Akisane couldn’t tear his eyes away from the bulging stomach. He would not let his mind wonder what grew within. His throat tightened, and he felt he needed to escape the dinner.

“I cleaned out William’s room,” his mother said. “I want you to try on his clothes before I…”

“William’s dead. Let it go.”

His mother put a hand to her cheek as if he struck her. A tear ran down between her fingers. He would have to apologize when he could pull himself together. How could I talk to her like that?

“Akisane,” Duke Akitomo said, “Is right. He’s become a man and has duties. Grief is a distraction he doesn’t need.”

The hag found a chair at the Duke’s table—at least, that was how the Necromancer appeared for a moment. Then, she returned to her gorgeous self and relaxed a hand on her terrible stomach.

Whitebeard’s gaze seemed to catch every detail. He began his story, “There are storms, and there are storms.”

***

The ocean hurled the Palfrey to and fro as a child might a toy. The waves were like hills that decided to start a march. I was sure the wood vessel would splinter, and our death would be the gurgle in the deep.

John barked orders and turned toward me as the deck pitched at an impossible angle. “We cannot pass this way.”

“Are you certain,” I asked over the roar of an impact.

He nodded, turned the ship, and let the wind and waves drive us into the unknown.

A few seamen claimed to have seen a colossus with a trident wading the sea in those long, dark hours. There was no way to know if this was true, but when we spotted a finger of land, we found a footprint the size of a ship.

Stretch and I sat in a toe-print away from the others who still feared the lion. Freshwater had collected in a pool at the bottom, which was warm and suitable for swimming. Stretch had grown and thickened into a full-grown lion almost overnight. He was glorious.

“You,” I said, “will be a king of lions.”

Yet the lion's thoughts were only of adventure. Stretch had picked the right companion for that, but I thought a lion of his magnificence was meant for more, and I said for a second time that he’d be a king.

Stretch grabbed my shirt in his teeth and threw me into the water. I came up glaring, and he splashed next to me.

These were good days. The air was hot, the water clear, and the skies endless. But peace and tranquility were always temporary.

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It's odd how, at one point, the crew who had once verged on mutiny had now a completely different attitude. They wanted to see what was over the next horizon, to discover. It was uplifting, and perhaps it was the summit of my view of humanity. It couldn't have gotten any higher.

However, I find wisdom comes at one’s low points, and this was about to descend into a trough that seemed to have no bottom.

There are magics so corrupt that they can twist more than spirits and minds; they can permanently alter the physical world. Imagine men turned to beasts or water to blood.

We had not yet discovered the darkness that lay over this peninsula until we found the temples in the jungle. No animal made a noise and may not have even lived for miles around red pyramids.

John ceased hacking the tangle of vines when he saw the enormous structures. “Would you look at that?”

Before we could reach for our weapons, the sound of bowstrings being drawn surrounded us. Movement in the foliage morphed into dozens of warriors.

I meant to ensure them with the jungle, but there were workers of corruption among them.

A sorcerer stepped forward and burned away the vines. He spoke a strange language, but it took a moment for my ear to translate the tongue I’d never heard. “Answer me!”

I didn’t know the question, but said, “We didn’t know anyone lived here.”

John furrowed his brow. “What are you saying?”

The sorcerer had his men round us up and tie us. Stretch had snuck away, and I couldn’t find him in the jungle. I was certain he’d made it to safety.

We ended up tied to stones at the pyramid. I listened to every word I heard spoken, and this is all I could put together: we were to be sacrificed, and the bear chased the lion. I had no idea what bear they referred to, but the lion must have been Stretch.

***

Duke Akitomo slammed the table. “Will this story never end? Whitebeard, what is the meaning of this tale? Can you sum it up for us?”

“You,” Whitebeard said, “Do look tired, Your Grace. Tonight, I will be brief. Sketch bested the bear. Though the bear was far larger and stronger, the lion was a knight at heart and a king by right. I heard they fought long and viciously, but the bear tired and failed to injure him, much less kill him. What John and I learned before we escaped was that the people here had a story of a golden cup. When we asked about it, they told us it resided here no less than a score of years ago.”

“Very good,” the Duke said. “See? We don’t have to get into every detail.”

“I find details important.”

The Necromancer stood in a puddle and clutched her stomach. “It’s coming.”

Akisane fell from his chair and scrambled to his feet. He headed for the door and hurried out. He didn't know if anyone watched after him, but he didn’t care. It couldn’t be his child. It couldn’t be. It’s impossible to conceive and give birth in an hour.

Shank, lurking in the shadows outside the hall, raced to walk beside him. “Let’s get a drink while you tell me what’s wrong,” he said.

“Everything’s wrong.”

“Not everything. Hisa’s been watching that kid like a hawk. Well, we got him.”

“Really?” Akisane couldn’t care less.

Henry (Akisane)

Level: 10

Focus: Telekinesis

Secondary focus: Shadow walker, fire walker

Weapons: Darksun Sword - 85% corrupt, decay+12