"You worry too much," Athgar said. "The sailing has been smooth, and before you know it, we'll be in Corassus with all of this behind us."

"I suppose you're right," she replied. "After all, the captain has sailed all over the world, and he doesn't seem worried."

They heard the sound of a hatch opening and turned to see Brother Cyric coming on deck. The Temple Knight had eschewed his usual armour and now wore only the simple brown cassock of his order.

"Good morning, Brother Cyric," said Athgar in greeting. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better than yesterday," Cyric replied. "Is it just my imagination, or is the deck more steady today?"

"I think you've just found your sea legs," offered Natalia.

The Holy Brother made his way to the railing, taking up a position to Athgar's left, gazing out at the distant cliffs. "Anything interesting happening?"

"It depends on your definition of interesting," said Athgar, turning his gaze to Natalia. "I find the view here to be quite nice, but other than the odd bird sailing overhead, it's been quiet."

"We should enjoy it while we can," suggested Cyric. "I hear things will get worse as we approach the Teeth."

"What are the Teeth, precisely?" asked Natalia.

"Rocks, mostly," said the knight, "that jut out of the water."

"Just like that?" asked Athgar. "Why would there be rocks in the middle of nowhere?"

"They're a continuation of the southern continent. The land juts out, cutting off the Shimmering Sea from the Great Sea. There's a channel at its northern tip that's free of rocks, but the winds can be tremendous, making navigating the gap difficult."

"Has the captain sailed the gap before?" asked Natalia.

"Yes, many times. The Swift is an agile craft, I doubt he'll have much trouble, but the weather can often change unexpectedly around here. The sky looks clear at the moment, but winds from the south can blow up clouds in no time, or so I'm led to believe. Personally, I'd have rather ridden overland to Corassus, but the Church wants me there as soon as possible."

"Trouble?" asked Athgar, his curiosity peaked.

"None that I'm aware of, but my predecessor has moved on to other things, and they are in need of an administrator."

"So you'll be in charge?" asked Natalia.

"More or less," the knight confessed, "though I'd say more of a junior administrator. I'll still report to someone higher up.”

"Would that be a Cunar?" asked Athgar.

"No," said Cyric, "each order has its own hierarchy. I’ll be the first to admit it’s all rather confusing."

“Care to explain?”

“The church consists of six orders,” Cyric explained.

“Yes, I know that,” said Athgar in annoyance.

“Please,” begged Cyric, “let me finish, then I can answer any questions you might have.”

“Very well,” replied Athgar.