"Last one," Yazwa said to herself, wiping the sweat from her brow. Pillars of smoke rose into the sky as the great shipyard was slowly consumed by flames. The collapse of the Golden Colossus seemed to have broken the will of the defenders. When the titanic ship rolled over, the soldiers fled back into town towards the castle on the far side, letting the Vathlanri land unopposed on the docks. The Vao in the air had flown away too, some into the castle and others to the horizon.

"Hack them up, and we can get going," Utosa said, looking over her shoulder at the town. Groups of Vathlanri stood guard behind them, watching for any sign of a counter-attack.

Blinking on her sight, Yazwa stepped into the final huge drydock, staff shining white. The wooden struts big enough to support a treasure ship were thick and would take days to burn unless they were cut into smaller pieces. Yazwa walked up and down the rows, hacking them apart with practiced ease. When she was finished, she exited the drydock as some Vathlanri stepped forward, hurling pots of oil and pitch onto the struts. Yazwa blinked off her sight and hurried away from the explosion of flames, catching sight of Utosa talking to a messenger. "Good news?" she asked with a smile, leaning on her staff.

Utosa nodded. "Very. All the tools in the workshops have either been destroyed or cast into the water. Our wounded are all back aboard ship and it sounds like Yia is going to survive."

"Well that is good," Yazwa said, nodding. "Did she get shot or something?"

A moment passed while Utosa shouted orders to the Vathlanri and they began to pull back. "No. Blowing apart both those ships did so much damage to her arm that they had to cut it off. Anyone else would be dead, but she should pull through."

"Whoa," said Yazwa, straightening up. She remembered the same thing happening to Tsen back in Channan Harbor when he tried to cure her curse. "Will she...?"

"Yia said she'd make time for you, at least that's what I'm told," Utosa said, walking towards the docks on the far end of the shipyard. "But that won't be for a while. Make yourself useful and go tell Aven and the others it's time to go. If they haven't found what they're looking for yet, then they're out of time."

Yazwa nodded, hurrying ahead to the only thing in the shipyard not burning. The Golden Colossus was resting on its side. Its hull was mostly intact, but the decks had shattered when it hit the ground, sending an avalanche of timbers and planks spewing outward. The tangled heap of wood was to be burned last due to the fact that it was probably still packed with gunpowder. "Hey!" Yazwa called as she started to climb the pile, choosing her footing carefully.

"Over here!" Aven called from the edge of the water.

Yazwa called out as she struggled closer to them. "Utosa says it's time to go! Have you found-oh."

Two bodies lay on their backs with Saiyun, Ji and Aven kneeling around them. Azun's resplendent uniform was torn to shreds, and his neck was twisted at an odd angle. Dozens of wounds were open on Bill’s body, and the spear that had killed him was still impaled in his chest. Both their eyes were closed, and they looked peaceful despite their injuries.

"We just pulled them out," Saiyun said, reaching forward to grab Azun's hand. One by one, he plucked the rings off Azun's hands and slipped them into his pockets. "Before you think the worst of me, I need this as proof that I was here. His signet rings will do that."

Yazwa nodded, glancing over at Aven and Ji. They were both silent, kneeling next to Bill's body. Ji's eyes were shut and she was saying something to herself. Aven just stared at Bill silently, hardly moving. Yazwa coughed and looked back to Saiyun. "Take those badges off his uniform too. Let me help you look through his pockets."

A quick search revealed nothing but a small leatherbound notebook that Saiyun quickly flipped through. "It looks like personal notes," Saiyun said, slipping it into his pocket.

"Did you happen to find the blade I cut off?" Yazwa grinned. "I wouldn't mind keeping that for a souvenir."

Saiyun shook his head. "No, it's probably under all this."

"Too bad," said Yazwa. "No time to look for it. The rest of the drydocks are burning. Utosa is getting ready to pull everyone out. Time to go."

"Does anyone know the proper funeral rites for an Ezu?" Ji asked from her spot next to Bill.

