The churchgoers attempted to run through the open doors only to be greeted by a dire wolf. It growled and snapped at the zealots, intending to tear them apart should they get nearer. At first, they were confused by the size and behavior of the wolf. Quickly, fear replaced their confusion. Monsans have coexisted with wolves for centuries, slowly encouraging less feral behaviors. Many loving Monsan families have reared wolves as pups integrating them nicely into human households.

This wolf was unlike others as it unleashed its ferocity on those near the door. They ran inside, pulling the door shut and then bolting it.

Kaplan Rufa was greatly confused and dismayed. He realized abruptly that his telepathic connection to the crowd was gone. “What are you doing?”

Before anyone could answer, the church doors echoed a loud thud as if someone had kicked the door. This noise was followed by repeated pounding, scratching, and growling. On the other side of the door, the dire wolf was doing everything it could to tear it down.

“What is that?” Kaplan Rufa demanded.

Someone cried out, “Wolf!”

“Why are you afraid of a wolf?” Rufa walked over to the doors to peer through the aperture. He saw the dire wolf and shook his head. The kaplan closed his eyes, trying to reach the beast’s mind. Drawing in the energy stored in the church, he forced his way into the creature’s mind. He felt its untamed rage and began the process of calming it down. The dire wolf sensed Kaplan Rufa in its mind. It looked upwards to see the open aperture in the door. It leaped up a few feet into the air swiping at Rufa unsuccessfully. The attempted strike startled him, breaking his concentration.

“Are you all right?” Durak asked the stunned kaplan.

Rufa raised his hand to calm his people. “I am fine. All of you relax. No wolf can get through wood and iron. We are perfectly safe in here.”

There was a thud and cracking sound that followed the kaplan’s words. The crowd froze in place with fear. Gasping, crying, and whimpering noises filled the church’s halls.

“Enough of this,” Rufa resolutely spoke. He pulled a small whistle from his pocket. Aiming it near the aperture, he blew it using all his breath for about twenty seconds. The whistle made no audible sound perceivable by human ear.

The dire wolf stopped its attack momentarily after being slightly stunned by the pitch. It recouped once silence had returned, resuming the assault on the entrance. A few minutes passed until Rufa’s intended receivers of the message arrived. A howl sounded from behind the dire wolf. It turned to see four wolves arranged in a strike formation. The wolves exchanged growls and a show of teeth. The immense wolf looked into the eyes of each of the four smaller wolves. It lifted its head to the sky and howled with deafening results. Through this strange show of dominance, the smaller wolves tucked their tails and crouched. They began whimpering and avoiding eye contact with the dire wolf. The now alpha wolf growled, causing the others to run away in fear. People in the church, realizing what happened outside, began praying Danion’s prayer.

Outraged, the kaplan yelled, “Stop it, you fools! That is not Danion. He is obedient to Vadim and would never attack his people. This creature is some wild thing probably conjured up by that Aeqori witch. Go sit down. And if you must pray, do so to Vadim quietly while I think.”

The churchgoers, used to obeying, did as they were told, even without Rufa’s influence. Their fear had severed the telepathic link temporarily. He knew that once they calmed down, it would be easy to reestablish control. Kaplan Rufa stewed in his anger, never realizing that Edda had magic. If he had only realized sooner, Rufa would have sent her to the jaws of Danion himself. In the kaplan’s mind, this beast was her doing. Marika’s eyes changing back was Edda’s fault as well. Passion and obsession swirled in Kaplan Rufa’s mind as he reasoned why his sweet Marika attacked him. Fifteen minutes of this madness occupied Rufa’s thoughts. Like a clap of thunder, Rufa could no longer sense the beast’s presence outside the church.

Looking at Durak, the kaplan demanded, “You. Fool. Go check!”

Durak sighed and went to look through the aperture. He veered at different angles but saw nothing. Looking back at the kaplan, he just shrugged.

Kaplan Rufa joined Durak at the door. He unbolted one of the doors and cracked it, looking outward. Without warning, he swung the door wide open. Rufa shoved Durak outside, slamming the door shut behind him. Before Durak could react, the kaplan bolted the door shut. “I said go check if it’s safe!”

Nervously, Durak skulked around the church. He looked off in the distance seeing only a set of faded tracks heading into town. Relaxing, he walked around to the side entrance. Opening the door gently, he gazed over at everyone whose focus seemed to be the front door. Durak stepped in, getting a sudden and unexpected scare. He screamed, which threw everyone into another panic.

