Epilogue

Cousin breathed deep the earth and fire of the volcano.  She peered into the solid bowl of the crater.  No lava flowed.  She shifted her perception and gazed into the heart of the volcano.  Deep down magma flowed in lazy currents.  It felt very much like the Ether to her, a place of the Ancient Gods.  It was the last piece of the puzzle.

The view of the island was expansive green canopy from where she stood.  The ocean was the best blues.  Soft clouds drifted on distant mellow skies.  On the volcano the wind pressed against Cousin as if trying to flow between her molecules.

Cousin started the trek back down the mountain side, the silver staff becoming a walking stick.  She wanted to give Kraken her report, and the temptation to use her power to reach him faster was strong.  But it wasn’t enough for her to miss the beauty of the island.

Life over flowed the small island.  Trees and plants were as diverse as Cousin had ever experienced.  Birds and beasts were plentiful, and splendid.  The surveys had found multiple fresh water sources, natural clearings for settlements, and no native peoples living there.  The island was the very ideal of Kraken’s dream.

The day was almost done when Cousin reached the cliff above the cave.  She waved at Bry when he turned to her.  His wild hair danced in the breeze.

“You’re in trouble,” Bry said.  “He’s been up six times in the last few hours.  No sex for you tonight.”  Bry laughed at his own humor.

Cousin wrinkled her nose at him, and walked on.  She met Kraken on the ledge at the tunnel exit.  She tippy-toed and kissed his check.  “All stable.  At least as stable as any volcano can be.”

Kraken hugged her off her feet.  “Why’d you walk?”

“I’m exercising my wonder.”

Kraken snorted and put her down.

Cousin leaned into him and let her perception flow outward.  Frick and Ollie sang in their work.  Arguments over gaming and wagers broke out only to end in new bets.  Kor sparred with Jak.  Monk went over the island maps with Gabb.

Haven heaved a great contented sigh.

Cousin wiggled deeper into Kraken’s embrace.  “Me too, great ship.  Me too.”

All was still.  The Alpha Master was no more.  Cousin glowed in the morning sun, the last of the power returned to the Ether.  Haven rocked on choppy waves.  The Al’Ri island was quiet in its varying stages of destruction.  Then the volcano erupted.

Cousin landed on the foredeck as wielders of all classes turned their attention to the safety of their island.  A gentle nudge and Haven moved into open water.  Sails were set, and current and wind moved Haven away from the island at greatest speed.  Cousin stood the watch until Haven was clear of the Myst, and well away from the Al’Ri.

Turning, she found herself the center of attention.  She shouldered the silver staff and smiled.  “It’s not really made of silver,” she said.  “It’s solidified star dust.  Able to withstand the most brutal powers.”

The men looked from one to the other.  Their expressions were cunning.

Kraken walked up to Kor.  “Okay, Quartermaster, who wagered on talk of power?”

Kor pulled a piece of paper from his boot.  He ran a finger down the list.  “Here it is.  Sliver staff.  Cousin!”

Cousin laughed and launched herself at Kraken.  She kissed him long and deep.  She sighed as she settled into his arms.

“Who had kiss the Captain?” Bry called over the cheers.

Kraken cleared his throat.  “Protect the ship came first.”

“Actually,” Cousin said, “I healed wounds during the battle first, then protected Haven, then claimed the book and staff, then . . .”

Kor looked at his list again.  “Listen here, missy.  Ain’t no fair, you betting on yourself.”

Cousin laughed loud.  “It’s good to be home.”

In the Ether, Cousin looked again at the Alpha Master.  He was no longer recognizable as the wielder he started as.  “That’s enough, Father,” she said, her voice a soft wave on still water.

The Alpha Master swung his disfigured head to peer at her with bulging eyes.  “All is mine,” he slurred through blistered lips.  “All mine!”  He pulled harder.

