Silas left Jasper's cabin and ran for the deck. Suddenly, the ship seemed too small, especially given the fact that he couldn't use his power to escape. His chest heaved as if someone had removed his heart and placed a stone in its place. Each heartbeat echoed in his head like a deep explosion, preventing him from hearing what was happening around him.

  He stood between the sailors like a disoriented prey that could not find an exit route. It was almost noon and the sun's rays were hitting hard in his eyes. Several faces followed his footsteps as he strided forward, dodging the rest of the crew.

  Without stopping, he located the main mast and, moved by a fierce impulse, rushed towards it.

  “Hey, Silas, everything all right, mate?” Warwick shouted.

  Silas ignored him as he climbed like a cornered squirrel, clinging to the ropes so tightly that his palms felt like they were burning. The cool breeze hit his face as he scrambled upward until he reached the crow's nest. The boy standing there, not much older than him, held out his hand to pull him into the barrel. There, he dropped to his knees, panting with fury and exhaustion.

  “Did they put you on shift,” the boy asked, confused.

  “Huh?” Silas was breathing heavily after that hasty ascent, and at first it was hard to understand what the other was saying. “Ah, yes...”

  “Awesome,” sighed the lookout, relieved. “Nobody likes it up here, I thought I was going to stay for the rest of the day.”

  “Why–?” Silas couldn't finish his question, as the boy soon began his descent.

  He then straightened up to watch outside the barrel, and there he understood what the lookout had meant.

  From the heights, the ship looked like nothing more than a toy rocking among the waves of that endless blue blanket. The mast, which had seemed so imposing at first, was swaying in the breeze as if it were nothing more than a branch about to break.

  The vastness hit him in the chest like a punch. There was not the slightest hint of land in sight. His trembling fingers dug like claws into the splintered edge. He felt as if the wood beneath his feet had disappeared, and he was about to plunge into the water. His empty stomach flipped. Slowly, he succumbed to the dizziness, and let himself slip until he was curled up at the bottom of the barrel. He bent his knees to his chest and wrapped them between his arms, as if that was enough to save him from the frightening fall. Though, perhaps, what he really wanted was to get smaller and smaller, until he became a mouse or an insect, or, better yet, to shrink until he disappeared.

  He didn't know how long he was there, but it was probably hours, as every time he dared to open his eyes he could tell that the position of the sun had shifted quite a bit while he was trying to forget about the rest of the world. His urge to get away from Jasper had blinded him in such a way that he had failed to weigh the risk of what he was doing. The last time he had done something similar was when he had climbed the cliff with Olivia wrapped around his body, but at least then he had touched solid ground at the end. Now there was no way he could climb down on his own. He was trapped until someone came for him.

  But it didn't look like it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

  Weren't any of those useless pirates going to make sure that he was properly carrying out his self-imposed task as lookout? Were they that irresponsible?

  And what was up with Olivia? Didn't she feel worried about him after their talk with the pirate?

  Upon further thought, Silas realized that perhaps she thought he wanted to be alone, and that was the reason she hadn't gone looking for him.

  And of course he wanted to be alone. He didn't want to talk to anyone, he didn't want to hear anything more about chimera living with hybrids, or arrogant pirates who, just because they had a drop of chimera blood, thought they were capable enough to become his teacher.

  And knowing Olivia maybe she would leave him alone for a while until he calmed down, but she was already taking her time. Just when he needed her to nose into his dealings the most, she had decided to give him space.

  A sudden squawk halted his thoughts, followed by others that grew louder and louder. When he turned his eyes upward, he saw two pairs of white wings slicing the blue sky like razors. The scene repeated once again as the seagulls circled around the mast.

  He adjusted his posture, until he was rolled into the barrel, this time on his back, and distracted himself by watching the graceful white wings and the details of their feathers. They seemed to dance to the rhythm of a silent melody known only to them. Their movements were agile and fluid, as if they owned the air itself.

  They made it look so easy... If only he–

  Silas closed his eyes, took a deep breath and stood up, sticking to the mast to keep his balance. Little by little he raised his arms, until they stretched out to both sides. Instead of wasting time with crazy stories, he should be training his power. He couldn't appear before the Archmage without at least trying to regain even a fraction of his magic.

