Morg: Heyo! I hope you guys are ready.

Ikuto: I feel like you say that all the time.

Amu: And we don't have to be ready for anything.

Morg: Be glad that I don't own you.

Ikuto: I am.

Amu: Every day of my life.

~The Eighth Sea~

Amu yawned so wide and hard that her jaw cracked. She sat up and ran her fingers through her tangled hair as she blinked sleep away from her eyes. The sight of the cave woke her the rest of the way instantly. The little dragons that had been snuggled against her were gone.

Part of her thought it might have been a dream. She'd seen hundreds of dragons when they'd landed but there weren't any lining the walls of the cave now. The large bowl of water and fruit still sitting nearby assured her that she hadn't dreamt it up after hitting her head.

There were dragons. She was at their island to receive the last piece of the map from them. It hadn't been a hallucination.

At least, she was pretty sure it wasn't.

Due to the aches and pains that her body loudly complained about, Amu stretched her muscles before she attempted to stand. The water, when she cupped her hands in it to drink and then wash her face, was just as cold as she remembered. The fruit, too, was just as juicy and delicious.

Amu ate quietly as she looked around the massive cavern. There were ledges along the walls and areas that were clearly meant to be nests among the rocks. As much as she wanted to explore simply because she was in a new place, Amu didn't want to intrude.

Her body reminded her that now that she'd eaten and drank she had other needs that she had to see to or face embarrassing herself.

Slowly, Amu made her way to the entrance of the cave. She shielded her eyes as she looked out at the bright daylight that lay just beyond the shadows she stood in. Out over the ocean, she could see some of the dragons swooping through the air.

Their scales sparkled in the light, glinting and flashing as the great creatures dove and weaved their massive bodies through the air. Amu stood stunned for several minutes, just watching them. She could not think of a more beautiful sight.

A dragon that she thought she recognized from the flight to the island swooped toward her. She backed up as the magnificent creature landed at the entrance to the cave. "Good morning."

"The morning is long gone, little one," the dragon told her in its deep rumbling voice. "Did you sleep well?"

Amu nodded as she clasped her hands in front of her stomach. "Thank you for allowing the younger ones to sleep beside me."

"The island can grow quite cold here during the night. We have not forgotten that humans feel such things."

"I really appreciate it," Amu said again. "Do you think I could bother you for one more favor?"

"You are our guest. We will do whatever we can to provide for you."

Amu braced herself before her gut reminded her that she couldn't dally. "Do you have a bathroom?"

The dragon made a rumbling noise that Amu realized was a laugh.

"Humans are such interesting creatures. Go wherever you feel most comfortable."

Amu decided not to comment on where she planned to go as the dragon lifted itself from the rocks with a few beats of its massive wings. She shielded herself from the wind before she found an out of the way spot in the cave to find relief.

Once she no longer had to deal with that, Amu made her way back to the opening of the cave. She watched the dragons for a while longer, content to sit in the sun and snack on some of the fruit. It took her far too long to realize that the island the dragons lived on was rocky and barren. She looked down at the fruit in her hands before she shook her head. She would ask if she got the opportunity to find out where it had come from.

Most of the day passed with her just sitting there, watching the dragons dive into the water and emerge with giant fish in their jaws. She smiled as she watched some of the younger ones do their best to learn how to hunt and fish.

Hours later, some of the dragons began to make their way back inside the cave. Amu greeted those who greeted her and stayed where she was sitting since she felt like she was out of the way on her little rock.

"Come," one of the dragons bade her. "We would hear news from you about the world."

Amu did not hesitate to slide down from her rock and follow one of the dragons further into the cave. The ground vibrated beneath her feet from the movement of the dragons but she did not feel unsteady as she went back to her sleeping spot. She welcomed the smaller dragons and leaned against them without thought as the rest settled down around her.

Absentmindedly, Amu scratched at one of the dragon's horns. The young dragon made a purring noise deep in its chest, which only encouraged her to continue.

"We have not had outside contact in many years," one of the older dragons told her after it was settled.

"I will try to answer any questions you might have," Amu said as she shifted to sit more comfortably with the young dragon's head in her lap. She smiled when the one she rested against butted its head against her other hand. She made sure to give them both plenty of attention. "I don't know what it is that you want to know."

"Do the pirates still control the seas?" A different dragon asked.

Amu thought about her answer for a moment before she shook her head. "No one can control the sea. There are pirates, yes. Just as there are merchants and explorers. The Navy tries to claim dominion but the sea is too vast and wild for any one group to control. I've always thought that we were always skating along the edge of danger whenever we set sail, but that's part of the thrill."

A few of the dragons rumbled in response to her answer. Amu smiled but didn't move from where she had her hands full.

"Explorers," one of the dragons said the word carefully. "Do humans still explore?"

Content, Amu did her best to explain to the dragons what life was like for humans outside their cave. She did not sugarcoat anything she told them. But she also did her best to stay away from exaggerating. Whatever their reason for wanting to know, Amu tried to give them as accurate information as she could.

