highest mast,
clinking happily as it jumped up and down in excitement. At its master’s call,
it cowered for a few moments before leaping off, sliding down the folded sails
and bouncing into Carpenter’s outstretched hand.
“Anyway, safe trip!” Carpenter continued, tossing the nail bag
nonchalantly over his shoulder. “You’ve got the best wishes of the entire
Sanctum behind you!”
“It is clear the Sanctum thinks highly of exploration, considering how many
people have gathered on the beach to watch us depart,” Kwin mused.
“What are you talking about, there aren’t any people on the – ohhh,”
Lindsay said as comprehension dawned on her face.
They all waved as the ship began to pull away from the dock under
Alastor’s expert hand. As soon as they were safely beyond the dock, Alastor
spun the wheel, causing the ship to change direction until the bow faced the
open ocean.
“Let’s see what we can do!” Alastor said happily, pushing down the lever
to release the sails.
The sails opened smoothly and instantly caught the breeze. The ship
gradually gained speed until it cut effortlessly through the small swells, and
the shoreline shrank quickly. Kai could see Carpenter standing on the dock,
still waving, and what looked like his entire tool set lining the beach,
jumping up and down or waving various mechanical parts in farewell.
“This is the life,” Alastor said, taking a seat before the controls.
“Just a relaxing trip at sea with a bunch of good friends. Or, in this case,
I’ll call you my mates.”
“Friends will do, thank you,” Kwin replied shortly. “Now, what is it
you’ve set up here?”
Kwin pointed at a small display Alastor had added to the control panel.
Alastor flipped a switch and the screen brightened. It looked to be another
replica of the map of the Sanctum, complete with the borders in the ocean and a
small, blinking white dot on the beach near the Golden Capital.
“This shows us where we are in relation to the borders,” Alastor
explained, and Kwin nodded in understanding. “With this we’ll know the exact
moment we cross, though I should say it’s just an estimate. The map’s borders
have a margin of error by about half a mile.”
“That’s neat!” Lindsay exclaimed. “We should have a party when we cross
the line. Then we’ll have gone farther than anyone else ever has! That’s got to
count for something, right?”
“Definitely,” Alastor replied. “And I won’t turn down a chance to party.”
They stood on the upper deck in silence for a while, watching the
shoreline fade until it was no longer visible on the horizon. At that point,
Lindsay stretched and started downstairs.
“I think I’m going to go check out the bedrooms now that we’re out in the
open,” she said cheerfully. “Who knows what sort of nifty things Carpenter put
down there?”
She jumped down the stairs and vanished behind the double glass doors.
Alastor looked amused, and had opened his mouth to make a comment when they
heard a terrified shriek from below.
“That didn’t sound good,” he said worriedly, and the others hurried down
the stairs and into the kitchen to see what was wrong. They found Lindsay
standing with her hand over her chest, panting slightly as she looked up at
them.
“It’s okay!” she gasped apologetically. “He just startled me, that’s all.
Why didn’t you tell me he was coming too?”
“Why who was coming? We never – oh good lord,” Kwin groaned, looking at
the other figure who stepped out from the control booth.
“Good day for a voyage!” Hercules stated pompously, puffing out his
chest. “Where are we going?”
Chapter 6: What Lies Beyond the Borders
S ilence hung thick in the
air. Lindsay was still getting over her shock, while Kai was only beginning to
experience his. Hercules was the last person he had expected to see in the
Sanctum for quite a while, much less on their ship. Elvia had her face in her
palm, Alastor already
clinking happily as it jumped up and down in excitement. At its master’s call,
it cowered for a few moments before leaping off, sliding down the folded sails
and bouncing into Carpenter’s outstretched hand.
“Anyway, safe trip!” Carpenter continued, tossing the nail bag
nonchalantly over his shoulder. “You’ve got the best wishes of the entire
Sanctum behind you!”
“It is clear the Sanctum thinks highly of exploration, considering how many
people have gathered on the beach to watch us depart,” Kwin mused.
“What are you talking about, there aren’t any people on the – ohhh,”
Lindsay said as comprehension dawned on her face.
They all waved as the ship began to pull away from the dock under
Alastor’s expert hand. As soon as they were safely beyond the dock, Alastor
spun the wheel, causing the ship to change direction until the bow faced the
open ocean.
“Let’s see what we can do!” Alastor said happily, pushing down the lever
to release the sails.
The sails opened smoothly and instantly caught the breeze. The ship
gradually gained speed until it cut effortlessly through the small swells, and
the shoreline shrank quickly. Kai could see Carpenter standing on the dock,
still waving, and what looked like his entire tool set lining the beach,
jumping up and down or waving various mechanical parts in farewell.
“This is the life,” Alastor said, taking a seat before the controls.
“Just a relaxing trip at sea with a bunch of good friends. Or, in this case,
I’ll call you my mates.”
“Friends will do, thank you,” Kwin replied shortly. “Now, what is it
you’ve set up here?”
Kwin pointed at a small display Alastor had added to the control panel.
Alastor flipped a switch and the screen brightened. It looked to be another
replica of the map of the Sanctum, complete with the borders in the ocean and a
small, blinking white dot on the beach near the Golden Capital.
“This shows us where we are in relation to the borders,” Alastor
explained, and Kwin nodded in understanding. “With this we’ll know the exact
moment we cross, though I should say it’s just an estimate. The map’s borders
have a margin of error by about half a mile.”
“That’s neat!” Lindsay exclaimed. “We should have a party when we cross
the line. Then we’ll have gone farther than anyone else ever has! That’s got to
count for something, right?”
“Definitely,” Alastor replied. “And I won’t turn down a chance to party.”
They stood on the upper deck in silence for a while, watching the
shoreline fade until it was no longer visible on the horizon. At that point,
Lindsay stretched and started downstairs.
“I think I’m going to go check out the bedrooms now that we’re out in the
open,” she said cheerfully. “Who knows what sort of nifty things Carpenter put
down there?”
She jumped down the stairs and vanished behind the double glass doors.
Alastor looked amused, and had opened his mouth to make a comment when they
heard a terrified shriek from below.
“That didn’t sound good,” he said worriedly, and the others hurried down
the stairs and into the kitchen to see what was wrong. They found Lindsay
standing with her hand over her chest, panting slightly as she looked up at
them.
“It’s okay!” she gasped apologetically. “He just startled me, that’s all.
Why didn’t you tell me he was coming too?”
“Why who was coming? We never – oh good lord,” Kwin groaned, looking at
the other figure who stepped out from the control booth.
“Good day for a voyage!” Hercules stated pompously, puffing out his
chest. “Where are we going?”
Chapter 6: What Lies Beyond the Borders
S ilence hung thick in the
air. Lindsay was still getting over her shock, while Kai was only beginning to
experience his. Hercules was the last person he had expected to see in the
Sanctum for quite a while, much less on their ship. Elvia had her face in her
palm, Alastor already
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