Chapter 11: Doubts, Folly and a Voyage.

Following the battle on the beach, Tobi spotted a man wearing crazy yellow clothes. Thinking of Lorry, he instantly made his way over.

The moment the man saw him however, he ducked out of sight and disappeared.

Wondering if the man had done it on purpose or if it had been coincidence, Tobi weaved through the crowds and festivities to find the man that eluded him. He spotted the man several times thanks to the bright yellow clothes, yet each time the man slipped away again.

With Selene back at the harbor with Captain Braddock and a couple of mages, Tobi finally gave up. He was busy making his way back through the city when he finally spotted the man again. This time it appeared that the man was following him. Turning into a side alley and ducking into an alcove, Tobi waited.

Hearing the footsteps of a few people and quiet whispers, Tobi stepped out.

Meeting the surprised look of three unknown people, Tobi sighed and walked back out of the alley. The yellow clothed man was not among them. He was pretty confident by this point that the man wasn’t Lorry.

Leaving the alley, he spotted the man again, he was searching the area. Finally he confirmed it wasn't Lorry but it was definitely a GM.

Figuring the man was on his own business that was unrelated to him, Tobi wondered if he could pass a message to Lorry for him. As the man looked up and seen Tobi however, he quickly turned and fled again.

Confused and wondering if the man was an idiot, Tobi really wanted to see Lorry and ask what was going on. He had other things to deal with though and didn’t want to wait for Lorry to make his appearance. Lorry hadn’t made an appearance since the chess tournament.

When the servers had been shut, Tobi had thought the reason was because players increased his danger. Ranall had taught him that people of Aevitas were just as dangerous as those from his own world. To top it off, there was only one spell in his arsenal that seemed to be safe for him to use. Sadly, the spell didn't do much damage - just a really powerful shockwave blast that could blow people backward and make a large noise. Even if he put all of his mana into it, the noise and shock-wave only got bigger; the damage from the spell itself was still low.

As if to emphasize how low damage the spell was, the damage from falling after Lions Roar blew you backward was higher than the damage from the actual spell. He wanted to test the theory further, but didn't know of a safe method to test it.

Returning to the harbor but keeping an eye out for Travelers dressed in yellow, Tobi looked for Selene; she'd left the place he'd told her to wait for him.

"Look at her, thinking she is special because she travels as the Prophet's companion."

"I know, right? I even heard she offered herself to him."

"Just what you'd expect from a former slave and a whore."

"Do you think he accepted her to bed?"

Looking over the edge of the pier at the three voices below, Tobi spotted two Priestesses in black and a third in blue. He couldn't quite remember which colors meant what, but he was pretty sure black was for the Unholy Gods.

"Gods Chosen One wouldn't accept a flea bitten mutt to bed. She just likes the attention. Why do you think so many men fawn over her in town? I bet she slept with them all."

Raising his eyebrows in shock, Tobi wondered if all unholy Priests and Priestesses were as nasty and foul-mouthed as those below. The one in blue wasn't any better.

Looking up to the scene they were staring at, Tobi watched a woman in white healing a mans leg. How he'd been hurt Tobi couldn't guess, the fighting was long since over.

Walking around the pier to join her, he instead detoured toward the Priestesses. Though he wasn't really bothered by gossips and rumors, it annoyed him how poorly they spoke of Selene.

"One of the Sailors said they slept on the beach together last night. You can't rule out that something happened with them. She might be a mongrel, but she is kind of pretty in her own way."

"I refuse to believe the Gods would appoint someone who would be so disgusting that he'd be tempted by that creature."

Stepping up behind them, Tobi put on his best smile, "Oh I don't know. I think if she offered herself to me I would accept gladly. After all, compared to every other Priestess I have met, she is the only one that doesn't make make me gag on reflex."

As the women turned to glare at him, their faces dropped. Stammering and at a loss, Tobi excused himself and made for Selene. He heard the women start cursing and arguing but he just walked away and left them to it.

Reaching Selene, it seemed she was having some troubles of her own.

"Come on, just join our party. We need a good healer and a pretty woman like you would fit with us perfectly."

"I told you, I can't. Please stop asking."

"What are you talking about? You were just stood alone with a bunch of NPC's."

"What is an NPC?"

Speeding up, Tobi stepped between Selene and the men before the man could respond, "Here you are! I have been looking for you everywhere. Come on we'll be late."

Quickly attempted to escort her away, one of the men grabbed his shoulder and asked who he was. Tobi stared at the hand until he was released.

"You mentioned NPC's, right?" Tobi asked as he turned to face the man that grabbed him, "Isn't that what you Travelers call people of this world?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well considering the derogatory way you use the word, it cannot be pleasant. Yet you use it freely in front of residents of this very world. Selene here is one of the highest standing Priestesses in all of Anderon. To think you would look down on the residents of this world whilst asking one as great as the White Priestess to join your party; are you all idiots?"

Looking back from Selene to Tobi, the group were stunned into silence.

"You're from Aevitas? You're not a player?"

Selene looked to Tobi who whispered that player meant Traveler.

"I am not a Traveler." She replied hotly and slightly offended.

"What about you? Are you not a Traveler either?" The man asked as he looked at Tobi's clothes. They were more like those worn by players than those that would be worn by people of Aevitas.

"He is -"

Covering Selene's mouth to stop her speaking, Tobi's face turned hostile, "As I don't see what difference it makes, I won't bother answering your question. I am more concerned by your views. Do you not see people of Aevitas as your equals? Do you believe the people not from your world are lesser beings and of little consequence? If all Travelers see people of Aevitas as a different species and not equal, perhaps the help of our people should be taken from you all. Is that what you would like, Traveler?"

Stunned into silence, the men watched as all the NPC's suddenly started crowding behind Tobi and Selene. The players nearby were just as worried and glared openly at the four men.

"Wait, please!"

