As the fleet began to prepare to head out, Interceptor's captain went to shore after a bit of arguing. "You know what? Fine!" Interceptor sighed, shaking his head. Prince smirked. "If he's still alive when we get, I think he deserves to stay here." "I say let him. If he can get my sister to fall in line, more power to him." Tahoma snorted. She led the way upriver, knowing exactly where Loowit was talking about. It was a clever place to hide the Apple as the rushing waters of the river now known as the Snake entered and swirled where it met the larger river, today called Columbia. "I can't believe we're this close." Dark Shadow murmured. "We'd be magma drinks if we didn't have the favor of the Apple's Guardians." Interceptor pointed out, looking to Tahoma thankfully. "Don't thank me. Kohala told me you carry Campe Flegrei's blessing. We are bound to honor it." The large volcano grunted. "I'm sorry if it's not something you like." He sighed softly, "We'll be on our way soon enough. Aside from my apparently suicidal captain, we'll be out of your figurative hair." She chuckled. "Well I wouldn't be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to that." She said.
A large narrow canyon was where Interceptor felt the Apple's call. "It's there." he nodded, grimacing. They sailed in single file through the tight space. Eventually the canyon expanded back out to a wide estuary. Pearl nosed the rocks, searching carefully. "Interceptor, over here!" She called. He looked over. "Perfect! Pearl, you take it. I trust you with it." She reached out and picked it up. At her touch, she felt something. A familiar presence but it was different, it was tainted. It was dark. Tahoma and the two Hawaiians backed up, also sensing the change and they were nervous gunports twitching. Then something happened that no volcano had ever seen before. Not even Loowit. The Apple was white gold with dark gold patches connected by seams. It glowed dimly. But then it turned to ashes in her grip, the flakes flying away with a gush of wind that turned the sky red and parted the clouds. The coast around the estuary caught flame, the fire licking at the rocks above as the large flat rock above the altar where the Apple was cracked. Shadows seeped out of that huge crack and formed the image of a mighty dragon, who stared down at them, like a shadow puppet. "What is that?" Pearl gasped, backing up. "I don't know." Kohala whispered. Tahoma didn't give it a chance to attack, she and Mauna Loa opened fire. "Run!" Kohala shouted. The shots of molten metal and rock did nothing to the stone wall nor the shadow upon it. The black figure spread its wings. "You dare to take the Apple." a growling voice echoed throughout the land, all too familiar to the volcano ships, "You will be tested. Challenged. Facing hardships that will define you. You will have to destroy that which you once loved. And you will only succeed if you have my blood within your veins. Should you find yourself at the end of this path, you will begin a new era of change." the serpent then breathed fire, emitting from the rock, and forming a scroll upon the altar. Just as soon as it had arrived, the shadow sunk back into the crack, the fires died, and the sky returned to its normal blue. "Damn NuSorik! Damn him!" Tahoma fumed. "What did he mean?" Pearl asked. "Nothing good." Kohala replied. "NuSorik was the master of killing. He will use your ghosts against you. Anyone's who's death you regret…""Shouldn't have expected this to be easy. Not a treasure like this." Dark Shadow hissed. "Let me lead. I dragged you into this." Pearl sighed. "I think its best to let us be guided by the experts." She looked to the volcanoes. Tahoma was angry and Mauna Loa wary. Kohala looked down, almost ashamed. "You can't count on me to protect you. My guns are useless." She said. An odd statement to make as she carried nearly as many guns as Prince did. "Age surely hasn't affected you?" Dark Shadow frowned. "Not the same way it does you." She replied, looking away. "Our guns are fired by our own magma supply. And I don't have enough left." "Not even for a single volley?" Mauna Loa asked. "No." Kohala replied with a heavy sigh. Interceptor grimaced, before sighing. "Go home, Kohala. We'll deal with this." "I can't do that now. NuSorik was not just speaking to Pearl, he was speaking to all of us. Like it or not, we're stuck in this together." Pearl looked to her mate, seeing his concern. "Interceptor, what's wrong?" She asked. "Tides are changing with the time." he murmured quietly, his eyes glowing dimly with Britannia's powers, "Whatever happens, this journey will be our last beneath the Black Flag." "Then it is one we are honored to make." Pearl replied. "You must lead us Interceptor. You've guided us this far." Tahoma said. "We will follow you, ku'u mea aloha." Kohala added with a dip of her prow.
They left the canyon behind and headed west back out to sea. As they went the water got rough very quick. For the most part the fleet handled it well but Kohala started to struggle in the high winds. Having to constantly readjust her sails to the changing winds sapped her strength. "We should find shelter." Pearl said, grimacing as a 20 footer broke over her side. "Looks like there's a large river just down the coast. Jesus that's a wide river." Dark Shadow said, drawing their eyes to the mouth of what would one day be named the Columbia River. "Use extreme caution entering there. The shifting sands make for dangerous sailing." Tahoma warned. "Noted." Pearl grunted and the fleet tacked to head for it. The wind shifted and they were forced to work against the wind towards the river. The only thing they had working for them was the tide and it pushed them ever closer to the treacherous waters. Mauna Loa, fleetfooted that she was, was the first to make it across and anchored in the sheltered area that would become Astoria. "It's nice and calm here if you can get to it!" She called. The fleet made their way one by one.
