13
The sun shines in a turquoise-blue sky as Tempest flies us over the Pacific Ocean. Seagulls caw and dive through nearby clouds. I rest my cheek against Tempest’s neck and try to think of useful ways to pass the time… Without worrying myself into a frenzy over the after-realms.
Not sure I do a bang-up job.
As a child in Antrum, my brother and I would kill time in royal carriage rides by counting the number of house crests in the crowd. Today, I’m counting the number of dark whirlpools that appear in the ocean below. Each new and blackened swirl of water is the sign of a fresh sinkhole that’s just opened in the seabed below. Every time I see one, fresh adrenaline and worry charge through my system.
Another darkened circle appears on the waves. For a few seconds, the water stays black
