Once I step on board, the oldest soldier double-checks that all of us are accounted for, then he pulls up the ramp and we're off sailing.
Gediyon tells me that it'll only take an hour to sail to Lereli, which is a relief since all of the other traveling we've done so far turned out to be day trips. He tells me he'll start breakfast for everyone, but I stay on deck to watch the water.
Sailing through the Tainted Sea, ahead all the way to the horizon is sparkling clear water.
I contemplate whether I should go downstairs and help Gediyon with breakfast, when I turn around and Jayse approaches me. He makes eye contact with me—gosh, his eyes are so pretty—so I figure he actually wants to talk to me and not just steal my amazing viewing spot.
"Sorry to bother you, Michelle, but I was wondering... If you aren't from Lereli, does that mean you'll accompany us back to Arriscyal?"
"If that's where we happen to go next, then I guess so. You don't think there are any other princes in need of rescue, do you?"
He laughs. "I hope not. Say, where is it you're from again?"
"Uh..." I see Launce and Nichols peeking out from the stairwell. Launce smirks and nudges Nichols in the side, who punches him back. Why are they so weird?
It'll be easier for me to act like myself instead of a Goddess, anyway. I don't know Starrs enough to tell Jayse an outright lie, so I say, "Davis. Little farm town on the west coast."
"Oh." I can see him trying to find Davis on that mental map of his. "I don't think I've ever been there."
I shrug. "It's in the middle of nowhere." I lean back against the edge of the ship, but I forget that I already stepped away, so I stumble back against it. Yeah, real smooth, Michelle. I hide my dumb expression and face the sea, then ask him, "You been to Lereli before?"
"Once, but I was very young. I do remember a lot of seashells, though."
"Yeah, it was pretty cool. I hope all the fog has gone away. I bet it's really pretty now!"
"Oh, of course—you were the one who fixed the dam, right?" He pauses. "That's quite an accomplishment. How did you do it?"
I don't know how well I could explain it without mentioning my Goddess abilities, so I just say, "I have skills."
I make faces at the sea, hoping it'll make faces back and tell me what an idiot I'm being, when Jayse moves next to me to watch the same view. I immediately try to wipe my expression blank, but the smile that takes over isn't any more pleasant than my grimaces.
"Have you been to the Arriscylean palace yet?"
"Uh..." Well, yeah I have, but what kind of question is it? It isn't as if I had a formal tour of the entire structure, so I say, "Not really."
"Would you like me to show you around when we return? I know more secret passages than anyone else is willing to admit."
I smile. "Sure! Sounds fun."
Is he actually hitting on me? It might be because I'm the only girl on board, but if I were a guy, I'd leave myself alone. Still, I continue answering Jayse's questions as naturally as I can. So far, it doesn't seem like Jayse realizes that I am Goddess. I'm scared of how he might shun me if he did know.
I'm not the kind of girl who would keep talking to a guy if he approached me the way Jayse did. I'd ignore the guy and walk off. He was probably desperate anyway if he was hitting on me, because back home most people knew me as an awkward dork.
But here, nobody knows me enough to think that I'm acting weird, so I might as well get all of the flirting experience I can before applying it to the real world.
Heh. I wonder if I can accumulate flirting experience points?
We keep talking, and Jayse teases me about joining the Arriscylean army.
"I suppose we could use a bit more of this so-called 'female insight,' but you'll have to speak to the king before we can allow such changes."
"Fine, I will! In less than a month, our entire female army will be ten times as powerful as yours, and we won't even have to go to battle!"
"Yeah, it definitely sounds like you have a scary army there."
I laugh. "Aw, are you boys too afraid to draw your puny swords on a lady? Are your mommies going to spank you for not being gentlemen?"
Jayse sighs dramatically. "Mother will lock me in my bedroom and never let me out again. I won't know what to do until a brave female soldier comes to rescue me!"
I laugh and smack his arm. It's even funnier when I remember that Jayse's bedroom is at the top of the palace spire.
Launce and Nichols interrupt our conversation when they stumble on deck. Another soldier from downstairs is prodding them with the silverware in his hands, and Gediyon follows carrying a stack of small pots in his arms, and balancing plates on his other hand.
