The Mythos Trials

Chapter Twenty-Five, Part One

"That's a ship?" Gwen's voice carried over the swell of the ocean waves, eyes wide as she took in the sleek sailing vessel.

Phenex glanced at her, amused. The elven crew of the Golden Kelpie chuckled as they made way, freeing the lines that tethered the ship to the Aithiopan port. A self-conscious blush stole over Gwen's cheeks, one hand covering her mouth when she realized how loudly she had spoken.

"Sorry," she muttered. Then seeming to recover from her momentary embarrassment, she added, "I've never seen anything like it."

"That's because there isn't anything like it outside of Mythos." Forneus stood by the prow, one hand gently gliding over the slight curvature just beneath the ship's figurehead. Then cocking an eyebrow at Gwen, he asked, "Would you like a tour before we set sail?"

Phenex chuckled as Gwen darted past him, her child-like enthusiasm catching. In spite of their shared exhaustion, restoring the Barren Lands to its former glory—something that would still take many months after the fact before it thrived in full—Gwen had woken that morning with boundless energy, dashing down a quick breakfast while he and Forneus had watched her in bewilderment.

Of course, Forneus's mention of sailing to Archaios the night before might have had something to do with it. Phenex hadn't realized just how deeply they had delved into Mythos' geography until Gwen started spouting off random facts, her eyes glowing with an almost feverish light as she listed all the sights she hoped to see.

Now that they were so near to making the journey, she was a bundle of nervous energy, foot tapping against the pier as her eyes darted over everything in sight. From the vast expanse of polished driftwood making up the docks—modest though they were—to the portside market where all manner of smells and sounds drifted to them on the westerly breeze. A sandy beach ensconced the port from end to end, each grain a silvery-white, like Earth's moon. Beyond that, the waters gleamed beneath the dawn's early light, a glimmer of yellow-orange dancing across the crystal clear surface.

Gwen had even gone so far as to wade into the shallows, where the tidal pools teemed with life; strange, colourful organisms beyond the discoveries of the marine biologists of her world. In spite of this, Gwen claimed some of the organisms reminded her of others she had seen during their trip to Barbados—large clusters of starfish, sea urchins, and tiny jellyfish that she didn't dare touch, for fear of being stung.

Phenex watched as she scurried up the gangplank after Forneus, shaking his head as she earned another round of chuckles from those present. Ah, youth.

He breathed deeply, the tang of sea-salt filling his nostrils as he stared over the vast expanse of ocean, the breeze ruffling his hair. Tugging at the satchel strap slung over his right shoulder, he gave his surroundings a cursory glance, making sure they hadn't forgotten anything. With the crew performing their last-minute inventory checks before casting off, he knew there were only a few more minutes before he would have to get on board, as well.

No sense in putting it off. He took in the ship then, grudgingly admiring it. Sea travel was his least favourite form of travel, one that if he'd had any other choice, he wouldn't be embarking on for all the ether in the world. Still, he couldn't deny Gwen's exclamation earlier, nor Forneus's approval as he'd inspected every inch of the ship.

The Golden Kelpie was stunning, sleeker than any sailing ship humanity had ever constructed, with billowing sails that glinted in the sunlight as though thousands of tiny diamonds had been sewn into the canvas. The ship itself was sharply pointed where the bowsprit was mounted, gradually fanning outward into gentle curves that spiralled like seashells from the figurehead—an Oceanid with flowing hair, crafted of pyrite from head to tapered waist—down along the gun ports. Strips of gold-painted filigree decorated the ports, identical trim forming the slats between the lower gunwale and the upper decks.