Malin Island had once been inhabited by a small seaside village, but the villagers had departed or died away at some point. Their homes were little more than rotten wood fallen in on themselves. Their docking piers, however, were well maintained, with solid planks leading the way to shore.

The work of the Nightwrath Pirates, if Ash had to guess. Their ship pulled up to the closest pier, and crew members went to work. Someone lowered a plank, and others worked their anchor into the sea. Meanwhile, everyone else gathered their things.

Ash clasped her hands in front of her and simply observed from her spot at the ship railing. Watching the others sling their packs filled with belongings made her painfully aware of her lack of any. Willow assured her they'd find her clothes at the Haven. Even those wouldn't be truly hers, though. Everything she'd packed for her journey remained in Volant. She hadn't found much time to grab it in the middle of being kidnapped.

Everyone seemed excited to disembark. They chatted animatedly to each other and kept glancing excitedly toward Lorica as she passed out final instructions. Most of them focused on the need for efficiency even while relaxing and being sure to gather all they'd need before they set out again the next morning.

A small cloud of darkness interrupted the otherwise bright atmosphere. Caspian leaned against the opposite rail, expression stormy as he had a whispered conversation with Garman. The lysian-cursed man didn't seem impressed by whatever the other said. His eyes swept over the crowd. When he noticed Ash's attention, he glowered.

Cheeks warm, she quickly averted her eyes.

"Well, that's everything!" Willow strolled over to Ash, Linden trailing close behind. Both had packs thrown over their shoulders. Linden's, Ash noticed, was considerably fuller.

"So, your only chance to clean things is when you make stops here?" Ash tried to hide the distaste from her tone. Not only did she not want to insult the others, and this would soon be her life as well, but the idea baffled her.

Willow wrinkled her nose. "For the most part, yes. Sometimes we manage it in other towns where we don't have to worry about them piecing together who we are. But I have to admit, my favorite part of the mission to watch Odella was how often we got to stay in a town."

Linden snickered. "It was nice not having you stink so much."

"Speak for yourself!" Willow swung her pack around, hitting Linden squarely in the chest. He just continued to laugh, and Ash couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"Alright, Nightwraths!" Lorica's voice cut through the ship's steady chatter. She stood in front of the plank now, one foot already on the piece of wood. "All seems to be in order. Let's move out." At the small cheer this elicited, she smirked before descending to the pier below.

The pirate crew filtered off the ship without issue. Ash was amongst the first ones off as she stuck close to Willow and Linden. Caspian hopped off the plank last and waved back to the top.

Garman stood aboard the ship still, arms crossed as he stared down at the departing pirates.

"He'll be staying back to keep watch over the ship," Willow explained when Ash pointed it out. "Someone has to, and, well, there's many in the Haven who don't like when he stays overnight in the village."

Ash couldn't blame them. She was still coming to terms with having to share a ship with a man who shifted into a sometimes-uncontrolled Terror. Her pity for the man couldn't wash away the fear.

Linden looked over his shoulder and made a surprised noise in his throat. "Caspian is joining us this time."

"Does he not usually?" Ash asked.

"He prefers it on the ship." Linden shrugged, but she thought he looked away too quickly. There may have been more to the answer, but he wasn't going to share.

They made it to the destitute seaside village and walked straight through it. Nature had begun to reclaim its territory. Bits of green mold crawled along the rotten houses and weeds littered the dirt streets. The dirt turned into grass as they left the village and entered the forest rising behind it.

If anyone bothered coming to this island and searching, they'd easily be able to reach the Haven. The ground was well trodden, leaving a natural path that the pirates walked along. Aside from the occasional low-hanging branch or thin patch of thorny vines, they didn't encounter any disturbances.

Five minutes passed before she finally heard the sounds of life. First the high-pitched peel of children laughing, then gradually the chatter of voices. Clanging, the yip of an animal, then a thwack—

Ash yelped as an arrow thudded into a tree not far ahead of Lorica. Someone further down the line laughed, not even bothering to hide it.

"Ey!" Lorica peered into the surrounding trees. "Darrick, if you're going to do your guard duty, make sure you see who you're shooting that warning shot at first."

A small shape dropped out of a tree. When they unfolded from their crouch, Ash saw a boy barely out of his childhood holding a bow and flashing a wide smile.

