Mal Voyage
Summary: Chrysta informs Sofia of a strange recurring incident in a location known as the Bixtou Realm, where hundreds of couples from many different realms have gone missing while on a supposed couples' getaway retreat. Desperate to know more and recover the missing participants, she sends Sofia on an undercover mission, but there's a catch: she has to go with Cedric, and they must pose as a newlywed couple to avoid suspicion.
Disclaimer: I only own the Bixtou Realm and any OCs mentioned on the ship. Though they are not in the story and are only mentioned, Nana and Tanya both belong to MarionetteJ2X. Everything else belongs to Craig Gerber.
A/N: Time to set out on this mysterious adventure. You'll be meeting some new characters on this galleon, and Cedric and Sofia will have to begin their investigation to see what's going on. By the way, I apologize for forgetting to put the preview of "Weakened Link" at the end of TLM like I'd originally planned. I'll insert it directly below this A/N so that I don't forget again. Lol.
WL Preview:
"Come here, my darling…" A strange woman knelt and smirked as a long yet willowy black snake slithered over to her, looping around her arm before maneuvering into his usual place around her waist. The snake blinked his pale pink eyes up at the woman, though he was mostly blind and instead relied on the other senses to get around (like most snakes). "Do you know what today is, Silas?" She stood straight, walking to a full-length mirror in the large bedchamber where she resided, staring into it with a critical sneer. "It's the day we begin to break a certain princess down."
Chapter 3: Shipping Out
"Wow."
That was about all Sofia could say upon seeing the huge galleon before her and Cedric. They'd left Enchancia early that morning after having said goodbye to everyone, especially the girls. Sometimes, they worried about leaving the girls behind so much, but they knew it was for their safety. Of course, with the little ones visiting Goodwyn and Winifred for a week, they would probably have quite the interesting time. They would either return to the castle with an entire historical dissertation about Goodwyn the Great, or they might return with greater knowledge of magic from a realm-renowned sorcerer. They really hoped it was the latter, of course. It would be far more useful than rehashing the well-known story of how Goodwyn had saved Roland's father "nine and a half times," which still begged to be explained. Granted, no one really had enough energy for a trip down an ego-fluffing memory lane, but still…
The Vista di Galileo was a grand vessel, the exterior a solid chestnut brown color, and the inner sections of the galleon lined with numerous sails. It sat in the port, right on the barrier that would transport the passengers from the Ever Realm to the Bixtou Realm. Of course, as far as the uneducated eye could see, what lay beyond simply looked like a normal expanse of water. However, there was something of a "magical sweet spot," which would shift the attendees and the galleon's crew into the oft-unvisited realm.
"This should be interesting, hmm?" Cedric asked, sighing after having pulled over two trunks of their clothing and other materials (such as magic-related supplies and other potential necessities). Hearing nothing from his partner, Cedric turned to her. "Sofia?" His eyes narrowed in concern as he saw her staring vacantly at the galleon, a distant look in her eyes. Her pupils had dilated, and before he knew it, her eyes had rolled into the back of her head, her body giving out on her, causing her to begin to collapse. "Sofia, no!" He clumsily caught her, nearly tripping over one of the trunks to do so, and he then sank to the ground with her, gently patting her back. "Sofia, come on. Wake up, my love…" He paused momentarily, wondering where that had come from. Sure, they were supposed to be pretending to be married, but… Then again… Considering all that he'd understood recently… He shook his head, willing himself to focus once more on alerting his partner.
After a minute or two of coaxing, Sofia finally came around, blinking her eyes open and looking up at the sorcerer. "Cedric?" She closed her eyes again, a hand lifting to her head. "What…happened?"
"I think you fainted," he told her honestly, reaching up and brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Are you all right?"
"I'm… I'm kind of tired…" The princess was secretly so irked by this unexpected occurrence, though she didn't want to tell Cedric that. Fainting? Really? Right now? Of course, she'd been feeling a bit weaker and out of it that last week or two, but she hadn't just flat out fainted like that. Something had to be wrong, but she wasn't really sure what…
"You aren't seasick, are you?" Cedric wondered. "I know we're not on the galleon yet, but even the sight of the motion of the waves can cause some people to feel uneasy."
"I don't think so… Besides, I've been on the water many times before. I don't get seasick." She sighed as he gently caressed her forehead. "I do have a headache from this now though…"
"Perhaps it's best to find our guest quarters and let you rest for a bit then."
