Rivercity

I grumbled as I felt someone shaking my shoulders. I opened my eyes to find Syrena leaning over me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She smiled at me, and said, “Oh, I regret waking you now that I see your confused face. I much preferred the cute face you had while you were sleeping.”

I ignored her flirtatious remark and asked her why she woke me up. With a laugh, she told me that we would be arriving at the Waterway Bend town in an hour. She then invited me to eat with her, saying she had a surprise for me.

I got off my bed and started to put on my armour. As I did so, I felt full of anticipation. I had never been to the Waterway Bend town before, and I wondered what kind of surprise Syrena had in store for me.

My armour in place, I followed Syrena out of our cabin and down to the mess hall. We were soon seated at a table with a plate of food laid out before us. Syrena said that she had made a special dish just for me.

I surveyed the warm yellow curry in front of me, and my stomach rumbled in anticipation. Syrena had invited me to join her for dinner, and I was eager to find out what she had prepared.

'Go on, taste it,' Syrena said as she waited in anticipation. I took a bite, and the flavor was exquisite. But the texture was strange and rubbery. I asked her what kind of fish it was, and she replied, 'Octopus'. I was taken aback.

'You dived all the way down to the sea to get me octopus curry?' I asked incredulously. She nodded, but her eyes shifted away from mine. I knew she was hiding something.

'Why did you go to such lengths?' I asked. 'I've forgotten why,' she said softly. I knew she was lying.

'Syrena,' I said firmly. 'Tell me the truth. Why did you really make this octopus curry?'

She sighed and looked me in the eye. 'I made it for you,' she said. 'I wanted to show you how much I care about you, and I thought this was the best way to do it.'

I was speechless. I hadn't expected such a grand gesture from Syrena. I could feel my heart swelling with emotion as I looked at her.

'Thank you,' I said, and I meant it from the bottom of my heart.

'And thank you for sitting at the table with me,' said Syrena.

I turned to meet her gaze, and saw the twinkle in her eyes. She had a point - I rarely ate in the mess hall, usually opting to eat my meals in my room.

'You're welcome,' I said, flashing her a faint smile. I had grown accustomed to not smiling often, but something told me that Syrena appreciated the gesture.

'I'm glad to see you smiling more naturally,' she said, her voice full of warmth. 'Are you plotting something against me?'

I laughed, shaking my head. 'No,' I said. 'I'm not plotting anything against you.'

The truth was, I had grown fond of Syrena and the days we spent at sea. If I were to ever leave this vessel, I would miss her dearly.

Syrena smiled back, and the two of us continued to eat in comfortable silence. The stars shone brighter in the night sky, and the sea gently rocked the vessel.

In that moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. I was grateful for the companionship, the food, and the chance to be at sea.