Fandom The Dragon Prince: Deep Trouble [Closed]

[cleopat]

Aaravos smirked as he watched Jove’s reaction to him, reminding him of Lethe’s previous pet birds that didn’t care for him either. She certainly had a way of picking her pets.

Just as how he picked out his pets.

“Callum didn’t fight his way back last time, did he?” Aaravos taunted, knowing his words will only anger the moonshadow elf more. He didn’t hide his pleasure in Lethe asking him what he wanted her to do. He turned back to her, and strolled a few steps closer to her.

“You know, it was incredibly rude of you to unseal my name, only to reverse that decision and reseal me back up.” He savored that short time of temporary freedom. Maybe not freedom in the physical sense, but he could finally see the outside world again. Talk to others. See Lethe.

Be reminded that she betrayed him and stabbed his heart. Be reminded why he didn’t allow himself to grow close to others on a personal level.

“I want you to unseal my name again, permanently.” There was some confusion among the children. “After all, I thought we were having such pleasant conversations, and then suddenly I couldn’t see you anymore. It was such a pity.”

~~~

Willow chuckled as Finnegrin caved to the idea of staying in a few more minutes. Sometimes, men were too easy. Just show them a bit of flesh and they cave into demands. And as he relaxed back in bed with his arms around her, she rested her hands on him, enjoying the warmth of another’s presence next to her.

“See? This isn’t so bad, ignoring work for a little bit longer.” She spoke softly, as the hangover still pounded in her head, and her eyes were closed to block out the brightness of the sun. Why did his quarters have to have so many damn windows?

With her eyes closed, she focused on Finnegrin’s scent. A little musty, due to their activities the night before, but pleasant, as she remained relaxed.

“It’s been forever since I allowed myself to get that drunk,” she mumbled. “Namely for this very reason. Hangovers are the worst.” And she tended to want to fuck anyone who was near, with even Drake being a victim of her drunken flirtations one time. But when he rejected her, she devolved into emotions and tears over seeking acceptance.

She could be a mess when alcohol was involved.

 

[Lucyfer]

The others didn't know the background but they were quick to catch on. "Wait, when you unsealed his name for us…." Ezran started to say.

"It let him roam the astral plane, yes," Lethe answered, still looking away from Aaravos. From everyone, now. "I can see him because of the star arcanum, and so can Stella."

"So that's why she went bonkers in the Bookery!" Ezran concluded, "she wasn't making any sense." He noted, but frowned. This didn't seem like a good alternative, but his brother needed help. They had no idea how long he could possess Callum or even what he could do through Callum.

"Are ya out of your mind? No! We're not gonna help you spy on us and you could just take Callum over again!" Rayla argued.

"And I can seal him again," Lethe said, though she was the only one. That was…troubling. Although she knew her life was basically forfeit if Aaravos got out. Maybe even if he kept possession of Callum. And certainly in a dream. He wouldn't be kind in the next one.

But there were quasar diamonds.

And she could teach Callum the spell. Even if he didn't learn the arcanum he could do it with those. "If you ever touch Callum again, I will." She vowed, "so you leave him, as soon as I unseal you, and I won't do it again. Promise me, Aaravos." Lethe brought her gaze back to him.

Even if Rayla still let out a protesting, "No!"

~***~

Finnegrin listened to Willow's comments as he relaxed. His mind wouldn't let him drift into sleep or anything like that, the need to work still pounding against his skull like the hangover, but he still relaxed. And so he snorted at her reason for not getting drunk.

"Piss poor reason," he said, "a bit of pain never deters one fer long when the pleasure is good," and there was pleasure in losing his own income inhibitions and not worrying about every little thing. It was relaxing. Relieving. But then sobriety returned and he remembered everything overlooked.

Like their course.

"And you don't seem to mind mixing the two at all," given the right context, at any rate. "Don't worry love. Shouldn't be another drinking binge on this ship while you're here anyways. You won't have to deal with this again."

Even sober, he hadn't forgotten the change in their agreement.

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos’ grin grew wider as they argued amongst themselves, and ultimately, Lethe seemed to cave to his demand. He cocked his head at her one demand, not at all surprised as to what it was. It was almost endearing, how protective she was over the boy she just met.

Would she also betray him somewhere down the way?

“You have my word, I will not possess this boy again, if you unseal my name and leave it unsealed.” He hoped the exact phrasing of his statement gave off the threat that he would not hesitate to do this again, should she go back on her word.

No one was happy with the agreement. Soren looked like he was ready to strike at Aaravos with his sword, and Ezran looked ready to command an army to kill Aaravos for touching Callum.

It was all so delicious to take in.

Aaravos walked until he was directly in front of Lethe. “So, do we have a deal, my little star?”

~~~

Willow snorted at his comment of pain and pleasure, and she almost protested the comment on how she seemed to enjoy the two together, but she remained silent as she realized that she couldn’t deny what was true.

Behind closed doors, she didn’t mind mixing the two at all.

And it seemed that despite the celebrations and alcohol last night, Finnegrin meant what he said in that she would be free when they returned to Scumport. Of course she was overjoyed to hear that confirmation, but at the same time, it felt…weird.

She couldn’t explain it to herself.

“That’s too bad,” she mumbled, one hand moving to gently play with the strands of Finnegrin’s hair. “I suppose that means I’ll be searching for a new job once we return, as I don’t think you’ll appreciate it if I went back to my old one. Though, I suppose if you’ll be gone from Scumport more often…” she trailed off in a light tease.

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe didn’t need Aaravos to spell it out. She knew what would happen if she went back on her word, and it was likely to be far, far worse for Callum that time. Promising to unseal Aaravos again wouldn’t be enough. Of course, no one wanted to agree to the deal. Not even Lethe, and she stepped back when Aaravos approached.

Had it been him, in his form, she would have held her ground.

But it was Callum’s form, and she didn’t dare let Callum loom as a threat. She wouldn’t give either of them more opportunity than necessary to cause harm.

She didn’t answer Aaravos directly, just snapped cosmic space open and pulled her journal out, turning to the page automatically where all of his names and epitaphs began to vanish. “Don’t—” Rayla still moved to protest, and Ezran grasped her hand in both of his. He didn’t agree…but they had limited choices.

They could fix the problem more securely another time.

Lethe formed the sign, spoke, “Admoneo,” to release him, before looking back to him, book closing as his names began to reappear – waiting for him to release Callum.

Waiting for his damned specter to appear before her.

