This is a first for a reception room, Ketal thought, glancing around the sparsely furnished space. Every other waiting area he’d visited on his travels had been impeccably clean and often luxurious. However, this place merely served the basic function of having chairs and a table. Given that it was part of a pirate hideout, expecting refinement was perhaps too much. Still, even this crude setup was a novel experience for Ketal, and he grinned broadly, clearly amused by the rough atmosphere. Yet, he seemed to be the only one enjoying the current situation. Aquaz sat beside him in silence, her expression unreadable. Baker wore a look that plainly asked what twist of fate had led him to be sitting in a pirate captain’s grungy office. And Captain Valkran himself looked completely bewildered, unable to grasp the strange circumstances. W-what in the blazes is going on? the captain wondered frantically, sweat beading on his brow. He had mentally braced himself for the possibility of the fearsome inquisitor showing up eventually, but he had no idea why there was a massive barbarian sitting confidently beside her. And he also didn’t know who the other nervous-looking man was with them. He couldn't make heads or tails of it. As if sensing the captain's swirling confusion, Ketal spoke up, his voice calm and cheerful. "Right, perhaps we should start with proper introductions." Ketal smiled pleasantly, a disarming expression that nonetheless caused the captain to flinch involuntarily, a primal fear stirring deep within him at the barbarian’s unnerving presence. "I am Ketal, a barbarian," Ketal introduced himself simply. "This," he gestured to Aquaz, "is Aquaz, an inquisitor of the Sun God. And this," he indicated Baker, "is Baker, a mage hailing from the Mage Tower. It's a pleasure to meet you." The captain's eyes widened dramatically at the mention of the Mage Tower. Mages from the legendary Tower were highly respected, almost revered figures in any kingdom, often treated with deference usually reserved for high nobility. An inquisitor of the Sun God and a Mage Tower mage traveling together already formed an incredibly imposing party. And this barbarian, this Ketal, spoke with the casual authority of someone leading them. What kind of bizarre, overpowered group is this? How did such a party even come to exist? The captain couldn't fathom it. ...No, focus, Valkran! The captain forcibly pushed aside his mounting confusion, trying to regain control. Forcing a semblance of calm he didn't feel, he replied, puffing his chest out slightly, "I am Valkran, Captain of the Valkran Pirates. Welcome to our territory." "Oh?" Ketal murmured, tilting his head with slight, genuine impressiveness. Valkran projected an air of confident authority, the typical swagger of a pirate captain, though Ketal could easily sense the fear churning beneath the bravado. Valkran forced his suddenly dry tongue to move. "So... what brings such esteemed individuals to this humble abode of ours?" "A simple reason," Ketal replied leisurely, leaning back slightly in his creaking chair. "We came here to deal with the pirates who have settled in this estate." Just as I feared! Valkran thought. The instant those words left Ketal's mouth, Valkran exploded into action. He kicked his chair back violently and launched himself across the table in a desperate lunge, his hand already blurring towards the hilt of the cutlass at his hip, ready to draw and fight. His speed was astonishing, born of countless life-or-death situations, quick enough to elicit a flicker of surprise even from Aquaz. Strike first! Take the barbarian hostage! Valkran thought desperately, his instincts screaming. The amount of Myst emanating from this barbarian seemed remarkably low, almost negligible compared to the inquisitor or even the mage. Valkran sensed vulnerability, low enough that he believed he could overpower him quickly. His plan was simple: capture the barbarian and somehow negotiate his crew’s way out of this deadly mess. "Oh," Ketal, the target of Valkran's desperate attack, merely commented, his voice filled with genuine, almost detached admiration. "You're fast." Before Valkran’s fingers could fully close around the hilt, Ketal simply extended a single, deceptively casual finger. He pressed it lightly against the pommel of the sword Valkran was furiously trying to draw. With a sharp metallic ring, the half-drawn blade slammed back down into its scabbard as if struck by a hammer. Unable to withstand the sudden, inexplicable counter-force, Valkran’s forward momentum reversed violently, sending him crashing backward into his chair. The sturdy wooden chair screeched loudly across the floor as it slid back several feet before tipping over. "Urgh!" Valkran choked out as the wind was knocked out of him. "Quick judgment and decisive action to match. Excellent!" Ketal praised warmly, seemingly genuinely impressed by the textbook pirate-like maneuver. Valkran, sprawled awkwardly on the floor amidst the wreckage of his chair, stared up at Ketal in utter, stunned disbelief. W-wait a minute. What just happened? Valkran thought. This barbarian had stopped his lightning-fast