Zalan stood alone, looking out at the darkening horizon. The sun had dipped away in the time it took to clear the lower deck of its damage. Rep wanted to go and find their sleeping quarters and make sure it wasn’t drenched in seawater. Zalan wanted to stay up top and watch the horizon, feeling mildly motion sick after being on the lower decks for so long. Zalan stood wondering what the rest of the journey would be like. He recalled that it was dangerous to be outside city walls after dark. But that was in regards to land. He wondered if the same rules applied at sea. Would they be in danger so long as they were on the journey? If that was the case, perhaps battling Morloch the Manipulator would be the easiest part of the quest.
“The captain says the meal is ready a bit early. We should be getting to dinner now,” Rep appeared. He swallowed hard, sounding a hint repulsed at the idea.
“Yeah, we might as well get this over with. Let’s go get Nold,” Zalan said, also somewhat reluctant.
“We are bringing him along? He can come on his own.”
“He pretty much saved us, the least we owe him is to help him get some food. He looks pretty out of it,” Zalan said. Rep nodded.
They walked over to their mentor who lay on the deck with his arms extended, breathing deeply. It had been at least thirty minutes since he last used any energy, but he still looked utterly exhausted. His eyes were closed and he occasionally would massage a sore part of his arms before extending them out once more.
“Come on, Nold. We’re gonna get some food. Want me to help you up?” Zalan asked.
“Did you see me?” Nold asked, opening one eye.
“Did I see you keep the ship up? Yeah,” Zalan said.
“I wanted to show you how important this trip is to me,” Nold said. He quickly adjusted his phrasing. “Your trip, that is. I made a mistake regarding the Poniwhale. I am hoping I have rectified the situation. And perhaps, your opinion of me. I apologize for my rash decision making earlier.”
Zalan raised an eyebrow and looked up at Rep. Rep shrugged, his lips downturned in confusion. Nold had never been this forthcoming. Zalan considered that his fatigue may have made him feel more vulnerable.
“We’re good, Nold,” Zalan said.
“That is good,” Nold smiled graciously.
“You want dinner, or what?” Zalan asked.
“My limbs refuse to stand. I am at my limit. Just bring the meal out to me,” Nold said, closing his eye once more.
Rep and Zalan nodded and immediately left. They didn’t need to be told twice to not have to have dinner with Nold. Rep knocked lightly on the captain’s door only to find that it was already open.
“Enter!” Captain Buttonwillow called to them.
They walked inside and took a moment to look around Captain Buttonwillow’s quarters. The captain’s room was small and incredibly cramped. Captain Buttonwillow had a comically large table in the center of the room that took up most of the space. There was a little hammock above, not intruding with the space designated for the dining table and chairs. There were papers thrown on the hammock, indicating to Zalan that Captain Buttonwillow probably used the dining table as an office table whenever he wasn’t hosting people for monster dinners.
The table had a plate for every passenger of the ship, even those not present. Each plate had a misshapen piece of cooked meat from the Poniwhale. The meat was colored purple, even after being cooked. Rep looked nauseous at the sight and Zalan poked at it lightly with a supplied fork. All the utensils looked dull and were made of wood, likely granted to them by Rosemary’s Elemental Power.
“Welcome! Welcome to the esteemed ones, please, be seated,” Captain Buttonwillow pointed with open palms to unoccupied chairs. The table was so big that he was pinned against the wall. “Where is the other one? Nold, was it?”
“He has decided to have his food delivered,” Rep said.
“Hmmm,” Captain Buttonwillow grunted, seemingly disappointed by the reply. “I wished to thank him for his good work in saving us. I did not know we had another Elemental Water user on board! And one so powerful as well!”
“We did not know he could control water that well, either. He mostly focuses on using Elemental Sand.”
“Oh, he has two Elements?”
“Three. Sand, Water, and Fire.”
“I have never heard of someone with a third ability. How does one succeed in three different Elemental challenges?” Captain Buttonwillow asked, almost sounding jealous at the stories Nold could tell.
