The crew stood in stunned silence before it was broken by Ali. "Stella!" Ali dashed up the gangplank towards Stella and threw her arms around her in a hug, causing Stella to wince a bit in pain but still reciprocated the hug. "I thought I'd never see you again!" Ali managed to choke out through sobs, "Please never do that again!"
"I'm sorry." Stella replied as Zhen and Koa also joined in the group hug, being a bit gentler than Ali had been, "I didn't want you all to die there, but I also knew if we all retreated, Graymarrow would just hunt us down. I'm sorry if I scared you guys."
"We're just glad you're okay, cap." Koa replied with a relieved smile. "So is Graymarrow gone then?" Sandra asked, approaching from behind the group alongside Larinna, "Am I finally free of him?"
"Nope." Ais replied, "He's still around."
"Wait, what?!" Zhen exclaimed, confused, "Then how did you get the jewel?!"
"I really want to explain," Stella began, "But I'm exhausted. I'll tell you everything after a quick nap." That's when Ali noticed it. The gem on Stella's chest was dimmer than usual, barely pulsing. Just how much energy did she use? "Good call." Ais agreed before turning to the group, "I'll bring Stella to the Icebreaker. Then I'll meet you guys at the tavern."
"O-okay…" Ali nodded as she watched Ais help Stella down the gangplank and lead her down the docks to the Icebreaker.
"What do you think happened?" Larinna asked Sandra. "I don't know…but they don't seem to concerned about Graymarrow still hanging around." Sandra replied. "What did you mean earlier…?" Koa asked as the group began to head back to the tavern, "About being free of Graymarrow."
"A-ah, right." Sandra rubbed the back of her neck nervously, "I'll explain later when Stella's rested up. I want her to hear this too."
Koa nodded in understanding as the group headed into the tavern.
The small group of pirates sat at one of the tables drinking together when Ali noticed Stella enter the tavern. "How're you holding up now?" Ais asked as Stella sat down. "A lot better now." Stella smiled, "Not at full strength yet, but not on the verge of collapsing."
"So…what happened?" Koa asked, "How did you manage to get the jewel if Graymarrow is still alive?"
"Well…" Stella began.
Several hours earlier…
Everything seemed to go into slow motion as Stella began to fall from the cliff, thoughts rushing through her head. 'No…it can't be…mom…the reason she never arrived at in the Sea of the Damned…was because her soul got marooned…because of Graymarrow.'
That's when something clicked- no, when something snapped in Stella.
'Graymarrow…it's all because of him…because of him, mom never made it to the Shores of Gold…because of him, mom's soul is trapped somewhere, all alone…because of him, mom's dead…and now I am too...
...no...I won't! I can't give up! Mom needs me...my crew needs me! I can't die! I won't die!
I WON'T DIE!'
Graymarrow let out a disappointed sigh as he walked away from the cliff, "Even with those powers, that kid was just another worm. Shame. I was hoping for-" Graymarrow suddenly stopped in his tracks as a mist began to flood the area from behind him. As he turned around to see what was causing it…
* ! ! !*
Graymarrow grunted in pain as something whacked him across the face, sending him flying into a nearby rock. "The hell…?" Graymarrow growled as he got to his feet. Where the cliff was, a large cloud of icy mist had developed around it. Graymarrow could make out something large in the middle of it, seeming to draw closer. Emerging from the mist was a large, reptilian-like creature with ice-blue scales, teal wings, spikes, claws, and stomach plates, a messy, flowing, dark teal mane of fur, large fangs emerging from its mouth, and bright teal eyes with black scleras. It growled at Graymarrow as it slowly stalked towards him, teeth bared, and eyes trained on the skeleton lord in front of it. Graymarrow chuckled as he noticed the blue gem pulsing brightly on its chest. "Good!" Graymarrow laughed, "I never had the chance to fight against momma Icewind's dragon form." Graymarrow pointed his cleaver at the draconic Stella, "Don't disappoint me, worm."
