Faraway from Bastion City, on the open ocean that separated the two continents of New Eden, a small boat floated on the waves smoothly.
This little sailboat, with only four people on it, was like a piece of driftwood, going up and down with the waters carrying it.
On the boat, Athena and I'die were looking forward, their eyes set on the horizon.
"Do you see it yet?" I'die asked.
"I won't see it faster if you ask every other minute, Yeobo. We won't sail faster if you just keep asking."
I'die choked on his saliva after Athena called him Yeobo, which he had learned meant darling, or honey.
She had started giving him sweet little nicknames like this only recently, and he still didn't know how to react. It wasn't to say he didn't like it, but he was quite unused to this.
I'die had never had a girlfriend, and never even entertained the idea, since his parents always hounded him with academic excellence.
But ever since he showed them he could live a better life through this game, they had been more lax with him, and he could enjoy more online time. This also came with spending more time with Athena.
One thing led to another, and Athena declared them a couple, without asking him his opinion, and started acting all lovely with him.
He was still wrapping his head around this event, and hardly ever returned her nicknames. But his shyness did not sour Athena.
It only made him more endearing to her.
She was about to fake a pout at him, for not responding to her feelings, when her eyes caught something in the distance. Her face turned into a big, dumb grin.
"There! Five kilometres to the northeast! Land ho!" she shouted.
Her arm extended in the direction she mentioned, as she jumped up and down in joy.
I'die was grateful to the gods that it took her mind off of him, and he let her excitement trickle into him as well.
He laughed and jumped, happy that they had found their target. They had been sailing for days now, in search of a specific island.
Many times had their little vessel been prey to large nautical monsters or unexpected storms. Luckily, the two sailors they had enlisted for their trip were veterans.
They navigated them through the storms with expert ability and made sure their boat stayed safe while Athena and I'die took care of the monsters.
Over the last week, I'die had become very adept at controlling the powers of the sea, and his ability to fight on the sea had improved leaps and bounds.
As for Athena, she usually kept aboard the boat and harassed the enemies from afar. On the very few occasions that she couldn't do that, I'die's spacial awareness had grown enough that he could make her footholds everywhere she moved.
But they had finally found their expedition's target.
It was an island fabled to contain a pond that could grant wishes.
Of course, I'die and Athena doubted it was that simple. They had come only because they wanted to explore every nook and cranny of the map.
The possible wish was a bonus.
Hearing their joyful screams, the two sailors turned the nose of the boat toward the direction she called out, and unfurled the secondary sail, to get some speed.
Five kilometres was a short distance, considering the vastness of the sea, and they made a brisk pace toward it.
Once they landed on the beach, their priority was to make camp and find food and water. Their resources were getting sparse, after a week on the sea.
The boat hit the sand bed, sending its occupants lurching forward, and ground to a stop. With practiced movements, all four of them hopped off the vessel, rope in hand, and started tugging them to bring the little boat further on the shore.
The night's high tides were treacherous if they left the boat too far off the island, after all.
It took the group a little under an hour to set up camp, find a creek with drinkable water, and some fruit trees that were safe for their consumption. And once this was done, they looked at the sun and decided the exploration would go to the next day.
The sun was already lowering on the horizon, and it would set in a few hours. I'die and Athena still took it upon themselves to secure a perimeter around the camp, so they could rest easy through the night.
Both of them were adept trackers, now, thanks to Athena teaching I'die how, and after an hour, declared the surroundings safe.
The island only had a few animals inhabiting it, according to them, and they were mostly critters who fled at the sight of their presence. Their only risk would come from the sea, as it always had.
The pair found a lovely pond near their camp, with hip-deep water, where they could clean off the salt from travelling on the ocean for a week.
Athena called dibs, offering I'die to join her, which he refused with his face redder than a tomato. She giggled at his prude-ness and left to go bathe.
One of the two sailors grinned when he saw her leave, but a single murderous glare from I'die dissuaded him from doing anything unbecoming.
When she came back, smelling like flowers, for some reason, I'die and the sailors went there as well, to clean up.
They took much less time than she had and realized why she smelled so sweet. The water itself smelled like a mix of water lilies and lotus leaves.
It was a welcome addition to washing off the sweat and salt from their skin.
After cleaning up, they returned to camp, where Athena had already started making dinner. It smelled of fruits and roots, which disconcerted the sailors.
"Urgh… When was the last time we had meat? I miss meat…" one of them complained.
The other punched him in the arm.
"Maybe if you hadn't gobbled down all our jerky on the second day, we could enjoy this with some jerky, dumbass."
The two of them started play-fighting, getting sand stuck in their hair, beards and clothes, defeating the purpose of the earlier bath entirely.
I'die ignored their antics and sat down to eat. He thanked Athena for the meal and devoured it ravenously.
Dusk came rapidly, the sunset painting a gorgeous image above the waves, making I'die marvel and Athena's stomach flutter in awe.
She even took a screenshot, to set this moment in stone. Looking at I'die's marvelling face, she smiled softly to herself.
'Tonight. Tonight I make my move. He won't be able to refute his feelings any longer.'
The sourc𝗲 of this content is free(w)ebnov(𝒆)l