Vythin woke up curled around Kalinor, the smaller man cuddled in his embrace, still sleeping peacefully. He closed his eyes and sensed the position of The Sun in the sky above. Midday already? He slowly scooted out of bed, only to have Kalinor roll over and pull him close.

  "Five more minutes," he muttered, wrapping his leg around Vythin’s.

  Vythin chuckled, "You’ve said that for the past two days."

  Kalinor ran a hand down Vythin’s chest and smiled, "Yes." He snuggled onto Vythin’s chest and sighed in contentment.

  Vythin just chuckled and ran a hand through Kalinor’s hair.

  The two roused themselves from bed shortly after and prepared for the day, eating a meal interspersed with plenty of playful touching as they went about cleaning up; eventually turning into an impromptu splash fight at the sink. The two were laughing as Vythin heard a voice in his head.

  Hello? Is this Vythin Goldenscales? The voice said.

  Yes...who is this? Vythin thought back.

  Ah, good, I have the right person. Orinor paid me to send you a message. The message is, ‘I found the hideout. It’s in Pirate’s Paradise, somewhere underground. Please go with haste, as business is starting to take a toll’. End message. I can convey a message back if you like.

  Tell him I’ll get right on it.

  The voice faded as Kalinor poked Vythin’s forehead with a worried look. "You spaced out there for a few seconds."

  Vythin shook his head, "A mage contacted me. My brother figured out something and wants me to go deal with it."

  Kalinor sighed and muttered an incantation as both of their outfits dried. "All good things must come to an end I suppose. Well then, back to Bastion to grab your friends?"

  Vythin nodded as he stepped forward, lifting Kalinor onto the counter and kissing him deeply. "A few more hours to ourselves won’t make much of a difference."

  As night fell and the sun vanished Vythin soared to the gates of Bastion. There’s a lot of dried blood. What the heck happened? He landed near the tree and transformed into his human shape as Kalinor alighted on the ground.

  "Seems like a battle. The gates look undamaged though," Kalinor commented.

  "I just hope that everyone is okay. Come on." Vythin approached the doors and pushed on them. They didn’t move.

  "There’s something weird about the landscape. It seems...distorted," Kalinor said.

  Vythin groaned and looked up at the top of the gates. "We’ll have to get up there to get in."

  "I thought the barrier surrounded the whole city?"

  Vythin shook his head and reverted to his draconic form, "There’s a gap above the gate." He picked Kalinor up with one claw and scaled up the wall. It was a tight squeeze towards the top as he felt the barrier behind him. After setting Kalinor down on top of the wall, he reverted and pulled himself up, dusting himself off as the two went into Bastion proper.

  The streets were still patrolled by the Iron Servitor constructs, cleaning the city in their endless task; but the Peacekeepers were nowhere to be seen.

  "The house first?" Kalinor asked. Vythin nodded and absentmindedly grabbed Kalinor’s hand as they walked through the city. The walk was brief and the two found Yvilli outside with the children as they were painting on small easels.

  The kids looked over and waved, Yvilli standing and approaching the two with a broad smile. "I see I was absolutely correct about you two," She said.

  Vythin smiled and let Kalinor’s hand go, "Yeah, you’re right. It’s been a good few days. What happened outside?"

  "A small force attacked the town, led by another god. Slate and Isaac held him off and defeated their force. They’ve been in his temple for a few days now, except for the occasional meal and nap."

  Vythin nodded, "Want to come with?" he asked towards Kalinor.

  He shook his head, "No. You can fill me in later. I should check and see where the kids are in their primers." He walked over to the children pulling out two small sticks and began to transition the kids into some spell practice. Vythin nodded to Yvilli before heading to the temple district. The center was filled with the Peacekeepers in orderly rows - much more heavily armored than before and equipped with some lethal weaponry, including crossbows with odd chambers mounted on them. He made his way past the line of constructs that filed out of the temple doors and down into the workshop, finding a small assembly line. Slate and Isaac were modifying the constructs, and Vythin cleared his throat as the two looked up. "You’ve been rather busy. Care to share?" Vythin asked as he walked to them.

