Chapter 844: The Windserpent
The skyport loomed over the small walls of the courtyard, easily a hundred feet tall. It reminded me of the seaside warehouses we fought over in Port Vesna, save that there were no roads or shipping gates to receive cargo.
The guards at the gate looked our party up and down, frowning at my horns and tail, and almost scowling at the sight of Fable. Aerion leaned close, casually tugging his collar, and whispered to the captain. I leaned forward, ears strained, but his voice was too low for me to make out more than something about "...winds of change..." The guard absently touched his own collar, which held a red ribbon bow clipped on like some kind of badge or medal.
"All clear," he said, giving me one final suspicious glance.
Aerion shuttled us through, nodding at the guards within the courtyards as we approached the warehouse itself. The Star Guard surrounded us loosely, eyeing the guards warily, especially those whose gazes lingered on me. Their reactions left a warmth in my chest, and I snuggled closer to Elise, grateful for her arm laced through mine. It was good to have friends.
A pair of guards opened a twenty-foot-tall set of double warehouse doors, revealing the interior. My lips parted in a gasp, my eyes widening at the sight of a large, two-hundred-foot-long skyship.
The ship had two main decks, with a hull shaped like a sailing ship and long, slender masts that angled forward from a few feet beneath the railings of the lower deck at a forty-five-degree angle. Triangular sails of white gossamer, like spidersilk, fluttered in the breeze, oriented more horizontally than vertical. It gave the ship a sleek, graceful look I quite liked compared to the bulky feeling of the boats I’d seen in the harbor of Port Vesna.
The hull and deck were a soft, pastel brown and were seamless, without board or plank, yet had the grain of wood. Two inactive mana cannons protruded from alcoves situated on the hull, some thirty feet from the prow, while four slightly smaller ones were mounted on swiveling turrets on the deck. The name of the ship, Windserpent, was emblazoned on the side in shining gold letters.
"Isn’t it beautiful?" Elise asked, staring at the ship with shining eyes.
When I didn’t respond, she glanced at me, panicking when she saw I was frozen in place. My fingers dug into her arm, my tail rigid as a board. I couldn’t take my eyes from the ship, even as Elise peered at me worriedly.
"There’s nothing to be worried about. The ship’s perfectly safe," she said.
My shoulders heaved as I remembered to breathe, sucking a short, shaky breath. My tail loosened, finally, starting to twitch furiously, drawing the attention of the others. R’lisesa came up on my other side, taking my hand in a gentle grip.
"You’ll be alright, Xiv," she said.
I turned to her, lip quivering. "I...I don’t think I can do this."
"Oh, come on. It’s just a ship. We haven’t even boarded yet," Korra said. "If you’re going to get cold feet, at least wait until we’re in the air."
"Then it’s too late," I said.
My body tensed, trying to back away, but R’lissea and Elise’s grip was firm.
"This isn’t like before," R’lissea said gently, rubbing my hand. "What happened with Borealis isn’t happening again."
Borealis squawked indignantly, ruffling his feathers. I shivered as his wing brushed my cheek.. The memory of falling, of being blown out of R’lissea’s grip, of smacking into the street, sent tremors through me. And then waking up alone, hurt...I squeezed my eyes shut, barely holding back a whimper.
"Borealis? What happened with him?" Elise asked.
R’lissea’s voice softened, curdling with a touch of bitterness. "That was the last time I tried to convince Xiviyah to fly. It...didn’t end well."
"Wait, you’re talking about Tormod breach, aren’t you? I remember you telling me about that," Korra said. She made a face. "Damn those inquisitors, trapping you like that. If I’d been there..."
"Xiviyah! There you are."
Fyren’s voice startled me, causing me to look up. He strode over from the direction of the ship, flanked by Selena and Aerion.
"F-Fyren? What are you doing here?" I asked, biting my lip, trying to blink away the tears in the corner of my eyes.
His face softened as he looked over us, undoubtedly feeling the stress and terror through our bond.
"I told you I would meet you here, no? I finished checking the ship. I’m not terribly familiar with the enchantments they used, but everything seems to be in order. There will be no danger of a malfunction or failure of some sort."
"Really?"
He nodded. "But I know that’s hardly enough to put you at ease. Just remember that if something does happen, you’re not alone this time."
"That’s right," R’lissea said, "And I’m not powerless this time. I can fly now, remember?"
