On the first day of sailing from Hawaii, erfect ditions: smooth sea, good wind in the right dire, but not to, and excellent visibility. Al took the helm, so I sat on the back deck, took out my guitar, and began posing the songs I had written in the poetry workshop. I was in a great mood and wanted something rhythmic, so I pyed and stomped my feet to give myself rhythm and pyed the guitar to build the song.

  When I was in the final stages of w on the first song, Mahya joined me and started g along with the music, adding a slightly more plex beat of her own. When I pleted the song, I pyed it from the beginning, ah sang it with huge smiles.

  Sometimes, it’s great to be alive.

  For the sed song, I wa to be more tranquil, to vey the sea’s calm. So, with a slower beat from Mahya, I pleted both songs. I still felt like pying music, so I took out my cello and started pying and stomping my feet regurly to give myself rhythm. I pyed nothing known or learned; just improvised and ehe music. At some point, I noticed I had a tune for a song. I didn’t have the lyrics yet, but I had the melody. That’s how half of the first day passed until I had to repce Al at the helm.

  The first time I called Alfonsen Al, he looked at me with a murderous look and said, “Please don’t do that.”

  “e on,” I replied, shrugging casually. “Your name is long, plicated, and strao most people.” I gestured vaguely as if listing reasons. “And that’s with Earth having the name Alphonse, which helps it pass somewhat.” I raised an eyebrow. “Elsewhere, there’s no way. Al is short and sweet, and sounds like an abbreviation of a hat could be universal.” I crossed my arms, giving him a teasing grin.

  He still looked unvinced, but after a minute, he sighed deeply and nodded. Still, every time Mahya or I called him Al, he ged.

  While holding the helm, I started pying with lyriy created melody. It took me a while, but finally, I had a song, and I was humming it and looking at the lyrics to verify that they fit together when my mana threw me a curveball. It was a good one, but still a curveball. I felt the telltale sign, the g of my being, my essence, and then the ung, and a assed through my body.

  I immediately checked my mana: 9900/10,200.

  My ma up by 300 units. I looked at my orbs, and my Spirit orb showed progress. That was a great surprise, but also odd. My e to the wind unlocked something in me and enabled me to create. Sihe wind art of the Mind power ter, I expected it would be in the Mind orb if there were a ge. Lis had mentiohat creativity had a e to the Spirit orb. Still, the wind helped and nudged me in the right dire.

  Mahiya came running over, wide-eyed. “What just happened?”

  “My ma up,” I said.

  “Again? How? Your mana’s already off the charts!” She excimed, hands on her hips.

  I rubbed the bay neck awkwardly. “Triple mana system.”

  She shook her head, a look of annoyan her face. “Lucky dog.”

  I frowned and leaned against the helm. “Something doesn’t add up. I’ve written four songs, lyrics, and melody, but my Bard css hasn’t progressed. Isn’t that weird?”

  She tilted her head, thinking. “Maybe people o hear the songs?”

  I rolled my eyes. “What, you and Al don’t t?”

  She ughed, shrugging. “Maybe more people o hear them? Who knows. Half the time, the Guidance gives me a css; it’s a total surprise. Even when I’m trying to get a certain css, stuff I think will t doesn’t, and random things do.”

  I threw my hands up in frustration. “This entire css system is so fusing. I wish there were a manual or at least some tips from the system on how to get specific csses. It’s frustrating just fumbling around in the dark.”

  She stepped closer and started massaging my shoulders. “Everyone in all the ied worlds agrees with you. But the Guidance is what it is. Just keep w towards yoal. It’ll happeually.”

  I sighed deeply, looking down at my feet. It was annoying and a bit depressing. At least I had another new song.

  Waves of Wanderlust

  Through the misty m, I set my sail On a path unknown, where dreams prevail. The o’s whisper, a call so deep, In its gentle embrace, my heart finds peace.

  Chorus:

  Waves of wanderlust, they carry me, To distant shores, where I’m meant to be. With every stomp, my spirit’s free, In the dance of the sea, my soul’s decree.

