Everyone stared at Kale.

Rika grinned like she'd just been handed something shiny and a fight.

Namara squealed and clapped her hands, positively delighted.

Liliana closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, like she was praying for strength, or maybe just patience.

Sadek shook his head, resigned. "Fucking Kale."

"Alright," Liliana said, opening her eyes again. "If you want it so much, you can undo the seals, Namara. This is on you."

Namara's eyes sparkled. "Absolutely. I'd be thrilled."

She stepped forward and knelt beside the sarcophagus, trailing her fingers lightly across the glowing runes. "Sloppy work," she murmured. "No elegance at all."

With a few precise gestures and a softly spoken word in a language none of them recognized, the seals flickered… then vanished in a series of low, chiming pops.

She stood, dusted off her hands, and gave a graceful little bow toward Rika. "Would you—"

"Yes!" Rika said, already moving. "Hells yes."

She grabbed the edge of the sarcophagus lid. "Alright, mystery coffin," she muttered, grinning. "Let's see what you're hiding. Gold? Ghosts? A demon prince?"

With one heave, she pushed. It dragged open with a heavy scrape, stone rasping against stone.

Inside lay a massive figure with greenish skin, bare-chested, muscular arms folded across his torso like a knight entombed. His large reddish mustache was perfectly shaped, his bald head smooth and shiny.

Yellow, snakelike eyes snapped open and looked up at the group, then locked onto Sadek. "Sadek, you son of bitch!"

Sadek stared, dumbfounded. "No fucking way."

The man sat up. "Yes the way."

Kale mouthed, what the hell.

Sadek shook his head slowly, still staring like he couldn't believe it. "They said you died."

The man shrugged. "Only little bit."

"Why the hells are you in a coffin?"

The man swung his legs over the edge and gave an exaggerated shrug. "You tell me. You save me. You good friend, Sadek. Thank you."

"I didn't even know you were here!" Sadek said. "We just stole this ship!"

"Sadek. What you talk—ship?" He looked around and noticed he was, in fact, on a ship. His eyes narrowed. "You know Yajub no like water. Why we on ship?"

Kale turned to Sadek, frowning. "Sadek… do you know this man?"

Yajub threw his head back. "Haha! Yajub no man. Yajub Osposian. So—" he thumped his chest, grinning wide— "Osposiman! Ho ho ho!"

There was a short pause.

"I like him," Rika said.

Liliana slowly turned toward Sadek. "Is this going to be a problem?"

Namara arched an eyebrow. "Or a gift?"

Yajub just kept smiling, pleased with himself like he'd just delivered the greatest line in history.

Sadek sighed. "He's an old friend."

"You have friends?" Kale asked.

Sadek looked at him. "Why wouldn't I have friends, Kale?"

"I—no, I just meant—" Kale stammered, "I didn't mean it like that, it's just—"

"How did you mean it then, Kale?" Liliana asked sweetly.

"Kale look confused," Yajub said. "Is okay. I was confused too, when I woke up next to rat with wedding ring."

Rika blinked. "Okay, now I'm confused."

Yajub nodded sagely. "Is good story. Sadek say, 'Yajub, drink this. Is harmless.'"

He held up an invisible cup and mimed chugging. "Next morning Yajub wake up in bakery, naked, covered in sugar. Rat next to me. Very small. Wearing ring. Wedding certificate nailed to Yajub leg."

"That… never happened," Sadek muttered.

"Yes, yes," Yajub said, waving it off. "You always say that. But Yajub still can't go back to Val Harondor. Very sad. Was nice city."

Rika burst out laughing. "Okay yeah, I definitely like him."

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Kale turned to Sadek, eyebrows raised. "You were… crazy once?"

"Knew it," Namara said, pointing at him. "There was something in the eyes."

"Oh yes," Yajub said, nodding eagerly. "Sadek crazy guy. Craziest guy Yajub ever meet."

He raised a finger, like this was about to be wisdom. "First time Yajub meet Sadek, Yajub fight bartender over pie. Sadek other side of tavern having drink. Chair hit him in head."

He jabbed a thumb toward Sadek. "He stand up, pull spear from wall, yell, 'Who throw furniture at me while I drink?!'"

"Next thing, we back to back. Yajub got pie. Sadek hold lute like shield. Smash first man with it. It play sad chord. Very poetic. Whole place come for us."

He grinned. "We break fifteen chair. Six table. Ho ho ho!"

He nodded, eyes closed. "Good time. We become friends fast."

Liliana turned to Sadek, eyebrows raised in genuine surprise. "You really did that?"

Sadek sighed. "It was a long time ago."

Yajub laughed. "Was maybe four year ago!"

Sadek gave him a look. "That was twenty-three years ago."

Yajub froze. "...What?"

Sadek shook his head slowly. "It was twenty-three years ago…"

Yajub stared for a moment, mouth slightly open. Then he rubbed his face with both hands. "Yajub was sleep long time."

He paused… then smiled again. "Still best pie Yajub ever had."

Sadek stepped forward and offered his hand. Yajub took it without hesitation, and with a grunt climbed out of the sarcophagus.

"You gonna tell me what happened?" Sadek asked.

Yajub stretched his arms overhead, joints cracking. "Mmm. Was big fight. The one with the… you know." He waved vaguely.

Sadek gave him a flat look. "You're going to have to be more specific."

Yajub shrugged. "Yajub die. Pretty sure. Next thing—poof—wake up on funeral pyre. People all around. Maybe they bring Yajub back. Don't know."

He rubbed his chin, thoughtful. "They talk strange. Tell Yajub what to do. Join them. Be weapon. Important destiny."

