Chapter 3: Chapter Three—Ganagvi

Edwin stopped, spinning around to me. “You might see this as a burden, but it’s truly a gift,” he stated, staring down at me. His hazel eyes were always so focused, not facing away, and rarely blinking when his attention was caught. He seemed bored at his own existence when the conversation was paused—one thing I could relate to.

The frustration he brought out of me was nothing personal, Edwin simply had a face that I wanted to punch. Sure, He was a handsome man, I could give him that, but he radiated arrogance. He had such an exaggerated opinion of himself, and he didn’t care to hide it. Or maybe the glasses making him look intelligent bothered me the most, or the slicked-back hair.

“My tribe had a saying for gifts from crown people. We called them Ganagvi. It means a lie,” I replied, locking eyes with Edwin. Boy, did I have a knack for saying disrespectful things to people I had only met.

Edwin stared at me for a moment, “I hope one day you will look back on this chance and be assured of my integrity.”

“We will see.”

“Question, why does your tribe call us crown people?” Edwin asked.

“Because you act like kings no matter the social class.”

“Accurate,” the woman with the pointed ears snickered with a grin, winking at me.

Edwin turned his head slowly to the woman, “Jolene, hush, please—where is the girl?”

“She is waiting in the front lobby for us,” Jolene said, looking concerned as we continued our walk down the red carpet. I wasn’t sure if my situation was getting worse or better; holding a suspicion of this Edwin guy and everyone else seemed like a good idea. On the other hand, I trusted May. Unfortunately, I was probably never going to see her again.

Edwin frowned, “What’s wrong?”

Jolene rubbed her neck. “The girl is special,” she said as we reached the split staircase.

“In what way?” Edwin asked as we came down the stairs to a woman looking out the window by the front door. She’s wearing a hooded white coat that ends right above her ankles, which are covered with leather boots.

She hears our chatter and turns around, facing us as we come to the bottom of the steps.

“May?” I said, shocked. I hastened to her side. “What are you doing here?”

“The elf woman told me they selected me f-for the academy,” May replied, trying to pull her stutter in as she glanced at Jolene.

“Well, more like the church selected you, we just obliged,” Jolene said, stepping into the conversation as Edwin just stood, glancing at me from a distance. “I am glad you two know each other. Should make this trip back less awkward,” she finished and grabbed her black fur coat from the rack and walked over to the door handle.

Jolene paused before letting out a sigh, opening the door to the blizzard winds, and we tracked our way through the cold. The wind slamming against any bare skin stung, causing me to clench my teeth. The blizzard lightened for a moment, and I realised where we were going… it was to the shipyards. My body became paralysed by fear, forcing May to look back at me, worried. I didn’t know if I could step on a boat again, and this was too soon. There was no way I could go through something like that again… I just couldn’t.

My heart raced, and anxiety flooded my mind as May grabbed my fingers, locking them with hers. “Cyrus, I am here with you. We can do this,” she yelled, squeezing my hand. The wind was blowing so intensely it made seeing hard and talking even more of a challenge.

“I-I can’t get on a ship again,” I said, knowing this wasn’t an option for me. Even if I refused, I would be dragged onto the boat, anyway. No one at this point had asked if I wanted this; this was against my will.

“What are you doing?” Edwin yelled, shielding his face from the snow as a gust of wind caused him to stumble.

May smiled. “I will not leave your s-s-side for a moment. Just like in the church,” she said, tugging my arm a little. After a pause, I nodded, getting my nerve back; saying no to May was not an option. I owed her, and I’d be lying to myself if I said I didn’t want to be by her side. I had never connected with someone like I did with May—she was indeed… my best friend and only friend.

May and I caught back up to the other two, and we trotted our way through the deep snow to the shipyard. The wind was so intense I was worried it would blow us off the dock into the water, and in this temperature, falling in could be a death sentence. Moreover, the boat was on the giant side, requiring it to dock farther out, giving the gusts of winds more chances to kill us.

