City of Mangroves.It was one of the most important cities in the Forest Kingdom. And it was also the one with the largest seaport among all the kingdom"s cities that bordered the sea. It was called that way due to the presence of particular plants, called, for the note, Mangroves.
Mangroves differed from other plants by their ability to grow in brackish water or salt.w.a.ter. As a result, they ended up being the primary type of vegetation around the city, so that it became the very name of the city.
The City of Mangroves, thanks to its large thriving and crowed port, traded not only with the other two Rainbow Island"s kingdoms but also with the other islands nearby. Therefore, there was always a coming and going of people in the port.
Among the many s.h.i.+ps, there were some of them really imposing, used to cross the entire system of islands in the Forgotten Ocean. That was nothing but the name of the aquatic section that separated the islands from the Continent. These large s.h.i.+ps weren"t limited only to trade with the nearest islands. Instead, they traveled back and forth from the Dream Island to Reality Island, which was the furthest island from the Continent. In that way, they could unite the various separate islands and allow the trade of rare materials.
Because they had to go through long journeys and the size of the s.h.i.+ps, the number of people on board wasn"t just numerous. But they were all wandering martial artists, hired by the commercial company to which the s.h.i.+p belonged.
Most sailors weren"t powerful, being between the third and fourth stages of the spirit apprentice rank. But they still represented a considerable strength, and they were able to row for a long time without getting tired if there had been the need. In charge, instead, there was usually a sixth or seventh stage spirit apprentice. If the trading company was rich and traded first-rate goods, then there could also be a spirit soldier as captain of the s.h.i.+p.
In front of these ma.s.sive s.h.i.+ps, a big albino buffalo was carrying two youths on his back. That sight generated the looks from the people present at the port. But since they were all busy in their affairs, they didn"t remain for long watching the buffalo and those two youths.
The albino buffalo was none other than Shui, while the two youths were Hei and Lian. Mi was hidden instead with Ye and Xing on Hei"s body.
"You arrived on time, good."
A voice sounded close in the ears of the two youths who turned their heads in that direction. They discovered the approach of a group of eight people coming towards them. They were the sect leader, the first elder, the second elder, and their companions of the younger generation: Ying Yue, Cao Su, Mei, Li, Zan.
"Greetings, sect leader. First elder. Second elder," replied Hei as he greeted the three with respect. Then he turned to his companions, "Greetings, you too, guys. Thanks again for what you did at Crossroad Lake."
Lian at his side, bowed her head slightly to show her appreciation as well.
"You don"t have to thank us at all, Hei, Lian." Ying Yue hastened to say laughing. As usual, she had a cheerful and carefree expression.
"The other elders greet you and wish you the best. Unfortunately, we cannot leave the sect so much unguarded for too long, despite the agreements with the other sects at the Crossroad Lake. But I brought your companions with me. They wanted to give you a last goodbye before leaving." The sect leader gave a slight smile and made way to the disciples of the younger generation.
"Hei, Lian, I wish you the best and good luck for the future. If there is any possibility, come back to visit us from time to time." (Ying Yue)
"I"m sorry to have insulted the spirit beasts at the auction. After the events at Crossroad Lake, I changed my opinion about them. That spider was really cool while fighting." (Cao Su)
"May destiny have many successes in store for you. We will do our best with what we have here." (Mei)
"I imagine that without you two, things will be less interesting from now on. But we"ll keep ourselves occupied somehow, haha." (Li)
"I don"t have much to say. Just one thing - give a lesson to those of the Continent and show them the strength of us martial artists of the islands." (Zan)
After the five disciples of the younger generation communicated their last greetings to Hei and Lian. It was the turn of the first and second elders.
"In the end, we couldn"t recruit you in any of our factions. Instead, it was you who incorporated us into yours in a certain sense. Haha, well, I guess it"s not so bad as a scenario. However, be careful. Not only on the Continent. The journey itself to get there is full of dangers." (Second elder)
"As my son said, you must give a lesson to those of the Continent. Even if you go away, you still carry the honor of our sect. Therefore, you must not forget it and do your best." (First elder)
"Well, then it"s my turn. I wanted to thank you for your help with the Secret Dimension. Not just for the resources you brought us, but for helping your companions. Without you, probably, some of them could have died. The journey ahead will be difficult, but I trust you will have the ability to move forward. Here is something that can help you on your way," said the sect leader as she reached for Hei.
Inside her closed hand, there were ten s.p.a.ce rings. The same s.p.a.ce rings that Hei had given her a week ago.
"They were filled with the things I told you about earlier. Although it is practically nothing compared to what you gave to us, I hope they can help you two. Well then, the s.h.i.+p with which you will leave is just that in front of us. I have already sent a message to the captain, so you only have to board and wait for them to finish loading the goods."
"Thank you very much, sect leader." Hei held out his hand and took the ten s.p.a.ce rings, placing them in a pocket of his tunic. "Thank you very much, everyone, for your words and your help. Lian and I will do our best to honor the sect"s name. I hope to be able to see you again one day in more happy occasions. In the meantime, take care of yourself."
