A deep thick fog rolled across the surface of the ocean. Lynn stood on the prow, the rolling fog crept outwards from the looming island. Having raised her sails, The Crimson Songbird slowly drifted towards the island. The pirates expertly worked the ship with several long oars.

Gone were the smooth sea breezes and the turbulent tides of the greater ocean. Gone were the birds on the wind and the cloudy skies. This was a place of gloom.

Something about that island unsettled Lynn, something familiar. Her eyes weren’t very good at long distances, but she swore she could see writhing shadows at the water’s edge. Shadows she hadn’t been forced to look upon for the better part of a year.

“Drop anchor here lads.” Tai Hoa spoke soft, but in the eerie silence of the bay, his voice was almost piercing. Lynn heard the chain of the anchor clanking as it was thrust into the water. She gripped onto something as the ship dragged to a halt. Now, with even the sound of the ship lightly cutting the water gone, the bay was dead silent. “We’re here. Pulau Batu. The island of stone.” He stood on the gunwale for a moment, before he looked to Lynn. “Toll the bell.”

Lynn took a deep breath, a little excited. She firmly grasped the ringer, then gave fifteen firm, loud rings just as she was instructed by Wangi. The bell was small, at least compared to the sound it made. Fifteen metallic rings carried across the foggy bay, out into the clear sea beyond. As the ringing faded away, the crew stayed silent, bracing for the impact.

It took all of twenty seconds before the foggy bay around them was disrupted by several upward jets of rushing water. The elegant forms of the porpoise hounds soared through the air, each one performing a corkscrew turn before landing on the wooded deck, their large paws making solid thuds. Fifteen of the proud, majestic beasts stood at attention, their heads pivoting quickly back and forth, observing their location. They shook their manes clear of the dripping water left clinging to them.

The crew made for the saddles, securing their gear and mounting up, each hound bearing two sailors. Except the largest, who no one seemed to go for. This was the Captain’s.

Lynn went for a hound as well, securing her knives and making sure she was prepared. She approached the lineup, and was nudged in the side by one of the hounds. She turned and saw the bent head of the same hound she had ridden to the besieged merchant ship. She smiled, recognizing him. “You again?” The animal gave a grunt in response. She patted him on the snout then went around to mount him.

As she hoisted onto his large saddle, she felt a grab on her arm and turned to see the captain. “Butterfly, I want you to carry this.” He seemed urgent, as well as a bit nervous. In his hand was a small burlap bag, Lynn couldn’t quite gauge what was inside, but she could see it was round.

“The Gem?” She asked.

Tai quickly shushed her. “Quiet, she’ll hear you. Keep it close, and use it wisely.” With that, he meandered off, mounting his own porpoise hound. Lynn stared at the bag, the Dragon Gem was inside. She had it in her hand. She looked to the beast whose back she rode. Would it’ve been too hard to guide the animal herself? Ride back to Kumandra? Be seen as a hero?

She shook her head. She’d still be blamed. She needed more than just the Gem. She looked to Captain Tai Hoa. She needed the scapegoat. The real criminal to throw the blame at. She secured the bag at her side, then jumped as she felt someone mount behind her.

“Hope you don’t mind me tagging along, gorgeous?” Ashvi.

Lynn gulped, realizing how very near she was to almost revealing the Gem to her. “Climb aboard.” She tried to sound light and carefree. “We Kumandrans stick together, right?” She tensed up as Ashvi’s hands slipped around her waist. The warmth of Ashvi’s body made Lynn almost melt right there.

“I like the sound of that. I’ve always wanted to ride one of Tai Hoa’s dolphin dogs.” Lynn gripped the reins tighter.

All but four of the crew were mounted on the great beasts, geared for the journey ahead. The main purpose of the expedition was only known to Tai Hoa, Wangi, Saharjo, and Lynn. Everyone else thought this was a pillaging siege, and they were chomping at the bit.

At the sharp whistle from Tai Hoa, the porpoise hounds leapt from the deck, and plunged into the salty depths. Lynn felt Ashvi’s grip around her waist tighten as water consumed all of their senses, they were surrounded by nothing but murky black water. Lynn felt the body of the porpoise hound begin to sway as it propelled itself through the water at a blinding speed. She couldn’t tell how fast they were moving with her eyes, but the pressure of the rushing water against her face was enough to make it clear.

