Jutha regarded him for a long time. Then he raised his head and tucked his legs into his shell.

“So, you have returned seeking to carry Mother’s blessing again,” he said.

Xan nodded.

“You told me that if I ever wanted it back, I just needed to come here and call for you. Well, I’m here, and I called for you,” he said.

Jutha tilted his head, giving Xan a quizzical look. Then he lowered his head so that he and Xan were eye-to-eye.

“You return so soon. Has something changed, little one?” he asked.

“Only that I’ve had a lot to think about,” Xan said. Jutha tilted his head the other way, seeming to not understand. So Xan felt behind himself for the closest tree. He sat down between two of its knotted roots, and Shadow curled up in his lap.

“I’m not going to lie, for a while I’d convinced myself that I wasn’t coming back,” he said. “Leaving it with you was a big relief. Finally, I was rid of that accursed thing, and I never had to think about it again…. Except, I couldn’t.”

He held up his hands and looked at them. He closed them into fists.

“The more I thought about what you told me, the more I realized you were right. As much as I hated it, you were right. It was foolish of me to place the blame on it. Really, the blame lies with Seeker Torban.”

Jutha’s eyes narrowed as he listened, but he let Xan continue:

“I still don’t completely understand what happened to him. All I know is that if he hadn’t insisted on sailing to one more island, we wouldn’t have been caught in the Everstorm. We wouldn’t have shipwrecked on that island. And he never would have found the crystal pendant in the first place. Whatever happened to my crewmates, it’s his fault. It’s all his fault.”

Jutha let loose a low rumble just then, causing Xan to look up at him in alarm.

“So what will you do, then, little human? Will you spend the rest of your life searching out this Seeker Torban so you can seek revenge?” Jutha asked in an accusing tone.

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Xan clenched his fists. Then he opened them and let them drop to his lap with a sigh.

“No, I won’t. My captain taught me that seeking revenge is a futile endeavor,” he said.

Jutha looked at Xan for a long moment. Then he pulled his head back and up so he was looking down at Xan once more.

“Then if revenge is not what you seek, why do you want Mother’s blessing?” he asked.

Xan pulled out the small gray-and-white striped rock. He held it in his hands and looked at it while he spoke:

“Someone told me that one can’t have power without the responsibility that comes with it. The power of the Spirit Sang may not have been my choice, but since it was thrust upon me – in a way – I can choose how I’m going to use it. And I choose to honor my captain and crewmates by using it as a force for good in the world.”

Jutha was silent for a moment. Then his shell began to shake as he let loose a throaty rumble that Xan realized was a laugh.

“Wise words, even if they are not entirely your own,” Jutha chuckled. Then he turned his head to look down intently at Xan. “Very well. We will return Mother’s blessing to you, along with the wisdom you will need to use it.”

Xan frowned at the silver tortoise. “I already know how to use it. That other Wild Spirit… what was it… Chusho. He told me,” he said.

Jutha seemed to start with surprise. “You have met our brother, Chusho?”

“Yeah, once,” Xan said, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture.

“So, we are not the first Wild Spirit you have met. Interesting…” Jutha said. He lowered his head so that he and Xan were eye-to-eye once again. “And what did our brother teach you?”

So Xan spent the next few minutes repeating what Chusho had said. Jutha nodded thoughtfully as he listened.

“We see. So, can you see the flow of Ru, then?” he asked.

“No. Every time I’ve used the Spirit Sang, all I see are stars,” Xan said, shaking his head. Jutha blinked, seeming confused.

“Our brother Chusho did not teach you how?” he asked.

“No, he only told me that I would need to learn how to do that first,” Xan said, shaking his head again.

“Mmmm… He must have had great confidence that you would figure it out on your own. Clearly, he was mistaken,” Jutha said.

“Well, you know, a lot’s been going on the past few days. I haven’t really had a chance to figure it out,” Xan said, frowning.

“Then we will impart that wisdom to you,” Jutha said.

Then he opened his maw wide. He extended his tongue towards Xan, with the end unfurling like a rolled-up carpet. On the very tip sat the pendant, its purple crystal still sparkling. Xan slowly reached out to take it, only hesitating once at the idea of it being covered in tortoise slobber. To his surprise, the pendant was dry, albeit warm, like it had been sitting in a hot water bath. For a moment he looked at it uncertainly. Then he gritted his teeth in determination. He carefully untangled the golden chain and slipped it over his head.

“Alright then,” he said, looking up at Jutha. “What do I do?”