Chapter 17: Departure

Chapter 17: Departure 

Mom's only response to Sandy's irate remarks was to smile and continue adjusting the controls. Deep from within the ship, I didn't hear so much as felt Sandy's body came to life. Machinery I'd never once heard or seen active came to life with a brief, sluggish pause that soon turned into a dull rumbling like the deep breathing of a giant I sniffed the air, and the faint oddly minty smell of the magic I now knew was Sandy intensified. Slowly, ever so slowly, the ship began to move. 

I decided not to overly question Mom's use of explosives for the moment, mostly because I wanted her to teach me about them later. Instead, I voiced a different thought.

"Mama? How were you going to turn the ship and get the engines started if we hadn't woken Sandy up?"

"Yes, Captain Mor. How were you planning that?" Sandy's voice was cutting with a slight sarcastic edge which I found entirely reasonable. Mom had after all used explosives without her permission to free her.

Mom didn't say anything. If anything, her smile became fixed as she stared out over the bridge windows.

"...were you going to run down to the engine room and then run back up and go back and forth sprinting until we were already going?" I asked.

"Wow, I can't believe we're finally leaving, huh Gwen?"

I rolled my eyes as hard as I could at Mom's honestly sad dodging.

The ship shuddered as the engines deep below coughed but soon smoothed out, rumbling through the deck. 

I stood, suddenly anxious. The ship was slow to exit the estuary as Mom guided it delicately out to sea. The motion of the ship was weird to my sense of balance but not unpleasant. Mom and Sandy talked, mostly concerning engine output and adjustments to the ship navigation that went over my head, although I could tell progress was being made. 

Despite myself, I found myself twitchy and hyper alert. Every motion of the ship had my ears twitching and tail flicking. The ship's machinery that had once been inert 95% of the time I was on board was on and humming, chugging, and groaning throughout the hull. Although humming might have been a stretch, given some of the machinery sounded like it was in pain. 

"Gwen? Would you like to watch from my shoulders?" Mom asked.

I shook my head. Behind us was the only home I'd known in this world. In my old life, I'd have been teary and whimsical at leaving a beloved family home, but here? I'd said goodbye already.

I didn't have all of the pieces yet. I'm sure Mom didn't think I was old enough, but I knew enough to say with certainty the island had saved both our lives. For that, it had my thanks, but it was time to leave and not look back.

Mom dabbed my eyes with a dry rag and I once more cursed my rebellious body. I was then hoisted up in Mom's arms. "Sandy? Can you keep the ship on a southward heading?"

"Of course," Sandy chirped. "You will need to return for some finer course corrections, but I can manage at least this much."

We stepped out onto the ship bow. I was taken aback at the sight. The island, a lumpy mix of browns and greens albeit mostly browns stretched out like a long C, already looked so, so small. It'd always felt big to me, but here there was just so… little, to it now. I could still see the citadel, but it was little more than a whitish yellow blur in the distance.

"It's okay to be sad, Gwen. You say goodbye to every home eventually. It's a chance for a new start," Mom said.

I didn't respond. Instead, we watched the island fade away until it became barely visible, little more than a speck. All the while, I felt odd, a mix of sadness, nostalgia, and relief going through me as the island retreated from sight. Yet, there was another feeling building up as well.

"Feel better?" Mom asked.

"Mama, I'm—"

Whatever I was going to say died as I promptly threw up all over Mom's clothes.

There was a long, awkward silence.

"You're seasick, aren't you?"

I nodded, feeling queasy.

Mom sighed. "Let's get you cleaned up. I think I have some medicine for this…"

[center]~~~

[/center] As it turned out, Mom did have medication, and it was the good stuff.

I giggled and swung in my chair. The rusted shrieks it made as it spun me made it even better until Mom forcibly stopped the spinning screaming chair ride. I pouted but got distracted by my hands. I marveled at how human like they were but the fine fuzz all over them that I just couldn't resist rubbing all over my face. Mom looked up and sighed before going back to the steering.

It'd just been half a little green pill. Mom had even said the dosage should be fine. And it so, so was. I felt great! Like I was flying!

"I swear, it was just half a pill? Is it because she's so young?"

"Acting Captain Mor—"

"It's Eliza."

