Aspire Arcadia: Chapter 5: Farewell
Juniper and Patch were welcomed back with bursts of cheers and applause. All of the pirates had gathered there, drinks and all, to celebrate the completion of their final exam and their graduation from training. Captain Keira waited on the upper deck of the ship along with Lieutenant Reka and their trainers. "Well done," Captain Keira announced as they returned, "I made the scenario as difficult as possible, however, I never anticipated that you'd use the capsize exit to escape. I was hoping that you'd take the main exit, because I was there, personally waiting for you. Anyway, you completed the final exam without being captured, demonstrating that you two are capable of putting your heads together and thinking outside of the box." She glanced at Juniper. "As promised, I will allow you two to leave here together. There's not a single doubt in my mind that the two of you together will be able to handle any challenges you run into on your travels," she said with a kind smiled, "at the same time, the rest of us will be returning to sea tomorrow. So I suppose we'll be headed off into adventure together. Before then, I'd like to have a word with you two. Especially you, Juniper." The rest of the pirates cheered and drank to her words, celebrating Patch and Juniper's future departure and their own return to sea the next day. Patch followed Juniper up to the main deck, receiving encouraging and enthusiastic congratulations from the pirates on the way. "You've come a long way kid," one of them remarked, "You'd better not stop now." "You take good care of her, you hear?!" another one added. The two reached the upper deck where Captain Keira and Lieutenant Reka were. "It's only been several months, but you two have seriously come a long way," Captain Keira said in a calmer tone than usual, "at first I had some doubts in my mind. But the two of you proved yourselves. Congratulations." "Thanks," they both replied, quietly glancing at each other with confident smiles. "Anyway, I was just curious as to what your next move was," she continued, "now that you're free to go where ever you want. Where will you go?" "Our next destination is the Incarnadian Capital," Patch replied confidently, "we're hoping to start there and then circle over to Caniridia and the other western territories." "Incarnadia? That sounds like a start," Captain Keira replied, "We're actually headed that way tomorrow. It'll be a hell of a long walk for you two, so you may as well sail with us." Patch glanced over at Juniper, who nodded with a smile. "That'd be great," Patch replied. "Then it's settled," Captain Keira replied, "you can sail with us up to the Incarnadian capital. Once there, however, you'll be on your own. No more holding your hands." "Fair enough," Juniper replied. "We're leaving pretty early tomorrow, so you might want to take this time to say goodbye to your family or get some supplies," she said, glancing at Patch, "other than that, be on this ship at the usual time, or your asses are walking." "Aye Captain!" Juniper replied happily as her mother headed below deck. "Listen, I know I was rough on you two," Reka said, glancing at them, "but there was a reason for that, I'm sure you understand. This is a huge mission you guys are about to go on. There are going to be tough times that will test your limits and push you harder than you could ever imagine. Captain Keira and I wanted to be sure that you two could handle that. Now that you've proven yourselves, she and I have nothing more to worry about." She stood up and followed Captain Keira downstairs. "Do not disappoint me, Patch," she replied, glaring back at him, "You'd better take good care of her." "I-I won't," he replied, as she disappeared downstairs, "and I will." "So, what now?" Juniper asked, glancing down at the celebration. "I think I might go home," Patch replied quietly, "maybe spend some time with my family before we set off..." "Having second thoughts?" Juniper asked with a grin, "you going to miss your mommy?" Patch chuckled. "I won't lie, I'll miss them," he replied, heading below deck toward his sleeping area, "there's no way I'm turning this opportunity down though." "Don't worry, I'll miss my family too," Juniper replied quietly, "I never really realized how much I would until just now..." She glanced at him. "Do you want to go alone?" She asked. "You can come along," Patch replied with a small smile, "I'm sure they'd love to see you one last time before we leave." "Are you sure?" She asked nervously, "I don't want to intrude or anything..." "Don't worry about it," he replied, "I think they'd be more upset if you didn't come." The two headed below deck and back outside where the pirates' celebration was being held. Heavy kegs of ale were being passed around while others played hearty