Barathi offers to lower her ship's price from 12,000 marks if Erytl Photrak’s group investigates three grottos. In the first cave, they secure a Purelake depth chart and capture Investiture-draining fish, before interrogating an attacking Regal who reveals a Singer resistance and a hidden stash belonging to Highlord Thanadal. Moving to the second grotto, Cinder senses an ancient presence, and the group loots a Larkin harness alongside a fabrial-crafting manual. In the final flooded cave, Po'Ahu and Sha successfully advocate to spare a nesting whitespine family. Pleased with their success and the peaceful resolution, Barathi drops the ship's price to 6,000 marks on the condition that they take a skilled young Selay navigator named Melu with them.

Before departing, a night of heavy drinking leads to a shocking revelation when Jirani trips and her arm falls off, dissolving into a swarm of cremlings. Tas-Son-Dar notices the truth, forcing Jirani to confess that she is actually a Siah Aimian (Sleepless) sent to watch the Larkin and eventually guide it back to Aimia. Relieved that the eccentric group accepts her regardless, she joins them as they set sail. After an 11-day voyage to the Reshi Isles, Sha is devastated to find her sister has been kidnapped by Mraize of the Ghostbloods, who demands the gemheart of a dead, island-sized greatshell God as ransom.

While Tas-Son-Dar contacts Shallan to arrange for future reinforcements, the group decides to move ahead and meet Mraize's contact: a meager older man named Veln who travels with a colorful chicken named Monster. With the Larkin's help, the ship easily breaches a strange, invisible barrier that had previously blocked Veln. Making landfall on the eerie dead island, the party discovers 50-year-old expedition tracks and ancient ruins built inside the weathered yellow chitin of the greatshell itself. They choose to camp in a dilapidated building for the night, keeping a tense watch as mysterious noises echo from deeper within the island.