Kaplan Rufa turned around to comfort everyone when he noticed Durak standing at the side door entrance. “What are you doing?”

“Sorry, there was a spider in the archway, and I thought it landed on me.” Durak brushed his shirt off while closing the door behind him.

“Well?” Rufa impatiently inquired.

Durak happily responded, “Oh yeah, it’s gone. Looks like it ran off somewhere.”

The favorable news washed over the crowd assuaging their emotions. As the chaos in their minds settled, Rufa worked his way back to total control. The group fell into a lull as the kaplan used the full extent of his will to block out the memory of what had just happened. His body emanated a midnight black aura physically visible to all. Despite seeing this, the zealots were unmoved because they had become mindless servants. Without saying a word, everyone but Durak left the church in search of Edda. Rufa glared at Durak, who took the hint to follow the crowd. Rufa’s glow had vanished before leaving the church. He shut the doors and joined the Monsans in their search.

***

Edda and Marika had miraculously made it to their destination without being noticed. They stood at the top of the stairs leading down to the docs. Staring toward the ocean, they spotted two ships. The first was a midsized trading vessel from Biany anchored some distance away from shore. The second ship was shorter and anchored directly next to the docks. This boat bore the emblem for the nation of Cael on its sails. Edda seemed worried that the only transport available was the Caeli boat. The Caeli and the Aeqori have a complicated history together. Edda’s village sits on an island on the edge of the sovereign borders of Cael, north of Monsa. Although both places are peaceful, occasionally, there are disputes on the rights to the waters separating them.

Edda redirected her thoughts away from politics and back to looking for her friend. When Pétur had taken her to the market yesterday, she subtly dropped a note in Bydlę’s back pocket. Edda knew that Bydlę had understood the message. He was not known for taking large sums of money for milk. The note clearly explained what he was supposed to do with the money. Bydlę was supposed to be here to charter passage back to Edda’s home.

“Edda?” Marika inquired as she touched Edda’s arm gently.

Edda apologized for getting lost in her thoughts. “Marika, wait here. Keep a lookout for the kaplan and his people. I will see to our passage so we can meet up with Pétur and Psarás.”

“He is with Psarás?” Marika anxiously asked.

Edda soothed Marika, “Psarás is his godfather and will keep him safe. He will take Pétur to my village.”

“I will worry about it later, but you should get down there. It looks like someone is trying to do the same thing we are.” Marika pointed to a young woman dressed in black silk with a silver pinafore.

“Who?” Edda asked, spinning around. She groaned in a childish way that Marika had never observed.

“Do you know her? She looks foreign, but she’s dressed in Monsan clothing. That dress looks expensive, probably silk. Is she nobility?” Marika looked at Edda, who was poorly attempting to hide her frustration.

“Why is she here?” Edda grimaced.

“Edda, is her hair purple?” Marika was puzzled by the thought that anyone would dye their hair unusual colors. She dismissed it as a foreign practice.

Edda erupted, “Don’t worry about it. I will deal with her promptly.” With that, Edda stormed down the stairs to confront Sileny. Edda saw Sileny hand a pouch of money to the Caeli captain. The captain nodded at Sileny in respect before reboarding her ship.

“You know I can sense you, prieteni,” Sileny haughtily announced as she turned to greet Edda.

Edda snapped with anger. “Don’t give me that nonsense. I am not your friend. I am the reason you are free. Do you think Pétur would have wandered to the ocean to fetch your moonlit sea water or suddenly want to buy milk? Where else could he have gotten the money except from you? I may be old, but I still know the old spells.”

Sileny became irritated and responded in kind. “Watch your tone, child. You know who I am and what I am capable of, especially when disrespected.”

Edda laughed. “I know you are weak from being imprisoned by generations of kaplans, so save the threats.”

Sileny rolled her eyes, “Let’s not play this game today. Where is your grandson? I wish to see him.”

Edda slyly grinned. “He was not part of our arrangement. I agreed to help free you if you ensured his safety.”

Sileny sighed. “And I have. He will be safer with me than with you. So where is he?”

Edda demanded, “You have what you want, so just leave my grandson alone.”

