"I don't wanna go yet… I wanna stay longer with Leon…"
The next morning, Aquarina was sniffling as her parents tried to get her ready to leave. She clung to her father's arm, looking on the verge of tears.
"Come now, Aquarina…" Shade sighed, gently patting her back.
"Heh, she's gotten really attached to you, Leon," Nepheline said, giving me a knowing smile.
"Isn't there a way for her to stay here just a little longer?" I asked hopefully.
"Leon, don't be rude now. Aquarina's parents have responsibilities. They protect an entire town," my mother said with a soft tone, but her words were firm.
"Exactly. Unlike us, they're responsible for a whole settlement. It's a three-day trip to return too, so they can't dawdle," added my father.
I sighed. "I see…"
Of course, I understood. Even if she would be safe here with us, no parent would want to leave their child in another household for long, especially when she's this young. She'd surely miss them, and I'm sure they'd miss her just as much.
Still… her sapphire eyes were watering again, and seeing her like that tugged at my chest.
She stretched her little hand toward me, held protectively in Shade's arms.
"Leon…!"
"Hey now, don't cry, Aquarina," I said gently, smiling at her. "We'll meet again soon, okay?"
"But… we're fwiends…"
"Of course we are! And even if we're far apart, that won't change, right?"
She hesitated before nodding. "R-Right…"
"So stay strong. Next time we meet, we'll have even more fun!"
"Okay… you promise?"
"I promise."
I reached out and held her hand tightly. Her smile came back slowly as Nepheline wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.
"Honestly, we wish we could stay longer," Nepheline said. "But like we said, we can't risk leaving our tribe unprotected. What if a monster like that fly came near them while we were gone?"
"Thanks for being our daughter's first friend, Leon," Shade added, his tone warmer than usual. "We'll send you an invitation to her birthday in a few months. And… maybe we can visit once every month."
"Just once a month?" I muttered under my breath. Aquarina might not take that well…
But then my father spoke up.
"Our territory's pretty open, and since we don't have a town to guard, we can travel. We could visit your town instead and stay for a few days once a month. That sound good, Leon? Aquarina?"
A brilliant idea—my old man always came through.
"Yeah! That'd be awesome!" I nodded excitedly.
"It would be a good experience for Leon too, seeing the world outside our territory," my mother agreed. "We'll come to your place next weekend then. Sound good?"
"Sounds perfect. We'll be waiting," Nepheline replied with a grin.
"Be sure to prep well for the trip," reminded Shade.
"We'll be ready," father confirmed.
"See that, Aquarina? One more week, and we'll meet again!" I told her cheerfully.
"Really? I-I'll be waiting for you!" she said with a bright, tear-free smile.
"Me too! Ah—hold on a sec!"
I rushed upstairs, rummaged through my bookshelf, and grabbed a small fairytale picture book. It was titled "The Goldfish That Became a Dragon." A classic tale about perseverance and ambition—one I really liked.
I ran back downstairs and held it out to her.
"Here! A gift. Keep it safe until we see each other again."
"Huh? Really…?"
"Yeah! It's yours now."
"Thank you…" she whispered, clutching the book close.
"Awww, that's so sweet! You two are like siblings already!" Nepheline laughed as she bent down and planted a kiss on my forehead. "Take care of our little girl, okay?"
"I will," I promised.
After exchanging one last round of hugs with my parents, Shade stepped forward and patted my head gently.
"Stay strong, Leon. And keep your magic in check."
"Yes, sir. Safe travels."
"Thanks."
Then, Shade stepped outside, and with a flick of his hand, he cast a spell.
"Familiar Summoning."
From his shadow, a titanic bird emerged—an enormous raven cloaked in living darkness. It spread its massive wings, each one casting a shadow that covered the whole front of the house.
Its red, glowing eyes gazed around the area as it crouched low to the ground.
"CRAA!"
It let out a piercing cry, shaking the nearby trees.
Shade, Nepheline, and Aquarina climbed onto its broad back.
"We'll be waiting for you next week!" Nepheline called, waving.
Aquarina waved eagerly from up top, still clutching the little book to her chest.
FLAAAASH!
My mother opened a small rift in the protective barrier for them, and the raven flapped its wings.
With a gust of wind and a swirl of dark feathers, they vanished into the sky, disappearing into the thick clouds overhead.
"Whoa…" I muttered. "Flying looks kinda scary… but cool, too."
Aquarina didn't even look scared. I guess she was used to it by now.
Man… I really want to go on a trip.
And as if reading my thoughts, my dad asked, "Alright then, who wants grilled boar steaks?"
"ME!" I yelled immediately, my appetite roaring. Wild boar meat was my favorite.
"We still have cake for dessert, too," mom said, smiling as she lifted me up in her arms. Dad followed as we walked back into the house.
Despite the warm food and family, I couldn't help but feel a little sad.
I missed Aquarina already.
But in just over a week… we'd meet again.
I had to prepare!
"Oh, right," I mumbled while chewing on a piece of meat. "Hey, Mom, Dad… where exactly are we? Like, geographically?"
My father laughed. "Finally asking, huh?"
"We live on a giant floating continent called Skyarnia," my mother answered with a casual grin.
Wait…
Floating continent?!
We live… in the sky?!
No wonder it takes three whole days to travel here.
Well… that just makes the world even more exciting to explore.
---