CHAPTER 3:
LOVERS AT SEA
Two and a half hours later, Justin, Feena, Sue, and Rapp arrived at Guido's private dock. It wasn't at all like Justin imagined it would look. He somehow pictured it as painted golden, with the pillars carved to resemble carrots. However, when they had reached it, it looked like any ordinary dock. The boat wasn't bad, though. It was a large, wooden sailboat with just enough space for eight people.
"Well, this is it," Justin announced. "Are we all set?"
"Not yet," said Feena. "Everyone, give me all your maps."
"Uh, okay."
They gave Feena their maps, not knowing why. But before they could ask why, to their surprise, she had deliberately dropped the maps into the water.
"Feena, what are you doing?!" Justin exclaimed in shock.
"Didn't you say that adventures are better when you don't know where you're going?" she replied, smiling calmly.
Justin smiled to himself. "I guess I did say that, didn't I?"
Forgetting about the maps, the group boarded onto the boat, untied it, and rode out towards the horizon. They were headed for Who-Knows-Where, and they could hardly wait to get there.
By seven in the evening, they had already traveled about 100 miles, and the shore could no longer be seen. They were all on deck, eating dinner.
"So, Justin, what do you think we'll find out there?" Sue asked, trying to strike up a conversation.
"I don't know," he answered. "All I know is that the world can't go as far as East Elencia and then just stop. I'll bet our planet is even bigger than any of us could ever imagine."
"Hmm.... Justin, do you think the world could be never ending?" Feena asked out of curiosity.
"Well, I kind of doubt that, but then again, it is possible."
"Well, if the world does have an end, what do you think we'll do if we see everything?"
Justin had never thought of that before. What if they did see everything? Adventures wouldn't be necessary anymore.
"I think," he began, "that when that happens, humans will become extinct."
Feena almost choked on her food when she heard him say this. "What?! Why?"
Justin smiled playfully. "Because everyone would all die of boredom!"
Sue looked towards the west. "Wow, look at that sunset!"
Everyone looked west. Half of the sun was peeking up over the horizon, coloring the entire sky and sea a magnificent shade of red and orange.
Justin had to admit that it was the most beautiful sunset he had ever seen. He turned to Feena sitting next to him. Obviously, she was thinking the same thing.
Feena looked back at Justin, and smiled at him comfortingly. He smiled back. They continued to stare affectionately at each other for a few minutes.
Justin and Feena had been close friends for almost three weeks now, but ever since Justin rescued her from Gaia, he secretly felt that they were a little more than just close friends. And Feena had never told Justin before, but it seemed that she felt the same way about him, too.
After a while, everyone went to bed. There were four hammocks hanging up inside the boat. Each hammock was quite comfortable, so they all fell asleep pretty quickly...except Justin.
Justin was lying wide-awake in his hammock. He couldn't sleep. He was too eager about reaching land to sleep. Plus, Rapp was snoring way too loudly to let Justin sleep. At first, Justin thought that he was the only one awake, but then he saw Feena sit up on her hammock. She sighed, stood up, and walked out on deck. Instinctively, Justin got up and followed her. It was pretty chilly outside, so he walked out with his blanket wrapped around him.
It was a quiet, full moon night, with all of the stars clearly visible, and the waves gently licking at the sides of the boat. Justin found Feena sitting next to the ledge, looking up at the stars.
"Feena, what are you doing out here?" he asked her, sitting down beside her.
"I couldn't sleep," she replied, still looking towards the heavens. "The 'chainsaw' in the hammock next to you wouldn't shut itself off."
Justin laughed quietly.
She looked at Justin. "You can join me, if you want," she offered, smiling.
"All right, but it's freezing out here," he announced. "You can have my blanket."
"Thanks," she said, taking Justin's blanket and wrapping it around herself. "What about you?"
"A little chilliness can't hurt me," he told her.
Feena giggled. "You really haven't changed a bit."
Soon, however, Justin began to shiver.
"Justin, your teeth are chattering."
"No, they're not."
"I can hear them. Go ahead, take some of the blanket."
Soon, Justin gave in, and Feena opened the blanket for him to curl into. He then grabbed his side of the blanket and wrapped it around himself and Feena.
They stared at each other again. Justin felt something inside him as he looked into Feena's big eyes. It was like what he felt when he was talking with Feena back on Gadwin's boat, the Sea Dragon, except that it felt much stronger now. For some strange reason, he could feel his own heart beating in his chest, and it was beating stronger and faster than it had ever beaten.
