Humbol quirked an eyebrow. Then his body seemed to twist. White smoke curled up from around him. The man’s skin turned pallid and translucent and his eyes turned into sunken holes. Shadows wrapped up his legs and curled around his chest, cloaking him in a robe of darkness.

Then Humbol stepped forward. He passed clean through Cyll’s hands, stopping before Maya. His ghastly lips parted in a wide grin, smoke seeping out from where his mouth should have been.

“Is this proof enough?” Humbol’s voice came out windy, as if he were speaking from far away.

Maya leapt back, her cloak rising around her defensively. However, the ghostly man made no further moves towards either her or Cyll. He hovered in place for another moment before the dark smoke slipped back into the ground and his normal appearance returned.

The watery cloak rippled on Maya’s shoulders, seemingly unpleased with Humbol’s revelation. Maya herself watched Humbol with cold eyes, her hand still on the sickle at her side.

“Why didn’t you just tell us that to start with?” Maya asked, shooting a pointed glance in Cyll’s direction.

Her crewmate slipped around from behind Humbol and moved to stand beside his captain.

“Would you have believed me?” Humbol asked. A pained expression crossed his face. “I would have preferred to not reveal my true nature as well. You and your man forced my hand rather masterfully. I’ve grown rather attached to being alive again, and I don’t come back to life like Cyll does.”

“No, probably not,” Maya admitted. “But that doesn’t make me very disposed to trust you.”

“And I don’t come back to life,” Cyll corrected him. “I just don’t feel like dying.”

The immortal pirate looked at Maya with one eye, keeping the other trained on the strange man standing across from them.

“So, what do we do with joker, Cap?” Cyll asked.

“The man who wanted you to wait for Patty – what was his name?” Maya asked.

“He never told me. He just called himself the Master,” Humbol responded, a complex expression on his face as he observed Maya. “But I can describe him to Patty. She would recognize him.”

“I see. That might actually be true, since she did mention someone like that. But, if it isn’t, I’m cutting your throat and watching you bleed out on the deck,” Maya said. “You’ve lied to us once to many times, and my crew’s safety takes priority over yours.”

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The jewelry laden man dropped into a deep bow.

“As you command,” he said, rising back to his feet and brushing past Maya and Cyll towards the exit of the alleyway.

The two pirates followed after him, hands on their weapons. The people of Greenhill were no more eager to see then than they had been several minutes ago. The group made their way back through Greenhill towards the docks.

Maya practically jumped back onto Wavedance, eager to have anything other than Greenhill’s land under her.

“I hate this city,” she decided as a sailor passing them on the docks spun to inspect a wall when he noticed Maya watching him.

“It was rather nice before the tyrant took over,” Humbol observed from behind her.

Cyll clapped the man on his shoulder and pushed him across the deck towards Patty, who sat against the ship’s railing. The puppet glanced up at them as they approached.

“You can talk it up after you prove your story,” the man said, glowering. “I’m personally of the slight hope that you were lying. I could probably buy enough clothes for a lifetime with all the baubles hanging off you.”

“What’s going on?” Patty asked, rising to her feet.

“It unsurprisingly turns out that our tagalong was full of shit,” Cyll said, his grip tightening on the other man’s shoulder. “He’s changed his story and is claiming to know your master.”

“Tall, black hair and pure white eyes. He carries a staff with a blue crystal that spins above it. No patience for being slow,” Humbol rattled off.

Patty’s eyes widened. She flickered, appearing directly in front of Humbol, and grabbed him by the shoulders.

“Where did you see him?” Patty demanded, rattling the man like a ragdoll.

“Five years ago, at the island! He didn’t tell me where he was going!” Humbol replied between shakes. Patty released him and frowned.

“Well, I suppose that proves he was telling the truth,” Maya said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “But I’m not sure if that makes things easier or harder for us.”

“What did my Master want with you?” Patty asked.

“Ah…I’m supposed to follow you around,” Humbol said, scratching the back of his head with an awkward grin.

“That’s it? He didn’t have any other instructions when we met?” Patty pried.

“Nothing. Just to follow you around and protect you,” Humbol replied.

Patty’s shoulders slumped. She sat back down and let out a very humanlike sigh.

“He doesn’t want me to find him,” she muttered.

“Not yet, at least,” Maya added, walking to stand beside the puppet and ruffling her hair. “He did basically hire someone to watch your back, even if he has very bad taste in employees.”

Maya glared at Humbol, who didn’t even have the good graces to look embarrassed. He just readjusted his cloak and fiddled with a golden ring crested with rubies.

“We’ll find him,” Cyll said, walking to stand beside them. “Don’t worry, Patty.”

Patty smiled up at her crewmates.

“Thanks,” she said. “Does this mean Humbol is going to be on our ship now? Master must have chosen him for a reason.”

Maya and Cyll both grimaced. They glanced over at Humbol, who gave them a wide grin.

“If your captain will let me,” he said.

“And if I don’t?” Maya asked.

“I’ll follow you around until you sink my ship. Then I’ll swim after you. Humbol does not break his promises.”

“The first time it looks like you’ve got an ulterior motive beyond following around Patty in repayment of your deal with her master, I’m throwing you overboard myself,” Cyll said.

“Noted,” Humbol replied.

“Then welcome aboard, Humbol. For now, at least,” Maya said.