🌊 ELYSTIA 🌊

RESENT DAY, PLANET ZOLAN

The trip across the dark sea is nothing like I imagined. My stomach rolls and my head spins from the constant movement of the ship.

It's torture. We've been sailing for hours, and I keep wondering if I'm better off jumping overboard and swimming to our destination.

The air is fresh and the night is dark. I can no longer see Terra, my home. The elders are sitting together and talking about the fresh blood that was brought to the island. A lantern is set on their table, lighting their faces. They're so ashamed of me that they refuse to look at me.

I lean against the railing of the ship and grip onto a rope. I can't sit down because that only worsens the motion sickness. I wonder if the sea is ashamed of me, too. If it's restless because I left my blood behind.

— —

"Wake up, girl."

I jump and bump my head against the wood I'm leaning against. I squint at the daylight and lick my dry lips.

"We're here. Gather your things and be on your way. I will tell your family that you arrived safely."

I stand with shaky legs and look around. We're on a small port. A private one. There are no other ships docked here.

I rub my eyes, feeling exhausted. It's no wonder I didn't wake up as the ship docked.

"See that path between those trees? Follow it until you reach the town. You will be on your own from there. Good luck."

I nod and stare at the dark green trees in the distance. The air smells different. Smoky. I turn around to look at the sea, but I only see water. The island is gone.

I swallow the tension in my throat.  "Thank you, elders. For everything."

The women keep their heads down. Their long skirts drag on the misty boards of the ship as they prepare to sail it at night.

I grab my bags and walk down the wooden gangway. I struggle to carry my bags and bow, but I make it work.

I march toward the unknown, refusing to look back at the ship. My eyes tear, but I don't cry. This is what I've always wanted. It might take some time, but I'll find a home and a purpose on this continent. I'll explore every inch with my steps and my flying arrows.

"Damn it, hold on!" I hear someone yell behind me. The voice definitely doesn't belong to an elder.

I spin around and drop my bags when I find a familiar face. I gasp. "Sidra?! What the fuck are you doing here?!"

Sidra is from the island. She's a few years younger than me. We never spent much time together since she doesn't hunt. Her father always kept a close eye on her.

Her hair and hide dress are damp, and she carries a small sack. "Snuck onto the ship to come with you. Let's go."

My head spins. "You... snuck onto the ship? Do the elders know? How did you do this?"

She grins and pushes her hair forward. She has always had that habit. I think it's because the skin of her ears and the back of her neck aren't crimson. They're a beige-human shade and she's oddly insecure about it. I don't know why. On Terra, we all have a different skin tone.

"No, they never noticed me. A magician never reveals her secrets."

"We have you get you back. Your dad will freak out if—"

"Spare me the crap. I'm grown. And just like you, I'm tired of being under my parent's thumb. I've wanted to get off the island for years. Dad was never going to let me."

"But Sidra, you're so young. You—"

"When did you become an elder? I'm twenty-one and you're only four years older," she interjects.

She has a point there. I have no business dictating what she can do.

"Are you sure?" I whisper. "I can try to sneak you onto the ship before it sails."

"No. Stop worrying about me. I made my decision long ago to leave Terra just like you did."

She picks up one of my bags and walks off. I run after her, relieved that I'm not alone. I shouldn't feel this way when her father will mourn her absence.

"I want to go to the castle," Sidra says. "See which bastard stole the throne from our family."

I laugh. "The Terra family line was overthrown five-hundred years ago. You can't possibly resent the current royalty."

She scoffs. "They overthrew the Terra bloodline, tossed us on an island, and brainwashed us to live isolated for five centuries. Of course I resent them! I don't care how many years have passed."

I guess she has a point. Grandma insists I have the blood of the first human queen that ruled Zolan seven-hundred years ago. Queen Terra, whose bloodline ruled Zolan for only two-hundred years before being replaced. We're all her descendants and that's why our skin is marked with human shades. But I don't care about the title. I don't want to be recognized as royalty. I just want to be a great archer and hunter.

"There is so much more to experiment on this continent," I tell Sidra. "Focus on that."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm going to drink, fuck, and and dance as I rob a couple of royals," she laughs.

I glance back at the ship. Maybe it's not too late to hog-tie Sidra and toss her on board.

We walk down the path until we stumble onto a peddler. An old woman with a metal cart filled with Knick-knacks and a bird sitting on her shoulder. Excitement fills me. This is the first fully-fledged Zolan I've met.

"Excuse me, ma'am. What is the next town called?" Sidra asks.

"Don't call me ma'am. I'm Kinno. The next town is Celerion. Now leave me alone unless you're interested in buying something."

"Thank you!" I tell Kinno.

She swats a hand and conitnues her way. Sidra and I follow from a distance. Celerion, here we come.