(William)

William waved his paw at the throng of well-wishers that had swarmed Calot’s central harbor. He was aboard the lead squid-racer. Their convoy was leaving the port, heading south. The Ocean of Tears welcomed them, as they sailed into the great unknown.

He was perched in the crow’s nest on top of the foremast. He was pumped up from the celebratory fanfare of their departure. The people of the Nature Kingdom were giving them a heroes’ send-off.

He grinned as he swished his tail to the rhythm of the music. It was loud, energetic, and invigorating. The drums pounded and the thunder-bells rang.

Ba-boom! Ba-boom! Ba-boom!

People danced in the streets. Colorful kites flew all over the capital.

He loved it!

The formation of squid-racers glided out of the harbor and picked up speed. The wind whipped at William’s whiskers.

The view from here reminds me of flying. This is the best spot on the ship.

His cat shift was purrrrfect for lounging. He stretched his back and licked his paw. He was sprawled on top of a fluffy pillow that he had liberated from the captain’s cabin.

He looked up at the blue sky and the billowy clouds passing by.

Scraps, the last month was a blur.

So much had happened since the war had ended. His brother was dating a queen. Lin had become the King’s Regent. Whatever that is… Aunt Lisa was so busy that he hardly ever saw her. Even my brother doesn’t have much time for me. He sighed.

His feline face curved into a smile when he thought of Claire. She and Toby had gone to Mir, so they could reunite with their parents who had been released from prison. He had never seen Claire so happy.

A blueheaded seagull landed on the mast below him and his eyes narrowed. The bird saw him a moment later, squawked, and flew away.

He yawned widely and let his mind drift back to the quest. His ears twitched as he recalled one of the clues.

Across the bounding main, find a place that you cannot find, but it can find you.

Pfft, that sounds like total nonsense. At least the second clue makes sense.

The amulet is the compass.

He remembered examining the amulet and how the bits had always pointed south. He shivered.

Thank Cea’Nia that I don’t have to touch that thing again. It gives me the willies.

At present, none of that mattered to him. He was thrilled to be sailing on a ship across the Ocean of Tears. Squid-racers were wickedly fast. They used a first-class waterjet streamer engine, which was a premium export from the Evergreen Realm. Ivan had explained to him that the waterjet streamer relied on multiple enchanted components, but the main parts were the water absorption and jet expulsion elements. His brother had filled his head with a bunch of ship stuff. Each squid-racer was a hundred and twenty-four feet long and thirty-six feet wide. They could carry a crew of up to eighty.

And blah, blah-blah, blah-blah… He shook his head and looked over the short ledge of the crow’s nest.

The wind blew into his face, making his eyes water. The keel tore through the waves like a blade. Cascades of white water formed on both sides of the ship.

Wow, so fast. And the sails make it even faster.

They raced across the ocean quicker than a sailfish.

Scraps, we’re surrounded by water. His stomach twisted while he marveled at the vast expanse.

He took a deep breath and savored the smell of the ocean. The salty scent was peculiar, and it nudged faint memories in the corners of his mind.

He glanced down at the deck. The people below look so small. Even the beefy cook looks tiny. Ooooh, he must be done making lunch. We’ll probably eat soon. I’m glad that I picked the flagship. Jane’s chef is amazing.

William had actually decided to board this ship because Ivan and Jane were here. It was just a bonus that the food was so good. Those two talked about history, dueled, and played lots of games. Their favorite was Proving Grounds. Occasionally, he flew to the other ships to hang out with Lin, Rose, and his aunt. Inevitably, he would get in trouble with Lin, which would force him to tactically retreat to Jane’s ship.

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I can tell that she’s still mad about that singed hair fiasco. I need to do something about that. I should probably hide her mirror.

“Lord Snow!” A guard startled William. He had no idea why the elite guards of the new Shadow Queen referred to him as a lord, but he did not bother to correct them. “You’re needed in the captain’s cabin to check on the compass.”

William leaped onto one of the sails and slid down.

Wooooosh!

He leaped onto the lower sail.

Thump! He mistimed his jump and collided with the foremast.

He shifted in midair and landed on his feet. “I’m alright…” He wobbled. “I’m alright.”

He raced down the stairs and sprinted along the spar deck. He clambered down another set of stairs and barged into the captain’s cabin. Heads turned in his direction as he strode inside. The amulet rested on top of a navigational chart.

“What took you so long?” Jane winked at him. “We’ve been waiting here for two whole minutes.”

“I’m excessively sorry, your highness.” William performed an exaggerated bow. “It shall not happen again, your ladyship.” Jane snorted and William cracked a smile. “To be fair, it’s not my fault that Vala’s bit rod blew up in her face and that Rose is on the other ship.” He lowered his voice. “You know, Rose gets twitchy around Shadow casters.”

“Oh, yeah, my casters get twitchy around her as well.”

William moved closer to the captain’s desk and adjusted his magical sight. He leaned forward, careful not to touch the Amulet of Storms. He had seen what that thing had done to Esmeralda and was deathly afraid of it. The consensus was that the amulet was safe if no one used its magical powers, but it still gave him the creeps and he was not going to take any chances.

