Chapter 1
As the boat rocks back and forth with the waves, a tortle with a telescope calls out, "Land ho!" and the people on the deck of the "Nein Heroz" gasp, leap up, and sprint to the edge. After traveling for three weeks, the Mighty Nein celebrate their return to Nicodranas.
Jester Lavore, a cunning and playful blue tiefling woman, leans out over the edge to get a first look at her hometown. It's far away still as the coastline is only barely visible from several miles away. She gasps and turns to see Fjord wearing a ridiculously large captain's hat, descending the stairs from the upper platform. He smiles softly, joining her at the balcony.
"You're almost home, Jester. How are you feeling?"
Jester smiles back, then frowns pensively. "I can't wait to see mama, and I know Veth is so looking forward to seeing Luk and Yezza! But…" Jester sighs sadly. "I don't want to split up from everyone, even if it's only temporary. We're family."
Fjord smiles back knowingly. "I thought that might be the case. It'll be good for us. Everyone has their own pursuits, and we've been running hard in all different directions for so long. I think some down-time is just what we need."
Jester nods sadly. "I know, Fjord. It will be good. I just…" She hesitates, then continues resolutely, "It'll be okay. It'll be good for us."
Fjord watches Jester, a small smile curving his lips as she leans out over the banister.
Meanwhile, below deck, Beau and Yasha sit at a round wooden table with Veth and Marius Lepual. Each of them hold a hand of five cards, and there's a small pile of gems and gold coins in the center. Marius grins mischievously and puts another two gold into the pile. Veth squints her eyes at him with mistrust, but places two more gold in the center. Yasha folds, throwing her cards face down onto the table and leaning back with a smirk. Beau tosses her gold in with a carefully stoic expression.
As their game continues, Caleb and Caduceus sit in chairs at the back of the room. Caleb pours over his spellbook, with components and paper neatly organized on the table beside him. Caduceus watches his organizing and planning with a dazed look, holding a cup of steaming tea.
Beau leaps up suddenly with triumph, overturning her chair and hollering, "Haha! I win!" Marius and Veth grumble and throw their cards down, and Beau scoops the coins off the table and into her pouch. The excitement causes the sleeping Frumpkin to spill out of her lap with an angry hiss.
Caleb curls a finger to beckon the cat back to himself without looking up from his books.
"Sorry Frumpkin," Beau says half-heartedly, righting the chair and returning to her seat.
A muffled "Land-ho!" from Orley reaches the crew below, and all of them turn their heads towards the stairs in delight. Veth and Beau scramble up, sprinting to the upper deck. Caduceus grins and slowly finishes his tea. Yasha watches the other two run up with a small smile before following.
An hour of preparation to leave the boat ensues before the ship comes into port. After a brief exchange between the Mighty Nine and Orley, resolving to continue their previous arrangement, the whole group descends the gang plank.
They make their way immediately to the Lavish Chateau, the home of the Ruby of the Sea, the mother of Jester. Veth is reunited with Yezza and Luk, and the party spend their evening recounting their adventures of the last month or two to the family they've returned to. They talk long into the night, drinking deeply of their ales and milks, and learning of the goings-on on the Menagerie coast.
Making plans to reconvene tomorrow for a farewell before they part ways for a few weeks, everyone retires to their rooms- Veth with Yezza, Jester and Beau taking a last evening of their routine as roommates, Fjord and Caleb taking one room, while Yasha and Caduceus take another. Everyone reaches varying degrees of comfort and peace, this being the first night back in a real bed in over a month for all of them. Their thoughts swirl around the splitting of the party and the conversations they've been having about their separate business.
In no time at all, the party stands around one room while Caleb draws a teleportation sigil on the floor. Jester and Veth exchange tearful and teasing good-byes as Beau and Yasha gear up with Caduceus to head out to Zadash.
"Jester, we'll see you in a week and a half. This isn't good-bye for very long." Yasha reminds her, hugging her back tightly.
"I know," Jester sniffs, wiping her eyes. She pulls away and smiles. "We just haven't been apart much recently, and ten days feels like a long time."
"It'll be over before you know it." Caleb says from the other side of the room. He stands up and brushes chalk off his hands. "One more line and it's ready to go." He breathes, looking around at his companions.
Jester takes a deep breath. "See you again soon!"
Fjord stretches out a hand to Beau. Beau grins and goes in for a hug instead. Over Fjord's shoulder she quietly says, "Take care, Captain."
"You too, first mate." When they separate, Fjord takes a deep breath. "I think we're ready, Caleb."
Caleb nods, and there's a long pause as everyone gazes around at each other again, taking it in like a fleeting sunrise.
"This isn't good-bye!" Jester reminds them again with a smile. "Only a 'see you later.'"
Caleb draws the last line of chalk, and in a flurry, Beau, Yasha and Caduceus rush into the circle, leaving the rest of the Mighty Nein standing in breathless silence.