“How did I get tricked into this?” I wonder aloud. “No, seriously. How did I ever think this was a good idea?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxIdidAASy
Klef shushes me. “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9oyntjKmh
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?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lXBvWlqHT
“Yes. But this isn’t in public,” Klef reasons.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFa2bZvLqT
“I’m with Klef on this one, Reese, have some self confidence!” Geo adds.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImNJNfKjnF
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?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhWBBinyC2
“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.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwGyyz8HWD
Flo smiles, bashful. “I really wasn’t that good at finding anything to help you, but you’re welcome regardless.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xoBL9Mc57
The other werewolf clears their throat. “Am I invisible, or something?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LzTdbvBbj
“Oh! Sorry, Rythe! Everyone, this is Rythe, my mate,” Flo says with a blush.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutlcgF4tKx
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!”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUp0JeCfNC
I nod. “I’m Rides. Nice to meet you.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfideBMgfW
Rythe bows. “It’s an honor, my lady.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNFgIx2Fhf
I blush and Flo whacks Rythe upside the head. “Stop, you, you’re embarrassing her!”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWwQTZnBeH
Rythe grins. “But that’s what you love about me! And clearly she doesn’t see herself as some sort of royalty!”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NJvNFaGQQ
Flo mutters in a low voice, “She’s the Alpha’s daughter.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBoOdCa19t
Rythe straightens. “You mean the Alpha of a rival pack or The Alpha?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtj5UzKF02S
“Try the second one,” Flo mutters, embarrassed on his behalf.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8E3XZrigkt
“Oh.” Rythe salutes me. “Terribly sorry, ma’am.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49vHuuJTvS
“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.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrurI80IyO
Rythe nods stiffly, setting the flower crown close to the brink of desruction, and leads us inside.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCo74mxkvvW
“Guy or girl?” Klef whispers to Geo.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhVInQvtvu
“I...don’t know? Guy, I think?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb55qxEKPbu
“No, I’d say girl,” Klef muses.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Aq6RElmuz
“What are you guys talking about?” I mutter.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNareZqIlOE
“Rythe. Guy or girl, do you think?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtvojUDub5
“Um…” I have to think about my answer. “Maybe they’re neither…”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5U6NTIlGK
“Neither? Is that possible?” Klef asks.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMV1w54n7s0
“It would make sense,” Geo reasons.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm73FZ2sqn1
“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.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxJ89KDt2l
“Right, because the natural neutral pronouns are it/its, but that can be seen as degrading nowadays,” Geo says.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DJ8mOim5R
“It is grammatically correct, though,” Klef points out.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1rZP52QAo
“I guess you have a point, but would you be okay with being called an ‘it’?” I counter.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCYbjThUuV
“What are you guys talking about?” Flo asks.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsePbert7GN
“Nothing much,” Geo says. “Just things back at our branch, you know?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcjJ6wjAuF
Rythe coughs and mutters, “They/them,” and I grin at Klef and Geo.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwl9or4Ooc
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.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlR0fPlV8Gy
Rythe clears their throat. “Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else, allow me to present Rides, the Oracle who will be informing us on her dreams!”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtsIK0gI7W
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.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPCaDe0Uaz
“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’.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKxgQaSe9A
Everyone shifts around, suddenly on edge. “And?!” a wizard with pitch black hair shouts.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyTKilzlkq
“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.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaq1CTSYez7
“That we know of!” a gorgon yells. “We could be on a wild goose chase, lass!”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kEexbhVBb
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.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcr5ZTCij1F
The wizard who yelled out comes up to me. “Yeah, but we were expecting…”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsU9HuBPHxS
“More?” I supply. “Yeah, a lot of people do. Be glad I have that much, though. This is coming from 5 years of dreams.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6fY7PwHNV
“Okay. I’m Ama. A necromancer,” she introduces. “I’m going to be guarding you three for your stay.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGxHeafxgv
“Make that the two of them,” Geo corrects. “I’m no one.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oL1F8wLry
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.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxk73DozqX
The room is still silent, everyone anticipating my reply. “Excuse me,” I gasp, making a beeline for the room’s exit.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAJGPsKwjU
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.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3bRdwX1le
Footsteps come up to my back. Two pairs. “Ride?” Klef asks. “You okay?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkrTnnx9xf
I shake my head and close my eyes, resting my side against the wall. “Sick,” I mutter.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntDF4mfog9
