[center][img]https://i.postimg.cc/90NXg60h/sdheader.png[/img][/center] [center][color=1E90FF][b]Time[/b]:[/color] Night [color=1E90FF][b]Location[/b]:[/color] [i]Sada Kurau[/i] [color=1E90FF][b]Interactions[/b]:[/color] [color=1E90FF][b]Mentions[/b]:[/color] [color=1E90FF][b]Appearance:[/b][/color] [url=https://i.postimg.cc/Fzw1wZ8n/alkalinestingray-Portrait-of-a-South-east-Asian-Chinese-sailor-52c337e9-3211-44db-8828-5fdc1044bd39.png]Sjan-dehk[/url] [color=1E90FF][b]Attire[/b]:[/color] [url=https://i.postimg.cc/0QCZ6rQj/alkalinestingray-Watercolour-painting-of-an-outfit-for-a-male-s-312f5cf8-c1fd-4b90-8f64-d292f9b1da7f.png]Sjan-dehk[/url] [color=1E90FF][b]Equipment:[/b][/color] [hider] Sjan-dehk: [color=1E90FF]None [/color] [/hider] [/center] It was a peaceful night that’d descended over [i]Sada Kurau[/i]. Gentle swells washed against her hull, and the sky above was clear, dotted by the shimmering light of myriad stars. Upon her decks, her crew went about their work—and she did always have work for them, regardless of the time of day—in good spirits. Laughs and chatter, hummed tunes and quiet songs, filled the air as they polished tackles, mended nets, swabbed guns, and fixed ropes, all within the warm glow of lanterns. The rifle-armed sentries standing guard around Sada Kurau were a touch less cheery, however. They kept watchful eyes on the moonlit waters, peering into the darkness and searching for any signs of trouble. Still, they allowed themselves the occasional joke and chuckle with passing crewmen, and readily accepted the smoking pipes they were offered. Indeed, for a warship like [i]Sada Kurau[/i], this was all very, very peaceful. Idyllic, even. Sjan-dehk supposed that it was this rare feeling of tranquility, of calm, that was making him drowsy. Sitting behind his desk in his cabin, he’d planned to spend a good portion of the night finishing the administrative work he’d been putting off. But now as he looked at the multitude of reports he’d yet to complete—or even yet to start—and the mess of charts and maps he’d yet to properly organise, his eyes grew heavy, and his mind slowed. When was the last time he’d had an early night? Or even a timely one? He shook his head. No, this wasn’t the time to think about sleep. Such opportunities to get some work done didn’t come easily, and he had to seize them while he could. And so, he picked up his brush—taking a bit of time to adjust his grip—and carefully swiped its tip against the wet inkstone sitting on a corner of his desk. Then, he brought the brush to the perfectly blank bamboo scroll laid flat in front of him. Then, he yawned. It wasn’t a small one, either, but one of those big, noisy ones that had him blinking away the tears clouding his vision afterwards. He rubbed both eyes with the back of his wrist, leaving them feeling even more sore, and likely even redder than before. A quiet, partially-frustrated, but mostly relieved sigh left his lips, and he set the brush down, right beside the scroll. Well, that was that. He was hardly in any shape to do any clerical work, was he? Clearly, he needed to get some sleep. Some well-deserved sleep—it’d been such a hectic few weeks that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d snatched more than a handful of hours of it per night. And who knows? Maybe he’d wake up feeling well-rested enough, fresh enough that he might not even mind doing such tedious work. And so, he stepped away from his desk, moved over to his cot, and didn’t lay on it as much as he fell onto it. He folded his hands over his stomach and let out another sigh—this one more relaxed than the last—as he felt the strain in his back and shoulders gradually fade away. Above him, shadows danced and flickered on the ceiling, courtesy of his desklamp. And under him, [i]Sada Kurau[/i] rocked steadily and gently, her frame creaking rhythmically in time with the quiet rush of waves. He chuckled quietly, mostly at himself. How had he never noticed just how peaceful it was, just to lie here and allow himself to slowly drift away? Perhaps he needed to do this more often. It was with that thought echoing dully in his mind—a ripple travelling across a sea of fading thoughts—that sleep finally took a hold of him. He drew in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, shifting on his cot to get into a better, more comfortable position. He closed his eyes… [hr] [center][i]…And opened them to find a vast ocean before him. He