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The scent of salt and the purring of the waves filled the space with total calm. An imposing and beautiful ship floated on the waters of the Sea of Clouds, gliding majestically over a mirror of infinite blue. Beidou gazed at the horizon, her arms resting on the railing of the overchamber. The trip to Port Ormos had been quite an undertaking, with the goods stored and on their way to Liyue thanks to a series of successful businesses between Sumeru and The Crux.
Beidou couldn´t help but be excited by the idea of what this would mean for the expansion of new markets in Liyue and for the economic gains it would bring to the Qixing and Ningguang. She almost burst out laughing as she imagined the eyes of the Tianquan, observing mora in each of the foreign fruits, mushrooms and spices stored in the hold. A sigh escaped the Captain's lips as she thought of her beloved. Soon they would return to land, to their home, where they would celebrate for three days and three nights with alcohol, songs and food (Xiangling would go crazy with all the new ingredients from the Dendro land), enjoying the stories and anecdotes that the famous crew would tell about their adventures on the high seas.
And speaking of the crew...
The laughter of the sailors from the deck mingled with the cheerful whistling of the wind. Below, the members of The Crux were in a circle, sitting on boxes, barrels or simply on the bare ground, holding paper and ink, while in the center Kazuha was patiently and enthusiastically teaching them how to compose haikus.
“Remember to count the syllables of each verse,” said the young man, in a voice as calm as the breeze itself. “That is the secret of composition. But don’t forget that in the end what matters most is the message you convey, that feeling or sensation you want to talk about. That is the true heart of structure.”
Beidou looked at the scene with a warm and comforting feeling in her heart. She could still remember Kazuha's first days aboard the Alcor. Silent and withdrawn, his gaze lost in pain and loss. It had taken more than weeks for him to even reveal his name. And now, even among so many people, he seemed to always have a topic of conversation. He had even agreed to teach poetry and music classes as part of the recreational activities on the high seas, and everyone loved them.
The woman couldn't help but feel proud. Is this what it feels like to be a mother?
“He’s a very special boy, isn’t he?” Huixing commented, taking her eyes off the charts and turning them to her Captain. “He even managed to get Suling, who usually doesn’t like to participate in the more artistic activities, to join one or two of his classes. I think he has a way with people.”
“Yes, he does.”
Beidou knew this very well. She had always considered that she was never wrong in judging people. When you know how to judge the state of the sea, judging people becomes very easy, and ever since she met young Kaedehara she knew with certainty that he was someone special. Even in the sad, ashen face of that runaway child whom she took in one night in Ritou there was a natural and deep charm, reflected in his mature gaze, his wise words, in the way he moved as if guided by the wind, but which was at the same time firm as a mountain and with the lively spirit of a lightning bolt over the ocean.
She had grown to love him and now she couldn't imagine a life on the Alcor without him.
From the deck, Kazuha raised his vermilion-colored gaze, meeting Beidou's maroon eye as he gave her a smile. The woman responded with a wave of her hand. Little Yue then climbed down from the crates he had been standing on, running towards the young samurai and drawing his attention with a tug on the sleeve of his haori.
“Can you check my haiku?” the boy asked, handing him a sheet of paper with 3 rows of letters scribbled on it.
“Of course,” Kazuha replied, taking the piece of paper as gently as the waves caressed the hull.
“Awww, I love seeing those two get along so well,” Huixing said, before letting out a tired sigh. “I would have loved to be part of the poetry class, but I still need to proofread these nautical charts thoroughly. Since it’s a new route, I need to make sure it’s well recorded for posterity.”
“And I trust you will,” Beidou replied, giving the girl a confident smile. “You’re a great navigator and you’ve always brought us along the quickest and safest routes. Don’t worry, I know you’ll do a great job.”
Huixing ran a hand through her long hair, her cheeks rosy.
“Thank you very much, Captain Beidou,” she said, before returning her attention to the table full of maps.
The sun began to descend through the sky, until the light gave way to darkness and the stars showed their luminous shapes throughout the entire celestial vault. According to Huixing, if they didn’t encounter any inconveniences along the way, they would be arriving at Liyue Harbor in a maximum of two days. The night was clear and cold, its tranquility broken only by the chatter of the people on board.