Just as Lynn began to feel the last of the air leaving her lungs, the beast breached the surface and performed a beautiful arc through the air. She heard Ashvi let out a whooping cheer of excitement. Lynn took a gasping lungful of air, but thankfully the hound didn’t submerge again, simply swimming along the surface at a pace that could easily outmatch any horse. They hadn’t left the ship very far from shore, but still, Lynn felt it should’ve taken longer to reach land.

Each of the hounds made it to shore at the same time, in a perfect line with each other, as if they were a military unit. In stark contrast to the unruly pirates mounted on their backs. The shore was lined by a thick, unkempt jungle. The jungle went as far as one could see, and even farther than that. It seemed to be cloaked in a veil of shadow. For some reason, Lynn sensed the faintest feeling of fear and anticipation from the crew.

The captain guided his own mount to stand in front of his crew. “Victory and treasure awaits us, lads. But also terrifying death at the hands of the monsters who roam this island. Loot and pillage to your heart’s content, but be wary.

“Raja, Darma, Susilo, Yuliani and One-arm, to the east! Adina, Jay, Tanzil, Dwi and Yanti, you take the west. Wangi, Enoch, Saharjo, and Lynn you’re with me.” He pointed to each Porpoise hound and referred to the pair on its back by the name of the one in the front. Five went east, and five went west. All twenty of the pirates yelled and cheered as they delved into the thick jungle. The aquatic beasts of burden took shockingly well to the jungle terrain, their movement as smooth as if they were in the water.

That left Wangi, Saharjo, Enoch, Lynn, Ashvi, and two other pirates whose names Lynn believed were Bujang and Azeema. Lynn gave Tai Hoa a meaningful stare. “You’re sending them to their deaths.” She accused.

“Not if we’re successful, butterfly.” He countered.

Ashvi spoke up, “Surely the fearless crew of Tai Hoa can handle a few defenseless villagers. No one’s being sent to their deaths, Lynn.” She chuckled, but no one else shared that laugh.

“We head for the highest peak. Stay close.” Something about the captain was unsettling to Lynn. He wasn’t as cool and relaxed as he usually was, He had this...sharp focus about him.

“You’d better be right about this captain.” Wangi said with a scowl.

“Hiya!” Tai clicked his heels against his hound, and bounded off into the jungle. Not keen on being left behind, Lynn followed. Apparently, Tai hadn’t told Ashvi what horrors awaited on this island, but Lynn knew.

The hound spurred into movement, the movement of his legs was rhythmic and constant, it was a cross between a gallop and a crawl. They breached the tree line, Lynn worried for a moment, looking at the tangle of roots, surely the hounds would stumble. Yet, as they charged into the jungle, it was like they weren’t even phased by the uneven ground, exemplifying the most calculated footing Lynn had ever witnessed. Lynn had to clutch tightly to the reins as the beast even used the trees to accelerate, bouncing off the wood.

Behind her, Ashvi was laughing jovially. She wrapped her arms tighter around Lynn as the ride got harder to handle. Lynn was beginning to feel queasy, and the pressure around her midriff was not helping.

They rode for hours, the canopy above made it impossible to tell what time of day it was, and the jungle was only getting darker the more they ventured inward. The most unsettling thing was the silence. Aside from the rustling and occasional grunts or barks from the porpoise hounds, the jungle was completely silent. No birds flew beneath the canopy, no bugs chittered in the underbrush, no animals scurried across the ground or the underbrush, they hadn’t even encountered a predator. There was just the jungle, and the pirates who were intruding on the land.

“Hold!” Tai called, holding up a fist. On a dime, all of the hounds came to a stop, none of them going past Tai Hoa. Lynn looked around for what had caused them to stop. They had arrived at a clearing in the jungle. Dotted throughout the cleared space of trees were small houses built from jungle wood and tree branches. It was a small village, Lynn counted maybe a dozen structures.

“Looks abandoned.” Said Enoch, a careful look on his face.

“Better for us.” Ashvi said with a laugh, hopping off the hound.

“Search the houses, see what goodies they left us.” Tai commanded. Everyone dismounted and Tai led the hounds to a stream that was running nearby. Meanwhile, the party made for the houses, there were nine of them, so it wouldn’t take very long to search for anything worthwhile.

