Elias wakes up with the setting sun beaming hues of red and pink down on his face. He looks around to find a rocky gray beach, the warm water was dancing around his feet. Someone’s silhouette was running towards him in the distance.
“Kristen?” He muttered under his breath
She stops by his side, her knees colliding with the small pebbles. She then grabs Elias by his shoulders, shaking him to wake him up even more.
“Elias! You’re alive!” She yelled as she pulled him up to sit. She laughs quietly and hugs him but Elias doesn’t return the favor.
“Thank goodness.. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself” She said as she helped Elias up.
They begin to walk towards some tall vegetation. Some species Elias has never even seen before. The group was already setting up camp. They had tents and makeshift huts, and even a hammock tugging between two trees. They must have arrived here a while ago.
He looked at Kristen- she seemed like she hadn’t just been in an airship wreck, even though she was completely soaked. Her clothes were waterlogged and her long black hair adhered to her shoulders. As he looked passed her, Elias saw the others trudging off of the beach.
“Do we know where we are?” Elias asked as he scanned the area.
“Uhm… no i'm sure the Captain has an idea though.” She said with a friendly grin.
"Wheres...where's the Dragonfin ship?" Elias asked. He didn't see the wreck of that massive ship.
"Not sure.. I think it crashed way north of here, but we washed up south cause of the currents or something.."
Elias looked at her. She still had that gleam in her eye. The feverish excitement. She happily got them both into the situation that they are in now and that angered Elias, though he never really expressed it.
When they arrived, it seemed like just enough Dragonfin resources survived the crash, and apparently washed up along with them- allowing them to have food and water. Kristen and Elias sat down on a recently cut log together and were provided cloaks by Tsuni.
Though he wasn’t cold, it comforted him. A campfire was started shortly after as the sun slowly disappeared behind the horizon. Adira, Flecks, Tsuni, and the two remaining crew members seemed to relax over those hours; talking, eating and even laughing. All the while, Kristen sat by Elias’s side. Elias was there getting angrier and angrier.
He couldn't take it anymore. He turned his head and prepared to yell what has been cloistered at the back of his tongue ever since they both left that Skyport in Haden Spire City.
It came out quieter than he intended. - “Kristen… I want to go home.” He seemed to say as politely as possible.
“Elias-” Kristen tried to intervene but Elias continued
“I know we wanted adventure- but this- THIS!? It’s insane!”
Kristen puffed up before firing back
"Ever since we were kids we dreamed of this! Exploring the world, fighting the bad guys, discovering ancient treasures! This past week we literally already did two of those things!" She said, her voice started to rise.
Elias fired back, his voice rising as well
"No. This was your dream. Mine was to work for the League of Explorers. Yours.. you just wanted to become some... filthy freebooter!"
A scowl stretched across Kristen's face.
"I took you on this trip ‘cause I KNOW you wouldn't have a CHANCE with the League! They are elitist snobs! Only recruiting the best of the best. And you-" her seemingly deliberate hand gestures pointed at Elias's body. She eyes him up and down but stops herself before saying something offensive about Elias's physical fitness.
"I mean..Us- We aren’t good enough." She said to avoid focusing on him specifically.
Elias was still greatly offended. He knew he was on the flimsy side.
"The League has many other departments like the Trade Circle, or the Engineering Consortium.. or..or" Elias failed to find other departments where physical fitness wasn’t a requirement.
"Yea, the Consortium. And how often do you hear of them rediscovering ancient creatures and continents?" Kristen asked sarcastically
Elias stared at her with contempt. One half, blazing red, lit up by the campfire, the other a beautiful blue glow from the moon in the night sky. He didn't answer- she was right. Her heart was in the right place- she took him on the path of least resistance, but this path was somehow still a treacherous one.
"Exactly." She said triumphantly.
They both turned around to face the campfire again, the other crew members were standing there, wide eyed and silent. Kristen grabs a stick and begins to pick at the fire. After a while, the crew resumed their chatting and eating.
Kristen waited to remove the attention they stirred up before talking again.
"I thought you would be happy, Elias" She said quietly.
Elias remained silent.
The campfire began to die out slowly as the crew got tired. Captain Rae came out of his tent with Flecks as his navigator.
"Listen up. Yes- We have reached Sidsteya. There is civilization just 3 days walk east from here. We leave first thing tomorrow."
They all let out a collective groan, but Kristen seemed to shiver in excitement.
"Elias please just stick with me just a little longer… you will thank me later" she gave Elias a look, her eyes begging him. This time her face was mostly overtaken by the moonlight as the fire withered away. He doubted that he would ever thank her for this situation, but maybe she could be right.
"As if i had anywhere else to go.." he said with a look of weariness.
Elias stood up from the log and started towards a makeshift tent made from large leaves and boxes. His feet trudged in the sand, not just because he was weak but because he was in a sulk. He could feel Kristen looking at his backside and he stopped in his tracks.
“Good night” he said to be nice, though he didn’t even turn to look at her.
“Night, man” She replied.
Elias had to sleep in the sticky sand that night which entered through his nose and ears, and he tried his best to not scream his lungs out in anger. Not to mention the massive bulge growing on the back of his head from being knocked out during the crash. This made him miss his sweet home even more.
Sleep came eventually, even if it took hours.
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