The riddle of the map continued to elude the Tidebreaker, even with Ray's help and advice. Hadama had enjoyed the chance to go on expeditions with his friend, but in the end he chose to return to where it had all started from alone. The mermanta swam to Aumakua and its shrine under a star-filled sky and swam up onto the beach of glittering sand, pulling his body as far out of the water as he dared. His tattooed scars were muted in the dark, the moon limning them in silver instead of gold so that they softly gleamed from his dark skin.
He bowed his head to the Shrine, first, asking for Safrin's blessing on his errand before turning to face the Mistbanks to the east.
The Map was retrieved from his pouch and held up to the horizon, first the front and then the back, as Hadama studied the image and reversed words printed on it from the glow of the moon and the Arclight's signature flares.
Open!
He bowed his head to the Shrine, first, asking for Safrin's blessing on his errand before turning to face the Mistbanks to the east.
The Map was retrieved from his pouch and held up to the horizon, first the front and then the back, as Hadama studied the image and reversed words printed on it from the glow of the moon and the Arclight's signature flares.
Open!
