Submission (#7476) Approved

Yiling sighed quietly, his tail idling and gently swinging from side to side while he was high in the treetops of Yggdrasil, Ealeis giant eldertree.

He was taking a nap in the soft shadows, the sunlight barely reaching him behind the dense foliage. Everything was bright, green and warm, with a fresh breeze coming from the nearby sea.

The white kittom purred softly when his friend, Li Hua, moved a little and nudged his face deeper into Yilings side, not waking up from his deep slumber. They were both exhausted and taking a break - all morning they were swimming in the shallow bay of Ealei, underneath the giant mangrove roots, diving for fish and playing in the water. But as they both learned the hard way; swimming led to fatigue and they both had to recharge now. What better way of doing that than to cuddle together in the branches, with the port of Port Pthalo in full view. Yiling could see the giant ships leading in and out of the port and it was soothing watching the colorful sails dotted across the horizon.

It reminded him of the first time he got onto a ship - just three weeks ago, when they traveled to Ealei. What an experience that was…

[...]

Yiling stood at the edge of the dock, staring up at the massive ship that towered before him, its wooden hull creaking and swaying gently in the harbors calm waters. The ropes groaned as the ship bobbed in place and the plank leading aboard seemed like a bridge to another world. A world that, frankly, terrified him and one he did not wish to enter whatsoever.

He swallowed hard, his pink eyes wide with apprehension, his short tail tucked nervously against his side, anxiety twisting in his stomach. Ships had always unsettled him, as far as he could remember. It wasn’t just the idea of being out on the vast, unpredictable sea - it was the ship itself. The size, the way it moved, the strange groans of the wood, like it was alive. It made his fur stand on end.

A fear that his friend, Li Hua, didn’t share. The other kittom was already on board, exploring everything and checking out their cabin. The luggage was already stowed away and Yueli, his mom, was talking to the captain further up the dock. They were deep in a conversation and Yiling didn’t want to bother his mom with this odd fear of his.

The white kittom took a small step back, his paws barely grazing the docks worn planks. It was a small port in Kyendi, one of many. He usually stayed far away from them and only visited when his mother traveled across Eyre and he bid her farewell.

He didn’t want to admit it, but there was something about ships that felt… unnatural to him. Maybe it was the way they floated despite being so heavy, or the way they blocked out the sky when you were standing next to them. He felt so tiny next to the massive vessel, as if the ship could swallow him whole. Nervously Yiling bit his lip and glanced over his shoulder at his mom behind him. No one really knew of his fear, so it was his battle alone. He didn’t think it would be this bad when he agreed to sail to Ealei this time, with his mom and Li Hua joining them as well. But now, standing here, face to face with the massive ship - he almost lost courage.

The wind picked up, tugging at his white fur and Yiling shivered, more from nerves than the fresh breeze. "Come on, now…" he muttered to himself. "It’s just a ship. Just like a big floating house, right? Nothing to be scared of… Everything will be fine. Mom did this dozens of times, and everything went okay…"

But deep down he didn’t believe his own words. He had never been able to explain it fully, but the way the ship moved, the way the wood groaned as if complaining about holding so much weight, it all felt wrong. It was like the ship was trying to trick him into thinking it was safe, when really, at any moment, it could throw him into the sea - and then the real trouble would begin. The vast blue void would swallow him whole and the depths would become his watery grave. Nothing left of him.

Just memories.

A faint whisper.

He shook his head, as if he could shake the bad feeling creeping up on him. Yiling hated feeling afraid. He was supposed to be the bold one, fearless, never shying away from an adventure. And he couldn’t let something as silly as a ship stop him!

He took a deep breath.

And another.

And one more.

Almost desperately Yiling tried to calm himself the only way he knew. Bracing himself for what he had to do. After what felt like an eternity, he finally forced himself to march toward the plank. His paws felt heavy and each step closer made his heart race faster. When he reached the bottom of the plank, he paused again, staring up at the towering ship as it swayed ominously. His legs wobbled slightly and he felt weak.