“Ah, nothing better than a drink after a long work trip” Beidou lifted her canteen, spilling that strong taste in her mouth. She had the habit of avoiding drinking while on duty, but hopefully this would be her last night at sea, so a little gesture of early celebration was not out of place.
“I think this has been a very learning trip” Kazuha commented, sitting next to her, while playing with his cup in his hands. “I had never visited Sumeru and I think I have never felt more in touch with nature than there. Its forests, its rivers, seem to beat with a completely different heart than those of my homeland, full of secrets and hidden charms, and since we were limited to a single city, there are still many wonderful landscapes waiting to be discovered. I would love to visit it again and wander around it a little more.”
“Stay with us a little longer and you’ll surely be able to take advantage of a ride,” the woman replied, putting an arm around the boy’s shoulders and ruffling his hair playfully. In the past, Kazuha would not have accepted such close physical contact with anyone, even making him uncomfortable, but Beidou prided herself on knowing that she was the only one capable of carrying out such a gesture with complete freedom and earning the tender giggles of the young samurai as compensation.
After dinner, the crew began to slowly retire to rest. Beidou stayed up late checking the status of the goods with Juza, while Kazuha rested sitting on the forecastle, staring at the stars.
“We have to make sure that the most delicate materials are kept at the right temperature” the First Officer observed, checking a container full of mushrooms. “It would be a shame if we had to make such a long trip only to find them in poor condition when we disembark. What a good thing that…”
“Something bad is happening.”
Kazuha's soft but firm voice interrupted them, as both adults turned to the young man.
“What is it, Kazuha?”, Beidou asked. That he was the one to point out that something was wrong was never a good sign, and could almost be predicted as the unleashing of a tragedy.
“There are no fish nearby, nor movement in the clouds or the wind, and yet I manage to detect a resonant and unknown sound approaching us from the depths.”
“A sound?”, Juza asked, tilting his head as if trying to listen. “I don't hear anything.”
The man's carefree expression contrasted with the woman's increasingly alarmed face.
"Juza, call everyone to their stations."
Suddenly, a blow shook the ship violently, shifting the equipment from side to side and shaking the lamps.
"Everyone to your stations!" shouted Beidou, running to the bow, with his two companions behind her.
Slowly, all the members of the Alcor appeared, with expressions of fear and confusion on their faces, some already carrying their weapons, and others, like Little Yue, still in their pajamas.
"What's wrong?" asked the boy, his voice trembling, as another blow shook the ship fiercely. "Is it a storm?"
"Worse," replied Beidou. "A monster."
As if her words had been a spell or some sort of invocation, a wall of water rose up in front of the bow, releasing a salty rain that soaked much of the deck, revealing a long, scaly neck ending in a misshapen head with two rows of sharp teeth, fins extended in a threatening gesture and a pair of bright eyes, like noctilucous jades in the moonlight, rising like the mountains of the stone forest.
A sea serpent.
The screams didn't take long to come, as panic began to spread among the people.
"To your battle stations! Drake, all the way to port! Yinxing, take Little Yue inside! The rest, to the ballistae and cannons!"
The Ocean Queen's words were orders. In a flash, the entire ship had made a 90-degree turn to the right. Yinxing, the Alcor's medic, picked up Little Yue and took refuge in the main chamber, while the rest of the present ran back and forth carrying bullets, bags of gunpowder, harpoons and other weapons. Beidou's Electro Vision began to throw sparks, while memories of the battle against Haishan passed through her mind like the image of a kinetoscope.
"Where did that thing come from?" Furong shouted, holding her sword high, ready to attack when the order was given.
“I don’t know!” Huixing’s voice came through the din from behind one of the ballistae. Although her legs were shaking, the glint of excitement was not hidden in her eyes. “Due to the delicate nature of some of our goods, I took the quickest route. There was no mention of sea beasts in any of the charts!”
“Well, at least we’ll have something interesting to add to the log,” Beidou said. “On my mark!”
The sea serpent drew its neck back and, in an instant, lunged at the ship, jaws wide open.
“Now!”
