At the first light of dawn, I woke up covered by tangled sheets. In my arms was the beautiful priestess who I'd long ago lost my heart to. Her long black hair cascaded down her bare back, and her naked form was still snuggled against me, fast asleep. The night before came back to me slowly in bits and pieces, but eventually, I remembered everything. Remembered how close we'd felt. Remembered the passion.

  How much I needed it.

  How much she needed it too.

  Our relationship had gone beyond the line we'd drawn. There was no walking away from this now. But it didn't matter. For all the self-doubt I'd been sitting on for so long, it felt so right. So natural. Like we were always meant to be together. I brushed some hairs from her face and ran my thumb along her jawline. Her eyes fluttered, and her blue eyes peeked out at me.

  "Good morning." I kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, her nose. I kissed everything that I could kiss.

  She giggled the whole time. When I finally finished my assault, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me tight. "Morning," she breathed into my ear.

  "Hungry?"

  "Famished."

  I squeezed her tightly and rolled her over top of me until she straddled my waist. Her raven locks tumbled down, casting shadows around her face. She smirked. "Didn't you get enough of me last night?"

  I laughed. "Are you complaining?"

  "Not in the least. Though I'm sore all over. You're relentless."

  I captured her lips with my own. "Isn't that something you like about me?"

  She kissed me back. "That's what I love about you."

  "That I'm relentless?" My hands roamed up and down her sides.

  "Yes. And you're not terrible on the eyes." She bent over and kissed the corner of my jaw. "That's a plus."

  I kissed her neck. "I'm happy you feel that way. I think you might be stuck with me."

  "And why's that?"

  "I don't plan to let you go."

  "Ever?"

  "Never." I bit her neck.

  With a playful moan, she arched her back. "Mmmm. That means our roots really have grown together."

  "Completely." I kissed down her collarbone. "I couldn't let go if I tried."

  "Of course not." She ran her hands through my hair. "I entwined you a long time ago. You're just starting to catch on." She moaned as I kissed lower.

  I wrapped my arm around her waist and rolled, pinning her beneath me. I kissed the hollow of her throat, then her collarbone, then nibbled along her ear. Her legs wrapped around my hips, and we fell into one another.

  ***

  An hour later, we were all smiles as we strolled up the hallway. Her arm was wrapped around mine, and I kept catching her stealing glances at me. Mostly because I was doing the same thing. When we got close to her room, however, we heard what I could only describe as the sounds of a dying cat.

  "It's okay, just breathe..." Sophia's voice sounded from behind their door.

  "I'm gonna die." Vral sounded terrible.

  "You're going to be okay. It's just a hangover."

  "Goddess, save me. I'll do anything!" Vral gasped before loudly heaving.

  "We need to get you water, and maybe some toas—"

  "I can't eat. I'll never eat again." Her voice got frantic. "Dark Lord's balls, I'm gonna—" Vral's words cut off as she loudly vomited.

  Stopping just outside their door, I looked down at Tristan. "Breakfast?"

  Her face dropped. "I should really..."

  "I know. Want me to bring something back?"

  "Please do. For all of us, if you don't mind." She grabbed my shirt collar and pulled me into a kiss. A long, hard kiss that made me wish we'd stayed in bed all day. As we broke apart, she winked at me. Then, without saying a word, she turned, fished out her stone, and disappeared into her room. "And what did I tell you last night, Vral? You drank far too much!"

  "Oh, shove off. I don't need your lectures right now, little miss 'I'm going out for a quick bath!' Can't you see I'm—" The goblin's words cut off as she heaved. Then she vomited again.

  Shaking my head, I headed to the dining hall. On the way, I ran into Borun and Vassa exiting another hallway. The woman's long silver hair was disheveled, and Borun's beard was sticking up everywhere.

  Vassa blushed furiously when she saw me. "Um, morning!"

  I chuckled. "Morning! Sleep well?" I couldn't help but grin at the two. They'd been discrete since we'd met, but I'd had a strong feeling they were an item. Eadrun revealed the night before that, due to cultural taboos amongst dwarves regarding sexual matters, most relationships were kept quiet until marriage, and interracial relationships were doubly so. However, due to the liquid courage and our general lack of judgment, they'd gotten pretty touchy the night before. And, apparently, they felt comfortable to, well, get intimate.

  "Erm..."