  Slate wiped sweat off his brow, "Not much to tell...okay, maybe there is a lot to tell. But it’ll take a while. Where have you been?"

  Vythin sat down on a nearby stool as the hammer behind him lightly tapped away of its own accord, "I freed some slaves, paid Kalinor by dealing with his mage problem - you’re welcome - and then spent a few days with him."

  Isaac chuckled as he stood and used a nearby bench to twist until his back popped, "Right. And by a few days you mean in bed together."

  "Not just the bed," Vythin snapped back, grinning, "But yes. We just got back. You left the gates locked by the way. I had to climb over through that little gap in the barrier."

  Slate stood as well and stretched, "Seems like it’s gone better for you than us." He recounted the events of Highpass, finding the gateway, meeting Aqua, and their encounter with Hanslow. "...And then he disappeared into a pool of blood before emerging at the edge of the battlefield and running off. The Red Sparrows are based out of Valleyhome - so we have plenty of time to make preparations if he goes back to his base."

  Isaac nodded and chimed in, "We’re almost done, this is the last batch; then we’ll have one-thousand Peacekeepers ready to defend the city. Oh, Slate, tell him about the thing with the imbuing."

  Slate nodded and sat down as he pulled a long swig on a hip flask, "Fighting Hanslow we discovered that our miracles can affect creatures - constructs included. To augment them in a positive fashion. Something called a blessing." He rapped a fist against one of the constructs as it passed by, "We both blessed them - they will repair themselves provided loose metal is nearby, and they will never run out of ammunition. Oh, and in case you ever need to command them; simply say ‘Protocol’ and then what you want them to do. I imbued them with some basic knowledge so they should understand simple commands. They aren’t sentient though."

  Vythin whistled, "I’m impressed. How big are The Red Sparrows anyways?" He asked.

  Slate’s face became stern, "If they marshal everyone, about ten-thousand. However, he’s not the owner, so it would be tough to get everyone. I would estimate two-thousand at the most is what he could muster. And it would take at least two weeks to get there, raise them, and come back." He shook his head, "I wish I had a book on strategy. I could at least prepare better. We’re outnumbered two to one in the best case scenario."

  Isaac patted Slate on the shoulder, "I think we’ve prepared very well. Not much more we can do."

  Slate’s face lit with excitement, "They can get better!" He looked at Vythin, "You want to try something with your abilities?"

  Vythin glanced between the two, "It depends on what you’re suggesting."

  Slate stood up and put his hands on Vythin’s face, pulling his mouth apart as Vythin weakly protested, looking at Isaac with a pleading expression as Isaac chuckled. Slate muttered something and released Vythin, "Your human form doesn't have it. Turn into a dragon."

  "Down here? I don’t think I’ll fit."

  Slate shook his head, "No, the half-dragon thing."

  "Oh. Okay. But I’d like you to tell me why." Vythin shifted into his hybrid form.

  Slate once more investigated his maw, letting out a small ‘aha’ before stepping back. "Have you used your breath weapon yet?"

  Vythin shook his head, "Not sure what you mean by that."

  "Dragons can exhale all types of materials. Flames, cold air that can freeze the bone, noxious fumes; I’ve even heard legend of a dragon that could exhale acid."

  Isaac stood, "I see what you’re thinking Slate...I remember a story as a child about a big dragon that our clan’s founder slew atop the Warbringer Cliffs. The beast melted a whole mountainside before it was brought down."

  Slate nodded and grabbed both the gods, pulling them up and out of the workshop to the front of the rows of constructs. He turned to Vythin, "Do a blessing. Imbue these constructs with your innate ability."

  "Umm. Sure, I’ll try." Vythin sighed and composed himself, focusing his vision on the columns of constructs. He thought to the exclusivity of everything else, focusing on the goal of imbuing these creations with the breath that Slate described. He felt the heat pulse within his chest as he extended his arms and in a shining beam washed the whole column of constructs with light. They glowed golden for a moment before the light faded. Vythin doubled over and panted heavily.