"Yes Captain Mor," Sandy said in a scratchy voice that just made me want to head pat her orb and put it to bed. "I suspect giving a child even that much of the cure-all tablets was not a good idea. I am hardly an expert in medicine, but I believe, given the state of production at the time of our departure, the cure-all pill may not have been alchemically imbued with as much moon root extract as intended."

"Oh—" Mom proceeded to try to launch into what I recognized as her favorite curse word she'd never translated for me, only to at the last second glance at my utterly focused gaze and finish with a lame "drat" instead. 

That was disappointing. It was disappointing enough that I decided to take action. "[Fucking shit!]" I giggled, causing Mom's ears to swivel to me in confusion, which only made me giggle more. If she only knew the utter treasure trove of curse worlds I knew from my memories of another life.

There was a long silence. 

"What fascinating vocabulary to teach your daughter, Captain Mor."

"Shut it," Mom said, holding her face. Interestingly, I noticed she didn't take her eyes off the controls or stop scanning the horizon.

Sandy cleared her non-existent throat again. What a silly ship girl thing. "As I was saying, I suspect reallocation of resources and wartime quotas may have resulted in, shall we say, adulterations to the standard issued medication given the shortage of moon root extract and instead substituted a common and unrestricted mind-altering substance to supplement its otherwise lackluster effects. It's possible such an adulterated pill slipped quality control when brought into the infirmary in routine shipments at our last port stop."

"...I just gave my daughter her first taste of nip."

"Quite. Fortunately, nothing too dangerous, so this is probably the best result. She just feels really happy right now. And, if I may add, is utterly adorable."

I puffed up my cheeks at Sandy's voice tube. I was not adorable! I threw an empty little box at her tube. It made it about halfway across the room. I pretended not to hear the stifled giggles from the ship.

Mom let out an explosive sigh. "Wonderful. Just wonderful."

"If it makes you feel better, I imagine she probably would have had some notable reaction regardless, given the pills are not meant for children."

"I get it, just… I didn't even think sea sickness would be a problem. I haven't been seasick in years, but I remember the ship's medicine solving that issue fast. Honestly, I guess it makes sense. She's never even been on anything more than a swim in the estuary. Being out at sea probably did a number on her stomach."

I was suddenly annoyed by how tall Mom was. I wanted to head pat her ears! 

I made vague grabby hands in the air, eventually prompting Mom to reach down for me. Ha, she activated my trap card!

I tried to pull her down and miserably failed. So I responded by leaping up and rapidly crawled up her back like a real cat! But not a monkey. I was no stinky human anymore!

I saw Mom tilting her head with a bemused smile. "And what do you think you're doing back there, young lady?"

"Pets!" I proceeded to try petting Mom's hair with one hand. I nearly fell off, and she caught me easily. I was then sat down in the chair again. 

"Stay there, sweetie. We will be at this for a little while."

"Okaaay," I said, kicking my feet.

I stayed there for a while or seconds, plotting ways to head pat Mom and figure out how to head pat Sandy for being a silly ship girl thing. Then my thoughts wandered to trains and how I really wanted to ride one because I never got a chance to in my old life and choo choo sounded fun. Then I was distracted by a cloud.

Oh, I was up now? That's neat. I didn't even notice the back and forth of the ship at this point. Ha, this sea thing made total sense.

It occurred to me that I would probably be mortified at my behavior later, but that was Future Me's problem, so I'd let her deal with that. Mom and Sandy started talking and it was stuff I felt I should be interested in about the sea conditions and distance they had to go, but it seemed so utterly boring and my hands were very fuzzy.

I was fascinated by my fuzzy fingers for a long while as I slowly touched the fuzz on my hand, touched my face, giggled, and repeated. 

Suddenly, I remembered I had a tail! It must be chased.

After an appropriate amount of chasing, I found myself on the deck. Not too far from the bridge, so Mom probably wouldn't be too mad about it.

I didn't quite skip to the railing as that would be undignified and I don't think I was coordinated enough to manage that right now. But I did put in an effort!

I leaned over, staring at the waves below jostled by Sandy's wake cutting through the water, and-

There was a woman in the water.

It was so incongruous at first that I blinked thinking I'd imagined it. Yet, the more I looked at it, the more real it became. A woman's face — and a beautiful woman at that — was in the water, eyes serenely closed and hair spreading out behind her. I then noticed her ears. They weren't feline. They were much more human-like, elfin even.

I couldn't see the rest of her body in the water below; just her face, strangely at peace with the world.

