“So, we’re not really calling it Half-Cookie right?” Meladee asked, from her place at the helm.

“Absolutely not,” Eva agreed, from the weapon’s console.

“I was exhausted,” Camellia said. She got the copilot’s station. “And, I was hungry. It was the first thing I thought of.”

Camellia rubbed her arm where Eva had first injected her with medicine. They had waited a full forty-eight hours and scanned Camellia for infection. Eva dosed Camellia repeatedly, kindly picking new places to stab. Camellia remained infection free, though Eva noted that Camellia had increased immune activity, whatever that meant.

Meladee had added a spell to their efforts, something unfortunately of Agaric Healer make. Meladee cast the circle and declared Camellia free of foreign matter in her body – or foreign thoughts in her mind.

Camellia smiled faintly. She was sore from their prodding, but her mind felt free. She didn’t need a spell or injection to tell her that no part of her was Ul’thetos. She could sit on the bridge, with her friends, and feel like herself.

Meladee crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “I’ll think of something else. I’m not going to miss a chance to name this ship.”

Camellia smiled. She looked out the window. A field of far-off galaxies filled her view. Iruedim floated to the side.

This is wonderful. Everything I wanted. Everything...but not everyone.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Camellia and her friends resolved to stay off Iruedim, until they had a real reason to return. They wouldn’t bring a working spaceship to civilization, not when they needed it. They couldn’t risk its capture. They left Faustina on the beach. They left Ah’nee’thit, the cult, Adalhard, and Cernunnos in limbo.

Camellia bowed her head. If she had her way, Faustina would go home. Ah’nee’thit and Ul’thetos would be gone. The cult would return to their old lives; Cerunnos would be proud of her, and Adalhard would feel the same as she did.

“The wormhole just shifted and stabilized,” Eva announced. “As of this moment, it leads somewhere new.”

Camellia looked up.

“Do...do you want me to go through it?” Meladee asked.

Meladee, Camellia, and Eva shared a look.

“We can’t leave things like this,” Camellia said.

“We can’t fix them either.” Eva looked back at her board.

Meladee shrugged. “Ah’nee’thit gave me that impossible puzzle of a spell. I could work on that. Or, we could find help through the wormhole.”

Eva looked at Camellia. So, did Meladee. Camellia realized that they wanted to go. Only Camellia felt hesitant because she remembered Ul’thetos’ experience. What if there was nothing beyond the wormhole?

No, this time, there’s something. There has to be.

Camellia looked out the window. “Let’s go.”

“If you’re looking for the wormhole,” Eva said. “Meladee will have to turn the ship forty-five degrees starboard.”

Meladee complied. The ship rotated, and into the center of their view, slid the wormhole, looking like nothing more than a faint frozen bubble in space.

Camellia held her breath.

The ship started forward.

“Halfmoon,” Meladee said. “That’s the ship’s name.” Meladee shot Camellia an annoyed look. “I can’t stop thinking about cookies. That’s your fault. The most dignified cookie I can think of is a Halfmoon. Who knows? Maybe, they won’t have halfmoon cookies where we’re going, and they’ll think it’s an alright name.”

Eva cocked her head, and Camellia smiled.

“It fits,” Camellia agreed.

Meladee eased towards the wormhole, and Halfmoon drifted through.