Turning to watch a bow-woman rush into the scene, Tobi let her speak. He was completely making it up as he went along and knew he'd said things he shouldn't. What kind of idiot makes a bluff like removing help given to Travelers?

"Please don't judge all Travelers based on these fools. Just as there are undesirable people in your world, so is the same in ours. Judging all Travelers based on the actions and words of the few; that is like judging an entire city based on the act of a single thief."

Tobi nodded, relieved for the get out of jail free card the woman had created for him; "The Travelers freely joined the battle today on the beach. Some even died. Though they will likely be back in the future with that ability they have, I am sure death cannot be pleasant. Heroes do exist among the Travelers. A shame that not all Travelers are so noble. I may have acted rashly, I apologize."

"Thank you."

As the woman bowed her head a little to him, Tobi was slightly confused. Why would anyone bow to him? Did they really believe his obvious bluff about removing the help of all Aevita's residents?

For defending all residents of Aevitas against views of the Travelers, you are held in even higher esteem.

As stories of your deed spreads across Anderon and beyond, respect and trust of Travelers will decrease.

Due to your actions, people now see you as a heroic figure.

Alignment now includes Good and Heroic.

Residents that recognize who you are may treat you with kindness, favor and reverence.

Your forgiveness, leniency and judgement toward the Travelers has been recognized by those that witnessed the scene.

+10 Nobility.

The Unholy Gods have recognized a ruthlessness in you that they like.

The Gods of Balance have recognized a fairness in you that pleases them.

The Holy Gods have recognized a kindness in you that satisfies them.

For pleasing all Gods of Anderon at the same time; +20 Piety.

When Gods of other countries hear of your deeds, they will believe you favor the 12 Gods of Anderon.

-5 Piety.

Increased affinity with the Divine.

The Gods of other countries will keep an extra eye on you when you are in their territories.

Wondering what kind of good his Divinity actually had, he closed the window and decided to work it out later. If he could get healing and purification magic it would be perfect. Selene had once mentioned something about Gods being able to curse too. He'd not yet met a Priest or Priestess that could curse, but if it was possible, he'd gladly accept spells like that too.

Turning to face the crowd, all faces looked at him with reverence. He was already known in Cohol as Gods Chosen, but that was the first time many had seen him actually do anything. Not sure on how to act or behave, Tobi wondered how much authority his title actually gave him. For the most part, he'd not been treated any different to the same Tobi that had been a baker. If he started being treated like an actual prophet, he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle it.

"Sorry for the disturbance everyone, I seemed to have lost my temper a little. As the woman so graciously reminded me, the Travelers can indeed be our friends. Let us not judge the many based on the actions of the few."

Either nodding or bowing their heads, the crowd parted and let Tobi and Selene pass. Due to the crowd following him off the beach, Tobi kept his back straight and eyes forward.

Hearing comments of players as he passed, he did his best to listen. There was too much background noise though so all he heard was snippets and the odd word. Nothing to indicate what they were actually saying.

Pulling Selene to the side once they reached the pier and nodding at the people who passed, Tobi asked her which Gods she followed.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you follow the 12 Gods of Anderon, or all Gods in this world?"

"The twelve, of course."

"I don’t think you can anymore. Not if you are with me anyway. For whatever reason, the Gods of other countries believe I favor the twelve. They aren't happy about it."

Selene shook her head, "I can't do that. I follow the twelve. Can't I just be the one that represents the twelve on your behalf? You can get others to represent the other Gods for you."

Tobi considered it for a while; it seemed reasonable. He was heading to Chadú anyway. The capital was named after their God, surely he could find someone there to represent Chadú for him. Things just got a whole lot more complicated though. Why was he even made a representative in the first place? He only spoke to Selest for crying out loud.

Well, he did give her a name too, but that was beside the point.

Looking back at Selene he nodded his consent, "OK, but I really don't get this religious stuff. I am not even that concerned with it all to start with. I don't get why you worship Gods instead of Selest. I don't get why the Gods have their own territories. And I don't get why the Gods are worshipped to start off with. Did they create man? Did they create the world? Do they save your souls? What's the deal?"

Selene shrugged, "The Gods have always been worshipped. There was a group once that defied the Gods and the Gods sent men to wipe them out."

"Gods sent men. They didn't do it themselves. Why? I don't know what these Divine beings are, but they don't make sense to me."

"Gods are beyond our understanding, we can't hope to comprehend them."

Tobi shook his head, "What do you get out of serving them? What benefit is in it for man?"

Sighing, Selene sat down on a nearby barrel and collected her thoughts, "The Gods have always been worshipped, this is what we are taught. As for why, it varies depending on which God you follow. Back in the beginning, different Gods granted different gifts to their followers. The one thing all Gods granted was protection in the afterlife. A reward for serving them in life.

Those who were not taken by the Gods became spirits that wandered the plains. That was only half of it though. There were gifts that granted resurrection magic. If the body belonged to an unprotected soul, the magician could reanimate the body and turn it into an undead. They could even call on the spirits and command them to do their bidding. They were controlled against their will to do whatever they were bid.

Followers of another God would purify the spirits or the undead and lay them to rest. That was a fate worse than death though. It was considered a mercy, but the spirits would be completely destroyed. They would cease to exist completely. No afterlife or anything. Just gone. What is more meaningless in life than to simply cease to exist after you die? There would be no reason to follow laws, social order or restrain your basic desires. It would be chaos.

The Gods used their powers how they saw fit and collected followers. They created order. Even if it wasn't what we would consider good or right, it was a social order that prevented chaos and united people together. Then came the war of the Gods.

It is said that many Gods died - some records even suggest that members of the 12 died, such as Seborh, Cydeus, Akala, Jebarae and Enia. For a few years after, all Gods were silent. When they returned, all twelve were there and they created one faith. One religion to unite all of Anderon.