Gediyon suggests that breakfast will be more enjoyable on deck, since it's a lot more spacious and everyone can breathe. He sets up the pots and dishes for everyone to choose what they want for breakfast, and then he arranges a plate before going to serve the captain.
I fork at some kind of fruit dish. The fruit is firm and tastes like it's been pickled, but the tartness compliments the sweet breadcrumb crust. I would eat more, but I have a feeling the crew is hungrier than me, with their manly stomachs and all. I do pour myself a cup of claren tea, and I can't stop smiling when I notice that Jayse is the only one who also pours a cup. Then I notice Launce smirking and raising his eyebrows at me, and I fling some crust at him when he isn't looking.
It doesn't take long to arrive back in the Crystal Lagoon, and the clean Lereli is even prettier than I imagined. I thought that the water I landed in when I first met Gediyon was clear, but the water that flows beneath the docks is colorless. The only way I can tell it's water is the way it distorts the coral below, and their coral is even brighter than their dyed fabric. The water sparkles like diamonds in the sunlight, which is even hotter than it was the last time I was here.
I'm not the only one in awe at the sight. Even after the ship stops and the ramp reaches the docks, we stay on board admiring the sight until we realize we don't have to stay onboard. As I step off the rocky dock, I want to sit down and stare at my surroundings until I see it in all angles of sunlight, but I remember we're here for business.
I follow Gediyon and Jayse to the mayor's hut, but we lose some of our soldiers when they pass by the water users and chat. Launce and Nichols immediately run off, and I have a feeling they just placed a bet on a swimming competition.
As we walk down the docks, I don't notice any living statues, but some villagers move slower than before. Maybe they managed to move the statues inside before they solidified again.
When we walk into the mayor's hut, the old man runs at us with hugs, but he takes a longer time with Jayse, saying, "You've grown into such a handsome young man! I can't tell whether you look more like your mother or father." He continues patting Jayse on the back for about another minute before he stops himself and says, "Now then! Let's get you started on healing everyone!"
He leads Jayse out the doorway and I follow, but the mayor holds up a hand and tells me, "Now, now, Miss Goddess! It would be best if you stayed here. We can't have you being a distraction to Prince Jaysonn!"
Before the mayor pulls Jayse out of sight again, I see Jayse looking at me as if I ran over an entire box of his newborn kittens.
Well, I guess that game didn't last very long.
I look at Gediyon, hoping he has an idea of what we can do while Jayse expends his MP healing all the villagers. Gediyon is eyeing a basket of shellfish.
I put my hands on my hips and ask him, "You want to kill time and make everyone lunch?"
He doesn't hesitate before leading me into the kitchen. At once, he fires up the hearth and places a large pot over the flame, then fills it with hot, purified water. The kitchen is just big enough for the two of us to work comfortably, and I help him chop something that looks like green onion, only the outside leaves are fuzzy. I'm careful with the small knife he hands me, and I take pride in the small, perfectly even slices, but I'm still cutting one stalk when he already finishes a handful of vegetables that are like water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Somehow, they look even better chopped than they did as whole plants. I look sullenly back at my own cutting board.
"You're doing a wonderful job, Michelle. Take your time." He takes his own cutting board to the pot.
"Hey Gediyon? Growing up, did you want to be a chef?"
He gives a small laugh. "I hadn't given it much thought as a professional career, but I do enjoy cooking. It relaxes me."
"So are you in the military 'cause of the money, or...?"
He lifts his shoulders in a slight shrug, then stirs the shellfish into the pot. Their shells rattle against each other.
"They've provided me with a room in the palace and allow me access to the kitchens, but I'm not doing it for the monetary reward. There are always others in need, and being in the military, I can travel farther and help more people."
I sigh. "Aw, geez, you're such a nice guy!"
"It's how my mother taught me to live. Besides," he chuckles, "I like being useful. Keeping myself busy keeps me from staring at the ocean all day."
I finally finish cutting one stalk. Now to move onto the other five! I pull another onto my chopping board and ask, "How long have you been in the military?"
