To the Library

The Captain got back late at night, and he immediately came to my quarters. He told me, he can’t sleep, so I will stay up also. I wearily sighed and said okay, that was fine with me. He smiled and brought a chair over to my bedside, sitting and propping his feet up on the bed. He tilted the chair back and I hoped he didn’t fall.


I told him, I went to the library today. This caught his attention and he looked at me for a bit before speaking. He asked me why, and I said that I went because, and I hoped he wouldn’t be offended, I wanted to know more about his race. He shrugged and said it was fine, but why didn’t I simply ask him? I replied by telling him I thought he would get mad, he was an awfully secretive person. He laughed at this and said, he would tell me anything I wanted. I assume my mouth made an O because he laughed and pointed. He said, did I find anything at the library? I said yes, yes I did. He looked annoyed and told me to tell him more. I began telling him all of my walk to the library which I at first could not find and then started onto the kind man. I decided I would tell him that the man wanted to meet him at the end of my story. When I told him of Silyphis, and that he and the kind man were friends his eyes sparkled and he smiled. He declared that he wanted to meet him, and so I wasn’t worried that I would have to persuade him to go. I continued and said that I learned generally nothing from the book for I only saw the first page, an illustration of Silyphis. His smile turned serene and he said that he wondered if it did him justice. I told him that it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and he leaned back again in his chair, looking pleased.

He asked me when daybreak was and I told him I didn’t know, but possibly in a few hours judging by the dark blue skies. He complained that he couldn’t wait that long to see the man, but I told him that we would go immediately after sunrise. This seemed to put him in better spirits and, as he was in a good mood, I asked him if he knew Silyphis. He rolled his eyes and said of course he did, he had lived there with him anyway. I was amazed by his nonchalance and asked him if he could tell me more. He nodded and told me that Silyphis was a wonderful person, although he had a short temper. He told me that more often than not Silyphis would blow up at a foreign diplomat. He hadn’t told me why, but I didn’t very much care. He said that Silyphis was married to a man named Arok, and that they were very happy together. He smiled when he said that they had a baby on the way and that that was the reason he wanted to go back.

I smiled and said jokingly, so he does have a heart? He snorted and took my hand and held it to his chest. It’s beat was faster than any humans and I asked him if that was normal. He said that yes, it was, and to not be alarmed if it slowed down suddenly or stopped completely. It was a bit worrying to hear him say that but it did happen and he didn’t drop dead so I assumed it was a normal thing to do.

He reminded me that I told him a few days ago that I had drawings of my home to show him, and I excitedly jumped up and rummaged around to find them. When I turned back to him with the small box in which they were kept, I noticed the sky was much bluer and that it must have been just a few hours after sunrise. I decided that no, I wouldn’t tell him and instead show him the illustrations. I sat back down in my spot on the bed and he joined me to get a better look. I showed him the first drawing, which depicted the beaches of my home. He took it and studied it for a little bit, then told me it was beautiful and the next stop after his home would be mine. I brought out the next one which had our town, the streets were marble and the shops and the homes were grand and in a Greek style, pillars and all. He told me that, just maybe, my home was the second best place in the world. I continued bringing out the pictures which were of our wildlife, our forests and most prominently places near my house. He said he loved every single one of them, and then looked out the window and told me we’d better be going to the library. I told him to wait for me to get dressed, and then for him to get out of his clothes and changed into something that smelled less like alcohol. He wrinkled his nose and said that he wondered what that smell was. He left shortly after and we both got dressed in our respectable rooms.


The Captain said, once we got onto the top deck of the ship, that it was perfect weather for Sirens. I asked him, what is a Siren? He told me they were beautiful things, but I shouldn’t get close to one. I lifted an eyebrow to that but said I wouldn’t. He smiled and clapped me on the back, exclaiming good and then saying we ought get to the library. I agreed and we went off to the docks. I narrowly navigated the streets, trying to remember where the library was. I stopped briefly, and then asked the Captain if he knew. I hadn’t noticed his chuckling, and he told me we had passed it about a hundred times. I sighed, and it was only then I noticed the horrible slick feeling in my throat. I informed the Captain that I was going to be sick and then promptly emptied the contents of my stomach, which honestly wasn’t very much, into a barrel conveniently next to a house. I thought I heard him laughing, or maybe guffawing, but I couldn’t be sure of the fact considering my head was in a barrel and my retching echoed off the walls of it. He came over and patted me on the head and said he’d go and leave a note at the library that we were going to come tomorrow.



