I look at the massive construction with some amount of doubt.

[Are you sure about this?]

Joule stares intently at the airship, its sleek underside and silvery sails complimenting its dual masts and curvy construction. It looks... unsafe. Something which only I seem to be aware of.

"Well, there isn't any other way we can get to Lymphadra. It's clear across the Murdered Sea."

I slowly turn my head to look at her.

[And that name doesn't bother you at all?]

She shrugs. "No, not really. I don't get why you'd be nervous, actually. You've murdered plenty of stuff."

I take a look back at the ship, shaking my head.

[This is different. Why do we have to get on this thing just to cross some water? Why don't we ask Noah to just throw us over or something?]

She snorts. "Yeah, right. What, are you going to use your Favor just to cross a sea?" She looks over at me, my antennae having paused, and does a double take. "Wait, you're not actually planning to do that, right?"

It feels like a more viable option at this point, to be honest.

Baby walks over, a black bag slung over his shoulder. "All right, that's everything. We all good to go?"

[Evidently. Although I'm sure there's something we've forgotten.]

He shrugs, clearly unworried. "Yeah, there's always something. No use worrying about it now, though. Let's get moving!"

I hesitate as he climbs aboard. Alice and Dylan are already below, even though I'd thought the cowardly envoy would have stayed behind. If nothing else, at least we got rid of Katrina.

"Whaddup, guys! How ya doing?"

We all turn to see a familiar person walking towards us, hands shoved in his pockets as he flashes a wide grin at us. Not long ago, Baby would have pulled his fists up, but he knows at this point that he wouldn't stand a chance, and that Noah usually isn't doing anything important.

[Noah. Why am I not surprised.]

He approaches me, amiably slapping my carapace and casually jumping to the ship. "Well, I heard you guys were starting an impromptu adventurer's party, and I wanted in!"

Baby frowns. "Since when did we start a-" The rest of what Noah said hit him, and he flinches noticeably. "Wait, what?"

Throwing a bag he hadn't been holding a moment before on the floor, Noah dusted his hands off, grinning hugely. "I'm joining your party! Figured I could use some vacation time, y'know?"

Baby shakes his head in disbelief. "Alice isn't going to like this."

Noah shrugs carelessly. "So? I'm the boss here! And I say we're getting underway!"

With a terrifying suddenness, I'm lifted off the ground by some invisible force and deposited on the ship, where I promptly cling to the ground.

[What was that for!?]

Noah blinks, taken aback. "Uh, I was just getting you on the ship. Were you going to walk on? I can put you back if that's something you were looking forward to."

Joule shakes her head. "No, that won't be necessary. From what I'm seeing, I'm fairly sure Null is afraid of heights."

Noah snorts impolite. "Why? We're just going to be... what, four miles up? That's nothing compared to how high you were on Barabar."

I clean my antennae irritably, using the hooks on my legs. [That was different. Barabar was on the ground. This won't be touching anything."

Noah laughs loudly. "Welp, too late now!"

And he snaps his fingers.

A second later, we're high above endless water, stretching out to the horizon for infinity. Countless puffy clouds cover the sky, much closer than I'm used to seeing them.

Noah frowns. "Huh. Guess the clouds are a little higher here. Oh well! How you holding up, Null?"

He looks over at where I was a moment ago and looks around curiously. "Null? Where - oh, there you are!"

I'm hiding under a pile of tarps.

And I'm not coming out until we're back on the ground.