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You can't sleep anymore even if you wanted to, so you decide to go up on the deck for a while. Maybe some fresh air will help you clear your head.

The strong smell of the sea hits your nostrils before you even begin ascending the stairs that will take you up. When you finally emerge from the bowels of the barge, the sky above you is bathed in the reds and oranges and purples of an impending sunset. It's beautiful, you think.

You look around and spot Morkai and Straasa at the bow of the ship, and you decide to head for the stern. You need to be by yourself, and you're not all that sure your company would be welcome right now.

You lean on the railing and look back toward Shar's Port. That stinky town gave you nothing but trouble. You're glad to be away from it, even if it means you have to brave siren-infested waters to get away. The price is worth paying. What is a little danger if it can promise you your freedom in the end?

Besides, the sun is still up. It will still be up by the time you reach land. There's nothing to worry about; the sleazy harbormaster said sirens only come out at night, and you doubt that man would ever say anything to jeopardize his patronage. Besides, lying about killer creatures that may or may not kill and eat your customers seems like a bad business model to you.

A light breeze begins to pick up, and you wrap your cloak more securely around you. The cold is starting to bite, and you wonder whether it might be a better idea to head back down below. You are starting to feel uncomfortable, and it's not only because of the wind that's picking up speed, making the sailors around you chatter with nervousness.

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