“How did I get tricked into this?” I wonder aloud. “No, seriously. How did I ever think this was a good idea?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPX72X9Rw7V
Klef shushes me. “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7sWMzXCgr
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?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtY7tSUex5
“Yes. But this isn’t in public,” Klef reasons.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwsCuhWCkM
“I’m with Klef on this one, Reese, have some self confidence!” Geo adds.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dDXF0kpWB
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?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ814JM4aced
“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.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVc3c0lHJJg
Flo smiles, bashful. “I really wasn’t that good at finding anything to help you, but you’re welcome regardless.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡug5MhVTT2Q
The other werewolf clears their throat. “Am I invisible, or something?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTa7Sj1nQoz
“Oh! Sorry, Rythe! Everyone, this is Rythe, my mate,” Flo says with a blush.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYAbVit86R
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!”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5KAjbUWjQ
I nod. “I’m Rides. Nice to meet you.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOInWGyWNt
Rythe bows. “It’s an honor, my lady.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysnDislu2l
I blush and Flo whacks Rythe upside the head. “Stop, you, you’re embarrassing her!”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoJscklJkG
Rythe grins. “But that’s what you love about me! And clearly she doesn’t see herself as some sort of royalty!”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyCPPhkSMJ
Flo mutters in a low voice, “She’s the Alpha’s daughter.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufcinTJmjN
Rythe straightens. “You mean the Alpha of a rival pack or The Alpha?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvxuIZ6ezN
“Try the second one,” Flo mutters, embarrassed on his behalf.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqeH1rFT0d
“Oh.” Rythe salutes me. “Terribly sorry, ma’am.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdzXXXW3lq
“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.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKS35jh6wab
Rythe nods stiffly, setting the flower crown close to the brink of desruction, and leads us inside.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdVUrWbVzd
“Guy or girl?” Klef whispers to Geo.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrC5b81C7j
“I...don’t know? Guy, I think?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5JqOdOw82
“No, I’d say girl,” Klef muses.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vc6JsHf2i
“What are you guys talking about?” I mutter.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGX5GKg28wA
“Rythe. Guy or girl, do you think?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR68Y8eaiIr
“Um…” I have to think about my answer. “Maybe they’re neither…”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IxXL3ZXNG
“Neither? Is that possible?” Klef asks.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgTUURcUj6
“It would make sense,” Geo reasons.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwpJjQNHan
“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.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP31J4I0FuM
“Right, because the natural neutral pronouns are it/its, but that can be seen as degrading nowadays,” Geo says.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitNUAmjrjA
“It is grammatically correct, though,” Klef points out.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrwenmXk5T
“I guess you have a point, but would you be okay with being called an ‘it’?” I counter.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uPRCkDOYV
“What are you guys talking about?” Flo asks.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8VOfUjO3T
“Nothing much,” Geo says. “Just things back at our branch, you know?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbpuGXv2W5
Rythe coughs and mutters, “They/them,” and I grin at Klef and Geo.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrz6kFlhJM3
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.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRs804A2SQ
Rythe clears their throat. “Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else, allow me to present Rides, the Oracle who will be informing us on her dreams!”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wVrT9hjDj
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.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13EKjJEiOA
“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’.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0BLXBt3cm
Everyone shifts around, suddenly on edge. “And?!” a wizard with pitch black hair shouts.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrkteBGWQ1
“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.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3kYhnEUXr
“That we know of!” a gorgon yells. “We could be on a wild goose chase, lass!”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKijf8Ao43h
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.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnKr6QabTc
The wizard who yelled out comes up to me. “Yeah, but we were expecting…”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihM47NzYAy
“More?” I supply. “Yeah, a lot of people do. Be glad I have that much, though. This is coming from 5 years of dreams.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGZU4W0HfE
“Okay. I’m Ama. A necromancer,” she introduces. “I’m going to be guarding you three for your stay.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1hXpBgZej
“Make that the two of them,” Geo corrects. “I’m no one.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Ll65XjjP5
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.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aELsMyU6L
The room is still silent, everyone anticipating my reply. “Excuse me,” I gasp, making a beeline for the room’s exit.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLuL3Kh2nG
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.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYWNRIufnU
Footsteps come up to my back. Two pairs. “Ride?” Klef asks. “You okay?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqc8pkdggyF
I shake my head and close my eyes, resting my side against the wall. “Sick,” I mutter.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mW6CBLIhn