At that point, Hei came down from Shui"s back and helped Lian down. Then he turned to Shui and Mi, who had come out of his clothes.
"Well, it"s time for us to part as well. Please take care of everyone. One day I will come to pick you up, be sure. I promise you."
Hei leaned forward and warmly embraced Shui, who rubbed his head against the chest of the young beast tamer. Mi also joined in the embrace, rubbing herself on Hei"s cheek. Ye and Xing came out of Hei"s clothes and exchanged farewell gestures with the two spirit beasts that would remain here. Finally, even Lian gently stroked Mi and Shui, saying goodbye.
"Sect leader, elders, companions. I entrust my friends to you, treat them well, please. Until the day I return for them."
"Of course, don"t worry. The spirit beasts that inhabit the sect are now part of the Flower Sect." The sect leader replied rea.s.suringly.
Shui then broke away from Hei and the others. Above his head was Mi, who kept her head down disconsolate. The time had come, in the end.
Without further indulging in chatter, Hei took Lian by the hand and started to get on the s.h.i.+p in front of them. It was one of those large s.h.i.+ps that made long journeys.
The s.h.i.+p captain, as well as the sailors, had already been informed in advance of the two VIP pa.s.sengers. But they had been told not to disturb them and not interact too much. So they just watched them go up without asking questions.
When the sailors finally finished loading the goods, it was time to set sail. All of them, therefore, went to their places, ready to resume navigation.
On the deck of the s.h.i.+p, Hei and Lian stood leaning against the railing. Their gaze was fixed where the Flower Sect group was located along with Shui and Mi. As the s.h.i.+p began to move, the two waved their hands for a final salute. Even Xing and Ye joined and waved their legs and tail, respectively. The Flower Sect group responded in turn to the greeting until the s.h.i.+p became too distant to distinguish the shapes of the two youths.
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"So, they left. I guess we won"t see them again for who knows how long." (Sect leader)
"It is their destiny. Until it is otherwise, we won"t be part of it. The only thing we can do now is to focus on our lives. Even without them, we have many things to take care of now." (First elder)
"Right. After all, no matter how talented they may be, they are nothing but one of the various geniuses in the Continent. Whether they can reach the top of this world is something that cannot be predicted. Therefore, we must prepare for the eventuality that they fail on the road." (Second elder)
With this, the three elders began to turn around. It was time for them to return to the Flower Sect. So they began to lead the five members of the younger generation together with Shui and Mi to return to the sect.
Meanwhile, Hei and Lian were looking at the immense expanse of water they were crossing. Ye and Xing, for the first time since their mother"s death, appeared less sad as they watched, with interest, this new scenario.
"So, we are about to leave the Rainbow Island. Even though I already knew it would happen, it still seems like a dream to me. From today on, our new life will begin. Ye, Xing, Lian. But with you by my side, I know I can do it. We will reach the Continent, and when we are finished, we will come back here in the end. To our mother, to our home."
"Yes!" The three females answered together by his side.
From now on, it would be completely different, but it wasn"t necessarily something negative. In any case, as long as they were together, it would be fine.
While they were busy watching the sea, a man in his forties approached them. He was a seventh-stage spirit apprentice. He was the captain of the s.h.i.+p.
Although they had the opportunity to hire a s.h.i.+p with a spirit soldier captain, the sect leader decided not to do so. It was because it would have generated unnecessary pressure and concern in Hei. Moreover, the young martial artist was a very wary person when it came to strangers. Besides, his behavior wasn"t something wrong in the world of martial artists per se.
Therefore, traveling with a spirit soldier wasn"t the best choice. After all, Hei was bringing with him many objects that would make everyone"s mouth water, even spirit soldiers. And, even if a monetary agreement bound the captain, he could take his word back. In the end, no blood pact was signed, and it was easy for accidents to happen in the ocean during the long crossings.
"Welcome on board, young guests. Can I know your name?" The captain asked a slight smile.
"I am Hei while she is Lian," Hei replied for both while he watched the man in front of him.
"Hei, Lian. Good. You can call me Captain Fu. I just wanted to welcome you on board. As for the journey, you can sit in the a.s.signed cabin. Otherwise, you can stay on the deck, but don"t hinder the sailors in their work. As for meals, lunch and dinner times are fixed. You can choose whether to eat with us or in your cabin. Just remember one thing. Even though I agreed to transport you, this isn"t a s.h.i.+p for an ocean holiday. The only reason I accepted pa.s.sengers on board is that the request was forwarded by the King, that"s all."
"Yes, we know. Stay a.s.sured. We understand perfectly."
While Hei was listening and answered, he didn"t take his eyes off from the captain all the time. The man in command of the s.h.i.+p was somewhat surprised because a boy so young was able to stand his eyes without blinking. Not even his sailors with whom he shared so many journeys were able to look at him so openly.
"Alright, then. I have nothing else to say, enjoy the journey as much as possible."
The captain then left to return to guide the s.h.i.+p. Hei and Lian instead returned to look at the sea with Ye and Xing while the City of Mangroves grew smaller and smaller.