Chapter 1: Before She Left
Prox grew more and more dangerous each day as Weyard's landmass continuously shrank. Was it because of the lack of alchemy? Was Prox just unlucky to be near such a dangerous Lighthouse? Was this punishment from the Wise One? Questions that went unanswered for years and lingered in Riko's mind.
Fern decided to move to Tolbi with his children and stay there permanently as it seemed safer for everyone… at least for the time being. They moved on her sister's 7th birthday.
"Father, I have to go. I've been researching alchemy for the past few decades and I insist that I must go back to the lost city of Lemuria, my original home. You told me that you believed in the tales Babi used to tell you while we're living in Tolbi, so I'm sure you'll understand why it's so important for me to go there… especially for her. All these years of training my swordsmanship with you has granted me immense confidence in fending for myself, so I thank you and I bid you farewell for now. I promise I will come back." -Riko
Moments before she left, Fern managed to read the letter and caught up to her.
"Riko, you can't leave for Lemuria…", he says while looking down with his arms crossed, ominously walking towards her.
"... without a sailor," he looks up at her with a quick wink and a smirk.
Unbeknownst to her, Fern could sail a Lemurian ship since he used to sail with Babi on small voyages across Angara.
"But I was going to find one myself and go on my own," she said with insistence and a pout.
"No time, and I want to help you so no arguing like you always do when things don't go your way. You can go there, just grab whatever you need like books or maps or anything they'll let you have, talk to whoever you need but then you're leaving immediately. I just don't want to run the risk of leaving you stranded there," he quickly explained, while grabbing a few things like the ship's black orb, some herbs and some vials.
That works! she thought to herself. Fern's words and unexpected help left Riko speechless, she's grateful for him even though he can be stern as he knows her quite well. She smiled at him before they both got ready and left to sail to Lemuria together.
They reached the Sea of Time which is shrouded in fog and miraculously sailed through it carefully. Fern knew how to get through thanks to the tales Babi told of the Sea of Time and its huge, mysterious puzzle. They docked the ship and Riko went off to find out about where her mother went.
Fern: Quickly now.
She nods and smiles softly as she almost jumps off the ship in excitement for what awaits her past the docks. He waves an arm with a warm smile as she leaves. She waved back, not knowing this would be the last time she would see him because the Sea of Time rumbled and dragged Fern's ship out on the open sea before he knew what had happened. Worried about his youngest daughter, he felt that he'd taken too long so he decided to sail back to Tolbi while he was outside the foggy seas of Lemuria.
He knew it wasn't wise to go back into the Sea of Time because Babi once said that it is a sea that "chooses" who it lets through. He just hoped that Riko was alright… He'd planned to send a carrier pigeon to her, if it could ever make itself through the thick fog and ravenous seas through flight, but first he would have to worry about sailing back safely. Miraculously, he somehow made it back to Tolbi where his daughter was found asleep, safe and sound. He went looking for a feather, ink and paper before thinking about resting.
