The last sparks hissed at the edge of the boat, remnants of the viscous liquid left burning on the wood by the crows' arrows as they chased Yariv's ship through the Shallow Waters. Torv rubbed his blackened hands, the smell of burnt oil mixing with the salty mist, the engines coughing after the strain against the dark waves. Yariv's ship was already just a dark blur swallowed by the horizon, carrying the chained Selya away, her blue flare still pulsing in Kain's mind. On the low ridge nearby, Shimon's silhouette — the same one who had laughed while pushing the ship with his strong wind — stood out against the gray sky, the Diamond Jewel glowing red in his hot ring. Kain gripped the Ruby Sword, the hot bracelet on his wrist burning like embers, until, with a firm motion, the red blade retracted in a flash, returning to the form of the Ruby Jewel. He tucked it into his pocket, his hoarse voice cutting through the air:
— You rest for now. We'll go after her my way.
Toren slammed his fist against the boat's edge, his knuckles pale against the splintered wood.
— That rat Yariv won't keep her for long! — he growled, his eyes fixed on the direction where the ship had vanished.
The Shallow Waters stretched treacherously around them, a shallow sea where sharp islands sprouted like fangs amid dark waves and a thick mist that swallowed sounds. Lirien, at the bow, gripped her chipped spear tightly, the worn handle between her fingers.
— The spy said Selya attracts the relics — she said, her gaze piercing the mist. — Like this medallion that spun the wind on the beach. Shimon must know that. — The golden medallion in her pocket gave off a faint glow, almost imperceptible under the fabric.
Torv, in the second boat, revved the engine with a grunt, the low rumble fighting against the oppressive silence.
— These boats can handle it, but after that viscous liquid from the crows burned the hulls, this mist is making everything worse! — he said, before shouting: — Engines ready!
A sudden wind tore through the mist, swirling it into eddies that whipped the water. From the low ridge where he'd laughed minutes earlier, pushing Yariv's ship with his strong wind, Shimon leapt alone onto a low cliff, his boots crushing the wet stone. The Diamond Jewel gleamed in his hot ring, and a sharp laugh echoed over the waves.
— You think only Yariv deserves attention? My game's bigger than that!
He raised his hand, pointing the Diamond Jewel at the boats. The wind grew stronger, a crooked gust that shoved the crafts toward a sharp rock jutting from the shallow water. Vael grabbed the edge, eyes wide.
— Who's this guy?!
Sira, already with her bow in hand, tightened the taut string.
— Shimon — she answered quickly. — The same one who threw that wind against us in the Shallow Waters!
Kain pulled the Ruby Jewel from his pocket, the same tremor from the lightning that had struck Torv's boat on the beach still pulsing within it. With a quick thought, it glowed brightly, transforming into the Ruby Sword in his hands. The red blade hummed, the hot bracelet warming against his skin. He stepped forward on the boat, shouting:
— Shimon! You helped Yariv escape — what are you plotting now?
Shimon tilted his head, his eyes narrowed with a dangerous glint.
— Testing you. My plan goes beyond what you can imagine. — He spun the ring on his finger, intensifying the wind, but the gusts came out crooked, shaking the sharp islands without clear direction. The Diamond Jewel remained raw, a stubborn stone that refused to obey.
Before the wind could slam the boats against the rocks, a deep roar cut through the mist. A third boat surged forward, tearing through the dark waves with brute force. Gorm stood at the bow, his gray beard fluttering in the wind, a short spear steady in his calloused hand.
— Hold on tight, you idiots, or these rocks will finish you! — he bellowed, maneuvering the craft with precision between the group's two boats. — I came back from the cove because the crows were circling back there — I saw Selya's blue flare and raced over so you wouldn't smash yourselves here!
Without hesitation, he tossed a rope to Torv, who grabbed it and tied it in a swift motion, steadying the second boat against the wind. Another rope flew to Kain, who caught it and pulled, aligning the three crafts into a formation that withstood Shimon's gusts. Gorm planted his spear at the bow of his boat and pointed to the low cliff.
— The Jewels only transform for the chosen — he roared, his voice slicing through the chaos. — That Diamond Jewel's dead weight in his hands! Look, it doesn't even have a shape! — He turned to Kain, seeing the Ruby Sword glow in his grip. — You, kid, are the one who'll stop this fool — use that Jewel right!
