The Book Of Flowers
In the Midst of Storms (1)
-- The night -- - the
The day was getting late, but the movement of the ship could not make Veskal fall asleep at all. He got up and went straight out towards the deck to get some fresh air
The moment he opened the entrance of the ship, he was instantly ambushed by the cold night wind. Winter is indeed very becoming now so that his body almost feels frozen when he just went up to the deck. Although not as severe as in Hortensia because this ship is moving towards the Southeast, heading right to the middle of Goeitias
He was busy walking, and his eyes looked in all directions to see the extremely glittering view of the starry sky in the night sky. The sight that made him spontaneously smile saw her
Looking back and forth, he found Cyth, the captain of the ship, enjoying the night breeze by the side of the ship, staring into the horizon without his usual smile. Something that felt very strange to Veskal, even though he only knew Cyth just a few hours before that time
She had no intention of interrupting, but seeing the captain's eyes, she was attracted and slowly walked up to him, until Cyth noticed the boy's presence
Cyth turned his head and waved his hand as Veskal approached and replied briefly
"Can't sleep, son?" He opened the conversation
"so. The weather is very cold in Hortensia, and I hate the cold. Also, why can you withstand the cold without warm clothes?"
Veskal had already noticed the captain's clothes from earlier and none of them looked warm even though the sailor's suit looked sufficient. He even unbuttoned his shirt and made his chest visible....
"If you have often sailed on a ship, this weather will only feel like a cool breeze for you" answered Cyth steadily
Even if it is, he can get sick. If he is sick, no task will be completed
...
Veskal ignored his thoughts. He stood beside Cyth and looked to the horizon, letting the cold night wind to the bone
"... You're a waiter?" Ask Cyth
Veskal just nodded slowly without moving his gaze even a bit, making Cyth nod in understanding
"Hm... I don't know your name yet, by the way"
"Vescal Grandier. But I'd rather you didn't use my 'Grandier' name just now"
Cyth turned his gaze towards Veskal and leaned his back towards the outskirts of the ship, wanting to wonder why. But he directly crossed the question out of his head and mouth, turning to something more not to spoil the atmosphere
"... My real name is Cyan Keith. I turned her into Cyth because I didn't like both of my names" she said with a smile
Veskal finally exchanged glances with Cyth when he heard his words, fully interested in hearing the story
Knowing the curious gaze of the child, Cyth who was still leaning then continued his words while looking up at the night sky. His smile began to fall back
"The name was given by the previous captain of Black Hunt. The woman saved me when I was unlucky and made me her right hand
At first I didn't like the name because it sounded weird. And because of that, he often called me a fussy brat. In fact, our age is not much different"
...
"Well... I got tired thinking about him" Cyth turned his back and leaned his hand on the edge of the ship
He then covered his face with his other hand and the smile on his face slowly disappeared, making Veskal come mad to watch it
"... His body was lost at sea. The tough woman who had a lot of scars on some parts of her body died from magic. Magic that should have hit me"
...
Veskal did not comment at all
Silence came between them because he could not think of a single thing to turn the atmosphere around to normal
He had only one question, and he finally asked Cyth after he couldn't hold it any longer
"Why are you telling me that?"
The question that made Cyth stunned for a moment
"... It just takes people to tell stories" He replies briefly, while chuckling in between
It also makes Veskal feel more comfortable to ask other questions
"... Now, you like your name?"
"Haha! Sure was! That's my captain's first gift!"
He then examined the sea-shell shaped necklace he was wearing with a sad look, yet with a happy smile. The two expressions are opposite, yet make a harmony clear enough to describe the heart contents of Cyth for Veskal read
"And this is her last gift" Cyth said...
Veskal was silent for a moment. She smiled as she looked at the necklace
"... A beautiful necklace" Veskal commented
"Beautiful the man who used to wear it"
Cyth laughed a little. But behind that, it was obvious that he felt heartbroken after this conversation
A small laughter that sounded painful, until silence came again afterwards. The two of them stood side by side, but this time only focused on looking towards the night sky
The sound of the calm pounding waves made them feel carried away by him. And the starry sky above them looks like a sprinkling of sparkling white sand, entertaining the eyes of the beholder
They enjoyed the view for a moment. The next conversation was reopened by Cyth
"... Why do you want to be their servant?"
Cyth's question left Veskal stunned. He had actually never thought of the 'why' reason of his intention. He just felt 'must' and 'want'
A feeling he had been holding back all this time and had just been able to vent for himself...
"... I don't know..."