“He really cares for those animals, doesn’t he?” Lynn observed, watching Tai Hoa as she walked alongside Ashvi.

Ashvi looked over and nodded in agreement, “They’re like big dogs, aren’t they.”

Lynn shrugged, “I think it’s weird how much they look like the draa.” They were speaking Kumandran to each other, it made Lynn feel a lot more comfortable.

“Right? I knew I couldn’t be the only one who noticed that.” Ashvi laughed. The pair stopped outside a small hut thats door was busted off its hinges. “I wonder what happened here, to make everyone leave.” Lynn kept her mouth shut, she had a feeling she shouldn’t answer that question. “Probably some big animal. Trust me, if you thought Serlots were dangerous, you’re in for a shock out here.”

She wrenched aside the broken door and peeked inside the house. Lynn was almost positive she saw the breath leave Ashvi’s lungs. “Th-that’s impossible.” Lynn peered around her shoulder, her heart stopped. Inside the hut was a mess, tables flipped, belongings thrust from makeshift shelves, the struggle that had taken place was evident. Especially by the fact that in the center of the hut, a woman stood frozen place, her arms raised as if presenting an offering, and her skin was stone.

The next sixty seconds were a blur. For years to come Lynn would struggle to remember what happened and exactly in what order it happened. She knew for certain, that the first thing that happened was she heard Azeema scream. Followed by Wangi leaping through the back window of a taller house.

“They’re here! We need to run!” She commanded with urgency. The wall behind her burst open in splinters and a dark and writhing purple mass came crashing through. Lynn looked for Tai and the porpoise hounds. The stream was a brief jog away, but she knew how quickly the Druun could move.

“EVERYONE GET TO THE HOUNDS!” She bellowed, surprising even herself. She started to run, but quickly stopped, looking back she saw Ashvi still stunned at the sudden turn of events. “Come on!” She yelled, shaking the pirate out of her daze. Ashvi was pulled back to reality and quickly booked it for the hounds, Lynn followed behind.

She was quickly joined by Saharjo and Wangi. She looked behind in time to see Bujang barely ahead of the three or four Druun rushing towards them, he stumbled for a moment, and that was it for him. Lynn watched as the dark cloud overtook him, turning his skin to stone and forcing him into the offering position, where he would stay frozen.

She looked back ahead, focusing on not stumbling. The porpoise hounds were nervously stomping their feet, looking back and forth as they were mounted by those who had made it. Lynn, Ashvi, Saharjo, and Wangi.

“Enoch, what happened to Enoch?” The captain demanded.

“I didn’t see him.” Answered Wangi, “We need to go!”

“You said nothing about Druun, Tai Hoa!” Ashvi snapped.

Tai ignored her, “We’re not going anywhere until Enoch is here, or I know he’s stone.” The steel in his eyes was enough to make Ashvi stop talking.

“CAPTAIN!” It was Enoch, everyone looked back to see him standing on a roof, there were Druun gathered around the base of the house, trying to reach him.

“Lynn! Make sure they stay away!” Tai Hoa yelled, sprinting towards the village. Lynn watched him, not sure what he was talking about. What was she supposed to do? Everyone knew the Druun could only be stopped by the dragons.

The Dragons. Quickly Lynn untied the burlap sack from her waistband, reaching inside she produced the Dragon Gem, holding it out to the approaching Druun. The Gem shone brilliantly and the Druun recoiled at the sight, as if they were burned by its very presence.

“Is that the Dragon Gem?!” Ashvi yelled. “What the hell is going on here?”

Lynn ignored her, she watched Tai Hoa dodge past the line of Druun, slipping through their cloudy grasp. She was so used to him drunkenly stumbling all over the place, it was almost bizarre to watch him move nimbly. He had the footing of a cat as he sprinted for the houses.

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Without even stopping, he leapt upward and scrambled up the side of one of the houses, narrowly avoiding a Druun.

Meanwhile, the Druun around the hounds kept trying to get closer, Lynn waved around the Gem, keeping them at bay. She wasn't sure how long this would work.

Tai vaulted the gaps between the houses, staying on the rooftops. He came to Enoch’s side, grasping his hand. “Come on boy, you’ll not die here. Savvy?” Enoch nodded as Tai led him to the side of the roof and guided his jump, the two of them leaping across the roofs the same way Tai had come.

