The sea churned beneath our vessel as Vulcan's Tear loomed ahead, its peak shrouded in ominous clouds of ash and smoke. Standing at the bow, I gripped the ship's railing, the jade pendant warm against my skin despite the chill sea air. Something was different this time—the island seemed to be watching us, awaiting our return.
"The Kraken guardian is weaker," Lysander observed, joining me at the railing. "Look how the waters part more easily for us."
He was right. When we'd first approached this volcanic island months ago, massive tentacles had risen from the depths, threatening to dash our ship against the rocks. Today, the water merely boiled and frothed, as if the creature below was injured or diminished.
"The Serpent's defeat has weakened all its servants," Alaric said, his voice close behind me. His hand came to rest at the small of my back, steadying and reassuring.
