Chapter 7 - Reluctance
POV: Sid
All of us, minus Ren, stood outside at the back of the house, where there was a white yacht tied to a wooden post. The yacht was roughly the size of the throne room back at the palace on Gundalia - massive. Although, I got the feeling that the yacht looked a lot bigger inside. Everything always looked bigger inside.
Ren was still in the living room inside the house, getting some rest while Linehalt was keeping an eye on him. Ren was able to walk a little bit now, but he still staggered. A couple of times, he got a little dizzy trying to get up. Regardless, his injuries were improving. It was his head that needed the most attention. It wasn't looking as bad as it had been, but it still must've been quite painful for Ren. He would need to be checked every so often, until he was able to stand without feeling light-headed.
Grace jumped onto the deck and walked towards the door that lead to the inside of the yacht. We jumped aboard after her as she unlocked the door and then opened it. "Come in," Grace beckoned and we followed her inside.
We were in some sort of yellow and white living room with white couches at both sides. The living room was quite spacious, too, with the small wooden table at the centre and a lot of floor area. There was an en-suite kitchen at the far front of the yacht. And on the left, next to a couch, was a spiral staircase that went up and down between decks. I was right when I figured that the yacht looked bigger inside.
"Sid's father and I got this boat because we both loved sailing," Grace said. "Now that we're on different planets, I've been sailing in my own free time. Anyway, it has three decks; the cabins and the engine room in the lower deck; the kitchen and the living room in this one; and the control room in the upper deck. It's not much, but it's fast and, at least, you won't have to teleport."
"This is more than we need," Lena said, smiling. "Thank you."
"Anytime. Now we better take some things and leave if we were to hide from the Twelve Orders. There are spare bags in the attic back in the house for everyone. I can steer, but I can't do a few more things at the same time. So does anyone know how to steer?"
"I do," Zenet replied. "I used to watch a couple of relatives steer different boats growing up. I can help out."
"Alright, that sounds good to me. You and I will be working together then, Zenet. We'll be taking turns, though. That way, we can have breaks at different times."
"Okay, then," Zenet said, turning to leave the yacht. "Let's get packing and sail away from the Twelve Orders." Zenet ran out the door and jumped onto the beach. As she rushed to the house, she whooped, "Boat ride!"
"Zenet's really excited about this," Grace pointed out with a smile.
"I think the entire cast is excited," Jesse said. "It's all about the sense of adventure."
"You got that right," I said and walked out the door. "We better get sorted."
I then jumped off the boat and headed towards the house.
POV: Lena
Jesse followed Sid and I was about to join everyone when Grace stopped me with a touch on my shoulder. "Lena," she began. "Since Zenet and I will be taking turns steering the boat, I was thinking that, while I'll be taking my breaks, I could teach you how to control your power. Are you feeling up for it?"
"Yes," I replied, but then said with a hint of worry in my voice, "and no. I mean, I am up for it, really. But with this power, I'll be putting you at risk. I don't want to hurt you, Grace."
"I know, but you won't. You'll be fine. If I can handle fire, why not poison? You'll get used to it, Lena. Don't worry. You just need to completely focus. I'm sure you'll learn a lot faster than I did, believe me. Trust me."
I did trust Grace, which was why it would hurt me to see what I could do to her. This was a risk I couldn't take. But, at the same time, I couldn't bear the thought of going through life with the power and without guidance.
Reluctantly, I sighed, "OK. Let me know whenever you're on a break... and I'll be ready."
With that, I left the yacht and went inside the house to pack my stuff for the boat ride.
