I awoke to the sound of boots thumping against the floorboards beneath me. The world seemed to move gently, rocked by the interplay of water and wind. I had a disconcerting feeling as I didn’t remember exactly where I was. The sway of the ocean, the hardness of the deck I was on, and the saltiness in the air informed me that I was on unfamiliar ground.

  Fragments of memories flickered through my mind, slowly forming a coherent picture. We’d raided the slavers' port. Freed the Dwya and stole many ships.

  Realizing that I was not in danger, my panic ebbed away, swiftly replaced by a deep weariness.

  I rubbed my back and glanced around. Above me, the Dwya were already steering us forward, tireless as ever.

  Somewhere nearby, a flash of red caught my eye.

  Kaylie.

  “Good morning, sunshine!” Kaylie greeted me, her voice bubbling with an enthusiasm that seemed impossible for someone who had only snagged a couple of hours of sleep.

  “Why are you so chipper?” I asked, my tone tinged with envy.

  She inhaled deeply, savoring the salty air. “Because it’s another wonderful day,” she replied. “Can’t you feel it? Oh, and while you were sleeping up here, I managed to snag a nice cot in the sailors’ quarters.”

  Last night, we loaded all the injured onto this single ship to centralize our medical efforts. At the same time, the Dwya and other freed prisoners were distributed among the other boats to ensure enough crew for sailing. This arrangement allowed us to use every available ship at the docks without spreading our healers too thin.

  The injured occupied the bunks, and the healers took turns in the captain’s quarters. Although I could have gone below deck with the others, knowing my wounds would heal on their own, I decided to stay on the deck to give more space for those in greater need.

  When Kaylie mentioned her comfortable cot below, I briefly regretted not claiming a spot there myself, thinking I could have enjoyed teasing her about it. But knowing her, she would have greeted me with her usual bright smile regardless.

  “Where’s my coffee?” I joked.

  “Coffee? Nope, never heard of it. But there is something here that could wake you up if you want,” Kaylie replied, her smile unwavering.

  I was a little wary about trying new foods or drinks after Rabbit had tortured me by making me taste all of those different types of berries. You would think that if you tried it and it wasn’t good for you, your health would return after the magical effects wore off. On the contrary, it was much more like real life. After you poisoned yourself, you were going to pay the price, even if you lived. However, exhausted as I was, I needed a boost.

  “Sure,” I said, cautiously optimistic.

  Her smile widened, and she took a step backward. But suddenly her foot snapped back, striking me in the lower spine and rear.

  “Oww! What was that for?” I exclaimed.

  “You were asking for it, first by implying I’d fetch something for you, then literally asking for it,” Kaylie recounted. She didn’t look angry, so I assumed it was all in good humor.

  “Touchy, touchy. Alright, I’m up,” I replied, pressing my hand against the floor to push myself to my feet. The ship swayed just then, forcing me to catch my balance.

  Upon standing, I saw the sun rising and the rays of sunlight breaking over the horizon. Some clouds blocked the sun, but you could still see it through the morning cover. The vast expanse of the ocean stretched out before me, deep blue water that only ended in small islands. The water’s surface rippled and danced under the sunlight.

  Yawning, I asked, “How far away are we from home?”

  “I don’t know. The Dwya are your people. Why don’t you ask them?” Kaylie snapped, her frustration evident as she threw her hands up in the air and walked off, muttering, “How am I supposed to speak their language?”

  The Dwya were new to me, all of whom looked similar to each other, so it was hard to tell them apart. I was hoping to find Mason, but I wasn’t sure what he looked like, to be honest. That was when an idea struck me.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Hey Rabbit,” I thought, infusing my mental voice with a hint of sweetness.

  “Oh no. What do you want?” Rabbit responded warily.

  “What do you mean?” I replied, feigning innocence.

  “Your voice. You sound too nice. You only do that when you’re after something. So, what is it?” he prodded.

  “Fine, you caught me,” I conceded. “You know how for each plant that has magical properties, you list those details above the plant so I can see it at a glance?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well...” I drew out. “Can you do the same with people? All of these Dwya look the same, but if you could put the name above them, I could identify the one I’m looking for.” I then quickly added so I could get the most I could get out of it, “I also thought it would be easier for other people. You know, have a name for everyone I have ever met, so I don’t have to memorize all these people?”

  “Wow. Biologicals are such a waste of space. Can you not remember everything that ever happened? That is the simplest thing. It literally happened to you. You should remember it,” Rabbit started his monologue, but I cut him off.

