The sea crocoboat's forked nose cleaved through the waves. Water splashed over its massive brow ridges that continued toward the animal's neck, turning seamlessly into raised combs lining its spine, protecting us from the waves.

I had given this new crocoboat the simple name of Sea-Sea. Luckily, it was much larger than its parent, its cockpit offering some decent leg space.

Nonetheless, this ten-day sea voyage had been tiresome. I no longer took any joy in the salty spray touching my face or in the crocoboat's ribs giving me a hip massage.

Having drunk the last water from my waterskin earlier in the morning, I now suffered from thirst. Kasamarchi still had some; he offered it to me several times, but I refused since the shore was already near.

The blurry-gray strip of land had popped up on the horizon three days ago. Despite Sea-Sea stroking the water day and night with its powerful flippers—leaving a foamy trail behind us—I felt like we were standing still; the coast approached so slowly. Like the minute hand that seems to be stuck when you stare at it from lack of anything else to do.

Every now and then, I made myself take my eyes off the land. That helped; now I saw the strip grow slightly larger every time I looked back at it. The coastline became ragged, changing its blue color for brown and green.

Just an hour or two more, and I will remember what it feels like: walking on firm land. At last. Why did I take it for granted before?

Another thing I now came to appreciate the true value of was doing number one and number two without having to jump overboard.

That didn't seem to bother Kasamarchi, who sat in the cockpit so comfortably it was as if his body had merged into it over the past ten days. Yet I kept squirming, desperately looking for anything to busy myself with.

One thing I was doing over and over was counting the days it had taken us to walk around the Ironsea on foot.

Let's say the first day was the one in the animator's hut in Lerk, where Kasamarchi had applied the vulture's feather.

Then the week-long climb into the mountains to the Budrahrium.

One night in the Bloody Basin.

Six days in the practice bay.

That made two weeks.

Then the Guard trying to stop us at the hollow's mouth and the climb to the North Peak.

Three weeks.

Five days to cross the stone sea of the plateau and then the East Ridge.

Then the Forecaster Valley. Same as the Forecaster. The very thought of it caused a brief memory blackout. The darkness only dispersed when I proceeded to the smoke-shrouded black mountains, the dwelling of the Volcanites.

Next came our battle with Plasmor and the sight of the sea across the Fiery Mountain.

Then the bat coming from the smoke and the clicking crossbows.

A hot wave always washed over me at that point, every time I remembered it.

The death of our last Budrah, who had sacrificed himself, covering our retreat to the boiling surf.

***

As Kasamarchi had said more than once, the Magister had learned of our whereabouts after we took over the Budrahrium. And after we fought our way into the hollow, he found out where we were heading.

The Creali Guard had probably paid the Shaman another visit. I wondered what the outcome had been.

Another grave next to the mother tree?

Maybe I'd find out someday.

Not finding us there, the soldiers went to the Volcanites.

That was entirely predictable. The very reason why we never lingered anywhere. But still, the soldiers had caught up with us much earlier than Kasamarchi or I had expected. Such speed was only possible if the Magister's estimation was precise and if the group's officer knew these lands well.

Both Kasamarchi and I were absolutely sure who that officer was.

And the Burned One's cloak clasp, which could transform into the map-pecking Raven, probably had a part in it too.

The only thing Raven couldn't possibly know was our goal.

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Had the soldiers known it, they wouldn't have rushed at us that recklessly.

Asp's Volcano Breath swept the first lines off, but the next moment more soldiers came from around the rock. An unending stream of violet cloaks was followed by Budrahs with upright spears and by dozens of animated items.

It looked like the Magister had sent the whole Creali army here to destroy us.

The variety of those flying, creeping, and leaping monsters, crafted by wizardly imagination from the harmless everyday items—like tinderboxes, leather belts, or tobacco pipes—was startling.

The Magister and Erderak probably understood that Asp had gained much strength over the past two months. Destroying us here, at the line of fire-and-water eternal combat, was their last chance. That was why the Burned One had sent so many men, stripping all of Crealia of its armed forces except for a small score of patrols.

He took no chances.

His plan was a wise one. Even if Asp could survive an attack by such a great host, he would hardly be able to protect Kasamarchi and me from that many enemies. And the Burned One's goal was to destroy us, the Aspers. If he could accomplish that, Asp would become just another trophy in the Magisterium's collection.

The only things neither Erderak nor the Burned One knew about were the Khoronum Caves and their alternative time flow, which had transformed two baby crocs into our getaway. A big, dark-green getaway boat, standing firmly on its strong, webbed feet.

Without a good relationship with the Volcanites, Erderak couldn't have possibly learned about those unique caves from them.

