It was not surprising to hear Théadan’s first thoughts of Khurios upon arriving were of the power of the sun. It was often unyieldingly bright and hot. It also did not surprise Navia that the sun’s rays burned Mes’Mo’Tanian soldiers if they were out in them for too long. They were far paler than the Khluri were, and so not as well-built to survive in the heat of the sun. The dark hues of their skin protected them, but Navia knew all too well it was not absolute. It was still possible for sunburns to happen; it just required far more time out in the sun. She almost commented on it, but Théadan was moving on to point out how colorful Khlurios was. It made her smile to think of it, her dark eyes taking in the vibrant greenery laid out before them, stark against the pretty hue of the sea and paler blue of the sky above them.<br/><br/>By taking a ship to Balaja, they had skipped the northernmost part of her country, where the trees were different and the animals closer to what one would see in Mes’Mo’Tan. Navia knew they were close enough to the middle of the country, where jungles flourished, separated only by plains of thick grass and shrubbery. As they moved south, it would grow to be more arid and hotter. Then Khlurious would narrow and eventually at the southernmost tip, they would reach Mandira, surrounded by greenery thanks to its proximity to the sea. They were likely to see every color of the rainbow by the time they reached her cousin’s palace, for Théadan was correct. Khlurios was a country of color, of vibrancy, of life.<br/><br/>“Maybe that’s why I have always been so drawn to the color of your eyes,” Navia said quietly before turning to face him some with a smile. Her dark eyes steadied on the emerald ones she had always found so strikingly beautiful and she realized how similar they were to the jungles the ship sailed past. “They probably reminded me of home and I didn’t even realize it,” her hand reached out to rest on the crook of Théadan’s elbow while she spoke, then Navia used it as leverage to rise on her toes and press a kiss to his cheek affectionately, “Let’s go up to the bow so we have a good view of Balaja when we reach it.”<br/><br/>Navia slipped past Théadan then, and with a glance back at him to make sure he would join her, she led the way toward the bow. After taking the steps up to the forecastle, Navia went to stand just behind the bowsprit jutting out over the water and leading their way. Her focus was on the horizon, looking for a place where the land would give way to a larger bay than before. Navia had not been to Balaja, but she knew it to be a major port city for Khlurios, meaning to needed to have space for many ships as well as protection from the sea’s violence should a storm arrive. There were still many other ships ahead of them, some just as large as Risho’s and others larger, and going in the opposite direction. She was just about to point out the colorful sail of a fishing boat on which someone had painted various fish upon it when one of the sailors working on the sail above them called out, “<i>Sitvati, avag muhka!</i>”<br/><br/>Despite the command to look down, Navia first peered upward to see who had spoken to her, but the man was emphatically pointing down toward the water with a smile on his face. After nodding her understanding, Navia placed both hands on the wood and rose on her toes, needing more height to see down far enough to catch a glimpse of the water. Her eyes followed the curve of the bow, down to where it cut through the sea. On either side of it, some leaping and others merely exposing their fins to the air, were dolphins hitching a ride on the waves the ship created. Brilliant gray with white sides, they were quick to change directions, taking turns riding the waves while keeping up with the speed of the ship. A surprised gasp left her before she laughed, “Théadan, look! Dolphins.”