???

He's touching me. She barely controlled herself to remain perfectly still and silent as excitement bubbled within. Thankfully, she had full control of her mind, and willfully remained statue still. Now, how should I reveal myself? I do not want to scare him. She paused as the man stood from his previous seat by her side and turned back towards the deck.

"Anyone? Please?" His voice cracked as he screamed. While he waited for a response, his fear reverberated through her timbers.

Her soul lurched toward him as she recognized their shared need for companionship. She slowly lowered her head and looked towards her webbed talons. With a silent exhale, she looked at the shipwrecked male. "I'm sorry if I scared you," she softly spoke, but mentally scolded herself for her poor word choice. I could have said something better than that! Perhaps I am not in as much control over my mind as I thought.

He froze and slowly turned to face her. When he remained in frozen silence, the wooden figure flinched and clamped her fin. "I'll just take you to your home," she swiftly returned to her proper position, then broke it a second later. "Ummm... I'm sorry, but where are you from?" She didn't look directly at him as she slightly bowed her head. She raised the anchor and unraveled her sails.

The shipwrecked sailor jumped as the canvas snapped as it filled with an unfelt wind. Despite the movement, the vessel still did not list or rock. "What are you?" He managed to speak.

At least he is not horrified. I think I even sense some curiosity within him. "My name is Paragon." She tilted her head very slightly.

"You're...you're the boat?" The lost sailor blinked and briefly surveyed her decks, "but where is your crew?"

"I had a captain many years ago, but his soul has long passed," Paragon watched the waves break against her bow and felt the current rush past her keel. "I can serve as the entire crew, but without someone to act as my captain, I cannot trade or be of service. There is only one port that will accept me as I am, but I cannot trade goods with a single open port."

The man frowned a bit, "I wish I could help, but thank you for rescuing me." Travis smiled softly to her, to the figurehead's glee. "My name is Travis, from Port Snivin, but my dad is a shipwright, so you can dock at the shipyard just north of town and drop me off there."

"Well..., perhaps you would like to be my captain?" Paragon's claws gripped the wooden deck as she tried to restrain herself, but the bubble of nervous excitement within her refused to quell.

"No, I couldn't; I only have a few months of experience as a ship's boy. I couldn't be a captain." Travis raised his open hands between them. "I'm not a true sailor; my dad forced me to be a part of a ship for the experience."

"But you know your way around a ship," the silver figurehead tried to shove her growing disappointment aside as she mentally scolded herself for how desperate she sounded. "all you would have to do is organize the trade deals and interact with people. I will do everything else."

"I don't look like a strong, tough captain. No one would respect a scrawny man like me. I'd never get any good deals." Travis shook his head violently as he spoke. "I'm sorry," a guilty glint remained in his eyes.

"I'll take you straight home then," Paragon kept her fin from flattening as she once again focused on the ocean before her. Her excitement had slowed her down, so she willed her sails to catch the wind better.

Once she resumed her speed, she spoke to the shipbuilder's son without looking at him, "feel free to sleep in any room you like, including the captain's quarters. You are probably tired from the time you spent adrift, and we should arrive at your home in the morning."

"Did I drift that far?" Travis's breath caught in his throat. "I was at least a week's journey away when the storm overwhelmed us. How many days was I adrift? How am I alive? Where's everyone else?"

"I do not know," the ship replied, "but I am among the fastest vessels to ride the ocean waves." She decided not to reveal her true reign as the fastest or her knowledge that his boat sank a mere twelve hours previous. Admittedly, she did not know the fate of his crewmates.

Travis hummed and looked out to the glass-like ocean. "You are a beautiful ship, whomever captains you should be appreciative of it. A fine ship such as yourself deserves a fine captain."

Paragon nodded as her sapphire eyes remained trained on the sea. Will I ever find a new captain? Or am I fated to wander alone for eternity? If she were real, tears would be running down her snout.

The figurehead inaudibly sighed as she closed her wooden eyelids. Despite no longer "seeing" the sun, she could still sense her surroundings along with the contents held in her hull. Nothing had changed. She tried to find peace with the calm ocean and the rhythmic crashing of the waved against her bow, but fear and loneliness were creeping back into the forefront of her thoughts.