He continued to gaze at her. The light from the moon was flowing into her green eyes, making them shine like newly cut emeralds. A small breeze began to blow, causing her green hair to gently dance, like a field of tall, fresh grass on a windy day.
Feena smiled at Justin affectionately and he smiled back, gazing even deeper into her jewel-like eyes, moving his face closer to hers. The tips of their noses were almost touching, as they continued to stare at one another.
Suddenly, and without thinking, Justin closed his eyes, leaned forward and kissed Feena's soft, warm lips. When he broke away from the kiss, it took a while for him to realize what had just happened. "Uh, I-I'm so sorry, Feena! I shouldn't have just leapt on to you like that! What was I thinking?!"
To his surprise, Feena was still smiling at him. "It's all right," she reassured him. "You've done nothing wrong." She kissed him back, causing his heart to beat even faster and harder. "Justin, what would you do if I said that I love you?" They kissed again, this time putting their arms around each other.
"Do you?"
"Yes. I...I love you, Justin. I wouldn't have tried to die for you if I didn't." They kissed once again, even more passionately. "Do you love me, too?"
"Of course. I would have let you die for me if I didn't." And with that, they locked each other in their arms, and kissed so passionately that they sank to the floor.
Justin rolled over to lie on top of Feena, and pulled the blanket over them. He ran his fingers through her feather-soft hair as they kissed. He untied her hair, and removed her accessories, letting her hair flow freely under her head. "Tell me, Feena. How did you get so beautiful?" he asked her. Feena pulled Justin's shirt over his head, and removed her top. They continued to kiss, holding each other tightly in their arms.
They pulled away from each other's lips. Feena looked up at Justin, and smiled lovingly at him. They had each wanted this to happen for so long. A few moments later, Feena nodded her head back, and fell asleep in Justin's arms. Justin rested his head next to hers, and lightly kissed her cheek, and she smiled and tightened her grip around him.
That night, as Feena slept, Justin could feel her heart beating against her ribs. He knew that nothing would hurt them as they slept, but he still had this urge to hold and protect her all night. She feels so delicate, he thought as he held her nimble body. She seemed so precious right now, more than gold, or silver, or diamonds could ever be. Soon, Justin was succumbed by his own drowsiness, and he joined Feena in her deep sleep, feeling her heart beating next to his.
TO BE CONTINUED
Two and a half hours later, Justin, Feena, Sue, and Rapp arrived at Guido's private dock. It wasn't at all like Justin imagined it would look. He somehow pictured it as painted golden, with the pillars carved to resemble carrots. However, when they had reached it, it looked like any ordinary dock. The boat wasn't bad, though. It was a large, wooden sailboat with just enough space for eight people.
"Well, this is it," Justin announced. "Are we all set?"
"Not yet," said Feena. "Everyone, give me all your maps."
"Uh, okay."
They gave Feena their maps, not knowing why. But before they could ask why, to their surprise, she had deliberately dropped the maps into the water.
"Feena, what are you doing?!" Justin exclaimed in shock.
"Didn't you say that adventures are better when you don't know where you're going?" she replied, smiling calmly.
Justin smiled to himself. "I guess I did say that, didn't I?"
Forgetting about the maps, the group boarded onto the boat, untied it, and rode out towards the horizon. They were headed for Who-Knows-Where, and they could hardly wait to get there.
By seven in the evening, they had already traveled about 100 miles, and the shore could no longer be seen. They were all on deck, eating dinner.
"So, Justin, what do you think we'll find out there?" Sue asked, trying to strike up a conversation.
"I don't know," he answered. "All I know is that the world can't go as far as East Elencia and then just stop. I'll bet our planet is even bigger than any of us could ever imagine."
"Hmm.... Justin, do you think the world could be never ending?" Feena asked out of curiosity.
"Well, I kind of doubt that, but then again, it is possible."
"Well, if the world does have an end, what do you think we'll do if we see everything?"
Justin had never thought of that before. What if they did see everything? Adventures wouldn't be necessary anymore.
"I think," he began, "that when that happens, humans will become extinct."
Feena almost choked on her food when she heard him say this. "What?! Why?"
Justin smiled playfully. "Because everyone would all die of boredom!"
Sue looked towards the west. "Wow, look at that sunset!"
Everyone looked west. Half of the sun was peeking up over the horizon, coloring the entire sky and sea a magnificent shade of red and orange.
Justin had to admit that it was the most beautiful sunset he had ever seen. He turned to Feena sitting next to him. Obviously, she was thinking the same thing.