"Sorry about that, Lorica. I don't have anyone else to practice on."

Lorica arched a brow. "So, you attacked us on purpose?"

The boy's smile dimmed, and his brown skin paled. "I—no, well, I guess, I mean..."

One side of Lorica's lips lifted. "Next time you need the practice, ask your older brother to try to sneak in."

Darrick's muscles visibly relaxed as he grinned up at her. "Will do, Captain!" The lad darted back to a tree and scaled it with ease despite the bow still clutched in one hand.

Ash leaned close to Willow. "Did he also have a Dreamweave put on him?" she whispered. He was much too young to have had such a burden placed on him. It would mean he had to come face-to-face with an ethereal being and then face whatever game they played with him.

Thankfully, Willow shook her head. "His father, but the family came along. It's not uncommon. They don't have to protect their family like you're trying to do, but it's hard enough walking away from your entire life. Many can't leave their family behind as well."

That was a relief, but also incredibly saddening. She would be having her family do that same thing. Leave their lives behind and come to this secluded place. What else was she to do, though? There was no telling when the Modika would come searching again.

Ash didn't get to linger on those thoughts for long. She finally caught sight of the Haven in front of her.

It was nothing grand. Wooden buildings arose from a large circle of mostly-clear land. At least twenty homes, if Ash's quick sweep was anything to go by. Half a dozen children played a game near a towering tree at the other end of the clearing. A staircase wrapped around the tree's thick trunk, connecting a circular room nestled in the crook of the tree's center with the ground. Men and women tended to a field of crops on one side of the village while others took care of livestock on the opposite side. What remained of the visible residents milled around the village, some chatting, some sitting out in the sun.

At the pirates' arrival, shouts rose from a few of the villagers, summoning more people from within homes. There couldn't be more than one hundred people here. Even though all of them couldn't have been cursed with a Dreamweave, it was still far too many to be impacted by it.

Ash kept close to Willow's side. She almost summoned her magic but resisted. As tempting as it was to wear any face but her own, she refused to use what Roan had given her.

The group broke up slowly as they ran to greet those they knew. Ash waited for Willow to separate so she could follow her. Even if she wasn't sure she was fully friends with the pirate girl once again, she and Linden were still the only ones in this group she somewhat knew.

"Ash, if you don't mind, I'd like you to follow me for now." Lorica stood a few feet ahead, her arms crossed, and looked expectantly at Ash. "Only shortly, and then you can get what you need done."

"Don't worry. We'll stick with you," Willow assured. She grinned. "This is the surprise I mentioned."

Even though she seemed to think that helpful, Ash had to force her returning smile. The nerves from before unsettled her stomach in their flurry of dancing pixies. She didn't feel like she had much choice, though, so she nodded and followed Lorica.

Ash fidgeted with the end of her sleeve as they moved across the Haven toward the giant tree. Willow and Linden stuck by her side, just as promised, calling out to the ones who tried to summon them. Many shouted to Lorica as well, but she only acknowledged them with friendly nods of her head.

"There she is," Willow said, drawing Ash's attention from where one of the older gentlemen from the crew embraced those who had to be his family. Willow pointed as well as she could with the bag still clutched in her hand. "Look."

It took Ash a moment. Willow's guiding point hadn't been exact, but then Ash spotted the tall figure descending the staircase connecting the strange treehouse to the ground. Aside from the person's long black hair and the cloak she wore overtop a loose gown, Ash couldn't make out much about them. Their figure looked feminine, but it could be deceiving from a distance. And was she wearing a crown? Something protruded from the top of her head.

They were almost to the base of the tree when the person reached the bottom. The details became more distinct, forming what was indeed a woman. Though Ash still couldn't make out what adorned her head—

Shock anchored her to the ground as the others moved forward. Forest green vine-like marks framed the woman's youthful face, spilling out from the circular crest on her forehead. They trailed down her neck before vanishing beneath her lavender gown.

And the things atop her head that Ash had noticed weren't some type of specialized crown. No, they were black horns that stretched over her scalp and inward, almost forming a triangle from her temples.

A Scion.