draw, forced the sword back into its sheath, and sent him flying backward—all with a single, effortless touch of one finger. What the—? Valkran's mind raced, desperately trying to process this terrifying new reality and calculate his nonexistent odds. Ketal spoke again, his tone relaxed and almost friendly. "Just kidding. We have no intention of harming you." Valkran, who had been instinctively tensing his muscles for his next desperate move, froze. "...No intention of harming us?" he repeated numbly. "If we did," Ketal gestured casually around the rough room, "we wouldn't have bothered sitting down for a pleasant chat first, would we?" Slowly, Valkran pushed himself up and reassessed the situation, his earlier confidence shattered. He noted that the inquisitor, who should have reacted instantly to an attack on her companion, especially coming from a known pirate like him, had merely shown that brief flicker of surprise during his lunge. She hadn't moved to intervene or counterattack. She was simply watching him now with those calm, unnervingly steady eyes. "We came here to talk with you, Captain," Ketal reiterated patiently. "So, please, pick up your chair and sit." Valkran hesitated for a long moment, his mind still reeling. Then, cautiously, he righted his chair, checked it for damage, and sat down properly, his eyes darting warily between the three visitors. Ketal nodded slightly and began to explain. "The reason we sought you out is related to helping this estate. We heard that some kind of anomaly has taken root in the sea just off the coast, blocking maritime passage." “So you know about that thing. Yes, it's true," Valkran confirmed grimly, the memory clearly unpleasant. "We came here specifically to deal with that problem," Ketal continued smoothly. Valkran started to understand, at least partially. It seemed the powerful inquisitor had heard about the monstrous sea creature blocking the port and had come to lend her aid, likely at the request of a church or the kingdom. Though I still don't get why she's traveling with this bizarre group, he thought, glancing at the impossibly strong barbarian and the nervous mage. Still, it wasn't entirely unheard of for devout followers of the Sun God to undertake perilous pilgrimages to quell chaos or fight manifestations of evil. Yet, one thing still puzzled him greatly. But if they're here to help the estate deal with the sea monster, why on earth would they come talk to me, a pirate? Ketal, seeming to guess Valkran's thoughts just by looking at his perplexed expression, elaborated further. "However, upon arriving in the estate, we encountered a significant predicament. To resolve the issue, we obviously need to go out onto the sea. Unfortunately, none of us knows the first thing about sailing a ship. More importantly, there don't seem to be any suitable deep-sea vessels available in the estate's port right now." Assistance from someone with maritime experience and a proper ship was therefore essential. "But," Ketal added, his voice dropping slightly, acquiring a confidential tone, "since this mission is incredibly dangerous—likely fatal, in fact—we can't exactly force innocent, law-abiding citizens to risk their lives alongside us, now can we?" Valkran's eyes widened again, the final piece clicking into place. He finally understood why they had sought him out, why they were sitting in his base. Ketal smiled, seeing the realization dawn plain as day on the pirate captain's face. "Therefore, Captain Valkran, we require your cooperation," Ketal stated plainly, dropping the pretense. "You are pirates. You know how to handle ships better than anyone. You likely have seaworthy vessels ready for action. So, the situation is this: we would like you and your crew to assist us, to sail the ship when we go out to sea to eliminate this anomaly." This barbarian, this impossibly strong man, intended to use him and his entire pirate crew as guides and sailors for their suicidal mission against the sea monster. "You are pirates," Ketal continued, his tone shifting slightly, becoming more serious, a subtle reminder of their power dynamic. "Ultimately, despite your current arrangement, you are criminals. You seem to have a contract allowing you to stay hidden within the lord's estate, but... let's be clear, that doesn't mean your past crimes against the kingdom and its people are forgiven. If the inquisitor here decided to enact divine judgment upon you all right here, right now, there would be absolutely no legal repercussions for her actions." Valkran couldn't deny the truth in that. Even with the kingdom's tacit, reluctant permission granted via the local lord's shady contract, their status existed firmly and precariously in a legal gray area. If a high-ranking inquisitor of the Sun God truly decided to purge them as irredeemable villains, the kingdom's authorities would almost certainly remain silent, turn a blind eye, and let it happen. They were expendable. "So, you'll spare our lives if we bow our heads and agree to become your hunting dogs, is that the deal?" Valkran ground out between clenched teeth, his earlier fear momentarily replaced by defiant