blinked once, slowly and deliberately. Then, he frowned. He’d been here before. Many times before. Too many times before, in fact. And every time, without fail, he found himself in this very same spot, standing under the very same overcast sky, and gazing out upon the very same featureless sea. No sunlight pierced through the grey clouds above. Did a sun even exist here to begin with? He wasn’t sure. But all the same, the waters surrounding him shimmered, flashing white as they stretched towards the distant horizon. At least, he assumed that they approached a horizon. As far as he could see, they simply vanished into an impenetrable wall of mist, one that seemed infinitely far away, yet at the same time so oppressively close. This was an eerie place. One that defied reason. When he’d first come here, he’d been afraid, and his gut had tied itself into uneasy knots. Now, however, he felt only frustration. After having spent so many nights here, he was no closer to finding out the nature of this place, or why he kept coming back here. There had to be a reason for all this, surely. That he wasn’t seeing it after all this time vexed him greatly. He huffed and, as he always did every night, started walking. To where, he didn’t know. He simply faced a direction at random and started moving. His steps were marked by quiet splashes. Seawater lapped at the soles of his boots, sometimes spilling over their tops, but went no higher than that. Rather than an ocean, he felt as if he were wading through a shallow puddle. A stiff breeze buffeted him. It cut through his clothes, and bit into his flesh. [color=7ABAFF]“Turn around, please.”[/color] And in that breeze, he heard a woman’s voice. He stopped abruptly in his tracks. The voice was by no means an unfamiliar one—it’d spoken to him every time he came to this place, and always in that same hushed whisper, always accompanied by the wind, and always with words so cryptic it annoyed him to no end. But this time, it possessed only one of those qualities. This time, he could hear every one of its words clearly, so clearly that it felt as if someone was murmuring right against his ear. And this time, there was no vagueness in its meaning. Part of him wanted to ignore the voice, and keep walking. But what good would that serve? He’d already been doing that for nights, now, and had nothing to show for it. Even though he didn’t trust the voice at all, it speaking so clearly to him—telling him to do something—was new, and that made it worth entertaining, even if only for a little while. He turned around. And immediately recoiled, taking a hurried step back. The ocean had vanished, and in its place, a bamboo grove stood. Towering, perfectly straight stalks swayed in a wind he couldn’t feel. Their leaves and branches swished and rustled as they brushed against each other. The rhythmic movements, the joined susurrations, all made the grove seem like a living, breathing thing. He tried to peer between the stalks, to see what laid beyond, but found only darkness. He looked left, then right. The grove was as endless as the ocean it replaced. A pit of unease burrowed through his stomach. He took another step back. [color=7ABAFF]“Thou need not be afraid. Come forth.”[/color] He pressed his lips together into a thin line. His brows pushed toward each other. It was apprehension, not fear, that made him hesitate. And it was apprehension also that made him look over his shoulder. Behind him, the ocean waited, its waters grey and still; its misted border faraway and nearby. The thought of being amongst the bamboo sat poorly with him, but neither did he relish the notion of spending yet another night wandering aimlessly across an empty seascape. And so, after swallowing his unease and drawing in a deep breath, he approached the grove. His steps were slow, his mind alert, and his body tense. As he inched nearer, the bamboo stalks closest to him grew agitated, no longer swaying with the wind, but rather shivering and trembling. And just when he thought he could reach out and touch one of them, they shifted. With surprising speed, they parted, sliding out of his way and creating a narrow, shadowed path leading deeper into the grove. He was being led somewhere. He didn’t like it. But all the same, he followed the trail laid out for him. Damp earth crunched beneath his boots with every step. Its fresh, earthy scent wafted up into his nose. The sky overhead wasn’t much more than a strip