Vara stood there in all her beauty on the ship. A circle of frost surrounded where she stood.
"A beautiful song. One of a kind and probably one I may never hear again." She said with a sad but relieved face. I found myself slightly confused to be honest.
"I didnt anticipate the goddess of water to be thrilled by my music. Though that is probably the only one I can play at the moment. But I do appreciate your kind words nonetheless."
I said with a slight blush.
I could feel her cold eyes on me as I took a deeper breath. "Perhaps we can talk elsewhere? I dont want to make them uncomfortable." I said pointing a thumb over my shoulder at the crowd behind me. Some had truly noticed Vara and were either bowing or retreating.
"I dont think we will need a change of scenery. After all I came to deliver a blessing for this ships voyage. As is customary." She said with a smile.
I face palmed. "Of course. My apologies then." I said.
With a smirk she raised her right hand before her. "Be ye unsinkable, unyielding, and overbearing in the seas ye travel. Bear no grudge or hate to the waves and ye shall return. So is my blessing." She said as a little strand of her power entered the ship. Snowflake shapes went across the wood interlocking like clockwork. And just as quickly they vanished.
I turned to thank Vara and she was gone.
I shrugged. "Must be busy." I turned again and found Marcos at my feet. "Extraordinary! Extraordinary! If only I had a student such as you my boy. Haha! I vould do it in a moment!"
But I think you ave ozer plans yes? Good zen ve must enjoy our voyage!" He said loudly
I smiled even bigger as Kyle walked up to me. "It would seem you keep pulling more cards out of your sleeves when I think you just ran out of them. Hahaha!" He roared.
I chuckled a little and stared back at the mainland thinking of my family. (Sam would certainly be having a time with the children.) I thought as I let out a sigh.
Singing that song meant for my mother left me feeling melancholy and empty. The more I thought about her the more I missed her. My father had always been about business and hardly spent time with us. So my connection to him was small. My mother on the other hand had always been kind, loving, and took time for us. It was always her inspiring her kids to do good. To learn new skills and embrace our hidden talents.
Mine of course had been history and the arts. Piano, Painting, French Horn, Horse Riding.
Megan had been more book savvy, tactics, chess, and politics. Her major in university had been political science and world history.
So we were very different. Her mind was pointed and calculating. Her one weakness of course. Books. I could bribe her into doing anything for a book when we were kids.
I chuckled at the memory as I heard a cough behind me. "s'cuse me guv."
I turned to find a balding man with a potbelly in sailing clothes and an oil skin coat behind me.
"Yes?" I replied.
"Captain would like a word with ye." He grunted eyeing me up and down before he turned and started walking away. (Bit of a grouch.) I thought as I followed close behind.
He led me up a set of steps and into a large cabin behind the steering column of the ship. The door was a redwood color and had an ornate carving of a ship amid rough seas and storms. Making it look like a frame for the carved crew piloting the vessel.
The man knocked three times on the door. "Cap'n! It's Ishmael. I brought ye the thing yah was wantin." He called through the door.
"Bring him in then!" A muffled voice called from inside. And so the man opened the door revealing the dark interior. A large window spanned the back of the room showing the waving sea splashing beyond it. The walls bore maps and scrolls as a large metal table sat off to the side of the room.
A large map of the world sat across its metallic top. The parchment dirtied and ink splotted from countless hours of examining and plotting courses no doubt. The smell of old wood and burnt candle wax met my nose in a turbulent and pungent odor making my nostrils flair.
I heard a cough and turned my eyes to its location amid their wandering. The captain sat at a large cork colored desk with scrolls and charts mounded on it with a bottle of some kind of liquor on its corner. Her hat was hung on a wall rack with her coat.
Her shirt was a cotton sailor style top which had been stained from years of use and abuse. Her pants were an obvious brown with worn leather high heeled boots starting around her knees.
Her Auburn eyes were fixed on my figure at the doorway with a hand on the sword which sat on her desk.
I took a deep breath and meekly waited for her to say the first word. I am something of a gentleman after all. And if someone wishes to speak with me they should have the first word.
"The song ye sung was good. But that was not why I called ye." She said as she picked up the holstered blade.
"Ye know me. And ye know I possessed something of value. Now I want to know how and why." She said stepping around the desk till she was in front and placed the scabbard point on the floor with the sword hilt in her hand.