"Six years. It was just before Jayse turned twelve, and...well... Byran, the man you met at the ports, talked me into enlisting. I still haven't fully thanked him for helping me make that decision." He comes back to the counter and helps me cut up the onions, and he chops one in less than thirty seconds. I don't want to give up just because he can do it better, and he doesn't take my half-chopped onion, so I guess I can keep cutting it at my snail pace.
"So have you known Jayse since he was born?" I ask.
"Only ten years. He was seven years old when we first met."
I squeal a little inside as I try to imagine what Jayse looked like as a little boy. Then I say, "And Gediyon, how old were you?"
"Fourteen," he answers slowly.
I nod. "So you're twenty-four now, right? And Jayse is seventeen, right?" I nod again. "All right. I think I can do with that."
"Sorry?"
I giggle. "Nothing!"
I wonder if guys get self-conscious about their age too, because Gediyon doesn't say much for a while. Then again, maybe he's too shy to continue talking about himself.
Once I finally finish cutting up the furry onions, I bring them to Gediyon and watch him stir the seafood soup. He does seem rather relaxed in the kitchen. He keeps that perpetual smile, but there's something trancelike in the way he moves. It's not like when I catch him staring at the sea, because that's the only time I notice his smile fade. When he is staring at the watery horizon, I see something nostalgic in his red eyes.
I'd ask him more about himself, but I have the feeling he'd change the topic.
After we put a lid on the pot, Gediyon asks me if I want another cocoa nut drink, and he asks me to keep an eye on the fire while he fetches the fruit. It's not as if the fire will burn out of control, but I would feel horrible if I walk away for a second and the entire hut turns into a smokestack.
While I'm watching the pot, some of the village children run inside to watch me. When I realize they're staring at me from around the corner, I spin around and make a hideous face at them, holding the spoon over my head as if it's a deadly weapon. They scream and run away laughing. At least they're lively. I wonder how many of them Jayse healed so far?
The next time the children run in, they give me a fruit to snack on, then run away again before I can thank them. It's a pitrom—the first fruit I tasted on Starrs—but receiving it as a reward makes it taste extra special. I save half of it for Gediyon, and he comes back with the cocoa nut already sliced and a cup full of cream, but he suggests I should try it as a pudding.
As quick as he can chop onions, I lick the cup clean. I don't even give him the chance to hand me a spoon.
"These would make amazing cookies," I say, staring at the empty cup.
"That's a brilliant idea," Gediyon says matter-of-factly. "I never would have thought to do that with cocoa nut cream. It would be fun to try, but it's too bad we don't have any flour."
Hmm. I cross my arms and look at the sliced sack of cream in Gediyon's arms. "Can I see that?"
He hands it to me—wow, this thing feels weird. It's like touching the peeled scalp of a balding person. I try to shove that thought out of my head as I sit down with the cocoa nut and stare at it. The cream is thick—if only I could make it crunchy somehow, maybe even meltable like meringues, with the cute swirly pattern.
I stare at the cream with unblinking eyes, imagining the taste, texture, temperature and smell of these cocoa nut cookies. When the strain is too much for my eyes, I blink, but when I open them again, the cocoa nut skin is now full of about a hundred quarter-sized, drop-shaped cookies.
Gediyon laughs. "You're amazing!"
I pick up one of the cookies and pop it in my mouth. It melts once it touches my tongue. It's fluffy and would crunch if I bite into it, and it tastes like the pure cream of the fruit.
I drop the cocoa nut skin into a basket for stability and hold it up for Gediyon to try. We agree that it'll make a nice addition to the seafood soup when we bring it around to everyone.
Twenty minutes later, Gediyon and I make rounds through the village. He levitates the pot of soup behind us, and in his arms he carries the basket of cookies, while I hand servings to everyone.
The majority of villagers have gathered in the labyrinth of docks, and Jayse takes his time with every affected person. As we pass food through the crowd, I can see Jayse speak to the villagers as he heals them. With one hand on a cheek and the other over the sternum, Jayse smiles and passes his energy on to them. I can see the transformation. The villagers' faces brighten and I can tell that it's easier for them to breathe and move. I can't tell how Jayse does it, though, because it doesn't look like it drains him of any strength.
