Stella stepped out onto the deck of the Icebreaker. It was still anchored by the Devil's Thirst and the ghostly Burning Blade pulled up beside it. She almost did a double-take when she saw the Ashen Lords on the deck. Zhen and Ruth were by the portside cannons, continuing their lively discussion from earlier, with Horatio and Koa standing nearby who were keeping a close eye on them, seeming to be at the ready just in case the duo decided on creating and testing a prototype of whatever crazy idea they came up with. Ali was at the wheel, still a little hesitant on getting near the Ashen Lords. Jim was leaning against the main mast, perking up upon seeing Stella exit. He was about to call out to her when-

"MINI-ICEWIND!"

Stella let out a yelp of surprise as she was suddenly hoisted off her feet by Grimm who seemed excited by something. "Ok, so I just had a brilliant idea! Wanna hear it?"

"Uh, sure?!" Stella squeaked, still caught off-guard by the whole situation.

"So, the captain doesn't have any siblings, right? And if I remember right, your mum didn't have any either. Which means you don't have any uncles or aunts, right?"

"Uh…yeah?"

"Then as your dad's crew and generals, the Ashen Lord's shall take up the mantle of your aunts and uncles!" Grimm announced proudly.

"Excuse me." Chi interrupted, shooting Grimm a glare, "I don't recall agreeing to that. Or anyone for that matter."

"Ruth!" Grimm called over his shoulder.

"Yes?" Ruth yelled back from the cannons.

"Wanna be mini-Icewind's aunt?"

"Of course!"

"Horatio-!"

"Leave me out of this, Grimm."

"Hmm, two against two. An impasse." Grimm muttered before looking up at Stella, who was still being held by the Ashen Lord, "Then it's down to you, mate! Want to have the strongest skeleton lords as your aunts and uncles?"

Stella thought for a moment before replying, "You know what? Stranger things have happened to me in the past 24 hours. Sure! Why not?"

"Yeah!" Grimm cheered as he set Stella back down on the deck before giving her a hearty pat on the back, causing her to nearly fall over. Grimm happily marched back over to where Ruth was talking to Zhen as Chi let out a frustrated sigh before joining Horatio near the bow. "I feel like you might be on to somethin' by embracing the…well, pure weirdness is the only word I can think of to describe this situation and even that doesn't seem to do it justice." Jim chuckled as he walked over to Stella. "I'm pretty sure I started embracing the weirdness from the moment I set foot in the Sea of Thieves." Stella replied, "Speaking of, where's…?"

Jim motioned to the crow's nest where Stella could see Flameheart standing up there. He seemed to glance down at her for a moment before turning his attention back to the horizon. "He said he wanted to talk to you when you woke up." Jim said. "Not surprised. He's probably just as surprised as I am about this whole thing." Stella replied, "I'll be back in a sec. If things go south, keep an ear out for the signal."

"Signal?"

"It's 'Help me, help me, oh Ancients, help me'!" Zhen yelled. Jim gave a thumbs up, trying not to laugh, as Stella began to climb up to the crow's nest. "You're awake." Flameheart said simply, not turning to face her. "Yeah." Stella replied standing beside him. The two stood there in awkward silence for a moment before Stella spoke up, "So, um…Icewind talked to me while I was unconscious. That's…a normal thing, right?"

"Occasionally. When they feel like they're needed." Flameheart replied, turning his head to face her, "What did she tell you?"

"She…showed me you and mom. Back when you were human. She also told me about what happened after you and mom left the sea, but all she knew about what happened to mom was that her lore keeper asked her to return to the Sea of Thieves. Whatever happened to her afterwards, Icewind wasn't able to see."

"Skuggi…" Flameheart muttered, "I wouldn't be surprised if he had something to do with it. I never trusted that snake."

"Icewind also told me about why you started the war against the Sea of Thieves. You did it because you wanted things to go back to how they were and avenge mom at the same time."

