Chapter 2: The Rude Passenger

Bonus Chapter 2: Sariya's Travels The Rude Passenger

Sariya stepped on deck where another attendant was directing passengers to a place to be seated until the ship was airborne, then they could move about. The passenger compartment was similar to that of a train car that could seat a hundred people. Going to her labeled seat, she sat down in the window seat across from an elegant woman and a young child. 

The woman didn't quite match her surroundings. Her traveling dress was rich, opulent, richly colored burgundy, decked with lace, frills, and pearl buttons. Her hair was swept up in almost a beehive fashion. It was pale straw colored, and adorned with sparkling hairpins. Her long pointed ears and slender neck adorned sparkling jewelry. There was nothing understated about this woman. The child beside her was similar, wearing an expensive looking little suit with a cravat and cravat pin that just screamed expense.

Sariya sat at her window. The seating rows had three seats facing each other by a window that looked out into the sky. She turned her attention to the view, watching people scurrying along the docks. She was aware that the woman was looking at her. She'd seen her face change as soon as she approached.

It was a look she was used to. People on Thelessia would often have it around her. It was strange because up until this point, she hadn't encountered it on Emphyralis. She'd met people from all over the world at this point and none of them had looked at her askance. 

Since she was traveling to a city and wouldn't be fighting or hunting, she wasn't dressed in her usual coarse woods clothes. She didn't like wearing skirts, so she didn't wear one, but she'd observed that even though it was common for the women to wear them on Emphyralis, they weren't required for "propriety". They did it for fashion or simply because they liked to.

Romily Scarletflame, one of the Ruby Dragons she met when she was on Terranthea never wore them. None of the female guards did either. Even the girliest girly-girl she ever met, Britiana, wore pants for the operation. It was honestly the first time she'd ever seen the girl in anything other than billowy skirts with lots of folds.

So, while she was wearing pants, they were high quality with new shiny boots, a white shirt with draping sleeves pulled in at the wrists and a slightly shimmery vest over it. She'd replaced her earrings with simple small hoops instead of animal teeth and bones, and her braided hair was neatly gathered into a single large braid. She could only conclude that it wasn't her clothes but her person that was offending this woman.

In that case, she felt no need to pay her the least bit of attention. Soon a richly dressed, portly man joined the woman and young boy. The two seats beside her became occupied with a scholarly young man in old but well taken care of robes, and an old human woman with white hair, many wrinkles, and kindly eyes.

The portly man was much friendlier than his wife. He introduced himself to his fellow compartment mates as Jorke, a Draconite merchant. His wife was called Fyrithe and the boy was Jorke III. If it was Draconite, Sariya realized why the woman could dress so ostentatiously.

"Excuse my wife. Our private ship had a malfunction and she's not happy at the change of plans at the last minute," Jorke said apologetically. Jorke appeared to be partially elven. His ears were shorter and more rounded than the norm on Emphyralis. He also seemed a bit flustered by the change of plans, but he didn't go around looking down his nose at people.

Sariya realized the woman's distasteful expression wasn't only for her. She could practically read her face when she looked across the space between the rows. At the old woman: "Ew. Old." At the young man: "Ew. Poor." And at Sariya: "Ew. Eoduun."

"Are you stopping in Nightfall or do you plan to go on to Weston?" the young man seemed oblivious to the wife's distaste asked, pushing up a pair of glasses that were sliding down his nose.

The wife's face tightened, but Jorke didn't notice and answered good naturedly. "We'll be moving on to Weston as soon as we arrive. I have a lot of inventory to sell. I plan to establish a good trade with Undirheim. The Draconite I have is very special," he answered with a conspiratorial wink.

"What about you, lad?" he asked.

The young man smiled slightly. He also seemed to have some mixed ancestry. "My name's Hegan. I heard there was a Mage Corps starting in Weston and they were recruiting," he said.

Surprise filled the faces of almost everyone. Even Sariya was surprised. Did she judge him wrongly for his clothes, something she should know better than to do? A Mage on Emphyralis would not be poor. They may not be as rich as Master Jorke, but they wouldn't be reduced to threadbare robes.

Hegan noticed that and laughed. "I've been a teacher in my village for almost forty years and wanted a change," he explained. It still didn't explain much. Teaching, even in a small village, was a government backed job. He should have lived quite well on his salary. There must be a story behind the young man he wasn't willing to say. They wouldn't pry into his privacy.

The old woman introduced herself as Gayle. She explained that she was almost five hundred years old, more long lived than most humans on Emphyralis, who usually lived over two hundred years. She explained she was going to Weston because her great-great-great-grandfather had been Eoduun. She'd always wanted to see Undirheim, but life never allowed it. It was only now as she neared the end of her life that she took the time to come.

Sariya just nodded at them. "My name's Sariya," she said and looked back out the window. She wasn't a sharer, especially with strangers.

"This is your captain. We are embarking. I repeat. We are now embarking," a rough, gravelly voice suddenly filled the air. There was a sudden shudder and stomach dropping feeling. It wasn't a harsh or dangerous movement. It lasted for only a moment, and then the scene outside the window began to change as they ascended into the air.

Sariya watched the air station get smaller and smaller as they moved further and further away. It was a lot less thrilling than riding a Dragon. She'd never tell Darius and embarrass him, but it had actually been quite fun.

She must have smiled when remembering that because she heard a slight sniff of disdain from across the aisle. Soon the airshift began moving at a steady speed.

Another voice announced that passengers could now move around the deck and compartment. The journey would last for only six hours, so while they did not have sleeping options, they did have a dining room.

Fyrithe stood as soon as possible. "Come, Jorkie, go to the dining room. Mummy has treats for you," she said, holding her son's hand and leaving the passenger compartment, completely ignoring her husband.

Sariya got up and walked to the deck to see the view. There were clouds below them, around them, even above them. In the distance she could see blue skies. 

The reason she could stand on the open deck in the middle of the sky feeling only a slight breeze was magic. She didn't know the principles. There was probably some type of shielding spell. They didn't even feel like they were moving fast, but they must be. Silvermoon was more or less at the meridian of the world and they were traveling to the western most coast of the western most landmass. For them to reach it in only six hours, they must be traveling at speeds she couldn't even fathom.

Whenever there were no clouds she'd watch the ground below them. She could see forests, rivers, mountains, cities, towns, and villages. It was just a breathtaking experience.

She wondered if people here had become used to it. Dragons could fly whenever they wanted. Airship prices weren't too expensive. She wondered if she'd get to use it, or would there always be a sense of awe.