(Dyn)

  “Ru is waiting for you in the Captain’s Quarters,” First Mate Echo said as he raised an arm to gesture down the hallway.

  “Really?” Dyn asked. He couldn’t imagine Ru waiting for him anywhere. “She could’ve just e to my and knocked on the door. Well, she doesn’t really knock… I think she’s got a lock ability or something? Is Lock magic a thing?” He paused, pursing his lips before heading out. He left his and shut the door behind him.

  The first mate politely let Dyn finish musing before he said, “She attempted to do so. But I stopped her from b you.” He nearly ran into Dyn as the husky man stopped abruptly to turn around.

  “You did what?!” Dyn asked, wide-eyed and pale-faced, his hands flying up in disbelief.

  The first mate took a step back to restore a modicum of de. “I posted a guard outside your door to prevent anyone from disturbing you. It’s procedure, sir.”

  Dyn closed his eyes, imagining how extra grumpy she was going to be today. “Please don’t do that. Ru is always allowed in my anytime she likes.”

  “Oh…” the first mate said, reading into Dyn’s words. “Should I move the two of you up to the Captain’s Suite? There’s plenty of room—”

  Dyn shook his head vehemently. “No, no, it’s not like that.” He let out a sigh, w, ‘Why does everyohink I’m some kind of pyboy?’

  First Mate Echo leaned in and whispered in a spiratorial hush, “A private affair? Say no more, captain.” He nodded knowingly and then made the twisty-key motion in front of his closed mouth.

  Dyn shut his eyes agai up a hand to flex his fist, crag his knuckles as he reached for a calming stillness he didn’t possess. “Just… don’t get in her way if she wants to talk to me, okay?”

  The first mate gave a nod, as if he uood clearly. “Should I have your things brought up to the suite, sir?”

  It was a logical question, but Dyn wasn’t into the whole paranormal enthusiast thing. The former captain—teically not dead—had left some bad juju in that room, and he wanted nothing to do with it.

  “Nope,” Dyn said, shaking his head. “Perfectly happy with the room I’ve got.” He resumed their walk-and-talk toward the ‘Captain’s Quarters’.

  “What should I do with the Captain’s Suite then?” The first mate followed exactly two steps behind.

  Dyn tossed a suggestion over his shoulder as they walked. “You take it.”

  “Me?”

  “Yep. Let’s be ho. I’m more of a figurehead. You’re really running the show.” They’d reached the first turn, where the passenger seet the main hallway on this deck.

  “I don’t think—”

  Dyn did that stop and turn thing again, interrupting the first mate as they tried not to run their captain over. “What if I made it an order?”

  The first mate let out an almost imperceptible sigh. “I’d reassign myself to the suite.”

  “Good. As my first official order as captain, you are to take the Captain’s Suite.”

  “Sorry, sir…” The first mate seemed hesitant to correct him. “But I’m fairly certain that wasn’t your first order as captain.”

  Dyn gave him a jovial sp on his upper arm bone. “See, you’re way better at this than I am! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I o get to a meeting that I’m probably te for.”

  “Of course, sir.” The first mate excused himself with a nod.

  Dyn, still shirtless, power walked in his pants, hat, and boots toward the Captain’s Quarters. He’d have the room reo the Meeting Room as soon as he could remember to tell someone. But first, he’d have to survive his inaugural meeting with Ru as captain.

  With his hand on the doorknob, he took a deep breath, twisted, and opehe door.

  “Sorry, I’m—”

  Dyn’s voice cut off as his stomach sank. Ru wasn’t the only person in the very occupied room. He’d assumed they’d be meeting alone, sihat’s how she met with the first mate and captain before.

  The entire group from Nightshade had been waiting on him. They all gnced up at the half-naked, husky man, who was suddenly very aware of the number of eyes on him. All of them stared. Most were fused, a couple disappointed, but one looked very annoyed. Dyn hung his head, shutting his eyes tight as his burning cheeks betrayed him.