I raised an eyebrow at the bold show of authority in front of me.
"I already gave you enough hints. I don't believe you were this dense the last time we met. And back then you even thanked me for saving your crew." I said with a shrug.
"But I guess captains these days can forget things from one voyage to another. But I doubt seeing something evolve on the deck of your own ship must have been incredibly exciting." I said as I got tired of my apologetic and defensive behavior and settled for the more abrupt approach.
I leaned on the wall behind me to the right of the door. The wood beneath my feet groaned slightly from my weight shifting.
"You already knew who I was after I mentioned the crystal and the food. How much more do you need?" I said waving my hand flippantly at her.
"I am the Captain!" She said loudly smacking the desk with her fist. "And I will have my answers proper and clear!" She demanded.
"Or what? You throw me overboard? Much good that'll do you pissing off a lesser god." I said as my eyes glowed and my crown of fire lept alight on my brows.
Her eyes locked on to my crown. "Lesser god? Now you aren't making any sense!" She shouted.
I approached her quickly and she drew her blade. The tip touched my throat but couldn't penetrate. I reached around and touched a finger to her forehead as energy trickled from my body and into hers. "Know My Tale." I said as images began to play out before her in her mind.
This was a magic I had tried out a few times with Sam. Being married and all I had shared all my experience and history with her. Past to present. This magic had allowed her to see the world I had lived in. The planes, birds, food, and lifestyle I had lived. So to use this on the captain made me slightly nervous considering I couldn't control this fully.
Thousands of images of a salamander fighting and burning, clawing and biting, living and growing. Thousands and millions of images showing my tale beyond what she knew. My fights while protecting Sam. My meeting with Aed. All the way to the present day.
As my magic finished and my finger pulled away I saw Amanda. Her body was shaking. Her face was pale and covered in sweat as she began to understand and tried to cope with the info I was forcing onto her.
She took a couple of deep breaths before hastily grabbing the bottle of liquor and greedily drinking from it. Gulping down the contents that burned as they went down her throat.
After a moment her lips peeled away from the bottle as she threw it empty across the room. A red blush crossed her face as the alcohol took hold. She sat with a long sigh in her captain's chair.
"So... You really are that lizard?" She said as a slightly glazed eye looked at me from a head that was leaning back.
"Yes Amanda. I am he." I grunted as my flaming circlet died out and my glowing eyes returned to their usual color.
Her Auburn hair hung from the back of the chair as she let out a long sigh. "So it turns out you were more than I thought you were." She grumbled.
I nodded. "So it would seem. Now I believe we have a princess to return home and some sailing to do in between." I said as I turned and grabbed the door handle.
"Yes indeed. And a god blessed one at that." Amanda said as I left her to her quiet cabin.
I met Kyle in our quarters under the deck. The smell of mildew and dank wood had been outdone by the smell of some kind of incense. It was smoky, tangy, and pungent. The air bore a slight chill and musky humidity which made me shiver slightly in response. I suspect that was partially Varas spell. Possibly meant for keeping cold foods cold and preserved better.
Val was already fast asleep in a cot with a blanket draped over her small frame while Kyle sat in a rocking chair going over a scroll that he was reworking. By the sounds of his mumbling it was a speech he was aiming to give.
"So it would seem our voyage will be a peaceful one for a time." I whispered in Kyle's ear making him jump. He covered his mouth with his hands to not cry out in shock. Her reared his head around and angrily whispered.
"Do you know how long it took for her to get to sleep!? Poor child cried herself to sleep. Show some courtesy." He growled. "And now as is customary I have to give a speech for her mother about returning her home and possible benefits to our visit."
"Benefits?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow.
"Yes Benefits. Because dropping off a runaway princess isnt enough I thought I'd do my best to improve trade relations while we were there." He muttered.
I rubbed the back of my neck. "I see. Well. I will stop pestering you and hope you are able to figure out your speech. Best of luck." I replied back as I took a cot by the wall away from the other two. Val made her cot look as comfortable as a cloud. So that enticed me into trying one out for myself.
"Normally I don't nap but since today has been so tiring... YAWN... I'll give it a shot." I said as I reclined back and heat began to rise off my warm body. The rooms previous chill was soon replaced with a comfortable warmth. The cot hugged my body gently as though I was laying in my own bed.
The swing of the cot rocked me gently till I felt the gentle and sweet embrace of sleep.