He scoffed. "Yajub say no, obviously. Try to leave. They say no. Try to stop me."

Sadek raised an eyebrow. "Did it work?"

Yajub laughed. "What you think?" He spread his arms. "Next thing Yajub remember… is waking up in box."

"So… someone resurrected you, tried to recruit you, and then stuffed you in a coffin?" Kale asked.

Yajub nodded.

Sadek didn't smile, but he looked Yajub up and down like he was genuinely glad to see him again. "You're lucky we found you."

Yajub thumped his chest once. "Yajub always lucky. Mama used to say 'Lucky and handsome. Deadly combination.'"

He grinned wide. "Ho ho ho! She was smart woman."

Liliana glanced toward Namara. "There sure have been a lot of coincidences since you joined."

Namara put a hand to her chest, mock-offended. "Are you suggesting I'm somehow involved in all of this?"

"It's awfully suspicious."

"Well," Namara said smoothly, "I can assure you I had nothing to do with him being put into that chest."

Liliana narrowed her eyes. "What about finding him?"

Namara smiled. "His mama did say he was lucky."

Yajub gave a proud nod. "Very lucky. Very handsome."

Liliana looked to Sadek.

He gave a small shrug.

Namara's smile widened, just a little too innocent.

Liliana sighed and turned back to Yajub.

"Well… Yajub, nice to meet you. I'm Liliana. That's Kale, Rika, Namara. You already know Sadek."

Yajub gave them all a broad, approving nod like he'd just been introduced to royalty. "Good faces. Strong energy. Yajub like."

"We're heading to Loryth," Liliana continued. "It's apparently been hit by a plague, which may or may not be the work of Xeroth. There'll probably be a lot of fighting and killing. We're planning to kill Xeroth as well. Might have to kill a few other gods too, depending how things go. Interested?"

Yajub threw back his head and laughed, then clapped a hand on Sadek's shoulder. "Just like old times!"

"Minus the god killing," Sadek muttered.

Yajub waved that off. "Pah! We kill Xsyzh of the Nine Mouths."

"That was a demigod."

Yajub thumped his chest. "God, demigod. Dead is dead."

Kale gave him a nod. "Welcome to the team."

Yajub tilted his head and held up a finger. "Can Yajub ask question?"

"Sure," Kale said.

"Kale. Like vegetable?"

Liliana burst out laughing.

Kale sighed. "Yes. Like the vegetable."

Yajub stared at him for a moment longer, then gave a thoughtful nod. "Is strong vegetable. Good name."

Kale looked mildly surprised by the approval.

Yajub added, "Yajub kill man once with sack of kale. Very dense."

"You killed a man with kale?" Rika asked, surprised.

Yajub held up a finger. "Sack of kale. Heavy. Also, man was already on fire. Not important."

"Huh," Rika replied, not knowing what else to say.

Namara leaned in. "Now I have to know—why was he on fire?"

Yajub rubbed the back of his neck. "Hmm. That part... maybe Yajub fault."

"Of course it was," Sadek muttered.

Yajub looked very pleased with himself.

Kale, still half-staring at him, folded his arms. "How did you even end up carrying a sack of kale during a fight?"

"Is very healthy," Yajub said seriously. "Kale good for you."

Namara leaned toward Liliana with a sly smile. "That why your skin's so radiant? Been getting your daily dose of Kale?"

"Twice a day," Liliana said, deadpan, locking eyes with Namara. "Minimum."

Kale audibly choked.

Even Namara blinked. "Wow. Alright then."

Rika burst out laughing. "You're a superfood, Kale. Just accept it."

Yajub gave him a solemn nod.

Kale wasn't sure whether to feel complimented or deeply concerned. Did Yajub actually think he was a vegetable? He didn't ask. He didn't want to know. He wasn't sure Yajub even knew there was a difference.

And really, that was starting to feel like a pattern. They kept running into these strange characters like something was pulling them along from one absurd encounter to the next. As if the world was tossing them one colorful companion after another, each somehow exactly what they needed. Just in time.

Things had only gotten stranger ever since he'd "saved" Namara. Except… had he actually saved her? Or had that all been a ploy? A setup to get her on the team? Because the timing had been perfect. Suspiciously perfect.

Kale glanced at her. Still smiling, like all of this was part of some elaborate joke only she was in on.

She'd known exactly what the smuggler would look like. Then they just happened to find Sadek's long-lost friend sealed in a sarcophagus in his ship. And she hadn't even blinked.

That was two—no, three—too-perfect coincidences. Four, if he counted the way she always had a plan. A spell. A story. Some neat little trick to steer them away from disaster.

Had he even found her by accident? Or had someone made sure he would? Someone who knew they'd need her?

Kale frowned, arms crossed. How many times had she saved them now? Was she guiding them? Or had someone planted her to guide him? And if so… who?

Kale exhaled through his nose and glanced sideways.

Liliana was already looking at him. Not surprised. Not curious. Just calm. Certain.

Of course she saw it. She'd seen it from the start.

She didn't say a word, didn't need to. But there was something in the way her gaze held his—something that told him she'd been waiting for him to catch up. That she'd known, long before now, that none of this was random. That Namara wasn't just lucky. And that someone, somewhere, wanted them to reach the end of this road with her in the group.

And judging by the look in her eyes, she didn't trust that someone one bit.

After a moment, Liliana gave him a slow, knowing nod. The kind that said: Finally.

Then there was a deep creaking groan somewhere above them. The ship jerked sideways—sudden, violent.

Kale staggered a step and caught himself, heart suddenly racing. Crates slid. Something thudded hard above. He looked toward the stairs. "Wait… who's steering the ship?"

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