  "We did, my boy! Very well. Nothing like a good night's sleep at the Golden Sea." The dark circles and drooping eyelids said otherwise, but I just nodded. "Anyway, the two of us are off to eat a big breakfast before heading out. Would you and the ladies care to join us?"

  "Actually, Vral got too far into the ale late last night and is having a rough morning. The girls are tending to her now, but I'd love to join you."

  "Heh, damn goblin only drank a few mugs. Not much meat on her bones, though. Makes sense." The dwarf chuckled. "Well, the can girls take care of themselves for a while. I'll have some breakfast sent over. In the meantime, let's eat!"

  When we entered the inn's dining hall, a big airy space with several large tables and many smaller ones, hardly anyone was inside. A couple of patrons were sitting at a high top drinking coffee and reading books, and one was busily scratching away at a long scroll. Other than them, we had the room to ourselves.

  Taking a table near a wide picture window with a view of the sea, the server arrived, and the three of us ordered breakfast. Eadrun met us, and before long, we were digging into plates heaped with eggs, some kind of smoked

  fish that tasted a lot like salmon, and thick slices of buttered bread. Eadrun, who was generally the quietest of the trio and forever serious,

  chewed with a frown on his face before nodding at the window.

  "Clouds rolling in heavy," he muttered around a mouthful of fish. "Storm’s coming."

  Borun

  followed his gaze. The horizon, which had been perfectly clear the day before, was now a bruise of dark

  gray. "We’ve weathered worse. We’ll make for Llyn as soon as

  the girls are ready."

  Vassa frowned. "If it gets bad, we might be stuck here another day." She smiled. "Not that I'd mind."

  I swallowed a bite of fish. "Not the worst fate. Fairview’s growing on me."

  Borun chuckled. "Spoken like a man who’s not paying for his room."

  "I don't even want to know."

  "You sure don't." Borun speared a piece of fish and shoved it in his mouth.

  Stolen story; please report.

  A comfortable silence settled over the table... until the sky started falling.

  In one big sheet, a torrent of rain fell. Thunder

  shook the inn, rattling the walls. The windows flashed white, and then

  even more rain fell, thick as a curtain, slamming against the glass.

  For the first time in a long time, I felt my heart race. My vision tunneled. This felt far too familiar. My left arm tingled with every lightning strike, and the memory of my old Pathfinder sinking into the abyss filled my mind. I took some deep breaths, but the anxiety lingered.

  Borun cursed and shoved back his chair. "Damn it all." He stood and rushed out of the dining hall and through the front doors, heading toward the stables.

  We

  stood and followed, but while Eadrun and Vassa followed him, I joined a handful of other guests peering

  out the front doors. Lightning forked across the sky, illuminating the Golden Way, which had turned into a

  river of churning water. The wind howled, tearing at shop signs and

  sending barrels tumbling.

  My heart pounded in my ears. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and stabilized my nerves. I was okay. It was going to be okay. Turning, I headed back toward the rooms. Soon, I was rapping on their door, which swung open. Tristan was on the other side. She gave me a big smile as I entered the room.

  Vral

  was sprawled on the bed, one arm draped over her eyes, her usual green

  complexion tinged with gray. Sophia sat beside her, offering a piece of

  dry toast to her like she was a child, and, like a child, she was having none of it. Tristan squeezed my hand before heading to the washbasin in the corner and wringing

  out a cloth.

  "A storm’s hit," I said. "I don't think we're going anywhere until it passes."

  Tristan tossed the cloth to Vral, who slapped it onto her forehead with a

  groan. "Thank the shadow. I wasn't gonna make it on that wagon."

  Sophia patted her shoulder. "You’ll feel better soon."

  "I’ll feel better when I’m dead."

  "Eat a little. You'll feel better."

  "I will cut you if you keep that up. I'm not eating." The goblin rolled onto her side, away from the noblewoman.

  Tristan

  shot me an apologetic look. "Normally, I’d heal her, but after

  Embermist Keep…" She flexed her fingers, faint silver light flickering

  and fading. "My spirit’s still recovering."

  I nodded. "Rest up. We’ve got time."

  She nodded. "It just stinks."

  "I know." I walked up to her and pulled her into a hug. "But you were incredible. You deserve the rest."