Flameheart nodded, "It's as I said before. The Sea of Thieves has become so much weaker. It used to be a haven for pirates – TRUE pirates. Those who could fend for themselves, who answered to no one but themselves, who valued true freedom, courage, and loyalty over gold and treasure. But what did I return to? Crews who would do anything a trading company asked of them if it meant they got a bit of coin by the end of the day, crews backstabbing each other over treasure, pathetic alliances. And to top it all off? The one pirate I respected and trusted – the woman I loved – was gone. It needed to be returned to its former glory, no matter the cost. Of course, not everyone was too keen on that. There were those who stood against me and my Ashen Lords. Few managed to come close to defeating me…too close."

"And that's why you became a skeleton lord. You planned to die and come back when things calmed down again."

"It took longer than I expected, but yes. Because of that contemptable rat and Warsmith, I was able to return."

Stella frowned a bit at the 'nickname' Flameheart had for Jim but shook it off as she changed the subject, "So…how does it feel knowing you're a dad?"

"Considering I already had a child before I knew of your existence, not that different."

"Wait, what?"

"As I was leaving the Sea of Thieves, I came across a ship. It was full of people intended to be used as slaves." Flameheart seemed to be angered just at the memory, "It doesn't matter what kind of pirate you are; people aren't cargo. It made me sick. So, I took over the ship and dropped off the people at the nearest civilised island. Among them was a child, barely a year old. According to one of the kidnapped people, his name was Sarwan. His parents didn't survive the boat journey and he had no other family members. So, I took him in, used the riches I had brought with me to ensure he had a good life. I still remember the look on his face any time I told him about my exploits in the Sea of Thieves. I didn't want him to follow in my footsteps, but it was hard to resist that face. Your mother would've loved him. He was just as determined as she was. I wanted to tell her about him so badly…"

"I'm sure mom felt the same when she had me." Stella replied, "She never mentioned you by name, but she would tell me that my father was a fearless pirate and that I got my stubbornness and love of adventure from him…as well as my freckles. You did have a lot of freckles in that flashback."

Flameheart groaned, "I still remember the time she snuck on the Burning Blade in the middle of the night and decided to play 'connect-the-dots' with them and a paintbrush."

Stella couldn't help but snicker at the thought before focusing again, "So I have a brother? Older or younger?"

"How old are you?"

"21. Nearly 22."

"He'd be older then."

"Cool! I get to be the annoying younger sibling!"

Flameheart chuckled a little as Stella let out a sigh, "This is so weird…the past few days were not what I expected."

"I could say the same. But I want to make one thing clear." Flameheart's tone became deathly serious, "Don't expect this to change anything. We may be bound by blood, but I still intend on ruling the Sea of Thieves, and I won't hesitate to strike you and your crew down if you get in my way."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Stella replied, "But don't expect me to just stay out of the way if you try to hurt anyone."

"Hmph, you're definitely your mother's daughter." Flameheart shook his head, "Then leave. The next time we meet, it'll be as enemies."

Flameheart climbed down the ladder of the crow's nest, Stella following close after. "How'd it go?" Jim asked as Flameheart rounded up his Ashen Lords. "Better than expected." Stella replied, "But he's still hellbent on ruling the sea, family or otherwise."

"Sounds about right."

Stella and Jim noticed Grimm excitedly tell something to Flameheart who then shot a glare at Stella before disembarking the ship with the Ashen Lords in tow. "Grimm told him about the Ashen aunts and uncles thing, didn't he?" Jim asked. "Y-yeah." Stella laughed nervously, "Let's cast off before he decides to burn Icebreaker to ashes…and us with it."

Stella watched from the balcony outside her quarters as the Devil's Thirst disappeared past the horizon. She glanced down at her crystal which was back to its usual glow.

"How're ya holding up?"

Stella was brought out of her thoughts by Jim entering onto the balcony and standing beside her. "Yeah. I think my magic's back to full strength again." Stella replied, "What about you? I still can't believe you came to save me."

"Me neither. But…after you said all that stuff about things worth dying for, it got me thinking. I'm tired of hiding behind powerful people and waiting for time to erase my screwups. I want to start setting things right again. Even if it means taking some risks."

"I'm glad to hear that." Stella smiled, "Then how about this? From now on, you're officially first mate of the Glacial Dragons."

"R-really?"

"Absolutely. What do you say?"

"I'd be honoured. So, what's your first order, captain?"

