Macha's Journey

Macha had never been on an airship before and ran around the deck in amazement. The wind tossed her hair and her skirt whipped around with such violence that Tyr worried it would rip off. Jogging after her, he called, "Macha, why don"t we go below deck and enjoy the shows or art galleries?" He did not care for the chilly wind that nipped at his nose and ears.

Macha"s eyes were wide, and she tiptoed to peer over the railing. She had been on boats to go whale watching before in her world, but the flying ship moved so much faster. She could see the world move quickly below her and it reminded her of being on an airplane, but with the wind blowing around. The sensation made her uninhibited from any worries. She looked at Tyr who had his arms crossed, trying to conserve his warmth. "Why? This is so fun! I wish they would let us sleep out here. Imagine being under the stars at night. It would feel as if you are traveling to the stars." Macha closed her eyes and let the sun"s rays shine on her face.

The enthusiasm in her eyes was so great it moved Tyr to stay on the deck longer. While he waited patiently, they walked around each part so Macha could look at every angle. Eventually, she stepped on the railing to get a better view and Tyr pulled her away. An image of her being tossed overboard entered his mind. "That"s it. We had enough fun for now. I can"t feel the tips of my ears anymore. We"re going below. I"ll let us come back up after dinner so you can see the view of the stars." He worried how Macha grew bolder as the time pa.s.sed. Stepping on the railing was too dangerous because she could have fallen off the side.

Macha wanted to stay on the deck, but guilt p.r.i.c.ked her when Tyr mentioned that his ears were numb. She followed him obediently because he promised to let her come back at night. Before she went below, she took one last look at the finely carved railings and the clouds that skimmed through the sails that stretched out like wings.

They decided to eat lunch before watching a show, so Tyr ordered room service for them. While they waited for the food, Macha"s stomach began to feel queasy. She heaved and ran to the bathroom.

Tyr heard Macha vomiting in the bathroom and rushed to the open door. "What"s wrong? Are you sick?" He had never seen her like this and it worried him. They were not with Mathis, so he would have to trust a stranger to inspect her.

Sweat beaded her forehead, and she looked pale. She croaked, "I get sick on boats and I thought the airship was different. I didn"t have a problem when the air was on my face, but down here I don"t," she heaved, "feel good." Macha splashed cold water on her face and swished some in her mouth. She had forgotten how terrible whale watching tours were for her.

Tyr took Macha in his arms and ran up to the deck. He placed her on a chair. "Wait here. I"ll get the medic to come. Don"t move." She nodded her head and lay down to rest. Tyr sprinted down to get a medic to see her. While he moved through the halls, he thought how Macha"s motion sickness was worse than his cousin, Freyr"s.

A little while later, Tyr stood in the medic"s office. He explained the problem to the head medic, Desmond. Desmond tried to give him some Swallowwort Root tea and send him away, but Tyr demanded the man come with him. Tyr spent a lot of money to ensure their trip would be relaxing, so he refused to have them wave him off when Macha was feeling unwell. He did not want her motion sickness to get worse.

Desmond did not understand why he had to leave the office when he knew some Swallowwort Root tea healed most ailments. Tyr was a VVIP customer, so despite not wanting to go, he had to. When he found Macha he realized Tyr had been overreacting. Desmond put his hand on Macha"s forehead and a soft green light enveloped her body. He then poured the warm tea into a cup and offered it to the woman.

Macha took the tea and sipped it. Her nose wrinkled because it tasted bitter. The medic"s spell helped her anxiety and allowed her body to relax slightly. "Thank you. Whatever you did, helped a little."

Desmond bowed. Before he left he instructed, "Have this tea once an hour while experiencing nausea. If it continues, come and see me. I hope the rest of your stay on the Carnival Jade is enjoyable." He would make sure the ship sent enough tea to last the rest of their trip and give them a gift basket containing crystalized ginger for her to eat.

After Macha took the Swallowwort Root tea she began to feel better. Her body was still weak, but the lurching in her stomach was much more manageable. More than anything, the open air, and cold wind eased her nausea.

The romantic evening Tyr planned did not seem like a possibility now. Since Macha"s health seemed better on the deck, he decided they would spend most of their time there. Making sure she was all right, he went down to the shops and bought a big ao ao wool blanket and jackets to ensure they did not catch a cold.

The trip to Jimbaran took five days, but it pa.s.sed by quickly for Macha. She enjoyed the time spent with Tyr because they did not have to worry about work or social obligations. Their time together reminded her of when they first met and could laze about in bed talking.

The fresh air was healing and Macha wished all of Ma.r.s.eille could smell that clean. Ma.r.s.eille"s air quality depended on the area of the city she was in. Some places smelt like human feces while other areas had the strong salty aroma of the sea. She thought about the land the Obsidian Dragons owned. To her, it smelled like trees and soil. She realized Tyr had many trees planted around their district in comparison to the other districts.