  The cello’s hum, like a seabird’s cry, Echoes the longing in the endless sky. Each step a story, eaote a plea, In the rhythm of tides, I find my destiny.

  As the stars align, on the o’s crest, I chase the horizon, with a heart at rest. The journey’s the ahe quest is me, In the song of the sea, I find my key.

  Chorus:

  Waves of wanderlust, they carry me, To distant shores, where I’m meant to be. With every stomp, my spirit’s free, In the dance of the sea, my soul’s decree.

  With a raspy whisper, the sea and I, Together we wander, beh the sky. In the cello’s serenade, I find my home, In the waves of wanderlust, forever I roam.

  The following two days of sailing were also perfect, with excellent wind and a calm sea, so we pushed the engine almost to the max, and with the sails, roached San Francis the evening of the third day. This took me entirely by surprise. Even with the excellent sailing ditions, I was sure it would take at least one more day.

  I didn’t want to go into San Francisco Bay because that would have forced us to leave the boat there, so we tinued sailing along the coast south, looking food pce to store the boat ao shore with the E-foils. Around one or two in the m—I was unsure of the time without a phone—I believed I had discovered a suitable location arieved my binocurs to firm that nobody was nearby or could observe us from the shoreline.

  In the distance, I saw a light approag us in a straight line, as if they kneere there. I urgently told Mahya and Al, “Let’s ge mour and jure Ameri dots. Rue, ge gmour.”

  I paid the mana for Rue’s and mine’s gmour and also for our dots, and of course, a dot showing that he was a w dog.

  A coast guard boat approached us and stopped very close to our boat, its engine humming steadily in the calm night waters. A man called out from the boat, his voice carrying easily over the short distance. “Why did you stop?”

  “Looking food pce to drop anchor to sleep for a few hours,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady and casual.

  “Are you sure you’re not smuggling drugs?” he asked, his tone a mix of authority and suspi.

  “One hundred pert,” I answered fidently.

  “Do you mind if we e aboard to check?” he tinued, already signaling to his colleague.

  “Feel free to look,” I said, gesturing towards the deck.

  The man who had been speaking to me, along with another officer and a rge German Shepherd dog, boarded our boat. The dog she air and wagged its tail as it padded around while the officers checked ea systematically. Rue tried to befriend the dog, but it wasn’t ied. The officers saw that and chuckled.

  “ I see some identification, please?” the first officer asked, returning to me.

  “Of course,” I said, handing him my neort, whiow identified me as John Mitchell, along with Rue’s papers, including his vaation records and seizure alert dog certificate.

  The officer scrutihe dots. “Where are you sailing to?”

  “San Diego.”

  “And where are you ing from?” He asked.

  “Hawaii,” I said, watg his expression for any hint of disbelief.

  “That’s quite a trip,” he remarked, a hint of admiration in his voice.

  “Very much so,” I said, smiling. “But unfortunately, we must return to work and life.”

  He ughed, patting me on the back. “There’s nothing you do, son. That’s life. Sorry to bother you, but I don’t reend you drop anchor here—the currents are too erratic. You’ll reach Half Moon Bay if you sail another mile up the coast. The ditions there are much better.”

  “Thank you very much,” I said, genuinely grateful for the advice. “I would invite you for a drink, but we are exhausted after a long day of sailing and just want to find a pce to stop for a few hours.”

  “Don’t worry, son,” he said kindly. “Everything is fine. Go anchor a some sleep.”

  With that, they fiheir iion, found nothing amiss, a our boat as smoothly as they had arrived. We waved them off and adjusted our course, relieved to have had such a straightforward enter.

  When we reached Half Moon Bay, the sea was much calmer. I even thought Rue would have no problem with the small boat. We sailed to the ter of the bay and turned off all the lights. I adjusted my eyes to the dark and rechecked with the binocurs. The beach, at least what I could see of it, looked deserted, and there were no boats around. I took out the biggest boat I had from my colle of small boats, we all got off the big boat, and I stored it. We got on the E-foils and surfed to the beach.