music and roughed around with each other. "Leaving already?!" One of them cried as the two navigated through the crowd, "you're going to miss your own party?!" "More ale for us," another replied. "We'll be back," Juniper replied, glancing back at them, "Sorry... thanks for the party though!" "Yeah, yeah," another replied jokingly, "just go on and get out of here." They crossed through the usual dense forest and, on their way, relived the numerous memories they had of training there. They remembered using mud and rancid-smelling plants to mask their scents during the escape and evasion training. They passed by a makeshift den they both constructed during the survival training. Memories of running back and forth through deep patches of mud and puddles for their morning exercise returned as they cut through the path one last time. "Ah the memories," Juniper said as they walked, "If I never saw this place again, it'd be too soon." "I don't know, I feel like I'll kind of miss it," Patch replied, glancing around. "Are you insane?" she replied with a puzzled look, "that training really has driven you mad." "Maybe," Patch replied with a small smile. They made their way through the dense forest and onto the main road, where they were greeted by gentle breezes and cool weather. A few animals populated the main road, on their way to Veridian City, as they headed towards Patch's den. "I wish we had more time to prepare," Juniper thought out loud, "maybe we would have gotten a chance to visit Veridian City." "The opportunity will always be there," Patch replied, "I'm sure we'll find ourselves there eventually. They reached the den and the door creaked open as Patch slowly peeked in. The den was quiet, as expected, since all of his family went out and about during the day. "There's no one here," he said, heading in, "Everyone's probably off doing whatever." Juniper followed Patch inside as he glanced reminiscently around. The reality hadn't hit him until he came inside. His entire life, his world up until now, was centered here. He was used to the confusion of nineteen other pups running around. The annoyance of sharing things between all of them. He long yearned for the day that he would depart to make a name for himself. It was a lot sooner than he imagined. "You okay?" Juniper whispered, snapping him back from his memories, "something wrong?" "N-no," he quickly replied, shaking his head, "I was just... thinking..." It was going to be strange. Not being around so much of his family and having to rely on just the two of them for survival. Not a lot of animals were brave enough to do that. It was a difficult task that often ended in abrupt failure for most animals that attempted it. A small part of him was terrified at the idea. The rest of him was thrilled. "We should catch a quick nap," Patch suggested, glancing at Juniper, "we'll need all of the energy we can get." "Assuming I can get to sleep," she replied, "I'm so excited, I can barely sit still." "Really? You don't feel exhausted from all of the training?" He replied jokingly, "I think I could pass out at any minute..." He sank to the floor, dramatically exaggerating his exhaustion. "I don't think I'm going to make it..." he breathed, dragging himself towards his room. "Just imagine," Juniper said, following him, "Incarnadian Capital. We could see the Carnadine Mountains..." Patch squeezed into his room and climbed into his bed, laying on his back with his paws tucked in against his chest. "I can't," he replied dramatically, shutting his eyes, "I don't want to do this anymore..." Juniper hopped in the bed with him. "We could see the Incarnadian Palace, maybe even some huge Navy ships at the Navy Yard," she explained, climbing on top of him and sticking her muzzle in his face, "watch the sunset, participate in melee tournaments, visit some old dojos..." "See the Jagged Pass, go to all kinds of festivals... Don't forget the food," Patch pointed out with a smile. "I hear they've got some pretty good bakery goods up there," she replied, enticing him, "they've got moose steaks up there too. Have you ever had any?" "No... but it sounds so good right now..." Patch replied, remembering that they hadn't eaten in a while. "I bet there are tons of small villages we could visit, amazing landscapes to see..." she continued, rolling off of him, "there would probably be so many opportunities to help the animals there too." "And that's only in Incarnadia," Patch replied, rolling over to face her, "we've got hundreds of other places to see right after that." "Yeah, I'm so excited!" Juniper replied with a big smile, her tail wagging happily. They sighed and laid together in silence, thinking about the adventure ahead of them. Juniper rolled on her side and scooted closer to him, resting her head on his chest. "I'm glad we ran into each