New Ability

Ronkus had a vigorous bright blue aura wrapping around his body, reaching high into the sky. Minos had no idea what these colors were, but he could instinctively feel what they each meant.

The bright blue that entwined Ronkus gave a feeling of calm and responsibility, taking the tribe's problems and carrying it on his shoulders.

Another younger tribesmen had a dark blue around him, giving a feeling of depression and sadness. Minos quickly realized this was the same young man who had been rejected by his love on the previous night, not yet having recovered from the blow.

Most of the young men had bright bluish red auras around them, giving off the feeling of excitement and calm. Passionate about the fishing, but simultaneously holding back their feelings so as to not disturb the fish.

He even noticed one young man with a bright pink aura that gave the feeling of love. This was the man who was accepted by the young lady he had proposed to.

Each aura represented a different emotion, and Minos suddenly had the ability to sense these feelings. How exactly he had gotten this power, he didn't know, but he guessed his heart nature had reached a certain threshold, finally breaking through and granting him this new ability.

Ultimately it all seemed to come back to Tinka, and the peace she granted him. Minos smiled as he leaned back into the boat, watching the world that had suddenly been tinted with different colors and shades.

His rod suddenly started to shake fiercely, and Minos tugged on it hard without a moment's delay.

A large fish was quickly pulled out from the water. The other tribesmen looked on with slight envy as their auras were infiltrated by a dark green that represented their new feelings.

Minos didn't even need to look back to feel them and their feelings. His new evolved heart nature didn't need his eyes to function, rather he could feel all these auras through a new sense he couldn't explain, his eyes were just the easiest way to put it to words.

Rather than worrying about them, he put his full focus onto the fish. It was large with silver scales and deep red eyes.

"Well done boy, not only did you catch the first fish of the day, but you even caught a Red-Eyed Silver Fish, which is quite delicious." Ronkus said as he patted Minos shoulder heavily.

The other tribesmen applauded heavily, with dark green and bright green auras intertwined with one another. The dark green representing envy, and the bright green representing respect and approval.

Minos thanked everyone lightly before turning back to the fish. He noticed the fish had a dark orange aura around it, giving a sense of fear and despair.

Minos couldn't help but freeze for a moment. It wasn't just humans that felt, but rather all things with a soul.

His pride of having caught the fish suddenly dissipated, and without a second thought, he tossed the fish back to the ocean, much to everyone's shock.

"Why did you do that boy? Do you know how delicious that fish is…" Ronkus questioned.

"I'm suddenly not hungry." Minos said with a smile, much to everyone else's confusion. While he wasn't against killing, at the very least, he would avoid killing that which didn't need to be killed.

The vegetation that encompassed the Underwood Mountain Range provided plenty to eat, without needing to kill anything. He felt it was a worthwhile trade to let a fish live a little longer in exchange for some fruits and vegetables.

Ronkus wanted to say more, but seeing Minos's calm smile as he looked out towards the sea, he suddenly sucked back what he was originally going to say.

…

The fishing soon came to an end, and everyone got a decent harvest. The group began rowing the boat back, and soon the coastline came into sight once more.

The women seemed to already know when the men were coming back, so they quickly gathered next to the piers, waving as they welcomed their husbands and sons back.

Tinka was amongst the crowd, and Minos could see the bright pink aura that surrounded her as she looked towards him.

As he got off the boat and came towards Tinka, she hugged him without a moment's hesitation.

He suddenly knew what love was, it was this feeling right now, of being in the arms of the person who means most to you.

All the tribesmen were busy saying hello to their own family, so no one paid mind to Minos and Tinka. Even Ronkus just looked on with a smile as he greeted his wife.

"How was the journey, nothing dangerous happened, right?"

"Of course not, we just fished as normal." Minos replied with a smile.

"That's a relief. Common, let me see what you caught." Tinka said.

"I didn't catch anything today."

"It's okay, it's your first time, besides, vegetables taste better than fish anyway." Tinka said with a bright smile, as if trying to get rid of any depression Minos might have felt over his failed fishing session.

Minos naturally knew what she was trying to do, but he didn't say anything. He just continued to smile as the two held each other and talked.

"Common you two, I know you're in love, but there's food to eat, and work to do." Ronkus said as he quickly broke the two up, Meninka smiling on the side.

Minos and Tinka could only reluctantly let go of each other as they followed Ronkus and Meninka back home.

The group quickly finished their lunch and it was time for Minos to get back to working on his boat. As he was heading out of the door, Tinka quickly ran up behind him

"Let me help you, Minos. Let's build it together!"

"I thought you had to build it with no help?" Minos replied.

"Don't worry, consider it a special privilege from the patriarch." Ronkus laughed as he spoke.

"You heard my dad Minos. Common, let's go!" Tinka said with excitement as she grabbed Minos by his arm.

Minos could only smile as Tinka dragged him towards the ship building hut. There were a few people here already, some repairing boats, others building oars and rods.

When they saw Minos and Tinka, they ignored the two. They naturally knew who Tinka was, so they wouldn't interfere with her.

Minos and Tinka quickly got to work. Tinka had helped her dad in the past, so she wasn't a burden, in fact she knew better than Minos. As the two worked in harmony, they began chatting.

"So Minos, where do you come from?" Tinka asked with curious eyes.

"I don't really have a home, it's better to call me a vagabond."

"Vagabond, what's that?"

The Salt Breathing Tribe didn't have a word for vagabond, so Minos could only try to explain it in simple terms.

"It's just someone who wanders the world, looking for things to do, food to eat, a place to sleep. The skies are their roof and the earth their blanket."

"Wow, sounds poetic!" Tinka's eyes glimmered as she imagined a warrior traveling the world, defeating evil, and leaving no name.

"Trust me, there's nothing poetic about it. The only one who wanders is the one who has no place of their own. Everyone wants a home, and more than that, a family…"

As Minos recollected his past, he suddenly felt a force hugging on him tightly. As he looked down, he saw Tinka grab him by the waist as she patted his back.

"It's okay, you don't have to be a 'vagabond' anymore. This can be your home, and I'll be your family." She said as she looked up, directly into Minos's eyes.

Minos only smiled, he was just speaking out loud, he wasn't actually sad. Still, it was good to have someone who cared about you.

"You don't have to worry about me. In fact, I'm more curious about you. What do you want to do Tinka?"

Tinka suddenly froze as she heard this question. The tribe's roles were quite set in stone, and her future had already been determined for her.

She would eventually get married to the strongest warrior, have a family of her own, and grow old and die within the tribe.

The truth was, she was always slightly resentful of such a life, but the tribe was the only place she knew. She also didn't have the courage to run-away to an unknown world, as much as the thought excited her.

"I just want to be a good wife and mother." Tinka said as she looked at Minos.

Of course, how could you fool Minos? He was already incredibly perceptive, much less now that his heart nature had evolved and granted him emotion-sensing abilities.

The aura around Tinka turned from the light pink and was tinged with a dark yellow color, emitting the feeling of deceit.

"Tinka, do you trust me?" Minos suddenly said as he looked deeply into Tinka's eyes.

Tinka couldn't help but avoid his piercing gaze, feeling slightly intimidated by Minos's sudden fierce eyes.

"Y-yes." She responded with a slightly stutter, not feeling sure of the answer herself.

"Then tell me the truth. You just need to know that I'll never judge you, no matter where your aspirations lie."

"R-really…?" Tinka said, not feeling sure.

"Really." Minos said firmly as he looked at her with a smile.

"Okay!" Tinka said with a laugh, feeling a sudden burst of confidence in her body.