pride. His eyes sharpened, filled with resentment. He'd rather die fighting on his own terms than become a mere tool, a disposable pawn used for someone else's dangerous quest. Valkran steeled himself, preparing to deliver a firm refusal. "There seems to be a misunderstanding," Ketal interjected smoothly, cutting him off before he could speak the words that might seal his fate. "That's not our intention at all." Valkran paused, surprised once again by the barbarian's unexpected response. "Trying to resolve things through coercion and threats? Isn't that far too... barbaric?" Ketal added playfully, delivering the line with a completely straight face, seemingly oblivious to the irony. For a moment, everyone else in the room—the stoic Aquaz, the bewildered Baker, and the defiant Valkran—stared at Ketal, momentarily speechless. Baker finally muttered under his breath, just loud enough to be heard, "But... you are a barbarian..." "We genuinely need your help, Captain, but we have no intention of coercing you by holding your lives hostage," Ketal continued, pointedly ignoring Baker's entirely accurate observation. "Besides, if we forced you into this against your will, how could we possibly trust you out on the open sea?" He leaned forward conspiratorially. "Think about it. We'll be heading far out onto the water to face that creature from the Demon Realm. We already know countless ships have tried and failed. Only one person has ever returned, and barely alive at that. It's practically a suicide mission. If we forced your crew, what's to stop you from simply sailing us out into the middle of nowhere and abandoning us? Or deliberately leading us into a deathtrap? Since none of us know the sea like you do, we'd be utterly helpless." "No," Ketal concluded firmly. "For this dangerous venture to have any chance of success, we need mutual trust between us." Valkran's expression turned confused yet again, unable to grasp what this baffling barbarian actually wanted or what his angle was if they weren't threatening him. Ketal clarified with a patient smile, "Therefore, Captain, let's make a proper deal." "A deal?" Valkran echoed cautiously, unsure what to expect now. "Captain Valkran of the Valkran Pirates," Ketal addressed him formally once more, a curious, almost knowing smile playing on his lips. "Allow me to ask you a question: Have you ever seriously considered giving up the pirate's life for good?" "That's an incredibly random, almost insulting question," Valkran replied, frowning deeply. "What kind of ridiculous deal involves asking something like that?" Asking a notorious pirate captain if he wanted to stop being a pirate seemed like a pointless, perhaps even mocking, inquiry under the circumstances. Instead of answering directly, Ketal glanced around the rough-hewn reception room again, then gestured vaguely towards the hidden settlement outside. "These buildings you have here... they're quite well-constructed, you know." Indeed, the pirate crew seemed substantial, judging by the sheer number of sturdy buildings tucked away in their hidden cove. And none of them looked like temporary shacks haphazardly thrown together. They resembled a small, planned town, built with surprising care and systematic design. "Looking closely," Ketal continued his assessment aloud, "these aren't just temporary shelters for pirates resting between voyages. They appear purposefully built for long-term, perhaps even permanent, residence. More importantly, they have a distinct 'lived-in' feel." The subtle signs of everyday life, the wear and tear, the minor modifications, the accumulation of personal effects—the countless small marks left only by prolonged, continuous occupation—were present throughout the pirates' hidden settlement. "Now, as far as I know," Ketal said, turning his full attention back to Valkran, his voice casual but his gaze sharp, "the creature from the Demon Realm only blocked the sea passage about a month ago. Yet, the signs of established habitation here strongly suggest you and your crew have been settled in this location for at least a year, probably quite a bit longer. It seems to me that you haven't actually been doing much sailing, much actual piracy, during that long period." Valkran remained silent, his face an unreadable mask, but a flicker in his eyes betrayed him. Ketal grinned, sensing he'd hit the mark. "So tell me, Captain Valkran... when was the last time you personally took a ship out to sea for a raid?" "You have damn sharp eyes, barbarian," Valkran finally admitted, his voice low and gravelly. Ketal was absolutely right. The truth was, Valkran didn't want to live as a pirate anymore. It wasn't a life he had chosen freely. His parents had been infamous pirates, so he had naturally followed in their bloody footsteps, but he had grown utterly sick and tired of the constant danger, the instability, and the endless violence of life on the unpredictable sea. He desperately yearned to settle down, to build something permanent, to live a stable, peaceful life with his feet planted firmly on solid ground. That burning desire was precisely why he had persuaded his most trusted crew