Oken Rebirth: Tales of An Unknown World

CHAPTER 16: JOURNEY

The next day I get out of bed early, almost as early as I did the day before, which isn't all that surprising because no matter how tired I get now I don't need that much sleep to recover my strength anymore and that's all thanks to Los. He has given me a lot since I met him, from ancient knowledge all the way to power beyond my wildest dreams not to mention mastery over both water and healing magic.

I head outside, fetch water from the well and take a quick bath after heating it up over a blazing and alluring fire.

After my bath, which is just a quick wash in the indoor bath because I can't use the outdoor bath, the winter cold isn't all that friendly this time of year and day. I go back to my room, get dressed, do a little meditation with Los disturbing me half way through of course and after I'm done I head back downstairs for my breakfast.

When I get to the kitchen I find Nirl already munching away on a sandwich with his cup, probably filled with grape juice since it's his favourite, in his 'sandwichless' hand.

Finding him up at this time isn't surprising because he's an early bird and of course between him and Hydris I meet up with him first since we live in the same house. The young dragon looks extra fetching this morning, sitting there looking like freshly baked bread on this cold winter morning. Just what I need to get my day started.

We say our good mornings as I sit on a high stool at the table with an apple and a bowl of soft porridge. After we finish our breakfast we make our way to the Eium household where Hydris has been staying since he got here and wait for him to finish getting ready.

While we wait, Nirl talks to the head of the Eium family, Gareth. They talk about drinking until they spill their guts out when Nirl returns and while they do that I help Emily, Gareth's wife, to prepare her family's morning meal in their indoor kitchen. Thank you Ilena, your cooking lessons are already paying off. I think to myself chopping up the tomatoes.

Hydris makes his way into the room after a little while and has his breakfast. When he is done we are escorted to the eastern shore where the other early birds of the village see us off.

The serpent prince draws a small circle on Nirl's forehead that vanishes the moment it connects its ends and he explains that it will help him breathe and maneuver easily underwater. Shortly after that he walks to the shallow parts of the sea and morphs into his serpent form, and both Nirl and I get on his head and wave goodbye to the villagers.

Among the villagers seeing us off are Ilena and Kairo, Ezaire isn't really feeling all that well so she isn't here to send us off with everyone else. That's what you get for eating more than you can handle.

A serpent morphed Hydris sways a bit on the surface of the sea until he reaches the deep shores and takes a dive. Slowly descending into the deep blue, his speed allows me to take in the beautiful aquatic scenery.

I see a school of fish swim away from us and I can tell Nirl wants to net and roast them over a well-built fire and have them with a side of Ilena's mouthwatering salad dressing, but he holds himself back.

"Focus." I mime what he says after slaps his cheeks and can't help but let out a laugh.

The young Iphian prince starts picking up speed and before long the sea starts getting darker. I look back and see a faint crimson light glistening in the part of the sea we just swam from.

"I guess that's Ezaire's barrier huh? It's closer than I thought it would be."

What? Hydris asks me with a confused tenor in-thought.

"That red light back there, that's Ezaire's barrier."

I don't see anything. Hydris says after stopping and shifting his body to see what I am talking about, but all he is met with is the island's base.