Whilst the camp remained in gruesome silence following the island rampage, watchful eyes remained fixated upon its wounded inhabitants. Saya and Kino, the last two to remain conscious, had assumed the explosion was Jack's work, but such was not the case. Njall, after decimating the last of the shore party, had rushed to the camp and was now observing the women. Katerina was already gone by then, and one of the dead pirates had been stripped nude.
 
A few moments earlier, Saya had been tending to the nude Katerina. The wolf's healing abilities made all efforts proceed surprisingly well, so the young girl decided to move back to Natsumi's side rather than waste her energy. Kino was handling most of the healing and recuperation efforts for the winged Ice Queen, leaving little need for her daughter to interfere. Instead, the artifact had the fox child begin cleaning up the camp as best she could. It was during that activity that Katerina finally woke up.
 
Saya heard the stirring elemental when she regained consciousness, and saw her naked form stand up. She didn't pay much attention to it, though, until she felt the woman's hand on her shoulder. Touch from anyone but Natsumi was not something she welcomed, and so Saya jumped back when feeling the icy touch of Katerina's fingers. She kept her distance despite the wolf's honeyed words, hiding behind her unconscious mother.
 
"Be careful, Lobo," was all she said in response while concealing herself in Natsumi's hair. The name she used was the native, Apoy term for "wolf," and easier for Saya to pronounce than the wolf demon's, full name. It was never meant as an insult, even though it would have been taken that way had Saya been older. She was clearly disinterested in getting close to Katerina, but whether the wolf demon understood that remained to be seen.
 
Kat departed shortly thereafter, passing around Njall just as he arrived at camp. Malignant odors of death and decay eclipsed his presence, allowing the two adults to miss each other along their way. Njall wasn't particularly paying attention, in the first place. The masked man appeared preoccupied with watching Saya and Natsumi when he first arrived, with eyes sullen enough to turn even a wicked heart. He stood there for some time, as if he were waiting for the opportune moment to approach. Yet that moment, or his nerves, never came.
 
Instead of moving into camp, Njall went back to the ships. He had noticed that there was one man more than the number of outfits, and so realized that someone else was on the island. Since there was only one place such an individual would head on an island filled with death, there wouldn't be much delay in tracking them down.
 

---

 
Meanwhile, a fateful series of events was occurring within the late captain's cabin. Two captives had been found by Katerina, remnants of Captain Silverstein's operations. The wolf demon was displaying some uncharacteristically motherly tendencies toward the tiger and child, but would soon be interrupted by a heavily panting man.  
 
"Gotta get away. Gotta get away." The voice that followed down the hall and to the wolf's ears was masculine in nature, but raspy. Its owner had clearly lost his voice either from illness or fear. No matter the case, his terror was palpable, and his sweating profuse. "Masked bastard just comes in and… kills everyone. Just like that. Billy never had a chance!" He finally arrived in front of the captain's door after that recollection: a scrawny – as far as pirates go, at least – middle-aged man who had to be one of the lower ranks. "What the hell are you doing here," the last remaining pirate asked while looking over the strangers he found? "Never mind. Look, I don't wanna be here when the captain comes back, and you shouldn't either! Sides there's a killer on the-" Thump thump. "Oh no."
 
Njall, having memorized the location of the ships from his original visit, had teleported back to them without the need of a boat. Now his heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway, a grim reminder of the death this sole survivor had so narrowly avoided.
 
"No," he cried upon realizing his squad's murderer had returned! "I won't die like the rest! I refuse!" Drawing the cutlass at his side, the pirate started charging away from the doorway next to Katerina and in the direction of a figure just out of sight. "You're not going to get me!"
 

Alas, the pirate did not succeed in his violent effort. It was true that, in a stand up fight, a rogue like him might have won against a mage like Njall. Yet the would-be butler knew this before the engagement had even begun, and, as a result, fought dirty. "I am sorry," he said while teleporting behind the man he was about to kill. "But kindness of heart does not imply a weak resolve." Thus the battle was over. With an agility spell still coursing through his blood, Njall was able to quickly and fatally slash at the pirate's neck before he could finish his turnabout. Blood gushed onto the floor while the corpse fell with a thud, but the masked man simply kept walking rather than pity his opponent further. There was a wolf that required his attention, and he had to be ready in case she attacked him before he even got to the door. 

Katerina didn't take offense when Saya had moved from her hand before. She didn't like to be touched either. Unless she chose to be. Now that she was on the cabin floor, with the little girl crying in her arms; she couldn't help but hold the girl tight to her chest.  The wolf's right hand slowly ran through the child's hair. Her mind forgot about everything else that happened that day. There was no dead uncle, no battle, just her and the little girl. Her eyes slowly closed as she took in that moment. The little girl soon stopped crying and just clutched the wolf demons shirt.