Sileny smirked wickedly. “I can’t do that. Pétur chose to become my prietini. We are bonded for life. Whether by my blessing or your blood, Vadim will surely notice him now. So, I suggest you tell me where he is so I can keep up my end of the bargain. Otherwise, you know what Vadim will do to him.”

Edda stared into Sileny’s eyes. “You are behaving just like him, you know.”

Sileny faced Edda directly, walking into her personal space. “Never compare me to that deceiver. I am a Sinduel, and you would be wise to remember that Ekeka of Kítos. Your family is blessed by the same power flowing throw my veins.”

Edda stepped towards Sileny, almost touching. “I do not dishonor the gods by merely speaking the truth. You need to do better by my family Sileny. Using my Aeqori name or threatening to take my magic does not scare me. Take your anger and direct it towards our common enemies. Do you swear by the moon you will keep him safe?”

Sileny stepped back and sighed. “Yes, you have my word. I will not let anything happen to Pétur. He’s important to me.”

Edda calmed down and relaxed her demeanor. “You will need to catch up to his godfather’s boat.”

Sileny panicked, “He’s out on the open sea? Pétur and the Delfíni fisherman are in danger. Zale and Kýma cannot be trusted. They are why my family is dead. They are why the Ladri kidnapped me as a child, chaining me to that Monsan church of lies.”

Edda was shocked. “What? I thought that was Monsan propaganda.”

Sileny nervously responded, “Yes and no. They did not kill my parents themselves. Their betrayal caused it, but this isn’t important right now. I have paid for passage for you and Pétur’s mother. You should accept my gift and hurry.”

Edda looked at Sileny with momentary doubt. “You have been bound in that church for ages. Finding a few copper coins for milk is one thing, but where did you get enough money to pay for my travel?”

Sileny smirked at Edda. She playfully said, “From Bydlę. He gave me his entire savings. Evidently, he is quite wealthy by Monsan standards.”

Edda laughed while shaking her head in disbelief. “Of course he did.”

A wave of intuition flooded Sileny’s senses. “We are out of time. I can sense Rufa getting closer.” She put her hand on Edda’s shoulder, reassuring her, “I will find Pétur and keep him safe. By my heart, I swear it!”

Edda thanked Sileny before calling out to Marika, “Now! Let’s go!”

Sileny walked further down the dock to a young Monsan in his twenties. He was packing up a rowboat with provisions and fresh water. He did not notice her as she approached.

“Is that your ship over there?” Sileny questioned.

He looked up, almost falling overboard while gazing at Sileny. He felt a mixture of attraction and fear glimpsing her diadem. Stumbling to find the words, he uttered, “Um, yes.”

“I need a ride somewhere,” bluntly delivered Sileny.

“That’s for Captain Beatrice to decide, not me. I’m just a deckhand.” He was nervous because he was unsure if Sileny was nobility or not.

“Her name is Beatrice? She must be Bianchi.” Sileny dropped a large coin purse on the rowboat. “That should resolve any concerns your captain will have. Take me to meet her.”

The young man’s eyes widened. He offered his hand to help Sileny into the packed rowboat. Within moments she was seated, and they were off. He headed towards the midsized vessel from Biany. Sileny looked to Monsa, seeing a disappointed Rufa and his flock staring at the two ships. Sileny waved goodbye with a chuckle. She turned to see the Caeli ship well on its way. She narrowly distinguished Marika and Edda on the other ship’s deck. Sileny swore she heard Marika say, “That is the girl Pétur likes?” She blushed a little at the thought before settling in.

***

Psarás's boat had made little progress during the day due to a strong arctic wind making it difficult to travel north towards their destination. The opposing wind veered the ship westerly towards Delfíni island, Psarás's home. It was not impossible to sail against headwinds, but it required at least one more experienced sailor to tack the sails correctly. Although Pétur was willing to learn, it was unwise to attempt such a maneuver with an inexperienced teenager. Psarás did not mind the extra time with Pétur but worried about seeing Marika again after all these years. He assumed she would have nothing but anger and contempt to direct his way. Instead of focusing on the future, Psarás tried to enjoy the present, fleeting as it may be. He took the time to fill his godson's head with as much seafaring and fishing knowledge as possible. Psarás felt responsible for fostering Pétur in the ways of an Aeqori waterman. He wished for more time, but Manō island was only a day's travel by boat from Monsa. He intended to make the best use of the time they had together.