  In a hidden er, we dried off and ged clothes. I checked on my phone, and we walked to Quality Inn Half Moon Bay. The m, we took a bus to Daly City BART Station and, from there, a train to San Francisco.

  On the way, I checked for any news from the Traveler, but there was nothing. Acc to my calcutions, he was supposed to arrive in New York today, so I decided to check again ter.

  I turo Mahya and said, “Hey, we o buy a car.”

  She raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Weren’t we going to fly the balloon to Nevada?”

  “Yeah, but I’m not sure we fly the whole way. A car would be perfect, and we always store it.”

  She looked thoughtful for a moment. “If there are no people around.”

  I frowhinking about it. “True, it be tricky around here. Maybe renting a car would be better. That way, we tell the rental pany where to pick it up after we take off i air balloon.”

  “Will they agree to that?”

  “If we let them know in advance, I think they might.”

  Mahya seemed deep in thought, and after a while, she nodded as if to herself and said, “I have a solution. I wa to be a surprise, but maybe practicality is more important. I bought a two-seater ATV for you and Rue. It’s not Magitech, so you’ll need gas. I’ll ride with Al on his motorcycle—mine’s mostly in parts.”

  My eyes widened with excitement. “Wow, thank you! But I don’t think ATVs are allowed ur roads.”

  Her face fell, brows furrowed. “Oh, I didn’t know that.”

  I gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out. I thiing a car for now is our best bet. Then we buy a truck for lorips. We have a long drive north to ada to reach the Gate we aim for.”

  She nodded, agreeing with the pn. Meanwhile, Al had been quietly listening to the entire versation. I asked him, “What do you think, Al?”

  He shrugged casually. “I have no opinion. I trust you.”

  “Alright the’s do it.”

  When we arrived in San Francisco, I called major hotels looking for a three-bedroom suite but couldn’t find anything suitable. After cheg Airbnb, I found a four-bedroom apartment in the Castro. I was sure Al would be thrilled.

  When I rechecked the archive in the early evening, I saw a message from the Traveler.

  Tr. SS

  Greetings, John Rue.

  I arrived in New York safely. Given my ck of experieh teological worlds, I will require a few days to acclimate and bee fortable here. I would greatly appreciate it if you could help me find the best way to get to Las Vegas. Be specific if possible. Your instrus on how to get to the ship provided some assistance, but they were not specifiough. Naturally, I will notify you when I begin my journey in that dire.

  Taking my puter out, I searched for the best route a him instrus.

  Tr. JR

  Hello, Sonak Susil.

  I apologize for not providiailed enough instrus. I hope this time I have managed a better job.

  1. Take the Train from New York to Chicago

  Departure: Penn Station, New York CityArrival: Union Station, ChicagoDuration: Approximately 19-20 hours2. Take the Train from Chicago to Los Angeles

  Departure: Union Station, ChicagoArrival: Union Station, Los AngelesDuration: Approximately 43-44 hours3. Take a Bus from Los Ao Las Vegas

  · Option 1: Greyhound Bus

  Departure: Greyhound Bus Station, Los AngelesArrival: Greyhound Bus Station, Las VegasDuration: Approximately 6-7 hours· Option 2: Megabus

  Departure: Union Station, Los AngelesArrival: RTC South Strip Traerminal, Las VegasDuration: Approximately 5-6 hoursAdditional Tips:

  Booking Tickets: It’s best to book your train and bus tickets in advahrough the Amtrak, Greyhound, and Megabus websites. If you’re unfamiliar with the process, request assista your hotel’s reception. They are usually happy to help.

  ht Stay: To break up the trip, sider an ht stay in Chicago, Los Angeles, or even both, depending on your schedule and preferences.

  We had a few days until he would feel ready to travel, so it was time to enjoy San Francisco.