“What the heck is that?” Cyll asked, his eyes widening as he saw the watery clothing draped over Maya’s shoulders.

“The fruits of the last month of practice, apparently,” Maya said with a grin. “I’ve been learning how to use the Heart of the Sea’s abilities. Apparently, I can hold rudimentary conversations with water.”

“And turn it into a cape,” Cyll observed.

“Oh, it just wanted to do that. It was the lake in the middle of the island,” Maya explained. “It only did this because I think it got a little attached to messing with me and didn’t want to be bored.”

“I see,” Cyll said, eyeing her cloak suspiciously. The water rippled slightly. The immortal pirate cleared his throat and gestured grandiosely towards the huge boat floating in the water. “After you then, captain. Our ship awaits.”

Maya grinned. She stepped up to the edge of the ocean, preparing to dive into it. She paused before her foot entered the water as a thought struck her. The pirate lifted her hand above the ocean and concentrated for a moment, sending a silent request to the sea.

There was no response, but the water directly in front of Maya seemed to shimmer slightly. She stepped onto it carefully. It held her weight. Maya threw her hands up in victory.

“I can walk on water!” She crowed.

Maya ran towards the ship, cackling. About halfway there, the ocean withdrew its support and she splashed into the sea spluttering curses. Cyll and Patty burst into laughter and dove into the water to swim after Maya.

The pirate captain pulled herself onto the deck using a set of metal rungs along the edge of the ship. She wrung her hair out and glanced down at the cloak on her shoulders, briefly wondering how the lake water had remained separate from the ocean.

The cloak sensed her question and a mental response appeared in her head. It was of mild distaste, as if the lake felt superior to the ocean.

“Oh, great,” Maya muttered as Cyll and Patty climbed aboard the deck. “My cloak has a superiority complex.”

The two of them gave her a curious glance, but Maya waved it away. The three of them stood together and looked around their new ship in awe.

The deck was every bit as beautiful as the profile of the ship. Two sleek grey cannons were mounted on either side of the deck. The wooden railing was intricately decorated with carvings of the ocean and sea monsters. A small port in the center of the deck led belowdeck.

A short staircase at the back end of the ship and above the captain’s quarters led up to the wheel and a capstan. Maya climbed the stairs, running her hand along the smooth wood. She let out a slow whistle.

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“It’s amazing, Cyll. Does she have a name?” Maya asked.

“Wavedance,” Cyll replied proudly. “And Akrun promised she’d live up to her name.”

“It’s the most beautiful ship I’ve ever seen,” Patty said.

“You’ve only seen a few ships up close,” Maya pointed out.

“And Wavedance is the best one,” Patty said firmly.

“Damn straight she is,” Cyll said, patting the wheel fondly.

“Is she stocked for a trip, and do we have a map?” Maya asked.

Cyll led them below deck. It was dark, but he pulled open some slats on either side of the ship, filling the area with dim light. A kerosene lamp hung from the ceiling over a map table. There were two cots at the far end of the room, and the rest of it was full of crates and barrels.

“Freshwater, food, maps, cannonballs, we have it all,” Cyll said. “We’re set to sail, Cap. Just tell us where.”

Maya looked down at the map. It was much nicer than most of the maps she’d seen in the past. Distances were carefully marked off and each city, including many that she’d never heard of, was labeled.

“Well, I think it might be a good idea to actually do some dungeons,” Maya offered after a few moments of thought. “I personally need to collect Essence, and we could all use some money, and I think Cyll needs a weapon.”

“How big of a dungeon?” Cyll asked, his eyes lighting up.

“I didn’t have any particular size in mind,” Maya said. “What dungeon are you thinking of?”

Cyll dashed over to the map and tapped his finger on an island near the edge of a large continent.

“Dredd’s Tomb,” Cyll breathed. He traced his finger across the map a short distance, until it rested in the middle of the ocean. “This is where we are. Akrun didn’t put it on the map because he didn’t want us to come back.”

“About three weeks travel, then?” Maya asked, peering at the legend on the map. “With a stop at…Greenhill?”

“Just about,” Cyll said. “But it’s worth the trip. I was worried it wouldn’t be there anymore, but Arkun told me the tomb was still around. It’s a medium-sized dungeon, but the loot there is amazing. I still remember people lining up to go in.”

“Why?” Maya asked. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“You never left Ashwind either,” Cyll reminded her. “It’s not that unrealistic that you wouldn’t have heard of a dungeon a month of travel away. Besides, it’s not like there aren’t other dungeons closer to Ashwind.”

“Fair point,” Maya agreed, readjusting her hat and glancing back down at the map. “I don’t mind going there, one dungeon is as good as another. So long as it’s an actual dungeon this time. I’m pretty sure every dungeon we’ve gone into has had something seriously wrong with it. No offense, Patty.”

“None taken,” the puppet cheerfully said.

“Then it’s settled!” Cyll said, rubbing his hands together. “We go to Dredd’s Tomb!”

He rushed back up the stairs. Patty and Maya exchanged an amused glance before following him onto the deck. Cyll was already at the capstan, raising the anchor.

“What are you just watching me for?” Cyll yelled. “Come help me, this thing is heavy!”

The two of them joined their energetic crewmate at the capstan. A minute or two later, the anchor rose from the water. Without anything else to keep it steady, Wavedance slid smoothly into motion.

Cyll darted over to the wheel, spinning it to his left. The ship followed his commands like a well-trained dog, instantly heeling and slicing through the waves as if they didn’t exist. It was the fastest Maya had ever seen a ship turn.

“I can see what you meant about living up to the name,” Maya said, marveling at Akrun’s island as it faded into the distance behind them.