Noah and the boss turned to face each other with visible concern as they contemplated the result of what they had just witnessed.

“We’re screwed.” Noah gulped as he muttered to himself.

The boat was still half-submerged, it wasn’t likely to sink anytime soon, but they needed to remove it from the water to repair it properly. The crew had seen hope in the form of the island. But their rejoicing had been cut short by this unexpected twist.

“Drop the wine, fool!”

Noah and the boss turned to see blue lifeforce flow through Roger’s skin as he utilized his [Air Manipulation] ability to immobilize Avery in place. Avery was frozen in place with a pilfered wine bottle raised halfway to his lips. Only his eyes could move. Noah was able to see Avery glancing towards him in entreaty. Noah let out a low chuckle of disbelief as he watched the drunkard somehow get his hands on another bottle.

Red lifeforce appeared on Avery’s body as he activated his ability to turn into a glowing ethereal silhouette, the bottle held in his hand also became transparent. Avery started laughing in victory as he was suddenly able to move unconstrained. The red silhouette tilted its head back then began to tip the bottle into its mouth. Wine became corporeal as it left the bottle, passing through Avery’s form to create a pool on the deck.

“No, my wine!” A heartbroken cry came from Avery.

Avery suddenly lost all decorum as he deactivated his [Ethereal form] ability to drop to his knees as he scrambled to place his lips to the deck and suck up the spilled wine.

“You idiot! Give me that!”

Roger switched the target of his ability to the wine bottle as it flew through the air into his outstretched hand. Roger tilted his head back to drink. Nothing came out. He slapped the bottom of the empty bottle before cursing loudly in Afrikaans. Roger walked toward the hunched over playboy, who was oblivious to his approach.

“You drank it all!” Roger savagely kicked Avery in the midsection before storming below deck.

“You cruel bastard! It’s all gone now!” Avery cried.

Avery dramatically rolled around on the ground, clutching his abdomen. The mouse Basil mysteriously appeared beside Avery. He glanced warily in the man’s direction before greedily lapping up the remnants of the wine from the deck with his little tongue.

***

Roger returned from below deck, holding a rolled-up magazine that had miraculously escaped water damage. He approached the noisy Avery and now drunk mouse, which let out a satisfied burp as it dozed contentedly. Roger began to swat Avery with the rolled magazine as Basil was startled awake to scurry up Roger’s leg. Avery shielded his face from the blows raining down on him as Roger cursed at him in Afrikaans until he vented his frustration.

“Get up before I grab Uncle Joey’s meat cleaver. We are about to reach land.” Roger commanded the layabout.

Avery hurriedly got to his feet while dusting himself off, resuming his dignified image as if nothing had happened. Roger shook the magazine under his nose in warning before tucking it under his arm to approach Noah.

“I see that you are grade-two,” Roger stated.

“That’s right, although it hasn’t helped me much,” Noah answered.

“I have had many enlightenments since I advanced. I will show you how to access the spirit world.”

Roger began to walk below deck. He paused to face Noah, beckoning him to follow before disappearing down the stairs. Noah hesitated as he cast a glance at Avery, who had wandered off to speak to Louis in French. Louis let out a heartfelt laugh at something Avery had said. Noah took a deep breath as he followed Roger down the stairs, passing oarsmen bailing out the rising water. They were tiring after hours of endless bailing. Now that land had been sighted, they were beginning to slack.

“I am a shaman, or what your people would call a ‘Witch Doctor’. You have also been chosen to be initiated. A shaman must become sick to understand sickness. When we overcome that sickness, we can heal others. It is the same with abilities,” Roger spoke to Noah as he joined him in the crew quarters. He was withdrawing something from a handmade, felt bag.

“Basil will act as our guide for your journey into the spirit realm.” Roger fed something to his mouse, which caused Basil’s breathing to become slower and more rhythmic.

Roger had retrieved a rattle from his bag. It was covered in a net decorated with seashells. He approached Noah, placing his hands onto his shoulders to push him into a seated position in the shallow water.

“Sit and close your eyes. Focus on the sound of my shekere,” Roger instructed the confused Noah.

Roger had removed his shoes and rolled the hems of his pants up. He began to stomp his feet in a ritualistic pattern in a circle around the seated Noah. He would shake his rattle in time with the beating of his feet. Noah closed his eyes.

Noah focused on the sounds of Roger’s rattle and the rhythmic footsteps. He felt his consciousness becoming unfocused as he entered into a trance. The world surrounding him faded away to reveal the energy underlying everything. Noah felt the water he was sitting in disappear along with Roger’s footsteps. He found himself returned to the world of lights he had entered while castaway to recover from the damage he had suffered from Ronan’s [Withering Touch] ability. In front of him, there was a pillar of purple light. When Noah focused on the purple light, he became aware of it, gathering floating motes of prismatic light surrounding him towards it in rhythm with Roger’s footsteps earlier. The pillar of purple light took form into that of a mouse.

This is the world of lights I was in while I drifted at sea. So this is how I enter it. Is that pillar of light Basil? How is he drawing the lights towards himself? They change to match his lifeforce when he draws them in.

The moment Noah asked himself the question, he felt his consciousness expand. He was once again aware of Roger’s footsteps splashing in the shallow water accompanied by the rattle. A silhouette of blue light had appeared among the floating motes of light as it continued to circle Noah in a hypnotic sequence. The drifting motes of light began to draw towards the blue pillar like a magnet. When the colourless specks of light made contact with the blue pillar, they would flash then be absorbed.

“Breathe the lifeforce of the world in. Feel its kiss as the missing pieces of your soul return to itself.” Roger’s voice could be heard originating from the blue pillar.

Noah followed his instruction, breathing in deeply. In response, the motes of light rushed towards him. Noah looked down to discover that he was a pillar of purple light in the shape of a man with tiny fractures in his form. His body felt refreshed as each mote of light was absorbed after colliding with his metaphysical body. He felt a sense of euphoria he had never experienced before as the fractures slowly repaired themselves. He lost all sense of time as he drew the lifeforce towards him with growing excitement.

“This is not good! Something comes!” Roger exclaimed as his dancing figure ceased its rhythmic movements.

“What’s not good?” Noah asked in response.

“Focus your mind on the surroundings. You will see it!” Roger instructed him as the purple pillar representing Basil scurried away in fright.

Noah ignored his growing sense of dread as he tried to focus outward from himself. He noticed multiple pillars of light coming towards him. He was unable to focus on them enough to discover what creatures they represented. It was then that he was shaken from his trance by Roger.