Sea Of Sparks And Shadows

Hey everyone! This story has the last two chapters removed. To read them, please head over to Webnovel and search for this book. By doing so, you would be supporting me while also getting to know what happened to the Amaris and the crew. Thank you for reading!

It was ironic. How happy and excited and relieved she was the first time she glimpsed land aboard this ship, compared to how much dread and misery she felt now that she could finally see Paradelia’s white and golden flag, the vial and leaf on it looked nothing more than a circle and a line from that far, but they still looked like they were taunting her, welcoming her to a life she had thought she wanted.

She had been standing on the quarterdeck for what felt like hours now. Watching as the island got closer and closer. She wished time could stop. She cursed every wave and every breeze that pushed them closer to her farewell. To the end of her time with the crew. Back to her lonely, sad, bitter reality.

She could feel Mirage’s eyes piercing through her from behind the helm, but he kept quiet, face blank and expressionless. She was thankful for that. Everyone else were tiptoeing around her, giving her discreet, sad- or maybe pitying- looks. Even Wind Tuner had stopped playing momentarily when she had first climbed onto the main deck. She’d tried to give him a smile but her lips wouldn’t cooperate. She hadn’t seen Slygrin and Mecheye all morning. Ash, too, was gone when she woke up. She’d tried to convince herself that she wasn’t hurt, that he was probably dragged to work. But none of that stopped the pounding ache in her chest.

“We’ll be back every month or so.” Amaris snapped out of her thoughts at Mirage’s voice. “So it won’t be that long before you see us again.”

She let out a breathy laugh. “By next month you would all have forgotten that I existed, let alone drop by to visit.” She didn’t know where that came from but she hated saying it instantly. Not because it wasn’t true, she knew it was, but because it felt too true. And saying it out loud made it feel even more factual.

“That’s not true.” She didn’t dare look at him. Instead, she glared into the distance. “Listen to me.” He said firmly, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. “Look at these men.” he tilted his chin towards the main deck, where a dozen sailors rushed around preparing for docking. “None of them would be alive without your help. We’d all be at the bottom of the Grey sea, or worse, in that creature’s belly if it wasn’t for you.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“Do you really think any of us will forget our savior this easily?”

“It wouldn’t be the same.” Was all she said as her gaze caught the approaching flag once more.

****

The ship was anchored and docked much faster than Amaris wished. Soon, she found herself at the ramp with her backpack in hand. She peered down at the harbor and glared at its paved surface. A hand on her shoulder made her look up. “It’s for the best, kid” Hawk murmured.

Amaris nodded. That was what the captain had said too. It’s for the best. She looked around, Wind Tuner was walking towards the ramp, holding a large box and talking to Shark when he saw her. He shot her a weak smile. “I will miss you” he said when he got closer. “I hope you are not scared of me anymore.” He joked.

“Never.” She shook her head, voice quiet. “I am glad I did run away from you that first time though.”

He laughed, “I am glad you did, too.”

“Come on,” Ash said, taking her hand.

“Where’s Sly?” Amaris looked around.

“Uh… I don’t think he’s coming.” Explained Ash.

“Why?”

“he-uh…”He turned to look at the deck entrance as if he could see Slygrin below it. “He’s not very good at goodbyes.”

Amaris nodded. “Oh.”

She let Ash guide her down the ramp. She promised herself not to look back. But her eyes betrayed her as they strayed to the captain’s cabin. The door was cracked open, but there was no sign of anyone going to open it. She glared at the cursed door before turning her head and leaving the ship behind her. This time, she was not going to look back. This time, she truly was fatherless.

****

Amaris hated the feeling of the solid land beneath her feet. She hated the tamed chaos that was the docks. She hated the buildings that stretched in the distance. She hated all of it.

Her anger at the captain grew at every foot she walked away from the Silver Crescent. This was not right. This was not- All her ramblings thoughts cleared like thick fog touched by rain when she felt Ash squeeze her hand.

