The sun shines brightly to the earth at that time. The summer was around for a while already in this land of Lecros. Lecros was a continent that full of green grass, plains and hill. Not that much forest but the greenery is one thing to be amazed with this land.
In a dirt pathway among the sea of grass, there is a wagon driven by two horses moving across the plain heading to the east. A girl with grey hair, grey shirt with diamond color pattern were the one who navigate the horse to their destination. Her name was Dai'a. Inside the wagon, there is two person named, Equ and Alen was sitting there and was the person who make this trip happening.
Dai'a was sending the two to the harbour. Alen was the one who have business in there. A blacksmith asked him to send a medallion case to the land across the sea. He just accepted is as a thanks because the blacksmith just fixed his broken sword.
"Rrr... Dai'a~ Was this gonna take more time? I'm dying out of boredom..." Equ growls as her dog tail wags a lot at this point.
"Not that long, we will be arrived in an hour." She said as he fixed her hat on her head and she turn around to look at the two in the wagon along with a few barrels.
Equ's gaze trails to Alen who was reading his old journal this whole time. As Equ remember, that journal were used by him for at least 6 month ago when he return from an adventure. The journal contains a lot of Alen's research results and discoveries he made along his journey.
"Oi, Alen. Look at Equ, she's bored. Why don't you talk to her or something instead of reading the same thing for hours."
"Who? Equ? She's already used on doing nothing, right~" He responds with a cynical grin tucked to his face.
"EH... no... um... yes... but..."
She pout and Alen teases her about something in the past days. Her face grow red as Alen and Dai'a can't help but laughing at her blushed face.
The wind blows on the grassy plain as the grass waving in their eyes. The scenery just that tranquil. Not long after that, they could smell the sea water as they get closer to the harbour. They could see the harbour's warehouses stand with the wide blue sea in the background. Equ stick her head our from the wagon's cover and her tail starts to waging even more to her excitement.
They saw three ships were in the harbour. There is not much people there. Only the harbour people and a few sailor from other land.
"Senpai, look. This place is so... beautiful." Equ said while pulling Alen's hand to force him to leave the book and look outside.
"Ahh... It's been a while since last I set my gaze to this place." He whisper as the scent of the sea bringing all the memory back. This area used to be a small fisherman village.
"Hey, Senpai, Which ship we will board on?"
Alen pointing to a yacht sized ship with red and white small flag on it. It's not that big and were specialized to picking passenger. Other ship in the harbour was goods transporting ship.
"Really? It's pretty small if I compared with other ship."Equ said while swing her bag to her back.
"Nah... It's enough to board you in. It won't sink, won't it?" Alen teases.
"Urgh... Senpai! You jerk!" She was in rage that she shakes Alen violently.
The pinkish colour creeps up her cheek just because the non stop teasing she got today. Dai'a giggles while watching the two. She then ask Equ.
"Equ, is this your first time here? I mean at the shore?"
"Nope, I used to play and even crossed between land with a kayak. But, this is the first time I see wuch a beautiful harbour in my whole life. Plus, it's been years since last I get this near to the sea." She explains then release Alen's jacket.
Hearing that reminds Dai'a about how much Equ actually spend her time in the Wait Village when Alen was out hunting. When Alen was around, She always sticking to him and helping whatever she could do for him. She was more like the village guardian as she also sometime spotted doing villagers job like reaping wheat and all. So, The only one who always going out to the sea just Alen.
As they entered the Harbour, a man in red coat greets Dai'a.
"Oh, Sis Dai'a, Long time no see! Sending cretes again?"
"Nope, I'm just sending some friends,Loktah. Which ship you're sailing? Your usual one?"
"Oh yeah. That it. I'm not a billionare yet to buy another ship." He chuckles as the two keep talking while Equ and Alen where taking their stuff in the wagon.
"Sis? Since when Dai'a have a brother?" Equ whispered curiously as she hearing the two talking.
"No, she don't have a brother. It just a way to address someone is respect." He explains.
Equ nodded slowly and kinda confused with that but she just don't really think that hard to begin with. As they get off the wagon, Dai'a informs them that Loktah will be the one who will sail the ship they will board on.
"Him? I thought that person name was Spring Rain." Alen asked as Loktah doesn't sound even close to the name he heard.
"Not his name, It's his title. This is Loktah Krevo also known as SpringRain among the sailor." Dai'a explains.
Loktah take Alen's hand as he offer him a handshake while Equ at Alen's side make a small wave at him as 'hi'.
"Sir Loktah, How long has it been since first you first you set off the sea as a sailor?
"I Uh... Around 6 years ago? not... that long." He said and slightly flustered to the fact that Equ called him sir since he's not used to that kinda of formality, moreover it comes from a woman.
Dai'a smiled to herself just from seeing Loktah's awkward reaction. Loktah seldom interact with woman unless he know them. He's kinda shy or something plus, Equ was Ajin(half Human Half Animal). Loktah never interact directly with an Ajin anyway.