of mottled grey, hemmed in on both sides by looming stalks and overlapping branches. Were it not for the quiet rustling and creaking of the grove as it changed around him, he could’ve believed that he was simply taking a stroll on a particularly dreary afternoon. The grove shepherded him onwards. It sealed off paths. It opened new routes. It blocked his rear when he turned around. It closed it on him when he dawdled, forcing him to be always on the move. Frustration bubbled within him, and with it came fear borne of confusion. He didn’t know where he was going. He didn’t even know where he’d been. He could be walking in circles for all he knew, but he couldn’t stop. He could only keep moving, only keep walking. Just when it seemed as if his patience would finally run out, a copse of bamboo slid aside. The path led out of the grove, and into a wide, open field. It was shrouded in a dense cloud of grey mist, but he didn’t care about that. Simply being out of the grove was enough. With relief in his heart, he took his first step into the open, grassy plain. But not into the mist. For as he advanced, the mist retreated. The further he ventured into the field, the faster the grey cloud pulled away. A smirk pulled on his lips. His footsteps quickened, and before long, he was jogging through the ankle-high grass. The vague outlines of buildings soon appeared through the wispy haze. A surge of hope filled his chest. His heart thumped. Was this it? Would he find the answers he sought there? It was doubtful, he knew, but that scant possibility was enough to push him into running towards those shadows. Soon, he drew near. The mist had mostly dissipated, revealing that the outlines weren’t those of a cluster of buildings, but rather that of a singular, large compound. Its walls were alabaster white, capped with overlapping blue ceramic tiles. From the outside, he could just about see the sloped roofs of the buildings within, all similarly tiled in blue. He slowed to a walk, his earlier excitement replaced by caution. The compound didn’t have a gate. Instead, there was an archway built into one of its walls. Made from pillars and beams of pale, varnished wood, topped with sweeping roofs of matching blue tiles, and easily the tallest structure in the compound, it was a design typical of entrances to Viserjantan temples. A sign hung under the eaves, its smoke-grey surface inlaid with white characters. He looked at it with squinted eyes. Usually, that was where the temple would announce its patron spirit, deity, or ancestral family. And while he’d never been the most religious person around, he still liked to think that he was knowledgeable enough to know a worshipped name when he saw one. Unfortunately for him, the name on the sign wasn’t one he recognised. He frowned, but passed under the archway regardless. After everything he’d experienced, stepping into an unknown temple was hardly worth fretting over. Carved serpents crawled up the archway’s pillars, their ruby eyes leering down at him. He glanced at one of them, then paid them no further heed. Something wasn’t right. That was the first thing that came to his mind as he stepped out of the archway’s shadow. His boots landed on the irregular paving stones of a wide, empty courtyard. Most of it sat beneath the bending, swaying branches of the lone tree standing in its centre. Falling leaves danced as they drifted to the ground, caught in the grip of a nonexistent wind. Directly across from him rose the main hall, long and squat. Two smaller buildings sat on its flanks, their doors and windows shuttered. And yet, despite the emptiness of the courtyard, it still felt cramped. Unnaturally so. The surrounding walls had suggested an expansive complex, but the temple before him seemed so small. With a shake of his head, he pushed his unease aside and strode towards the main hall. [color=7ABAFF]“Ah, thou’rt here at last.”[/color] The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. It was that voice again, the very same that’d sent him into the bamboo grove. As it always did, its words travelled with the whispers of a passing breeze, but this time they carried an unmistakable direction. He spun around. The paving stones beside the archway were gone. Or had they always been gone? Regardless, in their place was a small garden, overflowing with vibrant flowers perched upon pale stems. A woman knelt in the dirt as she tended to them. She wore robes of white silk that darkened to an inky black at her skirts and hems. They pooled around her, unblemished by mud and soil. Stranger still, they flowed. Even in the still air of the courtyard, they drifted around her like drops of ink dissipating in water. She looked up at him. A translucent shawl was draped over her head. Her face, from her eyes down, was hidden behind a lace veil. [color=7ABAFF]“Thou took thine own sweet time.”