"Your crew," one of the dragons said. The word sounded stilted, though Amu knew it was because she explained who the people she'd left behind on the ship were to her and not because the dragon actually understood. "Will arrive tomorrow. When they are here, we will speak about the map."

Amu dipped her head and accepted their decision. Despite everything she'd tried to explain to them, Amu knew that she could not do justice to Ikuto's feelings about the map and reaching The Eighth Sea. It was better that they waited for him.

"Thank you," she called to the dragons as the last light of the day faded away. "I appreciated this day of rest and have enjoyed the chance to see your lives."

The dragons rumbled in response but no one said anything else as they readied themselves to sleep.

XXX

Kiseki scowled at the sailor standing in the doorway to his cabin. "What is so urgent that you couldn't wait?"

"Sir," the man said without fear. "There is something you should see."

Sighing, Kiseki rose from his desk and motioned for his cousin to follow him out. If he had to go then Tadase would be made to follow. "What is it?"

"Over here, sir," a different sailor called from by the railing of the ship. "In the water."

Kiseki swore to himself that if any of his men were attempting to make a fool out of him then they'd be cast into the sea. "What?"

Down, over the edge of the ship, sitting just a bit out of the water, was a woman. But not a woman like any he'd ever seen before. A woman who looked beautiful but deadly. A woman who was clearly not human.

Only one word flashed to the forefront of his mind. Siren.

"Are you the captain of this ship?" A musical voice floated from the top of the water. "I will only speak to the captain."

"I am," Kiseki called down to her. "What would you tell me?"

"Some weeks ago a ship entered our cove. We do not allow those who dare to enter to leave. They escaped. We have tracked them as best as we have been able." The siren paused as she dipped below the water to gather her strength before she surfaced once more. "We tethered one of theirs as is our right. But they were stolen from us."

"And what would you like me to do about that?"

"We have heard from the other ships that you mean to catch them. We want the one stolen from us returned."

Kiseki motioned for Tadase to keep his mouth shut as he heard his cousin shift behind him. "And what would you do for us in return?"

The siren smiled a smile that had far too many sharp teeth for her pretty face. "You are hunting them but you are hunting the wrong ship. We will tell you where the one you truly seek has gone."

"And in return, you want the one you tethered?"

"Yes," the siren agreed before she dipped back down amongst the waves.

Kiseki used the time she took to gather her strength to stand up and look at his cousin. "A ruse. We need her information."

"But we don't know which one the sirens want. If it was Amu then they can't have her."

Kiseki refrained from rolling his eyes but only just. "There's a simple way to deal with that."

Tadase nodded slowly as he looked over the railing once more.

Kiseki looked back down at the water and found the siren once more surfaced. "There are two members of the crew that we would have for ourselves," he told her. "The rest can drown."

The siren smiled once more. "There is an island," she told them in that same musical voice. "Filled with dragons."

XXX

Ikuto had never been more glad in his life to see land. The island of the dragons was huge. Giant spirals of rocks rose from the sea. The closer they sailed, the more he realized that it was enormous.

Granted, he knew how large the dragons were. He should have realized how massive their island had to be to support them. Still, it was a shock that something so huge could still be hidden from the rest of the world.

As the sun rose and they drew closer, he could see the dragons leaving a cave in the side of one of the spirals. He thought, at first, that some of them would approach his ship as they sailed closer but they went largely ignored.

"Captain," Nadeshiko called from where she was on the rigging. "Where do you want to moor?"

"Yaya," Ikuto called up to the Crow's Nest. "Is the water around the island churning?"

"That's difficult to tell, Captain," Yaya called back. "The dragons keep diving into it. But I think it might be calm when they're not splashing about!"

Ikuto looked back toward the island without taking his hands off the helm. "We'll get as close as we dare without interfering with their fishing. We'll take the rowboat to shore."

"Would it be all right if I stayed with the ship?"

Ikuto looked over his shoulder at Rhythm before he nodded. "The same rules apply here as always. No one has to go ashore if they don't want to."

Rhythm nodded back at his captain before he scaled the mast to help Nade with the rigging.

Ikuto didn't call to drop the anchor until he was as close as he dared to get. Carefully, he and Kairi lowered the rowboat over the side of the ship. Then he, Kairi, Dia, and Miki got in and rowed to shore, leaving Nade, Yaya, and Rhythm to tend to their little ship.

Watching the dragons as they dove above and around them was awe-inspiring. Several times, they stopped rowing for a moment to just watch.

"Captain," Miki said breathlessly. "I can see Amu."

Sure enough, when Ikuto turned he could see a glimpse of pink at the mouth of the cave. With a start, he realized that Amu was sitting amongst the rocks watching them and the dragons as they rowed toward the shore. "She looks good."

Miki nodded but didn't say anything else as she watched a dragon burst forth from the water with a large fish clamped between its teeth.

