PARAGON

The calm waves soothed Paragon's nerves as she slipped into the dawn-lit harbor. In the low light, she willed her ropes to moor her to the shiny cleats. This dock is only a few decades old. The liveship paused as she listened to the sound of footsteps emerge from the aftercastle.

"Good morning, Paragon," Travis smiled as he walked to the bow and looked out to the city. "So this is Treeport?"

He gazed out to the small city with its earthen buildings and the trees scattered among them. All the trees appeared to be about the same age, even in the large forest beyond the town. A few glowing crystals emerged randomly out of the ground along the sides of the roads, casting a small amount of light onto the walkways.

A small merchant area sat just beyond the docks, metal stalls, and stands lined the streets between the larger warehouses. Only a few buildings looked like homes, and all of them looked semi-lavish compared to the bland buildings closer to the water. Paragon's knowledge of this city wasn't as strong, but she suspected most of the homes were underground, a remnant of the time the country spent under darkness curse.

"Should I go get Miss Hibisca?" Travis looked out to the slowly-wakening docks, where deckhands switched shifts and made their morning rounds.

Paragon paused for a few moments, "Yes, go ahead and wake her. She did say the matter was urgent."

Travis nodded and walked back across the deck, then reentered the aftercastle and walked down the hallways. When he reached the officer's quarters, his knock musically resonated through the wooden door. "Miss Hibisca, we arrived at Treeport in Ulveria a minute ago. We will stay in port as long as you need."

Hibisca stirred and confusion filled her thoughts as she burst from her bead and shocked footsteps ran to the door. She opened it, then poked her head through the door while limiting Travis's view of her nightgown. "Sir, that is impossible, a journey between Yniris and Ulveria takes weeks, if not months. There's no way we are at Ulveria in only a few days. We have been out at sea for less than a week! It's impossible we already arrived."

"Paragon is a magic ship, she sails faster than any vessel I've ever seen. She practically flies through the waves." Travis smiled a bit and Paragon enjoyed the flattery. "You can go back to sleep if you would like. "I'll put the gangplank down and make breakfast down in the gallery if you would like to join me ."

As the woman nodded slowly, Travis waved and left her to her business. After he lowered the gangplank, he walked towards the galley door. 'She didn't believe me, but I told her.' After he entered, he pulled out some slices of meat from the refrigeration box and set it into a pan, then sliced some of the bread. "What do you think I should make her for breakfast?"

'Anything will work, but I don't know if she is going to stay on board.' Paragon mentally chuckled as she felt the second officer's door open. 'Hibisca just left her room and is running to the deck to see for herself.'

Travis chuckled a bit as he spread butter on his bread. 'I wish I could see her shocked face.'

'I can share it.' Paragon inwardly grinned as Hibisca gripped the railing and awed at the city illuminated under the rising sun's golden glow. The liveship shared her view of Hibisca with her captain.

'I think she's learned the lesson to never underestimate you.' Travis laughed a bit as he continued to enjoy his food. 'A lesson I learned the hard way as well.'

Paragon mentally grinned, then refocused on Hibisca as she raced down the gangplank and the dock. As she passed under Paragon's bowsprit, she yelled up to the figurehead, "Paragon, I will be back in a few hours!"

Paragon silently acknowledged her, though the Ulven never received the liveship's mental affirmation and never noticed the subtle nod. "She said she'll be back, we'll stay in this dock as long as we need. We don't have any goods that will be good to trade, but we can still buy things to trade later." Paragon mentally grinned. "I would love to go to Rein and get some ejon as well, but we'll have to get some goods elsewhere first."

Travis nodded as he finished his breakfast. "I'll go out and buy some things, and once she returns, we can head towards Kerbi as we planned."

"Afterwards, we could stop by Florai in Gracia for some flower and crop seeds," Paragon mentally agreed with Travis's plan. "Then use them to get ejon from Rien, some to trade and some to keep. I've heard rumors it is a very soft textile.'

Travis chuckled as he walked out of the galley and left the ship. "I'll be back soon, keep me updated."

Soothing waves rhythmically beat against her hull, the abrasive sand from each watery surge tried to damage the invincible wood. A storm on the far horizon threatened to arrive.

"By the stars, that storm is arriving quickly. It may overtake us." A voice aged by seafaring flowed with the wind as the owner held his hood with one hand and the railing with another. "Paragon, maybe we should delay departure and wait out the storm, it looks strong." The wind briefly tore his hood off, but the man quickly pulled it back over his feline ears.

Every timber rumbled as Paragon heartily laughed over the howling winds, then turned and grinned towards her Stellan companion. "Captain Starport, do you doubt? I can easily out-speed that puny storm. Even if it overtakes us, I will not sink, and you will stay dry." The figurehead grinned.