members, struck the risky deal with the estate's lord, and established this hidden, semi-permanent base within the lord's domain. Although they still occasionally sailed out for carefully planned raids—partly to maintain their fearsome reputation, partly for necessary income—they spent the vast majority of their time living relatively quietly within their concealed settlement, trying to build some semblance of normal lives. "But ultimately, Captain, regardless of your desires, you are still branded a pirate," Ketal stated gently, but firmly. "Even if you truly wish to quit this life, it wouldn't be easy, perhaps not even possible, because of the weight of your past crimes. There's likely a bounty on your head in several kingdoms.” “So, here's our side of the deal," Ketal continued, leaning forward slightly, "If you help us succeed in this mission, we will help you solve that problem. Permanently." Living legally on land, free from his past, was the future Valkran had secretly dreamed of for years, a seemingly impossible fantasy. If this incredible offer were genuine, he would gladly sail into the very jaws of death alongside these strange, powerful individuals. However, despite the allure, Valkran's expression remained skeptical, etched with years of hard-earned cynicism. "That's... a very tempting offer," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "More tempting than you can imagine. But I find it incredibly hard to believe that you, a barbarian, have the power or influence to actually make something like that happen." For Ketal's proposal to be remotely feasible, one would need significant clout, deep connections within the established powers of the kingdom or the church. A wandering barbarian, no matter how freakishly strong he appeared, didn't seem likely to possess that kind of political leverage. "Actually, I could probably arrange it myself, now that I think about it...," Ketal mused thoughtfully, tapping a finger on the rough wooden table. And astonishingly, he wasn't wrong. He had performed a great service for the Denian Kingdom not long ago. King Barbosa owed him a significant debt and would likely grant amnesty, or at least a royal pardon, to Valkran and his crew if Ketal personally requested it as a boon. Alternatively, he could potentially leverage his somewhat complicated but useful connection with the Church of Kalosia. His influence on the continent, built through recent, dramatic events, was far from negligible, though few knew its true extent. "However," Ketal decided with a shrug, turning his gaze towards Aquaz, "let's give someone else the opportunity. Are you okay with handling this?” "Yes," Aquaz confirmed after only a slight pause, giving a firm nod. Her expression was solemn. "That was indeed part of our prior agreement." She turned her intense, authoritative gaze toward Valkran, who straightened instinctively under its weight. "Valkran, Captain of the Valkran Pirates," she began, her voice ringing with formal power. "I, Aquaz, inquisitor of the Sun God, hereby swear in the sacred name of the Great Sun God." This was no mere promise; it was a sacred oath, sworn upon the name of her deity before witnesses. Breaking such an oath was unthinkable for a devout follower like her, carrying consequences ranging from excommunication to divine wrath. It held immense, binding weight. "If you and your crew provide us with the necessary ship and maritime expertise, and faithfully aid us in our quest to eliminate the abomination polluting the sea," Aquaz declared clearly, "then upon our successful return, I will officially absolve you and all participating crew members of your past crimes against the kingdom and its people." "What—?!" Valkran gasped aloud, his eyes bulging wider than seemed possible. This was by far the most extreme reaction of shock he had displayed yet, far surpassing his reaction to Ketal’s strength—and understandably so. While inquisitors were primarily known as ruthless punishers of heresy and evil, their holy mandate also inherently granted them the authority to offer divine forgiveness, accept repentance, and bring stray souls back into the light of the Sun God. If Aquaz truly meant her sworn words, then he and his crew could have their bloody pirate past wiped clean. They could finally walk freely on land, heads held high, as legitimate, recognized citizens. It was the miracle he had stopped allowing himself to even dream of. Aquaz seemed to read his dawning, incredulous hope and offered further confirmation, solidifying the offer. "Should you and your men desire it after this ordeal, you may receive the formal blessings and sacraments of the Church of the Sun God. With the Church's official recognition and pardon, the kingdom will undoubtedly grant you full citizenship and rights. Naturally," she added realistically, "there will be certain qualifications to meet, perhaps background checks or tests of character to pass, but if you are all truly committed to leaving piracy behind and living lawful lives on land, these formalities shouldn't pose a significant obstacle." "Uh... I..." Valkran stammered, completely overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of