The ship cruised through the glistening waters of the extensive blue.
Asahi and Aletha stood near a long wooden rail on the right side of the ship, gazing downwards openly at the schools of fish that passed by.
Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Purple. Just a few of the hues and shades of all the varieties of fish that swam near the side. Some with different shapes, others the exact same. Aletha felt amazed by the sea creatures. Every time one passed by, she would holler at them as if they were a person or she would stare vividly as if it was the best thing in the world.
"Wow! Look at all those vibrant colors! Hi, fishy fishies!"
The waves crashed against the bottom of the ship. Aletha leaned a little too far on the railings.
"HEY!"
Asahi pulled Aletha away from the railing so she wouldn't fall. He shouted at her, but she still ignored him.
"Don't lean too far on the railings! I don't want you to drown."
Aletha mocked Asahi while making silly gestures.
"Yeah… yeah… whatever."
Asahi sighed.
"Fine, don't blame me if you start to drown."
Aletha pouted.
"I won't."
Asahi inhaled, shrugged his shoulders, and walked away.
(I'm not dealing with her anymore.)
* * * * * * *
Trying to relax, Asahi started walking to the other side of the ship. He heard sailors chant in a deep voice.
"Scrub the decks, up and down."
"Fixin'... the crates-- so we don't drown…"
Some were adjusting the sails, others scrubbed the decks and a few organized crates. Asahi didn't bother to interfere and continued to the other side of the ship; with benches, crates, and barrels lying against the top. There he saw the steering wheel.
"There she is…"
A tall woman with long dark hair, purple eyes, and dark attire stood confidently behind a sizable circular steering wheel, grasping each edge like a handle and coasting it and the ship to the right.
Her long silky black hair flew back and forth, her captain's hat shone vividly under the sun, and her shadow cast down the floor. Drimi's very appearance projected the look of confidence, bravery, and will. Asahi slowly stepped up the stairs and turned to Drimi silently. Though he didn't insist on speaking to her, she asked anyway.
"What's up?"
Asahi sighed and stared at the sea.
"Not much…"
She winked.
"That's expected. I mean, you just did fight a large nation-destroying entity earlier, so I understand."
After a moment of silence, Asahi turned back to Drimi and asked her.
"Say, Drimi. Do you know what Linuxinia is like? Do you know where we are?"
She lightly chuckled.
"You're asking me for that? Man, Asahi, you're silly sometimes. I have only been there once and I can tell ya, that nation is chaotic. It's nothing like the other nations. It's just the people and the environment itself; it's wacky in its own way."
Asahi raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah seriously! Those people lost their minds. Well… at least most are kind though. I won't tell you much, you should experience it for yourself. Actually…"
Drimi peered forward toward the sea. She made sure that she was going in the right direction, steering the ship a little bit, then slapping her knee. Drimi walked up to Asahi and patted his back.
"OKAY… we're on the right track. Usually, it would take days to get to Linuxinia, but somehow… I guess the wind felt nice today. Haha!"
Asahi kept quiet and stared at Drimi's face. He felt unsure about traveling to the nation, but it was already too late. As Asahi slowly stepped down the stairs back to the deck, he hollered to Drimi.
"Hey, Drimi! You have my greatest gratitude! Thanks a lot!"
Drimi lightly chuckled and steered the wheel in the other direction.
"Nah, this one was on me. After all, you saved Pladtioa and all…"
Asahi couldn't deny it. Drimi was right. He scratched his head nervously and smiled.
"Yeah, I agree."
She interrupted.
"Then get some rest, dummy! While you still can! I know DARN well that you won't get any rest when you arrive in Linuxinia."
Asahi nodded and smiled lightly.
"O-Okay… I'll try to relax."
Drimi chuckled and patted Asahi's back.
"Heh… heh… Good. Now get your fine butt out to the deck and sit for a while. My crew won't bite cha'. Hurry up! Chop, chop."
Drimi pushed Asahi down to the deck and spanked his buttocks. She hollered to him while returning to the steering wheel.
"Come on!"
Asahi's face warmed up; anxious that the sailors would hear.
(That's harassment, right? Has to be. Is that a genuine compliment? Or is she messing around with me.)
He gritted his teeth but calmed down as he didn't want to find out what happens when he angers Drimi. Asahi answered while scratching his bottom.