other that day," she said with a relieved smile, "at first I thought you were out of your mind. But my whole life has changed in a matter of weeks... thanks to you." "It was nothing," Patch replied, rolling on his side to face her, "it was both of us that made the choice and survived the training anyway. I can't take all of the credit... plus, I really might be out of my mind." She nestled in closer to him, tucking per paws against her chest and causing his face to turn red. "I know," she replied, quietly, "but still... thanks, Patch. You might be out of your mind... but I like that about you." "R-really?" he replied, his face turning even redder, "th-thanks." He didn't notice how close they had gotten between this moment and the day they first met. That is, until just now. As if the allure of adventure hadn't brought them together strong enough, their rigorous training together further tightened the bond between them in a way that Patch had never felt before. She quietly buried her muzzle into the fur on his chest, her ears tickling his chin and causing his heart to race. He had never been so close to a girl before (not including the training, of course), especially one that shared his love for adventure and confidence. It was like he found his other half (More like saved his other half from rival pirates). Patch slid one arm under Juniper's body, and pulled her closer. He then rested his other paw behind her head, pulling it closer to his chest and resting his chin on her forehead. Although he couldn't shake the nervous feeling of leaving his family for the first time, he knew he'd be fine as long as he was with her. He sighed and smiled, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. Juniper tried to sleep, but she could hardly contain her excitement. Like Patch, she had never been close to another male wolf before. Ever since their first conversation in Eidous, Juniper felt an immediate connection to him. A strange, random wolf offering to accompany her on a trip worldwide... it was literally something she had been dreaming of ever since she was a pup. His overconfident sense of bravery and impulsive behavior was extremely attractive to her... though she would NEVER admit that to him directly. Patch suddenly embrace and pulled her closer, causing her to shiver in excitement. A small smile spread across her face and her tail twitching happily as she felt his tight embrace. She had always been afraid of admitting her true feelings to him... as things might have gotten awkward between them... but now it was as though they both felt the same way. Just... maybe afraid to admit it to each other. They were just pups after all. She wrapped her tail around his and closed her eyes. With both of her biggest dreams having come true, she was finally, truly happy.
The steady creaking of the door woke Patch up sometime later. He was too comfortable to be worried about it, so he laid back down and shut his eyes. Once again, the door to his room creaked, causing his ears to twitch. "Shh..." someone whispered. "Stop moving!" someone else hissed. Curious, he glanced behind him to see most of his siblings quietly poking their heads in the door. As soon as they noticed him noticing them, they all scrambled in a loud mass of confusion and giggles, shutting the door behind them. Patch sighed and shook his head. They were back. Seeing him and Juniper snuggled together probably drove them insane. He and Juniper had been asleep for a while now, since it was a bit late in the day now. He sat up, stretched, yawned, and slid out of bed, careful not to disturb Juniper as she slept. He peeked out the door to see all of his siblings with their ears against the wall of his room. "What the heck are you guys doing?" Patch muttered. As soon as they heard his voice, they took off into the living room, climbing over each other in another bout of confusion. "Patch is here," he heard one of his siblings whisper, "should we wake him up?!" "He's already awake," another one pointed out. "Go stall him then!" A third commanded. Something was up, though he didn't want to spoil it by coming over too soon. "Everything alright?" Juniper asked, sitting up but still only half awake. "Yeah," Patch replied, closing the door, "everyone's back now I think." "Well that's good," she replied, climbing out of bed. She immediately noticed a hesitant look on his face. "What's the matter?" she asked nervously. "Nothing..." Patch replied, "I'm just... well... I don't know what to say to them..." He had been planning his goodbye for years. At an early age, he already had a farewell speech ready for his family whenever he was ready to set out on his own. Now that the chance finally presented itself, he was at a loss for words. "I mean... what can I say..." Patch thought to himself out loud, "I've been with around them