Cousin showed him the sliver staff.  She twirled it in her fingers.  Caught it in a firm grasp, and tapped it on her leg.  “Not everything is yours.”

The Alpha Master lunged.  His misshapen form no longer moved as he remembered.

Cousin laughed.  “Too much to eat,” she teased in a high pitched voice.

The vibration of Cousin’s voice resonated pain and blood against the Alpha Master’s thinned ear drums, and they burst like soup bubbles.

The current of power caressed over Cousin.  It flowed through her.  She delighted in the control she felt.  The Ether filled her, and Cousin surrendered to her own core.  The world of matter became small in her outward perception.

A subtle brush touched her lips, and her mind remembered Kraken’s lips on hers.  Cousin remembered Gabb’s Death Smile, chasing Kor through the rigging, Jak’s food, Bry’s humor.  Each member of the crew came to her mind.  Cousin shifted, and Ghost was flowing through the shadows of her eyes.  One word came.  Trust.

Cousin and the Alpha Master fell from the Ether, and plunged back to the world of matter.

The Alpha Master screamed gurgling rage.  His body boiled and rolled as power currented under his distended flesh.  His skin charred and turned to ash.  His eyes popped like over rip tomatoes.  He tired to focus the power through chants and symbol.  His voice did not work.  His limbs did not move as he wished.  The power of the Ether surged out of him burning up the container unable to hold it.

Cousin raised the sliver staff.  “Mine.”  The escaping energy raced to the upheld staff.  The staff showed images of the Ether which flowed to the Ancient Gods, which flowed to a reflection of Cousin standing on a mountain top which flowed to Haven.

Cousin stood in her study aboard Haven.  The battle continued.  She looked to each of her family and healed the most dire.  Then she touched Haven and enforced her wards.

Cousin turned to the book and staff.  The silver staff showed the Alpha Master glutting on the Ether.  “I’m aware,” she said.  Cousin laid a hand on the book, and a jolt of power burned up her arm.  “Mine.”  The power ebbed and the book became still.  “Mine,” she said again, and the book was absorbed into Cousin’s core.  All knowledge it contained was hers.

The sliver staff showed the battle outside.  “I’m aware.  Are you ready?”  The staff stilled.  Then glowed with the light of distant creation.  “Very well.”  Cousin gripped the staff.  “Mine.”

The Alpha Master waved his hand.  The sharp morning light glowed through his splayed fingers.  The black bubble melted away.  Haven sat easy on still water.  No movement could be seen on her deck.  Cousin stood atop the figure head.

The Alpha Master rose and flew to face the subject of his obsession.  “Finally, we meet,” he said with the same quiet command that sent the most powerful of his kind into terrors.

Cousin didn’t reply.  She only stood, tapping a sliver staff against her leg.

The Alpha Master frowned.  Of all the things he expected, seeing Cousin unafraid and calm was not one of them.  He couldn’t feel anything of her power.  A corner of his mouth turned up and his eyes shone.  “Finally.  Finally, we will test your Depth.”

The spell hurtled at Cousin had all the power of the island behind it.  She didn’t flinch.  The spell raged through the space were Haven sat and continued on.

The Alpha Master blinked, then he laughed long and loud.  “You changed it to something that can’t react with physical matter!”

“Wasn’t me,” Cousin said in Kraken’s voice.  “It was her.”  The sliver staff, fading to black, pointed to the dock.

The Alpha Master turned to see Cousin on the dock.  He turned back to look at Cousin standing on the figure head.  “Two?”

“No,” the Cousin on the dock said.  “I am Cousin.”

“And you have never looked more beautiful,” Kraken said as the illusion fell away.  He held up the black staff.  “When you are ready, my love.”

Cousin smiled despite herself.  All worry and confusion evaporated as chaos erupted.

Thousands of spells flew.  Some were aimed at Cousin.  Some at Kraken.  Some at Haven.  The wards and charms Cousin had made sang.

