The Light Of The Storm | Genshin Impact Fanfiction

4. be

The sun was slowly hiding behind the horizon. Kazuha can state it is only by the glare piercing through the increasingly thick layer of mist hovering over the surface of the salt water. He didn't know whether he was far from home, but if he was traveling for many hours, it was not long before he had to enter Dark Sea territory.

Steering the boat proved surprisingly easy. Maybe it was due to the experience gained by watching the Alcor crew, or maybe it was just that by nature the basics of sailing didn't require much skill. Whatever it was, Kazuha was glad that at least this problem had been solved. Worse were the other decisions made during the voyage.

First and foremost,he did not have any idea how much time he spent. He was far from any source of water or food. By now he had caught as much fish as possible, plus he had a considerable supply of smoked meat, cheese and rusks in a cache below deck, but he feared that this would not be enough when he had to return from Tomo. As long as he was returning from Tomo.

He rotated a fish on a small fire. He had already dealt with the portable fire-starting plates invented in Liyue, but this did not at all make him feel more confident. With the boat rocking, even the smallest moment of inattention could end up with some coals or sparks falling onto the deck and setting the deck on fire. He didn't even think about the fact that he was surrounded by plenty of water, which he could have easily put out the fire straight away.

Well, yes, the amount of kindling was also limited. This ruled out the possibility of feeding on caught fish for the entire journey. So, however, one will have to dose one's supplies in a sensible way....

The worst part, however, was the water. He had no idea whether his trek would last days, weeks or even more, and what he was able to take was enough to last him a month, as long as he used the supplies himself. This meant that if he didn't make landfall in a fortnight, he would have to return as soon as possible.

Well, yeah. Also the amount of matches was limited too. That excluded the possibility of feeding on caught fish throughout the journey. So, however, you will need to dose yourself with supplies in a sensible way....

The worst part, however, was the water. He had no idea whether his trek would last days, weeks or even more, and what he was able to carry was enough to last him a month, provided he used the supplies himself. This meant that if he did not reach land in a fortnight, he would have to return as soon as possible.

Unless, by now, his compass had gone crazy, as the fishermen on Watatsumi Island had warned him about. It could become demagnetised or point in the wrong direction if there was a huge deposit of metal nearby. Kazuha shuddered at the thought. Sailors from Cruxa often told him various stories, and one of them was about a traveller who got lost in the desert. He intended to use a compass to get home, but the compass kept pointing him to a mountain that stood out among the sand and rocks, glistening with copper ores. Obviously, the man met the best end.

Through the memory of the grim history, the fish suddenly lost its enticing smell. Kazuha gave up trying to cook it in the best possible way. He quenched the water and set about grimly chewing the tender meat with hard rusks. Despite its pleasant texture, the dish lacked flavour. Kazuha blamed this on the characteristics of an unknown species of fish.

The Sea Breeze never bothered him. On this day, on the other hand, it seemed suffocating, like poisonous smoke stubbornly invading his lungs. The boundless ocean, usually associated with him with unlimited freedom, this time resembled a cage. The unchanging landscape, so beloved during his days of sailing with friends, seemed to mock him, and play with him, slowly becoming unbearable.

Is this how Tomo felt, alone for so long on some mysterious task somewhere in dangerous and unfamiliar territory far beyond his home country?

How much he had to suffer from loneliness? Did he still remember his old friend, since his name had long since escaped him?