“Glad to hear it,” Rainbow said with a smile, “we should-” but before he could finish his thought, the green thing was interrupted by the sight of something flying towards them. It was Flower and he was carrying the central crystal! It was smaller than Caleb expected. The gull then flew up and dropped the brown gem, breaking it in the process.

“…well, that makes things easier,” Rainbow stated matter-of-factly, “let’s get out of here.” “Yeah,” Caleb agreed. As they both understood it, the crystal was the only thing that kept the spiders awake, so now they would just sleep and starve to death. As the two were talking, Flower flew to Caleb’s sword, grabbed it, and flew to the boy. Dropping the sword, the bird perched itself on Caleb’s shoulder.

The kid smiled, happy to have his blade back, and petted Flower. “Thank you,” Caleb said with a smile, picking up his sword as he walked out of the chamber with Ribbon and Rainbow.

After a little bit of silence as the group walked through the jungle, Rainbow asked “soooo...kid, there’s something I’ve meant to ask you this whole time. Why exactly are you out in the middle of the ocean by yourself?”

“Well, my village is very sick. A ton of people came down with a disease and I can’t let them die, so I left to find a cure.”

Rainbow recoiled, apparently afraid of catching the sickness. “Oh relax,” Caleb lightly chided, “if I had it, my eyes would be solid black and I’d be in no condition to do much. Anyway, our kingdom’s doctors are busy healing soldiers from the front lines, so they just quarantined Eagletown and hoped for the best. The Elder Eagle said not to go, but I had to. I’m not letting them die!” This last part, he loudly declared with determination that startled his green companion.

Rainbow took a moment to take that in, thinking. Then he finally responded with “I’ve been alive many years and have never heard of that. Really, do you even know where you’re going?”

“Not really,” Caleb sheepishly responded, “I just figured I’d find someone out west who would know what to do.”

“Ugh, why am I not surprised,” Rainbow replied with scorn. But he reflected, adding “but this does give me an idea. I never met the guy, but the crew mentioned having a skeleton doctor back home that they’d go to when they were sick. The Captain said he was the best in the city, and I’d trust him with my life. I need to go back there anyway to give Ribbon back to John’s wife, so maybe if we go to Thorn City this doctor can get you your cure?”

“Skeleton?” Caleb asked with a tone of concern.

“Yeah, he’s undead,” Rainbow said, “but don’t worry, kid, the Captain said that Roger’s one of the nicest guys he’s ever met.”

Caleb considered it as they walked. A plan was better than no plan, Ribbon did need to go home, plus Rainbow had saved his life. And if this didn’t work, there were probably other people there who could help him. “Sounds like a plan!” Caleb said with a smile.

Rainbow smiled back at the boy. “Great! Well, here’s our ride,” the green thing stated as they walked up to a wooden sloop. This boat had enough room for a dozen dwarfs plus their god. Thankfully, it was small enough to be piloted by a boy and his green friend, and the process of getting it into the ocean was surprisingly easy. They had built the thing on logs on top of a hill, so with some pushing the boat was in the ocean. What was even more pleasant was that the ship had plenty of supplies; food, water, tools, and even maps that weren’t used for impromptu ship repairs. This part of the trip would hopefully be more comfortable than the last one was.

It was with Rainbow's help that Caleb became more familiar with the Big Ocean. There were map explanations, there were information dumps, and there were times when his companion let him steer their humble vessel. Caleb was far from an accomplished sea-captain, however, and that much was seen over the next few days. Sleep deprivation likely contributed to his lack of seafaring legs though inexperience was another matter in of itself. Even still, he learned the processes alongside tricks for better managing his supplies and fishing. It was, overall, a successful voyage.

So far.

Downtime came far and few between with Rainbow doing his absolute best to keep Caleb going. The more time spent actively was less time that the younger boy spent brooding. Nightmares still lurked behind every closed eyelid and sleeping was difficult to say the least. If it wasn't heads rolling across a temple floor, then there were visions of the disease. Violent imagery taunted him with the possible deaths of Miss Aradia, his fellow orphans, and every other member of Eagletown. Sometimes it would be the disease that turned their eyes black and other times it would be the blade of his sword that ended them. That was the very same sword that he was having difficulty holding on to. It felt unnecessarily heavy and tainted these days. The blood itself was easy enough to clean off, but not the sin. He had stared into the wistful waters on several occasions while resisting the urge to toss either the sword or himself overboard. Most of the time, he had simply walked away without a word or further thought. Today, though, there there was hesitation in his eyes.

"Don't even think about it."

They had entered a rainstorm at some point during the night. It wasn't too bad at least. There was neither thunder nor lightning and Caleb had someone else with him this time. Three others, in fact. Ribbon had become a regular source of comfort while Rainbow acted as their voice of reason, captain, and navigator. Flower had finally made his allegiance clear and remained somewhere atop the boat at all times. It was a miracle that he hadn't flown off yet, but Caleb didn't question it. "I wasn't going to--"

"Throwing your sword overboard won't change anything about the situation. What is done is done. If you ever want to become a knight, then you'll need to learn to live with it. Sometimes knights kill evil people to protect the innocent and sometimes they do it out of self-defense. What we did was out of self-defense. It was us or them and you saw the way that they came at us. Now stop beating yourself up over it and help me with steering."

". . It wasn't out of self-defense, it was out of revenge." Caleb's reply was a mutter as he pulled his hand away from his sheathed blade. He agreed with the prospect that he needed a new one. Not because this one was bad or anything, but because it was sinful. It was sinful and evil and he hated carrying it around. He hated remembering what he did with it and he hated how those dwarves forced them into that situation. He hated thinking about how they murdered Rainbow's friends and Ribbon's owner. He hated thinking about how powerless they almost were and he hated how strong the rain was now. He didn't hate the Big Ocean though. There was something about that, at least, that comforted him. "I'm sorry. I won't consider it again."

"Good." Rainbow could only sigh as an expression of relief fell on his features. "Now help me navigate this thing out of the rain."

Caleb trudged across the deck of the ship in sullen silence. As water traced its way down his face a voice from home echoed through his mind. 'What do you mean 'why do I always sit outside when it rains'? I love the rain. It washes away the bad. It makes me clean and new. That's why, silly.'

It felt like that conversation had been lifetimes ago. He'd thought his friend had been silly for willingly getting wet every storm, but secretly had loved the idea. As the words repeated themselves in the back of his skull Caleb tipped his face up towards the clouds. The rain wasn't washing anything away and it made him hate the weather even more.

A cold sensation on the palm of his hand caused Caleb to jump. Ribbon wagged her tail, seemingly pleased to have startled him. Absently the young boy scratched her ears as they followed their short companion to the captain's wheel. Ribbon whined as Caleb let go so he could untie the spokes and take control once more.

"We should turn the ship about three degrees to the starboard side." Rainbow directed in his most commanding voice. "That's the side with your bird." Caleb had proven to be hopeless at remembering which was starboard and which was port. He could see stars on both sides of the board.

Flower ruffled his feathers indignantly against the wind and tucked his face further under one wing. Caleb dutifully guided the ship a little bit in that direction. "How much longer do you think we will be sailing for?"

"That depends." Rainbow answered lightly. He stared off the side of the ship absently, watching the black waters behind them. "Maybe a few hours, maybe a few years. Not much longer in either case!"

Caleb blinked at Rainbow. He was still convinced there was something not quite right about his companion, but he'd given up on trying to understand his answers. "Alright then."

Rainbow pulled out his spyglass and turned it to the waters. He scanned them casually. Every couple of adjustments his focus would return to the same spot in the water. After several minutes of pointlessly scanning for nothing, Caleb began to grow suspicious. Slowly the small copper eye pointed once more at that same spot in the waters approximately three ship length's behind them.

"Something good?" Caleb asked as casually as he could.

"In this rain it's hard to tell," Rainbow answered before he could remember to be evasive. The small creature winced like he was mentally kicking himself for giving Caleb something new to worry about.

Caleb wasn't about to let up now that he had a foot in the door. "What is it?"

Rainbow sighed in defeat. "I think a hippocampus. Too big a body of water for a kelpie, so I don't think we'll be eaten. Still, it has been following us."

For Caleb, the revelation of the presumed identity of their maritime shadow brought forth a sense of youthful excitement, and the boy nearly abandoned his position at the tiller in his haste to see the fabled beast from the deep. Rain formed a haze that blocked out the horizon, falling steadily across the roiling brine. Squinting Caleb scanned the churning waters, forced to shield his vison from the downpour that was slowly rising in intensity. “I’ve never seen a Hippocampus before!” He cheered, his human eyes having no chance of spotting the distant creature, though not from lack of trying. “Do you suppose he’ll approach us?”

“Let us hope he keeps his distance.” Rainbow muttered, raising the spotting glass to his eye once more. Sure enough a flash of crimson, and a trailing fin could spotted, a massive lithe figure swimming just beneath the surface, staying well away but undoubtably following at a leisurely pace.