~***~

Finnegrin snorted, “No, love, no I won’t. And you won’t get off light if you return to it, either,” despite the playful tone, he was deadly serious. It was one thing to fuck up one way, once. It was quite another to go back and do it intentionally, and he wouldn’t be anywhere near as merciful as he’d been, no matter how good a fuck Willow was.

There were good fucks elsewhere in the world.

But he still enjoyed the touch too much to make it overt, or spoil the mood too much with a grim tone. He was sure Willow knew by now he was as serious as he was mercurial. It was a deadly combination. “There’s plenty other questionable work that wouldn’t upset me, love. Or legal, if you prefer after all of this.”

Which wouldn’t be a surprise.

This venture had turned out to be quite a lot, since it led to the death of an Archdragon, and would soon involve selling her body for riches well beyond imagination. Once he got a taste of the meat. He should have cooked that up last night!

Well, maybe with the dark mage was better they could share a dragon steak.

“But if you’ll miss me that much, you know I’ll still come around,” he smiled against her flesh, before he shifted so he was holding her a bit more properly, even if it exposed his eyes to the irksome light again, “though I doubt your friend Drake will be happy with that.”

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos could only widen his grin when Lethe didn’t answer, but rather sprang right into action by opening her little pocket portal and pulling out a journal. There were immediate objections by the elf girl, but of course, Lethe ignored them, and the boy king discouraged any further objections.

Good. He was smart enough to understand the ramifications of the situation.

As she spoke the spell into existence, his grin carried all the satisfaction he felt in his minor victory. “That wasn't so hard, now was it?”

“Alright, she held up her end of the bargain, now it’s your turn,” Soren spoke up, eyes hardening at him.

Aaravos looked over at him. “Don’t worry, I shall. I am a man of my word, after all. And I hope you rest up - you may be getting a little family reunion very soon.” Soren looked surprised by his words, but Aaravos just turned back to Lethe. “We shall be seeing each other again very soon, my little star.”

A clear threat.

With that, the unusual glow from Callum’s eyes disappeared, and he collapsed on the deck with a low groan.

~~~

Willow knew of the seriousness in Finnegrin’s words, even if his tone didn’t match up. No, she didn’t think she would be testing her luck with that business venture again. Something new. Something different for her on the horizon.

Despite their fun evenings together, she knew not to test Finnegrin’s temper. It was as infamous as the pirate himself.

“Maybe it’ll be you that ends up missing me,” she chuckled, noting how he readjusted his hold on her. “And Drake will get over it eventually.” Maybe. Or he may constantly remind her of what Finnegrin had done to her, which would be a fair point. And she would ignore that point.

“Questionable work like working on your ship?” she mused, only half joking. But if he actually paid her…”But I don’t think I could go the route of legal work. It would be far too boring.” As he had noted before, Willow needed thrills in her life, and most legal work just didn’t offer that for her.

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe forced herself not to look away as Aaravos overstayed his welcome just a little longer. When he dropped out, no one was quite prepared for Callum's more literal dropping. Rayla was by his side in an instant and Lethe stepped back.

She wanted to run.

"Is what he said true?" Ezran asked, "are they already here?" The Ruthless was within the Sea of the Castout.. It was a valid concern though Lethe saw no other ship.

"It does us no good to assume he is," Lethe said. "Ezran can you find the prison?" Callum couldn't in his state. They couldn't trust Aaravos not to possess Callum again. The amulet would only let one of them go, and Ezran could talk a shark out of eating him. *I can take to the skies and scout."

And maybe try to stop them, although she knew she was likely outclassed. She never intended to be a combat mage.

~***~

Finnegrin scoffed a laugh at Willow's idea of work, certain she didn't mean that. She'd hardly want to be back here. That was clear and honestly he couldn't blame her. Not for the same reasons. He just didn't serve anyone. "There's always the fighting arena," he noted.

"Not as a fighter of course, little stone, but there's always openings." And they varied from beast catcher to hostess. "With that little talent of yours to understand animals, you'd make a fine beast catcher."

Whether or not she felt the same was another story. She might have a bleeding heart over animals and think this was unusually cruel, after all.

"But there's plenty of other options, love," his hand squeezed her side, "just don't forget your taxes this time, either." He'd still keep Scumport his own. The income was too good to let go.

There was the sound of footsteps outside his quarters that didn't belong to anyone on his crew. He groaned in anticipation of it all being ruined as he heard the muffled voices of Claudia and Deadwood.

 

[cleopat]

Ezran hesitated a moment with Lethe’s question, glancing over at Callum who held his head in one hand as he slowly came back to the present. “I…I should be able to.” But he never anticipated on searching for it without Callum by his side.

Callum felt like he had dissociated forcefully and drug back into his mind. He was aware of Rayla by his side, and as he came to it, he placed a comforting hand on her arm, a silent thank you.

But he was somewhat aware of what Lethe asked of Ezran, and he couldn’t just let him go into the sea searching for it alone. “Wait…I’ll go with him.” He slowly rose to his feet, steadying himself on Rayla.

“No, you’re in no condition for that,” Soren insisted.

“I’ll be fine, just give me a few seconds to…catch my breath.” He needed more than a few seconds to recover from what Aaravos just did to his mind for a second time.

“I’ll be fine, I promise, Callum,” Ezran said with what he hopefully thought was a comforting smile.

~~~

Willow squirmed as Finnegrin squeezed her side, not enjoying the near-ticklish sensation. “Oh, I don’t think I’ll be a beast catcher. I actually like animals, and most don’t enjoy fighting for sport.”

She couldn’t really see herself working the fighting arena at all, although she and Drake had spent considerable time there, watching the blood filled entertainment and occasionally placing bets themselves on who would be the winner.

She would hardly make a comment about paying taxes though. If he would be gone all the time now, how would he keep track of that information? Would he have a right hand man stationed in Scumport while he ventured out at sea?

Willow echoed his groan when she heard the footsteps and voices outside Finnegrin’s door. “Can you tell Deadwood to keep people away for just a few more minutes?” she moaned. Her head was still hurting, after all, and she wasn’t in the most uncomfortable position.

Okay, she was rather comfortable and would prefer to stay right where she was.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘Callum, Aaravos could take over you at any moment.’ Lethe wanted to say, but she held her tongue on that. Intimidating Callum wasn’t the way forward. “Callum…how do you plan to go with Ezran? We only have one necklace.” There was a way with sky magic, creating a bubble of air around a person. It wasn’t the greatest option. Losing focus of it could be deadly.

