Journal of Thalen Driftgarde

Recovered from a salt-crusted satchel left in Room 3 of the Salted Knot. Ink blurred by sea spray. Some pages torn, others scorched.

Entry I — The Tide Does Not Bargain

They call this place Leilon. The land reeks of smoke and sour ale. Too many voices. Too many gods.
I asked for silence and was given hospitality. That’s worse.
The cliffs whisper clearer than the priests.

Entry II — The Mine

There is something wrong in the stone.
The miners dig with songs in their heads. Not the songs they were taught—older ones.
One smiled at me today. His eyes were bleeding.
No one else noticed.

Entry III — The Child

She asked why I carried a sword if I didn’t want to fight.
I told her, “Because drowning takes longer than bleeding.”
She laughed. I hope she forgets me.

Entry IV — The Beacon

The lighthouse does not just warn. It binds.
Old sigils, sun-etched and worn away. I redrew one in fish oil. The flame turned blue for a moment.
That should not be possible.
Something is trying to surface.

Entry V — The Dream

Water in the lungs. Salt in the eyes. Hands grasping from below.
I woke with bruises where none had touched me.
The ocean dreams through me now. And it remembers Leilon.

Entry VI — The Decision

The glyph is ready. It needs a name.
If I leave, they may survive. If I stay, I may not.
But the tide always returns.
So will I.