4 Hidden Islands
Alastar jumped into the water and was swept out onto the sea. The current was to strong and Alastar was to weak. He heard shouts from the two men on the pier but they couldn't do anything to him.
He was surrounded by water, so much water, and waves as well. His body somehow absorbed the essence of the waves taking it into himself and refining it. Soon he could see no harbor and no town, now for the second time in the day, he was truly alone.
He started to glow green from all of the Wave Essence he had absorbed, he then remembered the diagram from the book and started to refine his bones using the method entailed in it. Soon the green glow left his body and he was left with a feeling of loss.
The waves would crash down on him but his body somehow was not pulled under. There seemingly was a relationship between the [{Ocean Wave Body Manual}] and actual ocean waves. Being near the waves seemed to make him stronger, make him faster, make him better.
Wave after wave would hit him and his body would go under the water and then bob right up as if compelled by the rules of the world. The green essence churned around his bones and refined them according to the manual.
His life was water, waves upon waves and hours upon hours piled up in similar fashion. Soon it was dawn, the sky was touched purple by the rays of the sun and Alastar floated along carried by the waves.
Dropping in and out of consciousness only holding on because the refinement of his mortal body by the technique. He felt so alive, even when he was almost dead in the water. Sea spray and seagull speak invaded his mind but still he floated along.
Through the nourishment of the technique he did not need to eat or drink but still he felt parched. He lay on his back facing the sky waiting just waiting to be found. But days upon days went by and still not an island nor a boat. He was more alone then he was ever back home.
He tried to talk but all that came out was a raspy croak. His skin started to cake from the exposure to the sun and every wave was now like its own unique torture followed by the immediate bliss of the refining method.
He was not asleep, nor awake, nor truly anything, he was in the blissful state of half-dream, half-wake. He hit a beach, he woke up, stood up, and looked around. It was covered in thousands of trees, with vines hanging out from branches looking to snatch an unsuspecting man.
He got up from the sand, dusted himself off and went into the jungle. Four hours in dense jungle later he arrived at a village. Not much of a village more of strewn about houses with a central fire pit for meetings.
Villagers went about their day and children played around at the edges of the village. Seeing the fully clothed people Alastar looked down to realize his nudity.
Not wanting villagers to see his under "brows" he decided to look for something to cover up with. He found it in a pair of trousers left to dry. He put them on and set out to the village. As he walked into town a couple of the children playing noticed him.
They ran off into one of the houses and brought with them an older looking man with graying hair.
"Hello traveler what brings you to our village."
Alastar went to speak but all that came from his mouth was a croak. He grabbed at his throat but nothing would come out. The old man and the children looked frightened for a second.
"Mister are you okay?" One of the children said.
"Water, please" Alastar said falling to the ground out of weakness. The old man told one of the children to bring some water back while he checked on Alastar's condition.
"Oh your nothing but a child, oh my you must be lost. Don't worry we'll help you, now just wait here for a second" The child came back with water and the old man took it and brought it to Alastar's lips. The water feel into Alastars throat and down into his stomach.
"Thank you" Alastar said, his voice was still raspy but at least he could talk.
"Now you can speak boy, where are you from?"
"The sea, I think?" The old man laughed uproariously as soon as Alastar stopped talking.
"You think? Do you know?" Alastar smiled which he probably shouldn't have because his teeth were yellow from all his days at the sea.
"Nah you just one of them island boys who got lost right?" The old man said with his hands on his hips, obviously thinking he was right. Alastar did nothing to dissuade him from this assumption.
"Well you can stay with Jamisons while you wait for your ship. Otherwise its not like there's a lack of food so stay as long as you like." The old man said helping Alastar up.
Soon the old man introduced Alastar to the Jamisons. They were a husband and wife duo with the wife being in the later stages of pregnancy. They were both humble folk, with tan faces from working in the fields but they treated Alastar all right. They gave him some food and a room of his own to stay in.
After eating a simple dinner with the Jamisons, Alastar retired to his room. It was a simple room, a window and a bed but Alastar could not have asked for more. He sat down and started to check his inner body.
His martial soul was still in the sea and still looking at the [{Dao Creation Physique}] but now in the blank page was a technique. He had forgotten that had been almost a week since he got the first technique so this must be the new one that he came up with.
He frowned, scratched his head for a second, blinked his eyes and looked at the page again. On the page were diagrams upon diagrams of men practicing martial moves. On the top of the page were two words [{Village Fist}].