“I’m sorry if I upset you, but you need to get it into your head that you’re special,” Ama states.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17gqR2spkp
“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.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgAepVZPp2
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?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLA4fq7jkvc
“S-sure.” I stumble on the word, because what is the correct response to someone volunteering to reanimate a corpse for you?1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1Y7Wc1wxE
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.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2uKvYZlvg
“Definitely not someone I’d call a necromancer,” Klef mutters.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtT7mJn6i3
I still don’t turn enough to see him properly. Ama shifts so she can face me fully. “Pet the bun,” she instructs.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2Cy3YDrfd
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.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnIdwNTgFs
I put a hand on her shoulder. “But you’re great at it.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jw4mLViNt
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.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkH5a7OrxFy
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.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKoHYO7t5t
“I’m fine,” I mutter as I lean against his shoulder.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGR6qzhQoV
“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.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzejmXoiNfP
I scoff. “Shut up, bird brain.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzB6ogqQEQ
“Make me, pointy ears!” Klef challenged.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3hD3hkbwj
Ama looked between us. “You two are so dating.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YisHgGd91
“No we’re not!” we deny at the same time.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2795rQYPe
Ama laughs. “So dating.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qw5xZ3BiU
“Well don’t say anything. We want to keep it on the DL, if it’s possible,” Klef requested.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOO6M5ylqw3
“Seriously? I’m willing to bet half the people here have started a pool on your relationship status!”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TnQLuiRry
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.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJhDlR3Rrx
Klef raises an eyebrow at me. “Is that how you see yourself?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPR05m4nXC
I shrug. “Well, people mix up you and I a lot.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64OfDJPYSK
Klef lightly punches me. “There’s the Ride I know and love.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcB6prjMtcp
Ama sighs. “I ship it,” she murmurs.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGgcfrXw8H
“There’s that word again!” I exclaim. “Why would people ‘ship’ us?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErIqtAACtz
“It’s cute!” Ama defends.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOsaX4xAaI
“It’s weird!”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUk7aqVmtcS
“It’s true!”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwi6ezN6oX
“It’s really really funny,” Klef interjects.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXG5TekqKsq
I elbow him. “It is not,” I sigh.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBb4o4ExBFf
Klef grins.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyJPJV0vNs
“It’s not funny!” I exclaim.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrb3wJKQnIm
“Whatever you say, Ride. Whatever you say,” Klef laughs.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRA9UkShnd
Rythe and Flo come into view outside the conference room. “You okay?” Rythe asks.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOx2ddJIgr
I nod. Klef lets go of me and I nearly topple over. “Do you mind?” I growl.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68nW7q3eYd
He grins. “We’ll get you something to sit on until you feel better,” he assures.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79DlcYbYnb
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.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ162abgsdZz
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.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsm8VO4A7m
“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.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfRRt0zRIW
I nod. “Are we sending people to check out the most probable places?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTaaiNgltf
“Yeah, and we’re sending you and Klef to some of the less likely ones, to deal with the messages somewhere safe.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRyL1Dj07A
“Okay, I guess…I’d rather be out looking, though.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2HQbuEdQH
“It’s for the best you don’t,” a pale human with freckles says. “Hibiscus A, they/them. Has a mild obsession with dragons.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilgF0n8zTm
I smile. “Rides. My dad wants me to go by Iri. I’m old fashioned, I don’t like using my full name.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQhyJUJodH
Hibiscus A nodded. “I got you. Completely got you. Nice to make your acquaintance, Rides.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHoqyTEoYL
“Likewise.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclGOSMlT4I
Klef walks in, followed by my dad. “Still hanging around this scum, Iri?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ceeETwasi
I laugh. “Hi, dad.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ740XzkuGco
Klef looks offended. “What am I?”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxotLDTc92Q
“Chopped liver,” I respond.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGRuy6EAxj
Dad laughs. “Nice one!”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchhcccvM0q
Klef holds a hand to his heart. “You wound me, Ride. You wound me.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡae1JBuC5YU
“Good. I was trying to.”1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGAaEfeDGZ
Hibiscus A coughed. “Ship it,” they mutter.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBnMcRJRp8
I throw my hands up. “I’m done with this!” I sigh.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXSe4HEjAc
Everyone laughs. “You think I’m joking?” I ask, standing up shakily. “I’ll see you all tomorrow,” I exclaim, waving.1086Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4LoyMaRBQ
8964 copyright protection1082ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXhugaD4gJ 維尼

216.73.216.238