After looking like complete idiots walking around in a blizzard, we made it to the ship’s flimsy wooden ramp. I looked up at the craft that sat like a floating fortress in the water. My vision was impaired with the snow, but it looked like most of the hull was made of metal. I didn’t even know this was possible.

May slipped as we climbed the slope, and I grabbed her waist, pulling her to me in a reverse hug. She gained her composure, and we made it to the deck with no more accidents. If she had fallen, my body would have launched itself into the water, most likely killing us both.

I couldn’t see much with the snow, but it looked like steam was coming off three towering cylinder structures towards the centre of the deck. This boat also looked to not have any sails—I wasn’t sure how this vessel would move.

We entered the ship, taking stairs down to the first floor. Edwin navigated the hallways to a foyer that is filled with doors. They decorated the room with fancy red couches and a round table in the middle with fresh fruits nested in a bowl. The floor was well waxed, glowing from the light bulbs above our heads; a faint buzzing noise floated near them. My father had taught me about this marvellous invention. The church didn’t have electricity, and neither did the city. According to May, this was because of temperature conditions and the cold didn’t function well with the engineering. Many nights were so cold I would have frozen to death without May giving me blankets and keeping the fireplace going throughout the night. Some nights, she had even slept in a rocking chair to make sure it didn’t extinguish.

“It’s a—” Edwin said, but I interrupted him.

“Lightbulb, I know.”

“Interesting,” Edwin said, peering at me for a moment before walking into the centre of the room picking up an apple. “They usually use these rooms for politicians wanting to sneak to parts of the region undetected,” he said, tossing the apple twice in the air before setting the fruit back down. “Try to keep them in good condition. I don’t want to hear about it later.”

Jolene motioned May and me over to the other side of the room, pointing to the two doors. “Pick a cabin. Both are about the same.”

The door had a nice glossy surface with silver handles; probably expensive. May and I walked to our separate doors. I turned the knob and entered a lavishly designed chamber. The walls were ebony wood and gave off a polished glare. Black furniture with gold trim filled the living quarter. The room had a slightly gloomy feel to it, accurate to my life.

I closed the door, quickly sliding down the wood to the floor, grabbing my chest. This ship was going to give me nightmares for so many weeks. Its size was considerable on the slightly bright side, so the rocking was almost unnoticeable with the boat docked. However, the ship hadn’t even started moving, and I had a panic attack—something that was new for me but becoming familiar quickly. Moving out to sea would surely traumatise me.

Somehow, I picked myself up as my heart raced. I stumbled to my bed, taking my fur jacket off before sitting down on the black comforter. My shaky hands blur as I looked at them; I was a complete mess. My head rang as I tried to shake it off with my hands over my ears. I heard my name being called several times, and I tried to focus until the ringing stopped, and May’s face came into focus.

“Are you okay, Cyrus?” May asked, cupping my cheeks with her palms.

She was regularly looking out for me. I didn’t feel alone, and that was something novel for me. My father acted like my acquaintance a majority of the time, and my mother was consistently too busy obsessively taking care of him to hold a conversation. I had learned to be okay with loneliness, but then May came into my world, and her radiance made me realise I had been standing in the shade for my entire existence—this situation is cringy... I’m not blind. This realisation kept my eagerness to be around her concealed.

May let go of my face, sitting next to me in her white robe. She just rubbed my back for a few minutes in silence. Everything slowed down, and relief cascaded over me as I sat, wondering why I was so pathetic. I knew what happened on that boat wouldn’t happen again, but my body wasn’t so easily convinced.

“I am a pitiful man.”

“But you’re not a man yet,” she added, sticking her tongue out at me. May’s way of soothing me at times was unorthodox.

“May.”

“Yes, my friend.”

I exhaled. “You are dreadful at comforting one’s mind with words.”

May laid back in my bed with her hand over her heart. “I have never been so insulted in my life,” she said with a grin on her face. She turned her head towards me, patting the bed. “Come.” May looked stunning with her hair spread out on the bed. I always found myself wanting to touch it. Its fiery red colour and the loose curls made me want to feel its softness—which I would never do. I hardly initiated things in that manner. Hugs were all I could muster, and May occasionally touched my fingers.

