"Good day, my Lady."
Ro stared at the small crowd outside her cabin door. She clutched her wrist to her chest, perplexed.
She had just woken up to soft knocks and opened the door to this.
A young woman stood before her, slightly taller and swathed in a thick, but free-flowing royal blue dress identical to what the other women in the background wore. Hers stood out with a gold band around the sleeve of her upper arm. A bundle of dark brown curls cascaded down the sides of her face and back, untamed.
"May I help you?"
The woman smiled, her golden-brown eyes gentle. "Welcome to Lispa." She gestured, stretching out an arm to the others. "We're here to serve you."
"Oh…" Still shocked, Ro stepped back, and the women promptly burst into the chamber. Most of them were big, and she stared. Big nymphs were a rarity in Erzi, even though Lispans were a different species…
'Should they be this nimble?'
The women moved swiftly to clean the cabin, and the others hushed Ro into the bathing chamber. Despite a few attempts to protest, Ro gave up and let the servants have their way with her. This was the first time in years anyone had washed her.
Shortly after, she was dressed in an entirely different attire. For some reason, they had decided not to go through her things. Unlike the thin-layered fabrics of Erzi's traditional clothing, she was swathed with an inner garment and a draping embroidered robe.
Ro nearly buckled under the weight, and the servant held her in support.
"We apologise. This is only temporary."
"Can't I wear my own fabrics?" Ro spoke up, a hand on her neckline. "This is a beautiful dress, but it's so heavy."
Some of the servants exchanged a few passing glances, surprise written on their faces.
The head servant's brows furrowed slightly. "Heavy?"
Ro shifted under the weight of the dress, a disturbing sensation settling in her stomach. Did they think it didn't feel heavy?
"Ah… yes. It's quite heavy compared to what I am used to." Ro looked away, ashamed and embarrassed.
The servants looked at each other again, this time with dawning understanding rather than surprise.
"Oh! I understand. Sorry for the inconvenience."
The clothing was swiftly switched out with one of hers, but Ro was granted a thick fur coat. Her legs slightly trembled under its weight, but she bore it. The head servant had spoken of the heavy cold outside.
Ro's suspicions were confirmed the moment she was escorted out of the cabin. Numerous Lispans went through the ship, nearly all of them momentarily pausing their tasks to stare. And just stare they did. Not a curtsey, not a bow. The stares weren't entirely welcoming, but not harsh either.
Curious.
Ro shrunk into the coat, stamping down her unease. She did not like this place. Neither could she escape anytime soon. As she stepped out onto the deck, Ro shuddered and tightened the coat around her frame. A cold burst of wind assaulted everyone in the open, but she seemed to be the only one affected by it.
Her gaze slipped past the envoys and over the horizon splayed out before her. Ro's lips parted in an inaudible gasp, her eyes widening.
Monstrous ships, all variations of wood, steel, and other materials, lined the port. Multiple times larger than the one she had come in. Erzi possessed grand ships, too, but none on this level. Even the large ones they had were not menacing, and yet… Land stretched out in fine blue sand that stopped where a deep forest started. Grey skies kissed this seemingly endless vegetation until she could faintly make out tiny structures in the far distance.
Ro's fingers loosened their hold on the fur coat, absentmindedly drowning in the landscape before her. Rocks and cliffs made up a significant portion of the port, stretching out for miles.
The port was exceedingly larger than the one she had left.
'Heavens…'
"Welcome to Lispa."
Ro flinched, snapping out of her reverie as she turned to see the envoy from before.
He stretched out his hand and she took it.
The port was busy, with a lot of the Lispans sparing brief, subtle glances in their direction. Who wouldn't stare when there were literally people in official garbs and attendants in tow?
Ro was gently led down the stairs. Without a second thought, she blurted out, her eyes lingering on the large ships, "Are those warships?"
The envoy paused and looked back at her. The other envoys walking ahead paused too, along with the attendants traipsing down behind them.
The envoy's eyes drifted to the nearby ships, and his lips stretched into a smile. He then chuckled.
"Rest assured, they're not." They continued walking, and he added, "Our warships are far larger than that."
Ro swallowed, sparing one last glance at the ships.
The sand felt uncomfortable to walk on, but she pressed on with some assistance. Shadows moved within the trees, and she went still, digging her feet into the sand.
Ro frowned. "The woods—"
The rest of the words died in her throat as the shadows took shape and form, emerging from the trees.
Her muscles clenched and her grip tightened in the envoy's hold as two large bears marched onto the sand, heavy paws creating deep indents that grated her ears. They both dragged behind them a large wheeled carriage, their leather-bound harnesses rippling against pitch black fur. The ropes were thick, exceedingly thick enough to pull along the heavy vehicle. If the beasts were tired, they bore no sign of it.
"What… what is that?" Ro whispered, still rooted in place.
The envoy laid his other hand on top of hers.
"Bears. Please, do not worry. These are harmless."
Ro shook her head in disbelief. One of the beasts yawned, exposing razor-sharp teeth as it bellowed hot air.
"Please, come. This way."
Ro's legs obeyed. They had no choice but to.
'There is no escaping this. What have I gotten myself into?'
Her heavy legs moved on their own. The sand was no longer an obstacle. One of the envoys walked up to the beasts to caress and whisper to them. It was then that Ro noticed there was no rider.