by Don P. Bick
Chapter 2
The sun felt good on Camran's face as he slowly awakened from his restful sleep. He was going over in his mind what he would do at work that morning, wishing it was the weekend and he could just lay there and not get up. What crazy dreams, he thought, thinking over the trip into space at the speed of light, then the darkness and soft walled dome he was imprisoned within. But most clear were the words; "Oracle of the Fourth Order," followed by that hideous laughter. A chill went up his spine just thinking about it.
Wait a minute. What sun? The sun doesn't come into this room! As quickly as he could, Camran forced himself awake. He had to struggle upward into consciousness. He felt as though he had been drugged. Gradually his eyes came into focus as he dragged himself back into the realm of the living. Then he was sure he was still asleep and dreaming. What he saw was extremely beautiful. It was also impossible!
There was no visible sun, however, as bright as it was, there could have been two suns shining. The sky was a deep, deep, blue and the daylight was brighter than the brightest day of summer he could ever remember. The brightness should hurt his eyes, but it didn't, thought Camran. There were no stars twinkling on the dark blue background in the sky, either. “Where am I?” again questioned Camran out loud, in awe of the sights around him.
He was surrounded by large patches of water. At least that was what he thought it was. Clear looking light blue water with what looked to be large leaves floating on the top, clogging areas here and there. And, what was that out there in the water? It looked something like a dome, but not quite. And yet it seemed familiar. Standing up, Camran walked forward a couple of paces before recognition dawned on him. It was a lotus flower, a gigantic lotus flower. No, not a single lotus flower, lots of them dotted the horizon, their colorful heads raising high above the water, filling his entire field of vision for as far as he could see. Turning, he saw he was completely surrounded by them. The flowers rose substantial distances above the water surface, making them appear to be exotic colorful platforms instead of beautiful flowers.
He recognized and knew them to be lotus flowers because of the trip he had taken to Asia a couple of years ago. Many of the gardens he visited on that trip had lotus flowers growing in them. He always made it a point to see as many gardens as possible on his trips, being something of a gardener himself. His rose and flower garden at home was the envy of the entire neighborhood, where he and Sara, his wife of ten years, had lived. That was back during the happy years, before the divorce three years ago. The house had been sold as part of the divorce settlement and he had moved into the apartment.
Everywhere he looked there were giant lotus flowers. Some of the ones he could see were not yet opened. There were several different colors. Although there were many too far away to see clearly, Camran could see green flowers, a red one, some blue, and a gold one all fairly close. They were all very beautiful rising up out of the water, the various colors of their petals shining in the daylight.
When it came to flowers these were beyond any floral beauty he had ever seen. All their colors were reflecting off the water in the bright light of day, the deep purplish blue sky added to that beauty, presenting a picture his mind was barely able to grasp.
Suddenly, he understood his prison of the night before. He was standing in one; a huge lotus flower that had opened with the morning light. It opened quietly as daylight dawned, while he was still asleep. The cracks and upward curves he had felt crawling around in the night were nothing more than the seed pods of this immense flower. Now that Camran could see it, what he had felt in the darkness all made sense. The petals soft and smooth, when closed formed an enclosure similar to that of a dome. Solving that mystery still didn't tell him where he was or how he was going to get off this flower. He was high above the water. And then, what if he did get off? He could swim, but to where? Where would he go? There was nothing but water, leaves and lotus flowers as far as he could see. What might exist beyond his sight he had no way of knowing in this strange place.
Camran recalled from his trip that lotus flowers grow up through the water and the flower is usually some inches above the surface. Walking over to the side of the flower he looked out across the petals to the water below. These flowers weren't several inches above the water, but many yards. Briefly he entertained the thought that he could travel from one leaf to the next, but there were huge spaces of open water that he knew he would be unable to swim across. And even if there was somewhere he could reach by swimming from leaf to leaf, at this height the jump into the water would probably kill him.
That thought caused Camran to chuckle since it was dying that put him were he was to begin with.
"Ahoy there," came a call from the far side of the flower, startling him.
"Ahoy there," again came the cry as Camran quickly moved toward the other side of the lotus. He was unable to see anything directly below him and he couldn’t tell exactly where the call was coming from. Camran reached the far side of the flower and knelt down on one knee, near the point where the petal folded down. Looking out over the extended petal he could see the masts of a sailing ship. The sails hung limply in the still morning air. Judging by what he was able to see it wasn't a large ship, and it was completely made of wood.