I smile as I watch them. At one point, he looks up and spots me right out of the crowd, but he quickly looks away.
Gosh, I hope he isn't upset about Launce's game.
At the rate he's going, it takes him all afternoon to heal the villagers. They appreciate the time he gives to each of them, and I see the young and old alike stare at him while he treats them. I guess they do have the right to fall in love with him; he is saving their lives, after all.
I suppose the villagers like me and Gediyon too, because they always hug us when we give them something delicious.
I spend the rest of the afternoon with the other Arriscyleans, talking about returning to the kingdom, Jayse's healing, and how beautiful Lereli is now that it's clean again. Once the sun sinks into the horizon, the other villagers gather inside the huts for celebratory drinks. They invite me too, but Michelle on caffeine is one thing, and I would probably embarrass myself if I drank alcohol. Besides, I always hated the taste of beer. I hope the adults don't drink themselves sick, because then Jayse would have even more work cut out for him.
I sit on the docks facing the sunset, watching Launce and Nichols splash in the water with some of the village children.
For a while, Gediyon sits with me, drinking a cup of claren tea. When I ask him why he isn't with the other adults, he tells me, "I don't drink liquor." Then he leaves to make sure everyone else is prepared for the journey back to Arriscyal in the morning. Luckily, this time we can take the ship instead of riding Bubbles for twenty hours.
Launce floats on his back like a dead man—looks like he lost the game with the village children—when Jayse starts around the corner dock to us. He doesn't look too exhausted, but now he looks as if he had ran over my box of kittens. I'm about to rise to my feet when Jayse falls to the ground. At first I think he passed out or something, but he's just bowing to me.
"I am so deeply, truly sorry for acting the way I did earlier, Miss Goddess. Please forgive me."
I have a feeling that Launce is smirking and raising his eyebrows again. I see him in the water, and he's only smiling as if he knows he did something wrong. I shoot him a sharp glare, and when Nichols sees me, he presses his hand on top of Launce's face and shoves him underwater.
To Jayse, I say, "You really didn't do anything wrong. You just didn't know I was Goddess, right? It's fine."
His forehead is still pressed against the wooden boards. "That's no excuse, Your Divinity! I should have known it was you, but I don't speak to the Universal Mirror often enough to see Goddess reach back to me. I should speak more often. I apologize."
I blow at my bangs and then step toward him. "It's fine, okay? You acted fine before. It's not like you were blaspheming my existence." I push him into a sitting position and pull him to his feet.
He won't even look me in the eyes. Gosh, poor guy, I guess he really is ashamed of his behavior. He looks so sad, I want to hug him, but instead I put my hand to his cheek and turn him to face me. I move my head into his line of sight, and when I see his pretty green eyes, I smile.
"As Goddess, I can assure you, you did nothing wrong."
"Still, I... I'll make it up to you. I'll do anything."
"Anything, huh?"
Now it's my turn to think like Launce. My smile turns into a wide grin. At first I think it's too daring of a request, but when else will I have the chance to make a gorgeous guy do what I tell him? I burst into a fit of giggles. If I don't get it out soon, then I'm never going to say it.
"How about...a kiss?"
His eyes widen and his cheeks glow pink. "A kiss?" he says. He barely breathes the words.
I nod, and I hear more splashing. It looks like Launce, out of both shock and payback to Nichols, tripped his friend into the water.
I cross my arms, smiling like an idiot, wondering if he'll do it or not. It seems that Jayse has already accepted his fate, and he steps toward me, then stops. I wonder if he plans to plant on one my lips or cheek. When it looks like he's decided, he takes another step toward me, but when his face comes too close, I cover my mouth with a hand and turn away, bursting into wild laughter.
Launce and Nichols must punch each other out of disappointment, because when I hear another splash, both of them are underwater. I keep laughing, but I stabilize myself and then slap Jayse on the shoulder.
"Sorry, sorry! I couldn't do that to you. Don't look so disappointed."
Jayse still looks like he doesn't understand my joke.
"But here's something you can do," I say. "Don't call me Goddess, Your Divinity, or any of that fancy crap, okay? Just Michelle is fine. You were fine the way you acted before, so let's forget these past few minutes happened and go on with our lives, hm?"
