Niclays Roos, now aboard the pirate flagship Pursuit, successfully treats a pirate stung by a rare quarl, using knowledge from his old friend Eizaru. This was a test set by the Golden Empress, and as a result Niclays is appointed master surgeon of the fleet. The fleet has scattered to evade the Seiikinese High Sea Guard, which is pursuing them to reclaim the captured dragon. The Pursuit plans to skirt the Abyss and sail to the lawless city of Kawontay to sell the dragon's body parts.

That night, shivering on deck, Niclays meets Laya Yidagé, the Golden Empress's Mentish-speaking interpreter. Laya explains she is originally from the Southern city of Kumenga and came East searching for her explorer father, only to be captured by the fleet and pressed into service. She brings Niclays food and warmth, and the two form a quick bond. When Niclays confesses his quest to create an elixir of immortality and asks to study the captive dragon, Laya reveals that the Golden Empress herself is obsessed with immortality—and that this is the reason the ship is called the Pursuit.

Laya tells Niclays the legend of Komoridu, a mysterious island ruled by a sorceress whose power derives from a mulberry tree said to be a source of eternal life. The legend was recorded on a scroll once kept on Feather Island, stolen and given to the Golden Empress, but a crucial part of the scroll was missing. Laya reveals that Niclays unknowingly brought this missing piece to the Golden Empress—the piece Jannart had entrusted to his family and that eventually reached Niclays. Niclays realizes the full significance of the scroll fragment he carried.

As the fleet reaches the threshold of the Abyss, an eerie calm falls over the sea. The water turns glass-still, perfectly reflecting the heavens above, creating the illusion of a double universe. Niclays is struck by how the vision mirrors the Tablet of Rumelabar's teaching about balance between above and below. The tranquility is shattered when the sea erupts: hot water drenches the deck, waves destroy boats and sweep pirates overboard. A massive High Western wyrm appears, its wings enormous, its scales red-hot. It swoops over the fleet screaming "MASTER. SOON. SOON. SOON," heralding the imminent return of a dread power.