A soft smile formed on her lips as the child pulled away from her slightly. The little girl's eyes locked with the wolfs. “Hello there…” Katerina whispered as she looked into the child's bloodshot eyes. Jasmine colored eyes stared back at her. The elemental's fingers where curled in soft golden short hair. She was only a toddler. A frown wanted to line her lips, but she forced the smile to stay on her lips. 'Why is she in here? …What did my uncle do?' Pushing the thoughts from her mind, she knew that this little girl didn't belong here.  

The child's eyes shot over to the door behind them. She had heard the footsteps before the wolf demon did. Taking notice of the child's eyes, Katerina  look over her shoulder. The man who entered to doorway kept mumbling to himself, until he saw the wolf demon. Her arms tightened around the child, as the little girl's face laid back into her chest her. The man was raving like a mad man, making the wolf demon stand, her eyes narrowed and her right hand outstretched. She was ready to attack. “Killer?” She repeated softly as the man gasped.

Footsteps coming down the hall made the wolf demon step back deeper into the cabin. The man didn't seem to like whoever was coming down the hall, it didn't sound like it was Natsumi or even Saya. Hearing the tone in the man's voice, she knew that it was no one she knew on this island. Soft tears hit her chest again making the wolf demon look down at the child. “I will protect you… Shhh..” She whispered to the child.  


Katerina watched as the pirate tried to attack, she couldn't see the other man. The fight was over it even begun. The other man sliced the man's neck and continue to walk towards the doorway. Her eyes stayed locked on the man until he cam into view. She needed to be ready as soon as he attacked. With the child in her arms, it was going to be a bit harder for her to fight, but she would do her best. She wouldn't let this child get hurt.

Katerina readied herself for the man that was about to come through the door. Smoke rose from her hand and swirled around her wrist and around her elbow. Taking a step forward, her eyes stopped at his face. She paused for a moment. The man was striking. His half mask face made him seem mysterious and intriguing. For a moment, she didn't see the blade that was at his side until a small hand tightened on her sleeve.  Her eyes met the man's mysterious ones then glanced quickly at the man behind him. She remembered the rambles of the mad man, was there truth to his words? He had said this man was a killer, that he killed them all. Was this man who walked before her friend or foe? He didn't look like a pirate, he was too nicely dressed.

“Who are you? I assume you don't belong to this mass of dead pirates…” She said as her eyes went to the man's eyes again. Closing her hand in a fist, she needed to show she wasn't a threat to this man before her. Plus she didn't want to freeze that pretty face of his. Soft sparks show from her hand as she closed her fist. It was unnoticed by the wolf demon as her eyes didn't leave the man before her.


Sounds of banging from underneath the floorboards made the wolf demon's eyes move to the floor.  Muffled voices floated up to Katerina's ears. “More pirates?” She whispered and shot her eyes back to the man before her. “If you are not with these pirates, I am not a threat to you.” She stated as wrapped her arm around the child. “I need to get this child back to camp, away from all these…. dead bodies.” Her eyes shot to the body behind the man for a moment then returned to the man before her.. “But I would like to see who is down there first.” She didn't move just yet, she wasn't sure what the man was going to do. Was he going to try to kill her or let her live. She had a feeling he wasn't going to touch her.

Had Njall been as hardhearted as he appeared, he would not have hesitated to attack Katerina through the walls. He could see her aura, and was perfectly capable of setting off a chain reaction in the captain's cabin without looking in through the entryway. Yet he did not, because, looks aside, the would-be steward was a compassionate teddy bear. He didn't wish to harm without verification, especially when a child was so close to the danger, so he risked bodily harm just to confirm that the wolf was honest in her intentions.  
 
Thankfully, his trust was rewarded. Katerina did not attack Njall when he came into view, leaving him no reason to do otherwise. In fact, she even reduced her residual magic to prevent the wrong idea from coming across, speaking to the masked man in a calm, non-threatening voice. She asked the same question that he was about to ask of her, and he responded to this civility in kind.
 
"And from that assumption," he began with candor. "I assume you don't belong to the pirates, either." Bringing his blade to his side, Njall flung the blood off of it onto the floor; then sheathed the gleaming construct to make himself seem less intimidating.  Finally, he bowed to the two ladies, and introduced himself. "I am Njall, would-be steward to Miss Yamauchi and her daughter. I apologize for frightening you, but these pirates have me antsy. I thought they were all dead until this most recent attack."
 
