white masks and red leaves

"A land shark." Ludo says it as though it's what Zeph intended all along, the little shark moving of its own accord. It chomps its way along the earth around the shrine, mouth opening and closing to gobble up the falling leaves. And eventually it rears up, held in a raggedy arm, and the deity appears before the dockhand, its masked head bobbing along with the shark's journey. "I will give your message, sweetling. And your trinket, providing I might play with it for a while first." For a few days or decades, y'know - nothing huge. "You're a long way from the sea, sailor," it says then, and it doesn't matter that Zephyr gets seasick or has a bum arm or doesn't technically sail. Ludo knows his soul, and it belongs to the sea. LUDO Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own