“How did I get tricked into this?” I wonder aloud. “No, seriously. How did I ever think this was a good idea?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWTKcbkSnF
Klef shushes me. “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjo4r1HWlza
The Crusader’s base is in sight, and I’m having more than a few second thoughts about this whole experience. “Have you ever seen me try to speak in public?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrOjLYAIui
“Yes. But this isn’t in public,” Klef reasons.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6M2EAGMFE
“I’m with Klef on this one, Reese, have some self confidence!” Geo adds.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHLzDCRjfb
As we’re walking toward the Crusader’s base, Flo walks out with a werewolf who I’m assuming is her mate. They have flowers in their short cropped hair but despite the typically “feminine” accessory has a somewhat-masculine build. Both of them walk out to greet us. “Oh, so nice to see you three! Geo, Iri, and...sorry, was it Klept?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyJCEAj6Xd
“Klef, nice to meet you,” Klef says, shaking Flo’s hand. “I understand you’re the one who helped me when I had food poisoning 5 years ago. Thank you for that.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7XT6Zt3ux
Flo smiles, bashful. “I really wasn’t that good at finding anything to help you, but you’re welcome regardless.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcwBVMEsrE
The other werewolf clears their throat. “Am I invisible, or something?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssxsV7DqhR
“Oh! Sorry, Rythe! Everyone, this is Rythe, my mate,” Flo says with a blush.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0t9zsXNG4D
Rythe shakes Klef and Geo’s hands, and then comes to me, examining my eyes. “And you must be the Oracle I’m hearing so much about!”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtI10mQy6bj
I nod. “I’m Rides. Nice to meet you.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNZHcNFKdj
Rythe bows. “It’s an honor, my lady.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnV99Z40E7H
I blush and Flo whacks Rythe upside the head. “Stop, you, you’re embarrassing her!”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJfgt1UcrV
Rythe grins. “But that’s what you love about me! And clearly she doesn’t see herself as some sort of royalty!”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IWuP1CxUC
Flo mutters in a low voice, “She’s the Alpha’s daughter.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTBS2u4kBS
Rythe straightens. “You mean the Alpha of a rival pack or The Alpha?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMjnVvTWZw
“Try the second one,” Flo mutters, embarrassed on his behalf.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGSG08NMZc
“Oh.” Rythe salutes me. “Terribly sorry, ma’am.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5g0hqGpsN
“That’s not necessary, Rythe,” I laugh. “I’m perfectly fine with being called Rides, or even Iri, if my dad insists on calling me that all the time.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyu2dotre2m
Rythe nods stiffly, setting the flower crown close to the brink of desruction, and leads us inside.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2e7aUbMTx
“Guy or girl?” Klef whispers to Geo.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IWzyTwoiT
“I...don’t know? Guy, I think?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjsENi1wYA
“No, I’d say girl,” Klef muses.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQCaJVCaNa
“What are you guys talking about?” I mutter.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVhsSoHY96
“Rythe. Guy or girl, do you think?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfxsbjFC2Y
“Um…” I have to think about my answer. “Maybe they’re neither…”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwYtRlsi0O
“Neither? Is that possible?” Klef asks.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLKMmnTbzB
“It would make sense,” Geo reasons.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18J06WNEPu
“I’m going to stick to using first names around those two,” I say, holding to the werewolf couple holding hands. “Just to stay in the clear.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUD2w5gSBZ4
“Right, because the natural neutral pronouns are it/its, but that can be seen as degrading nowadays,” Geo says.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYDjLbM57f
“It is grammatically correct, though,” Klef points out.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTgGsvGpqR
“I guess you have a point, but would you be okay with being called an ‘it’?” I counter.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlUaLEmoH5
“What are you guys talking about?” Flo asks.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYBpG6Sgth
“Nothing much,” Geo says. “Just things back at our branch, you know?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgKLMdZGVX
Rythe coughs and mutters, “They/them,” and I grin at Klef and Geo.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicv5caciVV
Flo ushers us into a giant room filled with desks where people are talking on phones, documenting things with pictures and surrounding a map, adjusting plastic pieces and discussing strategy. There are many species I recognize and some I don’t. This speech is not going to be easy.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGKmQ55HZd
Rythe clears their throat. “Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else, allow me to present Rides, the Oracle who will be informing us on her dreams!”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6VCM1461Ji