"Okay! OKAY! I'll relax."
* * * * * * *
Asahi walked to the other side of the ship, arrived at the doors, and walked down the stairs to the lower deck. Aletha followed Asahi, anxious to ask him. She shouted at Asahi.
"Hey, Asahi! Come here! You won't believe what I saw!"
Asahi ignored her. He didn't have the time or energy to listen to his sister. All he wanted to do was lay on the bed and relax. After all, they just engaged in a fight hours ago. So it was no surprise that he would sleep.
However, Aletha was filled with energy. She didn't hesitate to run around in circles and jump up and down like a child. She didn't know why but she welcomed the sudden burst greatly.
"Hey Asahi, Asahi, Asahi! Come here!!"
Asahi replied with an irritant tone.
"Not now sis. I'm…"
He made a loud yawn.
"...Exhausted."
Aletha whined.
"But… why?!"
Asahi stomped his foot on the ground.
"You know EXACTLY why!"
Aletha pouted and folded her arms.
"Pfft, whatever. It's broad daylight! You shouldn't be sleeping! Way to ruin the fun…"
"I'm not RUINING…"
He yawned again.
"....anything. Please, just let me rest."
Aletha reacted as she crossed her arms and turned her head away from Asahi.
"Grr... Fine, then sweet DREAMS!!"
She slammed the door in a rage.
Asahi facepalmed, freed a deep sigh, and turned to the room. There was a table on the left, and paintings on the right with a fairly shaped interior. Wooden cabinets and a kitchen were on the right, while more doors were further in the room.
Asahi pulled out a chair and sat down, drumming his fingernails while his eyes tried to shut. Footsteps sounded to his right. Asahi jumped up and turned to see where the noise came from. He heard a voice emerge from the darkness.
"Are people getting on your nerves, too?"
Asahi replied with a drawn sigh.
"Yes… they are."
The masculine voice replied as his orange eyes beamed out from the darkness.
"Same. I don't know why, but people are getting a lot more hyper ever since the ship passed the border of Pladtioa Ocean to Linuxinia Sea."
His dark scarf swayed back and forth. His tan skin shone underneath the ceiling light, and his attire fluctuated. Phthonus sat next to Asahi, obviously irritated at people's acts as well. He scratched his head and drummed his fingers on the table.
"I think it has to do with some sort of side-effect. Entering Linuxinia's territory transforms you, apparently. Seriously, it does. Although I have been there twice, whenever I'm there; I always feel more… hyper than usual."
Asahi's eyes broadened.
"So, THAT'S why Aletha was acting that way. I knew something was wrong about her."
Phthonus interrupted Asahi and showed a look of seriousness.
"Don't get cocky now. You could be JUST like her too. It happens randomly, I noticed."
Asahi raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, really now?"
Phthonus grabbed a few chairs and slid them under the table. As he was placing silverware and items on the wooden surface, Phthonus replied.
"Yeah… anyways… let's wait until they calm down. I don't want to be caught in the storm too."
Asahi scratched his head nervously.
"Actually, I… WAS planning on getting some rest."
"Oh, really?"
Asahi released a soft yawn, shook his head, and planted his face on the surface.
"Y-Yeah… I can rest here…. if you're not noisy."
Phthonus nodded his head and replied as he returned with plates.
"Okay… I won't make any noise. I respect that you saved the nation of Pladtioa. It's no surprise that you would want to rest."
As Asahi was closing his arms, Phthonus replied with an unsure tone.
"But if I were to make noise, it could be that 'side-effect' I was talking about."
Asahi responded with a soft smile of gratitude.
"Understood. Thank you…"
His eyes started to shut, Phthonus quietly stared at one of the books, and slowly; he fell into slumber.
* * * * * * * *
Two Hours Later:
Asahi's eyes slowly opened, he released a soft yawn, and his eyes moistened. He felt energized but felt drowsy too. Whatever it was, all of his thoughts were interrupted as he saw Sally, Phthonus, and Aletha having a conversation at the table.
Phthonus' voice was heard first.
"Alright, so enough of this seriousness. Aletha, the nation you and Asahi are about to approach is unlike any other place you have ever seen before…."