She wasn’t sure if Callum knew the method.

She wasn’t going to teach him, nor volunteer herself, though. She was aware she was just as suspect as Callum after Aaravos took him over. She couldn’t be relied on for this.

Rayla bit her bottom lip at it. She understood why Callum would want to go with Ezran. He was the youngest! She’d volunteer herself, but she was too afraid of the water to try it. “Ezran will be fine, Callum.” She tried to reassure him, “and if he’s not, he’ll just talk to a huge shark and get some help!” And although a chuckle escaped her, it was not a happy, enthusiastic one, but a terribly nervous one.

“And after what just happened….” No, it wasn’t that they couldn’t trust Callum. But he did need to rest.

And they couldn’t trust that Aaravos would keep his word.

~***~

That was, of course, exactly what Deadwood was doing being stationed outside the door. The problem was that Deadwood had to be close to the door so no one could knock on it. Raised voices could still penetrate the wood, though, and Finnegrin understood well Willow’s desire to stay in bed.

It wasn’t to be granted any longer.

“We ain’t got the time anymore, love. Best be getting up lest you want the mage to see all of ye,” Finnegrin said, nuzzling against her neck and leaving a nip of his teeth near the jaw before he’d get up himself and throw on a pair of pants, along with his coat.

He didn’t need, or want, much else this early in the morning.

The mage could deal with a bit of indecency for waking him.

And indeed, Claudia was still out there arguing with Deadwood when he opened the door to scowl down at her.

“Finally!” Claudia let out a huff, “We need to hurry to the Sea of the Castout,” Claudia told him, as if she had any right, “There’s only three more days left before my…dad’s illness will take him away forever.”

“So sure, eh? Illnesses aren’t usually so prompt, unless it’s more a magical curse,” Finnegrin wiggled his fingers at that, “Maybe I want to delay two days for your rudeness—”

“You said—”

“Aye!” he snapped, and Claudia actually recoiled, before her glare became harsh to match his tone. “I said I’d get ye there. And I said it’d be swift. Ya don’t know how close we are, do ye?” He didn’t, either, but he knew from their last point, “We aren’t even a day away.”

“…oh.”

~***~

It was only an hour ago that Claudia had reason for her fit of haste, and now that reason stood on the deck himself, watching the stars fade away as the sun overcame the horizon.

Just as his life should.

It had been gone in single, unexpected moment, and now he felt it burning out. He had made peace with it after extinguishing the life of Domina, the last necessity for his family. He saw what Claudia's pursuit was doing to her. He mourned his lost daughter.

He mourned his lost son that Claudia now denied. Hated.

She had found him composing a letter to Soren. She didn't burn it but stormed out yelling after herself that she wouldn't let her dad die. That Soren was ungrateful and didn't know the sacrifices they made for family.

'This is my last sacrifice, then.'

For Soren.

He had to hope Claudia would find her letter and reconcile with her brother. He had to hope Soren would forgive her. If it took his life and giving everything up…well, so be it.

It didn't matter.

Even in the grand scheme, he knew, then, nothing mattered.

But he harbored a little hope his death would restore his children.

It was a little hope that burned inside his chest, with the wish he made on the stars.

 

[cleopat]

Callum wanted to fight what he was being told. He could use the sky arcanum to breathe underwater! But if he lost his focus…and with the way he still felt after the possession, he wondered if he could hold his concentration for that long. Long enough to search the bottom for the prison, however small it may be.

But Rayla’s words allowed him to visibly relax.

“Yeah!” Ezran reassured him. “I'll be fine, I promise. And Rayla’s right! I’ll simply talk to a sea creature and get some help if I need it.”

Callum sighed in his defeat. “Alright, I’ll stay here. But at the first sign of trouble…” he raised one finger and pointed it at Ezran.

“Then you’ll come and find me, I got it!” Ezran finished with a smile and nod.




“Well isn’t that just sweet,” Aaravos said, appearing by Lethe’s side. “A brother willing to go into danger for the other.” A small smirk rested on his lips. After a second though, his gaze casted to the sea around them. “So my prison rests somewhere out here. Interesting.”

His eyes rested back on Lethe. “And soon I will be able to see what my prison looks like.”

~~~

Willow pouted for a second upon the news that they couldn’t stay in bed any longer, though she hummed in contentment at the nuzzle and nip. Shame they couldn’t stay in bed longer, until their hangovers were gone and they could indulge in…other activities before returning to the real world.

But soon after Finnegrin got up, somewhat dressed, and moved towards the door, she got up as well to put on her clothes. She moved out of the line of sight that Claudia may have into the room. She would rather not let them know she spent the night in Finnegrin’s bed. She was pretty sure they didn't even know she was currently staying in his room while they were in hers.

Willow hardly paid any attention to the words exchanged between Claudia and Finnegrin. Once she was dressed, she waited for Claudia to leave before leaving the room to start the day.

It wasn’t that much later when she spotted the dark mage at the subject of Claudia’s restlessness and short temper, just standing on the deck and watching the horizon. She still didn’t know his condition, or what it was they sought to cure him, but whatever it was seemed to be affecting…well, not quite the same as it did to Claudia.

Willow frowned and slowly walked over to him. “You seem like you have a lot on your mind.” A given considering the circumstances. “I suppose there’s nothing you want to get off your chest? I can be a friendly ear for you for a few minutes if you need it.”

 

[Lucyfer]

‘You’ll be fine Ezran. We’ll get it before the dark mages do. They don’t know what to look for.’ And then they would all get out of there before the dark mages showed up. Although, Lethe worried, and did consider taking Jove to do a search of the perimeter from the skies as Ezran took the amulet to go underwater.

As Aaravos appeared at her side.

She tried to tune him out, but she still tensed as his voice broke through her thoughts.

Scouting seemed like a great idea. “I’ll take Jove and make sure our perimeter remains safe. If it’s not, I’ll come back and warn everyone,” Lethe said, stepping back from the group, “If Aaravos wasn’t lying, we may need to prepare to make sure Ezran has time,” to make sure he stayed safe, and got the prison to safety, too.

That was more important than any of their lives, really.

Well, more important than hers. She wasn’t really keen to see the children have to sacrifice themselves. They should be allowed to escape to safety.

~***~

Viren hadn’t forgotten the woman he was introduced to the other night. He supposed he’d seen her around on the deck before, when his mind wasn’t really there. He nodded as she approached, though her request for information came with a shake of his head. “Unless you know how to convince your own child to accept your death, there’s nothing to talk about.”

He leaned into the railing around the ship, cast his eyes back out, “She refuses to accept it, and now I’m all but imprisoned here on this ship, unable to live out my last days how I’d like,” and he wouldn’t be free of the ship before his death. "It's a shame, but it is what it is. I just have to hope at the end she'll deliver my letter to her brother. They aren't...exactly on speaking terms right now."

No matter.

Given this was his lot, he would have to make the most of it. If Claudia wouldn’t change course, then he, at least, would find peace. Maybe in that, she would also find peace once he was gone. Realize that he was all right with it, once it was finally, all over.

He didn’t know – but that was not in his control any longer.

Nothing was, except himself.

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos chuckled lowly as Lethe merely ignored him. Oh how he longed to be in the presence of another person again, to hear voices other than his own, to touch someone else, whether intimately or threateningly.

Three hundred years of complete isolation had been too much to bear.

He couldn’t quite gauge where they were just by the water that surrounded them, with no distinguishable landmark. If it were nighttime, he could look at the stars and pinpoint a location. He had to hand it to that long-deceased human mage and Archmage Akiyu, a prison underwater would be hard to find, and hard to escape from.

But not impossible.


“Alright,” Callum said, agreeing with Lethe’s plans. He then turned to Ezran, who put the magical amulet around his neck. “It’ll be okay.” Though whether he was reassuring himself or Ezran was unknown.

He would just much prefer to go beneath the surface with him.

“Yes, it will, it’ll be fine,” Ezran promised, a look settled on his face befitting the king that he was. After a few more words were exchanged, Ezran dove beneath the surface of the water, only coming back up several seconds later to confirm to everyone that the amulet worked.

To ease their minds.

“Isn’t that such a sweet moment,” Aaravos thought out loud with a hint of mockery.