Veskal's eyes were fixed on the sky filled with scattered starlight and shone brightly as he thought of an answer
And after something came to his head, he answered the question more properly
"I might just want to rest"
His eyes were closed, as if he was sleeping in that place and at that moment. The answer he gave was just enough. The decision is in Cyth's hands to digest and respond to that answer
And Cyth just smiled at the words of Veskal
"The elf said something to me first. He said 'you've done your best', or something" Veskal continued
The thought of my words flashed through his head. Thoughts from a few months ago, which he always remembered and kept in his heart
My words are something that should be asked the question 'why'
"He's a strange man. Why would he want to help a useless person like me?" He also added
She smiled in the middle of her small laugh. The same little smile that Cyth just did. His eyes slowly opened and looked back at the star above their heads, trying to drive away the fear in his heart
Cyth even responded by laughing as if something was funny. Perhaps, it was because it seemed as if their current conversation was a predetermined destiny
"... I thought we were the same" Cyth said
He then began to move from his place and walked towards the rudder of the ship. Veskal was just silently glued to his back that was getting away, unable to reach him anymore to ask what the meaning of the words was
But Cyth stopped stepping, as if he had just forgotten something he had to do for Veskal
"Listen to my advice, son..." He turned back without turning his body
"... Don't think of yourself as low near them. Spend time with them as much as you can. And most importantly, cherish your time with them. You won't be able to find people like them again when you're apart"
...
That was all he needed to say, before he started to step back. Veskal could not see his facial expression at the time
He could only stare at Cyth who was slowly climbing up to the rudder of the ship and then disturbing his men who looked sleepy but still had to pay attention to the movement of the ship
...
...
...
'Appreciate your time with them'
"..."
He was no longer feeling the taste for the wind. That was enough, and he should go back to his room
Enough, cold wind for tonight
......................
--- The next day ---
*BRUK!!!*
"HUH!!??"
I woke up feeling someone's body hit me hard
When I looked, Ivor, who fell from his bed, woke up with me. What the hell's going on?
I looked around to find the answer. And I was surprised because all the moving objects slumped as if this ship was in a tilted position
Waitaminute! This ship is indeed tilting!
I immediately removed Ivor from my body until he slammed onto the floor and immediately went to wake Verdea in the next room
And fortunately, Veskal is on standby and has made sure Verdea is safe. He hugs Verdea on their bed, knowing that this situation is not normal
Luna and Luxor were also on standby for the situation
"Let's go to the deck! Veskal, just stay here with Verdea while we're there!" I exclaimed
They all nodded steadily, while I went to another room to wake up my remaining friends. As Verdea and Veskal looked out the window, all they could see was the white of a strong wind
-- Deck ship ---
Lothawat! The rock came early and made everything blurry up here!
"Mythe! What's going on!?"
I slowly approached him while trying to fight the fierce snowy wind for some reason
"Bad news! The storm came earlier than I expected!" Cyth called for a return
He staggered and almost fell when the ship started to shake violently because of the wind that blew, so I spontaneously helped him so that he would not be thrown out
The crew screamed here and there and made the atmosphere even more chaotic
"CAPTAIN! WHAT SHOULD WE DO!?"
"WE'RE DONE!"
"WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!"
Their morale is declining. We have to do something, but I know very well that only Cyth can handle the mental state of his crew members
And because of that, he calmed the crew by shouting loudly and firmly
"Pull that little brain of yours and watch the area around the ship! Don't be a sissy in this situation! We've dealt with worse, haven't we!?"
I'd like to say it's rude, but it's better than they keep being rude. After all, his call just now had already begun to have an effect
"They'll hear it. They're stupid, but they're not stupid"
He then shifted his focus back to his crew
"Black Hunt's crew members will not die under my watch! Don't forget our promise to our former comrades! Keep going and fight this storm if we want to get out of it!!"
The crew looked stunned for a moment. Their faces turned serious along with their captain. "Aye!", they shouted out loud, as everyone began to work while trying to calmly handle the situation
And Cyth did not escape in giving them instructions. "Stay flying that screen! Use your magic so that it doesn't rip!". Then he threw a pair of binoculars in his right hand. "Use this and tell everyone about the ocean conditions! Your eyes are four, but your vision is much better than the others!"
It seems that in this age, everyone with glasses will be called four-eyed...
I also understand why all the crew members of this ship are very obedient to him. He's so charismatic, I have to admit that
A leader who can lighten the atmosphere while being able to give strict directions like now, is someone who deserves to be called a 'Captain'. I can see why he's standing in that position right now
Whoever chose her to be the leader of this ship has made the best choice in the world. And we were lucky we got on their boat to cross over
"And when I said I had a trick yesterday-!"
He turned to face me who was a little surprised. Confidently he pointed at my face, and closed his sentence with an expression
"You will be the trick!" He loudly exclaimed
Haha! He is not even shy about asking for our help, his guest!
