The Elegant Eternal

Their stomach was full as they walked inside the bustling port of Ethereal. Merchants are screaming at their workers to work faster. A bunch of workers is running around carrying piles of boxes and sacks. There are at least fifty boats along the shoreline and a hundred more in the middle of the ocean.

Athanasia looked around to search for the boat that they will board. There are a lot more merchants ship than passengers ship in the port. It was easy to spot a passenger's ship as they often looks more clean and decent than the merchants.

Five boats away from them is a big white wooden ship that stands out from the rest. 'The Eternal' is the ship's name engraved at the side using pure gold. The Eternal is one of the most elegant ships that Athanasia came across. The design is matching the elven styles with minimal golden intricate carvings around it.

In front of the ship is the captain. The captain of the ship is an elf. He has a muscular body underneath his uniform. His hair is long, as most of the elves prefer and his skin is tanned as it always faces the sun. He bowed at Athanasia when he saw her.

"It is good to see you again, Captain." Athanasia greeted the man.

"It is also good to see you again, Princess, Welcome aboard." He smiled and let Athanasia walk inside.

There are not a lot of people inside. Most passengers are talking to each other in hush whispers as they saw Athanasia enter. Some don't care and continued on their business.

"The ship missed you and our crew also missed you a lot." The captain said as they entered downstairs where the rooms are located.

"I missed them a lot too," Athanasia said as she walked down the hallway.

"I see that you have a new company." The captain said as he take a look at Hawdy.

Athanasia looked at Hawdy and the Captain and smiled.

"He's Hawdy my new companion." Athanasia introduced Hawdy.

"It's always nice meeting a companion of the Princess. I'm Captain Enrived."

"It's nice to meet you too, Captain Enrived." Hawdy said with a smile.

"I have a room ready. But I can't seem to see Miss Dandelion?" The captain asked as he looked around to find Dandelion.

"She's asleep in Hawdy's bag. I assume that you prepared a room big enough for our packages right? You know I don't trust anyone with our things." Athanasia asked when they stopped in front of a room.

"This is the biggest and it has two more bedrooms inside." He opened the door and the sophisticated room welcomed them.

Inside is a room with a colored theme of white, brown, green, and gold. Huge windows and terrace welcomed them, displaying the blue ocean that seems like a perfectly painted painting. In the middle of the room is a set of sofa and table. They also managed to put a small kitchen inside.

"Thank you for escorting us here, Captain," Athanasia said as she smiled at him.

Captain Enrived smiled back before leaving them. After he left Hawdy woke up Dandelion who is inside his bag sleeping with the packages.

"We should put the packages inside my bedroom," Athanasia said when Dandelion woke up.

"I'll sleep with you. I need to stay small to conserve my energy." Dandelion said as she flew towards the corner room.

Inside is a king-size bed that is covered with velvet moss-green covers and sheets. It has a table and two chairs decorated with flowers. Sweet pastries and a bottle of wine are on the table with the flowers only found in Ethereal. A big sofa looking out the view from the outside is beside a big window. The room has its terrace big enough for a chair and table.

"This must be the master suite," Hawdy said as he look around the room. He is fascinated by how everything looked. He has never been to a room this grand since he was banished from his pack.

"I'll sleep here." Dandelion said as she laid down on one of the soft pillows on the bed.

"I meant to ask this since yesterday but I never had the chance to ask it," Hawdy looked at Athanasia, "why are they calling you Princess? From what kingdom are you from?" Hawdy asked in confusion.

"I am a Princess. The Princess of the Golden Forest. We were once called the Royal Gaive." Athanasia replied as she sat on the sofa.

"Gaive?" Hawdy asked, still confused.

"The Golden Elves. We were once called Gaive but most people forgot and now they just call us 'The Enlightened One'. The Golden Elves are the royalties. They are given talents much more than ordinary elves." Athanasia explained.

"So are you like the Princess of Ethereal?" Hawdy asked.

"She is not. She is the Princess of the Golden Forest." Dandelion interrupted as she flew towards the sweets. She touched one macaron and made it small to eat.

"You see we were once united, that is from many centuries ago. But things happened and my ancestors and the current King's ancestors fought. The ordinary elves went with the King's ancestors' side while the Gaive or the Golden Ones stayed with my ancestors. They go their separate ways and my ancestors stayed at the Golden Forest where the past royalties lived." Athanasia explained in a bored tone then she grabbed an apple to eat.

"Her ancestors are an ass. They felt that they are superiors because they are 'golds, they are 'the enlightened one'. They pretty much treated the ordinary elves like slaves. Oh! They even slaughtered many fairies just to expand their Golden Forest. that's why until now a Gaives are not allowed to step inside Safoar." Dandelion said in irritation as she sat on a flower.

"You're looking like a real fairy there," Athanasia commented, then she looked at Hawdy who seems like his brain is overloading with information. He stared outside as he mumbled the new words that he just heard.

"You should rest first and read the book about our history back at the clinic so that you won't confuse yourself," Athanasia said as she pushed Hawdy outside the room.

Hawdy walked out of the room with a frown on his face. He went to his room which is a lot smaller than Athannasia's but it is bigger than the other room at the ship. It's almost the same as the other room except that it doesn't have its terrace and the bed is much smaller.

He laid all his belongings on the floor before flopping down the bed. He stared at the ceiling as he laid down. His fist clenched as he felt his nervousness slowly creeping inside his heart. He never thought he would go back to Centro again. He just hopes that he will not meet familiar faces in town for the rest of their trip.

He closed his eyes in frustration, he would have not come if he has someone with him in the clinic. But Athanasia and Dandelion will go without him without a second thought if he refused to go. He had enough nightmares inside the forest and being with the two of them eased it, he just can't survive alone now, not without their help.

The ship horned, signaling the start of their journey towards Centro.