The sun hadn't fully risen when The Whisper cut its engine, drifting into the shallow, murky waters of the Jade Reach.
The coastline wasn't a beach in the traditional sense. It was a bruise-colored strip of volcanic sand squeezed between the churning grey ocean and a wall of green so dense it looked like a solid fortification. The trees were massive, their roots twisting into the surf like gnarled fingers, and the air hanging over the canopy was thick with a yellow, sulfurous mist.
"This is the stop," the Captain grunted, spitting over the rail. He didn't drop anchor. He kept his hand on the throttle, eyes scanning the tree line nervously. "I ain't getting closer. The sandbars here shift, and the currents drag ships under."
Revas looked at the hundred yards of waist-deep water separating them from the shore.
"You expect us to swim?" Revas asked, arching a perfect white eyebrow. "I am wearing expensive leather boots."
