Portia drew her sloop up toward the dock while the rest of us took our first look at Ichi Island. Gently sloping hills glittered in the bright sunlight, pocked with tall palm—excuse me, pawm—trees. A small port town was built around the awaiting docks and, beyond that, sand. Nothing but miles and miles of hot, swirling sand.

“Don’t suppose you can speak to sand, Lara?” I mused.

Lara tipped her head and touched one finger to her lips. “Hm? But sand isn’t an element.”

“No. Because you talk to fire, and sand’s hot—” I tried to explain.

“Stop it, boy. You’ve lost the joke,” Ravyn sighed.

Keke giggled behind her hand.

“Wouldn’t sand be closer to earth element?” Cannoli wondered. “Since, you know, it’s on the ground?”

Not wanting to let my bad joke fester, I asked no one in particular, “Actually, that brings up something else I’ve wondered about. Why ‘earth’ element? That’s what Tristan and my last world was named. Earth.”

Ceres furrowed her brow and pursed her lips. “T-the place you both originate from is named after dirt?”

Destiny clapped her hands together. “Tristan told me about that! It’s so wild. Their world had the craziest words for things. Like vagitus.”

“Like what?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Vagitus is the sound of a newborn crying.” Tristan shook his head and waved his hands.

We all stared at him with similarly perplexed gazes. Not a venereal disease?

“A-anyway. I’m sure you’ve noticed that there are a lot of terms closer to our world than words in the Nyarlean language. Like carrots.”

I nodded. “Uh-huh.” Sure. Carrots. Vagitus. Same difference.

He continued, “There are many different influences at play here. Seemingly every world that’s had a hand in Nyarlea since… Well, since its inception has influenced the culture somehow.”

“Since Saoirse crafted the islands and the girls in her own aspect,” Cannoli added brightly. “Praise be her name.”

Ceres, Keke, and Lara bent their ears forward and touched their fists to their lips, mirroring Cannoli’s sign of reverence. Ravyn rolled her eyes. The others shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

“Alright. Emilio’s ready to moor. Everyone off,” Portia announced.

Good timing. “What’ll you do while we’re gone, Portia?”

She jerked her chin toward the city. “The girls here enjoy cards and company. A lot nicer than the Shi mai—” She stopped herself, and her gaze flickered between Ceres, Destiny, and Lara. “Well, anyway, I’ll be here until you lot get back.”

“Thanks for everything, Portia. Really,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “We’ve really dragged you through the gutter with this.”

“And I’m sure my pay will reflect it, yeah?” She flashed a half-smile and hopped off the deck. Bending at the knee, she expertly tied a long rope around an iron hook on the dock’s edge. There were only two other boats at the dock—one rowboat similar to Portia’s first ship and a sloop slightly larger than hers.

“Of course, it will. With interest,” Tristan insisted.

Says the guy without a Bell to his name.

“We will do all that we can,” Destiny added with a deep bow.

“Goodness, Water’s in such a bad mood,” Lara murmured.

Cannoli hooked her arm in Lara’s and guided her to the dock. “Come, come, dear. Maybe Earth is feeling a little bit better.”

I watched them depart before a low growl sounded behind me.

“This is gonna be a long trip,” Ravyn murmured beneath her breath.

“Oh, come now. This island seems welcoming enough. See? Even Portia enjoys the port city.” Ceres rested a hand on Ravyn’s shoulder and gestured to the square dwellings and colored awnings.

Ravyn clicked her tongue. “Kuso. We’ll see about that.”

“What’s this place called, Portia?” I asked once we’d all moved off the dock and taken our first steps in the sand.

“Kandota.” Just as Keke opened her mouth to speak, she put up a hand. “Don’t ask me anything beyond this town. I haven’t had a reason to go in any farther.”

Keke hummed her understanding and gave her a quick nod.

“Come on. I’ll show you the inn.” Portia waved her arm, and we diligently followed in an uneven line. Like ducklings trailing their mom.

“This is where Naeemah’s from, right?” I asked Ravyn.

“Yeah. That was after my time, though. I’ve never been here.” She grabbed a cookie from her [Cat Pack] and passed it to Ball.

He slowly crunched into it before announcing, “It’s fucking hot! Squawwwk!”

“I know, Bally. I know,” Ravyn agreed.

“After your time?” I asked.

Ravyn froze, tail quickly flicking side to side as she considered her response.

“C’mon, Ravyn. Just be straight with me.” We didn’t need to do this song and dance every time I tried to find out something new about her…Did we?

