Welcome back everybody! Sorry for the long hiatus. I finished "Eye of the Beholder" and I needed a short break before I dove back into the story. I'm going to try to make some New Year's resolutions this year and one of them is to finish this story, so hopefully you won't have to wait too long for the ending. As always, feel free to leave any comments or questions and please enjoy! Thank you for reading! P.S. my viewer count thingy still isn't working (since September :( which is half of my motivation)so stay tuned and please review so I know you are out there!

I do not own DC or any of its characters!


That night the crew sat around a table in the galley, each one lost within their own thoughts. The only one that seemed at ease was Arthur, who laughed and spoke boisterously, heartened by finding such a crew to share in his journey. Bruce observed his crew quietly as each had broken in to their own groups. Clark and Lois sat together, trying to appear disinterested as they sent jibes back and forth, but they couldn't take their eyes off of each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. Richard sat with Oliver as Arthur enthralled them both with tales of the land beyond the gate. They hung on every word, as though every word he spoke, was sent down from the Atlantean gods themselves. Bruce couldn't blame them as the tales he spoke sounded on the verge of myth. Could such creatures really exist beyond? Like Bruce, however, only Stewart stood apart, watching them all with wary eyes as though he did not trust a single soul sitting at the table. Once again, Bruce wondered what could be done to have Stewart finally trust them. Bruce trusted all his men implicitly, though sometimes it was hard to show. He did not know much about Stewart, but he did sense that the man was lonely. For lonely as Bruce could be, he was honored to have the wizard Lucius and the sage Penniworth as well as his men by his side.

Richard had prepared them a fine meal of venison stew, for which the men were grateful. Before too long they would have to switch from fresh provisions to hard tack and dried meat. Even Lady Lois ate with great relish, complementing Richard's cooking skills as though it had been prepared from the royal kitchens. Once they had all eaten their fill, they gathered around the main table as Lois pulled out her crudely drawn map. They all gazed upon it with wonder, each of their imaginations soaring with the possibilities of what lay beyond. Arthur peered at the map, carefully, his eyes scanning every little detail. "Wonderfully done for a rough sketch, but some of your land masses are in the wrong areas. This island here should be farther to the north and this bay is slightly more to the east, but I think I can navigate properly with what you have. The witch said that you need to go to the island at the end of the world. My people tell legends of this as well and I believe you will need to sail west here." His fingertips whispered across the map and Bruce felt his heart clench. He could only imagine the scale of the map, the distance they would have to travel, and the time it would take to do so. Arthur paused for a moment, and then spoke again. "On a normal journey, this would take span of several months, but I will call upon the waves. We should be able to arrive in the span of a fortnight."

Lois leaned forward. She was still dressed in the breeches she had worn earlier that day. Bruce knew that Clark had brought her down to the armory to begin her training but judging from her unruffled appearance, he had taken it easier on her than Bruce would have. The possibility of the woman facing extreme dangers was almost certain and Bruce only hoped that Clark would hold on to his feelings closely enough to ensure she received the training she desperately needed. Though he tried very hard to hide it from his companions, Bruce knew that Clark was a lot tougher than he appeared through many years of watching the gentle giant closely. Bruce had found that there were many things that Clark preferred to keep hidden, but did not blame him as many would attempt to take advantage of such things. Though Bruce had never seen him use his abilities to the full extent or outright for all to see, the few times he had use them for the good of Gotham, which proved to him his knight's honor. He only hoped that Lois is intentions were as honorable as Clark's . For who could guess what their nosy reporter would do with the information that Clark tried so hard to hide? Would she accept him with open arms or would she reveal his secrets to the world? Only time would tell, but Bruce had a feeling that Clark had finally met his match.

Lois reached into her knapsack for a piece of charcoal and held it out to Arthur, who began correcting some of her mis-drawn lines. He began to label some of the countries and towns that he knew of, but once the crew realized that Atlantean writing was vastly different than that of their own home, the charcoal was handed back to Lois, who began to write them down to the best of her ability as many of the names do not translate properly. As the day drew to a close, they all shuffled off to their quarters as Bruce took the first watch.


