Chronicle of Burden

Chapter 9

The ship's foghorn blares announcing its arrival. The sailors begin to ready everything necessary for docking and Captain Jakovich keeps a vigilant gaze over his commanding officers as they begin to maneuver the ship towards the docks.
Beneath the ship's deck in the private quarters that were temporarily lent to the three quests, Kallen is shaken awake by Sakura. She remains unresponsive for the first half of Sakura's attempts to wake her up, after several shakes and soft-voiced calls Kallen then buried her face in the pillow then started to mumble about letting her rest a while longer since they wouldn't arrive at their destination for at least a few more hours.

Kallen: I want to sleep! We got at least three more hours till we arrive and I'm not hungry.

Sakura: The ship docks as we speak, Kallen.

Kallen Raises her face out of the pillow and eyes Sakura in disbelief, a frown caressing her forehead.

Kallen: You're lying. You want to get me to wash dishes.

She then buried her face in the pillow again and, even though she was shouting a little bit, her voice was not so different from before.

Kallen: I don't care if he throws us overboard! I'm NOT going back there. If I see another plate I'll shoot every last one of them!

There's a knock on the cabin door then someone speaks from the hallway:

???: Wake up. We've arrived in Sinje. Captain Jakovich wants to see you.

Sakura: We will arrive momentarily. Thank you for letting us know.

The unknown sailor's footsteps sound through the hallway as he walks away from the door, and Sakura turns her attention to Kallen whose face is still buried in the modestly comforting pillow.

Sakura: Was that convincing enough?

Kallen tosses the pillow at the wall at the far end of the cabin with a frustrated groan. She hefts the Oath of Judah on her back and stops out of the cabin with Sakura casually following her towards the upper deck, nearly bumping into the rim of the cabin door as she angrily stomped out into the hallway.
Once Kallen and Sakura set foot on the upper deck, they are greeted by a breathtaking view as the sun begins to set. The upper limb of the sun disappears below the horizon giving the impression that it submerges into the sea, casting its fiery tint of orange across the shimmering waters setting the distant shores on fire.
To their surprise, the sailors all lined up and stood in attention. Their backs straight, shoulders squared, nose pointing up and hands held at the back. They formed two files on either side of the ship's port side, creating a living corridor for Kallen and Sakura to walk towards the bridge that had yet to be extended towards dryland.
Kallen and Sakura soon join the Captain and Jakovich who were exchanging a few words then cut their conversation short when they arrived. Noticing Kallen's poor state and slightly messy hair, Jakovich allows himself a moment of amusement though no smile tugs at his face, remaining stoic as always.

Captain Jakovich: The life at sea isn't to your liking, Church Sister. It slows you down, it seems.

Kallen simply gave Jakovich a friendly smile and replies:

Kallen: Thank you for taking us here, Captain Jakovich.

When Kallen attempted to offer something to Jakovich, he quickly raised his right hand preventing Kallen from reaching into her pocket.

Captain Jakovich: Keep your coin. I didn't do this for either personal or monetary gain. And you've all done enough to earn your temporary stay on my ship.

Jakovich looks to Sakura then says:

Captain Jakovich: My men will miss you the most. They work hard and the hearty meals you've provided them have raised their spirits. I am willing to admit that losing such a skilled cook will be a blow to their morale. They've also extended their apologies for behaving as they did before when you first boarded.