for as long as I can remember... now I'm leaving them, probably for good this time... there's got to be something meaningful to say but..." His eyes became clouded with tears. He wiped his eyes and smiled. "And now I'm getting teary eyed..." he laughed to himself, "this wasn't going quite as I planned for it to..." "Hey Patch," Puzzle said, knocking on the door, "you should come to the living room. We've got a surpr-" A sudden smack on her head interrupted her. "F-for no particular reason, I mean," she continued, correcting herself. She ran off down the hall as Patch stood, staring at the door. "It'll be okay," Juniper whispered, gently nuzzling him, "go on." The two slowly made the walk from Patch's room and through the hallway towards the living room. Patch glanced around, a sudden rush of memories returning to him as he passed by pictures of his family. He remembered getting himself and two of his other siblings lost in the woods for hours. He remembered all of the brother versus sister fights that would spark up, all because of a disagreement between Pepper and Titanium. He remembered all of the games they would play, his parents included, almost every night before dinner. The memories only choked him up even more. "Surprise!" an earsplitting cheer rang out as Juniper and Patch rounded the corner leading into the living room. A large banner hung in the center of the room and read "Farewell and Good Luck, Patch!" and had several paw prints surrounding the words. Among his family were other members of their pack that had come to see him off. Patch froze in place, surprised at the gathering. "H-how did..." Patch began to say. "On my way out, I saw you and Juniper headed home," Cinder pointed out, "that could've only meant one thing." "Well come here, don't be shy!" Copper said with a big smile, "you are about to set out on your adventure aren't you? You didn't expect for us to send you off on the right foot?" Juniper nudged Patch, who was lost in thought. "Oh, r-right," he replied, joining everyone else. "As you all know, our adventurous, unable-to-sit-still pup, Patch, has decided to set off in search of adventure, experiences, and to do whatever he can to make this world a better place," Kodiak announced, "We all knew this would happen eventually, though never so soon. One day he came home with the idea in mind, and that's when we knew." He glanced at Patch. "As per tradition, all members of the pack have gathered here to see you off on your journey," he explained with a smile, "each and every one of them has had a hand in raising you. They wouldn't miss this for the world." "Plus we got you presents!" Puzzle said happily. "This is our way of expressing how proud we are of you," Copper said with a loving smile, "even though we knew this time would come, we're still overjoyed at the progress you made to prepare for this moment. I remember cuddling you when you had nightmares, or cleaning all of the cuts you'd get from running through the woods... now look at you." She reached down and produced a small box. "When I left Inaria on my own to return here, my mother gave me a compass," Copper explained. " 'That way you can always find your way back home' she said." She opened the box, revealing a brand new, shiny, silver compass. "Somehow, I doubt her words would work for you," Copper replied with a tearful smile, "use it to find your direction in life. Let it point you to your next big adventure. When it's all said and done, then you could use it to find your way home. We'll be here waiting." She hugged him, resting her cheek against his with a steady stream of tears running down her face. "It doesn't matter how much you get into," she whispered to him, "you'll always be my little puppy." "Th-thanks mom..." Patch whispered quietly, almost in tears himself. "We got you something too!" Puzzle cried, waving her arms. "Who wants to show him?" Titanium asked, glancing at the others. "I'll do it," Pepper replied, standing up. "We didn't really want to get you something you wouldn't use, so we put our heads together and came up with this." She presented a leather bag designed to hang off of his side as we walked. It appeared rather durable, and had multiple pockets for things. "It's for... you know... carrying stuff," Pepper said with a small smile, "It's waterproof, so you can store your maps and pictures in her, and it came with some pretty useful survival stuff too. We figured you'd find this useful on your travels." "It was my idea," Titanium said. "Liar," Decibell muttered. "We scratched our names on the strap too, so you can't forget about us," Cinder pointed out, "You'd better not cross them out or anything." The others laughed as Pepper placed the bag around his neck. "Told you it'd fit," Trixie whispered to bolt. "Perfect," Pepper said quietly with a tearful