Ikuto nudged Kairi to get the doctor into motion as they continued to row toward the island. He figured it was a good thing that none of the dragons called out for them to go back to their ship. They had not been explicitly invited to the island but they also weren't being turned away.

At the rocky shore, Ikuto grinned up as he caught sight of Amu making her way down to them. "Amu!"

Amu lifted her hand to wave back. If she said anything, the wind stole her words.

Ikuto tethered their boat and made certain the crew members that had joined him were safely on land before he began to recklessly climb to where Amu stood waiting for him. "Amu!"

She laughed as she held her arms open.

Ikuto did not hesitate to gather Amu into his arms and hold her tight. "I was so worried."

"I'm all right," Amu assured him. "The worst was the flight over because I was not ready for it. They've been wonder hosts. Come on, they've been waiting for your arrival."

"Keep an eye on him," Miki called from where she was carefully making her way up the side of the spiral. "He hasn't slept much since you left."

Amu frowned at him but Ikuto just shrugged. "The bed was too empty."

Smiling, Amu shook her head and took his hand. "Come on, we can rest while we wait for them to finish with their daily hunting."

Ikuto followed Amu back up the rocky spiral. Every time he was forced to take his hand out of hers, he made sure to give it back. Once they reached the cave, he relaxed a bit more as she led their group inside.

"I have some water, though you have to drink it with your hands. And the dragons brought me some really good-tasting fruit, though I'm not sure where they got it from."

Miki looked around the cave with her brows raised before she came to a stop next to Amu. "What have you been doing since you left?"

Amu shrugged as she brushed some of her hair out of her face. "Mostly just relaxing. They keep telling me to wait until later to talk about the map. They asked me some questions last night about the world and then said you'd be here today and that we should talk about it then."

Ikuto nodded without really thinking over what she was telling him. He was just so glad that she was okay. "Did they spend all day out there yesterday?"

"They did," Amu confirmed as she sat down on the rocky floor of the cave. "They'll come back in before nightfall."

Miki allowed everyone else to settle and for silence to fall over them for a few minutes before she sighed and then dove into explaining some of the things she'd been working on while Amu was with the dragons.

Despite the antsy feeling crawling up his spine, Ikuto stayed seated next to Amu. He held her hand and watched her talk to Miki about their little ship and the things she wanted to work on next. She seemed stronger and a bit happier. Her time with the dragons had not been too hard on her, which he was immensely thankful for.

"Glad we are that you have arrived."

Ikuto jerked upright further as the loud voice echoed through the cavern. He stood before he bowed to the dragons as they began to make their way inside the cave. "We are thankful that you took such good care of Amu and have allowed us to come ashore."

"We have long waited for your arrival."

Something told Ikuto that the dragon did not mean the days between them taking Amu and the rest of the crew reaching the island. "Amu said that you wished to wait to speak of the map?"

"You are here now," another dragon said as they entered the cave and found a place to settle. "You seek the last piece of the map. We would hear why you wish to enter that place."

Ikuto swallowed hard. He smiled down at Amu when she squeezed his hand to give him strength. Then he looked up at the dragons and knew that he couldn't lie. "Many years ago, I was taken there by a storm. I met a man that I realized was my father. He is trapped there still. I wish to rescue him."

"You do not wish for the power?"

Ikuto shook his head as he turned to look at another dragon. He wasn't sure which one had spoken but he found it didn't matter. "I have treasures here. I have people who love me and care for me. I do not want the powers that come with being the Pirate King. I simply want to rescue my father. No one should be trapped there alone."

The dragons studied them for a moment before one rumbled again. "Then you shall have the piece and the knowledge to enter that place."

Ikuto felt his mouth drop open. "I thought," he started and then cut himself off to swallow. "I thought we had to complete some sort of challenge?"

The dragon made a noise that sounded like laughter. "Your companion has shown many qualities since she came with us. Courage in joining us. Endurance during the flight here. Acceptance of those different from her when she slept beside our young."

"Integrity when we spoke of the world and how it has changed," another dragon added. "And patience. We were given the map piece to protect its secret until the time came for someone worthy to ask for it."

"And you find me worthy?" Amu asked as she sat up a little straighter. "I am honored."

"The love and trust you have for your companions shows us that they are also trustworthy. We will give you what you seek."

"The portal is strongest not far from here," the first dragon said. "It is fitting that the end of this journey is near the start of the next one. You will be able to reach the location and open it tomorrow."

Ikuto felt as if he could not process everything he was hearing. It felt too simple. "I will never be able to express my gratitude for your understanding and aid."

"Tomorrow," the dragon reminded him. "Tonight we will speak with you more about the world and your previous trip to that place."

Ikuto nodded and opened his mouth to say something more when he felt a tug at his shirt. He turned to find Dia's ashen face staring back at him. "What's wrong?"

"It took me without warning," she whispered. "Ikuto, they're coming."

.

Morg: Always so exciting.

Ikuto: Just get to the good stuff already.

Amu: Yeah, the end.

Morg: For Pete's sake. I'll let the readers decide what's good and what's not.