Immanuel's eyes widened as the coastline came into clear view, revealing an island adorned with mountains further inland. As they drew nearer, he could see pristine white beaches and slender, towering trees lining the shore.
"We should lower the sails; we don't want to risk running aground," Syl suggested, equally captivated by the sight.
Together, they efficiently lowered all three sails before making their way to the bridge again, where Zach was seated in the captain's chair.
"May I?" Syl inquired, eager to take the helm.
Zach rose, giving his place to her, and joined Immanuel by the window, both peering out at the approaching island. As the island's image filled the window, Immanuel noticed the coral reefs below.
"Slow down," he cautioned, and Syl immediately responded. "Coral reefs ahead." The reefs were a vibrant tapestry of shapes, colors, and sizes, still at a safe depth. Syl reduced the ship's speed to a gentle crawl.
She skillfully maneuvered the boat, edging closer to the island. Navigating through a natural trench. When the water became too shallow to proceed, she brought the ship to a gentle halt.
"Time to drop the anchor," Syl said. They made their way to the stern, where a massive anchor awaited. It resembled an arm with a double-bucket excavator claw, attached to a thick chain. An opening in the railing allowed for the anchor's deployment.
As they prepared to anchor, Immanuel observed its unique mechanism. "It needs to be charged with cores. When it hits the seabed, it'll grab onto it. To release, just flip this switch here," she explained, indicating a switch positioned on the deck.
Together, they started pushing the anchor overboard. It used only a fraction of the attached chain before hitting the seabed, stirring up debris in the crystal-clear water. Syl flipped the switch, and they watched as sharp, barbed spikes shot out, anchoring firmly into the ground and coral, sending more debris floating.
"Let's secure the rest of the chain to these stumps," Syl said, pointing to two iron stumps. Once the boat was securely anchored, they lowered the speedboat into the water, watching it splash dramatically.
They all jumped in eager to explore the island. Syl took the helm of the speedboat, starting the engine. "Do we have everything we need?" Syl asked.
"Definitely," Immanuel confirmed, excitement evident in his voice. As they sped away from their ship, they were greeted by a world of aquatic beauty. Colorful fish darted around them, some solitary, others in schools. Ahead lay a pristine white beach.
The warm, tropical waters caressed Immanuel's skin as they reached the beach and they jumped out to pull the boat on shore. Stepping onto the sand, all three of them felt a surge of joy at having finally found land.
The beach was lined with tall, slender trees, their large green leaves rustling gently in the breeze. Beyond the sandy stretch, the dense treeline hinted at the rich wilderness within.
"You want to explore now?" Immanuel asked.
"Why not?" Zach replied, already venturing towards the trees. Immanuel drew his sword, ready for whatever could jump out to them..
They trailed behind Zach, who had transformed into his Lycan form. The forest's ambiance shifted dramatically, filled with the distant calls of unknown animals. Zach sniffed the air, his nose high.
The lush environment was alive with vibrant ferns and buzzing insects. The beach's sand gradually gave way to mud as they ventured deeper into the forest.
The terrain began to slope upwards, marking the start of a mountainous region. Despite the challenging landscape, Zach pressed on.
Immanuel's attention was drawn to a carcass on the forest floor. Only pristine white bones remained, but the size suggested the creature had been as large as a buffalo.
Zach clearly enjoyed the freedom of the land after the confinement of the ship. He occasionally dropped to all fours, sprinting ahead with exhilarating speed, with Syl and Immanuel trailing behind. Abruptly, Zach halted and sniffed the air, then gestured for them to stay back as he ventured forward alone.
After a short while, a commotion erupted from ahead. Rushing towards the noise, they found Zach grappling with a massive bird, easily four times his size, which he had discovered nesting. Among the twigs and foliage of the nest lay two eggs, one of which was already broken.
"Nice!" Immanuel exclaimed, impressed by Zach's hunting skills.
Zach carried the bird to Immanuel, placing it at his feet, then returned to the nest to lap up the contents of the broken egg. Syl gingerly picked up the intact egg.
"We have a few more hours of daylight. Let's climb the mountain for a better view," Immanuel suggested when he stored the bird.
Immanuel led the way up the mountain, his pace steady. Soon, Zach overtook him, his nose twitching as he scanned the terrain. The dense jungle gave way to rocky outcrops as they walked up the mountain.
As they continued their climb, the landscape transitioned to a more rugged terrain. Sparse trees dotted the area, and the mountain's imposing presence loomed large above them. They soon reached a natural lookout point, just before the cliff rose steeply.
From this outlook, they had a sweeping view of the island. Their ship appeared as a tiny speck in the bay, with lush greenery stretching out until it was interrupted by the mountain.
Zach, now back in his human form, pointed out something in the distance. Syl and Immanuel strained their eyes, trying to see what he saw.
"What are you looking at? Can you guide me there?" Immanuel asked, puzzled.
Zach did not respond.
"Do you see that fissure in the mountain? I am looking there, guide me to what you see..." Immanuel tried again.
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"Down," Zach murmured. Then Syl's voice cut through, "Yes, I see it. A stone structure."
Immanuel felt a twinge of frustration at not spotting it himself. "Zach, can you lead us there tomorrow?"
"Yes," Zach replied confidently.
"Let's head back and have dinner," Immanuel suggested. They retraced their steps, Zach leading the way at a brisk pace, and soon arrived back at the beach.
"Let's gather some wood for cooking and eat on deck," Immanuel proposed. He had already cooled his core and extracted his ax, ready to chop down some trees. He reveled in the task, exerting his full power and delighting in the way the bark splintered under his forceful strikes. He felled three trees, methodically chopping them into manageable pieces.
