* * *
Julia
* * *

The fight is glorious. Cary finally gave me the go-ahead and do my worst, saying that another Poet's necessary work had finished up. I don't care for any of that mystic shit - all I care is that Gwen and I are cutting through everything in our path as if it weren't even there.

Then they really aren't, and I'm left looking for the next nonexistant opponent as several other Armed and an entire crew of pirates do the exact same thing. I duck a few swipes from our supposed 'comrades' as confusion spreads over the battlefield. On the one hand, I suppose disappearing to let us attack ourselves is a clever battle tactic.

On the other hand, there's no sign of the spiders at all, not even a leg, not even a drop of blood. It's as if they were never even there. Instead, there's a bearded man in the middle of the courtyard in strange apparel--

* * *
Stevane
* * *

Part of me just wants to stay asleep and be aware of nothing - to blank all of the last few days out and stop thinking at all. The rest of me knows that's a stupid wish because I dream too vividly for anything to be a rest - worst of all, I never stop thinking. And, like most Poets, I tend to notice things around me even as I sleep.

So I suppose I heard a conversation between Unkie and the other Advocate from across the ocean that I probably wasn't supposed to. Except, Unkie knows I'd hear it, so I don't understand why he'd just let it happen, unless he wanted it to. That means he wanted a witness around... or someone did. It's something to think about, which I'm welcoming right now, because I'm not dreaming heavily at all and I'm starting to notice things that I wish I wouldn't.