I'm still thinking about what Ace murmured into my ear hours later, while I'm looking over the top of the deck, out to sea.

Do you want to be a girl?

Hell.  Do I?

That, and just being the party rogue in general, is how I miss Sekhmet next to me until they press a bottle and a napkin-wrapped box into my hands. 

One of many Sekh's toting in a sack.  I must assume they've been going around with it, feeding sailors and passengers.

"Eat," they say.

"Sekh.  Is it just me or are like half of my friends some kind of genderqueer?" I ask in response.

"I'd say at least half," they say immediately, not missing a beat. "Gets closer to all of them with just plain queer. I know that 'Leesh is cis and was extremely a Wife Guy before the divorce, and Ralph..." 

God. Ralph.

"Can't believe I miss that guy," I say as I undo the knot on what I presume is my bento.

"Would you wish the giant enemy crabs and squatting behind a tree to shit on him?" Sekhmet says, stretching. "Even odds on his being the token straight or figuring out he's bi."

I let myself watch them roll their shoulders. The character creator has been kind to Sekhmet. Androgynous options would perhaps be kinder, but like the potato said: everyone here has good art direction now.

"Just because I miss him doesn't mean I want Truck-Kun to make a detour to his block," I say, opening my rations. 

There's a welcome sight in there.

"Sweet, there's bacon in this."

Sekh laughs. "Salt pork," they say. "Cooked in stuff that needed the salt more."

It's still better than hardtack and I eat it gladly, along with the rehydrated vegetable and rice rations.  

The flavor is weirdly familiar, and it takes me a moment to place.  "Why does this remind me of taiwanese bentos?" I ask between bites.

"Cause the history here is weird and we're in a convoy with a dude named Han Liu Wang," Sekhmet says, pointing across the deck.  Following their finger, I see a ship in red, with a distinctly draconic figurehead in gold.

"Ah, yes, that would be the reason." I nod and eat another bite, feeling much better for it.

And take a deep breath.

"Sekh?"

"Yeah, Deeds?"

"I've kind of been panicking for the last three-four days, and thoughtless, and... okay, let's not pretend that the attack on the pirate fort wasn't a disaster," I begin.

Sekhmet holds up her hand and I shut up.

"Deeds I would have extremely made the call you did because I'm the same kind of idiot," they say. "Fuck griefers, fuck slavers, fuck people who should know better. We made it out, we'll do better next time. We're cool, Deeds."

I laugh and hug them. 

They're startled by the gesture.

"When did you get this affectionate?" they say, though they hug me back.

I nuzzle their cheek before realizing that's what I'm doing - and then I realize I don't care. 

Besides... 

"I'm happy you're alive. That we're alive. That we still have each other, here."

"Love you too, sheesh," they say, pushing me away. "Warn me next time, okay?"

"Sorry, sorry," I say, and laugh again, and whoop. 

"Fuck you, Strawb!" I yell back at the island.  "Next time I see you I'm getting the fuckin' banhammer!"

Some of the crew turn to look at me and Sekh rolls their eyes. 

While smiling fangs.

I'm learning knotwork from the sailors when I see a familiar face among the people from Mundus.

(The locals? The Mundanes? NPC suddenly seems disrespectful.)

The girl we rescued has been utterly transformed by a bath and her proper clothing; literal rags to silks and wool, in bright white and blue and golden geometry, with a blue scarf around her head and a lovingly embroidered skullcap over that.

"You look much better," I say. "Like a million bucks."

She reacts with confusion. "What are 'bucks?'" she asks.

I blink, then laugh. "Crowns," you amend. "Like a million Crowns in your pocket - I guess you'd have a purse instead."

"I would like to think I'm more beautiful than the gold in my purse," she says, smiling. "Deedee, was it?"

"Yeah," I say, exhaling. "I, uh, could have thought your rescue through a little better. I put you in danger. I'm glad you're safe."

"If you had waited a day, I would be on a ship bound for a mine," she says, face solemn. "If you were foolish, it was the kind foolishness the Gods protect heroes from."

"Given that Slyphan apparently gave me the power to kick people into orbit, I guess they do," I mutter.  Then, out loud I say: "Honestly, there's been a whole string of miracles since I got here. I'm just glad one of us gets to go home."

She looks at me for a moment, thoughtful, playing with her skirts.

"Don't worry about that," I say. "That's my own problem to deal with and I shouldn't have mentioned it."

"It won't be your home," she says, "but you should come to mine. My father... my father will want to meet the adventurers that saved me from worse than death. To see your faces, and to thank you." 

She takes my hand, and squeezes.

I sigh, and smile down at her, homesick.

"I'll talk with the others about it, but I don't think we can refuse an offer like that," I say.

She opens her hand, fully, spreading the fingers to make a sign of benediction - which she presses against my breastbone, just below my bust.

It feels warm.

"Dawn come for you," she says.

"And you as well," I say, because it feels right.

She nods, and finds whatever she was doing before she saw me.

Taliab

One more chapter and an epilogue remain of volume 1.  I'll get started on volume 2 next year.