Liberi Reader

Javier catches up and climbs up the deck by rope.

Javier watches as the white sail of the salt ship disappears in the distance, as does Rus's silhouette.

He puts his own share in his pocket, and walks down the road.

Pascuala lets go, and the buckle falls back onto the man's belt.

Juana brushes her windswept hair and looks behind her.

Isidro opens his backpack, and the contents spill out.

Juana and Teach lean forward and examine them.

Isidro takes the spyglass from Juana.

Grains of salt stir upon the Flat like white waves, but he soon turns his eyes from that false sea to the sky on the horizon, to that one little streak of bright blue.

Standing on the bow by himself, he reaches out with his arm, and waits for the whirling light upon it to point the way.

He stands on the street, putting his palms together. The last speck of stardust has disappeared, and darkness takes over once again.

The onlookers disperse. The crowd that had gathered because of him have left him again.

Receiving no answer from him, Juana steps forward, with Teach following behind her on the front deck.

One by one, the sailors gather, trying to see what their new captain is seeing.

A crowd forms around Isidro. Those who have fallen behind have to strain their necks and force their way through.

Isidro does not answer. His entire attention is focused upon his arm.

At his question, the light on his arm converges, pointing towards the horizon, straight and firm.

He longs to sail towards the boundless ocean together with his friends. Thus, the Corazonix points out the direction for him.

Sailors cheer, rum is spilled—

All eyes are upon Isidro.

The sailors already have ropes in hand. Juana's hand is on the helm, waiting for his command.

Isidro takes a deep breath and takes in the eager eyes gazing upon him, filled with hopes and expectations, burdens that he is no longer afraid to bear.

He feels the wind of the Salt Flat. His shoulders are light.

A trail of blood leads from the steam to the depths of the boundless Salt Flat.

A cold tongue tastes the blood in the mouth. Broken limbs keep crawling, driven by a powerful desire that lives on without its master.

A short distance away, an appendage breaks through the salt layer, wiggling towards a sunlight it has not seen for many years. Then, a second, a third...

It is another powerful desire without a master, compelling the light-emitting organ to reach for the sun, as though trying to gain the sun's light.

All he wants is to live on. All it wants is to live on.

By whatever means. In whatever form.

The broken parts of Man and Seaborn struggle, wiggle, hungrily devouring each other.

They will walk this land in perpetuity.