smile, before hugging him too. "Good luck out there, little bro," she whispered, "I know you won't need it though..." The others joined in too, pushing each other inwards to get a hug out of him. "Bring me back something," Cobalt said, patting his back. "Are you going to miss me?" Decibell asked with a quiet smile. "Are you crying? What a loser," Draga muttered, secretly wiping a tear from her eye. "Go wild out there!" Titanium said confidently, "Just like we used to do!" "Just like old times, hell yeah," Cobalt said, nodding. "B-bye patch..." Alex whispered. Puzzle started sobbing while the others gave their tearful farewells. "And last but not least," Kodiak said, opening another box and pulling out a dagger and sheath that matched his sword. "Never know when you might need it, may as well complete your set," Kodiak said, handing it to him before giving him a hug as well. "I'm proud of you, son," he said, strongly, "I know you will make a difference out there someday. I'll be looking forward to hearing about your travels when you visit." They all stood back, waiting for his response. In his head, Patch was at a loss for words. Everyone in the room had some sort of influence on his life. His parents, who supported him at every turn, raised him and nurtured his adventurous spirit. His brothers and sisters, who provided all sorts of life experiences (both good and bad) as well as funny, unforgettable stories, watched his back and helped him train early on. The other members of his pack helped along the way. Now they were all here, waiting to see him off on his adventure. "I uh..." Patch began to say, clearing tears from his eyes, "Th-thanks for all of the gifts... it really means a lot to me that... everyone cares enough to support me on this... I never expected it to come true, honestly..." He wiped his eyes again. "Thanks for all of the experiences... for tolerating me during my 'adventure-filled' childhood and supporting me every step of the way. M-most of all, thanks for the good times and great memories..." He glanced down at the floor, where a puddle of tears collected. He couldn't think of anything else to say. It was just too much for him. His brothers and sisters, family and friends were all there. Everyone who mattered the most to him. He couldn't easily say goodbye to them. "Come here, you big baby," Copper said, hugging him tightly. Soon, everyone else joined in too. "You'd better not be having second thoughts," Cinder warned him, "not after we went through all this trouble getting you this stuff." "Speaking of stuff, now's a good time to decide who gets your bed right?" Titanium pointed out, "we never did settle that." They all quickly returned to normal. Pepper teased Titanium while Cobalt and Silver starting arguing again. Alex quietly handed Patch a picture she drew of him and Juniper while Arianna and Decibell struggled to compose background music. "I made this for you," Trixie said, handing him a small device, "you can use it to make a campfire. I bet that'd be useful to you too, huh?" From dusk until late at night, they all sat around sharing stories about Patch's puppy years. When it got late, they eventually broke off and headed home, after wishing Patch and Juniper good luck one last time. "We'll be headed out tonight," Patch said to Kodiak and Copper, "the ship leaves early tomorrow." "Well alright then," Copper whispered, still in tears, "remember everything we taught you, and you two be careful out there." "We will," Juniper said quietly. All of Patch's brothers and sisters wished him one last farewell as he and Juniper headed out. Somehow, he no longer felt anchored there. Instead, he felt free... like the rest of the world was his home. The tiny aching in his heart from before that tried to stop him from leaving was gone now, as though the farewell party was the final confirmation of his decision. Even though the celebration was tearful and heartwarming, it encouraged him a lot more than before. "You ready Patch?" Juniper whispered. "Let's do it," he replied with a confident smile. Their night was going to be restless. In the morning, their adventure would finally begin, starting with a short trip by sea to the Incarnadian Capital. It was unreal. But ready or not, it was coming. They made their way to the hidden bay where the pirates loaded the last of the cargo and supplies needed for their trip at sea. Most of the others had gone to sleep already, while others worked late to get the cargo on board before tomorrow. "Watch your step," one of them warned as Juniper and Patch headed on board the ship, "there's a lot of crap everywhere." "We will, thanks," Juniper replied kindly as they headed on board. Once in the cargo bay, the two sat alone, thinking about the trip that lied ahead. "Check this out," Patch said, as they excitedly glanced