[ it truly was, though the idea of total freedom stirs up the thoughts he'd been struggling with the last six months or so, the idea that the freedom to go anywhere was not the same as healing the wounds he was running from. ]

There is certainly plenty of treasure in piracy. Gems you wouldn't believe, ancient statues, stunning woodwork. It's probably a blessing I didn't have a house to fill with my spoils.

[ as they speak, they turn a bend. The light of the Chrysalis fills the large cavern like a small sun, and all about it giant eggs sit, pulsating lightly in its glow. Some are broken, but many more still look in tact. He wonders uneasily if they'll hatch with more newcomers, or monsters. ]