Epilogue

"Having fun yet?" Nankyo asked with a playful grin, arms spread wide as he stood with his back to the wind. His hair and pale blue robes flew out before him, as his grin turned into a laugh at the glower Kindan gave him. The sun was high above them in a clear blue sky and the water stretched on endlessly around them.

"You're just gloating."

"So?"

"So stop it," Kindan replied, trying and failing to remain annoyed. It was hard to in the face of being able to control not just his ship - without a crew - but also the ocean. That aside, it was hard to resist the man before him.

Nankyo lifted his chin in challenge. "Make me."

Kindan's eyes grew heated at the words and he closed the space between them to do just that, cradling Nankyo's head in his hands and taking the mouth that was offered to him. "You taste awfully sweet for someone with such a tart mouth, Koori," he murmured against Nankyo's mouth, nibbling at his lips before tasting deeper, swallowing his soft chuckle.

But he stiffened a moment later, good humor vanishing like a clear sky taken by a squall. "I don't want them on my ship," he said firmly.

Nankyo pulled away, expression reprimanding. "You knew all along this would come up. You can't avoid them forever."

"I can avoid them longer than three days," Kindan snapped. "It's easy for you to tell me it has to be done - but you're the not the one battling with love and hate."

Nankyo turned icy. "Certainly I know nothing about warring emotions."

"That's not what I meant."

Whatever Nankyo might have said in reply was prevented by the sound of splashing water and feet on wood.

Face tight, Kindan looked toward the bow of the ship. He didn't protest when Nankyo moved to stand in front of him. If he was willing to take the lead, Kindan was more than willing to let him.

Nankyo realized he recognized the nearer of the two mermaids - the one who had climbed aboard their ship what seemed like a lifetime ago. But this time her strange, beautiful face was unclouded by anger and disgust - instead she looked at them in fear and wonder. Her waist was still wrapped round and round with shells and all manner of pearls, more of the same at her wrists and throat, and tangled in her light green hair

Just behind her was a shorter, more full-figured mermaid. Rather than loose, her pale lavender hair was braided with thick ropes of dark pearls. More of the black pearls were around her throat, wrists, and ankles. But at her waist she had nothing but dark colored shells.

The green-haired mermaid took a few cautious steps forward, eyes wide with shock as she realized what she was seeing. "It-it-it can't be."

"It is," Nankyo said coldly. "And you, daughters, have much for which you must atone."

The lavender-haired mermaid lost her wariness to anger. "We did everything for the Storms! We were not the ones who betrayed you!"

"One man betrayed us, not all of humanity. Not only did you abandon your brothers, you fed on them to sustain yourselves. Perhaps you did not betray us, daughters, but you let us down. That is little better." Thunder echoed across the sky, distant but effective.

The mermaids dropped to their knees, heads bowed in contrition. "What must we do to atone, Lord…" the mermaid hesitated, realizing she no longer knew the proper names.

"I am Nankyokukai." He motioned to Kindan, silent and tense just behind him. "This is Kindan. And as you well know, daughters," he looked meaningfully at the green-haired one as he spoke. "You will have to do much to earn his forgiveness."

"Yes, Lord Nankyokukai."

"Your names?"

"I am Shio," the green-haired mermaid said quietly, head still bowed. "My sister is Shiinju."

Nankyo nodded. "Shio, Shiinju. Since the two of you were the ones to climb aboard, you will be the ones to earn forgiveness for all your sisters."

"Yes, Lord Nankyokukai."

"Go to the Firelands. Search out the Candidate and watch him, keep him safe. Pozhar cheats and the Candidate will not become Zhar Ptitka if he is not given a fair chance to do so."

"My-my Lord!" Shiinju protested. "How do we even know who this Candidate might be? And you can not truly mean for us to go to the Firelands."

Nankyo's expression was enough to render them silent. "You will go to the Firelands. The Candidate you will know by his heat. Keep him alive and you will have earned your forgiveness. Am I understood?"

The mermaids nodded. "Yes, Lord Nankyokukai."

"Then go."

Rising to their feet, the mermaids wasted no time in departing, arching gracefully into the water. In seconds, Nankyo and Kindan were once more alone on the Kumiko. "You'll have to forgive them eventually, Kinni."

Kindan sighed. "I will." He held his hand out to Nankyo and tugged him close, running his fingers slowly up and down Nankyo's spine, making him shiver. "If you're done flexing your godly muscle, may we continue?"

"Continue with what?" Nankyo asked, even as he wrapped his arms around Kindan neck.

Kindan laughed against his mouth. "Making you behave."

"Is that what they call it?" Nankyo murmured.

"It's as close as you'll ever get," Kindan replied, and kissed him.

End Book One of the Lost Gods