[/color] There was no malice in her words, but rather a gentle tease. He could almost imagine her smirk behind the lace. Extending an arm toward him, she allowed her pale, slender fingers to peek out from her sleeve as she beckoned him over. [color=7ABAFF]“Come.”[/color] He hesitated. Then, he approached her slowly. He didn’t trust her. He didn’t know who she was. He didn’t even know what she was. But he had plenty of questions for her, one of which escaped his lips before he even drew near to the garden. [color=1E90FF]“Is this a dream?”[/color] The veiled lady tilted her head. [color=7ABAFF]“Does it matter?”[/color] A growl rumbled in his throat. He folded his arms over his chest. [color=1E90FF]“I’ve come here every night for weeks. Of course it matters. Is any of this real? Am I asleep, or awake?”[/color] She covered her mouth with a sleeve and tittered. Then, she rose to her feet, her movements unhurried and relaxed. After dusting off her robes, she faced him with hands folded placidly over her stomach. [color=7ABAFF]“Thou maketh a fair point, and so I shalt answer. Thou’rt both asleep, and awake.”[/color] His eyes narrowed to slits. [color=1E90FF]“Don’t give me fucking riddles. I want a straight answer.”[/color] She let out a soft sigh, making a grand show of shaking her head. [color=7ABAFF]“Very well. Thou’rt not in the waking world, but thou’rt awake in this world. Does that answer suffice?”[/color] It didn’t, but he had a feeling that he would have to be satisfied with that answer for now. Pressing her for something clearer would likely take too much time, if it even succeeded at all. He had other questions to ask, and he didn’t know for how much longer he would be able to speak with her. He forced his frustration down into his belly and inhaled deeply. [color=1E90FF]“Why am I here?”[/color] he asked. [color=1E90FF]“Why do I keep coming back here, to this…Whatever this place is? There must be a reason.”[/color] The veiled lady stepped forward, her shawl trailing behind her. He took a half-step back, and used almost all of his willpower to resist the urge to flee. [color=7ABAFF]“Thou shalt learn of my reasons in time. But I have mine own questions for thee.”[/color] She leaned in a little closer. Through the lace, her eyes locked onto his. [color=7ABAFF]“Thou hast made many grand promises, hast thou not?”[/color] His stomach dropped. He averted his gaze, an inkling of exactly what she spoke of flashing through his mind, though he’d never let her know that. [color=1E90FF]“I’ve made many promises,”[/color] he said, forcing his voice to remain steady, and his tone measured. [color=1E90FF]“And I’ve kept every single one of them. Grand or not.”[/color] A laugh, quiet and melodic, rippled from her lips. [color=7ABAFF]“Oh, that is known, my dear Jafin child. But ‘tis promises more recent that catch mine interest. Cast thy mind back a few days, to matters of arcanists, and to matters of a certain Lady Kalliope Arden.”[/color] His gaze snapped back to her. Whatever guise of calm he’d worn earlier vanished in an instant. [color=1E90FF]“What trouble do you have with them?”[/color] he hissed. [color=1E90FF]“Haunt me if you must, but leave—”[/color] The veiled lady raised a hand, cutting him off with effortless grace. [color=7ABAFF]“Please, do not misunderstand. I seek quarrel with neither arcanists nor Lady Kalliope. ‘Tis thy promised commitments to both that I wish to speak of.”[/color] He harrumphed, eyeing her with greater suspicion than before. Despite what she’d said, hearing the veiled lady mention Kalliope by name alarmed him. He’d already disliked the situation when he’d believed that only he was involved. Knowing that his troubles could potentially bleed into the waking world, and involve others, made him outright hate it. [color=1E90FF]“I said I’d protect them,”[/color] he said, his words coming out slowly and carefully. [color=1E90FF]“What of it?”[/color] The veiled lady took a step back. [color=7ABAFF]“That, thou hast.”