The familiar feeling envelops my whole being. The dancing waves, the cold sea breeze, and the hot rays of sunlight hit my skin. Ahh, finally! It's my time. But this part is also the hardest one, leaving the land is easy but entering is a different kind of situation. I sighed as I focused my attention on the map I am currently studying.
Thankfully the swaying of the new and smaller ship calms me now. Before, it makes me puke but surprisingly, my body adopted the surrounding now. I hold the quill pen properly and steadily as I draw some lines in the map as a guide to where we are going to use it when we're on land already. Now that we are leaving a few minutes from now, I have to prepare something in advance like the routes, the roles, and such.
I also advised them to change the ship into a smaller one without the pirate flag they're so proud of. They agree but not with the flag, they said the flag is the pirate's soul. I don't understand it but all I can do is to agree. But then again, I can clearly understand what they want to say about it just like how I treasure the people in my world, they treasure the flag as a sign of themselves. At least they promised to lower it down when we arrived at the port. I smiled, pirates are not that bad.
I heard a knock on the door. Since the ship was replaced and it's a lot smaller than the real one, we can always see and reach each other easily. Lilian, Marion, and I are going to share the navigator room and the rest of the pillars will share the galley and the infirmary. But I am sure that the two kids, Von and Thompson are gonna occupy the infirmary.
Though I don't like the idea of the two coming with us because for sure, the reason they are entering the kingdom is not a vacation but a mission that will cost them their lives. Up until now, I still don't have any ideas why they are doing these things. If they want medicines and foods then I can offer to give them to them in exchange for my safe return yet they didn't instead they accepted me as their navigator, their guide inside the kingdom.
Of course, I have a bad feeling about these things but I can't afford to be on their bad sides. I have to gamble to achieve my own goals.
I yawned and stretched my arms as I made sure to secure the ink first before standing up then the door open.
"My lady, someone's looking for you in the deck," she happily stated. I smiled in response.
"Who is it?" I asked but she shrugged and hugged me in my arms and started going out. I look back to check if I secured everything first before letting Marion drag me outside.
Sun rays automatically attack my sight the very first I stepped my foot outside the room. It's practically noon and the sun is madly hot that I can feel the heat that touches my skin. I ignored it and heads to the deck where someone is waiting for me.
And when I arrived, a tall man with his long hair tied in a half ponytail talked casually to the elder members of the Hellbender Pirates. Mr. Valor noticed my arrival, I smiled and waved at him. He looks more clean and handsome now than the first time I met him. I also noticed the way the other pillars looked at me weirdly, Leopard is an exemption. That man always stared at me like a lion though it was not bothering me or making me uncomfortable.
"Oh hi Mr. Val, are you looking for me?" I asked him and he nodded.
"Oh yes, I heard about what happened. Here," Mr. Val stated and handed me the wooden dagger. I look at him to see if he is just kidding me but he only smiled at me.
"You said this is something important to you yet why are you giving me this?" I asked him as I tried to return the dagger to him. He chuckled and he caught me off guard by hugging me.
"It's weird that you made me feel good just by talking to you. And I don't know if you two are related or not because the resemblance is peculiar, I almost think she came back to me after all these years." He explained and let go of me. That's true, I don't know the reason why but I felt light-hearted talking to him too. As if my heart knows this person more than I do. The fact that I never met him before but the familiarity and warmth I felt made me sleep at night peacefully.
"I gave that dagger to you because that dagger and your dagger was made as one. Unfortunately, the owner can't keep the promise to keep each other forever, but at least through the daggers, that promise will continue." Mr. Valor, the former captain of the Hellbender happily stated but his eyes say the opposite. I smiled and nodded.
"Leave it to me Ser!!" I exclaimed and saluted at him. He laughed and mess my hair in a bun. I pouted, I hate messy things.
"Then thank you, you take care okay? Spank my moody son for me!" He jokingly remarked that made me laugh. Leopard who heard it hissed in disagreement. He must have hated it when his father treats him like that. Heh, what a cutie!
"I hope we can meet each other again," he added and crossed the boardwalk connecting caravel and the port that made my smile fly away together with the wind.
I just realized, maybe going back in here would be impossible for me anymore. I wandered my eyes around and saw the happy faces of the people on this island despite the problems and challenges they are facing. What strong and dependable people they are. I wonder if the people in my country cares for me, for the royal family who helps the kingdom function properly.
I doubt that, but I wanted to at least hope for some. I know the system is not clean, the system is not holy, for nothing in this world is perfect. In every corner, a single piece of dust is hiding and when time passed, it increased until it will eventually corrupt that whole corner with dust. It needs to be clean. The kingdom's system needs to be clean, if it needs to be replaced then I will.
I want my kingdom to be like this island. No matter how hard life is to them, the lack of medicines and doctors, the lack of foods, yet the strongest bond and faith in the whole world. Nothing will beat the strength and power of Love and Trust.
I'm going to change my world, even if it means suspecting my own family. If it means a better future for the people in my country and the others too, I will do everything in my hand.
"Hmm, I'll be back!" I happily declared that made everyone who heard me laugh whole-heartedly. The ship started preparing itself to travel.
"We'll be waiting young lady!!" Mr. Valor shouted that made me smile. I also saw Mother Mika and Father Erenz waving at us.
"HOIST THE ANCHOR! RAISE THE SAIL!!" Regor shouted and everyone on the ship are busy following his orders.
This is it. I am finally going home, not completely but that will make me at ease at least. This time, I will do my duty properly. Wait for me, everybody!
Clara, I know you are the strongest person I've ever met so I believe you survived that fire.
So wait for me!
I'm coming home.