Since then, the people have been slowly trying to rebuild the capital cities. Villages and the like are occasionally built, but they are soon destroyed: Monsters usually. The Gods are currently only protecting the 12 Capital cities. We don't know why. At least, that is what the Duodecad tell us."

Still struggling to maintain interest in the religion and the Gods but acknowledging at least that they exist, Tobi asked who the Duodecad was.

"Each of the 12 Gods has a single representative. All 12 are based in the great temple in Camlann. They are the Duodecad. They each have 2 representatives, one male and one female. They are the Cardinals and will one day ascend to Duodecad if the Gods see fit. Two per Duodecad makes Twenty-four Cardinals in total; 12 male, 12 female. I don't know how it works, but somehow there is always 6 male and 6 female members in the Duodecad.

Below the Cardinals are 24 Arch-Bishops. Again it is one male and one female per God. The Arch Bishops are all stationed in the city belonging to their God. When one of the Cardinals ascend to Duodecad, one of the Arch-Bishops will rise to Cardinal and a regular Bishop will rise to Arch-Bishop. The Bishops are based everywhere and the exact amount is unknown. It is the rank above Priest."

Scratching his head, Tobi tried to make sense of the history and the hierarchy. He also wondered what rank that made him; if any. He didn't belong to the 12 Duodeca-people, but he wasn't a lower rank than them as far as he could tell. In his mind, he was actually higher ranked. They each represented one God, he represented them all. Or something like that.

He wasn't actually sure what his role was supposed to be.

More than anything, he had to keep favor with all Gods and not just those in Anderon. Based on what his notification said, he even had to appease the Gods of other countries. That meant he even had to learn about Chadú, Beimeni, Tsjaad and whatever other Gods might exist in the world.

What would multiple Gods and religions need with a single Prophet?

Thinking that only one thing would make sense of the situation, Tobi frowned. If they planned on having him make a unification church, they could all sit on cacti and use them for swivel chairs.

Wait, if I get someone to represent Chadú on my behalf like Selene suggests, won't I be making a unification church whether I like it or not?

Rubbing his head roughly with both hands, Tobi tried to clear his thoughts.

Looking at Selene, Tobi guessed there was one way to test what he was thinking. He'd need to only name himself as a Pope or something and name her as a Cardinal (or a rank that was equivalent to it). If it worked, he would begin the path of making his own church with him as the head.

Hell no!

"OK, I won't ask you to worship anyone other than the twelve. The way I see it, I am screwed whatever I do. I've acknowledged I need to learn about the Gods, but unless they actually give me a task to do, I am not going to pay them any mind."

Looking relieved, Selene nodded.

Back to real business, Tobi looked down the docks toward Captain Braddocks ship. He needed to make sure his swimming level was high enough to get passage to Lybernia.

---

“Sure,” Captain Braddock replied, “I smell the salt on you so it is fine. I seen what you did earlier on the beach too. Not much impresses me, but I am impressed. I always knew those Travelers thought of themselves as superior. Was good to see them put in their place.”

“Does that mean I get a free ride?” Tobi asked smiling.

The man laughed and shook his head, “Discount is what it gets you. For you, your companion and your luggage, how about 10Gold.”

Looking at Selene, Tobi asked if 10 Gold was cheap. He was trying to do it in a whisper but he had a feeling that Braddock heard him just the same.

“Does it look like I go sailing every day? How would I know? I am pretty sure that a trip to Chadú is 15 Gold per person though. Luggage costs extra. Depending who you sail with of course.”

Agreeing to the terms, Tobi handed over ten gold. For the first time in a long time, he actually felt the decrease in weight to his pocket-purse. He had never sold his shop in Brackley and he’d been spending lavishly without doing much earning. He’d not actually earned anything at all since the chess tournament; thanks to that, his money was steadily dwindling.

With their trip paid for, Braddock told them to be on board before dawn. They could stay on the ship if they wanted, but if they weren’t on board by time the sun crested the horizon, they’d sail without him.

Tobi nodded and agreed. The day was not quite that late though, so he didn’t know what to do with the rest of his day.

Asking Selene if there was anything she wanted to do before leaving, he realized how rarely he actually asked her for an opinion.

“There is one thing I wouldn’t mind. It’s a place I was shown when I first arrived in Cohol. I have always meant to go again but never did. I think you would like it.”

“Then let’s go.” Tobi smiled.

---

Following Selene into a wood north of the beach, Tobi asked if it was safe.

“The wood isn’t that big and there are no beasts here unless you count the birds. Children play here on hot days. The grounds actually belong to the mage guild, but they keep it as it is and preserve its beauty.”

Looking around, Tobi wasn’t sure what beauty she was referring to. Nature could be beautiful, but as far as he could tell they were just walking through a bunch of trees.

When at last they came to a clearing, Tobi was stunned.

The scene was beautiful. A wide body of water decorated by rocks and flowing water was surrounded by fresh, green grass and wild flowers. He could easily imagine couples going there for picnics.

Personally, he didn't want to ruin the flowers by walking on them; nor did he want to disturb the serenity of the area.

Walking up to a nearby sign in the treeline, Tobi read it: 'Seborh's Spring.'

Knowing Seborh was the God of Cohol, Tobi asked if the Spring had been made by Seborh. Selene shook her head and explained it had been made by Elves a long time ago. They had made it for fairies, but the fairies never came and it was offered to Seborh after the Elves left.

Wondering how the Elves had created something that could be beautiful even now, Tobi imagined small fairies fluttering around near the water. It would have been so much more beautiful if that were the case.

“I have a present for you to.” Selene called as she pulled a black cloth out of her backpack.

Walking over, Tobi asked her what it was.

“Try it on and see.”

Holing out the cloth, Tobi quietly whispered inspect on the item. Although people of Aevitas could appraise things the same way, it was considered bad manners to appraise a gift in front of the giver.

