"Going so soon sonny?" 'Mr.B' asks. "You just got back."
"Yep," I reply, sliding into the saddle. "Just dropped by to pick up an order."
'Mr.B's' eyes open just a fraction as his voice grows low. "Good…. Now get your ass out of my town."
"Relax gramps," I taunt as Kiwi begins rising into the air. "I don't see myself coming back here anytime soon."
'And If for some reason I ever do, I'll be much stronger than I am now, whereas you...will only be older.'
The wind roars in my ears as Kiwi and I zip across the sky. '276 degrees West-Northwest. 276 degrees West-Northwest' I bring the compass I'm clutching closer to my eye and watch the needle wiggle right in the middle of the '270' and '285' marks. I tug gently on the back of Kiwi's neck and the bird gradually slows to a gentle cruising speed. I unfold a map of this quadrant of South Blue over his back and hum to myself.
I was attempting to plot a straight line course from Baterilla to Kivuruk but, like most times one attempts to implement a plan, there's been a snag. Turns out...navigating is a bitch-and-a-half when you can't tell how fast you're going and all you've got is a compass and a couple of sea charts.
'Have I passed this dot yet? Was it that island we flew over about 10 minutes ago? I don't...think so..' I turn the map around and study it from a different angle. 'How can I be sure this thing is even accurate anyway? It's clearly a replica of something hand-drawn. For all I know, this thing is riddled with small imperfections.'
Tiny errors like that wouldn't be a problem when finding a large island. But when your goal is to reach a tiny green speck in the middle of the ocean? Slightly different story. Every millimeter matters.
'Ugh. I'm probably just worrying over nothing. They take their maps pretty seriously here. Ocean-faring world and all that.' "Alright Kiwi." I announce, folding the map back up. "We're gonna try adjusting a few more degrees westward and see where that gets us. Sound good buddy?"
"Kee!"
I lean back down and tighten my grip over his new bridle. "Whenever you're ready." I say with a gentle pat.
"Kee-wee!" After three stops, two recalculations, and one embarrassing u-turn I finally see the tiny isle manifest on the horizon and a wide smile spreads across my lips.
"There it is Kiwi! That's where we're going!" And holey moley did we make good time. Even with the delays, the whole trip barely took the better part of the afternoon. Had I gone by ship It would've been a five or six days journey at the least. I thought me being on Kiwi's back would weigh him down pretty significantly but he sure as hell proved me wrong.
Kiwi chirps excitedly and begins to build up speed as he drops in altitude. I tuck my head low to hide from the hostile winds and watch the Blue zoom by below us. I think I spot a pod of dolphins at some point but the two of us are moving so quickly that they vanished from view just as quick as they appeared.
The ocean transitions to sand and Kiwi immediately reigns in his hurried pace. The sand becomes grass and the sparrow begins coasting down to a casual glide. The grass becomes trees and it's clear the bird is searching for a suitable place to touch down.
I pop my head up and point out a small nostalgic clearing. The same little hill I was sitting atop on the day that my journey began. "Right there buddy! Right by that big lonely tree!" Kiwi glides over to the tiny grassy knoll where I had relaxed so many days away and pulls us to a stop.
I hop off the saddle and Kiwi begins cheeping with pride. Ecstatic that he did so well on our first big flight together. I extract a fat red apple from the [Inventory] and give him a quick pat. "Good job Kiwi. You did great!"
"Kee-Wee!"
"Hey," I begin as I take off his bridle and let him crunch down on the snack, "Why don't you take a second to go hunting? We've got some pretty good crabs and shellfish in the shallows here. I know how much you need to eat with that big body of yours."
"Kee!"
"Just don't wander too far alright? I want you to hear me if I call. I'm definitely going to want to show you off a bit."
"Wee. Wee." Kiwi takes off towards the nearest shoreline and almost immediately the [Game] presents me with a pop-up.
Ding!
Quest Completed!
Quest: You've had a good trip. Made a lot of money. Certainly collected some stories. Maybe it's time to take a break. Return to your adopted home of Kivuruk Isle and catch up with old faces.
Reward: 500 Exp and Lv.1 [Skill Disk]. 'Seems a little premature considering I haven't seen anyone yet but hey, whatever works right?'
I think I'll leave the [Skill Disk] in the [Inventory] for the moment. It'll definitely go towards [Bullet Time] or [Physical Endurance] at some point but we'll wait to see which one levels up first. That way we'll get more value out of it. I mean, you wouldn't waste a 'Rare Candy' on a Pokémon that's already part way to the next level would you? Same principle.
I set off on the same dirt path I've walked a hundred times and can feel the giddiness begin to bubble inside me. A feeling of anxiousness that's almost overpowering. It's just like the first time I revisited home after moving away back in my first life. My lazy stroll morphs into a brisk walk and a light jog quickly after that.
Before I know it I've kicked off the ground with [Soru] and am racing towards home with a childlike laugh ringing from my throat with every step.
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