  Slate slapped him on the back, "Good job! Now let’s see what it looks like." He walked down the column and directed a construct to step out. It did so and after being given a simple command, a large bloom of searing, scorching white light exploded outwards thirty feet in a large cone exuding from its torso.

  "It worked!" Slate exclaimed. He repeated the command as the automation turned its head and looked at him, some silent exchange occurring between creator and construct.

  "That...took...a lot...out of me," Vythin said in between deep breaths.

  "Big miracles and blessings means lots of heat loss," Isaac said. "There's a reason I go 'all out' whenever I have one of you two around."

  Slate came over and nodded as the construct went back to the line. "They can’t do it forever. One good burst and then they need to leave it be. I’ll test it later and see what the interval is." He ran a hand through his beard, "Hanslow is a god of fire though. So this may help against the men he doesn't protect, but it won’t do anything against him. Blinding, sure. But the heat coming from the radiance? Probably won't do a thing."

  Isaac pulled Vythin to his feet, "I still think we’ve prepared all that we can. And if we have a dragon on the castle wall breathing death down as well, I think they’ll think twice about trying to storm the gate."

  Vythin stood up straight, "We have something else to deal with in the meantime. Orinor contacted me. He found Selena’s grow operation."

  Slate looked a bit taken aback, "Why deal with it though? It’s not our problem."

  Vythin smiled, "You may be smart, Slate, but we have to remember politics. I maneuvered things at the meeting some days back with those representatives. Orinor is going to be sitting in at The Starfall Hall - a large boon to his information brokerage. And I was going to see if he wanted to set up a coffee house here in Bastion."

  Isaac frowned, "You want to give him that much access to our city?"

  Vythin waved his hand dismissively, "He’s my brother."

  "How long was it since you had last seen him?" Isaac asked.

  "Ten years," Vythin replied.

  "What I think Isaac is saying is that we shouldn’t trust someone so much without knowing their intentions first," Slate added as he began leading the group back to their residence.

  "But...he’s my brother. He’s family," Vythin pleaded, feeling like he had to repay his brother for years of being gone.

  "Yes. What if he sells information about us?" Isaac asked.

  "He wouldn’t."

  "People change. We’re living examples of it," the god of forests replied.

  "Why would we care? We’re gods! Who cares what people know about us? It’s going to be well-known anyways," Vythin said.

  Slate rubbed his beard, "...We do know that we can affect creatures with our miracles...I could ensure that he never shares knowledge about us that could be damaging in any way."

  Vythin glared at Slate, "You’re not going to manipulate my brother’s mind."

  Slate held his hands up, "Fine! Have it your way. Invite the man. I’m sure it won’t backfire in any way." The sarcasm was quite apparent and laced through his words.

  "I’ll make sure it doesn’t come back to bite us. We need him as much as he needs us. You may be a god of knowledge, Slate, but from what you’ve said only common information or that which you get your hands on becomes known to you fully. Having someone who can find all of the hidden information for us, who is benefiting from our patronage… That would be a boon, would it not?" Vythin knew he had to appeal to Slate's desire for knowledge to get him on his side.

  Slate stroked his beard once more as a grin spread across his face, "I hadn’t thought of it that way. He could procure valuable tomes or scraps of lore that have been lost…"

  "You’re not seriously convinced by that, are you?" Isaac asked.

  Slate nodded, "I am convinced by that. Knowledge is power...plus..." He looked at the two, "My Passenger and I have come to an arrangement. I’m not leaving it trapped in that diamond once it's extracted."

  Vythin and Isaac both stared at him, "What?" They said in unison.

  "I’m making it a body. A form to occupy. One of its own. In exchange, it can be our liaison with Orinor."

  "And when were you going to tell us this?" Vythin asked.