"Well then, Paragon, let's depart." Captain Starport smiled at the silver figurehead with a gleam in his faded green eyes. "I will thank Lihania every day for your creation. Only the stars know what would have happened to me without you." He approached Paragon, then gently stroked her head. "What port do you think we should visit first? Light provided us plenty of money."

The ship paused, then wagged her tail with the excitement of a young child, "How about we go to Gracia and pick up some lumber and tree saplings? The map says those are a highly needed resource in west Sahanu right now."

Captain Starport chuckled softly, "Just like Lihania, always wanting to help others. So let's set sail!"

Paragon gleefully cheered as she rode the next swell off of the tiny island's sandy bank and into the open ocean.

Paragon paused from her daydreaming as footsteps approached her down the docks. "Paragon, I'm back." Hibisca stood on the dock beneath the figurehead. "I brought money to pay you got your wonderful service. I cannot thank you enough for the service you have done for me."

Paragon paused for less than a second. This place is full of magic, it should be fine for me to act alive. The liveship moved her head as she smiled down to the Ulven. "It was my pleasure to assist you. I hope we made it in time." She dangled from the bowsprit by her tail so she could be eye level with the humanoid.

"You arrived sooner than my wildest dreams, I cannot thank you enough." Hibisca wrapped her arms around the liveship's head. "Thank you, Paragon. I've never met a vessel as beautiful or swift as you."

Paragon blinked in surprise, then closed her star sapphire eyes as a purr escaped her throat. "It was my pleasure to help you."

"I do not know how to thank you enough," Hibisca smiled as she released the figurehead's head from her hug.

"Your happiness is all the thanks I need," Paragon promised with a nod. "It was my pleasure to help you."

"Here, it's not as much as I truly think you deserve for your speedy and comfortable service, but I hope this is enough." Hibisca reached her hand into the bag draped over her shoulder, then pulled out a money pouch the size of her hand. The Ulven smiled as she pressed the object into one of the liveship's paws.

Paragon blinked in surprise as she realized the amount within the cloth pouch. "Madam Hibisca, there is no way in the oceans I can accept this much—" Her mouth hung agape as Hibisca stopped her.

"Please accept." Her pale blue eyes sparkled in the light of the sun. "You deserve much more than this, so please accept this much." Hibisca gently pressed the money pouch into Paragon's paw.

"Very well, but please allow me to pack your bags and move them to the deck for you," Paragon insisted as she magically added the coin bag to her hull. "It is the least I can do for you."

"No, I can do it, there's no need for you to leave the bow," Hibisca quickly assured, "I do not wish to bother you."

Paragon smiled in assurance as she magically packed all of Hibisca's bags and neatly stacked them on her deck next to the gangplank. "It's no bother," she assured in a gentle voice.

"Sister! Get away from that sea monster!" A carriage driver rushed over, the feline animals hitched to the vehicle ran at full speed before it came to a sudden stop in front of the vessel. "I'll protect you!" The driver dramatically leaped out of his seat as he blasted a bit of magic at Paragon's face.

"Dyer! No!" Hibisca tried to stop her brother, but the magic still impacted Paragon's face. "oH! PaRaGoN, ArE yOu HuRt? Oh PlEaSe Be UnHaRmEd! He DiDn't mean it!"

"Paragon? Paragon! Are you ok?" Travis's mental voice echoed in the liveship's mind. "I lost you for a second!"

"Just an accident, don't worry about me." Paragon quickly shook off the ringing in her ears and blinked the fog out of her eyes. "I am fine, it takes more than that to take me down," Paragon promised as she fully recovered. "It only stunned me for a moment."

Hibisca sighed in relief, "thank the light." After a sharp inhale, she faced the male Ulven. "Brother! This is Paragon, the ship that brought me here."

Dyer blinked in surprise and looked to Paragon's silver visage, then back to his sister. "When you said the ship was alive and had a sea serpent figurehead, I didn't think it could leave the bow and hang from the bowsprit."

Hibisca released a frazzled exhale as she shook her head. "Beautiful figurehead, please forgive my brother for his ignorance."

Dyer jumped in surprise as his sister subtly nudged him in the side. "Yes, I am very sorry, Miss Paragon."

Paragon smiled a bit at the flattery, "all is forgiven, I am not unfamiliar with misunderstandings." She assuredly smiled. "It was just a stunning spell, you should be honored to have such a loving brother." As the female Ulven blinked in surprise, the liveship continued. "I also already packed your bags for you and moved them onto the deck. I know you said you did not want to bother me, but it was not a bother at all. I wanted to make sure you could get home with all of your luggage as soon as you needed, given your urgency."

"Oh Paragon, you are so kind," Hibisca smiled. "I will tell everyone in Ulvera of your kindness and speed."

Paragon blinked in surprise. "You are too kind, thank you. I hope you have a safe journey, wherever you go."