And Kasamarchi's crazy plan had succeeded. In just a month, we had walked around the Ironsea, my Asp maturing in every combat. We had recruited more allies: Budrahs, hornets, and the Cammoths. And my Diplomacy skill, of uncertain origin. I was only sure I hadn't had it before that memory lapse in the Forecaster Valley.

Now the Volcano Breath and the Firmness.

We only had to keep Erderak back before we sailed off in the crocoboat.

That had been my longest freeze-frame ever. More and more scenarios had flashed before my eyes. The frozen animated things grinning with their teeth. Several hundred soldiers with their mouths open in a silent scream. But I could see no way to sail off without getting shot with a crossbow bolt or burned by acid spewing from a monstrous cuttlefish.

No use for my Diplomacy skill; no one was willing to talk to us.

It had taken me an eternity to realize we could not escape all. Not this time. Someone had to be sacrificed.

And it was up to me to choose who.

With a heavy heart, I let time go.

Once I was back in my body, I had seized Kasamarchi by his hand and rushed down a narrow crevice to the water, after the crocoboat and the Budrah.

Behind us, the hornets attacked the soldiers, piercing their armor, slashing their blood vessels, and ripping their lungs. Angel swung his whip broadly, cleaving their skulls and steel helmets like butter. The Cammoths threw rocks at the acid-spitting cuttlefish. Asp soared over the battlefield, paralyzing the enemies with his white eye and showering them with boiling lava.

But there were too many.

We were badly outnumbered.

I knew the two of us had but a few seconds left to get into the crocoboat; the violet avalanche, with their Budrahs and animated monsters, were at our heels. The first soldiers were already making their way down to the beach.

Fortunately, there was no lava pouring into the sea and making it boil, so Sea-Sea just ran into the water, closing its cockpit.

The Budrah stepped aside, making way. Running past him, I looked into his black, bottomless eyes and saw a complete understanding of what awaited him. He knew that it was a sure death, and he accepted it because of the loyalty he had absorbed back in the practice bay from the Warrior Potion in the bronze amphora.

Clenching my lips, I jumped into the cockpit after Kasamarchi. Sea-Sea whipped the surf with its flippers, heading into the misty veil hanging low over the water to hide us from the archers and flying monsters.

Even knowing what was about to happen, I still couldn't take my eyes off the coast.

At the rocky spot we had just left, a giant, shapeless bulk of tin with a big, long gun flopped down heavily. Prior to animation, it had probably been a harmless teapot. Slowly, it brought the gun down, pointing it at us like a blind, black eye. Its body began to swell, preparing for a powerful shot at the crocoboat.

Forgetting the crossbow bolts whizzing past us, I stared into the bottomless point of that gun.

At last the bag compressed, covered with deep vertical lines of muscle, and our Budrah leaped into the gun's path.

The next moment a bright flash of light came with a thundering sound, ripping the half-ape to pieces.

I closed my eyes and covered them with my fists.

The next moment, we were engulfed by the mist, and Sea-Sea turned away from the crossbow bolts splashing on the water's surface.

I could not take a proper breath, choking on tears, my vision blurred. But, feeling the leather band appear in my hand, I used it to mechanically put my hair up.

The pouch on my chest became heavier.

I howled.

"Get yourself together, Ana," Kasamarchi said without looking back at me. "It was necessary."

"Necessary? For what?" I cried out. "You! Have you seen what…what happened to him? Or do you treat them all as just…just cannon fodder?" I screamed in a breaking voice. I just couldn't stop. My grief poured out like a muddy flood. "Do you know he knew…he knew everything? And still, he covered us. Can you even feel pity for anyone? You…heartless…you…"

He was silent.

"Why? What have I done to deserve that? Why is it always me who has to choose?" I said again and again, sobbing.

He said nothing.

***

I woke from the memories, my heart pounding, the Budrah's body ripped apart by the explosion right in front of me.

I took a deep breath. Then slowly exhaled.

The vision began to fade until it was gone.

The shoreline was growing before my eyes. Our crocoboat would hit the beach in a matter of minutes.

I didn't recognize this place. It had no woods or mountains, just small hills with prickly shrubs in areas.

Kasamarchi had told me we would disembark at a place that was far south from where I had begun my journey; this cape was the nearest patch of land in our way.

Sea-Sea began to slow down.

I could already see the driftwood and rocks at the shore…

…when one piece of driftwood stirred, turning up a rusty, forked nose. I instantly recognized Twina-Twin. How did our old crocoboat come to be here? I was happy to see it, anyway, forgetting the sad memories.

Kasamarchi was as silent and sly as ever.

Or was he greeting the crocoboat telepathically?

I looked back at Twina-Twin, who now seemed so small compared to its dark-green descendant.

A pity they'd never come to see their grandchildren who remained under Fiery Mountain.

I hoped they wouldn't get transformed into monstrous shrews.