Admittedly, Njall was mainly doing his polite skit for the small, frightened child under Katerina's protection rather than the wolf herself. He didn't trust her just yet, especially not since she smelled vaguely of the late captain. His resolve on this issue was weakening from her dialogue choice, though. Katerina's request bade him to reconsider his mistrust, especially since he was a sensible man who realized he could use her help finishing what he started.
 

"They are not pirates, but slaves," the masked mage said while straightening from his bow and walking calmly toward Katerina and the child. "These pirates were slavers, and there are several prisoners on their ships. I haven't had the chance to free them, though, because it's been too dangerous. If that hadn't been the case, this girl and tiger would already be on the beach and I would be tending to Natsumi and Saya." Holding his hand out to Katerina, he stopped to lock eyes with her before continuing. "If you want to help free the others alongside me, I won't object to that. There should be an opening somewhere around here."

Watching the man’s actions, he had decided against attacking. A small smile crossed her lips as, she watched the man bow. As he rose, she realized that she was smiling and turned her lips into a straight line. He was also polite which was another good trait for a man. “Njall,” she repeated his name. She liked how it rolled off her tongue. “Hello, Njall. I am Katerina Silverstein.” Pausing, she nodded her head towards the mystery man. She would of bowed as well, but the child prevented that. “You have probably heard of me from Natsumi.” She finished, hoping that this would get the man trust her. From the smell of her and what she wore, she probably seemed like a pirate.


After the wolf demon mentioned the pirates below, Njall had corrected her. ‘Slaves,’ she repeated the word in her mind. Katerina stood there silent for a moment. Her uncle was the most horrible man she had ever met. The list of bad things her uncle had done just kept getting longer. A frown crossed her lips, as she stared down at the floor, while her hand moved up to the little girl’s hair. What had her uncle planned on doing with her? Why was the little girl and the tiger the only two there? So many questions were left unanswered. Now that her uncle laid on the beach, lifeless. There was no one to answer these questions. She wanted to know everything, even if after knowing, she’d wished she hadn’t. With a mental sigh, she just about shook her head. ‘Nothing about this man should surprises me anymore.’


Seeing the man reach out towards her, the elemental at his hand. She had the urge to grab it, his hand opened seemed so welcoming. Noticing that she was having feelings towards the new stranger before her,  she took her eyes from him and towards the cabin. “Give me a moment to grab any possessions this child has.” She said, not wanting to acknowledge his offer.


Turning away from the man, she looked around the cabin once more. She kept trying not to think about how he held out his hand to her. She didn’t know if the little girl would have anything, but she didn’t want to leave anything behind. A few moments passed before a small glimmer of light caught her attention. The elemental’s eyes looked over to the bed, a small locket hung on the cabin wall. Walking towards it, her hand reached out to grab it. The front of the locket looked like dragon scales, in the middle was a purple large gem that seemed to glow lightly. It was unusual. Touching the locket, she felt the magic radiating from it.


The movement made the little girl turn and reach for the locket. “Is this yours?” The elemental ask. She didn’t get any response from the girl, only the outreached hand. Taking the chain from its hook, Katerina put it over the child’s head, so it can hang from her neck. As soon as the locket was in its place, the child turned back around, and put her head into the wolf demon’s chest.


“We can go.” The woman said as she turned around. Katerina didn’t want any possessions from her uncle, even if she could get answers from anything here. It was time to free the slaves and get out of that place. She didn’t want to look back again. He was dead and the past with him.


A growl made her eyes move towards the caged tiger. “Oh! I almost forgot about you. I am sorry!” Katerina said to the tiger as she hurried towards the animal. Her shoulder almost brushing against the man’s. Her hand grabbed the lock and she closed her eyes; her magic wasn’t as quick as before. Slowly the lock turned to ice. Pulling it hard, the lock broke into shards of ice, letting the cage door swing open. The tiger didn’t wait another second before jumping out of the cage. He made his way to the elemental’s leg and rubbed his body against the boot. Katerina resisted the urge to move away from the cat. “Thank you…” The tiger said as he sat down next to the elemental. “Your welcome.” She said with a smile.

Turning back towards the man, she glanced over to the door. “So where should we start looking for the door that go downstairs?” She asked looking back at the man, assuming he probably knew where the entrance was. He had killed all the pirates on the ship. Maybe he knew the way.

Fräulein Silverstein was a lovely woman: full of feminine appeal and voluptuous figure. But her beauty did little to ensnare the masked man she desired. Njall behaved as one whose heart had already been taken in her presence, treating her as a stranger rather than a potential lover.
 
