Nyght Shyp
Chapter 1
Damien felt a slight breeze against his already icy skin and let out a sigh. It wasn’t enough to move the shyp. Before he could let another sigh out, he felt cold hands wrap around his shoulders and chest. He tensed and relaxed.
“Hello Cassandra”
“Mmm, your muscles are tight, Damien. Come to my room. Let me calm them.”
“I need to speak with Aradia” Damien replied dryly.
Cassandra eased onto the tips of her toes so her lips were at Damien’s left ear, “oh, Crazy can wait. I know-“ her hand slipped below his waist “what you really want”
When Damien shuddered, Cassandra grazed her teeth against his neck, drawing small droplets of blood and licking them off.
“Come to my room, Damien. Let’s relax”
Returning to his senses, he shook her off and walked down to the crew’s quarters to find Aradia. Cassandra huffed but managed to glide off gracefully, her pride only barely wounded.
After maneuvering through the maze of halls and doors, Damien discovered her in the corner of her room, playing with the flame of a red candle. He knocked on the side of the doorframe, but Aradia did not answer. Upon entering, a floorboard creaked under his foot and Aradia looked up immediately, horrified, sending a small fireball his way.
Before he could move, his arm was burning.
“By Nix, Aradia, I swear! Ahh” He groaned, however when he glanced down, it had already begun to heal.
“I warned you to always knock before entering.” Aradia said breezily.
“I did, I just- I apologise, but I require your skills.” He knew better than to argue with her. She would always argue him into a corner, and he did not have the time.
“I know,” she replied lightly.
“Then why did you not come to the deck?”
“It wasn’t meant to be. I shall follow you up now, though.”
Damien concealed his distaste, and offered her his arm. “Shall we, then?”
“I do not need your arm, Damien. I am not Cassandra.” Aradia noted, rising. “Lead the way, I will not be far behind.”
Nodding, Damien rose and returned to the top deck.
The desolate seas had now been coated with fog.
“Eerie, isn’t it?” A voice said from behind him, causing him to jump.
“Ryder!” Damien clutched his un-beating heart, ‘How many times must I tell you, do not sneak up behind me like that. You’ll give me a –“
“Heart attack?” Ryder finished, raising one eyebrow.
Damien embraced Ryder in a friendly hug and patted his back. “Ryder, old friend, the seas have been kind to us. Let us not question why it has chosen to strand us here, and believe that it has good reason.”
“Aye,” Ryder replied, waving towards a boy of only 16 towards them. “Bryce! Bring us a pint each, and don’t be stingy!”
The young boy bowed and ran below deck, arising with in seconds holding to wine glasses full to the near top with a smooth red liquid. Despite his speed, Bryce managed to deliver them to the two men without spilling a drop. “Is that all, sir?” He asked, looking down.
Ryder lifted the youngin’s chin so their eyes met. “Aye, ma boy. And remember. This is your new life. You don’t need to answer to me as a servant, merely as a fellow crew member.”
He nodded and flitted off in another direction.
“Damn newborns, so eager to please. Don’t realize the gift they’ve truly been given. He will learn, one day, to say no, and it will be glorious,” he purred, leaning over to check the young boys rear end.
“Not yet, my friend” Damien chided, noticing Ryder’s gaze. “I am not used to changing them so young. It is usually to early for them to decide who and what they¬ want to be.”
“He was a special case,” Ryder replied, returning his focus to his friend. “And of special… Interest.”
“Ryder” Damien growled.
“I know, I know. I will wait.” Ryder glanced back quickly before returning to Damien’s eyes. “Painfully, but I will wait.”
As the two laughed, Aradia ascended from the lower decks, and a breeze slowly picked up.
“Aradia, you said-“
“It is not time to leave yet. We will stay here” she interrupted, looking over the side rails.
“But-“
“You will see, Damien,” She turned and lifted her hand to his face. “In time, you will see. It is Destiny.”
“Captain!” the two heard from above in nest. Fark, a small man with striking green hair was waving at them from above. “Captain! There’s a ship ahead!”
Aradia grinned. “Destiny.”
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