A golden hour, where yellow dominated the sky.
The sun's urine-like rays penetrated through the clouds, creating tilted pillars of light across the vast sea.
It was undisturbed and silent. A contrast to what lies deep beneath.
The soft blow of the wind passed through Ahrgo Fischerre. The coos from the pigeons gliding above echoed through the sea, whisking by like an afterthought.
Maeyurai, having woken up only a few minutes ago, drowsily sat up from the futon.
Eyes half-lidded, he was feeling nauseous.
Most likely because of the fact that the ship was rocking throughout the whole night, and he endured it all for the first time.
"My head's throbbing..." he muttered under his breath, pressing a hand on his right temple.
Slowly, he stood up from the futon. He grabbed his boots from the side, stepped into them, and walked his way out of the room.
Looking around, only a few were still sleeping. Most of the people were already awake, spending their time on the main deck.
Stepping out of the room, Maeyurai's eyes glanced through the hallway. Then, he started walking.
Reaching the staircase, he walked up to the main deck.
I think I can wash my face here.
They shouldn't restrict a passenger like me from doing so, right?
I only need a bucket.
As he stepped on the main deck, the scent of saltwater filled his nostrils. Faint chatters of the sailors could be heard.
Maeyurai headed to the barrels near the stairs leading up to the foredeck. He grabbed a bucket and filled it with water from the opened barrel.
He went to the starboard's railing, placed the bucket down, and washed his face.
After splashing his face, he shook his head, flicking the water away from his face.
He shifted his gaze to his left; he could see how close Wyumatsui Island is now. If estimating, it would only take 30 minutes for them to arrive at the docks.
Maeyurai's heart jumped in excitement.
Oooh, we're so close!
I want to walk around the island and explore the two cities, all while trying to find the golden swordsman from that vision!
It's a two-in-one activity. Once I finish, two of my goals will be done, and I can move on to the next big step.
To prepare for their arrival at the port, Maeyurai headed back down to the crew's quarters to change to his archer clothing. He also took his gear along the way.
In the lower deck, Agao was at the galley, cooking up a simple meal for everybody.
Ahrgo Fischerre's layout was very compact despite its large size. It had three decks: the main deck, the lower deck, and the hold deck.
The main deck was where you could see the captain's quarters.
The lower deck had three rooms, which are the crew's quarters, mess area, and galley.
The hold deck, as its name suggests, held the supplies, equipment, and belongings of the crew and passengers. It was purely used as a storage, and occasionally as a mess area if there are many people on the upper decks.
Maeyurai headed up to the foredeck, watching the nearing port of Wyumatsui Island.
"How peaceful..." he muttered under his breath, taking in a breath of the air.
"Of course it is," a voice replied. "It's Wyumatsui Island, after all."
Maeyurai's head slowly turned to face the person that just spoke up. It was Gabby.
"You always pop up randomly, huh?" said Maeyurai in a teasing tone, finding it amusing how Gabby just starts a conversation with him from out of nowhere.
"Is that how it is to you?" asked Gabby in a teasing tone. "For me, you're always present, as if you never left everyone's eyes."
"...What does that mean?"
"Eh, you'll find out for yourself," shrugged Gabby.
A moment of silence. Gabby's statement left Maeyurai contemplating, trying to comprehend its meaning.
After a while, Maeyurai merely gave up. However, a certain thought pulled into his mind like a flash.
"Hey, Gabby," Maeyurai called. "Do you know of any golden-haired swordsman?"
"Golden-haired swordsman?" Gabby clarified.
"Yeah."
"I think I do. You mean in Wyumatsui Island, right?" Gabby asked, trying to make clear what Maeyurai was asking for.
"Yes, in the island," Maeyurai answered. "Do you know of any golden swordsman that lives there?"
Gabby merely nodded his head in affirmation.
"Mhm," Gabby hummed. "There should be a golden-haired swordsman in Wyumatsui Island, though I'm not sure if he's in Tahaktatsu or Yugihanata."