Cannons thundered and harpoons whistled. Threads of blood began to flow from where the projectiles had broken through scales and flesh, as the snake, letting out a shriek, retreated back into the depths. The waves, once rough, calmed down to stillness. The sailors, with bated breath, remained static, almost as if affected by a static current.
Beidou knew that this wasn´t over. It was never that easy, not with a creature of that size, and her eye stopped on Kazuha's terrified gaze. Although his body stood in a firm and apparently calm position, his nervousness betrayed through his pupils and the slight trembling of his right hand against the handle of his sword.
Not a minute passed before a sudden blow on the keel pushed the vessel upwards, while the sea serpent rose again, to an eerie proximity, as it coiled its long body around the hull, causing mournful creaking of the planks.
Beidou ran, claymore in hand, towards the beast, closely followed by Kazuha and Furong, both with their swords drawn, as they slashed and stabbed at the snake’s body, sending blood and glistening scales flying. Behind them, the gunfire was a symphony of violence as the crew gathered strength for their attack, but the beast would not release its grip on the ship’s sides, shaking its long neck and threatening to tear off the sails.
“Kazuha!” Beidou exclaimed, pointing upwards. “Will you help me up?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
The young man in question put an arm around the captain's shoulders, before a current of air enveloped them and propelled them into the sky, reaching the height of the main mast. Kazuha climbed into the crow's nest, while the woman broke free from his grip and dropped like a cannonball in a downward attack towards her enemy's head.
"Eyes on me!" she shouted, while stabbing the monster's body with her claymore, as easily as cutting a cabbage.
Letting out shrieks that made Beidou's teeth grind, the huge snake slowly detached itself from the ship, sinking back into the water. Seeing its objective accomplished, the woman tried to retreat, pulling her weapon away, but the impact seemed to have caused it to become embedded in her enemy's flesh. Without time to even think about swimming back to the ship, Beidou could only close her eye, hold the hilt tightly and take a deep breath, before the sky disappeared above her head and only the ocean stretched out endlessly around her.
Like a castaway adrift, she held on, while the beast, noticing her presence, tried to tear her from its body. Beidou was an excellent swimmer, you had to be if you decided to take the sea as your main source of life, and she could easily hold her breath for up to five minutes; However, the exhaustion of the fight and the agitation caused by the creature's shaking eventually weakened her, causing painful pressure in her lungs and stiffness in her fingers. Still, she held firm. She wouldn't risk being left adrift in the middle of the ocean, exhausted, and becoming the prey of some other animal; but by not letting go she also ran the risk of drowning if she remained underwater for too long. For now, all she could do was hold on and pray to the Archons that this would end soon.
Almost as if her request had been heard, they surfaced at that instant. Beidou took advantage of those precious seconds to breathe again and fill her lungs with oxygen. Her hands, almost fused with the hilt of her weapon, didn´t take the time to push away the strands of wet hair that covered her vision, so she couldn´t foresee in any way what would happen next.
A sharp pain shot through her left calf, as if impaled by a spear, while a force pulled her upwards, tearing her and her claymore from the body of the marine being. Beidou let out a cry of pain as she saw the world turn upside down. She could feel a hot liquid slide down her leg, along with streams of pain. Beidou felt that she had trouble breathing, panicking, before the sharp thing that imprisoned her disappeared. The woman found herself thrown into the air, completely losing her sense of direction, and suddenly all she knew was that she was falling into the void.
*
Kazuha gripped the railing of the crow's nest until his knuckles cracked. From above he had watched Beidou's fight against the sea serpent, before the latter dove into the water, taking the former with it. He was confident that the woman would emerge victorious from this encounter, as she had faced similar and more powerful monsters before. How could the Captain of The Crux not triumph in the face of such an affront? Kazuha knew she would.
The beast resurfaced and with a swift movement took the woman between its sharp teeth. Beidou's cry of pain froze Kazuha's blood worse than a freezing torrent. The serpent threw Beidou into the air, waiting for her below with its jaws open. And it was at that moment that Kazuha's body moved on its own. Just like that time. If he didn't... He didn't think he could bear another loss like that.
