Medical
Officer Bellani applied an aloe salve to the burns on Lauren’s arms
and neck. Nadalia stood next to her. The lovers made idle chatter
while Bellani healed Lauren’s burns. After the expedition party
returned to the ship, Nadalia, Chelsea, and Barnard were there to
greet them. Strea and Valentina were off to the side in shade,
squinting and holding their heads. Nadalia had hugged Lauren, made a
comment about the burns, and the two had left to see Bellani at the
insistence of the ship�

An
arrow thudded into the hut by Milukbriost’s head. A series of runes
lit up with an orange glow along the arrow’s shaft, and the arrow
burst into flames. The fire spread onto the hut. Milukbriost did not
flinch at the arrow or the sudden flames. She did, however, block the
club of the cultist with her round shield. The cultist’s club
rebounded off her shield, sending a reverberation up the cultist’s
arm to stun her, giving Milukbriost a chance to cut between the
cultist’s shoulder an

Lauren
returned the rightful lead to Captain Theresah, so the captain could
search for the instrument they sought. Midafternoon arrived, and
Lauren wondered if they would have to return to the ship before night
fell. Captain Theresah took parchment out from her coat once in a
while and conversed with Allison, off to the side. These
conversations never took more than two minute, so the island
expedition group travelled at a semi-steady pace. Once the first
hints of yellow and orange crept into th

I
thought it would be fun to list out some ages for the main
characters. You know I can’t get enough of charts and lists and
numbers. This kind of stuff borders on obsessive for me. In any case,
this particular list will be updated about as frequently as the gear
descriptions, unlike the heights. For reference, the ages and titles
are based at the character’s first appearance, not whatever part I
just put out, excluding the deities. After this version, a
character’s titles will be updated

“Now,
let me stop you right there,” Quartermaster Allison said. “I’ve
no idea what a Djinn is, but it sounds like you’re in a bad spot.
Don’t separate from the group. Not on this island.”
“How
many times do we have to pound it into your skull, Miss Lauren?”
Captain Theresah said. “You are not the only victim of these
washups.”
Captain Theresah swung
her right arm at the strewn wreckage and skeletons. “Whomever they
might have allied with is not one you should go at alone

Lauren,
Melody, Nadalia, and Captain Theresah’s boots thudded onto the deck
of the Hushed
Bride.
Barnard stood next to the ladder for their arrival. Some of the crew
had returned to the top deck to help the sail the ship. Valentina
stood near Barnard. Connie was at the helm.
“That’s
all of ‘em, Connie,” Barnard said. “Get us away from this
nightmare.”
“Sailing
underway,” Connie said.
“Barnard,
I’m proud you didn’t leave us dead to rights,” Captain Theresah
said. “Y

Lauren
brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes, and hoped the never-ceasing
wind would not make her do it again for a sixtieth time. The
landscape in front of her was dust, rock, and sand, devoid of life of
any form. In fact, in every direction as far as the eye could see and
beyond, the world yielded naught but flat terrain and miniscule
minerals. A dim sun scorched the world beyond a colorless sky. Lauren
rubbed her jaw. She looked over at her brother, Ray, and her sister,
Vanessa.
“So,
you

    

Side by side, I couldn’t tell the difference. The

copy was an exact replica of the original seal. I grinned. I stashed the fake in my lockbox and placed the original in my travelling pouch. I grabbed my key and left my shop. I locked the door. I always locked the door when I left the shop, no matter how far I went. Too many things the guards might take offence to

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