Alex grumbled aloud as he set his chin in his hands. Piers' Lemurian ship rocked back and forth steadily. The sun was high in the sky, making the waves crashing against the boat sparkle like silver.
"Why couldn't I have been rescued by Isaac's group?" he thought to himself.
He desperately wanted to see Mia again and, in Felix's party, he was not greeted with the face of his beautiful clan member. Instead, all he got were dirty looks, unvarying glowers, and the occasional scornful remark from Jenna. He wasn't sure how long they had been at sea. After returning to the site of the destroyed Vale after the Mars beacon had been lit, Felix and Isaac's party had searched through the rubble, trying to find all that they could of their lost possessions. He remembered how he had partially awoken from his deep sleep after being hit in the head with a rock. He heard voices and felt stones being moved off his body. He vaguely remembered Felix lifting him up into his arms. "It'll be alright, Alex. You're safe now." That's what Felix had told him shortly before he passed out again. Perhaps it would have been better if they hadn't found him.
Sheba walked up on deck and looked around. She spotted Alex leaning against the ship's railing looking out over the ocean. "Yes, we could have left you to die there. At least we would have been happy," she snapped, catching his thoughts.
Alex didn't even bother to look over at her. The strong ocean breeze blew past, whipping his azure hair into his eyes. "Who said I wanted to die? I just don't like the company on this ship," he told the young wind Adept.
Sheba stomped over to him, seething with anger. Her psynergy flared up in anger and a weak breeze began to circle her. "That is so like you! We save your life and you're not even grateful!" She poked him in the chest to get the emphasis of her words across.
Alex grabbed her hand, causing Sheba to shiver; his skin was as cold as ice. "It's not that I'm ungrateful. I owe Felix much more than just my life. But I'd much rather be with someone else...although I don't think she would like to be in my presence."
Sheba pulled her hand away, unable to take the Mercurian's frigid grip any longer. She rubbed her hands together to warm her fingers back up. "Well, just suck it up and deal with it. We're going through a lot of trouble to bring you along to Contigo with us."
Alex shook his head with a smile. "For someone so young, you really have a lot of spunk. You have a free spirit."
Sheba couldn't help but smile proudly. "Faran was always telling me that. He said it's because I'm totally attuned with the wind, free and wild."
Alex turned and looked back out over the ocean, watching as waves rolled along over the water. "I think he was right."