Beastmen Love
Chapter 91: Setting Sails Again

Chapter 91: Setting Sails Again

Four more days passed and the propeller was finally finished. After installing it, the Aquaterrans test the ship to make sure it will work well and they won’t have any problems in the future.

Elder Jin suggests a feast on the previous night of Astri’s group leaves. At the same time, it’s a happy moment that they can leave, but they also feel a little reluctant to go because they know they will stay on the ship for very long days.

Astri sits between Claud and Elder Jin, listening to Elder Jin’s stories and then Koa stands up to go outside.

"Is Koa all right? He feels gloomy." Astri asks Jin.

"Oh.. Don’t worry. He’s like this because you’re leaving." Jin answers.

"I see... Let me talk to him." Astri says.

Astri stands up and walks outside to find Koa watching the stars. She also taught him about the constellations and now every night he looks at the stars.

"This seat taken?" She asks, pointing to his side.

He chuckles.

"No." He answers.

She sits and looks at the stars too.

"Do you want to talk? You feel like going through a lot of things in your mind." She asks.

"I’m not sure... I don’t want to sound weak."

"Why would you sound weak?"

"Because.. you would realize I’m not sure of my own feelings." He answers.

She smiles and nods.

"Do you think I’ll force you to be sure of it?" She asks.

"No.. I just don’t want you to know. It’s embarrassing for a male."

"So you prefer me thinking you rejected me?" She sneers.

"No! I’m not... rejecting."

She taps his hand.

"Stop worrying. We will still be friends. Follow your dreams and I’ll support you always. Here, I made this for you." She says and then shows him a handmade merman bracelet but with a touch of human world design.

"For me?" He asks, impressed.

"Yes. Don’t think too much of it. This is just for you to remember that you have friends outside here. I’ll keep in contact." She says.

He smiles at the beautiful bracelet and then wears it. It’s masculine and elegant, he loved it.

"Thank you. I will cherish this forever." He’s happy to know she used her time to do something for him. "I wanted to accompany you until Aquaterra, but soon the salt market boats will be arriving and I can’t leave my tribe alone.."

"I understand. Don’t worry. Really, I’m not mad or anything."

He sighs, still with his eyes on his bracelet, and then looks at her.

"Can you come back here before going back to your home?" He asks.

"I believe so. The others will be grateful to know we will have some time on land."

"I’ll make you a gift and I’ll give you when you come back here. This way I’ll force you to come."

"Look at the audacity. All right, sir."

They chuckle.

"Can you promise you will be fine too? That you will be safe?" He asks.

"You need to ask that to my spouses. But I wouldn’t worry. We have a Biggie."

He laughs.

"True."

"Good. You’re smiling again. You were making everyone worried." She says, standing up.

"I’m sorry.. I’m fine."

"Then let’s go back?"

He nods smiling too and then follows her inside. The rest of the night it was fun, to prepare their hearts to say farewell.

The next morning, everyone is getting ready inside the ship. Mermaids don’t wear clothes like Astri does, they have great endurance for cold weather, so Koa couldn’t gift Astri with clothes. However, he gave her a lot of painting tools.

Being a more humble person, Astri didn’t accept jewels since she arrived there, so Koa didn’t have any ideas to make her happy. However, he didn’t know she would be so happy when he gave her painting tools.

"Lady Astri is very humble. I’m impressed she’s happy with simple painting tools." Elder Jin says smiling at her.

"I’m a simple female, Elder Jin. One day people might see that art is as precious or more than jewels."

She nods to Zin and he gives Jin and Koa a frame covered with a cloth. They remove the cloth and see a painting of their tribe. The details she put into the painting are impressive for them.

"With this, you will know how much you’re growing. Now that’s what your tribe looks like. In some years, when your tribe grows more, you will look at this and realize how much you have grown." She says.

Astri’s signature is an art by itself. They feel very honored.

"Thank you, lady Astri. This will be our treasure." Jin speaks.

"That means you will always come back to make new paintings of how much we have grown. That’s good to know." Koa says to Astri.

Astri’s spouses roll their eyes, they learned that from Astri. It’s a good way to stay quiet but express something.

