He leaned over the railing of the ship, retching. Thuraya pat his back and offered him a glass of water. Taking the glass, he took small sips. He continued to hang over the side of the ship in case another round of sickness overcame him. Thuraya crossed her arms and leaned her back against the railing next to him.

"I can't believe you still get sick. You've been riding boats and ships for at least a thousand years now."

He glared at her weakly, "Leave me alone."

He doubled over, heaving. Thuraya grimaced and tipped away from him. At this point, he had given up getting over his seasickness. Symptoms that passed quickly for others lingered for him. He had been sick for most of the voyage. He looked enviously at Thuraya. She had never been one to get motion sickness.

"Land ho!" yelled one of the sailors.

He peered into the horizon, but he couldn’t see anything. Next to him, Thuraya pulled out a telescope. She put the lens to her eye and scanned in front of her.

"Why do you have a telescope?" he asked.

"We're on a ship, Galen. A telescope is essential." He was sure that no other passenger had a telescope. "Don't look at me like that. Would you rather I be under or overprepared?"

"Can you see land?"

"Yes," she pocketed the telescope, "We'll be there soon."

"Good. I don't think my stomach can take any more of this."

"Are you excited?"

"I'm nervous. I've never raised a child."

"I will be there as well. I won't let you become a disaster."

"For some unknown reason, that actually reassures me."

Thuraya slapped his arm. He jolted, rubbing the spot she hit. "Unknown? I exude comfort. You're lucky to have me."

He lifted his head from the railing for the first time in two hours. He smiled at Thuraya and said, "I am."

Thuraya raised her hand, and he tensed in preparation of getting hit. Instead of smacking him a second time, she rested her hand on his head, gently ruffling his hair. He smiled wider before his expression took a turn for the worse. He slumped over the ship again, fighting back a wave of nausea.

"Get me off this ship," he groaned.

His pleas were answered the next day when the ship docked at the port. Muhitpol, a large city of its own, had nothing on the magnitude of ships docked at Hadugrad. Minastav controlled seafaring in the East, much to the consternation of Hidara. Although Thuraya accused him of being ignorant of the wider world, he did pick up information here and there. Hidara once dominated the seas of the world, generating massive wealth. All countries used them to transport goods, trusting in the renown of Hidaran sailors. Minastav, previously based entirely in agriculture, shifted their enterprises at the beginning of industrialization. Soon they trained an entire workforce to specialize in shipbuilding, ship maintenance, and sailing. The Stavi amassed the most advance ships on the market and boasted sailors better than Hidara.

"Vera's is a five-minute walk from here," Thuraya said, steering the trolley with their bags. She seemed eager to arrive.

"She lives in the city?"

"Unlike you, she doesn’t shy away from human contact."

"You mean unlike us."

Thuraya rolled her eyes. They weaved through the pedestrian traffic. People chatted all around them, talking in the quick and complicated Stavi language. Over the years, he endeavored to keep up with changing languages of all the countries, but Stavi always eluded him. Minastav held its language close, not allowing foreigners to learn it. Occupied by the language surrounding him, he didn’t notice how long they had been walking until Thuraya suddenly stopped.

"We're here."

He looked skeptically at the decrepit building that stood in front of him. "She lives here?"

"It's not as bad as it looks." Thuraya hurried into the building, and Galen followed reluctantly behind her. Thuraya was right; the inside of the building wasn’t as bad as it looked. However, it left much to be desired.

"We'll leave the bags there," Thuraya said, pointing to a closet.

"Is that safe?"

"Yes, Galen." They walked up the stairs to Vera's apartment. Knocking on the door, He and Thuraya waited for Vera to answer. The door swung open a moment later, revealing a bubbly woman.

"Thuraya! Galen!" Vera exclaimed. She opened her arms for a hug, which he returned. He melted into her comforting embrace. Letting go of Galen, Vera turned her sights onto Thuraya. She latched onto Thuraya, who tensed before returning the hug stiffly. However, a faint smile could be seen on her face.

"Where's the child?" Thuraya asked as soon as she was released.

"Sleeping," Vera responded. She led Thuraya and Galen to sit in the living room. "Do you want any tea?"

"I would like black, please," Galen requested.

"I would like the same," Thuraya added.

"Coming right up!" Vera chirped. The soothing sounds of tea being prepared filled the room. He relaxed into the cushion. Thuraya and Vera made small talk to pass the time. Watching the two asteris, Galen noticed something strange. Whenever Vera's back was turned, Thuraya smiled fondly. He narrowed his eyes in thought. Thuraya rarely looked at anyone fondly. He didn’t remember her and Vera being close, but it had been many years since he and Thuraya had parted ways.

