The building by the sea had two twenty-meter-tall chimneys, both belonging to a massive structure from the Ancients—likely a factory, thought Gabriel as he observed it with curious eyes. They had stopped by a bar earlier, where the woman tending the drinks had said the group of fishermen were already aboard the ship, forcing the pair to head toward the harbor.
An onyx raven marked the factory as one of the city's Nests. Gabriel walked alongside his partner on a street by the ocean, which shimmered in an intensely blue hue. The calm waters reflected the sunlight so brightly it hurt to look for too long. Gabriel thought of asking one of the Ravens where the ship might be, but it wasn't necessary. Anchored near the Nest was a massive gray ocean liner. The two-hundred-meter vessel floated, held in place by numerous cables, with a rope staircase ascending from the dock to its deck.
The ship's hull featured ten massive hatches, spaced evenly apart, each around twenty meters tall. On either side of each hatch, thick chains were affixed, seemingly connected to the ship itself below. Gabriel assumed they looked like open doors but couldn't quite discern their purpose. People continued ascending the swaying rope stairs, muscular and rough-looking men and women hauling bags or bundles of belongings, joking among themselves.
Unlike her partner, Naomi was more interested in the Nest. She knew there were five in the Hollow; she'd already seen two—the one at the entrance and the skyscraper at the center, where she'd later meet Cecilia. Gabriel had mentioned spotting another, a ship anchored on the beach to the right of the city's entrance. That left just one more to discover.
The Nest had a large open doorway, allowing a glimpse of its interior. Discreetly, Naomi glanced around, noticing that the building's inside consisted of hundreds of stacked containers and staircases leading up to them. She guessed the rooms were within those containers.
"Anyone else?" a voice yelled ahead, snapping Naomi's attention back to the ocean liner.
A burly, pot-bellied man waved his massive arms from the bridge. He stopped as soon as he saw the pair approaching.
"Hey, kid!" he shouted, walking toward Gabriel and slapping his back with heavy pats that made the young man cough. "Decided to join us on this trip?"
"Not exactly. I was hoping to speak with one of the fishermen."
"Which one?" Marcos asked, frowning. "What did he do?"
"Nothing serious. I just need to ask him something. His name is Marcelo."
Marcos crossed his arms over his chest, searching his memory before responding.
"He boarded a while ago. Looked odd, like he'd seen a ghost." He paused, finally noticing Naomi. "Who's this? Your wife?"
"This is Naomi, and yeah, basically," Gabriel replied absentmindedly, already focusing on the fact that his target was on the ship. He'd need to board as well. "Can I go talk to him?"
"Impossible, kid. We're about to set sail. No matter what you say, we're not changing the schedule—unless…"
"Unless what?" Gabriel asked, intrigued.
"Unless you come along on this next trip. It'll only be three days."
Gabriel hesitated at the proposition. He wasn't prepared for this. Hunting someone who tore people apart was routine for him, but boarding a ship and venturing out to sea for fishing was another matter entirely. Yet, he felt a strange excitement.
"Gabriel," Naomi called. "Just get on board. I know that look."
"But," he started, moving closer to her, "we need to keep investigating."
"We're here to do just that. You handle your part, and I'll handle mine."
"So, are you coming or not?" Marcos asked one last time.
With a smile, the Raven headed toward the man, waving to Naomi.
"In three days, I'll be back. I hope you find something," he said, watching her wave back.
"Now that you're coming with us," Marcos said, "you'll be called Fish Feed for a while."
"What?" Gabriel asked, starting up the stairs.
"Fish Feed. That's what we call newbies—and many end up becoming it," the man said, laughing heartily.
"Okay," Gabriel muttered. "This is going to be... an experience."
Determined to speak with Marcelo, Gabriel climbed toward the ocean liner.