“I’m sorry if I upset you, but you need to get it into your head that you’re special,” Ama states.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡee9QNlflH2
“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.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaotM1Afix5
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?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmeoiaZ7pH
“S-sure.” I stumble on the word, because what is the correct response to someone volunteering to reanimate a corpse for you?1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4cMzvwNTb
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.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYAkkVpzE1x
“Definitely not someone I’d call a necromancer,” Klef mutters.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1LkoEu21H
I still don’t turn enough to see him properly. Ama shifts so she can face me fully. “Pet the bun,” she instructs.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxB2no1bm4O
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.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfdoTgdgkoq
I put a hand on her shoulder. “But you’re great at it.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVEIUXM8Wt
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.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyna7LTN2t
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.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVDSEvkXBZ
“I’m fine,” I mutter as I lean against his shoulder.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkhX2sKO5A
“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.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSigyHI9dW
I scoff. “Shut up, bird brain.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmQEcWWv0Y
“Make me, pointy ears!” Klef challenged.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5nOJPYJ1P
Ama looked between us. “You two are so dating.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhBYrXZQM6
“No we’re not!” we deny at the same time.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2smwPjcafm
Ama laughs. “So dating.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyY5eKjIFz
“Well don’t say anything. We want to keep it on the DL, if it’s possible,” Klef requested.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcj02BW3iJv
“Seriously? I’m willing to bet half the people here have started a pool on your relationship status!”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6oLB377LZ
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.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiIgugmIr9
Klef raises an eyebrow at me. “Is that how you see yourself?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2WEwX3zlW
I shrug. “Well, people mix up you and I a lot.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9ZSsWxc8v
Klef lightly punches me. “There’s the Ride I know and love.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yt2LD2MhW
Ama sighs. “I ship it,” she murmurs.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfs8m4LyzX
“There’s that word again!” I exclaim. “Why would people ‘ship’ us?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkexHdY9nw
“It’s cute!” Ama defends.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWwjdr6an4
“It’s weird!”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6g8bqokf9
“It’s true!”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAwNxP2aJb
“It’s really really funny,” Klef interjects.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIPsWDIMfp
I elbow him. “It is not,” I sigh.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVbTQDGwGs
Klef grins.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvQZ4K9UCC
“It’s not funny!” I exclaim.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kHy4KVtDS
“Whatever you say, Ride. Whatever you say,” Klef laughs.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBhtJs93ho
Rythe and Flo come into view outside the conference room. “You okay?” Rythe asks.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWsWsi3Ln2
I nod. Klef lets go of me and I nearly topple over. “Do you mind?” I growl.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnXnM8wshX
He grins. “We’ll get you something to sit on until you feel better,” he assures.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYEPx3cOan
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.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcjdriHanU
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.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIYnIXCFwU
“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.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbOYNI8d0fh
I nod. “Are we sending people to check out the most probable places?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgDDVdxqe5
“Yeah, and we’re sending you and Klef to some of the less likely ones, to deal with the messages somewhere safe.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5yb1v8b13
“Okay, I guess…I’d rather be out looking, though.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyaUHSAGu1
“It’s for the best you don’t,” a pale human with freckles says. “Hibiscus A, they/them. Has a mild obsession with dragons.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJynL1xmvvw
I smile. “Rides. My dad wants me to go by Iri. I’m old fashioned, I don’t like using my full name.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gdX5CvBRn
Hibiscus A nodded. “I got you. Completely got you. Nice to make your acquaintance, Rides.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExpwMLEck4
“Likewise.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYSVGiZIb1
Klef walks in, followed by my dad. “Still hanging around this scum, Iri?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMciLiXvzU4
I laugh. “Hi, dad.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1kC5ljUdf
Klef looks offended. “What am I?”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBtsEFUZPB
“Chopped liver,” I respond.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWy3D5WN5ic
Dad laughs. “Nice one!”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVeR6rszWD
Klef holds a hand to his heart. “You wound me, Ride. You wound me.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC245wfqWBK
“Good. I was trying to.”1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBVg1kp5QS
Hibiscus A coughed. “Ship it,” they mutter.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlFIHYrASz
I throw my hands up. “I’m done with this!” I sigh.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8JSdh6Ryf
Everyone laughs. “You think I’m joking?” I ask, standing up shakily. “I’ll see you all tomorrow,” I exclaim, waving.1331Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtZKlePyi0
1234 copyright protection1327ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpMjXOqnjF 尼

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