  Slate shrugged, "I’m telling you now. Whether it happened now, or later, what does it matter? It’s a Demon - a creature with its own free will; just not the autonomy to use it right now."

  Isaac walked in front of Slate and stopped him from continuing down the road, "You’ve made pretty smart decisions since becoming a god. But this seems dumb. I don’t trust it. It caused you to be thrown out of your hometown!"

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  Slate pushed Isaac aside and continued walking, "No. That was an error in my design, as I said before. It may have caused one man to be maimed, but it’s in its nature to cause disruption to the natural order of things. Would you tell a wolf not to hunt a rabbit because it is wrong? Or would you let it occur because it is part of their nature? Who are we to deny the actions of such things?"

  "Are you sure that it just hasn't been…corrupting you?" Isaac asked. Slate didn't reply and continued to stride forward, ignoring the question.

  The three walked in silence for some time. I’m going to trust my family. He wouldn’t betray me, Vythin thought as he glanced at his two companions; Slate resolutely walking forward with purpose in his stride, Isaac looking down lost in thought. I’ll protect my city no matter what. An image of Kalinor flashed into his mind. I’ll protect him, too. He looked around and felt a sense of satisfaction wash over him. This is mine. He is mine. And I protect what is mine.

  He stopped for a moment as his two allies continued on, realizing suddenly that the thoughts he was having were not anything like the old him. More changes. Great. He looked at Slate’s back and jogged to catch up.

  The three arrived at the residence to see the children mimicking Kalinor’s movements with their small sticks as trails of green traced outlines in the air, hovering in a shimmer of radiance before falling to the ground and vanishing.

  Yvilli stood and approached the gods, "Is everything alright? You three look...stressed."

  Slate shook his head and stepped past her entering the residence, "Differences in opinion is all."

  Isaac looked at Yvilli, "We’re going to be heading out for a few days. We have some business to take care of across Moonsorrow Bay." She nodded and looked at Vythin expectantly.

  Vythin cleared his throat, "All four of us will be going. I trust you’re fine looking after the children?"

  She nodded, "That shouldn’t be a problem. What happened between you three?" She looked quite concerned.

  "Just some disagreements." He smiled, "Don’t worry, we’ll work them out."

  She nodded and sighed in relief, "That’s good. Also, you might want to change back. You’re a bit...scaly."

  Vythin looked down and sighed, shifting into his human form again, "Right, I forget about that sometimes."

  She smiled, "I just don’t want the kids getting scared, that's all."

  Vythin walked over to Kalinor as Isaac and Yvilli conversed behind him. He walked up behind Mary who glanced back and smiled, "Mr. Goldy! Look! We can paint with no paint!"

  Vythin looked over at Kalinor, "The Shadow Isle is close to Oceanside, right? It’s been a while since I looked at a map."

  Kalinor looked up, "Yes. You can reach it by shallow boat if you go from Smuggler’s Point. You want to leave from Oceanside?"

  Vythin sat on the ground next to him, "I don’t want to risk flying over the Bay. It draws too much attention."

  Kalinor chuckled and dismissed the two kids who ran off to air-paint around Yvilli and Isaac as they talked. "Why care about being noticed? You’re a god."

  Vythin shook his head, "I don’t want Selena to know that we were involved. Making enemies with gods doesn’t sound like a smart move." He grabbed Kalinor and pulled him down into his lap, "I want to be a god that rules this city, and spend time with you."

  Kalinor laughed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, "Well once I come back with that diamond and pull that Demon out of Slate my work is technically done. Who knows, I may not want to stay." He grinned, "But you are doing good work on convincing me."

  Slate came out of the building with several travel packs and tossed them to his companions, "Shall we set out now, then?"

  Isaac looked up, "Slate, it’s night-time. We’ve been in the workshop for hours. In the morning we can leave. I’m going to go visit Willow."

  Slate huffed and stared after Isaac as he went inside the building.

  "I thought she was dead?" Vythin asked as he stood up, pulling Kalinor up as well.