Zalan recalled that the challenges got exponentially more difficult for every power that one already had. He never got a straight answer before on how Nold got any of his powers. He never even wanted to reveal the fact he had Elemental Water Power until he was surprised during a training session with Rep. Zalan realized that there must be a reason Nold covered his fists in bulging gloves and his wrists in long sleeves. He never wanted to reveal his stats to not have to answer questions. And there was probably a story to tell regarding what happened to his hands, which was why he didn’t want to show them. There was always a perpetual mystery with Nold.
“That man has very good use of Water Elemental Power, right Enzo?” Captain Buttonwillow asked.
“Oh, yes. I could not have done it without him. He seems to have a little more Wisdom than me, but his range eclipses my own,” Enzo nodded.
Zalan and Rep looked at one another, thinking the same thing. Nold never liked to detail exactly what Level he was at. They knew Enzo was Level 8. If he had a little more Wisdom, could Nold be Level 9? But that seemed strange compared to the amount of Elemental Sand it seemed that he could create was enough to carry multiple people at once.
“Very well then, now that we are all here, we can begin,” Captain Buttonwillow decided.
“What about Magnolia?” Rep asked.
“She is pushing the Poniwhale’s body away before she keeps watch,” the captain replied.
“Pushing it away?” Zalan asked.
“Indeed! We could not completely clean the monster of its flesh. Its corpse will attract larger monsters that want a filling meal that will not fight back. We wish for those larger monsters to convene for their meal elsewhere,” Captain Buttonwillow explained. “Then, she is keeping watch for us. We must be vigilant at all times, even when celebrating our victories,” Captain Buttonwillow said, holding up a tight fist.
“Do you think she requires assistance? What if she grows bored and falls asleep?” Rep suggested, sounding eager to have an excuse to leave.
“Fear not! She is as unparalleled as she is incomparable. I asked for many references before hiring her and she received nothing but glowing reviews from other captains. She will ensure that our dinner goes uninterrupted,” Captain Buttonwillow said.
“Yes. Fantastic,” Rep said dryly, sounding as though an interrupted dinner is exactly what he wanted.
Zalan and Rep struggled to seat themselves at the table. The table was so large that there was barely any room for the dining chairs at its ends. Zalan’s chair scratched the wall multiple times as he struggled to fit himself in the chair. He finally slid his way in, sucking in his gut to barely fit. His stomach was pushed right up against the table as he sat. Rep could only get half his body into his chair, a leg hanging out awkwardly to the side. He still folded his arms at the table, trying to look at ease so as not to offend the host.
“Welcome all, to my quarters. I wanted to personally thank you all for your handiwork in safeguarding The Aegeusson,” Captain Buttonwillow said. “The journey has only just been initiated and already you all have proven your value to our crew. Even Rep and Zalan, who insisted that they are more than mere cargo, but fully abled supporters to The Aegeusson’s life!”
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Captain Buttonwillow clapped his hands three times lightly as a form of applause. By the time anyone thought to join in, he was already done and making his next proclamation.
“Xavier! There was something I detected in the way you acted when we were walloped by the monster. Zalan and I both found ourselves slung mercilessly into the air, but you deemed him to be the one to save. I fell into the water, soaked from head to toe…” Captain Buttonwillow said, staring at Xavier.
The eccentric energy in the room dampened, suddenly feeling very warm and awkward. Captain Buttonwillow let the silence hang for a few seconds to build dramatic tension.
“Well done, Xavier!” Captain Buttonwillow said suddenly. He gave his three-clap applause. “Let this be a lesson for you, Enzo and Rosemary. I should come last. Guests and crew, then captain, too! Do you understand?”
“Yes, captain,” the three said together. Xavier was beaming at the praise he had received.
“If you understand, then say it with me,” Captain Buttonwillow said.
“Guests and crew, then captain too,” the ship’s crew sang together.
Rep and Zalan looked at one another, uncomfortable. Zalan felt like he was taking part in a dinner party with rich people he didn’t understand. Or stranger yet, it felt like he was watching a school teacher interact with his students. Rep had no frame of experience to compare this to and just felt out of his element. They didn’t know if they were supposed to be reacting in a particular way to Captain Buttonwillow’s words.
“I understand that we must save the guests before we save the captain and crew,” Xavier said, sounding hesitant. “But I think our captain should come before our crew.”