They met the ground in a unison roll, springing to their feet they sprinted back for the hounds. “Make us a path!” Tai yelled. Lynn went forward, pushing the Druun aside to clear a path for Tai and Enoch.

“Get to the other side of the stream!” Lynn yelled to the ones behind her. They didn’t question her order.

Tai and Enoch were getting closer, but Lynn nervously watched as Druun began to swarm behind them. “Keep running!” She yelled.

“Thank you very helpful!” Tai Hoa yelled back. Lynn outstretched her hand for them to grab, when suddenly Enoch tripped.

He fell to the ground, rolling on his side. He had been in front of Tai Hoa, and Tai hadn’t seen him in time, so Tai tripped over Enoch’s fallen body.

Lynn knew Tai would be able to pick himself up and still make it, but the Druun were far too close for Enoch to make it.

Instead, Tai grabbed hold of Enoch, hoisted him over himself and used his feet to kick the boy forward through the air towards Lynn. Lynn caught Enoch and pushed him behind her, protected by the Gem. “Tai! Hurry!” She yelled, but it was too late.

Tai got to his feet only to be caught in the purple cloud of the Druun, he spent two seconds trying to wrestle himself free, but then gave up and looked to Lynn. “Finish it Butterfly.” Before he lost all movement, he threw his sword.

Lynn caught the laring blade, then quickly looked back, Tai Hoa stood frozen in stone. “CAPTAIN!” She cried. She felt a pang in her heart, she hadn’t seen herself as close to Tai. She hadn’t thought it possible. He had done nothing but ruin her life, steal everything from her and force her into a life she never asked for. Captain Tai Hoa was the only reason she wasn’t at this very moment being held by Somwang.

Yet she couldn’t help but recall that conversation they had. A confidence he had instilled in her. One she wasn’t certain she would have otherwise. A confidence to actually be honest about her feelings for Somwang. She had never admitted her feelings to even herself until that night. Because of a pirate. A pirate who had just given his life to protect a man of his crew, because he had been putting his neck on the line to rescue an island from a life of stone.

“Come on, we have to keep going.” Enoch tugged her arm. She let him lead her to the others.

Across the stream the Druun couldn’t reach him, they all took a moment to catch their breath.

“The Captain’s gone...” Saharjo breathed. Next to him, Lynn saw something she never thought she’d see. Wangi was staring straight ahead, her body stiff, and Lynn was certain she saw tears in Wangi’s eyes.

Lynn stood in front of them, she felt a spark of confidence inside her. “Not if we finish what we came here for. We need to move, there’s a land bridge a ways down, those Druun will be after us soon.”

“And what exactly did you come here for?” Ashvi demanded, “Why the hell are the Druun here? Why do you have the Dragon Gem!”

“Does it really matter anymore?” Lynn snapped. She was surprised at herself, and it was clear everyone else was too. She had to keep talking, “We’re all here now and we need to move. Tai said we needed to reach the highest peak, I’ll bet it’s because we can use the Gem there to banish the Druun.”

“He intended for us to banish the Druun?” Ashvi was appalled, “Does he think us dragons?”

Enoch gestured to the Gem, “I suspect he had another plan.”

Ashvi scowled, she mounted one of the hounds, “Or he was crazy. Don’t think I’ll forgive so easily that your crew gave passage to someone who would steal the Dragon Gem.” She snapped to Wangi. Wangi scowled at her, clearly not in a mood to be threatened. “Let’s go.”

“We can’t go anywhere on the hounds.” Saharjo explained. “They only answered to the captain.”

Enoch agreed, “They like us, but only the captain could truly command them.”

Lynn looked down at the sword in her hand, the final gift of Tai Hoa. He had a way of giving her things she never asked for, she realized. “I think the captain solved that problem.” She held up the sword to the lead hound, the one the captain affectionately referred to as “Kilat”. Kilat sniffed the sword for a moment, she sniffed Lynn, then bowed her head. The other porpoise hounds followed in suit.

Lynn turned to the other pirates. “Mount up. We have to hurry.” They were all staring in shock at her. “GO!” She shouted. Without further hesitation they all climbed onto the back of a hound. With their numbers thinned, everyone was able to ride their own.