"Your tea is ready." Vera set Thuraya and Galen's cups on the table in front of them. She settled into an armchair to the right of Thuraya. Galen lifted the cup to his mouth, sipping from the steaming liquid.

"How is the girl?" Galen asked.

"Confused, but curious."

"Have you explained anything?" Thuraya asked.

"The basics. I don't think she quite understands yet, though."

Thuraya nodded and placed her cup on the table. "That is to be expected."

Vera sighed, "Yes, it is. I don't envy your job."

Thuraya nodded again, then she suddenly said, "Your hair is different."

Vera raised a hand to touch her hair, "I wanted to change it up. Can’t keep the same style for thousands of years without it being boring."

"It makes your face look good." He watched as Thuraya cringed at her awkward wording. A slow smile spread across his lips, his mind making the connection about Thuraya’s odd behavior. Perhaps it had been too long since they had seen each other.

"Thank you. Your hair makes your face look good as well."

He thought he could see the faintest red appear in Thuraya's cheeks when she looked away. He smirked, "Vera, could you check on Nessa?"

"Right now?" She asked, putting down her cup.

"Yes, right now." He felt Thuraya's stare burning into the side of his head.

Vera raised from the armchair and walked down the hall. Once he thought she was out of hearing range, he asked, "What was that?"

"What was what?" Thuraya deflected.

"Oh no, you aren't escaping this. You were mooning over Vera."

"Mooning?" Thuraya sputtered, "I don't moon."

"Compared to a normal person, that wouldn't be mooning, but for you..." he let the sentence trail.

"Shut up," she muttered darkly.

"How long?"

"Only for the last thirty years."

He squeezed his lips together in an effort not to laugh. "Does she know?"

"No!" Thuraya shouted. "No. Do you think I could sit here calmly if she knew?"

He slung an arm around her shoulders. "Thuraya, you are being quite obvious."

Thuraya's cheeks burned, "I am not."

"Yes, you are." Thuraya made the mistake of turning to look at him because, as soon as she did, he waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. She took the pillow she was sitting against and hit him, but it only caused him to start laughing. Vera returned to the room and saw Thuraya trying to suffocate him with the pillow.

"What's happening?"

"Nothing," Thuraya said as he cackled beneath her.

After he and Thuraya had settled down, Vera thought that there had been enough excitement for the day and helped the two get ready for bed. Vera's apartment only had two bedrooms, so Thuraya and Galen set up camp in the living room. Thuraya took the couch, and he took the floor. While it wasn’t the most comfortable accommodation, it was enough for one night.

Thuraya's feet hung over the end of the short couch. She laid down on her back and her hands rested on her lower stomach. This position coupled with her closed eyes and serene expression made her look like a body in a casket. He laid on his side with his knees cradled to his chest. His eyes were wide open despite sleep trying to weigh his eyelids down.

Without moving, Thuraya said, "Go to sleep. I can hear you thinking."

"Why do you like her?"

Thuraya peered over the edge of the couch. "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm your closest friend." Thuraya huffed. "We both know it's true. Apparently, you've had a crush for the last thirty years, and I didn't know. You're awkward and fond, and I want to know why."

"Vera is kind."

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He waited for her to say more. "That's it? Nothing else besides kind."

"Be quiet. I don't know how to put this into words."

"Take your time. We have all night."

"I like her because she doesn't think I'm special," Thuraya swallowed, "I'm not Irkala, you know that."

"I am aware."

"Well, the other asteris aren't. They treat me like a god even though I'm weak. I can't even do any magic. Lalai, I might as well be human." Thuraya's fingers tightened into a fist, "They bend over backwards to please me and censor themselves in my presence. She doesn't do that."

"I don't do that."

"I know, and yet she doesn't feel the same as you. She helps me, she wants to spend time with me, she cooks me food, she listens to me complain, and she knows what to say when I'm in a bad mood. And she does it simply because she likes me; enjoys spending time with me."

"I see. And that makes you feel..."

"It makes me feel like I've done something to deserve it. Like I am worth it. Now every time she smiles, my stomach flutters. I think of her when I smell burning wood because she couldn’t get elemental spells right even if it killed her, so she's set the apartment on fire at least three times. I think of her bad jokes, and it makes me laugh even when I shouldn't."