Stella let out an enraged roar as she charged at Graymarrow. Skeletons emerged from the dirt and went to attack the ice dragon. Stella reared up onto her hind legs as she let out a blast of icy air from her mouth, freezing the skeletons in place before landing back onto all fours and swinging around, shattering the frozen skeletons with her tail. "Not bad…" Graymarrow chuckled as Stella went to charge at him again. Graymarrow dashed at her and used his lantern to teleport at the last second, reappearing behind her and slamming his chests together. Stella was shoved forward a few feet by the shockwave, but it seemed to only enrage the dragon more as she smacked him with her tail, nearly knocking him over before taking off into the air. Stella snarled as ice spears appeared in the air beside her and rained down towards Graymarrow. Graymarrow dodged the incoming projectiles, being grazed by a few. Graymarrow looked up just in time to spot Stella divebombing him and ducked out of the way. Stella shook her head, trying to shrug off the pain of impacting the ground as Graymarrow lunged at her with his sword. Stella wasn't able to dodge in time as Graymarrow sliced at her shoulder. Stella roared out in pain before glaring down at Graymarrow. He went to slice again but Stella grabbed the blade with her teeth. She lifted both the sword and Graymarrow off the ground and thrashed herself around while shaking the sword – and by association, Graymarrow – back and forth, like a puppy with a chew toy. Graymarrow struggled to keep a grip on his sword before Stella gave one last shake and the skeleton lord went flying through the air, landing on his back. Graymarrow went to get to his feet but was shoved back onto the ground by Stella pouncing on him, snarling down at him. Graymarrow tried to break free of Stella's grasp, but she just dug her claws deeper into the ground, trapping him further. Stella inhaled deeply, charging up her icy breath as Graymarrow braced himself for the torrent of ice.
"STOP!"
Stella and Graymarrow's heads snapped to the left as a bolt of purple lightning struck the ground a few feet away from them, a dark purple wolf appearing in its place before reverting into its human form. There stood Ais, out of breath and looking scared out of her mind, "Stella…please don't…"
Stella stared at Ais for a moment, still growling lowly, until a look of realisation crossed her face, as if she had snapped out of an anger-induced trance. She stumbled backwards off of Graymarrow and in a flash of blue light, she reverted back into a human, falling to her knees as she gasped for breath. "Are you okay?" Ais ran over to Stella, who seemed to be completely devoid of energy, her gem dim and dull. "Everything…hurts…" Stella groaned, "But I'm okay…did I look cool…?" Ais sighed in relief, chuckling at Stella's question, "Yeah, you did."
"Aisling…?"
Ais turned to the side where Graymarrow was getting to his feet. Stella glanced up at Ais. She was staring at the ground, trying to keep a calm composure, but Stella could see Ais's right arm beginning to twitch vigorously. Stella reached up and gently took Ais's hand in hers, "Talk to him…it'll be okay."
Ais briefly tensed up but hesitantly nodded, taking a deep breath and exhaling before finally looking up to face Graymarrow. "Do you know what it's been like?" she asked, "These past eleven years…dealing with this…" Ais held up her skeletal arm, "Have you any idea what I've had to deal with because of you? Every day, I've had to try and keep myself in check, terrified that at any moment, I could lose control over my own body and mind, and hurt someone innocent; someone I care about. I've had to adopt a different identity to make sure nobody finds out about this and brands me as a freak…not that they'd be wrong."
"That's not-" Graymarrow tried to speak but Ais cut him off.
"I'm not finished. I've bottled all of this up for over a decade, the least you can do is listen. Do you remember that night; the night you tried to turn me into a skeleton? Because I do. It's engraved into my brain! I woke up in searing pain only to see my arm like this and my magic going haywire while you were casting that stupid ritual. Do you have any idea how terrifying that was for me?! My own dad was trying to curse me, and I didn't know why!"
"I was trying t' protect you!" Graymarrow countered, "The way I am now, I'm going t' outlive you and we both know it! I already had to deal with losing your mother, I wasn't going t' go through the same pain again, and that curse was the best way to ensure it! I only wanted t-!"