  "His control of forests shares some overlap with Caeli’s own domains. He used that connection to transport his consciousness to visit his wife," Slate replied as he put an arm around Vythin’s shoulder. "Do you mind if we talk privately for a moment?" He asked Kalinor. The mage nodded and gave Vythin a wink before heading inside.

  Slate walked Vythin across the boulevard and they sat on a stone bench. "What did you want to talk about?" Vythin asked.

  Slate pushed his hair back from his brow and leaned back with a sigh. "My Passenger and I talked on the way back here. It’s agreed to be our liaison with Orinor’s information business; but it insisted on being placed on our ‘council’" he said with air quotes.

  "It hadn’t crossed my mind... but when this place fills up we will need magistrates and other officials to run the day to day." Vythin leaned back and looked up at the star-filled sky, "A council would be wise. But they would need to be trusted individuals." He glanced over at Slate, "I freed a group of slaves with Kalinor during our little outing. They should be here in a few weeks. One of them, their leader of sorts, seems to be very devoted to me." He glanced back up at the night sky, "The whole lot of them, in fact. That may be a good starting point."

  Slate nodded and looked up as well, "My Passenger wants to be our spymaster."

  Vythin glanced over once more, "Do you trust it?"

  Slate pursed his lips for a moment before nodding, "Yes, I trust it." He leaned forward. "It saved my life as a child."

  Vythin leaned forward as well, "I thought that it made your life miserable?"

  Slate slowly wrapped his arms around himself and Vythin heard the pain in his voice, "When I was a child...my father punished me severely. I hated the man. He did the same to my sister, and my mother. Our Uncle lived with us as well and he didn’t intervene. That’s when my Passenger possessed me for the first time." Slate looked up at the kids as they air-painted around Yvilli. "It used me to stop my father. I killed him." Slate looked down at his palms, "I used a fire poker. Can you believe that? A ten year old braining his father."

  Vythin put a hand on his back, "It sounds like he deserved it."

  Slate nodded and looked over at Vythin, "That’s not the end of it. My Uncle saw what I...what my Passenger had done. And he beat me before covering up my crime and taking over my father’s role as abuser...It was trading one person who beat my family for another." He looked back towards the children as they played, "I burned him in his bed. I don’t know if it was me, or my Passenger, or both of us working in concert with one another. I got out of the blaze, but I didn’t take my mother or my sister." A tear ran down Slate’s face. "I felt nothing. No remorse, no regret. Just emptiness inside...I remember watching the flames climb into the sky and just thinking that I was finally free... And then I was taken in by my school teacher for a few weeks, passed the academy entrance exam, and left."

  Vythin pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Slate who accepted it with gratitude. "You did a terrible thing, killing your mother and sister - even if it was unintentional. That’s why you’re so fatherly towards them, isn’t it?"

  Slate nodded, wiping his tears, "Yes...those children are wonderful, Vythin. They deserve the best chance to succeed in life with a loving family who cares for them." He looked at Vythin, "All creatures deserve that. My Passenger included. I took that away from my sister and mother." He turned to stare at the residence.

  "I agree, they are precious and we should take care of them. As for your Passenger, I can understand why you want it to have a chance at...a normal life. I think Isaac will come around, too. Just give him some time. We all make mistakes, my friend." He leaned over and gave Slate a side-hug. "You can make up for yours by taking good care of those children, and hundreds more that will live here. I think you should be the minister of education when things get running around here."

  Slate chuckled heartily at that, "Oh! I would love nothing more. Thank you for the offer, your majesty."

  Vythin stood up, "We’re all equals Slate. All of us gods here."

  Slate stood as well, "I heard your comment to Kalinor earlier. You’re a dragon. It’s in your nature to become the most dominant force in a defined area." He smiled and gave Vythin a pat on the back, "I don’t mind it at all. It means you’ll be the focus of any ire hurled our way." The two stood up and went inside as the children ran after them, trailing glowing lines and giggling.