"I'll be okay," she insisted, smiling at his concerned expression. "Maybe some water?" She slowly sat up as he conjured her a small cup of water before handing it to her. She drank the entire glass and sighed, smiling as Cedric made the cup vanish. "Better…"
"Can you stand?" He smiled as she nodded before standing himself, then slowly pulling her to her feet.
"Everything all right?" a dark-complexioned woman asked as she walked over with a man of a similar complexion, someone who appeared to be her significant other (due to the nature of the trip, of course, not to mention the matching rings on their fingers). She smiled kindly toward Sofia, who nodded. "Zydel, my husband, saw you faint."
Zydel, the tall man next to the woman, nodded in agreement. "It is a good thing your husband did not let you hit the ground. These boulders may be dull, but impact with one can still cause a concussion if not careful."
"Husband?" Sofia asked in mild confusion. She then blushed as she laughed sheepishly. "O-Oh! Oh, right, yeah… M-My husband…" She grinned toward Cedric, who was just as red as she was. "Yeah, we just got married a few months ago… Still getting used to calling him that…" She held her hand out toward the other two, smiling as they each shook her hand. "I'm S—Raelyn, by the way." She inwardly chastised herself for nearly blowing their cover. She had to calm down and stay focused. "A-And this is Horatio, my…my husband."
"Pleasure to meet you both," Cedric greeted kindly, shaking each of their hands.
"I'm Orla," the woman told them. "My husband Zydel (or Zy, which is what I call him) and I have been married about five years now. And, uh, Raelyn…" She smirked toward Sofia. "Not to intrude or anything, but we have three children. My second one did make me a little dizzy or have a few minor fainting spells here and there."
Sofia blinked, completely oblivious to the woman's suggestion.
Orla gestured mildly, asking, "You don't think you're pregnant, do you?"
This simple question caused the partners to blush darker than before. Pregnant…Sofia… Aside from Greylock and his little comments some time ago, those two words hadn't even come close to being used in the same sentence or situation, so it had definitely caught them both off-guard.
"U-Uh, no, no!" Sofia laughed. "Um…. Yeah, definitely not pregnant… Heh…"
"It is quite the experience, if I may say so, from a husband's perspective." Zydel grinned mirthfully as he seemed to recall something. "Ah, when Orla first told me she was pregnant with our first child-Maritza-oh! I couldn't have been happier. There is nothing like realizing you are going to be a father."
"Or a mother," Orla added, smiling amorously at her husband.
"I'm…sure that's an honor we'll discover ourselves someday," Cedric acknowledged with a small smile. Granted, the other two had no idea that he and Sofia technically already were parents, since they'd adopted Nana and Tanya, but still… The very idea of having their own children? Wait, what was he thinking? They weren't… Well… Not really… …Were they?
"Ladies and gentlemen!" a clear male voice called from aboard the Vista di Galileo. "On behalf of the entire crew, I'd like to welcome you to the Vista di Galileo and your much-deserved retreat! We are going to begin boarding now, and our assistants will be glad to see you to your private cabins. We will have our meal options in about an hour and a half, not long after our departure, so come hungry. And welcome aboard!"
Slowly but surely, the guests filed onto the vessel. Cedric and Sofia were only slightly surprised when the crew members didn't ask for any proof of purchase or check off a list of names or anything. Then again, since they were aware that this particular trip would only end in a mass disappearance, they had to assume that no one really cared who was on board… Just that people were there. Now, what they were planning to do with the passengers? That was still unknown.
The galleon stewards collected the luggage for everyone, moving ahead of the visitors to place the items into the individual cabins for them as the couples followed behind them. Cedric and Sofia felt sort of bad for their steward. He was young. He had short and wavy red hair, blue eyes, and a spattering of freckles across his face, which added to his youth and probable innocence. This poor kid probably just needed a job and got caught up in this mess. But then again, they'd also learned not to assume anything; this kid could be just as wicked as anyone else, for all they knew.
After placing the trunks in their position, the young steward turned toward the partners and smiled. "Thanks for choosing the Vista di Galileo," the redhead told the partners, clearly spouting off something he'd rehearsed quite a bit, although he did sound a little unsure in his delivery (which they attributed to his age). "Please enjoy your stay." With that said, he left, pulling the door shut behind him.
"Unsurprisingly small," Cedric remarked, looking around. "I suppose that's to be expected of a galleon cabin." He watched as Sofia sat on the double bed, pulling off her boots and lying down on the right side, her legs curled up beneath her. "Still not feeling well, eh?"
She sighed. "I'll be fine. Maybe a little nap might help though."
"Oh, right, right… Um…" He gestured toward the bed. "If you'd like, I could easily make this into separate beds, if…it would be more comfortable."