Haven’s crew swarmed the deck and fired back with cannons, guns, arrows and re-directed spell.  Kraken used his black staff to repel attack and direct his own power.  Gabb used the power gathered by his charm to enhance his water powers and flooded great chunks of dock and beach, washing away Masters, Hunters and wielders alike.

Cousin floated up to met the Alpha Master.

“You have armed them well,” the Alpha Master said.  “But it will do no good.”

“No buts,” Cousin said.

The Alpha Master smiled.  “Agreed.  Come and I will spare them.”

Cousin tilted her head to one side.  “No.”

The Alpha Master shrugged.  He waved a hand and every motion on Haven froze.  Every spell directed at the ship and crew hit.  The explosion rocked the island and sent great waves out into the ocean.

Cousin waved a hand and the smoke cleared.  The ocean settled.  And Haven rested unharmed on gentle waves.  Curses, challenges and cheers came from her decks.

A loud crack and the Alpha Master clutched a broken arm.  He glared down as Kraken sent another attack at him with the black staff.  A few words in whispered tones absorbed the attack and healed the arm.  “Perhaps, we should make this between us?” he said to Cousin.

“That is your only lie.”

The Alpha Master laughed.  The Al’Ri wielders of all stations stilled and cringed.  All the Masters bowed their heads, and fed power to the Alpha Master.

“No buts, Father,” Cousin said.

“Do you think you are my only off spring?”  The Alpha Master laughed.  “Such naivety deserves to be destroyed.”

Cousin smiled death, and all the world disappeared.  The Ether expanded all around.  She and the Alpha Master lingered on the edge of the eternal.  Cousin looked at Haven, then closed the door.

The Alpha Master looked around calmly.  He took in the vastness of all and nothing, and embraced it.  He rejoiced in it.  Pulled the essence of it into himself.  Reaching for everything, he let his greed take hold.

Cousin watched.  She didn’t attempt to stop him.  Didn’t try to hide from him.  Didn’t interfere in anyway.  Cousin let the Ancient Gods grow closer.  She didn’t warn them or the Alpha Master.  In her core she knew it wouldn’t make a difference.

The first touch of the Ancient Gods jolted through the Alpha Master.  He cried out in ecstasy.  He moaned.  He laughed.  The power filling him was exactly what he craved.  He pulled and sucked and consumed it as fast as it would come.

Cousin looked on.

The Alpha Master began to morph.  His body stretched and distorted.  His mind mutated.  His power bloated.

Cousin left the Alpha Master to his feast.

Kraken stood staring into the box in Cousin’s study.  Haven had woke him screaming in his head.  The resonance of the silver staff drew him.  Kraken watched in the lantern light as the Alpha Master ordered the deaths of his men.  As Cork and Sher ra spoke of the sliver staff.  As Cousin stood statue still with sunrise red reflecting from her bottomless eyes.

Kraken gathered his power and sent to Cousin: “Come home.”

The charms on Cousin’s wrist sung.  They vibrated so loud she woke, and was on her feet ready to kill.  The air hummed with a power she had not felt yet.  It was familiar, because it suffused the whole island.  Now she knew its source was a man, the Alpha Master, her father.

Cousin stood, hands at her sides, eyes closed.  Her breath was even and relaxed.  An expression of peace was on her face.  Nothing about her demeanor reflected the chaos of emotion within.

Cousin’s eyes snapped open.  The first hint of rose touched the horizon.

The Alpha Master arrived at the Ancestor’s Shrine.  A few clipped words had every Master rushing to the open air of the central casting chamber.  He entered with his five attendants and walked to the middle alter.  The attendants took Tower Guard positions around the circle.  The Alpha Master walked in a circle and looked into each face, met each eye.

“How long has it been?” he asked in a quiet voice that cut the silence.  “How long has Haven sat as bait?  Long enough for the pirates to starve?  Long enough for the pirates to plan an escape or attack?  Long enough for the pirates to – what?”  The Alpha Master walked the circle again.  “Not long enough for the Aberration to come.”  The Alpha Master’s eyes shone star bright in his youthful face.  His green hair was coming loose from its long braid.