Why though?” Caleb asked, bringing forth his personal knowledge on the sea creature. “Every sailor I’ve ever spoken to insist they are shy and harmless, and keep their distance unless the ship is in dire straits. If a man is of pure heart and noble spirit, the Hippocampus would often rescue them and deliver them safely ashore. Many take them as signs of good fortune for those poor souls in peril.” Caleb’s optimistic view clearly was not shared by his companion. The boy withered under the baleful look Rainbow threw him, as the goblin lowered his spyglass intent on educating his naïve young pupil.

“Aye, poor souls in peril.” He pointed out, rolling his eyes skyward. “The key to every tale regarding the noble Hippocampus. If you ask me, we’d be better off if this one goes away. I’m not liking the look of those clouds, and these waves are growing larger by the second. What if they are the cause to all the trouble, just to get good representation in survivor’s stories?”

“Don’t be a sourpuss,” Caleb waved away the smaller creature’s concerns. “That sounds ridiculous, and what would they care about some sailor’s tale? Besides we’ve seen plenty big waves already, twice the size of these, and enough rain to flood all of the King’s Woods. But never a Hippocampus. Either way I’m sure the Eagle’s Deliverance here could handle the worst tempests the ocean could throw at us.”

Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. “The Eagle’s Deliverance huh?”

“Yeah, I thought she could use a name. You don’t like it?”

“No, no it’s a perfectly suitable name I suppose, for a paltry ship. Though as Captain I figured it would be my duty to bestow a suitable title for our fine vessel here.”

Caleb wrinkled his nose. “You’re the captain? Shouldn’t I be captain? I do all the work around here after all.”

“Yes, good point. And on that note, turn us three degrees starboard, er, Flower’s-side-board, and tie down the tiller there, so you can go add more canvas to the jib. I want to leave behind this deluge and that nautical menace, the sooner the better. Step to it First Mate Crowsnest, the sea awaits no man.”

Caleb gave the grinning goblin a roguish two finger salute he’d seen fishermen give each other on occasion. “Alright fine, Captain Rainbow, but could we please keep the name Eagle’s Deliverance?”

Rainbow seemed to take this plea into consideration, twirling one large ear around his index finger and stroking his pointy little chin, apparently deep in thought. “I would prefer something more noble and gallant myself, The Mighty Rainbow, or perhaps the Dancing Rainbow something along those lines. Tell you what young’un, we will put it to a vote. All in favor of The Dancing Rainbow say aye.” He raised his own little hand, pretending to ignore Caleb’s sour expression. “That’s two votes for the Dancing Rainbow.”

“Two votes!” Caleb exclaimed.

“Yes, Captain counts as two votes.” Rainbow explained without missing a beat. “All in favor of Eagle’s Deliverance say aye?”

Caleb’s hand shot up in stalwart defiance, and Ribbon barked, and Flower squawked.

“Haha!” Caleb crowed, sticking his tongue out at the perplexed goblin. “You’ve been outvoted.”

“It would seem I have,” Rainbow admitted in a mix of surprise and good humor. “Fair’s fair, the Eagle’s Deliverance she shall be.” Then lacking any wine or rum to shatter on the bow Rainbow slapped the ship’s deck with a water ladle thus solidifying the christening. Satisfied by his victory freshly ranked First Mate Caleb set to his duties with a gusto, turning and tying down the wheel and before getting to work on the jib sail. Now practiced in this task Caleb finished efficiently just as the first rolls of distant thunder could be heard. Dark clouds were rapidly overtaking them, filling the western skies with ominous cumulonimbus. Even inexperienced Caleb could taste destiny on the salty breeze. Despite the little crew’s best efforts, it seemed the Eagle’s Diliverence would be amid her first true storm soon enough.

A big storm was brewing on the big ocean. Yet, Caleb’s thoughts weren’t on the weather. He was thinking of home, remembering a time when he listened to the Elder Eagle telling him stories in his office.

“…and that, young fledgling, is how Prince Hector and I won our first battle,” the bird said. Not only was the Elder Eagle a title, it was also a descriptor of the storyteller and head of the city; a talking golden eagle named Eldridge who was old. His left wing was cut in half so he could no longer fly, but the bird was highly respected for his service to the Kingdom and for founding Eagletown.

“Cool!” the nine-year old Caleb exclaimed with wide-eyed wonder, “so if that was your first battle, how did you first meet Hector?”

“PRINCE Hector, Caleb!” the eagle yelled, loudly scolding the kid.

“Sorry,” Caleb quietly said.

“Thank you,” the bird calmly replied, “and to answer your question, it requires another story.” Caleb’s face indicated that the Elder Eagle had his full attention.

“It was many years ago when I was a young baby in my mother’s nest, long before the Greater Wisdom spell gave me the abilities I have now. At the time, Prince Hector was Captain of the 5th division of the Royal Marauders. They had been sent east into gnoll lands to repel a raiding party that had been planning to hit Northgate while the Eastern Walls were being upgraded. A preventative sort of mission. Of course, I didn’t know any of that at the time, but it’s important for the story. See, just before the Prince’s forces attacked, the gnolls were hunting. Sadly, they got my parents and siblings,” the Elder Eagle said sadly.

“That’s terrible!” was the boy’s response.

“Indeed, but fortunately for me, the humans had attacked as they were about to get me. If they had waited another moment I would not be alive today. The details of the battle aren’t really important, but what is important is that the gnolls lost and ran away. Again, I didn’t know what was going on - just that my family was gone and that a bunch of creatures were fighting. It was scary and I didn’t know if I would live to see the next day.”

“But you did, obviously” Caleb said.

The bird continued speaking. “Yeah. A lot of the men didn’t really care about a baby bird, but the Prince was different. He felt bad. He took the time to be kind and raised me himself. Eventually, we started battling together and, well...you know the rest.”

Back in the present, Caleb smiled. He had never navigated through a thunderstorm before, but he did know how to be kind. He went to the food supply, found the apples and took a few of them with him to the back of the sloop.

Rainbow looked at the boy skeptically. “What, exactly, are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m making a friend,” Caleb happily responded.

This answer did not satisfy Rainbow. “Wh-” he began to speak, but he was interrupted by the boy.

“Hi! Are you alright out there!?” Caleb yelled towards the Hippocampus. “We’re friends! We have food!” The boy held up an apple as he said this. Rainbow just shook his head.

“Caleb, how do you know that it’s friendly? It probably can’t even hear you. This is-“

Once again Rainbow was interrupted, but this time it wasn’t by Caleb. “Thanks for the offer, but I just ate!” The green thing did a double-take as he saw the hippocampus swim next to and talk to Caleb. He sounded maybe half of the boy’s age and had an orange coat that made him look like a mix between a goldfish and a horse with orange fur. “My name is Edward, who are you?”

"I'm Caleb, sir. Caleb Crowsnest. It's nice to meet you." The apple was lowered to the boy's side and received sniffs from Ribbon in response. The dog would eat anything that was put in front of her, including apples, but only when given permission. She was well-trained by her previous owner from the looks of it. "This is Rainbow, Ribbon, and Flower. We're the crew of The Eagle's Deliverance. We're trying to find our way to a skeleton doctor."

"A skeleton doctor? I've never heard of such a thing before." There was an airy chuckle from the hippocampus. In spite of this, however, Rainbow shot an uneasy glance towards his traveling companion. This was better than trying to stop Caleb and his sword from going overboard at least. They would have a chat about sharing supplies later though. He understood that Caleb was trying to act nobly, as a knight would, but there was no denying that they needed that food too. What would happen if they were stuck floating adrift for another month? "You land-dwellers are very funny with your names and titles. I never grow tired of listening to your stories. Perhaps we could make a deal! Let me listen to your stories and I'll safely show you a way to land."

"You would be willing to do that for us?!" The story of the Elder Eagle and Prince Hector immediately came to mind. It was always one of Caleb's personal favorite stories and it was interesting enough to tell a stranger. A little humorous to imagine that this would be his ticket out of danger. One that looked to be very appealing as black clouds gave way to a burst of lightning somewhere off in the distance. "Well. . I'm from a small village known as Eaglestown. I was born and raised there though I don't really remember my parents. Something happened to them when I was young, but that's okay! I had plenty of friends and adults in my life. One of them was the Elder Eagle. . ."

Rainbow zoned out from the conversation as he reached for the boat's rudder and watched the storm on the horizon. It was getting worse and yet the hippocampus was beginning to swim away. Edward was at least keeping a slow pace for right now though he seemed to be leading them closer to the storm. Maybe that was only based on Rainbow's perspective, but he was still silent and looked to be uneasy as The Eagle's Deliverance took off behind its new friend.