The princess smiled tiredly at her sorcerer. "It's fine, Cedric. Don't overexert your energy on that. Besides, as long as you stay on your side and don't steal all the covers, we'll be fine."
He chuckled. "As you wish, my dear. But, um… At least permit me this." He withdrew his wand from his robe and produced numerous pillows, both under her head and surrounding her, all fluffy and comfortable. "There you are. And they're a lively assortment of colors as well."
Indeed, they were… One from every shade of the rainbow, it seemed.
Sofia giggled. "Is this to keep me comfortable…or you?" She smirked playfully as he blushed. "Don't worry, Cedric. I'll respect your space just like I know you'll respect mine." She yawned quietly, lifting a hand to her mouth. "I, uh… Hmm… Can you wake me up when they decide to serve the meal?"
"Of course, Sofia. Oh, wait." He walked over to one of the trunks and unfastened it, withdrawing a purple and black quilt. He moved back over to her, draping it over his tired partner. "There you go." He leaned down, stroking her hair a bit before pressing a kiss to her temple. "Sleep well."
"Mm, I will…" With nothing else to say, she closed her eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.
The galleon left port not long after Sofia had fallen asleep. While she rested, Cedric decided to make some observations of the crew and passengers. He walked around the vessel alone, watching all the couples toasting their voyage, dancing to some violin music, watching the dolphin near the side of the galleon, and so on. They all seemed so blissfully oblivious to what this voyage could become. After all, according to Chrysta, none of the previous passengers of the Vista di Galileo had come back.
That called into question several possibilities: alternate realms, a strong elimination spell, a hidden and possibly frozen time-space continuum (just the thought of that made his head hurt), or really anything. Even more simplistic, the former passengers could have been marooned on an island.
"But that many?" he muttered to himself as he walked around. "Surely not… There has to be something more malicious going on here…" He stopped when he noticed the same redhead from before walking his way. "Excuse me?"
The boy stopped, blinking at the sorcerer. "Yes, sir? Did you need some more towels or pillows?"
"What? Oh, no… Actually, I just had a few questions for you." He folded his arms, asking point blank, "Have you seen anything…strange…happen on this galleon before?"
He blinked. "Strange? Aside from some of the…eccentric couples…we encounter from time to time, I can't say I have, sir."
Cedric raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not quite sure I believe you…"
The boy tried to smile convincingly, though he had a feeling it was not working, if evidenced by the disbelieving look on the sorcerer's face. "I mean… Sure, there are a few strange people on the ship from time to time, but that's to be expected when you have so many people in such a small area." He happened to glance at a group of men gathered near the front of the galleon, though he didn't realize that Cedric's gaze had also shifted there. "Some are a bit…stranger…than others, of course."
"Yes, of course…"
"Ahem." The redhead looked back at Cedric, smiling pleasantly. "Is there anything in particular that I could help you with, sir?"
"No, I suppose not. Thanks…" He sighed as the boy walked off before looking back toward the front of the vessel. He narrowed his eyes as he saw a group of five men gathered there, all a bit shifty and not nearly as talkative as one would expect of a usual crew. He would assume they'd at least be communicating with each other, but they were more just standing around and looking around, almost…in a paranoid manner. "Hmm…"
About an hour later, Sofia awoke to find Cedric reclining on his side of the bed, one arm propped behind his head while he was reading a book (a non-magical book for once, at that). She smiled when she noticed that he was wearing reading glasses, which was a rarity but did happen every now and then. She sat up, shoved the pillow barrier aside, and leaned over toward him, peering over at the pages of the book. "What are you reading?"
"Oh, a story about a wandering boy who was given a box to guard. He's told that he must never open it, but he must also protect it from those who try to steal it." He lowered his propped arm to turn the page before settling it around his partner's shoulders, chuckling as she sighed and leaned against him. "It's rather good, actually. I wasn't sure I'd like it."
"Sounds like a story I'd like. Meanwhile, let's talk about these…" She reached up and took his glasses, placing them on the bridge of her nose and grinning up at him. "How do I look?"
He laughed. "Like a more attractive and feminine version of Baileywick. And with much better hair." With that comment, he gently tugged at her hair.
She smiled shyly as he retrieved the glasses, placing them on his bedside table, along with the book. "You think…I'm attractive?"
"U-Um…" He shrugged his free shoulder as he gently patted her arm with his left hand. "O-Of course, my dear… You're… You're lovely." He swallowed nervously as he noticed a tinge of pink creep across her cheeks, and he soon reluctantly pulled away from her, moving toward the edge of the bed and standing. "A-Anyway… I'm sure they have begun serving the meals by now." He turned back toward her, holding out a hand toward her. "Shall we…look into it?"