A shiver passed through the group.

“What was the plan again?” the Alpha Master asked.

“To use the pirates to lure the Aberration,” came the answer.

“How long have we waited?”

“Two weeks, five days, seven . . .”

“Enough!”

The crowd stiffened as one.

“At sun rise, with blood in the sky, we start killing them one by one until she comes.”  The Alpha Master left the chamber with his attendants.

Er’Ranta stumbled to the nearest outer pillar, and vomited over the edge.

The Al’Ri Masters gathered at the Ancestor Shrine in the center of the Al’Ri capital city.  From the open arch’s of the central casting chamber they could see a full three hundred sixty degrees, but their favorite view was the black bubble that held the pirate ship Haven just outside the cove.  The Masters gathered in small groups and talked of the impending arrival in excited tones.

The people of the city did not share the Master’s excitement.  May of them knew someone, who knew someone, who had been on Protector’s island.  The people of the city wanted the black bubble gone.  They didn’t want the one called Cousin to come.

Inside the bubble Kraken and his crew took bets on when Cousin would arrive, what she would do to the island, to the Masters and what her first words would be when she got back on ship.  They laid wagers on the fate of Drake, Jones Bone, and their ship.  Time was spent gaming and sparing.  Only when he was alone did Kraken let his worry and uncertainty consume him.

Cousin looked down at the Ancestor Shrine and the black bubble beyond.  The dormant volcano at her back provided shelter and sustenance.  For three days she sifted through the energy signatures on the island, and weighed her headings.  She used her power freely and walked the streets of the city at night.  No challenged her.  No recognized her.

She listened to the gossip and the concerns of the people.  Going from shop to shop, inn to inn, she learned her enemies.  Like on Protector’s island some people were fettered, some supported the Masters freely, and yet others were used more subtly.  And those with the most power stood behind the masses using them as shield and sword.

Everywhere she went people whispered.   Stories were told of her and her power, and things she had done.  Things that were not always true.  People whispered of the Alpha Master, who had yet to arrive with his inner court, like a monster from a child’s story.  As if talking of him too loud would bring his attention on them.  Everywhere people ducked their heads together to share what they knew.  Everywhere Cousin looked she saw lie.

On the volcano, she felt at ease.  It felt like the Ancient Gods.  Though she had not found a temple, Cousin knew the mountain was scared.  This is where the Des’Tras would live, she though over and over, and when she did, she missed Haven even more.

Slaughter Fish’s wielders worked to protect the ship from the storm.  Butcher stood the forward watch and directed the efforts to see the ship safe.  Cousin stood next to him with her face up turned, and eyes closed experiencing the fury.

“You could help,” Butcher called over the crashing waves and cracking thunder.

Cousin gave no sign of hearing.  Then the ship was in a bubble which flowed smoothly through the mountainous waves.

“How?”  Butcher turned to Cousin.  “Did you do this?”

“Yes.  Though your wielders were more than capable of protecting this ship.”

“You turned Allen to dust.”

Cousin shrugged.  “His power was in manipulating others, and using their power to his benefit.  He was a leach.  A bug.”

Butcher laughed.

Vermit scuttled up.  “Seems the men are nervous,” he said dipping his head.  “The little miss is becoming quiet the legend on board.  Some are talking stupid.”

Cousin walked over to Vermit, and kissed his head.  She waved her hand and a black stiletto dagger appeared.  She gave it to Vermit.  “Be safe, Uncle.”

Vermit turned the weapon over in his hands.  When he looked up to thank Cousin she was gone.  He and Butcher watched the lightning outside slide across the bubble’s  surface.

Butcher blew out a sigh.  “Here’s praying for the world.”

“No, Captain.  Pray for the little miss.”