"Ahoy there, Matey," came the cry once more.
"I'm here," yelled back Camran, as he leaned out farther over the petal. He was afraid to move out onto the petal itself for fear it wouldn't hold his weight. It might bend down and he would slide off, falling several stories to the water below.
"Jump onto the ship, Matey," yelled the man from the ship.
"Are you nuts? Who are you?" Camran yelled back. He was unable to see who was yelling up to him, however, he was able to see the ship better now. It had maneuvered out slightly from the base of the flower, exposing a row of oars. They extended into the water from ports about midway between the upper deck and the water line. Judging the distance from the ship to where the oars entered the water, they had to be many feet in length, and a lot of work to operate.
"I'm the captain of this ship, Matey. Now jump," returned the man from below.
"I'm not jumping anywhere!" yelled back Camran.
"You can either jump, Matey, or stay where you are," replied the captain.
"Don't you have a ladder?" asked Camran edging farther out onto the petal.
"No, we don't have a ladder," said the man. "If we had a ladder I would have asked you to climb down the ladder! Now are you going to jump or not?"
"It's too high; it will kill me to jump into the water from here." Camran shouted with his hands cupped over his mouth, still unable to see who he was talking to in the ship.
"Not into the water, Matey, into the net!" the exasperated voice of the captain carried back up to him.
"What net?" questioned Camran.
"The net in the middle of the ship! Are you blind also?" came the man's sarcastic reply. "Move out to the tip of the petal and jump!"
"I don't think the petal will hold me if go out on it!" Camran answered as he slowly inched his way out another foot onto the petal.
"If I didn't think the petal would hold you, I wouldn't have said to walk out on it, now would I?" came the scream from the ship.
Camran gradually kept moving out toward the tip of the petal and sure enough the petal was much stronger than he had anticipated. It barely gave at all, even as he neared the tip. He now had a good view of the ship and he also saw that it was farther below than he originally thought. It had to be six or seven stories down to the ship and then a couple more to the water. He could see the net, although it looked awfully small from his vantage point. Camran had never really been afraid of heights; however, neither had he ever had to look straight down from this kind of height before. It was unnerving, to say the least.
Even though he had just experienced death, he wasn't prepared to die again, at least not so soon. There was no way of knowing what would happen if he died while in this world. Sure, next time
he would be prepared and know about the flower, but who was to say the next time would be the same as this one. No, Camran thought, he didn't want to die again. But what choice did he have? There was nothing in either direction for miles but water. He had to jump and take his chances with the man on the ship.
"Jump!" came the taunting voice from the ship.
Camran stood up at the end of the petal and immediately wished he hadn't. The ship was rocking slightly from side to side and he wasn't at all sure the net was directly under him.
"We don't have all day, Matey," yelled the captain.
Camran jumped. He didn't know how he mustered the courage but he jumped. Downward he plunged toward the ship and the net. The closer he came the more he realized how high he had been and how large the ship really was. As it turned out the ship was in perfect position and the net exactly where it needed to be.
Just before he landed in the net Camran realized he was stark naked. With all that had been going on and his thoughts occupied with other things, he had forgotten all about it. He hit the net trying to cover his nakedness, conscious of not wearing any clothes but oblivious to the fact his last minute act of modesty might be jeopardizing his safe landing.
Camran landed in a sort of fetal tuck position, which could have broken his neck had he landed on it. However, landing on the net was softer and easier than he would have guessed. He landed on his back with the net gently absorbing his impact. The net rebounded without so much as lifting him back into the air. He wondered what it was made of to respond like that after the height from which he had just jumped.
Looking through the net he reeled back in shock at the sight of the man standing on the deck below him. At least he looked like a man, sort of. The first thing Camran noticed was his color. He was green! Not a bright green or a dark green but he had an overall greenish tint about him. Not only did his skin have a green cast to it, so did his beard, which was short and pointed.
The man was short and portly. Not anything at all like he had expected the seaman to look. It hadn't occurred to Camran that the man he had been talking to would look any different than any other person he was used to seeing. “Where was he anyway?” Camran asked himself once more.
The captain had a large round shaped head, which, except for his beard, was devoid of any hair. His ears looked somewhat like round fluffy buttons, while his eyes were close together and set deep into his head. He wore nothing above the waist except a pair of wooden bracelets, one on the upper part of each arm. He had on what looked like leather pants and seaman's boots, while around his waist hung an ugly looking scimitar. The blade was gold and shiny; however, it was the length and menacing curve that caught Camran's attention. "Was this man a pirate?" Camran wondered.
