The writhing thing that emerged from the deep that night was foreign to the pirates aboard the Chickadee. How could it be anything but that? How can one reconcile something so terrifically vast, where the swirling stormclouds in the strata above brazenly vacating its hulking silhouette? Amidst the chaos of wind and water, the creature emanated nothing but silence. How does one understand this? A silent pulse crashed into the ship and in a moment, Ren and the others could hear nothing but the…

You were so naive back then, Ren. Letting Dorian write the letter to Carson like that? Placing your voice into another person - how uncouth! No wonder why you had gotten yourself into so much trouble. You hadn’t found yourself, yet. Even so, you were looking so intently for me, in that time, which I suppose to be a commendable thing with the mental juggling necessary to distinguish friend, foe, freight, fight, fear, or flight. I sometimes wonder how your shoes and skin would have fit me if I…

The splash of seafoam cut through the sailors aboard the Chickadee on that cold, black night. She was traveling southward to the Spire - the diviners from the Aecha Ostai had neglected to warn about the tempest in their path that had brewed in the Windwatcher’s Passage. They were carrying some dry goods and, more importantly, collecting a shipment of artifacts rumoured to retain a trace of woven magic untouched by the Sundering, but of course that was hearsay and the beginning of a thousand…

Some houses are stacked on a sounder foundation than others. I had a few growing up, shared with thieves, vandals, and vermin. The vermin made for good fun - though now that I consider it, the thieves and vandals made for good fun too. My houses were stacked on top of my mum. Mum has a good head on her shoulders but she was given a bad hand and no foundation to stand on. She had to make her own way and then help me make mine. I hope that Shoreline has a sound foundation.

The Pangol family…

The only destiny that matters is the one you make. Kangar’s mantra would be thrown around throughout the drydocks in Volos – the Rilador refusing to think of any other way of life. The clothed folk of Gulnur despised this, sticking to their rigid scriptures instead. There is one true Path. The road less traveled is the one worth taking. All dogmatic nonsense. Tithes and other offered gains kept them in line, but everyone knew what they really thought of the ships flying the flag of the blood…

There was a moment after the fight where time stood still. Blood stopped dripping from the wounds that my opponent opened on me. My party stopped chatting and rummaging through the battlefield. There was no more breeze. Before me was a massive, powerful creature, whose life I had just snuffed out. Moments ago we were playing – as deadly a game as it gets – without a fear in the world. That moment was now gone.

Some other memories filled this empty space – memories about another group of…

When do I feel alive? It’s not here at night, waiting for everyone to wake up. They’re all in their bedrolls dreaming, but there’s a big sky above that has endless possibilities. I feel life earlier in the day when Bird Girl brought everyone to us. They had strange looks when they heard us passing the time. The tune went a bit like this.

“We’re on the ship that never ends

Sailing upon all waves and bends

Some sailors started spotting it not knowing what it was

But ghosts continue sailing it…

I think you’d be proud of me if you were still around. I don’t know that for sure. Maybe someday I will. I don’t want to think much about the ways that could happen.

Malkara is a port town and I’m starting to cause some trouble. Haven’t seen many Rilador around the area, so it might be okay. It’d be wonderful if they had my back – you know why they don’t, though. Lots of Tong though, and I’ve got into a proper sort of mess. Sure hope that some fists start to fly.

My friend Narcell’us is in…

Family is where your heart is. It's exactly like a crew. It's exactly like a home too. The nice thing about my heart is that it's pretty big, and I've left parts of it in many places. Some of them are still floating - others have sunk. But I still have a lot to give.

Narcell'us is in some serious trouble. That's what she said last night before we retired to the library, and I rightly believe her. With Ildan drunk and stealing our precious effects, who knows where her family treasures have…