"I will visit, yes. Whenever it’s possible." She answers.

"You promised to come after you finish your mission in Aquaterra. You better come."

"What if we don’t want to bring her here?" Lee asks.

"It’s not your choice, birdy."

Lee sighs, keeping his tongue tied in a tight leash, making Astri really proud of him and she chuckles holding his arm.

"We will come." Astri says. Koa smiles and nods.

"There are a lot of trees for us to run away here. Better than the ship storage." Astri says to Lee in his mind.

He looks at her and smiles, wanting to find a tree at that same instant.

They’re taken by surprise when they see a lot of mermen running away from the water and running on the land to stay away from the water.

"What is happening?" Jin asks.

Astri feels that Biggie is near and she laughs.

"It’s Biggie. He wants to escort us to the open sea." Astri speaks.

"Biggie?"

Then they see tentacles appearing around Astri’s Ship.

"The Kraken. His name is Biggie. He’s a sweet protector." Astri points at Biggie.

Jin makes a voiceless "oh".

"Biggie, be careful to don’t break the ship again, please." Astri says in her mind to Biggie.

"I won’t break. I promise. I wish I could come inside with you." Biggie whines.

"Big baby." She chuckles, then looks at Koa and Jin. "Biggie won’t ever hurt your people. Only if he’s attacked first, of course."

"I know. I don’t fear him anymore after getting into his mouth." Koa says, making everyone laugh.

Finally, everyone is on the ship and the travel to Aquaterra starts again. Astri watches the island getting smaller and smaller, really hoping that this tribe gets better in all matters.

"Are you all right?" Claud asks Astri.

"Yes. I’m just hoping these people really improve. They have so many beautiful things, and I hope someday they’re beautiful on the inside too." Astri answers.

"It’s true. Your presence here already made them see things differently. With the good guidance of Koa and Elder Jin they will keep improving." Claud says, hugging her close to him.

She nods smiling, then they go the control and see the cubs watching Biggie swimming in the distance. Beau watches Astri sitting where she usually sits to keep an eye on her cubs and he’s happy that he can watch her again.

Every day she would sit there to draw, read, or watch the cubs, and he watched her in silence. They talked sometimes, but he was happy enough to just watch her.

He remembers what she said about wanting him as her spouse, and that made him want to get closer to her for some reason. She said she wasn’t joking, so does she have feelings for him?

After one more day watching her, he’s on his bed looking at the ceiling, thinking deeply. Shan shares the room with him, so he’s on another bed on the ground.

"You’re lucky, Captain Beau." Shan says.

"Why?"

"The Goddess likes you. You can become her spouse. I envy you."

"I don’t think she sees me that way. She just explained that she can’t be mates with just anyone."

"Are you joking? I know she treats everyone well, but her eyes for you are different. Can’t you see that?"

"Really...?"

Shan sighs, frustrated.

"You’re the strongest of our Kingdom but you’re the dumbest. The Goddess practically said she likes you and you’re here. Or are you interested in another female?"

"No. I’m not. But.. I’m not worthy of her. And I would be her only sea beastman spouse. She lives 2 days from the sea.." Beau softly says.

"Would you just shut up?" Shan interrupts him, then sighs again. "If I was in your place I would accept even making a lake near her castle just to be close to her. But I think she chose the wrong beastman." Shan says annoyed and then turns his back to Beau.

"You would leave your place in the royal army? A path that you were all of your life?" Beau asks.

Shan sighs, again, then sits down and looks at Beau.

"I understand that you hold a position that is higher than any other besides the place of a King, but are you happy with that? I never saw you smiling the way you smile at her. I love my Kingdom, but being with Astri is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. She shows a new way to see and live our lives. I don’t think that it’s a bad thing to be happy. You have to choose what you prefer and what makes you happy. I’m just saying that in your place I would choose her because for me it is clear she makes me happier than my position in the royal army. That’s all I have to say. Good night." Shan says and lays down facing his back to Beau again.

Shan is way younger than Beau, however, he said something that made Beau be lost in thought for the whole night.