CHAPTER 27
“Chad? Chad, where are you?” Koshiro asked frantically.
“I’m right here.”
“Gods, I saw you weren’t in the bed and it scared me. Why are you on the couch?”
“I needed a little space. We need a larger bed.”
“All three of us girls don’t have to sleep on the bed with you. I can kick Muni or Claire out right now. You need to be in the bed. You need your rest. I don’t like you sleeping on this ratty old couch.”
I chuckled. “I’m fine, really. No one is getting kicked out of the bed. I don’t mind sleeping here on the couch. It’s pretty comfy, to be honest.”
“Psh, you are a terrible liar. Look at you. You barely fit on the damn thing. It can’t be good for your back. I won’t let you hurt your back. You’ll sleep on the bed,” Koshiro replied sternly with her trademark wild-eyed look. It wasn’t scary, but it wasn’t comforting either. It was just her thing.
“I’m not lying. I’m serious. This couch is super comfortable.”
Koshiro rolled her eyes and grabbed a glass of juice out of the arcane cooler and drank it down in seconds. She burped loudly. Her face turned bright red in embarrassment. “Sorry, I’m thirsty.”
“Never apologize for your bodily functions.”
Koshiro tossed the glass in the sink, almost shattering it, and hopped on the couch. “Guess what arrives tomorrow?”
“Something from Amazon Prime?”
“Huh? Is that a wizard or something?”
“No, just an Earth joke. Sorry you were saying?”
“The Skyflyer makes its monthly stop here in Summerstar. Muni mentioned you wanted to go to Broadburn to get a message to your family on Earth. Right?”
I furrowed my brow, then relaxed. “Oh yeah, we talked about that. I’d forgotten all about it.” I yawned.
“Are we going?” the kitsune cocked a brow.
“We?”
“Yes… we… me and you.”
“What makes you think I’ll choose you to go?”
Koshiro’s nose wrinkled, and she pinched the inside of my thigh. “Don’t be stupid.”
“Ow, that hurt.”
“It was supposed to. Do you think I’m going to let you travel all the way to Broadburn without me? That’s just crazy. It makes no sense at all. I’m going and that’s final.”
“Muni may want to go. It was her idea, after all. Why don’t we all go?”
“Yeah, I don’t think so. Muni and Claire need to stay behind to run the restaurant. I don’t care if this was Muni’s idea. Where you go I go.”
I wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or pissed by her insistence. “Maybe I don’t need to go. I don’t think I should leave the restaurant this soon.”
Koshiro sighed and shook her head. “It’s been weeks since we opened and everything has been going smoothly. Muni and Claire can handle things for a few days. Anyway, I’ve already talked to the both of them and they’re fine with me going.”
“Really… you’ve talked to them?”
“Yes, go wake the catgirl up and ask her. She’ll tell you.”
“This is probably just a waste of time, anyway. These mages will probably laugh their asses off when I tell them what I want them to do.”
“Laugh at you? I don’t think so. That would be a dangerous move on their part. No one makes fun of my Chad. Nope, not happening,” Koshiro giggled maniacally.
“Let’s just say we do go. How long will it take to get there on this Skyflyer thing?”
“Roughly twenty-seven hours. I already got us tickets. We leave first thing in the morning.”
“What? You already purchased tickets? I never said I was going for sure.”
“Chad, Muni doesn’t have a lot of good ideas, but this Broadburn idea was a good one. I think it will work. I think getting this closure will make you happy. Your happiness is my number one priority.”
I knew it was pointless to challenge Koshiro. Whatever Koshiro wanted, she would get. “Twenty-seven hour flight? That’s a long time. Hopefully, the seats are comfortable.”
“I purchased a suite ticket. There is a bed, a bathroom, a balcony, and room service. You’ll be able to relax the whole way. It’ll be fun. I haven’t been away from Summerstar is a long time. I’m excited.”
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“A balcony? That should be cool. I imagine the views are amazing from whatever this thing is.”
“Skyflyers are a fairly luxurious way to travel. This will be my first ride on one.”
“Are you sure Muni and Claire will be able to handle the restaurant? Claire has been watching me cook all this time, but I’m not sure if she’s ready to cook on her own.”
“Psh, she’ll be fine. If they decide that they can’t do it. They can just close the doors until we get back.”
“That’s true. I just hate putting all of this on them all the sudden.”
“Chad, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. If the restaurant can’t run a few days without you, we need to just shut the doors for good. I think you’ll be surprised at how well they do.”
“If you say so,” I replied with uncertainty.
“Have I ever lied to you?”
“Well, I have no clue. Maybe,” I smirked.
“No, I don’t lie. I probably should from time to time. I tend to get myself in trouble a lot.”
I chuckled. “You? I just can’t believe it.”
“Don’t make me cut you,” Koshiro retorted.
“I think that’s a joke, but I’ve seen you pull knives on unsuspecting folks right out of the blue.”
Koshiro gasped. “I would never hurt you, Chad. I would die before that ever happened.”
“Right back at you. I’ve got your back always.”
******
The Skyflyer was much larger than I expected. It was gigantic and… alive. I wasn’t expecting the Skyflyer to be a living creature. It looked like a football field sized manatee with a cruise ship on its back.
“This is mind-blowing,” I said in a state of awe.
“Yeah, I didn’t mention what the Skyflyers looked like?”
“No, you didn’t. I was expecting a small flying sailboat looking thing, but I couldn’t have been further from reality.”
“Can I have your tickets please?” a gruff male gnome dressed in a burgundy conductor’s uniform requested.
Koshiro nodded and handed two sparkling silver tickets the size of a dollar bill. “Here you go.”
The gnome’s expression stayed serious as he punched each ticket and handed them back. “Thank you, ma’am. Please stand back.”
The gnome made a circular motion with his hand, creating a purple arcane energy circle. There were many glyphs and symbols inside the circle that I didn’t understand. In seconds, the inside of the circle changed to a doorway to a room. “Please watch your step and enjoy your flight. Don’t lose these tickets. They’ll need to be punched again on the return trip.”
I nodded. “We won’t lose them. Thank you.”
Koshiro smiled and grabbed my hand, and led me through the arcane doorway to our suite on the Skyflyer. As soon as we cleared the doorway, the spell dissipated and there was no way back to our conductor friend. The suite was much larger and nicer than I’d expected. There were beautiful hardwood floors and fancy windows on the far wall. There was a kingsize bed, sofa, and two cushioned chairs. There was a small table with some wine, cheese, and water with a note that said:
Welcome to your suite! Enjoy your flight on the legendary Skyflyer. Let us know if you need anything. Your food and drinks are included in the price of your tickets. For help, press the red button beside the bed. Enjoy!
Regards,
Skyflyer Staff
The balcony had two soft chairs with a small round table and a view to die for. I was in awe of the view of the ocean and Summerstar. I couldn’t imagine what I would see after we were airborne.
Koshiro handed me a glass of red wine and smiled. We clanged them together and took a sip. We sat down and placed our glasses on the white round table. Koshiro kicked off her shoes and rested her feet on the balcony railing. The sea breeze blew her skirt, giving me a nice panty shot. She knew I was taking a peep, and she gave me a crooked smile. She spread her legs wider to give me a better view of her panties and the cameltoe that she was sporting.
I tipped my glass to her. “Very nice.”
“I decided I’d wear panties on the Skyflyer. I knew there would be a lot of wind and I didn’t want to show my butt to a bunch of strange people. I only want you to see.”
“I definitely like what I see.”
“Good, maybe you’ll see a bit more if you’re lucky,” Koshiro winked.
“Well, I’m feeling awfully lucky tonight, my kitsune goddess.”