  During the night there was a knock at Vythin’s door. He got up and opened it, Kalinor slipping inside and giving him a wink as he silently shut the door behind. "I got used to having someone cuddling me," he said as Vythin walked him over to the bed and the two laid down to sleep. In the back of his mind Vythin felt content...but there was an inner voice that was more than content. He felt…sated, instinctively curling around Kalinor, as a thought echoed through his mind...not foreign, but one that had been intruding and weighing upon him more and more

  ...Mine.

  The three gods and the mage set out the next morning, passing the Peacekeepers who were arrayed in front of the gates and along the top of the wall where the barrier didn’t quite cover the expanse. Vythin shifted, the three others mounted, and they flew to Oceanside landing a little north of the city along the beach; just so the cliffs blocked view of them. After they dismounted they strode along the beach.

  "I’ll never get tired of this view. I rarely saw the ocean when I was in Vaysha Rift," Isaac said as he looked out over the sapphire horizon.

  "This isn’t even the ocean. This is technically an inland sea," Slate replied.

  Isaac nodded, "Beautiful, nonetheless."

  The group continued onwards until they came to the docks. Asking terse questions they found the harbormaster’s office and found three passenger vessels whose captains were taking on clients.

  Kalinor looked down the list of ship names. "Burning Rose, Old Tide, or The Titan." He glanced over at the three gods, "Any preference? They all seem to be similar in tonnage and speed."

  Slate shook his head, "We aren’t taking cargo." He looked at the harbormaster’s assistant; a squat Toskar who sat on a tall stool behind the counter. "Is any one of these captains particularly eager to set sail today?"

  The Toskar belched and wiped the spittle of his recent expulsion into his beard, "Ye’ll find The Titan’s Cap’n te be a wee skittish o’ the port. He be tryin’ to set off fer a day now."

  "Where can we find him?" Vythin asked.

  The Toskar pointed down one of the furthest docks to the south, "Right o’er thar. Big green ship, like me vomit after too much ale." He chuckled as the group left and dodged their way around the various dock-workers, hauling cargo on board ships.

  The smell of sea-air mixing with sweat and tar. The ship stood out; a horrid puke-colored shade of green. A two masted ship with three levels of sails; a moderate sized ballista mounted on the front. The wood looked to be worn smooth; the name barely visible as a dull grey against the green color. At the end of the gangplank was a Ssari - one of the shark-folk from the Essence Isles. He was large, easily seven feet tall, and when he looked up at the approaching party they saw a large scar across his left eye. A tricorn hat was precariously perched on top of his head.

  "Are you the captain of this vessel?" Vythin asked.

  "Aye." Simple, straightforward, rough. A deep bass tone.

  "We seek passage across the Bay. With one stop at the Shadow Isle. Will you take us on?"

  The tall figure stood up and spat into the surf. "The isle will cost extra. Dark waters. Risk of sinking." He leaned forward and smiled, his toothy maw and rows of razor teeth glinting in the sun, "Lucky you, I know the endless tide like the back of my hand."

  The two negotiated a price and Vythin pulled out several handfuls of dreks. They boarded, and were surprised to find no crew as the large Ssari deftly roamed all across the boat, mast, rigging, and pushed off.

  "We didn’t get his name did we?" Vythin asked under his breath.

  Slate shrugged, "Just call him Captain. I’m sure that’s fine."

  The Ssari laughed, "Captain Sawtooth, at your service." He took his hat off and bowed with a flourish. "And don’t you worry, I know my lass inside and out. One day to the Shadow Isle. Where to after?"

  "Pirate’s Paradise," Vythin replied.

  "Oh, is that right? Taking some time to visit the sandy beaches and lustful women?" Sawtooth chuckled, "Three days there from the Shadow Isle."

  "Why is it called Pirate’s Paradise?" Isaac asked.

  "Well that’s obvious, innit? It’s a place for pirates." Sawtooth replied.

  "Pirates aren’t the smartest folks around, especially when it comes to naming things," Slate quipped.