While Loktah being throwned multiple questions from Equ there, a few other sailor walk past the group and talk amongst themselves.
"...Atlas were found. I heard Gremon Pirate was the one who found it."
"Yeah, there are some rumor that they stole the billet from the Temple...." Said another sailor as they get far and the group no longer hear their converstion neither they curious about it.
Not long after that, Loktah bid farewell to Dai'a and they walk up to the Loktah's ship. At that exact moment, another wagon arrived at the harbour and two passenger get off and catch up with Loktah. They were other passenger of Loktah's ship.
The two name was Aknow and Jyeora. They both lived in a village on the snowy mountain rages around 5 day walk from Wait Village. Alen used to visit the village to see their dam architecture since the villager there was very good in architecture.
Aknow and Jyeora board on the ship and directly entered the cockpit. Meanwhile, Equ and Alen just standing on the deck appreciating the harbour and the sea view from the ship while waiting for Loktah.
After a few moment passes, Loktah unfold the sail and they slowly sailing away from the shore and the harbour into the wide blue sea and sky. Loktah and Jyeora was the one who sails the ship since Jyeora used to be a sailor back in the day and was Loktah's partner. Moreover, They're best friend.
The wind blows at the sea as the sun shines bright to surface of the flat view of the sea and no land at the horizon. Equ's tail keep wagging this whole time due to how excited she was because it's her first experience on the ship. The only experience she had on the sea before this was back when she was a small child, crossing a canal with a yak.
So, the experience of boarding a ship was an exciting experience to had. While the two was enjoying the breeze and the view, a man greeted them.
"You seems excited, Inu-Ajin."
Equ jumps up to the sudden words as the two turn around just to see a man in blue shirt with black jacket stands behind them with a smile.
"What with that reaction? Oh, Worry not. I'm not a racist with Ajin. So, rest assured." He said again while keeping his smile.
The two expression loosen a bit from the claim and they started to understand as the man continue introducing himself. Equ had some bad memory with racist people. She became a bit weary to see other people especially human.
"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself properly. My name is Steve Reilad the Third. An Archivist from Cobblestone Valley. Nice to meet you two." He shake hand with Alen.
Equ refuses to shake hand with him since it's not polite for an Ajin to shake hand with human. So, Steve not forcing her to shake his hand to that fact.
"I'm Alen Creen. The guardian of Wait Village back in Lecros mainland."
"And I'm Equi Libria, friend of Alen Senpai."
Steve leaning against the ship guardrail and starts to open the topic about his carrier as an Archivist in Cobblestone Valley. They all slowly drowned in the conversation as the time moves.
In the conversation, Alen asking about Steve's reason for being on this voyage. He let out a small sigh before relaying his intention.
"I'm sure you don't know about what happening in Stegi Mainland. right?"
"No. I'm pretty sure I don't. What actually happening?" Alen ask.
"Emm... Senpai. Where did this Stegi you two speaks of?"
"It was one mainland in the route taken to sidcros(Their destination)."
Steve explaines that Mandien Race was raiding Stegi. A big war happening there and they managed to raid 57% of the land already since a month ago. Alen nodded while Equ fall silent to that exposition they had. Steve then add that he was going to Sidcros to get some help for Stegi to fight back the Mandiens. Currently, the main city of Stegi, Vientophrite was the target of them.
As they all intently listening to Steve's explanation, they heard a loud bell rangs as Loktah shouting commanding everyone to get inside the cockpit immediately. It just then they realizes that the sky almost completely covered with black cloud.
"Let's head inside. This doesn't seems safe at all now..." Alen said and they all get inside immediately.
Then, slowly, the sea starts to ripples wildly as the storm suddenly hits hard. The wave starts to get higher and higher at this point. The ship overhanging udder by the raging sea. All the passenger were holding on the ship to brace the continuous shaking from being hit by the waves.
The ship getting swayed and being more unstable as Loktah realizes that the right part of the ship were heavily damaged due to it hitting something. Loktah quickly assume that the ship had swayed to the coral stone area.
He and Jyeora trying their best to keep the ship going but the storm hits almost suddenly and they're not had the time to properly prepared for the situation. This is the the first time for them facing this kind of thing but this situation is more dire than it imaginable by any sailor.
"Jyeora! Get down to the cockpit, This cannot be done!"
Jyeora didn't think much and jumps down and get inside the cockpit while Loktah jumps to the right side of the ship and try to retied the sail to the ship after it's snapped from the big wave that hits them earlier.
As he managed to tied the sail, he saw another big wave who was two times bigger than the one that hit them earlier. He very sure that they can't avoid that so he try to get inside the cockpit but his leg were hit by a rolling barrel then burst the cockpit door open.
He managed to see Equ was looking at him from the cockpit before another barrel hit his head and knock him unconscious.
...