“He doesn't know which is worse, a past he can't regain or a present that will destroy him if he looks at it too clearly. Then there's the future. Sheer vertigo.”

― Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake

"Ven! Are you alright?" Mara's words filtered in from beyond the furry prison that covered his view. "You've been asleep for days, and we've almost reached the islands. I... We've been worried about you! You weren't even breathing!"

She had wrapped herself around him, an act of suffocation that would've killed someone who required access to air. Her stammered questions released tension from his face that he wasn't aware of. The skin behind his mask unfolded, a rare smile that reached his eyes. Ven peeled Mara away from his body.

This woman is as clingy as a real cat, but her soft fur makes her hard to resist.

It reminded him of his long-lost cat, back from his first life. He'd loved that black chunk like a child, and Vendak often found himself absentmindedly petting the two cat-kin.

It's their own fault, the two of them act exactly like house cats!

"I'm fine Mara," Vendak said, distracted by the length of his nap. "You don't need to worry. I don't need to breathe, so while I'm asleep, it probably stops altogether."

It was nice to get some rest, but Ven didn't want to sink into a ten-year hibernation, so he would need to be more careful with his power use.

"I think I used too much energy when I was out... negotiating with the locals."

"You don't need to breathe? That's strange, but I'm glad you're ok," Mara muttered as her face turned a blushing red. "Now put me down and stop petting my head, you weirdo!"

She cried, her hands pressed against her face as she hung from his grip. Ven had grabbed her by the scruff like a kitten, rubbing the velvety fur of her ears between his fingers while he spoke.

"Ah, my bad!" Ven dropped Mara to the ground. "I was lost in thought and half thinking about my old pet."

Contrary to the common claim about cats, Mara failed to land on her feet, instead impacting the ground tail-first. She gave Vendak an aggrieved look and scampered from the room, her grasp firmly on her crumpled tail as she fled. When she reached the doorway, she looked back.

"I am not a pet you idiot!" Mara gave him a final tearful glance before she vanished outside.

That was embarrassing... I need to stop treating her and Brull like pet cats. Ven dragged his hand across his face, the drowsy haze still stuck to his eyes like a stubborn bur.

"Oh well, I'll deal with Mara later. For now, I need to get back into the sunlight," Vendak clambered from his bed. He followed Mara's path out the door.

Plus I can finally talk with the crew!

The white sun filled the skies, a welcome heat as the younger crewmembers fought a mock war. The adults raised their ammunition aboard in dozens of buckets, while a few of the older crew doused themselves as they worked.

I guess it's hot out for these furry people. They visibly found the temperature less tolerable than Ven. Even in the shade, their bodies glistened with sweat.

Mara was nowhere in sight, but Otto was seated in his favorite spot, sheltered beneath the shade of the mainsail. Ven returned the old man's wave, and looked across the deck.

Brull stood in front of a group of young adults. They practiced self-defense tactics, and their movements drew Vendak's attention. Alongside a few older students, these young men and women moved in unison as they mimicked Brull's actions.

The cat-kin led the group through the use of a spear. From how the group followed his instructions, the lesson progressed well. Brull finished displaying a set of movements, used to prevent the opponent from closing in battle, and called over a wolf-kin woman who stood off to the side.

"Ok, everyone, now that you've seen the basics, I thought we could show you a more advanced demonstration."

At Brull's words, Lyra bowed politely.

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"Lyra here is a peak-tier Martial Cultivator, only one step away from becoming a Martial Master."

At this, the crowd began to mutter, a quiet hum that competed with the waves.

"She's from a body cultivation sect that focuses on the spear, and she's agreed to help out with today's lesson."

"Hello everyone," Lyra's silver eyes shone as she gazed out over the crowd.

"While my skills are nothing compared to the true masters of my tribe, I'm happy to help teach the basics of the spear." She drew a pale grey spear from empty air. "I hope that today's match can be of some use to everyone."

Her offhand clasped into a fist as she thumped the spear shaft into the deck.

"We were brought together by fate. I hope that if we work together, we can all reach our homes again."

Lyra's words touched the hearts of the crowd, Ven included, and the group of former slaves responded with applause. The beastfolk had already come together as a community, bound by the shared experiences that had led them to this place and time. The leadership of Mara, Brull, and Otto, had made these former slaves into something more than just refugees.

Ven walked forward as the two prepared their mock battle, and found a better angle to watch. Once this ship returns to the mainland, I bet they settle within the same area. This journey, and the trauma that precluded it, would likely cement them into a tight-knit community. He'd seen such things before, in the undercity of his old life. Within shared suffering, the strongest bonds formed. He and Callum used this effect to create the foundations of an empire.

If Callum was here, he'd be whispering in my ear. The man would tell him, "These people can be turned into the seeds of an empire." Yet Ven had been reborn alone, his ambitious brother nowhere to be seen. It's nice to know that these people can be relied on in the future, but... Ven wasn't interested in becoming anyone's leader.

If Vendak looked at himself honestly, he'd always been a follower. The weight of authority was a burden, rather than a gift. Ven could do it if he had to, but he had no interest in repeating the mishandled experiences of his past.

As Vendak considered his new place in the world, Lyra and Brull took opposing stances. Faced off against each other, about five meters between them, the two combatants raised their spears in almost simultaneous salutes.

