Black Sun

Twelve days before the convergence, Xiala anticipates a storm. It’s been over a week of clear weather, and every night Serapio has been coming to spend time with her. She realizes she anticipates his arrival every night and that she is enjoying spending time with him.

Xiala and the crew prepare for an enormous storm. They plan to dump the heavier cargo, tie the crew in groups to the ship’s railings, and fill flotation bladders to keep the ship from sinking. Xiala thinks about a comforting magical song that the elders sang in her village growing up, and she sings a similar one to comfort the crew.

A monster wave strikes, hitting Xiala. Two of her crew go to secure a loose paddle. They are not properly tied to the ship; when it tilts on the crest of another wave, they both go overboard. Xiala dives into the water after them. In the water, she shapeshifts. She cuts the rope between the two crewmembers; the conscious one swims up toward the surface, while she has to drag the unconscious one up herself. There’s a moment when she thinks she isn’t going to make it.