I awkwardly laid down next to her as we stared up at the metal ceiling. “I didn’t know you had magica.”

“Neither did I,” she said, letting out a long breath, “but apparently, bringing you back from the g-g-grave isn’t normal—this shouldn’t surprise me. I didn’t think you would live.”

I turned my head towards her, and she glanced over with her silver eyes, “I am glad I did, and I am glad you’re here.”

“I would be lying if I said I wanted our time together to end at that church, Mr. Reed,” May smiled. I felt her finger try to turn my hand over.

The door opened to Jolene, and we both sat up abruptly to her with her hand on her hip, tapping her foot. “May go to your room. I will not be responsible for you getting pregnant,” she said as her eyes darted toward me. “You. Stay out of her room—got it?”

My face got extremely warm as I focused on the floor. May stood up and patted me on the head before walking over to Jolene. “You misinterpret our relationship. I am also faithful to the church. Therefore, I can never lie with a man. But aside from those things, he is a child,” May said and left the room, irritated. I had honestly not seen that type of irritation from her.

“Did I hit a nerve?” Jolene mumbled with a grin, returning back to me. “The trip is a little over two months. I would suggest getting as much rest as possible because you will start the academy imminently when we arrive. This trip was a last-minute detour, and you guys are behind in the curriculum… age-wise.”

“Wow, fun ‘cause the last two-month trip went so well.”

Jolene frowned. “Listen, kid, this little thing you do with authority,” she said, swirling her finger at me, “will make your life miserable at the institute. Grow up,” Jolene finished, leaving the room.

I wasn’t sure of Jolene’s role here, but she walked and talked to Edwin like she was important. Edwin, however, was clearly the one in charge.

The door slammed shut behind Jolene, and I undressed down to my underwear before relaxing under my bed covers. I was too stressed to stay awake, and the bed was extremely comfortable. It felt like I was sleeping on a cloud and the sheets smelled of lavender. I appreciated the church for helping me, but their beds were no better than those at home.

It was warm on this boat, and I often adjusted the vents on the large pipe in the room’s corner. The out-of-place copper cylinder ran up from the floor to the ceiling, moving heat from below. The engineering of the ship genuinely amazed me. Between the lights and the heating of the air and water, it was impressive, to put it lightly. I had never taken such a long bath in my life. If this academy had bathtubs, it might not be so bad. This life didn’t seem horrible. Maybe I could become some public official of sorts and live my existence in luxury. That thought was tossed out the window quickly. I was awful in stressful situations, and I could never speak to a crowd.

Of course, the weather was nasty on the first night. The ship swayed noticeably back and forth, and I held the covers over my face. At this point, I was rocking in place in the fetal position on my side; I had given up talking myself out of this fear. The waves slamming into the side of the craft didn’t help either. The ship was enormous, but the ocean showed she was still queen.

I laid awake for hours, probably caused by my sporadic fear naps. As I applied the blankets over my head, staring into the abyss, I felt something come under my covers, tugging me into a spooning position with their tiny hands.

May ran her fingers through my hair. “It’s okay. Relax,” she whispered in my ear.

“Jolene is—”

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“Hush, is my presence not helping?” May asked, still running her hand through my hair gently.

“You know you help,” I said as May began humming a hymn in my ear. May’s affection towards me had grown quite a bit. The last month before we departed, she had really started to become comfortable touching my arms and hands. I tried not to overreact to it, which probably made me appear cold at times, but I didn’t want her to take it the wrong way. The last thing I wanted to become was the church pervert that couldn’t keep his hands away from women.

After a while, May stopped petting me and wrapped her arm around my abdomen. May’s breathing slowed as her warmth hit the back of my neck. The slow, constant rhythm put me to sleep like a lullaby.

***

I woke up on my back to May’s head laying on my arm as she snuggled into my side. This, of course, turned into a nightmare as I looked down at my morning arousal. May had already seen every inch of my body from when she was taking care of me. However, something like this would kill me with embarrassment. I drifted the covers over my underwear as May yawned, opening her eyes.