~~~

Willow raised her brows in mild surprise, not quite expecting Viren to be essentially a walking dead man. She knew he was sick…but not that sick. And yet he didn’t look like he was struck with any fatal illness she knew of. “Oh, um…I’m sorry to hear that. All of that,” she said with a little awkwardness.

But it was very tragic, how the end of his life was playing out. Stuck on a ship in the middle of the ocean, with apparently two children who weren’t talking at all. “I couldn’t help with the situation between your two kids. I’ve never had any siblings myself. But seeing your parent die while you’re still young…I don’t think anything can prepare you for that pain.”

Losing both her parents so young (well, in her eyes, her father was as good as dead), she could sympathize with Claudia on a certain level.

“But your daughter seems to have a great support system with her,” Willow said, motioning to Terry in the distance. “I didn’t have that when my mother died.” No one was willing to help the half-breed except for the occasional kind soul here and there. And then there was Drake, who came into her life later on.

“And if you want something to do on this ship to make these days seem less…dreary,” she motioned towards the crow’s nest, high above the ship. “Well, this isn’t that great for daytime. But my father, during one of our rare moments together, would take me on his ship at night and teach me how to navigate using the stars. Sometimes I still like to lay out and gaze at the stars, thinking about everything and yet nothing. The stars seem to be grander when in the middle of the ocean.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe persisted on trying to ignore Aaravos as she waited until Ezran dove under for a second time, after confirming the amulet worked. Lethe was relieved. There was always the chance of Akiyu lying to them. Then Callum or herself would have to go.

She let out a sigh as Aaravos commented, easily mistaken for one of relief. 'There was a time you might have actually thought that.' A time he would have praised the notion of suck sweetness.

He wasn't that man anymore.

"Send up a bolt of lightning if you end up in any trouble or when Ezran makes it back, alright?" Lethe requested, before whistling for Jove, who returned to her side and let her mount up.

'Can you follow?' She couldn't help but glance at the spectre then before Jove shot up into the air, to begin scouting the area.

She wasn't sure if he wished he could or hoped he couldn't.

~***~

Viren knew his question didn't really have an answer. He wasn't expecting anything from Willow, though he hummed apologetically when she mentioned her losses. "I lost mine before my children could ever form memories of them." He knew the pain of that loss, though it hadn't come on suddenly.

His parents had been old when he was conceived. They'd given up even hoping for children by then.

"I know the pain. Claudia thinks I'm all she has left. I wish she would see it isn't true." Even with Terry at her side. Likely fear still lingered about her mother and the possibility of Terry just walking out.

He'd been a terrible father.

He shook his head a bit at the stars, a dark laugh rising and dying in his throat. "The stars have helped a bit too much." Cryptic. That just made him think more of Aaravos. He sighed and pushed his fingers up through his hair. "They're pretty to look at, but take my advice. If a star ever starts talking to you, ignore it. That's how I got here in the first place…."

Well no, that was dark magic.

Still.

"I looked up for more, instead of cherishing what I had."

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos remained in his spot for a moment longer as his eyes followed Lethe as she ascended into the air on her bird. He contemplated on letting her thoughts race with whether or not he would follow, or what he would say upon her return, or to just do what may be expected of him and follow her.

The answer was only too easy. And besides, she may appreciate some privacy for a conversation.

Aaravos conjured the spectral form of a winged horse and flew after Lethe, easily catching up to her with just a few flaps of the horse’s wings. “You didn’t want the others to listen in on our conversation?” he asked with a knowing smirk.