Lynn climbed onto Kilat’s back, fastening herself into the saddle. She took a breath, then gave a sharp whistle. She felt a bizarre sensation, as if she could feel Kilat’s understanding of her orders, knowing exactly where Lynn wanted her to go. Kilat bolted forward, and the other hounds followed.

Lynn wasn’t wrong about the Druun being able to get around the stream. It wasn’t long before the Druun were at their Tails. Kilat was moving much faster, and Lynn was grateful for that.

Finally, the ground began to incline gradually. The trees and brush thinned in density, though it was still thick. Saharjo pulled up beside Lynn. “Lynn! The hounds can do a lot, but they’re not built for climbing. If this gets steeper, we’ll need to go on foot.”

Lynn pursed her lips, “We won’t outrun them on foot.”

“Then I hope you have a plan very soon.” Saharjo said flatly.

Lynn began working her brain. There were several problems before her. If they left the porpoise hounds behind, the hounds would be consumed and they would have no way to escape if they weren’t able to banish the Druun. Even if they could guarantee the hounds’ safety, they’d never outpace the Druun if they were going uphill. They had the Gem, which seemed to repel the Druun, but she wasn’t certain she could count on that. Did the Gem’s power last forever? Could the Druun find a way around it? The only definite deterrent she knew was water.

She thought of that stream, it had to start from somewhere, right? Water often came from uphill, perhaps she could find a mouth.

She tugged the reins to the left, guiding Kilat to try and find the stream again. It didn’t take long, as they hadn’t ventured far. Just as she hoped, the stream trickled down the hillside, but it was hardly enough to dissuade the Druun. She looked up the incline, hoping the stream would widen as it got higher, no such luck.

“We have to backtrack!” Lynn shouted, turning Kilat down the hill.

“Are you crazy?!” Ashvi called.

“Trust me!” She hollered back. She let them down the hill to where the stream widened. She dismounted Kilat in the water. “Leave the hounds in the water, then stay close to me.”

Everyone exchanged uncertain looks, but obliged, leaving their mounts in the water. “Stick to the stream, it’s not a lot of water, but it’s what we’ve got. Otherwise, we have to trust the Gem.” She was surprising herself with her leadership, having not been a role she was often tasked with taking. She saw no reason she should be leading above Wangi, clearly Wangi was second to Tai.

Tai had chosen her, though. His final act had been to throw her his sword, the sword that the hounds respected. If the porpoise hounds respected it, why would it be illogical that the crew would as well?

“Can we not simply slay these Druun?” Saharjo postered.

“You can’t harm them.” Ashvi spat.

The Druun fell on their position, and Lynn held out the Gem, the shimmering surface was like a blinding torch, forcing the Druun to cower. “Come on!” She yelled.

They continued uphill, as they went higher, the slope got more and more steep, eventually forcing them to climb with their hands, Lynn having to climb with one hand as the Druun came after them. They had to move at an exhausting pace, but no one wanted to slow or take a break, now everyone was all too aware of what would happen if they stopped.

Soon what once was a steep slope became a sheer cliff face, the Druun couldn’t follow them anymore, so Lynn could stow away the Gem. However, now the problem was not falling. There were plenty of grips and ledges, but still many of the rocks were shaky and could easily fall loose with too much weight.

Hand over hand Lynn crawled up the rockface, her body dripped with sweat, making her grip slip on occasion. Her hands were bloody and calloused, her muscles ached with each haul upwards, she felt as if her arms would rip from their sockets at any moment.

Above her, she watched Saharjo slip on a handhold, lose his footing and begin to fall. Lynn felt as if time slowed, Saharjo fell away from the wall, tumbling downward over Lynn. Quickly she freed one of her hands, reaching out for Saharjo’s flailing arm. She grabbed him and felt him grab back. His falling arc altered and he was swung down, slamming into the rock, Lynn felt his weight almost double as he went limp.

Lynn nearly lost her grip as Saharjo dangled limply from her hand. “He’s unconscious! I can’t hold him!”

“I’ve got him!” Ashvi yelled, grabbing Saharjo’s other arm. Ashvi’s help made it easier to lift the large man, but even so, Lynn struggled to climb higher. She craned her neck upwards, there was a clear ledge where at the very least they would be able to leave Saharjo, though she wasn’t hopeful that their climbing would be over once they reached it.

