Night and day fell and rose in a continuous cycle over the swaying ship. Winds were quiet. The waters still. Coral stood at the wheel wondering what happened to Conch. This wondering soon turned to worry one afternoon. He goes to check on Conch in the pearl room. When he opened the door, a pink cloud flooded the floor and startling Coral. When the cloud cleared enough for him to see, he found Conch asleep with strands of his hair in his hand. Dried tears made blue streaks on his red flushed cheeks. Coral had a right to worry.
Coral-
CONCH!! Conch, wake up! Conch! What's wrong with you? Have been sick or something and didn't tell me?
Conch-
Mmm...
Conch wakes up. His eyes were yellow and green like he was still a pod. It must have been a side effect from crying. He looked a little disorienting like this. Conch sits up and wipes his face. The streak on his face dry off and vanish.
Coral-
Conch, what happened in here? You look miserable.
Conch-
... I... I'm sorry, coral. I just uh... Panicked a little that's all. I guess I wasn't ready for this yet. I'll be okay.
Coral-
.... Do you want to get back in the water for a minute? See if it helps?
Conch-
What?! No! No no. I'm okay now really. I'm fine. Just go back to the wheel, I'll be up in a minute.
Coral takes the hair out of Conch's hand and shows it to him.
Coral-
You need to get back in the water. I'll get the escape boat ready for you. Take the seats out fill it with water and you can lay in it for a while so you can relax.
Conch couldn't say anything. Coral was right. He need to get back in the water. Conch gets on his feet and walks with Coral to ready a boat for him. They fill it with water, remove the seats and anything from within, and prop it up right and steady for conch to lay in it. His tentacles begin swaying in the water. Then every now and then he let them rise in and out of the boat slowly. He seemed content. After letting his lower half settle he lies down in the boat and there he stayed for the day.
Coral looked in the boat and saw his friend fast asleep again. This time he looked more comfortable. Coral somewhat understood his feeling of sudden lose. He didn't think it would hurt him though. Seeing Conch in the water like that was a bit heartbreaking in itself. He dips his hand in the water and pets Conch's head. Conch wake up again and looks at Coral blankly through the water, then falls back to sleep. His tentacles still swaying ever so slightly in and out of the boat.
A few more days passed with Conch in the water boat. Every now and then he'd get out and walk around the ship aimlessly at night. Sometimes this woke Coral. Coral would hope Conch wouldn't jump overboard. He felt it would be more likely to happen with how he's been acting for a while. One night during a full moon, Coral snuck into the pearl room thinking Conch was back in the boat sleeping, since he didn't hear him move that morning. He was wrong and found Conch instead in the pearl room sitting and watching something in the bubble.
Coral-
Conch?
Conch-
. . . Come here a moment. Watch this with me.
Coral sits next to Conch and sees a festival of people. Bright colors, happy faces, and food and games everywhere.
Conch-
We're heading to a place called Belsoré. A festive and lively city with many locals and even more visitors.
The pearl zooms out of the festival to a beach side house with a sign next to it. It read for sale £1000.
Conch-
I looked at the money we have and accordingly, we have enough to buy more than twenty of those houses. It has a good view of both land and sea, has three room, it's spacious, and we don't have to worry about anything in the water. The towers in the water are for sea visitors only and it's not near any of the major kingdoms. Which means if anyone sees us as we should be, no one will hurt us. No one will be scared of us. We can be us.
Coral-
.... Will you be alright?
Conch-
I should be fine.
Coral-
Will you be alright? I'm not asking because I want you to be there. I'm asking because you're my friend. My only friend. And my brother.
Conch-
. . . . I don't know. I don't know.
Coral-
If we get there. Do you think you can handle staying on land for a few days without going in the water? I have an idea, but I want your answer for this to work.
Conch-
. . . I'll try. I can't make that a promise.
Coral-
I want to make a spare room for you to swim in that leads out into the ocean where you can dive as deep as you want without question. It's obvious you can't stay out of it for too long and you probably don't even know why yourself. Do you?
Conch-
No.
Coral-
Then if you can hold out for a little longer I'll help you. Just promise you won't leave me. As my brother, promise you won't leave me there on that island.
Conch-
. . . I promise. As your brother. I promise.
They shake hands and hug each other tight. They were brothers and nothing was to get in the way of that for them.
It's been a week above the ocean for the pods. Conch had finally gotten used to staying out of the water for most of the day. This made Coral feel better about their trip. They make it to two small pillars centered in the water. The island was still a ways off from being visible.
Conch-
There's the gate.
Coral-
Whoa! You scared me.
Conch-
Sorry. There's a barrier outside the two pillars that forces unknowing guest around the water parameter off the island. Once we get in we'll be able to see it in the distance.
Coral-
How do we get through the gates if we are unwanted guests.
Conch-
Unknowingly. If we didn't know about the gate we'd have been sent to the other side of the island and miss it completely. Just keep the boat going straight. We'll be fine.
They continue onto the gates ready to say goodbye to the sea forever. Suddenly, a heavy tide pushes the boat off course.
Coral-
What in Atlantic!? Conch! I thought you said we were fine going through!?
Conch-
We are! Hold on to something! I'll take care of this.
Conch runs to the nose of the ship. And readies himself for a spell. The water shifts the boat in and out of the course with Conch's guidance. This was forcing the boat to move faster and faster toward the gates. The pillars rise from the ocean and the gate opens to them, pulling the currants in with the boat. They zoom past the gates and far into the border. The gates close behind them and the pillars drop, forcing the water to push them further in by a good few yards. They could see the island.
Coral-
There it is! I see the island!! It pretty small though.
Conch-
No. It's still always off. If the current continues like this we'll reach the shore by night fall.
Coral-
Are you sure?
Conch-
Lock the wheel and come here.
Coral does as Conch says and follows him to the pearl room. The bubble shows a map of the island then scales down to show it in perspective to the ship.
Conch-
That little boat moving is us. Compared to the island.
Coral-
Jesus!! How long would it have taken us if we didn't know where the island gate was?
Conch-
Almost half a year. Give or take if the currants allowed us to live that long.
Coral-
Say WHAT!!?
The boys continue toward their final destination.