Black Robe of SelestType:Full Body RobeDurability:30 / 30Defense:45This Armor was crafted with finely woven cloth and has the likeness of Selest stitched on the back. The maker intended this as a gift for Gods Chosen One and name-giver to the God of the Gods.

+20 Piety

+10 Intelligence

+5% Resistance to Magic

+5% Resistance to Curses

Restrictions:

Piety: 100

Affinity with the Divine.

Made by an accomplished Tailor with at least Advanced level.

Though the item was craft by one accomplished in the trade, the material used was low grade.

This item bears the mark of it's crafter: The White Priestess; Selene.

Pretending he hadn't looked at the stats of the item, Tobi pulled it on. He wasn't sure if wearing clothes underneath was proper or not so he just tested the fit. Once it was on, it felt very similar to wearing a bathrobe.

Unlike a mage robe like Vallen's, it was more like the one Selene wore and other people of the faith. There was even a rough-spun belt to fasten the robe closed.

Selene laughed as he tied the robe shut and called him a fool. Unfastening the belt again, she grabbed the collar at his right shoulder and pulled it across his chest tight. Fastening it to a clip under the opposite shoulder, she pulled the robe closed and tied it.

"This way, your legs are free to move and the upper half will stay in place. Imagine women walking around with a robe fastened only at the waist."

Happily imagining women with open robes, Tobi smiled. A small punch from Selene a moment later made him laugh, "It's beautiful, is this what you were making on the beach?"

Nodding, Selene admitted it was but also started to blush again.

"What else were you making?"

"Clothes to go swimming in, but then the Axolotl came."

“Oh, so you came here to swim?”

Selene nodded but her blush grew a deeper shade of red. Interested in what she had made to wear for swimming, Tobi told her to stop wasting time and go get changed.

Slipping back out of his robe and stripping down to his shorts, Tobi ran to the water and jumped in. He’d only jumped in ahead of Selene to give her some privacy whilst she changed.

Gasping for air as the cold water attacked his body, Tobi started to laugh and called for Selene to hurry up. He hadn't needed to though because she was already there, walking toward the water in a two-piece bikini.

Stunned into silent admiration, Tobi pointed a single finger.

"I stole the design from Travelers. The Traveler-owned Tailor shop back in Brackley sold items like these and I was interested in them. I would have never purchased one but Travelers had no problem with buying such items. I decided to finally try them out by making my own."

Still a little stunned, Tobi tried to think of something to say. Unlike a Bikini in his home world, hers looked more like black underwear.

"Don't stare so much, it's embarrassing."

Blushing, Tobi tried to turn away. He was a creature of habit though and couldn't physically make himself do something that he didn't want to do. "Sorry but, it's kind of hard not to look."

Smiling, Selene walked into the water before diving in. Emerging again near the center of the pool, only her head and shoulders were out of the water.

With the distraction of her body gone, Tobi felt both relief and disappointment; "That's better, now we can actually do some swimming."

Still smiling, Selene said nothing and disappeared below the water.

---

Watching Selene come out of the water was like watching a slow-motion movie or advert. The sun had already set but the moons light sparkled off her body. Thanks to his ability to see in the dark, the scene was a little too clear for him to appreciate the nights beauty, but he could still appreciate the beauty that was her.

Laying on the floor, Tobi tried to gather the energy to sit up and failed. He'd not felt his muscles burn and cramp like that in a long time. Casually messing and splashing around had been fun, but he hadn't received a single stat gain for his entire time in the water. As soon as he'd got out though, boosts to agility, stamina and endurance had come all at once.

His stat gains didn’t seem to matter the moment he watched Selene getting out of the water. He wasn’t even sure why he was so obsessed with them anymore. What mattered was Selene.

In the little pool in the wood, she had captivated him. He'd known he was attracted to her but that was as far as his feelings went.

Not anymore, he was besotted with her.

He'd caught himself reaching out to her too many times whilst splashing around and eventually dragged himself out of the water. She hadn't helped things at all either. Swimming up close, letting her fingers stroke his shoulders or chest, grabbing him from behind and demanding a piggy-back ride. She'd definitely planned on flirting from the start and he'd eaten it up like a glutton.

Lying next to him, Selene sighed with satisfaction, "That was fun."

"That was bad for my heart." Tobi countered as he watched the stars.

Giggling a little, Selene said nothing.

"You're pretty daring for a woman of the cloth. Doesn't it go against the faith to act on ..." Not sure which word to use, Tobi considered saying it plainly and using the word lust.

"Act on what? Feelings? Desires? Love? Why would the Gods forbid any of that? It is in our nature. We were made this way. That would be like telling a wolf not to eat meat. There are some rules but they are more like guidelines. Such as Avalon forbids intercourse without marriage, but Ardene doesn't care. Camlann forbids Infidelity but Gildir doesn't mind at all and tells us not to fight who we are. That's why each Priest and Priestess is supposed to follow one God; otherwise we will be living a life of contradictions. You can't appease all of the Gods."

Starting to piece together the puzzle of religion a little, Tobi decided to bring up the subject again later. He was more interested in her and knew full well how certain conversations could change or ruin moods. His comment at the pier about her not following just the twelve had shown him that.

Turning on his side to face her, he let his head rest on a hand and looked at her tight stomach. Thanks to the swim, her abs were showing and a cute little six-pack was visible.

"You shouldn't tempt me though. There are things about me you might not like if you knew."

"Like what?" Selene asked as she turned on her side to face him.

Tobi shrugged and got up. He didn't trust himself near her just yet. Drying himself, he could still see Selene in the corner of his eye, "Lots of things. Where I am from, who I am... my past."

"I have a past too.” Selene replied as she got up, “I have endured a lot of hardships. Things have always turned out alright though, if I hang in there long enough."

Turning his back to her, Tobi started to get dressed and said nothing. His circumstances were different. He didn't belong in this world and couldn't give her a life she wanted.

Hesitating before putting on the robe she made for him, he heard Selene approach from behind. As she put her arms around him, he froze.