"Crawl to the edge of the net and shimmy down that rope, Matey," the captain commanded, pointing to a rope hanging down from the side of the net. The rope almost reached the deck some twenty to thirty feet below. "Quickly, Matey!" yelled the captain, now with a note of urgency in his voice.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?" asked Camran as he made his way toward the edge of the net.
"I'm Captain Nepturos, captain of this ship," replied the captain. "Now quickly, down the rope and below."
Obeying the captain, Camran scurried down the rope and landed on the deck of the gently rolling ship. "Where are we and where are we going?" questioned Camran, not moving any closer toward the strange looking man.
"All in good time, Matey, all in good time. Now hurry and get below." the captain said as he opened the hatch in the deck and dropped through.
Perplexed as to what was going on Camran had no other recourse but to do as he was told. He had no weapon, no clothes, and for the first time noticed how hungry and thirsty he was. He lifted the hatch and followed the captain down the narrow stairwell to the deck below.
The first thing Camran noticed as he came through the hatch was the smell of sweating bodies. And both ends of this deck were open. The upper deck didn't extend over the open sections. Camran thought it strange the sides of the ship, at these open ends, extended up several feet above the deck. It was impossible to see the water while standing on this level. There were several seamen tending to their duties at the masts, which were located in these open, lowered areas of this main deck. They were green and portly as well. Certainly not the look one would expect of seamen.
They descended another narrow flight of stairs onto another deck. This level appeared to be mainly cabins. The middle section of the deck was open except for a few support poles in the center. On this level rope netting was stretched over the window like openings and they appeared to extend most of the way around the ship on this deck, as far as Camran could tell.
Camran again became conscious of being naked as he stood before the captain. Without saying a word the captain turned and began walking toward the cabins at the end of the deck.
"Where are we and where are we going, captain?" asked Camran as he followed the green portly man to the far end of the deck to one of the cabin doors.
Without answering the captain gestured toward a cabin door. "Wait for me in there. You will find some clothes and boots on the cot. I'll have some food and drink sent in and after we get under way I will join you and answer some of your questions." Without waiting for a response he turned and walked off.
Entering the cabin, Camran first walked to the bunk, picked up the pants laying there and put them on. They where quite a bit too large and obviously belonged to the captain or some other portly person of the same build. There was also a piece of rope which he used to tie the pants up around his waist. The pants were also about a foot shorter than his legs, presenting a comical appearance, however, having pants on was certainly better than being without them.
The boots were better. They not only fit fairly well, they were comfortable besides. Both the pants and boots seemed to be made out of the same material, however, the boots were cut from a thicker piece. They looked and felt something like leather but Camran for some unexplainable reason didn't think they were.
Soon there was a knock on the door and a seaman entered with a tray of food, two wooden mugs and a large wooden pitcher. The seaman was built exactly like the captain. He was portly and green. He smiled and seemed pleasant enough. And after leaving the tray on the small table, left quietly.
The tray was filled with a variety of sliced cold foods, consisting primarily of what looked like an assortment of fruits. There was also a small loaf of bread. The liquid in the wooden pitcher was pale green and smelled sweet. His unknown future fate didn't stop him from feeling famished. He picked up a small piece of the fruit, bright orange in color and about the size of a grape and put it in his mouth. It had been peeled. His mouth puckered up at how tart it was. Surprised at the tartness, he was even more surprised at how good it tasted. He grabbed a couple more and quickly ate them.
The tartness made him even thirstier so he picked up a wooden mug and poured himself some of the pale green liquid from the pitcher. He sipped a small amount and swallowed. Again he was surprised that it was tart and not at all as sweet as it had smelled. It was good though, very good, thought Camran. After a couple more swallows he felt semi comfortable for the first time since his unexpected arrival in this world.
After tasting some of each of the items on the tray he discovered they all were tart to one degree or another. Apparently these people liked everything that way. A couple of the pieces of fruit were so tart he had to spit them out, too strong for him.
As he reached for the pitcher to pour himself another mug full of the green liquid, there was a gentle surge in the motion of the ship which told him they were under way. A moment later the movement of the ship was accompanied by the deep voices of singing from below the deck on which the cabin was located.
A few minutes later the door opened and in stepped the captain, a broad grin on his face.
