“Do you think the water sled is going to be sturdy enough to hold us?”

I stared at Kylin as he fervently worked alongside our new Dolarian village friends. He twisted, pulled, and tied ropes together as the others worked to smooth out the surface of the boat we would soon ride in.

I couldn’t help but be wary and apprehensive about this mode of transportation, much like the first shuttle. My fears had been well-warranted, given that we had crashed a short time after takeoff.

“Yes.” He grunted. “It’s going to glide over the water like a cool summer breeze.” He smiled at me as if to ease my mind, but I was still slightly rattled about the whole voyage.

I secretly trusted that he was right. He seemed like a well-equipped navigator, and he got us out of a crash alive, so I had no reason to doubt his abilities.

“How far away again is the capital?” Katie called out behind me. She sounded slightly anxious.

I turned around and smiled at her with a friendly nature to acknowledge I had heard her, but I was waiting for Kylin to answer since he would be the one to hold that information.

Kylin stood up and wiped his brow. His muscles glistened in the sun and he was effortlessly handsome. I couldn’t help it. I had to swoon over his rugged, intensely gorgeous good looks. He was our hero too.

“About an hour or so. We won’t have to be on the water journey as long as you think.”

“That’s a relief,” Katie trustingly said as she plopped down on a log beside us. She held onto her leg, although it had significantly healed since our arrival.

I continued to watch Kylin and the villagers work tirelessly on the water sled, scrutinizing every move they made as I also watched the sea in front of us with narrowed eyes. It looked daunting, black, and threatening. I wasn’t sure about this whole operation, but I had to be brave.

“Don’t worry, madam,” a furry villager quipped from behind me in a squeaky and adorable voice.

I turned to face him, smiling at his kind gesture. Bless him, he was trying diligently to convince me that everything would be safe as we made our voyage later today to the capital. He wanted me to feel safe and secure, and I respected him for that.

“I’m just a little nervous.” I chuckled as butterflies pelted my stomach. I didn’t want to let on just how hard my heart was pounding in my chest.

“There’s no need to be.” He shrugged his furry shoulders. “The water is harmless.”

“What about the Honkfish?” I questioned him, remembering how the Dolarian creatures were notoriously mischievous.

What if this little beaver-looking guy was tricking us? I had heard all kinds of horror stories about the Honkfish, so I was nervous, to say the least.

What if all the villagers were tricking us and shipping us out into treacherous waters as a cruel joke? That idea made me nauseated. My head was spinning with a dozen ‘what if’ scenarios.

The irony of how similarly their personalities mirrored my brother Chad’s was not lost on me, to say the least. They seemed more engaging and friendly than him, though.

“I’m worried about the Honkfish too.” I looked over at Katie, whose eyes skirted with anxious apprehension. She was full of fear. I could sense it.

“They will not hurt you,” the villager chimed, continuing to grin with through his long whiskers. Was he telling us the truth? If not, then he was an extremely good liar.

The Honkfish were more like pets to the Dolarian species instead of feared predators. I found them harmless, although I knew Kylin had his occasional issues with them.

Even if the Dolarians tried to reassure us that the animals posed no threat to us, the Honkfish were terrifying to look at in person. I didn’t know if I would be able to get past their appearances.

Kylin explained to me before we launched our ship that we might have to endure a few close encounters with the beasts, and that they have the ability to fight when threatened. I would try to remain diligently on their good side, in that case.

He wasn’t attempting to scare me or anything, but he wanted to be honest about what dangers might lurk within the choppy waters of the Dolarian moon planet. I respected him for being so open and honest with me.

I also was fully aware that the Honkfish were generally peaceful. They were also docile and curious. As long as we didn’t threaten them, they wouldn’t bother us. At least, that was my hope in the situation.

“We are going to need to use some of them to tow our water sled,” Kylin casually mentioned by calling over his shoulder as he glazed down the basin of the sled.

“You are kidding, right?” I yelled back. Things were getting crazier by the second.

He stood up and panted, wiping his face again with a gloved hand. The humidity on this moon was relentless, and even I was building up a stagnant sweat.

“They are great at towing because they are large enough to provide the power needed to get you to the capital faster, Madam,” the same villager admitted. He had a polite smile on his face as if he meant no offense.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” I mumbled under my breath and looked out to sea.

I couldn’t see any Honkfish at the surface, but I knew they were under there somewhere. I didn’t want to be face to face with them and felt anxious as each second ticked by.