  “How kind of you to grace us with your presence… Captain.” Ru said, her words dripping with irritation. “I tried to speak with you earlier this m, but got turned away by your crew…”

  W’itney gasped, c their mouth as their eyes went wide. Hay’len winced and Eury bli him, sck jawed. Even Wedge closed his eyes and shook his head. The remaining members of Tome & Key suddenly found themselves fasated with the various barren walls, floors, and ceilings, uo look at the poor soul who’d snubbed Ru.

  Dyn tried to expin, raising his hands defensively. “I, that was—”

  “It doesn’t matter,” she said curtly. “First Mate Echo informed me the ship is ready to depart.” She gnced down at his legs with a frown. “I’m just gd you’re wearing pants—”

  “And the hat!” Quinten added with a smile. His eyes gestured to Eury befiving Dyn a wink.

  Athrax ughed at the remark, a snort slipping out. His humor quickly turo clearing his throat as Ru shot him a wilting gre.

  She tinued with her meeting. “Ostello reports the beetle is on the move and hasn’t stopped to rest or eat si night. It’s still within the fines of the cleared fields, but something obviously has its attention.”

  P’reslen stepped forward, holding up the stone brother to Ostello’s echo locator. “He’s been running most of the m to keep up.”

  “Which is why we should stop wasting time.” Ru’s disappointed gaze drifted toward the te arrival. “Dyn, we just need you to stand there. Don’t speak, don’t move, a First Mate Echo give the ot it?”

  Dyn nodded. She was right. They didn’t need him for what came . The first mate would hahe ship while the real adventurers hahe arc beetle. All he’d have to do was stand there wearing the stupid hat.

  She raised a cwed fi him. “I’m serious, Dyn. I’ll have you thrown off your own ship if you so much as move.” Her threat gave Athrax a grin.

  “I got it,” Dyn said.

  After she finished with him, she turo the rest of the group. “Everyo on the deck. P’reslen, update Ostello. Quinten, go get the detonator from ste. Athrax, fetch the engineer. And Wedge, gather your team and make sure they aren’t underfoot.”

  Tome & Key hustled out of the room, each having a job to do. Ru followed her team, while Wedge led the initiates out st. Eury hung back, lingerihe door with a quice over her shoulder at Dyn.

  “Why are you shirtless?” she asked.

  Dyn noticed she purposefully maintained eye tact with him. Heat crept into his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck.

  “I’m… doing undry?”

  Her gold-flecked amethyst eyes narrowed on him. “Now? When we’re about to leave?”

  ‘It’s not like I pnned on being without a proper set of clothes during our escape,’ he thought. He fshed her a weak smile. “I didn’t know we’d be leaving right away.”

  But her first question was just an excuse to speak with him and say what was truly on her mind. Her voice softened slightly as she hesitated.

  “Alright, but I agree with Ru,” Eury said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “Don’t be a hero. We’re surrounded by actual adventurers.” She gestured toward Ru aeam. “Let them do their job.”

  Dyn chuckled; Eury reag to the choir. “I’m more than happy to sit bad let them, or anyone more qualified than me, be the hero.” His words helped bey her unease.

  “Good, just… don’t do anything stupid. Okay?” She gently reached out, resting a warm hand on his bare arm.

  He couldn’t help but gnce down at her touch. Eury’s cheeks grew flush as she quickly removed her hand, hurrying away before anyone else noticed.

  Both Nightshade groups took up spots along the starboard side railing. That was the dire of the and the impendionation. The jungle was alive with the songs of raptors and trilling of is. Athrax had returned with Engineer Echo, and now they were just waiting on Quinten.

  The easygoing elf jogged up the ramp to board the ship. P’reslen walked over to che him.

  “What took you so long?” he asked, gng toward Ru to see if they were in trouble.

  “Mate, you would not believe the bits and bobs they were going to leave behind,” Quinten said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “So I went dowo summon my chest ahe stone, yeah? Mate… They’ve got heaps of books, bookshelves, armoires—entire wardrobes just ripe for the pig.”

