Chapter 26- Shifting Sands

"Dustin, are you okay?" Sal worriedly asked him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Truthfully, he wasn't. He had taken a few punches from the sailor, and that guy hit pretty hard. He was bruising a bit already, and blood trickled down his chin from a split in his mouth. Still, Dustin was better off than the sailor; he had thrown the guy into wall and smashed an empty bottle against his head, knocking the sailor out cold.

I still can't believe York can go through fights like that completely unharmed, Dustin thought. I'm glad I paid attention when he taught me how to fight; this could've ended a lot worse.

"Hold still a sec," she told him. She dabbed a damp cloth over his chin, wiping the blood clean. "Thanks, Sal." "What the hell is going on down here?" Richard suddenly asked, walking into the room. He looked around, noting all the evidence of the fight. "Dad, let me explain!" Dustin quickly said, getting to his feet. "Don't. There's no need," Richard said, grinning slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, truth be told, I wanted to see how tough your training made you, Dustin," he responded. "I sent Frank down here to test your mettle. And, judging by the results, I'd say you've come a long way!" "You tried to get one of your crew members to fight me to see if I could handle it? What kind of parent does that?" Dustin asked, slightly annoyed. Richard laughed nervously. "I'll admit, it wasn't the best plan. But hey, you proved just how much you've grown since you left to become a hunter!"

Dustin sighed. "Well, sorry about the mess. I can clean it up." Richard just shook his head. "No, I'd actually like you two to come up top. The weather's good today, and you can see for quite a ways. Ever seen the desert, Sally?" "No, sir, I haven't," she answered, her eyes showing excitement at the idea. "Well, now's as good a time as any. Come on up. I'll even let you take the wheel for a bit, Dustin, if you want. It'll be just like old times."

Sal looked at Dustin in surprise. "Wait, you know how to sail this thing?" she asked incredulously. "Well, yeah, I guess. My dad started teaching me when I was ten, so I have some experience," Dustin responded. "You make it seem like it's nothing! That's amazing, Dustin!"

Richard laughed while Dustin nervously accepted the praise. "Well, come on, you two. Let's get to the deck, shall we?"

Richard hadn't lied; Dustin could see for miles. The golden sea of sand extended far in every direction, with the light blue sky meeting it at the horizon. There were a few rocky protrusions scattered about the desert as well. The sun was directly above them; it was about midday. "Wow… I've never seen anything like it!" Sally exclaimed, leaning far over the boat's railing to see everything. "Careful there, miss. Don't want you fallin' off the ship now, right?" one of the sailors said. She backed away from the rail, but still looked intently across the desert. Dustin followed Richard to the wheel controlling the boat.

"Alright, Dustin, let's see if you remember what I taught you about sand sailing. Keep both hands on the wheel, make sure you adjust for wind…" "Dad, I remember how to do this. It isn't exactly easy to forget how to sail a dragon ship," Dustin said with a hint of sarcasm. He slowly spun the wheel to the right, causing the ship to turn a bit. He got a feel for the resistance the sand gave, and the strength of the wind that propelled the ship. It was almost second nature to him.

"Hah! That's my boy!" Richard exclaimed, ruffling Dustin's hair. Dustin smiled; it was just like old times. He expertly guided the Forever Breeze around several of the stone obstacles, maintaining a good speed while doing so. Some of the sailors on deck applauded him as he skillfully sailed through the sand sea, while his father stood to his left with a proud look on his face. Sally was staring at Dustin in amazement the whole time, which made him a little embarrassed.

After sailing for a bit longer, Dustin returned the wheel to Richard and went below deck with Sally close behind. "Dustin that was amazing!" she said. "I guess. I'm not much for boasting," he replied. "I've never even seen someone pilot one of these before, let alone someone my age!"

Dustin laughed as she continued to proclaim her amazement. "You know, you're a pretty amazing guy, Dustin," Sally said, sitting on a barrel. "Not only are you going to be a hunter, but you can pilot a dragon ship and you're really nice, too." Dustin turned his gaze towards where the sailor he had fought earlier sat, nursing his new injuries. "I'm pretty sure he might disagree with you," Dustin said with a grin. Sally laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure he might. Listen, after the Hunter's Exam, do you want to be my hunting partner? I think we'd make a great team!"

"Uh, yeah, sure! I mean, uh, why not?" Dustin stammered. He hadn't expected Sal to ask him something like that so quickly. "Thanks, Dust!" she said before hugging him. Dustin felt his face redden a bit, but he laughed all the same. "No problem, Sal."

The two retired to their cabins soon after. Dustin was exhausted; it had been almost two days since he last slept, on account of his uneasiness on the water. Thankfully, he was much more used to the feeling of the dragon ship gliding over the sand, and he found it much easier to rest than on the boat.

Still, I wonder how the others are doing, Dustin thought to himself as he drifted off into sleep. Maybe when I get back I can get York to make something to give to Sal. That'll cost me big time…

Look's like Dustin's got the makings to be a hunter pirate! Sailing ships, beating up other sailors... Of course, I couldn't make him as good a fighter as York; no one could get that good so quickly! Well, at least he can pilot the Forever Breeze- that's something not many can do, York included! Probably. Thanks for reading, as always; remember to write a review if you have something to say!