By the time La Pionera set sail, the skies shaded into a navy blue glow, and the bristling winds dimmed the warm summer air. Slowly, the clouds moved eastward, separated by patches of a navy, starless sky. It was far too soon to see stars, but when they decided it was time to show, it looked as if they were small seeds making way for a cropped and plucked corn field.

The waters were surprisingly calm for such a windy night. Waves and trembles carried the ship forward, while the roof of the sea tethered itself to the ship. It was a quiet night. One that sailors and first-time travelers were fond of.

Cairo and Mooks sat on a small bench on the stern of the ship, both looking back at the port as they traveled further and further away. They could see the lights on the dock shutting off, and only the faint streetlights in the distance remained.

The ocean winds surfed through Mooks’s fur like a breeze through a wheat field. He pointed his nose towards the sky, and howled to his heart’s content. With nothing stopping him, his voice traveled far, distant to anyone listening.

“The moon isn’t out yet,” Cairo said in a timid voice.

Mooks finished his nightly howl, then made a gesture of clearing his rather clean throat, “It’s a me thing. You wouldn’t get it.”

Cairo sighed, glaring at all the bandages around his arms. He then pulled out the piece of paper, reading it carefully. “Find your happiness,” He said, listlessly. “What is happiness to you?”

Mooks thought for a moment, then spoke excitingly. “Rina’s juicy, marvelous, jaw-dropping steak!”

Cairo put the paper away, then stood up to approach the railing guarding the ship. It wasn’t often he pulled that paper out. No, him pulling out that paper was as rare as finding money on the ground. And during these times, it was rare.

“Happiness…” He whispered to the wind. “Is that what I’m looking for? Or is it looking for me?”

Mooks joined him beside the railing, letting the cold ocean breeze comb his fur even greater. “Maybe both. Maybe neither. Just enjoy what you can. And dislike what you discomfort.”

“Easy for you to say…”

“Listen…” Mooks tried to put his paw on Cairo’s shoulder, but the tip of his paw only reached halfway up Cairo’s chest, so it looked awkward and felt unusual. “Cairo…” He dropped his paw back down to the floor, “Stop searching. And start looking... You always search, yet you never look.”

“What’s the difference?”

“That’s for you to figure out.” He paused, fixing his gaze onto the waters. “What happened between you and Rina last night?... And don’t lie, I’ll be able to tell. You out of all people know how devilishly strong my nose is.”

“She fell asleep, so I took her upstairs and gave her my bed,” Cairo answered with an enigmatic tone.

“That’s a lie.”

“Not really…”

“What are you? A merchant or a lier?” Mooks raised an eyebrow, saliva drooling down his jaw, “Don’t tell me a truth with a lie hidden in it. Even if you don’t consider me your friend, I’ll follow you to hell and back. You know that.”

Cairo sighed again, pausing for a moment to think. “I told her about how I escaped. Nothing more.”

Mooks’s grin faded. “It took me two years to drag that story out of you. You tell her only after six months. That’s one strike to my precious heart. I might not be capable of your human emotion—”

“She was a prisoner too.”

Mooks exhaled a breath of relief, “Okay I take the strike back. Call it a foul.”

They continued looking out into the waters, aimlessly staring like two birds on a rock. Mooks would howl every now and then, while Cairo remained as still as a statue.

“Cairo..” Mooks broke the silence between them again. “In your room, when you left her there… She didn’t sleep all night long… I tried to comfort her, but she just used me as a pillow for her sorrow.”

Cairo kept his silence, his gaze locked on the ocean below.

“You should talk to her. I think you need her more than you think.”

“What’s the point?” Cairo’s tone turned severe. “We are with these people because of one thing and one thing only right? A wish. A wish we might get, or we might not. Either way, when this is all over I’ll be on my way, dragging my ass across towns like a sack of potatoes. I don’t want to make any more friends… Each one has caused me more grief and pain than I could imagine. Each and every friend I ever make gets either killed or tortured to a point where they can’t feel anymore!” Cairo hadn’t realized his speech turning into a shout, followed by yelling. “Friends are nothing more but useless tools your enemies use to break you! They make you feel wanted and secure, and yet the second they’re gone you feel worthless and depressed!” Cairo caulked back his fist, punching the metal railing with all the force he had.

The railing gave into a small, rather weak dent, and blood started coming down Cairo’s knuckles like tears he refused to shed. His breathing increased, then settled into a lowly pant he tried to control. A numbing pain shot up his arm, then subsided with the wind

“Uhm, Cairo?” A daring voice came from behind them, prompting both of them to turn around. It was Rina, holding her hands by her chest as if she was about to make a prayer.

Mooks leaped back onto all fours and began walking away. “I’ll leave you two be. This business is no longer mine to deal with.”

Cairo sat back down on the bench, pulling a white roll of bandages from one of his pockets and wrapping it around his knuckles.

