From underneath the cloak, a white hand laid a leather book on the table. Davina and Quinn shared a look before they walked closer to inspect it. Davina's eyes stayed on the cloaked person in front of them. Her hand calmly on the hilt of the sword. Quinn started to flip through the pages of the book.
The cloaked person wasn't moving. It didn't even look like it was breathing. Even if this was the person who was giving the Inarians the information they wanted, Davina didn't want to let her guard down. Besides, this person was working with Inarians, why would she trust them right away?
"If I recall, you're also working with Inarians," said Felix who was looking at the book through Quinn's shoulder. The shorter boy oblivious to the red-head over his shoulder.
"Not by choice," she said under her breath.
Felix didn't look like he believed her, but he didn' push it. He was getting immersed in the book and so was Quinn. The book was filled with the same symbols found in the message from Davina's bracelet the other night. It was nothing but doodles to Davina.
"Is that it?" Davina asked after a while. She didn't want to stay another second in the cabin.
She thought it was just an easy transaction. She understood he probably wanted to be certain, but he would have checked it faster.
Quinn let out a shout. Davina pulled her the sword and shielded Quinn with her body in one swift movement. The person in the cloak was still not moving. They were really giving her the creeps.
"What is it?" She looked around and practiced the movements in her head she needed to do so they could escape.
"Sorry. Sorry, nothing's wrong." Quinn placed his hand on Davina's sword, lowering it. Well, trying to. "I just got excited because I...found the thing we were looking for."
There was a mix of excitement and bashfulness in his expression. He felt bad for making Davina act in such a state. Her annoyance was evident by the way she glared at him. Her heart was still thumping in her chest. She wouldn't go back to hiding her sword underneath the cloak.
She let out a breath to calm herself down. Her eyes on the open book on the table. However, instead of the symbols, it was open to a page with a map. The island on the page caught Davina's attention.
"This is it? This is the map?" Her fingers ran through the page. Quinn said something, but she didn't hear him. There was something about the map...something faintly familiar.
Davina gasped. "It can't be…"
"What?" Quinn moved closer to her. Trying to figure out why she had the shocked expression on her face. "What is it?"
"So it's real."
"Real?"
At the leftmost corner on the top of the page, there was something written with the symbols. But unlike before, Davina understood them. The meaning of those symbols were as clear as day.
"The Island of Eryl."
"How did you…"
But Davina was paying Quinn no heed. Her focus was solely on the cloaked figure in front of them.
"Who are you?"
Silence.
"Where did you get this?" She held the book in her hands.
Silence.
She walked closer to the cloaked person.
"Dana-"
She slipped away from Quinn who tried to grab her.
Before she could reach out to the cloaked person, they disappeared right in front of her eyes. The cabin was dark once again. Quinn and Davina were the only ones inside.
Davina looked around for any sign of them, but they were nowhere to be found. It was like they were never even there in the first place. The only evidence that they were there was the book in Davina's hands.
~~~~~
Davina never thought she'd hear about that island again from someone other than Felix. Yet here she was in a ship filled with Inarians who were obsessed with finding it just like he was years ago.
They were all currently back in the ship and were in the captain's office and huddled on the table. Each one was excited and curious about what secrets the book had for them. Even Felix was with them. Davina was sitting down on a chair in one side of the room, quietly watching them.
The way the cloaked person disappeared right in front of her sent shivers down her spine. It was an obvious sign that it was an Inarian. Davina tapped her finger on the arm rest. She ran her hand through her short hair.
"How many Inarians are in the kingdom?" She asked herself.
How many were there silently lurking? How was she blind to the possibility of them roaming in the kingdom?
On top of that, where did they find that book?
The last time she saw that book was years ago. It was hidden in a place not many would go to and not many would find. Yet here it was. It found its way back to her.
Her mind drifted back to late night escapades.
The dim light of a candle.
A wall of books surrounding them.
The ghost of carefree laughter ten years ago…
It was many moons ago when the biggest fear Davina had was if she and Felix would get caught because they were staying up past their curfew. When their most dire mission was to be able to sneak into the library.
Never would Davina ever think of doing something like that when she was younger. She didn't think herself as that daring. However, there was a mischievous red-headed boy who wouldn't stop bothering her until she went with him.
The late night trips were troublesome for Davina at first, but she eventually got used to them. It was during one of those late nights, she saw that book. That book that Quinn was holding used to be in the hands of Felix.
A young ten-year old Felix who held a fascination for a book he couldn't even understand. But he studied them and later on, he could translate some of the symbols in the book. They paid off when he found a certain magical island that would hold all the answers to your questions.
"Dana look!" Felix shoved the book at her face.
She scowled. How did he think she could see and understand anything when it was this close to her face?
"What is it?" She pushed the book away.
"I found something. It's called The Island of Eryl."
He laid the book on the table and placed their lantern close to it. The two children huddled closer to see the book. On the page of the book, there was an image of a map. There was an island in it that she hasn't seen yet from other maps. The fact she hasn't seen it before sparked curiosity in her.
Compared to a regular eight year old, she's been exposed to many maps due to her late father who used to fight in the war. They would always look at maps and she'd watch as he'd create strategies and plans.
"What's that?"
"It's an island that holds all the answers to your questions."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm still trying to read more about it but, you'll know all the answers you're looking for in this island, Dana."
If there was something she was certain of about Quinn, it was that he always had a lot of questions. So, it was no wonder this island appealed to him. Although, she thought nothing of it and shrugged it off as a fairytale.
"Answers like?"
"Answers to questions like how Inarians have their magic? Why do they have magic and we don't? And…" He droned on.
Here it was again. Felix had a fascination for the Inarians despite them being the enemies of the kingdom for years. Davina found it annoying at first, but she didn't bother to stop him from talking about it.
"Don't you have a question you want to ask?" He asked.
Davina stopped to think for a minute.
"How to stop the war would be nice isn't it?" She replied.
Felix had no idea how to respond to that. He didn't like to talk about the war. He would always stay silent and listen when the topic is about the war. It was like how she'd stay silent and listen when Felix would talk about his ideas and fantasies.
"Or I could also ask where people go when they're dead?" She continued, knowing Felix had something to say about the certain topic.
Felix smiled. "I actually think they go to a special place and are watching over us."
"Like ghosts?"
"Well maybe? What else?"
"How many questions can you ask?"
"I'm not sure. I'll check later. I'm not yet sure with the other symbols…" He checked the piece of parchment where he was trying to decipher the symbols and their definitions. "But what are your other questions?"
"Maybe when I'll find a normal friend is a good question to ask."
"You don't have to waste your question on that because I know the answer." Davina turned her head to face him. "Never. You're stuck with me forever."
"I'd rather fight in the war."
Anyone could see that they were such an odd pair with contrasting desires and personalities. Yet they were the best of friends who had each other's backs whenever they needed it. No matter how many times their opinions clashed, they'd always find their way back to each other.
Felix said that the Island of Eryl was the island that held all the answers to your questions. The questions she used to have before were out of her mind. Only one dominated her thoughts.