"I have not actually spoken with Natsumi," he said abashedly and seemingly ignorant of Katerina's interest. The response reflected his loyal nature, but also revealed his stalker-like tendencies toward Natsumi. "More like listened, so I don't know who you are beyond an acquaintance of hers. Your appearance on this island is the first instance that I have seen you."
 
The truth is not always something we are proud of. Njall had been following Natsumi for years now, but never had the guts to approach her until recently. This delay in his decision was not something he enjoyed admitting even to himself, because he felt it made him appear weak. Yet he had just done that to a total stranger, because his sense of honesty was more overpowering than his shame.
 
Of course, Katerina proved too distracted to really care. Mr. Steward was confused by this lack of reaction from her; especially since she refused to make eye contact with him after he offered his hand. She, strangely, just quickly returned her attention to the room, leaving the still naive Njall to stew in his own confusion.
 
Regardless of the elemental's actions, though, the mage did not remain idle. While his guest redirected her attention to other things, Njall began scanning the ship from the cabin. Small runes appeared over his eyes, allowing him to scan for auras below deck. What he saw was unsettling, but helpful. The two dozen or so slaves on the captain's vessel were all women, and all being kept in the hull directly below where Njall stood. The masked man was able to locate most of them before Katerina called his attention back to her, but he still did not enjoy the thought of what awaited him in the depths.
 
"I know where the door is," Njall began while dispelling his detect aura enchantment. "Unfortunately, it's locked up tight, and I'd rather not waste time looking for a key. They're right below us, anyway, so we can get to them without going through traditional means. As my mentor used to say, 'If you can't find a door, make your own.'"
 
Both of Njall's, gloved hands glowed following his remark, charged with the same energy he had used to bombard the beach. It was significantly weaker this time, designed specifically to destroy the floor without causing widespread, collateral damage. With that power in place, Njall settled both palms against the floorboards under foot, sending the energy into them and opening up a gash in the ship. The resultant rubble landed in a ramp leading down to the storage hold, allowing the coughing voices of the captive women to flow upward into the cabin.
 
Rising to his feet as the dust settled, the seemingly young stranger looked back at his temptress acquaintance, and then motioned for her to go through his makeshift entrance. "After you, Miss Silverstein."

 

The child in Katerina’s arms didn’t move, her continued to lay still on the wolf demon’s shoulder. The wolf demon’s hand subconsciously started to rub up and down on the child’s back. Her actions unknown to her, the wolf demon had asked the man where the door was. Njall had probably looked over the whole ship in search of pirates. He was a man who get things done. Katerina didn’t judge the man’s actions, because she would’ve done the same thing if she had the strength to. No pirate under her uncle's rule should live. They were all worthless scum.

Pushing the thoughts away, Katerina listened to the man speak. Her mind slowly drifting to what he had said before. She was only an acquaintance of Natsumi’s. ‘Am I?’ she thought, her heart felt differently after the last twenty four or so hours. If she was asked yesterday if she was anything to Natsumi. She would've said only an acquaintance, but now her heart felt differently. She would say that they were friends. Close friends. She almost smiled at the thought. She had finally made a friend.

The last of the man’s words caught her attention, ‘Make your own?!’ She thought. The wolf demon stepped back a few steps, and watched him start up his spell. Katerina didn’t want to be in the line of fire, if he was going to do the spell he did on the beach. It only took a moment before the floor beneath was open and awaiting for entrance. Her eyes moved to Njall, and he had motioned for her to go first. With a nod and a step forward. She didn’t know what awaited her in the dim area before, but that wasn’t going to stop her. She jumped and fell through the opening.

Landing gracefully on the deck below, her arms tightened around the child in her arms, as her eyes looked around at the horror. The wolf demon’s body freezing, because of the scene before her. The smell of piss and feces surrounded her. Holding her breath from keeping from gagging. Her eyes looked at the women locked up in the barred cages. There were three rows; cages in the center of the ship, and on either end of the ship, bars stretched from the front and to the end. The women were naked, with only a blanket on a bed beside them, but only for the ones who weren't chained up to the walls of the ship. Naked, bruised, and dirty their eyes watched her, waiting for her to move. Most of the women looked human, but the smell that lingered through the others, Katerina knew they were far from human.