  The gods and the mage made themselves feel as at home as they could. The space below decks was neatly organized and arranged to accommodate several passengers in estate-style rooms. A cargo hold, sitting empty save for boxes of provisions and supplies to make repairs, sat at the lowest level. The gods chose rooms, with Vythin and Kalinor bunking together.

  The first night passed uneventfully. Isaac spent most of his time at the rail, heaving his guts out as the ship bounced in the waves, or sullenly staring downwards dealing with his first trip over large swells. Slate spent time being a student, learning nautical terms from an enthusiastic Sawtooth who seemed to like the attention he was getting from a novice sailor. Vythin and Kalinor sat at the bow of the ship. The sun was bright overhead on the first day of travel, the two chatting as Kalinor shared stories of his days at the mage college. After some hours a dark glow permeated the horizon to the south-west. Sawtooth let out a yell, "Thar she blows! The Shadow Isle. I hope you’re not planning on staying there for long. Am I taking her in for a shore party?"

  Kalinor sighed and stood up, "This is my stop then. I better get ready." He yelled back to Sawtooth, "No! Just me, and I can get there from here."

  "Should I come with?" Vythin asked as he stood.

  "No." He turned and put a hand on Vythin’s chest, "You are a god of light. You’re antithetical to Umbra - the opposite of her. If you approached...I don’t know what would happen, but I don’t think it would be good. The island is made of pure shadow given form."

  Vythin nodded, "Promise that you’ll come back safe."

  "Of course! I won’t come back to the ship, mind you. I’ll most likely go back to my tower and then go through the portal near Starhold. I’ll see you back in Bastion - one week at the most." He stood on his tippy toes and gave Vythin a quick kiss. Kalinor said goodbye to his other companions and laid down a small metal disc that he turned, and it unfolded. With a click it expanded slightly and he stepped on it, speaking a word under his breath as it floated. He flew towards the mass of shadows on the horizon, vanishing into the distance as he skimmed along the surface of the waves.

  "Is that all who are getting off then?" Sawtooth shouted. Vythin turned around and gave him a thumbs up as the Captain turned the ship westward.

  Evening came and Sawtooth brought the ship to some shallows off of a small nondescript island, dropping anchor a safe distance away from the rocky shore. After a decent meal made in the ship’s tiny galley by Slate, the gods and their Captain went below decks to rest. Vythin lay there, alone in his bed, and instinctively reached an arm over feeling a slight pang of loneliness as he remembered Kalinor’s departure. He sighed deeply and sank into the pillows as he drifted to sleep.

  Wake up… a melodic and feminine voice echoed through Vythin’s mind. He sat upright; the ship slowly rocking in the waves and the creaking of timber gently providing an odd lullaby of dissonance. "Who’s there?" He asked as he raised a hand and attempted to make a light. To his surprise, no light manifested.

  Tsk tsk. You aren’t awake, Vythin Goldenscales. You’re still dreaming. A woman materialized in front of Vythin as the darkness in his cabin lessened slightly. An outline of a sensual individual with deep red eyes and pure black skin.

  "Umbra. To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the goddess of shadows?"

  She traced a hand along his leg over the covers and he shivered at her touch. I wanted to see myself the man whose life I’m going to ruin.

  Vythin threw off the covers and stood, reaching towards a wall nearby to stabilize himself as the gentle rocking continued. "What have I done that would make you want to do that?"

  Umbra stood and waved a hand as the darkness lifted entirely and Vythin indeed saw that this was not the cabin of the ship. Aside from the floor, the bed, and the wall; everything else was emptiness. Darkness that stretched beyond sight. Umbra’s lips did not move, but Vythin heard her voice clearly in his mind; You’ve been meddling with my sanctified.

  "Your what?"

  My chosen few. I have many that I have mothered, raised to a purpose - for my use in the future…my plans. She stood in front of Vythin - moving with preternatural speed from her sitting position to be facing him, And you, she put a finger to his chest as a shiver went through him, have taken one from me.

  "You mean Kalinor," he replied as he pushed her hand away.

