Ludz

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Chapter 26

 

2 YEARS AGO

 

The warm sand wiggled between Ludz’ toes. The ocean laid still and flat, reflecting the horizon in the distance. Chiyo sat next to him, her ragged dark brown hair cupped her round face. Her narrow brown eyes gazed longingly out at the sun setting over the water. She dug her bare feet into sand. She sighed.

 

“You two got into another fight?” He asked. Ludz laid back into the soft sand and closed his eyes. He enjoyed the sounds of water hitting the shore. Even the calmest of days had the smallest waves.

 

“Always,” Chiyo said dramatically, dragging the word out into a groan. 

 

“If you would stop talking about leaving she wouldn’t get upset,” Ludz said. He didn’t get why Handi was so opposed to Chiyo leaving. No had even tried before and if anyone could make it, Chiyo could.

 

“Right and if we didn’t teach Will to read then he wouldn’t steal all of our clothing for sets,” she said sarcastically. She had a point, some things were just impossible to avoid. 

 

“Mmmm,” Ludz hummed in agreement.

 

“It doesn’t matter…” She sounded disappointed. Ludz opened his eyes to see her staring down at the sand between her feet. Ludz sat back up, he hated seeing Handi and Chiyo fight, because it always resulted in both of them doubting themselves when they usually wouldn’t. They were too similar that way, which was why they got along so well most days and why when the butted it hit harder.

 

Chiyo let out a long deep sigh. He could feel the full exhaustion of being stuck on the island with it. These few years with Chiyo, Ludz had learned she was a free soul. She did what she wanted when she wanted and the only thing she couldn’t figure out was how to leave. “Did I ever tell you about my hometown in Malrin. It’s a small port city, surrounded by the deep blue,” she started a story, he knew well. They all knew about her yearning to return to her old life. She was a sharer, something they could all learn from. She actually talked about the past, the good and the bad. “The deep blue,” she repeated. “My family, they lived on the sea. Ran a fishing business. The whole bunch of them. Uncles, Aunties, Mama and Papa. Everyone. Even me, sometimes. They taught me to sail and how to catch squid.”

 

She closed her dark brown eyes. He could feel the pain in her voice. She sucked in the salty breeze. “That should have been my future.” The words escaped like a desperate gasp for air.

 

Ludz didn’t know what to say, he couldn’t relate. To him coming here had been a relief. An escape from a life he didn’t want. Chiyo opened her eyes, her expression changed to one full of rage. She glared at the open waters. “But then those pirates attacked us. They turned the deep blue red. And I was left alone. Drifting on an empty sea.” She sounded cold. She had never been afraid of confronting those demons from her past like Ludz was, instead she sought out an equally bloody meeting. 

 

“But if you stay here you won’t have to be alone,” Ludz said. He didn’t want Chiyo to go out and fight the world on her own. The world was difficult enough to survive alone.

 

“But then I can’t avenge them.” She gave him a sad knowing smile as if this was a reality she had already realized. 

 

Ludz sat up straight and stared deep in her confident eyes. “That’s why you want to go back? For revenge? Don’t you still have those aunties and uncles?” Ludz asked. This was the part he really didn’t get. She could still have that future if she really wanted. It wouldn’t be exactly the same, but she could have it, and he liked to think her parents would be happy about it too.

 

She shook her head. “That’s in the past. This is my new present and the sea will be my new future.” She smirked at Ludz. “No matter what, my future will always belong to the sea.” She watched the waves, now painted red by the setting sun. 

 

Ludz followed her gaze. The waves had picked up and crashed into each other in a steady rhythm. That was one thing he could understand. The thrum of the world resonated in his head like a melodious orchestra of nature. The fluttering of the leaves, singing birds, chirping crickets, the colliding waves, all blended together into harmonious melody. Despite those bad memories surrounding music, there was still a little part of him that longed for it. It was a part of him as much as the sea was a part of Chiyo. It would always drag him back in.

 

“You should do it,” Ludz said.

 

“Really?”

 

“Of course. If you’re that passionate about it then we’ll help you.” Ludz decided. He could convince the others easily enough, just not Handi.

 

“But, Handi…” Chiyo sounded disappointed again. He could tell she wanted Handi to understand too, but somehow he doubted she was ready.

 

“She doesn’t need to know. Stein can build a ship while Ayn and I take turns distracting Handi.” They could do this without Handi’s help.

 

“Handi won’t like it.”

 

“Too bad. It’s not her decision. We’ll deal with her after you’re sailing across the sea,” Ludz said confidently. He’d deal with the fallout afterwards. He could handle Handi anger at the very least.

 

“What about you? Surely you’ve thought of leaving too,” She said.

 

Ludz shrugged. “No. Not really.” He wouldn’t know what to do if he did.

 

“Mmmhmm,” she teased. “Not at all..?” She bumped her shoulders playfully against his. It was good to see her mood coming back up.

 

“Well… I guess I would like to play the piano again, if I went back,” he admitted. It was the only thing he really missed. Those memories were so clear: the way his small child fingers pressed down on the big keys, his mother’s hands guiding him to the next note, sounds joining together in his head, the keys bringing them out, the smiles the music brought. 

 

“Eh? Piano?” Chiyo said, surprised, making Ludz realize he hadn’t actually told any of them about his old love for music. He tried his best to forget it. “I guess it is true all you Gatti are fancy holy people.” 

 

Chiyo stood up. “When I get off this rock, you gotta do something for me, kiddo.”

 

Ludz looked up at her tall figure in awe. Her bronze skin glowed with strength in the light of the setting sun. “What?”

 

She grinned wildly at the future only she saw. “Once I leave, promise you’ll find a way off too, and when you do come play me a song.” Chiyo offered him a hand. 

 

He took it and she pulled him up. She stood a few inches taller than him. “Deal,” Ludz said, looking up at the girl who had become his crazy big sister these past few years.

 

“Good. Now I suppose I should go apologize to Handi. I hate to have my little siblings so upset,” she said playful. She ruffled Ludz' long wavy hair. The brown locks reached past his shoulders. “You need a haircut.”

 

“Shut up,” Ludz said, enjoying the light playfulness of the moment. He knew this would be the calm before the storm, once Chiyo was gone their peace would fall apart for a moment. He had faith it would return though.