The Island With No Parallel

Darius

Shi'ran came back and opened the carriage door. "Right this way. We may leave immediately."

They all stepped out, Luca eyeing the small vessel as though it carried a disease. "A shoddy little piece of work, but I suppose it will have to do."

Yunara glared at him. "Can't you be grateful for anything? You should be glad we have a boat on such short notice."

"You're right, il mio fiore. Shi'ran, be sure to thank your friend for his rotting piece of driftwood. Grazie."

Kailu elbowed him. "Hush, he'll hear you!"

They all approached the vessel and Shi'ran gave his thanks, Luca climbing aboard and muttering to himself in Italian.

As they set off, the last ways of sun were disappearing behind the horizon, the sea seeming to engulf the sun as the moon came chasing after. Stars came out from their hiding places in the heavens to blanket the sky in a mass of glitter.

"Ah, even in a rickety old boat like this, there's something romantic about gazing at the stars out at sea, isn't it, il mio fiore?" Luca came at Yunara's side and pulled her close.

Manuel was on him in seconds, pushing him away just as fast. "LEt's focus on the ask at hend, shall we?" His tone was level, but Yunara could pick up on the danger in his voice as well.

Luca didn't flinch. "As you wish," he conceded, winking at Yunara before walking away.

She chuckled, beginning to think the two needed each other, to warm one another's blood every so often.

Kailu asked, "So how do we get started?"

Shi'ran pulled out an instrument that looked like a guitar, but was the shape of an elongated teardrop, with tuning knobs at the narrow end of it.

"I bought this this morning. It's called a drima, but any instrument will do. Imanu are most attracted to music, you see, and this is the instrument I know how to play best."

"You talk as if this Imanu is some find woman to serenade," Luca said jadedly.

"Let's just get started," Youssef interrupted before the two could argue.

Shi'ran obliged and began plucking at the strings, a beautiful harmony floating through the air as he did. The song was bittersweet, a soft melody with a twist of melancholy, a sound that got Yunara closing her eyes and swaying to its tune.

A hand on her shoulder pulled her from her reverie. "Yunara, look," Manuel said.

He pointed to the amazing creatures that began to appear all around them. Dolphins with the wings of dragonflies jumped from the water and took to the skies. Fish of astounding colors Yunara had never seen before rushed by the boar at impossible speeds. She felt as if she had been taken to a new world entirely, and it was breathtaking.

She heard a splash.

Running to investigate, Yunara looked over the starboard side of the boar, gasping at what she saw.

"It's him! It's Darius!"

She pointed as the others flocked to her side see a creature that looked just as Manuel's father had depicted–a creature with the head of a wolf that leapt from the water like a dolphin its azure fish-like tail trailing after.

Shi'ran stopped playing, coming to join them. "Kokl, tell him to come this way."

Kokl reappeared among them, screeching in that sing-songy language.

The wolf head surfaced, turning to face the boat and cocking its head, as though it were confused.

Kokl continued to shout at it, and suddenly the Imanu came dashing. As it came close to the boat, it leapt from the sea in a shower of water and landed on the ship with a flop, howling loudly. It started panting excitedly, much like a dog, its tail slapping hard on the ground, the boat leaning a little as it ddi. Yunara was shocked by how big it was. It looked the size of a horse.