Chapter 0 - Life's a Beach

The sun shone bright and warm over the town of Filia. The beach was beautiful, although it was emptier than usual. No people or towels or even litter covered the white sand. A deserted cottage, made of bamboo and leaves, sat at a far end. Palm trees dotted the beach, stretching their barks towards the clear sea.

The sand was disturbed by two pairs of feet. On the left walked a curvy elf with orange braided pigtails wearing a green dress and boots. On the right, a brown-haired wizard wearing a grey tunic with a wand holster, black trousers and grey shoes.

"Why is there nobody else here? You'd think it would be full of people. This is a huge tourist spot." Ilyse asked.

"Because I reserved this beach for us." Ciaran replied. At the elf's look, he elaborated "I think we both need a break. That's why I've brought us here. No Adol to anger you. No Devany to talk me into... Whatever she's got planned. Just you, me and a beach all to ourselves."

"Oh... Well, now I'm not sure what I want to do." the elf shrugged slightly.

"Well, we should probably start with changing clothes. I got a swimsuit that looks about your fit, but it was kind of a guess." Ciaran opened his pocket portal and brought out a dark red one-piece swimsuit and a pair of dark purple swimming shorts. He tossed the swimsuit to Ilyse with a smile.

The two stripped off and put on their swimwear. Ciaran tried not to look at Ilyse after she pulled off her dress; this afternoon wasn't about his carnal feelings for her. Ciaran's shorts fit snugly around his waist, and hung to just above his knees. 

Ilyse's swimsuit fit her well, although the single shoulder strap seemed to dig in slightly due to the pull on it caused by her breasts. The strap at the bottom also seemed to dig in slightly. Ciaran hoped it wasn't uncomfortable; he didn't know how to increase clothing size.

"Mmm... It feels a little tight, but I can't complain. How does it look?" The elf asked.

"Well, I think anything you wear looks good, so you're better off not asking me." Ciaran told her sincerely.

"Heehee! Such a gentleman..." Ilyse giggled, turning a little red in the cheeks.

"How about me?" Ciaran asked, doing a quick turn around.

Ilyse smiled "What can I say when you're always handsome anyway?" Ciaran felt himself blush in answer. He picked up his wand holster and secured it to his arm, just in case.

He spotted a ball nearby. It looked new, as if it had just been placed there. He walked over and picked it up. It was full of something, but it was still pretty light for something made of leather. His first idea of playing with Ilyse came.

"Hey, Ilyse!" He called out, turning to her "Catch!" 

He threw the ball up and hit it with a wandless, nonverbal Repulsa. Ilyse managed to bounce the ball upwards using both fists in a hammer. Ciaran smacked it back without using magic to find it didn't hit his hand hard enough to hurt. Much. Maybe he'd become too dependent on magic.

Ilyse let out a child-like laugh as the two bounced the ball between them. Ciaran could almost see the memories coming back to Ilyse before his eyes. It was beautiful. Even more beautiful than the Princess was normally. Ciaran felt his heart stirring at the sight.

Ciaran began to hit the ball harder, forcing Ilyse to keep up. She had no trouble; easily moving fast enough to slap the ball back to him. The ball was getting faster and faster, the slaps against the leather becoming louder, even starting echoing slightly.

Ilyse suddenly smacked the ball with a lot of force and Ciaran couldn't react fast enough.

"Oh f-OOF!" Ciaran felt the ball smack into his cheek forcefully. Losing he balanced, he toppled backwards and landed on his side.

Ilyse gasped and rushed over "Oh my- I'm sorry, Ciaran! I didn't mean to-"

"Uhh... I can sort of sympathize with Adol now..." Ciaran was glad he'd turned his cheek towards it, or he might have gotten a broken nose.

Ilyse planted a quick kiss on the bruised cheek. "Are you alright?"

"Just my pride." Ciaran joked, getting up and hoping he wasn't blushing from the kiss. "I'm alright, otherwise."

"Good... I wouldn't want to know I hurt you." Ilyse's smile betrayed her thoughts. Ciaran looked around for something to distract her with.

The wizard noticed a wooden rowboat with a makeshift mast and sail in the sand nearby, giving him another idea. "Ilyse, how about we push this boat out and do a bit of sailing?"

