Aimon made us dinner before Bastian ushered us to bed. Silas offered to retrieve the shell this morning before we fell asleep, and I volunteered to go with him.
It was weird spending time with the guys one-on-one, but I found it was actually needed. Even though my spirit cried out for all of them, it also resonated when I was able to grow closer to each of them.
The first rays of the morning sun crest over the horizon, and the sky became a canvas of soft pastel hues. My water and wind magic vibrated through my spirit as the breeze gently skimmed over us, and the tranquil sea mirrored the colors of the sky.
I inhaled the briny scent of the ocean as the waves lapped at the white sand that sparkled like small gems, shimmering with each wave.
Even with monsters destroying the world, the beach stayed calm and serene. I loved everything about it.
“Ready to find this turtle?” Silas glanced at me, and my heart raced at how handsome he was. His purple hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and his blue eyes shone with excitement and power for being around the water.
“Ready when you are.”
“Just to make it easier…” He wiggled his fingers and conjured ink in front of us, carefully forming it into a rune. “A vortex turtle lost, left behind, with these runes, we shall begin. Lost vortex turtle, hear my call, sing out to me, answer my call. Spirits of Hexarium bless.”
The rune emitted a pretty purple glow before moving forward toward the water, leading us to where one was.
“That’s so helpful,” I murmured. “Your powers have grown immensely. I can feel it in your spirit.”
“After bonding you, I stopped needing parchment paper for my runes to work as well.” He bumped my shoulder with his before wading out to the sea and calling over his shoulder, “Everything about you has made me better, muse.”
Butterflies erupted in my stomach, and I smiled as I moved into the water next to him. “I can relate to that.”
And I could. I’d grown so much after meeting the five of them. They complimented me in different ways, and I knew both my spirit and heart benefited from our bonds.
Silas and I were a lot alike, and while we bumped heads a lot, we also made each other see different perspectives. He was stubborn, but so was I.
The coolness of the sea embraced us, and our water magic hummed down the bond as we ventured further from the bank.
Water submerged us as the rune floated further from shore. The water felt like a second skin, and my body hummed as it charged from the power of the water embracing me.
Finally, the rune paused above a dark silhouette beneath the water in the distance.
A vortex turtle floated near us, its large flippers propelling it through the water with grace, unknowing of the danger we posed to it. The colors on its shell were a mosaic of blues and purples, and its presence felt like a gift from the ocean itself.
I hated harming innocent life, but I also knew that it was necessary to savemoreinnocents in this case.
Vortex turtles were known for their ability to create vortexes in the water, but with our water magic, they weren’t a threat to us.
We swam closer to it, and I could feel its spirit ripple with fear.
“He’s closer to shore than I expected.” Silas floated beside me, reaching out his hand to touch it as the rune faded away.
The turtle opened its eyes and stared straight at us before swimming away slowly, attempting to swirl the water around us.
“Ah, nice try.” I let my water magic spread around us to calm the vortex attempting to form.
“Crazy to think a non-water mage could drown because of them,” Silas murmured, grabbing the turtle from where it floated. “My mom and I used to catch a ton of these for our local community. Vortex turtle is good meat.”
“Really?” I moved my hands to keep me afloat, not bothering to waste magical energy on it. “I’ve never actually eaten turtle meat before.”
“It’s sweet. You’d like it.” Silas murmured the teleportation spell, sending the turtle to Bastian. “Maybe we could have Aimon cook us some when we get back.”
“I’m sure he’d love that.” I swam closer to him and wrapped my arms around his neck and legs around his waist. “Did you and your mom help cook or just retrieve the turtles?”
His hands rested on my hips as he used his magic to keep us floating. “Sometimes we would help cook. All we had was each other, but the village was very welcoming.”
I loved hearing the stories about Silas’s mother. They had been close, and they only really had each other.