"Things like your past don't matter to me. Who you were or who you will be doesn't matter either. I live for today and face tomorrow's consequences. If a moment’s happiness means I face a life of hell; I will still take the moment of happiness.

At least that way I would have known what happiness is."

Caught off guard by her last sentence, Tobi turned and looked at her. Her arms were still loosely around him, but they were barely registered. The always happy, bubbly and flirty girl didn't look so happy anymore. Seeing the lonely sadness in her eyes that had never been there before, Tobi instinctively lifted a hand to her face before letting it drop again.

As her hands fell from his side, Tobi grabbed them both on impulse, "I hold myself back because I don't think I can give you that happiness. Before I found myself in Brackley, I was engaged to someone. Things didn't end too well and ..."

Leaving the sentence open, Tobi lost his train of thought and didn't know where he was going with it - or why he'd mentioned it at all. Maybe he'd just wanted to get it off his chest. Either way, every time he looked at Selene and found himself attracted to her, he thought of Niamh and it held him back. He'd known happiness, but he also knew the hell that followed.

Warming a little, Selene attempted to smile but failed, "It's OK. I guessed there was a woman before. I guess I should go get dressed, it's getting pretty cold."

Nodding, Tobi let go of her hands and watched her walk away. As his heart followed her and pained him, Tobi sighed and put on the black robe she'd made for him. The warmth of the robe in that moment made his heart ache all the more.

---

The walk back to the harbor had been silent and awkward. Whilst his mind raced, he didn't know what to say. They were walking as close as always but there seemed to be a divide between them that didn't exist before. More than anything, he couldn't help but think of the comment she'd made.

'At least that way I would have known happiness.'

He knew she'd been happy, but there was a difference between being happy and knowing happiness. He was happy when he won a hard game of chess against a good opponent. He was happy when he reached his ideal weight. He was happy when he got into UTD. Happiness though; he'd not known that until Niamh had entered his life.

As the harbor came into view, Tobi stopped walking. The moon over the sea was a stunning view, but that's not what stopped him.

"Selene."

Stopping and saying nothing, Selene looked at him. Her usual smile was gone and he doubted it would be returning anytime soon.

"If I told you I would one day disappear from this world and may never come back, would you still want me?"

The pause that followed made Tobi's heart hammer. If things were to continue like this though, it might be better if Selene didn't go with him.

"Do you mean like - if you died?"

Tobi shook his head, "I mean like if I just disappeared."

Again Selene hesitated before answering, "Like how Travelers disappear for up to days at a time?"

"Exactly like that, but maybe forever."

"How long would we have?"

"Does it matter? Maybe a day, maybe a year. I don't know."

Selene stared at the floor for a long time. Every second that passed felt like a minute and Tobi began to regret asking.

"It's not that I wouldn't want to be with you," She finally started, "It's just that I might cling to you all that much tighter, afraid of the day you disappear."

Relieved but still unsure of himself, Tobi nodded, "Then ask anything you want about me and I will answer. If you still want to travel with me after that..."

Not sure what it meant if she still wanted to follow him after her questions, Tobi looked for a way to end the sentence. The night was not going how he expected at all.

"Then how do you feel about me, Tobi of Brackley?"

Caught out by the question, Tobi hesitated.

Don't say it. You will regret it if you do, you know you will. This is a really bad idea...

"I ..." taking a breath, Tobi tried to reinforce his resolve and failed. No matter how he tried, the words wouldn't come out.

Looking at Selene who expected an answer, Tobi took a deep breath and braced himself.

Stepping close and slipping his arms around her waist, Tobi moved his head close to hers. As their foreheads lightly rested against each other, Tobi noted how her breathing had quickened. Gently pulling her closer, he felt her arms slide around his lower back. Taking it as consent for what he was about to do, he leaned in.

The roaring protest in Tobi's mind was silenced the moment their lips touched. Losing himself in the moment, he allowed himself to forget everything except her. The moment she started to kiss him back, Tobi’s ability to think ended.

Elated, happy, nervous and completely lost to the unknown, he tightened his grip around her back. Feeling her squeeze back, Tobi tried to resist a smile but couldn't.

Breaking away from the kiss sooner than he'd have liked, Selene lightly bit her lower lip and smiled.

"What is it?" Tobi asked, his nerves were not settling down at all.

Shaking her head, Tobi thought she didn't plan on answering. The action made him self-conscious and doubt himself. Was it bad?

"That was my first kiss."

If there was ever a moment in Tobi's life where his mind deleted all thought, it was that moment. A perfectly blank sheet swept over his mind.

"Er..."

Laughing a little, Selene squeezed him again and put her head to his.

Standing in each others embrace like a pair of statues, Tobi's mind came back to life. Funnily, he imagined them as pieces of a chess board. The King of the Blacks side making out with the White Queen. Smiling at the thought, he decided he didn't regret the kiss. No matter how things turn out, you only live once.

"We should head to the ship," Tobi finally said as a cold draft blew up his robe.

Selene nodded but didn't move or let him go.

"It's kind of hard to walk like this though." he added in amusement.

Nodding again, Selene looked at him, "If you want me to let go, it will cost you."

"What if I don't want you to let go? Should we stay like this forever?"

Smiling and biting her bottom lip again, Selene pulled him close.

If that was what it meant to live in the moment, Tobi felt that he could get used to it; it was so much better than living in the past or planning ahead.

---

Walking to the harbor, Tobi's doubts flared back up repeatedly. With Selene linking his arm, he was caught between giddy happiness and heart wrenching confusion.

Keeping his mind off the future and only in the moment was not nearly as easy as he imagined.

His mind also included how his family would react to him falling for a her. Somewhere in the back of his mind he tried to tell himself she was just code, but that conclusion felt wrong. Code didn't think or feel. Code didn't desire a life and a partner to share that life with. Selene did.