"I don't know much about sailing." Ilyse told him.

"I remember a few things from Westend's fishermen." Ciaran answered, pushing the boat through the sand.

When it reached water's edge, Ciaran unravelled the sail and secured it to the mast. The elf helped him push the boat into the water and both got into it. The boat moved forwards a little from the momentum.

There was a pause.

"Oh. I forgot we need wind for sailing." Ciaran internally cursed himself.

Ilyse waved her hand at the sail and a breeze shot into it, pushing the boat forwards with momentum that nearly threw Ciaran off balance. They drifted outwards a little bit before Ciaran rolled the sail back up, not wishing to drift out further. The wind, only now noticeable, was blowing back towards the beach anyway.

The sun shone visible rays onto the water, though few reflected into their eyes. Few clouds dotted the sky (though Ciaran was sure he saw one that looked like a boot). The sight was mesmerizing. It reminded him of Westend's weather, and the odd trip he'd taken with the fishermen.

Ilyse spoke up "Ciaran, there's something I've been wanting to ask."

"Yes, Princess?"

"Well, you brought up that you remember a bit of sailing from Westend... What was Westend like? It must have been nice, being up a noble's son." Ilyse asked innocently.

"Sorry to say this, but you're as wrong as wrong can be. Westend was... it -is- awful." Ciaran's truthful words dropped her smile instantly. "The rich stay rich by taking from the poor. The workers are 'ungrateful maggots', writhing in the filth dropped down so graciously by the nobility. My father told me the lower class had no will or drive to get to where the nobles had, and so they deserved to be there. From what I could tell, none of the nobles earned their fortunes. They inherited it from parents. The workers deserved-and still deserve-better. I wish I could give them better, but there's no way I can do that without bloodshed. And Westend has seen enough of that." He paused to wipe a tear from his eye before turning the question around. "What about you? How was it growing up in Luxas?"

"I... I'm sorry to hear that. Luxas was very different. My mother and father loved our people, and the people loved them back. I had trips to the beach, bubble baths, playtime... and I was taught about our people and history nearly every day. Things were simpler: Prince Adol was my best friend, not my husband-to-be. I never wanted to be betrothed to him, but my mother and father didn't listen."

"Your parents shouldn't force you to marry someone you're not in love with. My father married my mother for her outer beauty and inner fire. And he soon came to regret it. Every time my father tried to discipline me, Mum would catch the punch. He actually hurt me one time, and Mum bit him so hard the wound scarred over. He never raised a hand against me again."

"Why did your mother agree to the marriage then?" Ilyse was clearly confused.

"I have no idea. Me and my brother have turned out like chalk and cheese because we listened to different parents. My brother listened to my father's hateful poison, while I listened to my mother's sympathy for the common folk." Ciaran told her "I'm hoping Mum hasn't done anything to get herself arrested in my absence."

"She sounds like a smart woman. I'm sure she's fine." Ilyse assured him "What about your brother?"

"Shaun is older and more handsome, but that's about all he has over me." Ciaran answered "I don't think he's made a single choice that wasn't dictated by our father in some way. He's been listening to our father's bullcrap since he was 8, at least. He joined in my father's abuse of me, always telling me I won't amount to anything unless I follow in father's footsteps. Joke's on him; I hold the longest win streak in Agliophilia's history. What's he done by himself that's worthy of notice? Nothing I've heard of."

There was a pause.

Ciaran looked at Ilyse "Sorry to ramble on. I get a bit angry when it comes to Westend."

"It's fine." Ilyse assured him, smiling "I get the feeling you needed to get that off your shoulders."

Ciaran still felt uncomfortable with saying so much, and changed the subject "Shall we go for a swim? The sun should hold up and the boat won't go anywhere."

"Let's. I love swimming." Ilyse told him, smiling widely. She jumped out of the boat and into the water. 

Ciaran smirked as he peered over and tried to find the elf, but there was no sign of her. He clambered over the side of the boat and floated in the water. He wasn't much of an underwater swimmer-he couldn't hold his breath very long. He heard Ilyse's voice call to him from the right.

"Ciaran! You won't believe what I found! Come! You have to see this!" 