Ash had heard that the magic further changed some Scion's appearances, but the two she'd seen had had nothing but a Scion's Dreamweave upon their skin. She didn't know if more changes indicated anything. Would this woman be more powerful than Roan or the one from Sabin's ship? All she knew was that this Scion was here, in the supposed haven for those changed by the corrupted Scions.

A choked sound escaped Ash's lips, and the Scion's dark eyes settled on her.

Lorica, to Ash's horror, bowed her head to the Scion. "Sebille. It is good to see you are still well."

The Scion—Sebille, according to Lorica—didn't stop studying Ash. Her lips curled. "I see you have a new addition for our settlement."

"Actually, she will be joining us on the ship," Lorica said. "She has a connection to the one we are looking for."

"Oh? Is that so?" Sebille's brows shot up. "I have a feeling you have quite the tale to share with me this evening, Lorica. First, though, I believe you need to alleviate this new one's fears."

"Ah, yes." Lorica half-turned so she could see both Ash and Sebille. "Sebille, this is Ashlin Crest."

At Ash's name, the Scion's eyebrows rose even higher, but she didn't say anything.

"And Ash," Lorica went on, "this is Sebille. You could call her the patron of our village, I suppose. She was already here, hidden away from others of her kind, when we stumbled across her. She now shares this island with us and ensures that we aren't discovered."

This was the surprise, Ash realized. The reason that the Jihimian people thought this island inhabited by a powerful Terror and why the true Terrors never struck.

Sebille nodded her head in greeting at Ash. "I would say welcome, but I do not believe anyone truly wishes to be amongst our group."

The natural yet cynical way Sebille addressed the issues almost brought a smile to Ash's face, but she still couldn't get over the presence of a Scion here. She shifted uncomfortably under Sebille's attention. She forced a polite smile, but she couldn't imagine anyone believing it to be genuine.

"You don't understand why I am here and not with my kind," Sebille noted.

Ash bit her lip but nodded. Even if she lied, she had a feeling Sebille would know the truth.

The Scion chuckled. "Understandable concern, given the actions of my kin. However, it is because of those very actions I have stepped away. Not all of us approve of how the others act. When I tried to voice my discontent, well..." Sebille shrugged. "I chose to walk away rather than face their judgement of my lack of conformity. Now, with the explanation out of the way, let's try this again. Welcome, Ashlin Crest."

When Ash didn't say anything, Willow elbowed her. "This is when you greet her back," she whispered, smiling.

Ash grinned back, and it came more naturally now. "Sorry. Yes, thank you, Sebille. It's nice to meet you."

Although she huffed, light twinkled in Sebille's eyes. "I am certain you're still not sure you believe that, but we are getting somewhere." Her scrutiny of Ash lasted a moment longer before she swung her focus to Lorica. "Now, you plan to stay for the night, yes? Let's meet in my lodgings. We can discuss these new matters there."

Without waiting for a reply, Sebille turned on her heel and made her way back up the steps she'd just descended.

"Well, it seems I have a meeting," Lorica mused. If she had any ill feelings toward the curt summons, she didn't show it in her voice. Given how Sebille had acted so far, Ash wouldn't be surprised if this was a typical interaction between the two. "Willow, as you seem to have taken young Ash under your wing, please show her around and get her situated."

"Of course!" Willow chirped. "Come on, Ash. I'll show you where Linden and I stay while we're here."

Ash followed Willow as she chattered about all the Haven and its set-up while Linden paced along quietly. Before they could get too far from the tree, though, Ash threw a quick glance over her shoulder.

Both Lorica and Sebille were making their ascent to the strange bulbous house in the middle of the large tree. Ash swallowed as she traced their progress. A pirate captain and a Scion, banded together to help those who had been cursed.

And who had a special interest in Callum.

Far from the first time since leaving her home, Ash couldn't help but wonder what she had gotten herself into.

*****

We are seeing more into the workings of the Nightwrath, as well as a bit into the Scions.  A Scion patron over them, who also disapproves of what the other Scions do.  I wonder what the punishment for nonconformity is 👀 And why these two would have such an interest in Callum... Perhaps we will find out before too long >:D 

Let me know your thoughts on the chapter down below, and if you enjoyed it, don't forget to vote and comment! I also have a discord open to anyone who wants to join, and we have a section there to discuss the book :D Let me know if you want to join!