over maps, scanning over places to visit in anticipation for their first destination. "This looks like an interesting place to see," he said, staring closer at the map. "If we hadn't slept so much today, I'd go to bed to make the night go by faster," Juniper admitted, curling up beside Patch in his hammock, "the excitement is making my stomach turn." "I know right?" Patch replied with a big smile, "It's driving me insane!" He folded up the map and stashed it under his pillow. Honestly, they were getting tired of thinking about the trip. They were tired of anticipating and were ready to get going already. Patch laid back beside her, both sitting together in silence within the dim lantern's light. They remained this way for hours, both mentally preparing for the road ahead.
"Wake up you lazy brats!" A voice roared, jerking them awake. Since they spent most of the previous day asleep, they were up rather late. They sat up to see Lieutenant Reka standing in front of them. She was dressed in her usual uniform, the same one Patch saw her in the first time they met. "You think you can catch a free ride and sleep through it?! Like this is a luxury cruise?!" She commanded, "Get your puppy-asses on deck!" They quickly hopped out of bed and rushed to the deck where all of the other pirates were working on their final preparations for departure. The two were met by the cool, morning weather they had become accustomed to during their training. It was the same, fog covered scene with barely any sunlight poking through the dense canopy. Today was different though. Today was the day that made it all worth it. "Good morning," Captain Keira said, as they approached, "hope you had a good night's rest." She glanced at Patch. "I take it you spoke with your family?" She asked, "Because you won't get another chance after this." "I did," Patch replied nodding. "Good," she replied. "Listen up everybody!" She commanded, turning to face all of the other pirates, "We need to be out of here in thirty minutes! Perform the final checks and make sure all of cargo is secured!" "Aye, Captain!" They all replied, rushing around to finish the checks. "If we catch the wind and ride the currents, we won't even have to use the engines," she thought out loud to herself before glancing back at them. "The trip should last a little under a week," she explained, "we obviously can't dock at the city's harbor for too long, since were all wanted criminals, so we'll drop you off and set sail right after." "Sounds good," Juniper said excitedly. "For now, just sit tight and don't get in the way. Also, keep in mind that we can get attacked at any moment. By the navy or other pirates. So if that happens..." "Take cover below deck," Juniper said, as thought she had experienced it multiple times already. "Good girl," Captain Keira replied before joining others in performing the final checks. "Looks like this is it," Patch said, glancing overboard at the fog-covered river. "Yup," Juniper replied sitting against the railing beside him. "Excited?" Patch asked, glancing at her. She nodded happily. "Yup!" she replied, glancing up at him, "can't wait!" Once again, the two sat in silence for a while as the pirates rushed around them. "Out of all of the place, which one are you looking forward to seeing?" Patch asked, glancing at Juniper, "I think I recognized some of them from the pictures in your cabin." She thought for a moment. "I'm not sure," she replied, "I always wanted to see different places in Inaria... maybe visit Antarceos... there's too many places to decide." She glanced at the water below. "I guess that's what makes things more exciting," she added. "True," he replied, sitting beside her, "I always wanted to see Inaria too. My mom's from there. She's told me so many stories about it, so I'm interested in seeing it for myself." "This is our chance then," Juniper replied, smiling. The checks only took a few minutes longer before they were finally ready to set sail. A group of pirates raised the massive anchor of the ship while the engine technicians readied the engines for operation at sea. The entire wooden ship vibrated as the massive, voltrinite fueled, electric turbine engines warmed up. Vector, the fox that gave them their escape and evasion training, climbed aboard the lookout nest on the highest point of the ship as all of the other pirates took up their positions. On the dock, a few pirates who were tasked with watching over the hidden bay untied the ship from the pier and helped raise the ramp. "Good luck!" One of them cried as the ship slowly began to move away from the pier with the flow of the river. "I wonder if we can watch them navigate," Patch, wondered, glancing towards the main navigation cabin (commonly referred to as the bridge), which overlooked the entire ship. "Of course we can!" Juniper