Her eyes opened. Lovely deep blue orbs latched onto mine. 

For a brief moment that came and went like lightning, I felt unease with the situation for a reason I couldn't quite pinpoint, but like a flash the worry was lost in a sea of curiosity. I needed…

She mouthed words, but I couldn't make out what she said, nor read her lips. Yet, I felt as if it was important and that meaning was just at the edge of understanding Moreover, I knew I could trust her, that everything would be alright. If I was just closer, past the railing, I could—

I needed to get closer.

Mechanically, I began climbing over the railing. It was a bit difficult given my body didn't quite want to obey and the railing was made with adults in mind. Something about the whole situation really seemed off to me, but I had to get closer so I could understand her. I finally managed to climb over it as I heard a muffled…something, in the distance.

Probably not too important, but it sounded an awful lot like Mom, and…

I sniffed the air. What…when had Sandy's scent gotten so… fishy and sweet? Disgustingly sweet, like the worst candies with a chemical taste in my old life?

I blinked, twice for good measure. What was I doing? It was at that moment that I truly saw.

Below, a mass of shadows shifted in the water. Multiple long, and sinuous armored limbs that reminded me of a great spider rising from the depths around the woman's unchanging and suddenly far colder face. 

I screamed.

The spikes moved. The ship jerked sharply. I teetered on the edge and fell back.

An armored spike rocketed through the space I'd been moments before. Thick as a great oak's main branch, this close I could see the hard plates interlaced rather than formed a uniform whole, grown over some fleshy, gray limb. It moved with a strange, organic sound, muscles shifting beneath the carapace. 

I wanted to run.

I couldn't.

I wanted to scream again.

I couldn't.

Warmth bloomed and trickled down my leg for the first time in over a year. 

Then Mom was there and I was in her arms.

I didn't know how. This must've been seconds.  She dived beneath the searching thing and then we were moving. I felt the wind howl passed my hair. An explosion rang out from the sea. Something roared, a surprisingly high pitched, near feminine sound that I only belatedly realized wasn't one voice, but many echoing in unison. A hatch opened, closed, and we were in Sandy's body as the ship swallowed the light. I was placed down in a room full of heavy vests. I clung to her, but she let me go.

"Kitten, stay here. Hide under the armor vests. Mama has to go fight now, but I will be back." Her voice was worried but comforting before finishing in a snarl. I saw her fangs were all fully bared, perhaps even grown more than I had ever seen. Anger in her visibly burned as veins slowly lit up in her arms with a soft blue light that pulsed in time with her heartbeat. 

I felt afraid of her for the first time. I still tried to cling to her. Her expression broke, and she looked away. She didn't say anything, gripping her orange fuzzed hands into tight fists. Blood dripped past her knuckles as claw-like tips dug in and dripped below to the deck. "I'm sorry." The hatch slammed shut behind her, leaving me alone in the room.

I stared at the shut door illuminated only by dim red light strips on the ceiling. Overhead, tremendous impacts rang out and the sea roared before settling out into an unnatural stillness only broken by Sandy's gentle hum of machinery below decks. A strange, indescribable scent filtered into my awareness that had my hair stand up.

Something in the corner of my eye moved.

"Please, no." My voice was barely a whisper. I shut my eyes tight and shuddered. I pretended everything was fine. I pretended I was fine.

I wasn't.

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[H3]Chapter 17 Author's Note[/H3]

Oh dear, there's been something lurking in the sea all this time. Wonder how that got there?

Won't lie, that thing went through a lot of basic designs and just kept getting more creepy with each iteration. Same with this chapter overall, really. Lots of things I had to figure out or adjust, particularly with the catnip scene.

On broader isekai things, I've seen a lot of isekai novels and even intended deconstructions/parodies jump straight into life threatening situations. Setups where Jonh McNormal Dude suddenly kills his first goblin, or survives a monster attack that serves to inform him the setting is dangerous but it's treated more as a "Shit" moment in the same vein as, "Shit, my tire's flat". 

Not, "oh my god something is genuinely trying to kill me". This is absolutely not to say some fics don't handle the psychological impacts of life threatening danger on someone who's never experienced it, it's just a lot seem to be so eager to get to the plot that they forget the small things-just the potential of danger-can do a lot to a person.

So, the latter half of this chapter was written with that hovering in the back of my head.

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