Brull's spear was a common-looking weapon, forged of simple iron and sturdy seasoned wood, but Lyra's spear was different.

The wolf-kin's equipment looked custom-made, with a runic script that covered the weapon in artfully drawn lines. The spear, cast out of a dull-grey metal, appeared heavy, despite how easily Lyra wielded it.

The runes that wrapped its surface glowed a cool blue, and cast a dim light on their surroundings. Lyra raised the spear, pointed at Brull in a playful manner. Her quiet, polite personality drifted away.

She gave the cat-man a sharp-toothed grin and pounced forwards. Her foot left a small crater of splintered wood behind as she dove, spear first, towards Brull's heart.

Lyra moved fast enough that she turned into a streak of grey light. Ven, however, witnessed far greater detail. He tracked her forward trajectory as she drew a graceful arc through the air.

Dive led with the point of her spear, a thick blue aura wrapped around it, Lyra drove towards the cat-kin with savage grace.

Her attack approached Brull. The man stepped back calmly, an easy parry of the wolf-kin's thrust. His spear twisted, a quick jab that threatened to pierce Lyra's unprotected head.

Lyra exceeded both Brull's and Ven's expectations. She did not withdraw from the attack. Instead, her body curved around the incoming spear as her weapon stabbed toward Brull's throat.

This reckless maneuver caused the cat-kin to frown. His calm demeanor flickered as his brow tightened. Brull leaned back to avoid Lyra's incoming blow, his movements more serious as he continued to dodge her reckless charge.

As the wolf-kin woman battled, her spear's cold blue aura spread onto her body. It covered her in much the same way a Semi-Divine's aura would.

I can't sense a large pocket dimension within her, or the spear in her hand.

Even so, Ven was certain that the woman, and her weapon's origins, were not simple. This aura had raised her beyond her tier, as far as her power went, and it let her compete with Brull.

Impressive, considering Brull is always bragging about being the peak of what a Martial Master can reach.

The blue flame covered her from head to toe, and Lyra's weapon finally made contact with Brull's. He no longer avoided her attacks, forced to perform a block that relied on his greater strength. The clash of their weapons rang out, an echo that returned across the ocean waves.

Lyra's grin grew wider, her eyes wild. The blue aura flared up, shaped into a massive blue wolf. She took a quick step back, the chainmail armor on her body rippled as she raised her spear once more.

The runes that covered its surface shone with a blue so deep it was almost purple, and the mighty wolf within her aura opened its mouth wide. For a moment, everything was silent, and then a powerful rush of deep-purple energy lanced outwards from the tip of her spear.

Heralded by the howl of a lone wolf, the attack crossed the distance between the two combatants. Brull only had the time to raise his weapon upwards, placed between himself and Lyra's charge.

Ven moved to intercept the blow, then stopped. A flash of light appeared between Lyra and Brull. The brilliance dimmed away to reveal a rather grumpy Otto. He held the tip of Lyra's spear in one hand, suspended a few inches away from Brull's single eye.

With a huff of air, the old dog-kin druid reached out. His wrinkled hand faster than the woman could follow. It delivered a powerful flick to Lyra's forehead. Although it seemed like a casual attack, she flew across the deck, an arrow that divided the watching beastfolk.

Lyra tumbled and bounced, the blue aura faded away into nothingness. Brull glanced at the severed remains of his spear. If Otto hadn't intervened, the cat-kin would've faced serious injury from the frightening attack.

"You could have held back a bit Otto. Lyra wasn't in full control of herself." Brull complained as he tossed aside his useless weapon. "Mara won't let you hear the end of it if she's permanently hurt."

"She almost kills you, and you're worried about her well-being?" Otto smirked with a shrug, "Don't worry, lover boy. I just knocked her out. Martial tier practitioners are so squishy, I was afraid to do anything else."

Otto waved as he retreated to his well-shaded resting place, a pleased look on his face.

As Brull raced off after the unconscious woman, Vendak shook his head. This guy flirts with the surrounding women like it's an unshakeable habit. The fellow was generally unsuccessful, and Otto's most common pastime gradually became mocking the poor cat-kin. The pair's antics never ceased to amuse Ven, and he often joined in ribbing Brull himself.

With the training put on hold, as both teachers had vanished, the students dispersed for the day. This action left Ven without much to look at, as most of the people had stopped to watch the match and currently milled about the deck.

From the perspective of these commoners, the battle was impressive. They currently discussed the fight with amazement. Most freed slaves onboard were commoners, without the smallest amount of cultivation. There were some practitioners, but most were fairly weak. Now that Lyra had shown her strength, she was known by those onboard as someone who could protect the others.

The strongest, besides Vendak, was still Otto. However, the people seemed more than happy with Lyra's show of power. Her strength is surprising, I need to take a look at that spear. The weapon was a high-tier magical object, and its study would prove valuable for the future. Maybe I can make a weapon of my own one day, something that could similarly buff his strength. For now, even memorizing the runic symbols had value.

Ven strode across the deck and leaned against the railing. His gaze turned towards the horizon, where the Island Nation and the powerful being called Kalina would soon appear.

This meeting is certain to be interesting, hopefully, peaceful as well. Despite Kalina's seemingly carefree nature, Ven's instincts warned him, not all was as it seemed with the mischievous living reef.