14 Freedom in the Blazing Sea

About three hours after setting off, the water train stopped at a station midway the route. Shortly after it set off again, a sudden thought pierced my mind.

“Was that the Tchartia station?!”

Zeeta gave me a curious look.

“No idea.”

“It was, I think,” Cynsea said. “Why?”

My forehead hit the compartment’s window as I gazed intently at the horizon. Zeeta snorted.

“Don’t break the window, Straw Head.”

“But, Zeeta! The Keelung Lighthouse is not far from here!”

My friend’s eyes opened wide.

“You mean… your parents’…?”

I nodded energetically.

“I didn’t know we would pass so close to my home!”

“Oh!” Cynsea exclaimed. “So the Keelung Lighthouse is around here? Do you think we’ll be able to see it?”

I grimaced, hesitant.

“Perhaps not. It depends on the currents. The Tchartia station floats and goes where the currents go, so sometimes it is visible from the lighthouse, sometimes it’s not.”

Anyhow, I was pretty sure the window was facing to the south, so if the tower was somewhere near, we would be able to see it. The mere thought filled me with excitation. Cynsea shook her head.

“Currents sure are difficult to predict in the Blazing Sea. The last time I took the water train to London, the currents were so strong that the train had to forcefully brake using a mechanism of balloons. Believe it or not, we had reached a speed of three hundred sixty kilometers per hour! We all survived,” she informed.

Thank goodness we weren’t going at such a crazy speed now, or else even if the lighthouse had been in sight, we would have left it behind in no time.

After a long moment searching for a lighthouse in the dark sea, I got bored and looked up at the distant stars. How many times had I laid on the lantern room’s floor with my parents and my big sis, gazing at the constellations…

“Oh!” Zeeta suddenly exclaimed. “Over there!” There was a bang. “I said don’t break the window, Armen…”

The first and only thing I could see in the night was the bright, distant light sweeping the waters. But it was enough for me to know it was indeed the Keelung Lighthouse.

A strong emotion, mix of joy and nostalgia, ran through my body.

“Such a shame you can’t tell them hello,” Cynsea said.

“… Mm,” I nodded.

I was indulging myself in past memories when Zeeta snorted with laughter. Cynsea and I looked at him, surprised. What was he laughing for?

“Ah, sorry, sorry,” he said. “It’s just… Well, your dad is on the top of the tower.”

Eeeeh?! Zeeta could see him from that crazy distance? Then I thought of his power. He could hear from far away, so obviously he…

“Did you hear him say something?!”

Zeeta let out a short chuckle and began singing with a deep, energetic voice:

“Freeedom, freeedom! We all came to say hi! All the fishes, crabs, and cherry clams are coming for you now!” He burst out laughing. “Your dad’s a great baritone! Also, nice song. Is it a traditional one from Bird Island? … Armen? Why do you look so shocked?”

I swallowed hard.

“Nah, it’s nothing. It’s just… I was the one who composed that song when I was a kid. Can’t believe he’s still singing that,” I added in a mutter. “It’s kinda embarrassing.” And moving too.

“Embarrassing? It’s a nice song!” Zeeta assured. “Better than some melodies you tried to make me play last year.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Heh—Wait, aren’t you just implying I didn’t get any better from when I was ten years old?!”

“I only said ‘better than some melodies’. Don’t be susceptible, Armen.”

“Well, I won’t then.”

Zeeta chortled at my fast consent.

“By the way, Straw Head, I wanna hear you sing the whole song.”

“No way.”

“I’m serious.”

“I said no way. You’ll laugh at me.”

“Maybe, but it’s a super cool song! How was it again? Freeedom, freeedom! We all came to say hi! All the fishes, crabs, and cherry clams are coming for you now! Freeedom, freeedom! Heh… It sounds so pure, I love it.”

“… You’re making me blush.”

Zeeta cast an eloquent look my way as if saying, ‘there’s no way an undead can blush’, then insisted:

“I want to hear it.”

So persistent… I guess he really liked the song? Despite myself, I was flattered.

“Then… huhu… I’ll sing my first single for you later.”

Zeeta’s eyes smiled.

“Looking forward to it.”

“You’re already laughing at me.”

“I’m not, I’m not.”

I turned a smiling face to the lighthouse that was falling in the distance and waved at it with my hand. Mom, Dad. Sorry I can’t stop the train to pay you a visit, but I’ll make sure to go see you soon. My dad had a magnifying vision. Maybe he would be able to see me from this distance?