I'm impressed! There aren't many honest people like you, and I'm impressed!
"... With pleasure! We are also not planning on dying, so use our strength in this!" I also replied, where my friends immediately listened to a disapproving attitude with a harmonious tone
But that didn't stop Cyth from immediately smiling steadily at my response
He then took a break from before us and began directing his crew deftly
"alright. Then I want you to come help them. Just follow the man's direction" I said to all my friends
...
...
...
And if...
"!!!"
--- I was not aware of that unexpected presence...
--- Everything should go smoothly
"What's up, Vainzel?" Ordelia asked, noticing my suddenly changed face and looking towards the inner door of the ship
"Verdea!! Veskal!!"
......................
-- In the meantime ----
Veskal still hugged Verdea tightly on their mattress as he felt the ship staggering to and fro over the fierce waves
Verdea felt trembling with fear in the arms of Veskal. He planted his face on his friend's chest while closing his eyes, while Veskal still had to endure the fear of his own amid the uneasy silence
Veskal continued to try to calm Verdea, but always failed every time the ship shook because it was hit by waves that sometimes felt strange and made the ship tilted
*BRAK!*
The ship continued to be hit by the waves almost every second
Veskal was already feeling anxious about this situation, plus when he felt Verdea's body was getting creepy in fear
...
And to add to his anxiety, an unknown black aura gathered near them. The black aura was so familiar, that Veskal could not ignore the presence just like that
The black aura then disappeared, and the person who attacked them yesterday appeared behind it. Jael Tarasque
"You...!"
He forced Verdea out of his arms
Veskal spontaneously pulled out his knife, but-
"Strive Mr. Grandier. I don't want to hurt you. My target is behind you" Yael said as he pointed at Verdea
-- Veskal got goosebumps hearing that sentence
Verdea flinched, but Veskal stood alerted before her
"Close your foul mouth and go...!" Veskal said with a clumping anger, though he himself was afraid of the presence of the man
"Let's~ I've been working hard to move that storm here, so give me a little present"
"I'll chop you up if you dare to approach...!"
Yael laughed at Veskal's threat, which to him was very cute
"Ah, so? Prove it"
Yael flicked his finger and Veskal was suddenly smashed into the wall by his side, before holding his neck as if he was choking
The knife he was holding must have fallen to the floor as he thrashed and tried to breathe air
"Haha! With just a little black magic you can't stand it!" Jael provokes
Veskal kept trying to take a breath. But realizing that he would not be able to do so, he moved forward and threw the knife he had hidden under his shirt. Yael certainly brushed the thing off very easily, but Veskal was still trying to move quickly to ram Yael until they both fell to the floor
"Vescal!" Verdea yelled
"LA-R-!"
Verdea creeps. But he tried to listen to Veskal's orders
So he tried as quickly as possible to get off his bed and ran out
"I'm going to find Vainzel!" Verdea shouted
But his hope was dashed, along with the door of the room that was suddenly tightly shut and locked due to a magic, just as Verdea was before him
"All right, let's finish the mess. My lord Rosalia wouldn't be happy if I took too long"
Yael removed Veskal's limp body, lifted himself up with magic until he stood back up, then kicked Veskal so he rolled towards the foot of the mattress
Veskal felt more and more pain in his chest, especially after moving by forcing his body just now. While Yael slowly approached Verdea with a black magic that was ready in his hand
"W-why are you doing this?" Verdea said with a body trembling in fear
But Jael did not answer that question at all
"Aw~ Don't be afraid. It won't hurt" Yael said with a cynical smile
But, Veskal once again confronted him. The robe he was wearing was pulled as hard as possible by Veskal so he could not advance any further
Therefore, he felt annoyed to Veskal and flicked the finger on his left hand
Veskal was in more pain. The black magic within his body was starting to feel piercing like a knife inside his chest
"I like to torture people, but it seems like I have to finish you off quickly"
"... Verdean... Du-duk!"
"...!"
Following Veskal's orders, Verdea swiftly bowed to the floor while protecting her head
And at the same time, my hand went through the door and went towards Jael
But, Yael noticed, dodging right before my hand pierced his chest. He quickly began to cast teleportation magic
Black aura started to gather around him. But just as I managed to break in until the door floated up and hit him in the face, I immediately tied it up and slammed it through the multi-layered wall, undoing the black aura that gathered
Loud blows could be heard throughout the area. Jael spurted blood from his mouth because of the dings I gave just now, as he slumped down and sat limply on the floor
"Dam-ch!" Jael panicked
Verdea immediately moved closer to Veskal while grimacing loudly when I managed to break in. My hand that extends out of my body as I wish
Without further ado, I darted straight towards Yael
He panicked when he saw me move quickly towards him. However, his body ached so much that he threw magic from his place to protect himself. And while he was doing that, the black aura re-assembled around him
I easily repelled his attack and got closer
But just as I was about to hit him again, he disappeared in an instant. This time, he teleported
I can only grumble knowing that
"Damn! He's escaped!"