Two days went by without incident. With Arthur controlling the waves, they sailed smoothly and Bruce's ship cut through the glassy sea with Godspeed. It was about noon day when Oliver called out from the crows nest. "Land ho! Island off the starboard!" The deck was suddenly swarmed with energy as the entire crew rushed to the starboard in a futile attempt to see the land on the horizon. Bruce's brow drew together in concern; they should've been days away from any land formation. He turned his attention to Arthur whose face bore the same worried expression. Arthur rushed to his side and leaned in closely. "Captain, that island should not be here. I swam this way just a few days before I met your lot and I swear to you this was naught but open sea." Bruce's hands tightened on the ship's railing as he too leaned forward to try to catch a glimpse.

"I will go up to the helm and maneuver us around and will have Sir Oliver man the spy glass, but we will not near firing range." Arthur nodded. "With permission, I will go overboard and question the fish in the area. They may have news. I can swim quickly enough to catch up with the ship." Bruce quickly agreed and Arthur took a running leap off the side of the shop, not even making a splash as he broke the surface of the water.


No matter what lever Bruce pulled or what button he pushed, the island grew closer. As soon as it's features were visible, Bruce began maneuvering around its perimeter only to find that the more he tried to turn the ship away from the shore, the more he began to worry about running the ship aground. He had already issued orders to the men and Lois to secure above and below decks. Just as he was about to raise the alarm, Arthur burst from the waves and landed on the upper deck with a loud thud. Water poured off of him as he shook the droplets from his hair as would a hound. "No good news, Captain. I found a school of fish who stated that the island has been drifting, seeking out ships. They aren't sure of the cause, but it's been sending mysterious vibrations through the waves. They say that since they have been in the area a multitude of ships have crashed into its banks and, although some of the creatures appreciate new homes thanks to the wreckage, the vibrations are causing them distress. They asked us to investigate the cause if we were able."

Bruce gazed at the island. Did they really have a choice? The island drew them with a siren's call. "Would you be able to keep us from smashing to bits up on the rocks? Our voyage would be very short if we do not manage to keep our vessel from breaking apart." Arthur closed his eyes, his hands reaching out, palms upward, as he communed with the waves. "I believe so, but it will be difficult. The vibration of which the fish spoke, I can feel it fighting every moment, trying to prevent me from controlling my domain. Whatever is at work here, it is a very powerful magic. I suggest we tread with caution. And it may be best if you and Master Richard stay at the helm to help me if I falter. "

As the island drew closer, Bruce found himself intrigued by its beauty. Beyond the white sandy beach lay a verdant rainforest on the north side of the island and to the south towered a steep mountain range. The ship was being drawn into a half-moon shaped bay that lay between the two as Arthur struggled to keep the vessel from breaking onto the cliff side. Richard manned the sails as Bruce fought with the helm, each one holding bated breath as the waves drug the ship closer and closer toward land. "Brace yourselves!!!" Bruce's voice rang out just moments before the keel caught the gradient shore and jarred to an abrupt halt.

Loud creaking sliced through the air as the timbers trembled beneath them, but they held fast. "Richard, go below decks and make sure that we take on no water. Bring Stewart and Clark with you as aid." The boy nodded and scrambled across the rigging, sliding to the deck with ease. Once more Bruce observed his surroundings. The beach appeared peaceful, but small oddities tugged the edges of his mind. The air was still, no birds or even the wind to greet them. There was no seaside village which often accompanied sheltered inlets, no fisherman preparing the days catch, no women washing at the shore. Could the island be uninhabited? If so, why would such an enchantment lure them in. If the inhabitants were farther inland, why would they choose to live so far from choice land?

Bruce unconsciously put a hand to his belt, a movement that had been becoming natural to him since it had been gifted him. Would they be safe to disembark? "Oliver, what do you see?" Oliver climbed down from the highest mast, bow in hand. "I see a large fire coming from the top of the tallest mountain peak as well as some small fires from the base. There is also a wisp of smoke coming from the edge of the wood, but it is faint. I would guess one or two people have set up camp but wish to remain unseen. An eerie calm has settled here. I do not like it." Silence reigned for a moment as both men surveyed the tree line before them. "The large fire, could you identify the cause?" Oliver shook his head. "The fire was blazing too intensely. Your orders, my lord?" The wisps of smoke from the small fire curled just above the trees, the only definite sign of life. "Return to your post, observe and report any changes. Nightfall is soon upon us and we would be better to arm ourselves and defend the ship than to attempt the unknown. Once Richard, Clark, and Stewart verify the ship is sound we will take watches in pairs until daybreak."


Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that your new year is full of blessings! Thank you for reading this chapter and stay tuned!