Quiet Waters

The ship rocked gently as the sun dipped lower in the sky, its golden light casting long shadows over the deck. The wind was steady, the sea calm. For once, nothing was trying to kill them.

Tomas stood at the wheel, gripping it like he actually knew what he was doing. "Alright, if we keep heading west, we should hit Cliff's Edge by morning. Or… sometime before we starve to death."

Beren, leaning against the mast, squinted at the horizon. "You're just turning it back and forth, aren't you?"

Tomas grunted. "I'm adjusting course."

Beren folded his arms. "Right. Totally different from guessing."

Tomas scowled but didn't argue.

Mira watched them from the deck below, shaking her head before turning back to Arlan. "I know you're avoiding it," she said.

Arlan, sitting cross-legged near the railing, kept his eyes on the shifting waves. "Avoiding what?"

Mira crossed her arms. "Dropping your summons."

At the other end of the deck, Vrekk stood motionless, watching the horizon with his eerie yellow-green eyes. Gorrick sat nearby, idly gnawing on a piece of dried meat, though the undead brute didn't actually need to eat. The presence of both was a problem—if they were caught in Cliff's Edge with two very undead companions, hiding Arlan's magic would be impossible.

Arlan exhaled, rubbing his temples. "You know I don't like dismissing them."

"Because you don't know if you can bring them back," Mira said.

Arlan stiffened. "That's not—" He sighed. "Okay, maybe that's part of it."

"Look, I know they're more than just summons to you," Mira said gently. "But we can't risk walking into Cliff's Edge with them. It's just for a little while."

Arlan was quiet.

He knew she was right. He had dismissed Bones once before, back at the start of their journey. He had felt the emptiness when the magic uncoiled, the strange silence where a presence had been. And even though he had resummoned Bones later, he hadn't forgotten that moment of uncertainty—wondering if he had truly erased something that mattered.

Vrekk turned his head slightly, as if sensing the conversation. His glowing eyes met Arlan's, unreadable.

"Fine," Arlan muttered. "I'll try."

He stood up and stretched out a hand toward Gorrick first. The magic binding the undead ratman to him was constant, like a thread woven into his being. Arlan focused on cutting it.

"Rest," he murmured.

Gorrick's body stiffened, then crumbled into a pile of bones and dust. The energy holding him together snapped, and for a split second, Arlan felt hollow, like something had been ripped from him.

Mira watched him closely. "How does it feel?"

Arlan shook his head. "Like holding onto something for so long that when you let go, you still feel it."

Mira nodded. "Try Vrekk."

Arlan hesitated. "Vrekk?"

The wraith stared at him. Silent. Waiting.

Arlan steeled himself. "Rest."

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, like a shadow fading at dawn, Vrekk dissolved into nothing. No dust, no bones—just gone.

The silence that followed felt too loud.

Mira placed a hand on his shoulder. "See? You can bring them back when it's safe."

Arlan didn't answer. He wasn't sure if he believed that yet.

Tomas's voice broke the moment. "Alright, Beren, I think I figured it out."

Beren raised an eyebrow. "Figured what out?"

Tomas pointed at the sails, which were currently catching no wind. "I think we're supposed to adjust those."

Beren blinked. "You mean the thing that actually moves the ship?"

"Yeah."

Beren sighed. "You are never captaining a ship again."

Arlan let out a breath that was almost a laugh. Mira smiled, nudging him toward the railing. "Come on. You need air."

They stood side by side, watching the open sea stretch endlessly in front of them.

Arlan shifted awkwardly. "So, uh… thanks. For earlier."

Mira glanced at him, amused. "For what? Bullying you into listening to reason?"

"Something like that."

A comfortable silence settled between them. The waves lapped against the ship, the wind tugged at their cloaks.

Then Mira looked at him, a little softer now. "You never did get the hang of the romance part, huh?"

Arlan tensed. "What? I— That's not—"

Mira laughed. "You always get like this. It's cute."

Arlan stared ahead, suddenly very interested in the water.

She leaned against the railing, her voice quieter. "We'll get there eventually."

Arlan swallowed. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

The next morning Leila's voice rang out. "Land ahead!"

Everyone scrambled to the side, and there it was—Cliff's Edge, rising from the horizon, its towering cliffs bathed in golden light.

The quiet was over.

They had arrived.