Finally, Lynn reached her hand up and grabbed the ledge, digging her nails into the rock. She tensed her muscles and hauled herself and Saharjo upwards, Ashvi did the same. The two Kumandrans emerged over the ledged and pulled Saharjo after them. They got Saharjo away from the edge, then collapsed on the ground.

Behind them came Wangi and Enoch. Enoch came to Lynn and Ashvi, sitting next to them and massaging his own muscles. Wangi meanwhile, surveyed the plateau they had come to.

From so high up they could see all sides of the island, everything was in clear view. The thick jungle scape covered the entire island, with only a few breaks in the foliage where Wangi could make out a few houses. In the distance, she could make out the Crimson Songbird, floating in the foggy bay.

As alive and lush as the island was, upon that peak, it was empty. “Nothing’s here.” Ashvi spat. “That old fool said we would find the solution here. Suppose that’s what I get for trusting Tai.”

Wangi’s one eye flared. Lynn could see so much Wangi wanted to say to Ashvi, Lynn could feel anger emanating from Wangi. Yet Wangi held herself, uttering only, “Where is Haliya.”

Ashvi’s expression matched Wangi’s, “Why’s she so damn important?”

Wangi twisted on her feet, storming up to Ashvi and lifting her up by her shirt collar. “Because she be the key to getting us off this forsaken island. You may have grown used to the niceties of my dearly departed captain, but I am not so kind. I will ask once more before I throw ye from this cliff. Where is Haliya?” The silence stood for a moment as Wangi stared down Ashvi, the anger of the two women seemed to emanate in a tangible aura.

Ashvi spat in Wangi’s wounded eye, “She’s dead.”

Wangi growled, “Impossible.”

Ashvi averted her eyes, “The same as I told Lynn, she’s dead and she’s not coming back.”

Wangi let go of Ashvi’s collar, slugging a heavy fist into her stomach, “Then you’re useless to us.” As Ashvi crumpled to the floor, Wangi turned away and went back to Saharjo’s side.

Lynn looked down, it seemed the captain truly had failed them. He had put all his faith in one person being there, but that person was dead. Lynn wasn’t certain if the Druun could climb the plateau, but she didn’t like their chances. Either way, they wouldn’t last long up here anyway.

She drew Tai Hoa’s blade from its sheath, running a hand across the cold, curved metal. “I’m sorry Captain,” She muttered, “I failed. You shouldn’t have trusted me with this.” She cursed, why had he given her the blade? It was obvious Wangi deserved it more. Lynn barely knew Tai, why had he trusted her with his symbol of leadership?

She lifted the blade, intending to cast it off the side of the cliff for all it was worth, but she stopped as something caught her eye. Along the other side of the blade, an odd etching ran the length, she hadn’t noticed it, but as the setting sun reflected, she could make out the shape; a dragon.

She inspected the engraving, why did Tai Hoa’s sword have a dragon? He had made it clear he had shed himself of all ties with Kumandra, he would have no reason to carry such an insignia. Yet there it was. She frowned, why couldn’t she shake the feeling that this was important somehow?

“It’s blessed…” She heard Ashvi’s voice utter the surprised realization from behind her.

Lynn turned around, “What did you say?” Quickly Ashvi averted her gaze, pretending to have been inspecting a bird that was flying past. Blessed…blessed…why did she say blessed…

Quickly Lynn covered the space between them and, in a sudden move that caused everyone to get to their feet, held Tai Hoa’s sword to Ashvi’s throat.

“Talk.” Lynn’s tone sent a chill down Ashvi’s spine. Mentally, Lynn was screaming at herself. This was stupid, this was idiotic, it wouldn’t be long now before Ashvi drew her own blade and did away with any threat Lynn could possess. But Lynn was done standing on the side. She was done standing by and watching others make the important decisions while her situation got worse and worse. She was done losing control of her life.

Her confidence was bolstered when she saw Wangi’s blade raise alongside her own. Wangi stood at her side, her eye fierce, and soon Enoch’s blade joined as well.

“I’m still terrified of you, for the record,” Enoch told her, his voice shaky.

Ashvi sneered, her eyes intimidating. Slowly she raised her hands. “Tai’s sword, it bears the Dragon’s blessing. Do you see?” She gestured to the engraving of the dragon. “I don’t know how I never noticed it.”