After speaking, Gabby raised a finger and continued. "But I do know that there is indeed a popular person with the same description as you stated. I just don't know his name since I'm also a tourist here in Wyumatsui Island."
"Ah, I see," said Maeyurai. "That helps a lot; thanks, Gabby."
Gabby flashed a bright smile, holding his thumb up to Maeyurai. "No problem!"
"Oh," Maeyurai uttered, remembering something. "Where did you come from, if you don't mind me asking?"
"You ask of my birthplace, eh? I suppose I can tell you," said Gabby with a raised eyebrow. He was a little conflicted about whether to tell Maeyurai or not.
However, he changed his mind as he opened his mouth. "I come from a very far away place. Do you know of the Sky Fracture?"
"Sky Fracture?" Maeyurai clarified. "Isn't that one of the regions here in the Paltheoma Continent? No—wait, it's the title."
"You're right, it's the title. I come from the region of Hwukotuma, the Sky Fracture. It is on the very east of Paltheoma."
"Ah, Hwukotuma," said Maeyurai, his head oscillating up and down in interest. "What is that region like?"
"Hwukotuma? It's... strange, to say the least. The region isn't connected to the crust as an island, unlike the other regions. It is like a super-island, mysteriously floating a thousand kilometers in the sky, hence why it got its title of Sky Fracture."
Before Maeyurai could ask another question, Gabby immediately continued. "Hwukotuma is a place unlike anything here in Baofuming."
Gabby paused, seemingly distracted within his thoughts. Then, his expression distorted into an unpleasant look, as if there was something he couldn't comprehend.
"I can't seem to describe it properly... Sorry, Maeyurai. I have a terribly vague memory of my time living in Hwukotuma," Gabby concluded.
Maeyurai studied Gabby's face and how his expression changed. It was strange how he just suddenly tipped to discomfort.
Something tells me there's a major issue with Gabby's past.
Best I not peer into it any further.
He nodded in understanding. "It's alright, though. Thanks for telling me about Hwukotuma, Gabby."
"Okay," Gabby replied.
*
20 minutes later, the ship finally docked at the port. With the anchor dropped, the staircase on the starboard was also lowered to the dock.
Standing on the open railing at the top of the stairs, Maeyurai waved goodbye to the sailors.
"I appreciate the trip you guys have given me," said he. "I'll be going now. Thank you all!"
Agao, Espeninza, Gabby, and the other crew members waved him goodbye as he walked down the stairs.
"Good luck, kiddo!" said Espeninza. "The next time you travel won't be free, so bring money with you, okay?"
Maeyurai chuckled. "Alright! I'll be sure to try to gain some money," he said with a nod.
Okay, time for the next part of my journey.
Now that I'm on Wyumatsui Island, I should first look for an inn I can stay in for the night before I search for the golden swordsman.
Walking through the docks, there were several boats and ships in the area. Some of them were empty of people; some had sailors.
Past the dock was the port itself. If comparing, the port in Yugihanata was a little smaller than the Port of Jinsang Bay.
The port itself wasn't named independently, as it is a part of Yugihanata.
Maeyurai looked around the port. Few people that were walking around the port carried a sword, as if it were something normally brought around.
Well, in Wyumatsui Island, it was normal.
The people that passed by gave Maeyurai a weird stare, like he was out of place.
And of course, it was normal to expect such things. He was the only archer on an island full of swordsmen, after all.
As he strolled around, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. The constant gaze of the people was becoming overwhelming, all because he carried a bow on his back.
Even if they weren't saying anything, the bemused gazes already said enough words.
The people here...
It shouldn't be their first time as an archer, right?
Why are they staring at me like that?
Maeyurai kept walking straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with the passersby while his gaze was focused on the ground.
He noticed that the port had a large fish market, and a lot of shops sold specialized fishing gear and fishing poles.
Swords weren't the only thing mainstream in Wyumatsui Island, but fishing also was.
After walking for 15 minutes, he reached the main town of Yugihanata.