"You’ve got this, Yiling," he said, though his voice sounded smaller than usual.

With another deep breath, he placed one paw on the wooden plank. It shifted slightly under his weight and his ears flattened instinctively - but he didn’t retreat. Step after step he fought his way until he was halfway up. The sound of the waves slapping against the hull reached his ears, and he froze. His mind raced with images of the ship tipping over, of him and his mother and Li Hua - all falling into the dark, swirling waters below, his paws flailing uselessly as he sank beneath the surface.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to push the thoughts away. "It’s not going to happen," he whispered. "It’s just a ship. It’s safe. You’re fine."

Summoning all the courage he had left, Yiling kept forcing himself the rest of the way up the plank and onto the deck of the ship. The wooden boards beneath his paws felt warm from the sun. He could feel the slight sway of the ship as it rocked gently in the harbor and it made his stomach lurch. What an awful sensation. Would he be sea sick as well?

The white kittom stood still, his ears twitching as he tried to adjust to the new sensation. He didn’t like it. The constant, subtle movement made him feel like the ground was slipping out from under him, like he was standing on something that wasn’t solid. He couldn’t find his balance. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to turn around, to run back down the plank and leap onto the sturdy, unmoving dock. But he couldn’t do that. Not now. He had come so far.

"Yiling!? Hey - you alright there? What’s going on?"

Yiling jumped, startled, and turned to see Li Hua appear on the stairs near the helm, eyebrows furrowed in concern and he hurried over to his friend.

The white kittom forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Yeah! Yeah, I’m fine," he said, trying to sound as confident as he usually did. "Just… getting used to the ship, you know?"

“What are you talking about? Hey… you’re shaking. What’s wrong?” Li Hua looked at him, worried. “Are you already seasick? I didn’t know it could be so severe, we haven’t even left the harbor yet. But don’t worry, I have some herbs with me that will help you. Don’t worry, I got this.” Li Hua didn’t even really give him a chance to explain and Yiling was relieved that his friend just made up his own scenario in his head and didn’t actually caught onto him.
He nodded slightly, neither really agreeing or disagreeing, but his heart was still racing. He could feel the ship moving under him, every creak of the wood making him flinch slightly. But he couldn’t back down now.

“Just wait here, okay? I’ll be back in a second with the meds.” Li Hua turned around and before Yiling had a chance to react, his friend vanished below deck again.

As the crew busied themselves with preparing the ship to set sail, Yiling wandered toward the edge of the deck, gripping the wooden railing tightly. He stared out at the open sea in front of them, the shimmering waters stretching endlessly toward the horizon. The ship creaked again and swayed as the sails caught the wind and his grip tightened until his claws dug into the wood. But as he stood there, feeling the wind in his fur and feeling the soft waves crashing against the ship, something began to shift. His heart, still thudding in his chest, started to slow. The rhythm of the waves, the steady movement of the ship, it all began to feel… less terrifying. It was still strange, still foreign, but there was something almost soothing about it, too. Like the ship was part of the sea, moving with it, not against it. And he was now a tiny part of it as well.

Yiling took one more deep breath, letting the salt air fill his lungs. He loosened his grip on the railing, just a little, and let his eyes drift across the horizon. The fear was still there, lingering at the edges of his mind, but it wasn’t as overwhelming as before.

Maybe, just maybe, he could get used to this.

After a few more moments, Yiling straightened up and lifted his head. He still felt a little uneasy, but the worst of the fear had passed. He looked down at the deck beneath his paws, feeling the gentle sway of the ship, and gave a small nod to himself.

"Alright, ship," he murmured, with a slight grin. "You’re weird, but I think we’re going to get along." After all, if he wanted to see more of Eyre, he couldn’t allow himself to be afraid of some big old ship.

With a final deep breath, Yiling darted across the deck, his confidence returning as he ran into Li Hua, who came back with the meds and looked at him, all confused but happy to see Yiling back to being his old self again.

The fear hadn’t disappeared completely, but now, it felt manageable.
And Yiling wouldn’t be defeated so easily.
Not if he had any say in this matter.