Before I could respond to Kassie, Derry's voice boomed across the deck.
"All hands! Preparing for approach!"
The crew moved with practiced efficiency — almost hypnotic, actually. Ropes were checked, sails adjusted, and the ship's angle shifted almost imperceptibly as Derry guided us toward our destination.
I straightened against the railing and looked ahead.
The shapes on the horizon had resolved into something real. An island — no, a cluster of islands, scattered across the water like gems dropped carelessly from some giant's pocket. Buildings rose from the largest of them, stacked against hillsides in layers of white and terracotta that caught the dying light. From this distance, they looked almost organic — like the stone had grown rather than been built.
And the harbor...
The harbor was chaos made beautiful.
