Herera - Stories of The Purple Pearl

1. Old coins

My lips and nose were dry from the earthen air that I've been breathing in for too long. I've been stuck on the mainland for too long, roaming the coastal villages searching for help, a way to get my ship back. I was in desperate need of sailing in the open sea. I needed to breathe in the fresh air, unspoiled by the firm land.

The woman who had slept beside me last night, and who was now silently getting dressed to leave without me noticing, would understand. If she was what she claimed to be – and I had to admit I was still a little skeptical about the whole time traveling thing – then she would understand the torturing feeling of confinement, being forced to stay in a place where you didn't feel like you belonged. I've felt it for so long, and was saved from that feeling by The Pearl. So I had to get it back. Now.

"Is sneaking out another trait of time travelers?"

She dropped her boot and bent over to lean on the side of the bed, her face mere inches from mine. "Only if they have to restrain themselves from staying."

Her playful, sky blue eyes roamed over the blankets, under which I still lay naked. I turned my back to her and let the blanket slip from my shoulder. "You don't seem too eager to stay, it seems."

I heard her other boot dropping on the floor again and felt the mattress hobbling as she jumped in the bed, pulled me on my back again, and held my shoulders pinned to the cushions as her tongue slipped in my mouth. Her light hair tickled my dry face. It was unnaturally straight, a trend from her time period, she'd claimed.

There were other seemingly unnatural things about her, such as the speed with which she could move her fingers. They first tickled, then circled and ultimately vibrated between my legs in ways I'd never felt before. I moaned. For a moment, I feared she had trapped me in some kind of trance that I would not be able to recover from – my back forever stuck in the arched shape it formed on the bed.

When my body lay straight again and I had caught my breath, I tried to give her back as much as she gave me, but my fingers were stiff and probably still confused by the movements she had done. Judging by her occasional moans, I'd say she was enjoying it well enough.

When dawn had truly turned to day, and we were both dripping from sweat and other wetness, she elegantly put on her leather shorts and high boots, and a small top that revealed her strong arms and shoulders, her beautiful neckline and her majestic abs. It was a good thing she'd leave. I had work to do, but I would not have the strength to leave first.

"It was a pleasure, Captain Herera," she said, binding her saber to her waist, which highlighted her athletic figure even more.

"What's your name," I blurted.

When we met last night, she'd warned me she wouldn't give me her name. She never did.

She put one bare knee on the bed and breathed in my ear. "See you in the future." Then she left.

The door hadn't shut close or Lemington had already entered the room. "You're a very loud woman," he said, not hiding at all that he'd been waiting in the hallway until we were done. I guessed, with his 580 years of experience in this world, the small gnome was not easily surprised, or scared off.

"Idir and the others have returned," he said, gathering my clothes that were scattered around the room and throwing them onto the bed.

"Have they found anything?"

No answer.

***

The remaining of my crew – there were currently twelve of us – was sitting on the shore of the island, eating breakfast. At least Hachi didn't get away with all our money. My crew was not very fond of doing any kind of work on an empty stomach. And Moonblast Island happened to be one of the more expensive islands in these waters, with all its touristy restaurants.