Dawning Skye

Skye and Tidas waved goodbye to everyone that they loved until they were mere dots in the distance. Their ship steadily floated down the river at a good pace thanks to it’s modified steam engine. Instead of coal, it used a magic tool, so the only smoke coming out was actually steam.

Skye watched as it continuously puffed out of the two massive stacks jutting out of the middle of the ship. She wondered how it worked exactly since any mage with enough magic could use it. Teams of three would power the ship in rotations during their shift, and there were three shifts to keep the ship continuously moving.

A trip to Sai by stagecoach would take over a month, but it would only take a bit over a couple of weeks by the ship. Everyone kept calling it a steamboat, but it was much larger than any of the ancient ones that Skye had read about. As she glanced around, a fast-moving blur out of the corner of her eye had Skye immediately on the defensive..

Turning right as the person jumped on her, Skye grabbed the man’s upper arm, and flipped him over her shoulder. Lifting her foot to kick the attacker’s head in, Skye froze in confusion as Ronnie screamed; “Fer the love of the Gods: dinna kill me! It was just a wee Joke!”

Scoffing as she set her foot down, Skye glared at Ronnie as she chided him; “Joke is right ya bloody fool! Do ya ken how close ya were ta dyin’ just now?! TOO Close!”

Tidas was leaning against the railing of the ship holding his gut, and laughing like a crazy person. He’d seen the blur like Skye had, and turned just in time to watch Ronnie get flipped over her shoulder. The noise he’d made had been funny enough on it’s own, but Tidas had also seen his expression as the world had turned upside-down on him.

As he wiped the tears from his eyes, Tidas realized that he wasn’t the only one laughing..

“That was the funniest thing I’ve seen all year!” Ralph hollered as he, Klaus, and Kari came out from the cabin.

.....

“Ralph?! What are you doing here?! There’s no way that your family let you go so soon,” Tidas said as he grinned and greeted his friend and mentor with a handshake.

He grinned back at the prince before his expression went crestfallen; “I tell ya, I get no sympathy.. Ya know what my laddie told me when I got home, and kinda told him what happened? He said that I better get my butt here to protect yours..”

As Tidas started to chuckle, Ralph added; “Apparently, I’m your shield. And according ta my wee Tidas: a hero needs his shield.”

“Awe,” was all Tidas got out before Skye’s voice broke their conversation.

“What the bloody Hell are you guys doin’ here?! And you two! I thought that ya were gonna get married while we were gone?!” Skye yelled as she hugged Kari, and smacked Klaus.

“Oww.. Nice to see you too, princess,” Klaus remarked as he rubbed his shoulder.

Kari tilted her head with a quizzical expression; “You mean you didn’t know that we were coming? We volunteered.”

As Skye and Tidas exchanged confused expressions, Genie flew down from out of nowhere, and explained; “Since you two are diplomats, King Magnus and I thought that it was appropriate to have your personal guards come along.”

Tidas nodded like it was a natural thing, but Skye quirked an eyebrow at him; “Mm-Hmm.. And who’s idea was it ta surprise us?”

Genie smirked; “That was me.. I did that.”

As Skye went to yell at him, a ship hand called for everyone to gather at the bow. Not knowing why they would be called, everyone headed up to the front to see. When they had all gotten there, the captain was waiting with an anxious look on his face..

As soon as his eyes landed on Skye, the older man walked over to her, and fell to his knees. Skye bent to help him up, but he grabbed her hand as begged her with a desperate look on his face; “You are the one known as Eir, correct? Please, please, Please: save my granddaughter!”

A perplexed expression crossed Skye’s face as she tried to pull the man back up onto his feet, and said; “If I can, I will. There be no need ta bow, man! Just ask like a normal person!”

The captain looked up at her with unshed tears as he asked; “Really? But I have no money until we sell the goods I’m carrying in Sai. I Swear that I can pay you generously after! Just Please-”

Skye patted the captain’s shoulder as she spoke in a gentle voice; “Dinna worry bout it, cap. If I can help, I will. Tis simple as that. Ye dinna need ta pay me. I heal people in Alcon fer free all the time.”

The man stared at the deck of the ship; “But I am not from Alcon, I am from Sai..”

“So? Why does that matter?” Skye asked with honest confusion in her voice, and on her face.

Captain Nagashima was generally looked down upon in Alcon by anyone who didn’t know who he was. His narrow, almond-shaped eyes and deep-tan skin unsettled many, just like Genie had when he’d first gone to live in Moonshire. Anyone not born in Alcon was treated better than the local Fae, but not by much.