Vallen, Deedee, Galven, they were all real. Even Samson from the Martial Hall had desires and ambitions. To claim they were not real was a joke and a delusional lie.

Arguing with himself back and forth, Tobi glanced at Selene who appeared lost in her own happiness. At least she found what she wanted - even if only for a moment.

If she is just code, am I any different? Trapped here in this world, is there really any difference between us?

War waged on between his emotions and his mind. The two were definitely in conflict about the situation. Submitting to his emotions, he mentally told himself to shut up. If he spent all his time worrying about it, he'd have no time to enjoy it. He'd obviously wanted to kiss her or he never would have done so. He almost never did anything that he didn't want to do.

As Selenes hand slipped into his, Tobi let their fingers interlock. He didn't normally like Public Displays of Affection but somehow he didn't mind. Smiling at the touch of her hand, they walked together for Braddock's ship.

---

Walking up the gangplank onto the ship, Tobi had a premonition of falling off. He wasn't afraid of heights or the water, but the walkway was narrow and didn't seem too stable. To make matters worse, Selene stubbornly refused to let go of his hand.

"I told you, remember? I will cling all that much tighter."

Half smiling and only slightly annoyed, Tobi balanced his way up the plank and helped Selene along.

"Well, well. Don't you two look friendlier than the last time I saw you both? Midnight stroll gave the magic touch, eh?"

Looking up at Captain Braddock by his ships steering wheel, Tobi shrugged and looked at Selene. She in turn blushed and leaned into him further.

"Where will we be staying?" Tobi asked, deflecting Braddock's rhetorical question.

"Head to my cabin, I wont be using it. Only one of you in my bed though, the other on the couch. I am a follower of Avalon after all. You two are yet to be married, right?"

Looking at each other in surprise, Tobi pushed the word marriage out of his mind.

"Thought not, different beds for you both. The lady can have the bed. My first mate is in there at the moment, he will leave the room shortly he is just grabbing some things for me. We will need the room again come dawn though, so I will wake you up before we sail."

Tobi nodded and guided Selene toward the Captains Cabin. At least, he assumed it was the Captains cabin. It's the one Captain Hook used in the Peter Pan movies he seen as a kid. The first-mate was leaving the room the same moment they entered.

Finally breaking free of her hand, Tobi walked to the sofa that would never be big enough for him to lie on. Setting up his sleeping bag as a blanket, he shoved his bag down the back and sat down.

"I'm not tired." Selene moaned from the edge of the bed.

"Me neither, but we should try. Don't worry, I will still be here in the morning."

"I wasn't worried about that, I just don't feel tired."

"A little food might help. Some good food is always helpful for making you tired. Besides, we haven't eaten properly all day. Wait here a minute and I will see what I can rustle up."

Grabbing his backpack, Tobi left to ask Captain Braddock if there was a kitchen he could use. In truth, he was just confused and wanted to get his thoughts in order. He would never be able to do that with Selene in the same room.

After asking Braddock about a kitchen, the Captain told him where it was. He was welcome to use the kitchen if he had his own food and the cook didn't mind.

Getting a shipmate to show him the way, Tobi made his way to the kitchen. The cook was more than happy for him to use the kitchen too, as the man almost never had anything to do; he wasn't even sure why they had hired a cook in the first place.

Laughing as he spoke to the old sailor, Tobi was told a ships kitchen is called a Galley. He'd thought a Galley was a type of ship. The man laughed at him and explained that a Galley was a type of boat as well. After showing Tobi around his 'Galley', the man supervised the making of 'Sailors Broth' - which in Tobi's opinion was just broth with added rum and fish.

Not sure how it would taste but thankful for the new recipe to raise his cooking, Tobi took two bowls back to the Captains Cabin. He took extra care not to let the captain see the fish in the food. He'd never fished a day in his life so he obviously used the fish from the ships provisions.

After finding Selene had already fallen asleep, Tobi took a moment to admire her sleeping face before covering her up. She was still fully dressed, but he expected she'd prefer to sleep that way on a ship full of men. Not that he would have changed her himself, but he would have woken her up so she could get out of her travel clothes.

After eating his own food, he still wasn't tired. He left Selene's portion on a table near the bed but considering how awful it tasted, he doubted she would eat it. He'd still managed to finish his own portion, but that was purely to fill his Satiety bar. Taste can be ignored if you put your mind to it.

Heading back on deck, Tobi wasn't really surprised he didn't feel tired. If he followed his usually sleep pattern, it would be his usual night to sleep. He'd slept fitfully the night before though so his pattern was out of sync.

"Never slept on a ship, lad?"

Looking up to the captain, Tobi shook his head and made his way up the stairs, "No, but that's not the problem. I don't sleep much anyway. Once every few days is usually enough."

Raising an eyebrow but saying nothing, the man looked off to the stars. Tobi followed his gaze and tried to see if there were any constellations similar to his home world.

"That one is Titan, do you see it?"

Not sure what he was looking for exactly, Tobi asked him to paint out what he saw.

"From that bright one there, if you follow the two paths down the brightest stars below, it makes a sword; see? If you look carefully, you can make out the full picture of a woman holding that sword. To the right is Faerhys the Black Dragon. Some say that Faerhys killed one of the Elven Gods and Titan came to avenge her. Who won, nobody knows. Some say that they are still fighting now, up in the stars. Locked in battle for all of time."

Tobi liked constellations for the stories involved but he couldn't see the Titan at all. He could see Faerhys though. You would never get stars that so perfectly painted a dragon in his world. Draco was 15 stars in his world but really it was just a wavy line with a strange Diamond shaped end for the head. Could be worse, Canis Minor was literally two stars. How somebody drew a dog by drawing a line between two stars he would never know.

After spending a portion of the night talking about the stars with the Captain and hearing stories, Tobi went back to the lower deck. The crew were starting to make preparations for the early departure.