Handing the ax to Syl for the final tree, Immanuel took a moment to cool down his core again. Syl's strength was formidable, her blows landing with the force of a jackhammer. It was always a sight to behold, such power coming from a slender woman.
Once the task was complete, Immanuel gathered the wood and they loaded it onto the speedboat. Syl piloted them back to the ship under a star-filled sky. The warm night made for a pleasant journey.
After docking the speedboat and climbing aboard the ship using the anchor, Syl headed below deck to prepare the oven. Immanuel arranged the table and chairs on the top deck. He retrieved one of the smaller dolphins and summoned the bird.
Zach, sitting on his haunches, began to prepare the bird, plucking it and eating it at the same time.
Syl returned with the bone barbecue she made. Immanuel began to break some of the collected wood into smaller pieces. As Syl set up the oven on the table and started preparing the fish, Immanuel lit it with his lighter, the flames catching quickly. He also lit his pipe, placing a couple of larger wood pieces on the fire to sustain it.
“We’re out of drinks, right?” Immanuel inquired, looking around.
“There are still three behind the left couch,” Syl informed him. Immanuel gave her a curious glance, but she continued with her task, ignoring him.
He found the drinks and returned to the barbeque.
As he watched Syl skillfully place the first large pieces of fish on the barbecue, he drew deep puffs from his pipe, a contemplative look on his face.
Turning his attention to Zach, Immanuel asked, “What do you want, Zach?” He realized, in that moment, how little he truly knew about the little guy.
Zach didn’t respond immediately, prompting Immanuel to clarify, “I mean, in general, from life. What are your aspirations? Do you have any desire to explore different places or cities?”
Syl paused her cutting to look at Immanuel, a frown creasing her forehead, adding an eerie quality to her expression with those elongated fingers and being completely bald.
Immanuel, tending to the fish and stoking the fire more for enjoyment than necessity, was caught off guard by Zach's response. "Power," Zach murmured softly, then added after a pause, "and a pack."
"A pack of Lycans?" Immanuel queried, trying to understand.
"A loyal pack," Zach said softly, focusing on placing a large chunk of the bird on the barbecue.
Syl's attention shifted to him as he asked her too, “Syl want do you want?”
"I want to protect you," she said simply. Immanuel laughed, thinking she was joking, but she remained serious.
"I mean, like, your goals, your aspirations in life," he clarified.
"To protect you," she repeated, her tone matter-of-fact as she attended to the fish.
The sincerity in her words gave Immanuel pause. Then, turning the question back on him, Syl asked, "What about you? What do you want?"
‘That is a good question.’ Immanuel thought, ‘when I came here I only wanted to survive, but now…’
“I was dropped into the wilderness, what feels like a lifetime ago. And ever since, I have just been surviving. A day at a time...
… Now what do I want?”
Immanuel savored the flavors of his drink, contemplating their future. He took a thoughtful puff from his pipe, releasing a stream of smoke into the air.
"I want to make a map of the entire planet," he said.
Syl laughed at that.
"A map? What do you mean?" she inquired, her amusement giving way to curiosity.
"Exactly that," Immanuel explained. "Like a city map, showing locations and landmarks. But I want to map the entire planet – its landscapes, its seas, every nook and cranny."
"Is that even possible?" Syl asked, skepticism creasing her forehead.
"Most certainly. I need skills and equipment we currently don’t have. So, when we reach the next city, I plan to learn what I can. Cartography is an art form.
They ate in silence after that, enjoying the bird, egg and fish.
----
"Let's all go to bed and lock the hatch and doors. I feel pretty safe here. Or do you think we should have a watch schedule?" Immanuel asked.
"Fine by me," Syl agreed. “No watch that is.”
They finished their meal discarding the leftovers overboard. Immanuel tidied up the deck with a towel, and they settled into a comfortable silence again, soaking in the tranquility of the evening.
Zach retired to his couch on the bridge, closing the door behind him. Immanuel and Syl remained seated together, enjoying each other's quiet company.
Immanuel was debating internally whether to ask Syl about her plans on where to sleep, but decided against it. However, as they prepared to retire for the night, passing by her room, she stopped and it felt like a dagger through the heart.
"You can sleep in my bed, if you'd like. I'm not sure how your room feels now after ascension. It was… dirty." He said, internally thinking it was the dumbest excuse he could have used.
After a brief pause, she simply replied, "Oh yes," and followed him to his room.
Inside, Immanuel removed his robes and lay down on the bed. Syl, with a subtle movement, let her garment fall, revealing that she was only in her underwear.
She lay down facing Immanuel,. 'Should I say something? Or does she just want to sleep?' Immanuel wondered.
Lying on his side too, Immanuel saw Syl had closed her eyes. He thought about the significance of her earlier statement about wanting to protect him. 'Is it something very deep, or simply a practical necessity for her, being dependent on my blood? Is that even important?' he wondered, his thoughts circling until he noticed her breathing deepen into the rhythm of sleep. Not long after, he too drifted off to sleep.
---
With the arrival of morning, Immanuel awoke to find Syl facing him with eyes closed, lying on her stomach, the early sunlight brightening the room. He couldn't help but admire her form, especially the charming sight of her in white underwear. Lost in this reverie, he looked up to meet her eyes, now open and observing him.
"Uh, good morning," he stammered, quickly averting his eyes. She remained silent.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked in an attempt to break the awkwardness, reaching for his robes and beginning to dress.
As Syl stretched and spoke, Immanuel couldn't help but notice her physique, a mix of strength and grace and two beautiful perky round breasts.
“Yes. Very good.” She answered while stretching.
Her casual approach to nudity and physicality made Immanuel wonder about the goings on in the sect. In her world, perhaps nudity didn't carry the same meaning as in his. Or, considering her past experiences with illness, maybe concepts of intimacy and physicality never really played a part in her life?