Chapter 136: A Ship of Dreams
The soft hum of the workshop, magically enhanced designs laid on a wood table lengthwise into every nook and corner, neatly drafted on the blueprints thick with his and Althea's presence. Her hair was pulled back, but strands framed her bright pink face, and within the emerald now gleaming bright, even as it recorded shades of fear in that tint.
Kael was hunched over the table, his wide shoulders casting a shadow on the parchment while his finger pointed to one place in the design. "If we anchor the propulsion crystals here instead of under the deck, that would stabilize the energy flow once the ship moves. What do you think?"
Althea furrowed her brow, and her fingers outlined the lines of the design. "It is a good idea, but unless the energy flow is contained, it may break the whole system. What about creating a secondary rune barrier here?" She tapped the parchment with her quill, placing a weak ink mark.
Kael nodded, tugging a smile at the corner of his lips. "You are brilliant, Althea. That could work."
She looked up at him, her cheeks warming slightly. "It's your idea that set the foundation, Kael. We're a good team."
The workshop was filled with the sounds of their collaboration—quills scratching against parchment, the clinking of tools, and the occasional burst of laughter when one of them made a joke about their earlier failed attempts.
And hours later, that blueprint was the real shape they were building: sleek and magical, for speed and durability. Stronger tinges of enchanted steelwood enforced its hull, while shimmering sails were made out of threads of starlight infused into its fabric for propulsion through crystals charged with elemental energy-intricate runes had been carved into the ship to channel and stabilize the magic.
Well into sunset, the glowing gold of light entered the small clearing they'd worked in as she prepared to take her first test.
Kael stood beside Althea, who had her arms crossed as she admired their creation. "She's a beauty," he told her.
Althea nodded but her hands fidgeted nervously. "I just hope she works."
Kael clapped her on the back, his grin reassuring. "She will. We've poured our hearts into this. Let's see what she's made of."
The two of them climbed aboard the ship, their excitement bubbling beneath the surface. A soft hum filled the air as the runes began to glow, and the ship lifted slightly off the ground.
"Here we go," Kael said, firmly grasping on the controls.
The ship pitched forward, then slid along smooth for a second, until suddenly the rumbled cut into the air, the glowing of the runes starting to flicker, and the ship jerking violently to one side.
"Kael, something is wrong!" Althea shrieked, scrambling to steady the crystals.
It was a system that overpowered the lot, before any one of them could do anything, catapulting them to the ground. Smoke burst, a jet of sparks, and there lay the once beautiful ship into an utter ruin.
Kael groaned as he pulled himself from the wreckage, brushing soot off his shirt. "Well, that didn't go as planned."
Althea sat on the ground kneeling to her chest. She stared at the wreckage, shoulders sagging. "It's a failure," she said quietly. "All that work… wasted."
Kael walked over to her, crouching down to meet her gaze. "Hey, don't say that. It's not wasted. We learned something today."
She watched him, the crystal droplets refusing to fall in the well of her eyes. "But we failed, Kael. It feels like I let us down."
He shook his head, firm of voice yet soft. "You didn't let anyone down, Althea. It's just part of it all. We try again with what we learned from our failure, and that is how we do better."
A deep sigh blew between her trembling lips. "You make it sound so easy."
"It's not easy," Kael said on a sigh, plopping down beside her. "But nothing worth doing ever is. And besides," he added with a small smile, "I wouldn't want to be doing this with anyone else."
Althea turned to him, softening. "You really mean that?
"Of course I do," he said, and the sincerity of his voice came out amazingly. "You are brilliant, Althea. You see what no one else sees. You are strong. That's what we're gonna need to see this through."
A small burble of a giggle fell from her mouth as she rubbed at her eyes. "Not so bad, Kael."
They sat in silence for several moments, even the memory of the wrecked ship forgotten as they turned to each other. The setting sun cast its golden orange hue over Althea's features, and Kael felt that he could just drink in her beauty.
"Althea," he murmured.
She turned her head then regarded him closely. "Yes?"
Unable to help himself, his eyes dropped his gaze as his body leant farther and he hooked the stray wisp of hair back behind her ear. Fingers lingered overlong while his heartbeat jolted surprisingly in reaction.
As the breath abruptly wavered within her he leant, yet closer, as she gazed upon his eye. "Kael…"
The space between them disappeared as their lips met in a soft intensed kiss. Soft and but unsure, it became hardening into a moment filled with unspoken emotions: hope, admiration, and something neither of them could quite name.
Finally, they drew back, both breathing hard.
"That… wasn't part of the plan," Althea said, a teasing smile on her lips.
Kael chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "No, it wasn't. But I'm not complaining."
She laughed, the sound light and genuine. "Neither am I."
For the first time since the crash, Althea felt a sense of hope. The ship might have failed, but something new had been built between them—something that felt just as important.
Kael stood and extended a hand to her. "Come on. Let's get back to work. We've got a lot to fix."
Althea took his hand, her smile unwavering. "Let's do it."