“How did I get tricked into this?” I wonder aloud. “No, seriously. How did I ever think this was a good idea?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTULkDrlmn
Klef shushes me. “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFgqXdKzUA
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?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWzi6G408T
“Yes. But this isn’t in public,” Klef reasons.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZdQsPocXG
“I’m with Klef on this one, Reese, have some self confidence!” Geo adds.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwbSp4xbNI
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?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiZYy3Jrfr
“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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFG3b9Ix9ud
Flo smiles, bashful. “I really wasn’t that good at finding anything to help you, but you’re welcome regardless.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqE1aaOdDJ
The other werewolf clears their throat. “Am I invisible, or something?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9w1sjMUJKt
“Oh! Sorry, Rythe! Everyone, this is Rythe, my mate,” Flo says with a blush.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4gh4nkcoi
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!”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbV53PAZYms
I nod. “I’m Rides. Nice to meet you.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9ZQ6GNdyw
Rythe bows. “It’s an honor, my lady.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48S0gOqRwD
I blush and Flo whacks Rythe upside the head. “Stop, you, you’re embarrassing her!”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgtPlb9Sla
Rythe grins. “But that’s what you love about me! And clearly she doesn’t see herself as some sort of royalty!”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtkc1hAUFB
Flo mutters in a low voice, “She’s the Alpha’s daughter.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zkkM5mZz1
Rythe straightens. “You mean the Alpha of a rival pack or The Alpha?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShQLZW12KJ
“Try the second one,” Flo mutters, embarrassed on his behalf.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3GbUW2D4V
“Oh.” Rythe salutes me. “Terribly sorry, ma’am.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfVjHNM9nw
“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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3z8j7zFak
Rythe nods stiffly, setting the flower crown close to the brink of desruction, and leads us inside.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQC9P8THij
“Guy or girl?” Klef whispers to Geo.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwI94MUPkIw
“I...don’t know? Guy, I think?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8TeEsFyQw
“No, I’d say girl,” Klef muses.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0iyuQvo7H
“What are you guys talking about?” I mutter.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAOsxCV9PG
“Rythe. Guy or girl, do you think?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9v9Q1w1gl
“Um…” I have to think about my answer. “Maybe they’re neither…”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2rTCYc28y
“Neither? Is that possible?” Klef asks.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1D7cPQBwK
“It would make sense,” Geo reasons.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgXALNybrp
“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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCRqw2WnFH
“Right, because the natural neutral pronouns are it/its, but that can be seen as degrading nowadays,” Geo says.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcraXonUWVL
“It is grammatically correct, though,” Klef points out.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtuj25AOTz
“I guess you have a point, but would you be okay with being called an ‘it’?” I counter.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRhfEEpiw2
“What are you guys talking about?” Flo asks.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwz8GDszft
“Nothing much,” Geo says. “Just things back at our branch, you know?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJ3qTqSZYr
Rythe coughs and mutters, “They/them,” and I grin at Klef and Geo.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmezeoVP0I
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.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNh85i3jTTg
Rythe clears their throat. “Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else, allow me to present Rides, the Oracle who will be informing us on her dreams!”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8Ss4tsWMG
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.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGHtnfW3mP
“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’.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6sjDeWdmS
Everyone shifts around, suddenly on edge. “And?!” a wizard with pitch black hair shouts.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZZc7745wF
“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.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsSLwaxmpW
“That we know of!” a gorgon yells. “We could be on a wild goose chase, lass!”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLruoaGEk2K
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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcRPkCHHyS
The wizard who yelled out comes up to me. “Yeah, but we were expecting…”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4OgsQ9Hwk
“More?” I supply. “Yeah, a lot of people do. Be glad I have that much, though. This is coming from 5 years of dreams.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXY7JPKVRIv
“Okay. I’m Ama. A necromancer,” she introduces. “I’m going to be guarding you three for your stay.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CsGrTtsWa
“Make that the two of them,” Geo corrects. “I’m no one.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ffybZyrYC
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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3ACdCU0uX
The room is still silent, everyone anticipating my reply. “Excuse me,” I gasp, making a beeline for the room’s exit.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7J0SZdAup2
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.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eyww4ydaq
Footsteps come up to my back. Two pairs. “Ride?” Klef asks. “You okay?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQ5Bs6gEem
I shake my head and close my eyes, resting my side against the wall. “Sick,” I mutter.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0lWXUtmM6
