A Pirates Life For Me

shadowy valley of death

Meeri, Leon, and Alora eventually made their way out of the cave and headed towards the Valley.  As they walked along the golden, sandy path, Alora was lost in her mind thinking about the symbols.

"I asked you before, and I'll ask you a few more times. Can you ever stay out of your own head?" "My answer hasn't changed since the first time, now has it?" Leon shrugged in response. "I just don't understand why those symbols are following us." "Following us?"

"Think about it. I have never seen those symbols in my life-" "because you've been trapped on a boat for ninety-nine percent of it." "No need to remind me, asshole. As I was saying, Then suddenly I showed up to Addersmell, I ran into you, and then I found those symbols in the graveyard." Alora paused, letting her mind slow down a little to keep her words clear.

"And as the universe just so has it, you had seen the symbols years before. Now we're stuck together, and we show up somewhere neither of us have been before, and the symbols are here too?" "You forgot the part where you and my brother were both branded by this thing." "That too, which still relates to us meeting. I don't think any of this is a coincidence."

"You don't even believe in coincidence, do you?" "About as much as I believe in ghosts. But sometimes I do have to tell myself that some things are just that- a coincidence." "Let's say you're right, it isn't a coincidence. Because I'll admit, it is weird, but why would it be happening to us? Me I understand because-"

Leon paused, and when he realized Alora was giving him an uneasy look he continued. "Because all of this has heavily been about me, thanks to my brother and dad." When Alora turned her eyes back to the path, leon released a breath he didn't know he was holding. But he knew Alora definitely felt he wasn't being straight up with her.

"But you? I don't understand why a girl who has been at sea her entire life would relate to this at all." Meeri listened, but she didn't say a word. She would leave it to Leon to at least tell Alora the truth. She understood why her sister was now a part of this. She would tell Alora that after Leon breaks the worst part to her. Unless Leon has a death sentence to do it first.

Meeri told Leon it would sound better coming from him, but she knew regardless of who told Alora it would end poorly. Meeri was just hoping Alora hated Leon less than she hated her. "Well whatever the reason is, we better figure it out. I don't wanna live every day believing my own shadow is out to get me."

For the first time, Alora's voice waivered as she trailed off at the end. Leon had never heard Alora sound almost- well he didn't know. It felt sad, but didn't sound that way specifically. Leon just thought it was unusual. Alora would quiet the end of her sentences occasionally, but the strong and stern tone constantly in her voice never changed.

But those last few words, felt soft. And part of Leon's heart broke. He couldn't imagine Alora letting anything bother her, besides him and Meeri. He knew if Alora was uncertain, then it really wouldn't be easy. And that scared Leon.

"Hey, look up!" Meeri yelled from way ahead of the two trailing behind. When they looked up they spotted something red and green flying around them. It glided through the air with bat-like wings,  making sounds like an eagle crossed with a pterodactyl. Its large tail was lined with spikes and fanned out like a fish tail. The ears on its head were angled backwards, almost like an angry cat.

"What is that?" "A zonfury." "Zonfury?" "A horizonfury. It's a dragon-like creature, that also has the features of other animals. They come out as the sun sets, and just fly around. And they like to set things on fire." "Sounds like my kind of creature." "Some believe the furies set fire to the sky during sunset, and keep the sun shining. They believe that's where the colors come from."