"If you say so, but it would be so disrespectful of me."
I shake my head. "It's not!"
"It's just...growing up, everyone spoke of our great Creator, and how we should treat her with respect, and this feels like it defies history. I always thought Goddess would—maybe, I don't know—throw us to the ends of the world if we disrespected her."
I snort. "I'm not gonna smite you just 'cause you hit on me!" I throw an arm around his shoulder and lead him down the dock. At least then, Launce and Nichols can stop punching each other with bets on what we'll do next.
"Look," I say. "I didn't grow up on Starrs. I came from a planet called Earth, but everyone here calls it Tyme."
"You came from Tyme?"
"Yeah, awesome isn't it." I hope he doesn't ask how. "Anyway, there, I was just a normal girl. As normal as any of these kids here," I say, gesturing as some of the kids run by with jars of lantern beetles. "Back home, I didn't have a big name to live up to. I mean, my parents were always comparing my grades to my brother's, but whatever. The thing is, I grew up as basically an invisible person, so it's weird when I come here and I have princes and queens bowing to me when I haven't even done anything astounding. I want to earn the respect."
"I see. Then I'll call you Michelle, but I'll treat you with no less respect than I treat any other lady."
Geez. So princely.
"So, do you want to talk to the Mirror?" I say, pointing my thumb toward the Universal Mirror. "Maybe if Saei does show up, you can tell me if I actually look like her or not."
I watch him walk across the platform to the Universal Mirror. No one is else is praying now, I guess because they're all celebrating. I sit on the dock across from the platform and dangle my feet over the water.
He probably has a lot to report back to the universe, because he talks to it for a while. I sit patiently and watch him, but I try not to listen to his words. He has a right to privacy, even if I do want to know what recently happened in his life.
The sunset is beautiful. It's probably the reddest sunset I've ever seen, since so much pollution hangs over the TaintedSea, which deepens the red. Jayse's skin glows in the light and his hair looks even more like soft precious metal. The trees and huts around us become black silhouettes, and as the sun disappears over the horizon, the lantern beetles rise from underneath the docks. Streams of them swirl around the posts and torches, and when Jayse notices them, he turns around and looks at me.
"I didn't see Goddess Saei, but I don't need to."
I jump to my feet and hop to the mirror platform, then twirl in the light of the beetles.
"It's so pretty," I whisper, as if my voice will shut off their light, but they continue to fly and circle around the trees.
"Do you want to speak to the Mirror?" he asks.
I look at it. About twenty beetles are flying around it. Oh, why not? I could do with a game save. I walk toward it and smooth out my sleeves, as if wrinkled sleeves will offend the universe.
"Hello universe. Michelle again. Sorry I was so rude last time, but this is what happened since we last talked."
I tell it about leaving for Arriscyal, Gediyon's cooking, meeting Launce and Nichols, and then rescuing Jayse. When I start on about breaking into Sheirced and watching the sacrificial ritual, something odd happens. The Mirror shimmers as if from an internal light, and the opacity fades, exposing the water on the other side. I stop talking then, because I see another silhouette in the mirror, but it's impossible for anyone to stand on the water behind it, and I know it's not my reflection because of the stature and broad shoulders. I can't make out any distinct features, but it can't be Saei. I open my mouth to keep talking, but as soon as I take a breath, the Mirror turns black again.
"What was that?" I ask.
He keeps silent for a few moments, then says, "Do you really want to know?"
"Why not?"
He takes a deep breath. "We take it as a bad omen. It's Pesaeton's shadow."
"The Taesmal God?"
He nods. "But don't worry. Seeing his shadow doesn't mean he'll smite you. It probably only means the First Moon is close."
"The First Moon?"
"Of the Cycle. The first month of Pesaeton's trials, to punish those who cursed him. But the First Moon is harmless."
I look back at the Mirror, wondering if it'll change again. It stands there, black and glossy, but the only change I see in its surface is when a beetle flies in front of it.
Author's Note
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The Starriest Summer, the first book in The Cycle of the Six Moons trilogy, is available in its entirety here on my website: https://adelleyeung.com/books/csm1starriestsummer/