Henes got to his feet, looking abashed.<br/><br/>"Sorry....I am....ghosts and gods demand more respect than you do." he said awkwardly. "Let us go."<br/><br/><br/>....<br/><br/><br/>Some hours later, the sun was going down. Henes had pointed out the shadowland on the horizon, a small discoloured blot of grey like the horizon had suffered a bruise. But even if their destination was clear, there was no sign of the slave ship returning--perhaps they had somehow gotten word of what had happened. But on the long beach that looked south across the Azure Sea, there was no sign of a boat, unless you counted a small ship that had run aground on the rocks, and had been stripped and left to decay.<br/><br/>That wasn't going to get them anywhere, unless the other man wandering across the beach was somehow able to fix it.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Zavros' last post</div><div class="spoiler_body"><em><br/>Zavros noticed, still with shocked surprise, that he had not needed to stop along the road to take a breath. He had not needed to kneel, to wipe sweat off of his brow, or even take a sip from his waterskin - a small gift that his parents insisted that he take anyhow. Along with the small (for his size) satchel of food his mother prepared, he still held the trappings of a normal traveler. A normal traveler of unusual stature and size, but a normal traveler.<br/><br/>He was cautious nonetheless. Beneath his smith's frock, a simple white shirt, tanned leather pants, and a pair of reliable worn boots completed the image of a traveling journeyman smith who was looking to ply his trade. And in his defense, it wasn't even an exaggeration - under other circumstances, he would be. But it was the symbol on his forehead, thankfully dim and hardly noticeable at the moment, that changed things.<br/><br/>Zavros was oblivious to the aligning of the stars. He only paused on occasion to suck in a breath out of habit, and just admire the twinkling diamonds in the sky. What care, what effort the Ancients must have gone through to forge such things! And so many unique ones all at once! I wonder if I can craft one someday, he thought. A moment later, he had to check himself - he could create plenty of strange things now. He hadn't even started to try!<br/><br/>But as he approached the beach, he saw the beached vessel. His heart immediately sang at the possibility - he could probably fix it! Make it better, even! But...that was a fairly big gash. He could fix it, sure. Might take him a...he chuckled. It likely wouldn't take him as long as he feared it might. He didn't play by them old rules no more. Yet the pair of folks poking around the beached vessel - hardly looking any larger than a sloop - seemed...well. He didn't rightly know. Strange visions of a past him - her - someone, anyhow - seemed downright familiar to him. Why not a stranger?<br/><br/>He made his way through the sand, his feet effortlessly carrying him through despite the softer ground. Might as well find out what was what...it was all a whole new adventure for him, after all.</em></div></div>