The ship... is not at all what I'd been imagining. With the way Llywelyn had been talking about it, especially after Mira announced she'd be accompanying us as well, I imagined it would be something like the supply ships used by the aliens on the other planet. Small, one room, and mostly sitting and standing space for a few dozen people.
This is more like...
Well, I've never seen a cruise ship before. But I think it's probably like a cruise ship. The ship we board is still huge, and inside there are... so many rooms. I got a tour. There's a spa, a library, a theater, a game room, a gym, a lounge, a bar, a kitchen, a dining hall, and then the private rooms. Xilukulkas's room is huge, and has a bed that looks like a cloud, and a bathtub that looks like a small lake. Llywelyn and I share a room, which is smaller, but still has its own bathroom, and beds that looks like marshmallows. Mira has her own room with someone else I don't know the name of, which is decorated with glittery things, and has a bed that looks like a jewel.
It's... ridiculous. It's excessive. It's... fancy.
And it's going to be my home for the next several months, apparently. My temporary prison until I figure out an escape.
At least I can say it's a pretty prison.
But that's no different than the moon itself, only the 'outside' space is much smaller. Just like a cruise ship, there's an outside deck that can be accessed, where the stars can be viewed from. But it's still small compared to the moon.
I'm not sure where we're going to dock first, or how long we'll be in transit, but... it doesn't really matter. I'm here now. This is my first step toward finding a way back home. No matter how long it takes, how many stops, it's my first progress toward getting home since I woke up here. My first real hope.
So I can afford to wait.
We haven't left yet. I'm only on the ship because we'll leave soon and I'm curious. And, I suppose, some lingering earth-shaped anxiety that if I'm not here on time the ship will leave without me.
I lean on the railing. The ship's docked on the ground near the manor. It's not usually here, and I have no idea where Xilukulkas keeps it when it's not here. But it's... an interesting angle, looking down at the moon instead of up from it. The ship itself has its own dome, so it being tall enough to possibly peek out of the moon's in places isn't a concern. We're a little taller than the manor here at the...
I think it's the ship's bow, but the truth is I don't know ship terms. It's the front pointy bit that's higher than the rest. It's not a ship that looks like it can fly. But I know there's giant thrusters in the back, and also some sort of weird devices that stretch up into space above the t seem similar in shape to sails.
I didn't look too closely at those though. Their size was simply so dizzying it made me a little ill to look at them.
"Hey." A familiar voice says from behind me.
I don't bother looking, I know who it is. "Hey."
Llywelyn walks up to my side, and leans on the railing next to me. "What are you doing up here? There's not much to see before we're out there." He gestures up toward the dome.
"Trying to burn this place into my memory."
I do glance over at him. His eyes flicker toward me briefly before returning to the horizon of this place.
"Yeah?" There's a long pause. "You won't be gone forever, though. You're coming back."
I frown, leaning further against the railing and staring at the weird shapes in the distance. on the moon. They're the trees, the mountains, the things that Xilukulkas had shaped on his moon to make it look more hospitable. They clearly weren't meant to be seen from this high up, so they look a bit strange to me now. "I. Guess."
It's not like I can argue with him about that. Obviously.
He glances at me again, frowning. "So why are you being weird about this?"
"I'm not being weird." I protest.
"You're being... nostalgic. And a bit sad." His collar pulses in a way that I don't quite understand. "It's strange."
"I've never been on a star voyage thing before."
"Starsail." He corrects.
"Whatever. I've never traveled through space while conscious." I shake my head. "I don't know what to expect."
"Not much different to daily life here." Llywelyn shrugs. "We move faster than the moon, but it's smooth and steady. Of course since we're traveling with Master, it's actually pretty luxurious. We're considered 'guests' here, so we'll have free range of everything on the ship, as long as you respect his space and don't try to claim some random room for yourself or something."
"What? Why would I do that?"
He squints at me a moment, then glances over his shoulder. "You can be out here when we're moving, but it's not safe to be out when we lift off. Come on. I'll show you the library." He starts walking away from the railing.
I frown. "I don't need you to show me the library."
"Of course you do. Women love the library."
"Who TOLD you that?!" I follow him quickly, and he just shakes his head.
"Everyone knows. Your kind always seem to have a fascination with the smell of paper." He says, pushing open the door and stepping into the hall.
"We do not! And what-! My kind?! The entire sex across all species?! That's your conclusion?!"
"Does it not apply? The gem gets excited about books too."
"Mira gets excited because one of her biscuits looks like a bird! She's always excited!" I point out.
"You're following me to see the library anyway, though." He points out, and turns to look back at me. "You may as well stop denying the obvious."
"I'm trading places with Mira." I declare.
"You are not."
I'm going to push him down the stairs.
I don't.
But only because I'm not a violent person.
The library is actually really nice. It's not as big as I expected, but I suppose that only makes sense, given the ship has so many other things to fit in it than the manor does. It's still quite big, big enough to have more than one person inside at a time and for them to not bother each other, but still small enough to have a cozy feel. There's a fireplace with a plush rug in front of it, and a few armchairs and couches scattered around. The shelves are full of books, and there are even some scrolls and tablets, and other strange objects that I can't identify. There's a large window that looks out into space, which is currently not displaying anything of interest, but will presumably give a nice view once we're traveling.
"See?" He says, gesturing at the room. "You like it."
"Find a pool to drown in." I say, moving into the room and brushing past him.
He laughs, and follows me. "You know you're going to spend a lot of time here."
"You're not wrong." I nod. "It'll be a good way to stay away from illiterate fishmen." I say, and he gasps.
"I don't have to put up with you, you know. I'm trying to be nice, you foul human." He crosses his arms.
I squint at him. His ears are twitching.
"Fine." I huff, and add after a moment, "Thank you."
HIs chest lights up immediately.