“Oh, I messed up,” May said worrisomely.

I nervously coughed, “What’s wrong?”

“Jolene is for sure waiting in that lobby for me to return to my bedroom or drinking alcohol again. It took me forever to sneak in here last night. The woman doesn’t put the bottle down,” she said, sighing. I catch myself as my eyes run down her nightgown to her chest. May sees me but says nothing. This wasn’t the first time she caught me staring at her, but I had never let my eyes drift in that manner.

“We should probably get dressed,” I said, and May put her palm to my bare chest, running it up to my shoulder.

“You’re looking much better,” she smiled. She was so proud of me, even after learning that her unknowing element saved me. May truly cared about people and unfortunately, that same glow she had in her eyes for me also came out for others. I was disappointed, maybe slightly jealous, that I wasn’t her sole source of happiness. I wanted to be her only reason for smiling, and the others were diluting my sense of importance.

“You smile so easily with me. Do you do this with others?” I let slip, and she looked at me with curiosity.

“I’m not sure what you’re asking,” May replied, and I knew I needed to shift the conversation.

I averted my gaze from hers. “I am still malnourished,” I said, changing the subject, and she seemed to allow the question to die.

“We should just stay in this room all day. It is going to take days to c-c-come to the curvature,” she said, lying back down, “to be truthful, I slept very well—and you’re the type of person I thought you were.”

I turned my focus back to her. “What does that mean?”

“It means you’re an r-r-respectable person,” May said, sitting up, coming to eye level. “It means I trust you. It means… one day I might not want you to be that… chivalrous.”

I paused with a blank look. “Huh?”

“I saw the wheels spin on that one, Cyrus,” she sighed, getting up and adjusting her nightgown. “I’ll be back after I change,” she announced with an annoyed expression, which I am so desperate to understand.

May left, and I glanced over to the door and saw a leather bag. I was too busy panicking to notice someone had tossed it inside. Untying the strings, I saw my only personal items; it wasn’t much. I pulled my blue jeans out and held them in the air. The general sure had this faith in me because denim apparently cost a lot of money around the south pole. In all honesty, I should have been nicer to him; he had given me a few gifts without saying a word to me the last six months. Or he was praying I would save him and wanted my good favour—he wasn’t a decent person; he was protecting his own ass.

After putting on my denim pants, I tossed a laced-up shirt over my head as May came in with a stack of books, which she looked barely able to balance. I rushed over, grabbing some and we set them on the bed.

May let out an exhausted sigh, blowing a strand of hair from her face, “If we’re going to sit here in the middle of the ocean for over two months, then we will make it productive.”

I looked down at the books in different languages. “How am I supposed to read that?” I said, picking up one of the most enormous textbooks I’ve seen in my life, not that I’ve seen many.

“Well, an academy graduate must speak all major continental languages,” May said, grabbing the book from my hand and tossing it back to the bed. She was in a gorgeous yellow and white floral dress.

“You’re not in your robe,” I blurted out as she put her loose, curly hair into a ponytail.

May raised her eyebrow at me. “I was in a nightgown last night, and this puts you in a state of awe.”

“You’re just… you’ve always been in a white robe,” I said as my mind processed this image forever. Of course, I know the nightgown was… small, but this was different. She was… adorable.

I tucked my white shirt in before we rested on the bed and started trying to teach each other words from other regions. It felt like wasting time more than studying, but we didn’t have to be doing this, so breaks were okay.

I stopped reading one of the few books in the crown language, looking over at May as we laid next to each other against the backboard, “You said academy graduate? Why would a soldier need to learn languages?” I said as May held her book with one hand.

“Oh…” she said, snapping it shut, “I didn’t tell you about the prophecy.” May sits on her knees, facing me. “Story time—so long ago,” she said, dramatically waving her hand in the air.

“May.”

“Y-yes.”

“Tell me the details, but not the long version,” I said, knowing she was going to go on a massive, long-winded story.

She blew air into her cheeks, pouting. “Fine.”

