Ran feels the bounce of her boat underneath her.

It was heavier than normal, now with most of her belongings and Howl with her.

And not to forget Memphis, who was asleep somehow.

She turns to make sure her stowaway is not trying anything.

Howl is grumpy, being stuck with her, and being under the atomic sun too long.

She had enjoyed bossing him around on her island, making him drag and pack her things. He was harmless, but extremely annoying still.

Memphis was helpful, but he was still traumatized from the ordeal. He worked in silence, then slept.

"Where we going?! Our island is that way!" Howl finally says.

"I need to speak to Homestead," Ran replies.

"No! I want nothing to do with him!"

"We're going to need his help," Ran yells over the ocean.

Howl spits. "This is not how I thought this would end up!"

"Your confidence is a bit much, little man."

Howl does not reply, but points.

Homestead's pirate ship is still on the sand bed.

Ran turns her boat that way, and eventually guides it up to the sand.

She immediately looks around the sand bed for any fallen or any other enemies.

Old habit.

The crazy pirate pop ups before they even dock, but something is off with him.

Ran looks down at Memphis, still fast asleep on the side of the ship.

"Should we wake old sleepy head?" Howl asks.

Ran shakes her head. "I doubt he sleeps much. Let him while he can. Cover him up though. That sun."

Howl pulls a thin sheet from some of Ran's belongings and places it over the skinny survivor.

"I come in peace, Captain," Ran says, as she walks on the sand, sensing something is off.

Her fingers twitch on her pistol at her side.

The mad pirate is silent, but shook.

He starts to pace back and forth, mumbling.

Howl notices something is wrong as well.

"Well, the sun finally got him. It got you, didn't it? You old bastard" Howl laughs.

"Shut up, Howl." Ran could slap Howl, but Homestead's behavior disturbs her.

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The captain keeps turning and pacing, like looking for an exit on his own ship.

Like bouncing into an invisible wall, or an invisible line that he cannot cross.

"What got into him?" Howl asks Ran.

She shakes her head and approaches the ship.

"Captain?"

"Beast," Homestead replies. "It was a beast."

"What was?"

"I never believed it. But I saw it," Homestead says, looking out. "Rumors. Legends. From the old world. Ancient world. Before this world. Before the world that ended! They were there. One is back."

Ran starts to get chills from his words, even underneath the atomic sky.

"Can we come aboard?"

"No. I'll come to you."

The old captain grabs a rope and swings it heroically off his junk ship on to the sand right in front of them.

The acrobatics of the old man is incredible.

He stares at the two with a true fear in his eyes.

"Have you seen it?"

"No. We've seen nothing. Just the fallen," Ran replies.

"Fallen," the captain says in a whisper. "Fallen. Fallen. The fallen bow to this. The beast. The beast from the sea. The old books spoke of it. All the religions spoke of it. The Devil himself. A leviathan. A sea monster. A colossus. A siren. The beast. The beast."

Homestead keeps repeating the beast as he walks around the sand bed, now in a new invisible box he is confined to.

Ran feels some compassion for the old sailor. She stops him and puts her hand on his shoulder, and tries to get his hardened skin and dread filled hair to look up at him.

"What did you see?" Ran asks.

"The beast," the captain says like a child. "The beast from the sea. This morning. Right off there."

He points towards the deepest part of the ocean off the sand bed. "I'd never seen it before. It is here for a reason. I don't know if it can be destroyed. It will destroy all of us, though."

Homestead seems to come back. "Where is Orion?"

"At the aircraft carrier," Ran answers.

"The fool. The bloody fool. That beast is probably going there. What do you need?"

"Your help," Ran replies. "There might be survivors on that ship. We could use your ship, and any others from The Abode."

Homestead nods and smiles. A mission, finally.

"Of course. Let's get her back in the water," Homestead says, nodding at his ship. He looks up at the midday sun. "Horrible, isn't it?"

Homestead goes back towards his ship.

"What do you think the old fool saw?" Howl asks.

"Exactly what he told us," Ran states. "He's not lying."

"What do you think it is?"

"Like I said. Exactly what he told us."

Ran follows Homestead, trying to speak to him before he gets back on his ship.

"What was it like?"

He turns. "The beast? Horrible. It saw me. But knew I could do it no harm. I saw it in the morning light. I heard it. It had a song. Calling all of those to it. Any who hear and respond to it is theirs. It was horrible, Ran."

"How do we kill it?" Ran asks.

Captain Homestead turns and smiles. "I don't know. I was thinking the same thing. But actually, I do know. I think it told me itself. Like a fair fight. Or a challenge. Or duel. It's a sword. A sword will do it."

"What kind of sword?" Ran keeps pestering him with questions.

"A special sword. One that was there at the beginning," Homestead replies. "I don't know how I know this. But I know it is as true as that ocean is blue."

Homestead starts to laugh.

"Where do we find it?" Ran asks, breaking his laughter.

"I don't know. But we're going to have to. I know who has to slay the beast, though. That is as clear as day."

"Who?"

"Orion, of course."