Inwardly, she squirmed as if a worm had bored into her impervious timbers. Maybe it would be better to succumb to rot and sink. After a brief pause, she forcibly shoved the thought aside, as to her knowledge, there was no way to remove her invincibility. Perhaps Horizon can help; she defeated immortality. I should speak to her, even if I have no news to bring her.

"Paragon?" Travis's voice broke her from her trance. After another moment, her eyes opened as he asked another question, "are you all right?" A worried frown creased his face.

"I was simply thinking," she stood and pulled her long, flattened tail from where it hung over the railing. "I can show you the other rooms if you do not desire to sleep in the captain's quarters." She slowly stepped off of the prow and onto the planks of the white deck.

She felt his shock reverberate through the wood, then once again replaced herself to her proper place as the figurehead. "I apologize; I did not intend to startle you." She bowed her head. "I will simply open the proper doors for you and remain here." Somehow, she managed to increase her speed further.

"You're not... you can move off of the bow?" The shipwright's son moved so he could better inspect where one of her paws met the rest of the ship. "You look like you are attached."

"I am attached to the ship, but the point of attachment freely changes as needed." The wooden sea serpent raised the webbed foot he was studying, then gently returned it. "I am free to move about the ship as I please as long as I am still attached somewhere."

"How were you made? What are you made from? Who made you?" Travis's eyes glimmered in curiosity. "I've never seen a liveship, and none of the ones I have heard about are as impressive as you."

Paragon would have blushed if her wooden form allowed it. "Most liveships are constructed out of lifewood," she decided that was enough of an answer, "But I do not know of anything beyond that." A small white lie, but some information she desired to save for her captain or keep to herself.

"You are beautiful; whoever carved you was exceptionally skilled." He reached a hand towards her, then hesitated. "Do you mind if I touch you? I don't want to offend you by petting you like an animal."

"Feel free," her voice held a bit more enthusiasm than she intended, and she mentally scolded herself for her lack of control. She quickly composed her mental state, "I do not mind, I am somewhat animalistic in that regard. The more humanoid figureheads prefer their hands held or their hair fingered, but a simple caress feels wonderful to me." She kept her tone flat and calm, despite her inward desperate plea for contact from the human.

Travis gently brushed her scales and fins with his fingertips and marveled at the intricacy of the details. "Earlier, you were stiff, but now everything moves as if it's alive. Can you stiffen at will or do you have to become dormant to do so?"

"I can do it at will," she replied, "but I cannot become dormant. I am always aware, both inside and out of myself. This figurehead is more of a figure for one to speak with and easily perceive."

"So, you are the entire ship and not just the figurehead?" Travis slowly blinked in surprise. "That's how you can do everything." He froze as slow realization crossed his face and his fingers lifted from Paragon's carved hide. Eventually, he spoke, "I went inside of you, does that mean you technically ate me?" He scratched the back of his head, "How does this all work?"

"Do not think of it too hard," Paragon stifled a chuckle, "I was made to be lived in, like a magic house. Do not worry, I can only eat through the figurehead's mouth. If it helps, you can think of me as just the figurehead, and I control the ship." She smiled in a desperate attempt to calm him and calm herself.

Am I telling him too much and making him despise me? She struggled to keep images of an ax flying at her face out of her mind and fought her instinct to shiver. She had thrown most of the blades overboard; there were no large weapons left. Will I ever have a captain again?

Travis slowly nodded, much to the ship's dismay. Paragon willed herself to go faster, but the vessel was already failing at the maximum speed in the present wind conditions. Foolish! Desperate! Her mental scolding remained as silent as her plea for a strong wind to fill her sail.

"Wait, you can eat? What do you eat?" The sailor eventually spoke in a tone that was both intrigued and nervous.

"I eat wood mostly, but metals are probably my favorite. I can eat other things too, rope, canvas, cloth, glass, I think I ate a ring buoy once." Her thoughts briefly lingered on the two morsels that the man had tossed over her railing, despite her attempt to save the two bits of delicious wood.