"I think I have an idea…"

Briggsy was lying on the broken mast near the Blackwyche on Shipwreck bay, fiddling with her mask. Upon hearing footsteps approaching from below, she quickly sat up, putting her mask on, and went for her sword when she realised it was the Glacial Dragons. "Hey, you're not dead!" she cheered as she jumped down from the mast, "Pendragon told me about the whole Flameheart fiasco. What happened after you rescued his crew and scrawny over there?"

"Can someone please just call me by my name already…?" Jim grumbled.

"Well, Flameheart thought I killed mom, tried to kill me, tossed me into a volcano, I survived by finding out I have fire powers, and also found out Flameheart's my dad." Stella replied.

"Oh, that's cool- wait, WHAT?!" Briggsy exclaimed.

"I know, I still find it hard to believe."

"Did not expect that hot head of a pirate to be your father of all people…" Briggsy muttered before shaking her head, "Eh, weirder things have happened on the Sea of Thieves. I've seen full galleons tossed into the air for no apparent reason. So, what brings you back here? Come to visit ol' Briggsy?"

"I came to make good on a promise." Stella smiled. Briggsy cocked her head to the side in confusion before seeming to realise what Stella meant, "Wait. You mean…?"

Stella nodded, "Ready to be human again?"

"Nah, I was thinking about being human next Thursday- of course I'm ready!"

Stella laughed a little at Briggsy's excitement before taking the skeleton lord's hands in hers, "Ready?"

Briggsy nodded.

Stella took a deep breath before closing her eyes as she began to focus. She shifted into her hybrid form as an icy wind began to pick up, just like when she healed Jim's curse. Stella's eyes began to glow as a flurry of ice and snow began to surround herself and Briggsy, forming what could only be described as a blizzard forming a dome around them. The crew had to shield their faces from the sudden gush of cold wind blowing past them. The wind finally began to die down as the blizzard dissipated. Stella fell backwards onto the sand, out of breath. She looked up and her exhausted expression turned into one of relief and joy. There stood Briggsy. No longer a golden skeleton, but a full-fleshed human. She had tanned skin, hazel eyes, and long, wild, ginger hair. Her clothes were no longer tattered, and she wore a green tube top under her jacket. She removed her mask as she stared down at her hands, flexing her fingers as she tried to adjust to the sensation of being able to feel again. "I'm…me." Briggsy said, quietly, "I'm really me."

Stella got to her feet, "Are…are you ok-?" Stella was cut off by Briggsy tackling her into a hug. "Thank you!" she exclaimed, hugging Stella tightly, "You did it! You actually did it!" Briggsy released Stella from the hug, who stumbled back a bit while laughing, before turning to address the rest of the group, placing one leg on a rock while smirking as she held up her sword triumphantly, "Ladies and gentlemen, behold the return of Captain Briggsy – in the flesh!"

"Welcome back!" Ali cheered as she hugged Briggsy, who spun her around with the momentum before setting her down. "Thanks, Daggers." Briggsy winked, causing Ali to blush a bit but the smile never left her face. "It is good to finally be me again!" Briggsy grinned, stretching as she inhaled the salty sea air. "So, what do you want to do first?" Stella asked, "Treasure hunt? Grab a grog?"

"Well, first thing's first…" Briggsy began, "There's someone I think I owe a visit to. Mind giving me a lift to Ancient Spire Outpost?"

Stella smiled, knowing full well what Briggsy intended to do, "Of course."

Tasha finished cleaning a tankard and placed it on the counter in front of her. It was a quiet day; not many patrons were in drinking. She looked to the jar she kept behind the counter. She had nearly saved up enough for a sloop. She just needed someone to buy the tavern off her and she was free to take to the waves like she had dreamed of so long ago. She was pulled from her thoughts by Stella and crew entering the tavern. "Well, long time no see!" Tasha greeted with a smile, "What can I grab the legendary Glacial Dragons?"

"Actually," Stella began, "We came here because someone wants to see you."

"Oh really? Who-?" Tasha cut herself off with a gasp as Briggsy walked into the tavern, removing her mask as she did so. "Tasha…" Briggsy smiled, "You're all grown up, eh?"

"B…Briggsy…?" Tasha stuttered in disbelief.

