It took another day or two, about five days in all, before we were close enough to see land. The Captain gave me the telescope after vaulting up into the nest with the keen eyed crow and pointed at the mass at the very far distance. “See that flag?” She asked. I squinted and tried … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 13)
I was in bed before I knew what I was doing, and I was asleep before I hit the sheets. By the time the morning came, I was rubbing circles under my eyes and standing on top of the deck. The only thing left of the disaster under the waves was a scent of ash … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 12)
“Sorry,” I said. “I uh… booked passage. In the cargo.” The smooth expanse of her head tilted slightly, and the tufted ears on her head twitched. “Ah,” She said. “I guess that makes sense. Come on, I’ll show you around.” She offered her hand, and against my better judgement, I took it. Where was the … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 11)
My sleep was shattered just past midnight, when the Venturing Owl remained full (I was starting to think it never waned) and the ship rocked from an impact. My eyes snapped open. The next one had me falling out of it when it rocked again, and I heard the Captain’s reedy tones through the heavy … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 10)
It wasn’t that hard to sleep that night. Sure, there was a nervous energy in the few that were still awake, and the captain had stopped, if only for a moment, to talk to another night owl about something that I didn’t eavesdrop on, but I moved past them and slid into my bed. The … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 9)
I spent half of the next day next to Folna, sitting on a stool beside her. People walked by and ignored us, for the most part, apart from a few who lingered, their eyes locked onto the strange gleaming scales we kept in the darkness. The price was relative, depending on how much Folna could … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 8)
The path we took wasn’t quite the same path as before. The market was starting to slow. People traded out their stalls for other materials, turning from food and supplies into a circus of curiosities. Lanterns were on sale, glinting with hidden crystals, with merchants hawking their properties. Many wore lanterns themselves. The Captain ignored … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 7)
Sev’s gait didn’t crunch the wood underneath, but occasionally, we found a rotten board and I squeaked and leapt forward, and he ambled after me. “I’m the quartermaster,” Sev explained. “So we’re going to be looking to replace some of the swords and utensils we lost.” “When did you lose swords?” I asked. “The first … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 6)
The outfit didn’t exactly fit, but it wasn’t that bad of an overfit. The hood half ate my head, which was for the best, since after two days of ship leaving, I was starting to develop a bit of a sunburn, helping out with the repairs until my arms ached. We didn’t have a lot … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 5)
The closest thing the Song had to a doctor was a winding insect that went by the name of Folna. She moved about smoothly through her narrow room, lit by a flickering candle and a fractured glass window, and stretched, between her fingers, a roll of bandages. She wrapped them smoothly around my shins. “You’re … Read moreSong of the Venturing Owl (Part 4)