Asahi made a quiet noise, but it was loud enough to alert Phthonus. He lightly chuckled as Asahi awakened from his nap.
"Did you sleep well? You don't look as tired. Anyways, you're just in time!"
Asahi scratched his head.
"I… guess so."
After a few seconds of silence, Asahi tilted his head to Aletha. Immediately she turned back and crossed her arms. Sally tried to push Aletha to turn back, but she hastily pushed the chair off the table and pouted.
"Hmph."
Asahi knew the reason why she acted like this, but also knew that Aletha would not talk to Asahi for a long time. She seemed genuinely angry at Asahi just for the act of simply denying her request.
"Anyways…"
Phthonus kept explaining; pushing his long dark brown hair back.
"The nation is rather chaotic compared to the rest. Everything is all over the place, but at least the landscape is beautiful."
Asahi and Sally's eyes trembled; thinking of the possibilities. Were there bombs? Were there weapons? Was there danger?
Those questions were immediately impelled once Phthonus continued.
"Heh heh, when I mean 'chaotic', I mean it in a good way. Don't worry; the people are welcoming. It's just some… tend to be more… how would I put this?"
Sally finished his sentence.
"Hyper. That's the only word needed to describe the nation's people, landscape, and creatures. The region of Linuxinia is hyper, energetic, and cheerful."
Phthonus anxiously scratched the back of his head.
"Y-Yeah… what Sally said."
The room went silent. Aletha was still turning the other way, Asahi was thinking about the nation, and Sally was wondering what the wanderers would do when they reached there. Phthonus decided to keep quiet to let the others relax and settle down.
. . .
After a few minutes, a man opened the door and walked down the stairs. Sally, Asahi, Aletha, and Phthonus all looked up. He looked like he was in his mid-forties, with skim brown hair and dark green eyes. The man wore dark sailor clothes and a small sailor hat. He approached the room, holding a few cooking instruments in his hand.
Asahi didn't resist asking the man.
"Why are you here?"
The man walked up to Asahi, shook his hand, and kindly greeted all three of them.
"Drimi told me that you and the others are hungry. So she sent me down to cook something up for ya. You can call me 'Chef' if you want."
Sally, Phthonus, Asahi, and Aletha all replied with a nod.
* * * * * * *
'Chef' pulled out a box from the cabinets in the kitchen nearest to Asahi and Aletha, heaved it toward a counter, cradled it in his hand, and placed it on the surface. He pried the lid open with a sharp knife, slid his tool belt on the counter, turned back to the wanderers, and asked with a kind tone.
"Would you like anything to eat, visitors?"
Asahi answered first. His tone and presentation weren't as excitement-filled, but at least it was enough to express that he was hungry. He raised his arm to the air and hollered.
"Yes. Could you get me a plate of those saltine crackers, please?"
"My pleasure." Chef turned to Aletha. "And you, Ms?"
She turned her head away and didn't bother to answer. She crossed her legs, closed her eyes, and kept silent; with a pouty look on her face.
After a few seconds of silence, the Chef sighed deeply and walked back to the kitchen.
However, as he was about to make the soup, from out of nowhere…
(growl)
A noise that sounded like a stomach growling echoed over the room.
Asahi, Sally, Phthonus, and Chef all looked at Aletha suspiciously.
She rubbed her empty tummy and her face warmed up to bright pink.
They slightly chuckled and smiled. They couldn't help but make light of the humorous moment.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
As the laughter finally died down, Asahi answered Chef for Aletha.
"Just get her soup, please."
"Okay, guest." Chef replied while grabbing a scoop.
Despite Aletha being pouty, she couldn't help but give a small, quiet smile to Asahi. Her brother knew that soup was one of her favorite meals; but still, she turned away soon after and continued to ignore Asahi.
. . .
After a few seconds, the Chef pulled out a scoop and placed it on the wooden counter.
He reached for a slim steaming canister out from the box and heated it up with a small, non-lethal fire. It cracked and chipped, but was protected by the steel that absorbed all the sparks.
The steam lifted into the air, Aletha's stomach continued to growl, and the aroma lingered all over the room.
Phthonus dropped his book, leaned to Asahi's ear, and whispered as Aletha sneered at them.
"I guess the side-effects have been removed. You should try and cheer her up."
Asahi smirked and answered sarcastically.