Whenever the captain went to sell his goods, he used a third party Alconian as the actual seller. It ensured him fair prices, and he usually sold more as well. Yet here was an Alconian princess: offering to heal his granddaughter for free..

The captain had heard the rumors about Princess Skye, but he never would’ve believed them if he hadn’t met her himself. Her beauty was otherworldly, and her kindness and gentle nature truly was akin to a goddess. Captain Nagashima thought that he may have to sell his ship to pay for his granddaughter’s treatment, but instead: Princess Skye wanted to do it for free..

Right as he was about to start profusely thanking her, a massive shadow flew overhead. The captain looked up just in time to see a massive tail slip behind a tall tree line. His stunned expression got everyone else’s attention, but they quickly brushed off whatever it was.

As the captain’s confusion peaked, the shadow returned and hovered over the ship. Gusts of wind coming straight down from above them shocked the poor captain into dropping to the floor, and covering his head in fear. As Skye bent over to try and coax him up again, Ralph leaned towards Tidas, and whispered; “Jumpy thing for a captain..”

Tidas nodded but he didn’t comment; he was too interested in seeing what was going to happen next..

Captain Nagashima was the first Sai native to see Zazzy that hadn’t met her in Alcon. It was known all over the world that the people of Sai revered dragons as sacred, almost godly beings that represented wisdom, strength, and judgement. As Tidas watched the captain turn his head up, he hoped that he would be as awestruck by her as they’d been.

As Zazzy hovered above the ship, she stared at the humans scattered about on the deck. The moment she saw her parents, Zazzy cooed to them, then waved. Captain Nagashima looked like he was in shock at first, then he looked like a child being given candy for the first time.

His eyes bulged as a oversized smile stretched across his face. He couldn’t believe that the rumors were true..

“That’s-that’s-that’s a Real Dragon! Hahahahaha! I can’t believe I’m seeing a Real dragon! I mean, I knew that they were real once, but... She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Instead of doing it with panic or fear; Captain Nagashima got down on his knees, and offered Zazzy prayers. Skye was going to yank him up by his shirt this time, but Genie motioned to her to stop. The captain was showing respect to a sacred animal, and that wasn’t something that a person should interrupt.

After he had finished praying to Zazzy, the captain looked at Skye with awe as he asked; “She chose you, didn’t she?”

Skye grinned with pride; “Aye, me and me husband. She be our precious scaly bairn.”

The captain grinned with heartfelt sincerity as he remarked; “Today truly is a blessed day-”

“Captain! Captain! It’s Nene! She’s coughing up a lot of blood! It’s like she’s drowning in it! What’ll we do?!” the ship hand from before exclaimed as he came out of the cabin.

Captain Nagashima looked at Skye with a pleading expression; “Please save her.. She’s all I got left.”

Skye’s expression was sweet but firm as she replied; “Dinna worry, cap. No one’s dyin’ on this ship wit me around. Take me to her..”

The captain had instantly nodded his understanding, then took off into the cabin of the ship. The halls and stairs were a bit confusing, but Captain Nagashima navigated them like he’d been on the ship his whole life. As they came to a stop outside of a private room, Skye could smell sweat and waste before the door was even opened.

Locking eyes with the captain, Skye spoke with a firm tone; “I want her moved outta this room Now.. I dinna ken why ye would keep a sick child in such a foul-smellin’ room, but-oh.”

Skye cut herself off as the captain opened the door to reveal multiple sick people, and said; “We can’t move her...it’s spreading.”

Taking a deep breath, Skye walked into the room, and looked over her patients. They had no skin irritations or wounds, and there was no change in their skin color. After she asked, the captain said that their symptoms started with an upset stomach.

From what Skye could tell, they were all at nearly the same level of infection. Fever, chills, headaches, body aches, stomach cramps, and blood mixed in their diarrhea. It was disgusting to see and smell, but the people were suffering.. ‘I’d be prayin’ fer help if I were one of these people..’

As the thought crossed her mind, Skye looked at the cups of water scattered everywhere. Using a bit of her Water magic, she checked the contents of the water. As soon as her magic connected, a cocky grin stretched across Skye’s face as she said; “I ken what it tis.. Lead me to yer granddaughter, cap! I’ll have her and everyone else healed up in a jiffy!”

The captain quirked an eyebrow at the princess; “So you know what’s wrong with them all? How did they get sick?”

“Aye,” Skye nodded; “And dinna worry. I’ll deal wit them once we return home. Ima sure that Magnus is gonna be pissed that we’re gonna take so long, but I think he’ll be okay wit us..”