"Your Hector sounds amazing! And your Eeegull friend too - they must've had so many adventures together!", Edward whinnied as his boat-sized body excitedly powered through the rumbling charcoal surf. "--Oh, I am DEFINITELY going to have to let the others hear this - do you have MORE?" Caleb beamed, his mind swiftly forgetting the dark skies and intensifying rain: "Yeah - Yeah SURE! And say, who do you mean by 'Others' ?" Rainbow's innerds churned over the distinct increase in the rocking of the boat, specifically those coming from the direction of the bow. For a split second the ship swung ever-so-sickly alongside its pilot as he made to heave across the rudder, yet he rapidly attempted to course-correct, his green complexion amplifying by the second. Edward bobbed to and fro about the increasingly choppy waves as easily as if he'd been trotting on dry land. "My Friends! They're going to be AMAZED by this - what other Stories can you tell??"
That was a very good question - Caleb had heard so many of Elder Eagle's stories over the years...it was like he'd been the only one the old spellbeast had actually gotten to pay attention for more than a few hours. Now let's see, there was the tale about how the legendary duo rescued the Black Queen's prized hairdresser, Shaun, from being sheared and eaten; Or the one about how Kin--er, "Prince" Hector dressed up as a giantess, fooling the local mountain tribes into gifting him the long-lost Kingmaker's Rod as a wedding dowry; Or...---

A sudden unexpected tilt from port to starboard caused him to momentarily stumble across the narrow deck, clasping the mast as he attempted to reorganize his thoughts;

---...or-Or that one with the wild pig stampede - that one seemed relevant.

"WOULD, YOU, STOP THAT ! ! !"

Rainbow's voice was hoarse - his puny body broken by the perpetual turbulence, and his expression an absolutely livid sea-green. "THIS is a SHIP, you oversized BARNACLE, not some lifeless DRIFTWOOD you can toss any whichway!!!", he ROARED over the exponentially torrential winds! At first the hippocampus didn't seem to process this, yet he quickly began to slow, ease back - and eventually, just...stop. Flicking his gaze between the mythical beast idly contemplating at their bow, and the rapidly liquifying goblin at their stern, Caleb managed to eek out a squeamish smile and interrupt:

"Come on Rainbow, Where's your sense of ADVENTURE!?"

"ANYWHERE but T H E R E !", the halfpint admiral exploded, shooting a finger out across their portside!

. . .Oh.

"...It's too Difficult to tell from this distance -- I...I think !...!?", the boy sputtered meekly, his stomach sinking into his boots as he tried to dissuade the reality constipated across his companion's face.

"DO the SIZE of those Waves look HARD TO TELL!?!", Rainbow screamed in his most high-pitched voice yet. It was, really, a surprisingly big cyclone for having snuck up on them in the way that it did; a deaf silence rung out over the craft as it briefly drifted with the swell of the now monstrously thick, black sea.

" . . . You all Don't like Rain?"

The latter half of the crew remaining outside of the shelter of the captain's cabin Both shot their heads over in Edward's direction.

"...YES--", the pair started--
"--NO!", and finished in unison.

Edward bobbed peacefully with the thunderous slaps of the ocean waves, then seemed to have finished making up his young mind.

"...Okay, I guess we could meet Them now and wait it out from there."

And without a second thought, the hippocampus shot off like an arrow through the rolling black, yanking the hapless box of timbers along behind it like so many skipping-stones toward the cyclone.

"Stop! Stop! Stop! STOP!" Rainbow's voice rose in pitch and volume as they hurdled towards the whipping wall of water. His knuckles were white on the helm as he desperately wrenched it from side to side. The ship stayed on course, following the bright golden beacon of rippling mane.

Edward did not stop.

Caleb was starting to wonder if perhaps he had made a bad decision. His stomach lurched and his eyes remained transfixed on the spinning storm before them. As they drew closer still he could barely distinguish that anything existed outside of the storm. Wind and rain lashed his face and his clothes whipped about his body. A loose rope cracked and snapped. The ship groaned. Rainbow was praying to what Caleb would have suspected was a god he had never heard of, had he even heard the prayer.

Edward was looking like he had never been happier. He practically danced upon the ragged sea. "Just the fun part now! And then we'll be able to talk!"

Caleb did not agree with Edward's idea of "fun". The impossible storm became worse. Caleb was blinded by the aggressive gray. The whole world shuttered and howled. His ears rang with the noise of it. He had never heard anything that consumed him so completely. Not even the screaming in his dreams drowned out the world the way this storm did.

For just a moment Caleb loved the terror of it. For just a moment he completely forgot the lives he had taken, the blood he had spilled, the worlds he had ended. His world was ending. He threw back his head and laughed.

The laughter died in his throat. For one thing, the rain had almost instantly tried to drown him. For another, the storm was over. He lowered his face as tears and water coursed down his face. His hair was plastered to his forehead and neck as small waterfalls surged their way down his skin.

Edward popped up beside the battered craft. "Hi!" Caleb waved back weakly. Rainbow retched somewhere nearby. Edward seemed pleased with their current state of affairs. "My friends are ready to meet you!"

"What sort of a godforsaken idea was that?" Rainbow demanded. He had recovered himself well enough to shout at the young hippocampus, his face lime green in rage and possibly seasickness. "You nearly killed us all!" Edward gave no answer except to disappear below the alarmingly calm waters.

"Now that wasn't very kind." A voice from the formerly-Flower-board side of the ship thundered into their consciousness. Caleb felt more than he heard the words.

"You've hurt little Eddy's feelings." Like music in a memory the second voice wove into their minds. Something about it made Caleb feel light enough to walk on water.

"He doesn't often bring us visitors, I would expect better behavior from someone he considers to be a friend." The deafening crash of the words caused Caleb and Rainbow both to clasp their hands about their ears. Caleb felt as if someone was pounding upon it with a mace each time the being spoke.

Caleb turned slowly. Rainbow was already staring at their newest companions. Before he could stop the words Caleb asked, "What are they?"

Rainbow frowned. "A merman and a siren."

"Oh they're mortals! your voice is too much for them." The melodic answer was such a startling contrast that the poor boy nearly wept at the words. The siren ruffled his feathers. He perched on the edge of the ship, his winged arms folded across his chest. The hypnotic quality of his voice was gone, but Caleb still thought it to be the most beautiful voice he had ever head.

"My voice?" Though still powerful, the first speaker was at a comprehensible level now. "You nearly have the poor child diving over on your first syllable." The merman assessed the two people on deck, then sighed. "I will go and get Edward. Valentino, find out about our visitors. Make sure they are worthy of being his friends." Gracefully the merman disappeared below the disorientingly calm sea.

Valentino rolled his eyes and rearranged his wings more comfortably. "My dad's the lord of the ocean, I'm king of the sea. Do what I say, Valentino." Even while mocking his companion he sounded appealing. A fond smile settled on his lips and he shrugged his shoulders. "Can't say I hate him for it. Alright you two, what are you doing with Edward?"

Caleb looked at his green companion; Rainbow looked like he was going to either throw up, faint, or say something they’d both regret, so the boy decided to talk instead. And he didn’t really know what this “Valentino” wanted, but the truth would be a good place to start.

“Well, we were sailing and this storm came around. Edward was following us, so I tried talking to him and offering him food. He said he could get us to land if I told him stories, so I did. Then he was pulling our boat, but I think...” Caleb paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, “he didn’t know that we aren’t as good on water as he is?”

At that moment, Rainbow threw up again, as if to illustrate the point. The siren took in this scene; a boat, a seagull, a dog, a green creature of some kind, and a kid, all of which were soaking wet. Valentino just laughed, saying “well, little Eddy can be a handful sometimes. Just charges ahead with whatever sounds good at the time.”

That made the boy think about how his own trip began and he smiled. “Don’t worry about it,” Caleb responded, “it was kind of fun at times and we made it here alive. Where is “here,” by the way?”

“You really don’t know?” Valentino, asked, looking confused, “although I guess that does explain why you’re sailing in the Storm Patch. What idiot navigator thought that was a good idea?”

Caleb spoke quickly as he saw Rainbow get even more angry to avoid making a scene. “To be fair, up until a few days ago Rainbow was trapped on an island with a bunch of murdering dwarves,” Caleb replied, “and he still knows more than I do.”

“Rainbow is the name of your...green friend?” the siren asked. Caleb nodded, so Valentino continued, “anyway, you’re in the Storm Patch, the most dangerous part of the Big Ocean. Us sea creatures are fine here, but if Edward wasn’t with you, you probably would have died. You are currently in the Calm Spot, the one part of the Storm Patch where you’re safe.”

Caleb had a mix of excitement and curiosity on his face. Rainbow just looked irritated, but he had figured out by now that an outburst might cause hostilities with the sea creatures who might be stronger than Caleb and were definitely stronger than he was, so the green person decided to let Caleb talk while his stomach recovered.

“Cool! Well, when Edward’s back I’ll thank him,” Caleb said, “but the loud guy. He’s your king or something?”

Valentino chuckled. “Nah, he just thinks he is. Dad made a little town at the bottom of the Calm Spot so ‘everyone can recognize my rightful place as lord of the ocean’ but you’ve already met half of the inhabitants. It’s easier to just humor him.”

“Oh, okay, so like Eagle-” Caleb was saying, but he got interrupted by an enthusiastic voice.