[/color] Then, she looked at him. Even with her eyes obscured by the veil, he could feel her intense gaze cutting through his clothes and flesh, picking him apart layer by layer until his very essence was laid bare before her. Still, he refused to buckle. He refused to bend. Forcing his shoulders back, and his chest out, he met her unseen eyes with steely ones of his own. She would find him no easier to move than a ship at anchor. [color=7ABAFF]“But wilt thou truly protect them?”[/color] Her question came lightly, but its accusation was clear to him. [color=1E90FF]“You question my sincerity?”[/color] he asked, his words sharpened to a point. She waved a sleeve in front of her, letting out another quiet, melodic laugh. [color=7ABAFF]“Oh, no, no. I do no such thing. For ‘tis not thy sincerity that is in doubt…”[/color] Then, she faded. Right before his very eyes, her entire form lost its colour, then turned see-through. A passing breeze whispered through the courtyard, and took her with it. She didn’t move, didn’t look away from him, as she dissipated into wispy trails of grey mist. Everything happened so quickly that he only had time to yell in surprise and recoil, his eyes looking everywhere at once. The ghostly trails spiralled through the air, then vanished entirely. Nothing remained of the veiled lady. It was as if she’d never existed, except for in his memories. [color=778899]“...It’s your ability, old friend, that’s being questioned.”[/color] Another voice spoke, and he froze. He recognised the cadence immediately. Narrowing his eyes into slits, he spun around on his heel. The wind had died away. Strands of dark cloud swirled in front of him, twisting and merging, coalescing into the vague approximation of a man. It had the shape of one. It had the movements of one. But its face was blank. There were no eyes, no mouth, not even the curve of a nose. It was like peering into a bottomless, ever-shifting void. And yet, just from how the apparition held itself, with its shoulders slouched in relaxed confidence and head tilted slightly back, he knew exactly who this shadow was meant to be. [color=1E90FF]“Javisi.”[/color] He spat that name out like poison. [color=1E90FF]“You’re in no position to question my ability.”[/color] The apparition chuckled, almost derisively. [color=778899]“Oh yes, silly of me. You killed me, after all. Clearly you are of superior skill.”[/color] He clenched his jaw. [color=1E90FF]“You were a traitor!”[/color] The apparition waved its hand. [color=778899]“Yes, yes, so you keep saying.”[/color] It sounded bored, as if it’d heard those same words far too many times for them to have any effect. [color=778899]“I don’t fault you for that, you know? Not the first time you killed me at least. The second time…”[/color] It trailed off, tilting its head slightly. [color=778899]“That one is a little harder to forgive.”[/color] Images flashed in his mind. A shattered ship. Lightning splitting the sky. Blood-soaked sand. Acrid smoke curling from a pistol’s muzzle. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing every one of them away before they had a chance to paint a full picture. [color=1E90FF]“I. Killed. You.”[/color] He forced each word out through gritted teeth as he stared down the apparition. [color=1E90FF]“I killed you once, and that was enough. I freely admit it. Now speak sense, or speak nothing at all and leave me in peace.”[/color] The apparition tapped a finger on its jaw, as if in thought. [color=778899]“Stubborn, aren’t we? But very well. Let’s talk about other, more interesting matters.”[/color] Even though it lacked a face, its mocking smirk was clear in its voice. [color=778899]“You know you can protect neither the arcanists nor Kalliope.”[/color] [color=1E90FF]“Who says I can’t?”[/color] he snapped. [color=1E90FF]“I gave my word. I’ll be damned if I don’t keep it.”[/color] [color=778899]“Common sense.”[/color] The apparition’s tone turned serious. [color=778899]“Common sense tells you you can’t. Who persecutes arcanists here, hm? Who is it that Kalliope has for an enemy? Or enemies?”[/color] He averted his gaze. His composure faltered. [color=1E90FF]“T-That…”[/color] [color=778899]“It’s a king and his entire kingdom that persecutes arcanists. It’s very, very powerful people that Kalliope counts as foes. You think you can stand against all of them?"[/color] [color=1E90FF]“I’ve fought kings before!”