Submission (#8462) Approved

An excerpt taken from a journal belonging to a traveling elseworlder:

It’s unfortunate that the sea and I are still on unfavorable terms. Had I known that there were airships for passengers I would have happily purchased a ticket for ten times its worth. Instead I had to make due with sea travel. The boat was sturdy and the crew were kind, but little could be done about the waves and motion sickness.

Needless to say, I was more than happy when we reached the docks. My legs shook as every step I took was made with unease. Ealei was a region with open borders and open arms, so I kept my eyes down to make sure I didn’t step on any toes or any creatures shorter than my usual eye level. As such, my eyes would drift every so often to beyond the edges of the wooden socks into the clear waters. Even so close to the hustle and bustle of everything, it was easy to see through the clear ocean waters at the rocks and fish that darted between them.

What greeted me at the end of the docks wasn’t dry land, but a series of wooden stairs. Reading up on Ealei prior, I was aware that most of the habitable area was made up of cities built within the trees that grew from the ocean water, connected by bridges and wooden walkways. I hadn’t dwelled much on how one reached the cities from the docks until I was greeted by the sight of the stairs. Now, a staircase is hardly an obstacle for me as I consider myself fairly fit and active. But steep stairs that were long and winding enough to go from the ocean waters up to the very tops of trees where cities dwelled? All after a bout of sea sickness?

The sooner I started the climb, the sooner it would be over with, but I admit that I hesitated before putting on my brave face and ascending the staircase.

I am now in an inn in one of the cities. The view from my room is gorgeous, if you’re a fan of tree branches and ocean water. However, for the moment I would like to forget about the ocean and take a nice, long well earned nap.