The road to Dremaseah was flat. Flat and vast and empty. Jira leaned against the railing of the Redland Runner’s lower deck, gazing out impassively as the evening sun dipped below a wall of dark clouds. The journey so far had been less than eventful—two long and listless days stuck in the driver’s seat, with little more than striking rock formations and the occasional abandoned quarry to break up the monotony. Mercifully, Sheah’s can-do spirit and curiosity about her own ship gave Jira a chance to finally stretch her legs and enjoy the peace of the Deadlands.

  “How am I doing, Captain?” called Sheah from the bridge, the Redland Runner drifting and wobbling slightly under her helm.

  “Fine!” Jira replied, unaffected by the turbulence. “Keep it steady!”

  “Roger that!” Sheah cheerily confirmed.

  Jira smiled slightly at the enthusiasm in her employer’s voice. She had known a lot of company owners in her time, but none had shown such an interest in the craft as Sheah did. Most owners rarely left the Southlands, and the few that did definitely didn’t ask to drive the ship. Sure, Sheah had her faults, and could often be a pain, but Jira couldn’t help but feel a hint of fondness for her. Maybe even more than a hint.

  Settling back into a relaxed position, Jira watched the ruined towns and structures flow past the ship in the middle distance, savoring the rare chance to just stop and breathe. No ship to steer, no fires to put out, she could take a moment to herself and drink in the view. But soon the light would disappear, and the ship would be forced to stop for the night. She had to enjoy it while it lasted.

  Behind her, the sound of clomping footsteps hustled up the stairway from the galley. “Oh, hey there, Captain Sirroza!” hailed an overly loud and eager voice.

  Jira shut her eyes and frowned, her one moment of solace interrupted. “Hi, Vintra,” she flatly replied, remaining motionless.

  Kaelis waltzed over to Jira with bravado and planted herself on the railing beside her. “Beautiful evening, don’t ya think, Captain?” she asked, looking out over the grasslands tinted pink by the sinking sun.

  “Sure.”

  “Been out this way often?”

  “Now and then.”

  Kaelis leaned her arm against the rail and put on a nonchalant expression. “Yeah, we used to pull jobs around here all the time back when I was with the New Tradition. We had a lot of great finds, lot of close scrapes too.” She paused, staring at Jira expectantly.

  Jira avoided her eyes and continued to stare out at the horizon. In the distance, a shadowy mound behind a ruined belltower began to heave and sway, accompanied by a moaning, tortured cry and the sounds of snapping wood. It was a colossal Unbound, a writhing tangle of branches and limbs, awe-inspiring in its enormity. Jira watched it slither, unbothered by its prescence—at that far of a range, it posed no serious threat.

  “Oh wow, look at the size of that one!” Kaelis exclaimed. “You ever tussle with an Unbound that big, Captain?”

  “…Aie,” said Jira.

  “Really? What happened?”

  “It died.”

  Kaelis furrowed her brow. She searched around for a new topic. “So… Being out here, feel like the old days? Must remind you of the Rezna Expeditions, yeah?”

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Jira cast aside her gaze, avoiding the thought. “Maybe,” she muttered. She continued to angle herself away, hoping that Kaelis might eventually give up and leave. Several silent seconds drifted by without another question.

  “…Right, well… I guess I’ll leave you to it,” breathed Kaelis, finally taking the hint. But as she prepared to walk away, she drew in a deep breath and looked towards Jira with sheepish eyes. “…Can I try askin’ you just one more thing, Captain Sirroza?”

  Jira glowered. “Fine.”

  “Well, I was wonderin’—how far north have you been exactly? Did you and the Rezna team ever go beyond The Sunken Mountain?”

  Jira tried to look off, but Kaelis’s big doe eyes gave her pause. She aired out a deep sigh—Kaelis could have just this one. “…Been all the way up,” she answered with the faintest hint of pride.

