The Lore Wain and The Nephew Pt. 5

"Celeste... Your crew has been waiting on the ship for the past few days..." Zarabean stated, "What should I tell them when I return?" He asked, twiddling his thumbs. Zarabean spoke in third person often but it wasn't uncommon for him to use first person once in a while when he wasn't feeling anxious. "Tell them I'll be back to them soon. I know I left them suddenly without direction but I will be back." Celeste replied, not knowing when she would have the time to go meet her friends. "When? Exactly?" Zarabean asked with his eyebrows arched upward. "Days? Weeks? Months?" Celeste sighed, "I don't know, Zarabean... I'm technically the only one who can do this job... I'm in charge of the affairs of state now, whatever that means... I don't think I can just leave whenever I want to." "Zarabean wants you to join him... Today. The others, they have waited too long." Zarabean insisted despite Celeste telling him she doesn't think she can come. "I know, Zarabean, it's just-" "Please?" Celeste looked down into Zarabean's pleading green eyes and sighed. "... Alright, I'll come with you. But I'm not going sailing yet. Echo needs to stay in the Shining Isles." Zarabean nodded with a smile, "Yes, Ma'am." Before he skittered through the door, fully expecting Celeste to follow. Celeste took one last look back at the hall before following Zarabean out of the palace. After passing many of the royal guards and glares of her common people, Celeste made it to the royal stable with Zarabean by her side. She entered the royal stable and grabbed her horse, whose name was Muffin, and saddled up for a trip to the docks. Celeste carefully stepped up onto the horse with baby Echo in his sling and offered a hand to Zarabean. Zarabean shook his head, "Zarabean can get up." He said before he hopped up behind her on Muffin. "Ready?" Celeste asked Zarabean with the reigns in hand. Zarabean nodded, holding onto the back of Celeste's waist belt with his small hands. "Ready." Celeste responded by setting Muffin off with a soft gallop. Muffin gently neighed as she took the three of them down to the docks. Once at the docks, one of Celeste's traveling crew greeted her from the ship. "Celesssste!" A fang shouted from the crow's nest. Celeste looked up toward the fang, "Nibble! It's so good to see you! How was your vacation?" She shouted up at the fang whose name was Nibble. Celeste had an unusual habit of making the most detestable of creatures and humans her friends. It wasn't because Celeste was naive, it was actually quite the opposite. She's travelled across Anniera for years, telling the stories of old. However, she discovered that the many citizens weren't listening to her like the outcasts were. The outcasts aboard her ship were ones that, while from vile backgrounds, desired to be more than what they were expected to be. They wished to be different and this desire drew them to Celeste. They believed she could show the world that even the worst of beings could change. As for Nibble, if there were a more detested creature, none would be as detestable than Nibble the Fang of Dang. His real name was actually Nimble but upon a mistake on creating his citizenship card, they swapped his 'm' for another 'b' which dubbed him the name Nibble. Ever since, the nickname stuck with him and he eventually gave up on correcting everybody. Most Fangs had no need for a citizenship card but Nibble wanted to be a functioning member of society so he obtained one upon joining Celeste's crew. Besides being a fang, that made him terrifying, Nibble had only one eye to show for it. It turned out that the other Fangs of Dang didn't appreciate his departure from their clan and they took his eye before he could escape. Nibble quickly left his post in the crow's nest and climbed down to the main deck as Celeste, Echo, and Zarabean stepped aboard. "Vacation was great! I found ssssome sssscrumptious maggotloaf in Torrborro! I even brought it with me if you want to try!" Celeste cringed before politely replying, "No thank you, it's all yours." Nibble laughed like he was gagging on a sock, for this is how Fangs sound when they laugh. "I know you humanssss don't like maggotloaf! Don't be so polite!" He went to give Celeste a friendly side hug before he noticed Echo in the sling. Nibble tilted his head and flicked out his tongue as lizards do, "What'ssss this creature?" Celeste smiled and chuckled a bit at Nibble's awful sounding laugh. "This is my nephew, his name is Echo." Nibble leaned his head close to the baby's face and sniffed him. "He smellssss nice!" Zarabean snickered a bit, catching onto something the other two didn't realize yet, "Celeste... I believe Nibble smells Echo's..." He trailed off, knowing Celeste would pick up what he was telling her. Celeste realized what Zarabean meant and she laughed, "That would be my cue to change him, wouldn't it? I believe I have some cloth in my study. Care to come with me, Zarabean?" Zarabean shook his head with a ridgerunner smirk. "No, I would not." Celeste laughed again, "Very well. I'll be right back to speak with the others. If they ask, tell them I'm taking care of business." Zarabean elegantly bows to Celeste with a snicker, "I will be sure to tell them."