  He focused on the rushing sensation of the wind beneath his arms, as he pictured himself floating in the midst of the clouds with no force holding him to the earth. His skin was no longer smooth and limp like human skin, but now soft feathers began to sprout from it, like the buds on a branch in the early spring. He could feel his body growing smaller and smaller, until it felt light. But the wind no longer whipped him as before, rather it had become his ally. His nose and mouth joined together and stretched forward to form the beak. His toes were transformed into small claws joined by membranes, perfect for propelling himself and taking flight.

  Next time he opened his eyes he would be a seagull, and the endless sea beneath his wings would no longer be a threat, but his bright blue playground.

  But none of that happened.

  No matter how much he pushed himself, he could not feel even the slightest tingle that would indicate the transformation process was beginning.

  He searched within himself for anger, but could not find any. He felt more like one of those empty bottles that rolled off the deck of the ship from time to time.

  But he did not want to give up. He kept his position in the hope that his focus would help him forget about himself and that limiting body that only caused him problems.

  The worst that could happen was that he would lose his balance and crash to the deck.

  He had already fallen once and survived. He had to believe in himself. He couldn't let fear undermine him...

  A sudden growl, like that of a beast that had just woken up, brought him out of his trance.

  There was actually one thing that could undermine him and that was hunger, which became evident once his stomach appeared to come back to life. By then his arms felt so stiff, and a twinge in his back threatened to snap him in two.

  Then he heard a sneeze.

  The sound made him open his eyes, and, when he fearfully peeked his head out of the barrel, he found Olivia clinging with all her might to the ropes to avoid falling into the void.

  “What are you doing there!” It was a grumble rather than a question. Ignoring the dizzyness, Silas lowered his arms to her and yanked her into the barrel. Their bodies pressed together in the cramped space, shoulder to shoulder. She wore a coat over her shirt, but the sea breeze still chilled her body. He rubbed his hands around her arms, and was about to hug her to transfer some of his body heat to her, but she pulled away.

  “I'm fine, I'm fine!” She held up her hands as a kind of shield.

  “What were you thinking?” he asked, although at the same time he wanted to ask her why it had taken her so long to go and look for him, while he was suffering all alone and helpless.

  “I didn't... I didn't want to interrupt you... You seemed very focused...”

  So she had been watching him all that time while he struggled without any success to change his form, and, on top of that, she had noticed. In her eyes he must have been nothing more than a pitiable good-for-nothing.

  “And... I also needed to get away from Jasper,” she continued. “As soon as you left he began to ask me about the strange “illness” that attacked him and Bronto. I'm afraid he won't leave me alone as long as we're here.”

  “I can't wait to get off this ship,” he growled.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “It's natural for him to be curious. I wish I could explain what happened but–”

  “Why are you defending him?” he said in an accusatory tone.

  “Silas... I don't think he was lying...” She fixed her blue eyes on him, but Silas ignored her, as he let out a heavy sigh. They remained silent for a long while as he recalled every gesture and word of Jasper's confession.

  “I don't think he's lying either,” he agreed reluctantly. “The truth is, I felt the same thing he did.”

  He described to Olivia the strange sensation he had felt rise from his fingers the moment he shook Jasper's hand. It was as if a tiny bolt of lightning was moving up his arm and into his chest.

  “Oh, Silas,” was all Olivia said without asking him any more questions. There was no need. Only she could understand the tangled mess that his mind had become after that revelation.

  He slammed a fist against the wood of the barrel. “Of course I'm not the first chimera to enter human territory after one hundred years!” He struck another blow. “I've never been the first in anything in my entire life. Why should this time be any different?”

  “Well...” Olivia rested a hand on his shoulder. “If it's any consolation... Someone told me once I was the first witch...”

  Silas turned to her, and this time his eyes remained fixed on the girl who grimaced at him. Suddenly, the chimera felt the muscles around his neck tighten, and a slight bubbling climbed up his throat. He tried to suppress the sensation for a moment by pursing his lips and lowering his head, but to no avail. The vibration built up in his chest broke free with such rudeness that it ripped the air from his lungs and his body was shaken by slight spasms. However, it was not pain that he felt, but a kind of relief that made him feel lighter, as if he really could at that moment float on the wind just like the seagulls.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  He was laughing.

  It wasn't the first time he had laughed, although it had usually happened when he wanted to make fun of someone. This time it felt different.