“What was he doing..” Katerina whispered, thinking how horrible her uncle was. “I’m sorry.”  Her voice was shaky, as her eyes took in the women’s sad pleading eyes. Turning towards the closest cell beside her, she started with the women who weren't chained. “Njall, I’ll start here. Helped the women that are chained.” She called over her shoulder. The women were close to the bars now, they hands reaching through. “Let us out!”, “Help us!”, “Thank you!” The words of the women almost made Katerina cry. Her hand circled one of the bars and pulled with all her might. Breaking the lock and opening the first door. “Thank you!” The women yelled and hugged Katerina. “Do you have enough strength to find keys?” She asked as her eyes looked into the woman’s yellow cat eyes. “Yes!” She said as she ran off.

The wolf demon continued to break open the cell doors. Letting one after another woman free. A few cells down, she tried to hand over the child to a woman. “Take her please?” She asked as she tried to pull the child away. “Come here sweetie…” The red hair woman said as she tried to grab the child. The little girl shook her head and held on tight. With a sigh, Katerina shook her head at the woman. “Never mind.” With a nod, the woman joined the rest who were gathered together.

Some women weren’t as lucky. A few women lay dead in their cells, blood covered their legs. A few tears escaped her eyes as she saw a dead baby laying on the bed by her mother’s legs. “How can someone do this.” She whispered, as she laid her head against the cell door. Clearing her throat to keep from crying. She opened the cell anyways.  “Whoever has the strength. Please clean up the dead…” She called over her shoulder to the women behind her. There were no objections, only tears.

Making her way down the cages, another dead body after another. She opened the one cage and would move on to the next one. Her hand lingered on one for a moment, staring at the women with a pile of blood on the bed and around her thighs. The blood dripping onto the ground,fresh blood. Using her wolf ears, she heard the shallow breathing and the slow heartbeat of the woman.  She had lost too much blood, life would escape her soon.

Slowly, the eyes of the woman opened up, “My baby girl…” She whispered. Ripping open the cage, the wolf demon quickly kneeled beside the cot. “You can’t die. She needs you!” Katerina said urgently making the child look over to her mother. “Mama!” She said reaching towards the woman. A soft smile spread over the woman’s cheeks, as her hand reached up to touch the child’s cheek. “I love you….. She is your mama now..be a good girl…” She whispered her eyes slowly moving over to Katerina’s. “Take care of her….” Was her final words before her eyes closed, and her hand falling down limp. Her last breath leaving her lungs in a sigh. The child turned back to hide her face in the wolf demons neck.

“No…NO!” Katerina yelled as tears started to fall down her face. “She needs you! She needs you..” She whispered,as her arms tightened around the child in her arms. Wishing with all her might that she could heal, but she was too far gone now. Standing up, she stepped out of the cage. Her head down touching the child’s. The tears falling from her face continued. “I promise to take care of you….forever.” She whispered into the child’s ear. “Kiyomi Katsu…Silverstein.” The wolf demon had named the child in her arms. If she was going to be in her life for good. She needed a name.

The child now named Kiyomi, tightened her hand around the collar of Katerina’s neck. Making a small smile appear on her lips. She had lost many children. Now this child was hers. Breathing and alive. She would keep it that way as long as she lived.

There comes a time to say, "Goodbye," even if that time is not one of our choosing. The machinations of Katerina's, late uncle maintained a stranglehold on the minds of the would-be butler and wolf-demon, but, whilst they toiled away in the bowels of the captured ship, tremors had begun to shake the island. Natsumi's body was already glowing when Njall breached the lower storage, and the man had begun to hear the cacophony of secrets even before the foul odor of semen mixed with blood and other bodily secretions reached his nose.
 
 "Ugh," Mr. Clean Freak grunted once he caught wind of the air. He wasn't paying attention to the voices in his ears as the strong urge to sanitize everything came over him, nor did he catch what Katerina had told him to do. Instead, he immediately walked over to the nearest ladder as if to escape, and found a collection of chests just as a nude cat demon came by.  

"Keys, keys, keys." She repeated the word as if it was the only thing she could think about at the moment while heading toward the man with a sapphire blade. Njall covered his eyes on her approach – given that his previous tactic of just looking down only put his gaze square of the woman's crotch – and then grabbed the keys from a nearby desk before animating them.
 
"If you have strength enough to find keys, go help the other women who are already let out," he said as the key ring whisked past the cat demon's head to the locks in the room. "Though I am a man, I am a gentleman who would rather not give vulgar looks to women who are naked through no fault of their own." The woman seemed to take this response kindly, and smiled before kissing Njall on the cheek.  Though embarrassed by the act, the butler did not blush or move from his spot. The voices were getting louder now, so much that he could no longer ignore the absolute reign of fate.