  "No one wants to see that!" Vral shouted. I saw the goblin's red eyes glaring at us through a mirror on the wall. "If anyone needs comfort right now, it's me! You two get over here and pamper me. And throw the wannabe duchess out. She'll just keep trying to feed me."

  All three of us laughed. Tristan and Sophia crawled onto the bed, and I went to walk around to sit on the end table.

  Then the shouting started.

  It

  came from outside—urgent, panicked. I crossed to the window and looked outside. Below,

  townsfolk were sprinting toward the cliffs, pointing at the sea.

  As I watched, words appeared in my mind.

  The area quest [Roil of the Golden Sea] has opened.

  [Roil of the Golden Sea]:

  Do you accept this quest?

  It wasn't even a question.

  [Roil of the Golden Sea] accepted.

  "Did you all get that?"

  "Get what?" Tristan asked. She and Vral looked at one another, confused, but Sophia was pushing herself off the bed.

  "Stay here," I said, already heading for the door.

  "Alex!" Sophia's voice.

  "I’ll be back!"

  I

  rushed down the hall and to the front doors. The

  rain lashed at my face as I sprinted toward the cliffs. At the

  cliff’s edge, a crowd had gathered, their shouts swallowed by the storm.

  Then I saw it.

  The

  monster-scarred ship that I'd noticed the day before had torn free

  of its moorings. Waves hurled it against the docks, its hull grinding

  into the smaller boats, half of which were in thousands of pieces. A dozen sailors and dockworkers strained at ropes, but the storm and ship were winning.

  I scanned the cliffside. How the hell did people get down there?

  A hand grabbed mine. Sophia, breathless, her hair plastered to her face, was here. "It's this way!"

  "I told you to stay—"

  "You're not the only one who gets to make decisions!" Her pale blue eyes bored into mine. "I'm here to help."

  She wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Okay. Let's do it."

  "This way!" She pulled me to the north. Nearby, a mid-sized stone building stood at the edge of the cliff. Entering a large open archway, I was greeted with the smell of fresh water and fish. Ahead of us was a tunnel downward. Sophia pulled me forward.

  The

  tunnel was slick with seawater, and the stairs were rough and uneven, but, after a few near tumbles, we made it to the bottom. There, a large archway opened, revealing the splintering docks and massive waves beyond. We exploded through the archway and onto the flooded docks. A moment later, I skipped to a stop beside a burly tattooed man wrestling with a fraying

  line.

  "Hold this!" he bellowed, thrusting the rope at me.

  I

  gripped it—and nearly lost my footing as the ship lurched. My muscles

  burned, my boots digging into the rain-slick wood. The rope bit into my

  palms, but I held fast, channeling the strength that came with

  being a Guardian.

  "I've got you!" Sophia said behind me as she took the rope. Despite her small size, she was strong. The boat shuddered as we pulled its bow toward the docks.

  "Tie it off!" someone shouted to the right. A glance revealed five men wrestling with the rear end of the ship. Another group was doing its best to save a small fishing vessel. As I watched, I was nearly thrown from my feet.

  "Focus! Don't worry about them!"

  "But they're losing!"

  Sophia grunted. "Come on, men! Don't give up!" She shouted, and a pulse of energy struck me.

  [Rallying Cry]

  I felt every muscle in my body tighten, and my feet found their footing. The ship pulled closer to the docks. We fought

  for every inch, the ship groaning like it was alive. Planks

  splintered. A fishing boat capsized, swallowed by the waves. A nearby man was thrown into the sea, and only a stray rope kept him from being lost. He screamed as his fellows pulled him back in, his leg bent in the wrong direction.

  "The sea can't defeat the good men of Fairview! Come on, men. Push!" Sophia cried behind me.

  [Mass Lion's Strength]

  As one, we all heaved. The ship shuddered under the force, but we pulled it against the docks. One by one, the dockworkers secured the lines while Sophia and I held the bow in place. Then, with a final heave, we got the boat in line with the dock, and she secured the line.

  Falling to the soaked ground, I gasped as air filled my burning lungs. Beside me, Sophia panted, her porcelain skin red with exertion. For a long time, we didn't speak. The crashing of waves and peels of thunder rattled the earth and shook our bodies. The wet wind bit into our skin, but my skin steamed, and I could taste the salt of sweat on my lips. Just as I felt myself begin to cool, I felt her back press against mine.

  "Thanks for the help." I panted.

