to
keep himself from bursting into laughter at the sight.
Elkid re-entered the tent a few minutes later, motioning for them to
follow him. Kwin instantly regained her composure, clutching the book to her
chest like she would never let go.
“Your friend is still far away, though our guides are running out of
things to show him. I’ve sent someone to fetch him,” Elkid reported.
At this point, Lindsay was the one to step forward, and in contrast to
Kwin’s feigned innocence, her expression of desperation was very much
legitimate.
“I have a favor to ask,” she said quickly, and Elkid looked slightly
taken aback. “Well… to be honest, he’s not really our friend so much as a guy
we all know, but he’s really annoying and he drives us crazy, and…” She looked
slightly nervous, but put a hand on Kwin’s shoulder and added, “And he really
upsets Kwin. He picks on her a lot. Could you possibly fool him into staying
here or going back home while we escape?”
Elkid looked slightly overwhelmed having two girls make such heartfelt
requests of him. He was silent for a few moments, clearly thinking over the
options in his head, and then spoke.
“Well… this is a rather exclusive community. We don’t really allow just
anyone to come spend so much time with us,” he began slowly, but at the
expressions on Kwin and Lindsay’s faces, hastily continued, “but we can
definitely do something about him. We have a few extra small boats… maybe we
can say that you headed back to the mainland and that he should try to catch
up.”
Looking positively ecstatic, it was Lindsay’s turn to give Elkid a hug,
and by now Elkid looked quite happy with himself.
“All right then. However, like I said, we’re running out of ways to keep
his attention… apparently it changes by the minute.”
“You have no idea,” Alastor replied darkly.
“In order for us to fool him properly, you should be out of sight before
he arrives. Let’s hurry.”
The others obliged, eager at their chance to escape Hercules so soon.
They walked quickly through the settlement, waving at the various blue people
that passed them by. As they did so, a few more excited cries of ‘Woop!’ went
up, causing the group to walk faster, and they reached the ship within a few
minutes.
“Best of luck on your voyage,” Elkid said, shaking Alastor’s hand
tightly. “If it’s true that no one has returned from beyond those borders, then
I want you to be extra careful. And take care of Kwinny there, won’t you? She’s
just a kid, she shouldn’t be put into danger.”
“I’ll see to it that Kwinny is taken excellent care of,” Alastor affirmed
with a smile as he looked at Kwin, whose left eyelid twitched.
“You enjoy that book, and I look forward to hearing your stories when you
get back!” Elkid told Kwin warmly. “Now, off you get, before the day gets too
late. Exploring the unknown can get scary in the dark.”
With a final wave, Kai and the others flew back over to the ship, and
within minutes the anchor had been pulled up and the sails deployed, carrying
them with increasing speed away from the island. As they departed, they heard
yet another chorus of wooping chants from the island as at least four dozen of
its residents gathered on the shore. Kai watched nervously as they departed,
expecting Hercules to come flying after them from the now-distant island. But
as the islands vanished behind the horizon into the endless wall of water and
sky, there was still no sign of him.
“Right. I’m just going to put this on the map,” Alastor said, taking out
a pen and scribbling onto the map itself. “Island… of the Blue Woopers… avoid…
at all… costs. There, that should take care of our exploration for the day.”
His expression changed to one of contentment and he sat back in the seat in
front of the control panel. “Now then, I’d say that was a success. Let’s make
the most of the rest of our… you’re angry at me, aren’t
keep himself from bursting into laughter at the sight.
Elkid re-entered the tent a few minutes later, motioning for them to
follow him. Kwin instantly regained her composure, clutching the book to her
chest like she would never let go.
“Your friend is still far away, though our guides are running out of
things to show him. I’ve sent someone to fetch him,” Elkid reported.
At this point, Lindsay was the one to step forward, and in contrast to
Kwin’s feigned innocence, her expression of desperation was very much
legitimate.
“I have a favor to ask,” she said quickly, and Elkid looked slightly
taken aback. “Well… to be honest, he’s not really our friend so much as a guy
we all know, but he’s really annoying and he drives us crazy, and…” She looked
slightly nervous, but put a hand on Kwin’s shoulder and added, “And he really
upsets Kwin. He picks on her a lot. Could you possibly fool him into staying
here or going back home while we escape?”
Elkid looked slightly overwhelmed having two girls make such heartfelt
requests of him. He was silent for a few moments, clearly thinking over the
options in his head, and then spoke.
“Well… this is a rather exclusive community. We don’t really allow just
anyone to come spend so much time with us,” he began slowly, but at the
expressions on Kwin and Lindsay’s faces, hastily continued, “but we can
definitely do something about him. We have a few extra small boats… maybe we
can say that you headed back to the mainland and that he should try to catch
up.”
Looking positively ecstatic, it was Lindsay’s turn to give Elkid a hug,
and by now Elkid looked quite happy with himself.
“All right then. However, like I said, we’re running out of ways to keep
his attention… apparently it changes by the minute.”
“You have no idea,” Alastor replied darkly.
“In order for us to fool him properly, you should be out of sight before
he arrives. Let’s hurry.”
The others obliged, eager at their chance to escape Hercules so soon.
They walked quickly through the settlement, waving at the various blue people
that passed them by. As they did so, a few more excited cries of ‘Woop!’ went
up, causing the group to walk faster, and they reached the ship within a few
minutes.
“Best of luck on your voyage,” Elkid said, shaking Alastor’s hand
tightly. “If it’s true that no one has returned from beyond those borders, then
I want you to be extra careful. And take care of Kwinny there, won’t you? She’s
just a kid, she shouldn’t be put into danger.”
“I’ll see to it that Kwinny is taken excellent care of,” Alastor affirmed
with a smile as he looked at Kwin, whose left eyelid twitched.
“You enjoy that book, and I look forward to hearing your stories when you
get back!” Elkid told Kwin warmly. “Now, off you get, before the day gets too
late. Exploring the unknown can get scary in the dark.”
With a final wave, Kai and the others flew back over to the ship, and
within minutes the anchor had been pulled up and the sails deployed, carrying
them with increasing speed away from the island. As they departed, they heard
yet another chorus of wooping chants from the island as at least four dozen of
its residents gathered on the shore. Kai watched nervously as they departed,
expecting Hercules to come flying after them from the now-distant island. But
as the islands vanished behind the horizon into the endless wall of water and
sky, there was still no sign of him.
“Right. I’m just going to put this on the map,” Alastor said, taking out
a pen and scribbling onto the map itself. “Island… of the Blue Woopers… avoid…
at all… costs. There, that should take care of our exploration for the day.”
His expression changed to one of contentment and he sat back in the seat in
front of the control panel. “Now then, I’d say that was a success. Let’s make
the most of the rest of our… you’re angry at me, aren’t
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