 "I need someone to point a finger at!"
"That's what goes on in our government."
"What if he doesn't like me?"
"I hope you forgave me before you died."
"That peasant stole my woman. I'll teach him what it means to get in a noble's way."
"What am I supposed to do?"
"The boss will be mad if he finds out that I broke this, so I'm just gonna sweep it under…"

So the melody of secrets continued until Njall finally put up a mind tower to block them out.
"I'm out of time," he whispered before opening up the surrounding chests to find clothes. There was enough to garb all of the living female prisoners, and so Njall ran over to where Katerina was in order to inform her. He arrived just in time to witness the sad scene of a dying mother. "I don't mean to be rude," he began with a sigh, "But we can't stay here. A prophecy of doom is coming to pass on this island, and these ships must leave shore lest they be drawn into the current. The island is about to sink."
 
And suddenly the tremors from before reached the ship, lending credence to Njall's warning. There wasn't much time left. Njall knew this, and realized he would have to move quickly in order to save as many lives as he could.
 

"There's clothes by the ladder over in the corner, enough to cloth all those left alive!" Yet another tremor interrupted the rushed man, but he pressed on while stabilizing himself against the nearest cage. "We need to free the other slaves as well! I'll work on the ship on the port side of this vessel. You'll have to get the ship on the starboard!"

The child in her arms was all Katerina could think of. The loss of a mother was something that Katerina understood. This child was still young, but the pain would always be the same. Losing a parent is the worst thing that could happen to anyone. For a moment, the wolf demon forgot the scene that was happening around her. All she felt was little hands that gripped her collar and the tears that hit her chest. Holding the child tight, as tears of her own fell only the child’s hair. Her parents floated into her mind, then their voice. 'We made a mistake…' Her parents words echoed in her mind, it was almost like a memory.

Before she could think of what just happened, Njall’s voice made the thoughts disappear. Her eyes widened at his words.”Oh no.” She said, shocked. She didn’t want to believe him, but there was no lie in his eyes. The shaking of the ship made her believe him fully. Moving her legs apart, she kept herself from falling. Some of the women weren’t as quick and fell onto the floor or against the cages.

Njall started to speak again, bringing her distracted eyes back to him. She nodded as she started to move towards the women but another shaking of the ship stopped her. Slamming into the cage beside her, she cursed under her breath. “On it!” She called over her shoulder towards him. Katerina turned towards Njall, but he wasn’t there. “Damnit.” She cursed. ‘Get Natsumi and her daughter out as soon as you can.’ She thought to herself thinking of Njall.  She knew she couldn’t help her friends right now. She needed to help everyone else, and she knew he could handle it. ‘Be safe!’ She whispered thinking of Njall, before rushing down the row of cages, she made her way towards the ladder. Her eyes looked toward the women, they were trying to dress themselves. The ship moving made them slower.

Reaching the ladder, she used one hand to grab hold of one of the legs. “I need help!” She called towards them. Two females that were dressed came over quickly, and grabbed the other side of the ladder. “Lift!” The elemental yelled over the crashing of the waves. The sound was like thunder. Lifting the ladder, she lead them over to the open area above them. Setting the ladder down, she yelled again, “Up the ladder now! You  got to get the ship ready to sail while I help the others!” The women frowned as the looked at each other. “But we don’t know how!” The cat eyes woman said. “I will help! Get up there!!” Holding the ladder, the women started to climb up to the cabin. When most of them were out, she rushed up behind the women. A few of the captives stayed in the cages, unable to move.

“Check all the lines and get the sail up!! That line over there pulls the sail up. Make sure you tie off the line.” She yelled at them over the crashing of the waves and the roar of the wind. Something was definitely happening. Running over to the railing, she jumped onto the it. “Make sure to get the anchor up at the back of the ship!” She called over her shoulder as she yanked a line free and gripped it tight. “We’re on it!” One of the women said, and they all disbursed to get everything going.

Looking before her, she eyed the ship a few feet away. She needed to swing and jump to reach the ship. “Hold on tight Kiyomi.” She said to the girl in her arms. Feeling her hands tighten, Katerina took that as a sign to swing. Using her wolf strength, she swung herself and jumped. Landing on the deck of the ship, she didn’t hesitate to run down to the cabin. There wasn’t any time to find the door. Thinking of what Njall did before, a smirk appeared on the woman’s face.  Listening closely, she heard the breathing of the people below, and slowly she brought her hand forward. Her eyes glowed white slightly as the power started to rise up within her. Suddenly,a large ball of ice with spikes on the top shut upward, ripping the wood to shreds in a perfect circle. Closing her hand into a fist, the ice disintegrated into a puff of smoke.