"So, you eat parts of ships? Isn't that kinda like cannibalism?" Travis blinked and eyed the rest of the vessel. His surface thoughts lingered on the possible origins of each of her planks. He paused, "did you eat my raft too?"

"You are meat and eat meat." The ship calmly stated, "is that how humans grow? I likewise eat materials that will help me grow. So yes, I ate most of your raft. But do not worry, I was not the one who sank your ship. I only arrived after the destruction. I am a rescue vessel, not a pirate.

"But no other human beings!" Travis exclaimed; his eyes wide. "You eating other ships is like a human eating another human of any race." He remained focused on the subject despite my attempts to change the topic.

"But you do eat creatures of lesser intelligence. I do not eat other liveships, but the other vessels are dumber than cows, and some wallow through the surf like one." She sent calming thoughts towards him with a subtle hint to change the topic to one that was less distressing.

"So, why were you carved as a sea serpent? I thought they are considered dangerous creatures and a bad omen to sailors?" Travis once again looked upon her form with a gaze of awe and marveled at her beauty.

"A serpent saved my original captain, so he honored her with my form. In some parts of the world, sea serpents are known for their strength, grace, and mastery of the ocean." She looked out to the calm ocean. After a pause, she slowly unfurled more of her well of knowledge. "Many species of serpents are dumb brutes, but there are many who are as intelligent as you. Only the dragons can match them."

"Dragons aren't real; only a story grandfathers tell you to scare their children to keep them from straying too far." The shipwrecked shipwright chuckled slightly. "A simple tale with a lesson."

"I have encountered many; my friend is even a dragon. If you did not need to get home, I would take you to her kingdoms." She hid her emotions as a wave of disappointment washed through her hull. "There are even species with a wingless juvenile form that lives in the sea, disguised as a serpent until their wings develop."

"There's no way dragons are real," Travis shook his head, "or at least, they are no longer real."

"I will concede there are far fewer," Paragon briefly contemplated her lack of news to deliver to the queen of the dragon kingdom, Havenus. "But they are still out there." She decided to continue her search after she dropped Travis off in Port Snivin, but before her mind once again descended into madness. She mentally clutched every drop of her sanity like precious jewels.

A massive yawn escaped Travis's lips. "I don't know how to thank you," he recovered, "perhaps I could give you something when we arrive, as thanks. Maybe a supply of herbs? Your stock seems either low or nonexistent."

The liveship paused at his offer, a bit taken aback. "Thank you," Paragon slowly spoke in a soft tone and looked out to the slow arrival of the golden hours. The setting sun cast a glare against the water, but her magical sight remained unaffected. "Would you like to sleep? You must be exhausted." She secretly manipulated him to further his tiredness and encouraged his thoughts to linger on a warm bed.

Travis slowly stood, "which room is the crew's quarters?" He covered his yawn with his elbow.

"Are you sure you don't want to sleep in the captain's quarters? It has the best bed, and no one is using it, so you are free to." Paragon used her influence to convince him, but he quickly shook his head. "How about the first officer's cabin?"

"Is there a cabin for the second officer? Since you insist, I will offer a compromise. I'm not your captain, and I do not want to take a bed that should belong to the high command."

Despite Paragon's attempts, his resolve was unmoving, and his deal was fair. "Very well, It is in the lower deck in the forecastle; I shall leave the door open for you." She nodded to him, "Sleep well, I shall wake you when we arrive."

"Thank you," he slowly replied as he departed from her presence.

As he walked towards the room, Paragon sat in her regret that he did not accept her offer. Beneath that greenhorn is a man with all the qualities of a captain. I was close, but there will always be other ones. With a sigh, she focused solely on sailing as fast as she could manage in the near-windless conditions. There will always be others; for now, let's get him home.

She sensed him climb into the bed and marvel at the comfort it offered. Soon, the dream makers whisked him off into the realm of dreams. Thankfully, they also protected him from storm-riddled nightmares.

With a deep breath, she magically removed the corrosion and dirt from the silver and gold work that decorated both her interior and exterior. With her task done, she settled herself onto the bow sprint and focused on traversing the ocean as it reflected the orange glow of the sunset, and eventually, the stars.