He smiled to himself, "It sounds like you really like her. Why haven't you said anything? You're not one to let things go unsaid."

"I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"The future."

"What did you see?"

"Heartbreak. Devastating heartbreak," Thuraya sniffled. "But I can't help getting close to her. I can only think one thing: Is it worth it? The thought consumes me every time she smiles at me. It repeats over and over. I can't tell her until I'm sure."

"Until you're sure that you can risk it," he said in understanding.

Thuraya covered her eyes, "Let's go to sleep."

"Okay." Thuraya rolled over and faced the back of the couch. She pulled the blanket up to her chin. Galen stared at her back silently. Eventually, her steady breaths lulled him to sleep.

The early morning sun illuminated the room. He groaned, shielding his eyes from the light. Thuraya shifted on the couch. Vera's chipper voice greeted them, "Rise and shine! Nessa should wake up soon. I'm almost done with breakfast."

He sat up and popped his back. Thuraya rose from the couch and started to gather the bedding. She folded the sheets and the blanket, stacking them into a pile on the couch. He folded his own and piled them on top of the ones on the couch. As soon as he finished, the guest bedroom door opened. Nessa wandered out, rubbing her eyes. She walked past Thuraya and Galen to sit at the dining table.

"Miss Vera, I'm hungry," Nessa whined.

"I know you are, honey, but don't you want to meet the guests."

Nessa turned. Her whole demeanor brightened when she saw Thuraya. She shouted, "Miss Thuraya!"

The little girl ran over to Thuraya and jumped into her arms. Nessa wrapped her arms around her, giving her a big hug. Thuraya hugged back just as tightly. Thuraya said, "Little star, I've missed you."

"I missed you too. Take me with you next time." Nessa's voice was muffled as she had her face pressed into Thuraya's shoulder.

"Well, you're in luck. We're going to Zamsune, and you're coming with us."

Nessa lifted her head. Her smile was beaming, "Really! Yay!"

Vera coughed, "You're not going to miss me?"

"No!" Nessa wiggled out of Thuraya's arms. She ran into Vera's legs, hugging them. "I'll miss you too. I just want to go with Miss Thuraya."

"Don't worry, honey. I get it. I wish I was spending time with Miss Thuraya as well." Vera winked at Thuraya, who grew flustered.

"What about me?" he complained.

Nessa looked at him curiously. She asked, "Are you an asteris too?"

All the adults winced. He replied, "Yes, I am, but we shouldn't ask questions like that."

"Why not? I want to know."

Vera chimed in, "Because questions like that might hurt someone's feelings. You don't want to do that, do you?"

Nessa shook her head violently. She cried, "I don't wanna do that."

Vera gave Nessa a quick squeeze. "Of course, you don't."

"I'm Galen, and you must be Nessa," he said.

"Hello, Mister Galen." Nessa waved at him. Then, her stomach rumbled. She clutched it and looked at Vera pleadingly.

He laughed, "Looks like someone's hungry. Let's eat."

The four of them sat at the circular table. Vera served all of them eggs. Nessa scarfed down the breakfast before anyone else had the time to start theirs. Thuraya smiled, "You must have been hungry, little star."

"Yep," she licked the plate clean, "Where are we going?"

"Zamsune. I told you already."

"Is Zamsune near here?"

"No, it's far away. It's very different from here."

"Yeah," he agreed, "It's freezing, and it snows all the time."

"What's snow?"

Vera answered, "Snow falls from the sky like rain, but it's white and fluffy."

"Snow is pretty. I can't wait to see it with you," he added.

Nessa titled her head, "Are you coming with us, Mister Galen."

"Uh-huh. You, Miss Thuraya, and I are going to Zamsune."

"Why can't Miss Vera come too?" Nessa frowned.

"I wish I could, but I have important work to do here."

Nessa frowned harder, "But I want Miss Vera to come."

"Honey," Vera rested a hand on Nessa's back, "You, Mister Galen, and Miss Thuraya are going to have so much fun you won't even remember to miss me."

"Yes, I will." Nessa crossed her arms and pouted. Vera laughed and patted her head. This appeased Nessa somewhat, but she was still a little sad.

"Little star, are you excited about riding a ship?" Thuraya tried to distract Nessa.

"A ship," Nessa's pout disappeared and her eyes brightened. "Ships are so fun."

"Mister Galen loves ships too," Thuraya teased.

"You do?" Nessa's head turned to him.

He grimaced, "Ships and I have a special relationship."

