Join Iah, Lei, Nyima, Adela and their friends as they embark on a treasure hunt to uncover the secrets of the map found in the ancient ruins of Rios. But what they discover in Mina may lead them to regret ever finding the ancient tablet in the first...
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I opened my eyes and saw that I was riding on my dad's back.
"Hey, sport!" Dad said, grinning.
"Hey, Dad," I said, smiling slightly. I looked up and looked at the vast expanse of sea. Didn't expect to be sailing back home. Though, given the war, this was probably the safest route back home.
"How do you feel?" Mom asked me.
"Fine."
"Good," she said. "You'll need your strength for tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" I asked.
"You need to get ready to go to Nine Petal, no?"
Oh, right. I had to go to school. Ugh.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"About noon," Mom said.
I'd been asleep for that long? Lately, it's been hard for me to stay awake. Since the war, my eyes have hurt. Should've listened to Vermeil and Mother about not overusing them. But I couldn't help myself. It was either that or death.
Mom walked toward the inside of the boat. "Let's eat lunch."
"Lunch? What is there?"
Dad grinned. "I caught some fish earlier. Your mom used her portable stove to whip something up for us."
I got off of Dad's back.
"That's a relief," I said. I took out my wallet. I didn't have much money left, but I still could afford to buy a few things. Not that we were anywhere near land by the look of things.
"Here," Mom said, taking the wallet from me. She handed me a grilled fish on a stick. "It's on the house."
I laughed. Mom would often joke about charging me and Dad for food, but at the end of the day, she never did accept payment.
We sat down next to each other as we ate.
"So, what's next?" Dad asked me.
"About what?" I asked as I blew on my fish.
"What you'll be doing after we get home. Think that you should get some rest in before heading out again."
I bit on my fish. It was tasty, salty like I liked them. "I'll probably start heading to Nine Petal in two days or so."
Dad smiled. "I'm sure that you're going to be happy to see your friends again."
I smiled slightly. "Yeah, I am." Too bad that I couldn't speak to An much before departing for home. Honestly, I was out of it during most of that conversation. Hopefully, he hadn't noticed. He shouldn't have to worry about me when he had his recovery to focus on.
"Hopefully, it'll be a calmer year than the last," Mom said.
I laughed. "I don't know, I like a bit of chaos. It keeps things fun."