“Help us!” Echoed through the cabin below. Hurrying, the elemental’s hands swirled with ice magic. Ice shot from her hands onto the edge of the circle, soon a staircase appeared made of solid ice. Running down the ice staircase, she wasn’t shocked at what her eyes saw. Half naked men stood around in large cages, they were grouped together unlike the women.A piece of cloth was the only thing covering their privates. The smell was similar, dirty and the smell of death lingered in the air. “Let us out please…” A man moaned aloud, as he reached through the cage bars.

“Can anyone sail a ship?! I know you might not have the strength to, but this island is sinking, and we need to get out of here fast!” She paused hearing a few, “Ayes!” With a nod, she held out her free hand and shot an ice spike into the key lock. Turning quickly she did the same to the other on the opposite side. The men quickly escaped the cage, but a few stayed to help with the bodies. “Okay. We need to hurry. I can’t sail both ships, so you have to sail this one as best you can away from the island.” Her eyes glanced at the men, some showed fear, others showed confidence. “You.” She pointed to a young man in the front with brown eyes. “Yes?” He said shakily. “Get the keys and get the rest out….Let’s move!” She called out to them all and rushed up the stairs.

When they arrived on deck, the men started to get to work. Their voices yelling over the roar of the waves, telling the rest of the men what to do. Jumping back on the railing, her hand circled a line of rope. Her hand gripping tight, and her other holding the child tight to her chest. In a swift movement, she sung herself over to the other ship and jump. Her feet landing gracefully onto the deck.

Her mind raced with worry about her friends on the island. A large wave hit the side of the ship again almost hitting her off balance, but she caught herself. “Damnit.” She cursed at herself. They needed to get out of there and quick. Her mind went to Njall, hoping he got the slaves out and was on his way to Natsumi and her daughter.

So history repeated itself. Whilst Katerina listened to and confirmed Njall's request, the lone butler disappeared to the next ship. With the skill of a seasoned mage, he gate travelled into the bowels of the port vessel, exactly where the slaves were held.
 
"Oi, help us laddie!" The shout from a nearby human reached out once the stranger manifested, and was immediately answered with an outthrust palm. A key ring from the nearby table flew through the air to Njall's hand, allowing him to unlock the first cage.
 
"No time to explain," he hurried while pulling the door open. "You lot will have to sail this ship away or we'll all be swallowed whole!"

"What did you say?!" Pale tone injected into the darkened faces of the men below deck once they heard the truth, but Njall was too preoccupied to notice. His focus remained on animating the keys so that they would automatically unlock the cages even if he wasn't there.
 
"Move, now," he proclaimed once the animation was complete! "Anyone who can sail should head up to deck immediately and weigh anchor! Anyone else should get to work freeing everyone down here and then going to help the sailors when you can!"
 
"Aye," was the sole response from the loin-clothed humans, though one did notice that Njall was already preparing to leave!
 
"Where are you going, matey," a particularly burly individual asked the scrawny wizard? Njall only gave the man a single glance before opening a portal further inland.
 
"To try and rescue the woman and child I love," he said before jumping inside, "even if it costs me my life." There was more to his answer, but such thoughts were best kept private. Njall knew he was too late, but he still couldn't bring himself to abandon Natsumi or Saya. Even if they didn't remember him, he remembered them, and would willingly die to protect that memory.
 
'I suppose that's just like me,' he asked himself while traversing the gate, "isn't it Natsumi?'

---

Meanwhile, the source of the quakes was still sleeping soundly back at the camp. Rauru, Saya and Kino all stayed behind to watch Natsumi, but, now that the white fox was glowing and the island was tearing itself apart, there was one who refused to stay.
 
"I'm getting out of here," Rauru squawked while taking flight: a move that caused visible distress in Saya.
 
"How could you be so cruel, Rauru," she asked?! "She took care of you when those hunters tried to kill you, and you'd just abandon her!" Kino was quick to silence this petulance, though not in the way Saya may have hoped.
 
"You must escape too, Saya," the artifact whispered to Saya, fully anticipating her next reaction.
 
"I'm not leaving my mother behind!"
 
"Madame Natsumi is the source of this disturbance. I cannot control her power anymore than I already have, and I cannot guarantee your safety if you remain."
 
Such was the truth. Natsumi's ascension to deityship had begun several minutes ago, and Kino had been trying to stabilize that ascension for the entirety. Unfortunately, the power was proving too great for the artifact to handle. Natsumi's ascension was reaching critical mass, and Kino was losing control. That was why the tremors were getting worse, and why she was imploring Saya to leave against her will.
 