"Most of us can," Korra said. "And we’ll all be nearby."
Aerion nodded. "Flying on a skyship is unlike anything, either. Half the time, I can’t even tell we’re airborne. And the breeze is just lovely."
"That’s rich, coming from you," Selena said, shaking her head. "I seem to recall you being hesitant to the idea, yourself."
Aerion folded his arms. "I wasn’t hesitant, just...resistant. And I’ll have you know I stepped onto the deck before you."
"You were scared, too?" I asked, looking at the siblings with wide eyes.
Aerion stiffened. "Didn’t you just hear me? I was merely being cautious!"
Selena chuckled wryly. "Of course we were uncertain, Xiviyah. It’s new, and new things can be frightening. But fear shouldn’t stop you from exploring new things."
"I didn’t think of it like that," I said in a small voice, looking up at the massive skyship.
But, thinking about it, how was this any different than anything else? I’d been terrified of relationships, having been hurt by them all my life, yet how much would I now be missing out on if I hadn’t allowed myself to take that risk?
I took a long, deep breath, letting out slowly, and deliberately relaxed my tail.
"Okay," I said, my voice wavering more than I wanted to admit. "I’ll try."
R’lissea squeezed my hand, and Elise gave me a relieved smile.
"Very good. I’ve already gotten permission from the Port Warden to board," Selena said.
"Oh, so that’s where you guys disappeared to. Is the Warden like a harbor master?" Korra asked.
Selena nodded. "Something like that."
Our party moved toward the skyship, R’lissea and Elise still holding me as if they were afraid I was going to make a break for it. I wasn’t positive that fear was unfounded.
The warehouse, or rather Skyport, was as big on the inside as it looked from the outside. It looked somewhere between a cross of a trade dock and a shipyard, with stacks of crates, rigging, and miscellaneous ship parts scattered around. Over a hundred elves were present in the building. Some patrolled as guards, others seemed to be doing maintenance on the ship, like checking the sails and polishing the hull. And still more worked with large rigging systems, loading crates and cargo onto the ship.
An elevated dock system, perhaps fifty feet tall, held the Windserpent, with long piers that stretched on either side of the ship. The bottom of its hull rested about five feet above the ground, supported by a long, magically enhanced cradle fixed to the skydock. The scaffolding supporting the dock had various levels that came within a few inches of the side of the ship, allowing workers to access any part of it they desired. Stairs and access ways branched off the dock, allowing access from any direction. A second skydock was located further into the port, on the other side of the warehouse. Several catwalks connected the two on various levels of the docs.
A group of elves dressed in leather uniforms reminiscent of the steel armor of their soldiers stood before the main stairwell, with long knives and short swords sheathed at their waist. They gave us wary looks as we approached, but stepped aside for Aerion and Selena.
My calves burned by the time we reached the upper levels of the dock. I clung to Elise’s arm, my vision wavering, struggling not to look over the edge. The floor was sturdy, the edges lined with carved wooden rails, but the ground seemed to waver beneath my feet, like a monstrous demon was walking nearby.
"I hear you’ll be joining us, Lord and Lady Sunsinger," an aged elf said.
He stood before the gangway bridging the gap between the dock and the ship, dressed in a crisp forest green uniform with gold thread trim and buttons. The saber at his side seemed ceremonial in nature, but his face was worn and weathered, his stance that of an experienced warrior.
"Captain Rys, a pleasure," Aerion said, stepping before us.
"Aye. I suppose I can lighten the escort, with the size of your party," the captain said, nodding at the Star Guard.
Aerion gave him a faint smile. "I rather think we’ll be secure. Selena alone is enough to fend off any wandering drakes. And," he said, nodding at me, "I highly doubt we’ll be troubled by demons with her on board."
"Never flown a demonkin before," Rys said, frowning.
"Is it going to be a problem?" Selena asked, narrowing her eyes.
"No, my lady. I was simply wondering if someone was going to write that down in the history books. The first demonkin to ever set sail on a skyship, and the Oracle of Eternity, no less."
I blushed, forgetting, for a moment, we were five stories above the ground. "Thank you."
He raised an eyebrow. "Whatever for? Lady Sunsinger has spoken highly of you, and I’m honored you’re willing to trust yourself to the Windserpent and her crew. Now, forgive me, but I’m afraid I must return to my duties. Olether, Bristla, show them to their quarters."