Pétur was a surprisingly quick study and had learned several basic sailing knots from Dulani, along with how to make a simple fishing net. Wayde showed him how to patch torn sails and stitch ripped clothing. Pétur investigated supplies, navigation, and sailing. He bombarded his godfather and the crew with questions insatiably. With each answer, Pétur's curiosity and thirst for information grew. Given the conditions with the wind, Psarás anchored the boat by a nearby atoll to teach Pétur basic swimming and fishing. He learned firsthand the power of Bydlę's stinky cheese to attract fish. Over the course of the day, Pétur acquired a basic proficiency in over a dozen skills. He and Psarás felt they had condensed years of family time into one day. Pétur's happiness had reached new heights. He had not felt this close to his heritage and father in a long time. In his mind, this would be a day he cherished forever.

It felt like the evening came quicker than usual as the starry sky illuminated the indigo night. Psarás shared a myth about Koholā, the whale spirit. He explained how she reunites the dead with their families in an Aeqori version of the afterlife. Pétur was unsurprised by the fact that the entrance to that heaven was the moon. He remembered his babka telling him similar stories as a child with the same enthusiasm as Psarás had. While he listened, the others had set up a temporary hammock below deck. At the end of the story, Psarás hugged his godson fiercely and told him not to stay up all night. He retired to the small captain's cabin on the main deck, where Wilk had already made himself comfortable on his bed.

Below deck, Dulani extinguished the oil lantern near his hammock. He reminded Wayde to stay awake and watch the boat as he had on many other nights. Dulani hopped in his hammock, encasing most of himself with the beautiful green and black fabric he often wore. He tilted his hat to cover his eyes and unsuccessfully attempted to sleep while the others talked. Wayde got himself two cups and filled them with a red-brown liquid unfamiliar to Pétur.

Wayde smiled mischievously. "You have learned a lot today, Pétur. I am impressed. You are highly intelligent for a Monsan."

"Thanks?" Pétur replied, unsure if he was just insulted or not.

Wayde handed Pétur one of the cups. "The point is I have one final lesson to teach you. If you want to be a sailor, then you must learn to drink like one."

Pétur shrugged and took a small sip. Almost as quick as the brew touched his lips, he sent it flying into the air. "That is disgusting. What is it?"

Dulani chuckled, lifting his hat from his eyes. "That is what makes you a man, so drink up. Think of it like an initiation. After tonight you will be a sailor." He readjusted his hat and closed his eyes once more.

Wayde drank his entire cup at once without effort. While refilling, he encouraged Pétur to drink his portion all at once. "It will burn at first, but afterward, it will take away your pain."

Pétur did his best to down the drink. He did not care for the robust taste of it but trusted the others. Moments later, a surprising number of air bubbles found their way out of his mouth. "Oh, sorry."

"Men do not apologize for being manly!" Wayde walked over and heartily slapped Pétur on the back.

It took Pétur's body no time to begin feeling the effect of the ale. Everything seemed different as he entered the dreamlike state of inebriation. Enjoying the sensation, he extended his now empty cup for a refill.

Wayde reached out and took his cup. "No. One is enough for tonight. You will likely find your way overboard and drown if you have too much."

Pétur dismissed the idea that he would drown. He was sure he felt fine. His legs were slightly numb and wobbly, but he was relaxed and judged himself to be in an excellent state. Moments later, he saw Wayde going for his third cupful. “You can shuure drink allot Waits. Wait. Why do I sund funny?"

Dulani broke into laughter. "I will never get some sleep if you two don't quiet down. Take him upstairs so I can rest." He reminisced about his first experience with alcohol and how his mother found him passed out in front of the campfire. While thinking happy thoughts of his family and home, he found his way into slumber, passing out.

Wayde and Pétur managed to stumble their way upstairs to the main deck. They talked for over an hour about everything. Pétur told Wayde about Sileny, his strange dreams, and the murderous kaplan. Wayde laughed and said Kaplan Rufa sounded more like a fool than a real danger. Pétur agreed and felt like he had made a friend in Wayde. He turned his back to Pétur and began humming a tune.

"What are you humming?" Pétur inquired.

Stopping, Wayde explained, "Sometimes I will sing and hum at night to pass the time. It brings me comfort. Among my people, singing and artistry are frowned upon. They only value hard work and money. It is what they would call daydreaming."