"Yep." Briggsy replied, a little ashamed, "I'm…not gonna sugar-coat it. I got myself into a real mess when I got to the Shores of Gold. I got greedy and it got me cursed. I could barely control myself. I was a monster. But I kept myself hidden because if I'd hurt you or any of my crew…I don't think I'd ever forgive myself, Tash. And I don't expect you to forgive me now either. But…I figured I should at least come and tell you that…I'm sor- OOF!"

Briggsy was caught off-guard by Tasha dashing out from behind the counter and giving her a hug, lifting Briggsy off the ground a bit. "I'm just glad to see you again. I missed you and your stories."

"I missed you too, kiddo." Briggsy chuckled, "Geez, I remember when I could lift you up! How the turn tables, eh?"

Tasha set Briggsy down with a smile, "Well, this calls for a celebration now, doesn't it? Drinks are on the house!"

"Whoo! Drink time!" Zhen cheered, running in a circle with his arms in the air. "I like this one!" Briggsy laughed, "Bring on the drinks! It's been over a decade since I last had a good grog!"

Ali stood near the door as she watched Zhen and Jim sing drunkenly at the top of their lungs while Koa had his head in his hands, trying desperately not to laugh, with Stella and Tasha watching the two's drunken shenanigans while laughing. Briggsy walked up to Ali as she took a swig from her tankard. "Grog has never tasted so good!" Briggsy grinned as she leaned against the wall beside Ali. "How does it feel being fleshy again?" Ali asked taking a sip from her own drink. "Great! I can feel the sunshine, taste grog again, feel the weight of my trusty sword again; I finally feel like me again. The real Captain Briggsy; not some skelly monster."

"I'm glad you're happy." Ali smiled, "But for the record, I never thought of you as a monster."

"Thanks, Daggers." Briggsy smiled, "Honestly, back when you washed up on Shipwreck Bay, I was having doubts about whether or not Stella could pull this off. But you kept my hopes up. If you and your crew hadn't had come along…well, I probably would've either given up or some schmuck would've put me in the dirt and let the Order of Souls pick at my head."

"W-well…" Ali stuttered, a blush creeping back onto her face, "I-I owe you thanks too, you know. You played a big role in me coming out of my shell and standing up for myself, as well as the crew. You inspired me to get stronger."

"Which reminds me. You still owe me a rematch!" Briggsy gave Ali a playful nudge, earning a laugh from Ali, "I haven't forgotten. I'll always be ready when you are!"

"Good to hear it! But I think I'll wait a bit before taking you up on that. I wanna take some time to enjoy being back on the sea again. Plus, I still have to track down ol' Sudds to make sure he's doing ok. But that aside, I honestly have no idea what I'm gonna do next. The sea's a lot bigger than I remember. A lot more to explore, a lot more stories to tell. Not to mention I still need a ship since the old one kinda got wrecked on the Shores of Gold."

"Well, Tasha is saving up for a sloop. I'm sure she wouldn't mind sailing with her hero."

"I'd appreciate that, but I feel like Tasha should go make her own stories. I remember the drawings she would make when she was little. She loved adventure as much as I do. She deserves to have her own adventure. But if she wants me aboard, I won't say no to her."

"I don't see why anyone wouldn't want you on their crew. You're amazing."

Briggsy watched with a smile as Ali shyly took another sip from her tankard, trying to hide her blush. "Ok," Briggsy began, "There's a chance this is the grog talkin', but screw it."

Ali went to look up at Briggsy to ask what she was talking about but was quickly silenced by lips on her own. Ali let out a squeak of surprise before kissing back, draping one arm over Briggsy's shoulders while the other played with the ginger mane.

Stella glanced over her shoulder and smiled at the sight. Life in the Sea of Thieves was full of the unexpected. But the same could be said about life in general.

Stella turned back to the table where Koa and Tasha were now having an arm wrestle while Zhen and Jim cheered them on and placed bets on who'd win. Despite everything, Stella felt like things would work out, no matter how hard things get. It was a certainty that things would get tougher, especially with Flameheart now roaming the seas. But they'd be ready for whatever came their way. After all…

That's the pirate's life.

End of Fire & Ice. To Be Continued in Legend of the Glacial Dragons: The Pirate's Life.