“No need to worry.” Kylin met my gaze and nodded slightly. His temperament was gentle and honest, so I had no choice but to trust him with every fiber of my being. He knew I was having issues with this trip. He wanted me to feel safe.

If not, we would be stuck here forever because it wasn’t like Crown Prince Jerran was jumping to our aid. I needed to think positively and count our blessings.

“Look!” Katie shouted, and everyone moved their eyes to the water as she pointed across the way. She didn’t look as fearful as she normally did. She looked almost amused.

As if right on cue, a tiny Dolarian child rode happily on a Honfish’s back, playfully chortling as the fish maneuvered through the water. I was shocked to witness something like that firsthand.

The child appeared to be clinging onto the back of the Honkfish’s exterior shell. To me, they resembled huge, grey snapping turtles, but when they were angry, they could shift colors like blood red, coal black, and bilious green to boldly illuminate their aggressive emotions.

The child happily fed his pet coral and crustaceans directly from his hand. He didn’t look frightened in the least. In fact, he looked like he was having the time of his life. I watched in amazement at how the two seemed to have a special bond.

“See, he is perfectly safe. The Honkfish won’t bite his hand off,” the villager stated with pride.

“Good to know,” I said with a chuckle. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. Alas, I stood corrected. My fears receded significantly.

“We are almost ready to get underway.” Kylin approached me with a smile and placed his hand gently on the small of my back. His touch was tender and consoling.

I shivered warmly and gazed fondly up at him, wishing we could be alone so I could suck his hard cock. I was drawn to him as the bulge in his pants protruded through, leaving little to my wandering and lustful imagination.

I couldn’t help it. Even through my fear of the unknown, he had that magnetizing pull over me as attraction and sexual chemistry drove through my brain with a mind of their own. I was drawn to him like a magnet.

“Should we go back to the tent and get our supplies?” I asked.

“I will carry everything.” He spoke like a true gentleman. “Just go and get on the sled.”

I exchanged a glance with Katie. “Are you ready for this?” I asked while raising an eyebrow.

I wasn’t sure if she was going to be up for this challenge. She was weak and feeble and whiny. Those personality traits were a disastrous combination in a situation like this.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she said with a shrug. “Let’s do this.”

I took a deep breath and expelled it as I climbed into the vessel. I was grateful to see her changing her tune about everything. Maybe this quest would do her some good after all.

“Okay,” I murmured as my heart pounded in my chest, making my pulse swish through my ear drums. He had an intense effect over me.

The villagers scurried around us, attaching several Honkfish to our water sled by tying ropes for easy pulling. So far, so good. The Honkfish seemed to be unaffected by the movement.

A few seconds later, Kylin returned holding our bags. “It’s time to go now,” he stated with firmness. He smiled at me with a glimmer in his eyes.

He climbed to the front of the sled as Katie and I tried to convince ourselves that the Honkfish would remain friendly and obedient. I was still a little unnerved about the whole ordeal, but I was trying to have a hopeful attitude about it.

“They look scarier than their temperament,” I told her. “It’s not in their nature to attack us.” I didn’t really know what I was talking about, but I felt the need to reassure her in the moment. I was just going on the trust I had for what Kylin had told me.

“I hope you’re right,” she whispered to me under her breath so that Kylin wouldn’t hear her. She seemed afraid of him, which I could understand given the torture she’d been through down in the dungeons.

As we shifted out to sea, the Honkfish extended their air bladders with the huge squeaking noises that expelled from their bodies, which I found ridiculously comical. I had to hold in several chuckles because I didn’t want to offend the Dolarians as we drifted out to sea.

As the Honkfish continued to pull us through the water while emitting their crazy noises, I began to filter an idea burrowing inside me of a way to get back at Chad once we finally achieve our goal of being face to face with him. Adrenaline pumped through my veins at the mere thought.

“See, this isn’t so bad.” Kylin gave me a wink and I climbed over to sit next to him. The lapping of the water against the side of the boat was peaceful and relaxing, given the circumstances.

He planted a delicate and tender kiss on my cheek that sent shivers of pleasure up my spine. I breathed in the salty air and glanced behind me at the island we were leaving behind. I was grateful for the hospitality that they had shown us.

The plush green forest stretched to the sky, and I could almost see tiny, webbed hands waving us goodbye, bidding us farewell and safe travels.

They were so cute and sweet, I hated to leave them behind. Maybe if space travel became safer in the future, I’d bring up the idea to Kylin to go visit them more often.