Wind, give me the strength of your wings and the lightness of your touch to allow me to reach my destination. And with this thought, he summoned a great amount of anemo energy, rising from the ground, and launched himself. He turned into an arrow. For a few moments it was as if gravity had dissipated and only the air, the sky, and himself existed. He saw Beidou’s body, like a leaf torn by the storm, and with impressive speed he reached her just before the immense jaws of the snake closed around them.
They fell into the water, but Kazuha quickly recovered and used all his strength to carry Beidou and himself swimming back to the Alcor, where a rope ladder was already waiting for them. Juza and Suling helped them up until they were both safely on the deck. Kazuha allowed himself to let out a sigh contained in his chest, but said relief disappeared the instant he saw the Captain’s state.
“Bring Yinxing!” Juza growled, trying to arrange his superior in a better position. Beidou suddenly let out a cry of pain, leaving trails of fresh blood on the wooden boards with each of her movements. Kazuha knelt beside her. His hands, usually firm and delicate, trembled. He wanted to say something, but the words escaped his lips before they could even form.
“Hey, kid… calm down, I’ll be fine…” Beidou’s voice sounded weak and tired, but her smile was sincere. She reached out and took one of the boy’s shaking hands, caressing it with her thumb in comfort.
Yinxing came running at that moment, with Little Yue just a few steps away from her, his face twisted in a crying grimace. Suddenly, a scream was heard among the crew.
“What is that?!”.
It wasn't until that moment that Kazuha remembered the situation they were in. Before them, the colossal sea beast towered over the ship, drawing a huge amount of hydro energy around it. The wounds on its body began to close, while a huge bubble formed in front of its jaws. Kazuha only had a moment to act. Extending both arms, he formed an air barrier that pushed everyone within a two-meter radio away from the point of impact of the attack. Everyone except himself.
The water cannon hit him right in the chest. The pressure was so much that it ripped him off the ground, causing him to fly out. Kazuha's head and back crashed into the mast. The hit was such that it felt like he had just crashed against a rock wall. The water pressed down on him, keeping him against the mast without being able to move, filling his nose, mouth and lungs with liquid. He wanted to scream, but that only allowed the salt water to have more freedom to enter his system, burning and hurting his throat and eyes. His senses were completely disabled. He could not see, nor speak, nor hear beyond the roar of the water inside his ears. He could not feel anything but the wood digging into his spine and that cold torrent relentlessly hitting his face, his chest, his entire body, crushing him, drowning him.
It was only a few seconds, a few seconds where he couldn't breathe, where he thought he might die. And suddenly the water disappeared. Kazuha fell face downwards, too weak to even try to stop or cushion his fall. Voices began to sound around him, distant, as if he were beneath the waves. He was cold, he felt heavy, and every breeze sent shivers down his spine. He felt tired, so tired, too tired to keep fighting, and soon he let even his mind retreat and sink him into unconsciousness.
*
Beidou couldn't even react. Suddenly she felt herself pushed by a warm breeze, far from the point where the snake's hydro attack fell. Right on Kazuha.
“NO!” The scream that came out of her throat scared even her. The screams, the wind, the sea, everything composed a cacophonous symphony that made her head spin, a sensation increased by the blood loss and the pain of her wounds; but among all that, Little Yue's cries came clearly, like the edge of a blade, to her ears:
“Kazuha is dying!”
Kazuha? Dying? The words almost formed an antithesis in her mind, as if they wanted to reject each other. No, Kazuha couldn't be dying, right? But the image that formed when she looked up made her break her small moment of illusion, feeling the cold claw of terror crushing her heart.
“Kazuha!”
Beidou wanted to run towards him, but even the simple act of crawling, her nails digging into the wood, caused dark spots to appear in her field of vision. She managed to make out Yinxing kneeling beside the young samurai's body, Little Yue crying inconsolably, the rest of the Alcor members running back and forth, looking for ammunition to reload the cannons and ballistae, trying to keep their balance against the incessant rocking of the sea monster's body hitting the sides of the boat.
After what seemed like too long a journey, Beidou finally reached Kazuha's side, rushing to take one of his hands in her own. His white fingers were cold. Too cold.
“He... Is he...?”