“That Eeegull was SO COOL!” Edward exclaimed as he rose up from the water. The merman next to him gave him a stern look, causing the hippocampus to sheepishly add “uh, sorry I almost got you killed.”

“It’s okay,” Caleb cheerfully replied, “and thanks for getting us here.” Rainbow was seriously wondering how the boy was so happy when they had almost died, but decided to keep his mouth shut.

“No problem! Can you tell my friends another story about the Eeegull and Hector?” Edward asked.

“Wait, hold on,” the merman interrupted, “Eldridge the eagle? Prince Hector?”

“Yeah! You know them?” Caleb asked.

“Of course! I met them while they were sailing on a diplomacy mission. We had some good times together. How are they?” was his next question.

Caleb looked a little uncomfortable. “Eldridge” (what an odd way to address him, the boy thought) “is good, but I never actually knew Prince Hector. He died over 30 years ago, way before I was born.” Everyone looked sad at this news; even Rainbow softened up when he heard this.

“I’m sorry, he was a truly good man,” the merman said, “what happened?”

“He died in a battle against the Gnoll Khanate. He took out their Khan, but was killed in the process,” Caleb said, “of course, there’s more there than that-“

“Can you tell us that story, Caleb!?” Edward asked excitedly.

“Well, okay,” Caleb said, “so, what is important to know is...”

---

An hour later, the story had finished. “What an amazing man,” the merman said, “he would have made a great king, just like me. Please wait a minute, I have something I’d like you to give to Eldridge when you next see him.”

Caleb refrained from mentioning that his return to Eagletown was still far off.

"I'll be right back." Valentino was quick to dive his head beneath the waves leaving Edward, Caleb, and Rainbow to their own devices once more. The ragtag duo of sailors were soaked from the storm while Ribbon was panting heavily thanks to their abrupt journey. The younger of the pair was still shaking though there was something unusual on his face: a smile. A genuine and actual smile for the first time since departing from Eagletown. Since massacring the dwarves on that island. It would be a long recovery from that event, but it seemed as if the first steps had already been taken. Maybe it was from the sudden adrenaline or maybe it was from Edward's appearance, but something about this situation made the boy feel a little lighter on his feet. Even if he hadn't noticed it quite yet.

"We'll be in trouble if we leave this place without Edward, won't we?" Rainbow left no time for his companions to respond. An absent-minded green hand had settled onto Ribbon's head. The dog's tail whacked against the bottom of the ship as the green land-dweller spoke again: "We'll probably have to go back through that Storm Spot again."

"Well, not entirely." It was jarring to hear how child-like Edward's voice was at times. "I may know another way, but you know the deal! If I'm going to bring your boat anywhere, I want to hear more stories about the Eegull and Prince Hector. Especially about the Eegull. He sounds so cool and awesome and. ."

"Oh! I have so many more stories that I can share with you. In fact, there was this one time when I was a little younger and--" Caleb was cut short by a head popping back up from the water. That was quick. Even still, Valentino was there with a bundle in his hands as he swam closer to the boat. Said bundle was placed at Rainbow's feet before being curiously sniffed by Ribbon. "What's that?"

"A pearl for Eldridge. He'd often ask of my homeland and I always told him that I would send something back to him. I never really got around to it though." The merman's eyes suspiciously narrowed as he inched back from the boat. "You can never be too certain about what could happen to a precious treasure in the hands of strangers. I'd rather that it went with you two. Please don't lose it and send Eldridge my regards when you can."

"We will!" Caleb was eager to scoop the pearl into his arms and he was back onto his feet before long. That airy smile popped back onto his face once more. The bundle was soaked though preciously cradled in the boy's arms anyway. "Oh, right! We were just wondering if it would be okay if--"

"I heard you talking from below. You don't need my permission. I'm just Eddy's friend." Valentino shakes his head towards the hippocampus. Then, there was a hint of a smile on it. "If he wants to go with you, then he's more than welcome to."

"I do, I do! I want to hear all about the Eegull and Prince Hector and all about land dwellers!"

"See? Looks like you have your answer." A forlorn glance was tossed behind the merman as a storm was brewing at the edges of their domain. Luckily, they would be safe here, but journeying in that direction was out of question. Rainbow still had his doubts about trusting Edward after last time, but one look at Caleb's expression was enough to quell his doubts. For now. "You three should get going though. Another storm will be starting again sometime soon."

A deep, gutteral growl rumbled out aways of the distant and blackened sky, prompting the newly minted crew of The Eagle's Deliverance to shiver in agreement with their terse host. Suddenly a gleam sparkled in Caleb's eye, and all the quickly he exclaimed, "H-Hold On! Just one more thing!", before making a mad dash for the captain's cabin with Ribbon and Flower gleefully trailing after the boy's frenetic exit. The other half of the crew, alongside their gracious hosts, could only stare after him in bewliderment.

"...well...Well then--", a noticeably less projectile-vomit-shade-of-green Rainbow began, still clutching his stomach but lacking the previous accompanied stupor of an abject drunk, "--It's been, ehr, pleasant making your aquaintance your "Majesty" - admittedly we might not have made it this far without the..." At this point his eyes temporarily twitched, locking deadset on the hippocampus sat beside the larger Merman and his Siren companion: "...intuitive intervention of our newest mate, but I have a feeling he'll be a little more considerate about that when we head for this next shortcu---"

A short burst of WHACK, CHOP, CRACK, CRACKs erupted from out of the aftward cabin, jolting the fuzzy little gremlin mid-scathe and streaking a ripple of disgust at the discordant melody playing across their hosts' presence. Ribbon bolted out of the doorway ahead of her companions, barking triumphantly between a jawfull of a table leg; Rainbow was looking to turn green again.

"I've got it, I've Got It!", Caleb cried with a similar glee to his canine companion and the white gull screeching approvingly out and overhead of him as he slammed the door back open and charged down the brine-soaked planks. The three stopped just short of colliding with their miniature admiral and sending the lot of them tumbling over the railings, and the boy produced a hastily procurred, but nonetheless equisite wood-carved mold of a bear's growling face.

"Here - I'd like you to keep this until we see you two again. A luck charm, since nothing'll be able to happen to us until we come back to collect it again." The more imposing of the two mythological hosts took it gently in the palm of his hand, which on its own easily dwarfed the size of Caleb's head; he turned it over a few times by the tip of a finger, and although the boy could've sworn he heard the faintest mumbling about...salt, and...preserves, for some reason, the being returned his gaze with the slightest of smiles: "Very well, it will be a King's honor to keep this...artifact, in your stead, as a sign of your fortuitous passage across the Great Sea."

"--king-to-be...", the siren mumbled between some mock pruning of his feathers with a delicate hand.

Before anyone else could respond, Caleb beamed an absolutely radiant smile, shot his knicked sword into the air and waved a proud, hearty "GOOD-BYYYYYYE!!!". The sound of their farewell echoed across the ancient seas, rippling out like a great north wind in Rainbow's mind - afternoon passed into Twilight, and the reality of nightfall snapped him awake again. All around them was the glistening of silver waves dancing under moonlight, punctuated only by the sweeping strokes Edward made through them...all else was calm, almost serene.

He scoffed, crossing his puny arms over his chest and squinting his eyes at the makeshift form of the hippocampus wrestling between shadow and light. It'd been a good few hours more since they'd departed, and he was still, STILL swimming. Did he even need to sleep? Did he even need to eat? Wait...yes, technically that last one was true...

Meanwhile the admiral of the ship couldn't even stay awake long enough to keep an effective Night Watch, tsk. The rabbit-goblin shook his head, rising from the barrels he'd slumped himself up against and giving a nice, exaggerated stretch to signal his presence on deck. If he was going to play the part of the crown this ship, it wouldn't do to be anything other than "A Big Deal" in the presence of his newfound crew.

"I see we're still making steady progress--", he cut the words short, cursing himself at the momentary slipup; still, well, maybe the hippocampus hadn't noticed he'd been out of it...as if there even was much "it" going on in the first place. The hours had probably all blended together in his little mind, and even the fleas knew that youth wasn't exactly the brightest fish in the barrel...

Edward didn't answer. Rainbow frowned at the insubordination. However, Edward was still very young, so he decided to give him another chance. "I said," he raised his voice to make it clear he was expecting an answer, "that I see you're still capable of steady progress." He thought that to be a much more suitable change. A good captain acknowledge his crew when they did good work.

Edward still wasn't answering. In fact, he seemed to be completely ignoring Rainbow. The little creature strained his ears, just in case Edward was speaking too quietly to be heard. Triumphantly he picked up the sound of the hippocampus' voice. Edward was singing.

"-waves in the ocean, will bring you back to me. Swim, swim my darling, and go learn to be free. When you get too tired, that is when you'll see. All the waves in the ocean, will bring you back to me. Swim, swim my darling-"

Rainbow flicked his fingers at the ocean. Ahead of the ship, an arrow shaped patch of water glowed florescent pink, pointing the way back towards the ship. Thankfully Edward wasn't so absentminded that he missed the cue to turn and look at Rainbow. Rainbow crossed his arms over his chest and did his best to look impatient. "Well you were certainly distracted."