I laughed, petting her head with a smile. “I’m sorry you can tell the complete story,” I said, and she just looked at me oddly as my hand ran down the back of her neck. I pulled my arm back. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay. You can touch me,” she mumbled, staring down.

“Okay,” I replied, not sure what to say to something like that, and we both awkwardly sat in silence for a moment.

“Uhhhh… Moving on from that. So. There is a Demon Lord, king, devil, Diablo. It doesn’t matter what it’s called. Almost every continent has had one at some time. The Demon Lord is an old s-s-soul that keeps being reborn into the world to c-c-cleanse it with magica, a constant reminder that if the inhabitants of this world do not stay united, their sins will send them into the abyss. After we kill the lord, it seems there will be a hundred years of peace.”

“Well, I hope we’re amid peace years.”

May shook her head. “The Demon Lord was born fifteen years ago, and we are in the middle of the Seventh World War.”

“Seventh, why does everyone hate each other so much?”

“Um, well, this one was started by the r-r-royal king because he had hoped they could find the child Demon Lord and kill it. Instead, the Nightbourne and Sunbourne agreed on something, which is history itself, and declared they wanted to capture the demon soul and trap it. The Kairyu worshipped their version of the devil and wanted to embrace it… the Liches are interested in the Demon Lord, but everyone is unsure why,” May said, finishing her story.

“So, the war is because of the Demon Lord?”

“Eh, mostly. There is always discord, but that is probably what tipped it towards conflict,” May said, laying her head on my lap. She looked up at me, “And b-b-before the war broke out, we had a treaty. During the Demon Lord years, war between nations was prohibited. Champions of each notable race would step out towards the middle and fight the evil beast and cast it back to hell.”

“And in the so-called peace years, the world would fight,” I said, sighing, “humanity is so violent.”

“How much of this is true, I do not know,” May shrugged, “but I know the academy trains heroes and enchanters, and you, Cyrus, have The Warlord Blessing, now formally known as the Generals nomination.”

“What about you?”

“Oh, I am a life user, most likely. I will either become a healer on the battlefield or be the grand priestess, which is a pompous idea,” she laughed.

“I believe you could be the Grand Priestess,” I said, and she smiled at me.

“You don’t even know what that is,” May laughed, sitting up. “You, Cyrus, will be something special. Ordinary people don’t go to the academy.”

“How do you even know all this? You were born in the south region, right? Information seems scattered and vague there.”

“Yes, I was born in the fridge south. M-m-my church father, much like your father, was s-s-strict on writing and reading. While he was a cruel man at times, he fixed my stutter somewhat and educated me well. He came from the neighbouring academy cities as a missionary and brought many books down south like yours. However, your dad seems to have left out a lot.”

“My father did not enjoy talking about the crown land. He had an unknown dislike for them,” I said, picking up my book from my lap. “Remembering back, he would dodge all questions about magica I had from hearing local stories.”

“Why would he, though?” May squinted her eyes at me.

“Truthfully, I don’t know.”

May and I continue our studies, and I catch up on history through the books. I can’t say I wasn’t enjoying this loafing around reading all day with my friend. It was relaxing and kept my mind off the fact we were on a boat. However, I would get reminded by enormous waves smacking the ship’s side every so often.

We spent over two weeks in my room. Unfortunately, the weather was too rough to allow us on the deck, but I wasn’t too eager to look at the ocean just yet.

May spent most of her nights in my bed; this made me uncomfortable. It was hard not to find it awkwardly intimate, and I knew May wasn’t thinking anything of it. I never knew what to do with my hands, and accidentally touching her put a look on May’s face that made me feel perverted. However, Jolene wasn’t bothering her, to my surprise. May had told Jolene to back off on the inappropriate talk, which was enough. May could summon up a temper which I enjoyed watching as long as it was not directed at me. Much like one watching a volcano explode from a safe distance.

I hadn’t seen Edwin since we got on the boat. He seemed to have lost interest in me, which was okay because I didn’t want him to ask me a million questions. I just wanted to sit here and enjoy May’s company and not panic about being thousands of miles from shore.

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