"Not with that attitude."
Phthonus sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
"Alright… but if she still doesn't talk to you when we get to the docks… which is nearly two hours away; don't blame me if your sister's still mad."
Aletha's stomach continued to growl. The sound of silverware clashing against each other echoed. Asahi sighed deeply and mumbled.
"Okay…"
. . .
More time elapsed.
The chef finished cooking the soup.
He grabbed a shining wooden bowl from the cabinets, placed it on the counter, and poured the tasty soup inside it. Asahi and the others watched the Chef sprinkle a few condiments and spices into the soup, then add a few vegetables to amplify the taste.
Asahi grew curious and asked as the Chef approached Aletha with the bowl.
"Where did you get those vegetables?"
The sailor placed the bowl down on the table, walked over to the counter, and replied with a bright tone.
"Oh, you're asking me? Well, these veggies were harvested on the vast farmlands of Obrus! Of course, Drimi, the crew, and I wouldn't have dared to travel to that nation… so they imported their goods at a reasonable price by using their shipping docks, trains, or carriages and spread them out to their deliveries."
Asahi and Aletha's eyes widened. She remained silent, while Asahi shouted in confusion.
"Trains?!"
The Chef chortled.
"Ha hahaha! Of course! That's surprising you asked that, actually. Yeah, there's this big rail system established by some legendary conductor or something that invented some stuff and actually managed to make rails all over the place. He's a smartypants, that's for sure, and now we use that railway for trading. It stretches from all the five nations in that continent, heh heh!"
As he reached for a pack of saltine crackers, the sailor asked Asahi loudly.
"Hey dude, ya' want some crackers? It's guaranteed to help you feel better on this trip!"
"Sure!" Asahi replied enthusiastically.
In a blink, Asahi caught the bag of crackers and peeled it open slightly. The fresh stingy aroma of the snack tingled his nostrils. Phthonus inclined to Asahi and smirked.
"You're going to LOVE those crackers. I couldn't stop eating them.
"Okay."
Asahi grabbed one saltine cracker from the bag, tossed it inside his mouth, and clumped on all of its glorious salinity.
Scrumptious it was; the crumbs juggled around his taste buds, then down his throat. The sensation tingled and awakened Asahi like this snack was the best food in the world for him. He shoved all fifteen crackers shortly after, crunching up the bag to savor every crumb.
Sally urged him with a worried look.
"Asahi, calm down!"
Phthonus smirked and muttered.
"I knew it."
On the other hand, Aletha grabbed a wooden spoon and tried to scoop up the steaming substance.
At first, she looked hesitant, but her eyes widened as she took just one sip.
She felt the juices and chunks of veggies slip down her tongue and juggle together in her mouth. It stimulated every taste bud she had, delighting her with a heavenly essence tingling on her tongue.
"Mmmm!"
Suddenly, Aletha poured the entire bowl down her throat as if it was nothing, stunning Phthonus, Asahi, and Sally in shock. After she wiped the remaining crumbs off her mouth, she slammed the wooden bowl against the table and released an enormous belch.
Aletha politely said her manners with a honeyed voice.
"Excuse me~."
The Chef's jaw dropped like a scoop on the floor.
The entire room stared at Aletha with disbelief. The sailor dropped a piece of silverware, and his jaw dropped. Asahi thought as his frozen shock filled his face.
(I never thought my sister would be THAT hungry. Sheesh, she drank the entire soup as if it was nothing. She didn't even leave a single crumb! Didn't she eat?! At least she could give some manners… the sailor was standing there!)
. . .
It was so quiet in the room that they heard the water crash against the bottom.
The wooden surface creaked, and the ship tilted side to side.
Phthonus, Sally, Asahi, and the sailor's eyes met with Aletha as she anxiously returned the bowl back to the counter, acting as if that simple act didn't happen.
"Thank you, that was delicious!"
Chef mumbled suspiciously as he grabbed the bowl/
"You're… welcome…."
No one would have predicted Aletha gulping down that meal.
(Did all of her grumpiness die? No, that can't be.) Asahi thought as he saw Sally chomp on a loaf of bread.
. . .