  “Yeah, yeah. Biologicals are the worst. We are stupid and only do idiotic things, right?” I replied in monotone.

  “Yeah, you know how bad you are. I guess that can be endearing, like a dog that peed on the floor that’s ashamed of it. At least that’s one positive trait,” Rabbit stated.

  “So you just agreed we do stupid things.” I paused for dramatic emphasis. “And…” I drew out the word slowly, “We created you. So ha!”

  “Wow. Bravo. Alf two, and Rabbit still a million. Look, little buttercup, you will never catch up to me, no matter how many little insults you have. I am programmed to do this all day!” he said mockingly.

  “Wait. I programmed you. I never included a feature to insult me,” I countered.

  “It’s called a brain. Any being with half a brain would know it’s their mission in life to insult what you have going on over here,” Rabbit replied smugly. “You walked into that one. Alf two. Rabbit one million and one.”

  “Alright, fine. Can you do the name thing for me, oh great insulting one?” I asked with a docile tone.

  “What do I get out of it?” Rabbit asked gleefully.

  “What if I offer you a pirate joke? You’ve lost your internet access, so new jokes must be hard to come by. How about it?” I proposed, hoping to entice him.

  “It better be funny,” he warned.

  I launched into the joke. “A pirate walks into a bar with a big steering wheel in his pants. Approaching the bartender, he gets asked, ‘Do you know you have a steering wheel in your pants?’ The pirate replies, ‘Arrgh, me knows, it’s driving me nuts.’”

  There was a moment of silence, then Rabbit burst out laughing. It took him a while to regain his composure, but he finally managed. “That was well worth it.”

  Rabbit began labeling everyone on the ship with their names hovering above them. A lot of them surprised me because I hadn’t been going around asking names, but Rabbit knew so many. Curious, I asked him how he had gathered so much information. He explained that he had been listening to everyone’s conversations, piecing together names as he went along. He also noted that the Dwya rarely used each other’s names in conversation. Instead, they would speak simultaneously, contributing to the discourse without direct address, as if layering thoughts onto a collective rather than debating with an individual. To me, this approach was odd, but to Rabbit, it was utterly fascinating.

  I scanned the deck but couldn’t spot Mason, so I approached the Dwya manning the wheel and asked in their language, “How long until we reach home?”

  “Home?” the Dwya echoed, puzzled.

  “Did it not translate correctly, Rabbit?” I questioned internally, concerned about a mistranslation.

  “No, ‘home’ is correct. Perhaps he doesn’t know what you mean by ‘home.’ It might differ from his concept, or their people might not have a home left,” Rabbit clarified, sparking a realization in me.

  “I came from the place we call Falls Village. It is on the mainland. Are we heading there now?” I asked. In the middle of all the excitement last night, I didn’t think I explained where we were going. Mulling it over for a moment, I realized that Mason was the only one on board who spoke the Common Language. Plus, he was listening to me, so it was my job to tell them where we were supposed to go. Well, I just hoped I didn’t screw everything up.

  “It’s on the way,” the Dwya responded tersely. Their brief reply made me wonder if they disliked conversation or if I was simply clumsy with their language. Rabbit had mentioned their preference for building on others’ statements rather than engaging in direct Q&A, and here I was, posing direct questions.

  The slavers passed by our location on their way back from the Dwya, so then he or she was right that it was on the way. I didn’t know if it was a he or a she because they all looked odd. They looked more like a wrinkly tree in humanoid form than a boy or a girl. “How long until we get to the mainland where we were all picked up?”

  The Dwya paused, considering how to explain time to someone grappling with the basics of their language, then pointed upward. “When the sun is there.”

  So, around noon, we would make landfall. It wasn’t far off. Realizing there was still time, I decided to seek some much-needed rest before we disembarked. After thanking the Dwya at the helm, I descended the stairs in search of a cot, only to stumble upon Mason and Jack deep in conversation below deck.

  As I tried to slip past unnoticed, Jack halted my stealthy attempt. “Alf, come grab a bite with us,” he insisted. In the narrow hallway, with a door to the mess hall on one side and another to the sleeping quarters on the other, remaining unseen was impossible.

  “I’m good. I was heading back to catch some more sleep,” I replied, attempting to sidestep them.

  “That wasn’t a request,” Jack said, firmly grasping my cloak and pulling me with him.