The Sea

Rin smiled. "I'm not sure. Anything interesting to see?"

Kellach took a small swig and set the drink down. "Thanks," he said, staring at the glass. "How's your day been?"

Kixig looked up in thought. "What do you find interesting?"



Jordan chuckled. "Slow. You?"

Rin shook her head. "I'm not sure." In the past several years, only battle plans and strategy had interested her, out of necessity and desperation more than anything. "I trust your judgement."

"More exciting than I'd like." He took another swig. "I'm hoping to get back home, but I need to know where home is first."

Kixig smiled at her, his eyes shining at the very thought that she would put her trust in him in any way.

"Then I know a thing!!" He offered his scaly hand to Rin, ready to lead the way.



Jordan raised a brow. "Sounds like you're a bit lost, to me."

Glancing down at his hand for a moment, Rin took it.

"Yep," Kellach said, nodding. "Don't even know how lost I am."

Kixig went off into a run, leading Rin by the hand. He kept looking back at her on occasion with childlike excitement as he began to lead her out of the more condensed part of the town towards what looked to be a small farm. Kixig eventually stopped in front of a fenced area in which a variety of farm animals could be seen. Kixig, with a swift leap, hopped the fence, and came running over with a little baby goat in his hands. The kid was adorable, but the one unique thing about the goat was that it had five little horn nubs on its head as opposed to the normal two.

"Look!" Kixig said with a smile, holding the goat out to Rin.



"Well where are you from?" Jordan asked as she began to clean a few glasses.

Rin chuckled as the kid let out a loud bleat. "It's adorable. Would it be all right if I touch it?"

Kixig nodded. "Yeah! Of course. He's a friendly fella."

"Not really sure if it's in this world?" Kellach replied, looking up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Jordan scoffed. "You sure you haven't had more to drink that what I gave you?"

"Don't drink much," Kellach said, beginning to slur his words as he watched the glass. "Don't remember names, either, so I can't tell you where I was going to. They just said it was going to have a beach with a lot of cliffs, and that's not here. Haven't heard any of names of places here either."

Rin put a hand on the goat's soft hair. So unlike the hard things she usually held, the stiff quill of a pen, or the cold, unyielding hilt of a sword. It was strange to be touching such a soft, gentle thing with her callused, rough hands, but it was also a pleasant feeling. A small, amused smile pulled at the corners of Rin's mouth as she wondered what Kilian would think if he saw her at this moment.


A man leapt down from the ship. He appeared to be a crewman, dressed in the normal garb of a sailor, with a face dark from days under the sun.

He headed towards town. When he was sure no one could see him, he exhaled deeply and closed his eyes. And then he changed. His clothes became dark and nondescript. His bulky build turned lithe and slender, his skin lightened to a ghostly white. He opened his eyes, which were now an icy blue.

That was a cumbersome disguise, he thought with a small smirk. Then he walked further into the town, glancing at the buildings around him. Spying a tavern, he decided to go inside.

He came up to the counter, where a man was speaking with the bartender.

"Why, hello," he said, with a slow smile.