[/color] he shot back. His voice grew louder with each word, until it echoed across the courtyard. [color=1E90FF]“I’ve fought people who thought they were powerful, who thought themselves powerful. Where are they now? Dead! All of them. While I’m still alive! And I’ll do it again here, and I’ll win again, one way or another!”[/color] The apparition drew closer, its voice dropping to a piercing hiss. [color=778899]“You did so, old friend, with the backing of Viserjanta. It’s easy to be brave, isn’t it, when you know there’s a fleet backing you? When you know help is at hand."[/color] [color=1E90FF]“That had nothing—”[/color] It didn’t let him finish. [color=778899]“Here, you are alone. Here, you only have your ship and your crew. Will you risk them all to fulfil your own promises? To satisfy your own desires?”[/color] [color=1E90FF]“I won’t–”[/color] [color=778899]“Oh, I’m sure they’ll thank you, won't they? When they lay broken and bleeding and dying, and wondering why you led them down such a sorry path for such vain reasons. They’ll thank you surely, and their families will thank you. What an honour it will be, to die for a Captain so very renowned! What an honour it will be, to die in a foreign land, for people they don’t know, for a cause that isn’t their own!”[/color] He turned, trying to avoid the apparition’s eyeless gaze, but it wouldn’t let him. Like a shark, it circled and spiralled in closer, never allowing him the chance to ease his thumping heart and racing mind. More images emerged from his roiling sea of thoughts. Mutilated corpses. Shattered bodies, still struggling for breath. Flames bursting from the mouths of cannons. Splinters shredding men to pieces. He squeezed his eyes shut once more. The images refused to leave. His breath came in short pants. [color=1E90FF]“I–I,”[/color] he began, his mouth dry. [color=1E90FF]“Then I–I’ll do it alone! Nobody else needs to die for me!”[/color] The apparition laughed, a mocking and disdainful sound. [color=778899]“Will you? One man against a kingdom, against a cabal of the powerful? What would that achieve, hm? A dead Kalliope, perhaps, and many dead arcanists. Oh, I know you will struggle and you will try, old friend, as you always do, but you know you will fail. You will struggle, and you will die.”[/color] It pressed closer, so close that he could almost feel the deathly chill of its swirling clouds. [color=778899]“How then, Captain? What’s your plan?”[/color] [color=1E90FF]“I–I…”[/color] [color=778899]“Or do you not have one? That would be just like you, wouldn’t it? Action without thought. I suppose some things and some people truly never change.”[/color] [color=1E90FF]“Shut up!”[/color] The apparition stepped back, but its voice grew louder, rising and rising until it roared like a howling gale. [color=778899]“What is your plan, Captain?”[/color] He looked away. [color=1E90FF]“I’m trying to think—”[/color] [color=778899]“Action without thought! That’s all you have ever done!”[/color] [color=1E90FF]“Be quiet—”[/color] [color=778899]“What. Is. Your. Plan? Time is short, Captain!”[/color] [color=1E90FF]“I DON’T KNOW! SHUT UP!”[/color] He rounded on the apparition, his hand balled into a fist, but found only empty air. The dark clouds and the faceless void had vanished. There was only the courtyard, the garden, and the wall beyond. The howling gale had stopped. Silence returned. His laboured pants and the frenetic thumping of his heart were all the sounds he heard. A sudden, crushing weakness overtook him, as if he’d just expended every last scrap of energy he had. Tears he hadn’t even noticed forming blurred his vision. He blinked them away. [color=7ABAFF]“Calm thyself, please.”[/color] He looked up to find the veiled woman standing before him. Her robes still flowed like trails of ink, and her hands were still folded placidly over her stomach. [color=7ABAFF]“‘Tis nothing to fear.”[/color] Her voice was gentle. Far more so than before. It felt calming. Comforting, almost. [color=1E90FF]“I…I don’t…”[/color] he began. His voice felt strange, as if it didn’t fully belong to him. The words were weak, uncertain, and not at all like him. Yet, they spilled like a river from his mouth. [color=1E90FF]“I don’t know. I–I don’t know what to do. I don’t even know what I’m doing. But I know I have to do something. I can’t leave them. I can’t let them suffer this…This injustice. Not the arcanists. Not Kali. I–I have to do something, but I don’t know what, and it…It…”[/color] He didn’t notice the veiled woman approach, her unhurried footfalls perfectly silent. She reached for him, a pale hand slipping out from her sleeve to brush against his cheek. Her touch was damp and cold, but still it soothed him, as an evening seabreeze might. [color=1E90FF]“It scares me,”[/color] he said at last, his voice dropping to a trembling whisper. He fought back the sob choking him, his breaths coming out fast and shallow. Then, he closed his eyes and swallowed hard, forcing himself to steady. