Despite the brutality of what can barely be considered as a living space, Quies still felt that homely feeling standing there. It was weird—to think that he had a greater feeling of belonging to this place compared to his family home back in Etris…

  ‘Maybe it’s because this place was really mine. I could do whatever I wanted here—I was liberated.’

  But unlike his visit to his family home in Etris, he wasn’t just here to reminisce. If he remembered properly, there was something he left here which he thought might be important…

  He stepped closer to the pile of wood and materials. From within the ordinarily messy pile, a faint green glow emanated from within.

  Clearing the wooden scraps carefully—moving them to the side—he searched for the object which emanated that light. The wood bounced lightly on the stone surface of the wide ledge, its sound reverberating within the resonant cave.

  Rather quickly, Quies found it.

  ‘It's not like I’m looking for a needle in a haystack or anything.’

  Reaching in, he grabbed the object, holding it with reserve. Putting it closer to his face, he could make out the details.

  Its shape was unique for an object of its kind. It was a hollow, rigid tube wound into a spiraling, helical shape. In fact, it resembled the chitinous shells that Quies would sometimes find when he was fishing. However, unlike those shells, this object’s surface was of a beautiful aquamarine green. It was as if light took a short journey around its form before leaving.

  ‘...’

  Quies stared at the shell-like stone, deep in thought. When he left Etris, he took a few things with him.

  This… this was one of those things. It didn’t serve much of a purpose to him—at least at that time—but it was something he treasured dearly. His dad gave it to him. Thus, Quies kept it as a memento to remember him by.

  Within the hollow aquamarine chambers of this stone were all of those moments Quies had with him. Within the chambers of this stone, his fathers words echoed eternally. Putting it up to his ear, he could faintly hear them.

  He listened; the wind whispered to him faintly. Its words were a mystery.

  ‘I miss you.’

  Quies rubbed his hand across the rough surface of the stone. His injured heart ached with an indescribable, faint longing.

  He sighed softly as he put the stone in his pocket. Now wasn’t the time.

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  Not right now.

  ‘What else am I missing…’

  He glanced around the, now abandoned, living space. Despite the life he had lived in this place, he was definitely not going to be living here anymore. Again, despite the sentimental value it held, it really was just a ledge in a cave. Maybe he could use the wood, but other than that…

  ‘Nothing, really.’

  The morning was still in full swing, so he had time. Time before night came.

  That… was the glaring problem. How would he manage at night? He needed shelter, food, and water.

  ‘Most likely, I’ll just go back to the ship for the first day. However, that really limits my range of exploration…’

  He clicked his tongue.

  ‘Why does this island have to be so big.’

  Giving his old living space once more a glance, he dropped down from the ledge.

  ***

  Quies walked through the forest of lower Erisia. Shielded by the cliffs and manmade constructs, there was barely any breeze. Once in a while, a rolling gust would tumble from the heights of the island, rustling leaves and stirring the land.

  Rustle

  Quies snapped to where the sound came from. He raised his hand near his mouth in anticipation.

  ‘What could that-’

  There was nothing hiding in the grass—if anything even could. The grass was short, and there were minimal bushes or fauna which creatures could hide behind.

  He looked up into the branches of the tree behind him. His answer was perched there, looking blankly at him with its eyes, dark as they were.

  A bird.

  Specifically, it was a bird which resembled that of a raven… but sort of not. Its coat was of an unnatural black, as if encapsulated and veiled by shadows. Its feathers glinted darkness off of its surface, fluttering as the bird flapped its wings. Eyes stared Quies down, darker than liquid ink, yet holding its same luster.

  He let out a sigh of relief.

  ‘It's just a bird.’

  Quies lowered his hand. He didn’t need to bite his thumb for the second time in one day.

  Speaking of which, he should probably find a more efficient way of using his mantra. Injuring himself repeatedly by biting into his own skin wasn’t exactly pleasant. On top of that, it was slow—at least when compared to simply drawing a sword out of a sheath.

  His hand returned to his pocket, lightly gripping the aquamarine gale stone.

  After another uncomfortable moment of staring, the bird seemed to lose interest. Its head twitched to the side.

  Then, its wings unfurled as it flew away, its feathers rustling ever so softer as it got farther away.

  Quies did the same thing, turning around and continuing his exploration.

  As he walked further into the island of Erisia, the ashen forest began to clear. Walking up an incline, he saw stalks of bamboo which had risen from the ground long ago. They grew at the foot of tall stone walls which bordered the path he walked on. It was like a hallway.

  Then, his path split into two. A fork in the road.