“Alive,” Yinxing replied, her voice not showing a hint of concern. “For now. He's swallowed a lot of water; we must get it out before he drowns.”
Beidou felt a chill, while she squeezed that small, bandaged hand, as if in this way she wanted to transmit him her strength. Yinxing got to work, moving the boy's body to expel the liquid that had entered his system and applying first aid. Every second Beidou's anguish increased, until finally Kazuha began to cough and spit out the last of the water in his mouth, his eyelids trembling weakly, and Beidou felt as if her own heart was beating again.
“Hey, hey, can you hear me?” Beidou gently ran her fingers across the boy's forehead, brushing away the strands of white hair stuck to his face.
Kazuha's eyes were glassy, unable to focus; but after wandering for a few moments, it seemed that his pupils finally focused on Beidou, observing her for a long time, trying to give her a name and an identity.
“M... Mom?”.
His voice was almost a whisper escaping from his blue lips. Beidou had salty drops rolling down her cheeks. She wanted to say something, but his voice interrupted her.
“Are... you okay?”
“No one else was hurt by that attack thanks to you”, she replied, squeezing that small hand between hers.
Kazuha drew a weak smile.
“I’m glad…” His voice trailed off, before his eyes rolled back into his head and he closed his lids once more.
Something seemed to snap inside Beidou. The pain from her leg wound seemed to fade in comparison to the pain in her heart.
“Take care of him,” she ordered, as she tried to stand up.
“Captain,” Yinxing said, “You’re hurt too. Let me treat you.”
“Later.”
Beidou’s left leg was completely useless. Still, using her good leg and some of the ammunition boxes, she slowly stood up, leaning her weight on her claymore, as if it were a cane.
“I have to finish that thing off first.”
The sea serpent had circled the ship again, squeezing it like a ripe fruit. The Ocean Queen would not allow it. She had already admitted enough insubordination. A stinging sensation, like sparks coursing through her veins, gripped her, as electro energy condensed around her, almost palpable, flashing with violet sparks. Her shuffling steps resembled thunder, and her eye a maroon swirl.
The crew members soon stopped their tasks, now absorbed in the image before them: a limping woman, surrounded by lightning, shining like a storm over the ocean, supported only by her weapon and her determination, about to face an imposing being from the depths. Although the people of Liyue remained faithful to the memory of Rex Lapis, for a moment they could have all sworn that the Electro Archon herself had descended on earth.
“HEY!” Beidou's shout even reached the sea beast itself, whose flashing eyes seemed to focus directly on her. “Let's get this over with!”.
That challenge seemed to be heard by the gods themselves, as dark clouds began to appear in the previously clear sky. The creature, just like before, began to draw in large amounts of hydro energy, preparing a new attack. But now, Beidou was prepared. She held her claymore with both hands, and before the water cannon was fired at her, she swung her weapon and a purple ray shot out in that direction, spreading through the liquid and creating an electro-charged reaction that exploded right in her enemy's face. A shriek, and soon Beidou was jumping and running over the beast's scaly body, climbing, cutting her palms against the scales, not stopping until she reached its head. The snake shook, its neck like a huge whip, but Beidou held on like a tick, cutting and cutting pieces of flesh, letting herself be smeared with that blood as red as her clothes.
“This is for my leg.”
The two gigantic eyes were slashed open. Huge jaws tried to bite at her, but Beidou leapt, forming a shield of electro energy around herself that unleashed powerful charges against her attacker’s face. She drove the blade of her weapon into the snake’s neck and slid down, using gravity to propel herself downwards, slashing the creature across its body like a surgical incision.
“This is for the damage to my ship and my crew.”
The beast, once tall and erect as the mountains of the Stone Forest, now floundered on the surface, barely able to stay afloat, with scarlet waves, blood and foam swirling around it. Beidou moved forward slowly, climbing to the top of the head.
“And this is for daring to touch my son.”
The electro-infused broadsword struck the creature's crown, sinking to the hilt, sending lightning bolts in all directions and filling the air with the intense scent of ozone.
"This is the power that ended Haishan!"
One last jolt and suddenly there was calm.