Before Yazwa could say anything, Aven spoke up. "A simple water burial. It's all he would have wanted."

Saiyun looked up, wiping his hands on his robes. "We're right next to the bay. Should be easy."

"No," Aven hissed. "Not next to him."

Whistles sounded from the other side of the rubble pile. Yazwa was starting to learn the Vathlanri's signals and it sounded like they were getting ready to go. "Think we could drag him over the rubble and bring him with us?" she asked.

"Even with the Jados’ help, that would be a challenge," said Saiyun, digging into his pockets and pulling out one of his turtle dolls. "What if we put him on the back of the Ijose Turtle? It can swim out into the bay and drop him into the water away from Azun."

Aven was quiet for a moment, still staring at Bill. "Good. Help me get him to the water," he said hoarsely.

The unsteady footing and Bill's bulk made it difficult, but the four of them managed to carry him down to the waterside and place him on the back of the waiting summon. Yazwa couldn't help but stare as Aven pulled the spear out of his body and Aven crossed Bill's arms over his chest. Even now, she half expected Bill to open his eyes and laugh about the joke. But she knew from carrying him that it wouldn't happen. Bill was limp and cold.

"Thank you," Saiyun said, breaking the silence. "I won't pretend you took me in out of the goodness of your heart, but you gave me hope. You showed me there was a way back to the life that was stolen from me. Without you, I would have sunken into desperate despair. For that, I will always be grateful."

"Me too," Yazwa said, shifting from foot to foot in the knee-deep water. "If you hadn't decided to let me come along, I would have missed all of this. I would probably just be moping around back home. Thanks for thinking I could cut it out here."

Ji stepped forward, putting her hand over Bill's nose and mouth. "You have breathed your last, Headless Bill. You die victorious with your most-hated enemy's body broken at your feet. There are no more battles for you to fight. May the winds of En Chitei bear you safely through the Caves to the Shining Lands."

When she was finished, Aven stepped up. "Make sure you tell Mom you got him. I'm sure she'd love to hear it from you," he said, giving the turtle a gentle push. It flapped its flippers and drifted out into the bay with Bill laying still on its back.

They watched it go until the whistles from the Vathlanri grew louder and sharper. "I don't think they'll wait much longer," Yazwa said gently. She waited for Aven to go first, then followed him up the pile of broken boards and timbers.

Ji leapt ahead, helping them over the rough parts until they were back on solid ground. Once they passed the hulk of the Golden Colossus the Vathlanri lit it up. By the time they got onto the boats and got underway the ship was a raging inferno. Aven stepped away, but the others couldn't help but watch. "What a waste," said Ji.

Saiyun looked up, watching the flames climb towards the sky. "Yeah. Those ships were one of the wonders of the world."

"Not the ships, Bill," said Ji, clenching her fists. "It didn't have to end like that."

Yazwa glanced across the ship, making sure Aven was out of earshot. "Maybe he just had to be sure. Azun could have gotten away if Bill hadn't grabbed hold of him. Bill got what he wanted in the end."

"Azun was an evil man," Saiyun added. "Bill's sacrifice may save many lives."

Ji let out a long breath, rocking back and forth on her heels. "It wasn't a sacrifice. Yazwa's right, Bill got what he wanted. His whole life was nothing but a quest for revenge. He was strong, he was smart. He could have been anything, done anything. What a waste of a life."

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"I don't think it was a waste," Yazwa said, squinting out onto the water and trying to see the summon that bore his body. "Sure he was a pirate, but it was his life to live, and he got everything he wanted out of it."

"No matter what we think of him," said Saiyun. "There is no way we can forget him. I feel I'll be telling stories about my adventures with Headless Bill for a long time."

Ji nodded. "Me too. His strength and tenacity are undeniable. The acolytes of my monastery will know his tales well."

The heat from the fires could just barely be felt as the boats moved further and further from them. Yazwa imagined the hearthfire crackling back home with her whole family gathered around it. They were listening to her tell stories of her voyage to the west, hanging on every detail. Those would be the only stories she had once she returned. No more danger, no more battles. Her life would go back to spending her days in the forge and her nights in a comfortable, safe bed.