Edward beamed down at him. "Yes! I was singing my comfort song!"

Uncertain how to respond to that, Rainbow blinked. "Right."

Edward took that as an opportunity to explain. "My father use to sing it to us when we wanted to do something brave, but were just a little bit afraid. He use to go on lots of adventures, so we were always trying to impress him! He hasn't gone on any since he gave birth to us, though. So now I'm going on one for him, and when I see him again, I'll tell him all about it and let him know that my comfort song helped me do the best job I can!"

Rainbow could not have cared any less. "How long do you think it will be before we reach shore?"

"I don't know," Edward admitted, "I've never been far enough away to go to your land before. Maybe three days?" He suggested. Rainbow got the distinct impression he was making a wild guess. "That seems like a good distance for land to be!"

Rainbow decided he didn't want to talk to Eddy any more. "Go back to guiding the ship then. When will you need to sleep?"

"I'll sleep when the wind gets stronger. Caleb said that your ship will sail better with a good wind." Edward replied happily. Rainbow nodded his approval and turned away. He decided to stroll up and down the deck some while on watch. From up near the front of the ship he could hear Edward start to sing again. Perhaps, with most of the crew asleep, and Edward fully distracted, now was a good time to practice his illusions.

With a snap of his fingers several nearby ropes twisted into thin snakes. Rainbow turned to select his next target. A small crate changed into a lumpy sack. Carefully he studied the deck. There wasn't much by way of clutter up top, so the pickings were slim. He settled on a large barrel and snapped.

The barrel expanded and darkened into a misshapen boulder. Now came the hard part. Rainbow took a deep breath and slowly began to rotate the bolder. Illusions were easier when you just placed them upon things. Managing multiple illusions was more difficult than one. Controlling one without effecting the rest was his newest challenge. He wasn't very good at manipulating them. Not very good at all. So focused on his work was he that Rainbow didn't hear Caleb approaching from behind. Not until his thoughts were interrupted by a loud yell.

"Rainbow, look out!" Caleb's sword sailed through the air. It connected against the mast with a solid thud. The snake illusion broke as their bodies were severed in half.

"What are you doing!?" Rainbow shrieked, his eyes on the ruined mess of ropes. "Those were what controlled our sails!"

As if to punctuate this point the freshly freed yardarm dropped upon the deck crashing through timber and railing alike. The crewmembers ducked, the elder of the two cursing like a true sailor as the aft mainsail and jib flapped free, twisting, and tumbling about on the playful ocean breeze. Attached only at the stern and bowsprit the twin triangular sails fell across the sloop like a white shroud, trailing behind Edward’s steady current, resembling the bedraggled wings of an exhausted waterfowl. The aforementioned hippocampus paused in his efforts having felt the added drag he rose from the ocean, an expression of confusion upon his aquatic features.

“Why did your ship suddenly become so heavy? Oh my…” Caleb’s arm and aim were true, that at least could not be said against him. The intricate web of ropes, whose functions and usage were so painstakingly taught to him by Rainbow through his own limited knowledge of sailing were severed at their source. The collapsed rig made for such a depressing sight it was all Caleb could do to repress tears of shame and guilt that threatened to flood his eyes.

“I-I thought there were snakes, dozens of them slithering down the mast towards you.” Caleb said in his own defense.

“In the middle of the ocean?” Rainbow asked, incredulous. “I was clearly practicing illusions; did you not see all the other impossibilities going on? You did not think Caleb, you acted in truly rash fashion and now we have many hours of work ahead of us to try and repair our sails, or at least one. Hopefully, the dwarfs knew to store enough spare rope in the hold.”

Bristling at the notion he was solely to blame for this disaster Caleb pointed an accusatory finger towards the self-titled captain. “I acted poorly! What about yourself Rainbow? You could have warned me you were turning all our vital ropes into venomous serpents. A little heads up might have been nice!”

“While I appreciate the compliment to my illusion handiwork, I am still not the unobservant fool who threw a sword at our mast.” Rainbow ground out; his jaw clenched as he was convinced of his own innocence on the matter. “If I wanted a mess of everything, I’ll call. Otherwise ask before you ruin our ship next time why don’t you?”

“Well maybe next time, when it’s for real.” Caleb choked back sobs, unable to control himself as his wittier opponent thrashed him in their duel of tongues. “I’ll just let the snakes bite you while I wait for permission to wipe my nose!” He turned and stomped towards their shared cabin, Rainbow’s scathing words following his retreat.

“Where are you going? We have your mess to clean up.”

I wouldn’t want to break it more!” Caleb cried before slamming the door behind him.

Rainbow grumbled and paced, kicking at the collapsed yardarm. Edward, who had watched the entire event in a mixture of confused reservation bent down, nuzzling at the trailing sails, trying to push the fallen water-soaked cloth back onto the ship’s deck using his long elegant snout.

“I don’t understand why humans can be so unreasonable, “Rainbow complained to the only creature left to listen to his tirade. “If you make a mistake, just own up to it. This is not the first time he’s gone into one of these moods either. He should know better.”

“I thought it was a bit mean.” Edward supplied, finally succeeding in forcing the dripping jib aboard, and starting work on the mainsail. “He was just trying to save you, or at least he thought he was.”

“Yeah, sure, it doesn’t change the fact that it was a stupid thing to do. What do you know anyway, you’re six years old.”

“Uh, seven.” Edward huffed, before vanishing below the rolling waves leaving Rainbow alone amongst the tattered ropes and waterlogged sails. He sighed, prying Caleb’s sword from the mast, leaving a sizable gouge in the hardy pinewood. A few stray strands of rope clung to the honed edge and brushed them off with his thumb. It looked like it was going to be a long day of hard work, or a long conversation with Caleb. Neither sounded very appealing at the moment.

From the story “The Early Bird Gets the Town” in the May 1st, 1678 edition of The Eagletown Enquirer, written by Ralph Ardia. Article saved by a nine-year old Caleb Crowsnest back home at the Red Twig Orphanage.

-----

Today I’d like to take a moment to reflect on our town’s history. It’s hard to believe that I was six years old when I first arrived at Eagletown; it feels like this has been my home my entire life. But 40 years ago to this day, a group of intrepid settlers joined the Elder Eagle in founding our fair village.

The creation of Eagletown was truly an instance of making the best out of a bad situation. Prince Hector had died a year ago saving our people from the gnolls. Since he had no wife or children, he left all of his wealth to his companion, Eldridge, who we of course know as the Elder Eagle today. Your author does not have precise numbers, but what I do know is that the late Prince had been quite frugal, so the Elder Eagle had gained a great deal of gold.

He could have chosen to live the rest of his life in eagle luxury, but Eldridge was not that kind of bird. He saw that the windy mountain path that our merchants and travelers in the Southern Shore had to take to get to Northgate was long and perilous; if avalanches didn’t get them, the mountain giants could. So with the help of the best tradesmen and engineers he could find, the Elder Eagle decided to build a new road to help his fellow men. Dedicated to his friend, the Prince Hector Passage cut down the time it took to get goods to market by more than half and provided more safety to the travelers than they ever had before. And in the middle of the Passage, the eagle founded a town.

This new town would serve the travelers, providing a place to rest before they resumed their journeys. It was not just a pit stop either; the Elder Eagle encouraged new businesses to set up in his village so it would grow. As for the name of this new place, Eldridge wanted to name it Hectorville after his friend, but he was outvoted by every other resident, and our home is called Eagletown to this day.

Of course, our small town has grown as time went on, from 20 or so people at first to about 3,000 today. From the Red Twig Orphanage that my mom has ran for so long to our local training camp for the King’s Knights, this town is filled with great people who are like family to me. And I’m confident that in another 40 years, I’ll be able to say that again.

His sword felt heavy again.

Caleb hid beneath the deck for what felt like hours. This seemed to be the case judging by the twilight that fell across the water outside. He might've believed that, too, if it weren't for the fear that it might've been another one of Rainbow's illusionary tricks. Maybe it was unlikely for snakes to attack them in the Big Ocean, but the boy only did what he thought was right. It wasn't his fault that the captain couldn't see that. At least Edward defended him from the sounds of it. Caleb would have to thank him sometime later for that.

A window was cracked open below at some point though the salty air only served to perpetuate Caleb's anxiety further. It felt as if there was lead in his stomach and it wasn't going to disappear anytime soon. All he could do was sit and wait for it calm down. There were attempts to converse with Caleb on Edward's behalf though those were entirely ignored. The hippocampus eventually stopped trying after an hour or two only to return to his song. The black-haired boy remained quiet with his back against the wall and his arms wrapped around his knees as he listened to the lyrics. A part of him was annoyed by the song and a part of him found some comfort in it too. Part of him also wanted to throw Rainbow overboard though that was neither knightly nor would it solve anything. Still. He was angry at the mistreatment and embarrassment by someone that he previously thought of as a friend. Especially one that he had rescued from a murderous island.