"Kino…" The little girl's face was sullen at this revelation, her legs heavy; but Kino continued to press.

"Run, if you value your life," she said, "And even if you don't, run for Natsumi's sake. If she accidentally killed you, it would be the death of her." Saya listened at that moment, thinking of how sad her guardian would be in such a situation. Leaving Natsumi in the condition she was in would be far less painful in the long term than staying out of stubbornness. Realizing that, Saya picked up and ran into the forest with her eyes closed.
It was at that moment that Kino finally shut down, no longer capable of containing her host's divinity. The tremors grew incredibly intense as Natsumi's eyes opened. A nightmarish mask appeared on her face, and she stood up as sharpened barriers tore open the ground around her.
 

---

Mere moments later, Saya arrived on the beach. The boats were already prepared to set sail, and all the prisoners had been freed. Katerina was on deck as well, looking out at the shore. She might have been able to rescue her friend's daughter at that point, were it not for the sudden nullification of teleportation in the area. Quantum space froze as animals fled in mass from the island and into the sea. Invisible tendrils lashed across the landscape during the exodus, sundering land and ocean as the Masked Stranger emerged from the forest.  One such tendril headed straight for Saya, causing her to freeze and stare at her doom.
 
Lucky for the child, however, a guardian was watching over her.
 
"Get back!" Njall tackled Saya out of the way of the invisible attack at the last second. In so doing, he spared her life, but took part of the blow himself.  His mask shattered into pieces, and a large cut ran up his torso. He fell to the ground next to Saya after dodging just enough to prevent dying, but he could no longer stand. He could barely even speak, for that matter, but he did manage to look at Katerina with an expression she likely didn't want to see.
 

"Run, you fools…" he said before the approaching dust clouds engulfed him. The island was sinking, and the trio who once called it home disappeared with it. 

“Ladies! We have to leave now!” Katerina yelled over the waves. She sighed, as she watched to women fumble with the ropes, the stress of what happening was getting to them. The yellow eyed cat was tying the ropes with perfection. “See how she is doing it!” She called to them while pointing at the women. The women frowned at they looked at each other, and then looked at the cat woman. They all nodded and with stern faces they tried harder. The ship was just about ready to go. Only the main mast needed to be let go and tied.

“Alright. Main mast! Let’s do this ladies!!” Katerina ran up to the back of the ship, reading herself at the wheel for the women to finish. As soon as the mast was down, they would be off and sailing. Both other ships would be almost ready as well.

The sudden movement of the child made her look down. Purple eyes stared up at Katerina. “Dont worry. We'll be out of here soon. I promise.” A soft smile spread over the wolf demon’s lips. As the child stared at her with sad eyes, Katerina could only imagine the pain the child was going through. She could understand some of her pain, but she was a child. She needed her mother more than anything. Leaning down, Katerina kissed the child’s forehead. “It will all be alright…” She whispered against the child’s hair.  The words made the child hands tighten around the collar of the wolf demon’s shirt. Her head nuzzled into Katerina’s chest, and she was still again.

Grabbing ahold of the wheel, she looked back at the breach. Her mind going back to the events that happened in the last day. It had been a long one, an eventful one. Her uncle was dead, she made a friend, and she had found a daughter that she had always been looking for. “Thank you, Natsumi.” She whispered against the wind. If it wasn’t for her, Katerina would have died yesterday.

The wolf demon’s eyes suddenly saw movement on the beach. “Saya?!” Her acute eyes saw the child. Animals joined her, and rushed into the water before them. Not caring if they drowned. A gasp left the elemental’s lips as she watched Saya about to die. She was too far away to save her. “SAYA!!!!!!!!” Her voice rang over the waves and through the sky. Her hand reaching out as if she could do something. Instead she saw a figure run out from the forest. Tears filled her eyes as she saw Njall save her, but get hit himself. “Njall! Oh my go….” She started to say, thinking he had died before her eyes.

Instead of death, Katerina eye’s saw his face for the first time. The women around her started to scream in terror at him. “SHUT UP AND GET THAT MAST DOWN!” She yelled at them and they didn’t say a thing before they dropped the mass. The ships around them started to move just before theirs did.

Njall’s voice was carried over the wind to her, before he disappeared. Turning away with wide, tear filled eyes. She gripped the wheel tight, as they started to sail away from the island. “They are all dead…” She whispered, tears escaping her eyes. Leaning her cheek to lean against the child's head. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. Hopefully this ship was fast enough to get away from the island, before it took them with it.