an offer he had never, ever imagined possible. It was everything he wanted. Beside Aquaz, Ketal simply shrugged casually, as if pardoning notorious pirates was an everyday occurrence. "Well, Captain, ultimately, it's still a significant gamble," Ketal pointed out reasonably, bringing Valkran back to the harsh reality of the mission itself. "You and your crew might very well end up getting killed by whatever monstrous thing is lurking out there in the deep. But, isn't being a pirate, at its core, all about risking your life, betting everything on a single chance for an immense, life-changing fortune?" Ketal's voice was soft, almost hypnotic. "Your entire profession, your way of life, involves constantly weighing the value of your life against the allure of treasure, doesn't it? And right now, the potential treasure on the scale—a completely new life, freedom, legitimacy—is exceptionally heavy. Wouldn't you agree that the potential reward is more than worth risking your life for, just one more time?" It felt like a devil's temptation whispered in his ear—an offer laced with deadly, terrifying risk, yet so incredibly sweet, so perfectly tailored to his deepest desire, that it was almost impossible to refuse. Valkran stared at the smiling barbarian, his mind reeling, and couldn't help but ask, his voice filled with a mixture of bewildered suspicion and dawning awe, "...Are you really just a barbarian?" Ketal simply laughed, a hearty, genuine sound this time. "So, Captain Valkran, what's your decision? Will you take the gamble?" Valkran fell silent, his gaze distant for a long moment. But his deliberation, in truth, was brief. The ultimate goal he had yearned for, strived for, and almost given up on for his entire adult life was dangling right before his eyes, offered on a silver platter by the most unlikely trio imaginable. As the strange barbarian had so aptly put it, the weight on the treasure side of the scale was now immense, outweighing almost any risk. There was simply no logical, or emotional, reason left for him to refuse. "Alright," Valkran declared firmly, meeting Ketal's expectant gaze with newfound resolve. "We accept your deal." Aquaz's eyes widened slightly, perhaps surprised at his quick and decisive acceptance after the initial hesitation. Ketal merely murmured with deep satisfaction, a pleased glint in his eyes, "Excellent." "However," Valkran added immediately, his practical captain's mind kicking back in, "there's a problem. A rather significant one." "A problem?" Ketal tilted his head curiously. "Do you mean convincing your crew to agree to this suicide mission?" "That might certainly be an issue for some of them, yes, but... there's a bigger, more immediate problem," Valkran admitted, a sheepish, almost embarrassed look crossing his face. "The problem is, despite what you assumed... we don't actually have a suitable ship for this voyage either." "Hmm? No ship?" Ketal blinked, surprised. Aquaz and Baker also looked confused. "To be precise," Valkran clarified quickly, "we don't have a ship capable of sailing far out into the deep, treacherous waters where the creature is located.” Pirate ships, including his own small fleet, prioritized speed and maneuverability for quick raids and escapes. That meant they were typically lightly armored and relatively small, designed for coastal waters, not prolonged deep-sea expeditions against unknown horrors. The area blocked by the Demon Realm creature was reportedly quite far offshore, in deep, dangerous waters. Their current ships simply weren't sturdy or large enough for such a perilous voyage. They would be torn apart or swamped. "We can try our best to reinforce one of our larger ships, add plating, strengthen the hull, but... it will take a significant amount of time, perhaps weeks," Valkran concluded grimly. "Hmm. Is there truly no other option available sooner?" Ketal inquired patiently. "No... well, actually," Valkran reconsidered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "there might be one other possibility, though it's a long shot." "What is it?" Ketal asked him immediately. "It's better if I just show you. Follow me." Valkran stood up, his expression uncertain but tinged with a sliver of desperate hope. The group followed the pirate captain out of the hidden settlement, trekking away from the coast. After walking for several tens of minutes across relatively flat, grassy terrain, they came upon a truly bizarre and unexpected sight. Baker stared, his jaw dropping in astonishment. "Why... why is there a massive ship... just sitting here in the middle of a plain?!" Indeed, incongruously stranded like a beached whale miles from the sea, a massive, multi-masted galleon lay listing slightly in the middle of the grassy field. It was a ghost ship on dry land. Valkran gestured towards it with a sigh. "About a year ago, maybe a bit more, a truly massive hurricane hit the estate. Miraculously, it passed through without causing major structural damage to the town or fortifications, except for one very strange thing: during the peak of the storm, it somehow lifted this galleon clean out of the harbor, carried