Chapter 602: Man of Sea (2) (1/2)
Zero and Truen progressed at different speeds under Ottley's tutoring. The doctor struggled with floating while Truen found it hard to keep himself underwater for more than ten seconds, even after Zero taught him the underwater breathing skill.
Nobody felt the urgency more than Truen about his slow progress. The sea otter captain was kind enough to never pressurise them. In fact, the entire otter village was very supportive. The community often gave him small encouragement when they saw him, and some gave him pointers to help him overcome the fear of water.
”As a land dweller born and raised in the forest, seeing a huge body of water can be intimidating,” Docky admitted over dinner.
The two of them decided to drink as Zero excused himself to check on Marissa's progress. The shipwright struggled with treating the undead wood after finding out how it was constantly making them feel lethargic. Truen left the investigation to Bob and Zero. He was far too depressed to manage anything more.
Truen chugged his ale and let the alcohol burn his oesophagus. It was strange how alcohol burned more than seawater running up his nose, but it didn't scare him. Truen couldn't understand why this was happening. By logic, it shouldn't be difficult to think of swimming as bathing in a huge lake. Truen actually knew how to swim a little. It wasn't difficult to move in water as it was similar to moving in the air or zero gravity.
”I cannot understand why the sea terrifies me so,” Truen hiccuped. ”It's not very different from diving into a huge lake or bathing in a river.”
Docky chuckled. Logically, it wasn't all that different. However, the sea was a mysterious place with danger lurking infinitely. Nobody knew what fate the sea had for them. Even the most knowledgeable sailors will find themselves lost. Even the most skillfully built ship can become a shipwreck at the drop of a hat. Sea monsters who terrorise the waters can find themselves becoming hunted by a bigger sea terror. Dealing with this kind of unknown without a sense of security is not for everyone. Unlike his doctor pal, the archer looked like a very down-to-earth and meticulous person. It was odd to say that of the two, Zero gave off a slightly more reckless and chaotic vibe, unthinkable for someone of his occupation.
”You might see it that way,” Docky agreed. ”However, your heart disagrees. It doesn't see it in the same way your mind sees it. Our wise ancestors often said that the sea was a reflection of one's heart. For some, it was the representation of freedom. For some, it was an adventure full of untold stories waiting to be discovered. For others, it was a representation of their feelings. You need to understand how you view the sea before you can challenge it.”
Hearing Docky's reply, Truen looked into his empty mug. What was the sea Zero that saw? Why was he able to dive into it so readily? What was it that Zero had, which Truen lacked?
Was it courage? Truen shook his head. They both had courage. It didn't matter what sort of danger they faced. They would never turn their backs and run.
Was it knowledge? Truen doubted it. There were many things that they didn't know about, but that never stopped them from wanting to learn or find out the truth for themselves. There will always be things to learn, even for Gods.
The wood elf sat there for a long time to think, even after Docky left for bed. The stars above gave him no answers as they continued to twinkle away. Frustrated by the obstacle he couldn't overcome, Truen decided to walk back to the sea after leaving Zero a message that he needed some alone time.
The sand beneath Truen's sandals sank when he stepped on it. Every step forward felt like he had to put in more effort than the last. In the end, the wood elf decided to remove his sandals and walk barefooted along the edge where the water met the sand. The tiny grains of sand got in between his toes, some even into his nails as he walked. The occasional sea debris washed up to the shore, and Truen wondered why Zero and Bob liked walking barefooted on the beach. He couldn't get used to this feeling of stepping on the bodies of things that were once alive in the ocean.
The sound of waves crashing onto the shore lazily during the low tide was relaxing. Compared to their training during the day when the waves appeared larger than them, trying to swallow the land where they convened, Truen found this side of the sea more likeable.