The man by the campfire looked to be around forty. His black hair had gone unkempt for so long that it was nearly a filthy mass of long hair, and he was wrapped in black clothing.
If Shade had to describe his first impression of the man, it would probably be someone with "a broken marriage, disobedient children, unemployment looming overhead, gravely ill parents, and a stinkbug in his breakfast cereal this morning"—the sort of unlucky, dejected fellow burdened by every misfortune imaginable.
Amid the monotonous sound of the waves, the middle-aged man heard Shade's footsteps as well, but he only glanced at him before losing interest.
Once he entered the campfire's circle of light, Shade felt much of that sorrowful melancholy recede. Still, his life was quite happy and fulfilling at present, and he did not have many unpleasant things worth recalling, so those negative emotions had yet to affect him completely.
Supporting himself on the sand, he sat down beside the fire and let out a comfortable sigh. He examined the middle-aged man by the fire and confirmed that he was a living human, then looked toward the tall figure on the small boat beside the pier. The figure wore a black robe, its hood completely concealing its face. It stood at least three meters tall, making the otherwise normally sized wooden boat appear tiny by comparison.
"A god."
Shade confirmed the other party's identity with just one glance. The waves did not affect the stability of that boat, nor did the black-robed figure standing atop it sway in the slightest.
Shade gave it a slight nod as a sign of respect.
In truth, the small boat was not very far from the campfire on shore. Even without taking the pier, one might be able to sprint across