Chapter 8: Death Song

Clover and Grady stood on the deck of The Black Lion, the wind blowing through their fur as they gazed at the island in front of them. The island was covered in dense jungle, and they could see a thick plume of black smoke rising from its center.

"Wait something is wrong..." said Grady as his ears jumped up.

Clover's heart sank as she realized that something terrible had happened. She turned to Jack, who was standing at the helm, his hands moving deftly over the controls.

"What's going on, Jack?" Clover asked, her voice trembling with fear.

Jack's face was grim as he turned to face them. "I'm afraid something terrible has happened on that island. They're calling for help, we need to investigate."

As they drew closer to the island, Clover could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. In that moment she felt something familiar, but before she could focus on it, she pushed through it. She knew that they were in for something terrible, but she steeled herself for what was to come.

When they reached the shore, they saw that there were no survivors. The village was in ruins, its buildings burned to the ground, broken pottery and tatered clothes littered the ground.

The air was filled with a unmistakable foul stench. Grady and Clover stood in shock, staring at the destruction before them.

Jack joined them, his face somber. "I know this is alot but stay alert, this was the work of a Gift user." he said, his voice heavy with sorrow. "But not just any Gift user. This was the work of someone who had gone mad."

Clover looked at him, her eyes wide with horror. "What do you mean, gone mad?"

Jack turned to Clover and Grady, his expression grave. "The Gift is a powerful tool, capable of great good and great evil. But there is a final drawback that few Gift users talk about," he said, his voice low. "When a user pushes their powers too far, or when they are driven to madness by the gift, they can become one with their element. They lose themselves entirely, becoming a creature of their element, or in some cases, they even turn into it entirely. And once that happens, there's no going back. It's a fate worse than death." Clover and Grady looked at each other, stunned by the revelation. They had always known that the Gift was dangerous, but they had never realized just how terrible its final drawback could be.

Clover felt sick to her stomach as she realized the full implications of what Jack was saying. She had always known that the Gift was dangerous, but she had never realized just how terrible it could be.

As they walked through the ruins of the village, Clover couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her again. She looked around, but there was no one there.

Grady noticed her unease and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern.

Clover forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just...this is all so terrible. I can't believe someone would do this."

Grady nodded in agreement. "It's awful. But we have to remember that not all Gift users are like this. We can use our powers for good, to help people. That's what we're here for, right?"

Clover nodded, grateful for Grady's words of comfort. She knew that he was right, and that they had to use their powers to help people, no matter what. But the horror of what had happened on this island would stay with her forever, as a reminder of the dark side of the Gift and the responsibility that came with their abilities.

Later that day, Clover and Grady walked to the center of the village, where they had placed sticks in a circle and lined the edges with stones. Each stick was adorned with a colorful ribbon and a small trinket that represented the life of one of the fallen villagers. Clover and Grady knelt down and lit a candle at the base of each stick, letting the flames flicker and dance in the light breeze. As they sang the traditional death song, they imagined the villagers. The sound of their laughter, the warmth of their embrace, the stories they told. Their voices cracked with emotion, and tears streamed down their faces as they bid their final farewell to people they would never meet.

Jack watched silently from a distance, his hat on his chest as a sign of respect.

As the last notes of the death song faded into the wind, a silence descended upon the village. Clover and Grady stood up and walked away, leaving the sticks and candles to burn out on their own. They knew that the fallen villagers had passed on to the next realm.The wind continued to blow, carrying their song and their grief across the island, a reminder of the fragility of life and the power of love and remembrance.

End of Chapter