Once Aria had gotten enough rest, she headed out of her room together with Pyter to meet up with Cadenza. The trip would be taking them from Dewclaw directly to Citrico Capital. One last page had been left in her sketchbook and Aria had filled it with a personal piece before setting it aside. It would be a while before she saw them again and so she decided to go with whatever was happening at the moment, even if it tired her out. Cadenza and the crew, in general, were celebrating a job well done despite their leader nearly getting caught and being betrayed. Aria sat on a small table at the dining hall with a mug in her arms while she watched everyone dance and laugh. She already knew that the loot didn’t matter when they still had their lives. It gave her a swell of warmth to see such excitement even if the noise gave her just a bit of a headache. The celebration lasted until near the night where she was suddenly hoisted up onto Cadenza’s shoulder and presented at the front to the entire crew. It was here that she learned the true nature of the celebration.
“Attention all in attendance; from the old crew to the fresh blood we got back in the wilds.” Called Cadenza with a hand in the air. Everyone grew silent and turned their attention to the captain, Aria wondering why she needed to be here for this. Cadenza grinned and brought a hand up to put on the bat’s head while speaking, “This one right here has been a friend to us! She’s a bit quiet at times and liable to keep her nose in her interests but she’s risked her life for me and been a treat to be around. She won’t be joining the crew as much as I want her to because that’s simply not the life she wants to lead but...I’d say that she has more than earned the right to be part of the family, right?
Aria felt her cheeks burning bright enough to feel sore, ears drawn back as she tried to come up with something to say. It wasn’t for survival, it wasn’t just because they were pirates, no; the celebration was for her! The embarrassment she felt only doubled when the crew raised their mugs and cheered for Aria. She could see Pyter leaning against the wall with a grin no doubt loving the look on her face.
When the cheers died down again, Cadenza spoke again, “She’ll be leaving us soon enough but since she’s not going to be back in her sketchbook for a while, I say we spend this trip treating her like blood!”
She wasn’t sure what that meant but the resulting cheering put a smile on her face. Most of these people she didn’t even know the name of and yet, she felt comfortable enough hanging around them. Sure, the noise was still something that pecked at her mind but if they wanted to bring her into their family then she would gladly accept. Aria was brought through the celebration to meet everyone she could. When everything was done and she was back in her room, she could barely remember anyone’s names but she still felt her chest swelling with warmth. She could still feel the satisfaction of meeting so many kind people making it difficult to want to sleep. The bat ended up lying there for the longest time with her eyes shut and a smile on her face before she finally allowed sweet dreams to take her.
The rest of the trip was a quiet one touched with small conversations between herself, Pyter, Cadenza, and a few others. She took to watching the crew work and even tried helping a few times with some of the easier tasks. Cadenza was more than happy to help with teaching her anything she wanted to know from tying ropes to attempting to hold a knife. It turned out she had trouble gripping the knife but eventually she figured it out somewhat at least enough to make her a frightening winged creature with a knife. Arriving at Citrico Capital did not mean goodbye just yet as the house traveled all the way to the docks. Pyter, Cadenza, Aria, and a few of the crew stepped out to head to the docks where the captain’s ship awaited.
Sea birds bayed in the air as the back and forth of the ocean waves crashed against the dock. Cadenza stood with her back turned to Aria who was standing on Pyter’s head while the crew that came with them boarded the ship, “Until next time little bat.” Began the captain, “Don’t forget that we’ll see each other again and that Pyter will be on land whenever you want to bother him, and Pyter?”
Pyter nodded, “Yes ma’am?”
Cadenza turned her head and grinned, “Make sure you get Aria a good compact that can handle long distances. I don’t think Adagia will let me spend on anything for myself for a bit after that smuggling attempt went south.”
The hanged man chuckled, “It shouldn’t be too difficult to accomplish.”
“Aria?” Said the captain.
She felt her heart lock in place while she tried to sound cheerful, “Yes Cadenza?”
“Chin up! Your art is beautiful. You are a beautiful person. Never forget these things, never lose your confidence and remember; if you want a bit of adventure just give me or Pyter a call. Until next time.” Said the captain with a chuckle.
With that, Cadenza stepped onto the boat and the calls were made for the anchor to be raised and the sails to come tumbling down. Aria watched as the ship set sail and when the ship was finally gone, she sighed, “I guess we’ve got to say goodbye too.”
Pyter brought a digit up to poke her chin, “Keep that chin up, dear. It isn’t as if we’re parting forever. Besides, I’m sure you’ve learned that there is more to things than just the surface. Your little home here may provide you with an adventure of its own in every corner, right?”
Aria smiled, “I guess that’s true but what’s a good adventure without two of the best people I’ve met?”
The hanged man sniffled and began to walk to the house, “Beautiful with words and lines.”
A chuckle slipped free of Aria while they headed back to the house. At one of the entrances, they said their goodbyes and Aria took off with satchel over her wing and her mind full of memories. She kept on flying until she found herself back at her home atop of the clocktower where she had left. Everything was just the same at her home. Time still did not move for the clock’s hands and the only noise was a gentle breeze blowing past her. From her sketchbook, she opened it up and stopped at the page with Cadenza and Pyter and she smiled knowing that the memories she made would never fade. With that done, she closed sketchbook and slipped inside of the clocktower to fetch a new one and begin a new chapter in her life.