Sitting in the corner between the stairs and the Cabin Door, Tobi looked up to the stars and tried once more to find the Titan-woman the dragon was fighting against.

Waking up to a noisy crew and the ship departing, Tobi found Selene sat between his legs and snuggled up to him. He must've fallen asleep at some point.

Receiving winks from various crew members as they passed, Tobi mentally refused to get embarrassed and left her sleeping there. The looks the Sailors gave him were the kind that made him dislike public affection.

With it being the morning after, he also had his doubts again. The usual 'it seemed like a good idea at the time' was in effect. Whilst his mind was waking up, it was taking control and ignored his emotions that had been dominant the night before.

Watching as a young sailor approached and retreated several times, Tobi called him over, "Hello. Is something wrong?"

"No. I just wondered, you are the chess champion, right? The one that beat High Mage Vallen after the Cohol Chess Tournament?"

Having expected the man to comment on either Selene or his position as Gods Chosen, it was a nice surprise to be asked about chess for a change.

"I am, why?"

"I have been practicing is all, wondered if you would give me a game. Nobody in the crew will play me anymore and there is a man in Chadú I don't want to lose to."

Smiling, Tobi asked about the man in question - the one he didn't want to lose to.

"He's. Er. The rough sort, but clever. I am not really that bright but I have excellent memory and chess is about the only thing I am good at. Besides sailing of course. I grew up on ships so they're pretty much the only two things I know. And gambling, I am pretty good at that too."

Unable to wipe his smile as he listened to the sailor yammer on, Tobi asked him if he had a chess board.

"Yes! I got one from Cohol mage guild for 5 Gold. They claimed it was one made by you but there was no proof. It was definitely used in the chess tournament though."

"5 Gold? Bit expensive isn't it?"

"Short supply. Not many sets were around at the time and Crafter's didn't know how. You should see how many people traveled to Cohol just to learn how to make a set."

"Well, get your board then, if the Captain doesn't mind you wasting time playing chess."

Smiling, the man ran off and grabbed a small box from the opposite end of the ship. Rushing back, he explained that there wasn't much to do when the waters were calm and the wind was good. He just had to enjoy the ride.

Remembering a similar comment by the cook, Tobi wondered what kind of ship he was actually on.

"Whites or Blacks?"

Laughing, Tobi asked if the man was treating him as a mere challenger. Choking, the man didn't know what to do so flipped the board around and chose whites. Moving his Pawn from in front of the King two spaces, Tobi nodded and did the same move back.

As the game went on, Tobi overheard other sailors making bets. Listening in, he actually heard a bet against him and looked around at the gathering men. He didn't know which one made the bet, but it got him riled up and competitive.

"Can you read, write and count?" Tobi asked the man.

"Yes, why?"

"Write A-1 on the bottom left square. A-2 on the next, A-3 on the next and keep going up until A-8. For the row above, B-1 to B-8. Above that, C1 to C8. Follow the alphabet on each row until H-1 to H-8."

As one arm was still wrapped around Selene (who was no longer sleeping), he felt it was easier to let the man do it himself. After getting writing tools and doing as he was asked, he asked why he'd been told to do it.

"I am going to play the rest of the game with my eyes closed. It is a trick you should learn if you want to get better. I haven't taught this to anyone yet so be proud. When you make a move, call out the piece you are moving and which square you are moving it to. I will reply with my move afterward, but as my eyes will be closed, you move it for me."

"Aren't you worried I will cheat?" The man asked in reply.

Tobi smiled and closed his eyes, "You said you played against the crew, right? That means they know the rules. As they all have bets on the game, they won't let you cheat."

"OK, then Queen to E4." He called as he moved a piece.

"Knight to C5"

Hearing a little scuffling on the deck, Tobi asked Selene what was happening.

"He's putting up a screen to make sure you can't see."

When the man had finished, he called his next move and the match continued. With a curtain now up, Tobi opened his eyes and continued to play blind. Towards the end of the game, almost the entire crew were watching. Even the look-out in the crows nest up top was using his telescope thing to watch.

"Rook to A6, check mate."

As a round of applause greeted Tobi's win. The man shook his hand several times. The crew were still in high spirits and clapping as the bell at the top of the mast started ringing.

Rushing around like headless chickens, the Captain started barking orders and the men promptly started to followed them. Even the chess board fell carelessly to the deck without being put away. Alarmed, Tobi and Selene stood up to see what was happening.

"Trouble Captain?" Tobi asked from below.

"Not really, but if we stick around it might turn into trouble. Pirates on the horizon. They'd never catch us though. You don't normally see them close to these waters, probably something drove them this way. Either way, best not to stick around."

"What's the chance of them catching up to us if we are the target?" Selene asked staring out to sea.

"None. Well, almost none. Even if they sail a cut off route, we'd reach Chadú before they caught us. Besides, we have a few tricks up our sleeves; don't we lads?"

A loud cheer went up in response and several men took their positions at the back of the ship and two more took positions at the front.

"Master Tobi, I have heard you are a mage, is that true?"

"Of a sort." Tobi replied curious.

"Then watch this."

The Captain threw up a hand and four of the men behind him started doing some sort of dance. The other three did a similar dance but they were facing the back of the ship. The two at the front started a dance of their own. Watching and waiting, the Sails suddenly billowed out with three times the power of a moment ago.

Hearing Selene whisper the words 'wind mages' Tobi went up to the front of the ship to see what the other two men were doing. By the looks of it, they were parting the water just enough to create less water resistance and let the boat speed up even further. Half guessing what the mages at the back were doing, Tobi went to see for himself. Sure enough, a constant wave was flowing into the back of the ship as if to push it forward.

"Bet you've never seen mages do this before, eh?"

Tobi shook his head. To his surprise, Selene was also shaking her head.

"Is it really that surprising to see mages doing this?"

Selene nodded, "Advanced magic. To control the elements to this degree, they're close to mastering it. They aren’t even using staffs for enhancing their abilities."