replied, standing up, "follow me." She led Patch across the deck and up the stairs towards the bridge, which made up the rearmost part of the ship. They passed by a few members of the bridge crew before they reached the main command center. The bridge sat at the highest point of the ship and offered a panoramic, 360 degree view around their entire surroundings. The Southern Veridian Pirate flag hung over the front windshield of the ship and had the same wolf-skull surrounded with three stars as was commonly seen on the cargo crates and worn by the pirates. On the bottom of the flag, the name of the ship "P.V. Siren Song" was sewn on. Though the ship appeared old fashioned (carved from wood and still used sails as a backup in case of engine failure), the interior was rather advanced. A few screens displayed different bits of information, including weather and ocean current patterns, as well as engine diagnostics and onboard cabin temperatures. Several pirates occupied seats at these screens, each being tasked with keeping an eye on different things. In the corner of the bridge, a communications relay had been set up to broadcast and receive radio signals. On the other side, heat sensors and high frequency, above-sea sonar channels provided a forewarning for any enemies nearby. Captain Keira's seat sat in the center of the bridge, surrounded by her own monitoring panels. Instead of ship diagnostics, her panels were in direct communications to the ship's weapons and countermeasure systems. A diagram of the ship sat on one panel and displayed all of the weapons that were available for use, in case of contact with enemies. Captain Keira herself sat in the seat, her legs crossed and rested up on the panels as she read some reports given to her by other pirates. "Wow," Patch gasped, glancing around at all of the complex instruments. "Cool right?" Juniper whispered. "I take it you've never been on a ship before?" Captain Keira asked, glancing back at him, "certainly not on one this complex. We got the technology from our friends in the west. We certainly have them to thank." She glanced back at the reports. "Just don't touch anything." Patch rushed up to the front of the bridge and stared out of the forward-facing windows, his tail wagging happily. "Wow!" he said again with a big smile, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. This really was his first time on a ship. He could hardly contain his excitement. Since the pirates sailed into the bay facing forward, they had to sail out going backwards. The main pirate in charge of navigating the ship itself concentrated on steering through the river backwards, while Captain Keira casually watched. "Don't scratch it up," she warned, sitting back in her chair. "Have I ever?" the pilot muttered, staring intently at a screen which displayed the direction they were going through a camera. His paws gripped the navigation wheel of the ship. "It's still pretty dark outside," he added, searching for the switch to turn on the exterior lights, "I hope there aren't any surprises in the river.... Because I sure as hell won't be able to see them." Outside, the hidden bay disappeared from view as they started down the river. When they caught the current and the river began to get narrower, the ship began to move quicker. They sailed past acres of dense forests that concealed the river and nearly hid the still-dark sky. The ship suddenly, but briefly, vibrated as though they scrapped against a large rock on their way around a slight curve. Captain Keira glared at the pilot. "My bad," he said with a smirk, "the current's a little faster than usual." "You're going to fix that," she muttered before glancing back at Patch. "I'm sure you'll be pleased to know, Patch, that we won't be running into any problems on the way north," Captain Keira said, sitting back, "well, we aren't expecting to anyway. I know how much of a good boy you are." "That's good," he replied, still staring out the window, "speaking of which..." He glanced back at her. "Our trip isn't only for seeing the sights," he said seriously, "in any way we can, we're also looking to create a better world for everyone we come into contact with. That could mean helping them get access to food, shelter... or helping them expel criminals that threaten their safety." "Oh?" Keira replied with a smirk, sitting back, "What exactly are you saying, Patch?" "Isn't it obvious? One day, we might return here to deal with you," he replied, "to stop you and the others from terrorizing the navy and other innocent sea farers." A big smile spread across Captain Keira's face. "I thought so," she replied, "well, whenever you think you're ready, I'm sure you know where to find us. I'd suggest you get a lot more practice though, kid. Skill-wise, you're lightyears away from even being able to talk