"I didn't get the opportunity to thank you yet. If it wasn't for you and your father, i would of experienced a horrible road to death."
Gently talked Lia explaining her gratitude after they woke up due to the constantly shifting boat while Saleem and Jim were still sound asleep.
Kaleem woke up first and was concentrated on the Ocean waves while Lia woke up a bit after him and with a gentle walk, approached him.
Ever since they escaped Wide River Kingdom, they have been travelling nonstop. At one point their bodies couldn't bare more paddling so at midnight, they lowered the anchor to avoid drifting in the Sea and getting lost overnight. The world has mostly water after all.
They didn't have sleeping bags with them, so they had to sleep all crammed up in the "Captain's room" where there were only 2 beds and the room itself is about 2 meters high and 3 meters wide. The rough November cold made it even harder to sleep. At this rate, it is a miracle how Lia didn't lose any fingers due to frostbite and didn't get hypothermia either. The overall temperature that day wasn't extremely cold but still.
Jim and Saleem chose to sleep on the rough wooden planks and they didn't even complain about it. They all were really tired.
The beds Lia and Jim slept at were bunk beds, which were specifically put there to save space.
"It was nothing. I would sacrifice my own life for an Ignite. Be it you, be it anyone else."
Said Kaleem in a slow low tone.
"Oh so you are a brave little boy."
Said Lia in aims to tease him and raise a good mood.
"Little boy? I'm taller than you."
Said Kaleem aiming to tease her back.
"Only by an inch."
"Still taller."
"Alright alright. Enough about height big boy. I have a question for you."
"Of course. Ask whatever you please!"
"Why did you exactly risk so much just to save me. I know it doesn't all have to do with bravery.
You stood up for me even when my family didn't."
"My mother."
Murmured Kaleem as he got lost in thoughts and walked over the boat edge and continued to stare at the ocean.
"What about your mother?"
Asked Lia in curiosity but somehow managed to get a few theories of what happened to his mother.
"She was an Ignite."
"But you are an illustratio. No offence. And so is your father."
"We are. But my father was never racist. And he found love towards my mother. A very long time ago."
"Did they kill your mother?"
Asked Lia straight forward instead of twisting her words.
"Yes. She was a Witch. They burned her alive claiming she was a Demon."
"You poor thing.
I have no idea what it feels like losing a family member like that. But as you saw Yesterday, I lost mine even though they are still alive.
But I already see you as family, believe it or not.
I will always support you when you feel down. You saved my life."
"Anyone could of done that!"
Said Kaleem with a continuous low tone.
"But they didn't. You did. The rest, including my family, hid in fear. It's something else to defy an entire Alliance."
"I would of done it for any person facing such a trial. It is called doing the right thing."
He said as a tear dropped on the ocean because he kept getting reminded of his mother.
Lia noticed the cracks on his tone during the last sentences and she figured out why he refuses to talk to her eye to eye about this topic. He is afraid he will break down in front of her. Which gave her a small but uncertain hint of his feelings towards her.
Suddenly Kaleem felt a hand on his shoulder but still refused to move.
When Lia saw that he refused to move, she used her other hand to grab the other shoulder and effortlessly turned him around.
He was feeling weak and multiple tears have broken out from his eyes already.
"It's okay. Let it out."
She said as she firmly hugged Kaleem.
Hugging was new to Lia as well. She didn't get one for years from her family and for sure refused perverts to hug her only because of her stunning appearance. So the hug was a bit awkward but for sure heart felt.
Halfly separated from the hug, their noses were touching each other. Both of them hesitating to meet each other's lips, asking themselves if they are going to far. Asking themselves if they look manipulative towards this situation.
But...