"I'm not going back home," she decided.

"What?" asked Saiyun.

It sounded so natural when she said it out loud. "I don't want to go back home," she said with a shrug. "I think I’ve known all along. There's still so much left to do out here, so much I haven't seen. From the way you're both looking at me, I can tell you think I've lost my mind."

"That's why you came out here," Saiyun said slowly. "That's why you've been risking your life to break the curse. So you can go home to your family."

"Your battles are over," added Ji.

A smile started to grow on Yazwa's face. "Not until I say they are. There's still plenty of battles to fight if I go looking for them. Once we get back to Hilt, I'm going to try and find Turantoc."

"Why?" sputtered Saiyun.

"He invited me to chase down Blood Achali with him," Yazwa replied, tapping her staff on the deck. "I didn't take him up on the offer then, but now that I'm freed up it seems a shame to waste all my new skills."

Ji cocked her head to one side. "I fear Bill has rubbed off on you too much."

Yazwa let out a laugh. "I think you're right. But come on, Turantoc's got the God of Dogs at his side, and he's crazy enough to scare Tsen! How can I pass up an adventure like that?"

-

Aven rolled over in his hammock for the tenth time, once again failing to find a position that would help him get to sleep. The fleet had sailed away from the shipyard three days ago and there was still no sign of pursuers as night fell. Word had likely begun to spread about the attacks in Tsilen. They would be through the straits and into the open ocean long before anyone could gather together a fleet to stop them. Then they would sail to Hilt, reunite with the Vathlanri that had been left behind, and report back to Wabaro. With Hilt and Tsilen at war, there would be plenty of work for him. Unless...

Rolling out of his hammock, Aven's feet hit the floor, and he went up above deck. The night air was cool and a thousand stars twinkled in the clear skies above. The Vathlanri ship’s twin hulls cut through the calm waters, following the ship ahead of it. At the rear of the ship, a small fire burned in a cauldron with a few familiar faces gathered around it.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Chata asked, tossing a chunk of wood into the fire. His old friend had survived the shipyard unharmed without a single wound despite the intensity of the fighting on the docks. One of few, much to her disappointment. There would be no scars to celebrate the battle.

"That's where I'd like to be right now," said Yazwa, warming her hands by the fire. A bandage was wrapped around one, a consequence of re-learning how hot flames could be. "I keep getting stuck with night watch duty now that I can be around this again."

"Can't blame them," Aven said. "If I were running things I'd want someone with your eyes on night watch."

Yazwa mumbled, leaning back from the flames. "The only thing behind us has been smoke. Hey, if you told Saiyun to get off my back, do you think he would listen?"

Aven raised an eyebrow and stared at her.

"Stupid question," Yazwa sighed. "He's going to pester me about it until we get to Hilt.”

For once, Aven was in agreement with Saiyun. Running off half-cocked in search of one man and his dog wasn't one of the smartest ideas he'd ever heard. Sure, she knew what city he was going to, but by the time she got there, he would have left months ago. There was a chance Turantoc would leave a trail of destruction like he had in Hilt, but that was no certain thing. Aven was considering going with her. For all her strength, Yazwa was still a terrible liar. She'd need someone around to back her up.

"Forget the green guy," Chata said. "Stay with us. Don't you want to finish the job with the treasure fleet? I wouldn't mind having someone around that can chop down a mast with one swing.”

That was the other option. Hilt and Tsilen were going to war. If Wabaro had her way, hundreds of Anku ships would cross Vath's Ocean to join her war effort. News of a resurrected treasure fleet would draw just as many Vathlanri Ata's to Hilt. Even with all that strength, there would still be a need for spies. Aven had spent a lot of his childhood sneaking around Tsilen's cities. Wabaro would be happy to have him at work. It would probably make Mom happy, even though Azun was dead, his legacy lived in the treasure fleet.

After tomorrow, those would be his only choices.