Ilyse's limbs moved gracefully, as if she were dancing through the water towards him. She was clearly a very practiced swimmer. Ciaran supposed it was one of her favourite things to do in Luxas. Getting closer to her, he saw her head was in some kind of bubble.

"Come on! There's something you need to see!" she urged him.

"I can't hold my breath well." No sooner had he said it that he felt a bubble formed around his head. Ilyse just smiled and dived under again. The wizard quickly followed.

Ciaran saw a large coral reef. A expanse of reds, greens and purples. He'd heard of these, but there were none in Westend or Asmana. It was amazing. Ilyse gave him a thumbs up and he responded with one.

He swam lower, taking in the various fish's colours. The yellows and blues of various tangs, the browns of seahorses, black gobies, but there was one fish Ciaran couldn't spot. One that he remembered he'd wanted to see since childhood. Where was it... Ciaran had seen one in a picture, but never-

The wizard spotted the elf heading back to the surface, and decided to follow her. She must have swam back up for a reason. He broke the surface and Ilyse held up a shiny white pearl "Look, Ciaran-I found a pearl."

"Nice. Pearls are considered lucky in Westend. A sailor or fisher is lucky if they find more than two over an entire lifetime." Ciaran told her. "They're traditionally used to propose marriage."

"Did either of your parents propose with one?" Ilyse asked.

"Nah-my father bought a generic wedding ring with a sapphire inset. Mum once told me it was an impersonal gift, and asked me never to propose to a girl in such a way." Ciaran chuckled. "Or a guy, come to think of it."

Ilyse giggled in answer.

"Good on you for finding it though. Let's take one more dive. I'd like to see if I can spot a blowfish." Ciaran told her.

"Aren't they poisonous?" Ilyse looked slightly incredulous.

"I'm not going to eat it!" Ciaran laughed. "They can only poison you if you touch them, and I don't intend on that."

The wizard swam back down, eyes peeled for the sight of brown and white on the same fish. There were more seahorses, some eels, a few toadfish... No pufferfish. Ciaran stayed hopeful though-there had to be a blowfish somewhere.

But no such luck. Even after ten minutes of careful searching, there was no sign of one, puffed or not. He got Ilyse's attention by waving and pointed to the boat. They swam back to the boat together before sailing it back, using a bit of magic to speed it up. 

"Well, that's a bit of a bummer." Ciaran commented "I've wanted to see a blowfish since I was a kid."

"Why?" Ilyse looked curious.

"I just liked the idea of them. Making yourself bigger so predators can't eat you. And poisoning the predators dumb enough to try." Ciaran replied.

"I could have used that ability with that mimic..." Ilyse admitted.

"Well, your answer's simple, Ilyse." Ciaran told her.

She blinked and asked "It is?"

"Yeah!" Ciaran cracked up as he spoke "Ju-Just eat more swee-hee-heets!"

"Hey!" Ilyse pouted as Ciaran laughed.

The boat bumped into the shore. As they stepped out of it, Ciaran got an idea. 

"Y'know Ilyse, since we're both soaked already..." 

"Hmm? What do you-BRRLRLRLRL!" Ilyse's sentence was interrupted as Ciaran shot a jet of water into her face.

"Water fight!" Ciaran announced, pointing his wand again. Another jet of water shot at Ilyse from Ciaran's wand, directly hitting her in the face.

Ilyse shot her own jet of water, but Ciaran ducked it. His back caught a bit of it, but not much. His next "attack" wasn't on point, however. It missed and left him open to Ilyse's next jet, which hit him directly between the eyes.

Once his vision cleared, Ciaran shot a blast of water at the same time Ilyse did. The two jets of water hit each other and splashed upwards, causing a miniature rainstorm. The droplets fell onto the two of them.

The two continued to trade water jets under the small rain they'd created. But the wizard's focus drifted. To Ilyse's movements, her childish laugh, her wide smile, and perhaps most of all, the fire in her eyes.

Ciaran, for one of the first times he could remember, was having fun. He liked this playing with Ilyse. He was enjoying himself, and knowing that Ilyse was feeling the same made him feel lighthearted. He felt-

"GOOOOOWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!" The loud roar suddenly broke the fun ambience. The two looked at each other for a second or two.

"That wasn't my stomach." Ciaran half-joked.