“Or did you want me all to yourself, now that they know you will be able to see me?” He rode closer to her. If he reached a hand out, he would be able to grasp her hair. “Or did you want privacy because you didn’t want them seeing you begging for forgiveness?”

~~~

Willow also wished she could make Claudia see that she wasn’t alone. There was Terry. And where did she come from? Did she have friends back there? With her outgoing nature, it was hard to imagine her not having any friends, but she could also be a bit…abrasive. Maybe that scared away the other kids.

Upon his dry laugh and cryptic comment, she raised a brow at him, curious to know more. That curiosity grew with a scrunch of her nose as he gave her the very odd advice of ignoring when stars talk to you. Are you going crazy in your last days?

“I feel like there is a very long and very interesting story behind that stars talking comment,” she chuckled. At least, she hoped there was. “But of course, you don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to.” He was already dealing with a lot in accepting his death, and trying to get his daughter to do the same.

She listened to him, and hummed. “I think we are all guilty of that at some point in our lives. My mother definitely did that. She waited for someone who was never returning, and neglected me in many ways.” Her mother was still there for her when Willow needed her, but there was a definite emotional care that was lacking. “It’s not too late to cherish what you have.”

His daughter may not like that idea.

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is it that's killing you?" But given Claudia's and Terry's secrecy to everything, she quickly added, "Of course, you don't have to tell me, a complete stranger, anything. I'm just curious."

 

[Lucyfer]

The method Aaravos used to follow her was a bit of a surprise to Lethe. She didn't expect to see a conjured Pegasus, she had just assumed of he could follow, he'd simply float up after her. Then again, when wasn't he extra in some way?

Ignoring him now did seem fairly pointless, even if he deserved it for Callum.

"If anyone should be begging for forgiveness, it's you," her voice was hot with anger as she kept her eyes of him and on the waters below. Jove flew in a slow, ever-widening circle from their own boat. "Callum is a child, Aaravos. Possessing him was monstrous." No, she certainly wasn't about to feel guilt in that moment over him being locked up in some prison. "I know I should expect it from you but I keep hoping you're better than that."

She was more a fool for it.

~***~

"Oh, very interesting," despite the fact it definitely was, Viren's tone was dry, touched with bitterness over his past stupidity. He couldn't fix it now. He had to continue with the consequences of trusting Aaravos.

And hope his daughter wouldn't be the next victim.

Willow's story was tragic in it's way. A life spent waiting was a life unlived. "I'm sorry your mother also failed to see what she had, while there was still time." And despite her words, Viren knew it was too late. Not to cherish what he had, but to regain so much of it.

He'd never see Soren again, his golden boy.

He'd never tell Soren how brave he was for standing up for what was right, against everything and everyone he knew and loved.

At the question of what was killing him, he did laugh. "A fall. From the Storm Spire. Two years ago." What was the point in hiding it now? "I died there. Claudia brought me back but the spell expires. She thinks there's a way to extend it but…I can't accept any more dark magic."

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos maintained an air of amusement and slight mockery, although a hint of anger simmered beneath his facade, as memories of their last moment together before his imprisonment flashed across his mind, like it did nearly every day for three hundred years.

“I’ve learned that if you set expectations on others, they’ll just end up disappointing you. Like how I expected my apprentice to trust me and ask me anything she wanted answers for, but I guess that may be too much.” He mocked, pouted and tutted.

Oh how he had been disappointed in Lethe.

“But really, how do you expect one to act after three hundred years of isolation?” He kept his spectral flying horse near her. “Do you really expect them to not be changed in the least? To simply come out of that prison on their knees, begging for forgiveness?” Aaravos laughed at that and shook his head.

They would all be fools to think that.

~~~

Willow raised her brows in surprise. Not too much surprise, as that had been the rumors surrounding the great dark mage Lord Viren, but to hear the confirmation come from his lips was another story.

“Shit,” she said rather plainly with a dry chuckle. “I heard stories about what happened at Storm Spire, but that…” she trailed off. He knew what emotions that story might invoke. He lived it, after all. Lived it, died there, and then brought back to be haunted by the memories.

“But the dark magic…you just used it to kill that archdragon. Does it affect you that much that you couldn’t use it once more to save your life?” Dark magic was a curious thing. Of course, given her residency in Xadia her entire life, Willow knew what everyone there thought of it.

Something to revile. To ignore. To let the lesser humans use it.

But she didn’t quite see it that way.

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe wouldn't let herself feel upset for disappointing Aaravos. Approaching him about such things were out of the question but that point. It could have led to her death. It still, likely, would…but hopefully the world would be more ready to deal with him. "I would expect after 300 years, a man as smart as you would see the error of his ways. So…yes, I expected you to be apologetic. To understand what you did wrong."

He didn't.

So, of course, he couldn't be released. If he had appeared apologetic, she might have argued on his behalf. After all, imprisonment, isolation, time…it did all change people.

It changed Aaravos for the worse.

The time for conversation wasn't to last long, though. Taking to the skies did allow Lethe to see a point further off, a disturbance on the waters, that she headed towards until it became clear it was a ship.

She looked to right to Aaravos. "Is that them?"

She'd have to buy time.

She wasn't prepared to try and deal with dark mages.

~***~

No, of course Willow didn't understand why he couldn't save his own life with it. He sighed. "If I had been more…aware of myself. I may have let Domina end us all. What Claudia is trying to do is…terrible. It will lead to more problems." It made it tempting to jump overboard, but he wouldn't.

He was still afraid.

And that wouldn't guarantee Claudia would stop trying to release Aaravos. If he let time take it's toll, he thought that would work better.

"And it always starts that way. Just one life. Just one illness. Just one lie, one murder, one more until you don't see the lines anymore. Everything can be justified," he sighed and shook his head. "I want to die, choosing to reject this. I want to die and never touch it again. Better that than showing I can be swayed by fear."

Ironic.

Aaravos used fear to move him, while warning him about it in the same breath.

Perhaps thought of him was why for a moment he thought he saw a sparkle of him above, but there was nothing. Just a bird.

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos shrugged. “After 300 hundred years, I did see the error of my ways. I saw that there is truly no one I should have trusted except myself.” Everyone he thought of as a friend betrayed him cruelly. Including the one he loved.

She stabbed his heart and left it to rot.

Another ship sailed in the distance, and they drew close enough for Aaravos to see a friend of his. If Viren was there, then that meant his plans were falling into place as expected. He looked over at Lethe when she asked about them.

