Moro and the others set up camp. There was an odd mix of emotions being displayed. There was a celebration of the victory they had just earned. They had triumphed over three Leviathans and sustained only injuries. But the encounter had left them shaken. Never had they seen such behavior from a Titan.

  What was that Leviathan even speaking of? Did it lose its mind?

  As the furtives settled into camp, they heard a roar. It was weaker than expected, but they all knew what it meant. Asino was no longer.

  “Primus Moro.” A man called out to him.

  He turned to look. It was Captain Pollivre, one of his most trusted men. Pollivre was the exact opposite of Moro. Quiet, reserved, going over plans multiple times, and very tall. Pollivre tried his best not to show his anxiety, but he always failed. He could not help but come up to Moro and bring up the multitude of ways a plan might fail. Moro always reprimanded his subordinate’s behavior, telling him that sounded like cowardly talk, but he always considered what the man had to say. It was the main reason Moro had not demoted him or had him moved to a different unit.

  Even now, Moro could see Pollivre was worried about something.

  “What is it, Captain Pollivre?” Moro asked.

  Normally Moro would say something snarky to Pollivre as a greeting, but now he did not feel as if he could think of anything of the sort.

  “Have you heard of this Ajan before?” Pollivre asked.

  “Aye, he was a strong one, wasn’t he?” Moro replied.

  As a Primus, Moro was expected to be knowledgeable about the Titans. Their relative strengths, the general area they would normally claim, and any information the furtive researchers had found. This was the area of least interest to Moro, but he still understood the importance of knowing their enemy, and thus he studied them.

  Pollivre was quiet. The anxiety within him was building.

  “I reckon he was probably among the top ten of the strongest Leviathans.” He continued. “Quite a good day for us, wouldn’t you say?”

  Moro did not want to admit he had no clue about Ajan before their encounter.

  “I just, just don’t understand! What was he doing? What did he want?” Pollivre spoke so fast it was hard to keep up.

  “He could have crushed us so quickly! If he had just attacked, we would have all died! Instantly!” Pollivre continued. “Yet all he did was talk of some stolen item? It makes no sense! Are you able to make any sense of it?”

  Moro looked at his subordinate.

  “Make sense of what?” Moro replied. “Of cowardly actions? Bah, I do not care to understand what that Leviathan wanted! All that matters is that it is dead now! And if I need to give a reason why it acted so rashly, it is because it was terrified!”

  “But scared of what?” Pollivre asked.

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  “Of what?” Moro replied, astounded. “Of us, of course!”

  Now Moro shouted, ensuring that the entire camp could hear him.

  “There is no reason in my mind that the Titans have been conferring! That they know the danger we pose to them!” Moro boasted. “This Ajan probably knew his end would soon come and decided it was better to meet his fate now than let it linger over him! Don’t be surprised when a powerful foe acts cowardly when it comes across a force that can overpower it! Now let us celebrate! For three fewer Titans roam this world!”

  The furtives heard Moro’s rally, and their response was tepid at best. Moro roared with laughter, responding to them as if they had regaled him with victorious cries.

  “Enjoy your rest, Legionnaires! It is well earned!” Moro added.

  As he boasted, he stole a quick glance into the distance. He knew that Zhi and Kadus should have returned by now, yet something kept them. Whatever kept them was probably the same worry that plagued their camp. He could see others in the camp with their eyes looking toward the horizon.

  “Come now, let us begin a fire and prepare a hard-earned meal! Pollivre, go with Olmec and find us a big animal to eat!” Moro ordered, and the camp followed.

  He knew that would not be hard. The massive wave Ajan had let loose on the coast had killed many animals and scattered fish across the terrain. Opportunities like these were rare, and Moro knew it would distract the furtives.

  The day continued, and the sun was setting when Kadus and Zhi finally returned. They were short with words. They quickly grabbed food and sat down to eat. The soldiers continued about their duties, preparing their tents, and tending to their equipment, but their ever-present eyes peered at the two.

