A Reason to Celebrate

"Come on, hurry up! We should be able to see the city by now!"

"Where, where?!? I want to see!"

"S-slow down, girls! Please be careful! Oh dear... Lin, are you coming?"

"Ma! Pa! You have to see this!"

Eline smiled as she watched her daughters rush excitedly up the steps, their smiling faces quickly disappearing as soon as they hit the deck. She followed slowly after them, taking her time with each step, holding firmly to the handrail beside her. The world around her swayed gently - a sensation that she was still growing accustomed to, prompting her to take extra care.

"Do you need help, dearest?" Her husband followed patiently at her side, offering to take her arm in one of his large, padded hands, but she shook her head.

"I'm quite alright, my love," she said, flashing a small smile at the burly Hrothgar. "You don't have to wait up on me, I'll be there soon enough."

He smiled back, showing his dulled fangs. "You know me well enough by now to know I wouldn't dare leave your side."

She did, and for that she was eternally grateful.

As she approached the top of the steps, she was greeted by the western sun, still early in its descent as it warmed the air around her. Her nose twitched from the strong scent of ocean spray, and she could hear the waves as they churned and frothed below. It reminded her of her youth, of the early adventures she had gone on; a pleasant taste of nostalgia.

"Ma! There you are!" Her daughter, Khomi, called to her over the ocean's chorus, her large, fluffy tail swaying with excitement. She stood next to a tall, blonde Viera - her other daughter, Eldest. They both rushed over, seeming eager to push their parents along.

"Come, now, there's no need for that!" Radomir laughed as the two siblings pulled on them - gently, of course. When they reached the port side of the ship, Eline placed her hands on the railing, giving herself a moment of rest.

"Look there!" Eldest pointed past the bow, towards a structure coming into focus in the distance. "There's Kugane tower! And there, do you see those castles in the distance?"

Eline marveled at the sight as it came into view, becoming clearer as the ship slowly approached. Kugane's skyline was a sight to behold, it's beautiful architecture unlike anything she'd ever seen. The buildings, whose heights challenged that of even Ishgard, shone in a dazzling array of colors; greens, reds, blues, even shimmers of gold enveloped the landscape. As the dock came into view, she could see a grand variety of ships, both familiar and strange, adding to the visual splendor.

"It's a shame we were never able to visit before now," Eline said to Radomir, and he nodded in agreement.

"We truly ought to take a proper vacation here sometime... Oh, Lin, there you are! Come here, you're going to miss it!" Appearing quietly from behind, the third sibling joined in on the sightseeing, his short, dark hair gently tousled by the wind. Eline made sure to make room for him at the railing, and he chose to stand next to her, his lips a soft smile as he took in the view.

"The view from the top of that tower is amazing, you know," Eldest boasted, pointing towards Kugane tower.

"What?!? You're not saying you've climbed it, are you?" Exclaimed Khomi. "That's impossible!"

"Not impossible! You just have to be careful not to slip off one of the beams sticking out from it."

"Ack! N-not another word about climbing that thing!" Radomir protested, alarmed. "You'll give your poor old dad a heart attack!"