Naturally he wanted to subvert the question with riddles, but he felt a little more generous at the moment. Maybe to see if there would be panic in her eyes. “Yes, that’s them.”

~~~

Willow made a noise. “Well, I know it probably means nothing then, but I’m glad you didn’t let Domina end us all. I like living, sometimes,” she said with a crooked grin. Even on her darker days, she didn’t imagine herself dying because of a fucking dragon.

But maybe it beat dying from a knife or some stupid disease.

“Well, if…or rather when, you die, who’s to say Claudia won’t go down that path even further? Maybe she needs her father to set her straight.” But Viren already seemed set on his choice. He wouldn’t do whatever it was to save his life.

Maybe dark magic took that much from a person.

“Well…is there anything I can do to help you make this day, err, memorable for you?” Perhaps memorable wasn’t the right word…but he knew what she meant! Willow didn’t know exactly what she could do for him, but if he had any requests, she could try and help him fulfill them.

A dying man’s last wishes.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘The guilt-trip isn’t working.’

Except, of course, it was.

Lethe was still too terribly attached to Aaravos. She rather hoped to return to the ship, after his prison was stashed safely. She didn’t want to lay eyes on it. She didn’t want to know where it was kept. It would be for the best.

‘Or die here. Never know.’

An option.

A Dark Mage wasn’t exactly the sort who was going to give her any mercy or quarter. “All right, then,” a terrible resolve. She couldn’t let them find Callum and the others. She still had to let the others know, of course, but first, she took a deep breath.

Felt the air.

The sky.

“Stratum caligo,” she murmured, and the air above the water began turning to fog, and it would spread across the Sea of the Castout, and rise to cover her, though she knew that wasn’t likely to protect her for long.

Certainly not after the next two spells, “Mortiferum turbo,” extending a hand out, the wind picked up and swirled around the ship, trapping it in a vortex, “Jove, lightning. Let the others know.”

Jove understood well enough, and a flash of lightning both gave away their position – and shot through the fog to let their allies know trouble was afoot, if the rolling fog cover didn’t warn them already.

But Lethe was still too soft-hearted to close the winds on the ship. She just wanted to hold it. To trouble them. As if a dark mage wouldn’t have a way to break out of it.

~***~

Viren allowed himself to indulge in a bit of a wry smile at her thanks. He understood, and knew that wishing he hadn’t done it, was only going to get that kind of response, “You’re welcome,” but it would be his last act.

If Claudia continued down that dark path…well, it was her choice.

Just as he painfully learned he had a choice to begin with. He could have stopped. He should have stopped.

Behind him, he could hear Claudia speaking with the Captain, but their words didn’t much register. She was arguing with him about an island that should be here – and he was arguing that there was no island in the Sea of the Castout.

He sighed at their tones, his smile faltering.

“I can’t ask you to look after Claudia, but perhaps you’d be willing to make a journey to find my son and take the letter to him? There’s nothing I want from today except peace.”

Peace he wasn’t to get.

An unnatural fog rolled in and at first he thought it might be some way to obscure whatever island Claudia sought – but then the winds picked up, and the ship went entirely still as every wind encircled it, a violent tornado manifesting all around them – but not touching them.

Viren pushed away from the railing in utter shock and almost fell back on his ass.

There was a flash of lightning in the sky. “A storm?” he wondered.

“No,” he heard Claudia’s venom, overeager, “we found Callum and his friends.”

“Fucking skywing elf,” Finnegrin cursed, spotting it as well when Claudia pointed up.

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos watched in silent approval as Lethe conjured up her storm, first blinding them and then trapping them, before the bird sent out a signal. “I remember a time when such a spell would have been near impossible for you,” he mused, as if reminiscing on past memories.

He was, a little. Memories that were nothing but a dream now that he sometimes indulged in, if only to give himself something nice to think about in his solitude.

“I am eager to see what happens. Dark mages against children and one who honed both the sky and star arcanum, who also dabbled in dark magic herself.” He leaned forward on his flying horse as he spoke. “What an interesting situation this will turn out to be.”


Callum looked up at the distance when he noticed the fog forming, thinking nothing of it at first. It was just fog, and they were on a large sea. Nothing unusual there.

But then he swore he saw a swirling vortex in the distance, followed soon by lightning. That was unmistakable, and he stood straight up suddenly, gaining the attention of others. “It’s Lethe, I think she found them.”

They needed to get Ezran and get out of there, fast.

~~~

Willow felt a slight twinge in her chest at Viren’s request, and she could only nod. How could she not help him fulfill that request? Besides, it would give her an opportunity to see more of the world, instead of being cooped up in Scumport, the only town she really only ever knew.

But she couldn’t voice her agreement or ask more about his son, before the environment shifted.

First came the fog, which felt as unnatural as it truly was. Then they were trapped by violent winds whipping around them, but not touching them. Willow backed up suddenly from the railing, and helped steady Viren when he nearly fell down.

Her confusion was quickly squashed by Claudia and Finnegrin. Of course, it only left more questions, but at least she knew it was now sabotage, as she looked up at the sky where the flash of lightning illuminated the sky. “Who’s Callum and his friends?” she asked whomever would answer.

She didn’t know how to get out of this wind prison. “And how the fuck are we to get out of this?” That question she directed back to where Claudia and Finnegrin stood, hoping one of them would be able to answer.

 

[Lucyfer]

‘Dark mages against children….’

Lethe hated that thought. ‘Please, run.’

Keeping focus was the struggle. Aaravos was right – there was a time this would have been impossible. It wasn’t anymore, but it still required concentration to keep the storm raging around the ship. She couldn’t let them get to the kids. She couldn’t let them get Aaravos’s prison.

The mage turned out to be quite capable.

Outside the vortex, the tentacles of a giant squid manifested and rushed skyward for her. Jove quickly began to dodge around them, sparking with electricity – but not much. He couldn’t risk shocking Lethe, after all.

‘Damn it!’ her concentration broke.

The ship was free of the vortex, so she tried to refocus, “Ferrum venti!” The tentacles were cut. The sails, as well, were ripped as the gust continued, taking whatever small debris – sand, wood – and turning it into deadly weapons against those sails as Jove flew around the ship.

Too close, it would turn out.

There was a pirate who practiced ocean magic, and the icy chill of it gripped her suddenly, surprisingly. She went rigid, and completely lost her hold on Jove as she just…slipped over the side, and right into the water, unable to even try to fight to swim, or move, at all. She couldn’t even escape the claw that came her way, which should have cut her in half – but it didn’t.

Not that it held her gently.

Her midsection was definitely bruised, before she was tossed roughly onto the deck of the ship, dazed, freezing, and quite out of it.

~***~

Viren knew who Claudia was referring to, and while not exactly a fan of them, Callum was Harrow’s child in every way that mattered. Ezran, as well, and – ‘Soren.’ He felt his heart swell painfully in his chest, with desire to see him, and a terrible fear at what would happen if he could see them.

“Tch. This is easy,” Claudia said as Willow shouted back at her and Finnegrin, digging into her bag.

“Claudia, this isn’t necessary.” Viren said, but he was ignored as Claudia pulled out a tentacle of a squid, which she immediately squeezed in her grip.

“It’s going to be okay, dad,” she promised, as her eyes went black, “don’t worry, I’m going to take care of you,” and then she lifted her gaze up, “Nwod meht gard, psarg gnihtirw!”

Spectral tentacles burst from outside the whirlwind, as large as a kraken’s, and reached skyward for the elf, who immediately began to try and fly around it – but it broke their concentration on the spell, which was all Claudia really wanted as the tentacles continued reaching and grasping ever-higher, ever-after the mage.