“What does that mean?” Lynn spat, “What’s the Dragon’s blessing?”

“Haliya told me about it once, as a reward or gift the dragons would bestow a powerful blessing on a mortal or a mundane object, giving them access to powers of the dragons.”

Lynn pulled back the sword slightly, this was impossible. How could Tai Hoa’s sword have the power of dragons? How would the captain even come by that power? Lynn held the sword horizontally, “So, this could activate the gem? That was Tai’s plan, wasn’t it?”

Ashvi bit her lip, “Possibly, though if I know Tai Hoa, he had no clue the capabilities of his sword and this was just a happy accident.” Wangi sneered and prodded her sword a little closer to Ashvi.

Lynn used her hand to lower Wangi’s sword. “You’re sure about this?” She addressed Ashvi, “About this whole ‘Dragon’s Blessing’ thing?”

Ashvi nodded, “I’ve seen it before.”

Lynn held the blade up in the sun, and likewise produced the Dragon Gem from its pouch. The setting sun glinted off the luminescent sphere, creating a near blinding shimmer. “Then it’s worth a shot. Wangi, hold the gem. I’ll bet you if you can position it in the path of the sun it’ll amplify the gem’s power.”

Wangi took the gem, raising her eyebrow, “And since when do you know what you’re doing all of a sudden?” She asked.

Lynn stepped back and raised the sword, “Truth be told, I’m not sure what I’m doing.” She admitted, “But if anything’s going to work, it’ll be this.” Lynn pointed the blade forward, just as she had when she’d taken command of the Porpoise Hounds.

For a moment, nothing happened, then a light began to pulsate from within the blade. Soon the mysterious glow began to stretch forward from the blade to the gem, light cascading from the cold steel in a brilliant twist of glowing beams. The light twisted on itself as if it were a tangle of vines, soon reaching the gem and pouring into the solid surface, making the gem glow with power. The light from the sword began to increase in intensity, soon taking on more shades of color even. More and more the light grew in brightness and the colors multiplied until not even a rainbow could match its brilliance. Everyone stood in shock at the display of light and power before them, in years to come they would struggle to describe exactly what they had seen.

Then from within the gem came an intense burst of power, emanating in a visible ring of energy that burst forth and spread from the point of origin all across the island. So powerful was the energy that the trees were blown backward, as if a powerful wind had swept through. After that, the light disappeared. For a moment, there was pure silence. No one spoke, no wind blew, no birds sang. Just nothing.

And then, in the distance, they heard the rushing of water. Not a simple trickle of a stream, or a running of a river, but the sound of a turrent of rapid destructive capabilities. The water rushed inward to the island, and it wasn’t long before they could actually see the inlet of water, rising across the ground and flooding everything in view, yet still the sound of rushing water proceeded.

The water level rose and rose until it even began to dwarf several of the trees on the island, it was as if the island was being dragged below the waves.

Enoch turned to Lynn, panic in his eyes, “It’s going to reach us, we’re going to drown! Do something!”

Lynn was just as panicked, “Do what?! I don’t even know what I did in the first place!” She frantically waved the sword in the air, trying to get it to do something, anything. “Ashvi! What do we do?”

Ashvi held up her hand, “Listen. It’s working.” In the distance, the party could hear monstrous screams of anguish. The Druun were drowning, literally dissolving and burning in the rushing waves. “I don’t think it’s going to reach us.” Ashvi shouted over the sound of rushing water. The water was beginning to reach the height of their plateau, and it seemed Ashvi may have been wrong.

But then, it stopped. Just as the water was beginning to slosh up onto their level, it stopped rising. Then just as quickly as it had begun to rise, the water began to go down, perhaps even faster. It was as if the water were just being dumped out. Quickly the water rushed away and the island was again above the water. It looked as if it had never been under water in the first place.

The Gem slowly stopped its glow, and sat to rest back in Wangi’s hand. For a moment, the party stood silent, shocked at what they had just witnessed. Then they all began to cheer.

“We did it! It worked!” Lynn cheered.

“Lynn you did it! We’re actually alive!” Enoch cheered.

Wangi peered out over the edge of the cliff, “That son of a bitch did it.”

Ashvi stood at her side, “He had a plan after all.”

Then the sun fell below the horizon, and as night fell they departed their safe haven, and celebrated their victory.