Why would such powerful mages be on a merchant vessel?

Guessing Selene's thoughts were the same, Tobi asked the Captain directly.

"I'd tell you, but..."

"But what? You'd have to kill me? Please don't tell me that was the line you were going to pull."

The Captain laughed, "Not at all. It's just that the information is kind of secret. The fact they are even on my ship shouldn't be known."

Disappointed at not finding out, Tobi joined Selene to watch the ship in the distance. He'd always wanted to see a genuine pirate ship, the fact it was too far to make out a jolly roger made him wish for a telescope. After a short while, it was obvious the Pirates weren't chasing and the crew relaxed again.

Giving it one last shot, Tobi asked who it was a secret from that he had mages on his ship. And powerful mages at that.

"Everyone. Almost literally. We'd appreciate it if you didn't tell any of your friends. Especially friends you haven't made yet."

"Friends I haven't made yet? Are you talking about the people of Chadú?"

The Captain nodded, "Our Cargo is general goods. Our trade however is far more precious and more dangerous than pirates."

Frowning, Tobi put the pieces together like a riddle. "You trade information?"

As the first-mate suddenly slapped the captain across the back of the head, Tobi took a step back.

"You talk too much Braddock. Bloody fool."

The captain blushed and laughed as he rubbed his head. The hit had obviously not hurt but he made out like it did. The fact he just got reprimanded didn't seem to bother him either, he just laughed and said 'oops'.

"So are you spies or something?"

As a few of the crew members laughed, Tobi wondered if it had been a stupid question.

"Nothing like that. We just gather information at the inn's and taverns and we sell that information on. Sometimes we find out things we shouldn't know though. For that reason, we have to keep some secrets of our own. The mages included."

Still partly confused, Tobi tried fishing for the kind of information they traded in. The whole crew became tight lipped though and no more conversation was forthcoming. Withdrawing back to Selene, he continued to think about what they'd said.

"Please tell me you didn't just fell for all of that?"

Asking what she meant, Selene sighed and asked if he'd learned anything from Vallen. As his face shown no sign of understanding, she pulled him to the side.

"It was obviously an act. They only let you know what they wanted you to know. Braddock is known for being sly and clever. Some people call him a genius. What is it he actually let you know?"

"He has Nine mages that are close to mastering at least one element; and that he trades information as well as goods."

"And?"

Tobi couldn't think of anything else and tried to work out what she was getting at.

"They learn things they shouldn't know. People come after them for that information. They are a strong and capable crew. Their ship can travel much faster than they let people believe. Just to name a few. The question is Tobi, why did he let you know all of that?"

Tobi didn't know the answer to that. Apparently Selene didn't know either and said she would think on it. Most of all, she expected that the information was worth having. If Braddock had let them know as much, there had to have been a reason.

To get his thoughts in order, Tobi usually played chess. As he had one chess player on board that might be willing, he went to challenge the man he'd already played. Selene was pretty good at chess but not that good - she also didn't enjoy it too much and after unlocking logic, she almost never played against him.

"Sorry, but I can't play again. We'll be reaching the halfway mark shortly and I'll have work to do."

Sure enough, the crew got busy a short while later. The winds and currents changed for no apparent reason and the ship started rocking violently. As the waters got worse, Tobi suddenly felt seasick. Even after the ship stopped rocking and the waters calmed again, the seasickness didn't abate.

"Southern Currents." A sailor noted to Selene as she rubbed Tobi's back, "Get's most people their first time out. We used to sail around them but it's quicker to sail through. If he stares at the horizon it might help. When land comes into view, get him to stare at that; works better than the horizon."

Remembering an old story of how to avoid being sick when drunk, Tobi wondered if it would work on seasickness. All you had to do was lie down and refuse to open your eyes. As long as you didn’t open your eyes, you wouldn’t be sick.

Deciding to put the idea into action, Tobi returned to the Captains cabin and lay on the sofa. He knew he should have asked first, but he didn’t have the energy for it.

---

"Tobi wake up, we're nearly there."

Rousing to Selene shaking his body, Tobi tried to sit up.

You are still under the effects of seasickness.

You have a fever.

-10 to all stats.

Maximum Mana reduced by 10%

You will receive more damage if attacked whilst under the effect.

Resistances have dropped to 0%

Closing the window without caring about it, Tobi went on deck to get a look at the view. He wasn't sure what he expected to see, but what he could see hadn't been it. A large town with huge walls spread along the coastline with a giant statue at it's center. Or at least, that's how it appeared from their distance.

"How long until we get there?"

“We’ll be there within the hour.” Selene replied as she looked at the city ahead.

Watching as her hair blew in the sea wind, Tobi smiled.

***

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Authors notes:

Spoiler :

Sorry Chapter 11 took me a little while. I rewrote chapter 11 from scratch after posting chapter 10, but I walked away from it for a few days so I could make edits with a fresh eye. Good job too because I missed a few details.

Anyway, thank you for your patience.

If I was writing in 'Volumes' this chapter would probably be the end of Volume 1. Volume 2 would be Lybernia.

My first draft of Lybernia isn't even finished so I will be writing my draft at the same time as editing the following chapters. Depending on real life activities, the speed of the chapters will vary but I will hopefully never be slower than a week between each chapter. When possible, I will post chapters faster than weekly and even daily if I can manage it.

Will have to see how life goes and what I can get done.

Thank you to everyone that has followed this far and hope you continue to enjoy the story in the future.

Another thanks to everyone for putting up with my shortcomings as a writer. I feel I have improved along the way and I owe you guys a lot for helping me on this journey. I hope you continue to join my journey as the story continues. Despite any faults on my part, I at least plan on seeing this through to the end. :)

Quick shout out to Bookdraon for the review. I appreciate your comments and hope I can continue to deliver in the future.

Aspirer

As always, please let me know if you spot any mistakes.