"Eat, eat, Matey," the captain said, as he walked to a chair on the far side of the cabin.
I trust everything is to your liking, though perhaps a bit tart to your taste, hey? We are underway now to RiverRidge on the Isle I call home. We call it the Isle of Flowers. It is some distance away and will take a while to get there."
"Who are you, I mean you said - 'we call' - who are 'we'?" asked Camran, no longer eating. "And where are we?"
"To those from the planet Earth we are known as the Neptunians. We lived and died on the planet Neptune, although those of us from that planet do not call it that. How do you like the draft?" he queried, gesturing toward the green mug Camran was raising to his lips.
"It's tart, but good," replied Camran. "But how did you know I am from the planet Earth? And how can you be from the planet Neptune when there is no life on that planet?" asked Camran, surprise showing on his face.
"No life on the planet, eh Matey? Aye, I've heard that many times. We didn't believe there was any life on the planet you call Earth either, Matey. The difference in each of our vibrations made it impossible for either of us to see the other. We only saw within our own vibrations, so saw nothing but a barren planet. We understand now that the planet Earth is covered with trees and mighty oceans." the captain continued as he walked over to the table and poured himself a mug of the green draft. We now know there is life similar to ours on Earth, this we learned from those that have come here like you. They, in turn, have discovered there is also life on Neptune. How do I know where you are from, Matey? I know you are from Earth because of the color of the flower you arrived in."
"The color of the flower I arrived in?"
"Yes, Matey, you arrived in a golden lotus. Only those from the planet Earth arrive here in a gold flower."
"How is it we understand and speak the same language?" asked Camran taking another drink of the tart green draft.
"I admit it is a mystery. All who come here speak the same language and understand all others. It is a universal language in this world," stated the captain, draining his mug in a couple of big gulps.
"Others? Are there others here from Earth?"
"Yes, but more on that subject I must leave to be answered later. When we arrive at the Isle you will speak with the leader of the Neptunian people. He is called the Ruler of the Waters. He will be able to tell you more," said the captain, while getting up to leave the cabin. "In the meantime, you are welcome to leave the cabin and look around. Be careful not to stand to close to the nets on the side of the ship. Also, you are not, under any circumstances, to go up onto the top deck. It is too dangerous." With that the captain left the cabin, closing the door behind him, leaving Camran trying to assimilate what little information he had been given, which had only resulted in him accumulating even more questions.
Camran started up after the captain and then stopped. He decided he would finish eating then wander around on the ship. He was anxious to see this new world as they made their way to the Isle. After all, this world hadn’t been bad thus far. His questions would just have to wait. He did feel reassured that he was not the only person from Earth living here.
Camran finished eating and drinking his draft then left the cabin. The singing of the men below drew his attention. The notes the men hit were so high and so low at times Camran couldn't believe they came from human voices. The notes themselves were arranged in a strange see-saw kind of melody. He had never heard anything like it so he headed down the narrow stairway near the cabin door to the lower deck. When he reached that level Camran was amazed at how many men were involved in moving the ship. There had to be two to three hundred seated on the rowing benches, half on each side of the deck. Only one third of the men were rowing. The other two-thirds rested on the benches next to the working seamen. In this way, thought Camran, they were able to row for many hours and cover long distances by rotating the hard work. There must not be much wind on these waters.
One Neptunian stood up in the bow looking out through a net covered opening directing the rowers on which direction to turn. Apparently he was the navigator and kept the boat moving safely through the large areas of lotus leaves sitting on the surface. Camran would later learn these leaves were not so much a dangerous menace to the ship, more a nuisance, since they would give way when struck by the ship’s hull. The hulls were reinforced just for this inevitable situation, but ramming this vegetation would cost loss of time as they struggled to maneuver the ship away from the obstruction. Even with the guidance of the navigator at times the ship would become blocked in and they would have to retrace their route and try a different passageway through the growth.
The men were all Neptunians, Camran noted. All had the bald heads, were portly and looked green. They were surprisingly strong for the way they were built. Working those oars for any length of time couldn't be an easy task. No one paid him any attention while he stood there watching. Perhaps they were used to picking up people on these trips.
After watching a little longer he decided to go back up to the cabin to get another mug of draft. Camran thought the draft must have some alcoholic content to it because he felt slightly lightheaded. It was a nice feeling he decided, pouring himself another full mug.
