Chapter 286: A hand that Guides

Avario Avario stood on the deck of his small, worn boat, the metal hull creaking beneath his feet as he gazed out at the darkening horizon. The air was thick with the smell of salt and the weight of an impending storm. He suddenly felt the gentle pressure on his shoulder, nudging him towards the left. This would be the second day he felt it. At first, he thought it was a trick of his mind or perhaps something caused by the sea, as the sailor had warned him. “Sometimes,” the man had said, “the sea does many things to you. It makes you see things. It tries to claim your life faster than you think, and if you fall to it, you will die. You’ll discover that you’ve been hallucinating. The salt will mess with your brain, rattle your memories, make you see things that aren’t there. Sometimes, it’s even the song of the monsters, luring many ships to their doom." "How do you pick the songs out? How do you know what is real?" Avario had asked, curious and slightly uneasy. The sailor had rais