“I agree,” Rosemary blurted out.
“I appreciate your perspective, but reject it outright. The captain should come as the final priority. In addition, I have already made a very memorable rhyme for us to remember, and I do not anticipate being able to come up with another without ruining the rhyme scheme,” Captain Buttonwillow spoke to both Xavier and Rosemary.
“But Captain Buttonwillow McKittrick…” Rosemary tried to protest.
“I will have no ‘buts’ unless that is the part of the Poniwhale I will soon be consuming. Now, I have made my orders regarding this clear and expect you to listen,” Captain Buttonwillow said.
He waited for any more protests, but no more were made. He smiled and nodded in satisfaction, looking to Enzo.
“Enzo, I feel that we would still be at work cleaning out incoming water to the lower deck were it not for your handy work at keeping our ship above the waves of the sea. For that, we commend you and Nold for exhausting yourselves to spare us our own exhaustion.”
Captain Buttonwillow clapped three times in succession, this time with Rosemary joining in the absurdly short applause.
“And Rosemary, I thank you for always being reliable when it comes to repairing our boat. The Aegeusson would not be what it is today without you. Literally,” Captain Buttonwillow blinked.
Rosemary went red in the face as Captain Buttonwillow, Xavier, and Ezno all applauded three times. None of them were able to clap at the same time and it came off like they were all losing a rhythm game.
“Now then, we should not delay dinner any longer,” Captain Buttonwillow said. “This is a Captain Buttonwillow McKittrick special. Poniwhale meat that has been flash frozen then cooked to perfection.”
The different cuts of meat were already on plates in front of each of the guests. They looked mangled, which wasn’t a surprise considering they were extracted with a sword less than an hour ago. Zalan poked at it with his fork again, looking a little uncomfortable. He looked up to Captain Buttonwillow to see whether he was eating. He was hoping he could only pretend to eat and just find something else in his quarters after dinner.
Instead, he saw the rest of the crew staring at him and Rep expectantly. Zalan noticed that Captain Buttonwillow didn’t have room for a chair, instead opting to do a wall sit and slide his way down to a sitting height. Rosemary offered to make him a chair, but he chortled at the thought and waved her off. Now, he stared intently at Zalan, leaning forward.
“What are you waiting for?” Zalan asked, clearing his throat.
“Oh, we never eat before our guests,” Captain Buttonwillow chuckled. The others around the table nodded diligently. Xavier was licking his lips, waiting to get a chance at his slab of Poniwhale meat.
“Oh, umm, you can eat before us. Please,” Zalan said awkwardly.
“Indeed, do not wait on our part. We… might be seasick?” Rep said desperately, looking to Zalan for support.
“Sure! Seasick. I haven’t been out on open water before. You should eat while we work up our appetite,” Zalan patted his stomach that was pushed up against the massive table.
“Please! Take as much time as you need, we can wait,” Captain Buttonwillow said patiently, smiling affably.
Rep and Zalan looked at one another, queasy smiles on their faces. Zalan took his wooden knife and cut off the tiniest morsel from the meat he could. Rep picked up the entire slab and looked it over. He swallowed hard, waiting to figure out how to go about it. Captain Buttonwillow leaned in, excited.
“On three?” Zalan murmured only loud enough for Rep to hear.
“Mmm,” Rep assented.
They didn’t count aloud, but after three seconds, both took small bites from the Poniwhale meat. They were no more than little smidgens of the slabs of meat. Xavier immediately breathed out in relief and began wolfing down his plate. Zalan chewed slowly, figuring out how he felt about the meat. Captain Buttonwillow smiled to himself, satisfied, and took a bite from his own plate.
Zalan felt like it was one of the strangest things he’d tasted in this realm. It wasn’t totally disgusting, but it tasted like processed meat. Like he was eating a stale chicken nugget served in an elementary school cafeteria. He hadn’t even thought of processed meat since leaving his reality, but there was that starchy, plastic-like aftertaste to it. Something about the flavor seemed eerie to him.
Fresh meat wasn’t supposed to taste processed as far as he knew. This realm wasn’t one of meat that was pumped with hormones. But the taste was hard to ignore. It was almost a nostalgic flavor, except he didn’t enjoy those meals as a child. He wondered if all monsters had this flavoring to it. Then he decided he didn’t want to know.