A newspaper clipping was tucked away after what Caleb presumed was the sun dipping beneath the Big Ocean. He had watched the water devour sunlight various times though it felt uncomfortable today for some reason. He couldn't remember seeing it set either. Maybe he had fallen asleep during it. That described the hint of a haze in his mind anyway. If he did fall asleep, then there was no nightmares that he could recall. He considered that a minor victory in his mind. "Caleb? I've fixed our sails. We should be all set to go."

Good for you.

Sarcasm was bit back as footsteps gave away to another figure somewhere in the darkness below. Rainbow was accompanied by the silhouette of a creature with a wagging tail. It hadn't started shouting about tales involving the Elder Eagle or Prince Hector, so that must have been Ribbon instead of Edward. "I know that you're upset at me, but I was just trying to teach you a lesson. You can come back up now. Edward says that it should be a clear night and good for stargazing if you're interested."

Silence.

"Well. . I'll be outside if you change your mind."

Rainbow lingered in the doorway a little longer before he retreated completely. Ribbon remained inside and helped herself to Caleb's bed. Caleb didn't mind very much. Ribbon was largely unobtrusive, and it was hard to dislike the dog. Currently she had chosen to curl herself up into a little ball in the center of his bed. It was a very obvious ploy to earn herself the entirety of the bed, and he suspected she would be successful in this endeavor in very little time. She was already pressed firmly against his spine.

Caleb thought that he might stay here forever. The safety of his bed and the warmth of Ribbon were convincing arguments for never getting up. The soft rock of the ocean, and the murmur of water against the hull a soothing lullaby. He closed his eyes again. Unfortunately his stomach had other ideas. The low ruble in the pit of his stomach indicated he would have little peace if he tried to sleep now. He'd missed at least one meal, more likely two. But could he venture out without running into Rainbow?

Reluctantly the boy sat up and swung his feet over the edge of the bed. Ribbon "wuff"ed at him, but allowed him to venture off on his own. He was disappointed to find the kitchen as unfriendly as before. Though there was food, Caleb wasn't comfortable cooking anything for himself. He wasn't about to ask Rainbow to help him make anything, so he settled for fetching one of Edward's apples. He had crunched through three bites before Ribbon was by his side.

"No, you can't have apple."

Ribbon stared up at him with large, hopeful eyes.

"I mean it, girl. No apple."

Ribbon shoved her nose into his hip and wagged her tail. Her soft eyes pleaded with him as she whined quietly beside him.

Caleb groaned. "Fine." He pulled his small knife from his pocket and carefully cut her a small chunk of apple. He tossed it towards the floor and the dog scrambled after her treat, her tail flying eagerly. Caleb felt a smile beginning to crest. Content with her reward, Ribbon started for the deck, tail wagging like a joyful banner. The young boy allowed himself to trail after her. Perhaps it was time for him to allow Rainbow to apologize. He didn't have to accept it yet, but he was at least willing to listen to the words.

Caleb stepped into the cool evening. The ocean greeted him by caressing his tear stained cheeks with a friendly breeze. The air tasted saltier outside than in, and the sky glittered as if to reward him for making a step back towards friendship. He wasn't ready to address Rainbow first so instead he turned his attention to their youngest member.

"Edward." He knew more than one set of eyes were turned his way. "I have another story for you."

Edward instantly perked up. "You do? Is this one about Prince Hector and the Eegull too?"

"No, this one's much older." Caleb settled himself on the deck and turned his face up to the familiar sky. His eyes roamed the speckles of light in search of the familiar glow. "There." He pointed up and away, back the way they had come. "Do you see those stars? They form the great sea bird. His name is Sycamore. His beak points north, so that no one shall ever be lost." As he spoke, Cable's finger traced the outline of the bird so that Edward could see it more clearly. The young hippocampus settled into his companion's side, eager for his story.

"Sycamore once traveled the entire world, helping sailors and travelers navigate safely on their journeys. One day he found the great traveler, Kayden, attempting to cross a very dangerous part of the ocean. There were serpents and giant monsters setting traps and attacks to try and stop the great traveler. Sycamore flew high above the waters and guided Kayden's ship safely past every danger.

"The monsters were very angry at Sycamore, and decided they were going to remove his eyes, so he could help no other travelers evade their hunger. The largest serpent went to Aranea to weave a net that would trap Sycamore. Aranea agreed, on the condition that she be given Sycamore's eyes. The serpent saw no reason to deny her, so he agreed. Aranea spent three days and three nights working on the finest net anyone had ever seen. At the end of the third night, the serpent took the net and captured Sycamore."

Edward interrupted, unable to contain his excitement. "Poor Sycamore! How did he not see the net?"

"Aranea is the best weaver in all the world! Her net was so fine, not even Sycamore could see it. She is up in the sky too, I will tell you more about her later. Let me finish one story before we begin a new one."

Edward nodded eagerly. "I'm sorry! You have so many amazing stories!"

Caleb was pleased with the praise and settled back into his story without any fuss. "The serpent took Sycamore's eyes, and ran away, leaving him trapped in the net. Confused and scared, Sycamore freed himself only enough to fly up to the heavens to hide, dragging the net with him. However, the serpent went back on his agreement with Aranea, and decided to keep Sycamore's eyes for himself. Aranea was very displeased with this, and so she spent five days and five nights weaving a net strong enough and fine enough to capture the serpent. That night she took all four of his legs as well as Sycamore's eyes. Thus she became Aranea the Eight Legged, and doomed serpents to slither on their stomachs for all of eternity."

"Kayden heard about Sycamore's plight, and so set about finding a new eye as a thank you for having once guided the traveler across the dangerous ocean. Kayden felt guilty about the situation, you see. The great traveler was able to find several piece of beautiful sea glass, smoothed and rounded until they reflected the world in perfect clarity. So Kayden threw these glass orbs up to Sycamore in the sky."

Caleb sat back and pointed at an especially bright star. "That's one, right there. It's called a traveling star. There are several of them, they're all brighter than the rest of the stars, and they drift across the sky. Sometimes one lines up with Sycamore's eyes, can you see how it is beside his head? It will soon be lined up perfectly. It is said that when a traveling star is lined up with Sycamore's eye, people have the ability to see with extra clarity. I'm hoping that the traveling star will line up just in time so that this skeleton doctor will have no problems seeing what will cure my town."

Minutes passed, and hours faded away as the moon slowly rose and dipped in the evening sky. Eagle’s Deliverance guided by Edward’s steady fins kept a sure course. Meanwhile the young friends conversed well into the night. Caleb asking for answers and stories about life beneath the ocean, and Edward piling on his own inquiries regarding the land, each marveling at the mysterious wonders that lay outside their respective reach. Words droned into obscurity for Caleb, and as the stars slowly faded away, he felt more and more challenged to keep his eyelids from drooping. The child yawned larger and larger until at last he resisted no more and dozed against the rail, giving into the urge to pass unto peaceful slumber. Warm sea air, nor gentle rocking of the ship disturbed him, and Caleb dreamt of grass and trees and earth of his distant homeland, far, far beyond the horizon. He could not say how long he slept, it could not have been exceptionally long however as the sky was still black of a late evening, or an exceedingly early morning. Caleb stirred, uncertain as to what woke him. Nothing seemed out of place on deck. Rainbow was most likely below, sleeping. Flower roosted nearby head tucked under her wing, and Ribbon was nowhere to be seen.

“Edward?” He asked, rubbing at his eyes, and forcing back an overwhelming yawn. No answer was offered by the hippocampus, or by anyone for that matter. Deciding whatever it was did not require his attention Caleb reclined against a coil of comfortable rope and prepared to return to his dreams of home.

THUNK

This time it could not be denied. Something powerful impacted their keel, sending shivers down the sloop’s wooden spine. Caleb sat up straight, all tiredness leaving his body in a sudden surge of adrenaline. Standing the boy leaned out over the darkened waters, scanning for any sign of his friend. Edward was gone, or at least deep enough to be out of sight. That was unusual, Caleb frowned, the young sea beast always kept close by, guiding their vessel true. If he was not there, they were sailing randomly wherever the water bid. The sea remained calm under his sharp gaze, Caleb sprinted to the port railing, scanning those waters as well. “Edward?” He called again, this time louder and with a hint of urgency. No response from the hippocampus curtailed his concerns. Perhaps Edward had gone to the ocean floor to find something to eat, or maybe he was resting. The waves seemed calm, perhaps they would not be blown to far off course. Besides, the hippocampus surely knew the ocean better than Caleb. He would be back in no time, the boy reassured himself, forcing his body to relax. And whatever hit their ship? A large piece of driftwood most likely, and nothing to worry over?

A sudden burst of power rocked the ship from bow to stern sending the proud prow high out of the water and crashing back down with a tremendous force. It was all Caleb could do to clench tight to the port railing and keep himself from being thrown overboard. A surge of water crashed down around him, soaking the boy to the bone as he released a terrified cry. Flower, startled from her sleep rocketed off the mast spar, squawking at this injustice. Then, before Caleb could catch his breath, he heard the scream. A young voice, crying out in pain and terror, alien, and yet all too familiar to Caleb.

