They walked for a long time through the jungle that made up the most of the island. Everywhere there were streams and waterfalls, the noise of moving water filling the air and setting one’s nerves at ease. The people surrounding them spoke in lively tones, their happiness, if unknown, was contagious and soon everybody was laughing and trying to make themselves understood.

Then they could see the city. The trees parted before a vast lake between the mountains and the sun gleamed off the waters and the city itself as it was made of gold and jewels and jade and orichalcum. The pirates all stared in silent awe as flashes for treasure drifted through their minds.

Then the people were urging them into small crafts made of woven reeds. Sari, Rik, and Serik joined a native in one and they set off, their guide pushing them along with a towering reed pushing against the bottom of the lake.

There were canals leading between vast, lush fields of green, vivid farmlands. The air was humid, filled with the scents of flowers and fruits that made one want to lay on the soft, moist ground and soak up the beautiful day. Beyond the field on top of field of overabundant growth were towering stone structures. Seemingly rising right out of the water, the stone temples and towers glittered with gold in the sun’s loving light. The city was a golden bud in the center of a watery and lush bush.

Their boat floated along, pushed gently by their guide and his pole. Exotic birds filled the sky with their music and once and a while a howl from a money added a new note.

It was beautiful and Sari was in love. She never wanted to leave and he hoped that this land would accept her, as she was now and not as she had been.

Their boat bumped into a wall made of vines and brush twined together tightly to make the fields. She reached out a hand and touched the wall, marveling to find that it was alive, a living wall. Her guide nimbly leaped over her head onto the wall, his feet sinking in several inches, water bubbling over.

Following suit, she balanced on the soft mat and gazed in wonder at the field before her and those around her. Some had vast amounts of flowers, while others held stalks of food growing healthy and tall. Beyond their field, terraces rose gently and other fields were overgrown with their wealth.

Standing there, she was overcome suddenly with tears. She smiled through them at her guide and waved a hand before her, unable to put her feelings to words. Then the guide pointed with a brown finger behind her. She turned and her heart swelled with emotion. The sun had moved and now made the tallest pyramid, a temple no doubt, glow. The gold embedded into the stone reflected the red light of the sun and shot out with tiny beams.

When she looked back at her guide, it was to see the short man grinned from ear to ear, his earrings jingling with his silent laughter. Then children’s laughter filled the air, silencing the birds, but she didn’t miss it. Six little ones ran up to her and the two men, each holding strange toys and were waving them about.

She knelt and smiled with them as they chattered in a language she didn’t understand. Her guide watched on over them, his arms folded over his chest, his pole propped against his shoulder. The children talked happily, nearly on top of each other.

Then they seemed to turn as one and pointed to the pyramid, shouts of excitement filling her ears. The guide touched a hand to her shoulder and motioned for her to stand and look.

Just then the sun moved into the perfect position and shown a single beam through a window made just for that purpose. She gasped in wonder and stared, feeling unlike ever before. Her soul was filled to the fullest, her heart pounding in her chest.

Beside her, she felt Rik fall to his knees and hold his hands out before him. “This is … This cannot be the work of demons.”

Serik shook his head in silent wonder.

Her shoulders dropping, Sari turned to her father. “We’re not demons, you know.”

He shook his head, standing. “Not if they can make this.”

She smiled and suddenly Empyrean Wave was at her side, blue eyes on the temple. “Not everything you built was a symbol of your pride.”

Her lips tightened, but Rik over spoke her. “You built this? Sari?”

She shook her head. “In my past life. Sometime.” She turned back to Empyrean Wave. “Why did you bring me here?”

He gazed at her for a long moment in silence before he sighed and his eyes closed. “We’ve decided that you’re needed for something important. But before you can be put into a position of power, we have to find out if you can be trusted with power.”

She frowned fiercely at him. “I don’t want any part of your politics. I’ve told Rama this before, why won’t you people listen?”

He smiled. “Because you’re meant for greater things than mere piracy.”

Then the natives all gathered around her once again, pulling and tugging her toward the temple. They chanted one word over and over again. She turned to him once again.

“What does it mean?”

“Our Hero.”

“I’m not a hero.” She tried to explain to the people. “You’ve got me all wrong.” Insistent hands pulled at her.

“It’s no use, Sari. They know you for who you are.” He touched a finger to his own brow, where his mark had already disappeared. Her own still shown brightly.

She suddenly pulled away with a violent jerk that made everybody still in shock. “I don’t want this responsibility.”

Warm hands came to rest on her shoulders. “Which is why it has been given to you. In the First Age, mistakes were made that have harmed all of Creation. We have put our faith in you to help us put it all to rights.”

“You’re making a mistake.”

“I don’t think so. We’ve waited a long time for you to become ready to be our new King. You’ve caught the eye of the gods in Yu-Shan, and of the Pattern Spiders. You’re going to save us all, I know it.”

He put a small pressure on her shoulders, conveying his emotions and she suddenly let the fight die. She knew there were things that had happened that had brought all of Creation to its knees. Their outlook for the future was bleak, war was on the horizon, and dread filled everybody’s lives.

Her soul cried out for her to do her best to help them all as much as she could. Her eyes slid closed as she remembered her life, the wars she’d fought, the enemies she’d faced. Things that were a threat to life itself. The thing she was created to protect.

Her eyes opened and she saw the people gathered around her and the temple glowing in the quickly fading twilight.

“All right. Tell me what needs to be done.”

Serik peered around the open door and smiled when he saw Sari sitting behind a desk, parchments piled high. She was frowning and staring hard at one parchment, but he doubted she was really reading it. With a quick glance over his shoulder, and a lick of his suddenly dry lips, he knocked and entered when she looked up.

“Commodore?”

“You don’t have to call me that still.”

She smiled and he was relived. She hadn’t smiled in a while and he was beginning to think that she had forgotten how. “Old habits,” she said.

He chuckled and sat before her desk, picking one parchment from the piles. It was written in a foreign language that meant nothing to him. “So, do you plan to sped the rest of your life up here?”

She blinked at him, lost in thought before she shook her head, as if trying to knock out unwanted thoughts. “I really hope not. While Aztlan is beautiful and peaceful, it’s too beautiful and peaceful.” She scowled. “I miss my ship.”

He laughed. “What about Wave? Will he let you leave?”

“He can’t keep me here forever.”

She looked like a put out child, her scowl fierce and cute.

“Well,” he said, standing. “That’s good, ‘cause I’ve got things that I have to do before I can settle down, and I don’t know how long they’ll take.”

He had shocked her, he saw as she looked up at him, her lips parted. He leaned over the desk and sealed their lips together. It was good, not many things startled her. Before the kiss could grow into anything more than a chaste meeting of lips, he pulled away and caught her gaze. “Find me when you return to Creation. I’ll be waiting, love.”