to me like that." She sat back, kicking her legs out and resting them on the panel in front of her. "I'll forgive you for now," she replied with a grin, "since you're taking my daughter with you. Maybe I won't be so forgiving next time though." Patch chuckled, "Fair enough." It wasn't very long until the river began to widen and slow down as they approached the coast. The dense forest around them opened up into wide open, sandy beach. "Passing through the estuary," the pilot announced, "once we get out to sea, we'll turn around and start up the engines." "Yes we know, Kilo," the pirate at the communications panel muttered, glancing at him. She was a wolf with light gray fur, black hair, and bright, silver eyes. "We've done this hundreds of times already." "That was more for the kid. You know, the one who has never been on a ship before," Kilo replied, still watching the direction of the ship, "besides, you know that thinking out loud helps me concentrate." Eventually, the massive ship sailed out of the estuary and into the wide open ocean. A dense cover of early-morning fog blanketed the ocean, making it a bit difficult to see. On the horizon, the sun was beginning to rise steadily into the sky. "Here we go," Kilo said, flipping a few switches before slowly pressing a lever forward. As he did, Patch could feel the ship vibrating as the engines began to kick on. "Forty percent," Kilo whispered to himself, "once we hit the deep side, we'll go full speed." He switched on the deck-illuminating lights and directed the ship parallel to the shore line. "Current is steady, weather looks good," a pirate at the radar station reported, "that fog should clear up when the sun rises. There's a tropical storm headed this way, but we'll be long gone before it gets here." "All engines are green," the technician monitoring the engines reported, "try not to burn them out so soon, Kilo. You know how expensive those parts are." "Plus there's not going to be a lot of wind in our favor," the radar tech added, "We'll be stranded." "Have I ever let you down before?" Kilo asked, glancing at all of them. He shook his head and glanced at Patch. "Don't listen to them," he muttered, "I've been piloting this sea-pig since before you and Juniper were born. I'm an expert." "He's right you know," Juniper pointed out, "remember the hurricane?" Kilo chuckled and nodded. "Oh... the hurricane," the radar tech sighed, rubbing her forehead. "That's a good story," the engine tech added, nodding his head. "The hurricane?" Patch asked, glancing back at her. Juniper nodded. "One time, when I was still a puppy, we got caught in a tropical storm," she explained, sitting in a chair beside him, "it had just gotten enough momentum to be classified as a hurricane." "The winds were throwing us all over the place and the current was pulling us in," Kilo added dramatically, getting animate and lost in the memory, "those waves, they had to have been 75 to 100 feet tall. We lost all communications and engine number two was burnt." He flared his arms up, as though he was trying to describe how large the waves were. "You got him started," the engine tech laughed. Juniper sighed and shook her head. "Long story short, Kilo guided us out with one engine and four, tattered sails," Juniper said, "it was ridiculously terrifying." "You've got to hear the whole thing to really enjoy it," Captain Keira pointed out, "kids these days. So impatient, won't even tell a good sea-tale properly. I thought I raised you better." "A real hurricane?" Patch asked, glancing up at Kilo. His family resided near the coast, so he saw a couple of hurricanes in his life. Though he never imagined anyone getting so close and surviving through one. "True story kid," he said with a grin, "I swear, those winds were so rough it pulled pieces of the ship right off of the side. As much as I love this fat girl, she'll probably be the death of me one day." "All of us," Keira pointed out. "Good ol' Siren Song," the engine tech said, nodding, "most resilient ship I've ever taken care of. You know she was going to be yours someday, Juniper." "Oh... I don't know..." Juniper replied, her face reddening, "I don't do well under too much pressure... like the armada of Veridian navy ships or that hurricane. I'll stick with sightseeing and helping others." "You never know how much pressure you'll find yourself in on your travels," Captain Keira pointed out, "You'll never know unless you experience it." After a while, they reached the predetermined depth and Kilo fired up the engines. The engine tech kept watch while the radar tech scanned for any disturbances. "All clear," she said, glancing at Captain Keira. "Engines all green," the engine tech added. "Alright then, full speed ahead," Captain Keira said, getting comfortable in her seat, "set sail for Incarnadia."