The portal’s presence deepened. Rusk heard the sound of buzzing flies. He wished he could see what he was up against, but visually there was no indication at all. Only the sound and the sense of something not right. It felt like a monster, that was for sure. When he stared at the spot where Elena said it was, he felt like he was staring back through to his past where Mandy was turned. But nothing was there.

A sudden claustrophobia gripped Rusk and he made the quick decision to grab Elena and drag her with him back up to the open deck of the ship. In their haste they received annoyed looks from the crew and some heckling as they passed but no outward aggression, for which Rusk was relieved.

Once they reached the open air Rusk breathed it in greedily. Down there everything had smelled and tasted like rot.

“It followed me,’’ repeated Elena as she clanged back over her shoulder in panic. “I thought it couldn’t cross water.”

Rusk took her by the shoulders. “Okay but what is it? And more importantly, do you know what it can do? Not to brag but I’m on this vessel because I’m on my way to the Heroes’ Stronghold in Sanctuary. I could help if you tell me everything that’s going on. Figure something out.”

“You’d help me?”

“Yes.” Rusk released her shoulders.

“Why?”

“Does it matter?”

“I guess…” Elena squeaked and spun around, spooked by something Rusk couldn’t perceive.

The portal really was stalking her. It had followed them to the upper deck. Rusk reached for the Elva again and found it was even further away than before. He wished he’d known the limitation of its reach before boarding a ship full of whatever this dead portal thing was.

The buzzing flies conglomerated, but still there was no visual cue. Except Elena seemed to be able to see it. She stared at a fixed point ahead and was unwilling to break her gaze away from the portal.

“It moves faster when I’m not looking,” said Elena. “But it’s so scary to look.”

Rusk moved in front of her, though he didn’t really have a plan.

The boat lurched on an errant wave and sent him stumbling forward. Elena caught his arm and steadied him. Her grip was knuckle white. Now it sounded like the flies were drowning. The portal buzzed and buzzed and while Rusk was trying to figure out his footing in more ways than one, out from the seemingly empty air stepped Greil.

Elena screamed.

Rusk marched forward and punched him.

When Greil dodged, Rusk’s fist passed through the portal, and the sensation of bug wings, millions or billions of them and all the insectoid limbs that squirmed there as well, wriggled unpleasantly across his knuckles. Along with the physical sensation came one of abject dread, and Rusk yanked his fist back swearing colorfully in the older language.

“What a way to greet your old mentor,” said Greil.

Now they’d gathered the crew’s attention.

“Oy mate,” said someone. “I don’t recognize you, old geezer.”

The crewmates whose jobs weren’t immediately required to run the ship all stopped and gathered around to gawk. The sudden clump of people pressed Elena in towards Greil, negating her escape. She frantically tried to free herself from the pressing crowd to no avail. Rusk moved back to stand beside her on principle alone. She was the most terrified person here. she was the one who needed protecting.

He placed himself squarely between her and Greil.

“It would seem my apprentice has gotten himself into a pickle.”

“I’m not your apprentice,” snapped Rusk. “And why are you stalking some tween girl?”

Elena protested from behind him.

“Stalking?” said Greil. “What reason have I to stalk anyone?”

“Someone let a ‘mancer on the ship!” called one of the crew.

“No one let’s a ‘mancer anywhere,” corrected another crew member. “They just appear.”

“That ain’t what I heard.”

This devolved into an argument full of pirate slang.

The boat bobbed.

Rusk pulled from his reservoir of hero training and found a way to keep balanced. There was nothing to be done about the nausea or the pounding in his head though. A pounding made worse by the fact this scum had found a way to not only survive but hijack his heroic journey.

“You’re looking a little green in the gills,” said Greil. “First time seafaring?”

“Shut your mouth and answer the question.”

“Well now you’re mixing your signals.”

Rusk considered sending another punch in his direction but a deeper sense for danger he’d honed over the years was telling him to stay between Greil and Elena. Which he did. Not that he was happy about it.

The captain marched over to the commotion.

“You scurvy dogs better have a good reason to be gawking,” said the captain in a booming voice.

“A ‘mancer,” said one of the crew. His voice was whiny. “A ‘mancer ‘manced himself aboard.”

“That so?” The captain parted the crowd with stern looks and reached the center of the crew where Greil and Rusk were facing off. The captain had a moustache and a beard in a different color, which he stroked. His bulky frame was well-muscled and there was a sword at his belt. He also owned a parrot, just to complete the look. It chirped by his ear in the shadow of his hat’s brim. Golden tassels caught the sunlight from the shoulders of his uniform. He may have had the physique of a pirate, but he was dressed and poised as any respectable captain of a legal ship. And his eyes were strikingly similar to Elena’s. A vibrant, piercing green. Tilted at the corners. “This is Captain Arrolg speaking, and I demand you get off of my ship. We’ll have no ‘mancers aboard for this journey. Now off with you!”