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Malina stood staring at Chantico as his easy smile spread back across his face. He raised his eyebrows at her exposing the white's of his eyes. Then he pursed his lips together and nodded his head towards Malina.

"I see. From what you're not saying, I'm assuming that the ancestors have not been saying anything as of late. And if you're not following, I'm saying that you haven't been able to hear much of anything for the last few weeks." The boat rocked back and forth under the power of a large swell. Some of the stacks of papers on Malina's old desk swayed under the motion causing a single piece of paper to fall to the floor. Malina's eyes were pulled from Chantico and followed the paper to the ground.

After the paper had stilled on the deck Malina raised her eyes to look at Chantico again. Something had hardened in his face. The muscles in his jaws clenched and then loosened again. Now it was time for Malina to bring a smile to her face. Malina coulse see Chantico's face darken as the smile spread from her mouth to her eyes. She held her smile as she watched him rise from his desk and walk towards her.

"You have no power you know."

"You need me alive. You need to still my beating heart on the Altar of the Ancients."

The speed and violence open handed slap took Malina by surprise and knocked her to the ground. She could feel her heart racing in her chest even as she struggled to come to her knees. A boot pressed into her back and then flung her to the ground again. She turned and looked up at Chantico curling herself into a ball. She steadied her hands in between her knees keeping them from reaching up to her face. Chantico stood above her blocking out the light from the lanterns as they swung with the roll of the ship.