"And that's exactly it!" Ais interjected, "YOU wanted! Not once did you ask me what I wanted! Because I sure as hell never wanted this! I know you miss mom. I can't imagine how much it hurt losing her considering I never even got to meet her, but that doesn't give you an excuse to curse your own daughter against her damn will! But somewhere deep in my mind I thought, 'Hmm. Maybe he feels bad for what he did and is trying to do better now'. Nope! You go on a soul-binding spree because all of a sudden, the Shores of Gold is something worth killing over? You never even cared about gold!"
"I'm not doing it for the gold!"
"Then why-?!"
"To cure you!"
Graymarrow's voice seemed to echo across the island as Ais stood there in shock, "I…what? What do you…?"
Graymarrow sighed in frustration, "Rathbone…the Gold Hoarder…I heard a rumour from that whining Briggsy that he knows the cure for this curse. Figured if I could get there, I could force him to cough up the cure."
Ais scoffed slightly, still a bit in shock, "You honestly believe that bone-headed, greedy rat actually knows something like that? He'll say anything to win over someone's allegiance."
"Trust me, I'm aware of that scrawny, rott'n excuse for a pirate's lies. But's not like I had another choice. 'Was the only lead I had in fixing this mess. You honestly think I didn't feel horrible after what happened? I wanted to set things straight. If you wanted to continue hatin' me after, fine. But the last thing I ever wanted was for you to get hurt. Believe that, at least."
Ais just stood there, trying to process what Graymarrow had just said when she was snapped out of her thoughts by Stella barely managing to get to her feet. "Actually…you do have…another option…" Stella groaned, struggling to keep her balance. "What are you sayin', worm?" Graymarrow glared at Stella who was now leaning on Ais for support. "Don't call her that." Ais scolded as she helped Stella stand up straight. "I…can heal her." Stella replied, "I can heal curses. Well, I will eventually…I haven't unlocked that ability yet, but I will. And when I do, I can heal Ais for you." Graymarrow looked at Ais, as if waiting for her to confirm this. "She's right." Ais added, "The Glacial Dragon does have that ability. In theory, it should be able to reverse a skeletal curse too."
"I already promised to heal Briggsy. I can even heal you too, if you like." Stella offered.
"Ha! And go back to that paralysis-ridden meat sack?" Graymarrow chuckled, "No thanks. I'd prefer bein' this than being fleshy and only able to move half my body." Graymarrow went silent for a moment, seeming to be thinking something over before addressing Stella again, his voice taking on a more serious tone, "Hey. I'm goin' to ask you somethin', and you better tell the truth, 'cause otherwise I'll kill ya. And I'll know if you're lying so don't try it."
Stella nodded in understanding.
"Do you really think you can reach the Shores of Gold? And b'fore you answer, know this. The moment you and that crew o' yours set foot on that island, the Gold Hoarder will know. As far as his bony arse is concerned, that island is his domain and his alone. He's not like Briggsy. Hell, he's not like me. The only thing he cares for is gold. He doesn't care about bein' human, or friends and family. All he knows is greed. And he won't show any mercy, especially if his treasure is on the line. With that in mind, do you still think you can brave the Shores of Gold and tell the tale?"
Stella thought it over. Was the Gold Hoarder really that strong? Her and the crew struggled a lot against Graymarrow. If it wasn't for her unlocking her bestial form, Stella's soul would be marooned by now. Stella looked at Graymarrow with an expression of pure determination and confidence, "I do. Individually, my crew and I aren't that strong. But together, we can take on anything the sea can throw at us. So yes. I think…no, I KNOW we can do it."
Graymarrow nodded slightly before digging in his coat pocket for something and tossing it towards Stella, who barely managed to catch it, fumbling with it a bit. Her eyes lit up upon realising what it was. The final Shroudbreaker jewel.
"I only ask you one thing." Graymarrow began, "When you see the Gold Hoarder, make sure you show no quarter on my behalf. Now I'm fully aware that I'm as low as dirt – in some ways, I'm proud of it. But Rathbone? He's even lower than dirt. Make sure he's nothing but bone dust when you're done with him, got it?"
Stella nodded, "You have my word. I swear."
"Good." Graymarrow stood up straight, "Now, while I don't want t' admit it, that bestial form o' yours did give me a run for my money, so it's back to slumber for me. Good luck in the Shores of Gold. You'll need it."