Ravyn sighed and resumed her march in our caravan. “After Yomi and I were in Cailu’s Party.”

Ball came alive and screamed, “Cailu the cunt!”

“That clearly didn’t go well,” I noted. Their history had seemed complicated from the moment I’d met him on San Island. Even so, the more I traveled and fought, the more I had to admit the guy must be tired. I could never agree with his views on the girls, but doing this all alone? Even thinking about it was rough.

“No. It couldn’t have gone worse.” She avoided my stare as she fetched the parrot another cookie.

“How long ago was that?” I tried to ask as casually as I could. I didn’t want to push my luck with her, but I desperately wanted to know more about my Party.

The sound of Ball’s powerful beak joined our soft steps in the sand, spreading out the seconds between my question and Ravyn’s response. I’d about given up until she said, just above a whisper, “At least ten years ago.”

Jesus. I carefully kept my expression neutral and sifted through everything I could say that wouldn’t sound absolutely awful.

“Mou ii. Can we talk about this later, please? This fucking heat is bad enough as it is,” she asked, saving me the trouble of what to say next.

“Yeah. Sure. No problem.”

Ravyn and I traveled the rest of the way in silence. Keke glanced over her shoulder to check on us a few times. Lara, Cannoli, and Ceres prattled on about whether Fire could truly be captured within Earth. Destiny and Tristan walked shoulder to shoulder, chatting and laughing softly to one another. And Portia stoically led on.

The further we ventured into town, the more alive it became. There was an interesting dichotomy between the catgirls’ clothing. Some favored layers upon layers of light fabrics that wrapped around every inch of their skin and over their heads. Others preferred thin, wispy outfits with tops and skirts that barely covered their bodies. While a few lighter-skinned girls moved from doorway to doorway, the prevailing skin tones ranged between tan to ebony, accentuated by golden jewelry and headdresses. I found my eyes wandering to swaying hips and covert smiles from the few who caught my eye.

“Matt? You alright?” Keke called.

It was only then that I realized I’d stopped walking. “Yeah, I’m good!” I coughed and caught up to a smirking Ravyn.

“This is the Desert Rose,” Portia announced, stopping in front of a colorfully decorated building. It was square-shaped like the others but had an intricate awning that appeared handwoven; decorated with thin geometric designs that were fitting but eye-catching. “You’ll be able to find me here ‘til you’re ready to leave.”

“Why don’t we grab something to eat and try to figure out where we’re headed?” I suggested.

“That’s a great idea, Matt! I’m starved,” Tristan chimed in.

Various nods and hums of approval followed before we all passed through the shimmering curtain of the Desert Rose.

The place was packed. One group of catgirls in San attire cackled in a corner, but the rest were Ichi Island natives. Sharing stories and deep cups, playing cards, and eating a variety of foods from dozens of small plates spread around the table. A handful of girls spared us a sideglance or two, but the stillness I’d come to expect from two men entering a building didn’t come.

“Welcome to the Desert Rose,” a catgirl with short black hair greeted us with a smile and four tankards balanced on her tray. “Sit anywhere you like.”

Portia looked around the restaurant and licked her lips. “I’ll find my own table. That is, if you lot don’t mind.”

I fished a hefty amount of Bells from my [Cat Pack] and handed it to Portia. “Knock yourself out.”

She grinned and slapped me on the back. “You’re a good guy, Matt.” Without another word, she vanished into the crowd.

“This way,” Tristan announced, pointing above his head.

We danced around the tables until we found an empty booth to accommodate us all in the middle of the tavern. We settled in, Keke and Cannoli on either side of me. The noise wasn’t as bad thanks to the tall backrests that went at least a foot above my head.

The catgirl from the front of the tavern returned, now empty-handed, and flashed us a tired smile. She wore a skirt that dangled at her hips and a top composed of two triangles. Her full curves filled the ensemble well. “Two men under one roof? That’s something you don’t see every day.”

“Well, about that. Before we order, I have a quick question,” Tristan said, raising his hand.

“What’s that, sweet?” Despite all the waving hands and loud calls in the background, she at least looked like she was focusing all of her attention on Tristan.

“Where can we find Magni?”

Her grin faltered, and her ears twitched. She crossed her arms and studied Tristan for a few long moments. “Hm. Well, he’s in Rājadhānī, supposedly.”

“Supposedly?” Cannoli asked, helping Buttons from her shoulder to the tabletop.

“Yes.” She smoothed her skirt. “You see…Magni hasn’t been seen outside of the fortress in three years.”