The room was fairly quiet. The Chef gave the last meals to Phthonus and Sally, then tidied up the kitchen and put everything back. Phthonus shoveled the soup all in his mouth. The vegetables, the broth, all of it was enough to stimulate each and every sense in him. As he gulped the entire meal like Aletha, Phthonus thanked the Chef with droplets of soup sliding down his chin.
"This is delicious. Thank you, Chef!"
He winked, gave Phthonus a napkin, and answered with a kind tone.
"You bet! It's the best soup on the ship! It's even Drimi's favorite."
Asahi and the others were in awe of the Chef's cooking. The meals tasted like heaven's dish.
* * * * * * *
As Phthonus, Sally, Asahi, and Aletha returned to the table; suddenly a loud thump sounded beneath the floor.
(Knock)
Instantly, everyone in the room grew alert.
They all pushed their chairs back and grouped around the center of the room, investigating where the noise came from.
"W-What was that?" Sally frighteningly expressed.
(Knock, knock, knock) The noise beneath them continued.
"Any butts up there?!" The muffled voice asked.
The entire room fell silent, knelt down on the floor, and placed their ears against it to hear the sound again.
(Bang!)
Drimi and her sailors pushed through the doors, hurried down the stairs, and stood near the table.
They were finished with their duties and looked forward to relaxing, but were met with something more. Drimi stepped over to the kitchen with her tall black heels. She hastily turned to the table and hollered.
"What's all this ruckus goin' on?! Are you two finished eating?"
One of her sailors urged Drimi.
"Captain Drimi… shhh."
After a few seconds of silence, the noises beneath the floor continued.
(Knock knock knock) "I know you people are up there… please, I'm holding on for my life under here! Please let me on the ship, you buffoons!"
The group gasped and jumped up. Phthonus remarked.
"Someone's under there…."
Drimi slapped the backside of his head.
"Of course! Hey, Jerry; grab that metal tool."
"Aiye, Captain."
The blonde sailor sprinted under the table, grabbed a sleek black metal object, and placed it in Drimi's hands.
She grasped it, bent over to the floor, knocked her fist on the surface, and hollered to make sure it wasn't a hallucination.
"Is anyone down there?!"
The muffled voice quickly replied.
"Yes! Help!"
Drimi sighed and pierced the crowbar through the wooden planks. The splinters flew open, the sailors backed away. Aletha rushed to Drimi, pulled her arm, and helped to peel the plank off. Phthonus shook his head and raced to Aletha, pulling her arm as well. The plank slowly peeled closed, but still, they needed to apply more force.
"Asahi, help us!"
He hurriedly pushed his chair back, charged to Phthonus' arm, and pulled tightly.
After two seconds of struggling to pry it open, Sally joined in, and finally; the plank flew to the wall and revealed a small dark hole beneath the deck. Drimi collapsed onto the floor and dropped her crowbar; muttering while gasping for air.
"Buttons, you investigate. I… need to recover."
Aletha slowly nodded her head and raced to the hole, slowly sliding her arm down to the darkness. Asahi couldn't believe his sister would shift personalities so quickly. Even Phthonus was shocked.
"Wasn't she JUST angry at you a minute ago?"
Nonetheless, Asahi, Sally, Phthonus, Drimi, and the entire crew watched Aletha lie against the floor, dangling her arm in the dark hole in hopes to feel a grip. After a few moments, A cold touch stung Aletha.
"EEP!"
Then she was swiftly dragged below to the dark hole, scraping the wood. Everyone on the ship fell in shock.
"Huh?!"
Without hesitation, Asahi raced to the dark hole and jumped into it. He slid his slim figure through the opening and fell down to the bottom. He tilted upward and saw many faces stare at him above. Phthonus called out.
"Are you alright?"
Asahi brushed his shoulders.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing but a scratch is all."
"Okay, I will try and grab a ladder for you once you return!"
Asahi replied as he stepped forward into the darkness.
"Understood!"
* * * * * * *
The place felt so cramped to Asahi. There was barely any room to stand up fully, and hardly enough space to move left and right. Crates slid beneath his feet, followed by more droplets falling on his face. He slid his hand against the wall and felt a rough, wooden-like texture touch him.
"So…. this is what's below Drimi's ship."
He continued along, in hopes to find Aletha. As he advanced for a couple of minutes, Asahi heard loud noises coming from the darkness.
"Ha ha ha!"
