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Chapter 4 - Her Name Is Andrea!!!

The Windblow (Name of The Sky Ship) soared gracefully through the skies of Astgasia, the steady hum of its engines blending with the soft rustling of the clouds. Carrera stood firmly on the deck, her elegant black captain's coat flowing in the breeze. Her sharp eyes scanned the horizon, always alert for surprises the magical skies might bring.

"Captain!" one of the crew shouted, pointing ahead. "Something big is coming this way!"

Carrera turned her gaze to the direction the crew member indicated. At first, it seemed like an enormous shadow moving across the sky, its size dwarfing anything she'd ever seen before. As it came closer, the shadow resolved into a colossal, majestic blue whale soaring effortlessly through the clouds.

"A flying whale?!" Carrera's calm demeanor wavered for a moment as the sight sank in. "No, a gigantic flying whale! What in the world—?"

Before she could finish her thought, two familiar figures emerged on the whale's back: Seraphine, her fiery red hair glowing against the blue sky, and Nandya, her serene presence contrasting her companion's intensity. They were waving enthusiastically.

"Carrera!" Seraphine called out, her voice carrying over the wind. "Look what we found!"

"What you found?!" Carrera exclaimed, gripping the railing. The Windblow creaked slightly as the crew worked quickly to adjust its course to avoid crashing into the whale.

"Isn't it amazing?" Nandya smiled, patting the whale gently as if it were a beloved pet. "We found it while exploring a mana-infused storm over the ocean. It must've evolved after soaking up so much mana!"

"'Amazing' isn't the word I'd use," Carrera muttered under her breath. She could hardly believe the sheer scale of the creature. The whale's shimmering skin glowed faintly with a magical aura, and its gentle movements seemed to ripple through the air like waves in water.

Without warning, the Windblow tilted as the crew maneuvered it to land on the whale's massive back. Carrera barely had time to steady herself as the ship came to rest atop the gentle giant.

Seraphine grinned and hopped onto the deck. "We've decided to keep it."

"Keep it?" Carrera's eye twitched. "It's a whale. A flying whale the size of a mountain. What are you going to do with it?"

Nandya joined them, her expression calm as always. "We thought it needed a name."

"A name?" Carrera looked between them, incredulous.

"Yeah," Seraphine said confidently. "We're calling it Andrea. It's perfect, right?"

Carrera pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't know what's worse: that you've adopted a flying whale or that you've actually named it."

Before she could protest further, Andrea let out a deep, resonant call that echoed through the skies, shaking the Windblow. Carrera stumbled slightly but regained her footing, glaring at Seraphine and Nandya.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered.

But as Andrea soared through the clouds, the sun casting a golden glow on its back, Carrera couldn't help but feel a strange sense of awe. Despite herself, she smiled faintly, the whimsical nature of the moment melting her usual stern demeanor.

"Alright, Andrea," she said quietly. "Let's see where the skies take us."