The night was quiet, though Shiva could still feel it. There was something strange and wrong with the island, which was why he was there. But the center of the wrongness eluded him, which was frustrating but also temporary. He would find the wrongness and he would purge it.

Suddenly, there was a flame in the darkness, small but brilliant.

The wrongness of the island was not a secret. The child of man who'd prayed for help had explained that a few others had tried and failed, and the nearby village might have also asked for help.

The human that Shiva found did not seem at all surprised by his presence.

"You hunt it as well," Shiva said.

"I didn't know a primal beast dwelled here." The flame was in the man's hand, Shiva realized, as it was brought closer to look at him.

"I am here to purify this island," Shiva explained. "I am Shiva; I do not dwell here but instead answered a prayer to rid this land of that which makes it wrong."

"Percival, of the House of Wales. While traveling, I heard something disturbing was happening here," the man said. "I came to see if I could help."

"Where are you headed?" Shiva questioned.

With his free hand, Percival pulled a map from his coat. It was smudgy and drawn in rough pencil, but it clearly showed the two nearby towns, a stream he'd seen, and then a big black scribble with an X beside it.

"There," Percival said. "The children said there's an old mine where they used to find tiny gems, but not long ago it 'got scary'."

"Then that's where we shall go." Shiva nodded and then raised a palm to echo Percival's flame. Nagaraja squeaked at him and slithered up to keep her tail out of the way.

Percival looked almost like he wanted to protest, but then he nodded as well.

"You are but a traveler?" Shiva questioned, after a long bit of silence aside from their footsteps.

"It would be wrong to not help if I could," Percival said evenly. His flame had not wavered. "This is beyond what the island can handle on its own."

He paused and glanced over to Shiva.

"Even if it's beyond what I can handle, I can get word to others," Percival continued.

"It is still assistance."

"It's not like the island hasn't asked for help. They apparently have, but it's likely their written pleas are sitting on a desk somewhere." Percival frowned.

"Children of man do like to make things more complicated than they need to be." Shiva knew the sky was full of conflict and that those who had the power needed to help the island likely were busy elsewhere. He did not know if Percival would be able to do anything or not. He could have been prayed to sooner and not just in desperation.

Percival had not walked away, however.

The old mine came into view just as dawn began painting the sky a pale violet.

The children had been correct; everything wrong was emanating from within the black beyond. Shiva knew he would have found it, but certainly not as quickly as he had with Percival at his side.

"Are you ready?" Percival questioned.

Shiva nodded, not at all surprised when Percival extinguished his flame for just a moment before drawing his sword and then brightly igniting it.

"This will not take long."

The wrongness was on them less than three steps inside, thick and reeking of the Otherworld. Percival did not even flinch, something Shiva did not properly consider until much later.

But it did not take long to end that which dared attack and then purify the rest.

The wrongness was gone.

Around them, tiny little gems sparkled on the walls of the mine, reflecting their flames like burning stars.

"It is done," Shiva said quietly. Percival nodded and quietly let his sword's flame flicker and die, but it seemed to be effortless for him to call one to his palm again a moment later. Though Percival said nothing, it did seem a bit smaller and dimmer, however.

There was no reason to linger, and daylight greeted them when they emerged from the mine shaft.

Beside him, Percival fought back a yawn, and only then did Shiva consider that Percival must've foregone sleep just to get to the source of the wrongness sooner.

"Shall we rest?" Shiva questioned. He did not need to, but it also would not be unpleasant. He could return to the town he'd departed from in an instant if necessary, but Percival was a child of man and one who'd put all he had into defeating the wrongness of an island he'd likely never set foot on before the previous day.

Percival looked like he would protest, but then he nodded. There was a shaded grove nearby and nothing would bother them.

While Percival slept, Shiva let Nagaraja slither around his fingers, though he did need to gently scold once when her squeaks became too loud. And when she tired of games and curled back around him, quiet, Shiva turned his attention back to Percival.

Shiva had enjoyed his little conversations with him, and was curious about his flame. But he also knew Percival was not the sort who would pray, not when he could rush in. That was fine. They had met and they had succeeded in their goal.

Percival's flame would never be difficult to find, either. Shiva was positive that even when they parted later in the day, they would surely meet again.