When they got off the airship, Tyr looked at the various carriages that were parked on the side. He arranged for a sign with his name on it to be waiting for him. An open top carriage that had a ramidreju in the driver"s seat holding a sign high above her head came into view. As Tyr and Macha approached, the Ramidreju rushed down with its long body fumbling awkwardly from the carriage. Her slightly green fur contrasted nicely against the blue carriage. She took the trunks that Tyr carried and greeted them with her yellow eyes shining, "Welcome to Jimbaran! I am Leyre. Please let me know if there is anything you want or need." Leyre wiggled her hog-like nose and gave a bow.

Macha had never seen a ramidreju before and thought they looked like very large ferrets. As they rode through the town, she noticed most of the population comprised of ramidreju. It was so different from Ma.r.s.eille, which was mainly humans.

Tyr noticed Macha staring at the townspeople and he explained, "Ramidreju usually stay in the mountains, but their love of gold inspired them to create a resort. It was a smart choice because many people from all over the world come to relax here."

Leyre drove them to a villa, which her company built over the waters. After she opened the villa up and placed their luggage inside she turned to Tyr. "Lord Tyr, if there is anything you need please do not hesitate to call me at any time using this." She handed him a green orb and gave a deep bow. Leyre closed the door quietly. As she rode off, the sound of the carriage wheels on the wooden pier faded away.

Macha looked around. She used to live in Hawai"i, but as a local, she never went to the resorts. She walked around the villa and saw that everything seemed to be in pairs except for the one bed. The bed was large and had a single red rose on top of it. She eyed the bed and her heartbeat quickened.

Tyr picked up Macha"s trunk and brought it to the bedroom. After he placed it down, he moved to get the other one. He carried it in his arms and walked around the villa a bit. "Macha," he called, "Where is the other bedroom?" Tyr specifically ordered a villa for two when he made the reservations two weeks ago.

Macha"s eyes never left the bed. She swallowed, "Ah, I think there"s only one." She pondered how to proceed with this arrangement. As far as she could see, she could either offer to take the couch or invite Tyr to share the bed with her. While she pondered the options, she heard the front door slam.

Hearing that there was only one bed, Tyr walked outside. He immediately used the orb that Leyre gave him and requested her to come. Although he planned on becoming closer to Macha this trip, he did not know if he was ready to have s.e.x. He had been ready for it back in Ma.r.s.eille, but that was only once. Since then, he had anxieties about it. One of his bigger worries was that Macha would interpret this turn of events wrong. While he wanted to become intimate with her, he remained unsure if he would be able to.

Macha put her clothes away in the drawers. If Tyr felt comfortable sharing a bed with her, she did not mind. She wanted to progress their relationship, and he had been the one to slow it down. After she finished unpacking, she went outside to find Tyr.

Tyr towered over Leyre and pointed a finger at her. She was groveling at his feet. A vein popped out of his forehead as he yelled, "What do you mean you"re all booked?! I made arrangements back in Ma.r.s.eille for two. Not one. Do you even know how this will make me look?"

Tears stained Leyre"s face, and she looked up from the ground, "Please, I"m sorry! Most customers don"t want two beds. We usually a.s.sume one bed is for two people. I can have another bed brought immediately." She was frightened of Tyr"s cold stare and worried that he would not accept her offer.

Macha ran towards the two. She felt bad for Leyre. This place seemed like a couple"s retreat, so she could understand why they thought that way. "Tyr, it"s fine. I don"t mind. It isn"t like we haven"t shared a bed before." Macha saw the anger in his eyes when he turned to her voice. He quickly masked it, but she understood why Leyre was groveling with tears.

Tyr shook his head while taking in a deep breath. He tried to re-frame his emotions. Adjusting his disposition, he explained to Macha, "No. I don"t want to be forced to share a bed. They can bring another bed and move it into the living room. We don"t need the side chairs." Tyr looked down at Leyre. "Go on," he commanded, "What are you waiting for?"

Macha called out a thank you before Leyre left. She led Tyr to the deck that overlooked the sea. When she turned her head to look at him, she could see his arms crossed and a frown on his face. She patted the chair next to her and Tyr sat down. "You don"t have to get so worked up. This is a couple"s retreat. It isn"t like they can read your mind."

Tyr leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "I know. I just get annoyed when things don"t go according to plan." Everything Macha said was true, but it did not change his annoyance. He was willing to admit that he had a temper and did not deal well with people. These thoughts left him sour and he wanted to change the subject, so he asked, "How do you like the villa, other than the bed?"

The bed did not make her upset, but she wanted to let the topic go. Macha looked out at the sea and felt a sense of relaxation. The sea was the sea. It looked exactly the same as home and caused a wave of homesickness to wash over her. A forced smile spread across her face and she pushed the past out of her mind. "I like it. It"s bright and cheerful. We should redo the apartment in brighter colors."

Tyr glanced over to study Macha"s profile. Her smile seemed strained and there was a sadness in her eyes. He became annoyed at the bed fiasco and thought about how their trip had such a bad start. "Why don"t we explore the town? We can grab an early dinner and do some shopping." He did not want to be here when they brought the bed because he did not know if he would lose his temper again or not.