Perhaps one of the best things about living on a ship is that the scenary almost always changes. Despite having to stare at water for days on end while travelling from island to continent to island, one always gets some of the best views of the area. Except about the archipelago of Inla. All of the islands there are shaped exactly the same and are exactly the same size with exactly the same sort of animals bounding about their shores. There are seventy-five islands in Inla, and because all are tediously boring and quite aggrivating to navigate, most sailors tend to ignore them. Nothing sentient or worthwhile lives there. They are little more than a geographical anomaly.
However, they are a necessary stop if sailing from Prosp to Tinrail, which our seafarers were even if they didn't know it. Inla holds fresh water on every island. Edible fish swim about its reefs. Good timbers and precious stones are found on each as well. It is while approaching the Inla that the crew of the Majestic note another shortage of supplies. Luckily, this time the inhabitants won't murder them for the day of the week.
"What the heck is that?" Sandry asks, jutting her finger out at the sea of congruent islands before them.
"That's Inla. It's an archipelago of seventy-five absolutely identical islands. We stopped here while on the slaver ship to pick up supplies. Luckilly, there's no native population save that of boars, cattle, birds, and fish. The only way you can die here is from absolute carelessness," Tren replies.
Clarinet, who had been playing with the runestones from the King's Corner game looked up. She abandons her store of rocks and the designs that she was making with them as she slithers over to Sandry's side. *What's an... archi-pell-a-go?* she projects.
"Archipelago," Sandry states. "It's a group of little tiny islands all bunched together. Sometimes people live on them, but no one lives on these."
*Oh. Was your home an archi... archi...*
"Archipelago? Sort of. My home was built on a bunch of islands so close together that, if they hadn't been so wet, they would have been a single island. I suppose you can say that Weldox was an archipelago." Sandry smiles and picks up Clarinet to see the land before them all. Suddenly, the wind slackens.
"I'll deal with the sails; you can continue your lesson, Sandry," Tren offers as he grabs a rope and begins to tighten and relax the sails.
*Why do all of those islands look the same?*
"I haven't a clue, to be honest with you. I've never seen nor heard of anything like them. Father never let me talk to the sailors from far away," Sandry replies. She sighs and brushes her hair from her face. Soon the ship begins to be edged on by the wind again.
*I wonder if there is anything there for me to play with?*
"With which you may play," Sandry corrects. "Don't end a sentence with a preposition. You're not a 'remer."
*Yes, Sandrylene. I shall try to do better.*
Sandry smiles down at Clarinet. "We'll make a lady out of you yet. You'll see." Her smile spreads into a grin as Tren begins to play his flute. Clarinet smiles up at Sandry and sighs before she, too, catches Tren's melody. She sways in her bondmate's arms and closes her eyes, becoming at peace with the world.
Inla's shores are lined with coral. Perhaps one day the seventy-five islands will join together to become one rather large island. The beaches hold many treasures, especially for a child such as Clarinet.
The wyrm finds much pleasure in combing the beach of each island at which the Majestic stops. Every now and again Sandrylene will let her near the water and the gentle waves. Sometimes she hangs about the neck of Sandry as she wades into the shallows while other times she twists about Tren's shoulders as he fishes. Other times she goes into the water alone. Regardless of the event, any time she is near the water is splendid.
Combing the beaches of each island, Clarinet discovers the sole difference between the seventy-five islands: each has different stones on its beaches. She chose several of her favorites and made certain to find ones with holes upon them so that she may have Sandry or Tren string them onto a cord for her. She enjoys the brightness of some stones as well as the darkness of the others. Together they make a wonder collection.
She enjoys gliding over the shallows and investigating the fish most of all. However, that is not to say that she dislikes land or heights. She loves the feeling of the sand and grass against her belly and occaisionally wonders what it would be like to have paws. Other days, she rellishes spending time in the crow's nest with Sandrylene and Tren. There she learned much about her human companions. If only it were possible for her to remain a wyrm forever!
But alas! It is not. Daily she feels her body slowly changing. She will become one of the three varieties: marine, arboreal, or terran. There is no way to change that. She can not merely sidestep evolution and the process of growing. How would that possibly be fair?
It wouldn't be. Besides, if she could not grow, she could not mate. If she could not mate, she could not share her strange colorations with the world. That would definitely not be fair. Thus, with a sigh, she collects stones from the beaches of Inla.
The trio of two humanoids and one dragon stay in Inla for some time. Clarinet is taught how to climb trees, how to make a song from her many whistling sounds, and which creatures are friend and foe. Every night she listens as Sandry and Tren take turns telling different stories about their pasts. Every night she falls asleep to either Tren's flute or Sandry's voice.
Sandrylene, over the course of their stay at Inla, finally learns how to tie those dratted knots. She becomes the true captain of the Majestic in Clar's absence. The others find her talking to herself every now and then in the crow's nest. However, she insists that she is talking to Clar.
Tren swims with Clarinet every now and again. Sometimes he convinces Sandry to join them. They all dive off the deck of the Majestic and into the deeper parts of the reefs. He also makes up new songs for his flute in his spare time. Many has he mastered by now.
Thus the three spend a month. Clarinet finds lovely rocks and what and strings them on a cord. Sandrylene learns the workings of the Majestic. Tren composes new songs. Clar still lies somewhere at the bottom of the sea.
Background by Ender Design.