Kain tightened his hold on the sword's hilt, the hot bracelet burning so much that pain shot up his arm. He stepped to the boat's edge, feet firm against the sway, and swung at Shimon's wind. A red arc sliced the air, but the blade shook violently, unleashing wild lightning that tore through the water and ricocheted off a nearby sharp island, shattering stone into smoking shards. The strike weakened the gusts, forcing Shimon to step back on the low cliff, but Kain stumbled backward, confused, trying in vain to silence the sparking rays on the blade like living lightning.
Gorm's eyes widened, his spear nearly slipping from his hand.
— What the hell is that? — Control that thing, kid!
Sira fired an arrow, Shimon's crooked wind deflecting it into the sea.
— He doesn't know how to stop it! — she shouted, already pulling another arrow from her quiver.
Shimon rubbed his hot ring, his face twisting in frustration. He growled low, almost to himself:
— You should be with me, damn stone! — Then he looked up at Kain, a sharp laugh returning to his voice. — Not bad, kid. But you don't even understand what you're holding. You chase small fish; I'm after the whole sea.
With an agile leap, he jumped from the low cliff into a skiff hidden among the sharp islands, the strong wind swirling around him like a shield.
— See you in my game! — he yelled as the skiff sliced through the water, vanishing into the mist.
Kain hesitated, the Ruby Sword still sparking with small rays flickering in his hands. He gritted his teeth, trying to force the power to quiet, but the red arcs danced stubbornly. Lirien leaned toward him, her steady voice cutting through his frustration:
— He wants to wear us down. Focus on Selya.
With a decisive gesture, Kain turned the Sword back into the Ruby Jewel, the red glow fading along with the rays. He stowed the stone in his pocket, the hot bracelet cooling slowly against his scorched skin, though the weight of adrenaline still pounded in his chest.
The boats steadied, the sound of dark waves crashing against the sharp islands filling the silence as the mist slowly cleared. Gorm crossed his arms, grumbling from the bow of his craft:
— Yariv's crows were circling the cove. Rennik's holding the reserves there, but you'd have smashed without me. And those rays, kid — what was that?
Toren slapped Kain's shoulder, a crooked grin clashing with the tension in his eyes.
— That sword's getting dangerous — watch where you aim it!
Vael, still clinging to the boat's edge, let out a nervous laugh.
— I want to see it cut Shimon's hair, not my head!
Lirien stepped closer to Kain, her eyes locked on the horizon where Yariv's ship had disappeared. Her voice came low, with a teasing edge that cut through the heavy air:
— Your rays almost sank us. Aim better when we go after her, got it? — She reached into her pocket, touching the golden medallion, which pulsed faintly under her fingers. Frowning, she murmured: — I can still feel her out there — the same pulse I saw in her blue flare when she fought on the deck.
Kain rubbed his burned wrist, shooting her a sidelong glance with a sarcastic smirk.
— At least my rays made Shimon run, unlike that spear that barely scratches the mist.
She turned her face to him, eyes narrowed, but a faint glint betrayed her serious tone.
— Try not to fry us before we get Selya back. — Her hand lingered near the golden medallion for a moment before returning to the chipped spear with a firm motion.
Kain gripped the boat's helm, eyes narrowed — the crows had retreated in the Shallow Waters, but he knew they'd return, as the spy had promised on the beach. His fingers tightened on the wood as the hot bracelet cooled against his skin.
— Shimon won't catch me off guard again — he said, his voice steady, though a quick glance at Lirien brought a subtle lift to the corner of his mouth.
The mist parted for a moment, and the silence was shattered by a sharp hum. Shadows sliced through the haze — black skiffs emerged like ghosts, hooded figures rising from the darkness. Before the group could react, harpoons whizzed through the air, one passing inches from Kain's head and embedding in the boat's edge with a dull thud.
— Get down! — Toren shouted, throwing himself to the deck as another hook struck the wood, splintering it apart.
Sira raised her bow, but the attackers were already retreating, the skiffs slipping back into the mist as fast as they'd appeared. Kain yanked the harpoon from the boat, his eyes flashing as he saw a twisted piece of metal dangling from the tip, etched with crooked letters: She belongs to the sea now. He crushed the warning in his hand, the hot bracelet pulsing against his skin, as Tashkivor's thunder echoed deeper on the horizon, a distant roar that seemed to mock them.