  He watched Olivia who had also caught his laughter. Her white teeth shone like pearls, and her blue eyes sparkled in a way that even the ocean itself must have been feeling jealous.

  It was at that instant that he realized that they were the only two beings in the world who could understand that joke, and, for some reason, that made him glad.

  They fell silent again, as if trying to prevent the effect of that surprising joy from levitating in the air a little longer before dissolving in the breeze.

  “So...” Olivia cleared her throat before speaking. “What do you plan to do now?”

  Silas narrowed his eyes. “Nothing has changed. We're sticking to the same plan.”

  “But... Wouldn't it be better if you trained your power with your own race?”

  He shook his head. “I don't know those chimeras... I don't know if I–”

  “You don't know the Archmage either,” she objected.

  “Yeah... but we know he's powerful... Besides... what are you going to do in Kraken Bay?”

  She tapped him on the shoulder. “Don't use me as an excuse.”

  “If I accept Jasper's proposal...” he insisted. “What would you do?”

  “Well... just... relax...”

  That answer made Silas grow angry. “Relax? You've come all this way just to relax?”

  “It's been a very long trip...” she sighed. “I don't want to think about anything. I told you. I think it's time for me to find a quiet life without worries... Maybe that's all I need...”

  “What if the witches come back for you?”

  “They won't...”

  “Why are you so sure?”

  “Because something has changed. I couldn't say what... I have my guesses... When I met Dawn, she talked about a seal that was broken the moment Spark used my body to fight against the wizards at the lake... Maybe the creature sealed them again... and the only thing I have to do is... nothing...”

  “Do you trust the creature then?”

  “The witches must have done something to be locked up.”

  Silas raised his eyebrows and gave her a disapproving look. “In human prisons many who didn't deserve it have been locked up.”

  Her blue eyes darkened. “Why are you defending them now?”

  “It's not that I want to defend them... I'm on your side.”

  “Then accept my decision,” she replied firmly.

  Silas gave a grunt, and shook his head. “I think you're wrong anyway. You have unparalleled power at your fingertips.”

  “A destructive power.”

  “That can also save lives.”

  “Are you saying that I must become a heroine to fight against the injustices of the kingdom?” She scoffed. “I've already attempted one heroic act, and it turned out to be a disaster.”

  “And as the victim of that heroic act, I forgive you.”

  Apparently she was not amused by his attempt to make a joke, and, without any warning, began to punch him. Silas stopped her by grabbing her arms, but not too hard to avoid hurting her. He kept leaning back, as she came at him trying to continue her unsuccessful attack.

  “Stupid, stubborn, ungrateful chimera!” she shouted.

  The chimera thought a rabbit would have hurt him more.

  Suddenly, they heard a little voice above them. “I told you! They were kissing!”

  “It doesn't look that way to me,” said another.

  “Just look at them!”

  When Silas and Olivia turned their eyes upward they found two little heads of Vinnie and Katty watching them with grins of childish mischief. Silas felt Olivia's body stiffen like a rock.

  “Milo, they're kissing!” Vinnie shouted. “You owe me, therefore, your first wages!”

  From the deck there was a shriek of disbelief from Milo, followed by a burst of laughter from Rufus.

  “We're not paying you any wages!” roared Tavia whose voice, despite the height, could be heard as clearly as if she were standing next to it. “And much less for causing trouble on the ship! Silas! Weren't you supposed to be covering the shift? A lookout's job isn't for making out with your girlfriend!”

  Hearing that, Olivia broke away from him, and covered her face with both hands.

  “Come on, Tavia!” exclaimed Warwick from his place behind the helm. “We've all made out at the crow's nest at one time or another!”

  “Not on my ship!”

  “It's Jasper's ship!” the boatswain complained.

  “Oh, no, sir!” cried one member of the crew. “This is Tavia's ship without a doubt!”

  The joke was greeted by laughter that spread from bow to stern.

  “Come down on deck at once, all of you!” Tavia shouted. “And you, Dred, it wouldn't hurt to spend some time up there!”

  “If you'll come up with me maybe I will!” replied the sailor who, as soon as he said that, had to dodge a dagger that shot out at full speed from Tavia's belt.