The room goes silent and every eye is on me as I take a deep breath. “Well...first of all, thanks for paying attention, I know a large room full of people who wouldn’t be willing to do that. Second of all,” I look around the room. “Why are you guys paying attention?! I have no clue what I’m doing, and I’m willing to bet every other person in this room has a better idea about how to handle this problem than I do. I am young, inexperienced, and I have recurring nightmares, so I don’t get a lot of sleep to think clearly.” Everyone looks at one another, shifting and murmuring. “My point being,” I yell over the murmuring, and everything goes dead silent again, “That no matter what you think of me, I’m like anyone else. I have my strengths and my weaknesses, just as everyone else in this room has to deal with. I’m not some super-impressive goddess who can do anything I want. I’m weak at almost everything here. I’m just Rides, the girl who dunked her boyfriend in ice cold water to try and help speed up his molting. But you need information, and fortunately, that’s one of my strengths.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7GvZ6AsXS
“All of my dreams are pretty much the same. I’m being led to some machine of mass destruction by someone--I don’t know who. I’m on some island, or place surrounded by water, at least. There’s mermaids, fairies, zombies, ghosts, you name a species, it’s probably there, except there are never any humans. When I’m strapped to it something happens and it takes my Sight. It revs up and Klef is asking whoever the leader is why they’re doing this. To summarize, they say it’s to ‘destroy all humans’.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VM2f2IuuP
Everyone shifts around, suddenly on edge. “And?!” a wizard with pitch black hair shouts.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM39IZovYKe
“And that’s it. I can say it’s more likely that we’re on an island than a continent, and there aren’t as many islands in this world to check out…” I say.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiKKYpyqEt
“That we know of!” a gorgon yells. “We could be on a wild goose chase, lass!”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zhiX5qVSI
Klef bristles next to me and I hold him back with a hand. “You called me here,” I explain, “You wanted to know what I knew. There you have it.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9dR3QtTaY
The wizard who yelled out comes up to me. “Yeah, but we were expecting…”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgOsgGmGZ6
“More?” I supply. “Yeah, a lot of people do. Be glad I have that much, though. This is coming from 5 years of dreams.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGzvsdrMmT
“Okay. I’m Ama. A necromancer,” she introduces. “I’m going to be guarding you three for your stay.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YtVQj3JyE
“Make that the two of them,” Geo corrects. “I’m no one.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdF2iJXSHs1
I start to protest but Ama cuts me off. “He has a good point, Oracle. You and your partner are the highest priority here. The less people to protect, the safer you’ll be.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZVUkqNHXq
The room is still silent, everyone anticipating my reply. “Excuse me,” I gasp, making a beeline for the room’s exit.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ArZhsHQAZ
I wander the halls, looking for a restroom. I know I’m about to be sick. I heave in the middle of the hallway and shudder as nothing comes up but a little bile. I was too nervous to eat lunch earlier, but now I’m glad I insisted that I wasn’t hungry. After a few more dry heaves, I slide down the colorless wall to the right of me to the ground. Now that I’ve stopped puking, all I really want to do is cry. I’m really not important. They just need my gift, and anyone could get that. To say others’ lives, their family and friends, my family and friends, are nothing next to me...it has to be utterly ridiculous. There’s no way. I no more important than anyone else. No one should die on my behalf.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYFBYv7rkW
Footsteps come up to my back. Two pairs. “Ride?” Klef asks. “You okay?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1JLukq9zW
I shake my head and close my eyes, resting my side against the wall. “Sick,” I mutter.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNZjGh1TAH
“I’m sorry if I upset you, but you need to get it into your head that you’re special,” Ama states.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpddlV9TZj
“You don’t seem to be the type to be a necromancer,” I say. “Since you seem to care about people and their health so much.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjbIHQTL02
Ama laughs. “You haven’t seen me mad.” I turn to get a good look at her. She does have a black air about her, but it’s small and watery at the moment. She has black ringlets that go below her shoulders and clear, milky skin. She also has one green and one blue eye. She notices me looking at her eyes and grins. “Yeah, I have the Sight too. It makes my magic strong enough to animate corpses. Wanna see?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODMa6AR3nD
“S-sure.” I stumble on the word, because what is the correct response to someone volunteering to reanimate a corpse for you?1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5M4tvwzQt
Ama mutters something and a tiny skeleton of a rabbit forms out of bones in a pocket Ama has on her clothes. “I like bunnies,” Ama explains. “Once I made an entire fluffle of skeleton bunnies follow me.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtd4lAMnHJ5
“Definitely not someone I’d call a necromancer,” Klef mutters.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSOYhsrury
I still don’t turn enough to see him properly. Ama shifts so she can face me fully. “Pet the bun,” she instructs.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvObmPIFso
My hand reaches for the bunny with hesitation and it lifts its head up to meet my fingers, relishing every single stroke. I smile, and Ama smiles at me. The bunny falls into a pile of bones and Ama shakily returns the bones to her pockets. “Always drains me,” she admits.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzotbAZPFhD
I put a hand on her shoulder. “But you’re great at it.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPu78via1z0
Ama grins, a blush creeping over her from ear to ear as she stands up. “Come on. Everyone is waiting for you, to make sure you’re all right.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pUIyj60c6
I stand up, my muscles screaming at me every inch. My legs shake and my head is spinning as I finally look at Klef. His face is etched in concern and he takes the few slow steps to me as if he’s walking across a minefield. He wraps an arm around my shoulder and says, “You look like you’re about to keel over. Let me help.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjagpRarei
“I’m fine,” I mutter as I lean against his shoulder.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eQOLdjZmp
“Of course you are, you’re great,” he snarks as he leads me back the way we came. “That’s why you puked and collapsed.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPk1EckzFEt
I scoff. “Shut up, bird brain.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PM8vo1pls
“Make me, pointy ears!” Klef challenged.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKw5qFh3DfW
Ama looked between us. “You two are so dating.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tyjSDIK0j
“No we’re not!” we deny at the same time.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTziIueRdR
Ama laughs. “So dating.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzkRGJHG7b
“Well don’t say anything. We want to keep it on the DL, if it’s possible,” Klef requested.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSKEV0ZwHq
“Seriously? I’m willing to bet half the people here have started a pool on your relationship status!”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1Jsy3kWHE
I groan. “Great. Just what I need. First I’m more important than others, and now I’m going to be seen as a desperate lovestruck teenager.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGQx6dsjtz
Klef raises an eyebrow at me. “Is that how you see yourself?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NIBsekvD7
I shrug. “Well, people mix up you and I a lot.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6iB4Fgyi91
Klef lightly punches me. “There’s the Ride I know and love.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexZJB5ZmA4
Ama sighs. “I ship it,” she murmurs.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lDk1mAChv
“There’s that word again!” I exclaim. “Why would people ‘ship’ us?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVvUxFU3x8
“It’s cute!” Ama defends.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRHEro6oMD
“It’s weird!”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6hZzjdwxI
“It’s true!”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflEgdpoxdp
“It’s really really funny,” Klef interjects.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFFdPkapF0
I elbow him. “It is not,” I sigh.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVHYjrZl81
Klef grins.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ768TeGeLlp
“It’s not funny!” I exclaim.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAb6KbIqdF
“Whatever you say, Ride. Whatever you say,” Klef laughs.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA37iYzTD5l
Rythe and Flo come into view outside the conference room. “You okay?” Rythe asks.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOue4sGCtr1
I nod. Klef lets go of me and I nearly topple over. “Do you mind?” I growl.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fJVTds4AU
He grins. “We’ll get you something to sit on until you feel better,” he assures.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlH77NaGUF
I mimic him. He punches me, nearly sending me careening into a wall. Rythe picks me up. “I can take you to a wheelchair, don’t worry,” they say.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNlfm9lBux
I’m carried to a wheelchair next to a table with a globe on it. Little red flags litter the globe. “What are those flags for?” I ask.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0hlIttaLA
“Those are possible places your dreams could have taken place. Now, the list has decreased significantly with your information,” Rythe pulled out land-based flags. “Because you said you were on a peninsula or an island. Now, in addition to the Islands of the Mermaids, there are a bunch of unmapped islands all around the globe. And there’s on in the middle of a lake in the Untamed Lands that’s suspicious.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHggZeveUH
I nod. “Are we sending people to check out the most probable places?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0rsZ34tTF
“Yeah, and we’re sending you and Klef to some of the less likely ones, to deal with the messages somewhere safe.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgZsCDntwb
“Okay, I guess…I’d rather be out looking, though.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6cRXtQ9J9
“It’s for the best you don’t,” a pale human with freckles says. “Hibiscus A, they/them. Has a mild obsession with dragons.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6215EUGxSq
I smile. “Rides. My dad wants me to go by Iri. I’m old fashioned, I don’t like using my full name.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSiSTtiaVF
Hibiscus A nodded. “I got you. Completely got you. Nice to make your acquaintance, Rides.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqJhWrwFAy
“Likewise.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJvRVuAqbp
Klef walks in, followed by my dad. “Still hanging around this scum, Iri?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IwHJnYb73
I laugh. “Hi, dad.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksoWdNVhdu
Klef looks offended. “What am I?”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwccn5453y9
“Chopped liver,” I respond.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBZYo8kAsn
Dad laughs. “Nice one!”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGyq1kAmsY
Klef holds a hand to his heart. “You wound me, Ride. You wound me.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLihzAdPyM1
“Good. I was trying to.”1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tozsi3wS1
Hibiscus A coughed. “Ship it,” they mutter.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlhoZSga2U
I throw my hands up. “I’m done with this!” I sigh.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk68A8VWGsZ
Everyone laughs. “You think I’m joking?” I ask, standing up shakily. “I’ll see you all tomorrow,” I exclaim, waving.1055Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiT5RaF4Glm
8964 copyright protection1051ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbNGvhYQwi 維尼

216.73.216.251