...
Huh...! Good thing I put my tracking seed in Verdea's pocket. Had I not done it or been late just a little, the two of them might have died by now because I was unaware of Jael's presence
Veskal coughed while trying to get up from the floor. The black magic within his body had already disappeared so that it could breathe air as usual again
I ran to his place to help. However, he looked normal and did not suffer any injuries that were too deep. Even though he's spitting a little blood out of his mouth, it's probably because of a hard blow
I also did not detect the slightest bit of black magic left on his body. Thank goodness the savage witch didn't put a curse on him or anything like that
When his cough subsided, he smiled at me with a face that was still limp
I immediately hugged the two of them and heaved a sigh of relief
"Thank God...! I'm grateful you're okay...!"
Verdea's cry grew even more so as she tightly hugged me back
On the other side...
-- Veskal was just stunned
She's stunned...
...
And she shed her tears, realizing that she had nothing to fear anymore
Slowly, he returned my embrace while grimacing without a loud voice. I just knelt there while I waited for the two of them to calm down. I won't hold back their current attitude after the two went through such a frightening thing just now
The atmosphere instantly felt calm as they grimaced. Even the sound of waves has begun to sound normal, although the wind still sounds strong
And along with that, Verdea started to just sob. The two calmed down again, as if following the waves that had not hit this ship again
"Hey... The waves were calm" I said to both of them
And before long, the sound of the crew cheering was clearly heard all the way to our place
I smiled at those who were stunned by this incident. We'll let things pass for a while
Before they asked a lot, I carried Verdea and I held Veskal's hand which still wiped his tears clean. The little boy began to plant his face on my shoulder with his arms around my neck, while Veskal was silent and not looking at us at all. His face was wasted as if he felt embarrassed for having grimaced just now
I just laughed a little because of her behavior, and also to lighten the atmosphere. I took both of them out so they could feel calmer
......................
--- Back on the deck of the ship ---
"Vaine...! You should give me something later...!" Lyralia complained
He stretched out his hands beside his body while looking like he was in a stomachache and held it all his might
Ordelia, Ivor, Luxor and Luna circle around it and drain their Mana to Lyralia. Wh why? Because they are the reason why the waves calmed down as we moved a little more stable in the middle of this slightly easing snowstorm
"Good, good! Stay that way until we get out of this damn wind area!" Cyth instead called from the steering area of the ship
All the crew looked very happy and excited in their duties to supervise the ship, unlike my friends who seemed to want to vomit
I just laughed awkwardly at the atmosphere, especially since they were so limp and stiff in maintaining their respective poses
So that's Cyth's plan... He used Lyralia who was an Elf of the Undine clan to calm the tide...
"Haha! Even though I thought that there were at least 3 water Elves among your friends, everything still went smoothly!" Cyth said as he approached us
"At least it worked, didn't it?" I retaliated
"WE DON'T AGREE WITH THIS!!" Shouted my friends annoyed
For a moment, there was a wave that was quite hard hit the ship and made them forced to refocus to control the sea water
"Whatever. Happy working~!" I'm being soiled
And my teasing made Verdea again raise her head, even though she was still leaning on my shoulder
"Vaine..."
...
"Captain Cyth-"
"Call me Cyth"
...
"Cythe. I'll discuss some things with you. But first, we have to calm these two kids down"
My words also made Cyth look at the two with a worried look. Mainly because he really doesn't know what's going on
"Are you okay, son?" Cyth asked Veskal who was still struggling
Veskal just nodded slowly
That response only made Cyth even more worried. He exchanged glances between Veskal and myself, but then only sighed in confidence there would be many questions
"Then we should just focus on sailing, okay son?" He also stroked Veskal's head
Better so. He was right not to continue this conversation and just refocus on handling his ship
"All right! Towards Goeitias!"
They all cheered loudly in response to Cyth
And at that very moment, Veskal's eyes were on us all one by one. To me, Verdea, my friends — and lastly, Cyth. But none of us were aware of the look in his eyes
His eyes were fixed on Cyth, sparkling when he saw the figure of the captain of the ship
And at that moment, he said something which, when Cyth turned his head for a moment, he grasped the meaning of Veskal's mouth movements
Cyth smiled as usual when he caught it. But he did not respond anymore, letting the boy take up as much space as he needed at this moment
