TRAVIS

The metallic ring of a bell woke Travis shortly after the break of dawn. With a groan, he rolled over and pulled the blanket back over his head. He enjoyed the freedom in his schedule that Paragon offered, including that of his sleeping schedule. I'm sure that came from another ship. He yawned and snuggled deeper into his pillow without opening his eyes.

Wait, another ship? His eyes snapped open as he burst out of bed and rushed over to the map table. Much to his surprise, the white pin was now among the blue and purple markers that surrounded the green pin. She really can cross the ocean in a few days. Any other ship would have taken a week.

He quickly showered and dressed, grateful for the amenities Paragon provided that other vessels lacked. He didn't know where she stored all the water, but a bath or a shower was always welcome. Before he boarded the Paragon, Travis believed showers were a myth or something only rich people had. The water was even warm and clean. Whoever built Paragon had been very rich.

Travis quickly dressed in an old button-down canvas shirt and a pair of faded black pants from the closet in the room. The single set of clothes he had stolen from his home were decent, but they were still just old work clothes. Most of his clothes had been in his sea chest, which was somewhere deep on the ocean floor.

Paragon provided a new chest, but even though the human choose how it looked, all of the clothes were a century old. Everything was still in decent condition, but the material had thinned from age.

If I buy anything while onshore, it will include new clothes and soap, as well as food. Travis checked his hair in the mirror, then left the room and swiftly emerged onto the deck. He looked towards the still figurehead in the golden light of the early morning.

"You rang?" Travis blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light.

"That was my bell, yes, but you were not my intended target. I apologize if I woke you." Travis jumped as Paragon spoke into his mind.

"You can use telepathy?" The greenhorn captain looked around and noticed the watch change on other ships. The other sailors glanced at the white vessel with either awe, confusion, or suspicion. Even with only a skeleton crew on the decks, the other ships looked much more lively than Paragon's mostly empty deck.

"You can use it too, but only with me. Just direct your thoughts toward my mind." Paragon said in a calm voice, though Travis could almost see her struggling to hold back a grin as she mentally spoke her next sentence. "And if you want it, I'm almost done cooking your breakfish."

Travis groaned and struggled to restrain his laughter. "That was a terrible joke." He quickly entered the kitchen before he lost control of his laughter.

"That was a good attempt for a first try with telepathy. A little distorted by laughter, but perfectly understandable." Travis could feel the pride carried by her words as well as partial amusement.

The smell of roasting fish fillets filled the sailor's nose the second he entered the room. Though he was tired of eating fish, the addition of spices made the taste more palatable. Hopefully, they could buy more foodstuffs onshore to add variance to his diet.

"Horizon will give you money in exchange for the gold, but she will most likely pay for everything you need." Paragon's voice almost sounded like she was sitting at the table with Travis. "I will keep some of it as an emergency fund of sorts, but much of it will go to her to cover what she buys for us."

Travis nodded as he used a spatula to slip the fully cooked fillets onto a plate while the stove turned itself off. He placed his meal onto the table, then gathered his silverware before he sat in the booth and began to eat. With my limited diet, I hope I don't have scurvy.

Paragon telepathically snorted, "Like I would let my captain or any of my crew to get sick, especially with something as simple as scurvy. What kind of magic ship do you think I am?"

Travis nearly choked. After he swiftly recovered, he looked around at the walls and ceiling. I forgot she can read my thoughts. "How powerful are you?" He half expected Paragon to materialize out of the walls. Then, the sailor blinked as the memories of how the ship worked informed him that was something within her abilities.

The greenhorn captain continued to struggle with the bounds of the liveship's abilities: the mist that could affect memories, manipulation of wood, metal, rope, and other parts of a ship, minor wind elemental magic, and even the ability to retain knowledge and grow.

"So," Travis called to the ship, "what do I do now?"

"For now, you can relax. When Horizon has a moment, she will stop by to see me, and I will summon you to introduce you." Paragon assured, "You are free to look through the small collection of books I have."

Travis blinked, then took a deep breath as he tried to settle his nerves that made him feel like a bucket of baitfish was in his stomach.

Author Notes!

Short chapter, but honestly this chapter includes my favorite joke that I have ever written: breakfish.

I am such a sucker for puns. Did you guys like the joke?