It seemed he flipped a switch for Nessa, who started babbling about ships. The adults watched her as she wound herself up, smiling. Nessa was an adorable little girl, and he could see why Thuraya and Vera have already gotten attached. It was only a matter of time before he did too.

Vera asked, "How will you set up accommodations in Zamsune?"

Thuraya said, "I actually have a house in the countryside there. I'm glad Galen suggested going."

He laughed, "You have houses everywhere. It doesn't matter where we go."

"I don't have a house in Erasima," she grinned, "But I digress. My house in Zamsune will be perfect. It won't even take long to get because they've got trains up that way."

"A train, really?" Vera asked, surprised. "All the way out there?"

"What's a train?" Nessa pipped up.

He mulled the question over, "A train is a giant box on wheels that transports people. It moves on things called tracks."

His description only confused Nessa. Vera snorted, "What a terrible description."

Affronted, Galen said, "Well, how would you describe it?"

Thuraya interjected, "Let's just wait until we're at Zamsune, and Nessa will see it firsthand."

"Are trains scary?" Nessa asked.

Thuraya shook her head. "They aren't. They are loud, so that might startle you."

"Okay."

He sat back in his seat, having finished all his food. He wasn’t looking forward to the ship ride to Zamsune, but he was excited for the train. He said, "I'll go to the docks and see what ships are taking off to Zamsune soon."

Thuraya nodded. "I'll leave you to that. I'll get Nessa ready."

"Got it," he replied.

The ship ride to Zamsune was more grueling than the one to Minastav. The trip was twice the length, and the seas were twice as rough. Nessa's good mood contrasted harshly with his misery. He spent most of his time swallowing down vomit, hanging over the side of the railing. Nessa hopped around the deck and chatted to any available ear. Thuraya often had to pull her away from the poor soul she cornered. The first week, Galen thought she would lose steam, but she held strong for the entire three weeks. Another facet of his misery was the cold seeping into his clothing despite his thick layers.

Arriving in Zimachi was different to both Muhitpol and Hadugrad, slush covered the ground and soldiers patrolled the city. Unlike the chaotic mess of the previous two ports, the conversations were hushed and there was an unknown order to the way everyone moved. Galen, Thuraya, and Nessa departed the ship with their luggage. Nessa almost slipped on an unseen patch of ice, so Thuraya swept the young girl up in her arms. A soldier greeted them at the end of the dock. The guards at Stolital wore full metal amour and carried a sword. This soldier wore a lightweight uniform, her hair was in a tight bun, and carried a reuûn'oard and a sword. The woman had no expression on her face and bore a rigid stance. The other passengers were greeted by their own soldiers, whose appearances where identical to the woman in front of Galen. Before the woman approached, Thuraya whispered to Nessa to stay quiet.

"Greetings, foreigners. Welcome to the beautiful country of Zamsune. I am Senior Officer Usoro. I will be your attending officer," Senior Officer Usoro said.

He looked at Thuraya curiously. He didn’t remember there being attending officers in Zamsune. Although, he admitted it had been a while since he had last visited. "Attending officer?"

"An attending officer will check up on you periodically to make sure you are upholding the principles of this country."

Thuraya glanced at him, alarmed. She cleared her throat, "Will you inform us of your visit beforehand?"

Usoro's lips twitched. "If you have prior knowledge of my visit, you will have time to hide evidence of misdoings. No, I will show up unannounced."

"What if we aren’t present?" he asked.

"I will search the house."

Thuraya said, "We don’t feel comfortable with this."

"You are guests in this country which means you have to follow the rules. Refusing to comply will result in your immediate removal from the country. If this is displeasing, you still have time to leave as your ship has not left."

Thuraya clicked her tongue. "No, we will obey your rules. Will you help us with our bags?"

Usoro smiled, "Affirmative, foreigner."

He rolled his eyes. "If we are going to see more of you, please call us by our names. I am Galen, she is Thuraya, and the little girl is Nessa."

"Affirmative, Galen."

Usoro followed behind the trio, carrying most of the group's bags. They arrived at the station without incident. The station was packed with people and had the bustling atmosphere that Zimachi failed to give. Usoro laid the bags on the ground and fixed her gloves. Thuraya gave him Nessa and walked over to the information desk to look at what train they needed to take. She talked to the attendant, returning to the group with the tickets in hand.

She said, "Train 127 will take us to where we need to go. It boards in ten minutes."

He took his and Nessa's ticket from her. Senior Officer Usoro took out a piece of paper and a writing utensil, saying, "Give me your address. I will check up on you soon."

