Millie studied the caravel below. The white sails looked like cresting waves against the green waters She swaying in time with the wingbeats, she held onto one of the Swift’s hands with a tentacle, trying to guess what would greet them. . As they drew closer, she could make out human-shaped sailors crossing the deck. The shifters were hiding -or- it was easier to sail a ship as a human. Idly, she wondered what a ship sailed by animals would be like. Dogs pulling the ropes, rat helmsmen, and (why not?) a raven in the crow’s nest. 
A fly fumbled into her face, and she twisted away from the buzzing shock at her cheek. Clinging to her shoulder for a moment, it rubbed its hands together in thought and was whipped away by the wind. A summons from Yawar ir Shrajr, the ship’s chiurgeon.

Climbing up, she went to join her crew.

___

Watchers lurked beneath the impenetrable waters. A storm was brewing above, and sight was clear under it.
___

The prince and the chiurgeon lifted their heads from conversation as Millie entered the cabin. Made of waxed canvas stretched over a hollow in the Swift’s back, it held three chests of personal possessions, two bunks, a glowworm lantern hanging from the ceiling, a folding canvas stool, and a small pile woven carpet. The beds were occupied, so Millie took the stool.  They had spoken privately since she’d relayed the conversation she’d had with the shifter. Nothing she did was confidential anyways, Yawar saw what his flies did, and he told Kaga-met everything. They nodded in greeting, and Kaga-met spoke, “I’ve heard stories about shifters. They’re driven by passion, so we must tread carefully. They’re hunting Path of Prosperity, so we might be able to draw them into some deal.” Millie leaned forward and added, “I counted at least five, maybe six. Pirate ships don’t carry big crews, but if they’re hunting a slavers galley?” She shrugged, unsure of what was waiting on the caravel below. Yawar’s dark glasses caught a glint of lanternlight, and flies crawled beneath his glasses and flew away, like bees from a hive. He raised his hoarse voice and said, “The Swift was fed yesterday, it can get itself out of the ocean in a hurry if need be.” Kaga-met looked down at the swirling designs of the carpet silently, weighing his thoughts. “We’ll set down, perhaps we can make some deal with these pirates.”

____

Pieter leaned on the rail next to the cannon. He held a smoldering bit of rope unobtrusively at his side. If fighting broke out, he didn’t want to have to go looking for flint and steel. It took a while for the dragon to reach them. His heart dropped as the whole Borealis was cast in the shadow of the dragon. It slowly looped the Borealis, gliding lower until it descended into the water. The crash of water was smaller than he expected, and there, he could finally see, like overgrown whiskers along the side of the dragon, arms. They were hard to make out, because they were the same yellowed, slightly translucent hide that covered the dragon. They worked in motion, paddling while the dragon twisted in the water. The rope fell from his fingers and went out with a hiss on the wet deck. By the time he’d rekindled it, the dragon had drawn alongside the Borealis.

___

It was Millie, back from the dead. It was a monster with tentacles and Millie’s face. But not the face she’d had in Vyrm, she’d grown and aged. And had tentacles. He couldn’t feel the curse, felt great, actually. He picked up one of the muskets Hana had loaded, felt ready. Ready to banish an evil spirit wearing an old face. He had backed out of sight by the time she was leaping aboard portside. The kid could watch him from the ropes. He wouldn’t interfere, Wheel thought, not when monsters were aboard. He knelt, hefting the musket, aimed it her head.


___

After receiving permission, Millie leapt across first, keeping her tentacles curled behind her back and her heavy spear steady as she landed on the deck. The flies that had clung to her covertly peeled away, infiltrating the ship. Kaga-met went over after her, his curved dagger rapping against his waist as he caught his balance on board. He was studying the pirates before Yawar had jumped over. An old man covered in tattoos stood next to a cannon (charming), a bear of a man with a ponytail, a sailor who looked like he’d been on watch the entire night, an East Continental woman holding a staff and watching them intensely, a child with cherubic curls perched in the ropes. He hadn’t been sure what to expect, but it hadn’t been this. The man that had flown up to them wasn’t present. At least one was a shifter, and there could be more. The large ponytail man approached them, and Kaga-met bowed at the waist. Captain Berlin seemed to be a reasonable man, and Kaga-met felt more confident as he replied, “Thank you, Captain Berlin. I am Captain Kaga-met ir Sabdul of the dragon-ship Swift Justice please, call me Kaga-met,” It wasn’t likely that the pirates would appreciate formality, “We’re hunting the slaver fleet operating in this area. We’d be interested in working with you on driving them to hell.