Above the waves loomed a lump of flesh that had once been a snake, and above it was a figure, a Conqueror of the Ocean. Her claymore was her flag, her hair fluttered like the sails of a ship in a storm, and her red clothing stood out like an open heart among the blue and grey of the waters.
A boat appeared within minutes. Juza helped her aboard and soon they found themselves back in the Alcor. Beidou's body, driven by adrenaline, electricity and excitement, began to shut down little by little, with pain beginning to spread through all her limbs again. She would have fallen to the ground suddenly if Juza hadn't helped her hold on.
“Captain,” said her First Officer, “you did it. The snake is dead. You may rest now.”
Beidou thought she smiled. She wanted to smile, this was excellent news, but even the muscles in her face felt stiff and all she could think of was a soft bed to lie down on and sleep until next summer. She didn't know if it was a figment of her imagination or a divine answer to her wishes, but in an instant, she found herself on the bed in her room. If there were people talking around her, she didn't care. She would just take a short nap anyway. And so, she let herself slip into the world of dreams.
*
Beidou woke up feeling as if she had been tossed over rocks by the tide for an entire night. Her clothes were new, soft, and clean. She had bandages wrapped around her hands and wooden slats immobilizing her left calf, which felt completely numb. Gathering her weakened strength, she got out of bed with astronomical efforts. Someone had left a wooden cane by her headboard and with it she walked to the mirror. Most of the blood had been washed from her face, although she noticed that there were still dark, dried stains at the roots of her hair. When she got to land, she would definitely take a good bath.
The cabin was empty, so she decided to go out into the hallway. Her steps immediately led her to Kazuha's room. It was a small room with an open round window, a wardrobe, and a simple bed, on which Kazuha seemed to be sleeping at the moment. On a stool beside him was Yinxing reading, who stood up when she saw Beidou enter.
"Captain," the doctor said, her face surprised. "What are you doing up? You should continue resting."
"I wanted to stretch a little," the captain replied. "With your care, I'll be better faster than an electro seelie could fly," Then, pointing to the person on the bed: "How is he?"
“Stable,” Yinxing said, settling back down on the stool. “He’s not in any danger of dying right now, but I want to keep an eye on him. People who drowned can have complications or delayed drowning up to twenty-four hours after the event, so I’d rather keep a close eye on him in case any complications arise, though I highly doubt it. He’s a very resilient boy.”
That was all Beidou needed to know. Limping a couple of steps forward, she leaned down and placed a kiss on Kazuha’s forehead. His skin felt warm again.
“If anyone needs anything, I’ll be in my chamber,” she said, before heading back to the door. “By the way, how’s everything out there?”
“Because of the confrontation, our arrival at Liyue Harbor was delayed, but once the major repairs to the Alcor are finished and preparations are ready, we plan to make port tomorrow.”
Beidou nodded and left. She trusted her crew to do a good job, as always, so she could use a few hours to herself. Rummaging through her drawers, she pulled out a canteen and drank. Alcohol always tastes better after near-death experiences. She let out a sigh of relief and lay back down on her bed, enjoying a few brief moments of zero responsibilities.
This would definitely be a fun story to tell Ningguang, she thought. She imagined her in front of her, lowering the fan in her hands and uncovering her face, her beautiful scarlet eyes wide in surprise. “If you let a simple sea serpent kill you, I would go to Celestia myself to bring you back and kill you with my own hands,” Ningguang would say, in that firm voice that made even the most ridiculous words have the undoubted sense of law.
Beidou chuckled, settling down on the mattress. It was just another adventure for The Crux.
*
The Alcor finally docked at Liyue Harbor. On the docks, dozens of people, adults and children, gathered, excited to hear the new stories that the Fleet would bring from its voyages on the high seas. The business that would be done with the product brought from Sumeru pointed to the high profits that had been expected. Wanmin restaurant was one of their most satisfied customers, and Beidou felt a satisfied smile grow on her face when she saw the look on the face of the establishment's star chef as she opened the boxes of new products.
“Wow!” said Xiangling, unable to hide her excitement. “I can't imagine all the cool new dishes I can make with this! May I ask what's that in that box?”