Rina sat beside him, waiting in the silence for a few moments. She rolled her hair behind her ear, allowing the wind to do the rest. “Why are you so lonely, Cairo?” She said, her voice as gentle as her touch. “You have a wonderful companion by your side. You have us to share your feelings with. You have memories that some would die to listen to. And yet, you’re so alone that I don’t even know what you’re thinking half the time.”

Cairo stayed silent, listening to her voice as if it were an angel’s harp. He managed to get a glimpse of her eyes under the lantern lights, seeing how mysterious and defining they looked. Her right as dark as the night sky above, and her left as blue as the waters below.

She stood up, heading over to the railing and slowly beginning to raise her hands from her sides. She stopped them roughly at shoulder height, and her eyes began to glow brighter than the stars appearing above her.

The waves carrying the ship began to rumble and twist as if an earthquake was happening below their feet. The ship tilted left and right a few times, and the water behind it began to rise from the ocean’s grasp.

Waves circled each other like hurricanes in the wind, the water shifted and twitched, spiraling in dozens of locations, and the sea bowed its head under Rina’s control.

Cairo knew Rina was one of the few Gifted that remained in this world, and he too shared an unwanted connection with them. However, seeing how much control, precision, and patience she had over her Gift was impeccable. It must’ve taken her years to control this much power. Years of patience, and practice, and pain.

Twisting her wrists and bending her fingers, she began creating a shape in the open air out of the water beneath her. Cairo could see a pair of legs begin to form, followed by a torso, and a pair of well-defined arms. Then, a head appeared on top, and Cairo quickly realized it was him, only much, much younger.

The boy made of water smiled—waving at Cairo—as Rina controlled and directed him to do so. Suddenly, the boy slowly began to fall apart, and the water leaked back into the ocean.

Rina’s eyes dimmed their ever so luminous glow, and she took her seat next to Cairo again. “You’re afraid.” She said, emotion touching her voice like the sun glazing the clouds during a sunset. “Afraid of having those you trust. Afraid of someone caring about you.”

“Last night, when you left me in your room,” Rina started again. “What was going through your head. How could you leave me there, alone, and after everything you told me... How could you just leave someone in your bed like that. As if it was nothing. As if you said all those things as if they meant nothing to you.”

Cairo kept his gaze away from hers. “When you put your trust into so many people, just for them to use it against you, how can one learn to trust anyone ever again.”

“You aren’t wrong, but you can't bleed your wounds onto those who didn’t inflict them.”

Cairo looked down at the bandages covering his arms, “I have no blood left to bleed, for I have done my fair share of bleeding.”

“You cannot let go of your emotions. Even if you think you have, they’re still there. Deep within you. Somewhere…”

“Emotions are our greatest weakness—”

Rina slapped him, cutting him off mid-sentence. She pulled back her hand, shaking it lightly to let the blood return to its normal flow.

“How could you say that!?” She yelled, waiting for an answer she knew she wasn’t going to get. “Emotions are one of our greatest strengths. They make you and I the way we are. They make us live for the experience of the good and bad! Your weaknesses are what you choose them to be. ”

Cairo widened his eyes, feeling the deepness of her slap hurt more than the pain on his cheek.

“Come closer,” She whispered, “Don’t be alone anymore,” She leaned in, wrapping her arm around his.

“I’m sorry.” Cairo broke free from her grasp, standing up abruptly and fearlessly. “But I..” He shook his head, trying to break free from all his thoughts telling him to stay. His heart was beating fast, asking him to stay a little while longer. Just a few more minutes, his heart called out to him. However, his body moved on its own, and he walked off, back to the comfort of his room downstairs.

…

A few hours passed after Cairo left Rina on the stern of the ship. Most of the crew was already asleep, as Leonidas assured them there’s nothing to worry about.

In the meantime, Leonidas checked the ship from front to back, making sure there wasn’t a soul alive that was still awake. He then grabbed his ripped up bag that was hidden underneath some ropes on the port and pulled out the blue orb he used to communicate with earlier.

He tapped it on, keeping his voice as quiet as the clouds above him. “Hello, Father, can you hear me?”

“Yes my boy,” A rusty voice responded, “How are your plans coming along?”

Leonidas smiled, tucking the orb closer to his chest. “Wonderfully father. They’re all asleep, and we’re approaching the ridge. Just as planned.”

“Drop one of them into the rocks,” The King said, tapping his wooden finger against his armrest. “Your choice my boy. My men will take care of the survivor.”

“I’ll drop the one with the scar, he’s been getting suspicious around me. Him and his stupid dog.” Leonidas chuckled, “I know he’s your favorite.” His mouth curled into a devilish smile.

On the other end, the King coughed, grinning and stopping his obnoxious tapping. “Good… Very good…” He coughed again, feeling the coming of his age hurt his throat. “I’ll wait for your news tomorrow, boy. A deed isn’t done until it’s done.”

“Yes, of course, father!” Leonidas said his goodbye, then tucked the orb back into his bag.

“Who are you talking to?” A masculine voice pierced through Leonidas’s ears so strongly it nearly made his heart skip a beat.

He turned around, and a chill went down his spine as he saw Cairo—cloaked under the lantern light—standing right behind him.