Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Seven - Adventure Waits for No Bun

If we expected to be ready by the next morning, then we were dead wrong. The Beaver Cleaver wasn’t ready by sun up, not in the least.

“Steve, how’s the aft sail?” Clive called out across the deck while winding up some rope with expert flicks of his wings.

“Ready, sir! Had to redo part of the rigging on it. We’ll need to see how he handles in the wind,” Steve called back as he climbed over the edge of the ship and onto the deck.

I was observing them, my awesome captain’s hat partially shading the sun from my eyes. At least the day was nice for an eventual take-off. The skies were clear save for a sprinkling of little puffy clouds, and the wind was down to a low whisper that occasionally caressed my cheeks in passing.

“There, that’s done,” Amaryllis said as she walked out of the starboard cabin and wiped her talons on her pants. “All my things are stowed away.”

“Great!” I said as I joined her. My own stuff was all tucked into a chest in my little room. I didn’t have much to hide away to begin with, so the room was still a bit spartan. A few awesome adventures would fix that right up. “Have you seen Awen?”

“She’s not below,” Amaryllis said. “Or if she is, she’s found a quiet place to hide in.”

“Hmm,” I hummed as I looked about.

We had lowered the gangplank off to one side, and Gen-Gen had provided a scaffolding of all things so that people coming aboard didn’t need to do so up a rope ladder. It meant that the maids and serving staff scurrying about could carry armfulls of stuff aboard.

So far, we’d filled the pantries and the water barrels, brought in some clothes and a few materials that Gen-Gen thought could come in handy. Things that I wouldn’t have thought of bringing myself, like soap and medical kits and extra blankets and silverware.

“I can’t see Awen, but there’s Bastion,” I said as I pointed off to the side.

Amaryllis moved closer and craned her neck out like the stickybeak she was.

Bastion was walking next to Clementine, both of them keeping a steady pace as they crossed the yard. The paladin had a big backpack on, his sword strapped to it as opposed to around his hip. He was only wearing half his armour too, the breastplate missing and a helmet dangling from his pack by a strap.

“He’s actually coming,” Amaryllis said.

“I guess so,” I replied. Seeing Bastion was... well, it brought up some sad memories; memories that I’d rather forget, as unfair and wrong as that might be. None of that was the sylph’s fault though.

Clementine moved aboard first, Bastion waving her ahead with a gallant bow.

“Permission to come aboard?” he asked from the very edge of the gangplank.

“Granted!” I said. It was a lot of fun to play the role of captain. “Welcome aboard the Beaver Cleaver.”

Bastion saluted me and took a moment to look around the ship. Even with all the people moving around, the decks were spotless and everything had the slick brilliance of brand-new equipment. “This is a nice vessel,” he said. “A little unorthodox in its shape and construction, but it seems well-maintained.”

“He’s a good ship,” I confirmed. “Ah, you’ve met Amaryllis?” I asked. “She’s the First Mate.”

“Am I now?” Amaryllis asked.

“Yup. That’s the official title for the captain’s best friend,” I explained. “The spirit cat over there is Orange, our admiral of rodent removal.” I gestured over to Orange who was sitting atop one of the figureheads in the optimal position to lord it over everyone.

“Ah,” Bastion said.

“Awen is our chief mechanic. We, uh, don’t actually know where she is,” I said. “But she’ll be coming around.”

“I see,” he said.

“The three harpies here are Clive, he’s our most experienced sea...skyman, and our navigator. The other two are Steve and Gordon. And that’s the whole crew.”

“A small crew, though I suppose that’s all you would need on a ship of this size,” Bastion said. “If you ever need my assistance for anything, do feel free to ask. I don’t have any skills related to working aboard an airship, but I’m certain I can lend a hand here and there.”

“Brilliant!” I said. “Oh, your cabin is down below, on the fancy side. Unless you want a hammock with the rest of the boys. They are very comfy hammocks. I tested them myself.” Mostly because hammocks were fun.

“I wouldn’t mind a small cabin, if it’s not imposing,” he said.

“Neat!”

I was about to ask him a few things, but I was distracted by seeing Awen running up the gangplank with an armful of tools and two bags swaying by her hip, both of them clanging and banging with every motion. “Ah-awa, I’m here,” Awen said.

I grinned at her. “We wouldn’t leave without you,” I said.

“Speaking of leaving,” Clementine said with a glance to the still-rising sun. “I think it’s about time you depart, isn’t it?”

“Wait!” We all looked over the side to see Rosaline sprinting over. “Don’t leave without hugs!”

Amaryllis and Clementine both rolled their eyes as Rosaline climbed aboard. She paused for a moment to recoup her breath, then stood straighter and extended her wings to both sides. “You left without saying goodbye last time,” she told Amaryllis.

Amaryllis sighed and walked into the hug. “I know,” she said. “We won’t be gone forever.”

“I would hope not,” Rosaline said.

Once she was done hugging and maybe humiliating Amaryllis a bit, she skipped over to me and wrapped me up in a wing-y cocoon. “I’ll miss you,” I said as I hugged her back. I even patted her head with my ears for good measure.

