“What I’m saying is that I know how to handle my fears at this point.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well...” I trailed off a little.
I’d be kissing my own ass to say that I never felt a lick of fear during my time in this world, but to explain why? It was confusing to say the least.
“...What I mean is that I channel my fears into something more positive, the fear of letting everyone in the village go hungry...it inspires me to make sure they continue to get fed. The fear of being too weak to face against someone inspires me to train.” I explained.
“Fear can either hold you back or push you to do something. You? You’re a classic example of good ol’ fear holding you back.” I said, the feeling of the wind beginning to pick up once more summoning goosebumps on my skin before I quickly tried to huddle closer to Shiro.
Perhaps this was a good time to switch forms...if only Ibis had given me this armor when I was already in the desert!
“T-That still doesn’t explain how I can face my fears though!” Shiro barked as his ears started to flatten to the sides of his head a little.
A weak chuckle left me along with a sigh.
“Ask yourself this then, would you let babies die in a fire?”
“No...?”
“Would you let your pack suffer at the hands of slavers?”
“No?”
“Would you let your family die to a band of Orcs?”
“Guardians, no!”
I let out a snicker. “Then what was the point of complaining about not being able to face your fears then? Those are relatively classic examples of what may hold someone back!” I grinned.
“I’m not asking you to be Ares, Ryzel, me nor anyone else. I’m not looking for another adventurer but neither am I looking for someone who is so cowardly to the point they’ll possibly leave one of their group members to die to some monstrous sandworm or something.” I huffed.
“The way to conquer fear is to confront it head-on, fear has two meanings, my friend. Forget everything and run or face everything and rise.” I smiled as Shiro’s head fell on my lap once more, causing me to let my head fall back onto Ares' stomach once more.
I heard a small grunt before Ares’ tail suddenly slapped me in the face.
“You awake?” I asked with a snort, a tired sigh escaping the centaur before he slowly rose up, making my head slid off his stomach.
“How could I not? You two talk as if others aren’t sleeping.” Ares grumbled before a flame encased me, Shiro quickly scooting away while my ears perked to the sound of Ryzel beginning to stir awake.
“I was giving him advice!”
“Give advice more quietly.” Ares huffed before he got onto his hooves and started to walk around, causing me to grumble under my breath before I looked up at the sky once more.
The sky was still dark...morning wasn’t going to be around for a good while but, I knew one thing, we could start our journey to the Desert Continent early.
“Might as well continue on to the town since we’re all up at this point.” I chuckled lightly.
“W-What? What if we run into-”
I shot Shiro a look, fear, it was eating at him again.
Luckily though, he closed his jaws. “...I-I agree! The quicker we find a boat and make it to the Desert Continent, the better!” He said with a small stutter before he got up to go and wake Ryzel up, causing me and Ares to begin tidying the area a little.
“Has the Owl Guardian given you any information as to who will be taking us to the Desert Continent?” I shook my head with a sigh, yet another thing I should’ve asked her.
“...Finding a ship that will willingly take us to the Desert Continent will be hard, people are afraid.”
“Well, unfortunately, I only have enough time to worry about one person’s fears. I can’t worry about strangers.” I said with a small growl before Ares began to stomp the fire out with his hooves, a sleepy Ryzel on Shiro’s back while I was fully ready to get to the port-town.
All I wanted was to get the port-town, get across the oceans and be done with it! Nothing more and nothing less.
“Let’s get this show on the road!” I barked before I rushed off.
As we all rushed across the nighttime open plains, the breeze beginning to grow stronger and stronger as it started to tear grass up from the ground and let it dance on the wind’s currents. The thundering of Ares’ hooves mixed with the sound of Shiro’s panting...it made me more excited for the boat ride than ever before! It’s been too long since I’ve been near an ocean, much less on a boat! Though I wouldn’t lie when it came to the thoughts of what lurked underneath this world’s waters, I could easily sweep away that fear when I thought about the peacefulness the ocean could provide at times. Nothing out there but you and the people on the ship...it reminded me of a saying my dad once said! You can’t truly see the stars unless you’re out in the middle of the ocean.
However, as we escaped the plains and made our way into a forest only to appear out as quickly as we came. It didn’t take long before the heavy scent of oceanic salt started to hit my nose along with a mixture of other things! Liquor, foreign animals and the way too heavy scent of perfume and other exotic items. It didn’t take a genius to realize we had arrived and...it didn’t take an art critic to notice the rustic beauty of the port-town. From the sights of large vessels lining the docks, some of them seeming to cater to the Paladins’ side as they showed off that familiar purple lioness crest while others were merely trade or transportation, to even the sights of the empty cobblestone streets and buildings, people dotting the sides here and there while clothes hung from strings! It reminded me of the country, the type that renewed that seemingly ancient sense of wanting to get down and work!
But, I had far much to do and complete but...it was a thought. To possibly start my own farm when I got back to the village.
“How are we going to find a ship that will give us passage to the Desert Continent?” Ryzel asked tiredly, another yawn escaping him for the tenth time.
I whined quietly to myself, even I didn’t know! Honestly, I was betting on the whole idea of simply asking around. They could either say yay or nay after all.
“Simple, let’s just ask around near the docks!” I barked. If we wanted to aim for the goal of being out at sea by morning time, it was best to split up.
“Let’s split up, Ryzel and I can stick together and look to the right of the of the docks while Shiro and Ares will stick together and look to the left,” I said, Shiro letting out a nervous whine before Ares simply narrowed his eyes to the sight of a newly energized Ryzel walking up beside me.
Nonetheless, though, he merely nodded his head and walked off while Shiro tailing him close behind. Ryzel started to snicker and smirk as we started to walk off ourselves.
“I never imagined you’d choose me over the centaur.”
“It was the best course seeing as you’re a Daemonium, I don’t feel like hearing the sudden news that a bunch of Paladins hauled you off.” I huffed while the Incubus merely gave me a small smile.
“Port-towns are neutral zones, there’s nothing to fear.”
“Racists tend to be fond of ignoring laws, especially in the case of war.” I sighed, Ryzel giving me a small pat on the head before we finally came across someone. A scrawny, almost rat-like man who was lazily leaning against his ship sipping away at his drink. “Hello! We’re looking for passage to the Desert Continent!” I grinned, his liquor sputtering out of his mouth at my words.
“The Desert Continent?!”
“Yes!”
“Never.” He said before he went back to drinking, my eyes narrowing a little.
Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t exactly disheartened by one simple no.
“I’m not going away just because you said no to me once,” I said before I sat down, my tail beginning to thump against the ground in hope.
“Then I’ll leave, why in the Anguis’ name would I help a talking dog along with a bastard Daemonium?” He spat before he promptly walked off, a huff leaving me before I looked towards Ryzel.
This was going to be much harder than I thought...I began to wonder to myself, should I rely on the idea of bribing people or just simply threaten them? After all, action was always more useful than words.
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