Camille's Journey to Avangard!: Camille's Journey to Avangard - Chapter 1 | Prompt #1 (Soujel Aircity)

The sights and sounds of Avangard were all too familiar to Camille. The clouds, the buildings, and more; all situated in a sapphire sky. It was strange how it mirrored her own kingdom. So much so, the very airship she stood on became a source of fear for a brief moment. During that moment, thoughts raced in her mind. 

'Did we take the wrong portal?' 
'Are we home?'
'Did Arius end up here, too?'

Fear gripped Camille, as the golds and reds of the airship blurred in her vision. Had they truly arrived back home, it would only be a matter of time before Arius would be found, and the both of them captured by the king - if not killed. Such a fate meant their journey would be in vain. As her tunnel vision worsened, she froze, gripping on the railing as much as nerves gripped her. Her heartrate quickened, and the back of her neck felt the burn of anxiety.

The announcement from the airship's captain brought her back into focus, and along with it, confirmation. This airship was not anywhere near her home. Camille let out a shaky sigh of relief as she tried to regain her bearings. Her knuckles had turned a ghostly white from her grip, and remained sore even moments after letting go. 
"Soujel.." She muttered thoughtfully, attempting to turn her focus towards the Captain's announcement. To Camille, the name of such had a nice ring to it. Having not heard of it, she was certain this was far enough away from home to get some well-needed rest. She blinked the heaviness away from her eyelids. Night would be approaching soon.

'I still have to find Arius. If he's here, surely we'd be on the same ship.'

Murmurs of travelers nearby held tones of eagerness. They had all travelled for hours, if not days. From their words, Camille began putting pieces together. Soujel was, in technicality, another airship. A ship so large that it was practically a city within itself. Many referred to it as a diamond of the skies, glittering and gleaming with lights. Especially after night's fall. With clear skies, everyone seemed to gather at the edges of the airship, near the railings to watch the sunset, which would be followed by the eventual light display from Soujel.

"Mama, over here!" The tiny footfalls of a young girl echoed as she ran towards the railing near Camille. "The lights will be on any minute!" 
"Patience, dear. We still have a little while." A woman replied, presumably the girl's mother based on the resemblance. Though what stuck out to Camille were colorful scales that reflected the sunlight, situated subtly on their cheeks. It reminded her quite a bit of Arius. 

'They can't be.. could they?' To her knowledge, Arius was one of very few of his kind left. People with dragon's blood were a rarity. Though perhaps things were different, here. Catching Camille's glance, the mother chuckled nervously. 

"Ah, apologies. I hope you don't mind my Aria and I cutting in here. We won't be here long."

As guilt began to flow, Camille looked away, shaking her head. 
"No, no. It's no trouble, really. I just thought you were someone else is all."

"Ah, I see." The mother replied, "I hope that's not a bad thing." 

"Of course not. That person is very dear to me. I was hoping to find him around here, but I haven't really seen any signs. I'm not really sure where to begin, either." Camille answered, her guilt not quite gone. Though the mother appeared calm and thoughtful.

"Hmm. You could ask one of the crew. I'm pretty sure they keep a log of who boards the airships. For security, and all." She said in response, "It may not be much, but it could be worth a try." 

"Oooh, maybe you could see the captain!" The girl - Aria - interjected, curious of their conversation.

"Now, not just anyone can see the captain, you know. He's a very busy man. Maybe another day you will." The mother replied to her, chuckling with amusement before turning her focus back towards Camille. "In all seriousness, I do wish you luck. While Soujel is a lovely place, other areas may be less.. charming. Such places are better travelled with another. I hope you can find him." 

"He can't be far." Camille responded, "Thank you for your help." After exchanging a brief goodbye, she set out to explore the rest of the airship in hopes to find a crew member. It appeared that such a task was easier said than done, as a majority of the crew was busy. Such business only increased as the bustle of the ship did. With the sun set, lights from Soujel gleamed in an array of colors, gathering hums of awe from the crowd. In the midst of it, Camille found someone in red and gold regalia with what appeared to be the ship's insignia. They were in the middle of tying one of the lesser sails as she approached. With little available crew, Camille didn't have much other choice but to interrupt.

"Excuse me, sir? Have you seen a man with dragon-like features around?" 

"That doesn't really narrow it down." The crew member replied with a quizzical look, "There's been plenty on and off this ship in the past day. Does he have any other defining characteristics? A name?" As he asked, the crew member had barely looked at Camille, if at all, as his focus was still mainly on their current duties.

"Black Hair, around this tall, with a necklace that looks like this!" Camille replied; gesturing to her own hair and necklace as she spoke. She reached up slightly to convey his height somewhat, as well. The crew member eyed the necklace, nodding in silence for a second or two. 

"I believe someone like that was on board. Went by Ari, or whatever." He added with a shrug, "He was here about a day ago and got off the ship to head into town yesterday. I believe he did mention he was looking for someone as well. Tsk, someone that would walk upon the clouds." The crew member shook their head before adding; "The amount of violations such an act would be.." 

"Right.." Camille folded her arms in an attempt to hide her tension. Maybe this was more like home than she thought. Still, she hoped not. "I think I've got my answers. Thank you." 

"Aye." The crew member seemed undeterred by her coldness, and continued their work as if nothing happened. As Camille left that part of the ship, another announcement rang out, signaling a landing upon Soujel within the next few minutes. With some worry remaining, Camille made sure to be as close to the exit of the airship as possible, ensuring she'd be one of the first to get off.

After a long few minutes, steam would fog up the airship slightly as it came to a stop at a skydeck that connected both the ship and the aircity. As soon as she was able to disembark, the more solid ground would take a little getting used to. With the ground of Soujel feeling as solid as it was, Camille was certain this place was much bigger than she anticipated. Even if it was just a larger airship.
The various hues of light  illuminated the entrance, bringing awe to the rest who stepped foot inside. Even Camille was taken aback, and impressed by the feats of technology she immediately saw. Everything back home was usually taken care of solely through magic.

'I wonder how Arius would take all of this.. All the more reason to find him.' She thought, before stepping deeper into the aircity to continue her search.