  There was nothing Silas wanted more than to get down from that damned place, but his descent was painfully slow, just like Olivia's who didn't enjoy the heights either. Her face looked as red as the petals of a rose, indicating that she was having an even harder time than he was. More than once they had to stop to hold on tight against the onslaught of the wind whose strength seemed to increase as the day came to an end. In the end Vinnie and Katty, with the help of Penn and Finn, came to their aid to get them safely down to the deck, although not without a few more jokes during the whole operation.

  By then the sun was almost touching the skyline and the crew was moving urgently, preparing for the night. Jasper had stayed close by although at no time did he speak to them again. He was busy inspecting the ship, giving instructions to Warwick, as well as bringing food to Bronto who was still in isolation until he had fully recovered.

  A bell rang, announcing dinner before the change of shift. The children ran in search of their piece of bread and meat, and dropped to the deck to eat in silence. The excitement of the morning was gone; now their faces showed the trace of the weariness that Tavia, relentless, had wrenched from them by hard work.

  “They'll sleep like logs tonight,” she exclaimed, beating her chest proudly, and Silas heard several sighs of relief among the crew.

  Feeling much better, the chimera chewed his portion of food with effort, sitting next to Olivia, and watching out of the corner of his eye the swaying of the dark sea that was gradually blending with the sky, until the ship was surrounded in total darkness. The only recognizable sign was a faint waning moon and the stars that stretched like a delicate veil of diamonds across the firmament.

  During dinner the oil lamps were lit, and some pirates took advantage of the occasion to bring out some instruments, and perform songs from their homeland. Their voices rose softly over the murmur of the wind and the conversations, as if trying to fill the emptiness that surrounded them. Some were on humorous subjects, rhymes about parties and rum, others were melancholy, full of nostalgia for the distant shore.

  “What do you say, Warwick?” asked one of his subordinates in a nonchalant tone as his lute let out sad chords. “Will we survive another night?”

  Olivia and Silas exchanged worried glances, but Warwick waved his arm. “Everything seems to be in order. The wind has picked up a little, that's all.”

  “Have you called the sirenians?”

  “We're waiting for their response.”

  “Why are you calling the sirenians?” Olivia asked worriedly.

  Warwick turned to her with a smirk. “It is very common, my lady Olivia. Every merchant ship makes a deal with the Freedom Sea Tribes to have a safe journey to the Fellowship of the Island. Of course, that, in our case, we have never needed it because we have a skilled helmsman.”

  “Useless at this moment,” Tavia remarked.

  “I think I know who's taking the night shift tonight,” said Warwick.

  “But you said you haven't heard back,” Olivia insisted.

  “Something must be holding them up.”

  Olivia glanced at Silas, and he nodded. If the Freedom Sea Tribes were not responding, surely it was because they had been afflicted with the same condition as Bronto. “Do they always take this long to answer?"

  "Nah, though sometimes they like to make you wait a bit," Warwick said, giving her a pat on the shoulder. “Don't worry at all. We'll have a quiet night tonight, and by tomorrow we'll have an answer for sure.”

  “That means we're all gonna die,” Tavia said.

  “Why don't you take the children to bed?” Warwick's voice hinted at a warning.

  The children complained, but could barely keep their eyes open as they followed Tavia to the cabin, shuffling their feet on the floor. Silas trailed after Olivia, who kept yawning, though not before taking a closer look at the clear sky, with no clouds to obscure either the moon or the stars. It would be a quiet night, as Warwick said, but the chimera suspected that Olivia must feel guilty for not telling them about what was really going on.

  They made their way to the cabin they shared with the children, who were soon tucked between the blankets with Tavia's help. They looked nothing like the culprits of the previous days. Even the arrogant Rufus looked innocent, as he let the pirate help him tuck his arm in to sleep more comfortably.

  “Hey, Tavia.” Rufus cinched the edge of his coat. ”Don't you think we deserve a nickname now?”

  Tavia burst out laughing, and shook her head. “You've only been on the ship for a few days, and already you think you're pirates! Besides, nicknames have to be earned. You're still very young.”

  Rufus didn't pay much attention to her words. “I was thinking: Rufus 'Big Shark' Barton, Vinnie 'Owl Eyes' Barton, Katty 'Devilish Smile' Barton, Penn 'The Invisible' Barton and Finn 'Lightning' Barton.”

