The channel had long since grown wider and wider until the land on each side was blurry and grey. In front of the ship lay an ocean that expanded far beyond what the eye could see. Midday suns refracted on the sea in a shining display that could even warm Gwyn’s cold heart. Just a little. He stared at the open expanse and wondered what was beyond the seas.
Mem clambered up to the earthling’s shoulder and stared out with him. It wasn’t long before the Needaimus felt like the quiet needed to be filled.
“This is the top of the continent, partner; beyond here is nothing but landless ocean. It’s crazy to think about.”
“I didn’t know you ever took the time to think.”
“I have been guilty of doing so once or twice; it usually brings trouble, so I try to keep it brief.” If Needaimus were able to chuckle, Gwyn was sure his just did. He didn’t question the noise and simply stared back out to the ocean. From what he understood, Resh was one giant landmass broken up by a series of channels through it. Some kind of Pangea situation. Could there be a whole undiscovered land with unknown people like on earth? He couldn’t help but wonder. Resh was fairly technologically advanced, so he would think they might stumble across something like that. Still, the possibility of distant lands, and maybe even distant peoples, stirred the spirit of adventure no matter how much he tried to stamp it out for his own good.
Either way, the closeness of Resh’s land, and seemingly lack of it, certainly raised thoughts of the wars he had seen first back in the history museum. How much was fought over limited land? Gwyn wondered if it was even possible to ask about such a thing. The factors would be so multilayered to the people who fought in the wars that they might not realize something so simple could be the culprit. Or perhaps he was the one being overly simple.
A nudge to his side made the Nonpareil jump.
Fiona giggled cutely.
“I was just trying to get your attention; if I knew you’d move like that, I’d have done something scarier.”
“Please don’t. My heart can’t take too many shocks anymore.”
The blue princess wiped under her big, purple eyes and pointed out in the distance. One side of the land was drawing nearer as the vessel approached. Land had become significantly forested as they traveled northward, but a clear artificial break in the forest awaited in the immediate distance. Long beaches curved away from the boat, and a building that looked to Gwyn like a cross between a feudal-era Japanese palace and a luxury hotel stood stalwart at the forest's edge.
“The resort, I presume?” the Nonpareil asked.
“Of course!”
“Built by an other-worlder?” Gwyn asked. The princess looked impressed.
“Right on! How did you know? It was founded by a fellow some time ago. I think they have a little history wing at the place if you… Yes, we can go check it out.”
Gwyn rubbed his face in an effort to remove whatever look Fiona just reacted to and stared back out at the place. Here was a case of someone getting stuck on Resh and making a home. Did they ever try to go back? Was there even a chance to do so?
“Did they ever talk about missing Earth?”
The princess pressed a finger to blue chin and tilted her head.
“I don’t know much of the history, but I don’t think earth was the name of the world.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The spirit of adventure was pestering Gwyn again and he hoped he wasn’t showing too much interest. He had to let those sorts of feelings die, lest he be caught in a trap like Nun again. They bantered some time longer as the ship hovered closer and closer to a dock. At some point Rheba and her companions wandered above deck. The warrior joined in, but her stewards remained quiet.
Eventually the shore came into clearer focus. The beach was already littered with people from all corners of Resh happily running and playing on the sand and in the water. Beyond them the resort building watched from a shady enclave in the trees. As the ship floated closer to the docks, which waited closest of all, Gwyn could see green figure standing at the end. Her arms were crossed, and a turquoise girl stood to her left with a large umbrella to protect her companion from the sun.
“It’s Harlan!” Fiona cried just a Gwyn was beginning to recognize who it was. The blue girl waved both arms enthusiastically to the lizard girl, but Harlan did not uncross her arms. Even as the ship pulled up and the walkway lowered to let them disembark, the scaly girl strolled up with arms locked together. Her turquoise friend walked in step, and as Gwyn got closer, he could see the umbrella girl was chatting up a storm to the blank-faced green girl right until they got close.
Fiona zapped in front of Harlan and pulled her in for a hug, which got the first reaction—one of discomfort—from the Zenotote. Gwyn pulled the blue girl back so he and she were shoulder to shoulder. Harlan tapped a clawed finger on her forearm, her slitted eyes looking back and forth from Fiona to Gwyn, then to Rheba and her group as they disembarked.
“Hello!” the umbrella girl piped up with a grin. She looked somewhat scaly, but not completely enough that ‘Gwyn wondered if she was full Zenotote. “It’s wooonderful to meet some of Harlan’s friends, I’m,….”
Harlan interrupted by putting her hand up.
“Princess Fiona,” she said in a calm, neutral voice. Though her expression was blank as ever, Gwyn had the feeling she was a bit peeved. “In your email, you said we would arrive at suns-rise.”
Fiona giggled and waved a hand nonchalantly. “No one ever takes arrival times that seriously.”
Harlan’s tongue flickered from her mouth, and she sighed.
“It is midday now, you know. You would benefit from punctuality going forward.”
The umbrella girl leaned forward; she didn’t make any effort to lower her voice.
“She was seething earlier but is really happy to see you all now! You should have heard her when the boat first came into view!” Harlan flicked the turquoise girl’s calves with her tail. “Ow.”
Fiona didn’t seem to notice anything weird and grabbed the umbrella girl’s hand to shake it. The umbrella fell to the dock as the stranger looked at the blue princess with wide eyes.
“It’s really nice to meet a friend of Harlan’s! I thought she only had us, so I’m happy to be proven otherwise! What’s your name?”
Harlan scratched at the side of her face and looked away.
“She’s my assistant, Rosemary. She’s been helping with a new project.” The turquoise girl looked to slump a little at the word 'assistant' but seemed to get chipper so quickly after that Gwyn wasn’t sure if he imagined it or not.
The golden-furred Bentulousian stepped next to Gwyn and laughed.
“You should know, Aqueenian princess, Zenototes don’t do the friend thing. Everyone’s just coworkers or acquaintances.”
Though the golden giantess glared at Harlan, Rosemary was the one to march in front of her and return a scowl.
“I thought I smelled something horrid. Are you properly washing that fur?” the girl, just below the warrior's chest, said. “Oh, I forgot your kind like to lick yourselves.”
The dark-furred warrior cracked her knuckles and began to march forward, but Rheba caught her on the back of her clothes. Gwyn wondered what the giant warrior would say as she moved close and pushed her golden companion back. Harlan matched the movement, pulling Rosemary away and greeting Rheba in a new face-to-chest standoff.
There was nothing but silence until Fiona, stammering a little, piped up.
“Hey everyone… we should go get unpacked… right?”
Rheba and Harlan stared at each other a moment longer before the giantess piped up in a neutral tone.
“I hear they have beauideal concerts here.”
“They are usually amateurs, but it should still be fun,” Harlan replied in her usual flat cadence.
Fiona looked at Gwyn with an expression he couldn’t figure out. Most likely, she was confused about what to say next. Fortunately for her, and also perhaps the companions of the duo suddenly talking about beauideals, a shout in the distance caught everyone’s attention. They had been distracted enough that a blocky Hobusian vessel crept up with none the wiser.
“Hey, everyone!” A voice similar to Odell’s but muffled in the distance came across the harbor.
“Has he gotten louder?” Rheba wondered.
Fiona grinned and waved back. “Hey! Odell! You made it!”
“She has as well,” Harlan added.