“Sea snake meat,” the woman replied. “Prepare it for dinner today, seafood is quite perishable.”
“O-of course!” The little girl skipped off, humming about the new recipes she was going to make, while Beidou walked slowly towards Yujing Terrace.
“I’m glad to see you in one piece, Captain Beidou,” Ningguang greeted.
“A common being like that is nothing to The Crux,” Beidou commented, her back leaning against one of the Yuehai Pavilion’s pillars to keep her balance. “Though I´m ashamed to admit that that thing beat us up. Of course, it was impossible for anyone to defeat the Ocean Queen on her territory, and those who try pay the price.”
The Tianquan chuckled.
“In that case I imagine the Captain is ready to return to her daily duties.”
“Of course I am! The damage to the Alcor won’t take more than a week to repair, and we didn’t lose any of the merchandise, so my work for the Qixing is complete and ready to be paid.”
“The mora is no problem,” Ningguang replied. “I assure you that all your labor will be generously and justly rewarded. Now, would you mind if we discuss an additional reward? Tonight, in my chambers. I will discuss the details there.”
Beidou felt her cheeks heat up.
“O-of course! Just let me finish dinner with my boys and we’ll see each other. Ten o’clock, how about that?”
“I’ll be waiting for you, Captain,” the other woman replied. “Be punctual. I imagine you’ll want to make up for all the time you’ve spent abroad.”
Beidou laughed and placed a quick kiss on Ningguang’s cheek, the latter covering her face with her fan in surprise, hiding the sudden blush on her usually pale skin.
“See you then, Lady Ningguang.”
*
Dinner at the port was lively and bustling as always, with delicious food on the tables and overflowing alcohol that never seemed to be missing from the glasses. Little Yue kept telling the other children on the dock how Captain Beidou had managed to kill that fearsome sea monster and save everyone.
“Someday I too will be a warrior of the seas as powerful as her. Yes, Changchang, you can also be part of my crew if you want.”
Huixing kept talking about how impressive it had been to see a real sea beast for the first time in her life.
“I knew that if I joined the Fleet, I would one day meet such beings. It was very scary and amazing at the same time! I can’t wait to see what the next one will be like.”
There was nothing that made Beidou happier than that atmosphere of joy and community, surrounded by the aroma of food and the chants of the sailors. She rose from her place at the head of the table, seeing everyone absorbed in their own activities, and walked to a small space on the left, where empty cargo boxes were crowded together, above which a young man in samurai clothing was contemplating the moon.
“Taking some time to reflect?” Beidou asked, coming to his side.
“When the sky is clear, it is the best time to appreciate the moon and stars,” Kazuha commented solemnly. “They are like little buds blooming in an endless field of deep blue, reflecting perfectly on the surface. I enjoyed the food and drink at dinner very much, but I find the atmosphere has become too noisy for the hour. Do sailors ever sleep?”
She laughed.
“Sailors could party until sunrise without feeling a hint of tiredness. As long as there is alcohol, music, and good company, that is the case.”
A smile formed on the young samurai’s lips.
“It makes me very happy to know that everyone is safe and sound despite the obstacles we faced a few days ago. I was close to dying many times in Inazuma, but I guess I never imagined that a sea monster would be on my list too.”
“Life at sea is risky” Beidou said, sitting down next to him. “You never know what will attack you first, whether it is the inclement weather, pirates, monsters, or boredom. But hey, we always manage to get through it”. She put an arm around Kazuha's shoulders, bringing him closer and placing her head sweetly on his. “I want you to know that I am glad to know that you are okay, and that I am very proud of you. You are… you have become a son to me and there is nothing that fills me more with pride than that.”
“It is an honor for me to be called your son.”
They stayed there for a while longer, hugging each other. They had already lived many adventures together and there were still many more to live. Beidou knew that she couldn´t keep Kazuha in the Alcor forever and that at some point he would have to return to his homeland and face the demons of his past, ghosts that still tormented him today; but that did not worry her. She knew that he was a strong boy and, besides, she would make sure that now he was not alone when he needed it the most. Although they could not always be together, as with Ningguang, she had promised to protect this young man even with her life.
It´s what a Captain does with her crew. What a mother does with her family.