In the main town, sword-bearing individuals were much more prominent. There were several sword shops and smithies.
The cobblestone path felt different to what his feet felt in contrast to the packed dirt road in Gangumen.
Another distinct characteristic that he saw in the city was that the swords that the people carried weren't the traditional straight swords he knew of.
Much like the sword that he saw in his vision of the golden swordsman, all swords that he noticed had a curved blade.
In certain parks that he passed by, there were swordsmen dancing around with their blades, treating swordsmanship as art.
"Wow," Maeyurai muttered under his breath, fascinated by the swordsman's elegant moves.
As he was staring at the swordsman, he couldn't see what was ahead of him and bumped into a person.
The individual he bumped into was tall and strong. Maeyurai couldn't help but recoil back in surprise due to how tough the person was.
"Ah—sorry," said Maeyurai, shifting his gaze forward.
Looking at the individual, they had the body of a well-trained swordsman. Standing at a height of 6'1, they were towering over Maeyurai. With long silver hair that flowed down their face smoothly, Maeyurai couldn't help but feel his heart flutter at the sight.
A statuesque, silver-haired lady with piercingly beautiful eyes was standing in front of him, watching the performance at the park unfold. Even though she had a strong body, she didn't carry a sword on her.
"Are you okay?" asked the silver-haired lady.
"I'm fine," Maeyurai replied, keeping eye contact with the lady.
Damn... Her eyelashes are long.
It might be longer than what I have.
She's beautiful! I can't help but admire her.
A gulp.
"I see," she replied. Then, her lips curled into a smirk, a confident one. "You look like a lost soul, curious and wandering about aimlessly. Or are you on a quest to find somebody?"
Such a brazen smirk was not for Maeyurai's heart.
Maeyurai, not knowing how to react, reciprocated her smile and replied, "Well, yes. I'm trying to find someone."
"Mhm, I knew it," the lady hummed in a low tone. "I could see it in your beautiful eyes."
A thump. Then another. Maeyurai's heart continued thumping until its rate was enough to be considered as racing.
"Is that so? Thanks for the compliment," he replied, barely keeping a straight flow with how he speaks. He was trying his best not to stutter. It was his first time feeling like this.
Now, Maeyurai was aware.
His type in women are the mature ladies that are confident in themselves.
The silver-haired lady's eyes observed Maeyurai, looking up and down. Then, her eyes landed on his bow.
"So," she said. "Archer, what's your name?"
"My name?" asked Maeyurai. "It's Yhodth Maeyurai."
After he spoke of his name, the lady's eyes widened for a split second.
"Maeyurai... What a nice name. It's unique and gives a vibe I can't really express... The name somehow completely represents your face though."
"Thank you," said Maeyurai. He was relieved that she didn't make fun of his name.
"My name is Gia Sanrovina," Sanrovina introduced herself. "You can call me Sanna for short. It's a nickname recognized by the locals."
"Sanrovina... Sanna, it is a pleasure to meet you," said Maeyurai, leaning forward as a gesture of respect.
"Mhm," she hummed with a nod. "So, who is this person you're looking for?"
"A swordsman," Maeyurai replied with a stoic face.
...
"I think you might need to give me more details than that, hehe," said Sanrovina with a light chuckle.
"Oh, right," said Maeyurai, bringing a hand to the back of his head, awkwardly averting his gaze.
"I'm looking for a golden-haired swordsman. He should be around my height," Maeyurai continued.
Sanrovina's head cocked to the side, her eyes squinting in thought.
"Golden hair, you say?" she asked. "I think I may know that person. Actually, probably almost half of the people here in Yugihanata know this person you're looking for."
"Oh, really?" said Maeyurai as he shifted his weight. "What's his name?"
Sanrovina nodded. "Well, I'm not sure if the person I have in mind is the person you're looking for, but..." She paused, looking to the left as if hesitating to speak of the name.
Then, she opened her mouth, her eyes holding contact with Maeyurai's.
"His name is Zhenz Kaienley."