Inside the world of the painting, Aden, Adriana, and Ariadne find themselves on board a ship called the Pasodoble.  Caught in the middle of a storm, pirates rush along, trying to remain afloat and following the orders of the Captain, a woman called Brandy, and her burly first mate, Weston.  As the boat lurches back and forth, a sailor falls over the side.  Before he can even hit the water, a sea beast jumps up and devours him in a splash of blood.  Weston takes the dazed Phoenix Fighters below and explains to them that the painting is an Ebene prison, one from which they can never escape.  Anyone who tries is immediately eaten by the monster.  They realize that the painting was a trap for Star.

 

Adriana and Brandy immediately clash over the way that Brandy runs her ship, but she makes it quite clear that her sole purpose is to keep her crew alive.  She explains that she was an Ebene princess, Zelazny's sister, but was banished by her brother's minions to the prison ship to be killed.  The PTB, however, intervened and gave her immortality until such a time as "love can redeem her from the curse."  After centuries of braving the perils of this prison and watching countless other prisoners die, however Brandy sneers at the very idea of anyone loving her and immediately puts the Phoenix Fighters to work as members of her new crew.

 

Ariadne observes the interaction between Weston and Brandy and reports it to Adriana.  The two of them suspect that Weston is enamored with her, but know that simple lust is not enough to break the spell.  They decide to try and nudge Weston into the direction of love and with the help of Aden, start to convince him to speak his feelings to Brandy.  Just as he is about to make his move, however, Milady appears.  Aden and Adriana realize that they were on the right track and that is why Milady decided to show up, to stop them.

 

Brandy and Milady exchange terse words.  Milady stirs up a storm that begins to wrack the ship.  As Brandy and Weston struggle to organize the sailors, Milady taunts the prisoners.  Afraid for the safety of the crew, Brandy attacks Milady.  With her whip, Milady petrifies Brandy's blade.  Disarmed, Brandy is ready to accept the death blow, but Weston pulls her out of the way.  Milady laughs at Brandy's foolishness, never realizing that Weston was in love with her.  Brandy is shocked.  Milady snaps her whip at Brandy, intent on finishing her off, but Weston gets in the way and is instantly petrified.  With that sacrifice, Brandy finally realizes what love is and the storm starts to die.

 

Milady leaves in a disappointed huff and the ship makes port on an island that has appeared out of nowhere.  Portals swirl, providing safe passage to the homes of all the sailors.  The Phoenix Fighters invite Brandy to join them.  Brandy declares that she intends to start fighting on a second front against her brother, but not until after she restores Weston.  Much to everyone's surprise, her crew elects to stay with her for, in spite of the misery they suffered together, Brandy was a good captain and they are quite loyal.  Filled with hope at the prospect of a civil war in Ebera, eventually, Aden, Adriana, and Ariadne return home.