“At least they were supportive.” I nodded back to the island, implying that the villagers were not only accommodating, but they cooperated with our efforts to leave. Who knew, maybe they wanted to see us gone. It was hard to tell with those frisky little rascals.

“They have a bad reputation and can get a little annoying at times.” Kylin laughed. “Generally, they are willing to lend a helping hand every now and then.” His voice reflected that he was fonder of them than he usually let on.

“A webbed hand, at that,” I quipped as we continued to joke with each other. Conversations flowed easy and smooth with him, and I was enjoying our time together more and more as we got to know each other.

The clouds were thin, resembling featherlike fingers that stretched across the sky. They looked like wispy and whimsical balls of fluff that I wanted to dance through and bounce around on.

“It’s quiet and serene out here,” I mentioned and leaned my head against the crook of Kylin’s arm. I surprised myself by how quickly I was beginning to care for him and how comfortable I felt wrapped in his embrace.

“Indeed, it is,” he gently whispered and kissed the top of my head.

He was such a gentleman and a tender lover. I knew we hadn’t exactly gotten off to the right start, but things were quickly escalating. The best part of it was that I wasn’t even afraid to see what the future would hold for us.

“Do you think we will have luck with the Crown Prince when we arrive at the capital?” I asked Kylin with hope.

“It depends,” he said. “If we can get through to him.” His expression was somber.

“He seems to be very hard to negotiate with,” I admitted with regret.

“Normally, he’s not this difficult,” Kylin confessed. “I think he’s proud of his prize.”

“That prize being Chad?” I laughed. It was some prize.

Katie cleared her throat behind us, alerting me to remember she was still tagging along as the third wheel. I knew she was probably offended, even if she vowed that he was a total prick.

“We, of course, will continue to need her help.” Kylin nudged me without looking back at her.

“I know,” I whispered softly, watching the water lap around the edges of the water sled. It made a lulling sound that relaxed me, and I was certain if I stayed in this position, it might just pacify me into drifting off to sleep.

“Hey, guys?” Katie interrupted our moment, in the same nature and pixie-like annoyance that usually accompanied her personality. She was bothersome, and I couldn’t wait until we didn’t have to have her clinging and festering alongside us.

“What?” I glanced back at her, wishing that I could get a private moment alone with Kylin.

I wanted to kiss him all over. I wanted him to go down on me. I wanted us to be wrapped up in the swell of love and passion.

“The water is . . . um . . . moving.” She chuckled nervously and pointed to an area beside us.

“It’s probably just the ripples from the Honkfish,” Kylin dismissed without a second glance. I could tell he was growing impatient with her.

“I don’t think so,” Katie said as her voice filled with fear. She could exaggerate her woes, but something instinctively told me to look where she was pointing.

I looked in the exact location where Katie pointed and trembled with the same fright that I saw burst reflexively from Katie.

“Seriously, the water is moving.” I tugged at Kylin’s arm, desperate for him to turn around and do something before it was too late. The ripples seemed too big to be from the Honkfish.

Kylin finally looked behind him and immediately rose to a standing position. He leaned over the side of the boat and peered down at the dark and murky waters.

“What is it?” I searched his gaze frantically. I needed to know we were safe.

“It looks like a water snake,” he said as his eyes narrowed in on the spot in the water where ripples and bubbles continued to swirl.

“Oh, shit!” Katie screamed. Her voice rang sharply through the air.

“Quiet!” Kylin waved a hand and hissed at her, telling her to remain calm and still. She was going to get us all killed, I just knew it.

“How the fuck am I supposed to remain calm?” she shrieked. She wasn’t heeding our advice at all and I wanted to strangle her to make her stop yelling.

At that very moment, a gigantic, elongated slender body like a snake flicked its tail out of the water and thrashed around our boat, rocking it as I clung on for dear life. I squeezed my eyes shut. I was afraid to open them because I feared the worst.

“How big is that thing?” I cried, looking to Kylin for answers. I was just as frantic as Katie was at that point.

“If we stay silent, maybe it will go away.” He tried to appease us both, but it wasn’t working. I had already submitted to the plummet of panic.

I glanced at the Honkfish who were turning grotesque shades of puke green. This wasn’t a good sign and I feared the worst. They were threatened. Who knew what they were going to do now?

I squeezed my eyes shut and willed myself to hope that this vicious creature would show us mercy, whatever it was. The beasts in the sea were a force to be reckoned with.