Seaflower - 9

 

Tye put his arms down, feeling good.  He remembered he had asked for quarters and made a hand signal to the officer who asked him “where” yesterday.  “Where did you decide?”

“Here sir, it made sense.” (I know I know I let an officer use common sense!!!)

“That works for me.  Get them quiet, I’m going to get a drink.”

Tye walked to the girl, “Come on, I’ll buy you a drink.”

She nodded and followed him to some vending machines.  Tye tossed her a water bottle and drank his.

“I hope you don’t mind my goddess, but I plan on telling them about my first days on this ship.   I am the last person on this ship who knows what happened, well most of it.”  He looked into her eyes, and then fell to his knees. “My goddess, I hope you know that I have never altered my faith since I first learned about you and that my seaflower is still as perfect as the night that you gifted me with it.  That I have never taken off the necklace that you gifted me either. Please know that I am your faithful servant and have never prayed to the land god.  Nor do I ever plan to.  I am at your bidding.  I thought you were the small girl and visited her frequently to try to find out.  It pleases me to no end to know that I was right.  I pray for forgiveness for the two who attempted your life and I am thankful that you forgave them.  If the fight today was about accepting me as a student, then I am overjoyed.  If I could ask for one thing from you it would be your blessing.”

“Tyde,” He noticed the‘d’ she put in his name, but was just too happy when she placed both of her hands on his cheeks.   With a voice that was soft and loving, she continued to speak. “It has been your prayers that never let me completely forget who I was.  You are the owner of one of the five seaflowers that are left.  The others are weak, no color and barely hold there form.  They belong to men that remember me but no longer pray.  Unlike my counter-part, it would not hurt my pride if you preyed and served him as well.

“While I was in my child form you never let me be lonely.  There are a few other sailors that actually helped me, but none sought me out as you did.  As for the two that threw me overboard, as they do not pray to me, I will not forgive them.  Nor will I seek out punishment on them.  I will speak with my counter-part to whom they do pray to.

“Today’s fight was not so much to accept you as my student as much as it was to awaken my true powers and yours as well.”  She half-smiled at Tye, and then her face went very serious.  “I will not bless you Tyde.”

Tye’s eyes closed and open slowly, he bit his lip waiting for her to continue. “I will not bless you because there is no further blessing that I can give you.  Just like I will not teach you because you already know everything that I would teach.  If you look closely within yourself or maybe you will see it in the events that happened, you will realize why.  I can lead any creature to my waters edge, but I cannot make it drink, or even look at its own reflection.  Now, finish your water, your crew anxiously awaits your words after the display they just saw.  I will be along in a moment.”