With the wooden mug in hand, Camran stood watching out the netted opening at the water and lotus flowers. There were countless numbers of them. Everywhere he looked grew the many colored flowers. The water was a vivid light blue, almost turquoise in color. Surprisingly, there were very few golden lotuses. Maybe they were more prolific in other areas of these seas, or maybe there just weren't as many as some of the other colors.
Camran watched the beauty of the flowers beneath the deep blue sky for an hour or so. No one bothered him and after standing there for another half hour Camran decided to go up to the top deck, paying no heed to the captain's warnings. Perhaps it was the green draft, he was losing some of the sense of fear and uncertainty he had earlier. Besides, he wasn't afraid of falling overboard. From the upper deck he would be able to see farther. He walked up the narrow stairway to the hatch cover, lifted it and climbed up onto the deck.
"Sir, you aren't supposed to be up here! Please come with me back down to the deck below. It's not safe here," the voice of a seaman from behind Camran admonished, startling him. He was just about to sit down with his back against one of the poles used to hold up the net.
All of a sudden the ship rose straight up out of the water and rolled slightly port side. At the same time the water alongside the ship shot upward some forty feet higher than the net. No, it wasn't all water as Camran had first thought; it was the largest fish he had ever seen. It was black with a white underbelly and a duck bill like mouth. There were no scales on this monster; his body was sleek and smooth like that of a shark. It was impossibly large and it took a moment for the situation to penetrate Camran's mind. He stood still, unable to move.
The seaman, who had come on deck to get Camran, had fallen and was rolling down the slanting deck toward the railing and the fish. He was grabbing frantically for something to hold onto. The ship returned to the water like a rock hitting a concrete floor. The seaman bounced up off the deck several feet into the air, while Camran was knocked off his feet. The head of the monstrous fish towered above the netting, making the ship look like a toy in comparison.
The ship reeled and rocked in the disturbed water while the fish seemed to be suspended in mid air. It had only been a couple of seconds from the initial impact and encounter with the large fish. The seaman was trying to regain his feet, Camran fared a little better and was already back on his. Though scared to death Camran now knew why he was told not to come up on this deck. It was his fault the seaman had been outside the protected interior of the ship. That was why the sides of the open deck below were so high. Too late he realized it was for protection from the fish. It was his fault the seaman was in trouble and so it was his duty to try and help the man get back to safety.
As Camran started in the direction of the downed man, the fish turned and spied the seaman. But the fish was too far away to move his head onto the deck. As the seama
n struggled to regain his feet, his portly shape not helping the situation, the fish was swiftly maneuvering closer to the ship's side, and its target, the downed man.
Camran ran, stumbled and lurched toward the seaman in rhythm to the ship's erratic motion, trying desperately to get to the scimitar still hanging around the man's waist.
Camran reached his side just as the fish grabbed the seaman's leg with its long bill-like mouth. The seaman screamed in agony as the fish raised him off the deck into the air. Camran grabbed the scimitar at the same time. Never having held, much less used such a weapon, swinging the blade at the fish was his only thought. Later, he realized how easy it would have been to hit the seaman instead of the fish.
The first swing hit its mark. Luck was with them both for there wouldn't have been time for another swing. The scimitar sliced deep into the bill of the fish just beyond the seaman's foot. He could easily see how deadly this weapon would be when in the hands of someone skilled in its use.
The fish reared back its head, letting go of the seaman as he did. The man fell back onto the deck, nearly going over the rail and net on the side of the ship. The fish swung its head back toward Camran and lunged at him in the same movement. The monster was so fast he knew he didn’t have time to get out of the way of that large duckbill shaped mouth. But before the fish reached him a large explosion knocked him to his knees. A cloud of green smoke engulfed the head of the fish. Camran didn't know what caused the explosion but the green cloud must have been a burning chemical, or something similar, because the fish tossed his head back and then ducked back under the water. A second later the fish shot straight up out of the water. No one needed to tell Camran to get down on the deck and grab on to something, and fast. He threw himself down onto the weathered planking and wrapped his arms around a study pole rising up out of the deck floor.
Moments later the fish hit the water alongside the ship with an incredible impact. The ship flew sideways through the air at a dangerous cant. Another seaman had reached the injured one and held both of them securely to the railing along the side of the ship. In no time they dropped back into the water. They were at such a steep angle Camran knew they would go under and sink. But the ship amazingly righted itself, regained its composure and orientation in a matter of seconds. In that moment he became a believer in the quality of these ships and the people who built them.