A gust of wind ripped through the tentacles – and through their sails.

It would have grounded them if they were bound by the sails, but Claudia knew otherwise.

“I have—” she was already reaching in her bag for something more.

Finnegrin, however, wasn’t patient enough to let the dark mage handle it all. Now that he had a clear view of the skywing elf, and recognized she wasn’t using her own wings to fly, he reached out to the blood in her veins.

“Veinus frigardis.”

The skywing elf fell from her mount, to a surprised cry of, “NO!” from Claudia as she hit the water.

“What?” Finnegrin asked, annoyed, as the bird high-tailed it away.

“She might have information on what…,” she trailed off, as Sea Legs lifted the elf’s body from the water and tossed her onto the deck. “Oh.”

Finnegrin snorted, “People who attack me don’t get off that easily,” Finnegrin stated, though the spell had released Lethe, she was still dazed from the shock of it and the collision with the water, to react to the new situation in a timely fashion.

~***~

It was certainly Lethe, and all too soon, the situation seemed to change. Not that Rayla could see much from where they were, but she strained to as the fog began to clear – and then a sparking Jove came back towards the ship.

Alone.

“Jove? Where’s Lethe?” Not that Rayla would understand as Jove landed on the ship deck and started trilling out urgent sounds.

Not good.

“Someone needs to get Ezran, now,” Rayla said, though there was only one of them who could…and he was also the only one who had a hope of keeping the others away with his magic.

Ooooh, this wasn’t good!

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos knew he should have watched with amusement and glee as the dark mage’s daughter fought back with a kraken, with the tidebound elf eventually using a blood freezing spell to finish Lethe off.

But as he watched her freeze, fall off the bird, and plummet into the water, he frowned in mild concern. He knew the spell would mean she was unable to do anything herself. If they didn’t release her from the spell or bring her to the surface, she would die.

Only I should be the one to end her. That’s what he told himself.

The…ship? Pulled Lethe out of the water almost immediately, and Aaravos let out a sigh of relief. She was still frozen, from what he could tell.

Needing to see more of the others, and what will happen to Lethe, Aaravos moved in closer, eventually getting rid of his spectral flying horse to stand on the deck and lean against the railing, as if he was always there.

~~~

Willow frowned as Claudia performed her dark magic, even as her father protested. The giant squid appear, and she stared in slight awe for a moment as the wind around them ceased - until it didn’t.

A gust of wind ripped around them, and Willow channeled into the earth arcanum to control some of the debris that she could, such as the sand and wood. It all stopped once more after Finnegrin’s little spell, one that she remembered quite well with a shiver down her spine.

She didn’t pity the skywing elf in that moment, watching as she plunged down into the ocean.

The hermit crab pulled the elf out of the ocean and plopped her onto the deck. She nearly scoffed at Finnegrin’s statement, remembering how exactly she experienced his blood freezing spell when they first met, but she remained silent, standing off to the side as she examined the skywing elf.

With horns nearly as long as herself.

~~~

Callum frowned and furrowed his brow at Jove’s urgent sounds. That wasn’t good. He could only surmise what had happened to Lethe, which meant they had to be quick to get her back.

He knew that if he went to get Ezran, they may be open for attack, but he couldn’t let his brother remain vulnerable like that, under the water without knowing what was happening above him.

“I’ll go get him.” Who else could do it? Ezran had the amulet, and Callum had the ability to breathe underwater with a simple cast of a spell.

“Be careful,” Soren said with unusual seriousness.

Callum nodded. He uttered the spell to keep his lungs full of air, and he dived over the side of the boat to find his brother.

 

[Lucyfer]

"Don't just stand there, get'er bound!" Finnegrin shouted the order as Sea Legs began to completely uncurl itself to take over the job of moving the ship now that the sails were wasted. "How many are in this group you mentioned, mage?" Finnegrin asked Claudia.

"I–I'm not sure," Claudia answered, "last time, um l," she began to count them out on her fingers as Deadwood moved to where the elf fell with shackles, "four! No, five, sorry we had my brother with me," she shook her head, "this one is new so they may have more with them, especially since we're looking for the same thing."

A prison, that housed a mage named Aaravos, Finnegrin now knew from all of Claudia's complaints that morning. He had no qualms freeing someone from prison but all the fuss did make him mighty curious.

Although he was only annoyed when he heard the beginnings of a spell from the Skywing elf. It was cut off before the rune was finished by Deadwood securing both hands, but still – annoying. "You didn't mention this before."

"You didn't give me any head's up when we were near Domina," Claudia returned, "don't tell me you're afraid of some humans and elves."

Finnegrin could only glare at her mocking tone as one of those elves was shoved right back down to her knees. "Sea Legs, head for the center."

Claudia intended to get better directions than that. She approached the elf. "Tell me where Callum is. Tell me where Aaravos is."

Lethe would never. Well…almost never.

She tilted her head to where the phantom of Aaravos was, since her hands were now bound behind her. "Aaravos is right there by the railing."

"What?"

And of course Claudia looked and saw nothing.

Viren looked. He'd been avoiding looking directly, but now he could. And there was, indeed, Aaravos. But Aaravos wasn't here for him. He was watching the elf.

Claudia couldn't see.

And Claudia wasn’t amused, as the sound of her slap made clear, tearing Viren’s gaze away from the haunting star, back to the moment. ‘Why can I see him?’ Why couldn’t Claudia? More to the point, why could the elf see Aaravos? What tie did they have in common?

“Look, my father’s life depends on this—”

“Claudia—” Viren couldn’t interrupt.

“—so if you don’t tell me, before his time runs out, I will make sure the rest of yours is so full of misery you won’t want to live it anymore. I’m just trying to save my dad.”

“I don’t want saved, Claudia! You need to stop this.”

The Elf looked at him.

Pity.

But more than that—understanding.

“Dad, you’re not well, once you’re healed you’ll be—you’ll want to live! I promise!” And as quick as that moment of weakness showed, she was back to glaring down at the elf, “So tell me.”

“…you don’t have the power to make my life worse,” was all the elf answered instead. “But you’ll ruin yours if you pursue Aaravos.”

~***~

Ezran was, indeed, blissful of what was going on above. He was able to recruit the help of other sea creatures, who aided him in going lower, and lower, until he found himself before a clam. With a few gentle words, he convinced the clam to open up, and reveal the pearl that was Aaravos’s prison to him.