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t him. He had to be strong. He had to stand firm. [color=1E90FF]“I have to do something,”[/color] he repeated, more to himself than anyone else. [color=1E90FF]“Whether it’s hiding arcanists, sheltering Kali, or fighting whoever needs to be fought, I have to do it. I–I can’t just stand by and do nothing. Even if I must do it alone, I have to do something.”[/color] The veiled lady let out a soft sigh. It sounded almost apologetic. [color=7ABAFF]“Oh, I know, my dear Jafin child. ‘Twas never mine belief that thou wouldst do nothing, and ‘tis not mine wish that thou stay thy hand.”[/color] She trailed her fingers down his cheek and along his jaw, before pulling her hand away, like a gentle wave washing away from shore. Her robes flowed about her, swirling like ink in water, as she turned on her heel and returned to the garden. [color=7ABAFF]“But thou needst not stand alone.”[/color] Standing amidst the flowers, she crouched and plucked one from the soil, cradling it in her hands as she rose to her feet. Its petals were the deepest, most vivid blue he’d ever seen, striped with white and mottled with blotches of green. Under the pale light of the overcast sky, the flower’s colours seemed to shift and glide upon its petals, making it look like a miniature ocean perched upon a thorny stem. The veiled lady stepped out from the garden bed and presented it to him. [color=7ABAFF]“I offer thee mine assistance, if thou wilt accept it.”[/color] It took him a while to understand what she was saying, and when he did, he stared at her in disbelief. His eyes widened, his mouth hung open. A thousand thoughts crashed into his mind, each clambering over the other for his attention. Only a few questions, however, made it past his lips. [color=1E90FF]“Who are you?”[/color] he asked, his voice hushed, sounding almost furtive. [color=1E90FF]“Or what are you? And why do you want to help me? How are you going to do that, anyway? And what do you gain from it?”[/color] The veiled lady laughed quietly from behind a sleeve. [color=7ABAFF]“My, so many questions. Thou’rt a curious one, truly. But alas, I shalt not enlighten thee, not until we have an accord, and not until ‘tis the right time.”[/color] She stepped forward, holding the flower before her. [color=7ABAFF]“But I give thee mine word, accept mine help, and thou shalt not regret it. Make an accord with me, and all shalt be revealed to thee, in time. I shalt not leave thee in ignorance forever.”[/color] Even though he hadn’t expected a clear answer from her, her words still frustrated him. Yet, his hand still reached for the flower. He needed help. That fact was absolute. His crew would follow him to the edges of the world and beyond, he knew, but this fight wasn’t one he wanted to drag them into. If they chose to step aside, he would let them. But on his own, he wasn’t strong enough, wasn’t capable enough to do all that he intended. If this veiled lady was offering herself as an ally, who was he to turn her away? His fingertips brushed against the thorny stem. He chewed on his lip. [color=1E90FF]“And the price?”[/color] he asked. [color=1E90FF]“For your help, I mean. What do you want from me?”[/color] The veiled lady shook her head. Once again, there was a hint of apology in her action. [color=7ABAFF]“‘Tis not the time for thee to know, but I assure thee, thou shalt not be harmed.”[/color] He furrowed his brow, pressing his lips into a thin line. That wasn’t the answer he’d hoped for, but it didn’t surprise him. If she wouldn’t even reveal her nature to him, then she certainly wasn’t going to name the price for her help. Strangely, that realisation didn’t anger him. He was annoyed, to be sure, but once that feeling passed, he felt no animosity towards her. It seemed almost natural, as if raging against her secrecy would make as much sense as raging against the shifting tides. [color=1E90FF]“And if I accept your help,”[/color] he said, a hint of steel returning to his gaze as he looked at her laced veil. [color=1E90FF]“Will you keep Kali safe as well?”