"Music is not exactly welcomed in Monsa either. And there is nothing wrong with daydreaming. Wilk and I daydream on the cliffs every morning while imagining … well, this kind of adventure." Pétur felt even more joy and then realized he had not seen Wilk. "Have you seen Wilk?"

"I put him in the captain's cabin. He will be fine with your godfather. You should probably get some sleep in the hammock we set up for you." Wayde turned around to face Pétur.

"What are you going to do?" Pétur mused.

"I will probably sing a song or two and just watch the ocean until dawn," vaguely said Wayde.

"I would love to hear one song before bed if you wouldn't mind," coaxed Pétur.

"Of course. For you, I will sing something worthy of a siren." Wayde took a deep breath while closing his eyes. He cantered hauntingly beautiful sounds and harmonies that seemed impossible for one person to sing.

Pétur had no words to describe it but could feel the sound all around him. It was as if the sky and sea sang with Wayde in a beautiful concert. The air seemed to thicken, and the ocean sounded bubbly almost in time with the beat. Pétur could not understand why the Bianchi people thought this talent was not worthy of praise. He imagined that if Wayde performed, large crowds would pay a fortune to hear him sing. Pétur was moved in indiscernible ways even after Wayde had finished the song. Pétur had several tears forming after hearing Wayde's music. There was a silence as Wayde caught his breath, stilling himself after an astonishing performance.

"Wayde. That was incredible. You are the most amazing singer ever." Pétur felt the overwhelming urge to hug Wayde.

"Thank you, Pétur. The proper term is cantor among my people." Wayde opened his eyes which seemed to be glowing iridescent light blue.

Noticing immediately, Pétur called out, "Why are your eyes glowing? Is that from your singing?"

Wayde smiled. "Yes. My eyes become blue when I sing certain songs in special places."

Pétur was amazed as the glow lingered and seemed to spread to his aura. "You know, I thought I saw something like this before with Kaplan Rufa."

Wayde took a step back from Pétur. "You don't say? Did Rufa's eyes become black?"

Pétur was surprised and blurted out, "How did you know?" Pétur innocently stepped closer, drawn to Wayde's captivating light.

Wayde's cerulean aura glowed as bright as the surrounding torches illuminating the boat. "That is because Rufa is a tamer. His gift from Vadim is obedience. That manifests magically as a black aura giving him the ability to control people and beasts. Just as Vadim granted me atonement. This makes my aura and eyes turn blue. With my magic, I shape the elements themselves."

Pétur, still feeling the effects of the alcohol, stopped in confusion. "Kaplan Rufa has magic? Wait a moment. Wayde, how did you know that I saw black around Rufa?"

Wayde pulsed, creating an eerie sound from his aura. "Pétur, you should address me correctly. Call me Kaplan Wayde."

Pétur sobered up almost immediately, jumping back in fear. "Your joking, right?"

Wayde's sound rose in pitch until it disappeared into the range beyond human hearing. The water behind Pétur began to bubble like boiling water. "The Ladri send their regards child of the prophecy."

Pétur snapped back, looking at Wayde, whose aura had extended out like giant butterfly wings from his body. "Who? I'm not the …."

"Time to join your father Pétur, goodbye." Wayde's aura burst into a flash of light.

Seconds later, a gigantic amorphous octopus tentacle rose from the water and wrapped around Pétur. He screamed, but as fast as it appeared, it pulled him under the water, making a loud splash. The tentacle seemed to disappear in the water, but Pétur could still feel its force. He struggled with all his might, unable to break free of the water's grip. It seemed like the sea had swallowed him and would not let him go. Pétur held his breath as best he could as the light above him became distant to his eyes. Colder and darker, he sank until the force around him faded. He tried to swim back up but was too deep. As the beginning stages of hypoxia set in, thoughts of his mother and his reoccurring dream flooded his mind. Pétur's anxiety flooded every cell in his body before everything became dim. His strength left him as he floated in nothingness for a moment. With his final thoughts, he focused on love. He experienced love for his mother and babka, that sacrificed everything for him. He felt love for the memory of his father and the discovery of a godfather he did not know he had until recently. He loved his pup Wilk who helped him through the loss of his father. As his mind drifted, he realized that he loved Sileny and wanted to hug her desperately. A warmth filled his heart as he passed out, and water slowly entered his lungs. Outside Pétur was the cold darkness, but in his final moments, there was nothing but warmth and light inside him.