The sentiment of gratitude was strong as he hefted the pearl out, and put it into the pack. He was surprisingly light, but then, it was magic. Perhaps that wasn’t too surprising. He started to swim back once it was secured on his back, but saw Callum under the water.

Panic quickly rose in him.

If Callum came down, something was wrong.

He quickly signed that very question, “What’s wrong?” before swimming a bit faster to where Callum was.

 

[cleopat]

Willow honestly had no idea what was going on even more. Who exactly was this elf and why was she interested in stopping them? Was it truly necessary to shackle her?

And Aaravos was there? She didn’t see anyone in the direction the elf pointed at.

Aaravos, who watched the scene with mild curiosity. Lethe had nothing to gain from saying he was there, despite no one else being able to see him. All it would do was label her as someone who was potentially insane.

He straightened up though with the slap. Oh sure, he wanted to get his revenge on Lethe in his own way, but for someone else to harm her? He didn’t like that.

Willow looked onto the scene with pity. Claudia, who was so desperate to save her father, that she was in full denial of what he wanted. That the entire process was driving her to insanity.

And she wanted to step in, but feared it wasn’t her place. That it would only make things worse. Instead, she asked the elf, “Who exactly is this Aaravos?”

~~~

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for Callum to spot Ezran, who seemed to have been heading back to the surface. He signed back to Ezran, “Lethe is in trouble. They found us.” There was no need to define who ‘they’ were.

It had to be Claudia and Viren that she encountered. He couldn’t think of anyone else she would send that signal out about.

Callum led them back to the surface, where once they reached air, they were helped back on the ship. After a few seconds, Ezran composed himself and looked around. “You said Lethe is in trouble. Where is she?”

Soren pointed in the direction of where they saw the lightning, with no Lethe to be seen yet. There was a silent understanding of what happened to her.

“Did you find the prison?” Callum asked Ezran, who nodded and pulled the pearl out of the bag. “Right. She’ll want us to make sure that Aaravos’ prison doesn’t end up in their hands.”

 

[Lucyfer]

There was a small interruption to anything else Claudia may have done, as one of the other elves on the ship spoke up. At least, Lethe assumed elf. The horns were barely there.

"The Star I was talking about." The dying man said, none too pleased to have spoken with Aaravos from his tone. Lethe could only assume he learned too late that Aaravos was poison. Her heart did go out to him, but she still shot a look to Aaravos.

'See?' He caused pain. She'd been right to pity these mages. The one who was dying would rather die than let Aaravos help.

Lethe added, if only to delay worse from Claudia, "A startouched elf who tried to start a war with elves against dragons against humans." A three way war. "The one who gave us dark magic."

Viren noted the 'us'. Not humans. She had used it. Perhaps that explained her life. She spoke in a tone entirely too familiar with the hurt to not know Aaravos.

And given how Aaravos responded to her abuse…. Well, Viren could assume quite a bit.

"Pfft," Claudia discarded their bitter notions. "Aaravos was the only one who believed in humanity. When we were dying, he was the one who stepped in to help us, and he gave us the means to save ourselves! And he'll help us again, once he's free from his wrongful imprisonment. We'll never have to suffer under the tyranny of dragons or anything else!" Ezran's naive decision would be reversed. "You'll see, dad," she promised, "I spoke with him for two years, I know him better than you now."

Viren's expression was one of obvious doubt.

"But first," Claudia returned to her priorities. She reached down for Lethe, and wrapped one hand around the base of a horn to pull the elf to her feet. "Where," Lethe couldn't help the gasp of immediate discomfort and pain, as quick as she could to avoid more. Claudia's grip made sure it didn't fade the easily."--is the prison?"

"South!" A lie but not one they'd discover soon, right?

"Good try, lass," Finnegrin chuckled, his momentary, second hand discomfort now masked. "The other ship is straight ahead. I can see it through the clearing fog."

Claudia looked out, squinted, before another vicious grin cut across her face. "Good! I want everyone alive for questioning." She let go off Lethe's horn, " but don't think we're done. South!" She mocked the lie with a 'hmph' as she moved away for the next engagement.

~***~

Jove went right to Ezran, the story of his confused failure told to the only one who understood. Ezran wrapped an arm around Jove's neck to comfort him. "It wasn't your fault. We'll get her back and you'll see, she'll be alright!" Ezran reassured.

Jove just let out a low, worried coo.

Then Callum mentioned not letting the prison get into the wrong hands. "We won't, but we can't leave her!" As he said it, the shadow of a larger ship appeared, moving closer.

"And we won't!" Rayla said, but realized what Callum was getting at, "but you and Zym need to go. You can get reinforcements!" She tried to sound encouraging but the way he winced made her shift, "or a celebratory party to meet us on shore."

"You don't think we can escape, do you?" Ezran asked pointedly.

Rayla sighed and looked to Callum, and Soren.

 

[cleopat]

Willow didn’t like the sounds of this Aaravos. Not from Viren, and not from the shackled elf. Because of their words, she doubted what Claudia had to say about the elf. Her words screamed manipulation.

Oh how easy it would be to manipulate someone who was desperate.

And as she winced and looked away from the rough handling of Lethe’s horn by Claudia, she wondered if they should be helping Claudia at all. Please let us have mercy on those on that ship.

Aaravos tensed his hand at the pain Claudia inflicted on Lethe. He took a step away from the railing, but no closer than that. He knew Claudia was capable of much, and that was reason enough for him to keep a close eye on her through narrowed eyes.



Callum sighed, not at all hiding the sorrow on his face. There was no hiding that the ship was catching up to them. And as Nyx told them, it was the fastest ship of the most notorious pirate on the seas. “Rayla’s right, Ezran. You need to get out of here, with the prison.

Ezran wanted to scream and shout and argue that he wouldn’t leave them, the resolved look Callum gave left him silent. With grace befitting of the king he was, Ezran nodded in agreement, and after a brief discussion, he mounted Jove with Zym, and they took off, the pearlescent prison of the startouched elf safely tucked away in his bag.



The ship did catch up to them soon enough, and after a brief scuffle, all were brought aboard Finnegrin’s ship, shackled on the deck. It took everything in Soren to not break down over seeing his sister and father there.

He wanted to look at them. To say something to them. But instead he focused his gaze down on the deck to avoid them.

Willow frowned as she assessed the captives. Children. They’re fucking children. Oh, she didn’t have a good feeling about this at all.