The Tidemass Rite pendant circling close with beads of

circling close with beads of light and colour

thought themselves fortunate to taste such a rare treat

The coil was their pact: a gift from the beast in exchange for freedom

familiar in a way that made him uneasy

The Tidemass Rite pendant circling close with beads ofThe deck tilts under shifting weight as they gather, boots thudding against wet wood, ropes still creaking from whatever was dragged aboard. No one asks what it is. The thing lies covered near the mast, breathing slow beneath the sailcloth, as if the sea itself is still deciding whether to take it back. The captain stands at the centre, salt stiff in his coat, the bronze cross hanging low against his chest. The skull catches the moonlight first. He