Yazwa laughed. "If you met Turantoc, you'd know it's impossible to forget him. Besides, I've had enough of giant ships. Time for a new challenge."

"No more challenges," came a grumble out of the dark. Utosa approached them, decorations in her hair jingling and catching the firelight. "I just had to help change thirty sets of bandages. If you say one word about not getting any scars, I will throw you into the fire."

Chata threw her arm over Utosa and pulled her close. "I'll shut up, I promise."

Aven swallowed as a sense of urgency washed over him. "Yazwa, do you know if Ji went to bed yet?"

"Maybe," Yazwa shrugged. "Last I saw she went to the front of the ship, said she wanted to watch the stars one last time."

With little more than a nod, Aven broke away from the fire. Since they left the shipyard he'd always found some excuse to delay, but now he was almost out of time. As his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness he spotted Ji, sitting on the deck and looking up at the sky. The gentle breeze buffeted her braid and made the patch of hair on her tail ruffle. Aven stared for a moment before he built up the nerve to call out. "Hey," he said, taking a seat beside her.

Ji twitched, looking over her shoulder and smiling. "Someday I hope to move as silently as you."

"Maybe if you practice it," Aven said, looking up at the sky with her. "Yazwa told me you were up here taking one last look."

"Yes," Ji said. "There are trees everywhere at my monastery. I doubt I'll ever get to see this much of the night sky again. Uvenli says she can have me dropped off tomorrow."

A silence dragged on as the wind drifted past them. Aven scrambled to find the right words, glad for the dim light. "Everyone should be really happy to see you."

"I'm not so sure," Ji sighed. "My elders will be delighted that I have become an Esgan, but I doubt they will be pleased to hear what I have to say. The acolytes journey is an ancient tradition, but it must come to an end."

Fidgeting with his pants, Aven searched in vain for the right thing to say again. "Won't they have to listen to you? Isn't the whole point of the journey to turn an acolyte into an Esgan?"

"It is, but I am still young," said Ji. "Even if I am an Esgan, I am not an elder. But I will not allow the next generation of acolytes to be thrown out into the world unprepared. I have learned too much to be ignored. They will see reason, even if I have to use force."

"I have an idea," Aven volunteered. "If you want to hear it."

Ji turned to look at him, leaning back on her hands. "Tell me."

"Well, you become an Esgan when En Chitei speaks to you, right?" asked Aven.

"Indeed," nodded Ji. "Although, they did not speak to me in words. It is difficult to express."

"The Elders don't know that," Aven said. "Tell them En Chitei told you to end the acolytes journey. It's not like they can check."

A warm smile crossed Ji's face. "I never would have thought of that. I'm going to miss you."

"You don't have to," Aven blurted, freezing in place.

The night was silent again as the smile dropped off Ji's face. "I will never forget our time together, but I must return home."

"That's not what I meant," Aven said quickly. "I mean, what I meant is, you want to change things at the monastery. I can help. I taught you, I can teach others too. I can help."

Aven cringed as the words tumbled out of him and days of obsessing over how to ask were wasted. Before she could answer, he continued on. "I know you asked me before, a long time ago. And I told you that I wouldn't be welcomed. But since, since you're going to change everything up, maybe that doesn't matter anymore. I could help. A lot," he babbled, heart pounding in his chest.

"I," Ji said, clearing her throat. "I, I am honored, that you think so highly of my monastery. To...to add your skills to our own would-"

"Not just that," Aven blurted, thankful for the darkness as he went red. "Not because I don't have anywhere to go. I want to go because you're going there. I want to go with you. To be with you."

He wasn't sure, but Aven's hopes were buoyed when it looked like she was blushing too.

For a moment, Ji said nothing as she looked back at the stars. Then, ever so slowly, she leaned over to rest her head on Aven's shoulder. "Me too. I want to be with you."

Aven realized he had never actually figured out what he would say in response. Old instincts took over and he rested his head on Ji's without saying a word. The two sat in silence, watching the ships sail on towards the endless stars on a voyage that was now taking both of them home.