“Are you alright?” Ash asked, worry clear in his eyes.

Amaris nodded and looked away. “I am fine,” she hurried her steps but Ash was never far behind.

Her steps were heavy but fast and every time she didn’t hear the hollow knocking of wood below her feet a small spec of her heart fell off.

“This isn’t the end, you know.” Ash said.

She scowled and spun around. “This isn’t the end? This isn’t the end? Ash, look around you. This is the end. You’re off to sea again. All of you. And I will be here looking for charity from my cousin’s acquaintance. Homeless and alone again. So yes. It is the end. Maybe not for you. But it certainly is for me.”

Her throat was tightening as she spoke so she quickly turned around and strode away. Only she didn’t make it far before Ash held her hand and tried to pull her back gently. She didn’t budge so he walked around and faced her. His large hands covered her cheeks she tried to turn her head but he directed her eyes at him. “This isn’t the end,” he repeated slowly, staring deep into her eyes. She snorted out a bitter laugh but his grip on her tightened. “Not for you, not for me, and it’s certainly not the end for us.”

“What the hell are we supposed to do now?”

“We’ll find a way.”

“What way? We can’t even write to each other for heaven’s sake.”

“Why not?” He asked.

Amaris looked at him incredulously. “Well you don’t exactly have a stable address I can send to.”

“Oh,” he frowned. “Well, you are good at math aren’t you?”

He took her arm and walked her to a stone bench nearby then sat down. “Do you have a piece of paper?”

Puzzled, Amaris pulled out her new notebook and handed it to him along with a pencil. He immediately started scribbling down something. Amaris angled her head to see what he was doing and recognized the drawing right away. It was a map of the continent and the Grey sea. “It takes us eight days to go from here to here.” He drew an arrow from Paradelia to Linorva. “And then five to get here, then four to reach here, then six then four then two then two days.” He wrote the numbers above each arrow. Then started writing something. “These are the addresses of some of my friends in these ports. I’ll receive your letters as soon as I get there. You just need to calculate where I would be when the letter arrives.”

Amaris wasn’t even paying attention by the end. All she could focus on was the piece of paper that had somehow lifted a big part of the weight that had brought her down.

“Of course, don’t mention anything about the moon soldiers and if a change of plans happens, I’ll just write to you and tell you. Just give me your address and-.”

Amaris kissed him. The surprise on his face quickly disappeared and he kissed her back. “Thank you,” She said when she pulled back. “Thank you so much.”

He smiled, “I told you it’s not the end didn’t I?” She kissed him again and he pulled her close. “I’m going to miss this the most.” He said.

She was about to respond when something caught her eye. Amaris stood up. Across the narrow road was a store window filled with colorful book covers.

“What is it?” Ash asked.

Amaris turned to him and grabbed his hand. “Come with me.”

She quickly crossed the street then pushed the bookstore’s door open. “Excuse me,” she asked the clerk. “Where can I find ‘Caspian’s world’?”

The clerk, a nervous looking middle aged woman, silently pointed to a bookshelf and went back to staring out the window, as if searching for something or someone. Amaris thanked her and skipped to the shelf, letting her fingers skim the spines before halting at one. She giddily pulled it out and opened it flipping through its pages.

“Will you tell me what we’re doing here?”

Amaris snapped her head up. “Sly knows how to read, right?”

Ash nodded “yes, why?”

Amaris payed for the book and stepped outside. Ash followed. “Would you give him this book? Tell him it’s a ‘see you soon’ gift from the princess.”

Ash raised an eyebrow. “Owning the nickname I see.”

She nudged his shoulder. “Shut up. He’ll understand.”

“Fine.” He said. “Give it to me.”

Hey everyone! This story has the last two chapters removed. To read them, please head over to Webnovel and search for this book. By doing so, you would be supporting me while also getting to know what happened to the Amaris and the crew. Thank you for reading!