I love that guy sometimes.

To the Marketplace

When I awoke the next morning it was blustery and cold. The fog was thick and it was hard to breathe through. When I saw the Captain he was in his usual revealing state of dress. I asked him, how do you not freeze? He replied by saying that he had built up a tolerance to the cold while sailing in the Arctic. I told him that his body would still react, and he could get frostbitten. He laughed and told me that genetics were on his side, and then suggested I go down to the galley and eat. I sighed, having done the dishes the night before and now going to dirty them, and asked him to come with me. He seemed to consider it for a moment before he bolted in the direction of the galley. I was surprised but quickly caught up to him. He laughed all the way down until we were seated with a warm meal in front of us. I asked him why he did that, and he told me he did it so I wouldn’t be so cold anymore. I smiled and began to eat.


After our eventful breakfast, we walked around the top deck. We didn’t talk, much to my displeasure, but walked. We stopped along the railing and he pointed to a large fish. I asked him what it was, and he seemed taken aback. He told me it was a whale, and why didn’t I know that? I didn’t say anything, just shrugged my shoulders and said it looked very nice. He had a chuckle and agreed.

He told me we were going to sail off in a fort-night. I must’ve looked confused, because he explained what a fort-night was. I still didn’t understand but I nodded my head and asked where we were going this time. He said that we were going to his birthplace. I still don’t understand if we went to visit or to get supplies, because it seems we did both in excess.

I asked him what it was like there, and he told me it was the most wondrous place I would ever see. I didn’t believe him. In fact, that’s what I told him. He laughed and said that I’d be sorry that I said that. I rolled my eyes and informed him I was going to go into town and get some food. As I was walking away he suddenly yelled to get some absinthe. I turned around and shrugged my shoulders again. He pointed at me and jokingly said that I’d better. I decided not to test him anymore and ran off the ship, onto the docks.

As I was walking to the marketplace I briefly wondered if I should have brought a horse, as my feet ached from the late night walk to the City Hall and back. And as I was thinking of that, it brought the war back to my attention. I wondered, when would it be? They didn’t say anything but ‘soon’. And then, where will it be? I didn’t know. I just hoped we weren’t in the middle of it. Conflict against the islands usually ended in someone completely not in the war being blown up. Like the mostly annoying island from the west, always making demands and being unreasonable. Thankfully, they got blown up and it made everyone much happier. Most of the islands to the west ended up celebrating. No one mourned for them. But, then I think of it, and become sad.

I was roughly pulled from my reverie by plowing directly into a shopper. Dazed, for a moment, I lay there. It was only then the mans rough voice brought me back to reality. I quickly jumped up and tried to apologize, but I ended up tripping and landing on my backside. I laughed nervously while he guffawed and got up. He smiled and reached out to me, to help me up. I gladly accepted his hand and stood. I told him, I am very sorry for running into you. He replied kindly, and told me it was no problem and it really brightened his day. I smiled and said that I was very glad to be able to do that. He nodded to me low, and walked past me while patting me on the back and saying he hoped he say me again. I started to tell him there was no way that could happen for I was leaving soon, but when I turned around the man had completely disappeared.

I decided I would forget about the strange day brightening incident, and kept going. I made sure to look out for shoppers this time. I got to the food stall and by then the horrible cold had gone and an even more horrible heat plagued me. I had taken off my jacket, my vest, and everything except my undershirt and pants before I was even finished buying the vegetables. It smelled like a pigsty and I couldn’t wait to get out of the place. As I was walking away with my large load of foodstuffs, I remembered the Captain wanted absinthe. I sighed, and realized that yes, I did have to go get some. I asked the stall owner I had bought the food from if he could keep my load behind the stall and he said he would. He asked why and all I said was that I needed to get something important. I scoped out the alcohol stall and bought a large bottle of strong absinthe. The shopman looked at me oddly and asked why a ‘delicate thing such as myself’ was drinking the strongest drink this side of the islands. I told him it wasn’t for me and that I was not a delicate thing, and then turned on my heel to go back to the food stall. I asked the man for my groceries back, and when he did give them to me he laughed at my important thing. I thanked him and he thanked me in turn.

I chanted in my head that I was not, definitely not, a delicate thing.


When I got back to the Mary and told the Captain, he laughed and said otherwise.


He didn’t get any of the absinthe.