  “So you're all related? That explains everything.”

  “Our parents abandoned us or ran away, so Rufus adopted us,” Vinnie explained, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  “Ah, I see,” Tavia's voice softened, as she smoothed out Katty's blanket, who curled up hugging a wooden doll one of the crew members had carved for her.

  “Except this one here,” Rufus pointed out. “Milo 'Sea Flea' Brent.”

  Milo ignored him, and Tavia scolded Rufus before they started another fight. Silas and Olivia lay down in the only remaining free corner of the cramped cabin, whose bunks were not big enough for all of them.

  “You're still too young to have nicknames, anyway,” she said. “I earned mine when I was barely seventeen.”

  “But Olivia and Silas are old enough now!” Katty objected.

  Tavia growled. “But they're not pirates.”

  “Rovenna Astra isn't a pirate, and she has a nickname,” Rufus reminded her. “And I also heard of another wizard who was recognized by pirates.”

  “You mean Fidelia “Raging Wind” Dabrus? I know her. But you can't say she's a wizard now...” Tavia went from one side to the other checking that the children kept still. “Anyway, those are exceptions.”

  “Olivia 'The Fairest' Shadowrock'' sighed Milo, and Olivia let out a giggle.

  Rufus mocked him. “Nobles don't have last names like commoners, you fool. Shadowrock is where she belongs.” The boy raised his still-immobilized arm. “Besides, I think a better nickname would be Olivia 'Bonebreaker.'”

  “I didn't do it on purpose!” Olivia protested, supported by Milo.

  Tavia's voice rose in the middle of the discussion. “I don't want to hear another word! If I happen to pass this way again and hear you talking, you'll spend the whole night tied to the mast!”

  The cabin fell into a dense silence as the pirate walked through the door, taking the only oil lamp with her. They heard the thud of the wood as it closed, and darkness enveloped them completely.

  However, the matter did not end there.

  “Hey, Silas,” whispered Katty “What's your last name?”

  Silas frowned at that question. “Chimeras don't have last names.”

  “So you're a nobleman?” Katty and Vinnie both exclaimed, and the rest of the group shouted at them to keep their voices down.

  Silas growled under his breath. “I'm not. It's just... Chimeras don't need a last name.”

  “Well, but you're in the human world now, you should have one.”

  “I don't need one.”

  Still, Vinnie and Katty kept insisting for quite a while.

  “Leave him alone now, let's go to sleep,” Olivia said gently. However, the girls didn't seem remotely tired, and the incessant hissing of their voices was becoming unbearable. It was like sleeping in a cave full of snakes.

  “Wandering Star.”

  Hearing this, the children let out exclamations that had to be silenced abruptly when they sensed footsteps approaching. Silas noticed Olivia stirring beside him.

  “What kind of last name is that?” Rufus growled when the danger had passed.

  “If a last name is the family name for humans... then I guess the name of my pack will do. Actually, my mother's pack.”

  “So your parents were from different packs?” Vinnie asked.

  “Every few moons, the packs usually meet at a special place to perform courtship among their members.”

  “Meaning...?”

  “My parents only met once, and from that meeting I was born.”

  “To make babies!” exclaimed Katty. “But how do you do that?”

  A heavy silence pervaded the cabin that was only broken by Olivia's cough. “It's not that interesting, I can assure you. Let's all go to sleep. Tavia may be back at any moment.”

  “But I want to know about Silas' pack! And babies!” Katty complained, but the others silenced her.

  “Silas will tell you tomorrow.”

  Silas really didn't want to talk any more, so he hoped that by the next day Katty would have forgotten all about it. He should have imagined that the children would not be satisfied with a simple answer, and he could guess that Olivia would also be eager to know more.

  But to talk about it would be to recall the most humiliating moment of his existence, something he had left behind as soon as he had crossed the mountains.

  Something warm brushed against him. In the darkness of the cabin, Olivia’s hand fumbled until it found his and gently wrapped around it. As if by instinct, Silas intertwined his fingers with hers, while the bad memories retreated like shadows afraid of the light.

  “Wandering Star is a great name for a ship...” Rufus' voice trailed off as he fell into sleep. “I think I'll steal it from you once I become captain, Silas 'The Avenger' Wandering Star.”

  Thank you for reading!

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