  You took him from me. His devotion, was to me, whether he knew it or not, he would serve my plans. But you...you lizard, bastard, lightbringer imposter. You. Stole. Him. Her face was full of rage; anger unbridled but restrained at the same time.

  "I really like him. We get along well. But I never told him to worship me."

  You didn’t tell him in words. Actions, little lizard. What were the words? ‘He is mine?’ Even if you didn’t outright tell him...I know his heart. She took a few steps back from him. I will ruin you for corrupting one of my sanctified... she said in disgust as she vanished.

  Vythin bolted upright, a cold sweat running down his face. The walls were back around him; the small, dim oil lamp illuminating the room. Walls, floor, ceiling, door; back in reality. Was it just a dream? Vythin ripped off his covers and urgently knocked on Slate’s cabin door.

  The door cracked open slightly before opening fully, Slate in his pajamas standing there rather befuddled looking. "Vythin... It’s late. What do you want?"

  Vythin pushed Slate into his cabin and shut the door behind him, "Umbra just spoke to me, I think."

  Slate’s sleep immediately cleared from his eyes, "What did she say?"

  Vythin leaned against the wall as Slate sat on his bed, "She said she’s going to ruin me."

  Slate groaned and shook his head, "This will make it easier. Mind if I take a look?"

  Vythin shrugged, "Not sure what that means-"

  Slate stood up and placed his hands on either side of Vythin’s head, the palms flashing red as Vythin felt something sifting through his mind. Slate released his grip and Vythin took in a gulp of air.

  "That’s not good at all." Slate took his seat once more, "I read your memories," he clarified as he unscrewed his flask and took a gulp.

  "Right. God of knowledge," Vythin slumped down, "Was it real? What am I going to do?"

  Slate looked down and was silent for a few moments, "It was real...and I don’t know. And that infuriates me." He looked up at Vythin, "If she’s going to ruin you, what could she affect that would cause you to be ruined?"

  "Kalinor, for one. Orinor, for another. Bastion, of course. The children, perhaps."

  Slate nodded, "I don’t know when it comes to Kalinor, he may be in danger, he may not be. If he is one of her 'sanctified' for future scheming, he may be safe from her harms. Orinor deals in secrets. I wouldn’t be surprised if he worshipped her; in which case she wouldn’t want to harm her own follower. Especially one as useful as an information broker."

  "That leaves Bastion and the children."

  "Mhmm. But there’s nothing to be done about it now. The gates are sealed, the city is well-guarded."

  Vythin stood, "I should fly to Kalinor right now. Make sure he is okay."

  Slate stood as well and handed his flask to Vythin, "We keep the course steady. Let’s finish this business for Orinor, and then we can determine our next course of action… Your mage is in a place that would be dangerous for you to go to - especially now that Umbra has threatened you."

  "Gah! I hate this feeling of helplessness. I don’t know what she will do or where it will happen." Vythin felt tension in his chest, and he wanted nothing more than to just turn into a dragon and fly to see if Kalinor was okay.

  "That in and of itself could be the ‘ruin’ she foretold. Destroying your mental well-being. Try to focus on the task we set for ourselves at the moment. I find that it helps when worrying about the future and what could happen."

  Vythin nodded as he took a sip, surprised as the liquid touched his tongue, "Water? I thought you were drinking this whole time."

  Slate chuckled and took the flask back, "I gave up the drink years ago."

  Vythin sighed, "Thank you, Slate. Your advice is always appreciated...You’re right, I can’t do anything about it now." He left and returned to his own cabin, performing a miracle and channeling the heat within him to protect him as he slept.

  The remainder of the night passed uneventfully. The group woke, ate, and set sail once more across the sapphire oceans.

  And yet Vythin looked back towards The Shadow Isle beyond his sight and whispered a plea, "Please be safe."

  My first series to "hit it big" on Royal Road / get picked up by a publisher has its Amazon launch today for Book 2! See the conclusion of Lyn Rivers' story!