The Crew swirled through the rough sea, wading up and over waves and between swells. Salty spray breached the top of the boat, splashing down into the floorboards and soaking the riders. Overhead, the dark clouds thickened, doubling and tripling until they consumed all but the horizon. Bolts of lightning pierced the veil, biting the water’s surface with deafening booms.

The rain didn’t so much as fall but rather swirled with the rapid winds, spiraling around the storm. The roaring tempest left little room for the Crew to speak, not that any felt the need to—their eyes were on the distant island growing larger and larger. Masked behind the rain, the eye of the storm left the island perfectly dry.

As the boat roamed closer, a single structure towered over the trees—a stone monolith. Made of dark, polished marble, the idol crackled with bursts of lightning and magical essence. A vortex spun around its apex, fueling the storm into an eternal disaster.

“Blackbeard’s artifact!” Erin yelled, sitting beside Barns.

The Crew leader’s eyes went wide. “It’s protecting the treasure!” He frantically looked around. “We’re going to sink! The monolith sinks all who board the boats!”

The wind picked up, silencing any response. The boat lurched, watery currents and terrible swells yanking the hunk of wood in adversary directions. Then, like rowing into the shallows, the boat halted, shimming forward as something happened underneath—Barns could only imagine what.

Suddenly, the rain stopped swirling and began to fall upward. The Crew looked around in disbelief, Erin slipping her hand into Barns’ and one row back, Arlo did the same with Wail. The partners held each other close as a force pushed the boat into the air. They sailed upward like the rain, slowly leaving the rough seas with increasingly faster speeds. Soon, they rose above the island’s tree line, and only the monolith stood in their way.

They slowed as they careened around the artifact, the magic in the air transforming into something darker. A bolt of lightning sang down from the heavens, crashing into the water like a god smiting a blasphemer.

Then, the boat tilted forward.

Erin, Arlo, and oddly enough, Mel screamed at the top of their lungs as a murky whirlpool waited for them dozens of meters below. It spun, sucking in water like the very vortex at the top of the monolith. The ocean parted as the magic drilled through the depths, eventually exposing the sandy bottom—now completely dry.

Yet, the magic didn’t stop. Sand started flying, joining the spinning current as the whirlpool continued to grow. Then—the rain stopped, and the monolith began to hum. The air vibrated, the lightning dared not strike. Power culminated at the artifact’s peak before blasting down into the whirlpool. The color of the area shifted, muting as reality was torn.

Heat pushed against the Crew, bristling their skin and soothing their damp shoes.

“A portal!?” Barns yelled. “It opened a portal!? What kind of ride—”

His outrage ceased as the magic holding the boat in the air failed. It fell from the sky, barreling toward the portal at a steep angle. The Crew screamed as they passed through the boundary, clutching each other or the handles located around the boat.

As they continued to fall, their new location whipped by. Barns made out a lot of the color orange and strange calcified rock formations before the boat skidded to a spot. Orange warm water rolled over the front of the boat, soaking the front two rows and leaving the third mostly dry. They drifted across a lake of lava, the enchantments carved into the underside of the boat failing.

“What have you gotten us into, Barns!” Mel snapped from the third row. “Portals? Artifacts? What happened to—”

A meaty hand landed on top of the goblin’s head. “Illusion, remember?” asked Tank, the two words more than enough to quell the Crew.

Barns, like everyone else, dispelled the illusions. Where a lake of lava stretched far into the horizon, now a trough of water carried the boat onwards. It twisted and turned, dipped and rose—they were obviously still near Emberwood Village. Barns even spotted a few other boats carrying the guests that boarded before them. A wooden walkway connected along the side of the trough, one that led the length of the watery track.

“Remember, Mel, this is a World Walker’s invention,” Erin said, slicking water from her hair. Her eyes positively sparked, the woman’s smile knowing no defeat. The ride, the story, the artifact, even Blackbeard himself, couldn’t come close to the thrill plastered across her face. “And World Walker’s always make the best stuff.”

Barns chuckled softly. Gods, I love this woman. He leaned back, relaxing his posture. A lake of lava? So be it. He might as well enjoy it. He took Erin’s hand—just as the boat bumped into something.

The lava shifted underneath, sending the boat off in an arc. Ahead, something emerged from the lake, growing in size until a singular, massive hand broke the surface. It reached into the air, its red-hot skin instantly cooling into hardened stone. It flopped onto the lava, using the surface to pull a portion of its body from the depths below.

With only its torso uncovered, cascading lava solidified along its neck and shoulders, dripping into twisted skin and mangled hair. It was a giant, maybe larger than the island the monolith protected. Swirling from its lava innards, a singular gemstone eye appeared in the center of its massive forehead. The gem rotated until set in place, only then allowing the creature to see.

“Family of yours, big guy?” Mel asked Tank, patting him with the back of his hand. Tank gave a curt shrug—answer enough.

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The giant cyclops slowly looked around, eventually homing in on the boat and the Crew. It raised a massive hand into the air, slamming it down with great speed. The lava impacted, molding around its fingers. A shockwave blasted underneath the surface, sending a cascading wave.

The wave hit the boat, taking it along with it—only, not backward. The wave switched directions as soon as it got to them, pulling the Crew toward the lava giant. They sped across the lake of lava, molten orange “water” splashing over the sides. The creature reached down, meeting their rocketing boat with an open hand.

It lifted them up, and once again, Barns felt something shift underneath the boat. They angled toward the sky—which was actually the roof of the cavern holding the lake of lava. The cyclops looked at them from above, its massive gemstone eye shining bright orange. It loomed, inspecting them at different angles before opening its massive maw.