  "I should be thanking you." I felt her breathing slow. "These are my people. It's my duty. But you had no obligation to come. Thank you."

  I nodded. "It was the right thing to do."

  She laughed. "You can believe what you want about yourself, but you really are worthy."

  Before I could respond, a grizzled man with a salt-and-pepper beard walked up, the same one who'd handed me a rope initially. "Damn fine work, lad." He nodded to Sophia. "And you, lass. We'd have been lost without your help." He jerked his head toward a sheltered

  alcove under the cliffs. "Now, get out of the rain before you catch a fever. We'll finish up out here."

  Standing, I offered a hand to Sophia, who took it. Dripping and exhausted, we stumbled to the cliffs. A large alcove sheltered us from the rain but not the wind. Seeing her skin prickle all over, I wrapped my arms around her.

  She looked up at me. "Thanks. Truly."

  We stood like that for a while. After the dock hands finished the brunt of their work, the older man returned and thrust a flask into my hand. "Drink."

  Nodding, I followed my orders. The instant I swallowed, fire

  bloomed in my throat, and I felt every ounce of my skin heat up. It was some kind of distilled grain liquor with an herbal taste. Mixed with a potion, maybe? "Holy hell, that's bad."

  The man chuckled. "It'll keep you well at the very least. Name’s Harrick," he said. "You two just saved me and the lads ten year’s wages."

  I handed Sophia the flask and nodded to the man. "Alex. We're happy to help."

  Sophia shuddered as she swallowed the stuff. "Goddess, that's rough." Wiping her lips, she handed the flask back to Harrick. "Soph—Elowen."

  He grinned, teeth yellowed but well-kept. "Elowen, eh?" He looked her up and down. "You sure about that?"

  I looked down at her and realized she wasn't wearing her mask. "Your mask..."

  "Shit." She fished in her pockets, but there was nothing.

  Harrick unslung his cloak and handed it to her. "You likely don't remember me, lass, but I remember you. That scar of yours gives you away. Seeing as you've not collected new ones, can I assume you've not been climbing any other ship's masts against its first mate's orders?"

  She lifted her fingers to her cheek. "I... I know you." She pulled away from me and rushed to him, wrapping him in a big hug. "Harry!"

  "The same." He hugged her back before pushing her to arm's length. Looking her over, he said, "You've grown, girl." Nodding to me, he added, "You've found yourself a suitor?"

  She shook her head. "A friend. One who knows when to warm a woman when she's cold."

  He grinned. "Well, you could do worse. He's a good man from what I've seen. Not many would rush to our aid like that." He unslung his cloak and handed it to her. "Cover yourself, little lady. It'd be no good if your dad's old first mate didn't offer his cloak to his favorite child, Goddess preserve him." He looked over his shoulder at the other sailors, then turned back and lowered his voice. "Also, while not many are around from those days, there's no need to take any risks."

  Sophia wrapped Harrick's cloak around her shoulders and pulled the hood over her head. "Thank you, Harry."

  "Anytime, little lady." He took a step back. "You in town for a while?"

  "Until the storms stop."

  "Then let's chat before you go. I've some information you may find useful. Where you staying?"

  Sophia looked at me, but I didn't know what the right call was. I shrugged. "The Golden Sea."

  "Phew, you rich folks and your money." He took her hand in his. "I owe your dad a lot. Least I can do is help you out." He smiled a wide, genuine smile. "I'll come and call for you, Elowen. Until then, keep your head down. Some bad fish are swimming in this pond." With a small bow, he turned on his heel and began bellowing orders to the others.

  Sophia turned. "Do you think I did the right thing?"

  "I think so. He seems like a good person." I smiled. "But either way, it was your call to make. I'll support you either way."

  She nodded slowly. "Thank you again, Alex."

  "Let's get back to the hotel. We're done here." I took a step toward the tunnel, but words appeared in my mind.

  You've completed the area quest [Roil of the Golden Sea].

  You reach [Guardian] level 5.

  As we entered the tunnel, a familiar scent stopped me cold.

  Lavender.

  I turned. There, on the far side of the docks, under the archway of a similar tunnel, was a cloaked figure. I could feel our eyes meet. They held my gaze for a long moment before they turned and disappeared into the tunnel.

  "Sophia, get back to the inn. I'll be there soon."

  "What are you..."

  The storm drowned out her words as I broke into a sprint.