The fish disappeared below the surface of the water once more. Camran quickly got to his feet and rushed to the two seamen holding onto the railing. When he got there he noticed green liquid all over the deck and covering the wounded seaman's leg. The man was lying there with his eyes closed, moaning softly. It didn't take long to realize the green liquid on the seaman and the deck was his blood. "That was why these people have a greenish cast to their skin," Camran murmured, as he stooped to help both seaman up and over to the hatch.
The captain stood near the hatch, his face bright green with anger. Another seaman stood slightly behind him and was tying the cords on a small pouch. When finished, he carefully placed the pouch into his pant’s pocket.
The captain opened the hatch and helped the wounded man down to another seaman standing on the deck below. The rest of them quickly scrambled through the hatch and down the stairs, securely closing the hatch behind them.
The ship had settled down once more in the now calm waters. There was no sign of the fish near the ship. It was hard to believe that the events of a few moments before were real. Everything was quiet and calm, the ship was once again rocking gently in the water. The wounded man had been taken to a lower deck to treat and bandage his leg.
"Matey, I said not to go, under any circumstances, to the upper deck. If I had wanted you to go to the upper deck, I would have said - go to the upper deck!" glared the captain, his bright green face shining up at Camran.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," stammered Camran. He felt bad enough for the wounded seaman and could think of nothing else to say to right the wrong.
The captain started to say something further but decided against it. He quickly turned and hurried down the narrow stairway to the deck below. Camran heard him bellow something and once more they were under way, powered by the men on the lowest deck. Soon the chanting had started up as well and the incident was behind them.
Camran stayed below and off by himself for the remainder of the journey, except when he paid the wounded seaman a short visit. The man was unconscious, the effects of the drug that had been administered to reduce the pain. The crew member who attended the injured seaman told him there was no doctor on board. All he was able to do was make him as comfortable as possible while they made their way to the Isle and a doctor.
Camran learned the injured man's name was Neptran. The attending seaman thought he would probably be fine in a few weeks. His leg was badly lacerated but he should be able to keep it, thought the medical attendant. The good news relieved Camran. He had already convinced himself the leg was probably lost judging from the amount of blood he had seen. The attendant told him he wasn't positive about the leg but they were lucky they weren't very far from the Isle and a doctor’s attention. If they had been, he would have lost it for sure.
The beauty of the trip had been spoiled because of their encounter with the fish. However, it was welcome news that the seaman would be all right. Camran's spirits were somewhat renewed as he again sat and watched the flowers go by, taking in the overall beauty of this strange land.
Camran was standing near the netting looking out at the scenery when he saw a huge mountain ahead, faintly outlined against the sky. It was the largest mountain he had ever seen and was amazed at how well he could see the top. Surely the mountain had been visible for some time already. It was so large he must have overlooked it because it filled so much of the horizon. There was no cloud cover and even against the purplish sky the top was clearly visible. It was a majestic sight, beautiful beyond description in any language. He had to keep reminding himself how small man was in this world he had just entered.
"I see you have discovered the Isle of Flowers, Matey," said the captain, startling Camran from behind, pointing at the huge mountain in the distance. "We have some time yet to travel. We are still quite a distance away. It looks closer than it really is."
Camran turned to see the same captain he saw when he first glimpsed him through the net. The blood had gone out of his face and it was no longer bright green, as it had been in anger earlier. "I'm sorry for what happened with the fish and the seaman," Camran apologized once more.
The captain waved his hand in dismissal of the incident and turned away, heading back to his duties, leaving Camran alone once more with his thoughts.
The rest of the journey was uneventful as far as the fish were concerned, however, Camran did see three more. One even followed them a short distance before going back underwater. The other two were some distance away and that was exactly where Camran preferred them to stay.
The trip itself was far from uneventful to him. He marveled at the utter beauty of this world. The colors were crisper and brighter, the air pure and the skies clear. He felt more alive than ever before. It even rained once for about an hour without a cloud in the sky. It was a very strange place indeed.
Even with the surrounding beauty Camran eventually tired and started dozing off and on while sitting in a chair alongside the railing. How many hours were there in a day here, anyway? It certainly seemed longer than on Earth, thought Camran. The captain said they were still quite a ways away from the Isle. It was still as bright out as it was hours ago and they had already been traveling for many hours. In fact, it seemed like a couple of days since he had come on board. In the middle of these thoughts Camran drifted off to sleep.