Thuraya wrote the address down. "How do you know that I'm writing the right house?"

Nessa gasped, "Why would you lie, Miss Thuraya?"

Usoro smiled, "It seems your child has been raised well. If you lie, I'll be forced to find you. You don't want me to find you."

Thuraya tried at a smile when Usoro took the paper. She folded the paper and placed it into her front pocket. She saluted and marched away. Thuraya called, "Hey! Do you want to know your future?"

Multiple heads looked at her. Usoro stopped but didn’t turn around. She called back, "Fortune telling is against regulation. I do not wish to anger the correctional officers."

Thuraya watched her retreating back. He grumbled, "Why do you have to say that all the time?"

"People's reactions are telling," Thuraya responded.

Nessa asked, "You can tell the future?"

Thuraya crouched down to look at her, "Yes, I can. Few people can do it."

"Is it because you're an—" Thuraya covered Nessa's mouth.

She whispered, "Nessa, what have I told you about that word. You don't want to hurt somebody's feelings, do you?"

He crouched next to Thuraya, "Yes, we shouldn't say that."

Nessa removed Thuraya's hand and whispered back, "I'm sorry. I forgot."

Thuraya ruffled Nessa's hair. "It's okay, little star. Try to remember for me and Mister Galen."

Nessa nodded her head violently, "I'll remember. I promise."

He clutched Nessa's hand, "We should go to where our train boards."

Thuraya stood up and motioned with her hand, "Let's go."

The three of them lined up behind all the other passengers. He heard the train approaching as the rumble shook the station a tad. Nessa bounced on her feet, leaning forward to catch sight of the locomotive. The train honked its horn, the sound blaring through the station. A cloud of steam drew closer.

The steam train was the technological marvel of Zamsune. They had spread to the rest of Octaris, the great continent, but few had the amount Zamsune did. Tracks crisscrossed the country, totaling almost thirty-five thousand miles. It was the fastest land transportation by far and cut down travel time drastically. Efficiency in the country increased as cargo could be transported quickly, and cities sprung up in even the most remote parts of the country.

The train squealed to a stop. Thuraya grabbed Nessa's other hand and lead her to their seat. Their luggage trailed behind them, carried on by a train steward. Galen lifted their bags into the overhand compartment. They let Nessa take the window seat. The train took off soon after. She excitedly looked out the window, watching the scenery pass.

"We're going so fast the trees are whooshing by!" Nessa said.

"They are. Nothing's faster than this," he remarked.

The rest of the train ride consisted of Nessa oohing and aahing at everything she saw out the window. He and Thuraya watched her silently, relaxing in the presence of her childish curiosity. Thuraya's house wasn’t far away from Zimachi, so their stop was the first stop. However, it still took several hours to arrive. Halfway through the ride, Nessa had tired herself out and rested on Thuraya. Once they arrived at the station, Thuraya shook Nessa awake. The little girl blinked tiredly and leaned on Thuraya for support. Thuraya left him to bring the bags. He struggled to carry them all, but he eventually piled them on in a way that allowed him to bear the weight of the luggage.

They exited the train, stopping to think about their next step. He asked, "How far away is your house?"

Thuraya inspected a map that was pinned to one of the station walls. "Um, it should be a twenty-minute walk from here." She glanced at the bags at his feet. "We might be able to get a coach if you don't want to carry the bags."

He softly kicked one of them. "I can carry them if you'll help. If not, I want the coach."

Thuraya gestured to Nessa, who had fallen back asleep. "I have to support her, so I can't carry too many. I can grab one or two."

He said, "Let's take the coach."

"Alright."

He shouldered the weight of the bags again. They walked to the entrance of the station and waited to see if a coach would arrive. The clopping of the horse hooves advanced toward them, and a driver came into view, slowing to a stop in front of them.

"Need a ride?" he asked.

"Do you take silver?" Thuraya replied.

"Yes, ma'am."

Thuraya and Nessa climbed into the back with the luggage. He slid in next to the driver, who tipped his hat. "Where am I going?"

He rattled off the address and the driver started the coach. They arrived at the house quickly, unloading the cart and paying the driver. Thuraya had Nessa on her back and rustled through one of her bags for the keys. He stared at the small cottage and said, "This is the house."

"This is the house," Thuraya confirmed, "It's homely but will suit our purposes."

She jingled the keys and walked to the front door. He followed behind her. He had to admit that it could’ve been worse.