  “Really?” said Kaelis excitedly. “All the way? You mean, you even saw the Forever Storm?”

  Jira’s eyes flickered with an influx of half-suppressed memories. At once, an unexpected glimmer of wonder returned to her. She could feel it all again—being in her youth, standing on the deck of the Paradise Seeker, gazing up at the unearthly storm that consumed the whole of the sky.

  “Once…” she finally whispered. “Long ago.”

  Kaelis fanatically beamed. “You’re kiddin’! What was it like?”

  Jira took a moment to recall its details, and another to properly put it into words. “From the outside? It was… beautiful chaos. Inside, though—”

  “Wait—” Kaelis blurted. “You actually went into the storm?!”

  Jira smirked. “Hm. Captain Rezna wanted to top himself one more time. We entered the storm… and we quickly turned back.”

  “Yeah?” Kaelis squeaked, hanging off Jira’s every word.

  “The winds, the cold… the fog… We barely found our way back out. Captain Rezna… wasn’t happy. He refused to publicize it.”

  “Wow…” A wondrous smile smeared across Kaelis’s face. “If… If you knew the way through the fog, do you think you coulda made it to the other side?”

  Jira considered the question for a moment. “…Maybe.”

  “Ya know, when I was a kid, making it through the Storm was all I ever dreamed about,” Kaelis swelled. “To pierce the stormwall and to see it—Ama-Lasria, the Dead City! To be the first to enter the gates in a thousand years—Oh, what I wouldn’t give!” Quickly realizing she was shouting, she reined in her passion. “Ahem—I mean, I know I ain’t special or nothin’. Everyone and their mother wants to get to Ama-Lasria. But still… What about you, Captain Sirroza? Did you ever dream of seein’ it?”

  Jira peered out at the fading sunset, lost in the cadence of her memory. “I did once… ” she whispered. “But…” She shut her eyes, swiftly recalling all the despair those dreams had caused, and once more felt the shadow of the past hang over her. Steeling herself, she reburied her thoughts back deep inside before saying, “Some things are best left in the past.” With that, she stepped away from the railing, suddenly weary. “I should retire.”

  “Right,” chirped Kaelis. “Big day tomorrow. Lots of danger, but nothing we can’t handle, eh Captain?… Captain?”

  Jira marched away. She made straight for the door to her room, which sat across the main deck directly below the bridge.

  Kaelis sprang from the railing and jogged to catch her. “Oh hey, it’s pretty nice of Sheah to give you the master quarters, what with her being the owner and all,” she said, carrying on her small talk.

  Jira let out a grunt. “Mhm.”

  “Can I see what it’s like inside?”

  “No.”

  “Aw, just a peek?”

  Jira raised her voice. “I said no!” At once, she felt heated embarrassment tighten her jaw. Her things were meant for her eyes alone.

  Kaelis pursed her lips, slightly taken aback. “Okay… Well, see ya around, Captain,” she sighed. Slowly, she slunk her way towards the deck hatch.

  “Yeah…” Jira grunted. As she gripped the door to her quarters, she suddenly paused, feeling a sense of regret weighing down her body—maybe she had been a bit rude to Kaelis. Sometimes, she forgot just how young she still was. “Vintra,” she called.

  Kaelis spun around. “Yes, Captain?” she said.

  Jira looked her in the eye and gave a single, strong nod. “Avarra xelon.”

  Kaelis smiled. “Goodnight to you too, Captain!” With that, she giddily pranced away, disappearing down the galley stairs.

  Jira slipped into her room and bolted the door behind her, unable to fight her fatigue any further. Staring out the large strip of windows at the rear of her room, she slumped her back against her door and watched as the glow of the sun disappeared below the horizon. A quiet peace fell over her as she closed her eyes and listened to the comforting, melodic pulse of the engines.

  Sheah’s panicked voice abruptly rang out from the bridge above, wafting in through the open window.

  “Captain?!” she called. “Are you still there?!”