[/color] The veiled lady brought her sleeve to her mouth and tilted her head. [color=7ABAFF]“Thou wouldst accept a hidden price, but negotiate for the safety of another? My, thou’rt truly interesting. It seems I have not chosen wrongly.”[/color] She tittered. [color=7ABAFF]“Our accord shall be between us alone, my dear Jafin child, and mine attention for thee is unique. I can only watch over Lady Kalliope as I can watch over any other. But thy request intrigues me, truly. I shalt do what I can to keep her within mine gaze. Thou hast mine word.”[/color] He frowned. Then, he clenched his jaw and took the flower from her hands. The petals shimmered, flashing white like a seascape under sunlight. A stiff breeze washed over him. He heard its rush against his ears, but didn’t feel it on his skin. The veiled lady took a step back. Holding her hands on her stomach, she bowed. [color=7ABAFF]“Thus we have an accord. Thou shalt not be disappointed.”[/color] She straightened herself and looked at him. He swore he caught the slightest glimpse of a smile beneath her veil. Then, she clapped twice. And the world turned black.[/i][/center] [hr] Sjan-dehk’s eyes snapped open. His first breath came as a loud gasp, like a drowning man desperate for air, and he shot upright so quickly, so forcefully that he almost threw himself off his cot. Sweat dripped from his brow in beads; it soaked right through his inner shirt, staining his outer tunic with splotches of dark blue. A dull, throbbing ache pulsed in his temples. His shoulders rose and fell rapidly in time with his short, shallow breaths. Grunting and cradling his head, he swung his legs over the side of his cot. His boots landed on the familiar wooden floor of his cabin with a quiet thud. He took a moment to compose himself, breathing in slowly and deeply, massaging his temples, and blinking away the fuzzy shapes and colours blurring his vision. Then, he took a look around. It was still pitch black outside his window, and the lamp on his desk still burned. Its flame danced within its glass case, painting the cabin’s walls in warm, fiery hues. [i]Sada Kurau[/i] still rolled and dipped with the same gentle waves as she had when he’d climbed onto his cot earlier. He hadn’t been asleep for long, then. Had this been any other night, he would’ve grumbled about his lack of rest. But after that dream—or rather, that nightmare—he was glad to be awake. A ghostly breeze whispered past his ears. [color=7ABAFF][i]“Oh? Thou still believest thyself to have dreamt?”[/i][/color] It was her voice. The veiled lady. In an instant, the air chilled. The lamp’s flame wavered and cowered, its light flickering wildly and throwing dancing shadows all across the walls. Terror closed its icy fingers around Sjan-dehk’s thumping heart. The hairs on the back of his neck, and on his arms, stood on ends. Every one of his instincts screamed for him to look away, but something compelled him to turn towards her voice. At first, he saw nothing. Then, he blinked, and saw her. Sitting on his desk, with robes floating and flowing about her like ink upon water, with her pale feet peeking out from the dark hems of her skirt, and with her face hidden behind an intricately laced veil, she appeared exactly as she had in his nightmare. Sjan-dehk’s breath hitched. His mouth grew dry. The veiled lady tilted her head in response, almost mischievously, as if amused by his reaction. [color=1E90FF][i]“Wh-What is—”[/i][/color] he stuttered. She didn’t let him finish. “I told you, my dear Jafin child,” she whispered, her words trailing away as she dissipated into a dark cloud of mist. The grey cloud rushed towards him, closing the distance in one frantic, terrified heartbeat. He tried to scramble away, but his back crashed into [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s hull instead. Before his very eyes, the dark mist swirled, coalescing and reforming into the veiled lady. She loomed over him. [color=7ABAFF][i]“We have an accord,”[/i][/color] she continued, her smile evident in her words. [color=7ABAFF][i]“And thus I shalt be watching you, my dear Sjan-dehk. For the moment, at least. Thou shalt not be disappointed by mine presence, and ‘tis mine hope that thou shalt not disappoint me.”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk’s blood froze in his veins. That nightmare had been real. He swallowed hard. His sweat grew cold. This couldn’t be good.