  Moro came to them to welcome them back to the camp and leaned in close.

  “The soldiers are rife with questions.” He said through a thin smile in a low voice.

  Zhi whispered something, and Kadus only nodded.

  Moro listened quietly, smiling throughout.

  Moro understood. But he did not hesitate to reply with a loud shout.

  “The High Onsiel and our scoutmaster have returned from surveying the remnants of the battlefield!” He boasted. “We soon march toward the Grand River’s estuary! From there we will begin our ascent into the territory of the Prime Lord Bukulkan!”

  At this, the soldiers finally cheered in earnest. They had been waiting for this news. They knew that this would be the end of their current campaign.

  “Let’s enjoy our rest, for the battle begins anew tomorrow!” Moro said, and the soldiers cheered.

  He turned to Kadus and Zhi with a smile.

  The two set aside their meals and indulged the soldiers in their reveling. For now, that seemed to quell any concern from the furtives.

  Moro tried to rest, but the words that Zhi had told him kept haunting his thoughts.

  “Despite what we might have seen, Ajan was not just any strong Leviathan. He was the third strongest Leviathan, but he was more than that. With his last words, Asino gave us a warning. He told us that Ajan guarded a terrible secret. Asino was frightened beyond belief. I don’t know what has occurred beyond, but I have never seen a Titan that afraid before in my life. Kadus will soon depart for the fortress to converse with the Goddess.”

  What could terrify beings of such unimaginable power?

  ***

  Livia walked up the gravelly shore. She looked towards the snow-covered mountains in the distance and felt the cold wind cut through her clothing. An overwhelming sense of joy overcame her, which caught her by surprise.

  “We have finally returned.” Leander remarked.

  “By the sea this is heavy!” Genno complained as he shared the load of the slab with Giocco.

  “Did we really need to bring all of it back!?” he asked.

  “The alternative would be to return to the palace if we are missing any crucial information.” Giocco calmly replied.

  “Agh, what a pain!” Genno replied. “There must be a better way to inscribe things! How are you supposed to remember anything if you need to walk around with these damned stone slabs everywhere!”

  With this, Giocco stopped in place.

  “That is quite an astute observation, Genno.” He said as he stood in place. “What would you suggest?”

  “What!? I was just frustrated! Now is not the time for that!” Genno replied with an irritated tone. “Let’s just bring this to Lady Livia’s archive!”

  Giocco and Genno continued on with the large slab.

  Livia looked back at the sea. She had spent over ten days in the depths. It had been a completely enthralling and amazing experience, but one she was glad to have behind her. She never understood how much she appreciated having solid land underneath her feet until now.

  “We made it back.” She finally said.

  “Missing the sea?” Leander asked as he saw Livia look towards it.

  “Hardly,” she told him. “We had a mission, and we completed it. With that, I am content.”

  “I do not blame you.” Leander smiled. “Coming across a Leviathan will discourage any from ever visiting the sea.”

  “I kept thinking the Leviathan would ambush us at any moment.” She replied.

  “I understand your fear, but remember, while Leviathans are very large, the sea is much larger.” Leander replied.

  “Yes, the sea is vast indeed, but had we come across Ajan, it might as well have been a kettle.” Livia replied.

  “Of course, of course.” Leander replied. “I was just trying to be more optimistic. We made it back, so I feel as if the time for pessimism should be over.”

  “Pessimism?” Livia asked, looking at him. “We had to hide in caves for the last ten days! Of course I am going to be pessimistic!”

  “When you put it that way,” Leander replied.

  “But you are correct,” she agreed. “The important thing is that we did not come across him. But I still wonder where he went. He seemed very intent on finding us.”

  Leander was silent for a moment.

  “The sea is vast and wide, much larger than any single Leviathan can encompass.” Leander replied. With that he left, following in Genno and Giocco’s steps.

  Livia looked at the sea.

  It is a vast, magnificent sea. I should return, lest it swallow me whole.