The preparations were done leisurely. Picking both their clothes, light shoes nothing else.

When they stepped out of the mansion, they were greeted by the heavy taste of salt in the breeze.

Atheline smiled and took her hand leading her towards the shore.

Waves rolled in steadily , before retreating, the sand shifting beneath their feet as they walked with no destination in place.

He exhaled deeper this time his gaze shifting to her.

"This is much better," he said with a small nod.

Lilith didn’t respond, but the small smile was all he needed. They continued forward in silence until the first sign of humanity or what was left of it, came into view.

An old watch tower that seemed to be barely standing.

"How far are we from the nearest city?" He asked his steps quickening.

"Not far, two hours travel by carriage. "

His hand slipped out of hers the moment they reached the wooden tower.

He stepped forward, his destination clear.

She stepped towards him, clutching the back of his robe.

"You’re not thinking of climbing that are you?" She asked calmly

Atheline awkwardly chuckled, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"Come one, let’s try it," he said walking to the entrance.

The tower wasn’t small but it wasn’t big either, still it could fit three or four people in it.

She didn’t move.

"I don’t want to, the wood is rotten, " she said, the only voice of reason.

His gaze stayed on it for a bit before he turned back to her shrugging his shoulders lightly.

"Very well, I’ll climb the one at home after docking," he didn’t want to worry her.

She nodded at that.

He kicked lightly at a piece of driftwood sending it rolling a short distance before it was caught by the oncoming waves.

"Why do you think this tower was abandoned?" He asked as they walked back to the mansion.

He glanced at her sideways.

"The sea swept into the shore seventy years ago," she explained, " the sea wrath disaster."

His eyes widened.

"Yes, i remember reading about that all the seas surged inland taking with it half of the continents, " he said," thats why our continent lost half the lands."

She didn’t respond but he didn’t need it. The waves crushed to the show bringing it the quiet comfortable rhythms and drifters.

His gaze landed on something shiny on the sea. He slipped his hand out of hers and speed walked to the wet shore.

She didn’t immediately folliw but stayed on the dry sand watching him.

He looked up at her, a faint smile tugging the corner of his lips. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Guess what I found?" He said, his excitement visible.

"Coins?"

"No."

"Sea shells?"

"No."

She let out a quiet breath. She hadn’t really been concentrating on what he was picking in the sand.

"Tell me what it looks like," she finally said after a few more wrong trials.

"It glitters like silver," he said vaguely.

Her gaze narrowed as she seriously tried to come up with a correct answer, and then it came.

"You can’t use your aether for detection, that would be cheating, " he said cutting her thoughts off.

Atheline was having too much fun.

"Do you want me to add another description?"

His eyebrows wiggled, teasing her. Her eyes rolled. She kicked into the sand sending the wave towards him.

It was blown away before it could reach him.

"Hurry ."

He chuckled cheekily.

"It’s name starts with moon."

She didn’t hesitate.

"Moon crystals."

He chuckled.

"Correct."

In his open palm was a silver like crystal, but it was smaller than the normal one, as though it had broken off something and fallen into the ocean.

He raised it towards the setting sun, reflecting the light.

"I think the coordinates are right," he said casually as though it wasn’t something he had been thinking about the whole time.

She didn’t respond.

"Come on, the wind is picking up."

The mansion was still a distance away but it was still visible.

Night had started to encrouch faster that they were outside.

"How long do you think it will take to get there?" He asked.

"A day, if the waters are calm," she didn’t look at him," if there is a storm, it might take a two days."

He nodded slightly, processing that.

"Good," he said, a small breath left him," if we leave early, we can reach by morning... that is if we can even find the place."

"You won’t be going. "

He stopped just slightly.

"What?"

’Not this again’

She didn’t stop walking.

"You’ve just recovered, " she stated her words final.

He stared at her for a second before catching up with her.

"I am recovered.. light... I’m even stronger now," he continued his voice getting sharper by the minute," you’ve seen it personally, my body is fine."

His hands wrapped around her waist pulling her to him, their bodies pressed together. She kicked her legs in protest when he lifted.

"See," he said in an amused tone.

She huffed in mild amusement and annoyance.

"I’m just scared something like that would happen again."

She finally looked at him and that was enough for him to slow his steps.

"The Gods are interfering, I don’t know why but i don’t like that," she said calmly revealing her worries.," that’s why you can’t go."

He held her gaze for a moment, then looked away with a quiet exhale. He placed her back on the ground.

The moment her feet touched the ground, she was out of his arms.

He understood her standpoint but she always seems to jump right into overprotectiveness the moment something went haywire.

’Atleast this time she tried to explain her reasoning’

He ran his run through his hair in thought.

"We’re not seriously doing this again. "

He was met with silence.

He let out a short, dry laugh.

"Right."

He took a step forward, kicking lightly at the wet sand.

"Because that worked so well last time."

Her eyes twitched. She turned and started to walk away. A sigh left him as he increased his pace to catch up to her.

"We agreed remember, " he said his voice carried by the salty winds," you don’t get to decided that alone."

She stopped, forcing Atheline to a stop. She turned to face him, the winds blowing at her clothes and hair.

"You almost died," she quietly said.

"I didn’t. "

"You were going to, if i was any late you would have either succumbed to the poison... or become dinner for that cat."

"And i didn’t, " he repeated calmly, " because you were there."

That seemed to land somewhere it hadn’t landed before. For a moment, neither of them moved.

The sounds of the waves filled the space between them.

Atheline continued, quieter now.

"I’m not staying behind, " he said his words final," you can’t protect me from everything."

The words hung in the air, her expression unchanging.

She looked out at the horizon then back to him.

"We leave tomorrow," she said quietly, "at dawn."

A chuckle slipped out. Atheline pulled her into his embrace. Lilith struggled for a moment then her legs wrapped around his waist.

"About the gods interference, " he started slowly as they walked home," tell me about it."