Becoming Legend

Dawn to his front; darkness to his left, and the rising sun to his right. Ned stumbled as the sailboat—more like a raft—moved along the dead waves of Bogblot.

The sun was rising; the Lobby departed.

Ned let out a breath. Breathe he himself doesn't know if it was because of the longing; longing that somewhere inside him wanted to be with the crew, and have more time to sail with them. Or was it because of relief; relief that finally, he could start his hunt about the ancient crumbs the Marks left.

How should I start? Ned imagined different scenarios about where to start. He could find an inn and start there or he could ask the man puddling the waves in front of him.

Stout, bald, and an air of superiority surround him. Silver earrings clipped on both his ears, loose tunic; the color of old paper. Old boots, running atop his knees muddled with mud.

Glenn was his name. That's what Sisi told Ned before leaving the Cuttlewitch Lobby. The crew gave thanks to Ned. A lot of thanks, Lady Darcey, Lady Baba, Sisi, and the rest. Especially the six wind mages. Partly because this wind mages used Ned's mana stone to increase the Lobby's speed by blowing at its sails.

Anita on the other hand, wasn't there when Ned left. might be sad, too sad for her to see him left. But Ned promised that he would look for her anytime, if not soon.

Cloak flapped against the wind. The cloak was given to him by Lady Darcey. Black cloak, waist length, and able to hide the pouch Ned tied on his belt. The pouch contained 50 silver. Enough for him to last a couple of months. Another 50 was hidden inside Ned's spatial inventory. The reason was, according to Lady Darcey, his unusual spatial ring was worth more than a hundred pouch of silver or his life, and Ned couldn't casually wave a hand in public that will reveal his ring. Leaving half and half would make Ned out of suspicions for having a hard to come by inventory claim—spatial inventory.

Lady Darcey wanted to add more silver, but since the seas use more of Picas; and landlubbers use more of silver. It was what he could scour in every nook of the Lobby. As for gold, well, silver was already hard to come by currency within the seven seas. Don't bother mentioning gold.

It has been almost forty minutes. But Glenn and Ned remained silent for the entire time. Glenn stopped puddling the sailboat from time to time to relax his shoulders, and during this relax, was the only time Glenn would query Ned.

This was their third stop, Ned insisted he wanted to help, but Glenn's insist was way tougher than Ned. Glen asked Ned the same question for the third time as well. "You're really part of their crew, kid?" he said. His voice pausing in between, sometimes with admiration.

"Uh," Ned said. "Wasn't supposed to be, but... things got out of control." Ned sat in an elevated part of the sailboat, which made his position a bit taller than the rowing man, which helped him see the far edges of the shore. Orange light, lined the shores, sometimes it flickered, sometimes it moved. Ned tried to focus to reduce unnecessary noises to let him hear what the people of Bogblot been up to. To his disappointment, the breeze was louder than he could assume. Ned let go of the thought and focused more on the man before him.

Glenn wore a faded tunic and casual sleeves, he looked more of a merchant than what have Sisi claimed to be—a spy. But wasn't just a merchant, his kind was more of a street merchant rather than the one with a proper shop. Part of his disguise, maybe. Ned thought. If it wasn't for his air of superiority, one would think Glenn was a beggar.

Glenn started to row the boat. The two were getting closer to the shore as the flickering light started to reveal themselves. Ned looked behind his shoulder. The Lobby went from a bulking pirate ship to a speck of black dot against the rising sun. They're gone. Ned thought, lowering his shoulder. I'm glad I met someone accompanying me along the way. Toni, Xi, Coco what have you guys been up to.

"Glenn, sir," Ned said. Cringing as he lowered his voice to act more like a child. It's been more than a month since I left O'rriadt and my old self. Well, its not just you, who know how to gather information. "How long have you been here?"

"I've been in and out Bogblot," he said. Snorting as the breeze passed by. "The locals knew me—especially the serfs, as a merchant from a distant island. I sell boozes, and some rare products of the sea—which the locals loved."

The sailboat creaked as the stout man rowed with his might. He doesn't seem to use any mana. "Are you a mage, Glenn sir?"

The words made him snorts and mumbled with some unidentified words. "No," he said. "I wished I am, but time passed, for a guy like me, it was... " he paused as if he remembered something that he shouldn't have. "It was difficult to tame a dog, not to mention making a pact with Fairies—if they ever exist. Might as well make a pact with demons." and he laughed, a suppressing laugh.

A Hollow, Ned thought. Master said if a Hollow was unlucky that they didn't make a pact before the age of sixteen, they will become Hollow for the rest of their lives. "And how do you know Sisi?" Ned asked.

"Ah, so Sisi was her name," Glenn said, pushing the puddle even further. "I don't—they just supply me my items from time to time. You could say I spy for them. And by the way," he stopped puddling and looked Ned behind his back. "The spy thing, let's keep it for both us." His eyes squinted. And the feeling of his superiority was even greater this time. Ned felt a chilling wind gushing on him. He smiled. "They needed to sell their ale, and they want someone to trust, and here I am. The one they trusted. And I like to keep it that way, kid."