Feena looked back at Justin, and smiled at him comfortingly. He smiled back. They continued to stare affectionately at each other for a few minutes.
Justin and Feena had been close friends for almost three weeks now, but ever since Justin rescued her from Gaia, he secretly felt that they were a little more than just close friends. And Feena had never told Justin before, but it seemed that she felt the same way about him, too.
After a while, everyone went to bed. There were four hammocks hanging up inside the boat. Each hammock was quite comfortable, so they all fell asleep pretty quickly...except Justin.
Justin was lying wide-awake in his hammock. He couldn't sleep. He was too eager about reaching land to sleep. Plus, Rapp was snoring way too loudly to let Justin sleep. At first, Justin thought that he was the only one awake, but then he saw Feena sit up on her hammock. She sighed, stood up, and walked out on deck. Instinctively, Justin got up and followed her. It was pretty chilly outside, so he walked out with his blanket wrapped around him.
It was a quiet, full moon night, with all of the stars clearly visible, and the waves gently licking at the sides of the boat. Justin found Feena sitting next to the ledge, looking up at the stars.
"Feena, what are you doing out here?" he asked her, sitting down beside her.
"I couldn't sleep," she replied, still looking towards the heavens. "The 'chainsaw' in the hammock next to you wouldn't shut itself off."
Justin laughed quietly.
She looked at Justin. "You can join me, if you want," she offered, smiling.
"All right, but it's freezing out here," he announced. "You can have my blanket."
"Thanks," she said, taking Justin's blanket and wrapping it around herself. "What about you?"
"A little chilliness can't hurt me," he told her.
Feena giggled. "You really haven't changed a bit."
Soon, however, Justin began to shiver.
"Justin, your teeth are chattering."
"No, they're not."
"I can hear them. Go ahead, take some of the blanket."
Soon, Justin gave in, and Feena opened the blanket for him to curl into. He then grabbed his side of the blanket and wrapped it around himself and Feena.
They stared at each other again. Justin felt something inside him as he looked into Feena's big eyes. It was like what he felt when he was talking with Feena back on Gadwin's boat, the Sea Dragon, except that it felt much stronger now. For some strange reason, he could feel his own heart beating in his chest, and it was beating stronger and faster than it had ever beaten.
He continued to gaze at her. The light from the moon was flowing into her green eyes, making them shine like newly cut emeralds. A small breeze began to blow, causing her green hair to gently dance, like a field of tall, fresh grass on a windy day.
Feena smiled at Justin affectionately and he smiled back, gazing even deeper into her jewel-like eyes, moving his face closer to hers. The tips of their noses were almost touching, as they continued to stare at one another.
Suddenly, and without thinking, Justin closed his eyes, leaned forward and kissed Feena's soft, warm lips. When he broke away from the kiss, it took a while for him to realize what had just happened. "Uh, I-I'm so sorry, Feena! I shouldn't have just leapt on to you like that! What was I thinking?!"
To his surprise, Feena was still smiling at him. "It's all right," she reassured him. "You've done nothing wrong." She kissed him back, causing his heart to beat even faster and harder. "Justin, what would you do if I said that I love you?" They kissed again, this time putting their arms around each other.
"Do you?"
"Yes. I...I love you, Justin. I wouldn't have tried to die for you if I didn't." They kissed once again, even more passionately. "Do you love me, too?"
"Of course. I would have let you die for me if I didn't." And with that, they locked each other in their arms, and kissed so passionately that they sank to the floor.
Justin rolled over to lie on top of Feena, and pulled the blanket over them. He ran his fingers through her feather-soft hair as they kissed. He untied her hair, and removed her accessories, letting her hair flow freely under her head. "Tell me, Feena. How did you get so beautiful?" he asked her. Feena pulled Justin's shirt over his head, and removed her top. They continued to kiss, holding each other tightly in their arms.
They pulled away from each other's lips. Feena looked up at Justin, and smiled lovingly at him. They had each wanted this to happen for so long. A few moments later, Feena nodded her head back, and fell asleep in Justin's arms. Justin rested his head next to hers, and lightly kissed her cheek, and she smiled and tightened her grip around him.
That night, as Feena slept, Justin could feel her heart beating against her ribs. He knew that nothing would hurt them as they slept, but he still had this urge to hold and protect her all night. She feels so delicate, he thought as he held her nimble body. She seemed so precious right now, more than gold, or silver, or diamonds could ever be. Soon, Justin was succumbed by his own drowsiness, and he joined Feena in her deep sleep, feeling her heart beating next to his.
TO BE CONTINUED