“Me too!” she said.

Then Rosaline took a step back and stared at Awen.

Awen stared right back.

Both of them turned a little red in the cheek.

As cute as it was, I felt the need to intervene before we ended up staying there all evening while they stared. “You know, you could give each other long-distance hugs,” I said.

“Awa?”

I nodded seriously. “Yup. See, that’s when you really want to hug someone, but they’re way too far away, so instead you send the hug by letter.”

“You can send hugs by letter?” Rosaline asked. She sounded downright amazed, which--to be fair--was normal. I was too when I learned about long-distance hugging. Of course, we did it by phone on Earth.

“Yup. See, you just need to write down exactly what you would do while hugging someone. The more details about the cuddliness and strength of the hug, the better.”

Rosaline and Awen looked at each other again, this time they went ever redder. “W-well, we’re here now,” Rosaline said. “So one last short-distance hug for the trip!”

“Awa!” Awen agreed.

Rosaline swept Awen up in a big feathery hug, her cheek pressing up against Awen’s as she rubbed against her.

And then Awen pulled back.

Rosaline made a confused little sound, one that suddenly warbled and wavered as a very red Awen pressed her lips against Rosaline’s.

It wasn’t a very romantic kiss, more of a big mushy mess, and it only lasted a second before Awen pulled back and took a moment to breath really hard.

“Awa.”

Awen ran, clanging and banging with every step as her tools jostled around. The door to the rear cabin banged shut and the deck was left all quiet for a moment.

Rosaline turned to face us with a very smug grin on. “Well, that was my goodbyes said,” she said. “I’m going to watch from the side.”

“Bye!” I called to her as she sauntered down the gangplank.

“I suppose I should say my own goodbyes,” Clementine said. She gave Amaryllis a very quick, very perfunctory hug, then did the same for me. “Do give Awen my goodbyes as well,” she said. “Paladin Bastion, it was a pleasure meeting you.”

“Likewise,” he replied.

And then the only people aboard were the crew.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to rely on Awen for a bit,” Amaryllis said. “She’s no doubt having a bit of a crisis in her rooms.”

“That’s okay,” I said. “We can take off as soon as everything’s stowed away. I’ll get Clive to cut us loose.”

Amaryllis nodded. “Come on, Paladin, I’ll show you to your cabin.”

“Please, call me Bastion,” he said.

I watched them go, then fit my hat on straight and moved over to Clive and the others. “Are we ready to go?” I asked.

“On your order, captain,” he said.

The next few minutes were quick and busy. Clive and I gathered behind the wheel while Steve and Gordon weighed anchor and got ready to cast off our moorings.

The older harpy took his place behind the big wheel atop one cabin and eyed all the dials and controls laid out around him. “Engine’s idle and still cool. Fuel’s full up. Propeller is...” He yanked a lever down with a satisfying ‘crunk’ and with a growing hum that turned into a buzz, the large prop at the back of the Beaver spun to life, still slow, but definitely moving. “Spinning.”

I gripped the rail, a huge grin pulling at my cheeks. “Cut us loose!” I called out.

“Aye!” Steve and Gordon called back.

The Beaver shifted as the ropes holding him down went slack. Then, ever so slowly, we began to rise. It felt like being on an elevator pushing its way up a dozen floors.

“Goodbye!” I screamed over the side while waving.

Rosaline screamed back, and Clementine waved in return. Even the staff that had gathered to watch seemed more excited than usual.

“Balloon is full up,” Clive continued. “We’ve got positive buoyancy. I’m pushing a bit more into the gravity engine.” He reached a talon out and pushed a lever forwards. The engine’s hum shifted in pitch and I felt a tingle run through me and make my hair stand on end.

The Beaver Cleaver started to move up a whole lot faster.

“Half ahead,” Clive said. “And thirty degrees port.” He spun the wheel; the sails all around the ship snapped in the wind. Navigation flaps unfurled and caught some wind, sending the nose of the ship to slowly turn around.

I watched the ground below spread out. We weren’t flying all that high up, not while still over Fort Sylphrot. There wasn’t much point when starting so high up the mountains already.

Amaryllis and Awen and Bastion got on deck. They didn’t have much to do, not while we were just barely taking off, but it was good to have them around to share the moment.

“We’re in the skies, captain,” Clive said.

“We are,” I agreed.

A deep breath of the chilly air sweeping around us left me feeling giddy.

“Clive, point us due south and give it some gas. We’ll see what this ship can do.”

“Aye-aye,” he said with a huge grin of his own. “Full ahead!”

The engine roared, the propeller sang a humming song, and the Beaver Cleaver leapt forwards and across the skies.

It was time to leave the Nesting Kingdom behind, if only for a moment, and head out to find more adventure, more friends, and become companions along the way!

Being able to travel faster might have made the world a smaller place to some, but I figured it just meant that we would reach the best parts of our adventure all the quicker.

I gripped onto the rails next to the wheel and smiled out to the horizon.

Adventure waits for no bun.

***