“EDWARD!” Caleb screeched as the ship rocked again. He clung tight; his arms wrapped around the railing in a death grip, desperate to maintain purchase as the ocean roiled angrily beneath the sloop. “Edward, where are you?” The ocean frothed as if some massive storm raged just beneath the surface. Edward’s forlorn cries echoed out from the dark depths where Caleb’s eyes could not penetrate, and he knew something terrible was happening. But Edward was a giant, spanning nearly the length of the Sloop and undeniably powerful even in his youth. He dragged the ship through a storm for crying out loud! What could possibly cause him to yell out in such horror. Caleb thought he saw a sheen of blood in the water and his heart jumped to his throat. “Edward, no.” He croaked; his voice having gone hoarse from his own cries.

“Caleb, hang on. Do not let go of that railing.” Rainbow appeared, outlined in the shadows of the cabin door, clinging to the frame to keep balance. “What’s going on, whose screaming?”

The impossible sound ceased, as if in answer to Rainbow’s inquiry and the waters stilled. Eagle’s Deliverance rested uneasily on a freshly calmed surface, but Caleb did not reduce his grip, lest the turmoil resume. Not once did the boy stop searching the waves, his hands shaking as tears ran freely down his cheeks. All he could think about was that terrible shriek, and the way it so suddenly concluded. A flash beneath the surface caught his eye, and he leaned out, unable to believe his eyes.

A shape, an enormous monster three times Edward’s size resided below. An eerie bioluminescent spine glowing a victorious evil green, illuminating its pale scales, four massive flippers, powerful amphibian tail, and long wicked jaws within which was trapped the writhing form-

“Caleb no!”

The boy did not heed Rainbow’s cry. His sword set between his teeth Caleb plunged into the icy brine, forcing his eyes to remain open against the agonizing sting of salt and blood. The aquatic monster did not even heed the tiny, insignificant being who now swam ten meters from it. So intent on the prey, ensnared by her foot long teeth. She shook her head this way and that, trying to break the spine of the stubborn hippocampus who fought bitterly for his very life, a rare treat to bring back to her brood…

The pliosaur did not care about the boy swimming up to her; this much was apparent to Caleb, so he decided to use the opportunity to free his friend. Swimming up to the beast, the swordsman waited for the opportune moment and stabbed the sea creature in its left eye with his sword. The beast roared in pain, releasing its prey as it writhed in agony. It then swatted Caleb, who was far too close to the pliosaur to dodge, knocking him away and disorientating the boy.

Thankfully, Edward was still alert, and he saw his friend was in danger. In an instant, the hippocampus transformed form a half fish into a full fish and swam towards Caleb to try and bring them both to the surface. The sea creature was not giving up on its prize that easily though; with its one good eye, she found Edward and the boy who had stolen her meal, and glared at them with a primal rage.

She was about to charge straight at them, but suddenly her anger changed to fear, and the pliosaur swam away in a rush. Edward was also scared; what had replaced the sea creature was something far more fearsome. The massive sea serpent had been looking right at the beast with those purple eyes...wait, purple eyes?

In an instant, Caleb knew that this was Rainbow’s work and that they were safe. In fact, he had saved their lives. For the second time, in the boy’s case. He nudged to Edward and pointed up. The fish dutifully obeyed, bringing them both up and out of the ocean. Edward gracefully lunged toward the back of the boat, transforming into a full horse and landing them both on the deck with no trouble at all. Once they rose to the surface, Caleb gasped for fresh air. Edward may have been fine underwater, but Caleb was not.

“Are you two alright?” Rainbow asked as he heard Caleb gasp for fresh air. Edward may have been fine breathing underwater, but the boy was not.

“Yeah, we’re good,” Edward answered cheerfully. Even after surviving a near death-experience and bleeding all over, the hippocampus was still the same optimist as always. As he said this, Ribbon brought the group a first aid kit. Flower had even grabbed some bandages and dropped them next to Rainbow.

Looking over the young horse skeptically, Ribbon said “well, at least let me dress up those wounds.” He grabbed some bandages and got to work. “Oh, and uh, good work, Caleb” he added.

“Thanks. And...thanks for saving us” Caleb responded.

“No problem. Sorry I overreacted with the ropes,” Rainbow conceded, “I was trying to teach you a lesson, but sometimes you need to react quickly. If you didn’t jump in just now, Edward would probably be dead, so...thanks for being alert.”

“Thanks Rainbow, apology accepted” Caleb said, and he meant it. The boy knew that Rainbow didn’t have any malicious intent and wouldn’t have saved them if he did.

“You two should rest more,” Rainbow told them, “I’ll take care of any work we have for now. We still have a doctor to find, after all.”

-----

A few days had passed. Edward had healed up nicely and the crew of five had made steady progress towards their destination. They had bonded, shared stories, and were now listening to Rainbow tell them about Thorn City.

“...from what the Captain told me, it’s supposed to be a magnificent, bustling place. The city-state is apparently the center of trade for the continent and people of all races live there. And there are tons of parks and nature is everywhere. The center of government is apparently a huge oak tree whose roots span across the entire city.”

“Wow! That sounds cool!” Edward squealed, “I bet the views from there are great!”

“Yeah, but apparently it’s also defensive,” Rainbow said, “if they’re invaded, the roots can rise up to be used as weapons. I hear the buildings all have ivy or potted plants on them for similar reasons.”

Caleb admitted that this place sounded nice. But he did have to wonder “so if you’ve never been there, how will we know where to go?”

“Easy, kid. I have Sara’s address,” Rainbow stated as if it was obvious, “so we can find her first. After we return Ribbon, then we can ask her where to find Roger.”

The boy petted Ribbon as he listened to Rainbow. Caleb admitted to himself that it would be bittersweet when the dog was returned to the Captain’s wife; she deserved to go home, but he would also miss her.

Rainbow was about to continue, but he noticed something in the corner of his eye. He took his spyglass to examine it and saw what looked like a very large oak tree in the distance.

"Who is Sara?"

"That's the wife of Ribbon's old owner." Edward was partially and purposely kept in the dark about their escapades on the Dwarven island. Caleb mentioned it in passing or recalled how the duo valiantly fought for their lives in the past. The hippocampus, as to be expected, was always enthralled by their tales of adventure. Both had, however, decided to keep details regarding the massacre to themselves. "It'll be sad to see her go, but at least we'll still have Flower with us."

"Land ahead."

"Wha--" Caleb barely had time to question before a spyglass was shoved into his hands. Tensions with Rainbow had smoothed over in the past few days. For the most part, the two had returned to their friendship from before the argument. Caleb was grateful to have been saved and Rainbow had shown some sign of remorse for going off on him. The black-haired boy eventually realized that he would prefer to have his smaller friend on his team than against him anyway. How else would they have made it to land if not for their pseudo-captain? "I see it, I see it!"

"What do you see?" Edward's voice came from somewhere beneath the boat's deck. He had recovered surprisingly well from his injuries which had mostly subsided by now. The hippocampus was trotting next to The Eagle's Deliverance at a comfortable pace once more. Caleb hadn't realized how much he missed his friend's comfort song in the days without. "I wanna see, I wanna see!"

"You will." Rainbow had his hands on the rudder by now. A sharp turn was to follow. "Just hang tight."


It wasn't long before The Eagle's Deliverance and its crew were docking on the outskirts of what appeared to be a forest. Large oak trees were complimented by vivid greens, pinks, purples, and even a hint of white was thrown in as well. Flowers went as far as the eye could see. Caleb was a little too distracted by the scenery to actually care about the map that hovered only a few inches away from his face. "Erm. . Let's see. It looks like we might have landed. . That doesn't seem quite right either. Maybe here? Or, wait. . No, no! Maybe we landed here?"

Edward was standing directly next to the ship as he looked at the island in front of them. "This place is pretty!"

"It sure is." Rainbow and Ribbon were the only crew members that had taken their first steps onto the island. The short goblin-like man was focused on securing the boat while Ribbon sat next to him with a thumping tail. The former had brought his supplies for their journey in the process and seemed intent on leaving the boat as quickly as possible. Fine with Caleb. He was feeling a bit tired of the Big Ocean, as comforting as it was, and he still felt sinful while standing aboard the boat that they had stolen. "I just hope it's safe."

"It isn't. Yoink." An unfamiliar voice came from somewhere above Rainbow's head. The short green creature had barely a moment to blink before a scaly hand reached for the pearl that sat atop his belongings. Eldridge's gift was raised into the air before long. This was courtesy of a mysterious lizard woman that was dangling upside down thanks to what could only be an extremely muscular tail. "Thanks for the gift, friend!"

"H-Hey!" A map was carelessly against the deck and Caleb was rushing for the rails before long. Panic fell over his suntanned features as the cloaked lizard woman disappeared into the tree's leaves once more. The young boy was already reaching for his sword before he could even reach the railing. "You. . You give that back! Thief!"

