The afternoon sun seemed to grin down at the beach tauntingly with its searing rays, and I adjusted my sunglasses as I watched you and your white haired friend play in the sand like children with nothing better to do. It had been such a long day, it was certainly a shame that the end was nowhere in sight.
I adjusted my position on the beach towel, angling my feet back into the umbrella's shade. I lacked foresight earlier this morning, believing that this would be a short and insignificant foray. Deciding to forgo bringing any books in order to avoid having to carry extra objects was a move I made without taking into account that you enjoyed being idle and wasting time. With nothing better to do, my eyes began to wander around the beach.
People in revealing swimwear were spread out all over the burning sands, playing in some form or another. I was told the month of Arajinna was immensely popular for those who enjoyed sauntering by the seaside, and from what I've seen so far, this was quite the understatement. The amount of people and noises flying by was borderline overwhelming, not affording me a moment of peace.
Out of the corner of my vision, I spotted the commanding officer himself, Aidan laying in the sand, while one of his friends, a dark haired man named Dmitri, seemed to be piling sand on top of him with great zeal. Such behaviour was unbefitting of him, someone who held such a prestigious station. But if he was intent on making a fool of himself, then far be it from me to intervene.
I turned back to look at you and your friend, and that redheaded male, Allen, was now by your side, along with some decrepit looking elder. The three of you were making enthusiastic gestures and rapidly talking at the old man, who seemed to be quite engaged by your antics.
I closed my eyes, contemplating whether or not I should just leave. A few hours of unchaperoned frolicking wouldn't result in you killing civilians through some freak accident, right? Even though Father would have my head if I let such a thing happen…
"Halvatt will help, I know it!"
Hearing my name uttered in such a context, I lowered my sunglasses and looked in the direction of your voice. You and your entourage were approaching me, and I suddenly felt a sense of exhaustion wash over me as I tried to fathom what it was you could've gotten yourself into this time.
"What do you want?" I muttered as you neared the beach towel.
"Cedar, this is my brother," you said, gesturing at the old man to look at me. "I'm sure he'd be glad to assist us in your search."
"Your brother, hm? The resemblance is faint, but I think I see it," Cedar said, cracking a toothless smile that made me wince almost as much as the comparison to you.
Yet before I could protest the situation, you began to elaborate on the errand you had now dragged me into.The old man had a nephew who was some up and coming jeweller, you explained. Since his nephew was about to make his debut soon, he had been planning several pieces for his exhibition, many of which were ocean themed due to the season. Cedar was excited to support his nephew, and had volunteered to gather seashells for some of his themed pieces.
"But it's so hot, he's been having problems staying on his feet and walking such long distances," you finished, making a sympathising pout. "Me and Layla found him slumped near a rock and had to give him some water to get him back up. I think it'd be better if we all handled this for him from here on out."
"I'm indeed grateful to Miss Ren and Miss Layla for coming to my aid." Cedar nodded. "Sometimes I'm led to believe you young folk are all too caught up in your exciting lives to do something so mundane as help an old man with his troubles. But how happy it feels to be proven wrong!"
"Mundane indeed," I said, pushing my sunglasses back up. "A trivial task. I'm sure you can handle it. Best of luck to you three."
"Well if it's so trivial, why doesn't Your Highness help so we can get it done faster?" Layla said with a snicker. "It would require so little of your great talents that it shouldn't be a bother at all."
I scowled. "A bother? No. I could accomplish the task with ease. A waste of time? Certainly."
"Well you've been making great use of your time up until now, I'm sure. Who else would be brave enough to sit on our towel and keep our spot safe?" Allen smirked.
I mumbled a string of harsh words under my breath, willing myself to ignore him, but Allen continued, undeterred."You said it was easy. Let's have a competition, then. You can kick our asses and prove how absolutely right you are. Like you always say you are," Allen said.
"Ooh, that sounds like a great idea!" you said, and you suddenly bent down and snatched the sunglasses off of my face, much to my annoyance. "I think it'll be tough to beat you and Layla, but Halvatt's not all talk himself either."
"Give me those." I sat up, squinting in the sunlight as I swiped my hand at yours, but you backstepped out of reach with a giggle.
"Yeah, I'm sure he's not all talk," Layla laughed. "He certainly doesn't talk enough for that to matter much."
Rising to my feet, I quickly rushed you and yanked the sunglasses out of your hands. You yelped at the unexpected movement, but then your face burst into a smile as I put the sunglasses back on. Without further hesitation, you grabbed my free hand and began dragging me in some direction you had set your sights on. I tried to free myself from your grasp by twisting and turning, but simply let out a sigh of defeat as I realised there was no way to deter you from this path unless I severely maimed you. Which was, unfortunately, not an option with all the onlookers who would be an incredible nuisance if we began fighting with destructive powers beyond the scope of their simple lives.
"We'll meet back here at sunset to see who wins!" Allen yelled from behind me as I succumbed to my unappealing fate, doomed to be taken by you to who knows where on this hellish landscape of a beach.