The fire crackled in the center of Mallow Marsh's village square, casting warm gold over the stilted huts and the reeds that swayed gently in the night breeze. The scent of roasted fish and honey mead filled the air, and Tom—still wiping water from his sleeves—raised a wooden cup to Lin Che and the others. "To the travelers who chased away the dark," he said, his voice loud enough for all villagers to hear. "Who gave us back our boats, our fish, our hope."
The villagers cheered, clinking their cups together. Finn—Clara's son from Cedar Hollow, who'd hitched a ride with them to see the marsh—sat beside Xiao Ya, wide-eyed as an old woman told stories of the marsh's "guardian reeds" that had once protected the village from floods. Xiao Ya smiled, her fingers brushing a reed she'd tucked behind her ear; it glowed faintly green, as if agreeing with the tales.
Mo Ying, meanwhile, was leaning against a hut, munching on a piece of dried apple from Cedar Hollow. She nodded at the pile of reeds stacked near the dock—fresh, healthy, and ready to be woven into new boats. "Tom's folks know how to work reeds," she said to Lin Che. "By tomorrow, they'll have three new boats. Gareth's resin'll seal 'em good—they won't sink, not even in a storm."
Su Qing flipped through her Arcane Manual, adding a note about the dark stone they'd found at the pool's bottom. "The symbols on it weren't from any rune set I know," she said, her brow furrowed. "Old, maybe older than the Guardians. But it's powerless now—Xiao Ya's magic drained the darkness. We should bury it somewhere far from the marsh, just to be safe."
Lin Che nodded, his gaze drifting to the Star Marrow on his wrist. It glowed softly, not with urgency, but with a quiet warmth—like it was pleased they'd mended the marsh's hurt. He thought of all their treasures on the starship: the cedar box from Cedar Hollow, the pine resin from Pine Ridge, the daisy petals from Daisy Dell… each a piece of a village they'd helped, each a thread in a larger tapestry of care.
As the feast wound down, Tom pulled Lin Che aside. He held a small pouch made of woven reeds, its surface etched with tiny marsh flowers. "This is for you," he said, pressing it into Lin Che's hand. "It's filled with reed seeds—special ones. Plant 'em near water, and they'll grow fast, strong. Good for making small rafts, or just for keeping the water clean. Remind you of Mallow Marsh, yeah? Remind you that even dark things can be chased away with a little help."
Lin Che opened the pouch; the seeds were small, brown, and smooth, like tiny pebbles. He thanked Tom, tucking the pouch into his pocket.
The next morning, they helped the villagers weave the first new reed boat. Xiao Ya talked to the reeds as they worked, encouraging them to stay strong, while Mo Ying coated the boat's seams with pine resin. By midday, the boat was ready—light, sturdy, and gliding smoothly when Tom pushed it into the water. The villagers cheered, and a young boy jumped in, rowing it around the dock with a laugh.
Before they left, Finn hugged Xiao Ya goodbye, promising to tell his mom all about the marsh. Tom walked them to the starship, his hands clasped behind his back. "If you ever need a place to rest," he said, "Mallow Marsh is always open. We've got fish, we've got mead, and we've got reeds enough to build you a hut."
They climbed aboard, waving as the starship lifted off. Tom and the villagers stood on the dock, the new reed boat bobbing beside them, until the marsh faded into green below.
Inside the cabin, Xiao Ya placed the reed seed pouch on the dashboard—next to the cedar box and pine resin, another treasure added. Su Qing flipped open Li Wei's map, but paused, her finger hovering over a blank spot near the map's edge. "Li Wei wrote a note here," she said, reading aloud. "'There's a village in the mist—no name, just a cluster of huts by a lake. The folks there say their lake's water is getting cold, too cold. Fish are leaving, plants are dying. They don't know why.'"
Mo Ying leaned forward, grinning. "A cold lake? We fixed a dark stone, splitting barrels, brittle wool—cold water's easy. Xiao Ya can talk to the lake plants, find out why it's cold. I'll build a heater if we need to—something with metal and fire, simple."
Lin Che looked out the window, at the clouds drifting by. The Star Marrow on his wrist glowed a little brighter, as if urging them on. This was their journey: not just fixing what was broken, but listening—to villages, to the earth, to each other. It wasn't about grand battles or fame. It was about showing up, even when the problem was small. Even when the village was just a cluster of huts in the mist.
"The village in the mist," he said, turning to the others. "Let's go find 'em."
Mo Ying nodded, adjusting the starship's controls. The engines hummed, and the starship turned north, toward the misty horizon. Xiao Ya held the reed seed pouch, smiling. Su Qing closed her Arcane Manual, ready for whatever came next.
Ahead, there was a village waiting. A cold lake. A new chance to help.
And as always—they were ready.