heritage and her position to suit his needs. After all, who liked to be used? No one wanted to be a slave and Elizabeth valued her freedom deeply. On the flip side, Korogin was in a tough spot, stuck between a rock and a hard place. Every decision of his could decide the fate of the Alzar Kingdom. It was not like she wanted the kingdom to suffer. She was not sadistic. Hence, she needed time to sort out of her own feelings. Only then could she answer Korogin confidently.

"Oh? I don't feel as sick anymore."

"Hehe, often if you distract someone from their issues, then they'll feel much better," Shirley proudly stated. "A little secret of mine."

"You're more dependable than I thought," Elizabeth said aloud. She was happy with Shirley's frankness. There were no schemes and no hidden meanings. Bold and direct were two traits that she valued greatly at this moment.

"If you're not joining the military, then are you travelling with someone or your family? To travel so carefreely, you must be a noble, right?"

She quickly pushed away dark thoughts and replied, "I'm travelling with Benedict Hawken. I'm not a noble myself." She was royalty, not nobility, so it was not a lie. But she wisely chose to keep this a secret. "He's a Grand Noble though."

"Grand Nobility?" Shirley froze. "Isn't that really impressive? Aren't they the most powerful people under the Royal Family?"

"I guess they are, but he doesn't really show it. He's more like you and I."

"Is that so?" Shirley said dejectedly. "I really wanted to meet a heroic lord who could sweep me away. What a shame."

"You're an odd one," Elizabeth smirked. "How come you decided to join the military? You don't seem like the type of person who'd enjoy something like this." She thought, Then again, Ten Dawn Nassandra also didn't seem like it either, but she was a trump card of the Zino Kingdom. This world really has issues!

"Ah…" The smile she wore showed a minor crack. "Well, it's a long story."

"The war spares no one, huh?" Elizabeth sighed.

"Enough of such depressing talk!" Shirley deflected before holding Elizabeth's hands happily. "Come, come, I haven't had a female friend in forever. We have so much to talk about!" Elizabeth hesitated before agreeing because there were some things that only fellow girls could understand! Benedict could not substitute even if he wanted to.