Ned paused. The silence made Glenn think that Ned agreed. Not that he cared. He just wanted to get to Bogblot. And meet the man the Royal Knight—Ser Edwin, wanted him to meet. I could start with him. Ned convinced himself. "Glenn, sir," he said with his childish voice. "Do you know a man named Roy?"

Again, Glenn snorted. "Roy? Roy who? Roy the bald, Roy the limp, Roy the plump," he said in a mocking tone. "Or Roy of Boarmash? specifics kid, be specific."

Ned frowned. He doesn't know. It's worth a try though. "Roy... " Ned said. "Roy the Knight?"

Glenn gave a long pause and under his breathe he said. "No." And added. "If you're looking for a knight, Southern Marsh might be your place. One of Hunter's Guild Headquarters is based there. But I'd be careful kid, not just anyone can enter the Hunter's Guild. Especially you, and that's where we start. Your identity."

"What do you mean Glenn, sir?"

"You'll see," he said. "Blue haired pirate, oh, yes, Sisi. Sisi was her name. Asked me to deal with your identity too."

With what left of his strength. Glenn puddled the tiny boat against the waves, which caused it to stop. Slowly, the sailboat moved to their left.

He's meticulous. Ned thought. I'm guessing I'm not the only one he helped cross the border.

After another twenty minutes or so, the boat entered a narrow riverbank. Trees and bushes camped the edges.

The sun wasn't up yet, but diurnal creatures started to emerge themselves. Sounds of creeping noises twisted against the trees. Birds cooed, creatures sang. The typical ambiance of a jungle.

They've been sailing for almost an hour, but not even once, Ned saw other ships, sailboats, or rafts. Never belittle someone whose life has been on the edges, especially if they're Hollows. Glenn seemed a capable man. He thought, studying plants that he saw for the first time. Some plants stood that Ned couldn't recognize. Some were common, but mostly, plants were new to Ned.

"Say, kid," Glenn said, now having a hard time rowing the boat since they were near the shoreline. "You a mage?"

"I prefer to call my self a knight," Ned said. Eyeing the creature that resting on the branch. It's big eyes bulge as it cooed.

"Knight," Glenn scoffed under his steaming breath. "What are you? fourteen? fifteen? and you call yourself a knight? If that's the case then why bother going to the Academy and enlist to become a Knight. Have you joined the Kingdom's Selection? if not... well, doesn't matter, Bogblots Selection ended three months ago."

"So it's true," Ned muttered. "The kingdom was recruiting?"

"Recruiting?" Glenn said. "For war, they can't win? I don't think so, no matter how many times they recruit, Griffith won't win against an army attacking them on both sides."

Ned stiffened. That's something new. Or I wasn't aware of. "What two armies Glenn sir?"

"Kid," he said. He began to slow his rowing. "Stop asking that kind of question, where are you from?"

"O'rriadt."

"O'rriadt?" Glenn asked in surprise. "O'rriadt, like the O'rriadt Island?"

Ned nodded. "Yes, Glenn sir." This man, could you just spill it out.

"No wonder," he said shaking his head. "Listen, kid, even serfs knew how it would turn out for the Kingdom. With a constant raid from the Northern Kingdom and a long time war against the Zolin, Maker only knows how long Griffith will hold."

"Northern Kingdom?" Ned whispered. ICE pull out the map.

[Done.]

From ICE's chime came along the 2d representation of the map Anita drew.

It seemed that Anita only drew what she knew. Since the only details that were visible were mostly from the Seven Seas, but details regarding the landmass and continent wasn't accurately represented by Anita. With this, Ned thought, that Anita might have been in the seas for a long time since.

Ned studied the blue 2d holographic map. Top of Griffith Kingdom were mountains that act as a division between two lands. Ned suspected that, beyond this mountains, horizontally aligned, was the one Glenn mentioned as the Northern Kingdom.

Then, the situation could be worse. Ned sighed, closing the 2d map on his HUD. I should—

"Okay, kid," Glenn said. Throwing himself off the boat and started pushing it along the shore. Seconds passed, the sailboat stopped at the edges of brown mud.

Shacks were lined near the jungle. Around eight maybe twelve counting at the back. Shacks made of thin woods, compiled branches, bound with jungle roots and thatch with tiny stems of trees with dried grass welcomed the two.

Ned leaped off the sailboat. His black hunting boots sunk almost six inches deep in the wet ground.

The sun rose from the east, the black and white scenery was colored by the vibrant beam of the morning sun. Although the surrounding looked damp, Ned could sense a new adventure coming his way. Ned stood with straightened back. The sun hit his cheeks and his pale looking face, rose red. "At long last."