Quickly shaking off his initial surprise, Rainbow jumped to his feet, fingers at the rea--What IN- -???

He stumbled, taken aback anew by the intrusion of Ribbon sliding her fuzzy pelt between his legs and lifting him up, over the railing, and bolting down with a gleeful "AHR-OOF!!!" into the flowery earth and maze-like thicket beyond. "N-NHO--!!!" Without any chance to concentrate, it was all he could do to hold onto the all-too-eager huntress as she tore through a dizzying array of sickly fragrant flowerbushes and unnervingly low, clawing branches. Screeched cries could be made out behind them even with the constant torrent of greenery whipping past all around them - Flower too, had joined the chase.

"Hop on!", Edward yelled in his equine form, hunching enough to give Caleb a leg up. Everything was flying by so quickly now, and if they weren't fast then he was sure they'd end up losing the others - not to mention the pearl! Caleb looked tentatively bewildered for just a moment more, but then, seeing the seriousness in his companion's eyes, he nodded and did as he was told. Barely even grasping the mane firmly enough, a sudden ripple of force flashed through him as the pair volted the railing and galloped away into the blind rush.

"S-STO-P - RIB-BON STO-P ! ! !", Ribbon heard her compatriot scream - even then, against the pounding of her heart in her ears, and the frenetic rustling of bushes below and the canopy above, it registered as little more than a whisper. She was Home, HOME, after so long, and the thrill of the chase was just like she remembered it. The distinct, guiding scents of particular flowers, acting as the city's "roads" for its citizens, wove an articulate path through the thickets for the old mutt, while it could only seem like pure madness to her rider. Even with the strain she was starting to feel from the pursuit, she felt so...Light; like the soft coastal air blowing through the trees, like the fluttering leaves that drifted loose wherever her quarry rustled through the treetops. She just felt so . . . Free!

...

...Rainbow spit the clumped and leaf-scattered dirt out of his mouth, wheezing from his fall. Ribbon echoed up ahead in the distance, but he didn't feel like he had the strength to try calling for her, let alone the confidence that she'd actually heed him after that display. A twinge of regret stung at his heart, and for a moment he thought he'd actually cry at what sure was feeling like a little betrayal for all the effort he'd put into taking care of that beast...his friend, really; but the situation came first, Rainbow, there would be time to worry and fret later...yes, yes now was the time to act, not whimper...

"What're you sniffling about--", came the sound of a voice that would've made a very good candidate for the role of his subconscious, "--Looks like Liz licked ya good, but I'd wager you're far from being in the worst state she could leave ya in! No skin on the youth these days...I tell ya." At this a sharp prod of a walking-stick reemed Rainbow's ribcage, and he made a half-hearted attempt to swat it away as he rose, staggeringly, to his feet. A snapping retort was just itching to let fly off the tip of his tongue - but he stopped, thinking over those last few words...and instead considered a different plan.

"...So you know Liz, hm - friend of yours?", Rainbow rubbed his bruised side as both a healing agent, and as a subtle means to protect it from any further abuse.

"FRIEND!!? HAHAAAAA!!!" The short, blind, hunched, raggedly-clad and bandana-plus-walking-stick-sporting gnome made the fuzzy green traveller jolt at the sound - it seemed to ring out through the forest with all the fervor of a town bell! "--FRIEND?!? Lad, you won't go making friends long here if you consider ANYONE a friend of that scaly-toed fiend!"

Rainbow grit his teeth: Patience was the path to Possibility...let's give that one. more. try.

"...But you Do Kn--"

"--Of Course I Know Her!", the gnome replied sharply, ramming the stick into the squeamish stranger's belly. "Everyone on the North Face knows Liz "The Leech" Lackadaisical - tsk, and her parents had such high hopes for her. Could've had it all, a life of pure comfort and luxury, nothing to do all day but recline on petal-pillows and dismiss servants; but the A r r o g a n c e of some people!" He shook his head and grimaced, retracting the cane back out of reach before the newcomer could take the chance to relieve him of it.

Rainbow gasped in pain, his teeth clenching so tightly that he could've sworn they were cracking. Yet again, he flared up, and yet once more logic sought to tame him: He was lost, new, unarmed, and at the mercy of this decrepit old fool.

...A fool with some information, no less.

...He sighed angrily...he could already think of worse occasions - now was the time to think, beating the cripple to death with his cane could come later.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

He could...barely...see! The constant onslaught of passing leaves, flowers, stray branches and overgrown undergrowth spun a disorienting carnival of mental noise around the black-haired boy. In desperation he clung tightly to his friend's mane, hoping each next jolt or swerve or passing claw of a branch wouldn't send him flying off in some unknown direction. He didn't have any idea how Edward was even navigating, much less traversing, this ancient and unrefined mess of a maze.

Edward ducked another low-hanging branch at full speed, his timing impeccable for his first time in a long time moving about on dry land, much less under...ah, what was the word again?

"--What Do You Call These Things Again??", Edward yelled over his shoulder amidst the constant hurricane of leaves and shrubs. He could hear the sound of more birds than just Flower screeching and squawking at what must've sounded to them like an audible stampede. "WHAT??", Caleb screamed back, head tucked down and ears barely registering the question. "WHAT DO YOU CALL THESE THINGS AGAIN??"

...

...Caleb had to think hard about that one...

"...TREES, LEAVES??"

"THANK YOU!", the boy heard the hippocampus respond, leaving him in complete confusion.

--...much less under trees, leaves-cover. It was certainly easier - everything up here felt so...Free! He could swear he'd had that feeling at least once before. But anyway, it was SO much easier to move up here than it was back home - there wasn't nearly the same resistance, except for maybe when you were trying to swim upward on land...then it was about the same, really.

Caleb, meanwhile, couldn't take much more of this - or maybe he would've been able to if he could actually *understand* what was going on around him, but this was...he couldn't even...finish a..-- THOUGHT!

"CAN YOU SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING??"

"HUH?", Edward replied dumbfoundedly. Truth be told, he'd only been paying attention to where Flower was going - he trusted the bird's judgement, and certainly its sight, but...

"...WELL...UH...NO?"

". . ."

"...YOU ALRIGHT BACK THERE?"

" . . . N O !!!"

That last response hadn't sounded good at all - Caleb had felt genuinely pained to the hippocampus. Immediately, his mind raced for ideas to calm his friend - not exactly an easy task when every other second whipped a bit of brush in your face. Still...still...yeah, Yeah that might work!

Hopping over another crestfallen husk of a "tree, leaves", the equine child planted all four hooves in front of himself and slid, rather gracefully too, to a full stop in the middle of a small clearing...or at least as much of one as this forest could offer. Caleb was Not okay, that much he could tell just by listening to the sound of his heavy breathing; and having a quick look behind him lay on an even more pitiable sight: the boy's hair was matted with sweat, his face and clothes scratched and torn, his exposed ear being especially badly carved up.

...He was only Human, after all...and Edward immediately felt guilty about not having paid closer attention to him.

Flower circled around, perching on a nearby branch and entering a raving squawking fit, presumably in response to the ever-growing distance between the party. But Edward just stood and shook his head: "Not now, Flower, Caleb can't go right now." The bird may not have understood the words, but either due to weariness itself, or a general sense of empathy for intonation, it did at least quiet down a little.

...This place stunk, now that boy-hippocampus thought about it; not just in the way that the rest of the forest seemed to reek of a suffocating odor both airily sweet and intensely earthen, but...genuinely, foul. Wherever they'd ended up, it smelled like something had died right around here.

"...Where even is Here...", he wondered aloud in a bewildered amazement at the colorful blossoms surrounding them.

"Nowhere Good.", came the sound of a deep, powerful voice from just off to his side. His lateral vision immediately tracked it to a particularly large clump of bushes spreading themselves apart. Then suddenly, a large, elongated snout with two incredible lengths of snapping teeth emerged from within - leading along a yellow-eyed, green-skinned, scaled and incredibly powerful figure. The beast then emerged completely, revealing his full height - he was almost as tall as one of these smaller trees, leaves...and a lonnnnng, powerful tail swayed along the ground behind him like a serpent. The alligatorman re-adjusted his...were those...eel-skin pants? He shifted them up a bit further for the sake of modesty, perhaps a little unexpecting of anyone passing through the area of his respite, and the look on his face suddenly made Edward wonder where that smell had been coming from.

"I am Byures, but most of my friends know me by "Hunter" - and I think you'd be wise to want to be considered among that grouping right now."

Edward turned himself toward the beast of a man fully, shielding his ragged friend from what had sounded an awful lot like a serious threat. "...And that'd be because...?"

"Simple.", the alligatorman replied, stretching his muscles and taking a few imposing steps forward before stopping again. "I'm the Yeoman of The Guard, and you're walking along Smuggler territory."

Edward had no idea what he was talking about, but it sounded serious. "...Oh.", he replied dumbly, not sure what to say next.

"...Well, could I be your friend?"