"I'll bring you back to my ship. I can carry you on my back." Ais offered, turning into her bestial form. "Yes please." Stella replied, "The others are probably worried about me."
Stella climbed onto Ais's back when Graymarrow spoke again, "And Ais?"
Ais's ears flicked in Graymarrow's direction, indicating she was listening.
"…I'm sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me instantly, let 'lone at all. But figured you should know."
Ais gave a small nod before leaping into the air, platforms of purple lightning appearing under her paws as she ran across the air back towards her ship.
"…and then we sailed back here."
Everyone in the tavern stared slack jawed at Stella as she finished telling her story. Larinna was the one to finally break the silence, "Why do I get the feeling doing the impossible will become a regular thing for you?"
"Well, I kinda hope it does." Stella replied, "If we end up going toe-to-skeletal-toe with the Gold Hoarder, we'll need it."
"Well, that explains that…" Koa began before turning to Sandra, "Now it's your turn. What did you mean when you asked if you were free of Graymarrow?"
Sandra sighed, "Well, had to tear the bandage off sooner or later. The truth is, I went back to the Morningstar out of guilt, not out of greed. I was Jill, the one who jumped overboard rather than face Graymarrow. After that, I gave up my name and my old life to hide from him. I tell everyone I'm building a ship to fight a kraken, but... the truth is, it's so I could escape if he ever found me again. Still, I always wondered... could I have made a difference if I'd stayed and fought alongside the others? I'll always carry that regret, and maybe that's what I deserve." Sandra then smiled at Stella, "But I'll sleep a little easier now I know the others have been set free. I'm glad someone's picking up where we left off and aiming for the Shores of Gold. May I see the jewel?"
Stella nodded, handing over the red gem. Sandra looked it over before giving an affirming nod, "I'll clean up this piece and pass it along to you-know-who. But before you go sailing blindly into the Devil's Shroud, you should speak to the only pirate who ever used the Shroudbreaker and lived to tell the tale: Captain Grace Morrow. You'll find her at Morrow's Peak in the Devil's Roar."
"Well, maybe after a bit of rest." Ais suggested, "Besides, I have one last question to ask you."
"What's up?" Stella replied.
"Well…the bestial form is usually triggered by intense emotion. But when it occurs for the first time, the user tends to lose control as the form acts on the last thought that was in their head before transforming. When I saw you…you were completely enraged. What caused that?"
Stella gripped the edge of the table tightly as she recalled what she had been told before Graymarrow dropped her off the cliff before looking back up at the group, "I think I know what happened to mom."
Ais seemed confused for a moment before it clicked in her head and her expression became one of dismay and sadness, "No…Stella don't tell me…"
Stella nodded.
The group seemed to catch on as to what Stella meant too. "Stella, I…I'm so sorry." Koa apologised as Ali gave Stella a hug. "I'll be okay." Stella replied, "Mom wouldn't want me moping around. Right now, I want to honour her memory by getting to the Shores of Gold. After that, maybe Graymarrow will tell me where mom's soul is, and we can release her."
"If he doesn't, he'll have to answer to me." Ais added, "But for now, get to your ship and rest up. You'll need all the energy you can gather for your final voyage. I'll accompany you to Morrow's Outpost to see you off."
"Thanks, Ais." Stella smiled, "For everything."
"Thank you. I felt terrible about leaving you guys alone. I knew I had to turn back and help. So I did. And I never would've had the courage to face Graymarrow if it wasn't for you. You helped a lot of people since you arrived here. Your mam would be proud."
Stella struggled to fight back tears before Ais ruffled her hair, "Now go get some sleep already, will ya? You have skeleton arse to kick!"
"Okay, okay!" Stella laughed, swatting Ais's hands away.
Stella looked at her crew as they walked down the dock towards the Icebreaker. She made a silent vow to herself that no matter what happened next, she would stand by her crew; her friends even through the toughest of fights. Stella wasn't her mom. She understood that. But she'd be damned if she didn't make sure Azura's legacy didn't live on. Her crew only had one last trial to face now.
And they would do it together.
To Be Continued…
