Land Ho!

“We are approaching the destination. Please pack up and prepare to-“

“LAND HO!” Hannigan overpowered the automated voice intercom, shouting out at the front of the ship like a mad pirate captain.

“So that’s it…” Katie shivered in excitement.

Ahead of them lied the Velvet Port in Birmingham, not far from where Everfair was said to be. Many ships were docked in the coastal park, most of them a lot smaller than this one. Luckily the port had ready space for park-sized vessels.

“Can’t believe we’re in a different country!” Katie was hyper, if not at little nervous. Her sister on the other hand was at complete ease.

“Ah, no big deal. Just more theme parks is all I see.”

“Exactly!” Katie almost dove off the boat and swam for the shore. Luckily for her, they stopped fairly fast, stairs to the dock extending from above the hull.

In front of all the snobby guests, they ran to the bottom as fast as they could, dancing once they reached solid land. 

Success. They’d done it again, thankfully without drowning in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Katie pulled their bag up to her shoulder. Before they left, they looked back up to Hannigan, who to their surprise, was waving at them.

They returned the gesture, happy to meet her gaze one more time. They were so excited for her- and how much better she and so many others would have it once they put the Traumkäufer in his place.

“It’s just outside… London, right?” Frankie examined her phone’s map. “Maybe we can make it with a cab or two? They do that here, don’t they?”

“I don’t think we’ll need a cab.”

She looked up to see the stairs her sibling was pointing to- leading down below the town, they were labeled, with some sincerity, “PORTAL TO EVERFAIR” with illustrations of knights, dragons, and elves dotting the sign.

“That will… do, then.”

This time, Katie ran right down, knowing Frankie would keep up even without her holding her sister’s hand. They found it- the exclusive metro, slick and painted like a great serpent- clearly intended to go to, and only to, the exact park they were headed.

They paid for their tickets and boarded, headed straight for the biggest renaissance fair in the world… at least, as it stood.

Somewhere not-so-far away, as he sat atop the throne of his towering castle, Lord Bartholomew Dansuhonvangonvictth The Hundreth held a wealthy offer in his armored hand… failing to crumple it as fear overcame him.