With a guttural shriek, the creature bellowed. Sound contorted and twisted around the boat as Wail’s control over magic protected them. The boat vibrated, but for a moment, the illusion of the ride was once again missing.

“Stop it!” Mel snapped. “No magic!”

Wail made an annoyed sound before allowing her spell to end. In an instant, the giant’s scream returned, startling Erin into Barns’ arms with a yelp. The half-elf’s face split into a smile, her eyes wild.

Beneath the scream, Barns heard his partner chuckle maniacally. Erin yanked back her head, her giggles radiating out. Then the boat tipped, and the cyclops allowed the Crew to fall. She threw up her hands as everyone else in the boat desperately clutched onto the bracing handles.

As they hurdled down another drop, Barns couldn’t help but question just who was sitting beside him. Erin, the insecure half-elf, or Erin, the thrill-freak.

The boat splashed back into the lava lake, soaking the inhabitants yet again. Behind, the giant cyclops roared yet again, but the distance made it quieter, almost like the creature was saying “goodbye,” as they trailed away.

They snaked across the lake, following the wake of the monster’s waves and eventually entered a branching hole. The Crew was in a cavern, but one with connected caves.

“The enchantments are working again,” Arlo noted, leaning part-way over the edge of the ship.

Barns, like the rest of the Crew, looked as well, finding the lava was flowing opposite the boat. The boat had no sails, no oars to row with—meaning only magic could drag them against the current.

Unless, of course, the World Walker made a mistake when designing this, Barns thought.

The hypothesis was quickly struck when the boat rounded a corner. It slowed against the rocky walls, occasionally edging forward like people standing in line. Across the lava, sitting in a massive pile on a cluster of flattened stone was Blackbeard’s treasure.

Chests, bags, shimmering gold, and radiant jewels. Riches, the likes of which no treasury besides the Ember Kingdom’s had ever seen, piled high and wide. Coinage spilled over the edge and into the hot lava, their owner completely uncaring of the minute loss. Bundles of magical weapons clashed among the softness of expertly woven linen, the weapons’ enchantments ruining the thread count with their elemental overload.

But, hidden within the piles were sparks of divinity. Barns had never seen a god in person—but he had been to the church district of Sneerhome many times. And on certain holy holidays, he felt the grace of the gods like the gentle touch of his mother before her abrupt passing.

Tears welled in the street gang leader’s eyes, just like the others sharing the boat with him. Once he focused on them, Barns found the divine artifacts easily: a cutlass, compass, shovel, and a small chest—the items the Blackbeard statues held in the tavern’s cellar.

A question occurred, one that his mind quickly found an answer for. In the cellar, there had been a fifth, broken statue. What item did it hold? The answer was obvious.

“The broken statue held a monolith—a fifth artifact,” he proudly said, solving the mystery.

Erin patted him on the leg, her smile still stretched across her lips. “So smart, so handsome.” She leaned in for a kiss, one only broken when something shifted under the boat again.

Barns pulled back, finding their time sitting before the treasure was ending. Sparks of whirling magic pooled around the boat, cracking holes into reality. Fragments of a stormy ocean echoed along the cave as portals split the cave apart. For a moment, the heated air went still and instead a cool, salty tempest swept in.

The fractures and cracks continued to compound until two realities sat atop one another. In the distance, the island housing the monolith artifact hummed, its sound muting the powerful storm. The orange lava began to glow, just as the dark depths of the ocean resonated. Both fought for dominance—the victor taking the Crew.

The boat tilted forward, cresting an invisible hill. Erin threw her hands up again, and Barns found himself doing the same.

They passed the point of no return, and hurdled down a hill, ripping through the different realities and splashing back into the salty seas. Water sprayed up and over the boat, soaking everyone from head to toe.

Barns followed Erin’s cue, laughing as the boat zipped across the water and heading for the very same dock they departed from. Except not—Franky was missing. In the man’s place, his sister stood along with Luka and Mayor Tram.

Eve waved at the approaching boat and once they were close enough, said, “Ahoy there! You all okay? Mighty strong storm to be rowing in!”

Erin, in her bountiful beauty, fell into the roleplay instantly. “Aye, it was. But no matter how mighty the storm, nothing could stave our need to search for ye ol’ Blackbeard’s treasure.”

Smirking, Eve asked, “Did you find it?”

Erin feigned a frown. “Alas, no. But maybe on another expedition, perhaps?”

“No.” The response came from Mayor Tram. The village elder was not impressed with the conversation and instead ushered the Crew from their dinghy. “No more play, not until you all do some work!”

“Tram,” Barns interrupted. “Don’t be rude—”

“Or what? You gonna quit? Maybe I should talk to the guard captain in Sneerhome. I bet he’d”

Barns raised his hands. “Fine, fine. But, seriously. Treat us with respect—we’ve come to terms with working here.”

“Yeah,” Erin said. “With rides like this,” she jutted a thumb at the endless ocean, “I’m kinda glad to be out of the crime life. This place is going to be legendary once it’s built up.”

Before Tram could respond, Luka jumped in and asked, “Speaking of building, what’d you all think of the ride?” He motioned the Crew to follow, and they all walked from the dock just as another boat arrived with more departing riders.

The exit for the ride exited into a shop selling Whirlpool Plunge souvenirs. Erin forced Barns to buy her one. Arlo and Wail bought each other one. And Tank bought a reluctant Mel one as well.

“Don’t think for a second, big guy, that I’m going to repay the favor!” the goblin shouted as Luka and Barns discussed issues with the ride.