She giggled, taking his hand and sliding off the bed, hugging him briefly before stepping back and nodding. "I'm starving. Let's go."
They located the dining room, which was rather busy at the moment. Still, they were both hungry and were willing to endure the crowded area for a while.
Sofia was especially impressed with and proud of Cedric for taking the lead this time, stepping up to order them both some food. He wasn't nervous like he normally would be around strangers, and he was focused on what he wanted to do. In fact… He'd only been acting nervous around her lately, which she'd noticed. Was something wrong? Or…actually… She felt a small smile form on her lips as she sat down at a table with him, the little candle flickering between them as he returned her smile. Was something…right?
"I think tomorrow, we need to begin looking more closely at…our situation," Cedric told Sofia, though he noticed that she seemed to be staring off into space; this made him wary, because the last time she'd done that, she'd fainted, and he did not want to have another episode of that. "Sofia?" He made sure to keep his voice low so no one would hear him speak her real name; she'd also done the same. The last thing they wanted was to be discovered before they were ready. Careful of the flame before him, he waved a hand in front of her face, smiling as she came around again. "Are you all right?"
"Hmm?" She smiled sheepishly. "I'm okay… Just…thinking about something." She then nodded. "Uh, looking at…stuff. Got it. So, we will probably need to…explore."
He laughed. "That's one way of putting it." He leaned back in his chair a bit as she fiddled with a spoon. "Are you feeling any better?"
Sofia glanced up at him, absently twirling the spoon in her hands. "I'm better… Still a little fuzzy headed though."
"I think you should turn in early tonight then. Sometimes, sleep does wonders for things like that."
"See, I tried telling you that, but you insist on staying up until the early hours of the morning sometimes…" She grinned as he sighed. "I know you always say you're working, which I get, but even work can wait sometimes, Cedric. And I'm guilty of it too… We just…can't let our work override our lives."
He hummed softly before nodding. "You're right, Sofia… That's something we can work on." He sat up a bit as a waiter placed covered trays on their table. "Oh, good! Perfect timing."
Sofia smiled before picking up her glass of water, holding it up toward her partner. "Cheers, partner."
Cedric laughed, doing the same with his own glass, smiling as they clinked together. "Cheers, my dear."
Across the way, Zydel gently nudged his wife with his foot, giving her a pointed look as she scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Stop staring at them," he told her quietly as he broke his bread. "I am sure that they would rather eat in peace without a nosy Orla spying on them."
"I'm not spying on them, Zy," she argued, folding her arms. "I'm merely observing… And you know what I'm seeing…"
"Let it be, love. Not everyone does things the same way."
"True, but-ah!" She grinned as a waiter stopped next to her, placing her plate in front of her. "I'll worry about them later. These oysters aren't going to eat themselves."
Zydel rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Only food would distract his wife from her topic of focus, whatever that was, and thankfully, seafood had spared Cedric and Sofia any further scrutiny…for now.
When the meal had concluded, Cedric and Sofia took a bit more time to look around the galleon before they quietly slipped away to their cabin, unseen by any of the other passengers. They each took turns preparing for bed, soon sliding into their own sides of the bed (Cedric's pillow 'wall' magically restored but under the covers now).
"Is this really necessary?" Sofia laughed as she pressed one of the pillows down so that she could see him better.
"Don't tell me you don't like my wall of fluff," he joked, causing her to laugh harder. "And again, it's in assorted colors and everything. I took great care to create something eye-catching just for you."
"Cedric…" She rolled her eyes and smiled, reaching over the pillows to playfully pat his cheek. "You're too much."
He hummed, taking her hand and gently kissing her fingers, smiling as she blushed a bit at the action. "I just want to be enough, Sofia…" He blinked as she tilted her head in confusion, and he blushed himself as he released her hand, laughing nervously. "I-I mean… I want to…do enough…for you. Whatever that may be."
Sofia smiled again, tracing her fingers through his hair. "You always do." With that, she withdrew her hand and turned over, snuggling under the covers against her side of the 'fluff wall.' "Good night, Cedric…" She sighed and closed her eyes as Cedric used his wand to dim the illuminated candles, darkening the room.
"Good night…" He turned the other way, pulling the blankets to his chin and closing his eyes, smiling, that endearing term from earlier just dying to be spoken again, though he wasn't even sure why. Still… "Sleep well…my love…"
They were both sound asleep before they knew it.
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Play by the Rules