Queen of The Sea

By The Fire

His muscles ached with every stroke he made, but he didn't dare stop. Leona clanged onto Rin's back, she was slowly drifting in and out of consciousness.  When the sun lowered itself in the sky, making room for the moon, the prince and the pirate finally reached shore. He had an idea of where they were, the island his kingdom thrived, it would be a few days walk as they were miles away and they were in a dense jungle. He stumbled onto the sandy beach, he set Leona beside him the fell to the floor. He rolled onto his back and stared at the night sky. Thousands of stars twinkled in the sky above. Bringing him back into the deepest trenches of his memory he closed his eyes and drifted away.

He was young. Ten years, maybe younger. His brother laid beside him. A few years older, well into his teens. Both boys laid on the soft grass in the courtyard of their castle. Elis, the older brother to Rin, was most entranced by the sky, he always was. The Crovan brothers always looked the same, Elis had the same dark skin and lovely brown eyes. They wore their bed clothes, as the two has snuck out to gaze at the world above.

"Little brother, look there." Elis pointed towards a cluster of stars. Rin looked at his brothers command. "There," He smiled softly. "Those are the guardian stars of Lezsoi, the goddess of the stars." He went on to explain the legend of the stars. How Lezsoi was banished from the World of The Holy by her brothers, Rytarr the god of Night, and Manas the god of Day. Only with the help of a mighty prince did she return from centuries of banishment. The goddess created the stars to protect herself from her brothers who still seek her powers. Elis went into a trance as he told the story, with exact detail. 

"Big brother, why do you know the stars so well?" Rin questioned. His brother sat up and looked at him, Rin copied him.

"Well... uhm.." He thought for a moment. "They are the same stars that are here now, and yesterday and years ago. I'm just taken with how many stories they've hold." Prince Elis grinned. "Just think about it, we are looking at the same sky people across the ocean are, the same stars our ancestors gazed at." Rin could tell he loved the stars.

"Maybe instead of a prince, you can be a stargazer!" Rin giggled, he saw a look of sadness flash in his older brother's eyes.

"Yes." Elis placed his hands on Rin's shoulders. "Oh little brother, how lucky you are." He smiled softly. 

The bright sunlight shoun onto his eyes, awaking him from his slumber. Rin shot up from his lying position and looked around. Sand covered his body as he had slept on a sandy beach, he tried to brush himself off the best he could.. He turned to his side and looked at Leona. Her knees were drawn to her chest and she gazed at the ocean. 

"I didn't mean for this to happ'n." She murmured softly, tears choked her voice. "Ya were supposed to heal her. Then we were- we were..." Leona sobbed softly. She covered her face and shivered. Rin froze, he didn't know what to do. He couldn't comfort her, he didn't know how. Rin was always awkward around ladies. "This is a bad dream. It has to be. Please tell me it's a nightmare." Leona looked at Rin, tears and snot dripped from her face, it was also puffy and red. Rin stood up and held out his hand for her to grab. 

"Listen. It is reality Leona. Your captain is dead and we are miles away from the closest civilization." Rin said firmly. Leona whipped her face with her sleeve and grabbed his hand. He pulled her up, and with a grunt of pain Leona fell into his arms. Rin huffed out. "First you can't swim and now you can't walk?" Hints of anger followed through his voice.

"I can walk." Leona propped herself up on Rin then took a step, then crashed to the floor. Rin was unimpressed. Leona grunted and looked at her legs. A large gash was on her left leg, it wasn't bleeding, at least any more. Rin looked at her leg and blinked. Leona started to hyperventilating.