Alek looked out the window of his cabin on a large Darwinist ship called the Leviathan. It was known to be the fastest Darwinist ship in the United Kingdom, and was originally a war ship before it was used for transportation around the world. Alek was rather intrigued by the strange beast that he was currently sitting inside. He examined the walls, adorned with pipes and lights filled with glow worms.

"Disgusting." Spat his uncle, Volger.

Alek turned to him, a puzzled look on his face, "Pardon?"

Volger lifted his chin, looking at the organic walls and lights of the room, "These sins against God." Volger sniffed, "These Darwinists intend to be their own God, pulling apart the strings of life itself to create these… Abominations."

Alek sighed at Volger's comments, "Regardless of what you believe of the creature, Volger, it is getting us to a safer place for us to regroup and hopefully bring the peace our country truly deserves." Volger opened his mouth to interject, but Alek continued, "And yes, we are prisoners, but I would much rather be alive in Darwinist hands than to die in my Uncle's. Wouldn't you?"

Volger grunted, but said nothing. Inwardly, Alek smiled at silencing the Wildcount who seemed to always have a strong and seemingly unbreakable rebuttal to any debate. The young prince turned back to the ship's interior, eyeing every strange detail. He may be prisoner in the small room, but that didn't mean he could be in some sort of awe of the beast they were travelling in.

The walls were lined with light yet strong wood, as was the floor. The port window was small, but showed a cloudy sky as they moved among the lower clouds, wispy clumps overcoming the view and obstructing their view. As put out by how the green worms in the lanterns glowed, he could not help but feel curious and almost… Impressed by the Darwinists ability to bend the will of nature to their own benefit, as brutal and horrid as it sounded. Alek sighed, moving to the fabricated wood door, almost reaching it, but it flung open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang. Alek jumped back with surprise, narrowly missing the danger.

"Good morning, your princeliness!" Dylan crowed, grinning from ear to ear as he brought in a tray of tea and a newspaper for the Count. He turned to Volger, "And the same to you, Count." He walked to the table, placing the tray down and brushing his hands on his pants, "I hope you all slept well."

The Count sniffed, saying nothing, but Alek smiled, "Good morning Dylan, you seem to be in a great mood."

"Of course I am. Today we're docking to get supplies and you know what that means!" Dylan smiled, winking at Alek. When he was met with perplexed silence, he sighed, "It means we get to explore the city, dummkopf." Dylan flicked Alek in the forehead before smiling, "And I got the alright to take ya off the ship with me."

Alek instantly perked up, smiling at the taller boy, "Are you sure? Is it really alright?"

Dylan nodded, "Aye, now hurry up and get ready. I'll meet you in the mess." He gestured behind him with his thumb. "Make sure you look nice, it's not everyday ya get to see Paris!" With that, Dylan was out the door, leaving Alek and the Count to prepare for the day.

"Will you join us, Volger?" Alek asked, picking up a cup of tea off of the tray and adding a lump of sugar.

Volger sniffed again, looking into his own tea that he had taken earlier, "No, Alek I think it would be best if I remain here with Klopp. Him and I have things to discuss." When Alek opened his mouth to ask, Volger held his hand up, "My prince, I assure you it has nothing to do with you. However… Be wary in town. There are many… indecent things in this city."

Alek flushed once he realized as to what the Count was speaking of and quickly reassured he would not be visiting such places. In response the Count shrugged and reminded the young boy that he would be in a group of "beastly" airmen. Alek quickly got ready, saying his farewells to Volger before heading out the door towards the mess to meet his friend.

Dylan, Newkirk, and a few other young boys were speaking at a table over their food in hushed voices, though Dylan seemed bored of the conversation, focusing on the food instead of what was said. "Are you sure about that?" Newkirk asked another boy, leaning over the table with wide eyes.

The other boy nodded vigorously, "I swear it! My brother visited here a few months ago and wrote me about the places they have there. They give drinks to any soldier, they don't ask for age, and they have burlesque cabaret shows everywhere on that street. He said it was so easy and cheap to buy any hen there, and he could even buy a private room full of girls for him and his mates!" The other boys whispered their surprise and awe, but Dylan rolled his eyes.

Another boy saw Dylan's disinterest and elbowed him, "What, Sharp, is this all too boring for you? Have you already had a roll in the hay?" The other boys turned to Deryn, waiting for a response.

Dylan paused for a minute, his ears turning pink, "Oy, that's none of ya business, you divs! What I do in my own is of no interest to you lot."

Alek sat down across from Dylan, smirking at Dylan's discomfort, "Well, have you Dylan?"

Dylan looked defiantly at the boy, the pink of his ears trailing down to his face, "W-well…" He glanced around, "Of course I have. I had a lass back where I lived and we had a rogering before I joined." The other boys began to laugh, but Dylan continued, "Believe what you want, but I know those hens will be nothing like what I've had." The others stopped, interested to hear more of Dylan's challenge. Dylan cleared his throat, "I don't want to boast about the lass to you. It's no fair to her to be talking about her bits."

Newkirk smacked Dylan's back, leaning towards him, "Aw, come on now, Sharp! We're dying to hear about it. If it really happened, just tell us about it. We're not going to tell anyone else, right?" Newkirk looked at the others, and they nodded in agreement, making hushed promises and swears. Alek was silent, his eyes on Dylan.

Dylan sighed and scratched the back of his head, "Ye daft lads… Do you really want to know?" They all nodded once again, silently leaning in. "Alright, I'll tell you. There was a girl I fancied back in Glasgow. She was tall, lean, and blonde. We had known each other since we were wee things and I'd say she probably knew more about flying than me. She was smart, fearless, and she drove me mad at times by being a stubborn git at times. She confessed and the night before I left to London her and I met in secret. Her body was thin and pale, and though she had no real diddies to speak of, she knew how to use her body in all the right way. Her eyes were piercing, and stood out in the darkness of my bedroom." Dylan stopped to look around, smirking when he realized how he was holding their attention, including Alek's, "She was a good romp, left me jabbering like a dolton. We spent the entire night together, and I'll say I know I can't wait to see her again after all this." Dylan finished, sitting back and looking at everyone's stupefied faces.

Alek spoke up in the silence, "What was her name?"

The question made Dylan jump ever so slightly, "Ah… Deryn."

It seemed to snap the others out of their silence, all speaking at once, "No diddies? How could you like a girl like that?" "Thin and tall, she must have been a twig, hahaha" "There is no way she was a virgin if she did that to you. Must've gotten second helpings." "A stubborn smart girl is never a good idea, she might as well be a boy!"

Dylan stood up, angrily picking up his plate, "Well, at least I've seen more than any of you barking have!" He turned, leaving to return it to the kitchen.

"It might change tonight, Sharp! Join us, see how you like a busty broad this time!" A freckled midshipman called after, earning a laugh from the group.

Alek stood and caught up to Dylan, clearing his throat, "I think she sounds lovely."

Dylan paused, his face turning red, "Y...You do?"

Alek smiled, realizing how embarrassed Dylan must be to have people judge the girl he slept with so harshly, "Of course. Dylan, you and I both know that breasts and curves are not what make a girl special. I personally favor an intelligent woman versus a busty one. I'd like to think that I'd like this Deryn a lot if I met her. If you don't mind, I'd like to know more about her."

Dylan smiled awkwardly, silent for a moment as his face turned a darker red. He coughed and jokingly punched Alek in the shoulder, "Why do you want to learn more, planning on stealing my bird, your princliness?"

Alek laughed, rubbing the spot he was punched, "That depends, do you think she would be interested in a prince?"

Dylan smiled softly at Alek, "Aye, I think she would."