it several miles inland, and then simply... dumped it right here when the winds died down." "Is... is that even physically possible?" Baker stammered, unable to wrap his head around the physics involved. The galleon was absolutely enormous, a true deep-sea vessel easily large enough to hold several hundred people and tons of cargo. The idea that a hurricane, no matter how powerful, could lift such a colossal object and carry it this far inland like a child’s toy was difficult to accept. As someone unfamiliar with the raw, terrifying power of nature’s fury—especially at sea—Baker found the story incredibly hard to believe. Valkran simply nodded grimly. "It actually happened. We all saw the aftermath. The ship itself is surprisingly almost entirely undamaged structurally, just scraped up a bit. But since there was absolutely no conceivable way for us, or the estate's engineers, to move a vessel of this size and weight back to the sea, it's just been left here, abandoned." The galleon was so immense and heavy that even gathering dozens, perhaps hundreds, of strong men with ropes and pulleys couldn't budge it even an inch across the soft earth. Eventually, everyone had given up in frustration and simply left the ghost ship to rot in the field. "Now, you three," Valkran said, turning to face them, a hopeful yet doubtful look in his eyes, "are clearly far stronger than ordinary men. Could you somehow move this galleon back to the sea? It's perfectly seaworthy, just stranded. If you can get it back in the water, we can outfit it and prepare it for the voyage almost immediately." "Hmm..." Aquaz murmured uncertainly, studying the massive ship with a critical eye. "Well, that's... a rather large object," Baker trailed off, looking equally unsure. Both he and Aquaz wore dubious expressions. While both of them were Transcendents, this galleon was colossal. It likely weighed hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of tons. Even pooling their considerable combined power, moving such an immense, dead weight across miles of uneven terrain seemed like an impossible task. Someone capable of such a monumental feat of strength would have to be vastly, exponentially stronger than either of them. "Right, figured as much. It was worth asking, I suppose." Valkran sighed, his brief flicker of hope extinguishing. He hadn't really expected them to be able to perform such a miracle. Just as he was about to say they'd have to wait while his crew worked on reinforcing one of their smaller, less suitable ships, Ketal suddenly spoke up, stepping forward. "What? Is that all? We just need to move that ship over there back to the water?" Ketal commented nonchalantly, looking at the massive galleon as if it were merely a misplaced piece of furniture. "Doesn't look too difficult." Without waiting for a reply, Ketal strode confidently towards the massive, stranded galleon. He reached out and placed his large hands firmly on the weathered wooden hull near the bow. "Hup!" With a short, sharp grunt, Ketal braced himself, planting his feet firmly on the ground. The onlookers instinctively held their breath, their eyes widening in a mixture of anticipation and profound disbelief. A low rumbling sound began to emanate from the earth around the ship. Dust, disturbed after a year of stillness, billowed up around the hull. The ground beneath the massive vessel, long compressed and visibly sunken under the immense weight, slowly, impossibly, began to reveal itself as the enormous pressure lessened. The ship was... lifting. "Uh... wha—?!" Valkran stammered incoherently, his eyes looking like they might pop out of his head. He could not believe what he was witnessing. This galleon wasn't just large; it was truly enormous. It was the only ship of its impressive size belonging to the entire estate, a magnificent vessel that must have taken skilled shipwrights years to construct. Its weight had to be well over three hundred tons, likely significantly more. The people of the estate still spoke of the freak hurricane that had somehow moved such a colossal object this far inland with a mixture of superstitious awe and terrified respect for nature's power. And now, right before his very eyes, that very same ship was being lifted clean off the ground... by the bare hands of a single man. With the galleon held aloft, Ketal took a heavy step forward. The ground beneath his feet visibly trembled and groaned, protesting under the incredible weight. Yet, Ketal moved with a completely unfazed expression, his face showing no more strain than if he were carrying a large log over his shoulder. He began walking steadily towards the distant coastline. Several tens of minutes later, after a slow but steady trek across the plain, the massive galleon settled back into the deep water where it belonged, finally returned to its natural element. "There," Ketal said, turning back to the utterly gobsmacked onlookers on the shore. He casually dusted off his hands as if he'd just completed a minor, slightly strenuous chore. "Now you can get things ready for our trip, right?" Valkran, still reeling from the sheer, could only stare, utterly speechless.