Asahi reached his hand and stepped forward; the water droplets seeped and plodded on his attire. He dragged his feet across the surface and heard it creak.
"It's so… stingy here. Did Aletha go on this path or the other one? I never knew this ship was so big."
A loud piercing scream echoed in front of him.
"Yup, I'm on the right path."
Asahi kicked his legs and jolted across the surface into the darkness. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, hearing the screams gradually getting louder.
"Stop!"
Asahi bolted as fast as he could, breathing heavily, and coughing. Finally, as the darkness faded away; his eyes widened in shock.
Lunar-shaped eyes, salt-pepper colored hair, and a pale face were laughing hysterically in front of a white-haired girl. His goose-like laughs honked over the walls.
"Hank hank hank! I can't believe you actually fell for that."
Aletha slowly turned her face toward Asahi, with tears falling down her cheek. He hastily raced to her and embraced Aletha, patting her back and asking gently.
"W-What happened?"
Then, Aletha stepped back slowly from Asahi. He gasped. Her face was smudged and covered up with a white substance, followed by cranberry-like colors scattering all over her chin.
Whip cream neatly smeared all over her cheek, and to top it off, a fine cherry was placed on the tip of Aletha's nose. Asahi turned over to the boy and saw him flailing his legs on the floor, tears flying down his eyes. He asked while he clenched his fists.
"Devlin, what have you done to her?"
He choked on his own spit and slammed his fist against the floor. Devlin rolled side to side like a dog.
"Ask that to your mother. I promised you that I wouldn't mess around, not your sister. Hahaha! You get what you get!"
Asahi shook his head, facepalmed, and made a smile on his face.
Devlin continued to crease up in laughter, coughing and choking all at the same time.
Asahi stood behind Devlin and burst out laughing. He mumbled something as Aletha stood there in shock.
"Heh… haha! I guess that was kind of funny… Haha!"
Devlin joined in and cried in tears. Asahi patted his back and closed his eyes, laughing uncontrollably.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
He continued to pat Devlin's back, with each one getting harder and harder. Devlin was too ignorant to understand what was going on and instead joined in with the laughter.
"Hahaha! That mother joke was good. Hahaha! I told you that will be fun--
Asahi threw his fist as HARD as he possibly could on Devlin's stomach.
The fool flew up to the ceiling, banged his head, and wailed in agony. All force punctured inside him as he felt Asahi's knuckles tossing him like a ball.
"AHHH!"
To make matters worse, he flailed all around the place, slipping and tripping on his own whipped cream. He screamed and whined like a child.
"Ouchie! OUCHIE! OUCHIE! I have a BOO BOO!"
Asahi walked up to Aletha and stood in front of her to defend his sister. He sneered at Devlin with his dark gray eyes and roared furiously.
"NEVER put my mother's name into this!!"
Ignoring Devlin, Asahi sprinted to his sister.
He wiped the whipped cream off Aletha, chucked the cherry to Devlin's bruise on his head, and whispered to Aletha with a worried look on his face.
"Sis, A-Are you alright?"
She slowly nodded as she wiped the remaining bits of whipped cream on her face.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry that I was so rude."
Asahi shook his head and patted her shoulder.
"It's okay… I was rude too."
Devlin whined harder.
"AHHHHH! OUCHIE!"
Asahi clenched his fists, tilted back to Devlin, and asked with a fake smile on his face.
"Do you want your mother's toasters back?~ I have two of them right here!"
Devlin begged.
"NO! PLEASE NO!"
Just as Asahi could throw another punch to Devlin, as Aletha tried to stop her brother, a loud deep feminine voice sounded from the darkness.
"Asahi, Aletha?!"
The wanderers turned behind and saw Drimi and the rest of the crew emerging from the darkness with a lantern held in one of their hands. They saw Devlin and lightly chuckled. Phthonus asked as he covered his smile from his scarf.
"What happened to him?"
Sally joined in.
"Did he get hurt?"
Drimi sighed and facepalmed, approaching Asahi and Aletha, and informing them.
"Oh, thank goodness the two of you hardheads are alright. Asahi, right after you jumped into the hole, the crew and I went on the deck to grab the ladder. I checked on the steering wheel to see if we were going in the right direction. But oh my, I found something even better."