“It’s still pointing to the south.” He gestured. “One degree to the east based on the chart.”

“Blimey.” Captain Thomas Barrow drew a new line on the map. “It’s still pointin’ south. If we maintain this headin’, we shall be in the vicinity of Eel Island in ‘bout eight days. Unless, o’ course, we reach our destination afore then. My Queen, with your permission, I’ll ’ave the helms-master adjust our course by one degree t’ the east.”

“Very well, Captain Barrow,” Jane replied.

“As me Queen wills it.” He bowed deeply.

“Can I come.” William bounced up and down. “If you’re there, I bet the helms-master will let me touch the wheel.”

“Aye!” the captain replied. “Let’s head up t’ the deck.”

(Ivan)

Ivan and Jane were left alone in the captain’s quarters, which had been given to Jane for the duration of the voyage. Naturally, the captain had relinquished the best cabin on the ship to the new queen of the Shadow Lands.

Jane slumped onto the armchair and rubbed her eyes. “I feel like I’ve spent the entire month in front of a mirror of communication,” she grumbled. “My sister consolidated all of the houses in the Shadow Lands under House Verla and now they’re all looking to regain their independence.” She sighed. “Ugh, what a nightmare. If I have to listen to Lady Croca’s demands about the northern border dispute with Vira and her precious fields of mint one more time, I’ll setup an arranged marriage between her and Lord Blostavitch, the Vulgar Viscount of Vira. That man hates her. He’ll keep her on a tight leash and will burn her fields if she vexes him.”

Ivan knew that Jane was just venting. They had spent a lot of time together over the last month and he knew that she loved her people, even if she did not like some of them. He admired her grit. The odds had been aligned against her, but she had undertaken the difficult task to save her kingdom.

“Well, now that you’ve appointed mediators, things should settle. Delegating is a sign of a great leadership.”

Jane leaned forward and steepled her fingers under her chin. “So, tell me more about the great things that I do. I love listening to your silken tongue.”

Ivan’s face reddened. “Jane, you flirt more than a Stone Island pirate.”

She gave him a meaningful look. “I know what I want.”

“So, once we survive this little adventure and lift the curse, we should celebrate. What do you want to do?” he asked.

“You, me, tropical island, spicy food, swords, and a bunch of books.”

Ivan laughed. “You replied without even thinking.” He shook his head. “How long have you had that plan?”

“For a while,” Jane said quietly.

“You had me at swords. And books.” He winked.

Jane leaned toward him. “How are you managing?” Her playful expression was gone.

“Nothing has changed in the last few days but it’s better than it was a month ago. At times, I still want to smash or burn things. At other times, I find myself snapping at people for no good reason. Still, analyzing the outbursts after the fact and being more mindful of my emotions is helping.”

“Well, you know my take. In the future portal you were completely in control of your dragon magic and your emotions,” Jane reminded him. “It’s just a matter of time before you bend it to your will. In the meantime, if you need to blow off some steam, we’ve got our blades.”

“Yeah, sword fighting is a great remedy. The battle forms, the fast pace, and the clashing of blades calms me down and clears my mind.”

Ivan leaned back and stretched his legs. “So, have you had any interesting dreams lately? I’m still trying to figure out how you’ll get your water magic. I mean, how do you even get something like that?”

“I’ve considered Water Sprite magic, but from we know, they can’t turn water into ice. Also, if killing a Sprite gave you their magic, Evergreeners would have been harvesting them.”

Ivan tilted his head. “On our way to Stoneridge, Rose detected some mysterious magic that permeated the waters of the Lonely River. Do you remember the story that I told you about William when he disappeared and lost his memory?”

“When that beast dragged him into the Lonely River, right?”

“Yeah, that one. Well, Rose said that the river in that area was saturated with magic. Later on, William told me that those magical strands were blue. He and Rose thought that the blue magic might be connected to water. Maybe we should go there and see what we can find once we’ve dealt with the amulet.”

“Good idea.” Jane nodded. “We can also stop by the Snow’s Farm. I’d like to see where you grew up.”

“I’d like that too.” Ivan smiled. “So, any new dreams?”

Jane crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. “No, I’ve had no prophetic dreams since the labyrinth. Even my recurring dream about you has stopped. Though I’m not surprised about that.” She gave Ivan a cheeky grin. “Now, I’ve got the real thing.” They shared a warm look.

“You know, I’ve always been mediocre with my Shadow casting,” she admitted. “But when we entered the future portal, I can tell you that my water magic made me feel invincible. I had the power to cover a city with thick fog, freeze an entire lake, and pull water from thin air. I’m not sure how I’ll get that magic, but I can’t wait to have it!”

A knock on the door interrupted their discussion. They stood up.

“Come in,” she called out.

Seeing Jane’s steward, Ivan knew that it was time for her next mirror of communication meeting. He shot her a sympathetic glance and left the captain’s cabin.