What am I supposed to do against a torrent of fish? They were like water, but also like sandbags. I braced, trying desperately to keep hold of the fishing rod as well. Val did the same beside me.

  They overtook us. We went tumbling down the deck. I got pinned against the rail as they flopped away. Val went over the rail. She screamed.

  Brufo was still on the deck. There was no sign of Tamiro, but he could fly. I didn’t hesitate. I knew [Wind Rider] would keep me safe. I dove into dark mist.

  In the depths of shadows I heard rumbling thunder, and gliding over saw Tamiro riding a ball of lightning, zigging and zagging.

  “I got the Dream Fish!” he screamed at me.

  His fishing line was taut. He is being pulled.

  “Val fell!” I screamed by way of explanation for why I was going to ignore him.

  I went on. I saw tumbling shadows below. What else could it be? What other lead did I have? I plunged.

  The school of fish was surrounded by a slurry of water. I could see a shining thread leading from it back toward Tamiro. Whatever he had on the hook, it was in there.

  “I’m coming!” I shouted in case Val could hear me.

  I smashed into the fish, but it was as though they were diffuse, and I just kind of wriggled in there. They bit me! Everything was out for blood here. Then I wondered about Val, but I shouldn’t have. I found her bloody but very alive and brawling with fish. Her left arm had swollen crimson and was glowing. The fish bites were inflicting minor damage to me, but nothing worse than that.

  Sharks, I corrected myself as I flew to her. She’s fighting sharks. They were bigger than I had expected. I watched her grab a fish with her demonic looking hand. It dissolved into crimson flame, wriggling. Her eyes were fire-red.

  [Experience Gained: +50 XP (Combat)]

  [Soul Harvest: +1 Vitality]

  I punched another shark to rid myself of inertia.

  [Adaptive: +1]

  It went flopping away.

  “Hey. You ready to go?”

  Val nodded. She grabbed onto me with her human hand. The other had become a claw. She slashed another shark that came in for a bite.

  Before I could leave, though, a light came swimming out of the dark mist.

  In it I saw my mom and dad. They said they missed me. They poured me coffee and told me to come sit down.

  “I miss you guys,” I said.

  “Of course, father,” Valietta murmured beside me. “I’d love to catch up…”

  Then a great, razor-sharp maw of jagged crystalline teeth appeared. A waxen strand trailed from its mouth, and Tamiro came zipping up. Another shark flipped around to attack and Tamiro collided with it with his ball lightning.

  [Experience Gained: +50 XP (Combat)]

  “Get her back to the airship, Daniel. Don’t believe everything you hear in a fish’s light. Anything. Don’t believe anything you hear in a fish’s light. Tell Lorlux I’ll catch up with you in Lonelyport!”

  He flew into the Dream Fish’s maw.

  I gave my parents a parting glance.

  “I gotta go…”

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  I flew off, dragging Val, who also seemed reluctant.

  “He’ll go into that thing’s mouth, but he won’t go into that Grover ship cargo hold,” I complained to Val.

  “Tamiro loves fishing. He’s been talking about catching that Dream Fish since I joined.”

  “Hey, Val--your hand, is it okay?”

  She tucked it to her chest like it was wounded. “Yes. It’s just something I have to deal with.” She paused. “I was born with the Trait [Demon Haunt] if you want to know.”

  “So if you touched me am I going to melt into fire like that shark?”

  “You saw that? No, I can choose when to do it, but only once a day. I don’t like to do it. I usually can’t, too. [Demon Haunt] only procs when I’m below half HP.”

  “You can hold onto me with your other arm too. I don’t mind.”

  “Thanks.”

  When we returned to the airship deck the mist was lightening. Brufo stood with his arms crossed, scowling. Oh yeah, his flight suit is wrecked, so we were really on our own out there before. But when he saw us, his face softened.

  “You got her! Aether scather, Daniel! You had me worried! Wait, where’s Tamiro?”

  “He’s not coming back, not for now. He found his Dream Fish.”

  “Too big to bring back for dinner, I suppose?”

  “Way too big,” I said.

  Only then did I notice that I still clutched my fishing rod. Val’s was long gone. I reeled mine in. Flopping at the end was a fat fish about two feet long.

  “Brufo, is this edible?”

  “You’ve caught yourself a tuna. I’ll get it on ice for now. We’ll eat right tonight!”

  “I’m gonna go lay down,” Val said as he walked off.

  Left to my own devices, I hung onto the fishing rod and went to the Navigation Room to check on the cat. I found Lorlux tirelessly at the wheel, he glanced back at me. The kitten was asleep in the middle of the table.

  “Daniel. Fish, Brufo told me.”

  “Tamiro’s gone,” I said. “Everyone else is fine, but Tamiro found some kind of Dream Fish. He said he’d meet us in Lonelyport.”

  “Fool,” Lorlux said sharply.

  He pointed ahead at the sky where there were high walls of clouds ahead.

  “See that stormwall? We will not chance that. I’d rather the Western Current. We’ll be turning soon. So, we won’t be headed to Lonelyport after all. Why don’t you tell everyone?”

  I went to the kitchen and told Brufo, who was cheerfully cleaning. He started securing his equipment. I went to the engine room and found Sleipnir at work at a digital control panel.

  “It iss no usse of looking at it if you do not sspeak Engineering.”

  “We haven’t really met. I’m Daniel.”

  “Sleipnir. You can call me Sleip.” He pronounced it like Sleep.

  I told him the captain’s message and he nodded dutifully and turned back to the console. I found Valietta’s cabin and knocked.

  “Coming,” she called.

  She opened the door. Her arm had returned to normal human form. She was cut up pretty good.

  “I’m just gonna sleep it off,” she said by way of explanation.

  “Captain says we’ll be turning soon.”

  “Turning? Why?”

  “There’s a, uh, stormwall. We’re taking the Western Current.”

  “Oh, no,” Valietta said, though she didn’t seem sad at all. “We’ll need to send word to Lonelyport so Tamiro knows where to find us.”

  That evening after a long nap we all met for a dinner of fish and an assortment of small bits of other goodies Brufo was able to salvage. The sky turned blood red. The Black Chef’s cooking proc was divine. Lots of compliments to him.

  I laid down to sleep later. I dreamed of light. I was at the beach in LA. I found Tamiro sitting there in a tidepool of my memories. He waved at me.

  Hallloo, friend Daniel! I didn’t know you could visit Dreamwyrd. What’s all this blue stuff?

  “It’s water. It’s the Pacific Ocean.”

  Oceannn, he sighed contentedly. Is this the place where the fish come from on your world?

  “Yeah totally. But, friend Tamiro, why are you in my dream? Or, why am I in yours?”

  Friend Dream Fish’s house in Dreamwyrd has a million rooms. He’s just letting me look through some of them. He has stuff he wants to show me. I found your room all on my own.

  Tamiro beamed with pride.

  “We’re taking the Western Current now,” I blurted out. “We’re not going to Lonelyport. Also, Val lost your fishing rod. She’s really sorry, though.”

  Not to worry, friend Daniel. I have already told her that I found the most magnificent [Amber Rod] in the belly of friend Dream Fish. She is in another room here. I can show you--”

  I shook my head. “No, Tamiro! Dreams are private!”