Rep swallowed hard, forcing the food down. He had a thousand yard stare, like he had made an incredible discovery. He leaned slowly toward his friend, keeping his voice low as he spoke.
“Zalan,” he said cautiously.
“Yeah?” Zalan asked, hoping Rep wasn’t going to throw up on him.
“This is the most delicious thing I have ever tasted,” Rep said.
Zalan looked at him, surprised. Rep was already taking another bite, this one much bigger than the first. An amazed smile stretched across his face.
“This is the best you’ve tasted?” Zalan asked, a little disappointed on his friend’s behalf.
“I can not imagine anything better,” Rep said, his mouth half full.
Zalan realized that he must have been spoiled. He wasn’t exactly a foodie back in his world, but he knew this wasn’t the peak of flavor. He was used to so many spices on his meat, that the plain food didn’t do much for his taste buds. He shrugged, pleased to see Rep happy with the meal.
“I am flattered by your enthusiasm,” Captain Buttonwillow said to Rep.
Rep nodded, shoving more food in his mouth. Zalan continued to eat small pieces, one at a time. He noted that Captain Buttonwillow was trembling as he ate, looking like he was at the limit of his strength. The wall sit he was performing was getting to him, but he was pretending everything was fine. Zalan wondered how long he was going to try and keep that up? He had to know everyone could see how uncomfortable he looked.
“Now we must entertain the guests,” Captain Buttonwillow groaned, sliding back up to a stand.
“No, please, really, we don’t need entertainment,” Zalan begged instantly.
“Nonsense, who eats food in silence? What do you wish to know about? I can recite to you many a tale!” Captain Buttonwillow assured him.
“I’m serious, I’m totally fine eating in silence,” Zalan said, growing warm in embarrassment.
“Perhaps you wish to know the origin of this beautiful table?” the captain nodded to the dining table far too big for his room.
“Uh, sure,” Zalan allowed.
“This was granted to me by the Mother of the Port, herself. Why, it was for being the first to grant her the title of ‘Mother of the Port!’ I thought that the name ‘Ma’ was too brutish for such a brilliant woman of her Elemental Power. She had herself aware of all ongoings of the port, so I would tell those around me to refer to her as the Mother of the Port. This act ingratiated me with her and she granted me captain hood of this fine vessel! With it, she granted me this table for my home. But the sea is my home, so here the table belongs,” Captain Buttonwillow knocked on it.
Zalan realized that these cramped quarters were Captain Buttonwillow’s own fault. He could have done anything with the table, but decided to squeeze it in here and ruin anyone’s chance of sitting comfortable.
“Ummm. Cool,” Zalan said, unsure how he was supposed to reply to the story.
“I am pleased you are pleased,” Captain Buttonwillow said. “Perhaps you wish to hear more stories?”
“That’s really not necessary.” Zalan wondered how long this dinner would drag on.
“Perhaps we will go with the usual favorite. We will go around the table and share the story of how we secured our Elemental Power,” Captain Buttonwillow said. “It is our tradition on the first night of travel. A way to form comradery by knowing our deepest struggles.” Captain Buttonwillow brought two palms close to his chest to emphasize the point.
Zalan didn’t have any more protest. He was curious to hear the others’ stories of how they overcame an Elemental’s challenge to gain their powers. He was always fascinated by the tales, wondering what kind of crazy things the Elementals came up with. Rep didn’t seem to notice the conversation, beating his chest to make more room for Poniwhale meat he wished to swallow. Zalan didn’t know Rep to gorge on his meals before. The monster meat brought something out of him that must have been buried deep under polite phrases and platitudes.
“Sure, entertainment sounds great. You want me to start with my own story?” Zalan asked.
“Our esteemed guests? They have a right to their stories in case they hold any secrets they do not wish to share. But my crew shares,” Captain Buttonwillow said. “Most of them, anyway,” he added with a grumble and a sidelong stare to Xavier.
“Enzo! Tell them the tale of how you became an Elementally Powered individual!” Captain Buttonwillow presented, sliding back down into a wall sit.