By the time they arrived in Valora, it was already dark. A sailor Juan had met mentioned that finding a place to stay on islands like Pirene would be difficult. He also suggested staying in one of the quieter neighborhoods in Valora if they wanted to avoid the noise and trouble.
Following his advice, they headed to the inn he had recommended. According to him, it was farther away from the areas frequented by pirates and generally much quieter and safer.
That night, once they were in their rooms, they fell asleep to the distant sounds of drunken fights.
Arsh woke up at sunrise. He didn't want to waste any time. After waking Juan up, he went down to the inn's dining hall without waiting for him. There, he asked one of the staff how they could find a boat to get to Pirene.
"Pirene?.. What are you going there for? It's a small island," the man asked in surprise.
"My friend is from Pirene, but he's been living elsewhere for years. He wants to visit his hometown," Arsh said.
The man paused for a moment, trying to recall the man who had accompanied Arsh last night. Remembering that he was Eldorian, what Arsh said made sense to him. Without questioning any further, he got back to the point.
"Alright, alright. On your way out, before you reach the port, you'll see a small dock. People generally rent boats from there when they want to travel to other islands. Probably it will take half an hour to get to Pirene. But make sure to tell the boatman your return time, or you'll have to spend the night in Pirene if you can't find anyone to bring you back," the man said.
After thanking the man, Arsh bought a few of the sandwiches he saw behind the counter. He wasn't sure when they would have time to eat. Now that he could tolerate seasickness better, he could eat them on the boat.
By the time he turned around, Juan was already prepared. Leaving the inn, they arrived at the dock. But since they had no idea when they would return, instead of hiring a boatman, they decided the best solution was to rent the boat itself.
The owner hesitated at first, but after seeing the amount they offered, he gladly rented them the boat.
Juan took the oars, and with Arsh guiding the way, they set off.
From the shore, Pirene looked like a deserted island. There was rarely a settlement. Just like the rest of Eldoran, the houses here were white-plastered with red-tiled roofs.
They approached the small wooden pier and tied up their boat.
Aside from a few children playing in the street and a fisherman standing on the pier, there was no one around. But it was obvious from their look they were not used to seeing foreigners in their island. Unlike nearby Valora, which was filled with people from all kinds of places, the people on this small island didn't seem used to receiving visitors.
"Well then, now what? How are we supposed to find this gift or whatever it is?" Juan asked after finishing tying up the boat.
By then, Arsh had already closed his eyes and started concentrating.
"Please… please… a gift from the Goddess Seyra, a gift for the Goddess Isla…" he muttered to himself. But no matter what he thought, his power didn't seem to be working. He was feeling like he could find it, but it was as if some invisible force was preventing him.
"Ahem… there's only one thing we can do," Arsh said, opening his eyes. "We'll ask the elders. Old people always know something."
"Really? That's the solution you came up with?" Juan said with a disbelieving look.
"Believe me. I know from my grandfather. He used to know everything about our region... It is not like we have other options. Let's start with that man," he said, pointing at the old fisherman sitting farther down the pier and watching them with strange looks.
They approached the man and greeted him. The fisherman, despite them being strangers to his town, opened up quickly after a brief exchange of pleasantries. When they finally got to the point, he burst out laughing.
"Are you here looking for the Goddess Seyra's gift? You adventurers... Of course, I've heard that legend too, just like every Eldorian. But according to the legend, Seyra's gift isn't here... Those islands are a bit further ahead; they're large islands, though not as big as Valora. Adventurers flock there from everywhere. But I don't get it, who would travel all that way just believing in a legend? Anyway, you've come to the wrong place. There's no such thing here," the man said, laughing.
"Well, is there anything else about this island? A folk tale, a legend, or something?" Arsh asked.
"Hmm… To be honest, not many people live here. Outsiders and pirates have always kept their distance from this island. But our island has always been prosperous. No one goes hungry, and people stay healthy. Unless there's an accident, almost everyone lives a long and healthy life before passing away from old age. People are happy here. That's why some outsiders call it the Island of Peace. Still, we just live peacefully here… If there's a legend, I suppose that would be ours."
"Looks like there's nothing for us here... We came all this way for nothing," Juan said sadly as he stood up.
But the man gestured for him to wait.
"Hold on, hold on... If you want to hear stories from old men, there's someone in our town. He's our oldest. No one knows how old he is, not even himself. He knows these kinds of legends best. Since you've come all this way, you might as well go see him," the fisherman said, pushing himself up from the ground to stand.
Together, they followed the man and made their way into the village. At the end of a path leading toward the mountain, they reached a house and stepped inside.
"Old Milor! Where are you?" the man called out.
But instead of an old man, a middle-aged woman came out.
"Old Milor went up the mountain early this morning. Who knows when he'll be back… Who are these visitors?"
"Ah, they're two adventurers. I brought them here because I thought they might want to hear Milor's stories… Sorry, you've come all this way, but Milor won't be back until nightfall. I would've liked you to hear his worm story."
"What worm story? Are you talking about the worms that guard the gift from the legend?" Arsh asked.
"Yes, yes. The old man always says he's seen them, and that's why he's lived such a long life. He tells the story from time to time whenever it comes to his mind," the man said with a laugh.
"Honestly, I'm curious. If we come back tomorrow, can we meet him?"
"Of course. But come early," the man replied.
After that, they wandered around the island aimlessly with Juan. There wasn't much to see. They walked a bit into the forest, then along the coastline, but they moved without really knowing what they were looking for. Even though Arsh tried using his power from time to time, he didn't get any results.
By the time it got dark, the man still hadn't returned, so they headed back to Valora.
After dinner, they set out to return to the inn. As they walked through the marketplace, Juan kept commenting on the food and clothes they passed.
As they went by a street vendor selling grilled fish skewered on sticks, Juan suddenly stopped.
"Want one?" Juan asked.
Arsh shook his head no. The smell of the fish was unpleasant. Leaving Juan there, he kept walking on his own.
As he wandered aimlessly, looking around, a child suddenly ran out from the crowd and clung to his legs.
"Hey… are you okay?" Arsh said as he bent down. The child slammed into him so hard that Arsh thought the boy might be injured.
When he looked at the child's face, he saw his green hair and bright green eyes.
At that exact moment, a voice echoed so loudly in his mind that his nose instantly began to bleed.
"Keep him!"