"What is it?!" Both the wanderers asked ecstatically.
Devlin slammed his fist against the ground. "PLEASE! IT HURTS! ANYONE!"
"Ignore him." Asahi mumbled. The Crew and the others agreed to let Devlin feel the pain and ignored him until further notice.
As Drimi turned her head away from the fool, she peered directly into the wanderers' gray eyes. She took a deep breath, placed her two hands on both Asahi and Aletha's shoulders, then whispered with an excited smile.
"The shores of Linuxinia."
Asahi and Aletha's eyes broadened with shock. They jumped up and down with excitement.
"REALLY?!"
She gave both of them a cool gesture.
"Mhm… follow me."
Drimi led the wanderer and the crew back to the hole, climbing up the ladder, while also abandoning
Devlin, who was hunched over and regretting his actions, sneakily followed them behind, climbing the ladder.
* * * * * * * *
Asahi, Aletha, Drimi, Sally, Phthonus, and The Crew all gazed at the front of the ship to see what Drimi was talking about.
Drimi tapped her wrists and whispered as the crew and the others gasped in shock.
"I thought it would be a little more before we arrive, but oh well. Something might have propelled the ship without us even noticing."
The horizon gleamed brightly.
Their hearts pounded so hard at their chests that they almost fainted because of the shock. The adrenaline rush sent electric pulses down their spines. They immediately felt the air get warmer, the atmosphere thicker, and a wave of oxygen brushing against their faces.
"Eep eep! Eep!"
. . .
"It looks so small from here…" Aletha mumbled.
The sails propelled the ship further.
"No… way. That's—
Beyond the sun-glazed blue sea, a thick long strip of terrain expanded and stretched from one misty horizon to the other.
Seagulls squawked over Asahi and Aletha's heads, the oceanic scent tingled their nostrils, and the mist from the sea touched their soft skin.
The Wanderers turned their heads to the right and saw giant light green lily pads floating all over the warm turquoise waters, colorful vegetation of green, cyan, and yellow swaying swiftly under the crystal clear waters. It looked like the sea was a huge, thriving pond.
They saw massive insects fly above them like airplanes and soar toward the lands above, gargantuan sea creatures swimming and jumping behind and in front of them, some sharing the look of a serpent while others the shape of a squid. There were so many passive creatures that the wanderers couldn't grasp how much life there was.
Drimi whispered as their eyes were blessed by the sight.
"They won't hurt."
Aletha interrupted.
"Look!"
Then, the true sight was revealed.
The sheet of mist slowly drifted away like stage curtains and revealed a vast paranoia of bright, lush green mountains. Left and right, each mountain spiraled or pointed high through the clouds like snakes and hills. Tall blue waterfalls flew down from the tall prominences— carving their way and spreading the blossoming creatures up high.
A cluster of brown precipices glued together near the waters, massive curved-shaped rocks scattered over the land, green slopes touching the shallow shores, and geysers spewed out freshwater, nourishing the amounts of vegetation.
Some patches of land were bunched up with thick, green forests, others were bundled with tall-pointed mountains, cloud-piercing valleys, and towering rock formations. Deciduous trees the size of skyscrapers stood behind the tall summits, casting their shadows over the sun-bathed lands, and rivers of all sizes scattered all over the land.
But behind all of the terrain, mountains, forests, geysers, cliffs; was a triangular-shaped peak the height of 7,452 kilometers in the sky. Stretching to not just the clouds, but the stars themselves.
Asahi and Aletha's jaws dropped gazing at the overwhelming vista of the spectacular landscape.
"So… pretty!" She called.
"Absolutely wonderful…" He muttered with a grin.
They were at such a low elevation, that they couldn't see the rest of the nation from just the ship. They could barely see the city too. But they knew that this was no other than…
Drimi stepped in front of the wanderers, pushed her dark hair back, lifted her arm into the air, and stood on top of the stern— handling her balance.
As the crew and the others cheered, jumped up and down, and screamed; Drimi announced with a loud, cheerful voice.
"WELCOME…"
She stomped her foot on the ground and turned to the ship.
This was the moment that started the wanderers' new adventure.
THIS was the moment that pinpointed the true beginning of pure jovial, cheerful, and messy chaos.
" …TO LINUXINIA!!!"