Another roar sounded. Then the ground shook slightly. Both of them turned towards the beach to see a huge black squid-like creature emerging from the water. It moved a tentacle towards the elf-

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Ciaran shouted. This... whatever the fuck it was, it was NOT ruining this day. "Flamma Iecit!" He flourished his wand to the sky and his skin flashed orange. He took careful aim, holding his wand with both hands. 

He fired. 

The blast of orange light hit the tentacle moving towards Ilyse, completely severing it. Using the opportunity, the elf ran to him and ignited her own magic, ready to fight back. The creature let out a shriek of pain and slammed what was left of the appendage into the water, soaking both the wizard and elf further. It seemed content with that, however, as it retreated back into the water.

"TRY THAT AGAIN AND IT'LL BE THE OTHER SEVEN!" Ciaran shouted at the water before turning to Ilyse "Are you okay?"

"Great, thanks! And thanks for saving me!"

"No problem. How the hell didn't we see that thing in the reef?"

"Maybe it was camouflaged? Or cloaked?" She suggested.

"It certainly wasn't magical or I would have sensed it..."

"Not all disguises are magical." She told him "In any case, you saved me." she pecked him on the cheek.

"Well, now we're both drenched. And I didn't bring a towel." Ciaran realized.

"There's a hammock over here, but only one. I think we'll have to share." Ilyse told him.

Well, there were worse things than sharing a hammock with Ilyse to dry off. 

Ciaran clambered into it and Ilyse joined him, laying on top of him. She shivered slightly, so he wrapped his arms around her. She sighed contentedly in response. Although they only wore their swimsuits, no carnal thoughts entered their minds. They were too relaxed. Any other kind of fun would detract from the day they'd spent.

"By the way, I totally beat you." Ilyse whispered.

"Does it matter?"

"...I guess not."

A whisper escaped Ciaran's lips. "...I totally beat you though."

He heard the elf chuckle slightly and embraced her a little tighter. The feeling of her skin against his, her soft breathing, her warm weight... Ciaran had missed this feeling. He looked over towards the setting sun, and for the first time in a long time, was able to appreciate it.

He smiled and kissed Ilyse's forehead "It's getting towards night. We should go find the others."

"Okay." Ilyse answered, getting off him. "Thank you, Ciaran. I enjoyed today very much. I haven't had such fun since I was a little girl."

The two redressed and headed back into the main city. It wasn't hard to find the group-they just checked every inn until they came across them. Jordan pointed the two out to the group as soon as they walked through the door.

"Where have you two been?" Adol asked suspiciously.

"We took a day off." Ciaran answered. "Went to the beach."

Devany piped up "Ooh, did you get up to anything-"

"Fun? Absolutely." Ciaran interrupted. "We played ball, went sailing and had a water fight!"

"Don't forget the swimming and hammock swinging, Ciaran." The elf added, smiling widely.

Adol looked ready to explode. Ciaran just smiled innocently and said "Shall we find somewhere to rest for the night? It's getting late."

"Way ahead of you. This inn has enough room for all of us." Jordan told him. "I'll take Ilyse upstairs and make sure she's comfy. Kyran looks like he wants to talk with you."

"Sure." Ciaran shrugged. "Thanks for the day, Ilyse. Good night."

"You too, Ciaran." She cheerily answered, following Jordan. Adol opened his mouth to say something, but closed it and walked away without another word, followed by a snickering Levi.

"I'll wait in your room, Ciaran. I hope you still have enough energy for me..." Devany winked.

Now he and the wizard were alone, Kyran asked "Ciaran, I don't smell any indication of sex on either of you. Did you not do anything fun of the other kind?"

Ciaran sighed "Honestly? I needed a reminder that having fun was possibly without sharing a bed with a woman."

"You shouldn't need to remind yourself of that." Kyran sounded a bit concerned.

Ciaran sighed. "Let's just focus on the good parts. I had a lot of fun, and I'm positive Ilyse did too. I'm sure it was a nice break just to not have someone making advances on her for a whole afternoon."

"Heh, yeah. Well, I won't keep you from Devany. But you need to keep in mind there's more to life than just fighting and loving." Kyran told him. "And that's coming from a born and bred Asmanan."

"No promises, but I'll try." Ciaran replied, as he went to find his and Devany's room.