Chapter 15: I Hate Rides

Walking along the dark corridor, Gon turns to me.

Gon: "Hey Esther. That old woman spoke about a 'navigator'. What is that?"

Esther: "A navigator is someone who guides another to a destination. Take, for example, the exam site."

Kurapika: "I've heard that it's nearly impossible to find the exam site without the navigator's help."

Esther: "Probably because it blends in to well. Maybe it doesn't look like an exam site at all?"

Kurapika: "That explains the difficulty."

Gon: "Hmm…that's sounds very complicated."

Leorio: "Haven't we reach the exit?"

Leorio puts down his brief case on the ground and sits down.

Leorio: "To hell with 'it takes two hours'. Two hours passed two hours ago."

Esther: "Actually, only 1 hour and 57 minutes passed."

Leorio: "Well it feels like two."

Esther: "You might want to get up or we'll leave you."

Leorio: "Can't we take a break?"

Gon: "Hey! The exit is right over there."

Leorio: "What? Why didn't you say so sooner?!"

Leorio gets up and runs ahead. After reaching the exit, we see a lake and hear the sound of crickets chirping. The moon is reflected by the lake.

Leorio: "We walk out a tunnel and there spreads a lake? Are we supposed to swim?!"

Gon: "look! There's a boat!"

We run to where Gon shouted. There is a boat. We sit on it, I cross my arms.

Esther: "So…who's paddling?"

Everyone looks at each other. Leorio seems against it so it's between Gon, Kurapika, and I.

Gon: "I'll do it. But Esther, won't you get motion sickness?"

Ah, forgot about that. I frown. Taking off any valuables I have, I prepare to step into the water. Gon pulls me back.

Gon: "No! You aren't swimming in the water!"

Esther: "Just let me! I don't want to feel sick after getting off the boat. The only reason I even listened to you to get on the other one was because it was mandatory!"

I struggle against Gon, Kurapika and Leorio pull me back on the boat.

Kurapika: "Isn't trying not to ride on the boat too late? You're already on it."

He's right. I stop struggling and sit with a blank stare.

Leorio: "Seriously, you act like a beast."

My ears almost twitched. For the entire duration of being on Whale Island, I've trained so that my ears didn't move. That way, I can be less conspicuous. As for my tail? I've tucked that in so hard it's gone numb. Very uncomfortable.

Gon: " Leorio, it's best not to call Esther a beast. He doesn't like it when someone does that. Last time someone called him a beast, they couldn't walk for an entire month."

Leorio twitches, he looks at me is surprise. He points to me.

Leorio: "This little pipsqueak? Come on, stop pulling my leg."

Esther: "You know, the thing about me being short. Means I have a much shorter temperament then others. Ever heard this saying?"

I grab Leorio's arm. I then toss him into the water.

Esther: "Don't mess with quite kids."

Gon and Kurapika grab Leorio and pull him into the boat. I just sit there, ignoring him the entire time. Did I forget to mention I hold grudges?