Prince was the first casualty. His deep draft did not aid him and a dangerous swell and shift in wind found him run aground hard on a sandbar. "I'm okay!" he hissed in pain, "I'll be fine here, I can take the punishment thanks to my size. I'll try to wiggle off when we decide to move out!" "Like hell you're staying there. The waves will bury you in that sand. I've seen it happen." Tahoma hissed. Kohala was a blur as she charged forward before Interceptor or anyone could stop her. Small as she was, she was able to get her teeth around Prince's stern and backwinded her sails, pulling hard. Prince was freed and Pearl helped him across the bar. Catcher followed, the small brig guarded from the high swell by Tahoma. That left Interceptor and Kohala and the volcano was so winded she couldn't speak. Surprisingly it was Dark Shadow who saved the day with them. Despite having already made it across he set out again on a dash. With the wind on his side for now he made good time. However another cursed shift nearly drove him into the same sandbar that had got Prince. Thanks to some expert sailing and quick reflexes he managed to just miss the treacherous obstacle by bracing his yards in a way that the wind turned him away from it. He used the same tactic to turn around when he got to the pair. Shielding them as Tahoma did with Catcher, the waves and wind relented to allow them a safe sail at a speed Kohala could appreciate. The old volcano just managed to stagger across the bar. She rolled on her side in the near still waters, panting. "Thank you, Dark Shadow." She managed. He nodded, "Of course. You don't need to thank me. Just rest up." the first rate sighed, moving over to anchor by his sister. Mauna Loa sat over her sister protectively. Interceptor heard her whisper "You're so cold!" Pearl sat alongside her mate. "She can't stay here." She said. "If she loses much more heat she'll fade." Tahoma agreed. Interceptor pulled out the scroll left by NuSorik's act and studied it. "It's a map of the Pacific. It's accurate. The Galapagos and Hawaii are here..." he pointed to the two island chains, "Our first clue must be here." his rigging rested upon the islands of Indonesia. "We can head back to Hawaii and drop off Kohala there before continuing on to here." Pearl whistled. "It's a long way." She murmured. "I'll manage until we reach Hawai'i!" Kohala rasped out.
"Well you heard the lady. To Hawaii we go." Prince grunted, tending to his keel. "After I can patch that." Tacoma said as she nudged him. "You got the materials to?" he snorted. "You ever heard of petrified wood? I can make that, words great as a patch. It's lightweight and strong." She replied. "Ah right," he chuckled lightly, wincing, "volcano." "And don't you forget it!" Tahoma purred with a wink. "Ah, Tahoma?" Mauna Loa came forward. "Yes dear?" "Should I make it? I'm not as likely to um, destroy the wood." She offered. Tahoma nodded and Mauna Loa eyed her target, his keel. "Now, you need to stay perfectly still for this. It won't feel nice but if I do it right, it's not gonna be too bad." "Any recommendations on how to not move?" In answer Tahoma pinned him. "Go ahead Loa." She ordered. "Okay." The volcano took a breath and every so carefully she snorted, small gobs of lava dripping onto his keel. The wood steamed and the lava quickly filled in the areas that were missing. "Roll him over." She ordered and there was a cloud of steam as the lava cooled and hardened in place. "Should be good now." She said. Prince was out like a doused candle. The pain had been so much so suddenly he fainted. Tacoma sighed, looking slightly regretful. But his hull was sealed. Mauna Loa returned to Kohala's side and Pearl stood protectively over her son. Interceptor watched the waves silently. Though each ship had their own means to pass the time or occupy themselves, one could tell he was always thinking.
At some point, the others drifted off to sleep but Kohala remained awake. She was still lying on her side but she watched him, her eyes flashing occasionally in the darkness. A hint of flame in the night. He wanted to sleep, but he just couldn't bring himself to. There was something out there passed the river mouth. Something waiting for them. And it made the brig tense. If he noticed Kohala, he didn't say anything. "Our first test I presume." Kohala murmured. "No," he murmured quietly, eyes fixed on a section of tempestuous waves in the distance, "our Judge and Executioner.' "What do you make of it?" Kohala tried to right herself for a better look but she just ended up flopping back down on her side. She didn't try again. "I'm not sure yet. Whatever it is, it's bigger than the kraken. Then Campe." "Then we must be careful coming out. This storm will last the next two days anyways. Have you thought about calling her in? Campe I mean. We could use her muscle." "Wherever she is, she is serving Long Shadow." "Right." Kohala sighed. "It was Britannia who asked her to do that. I used to think she just wanted Campe to look out for her bonded but now I know better. She accompanied you on your first voyage to my home. Britannia gave you a protector in her." She sighed tiredly but managed to find the strength to smile at him. "You have lead us this far, survived this long Interceptor. You are her worthy successor."