  P’reslen asked, “Did you—”

  Quinten cut him off with a grin, tapping P’reslen with the back of his hand. “You bet your tail I did! Jammed in whatever fit through the throat of the chest. Then—” He paused as he noticed a pair of deck crew patiently waiting for him to move so they could withdraw the ramp.

  “Sorry fels,” he said, getting out of their way. Then he fshed Ru a big smile and two thumbs up that he’d pleted his assig.

  Engineer Echo appeared on the left of Dyn, looking out into the jungle. “Captain, I am very much looking forward to seeing how our remote detonator performs. While only a single yield explosive, we should still be able to tell when it goes off.”

  He turard Dyn. “Ru mentiohere was a gas pocket nearby. That should go up in a fireball. At the very least, we’ll see the smoke to verify the detonation,” the engineer said with a nod.

  First Mate Echo fnked Dyn on his right. “Shall we begin, captain?”

  Dyn remembered the pn. ‘Just let everyone do their jobs,’ he thought. And then he looked up at his first officer, who stood at attention, awaiting his and. “After Ru gives the word, your orders are to get us bae. I was told that’d be enough, and you’d know what to do?”

  “Of course, captain.” The first mate gave him a solemn nod. “I’ll take care of it. Where would you like to stand for our departure? The Captain’s Suite has a pleasant view and is one of the few remaining pces to sit. But the best view would be from the Bridge.” He waited patiently for Dyn’s answer.

  Dyn pointed over to Wedge and the other initiates. “Would it be alright if I stood over there with my friends?”

  “It’s your ship, sir. It’d be alright if you wao stand on the bow. Although I’d advise against it, wouldn’t want you going overboard on your first voyage.”

  While Dyn couldn’t see the smile on his first officer, the subtle joke wasn’t lost on him. Both officers shadowed him as he found a spot between Wedge and Eury, just rge enough for him to fit. The drai skeletons, being two heads taller than him, had an unobstructed view, despite standing behind him.

  Dyn turo look over his shoulder and asked, “Are you two going to follow me around the eime?”

  The first mate gave him another nod. “Only until the joint operation is over and we’re officially heading bae, captain.”

  Dyuro looking at the trees that surrouhe Everafter. “Think we’ll see the explosion from here?”

  “I certainly hope so, captain,” the engineer said. He rubbed his bony hands together, produg an eerie g sound.

  Dyn turned back to the first mate. “Any way I could get everyoo stop calling me captain?”

  “Give the hat to someone else, sir,” the first mate said. The mprian’s subtle humor tio show itself.

  Dyn sighed. “You know as well as I do, no one aboard this ship wants it.” He scratched his . “What if I gave an order for the crew to stop calling me captain?”

  “It’s a tradition, sir. I’d reend holding off on that order. The crew is dealing with a lht now. Maybe let them have this bit of normalcy. At least until we get underway?”

  Dyn saw his point. Routine was something that always helped ground him ba Earth. “Okay,” he said.

  Quinten hahe echo detonator, as Dyn had re, over to Ru. She pushed off the railing, shouting down the lio the first mate, “We’re ready! Let’s go!”

  First Mate Echo didn’t respond other than to tilt his skull down at the captain and wait. Dyn gave a tiny nod to get the show rolling, hoping Ru didn’t notice.

  The first mate held a ro his hand that Dyn swore hadn’t been there before.

  ‘Where does he keep that thing?’ he wondered. ‘Maybe there’s a pocket i?’

  “All hands, prepare for liftoff,” the first mate said to the rock. His voice carried across all the decks as he spoke.

  “Is that the speaker system for the ship?”

  The first mate nodded, holding the rock out to him. “Would you like to address the ship, captain?”

  Dyn shook his head adamantly. “No. Ru wouldn’t like that.”

  “With all due respect to Ru. She’s not the captain of this ship.” As usual, the first mate made anood point. Still, Dyn had no iion of provoking the mender. She was scary enough as it was, and that was while he was on her ‘good side.’

  “It’s alright, I wouldn’t know what to say anyway.”

  ---

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