“I’m sorry if I upset you, but you need to get it into your head that you’re special,” Ama states.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UYhmVa6Dw
“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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEGyPkg2wp
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?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lPbmHc4M3
“S-sure.” I stumble on the word, because what is the correct response to someone volunteering to reanimate a corpse for you?886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfmKrhjQim
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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHj3N1S1N5K
“Definitely not someone I’d call a necromancer,” Klef mutters.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvG9AOBXKr
I still don’t turn enough to see him properly. Ama shifts so she can face me fully. “Pet the bun,” she instructs.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsQ41OYUFU
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.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30wwIFiQM9
I put a hand on her shoulder. “But you’re great at it.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJRUPFW8J3
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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZ5tgNiKk6
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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRV5fro12jj
“I’m fine,” I mutter as I lean against his shoulder.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfIZTCnzUx
“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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqMjj9zp73
I scoff. “Shut up, bird brain.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1TGCEza68
“Make me, pointy ears!” Klef challenged.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0VW5qsEFs
Ama looked between us. “You two are so dating.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKX1TxX8CF
“No we’re not!” we deny at the same time.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOInLz77g4
Ama laughs. “So dating.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKU9GsY3P0
“Well don’t say anything. We want to keep it on the DL, if it’s possible,” Klef requested.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUkMqRpXmYI
“Seriously? I’m willing to bet half the people here have started a pool on your relationship status!”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEUn8RPByl
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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPpJCxC95X
Klef raises an eyebrow at me. “Is that how you see yourself?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBpNqIBNw5
I shrug. “Well, people mix up you and I a lot.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPylvbQKiNg
Klef lightly punches me. “There’s the Ride I know and love.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFiEeKWAMl
Ama sighs. “I ship it,” she murmurs.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zi6cQ7le2
“There’s that word again!” I exclaim. “Why would people ‘ship’ us?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTb4XohaMGc
“It’s cute!” Ama defends.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBjPzOAXlu
“It’s weird!”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwImRZvBd2
“It’s true!”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡal3qTD2uZZ
“It’s really really funny,” Klef interjects.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2Xv0MCZJe
I elbow him. “It is not,” I sigh.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vaDzj0FFJ
Klef grins.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFI3r1SdkeP
“It’s not funny!” I exclaim.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyYuKMdgQm
“Whatever you say, Ride. Whatever you say,” Klef laughs.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvcXkVA6As
Rythe and Flo come into view outside the conference room. “You okay?” Rythe asks.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0N2vyZupm
I nod. Klef lets go of me and I nearly topple over. “Do you mind?” I growl.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhV7uVgTyq
He grins. “We’ll get you something to sit on until you feel better,” he assures.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsp9xmvx5fG
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.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjNDmSaqEm
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.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqO2haIBvxU
“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.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TjYjrkk7G
I nod. “Are we sending people to check out the most probable places?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxygj9dQUfi
“Yeah, and we’re sending you and Klef to some of the less likely ones, to deal with the messages somewhere safe.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi281KXbNFk
“Okay, I guess…I’d rather be out looking, though.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIk47uPUB3
“It’s for the best you don’t,” a pale human with freckles says. “Hibiscus A, they/them. Has a mild obsession with dragons.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufS6yAnLyt
I smile. “Rides. My dad wants me to go by Iri. I’m old fashioned, I don’t like using my full name.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KaLrCCjOH
Hibiscus A nodded. “I got you. Completely got you. Nice to make your acquaintance, Rides.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VFLCBjSPq
“Likewise.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJy3EY97So
Klef walks in, followed by my dad. “Still hanging around this scum, Iri?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXLoaU3V1y
I laugh. “Hi, dad.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxRACTdiZT
Klef looks offended. “What am I?”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzg93EneZi0
“Chopped liver,” I respond.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LzhY1Moaq
Dad laughs. “Nice one!”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCkzhw0TR7
Klef holds a hand to his heart. “You wound me, Ride. You wound me.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5ABa78L1i
“Good. I was trying to.”886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUeQ8ldGhpD
Hibiscus A coughed. “Ship it,” they mutter.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjFmEZW83O
I throw my hands up. “I’m done with this!” I sigh.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DbvMcYxY8
Everyone laughs. “You think I’m joking?” I ask, standing up shakily. “I’ll see you all tomorrow,” I exclaim, waving.886Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvbzPLCnJP
8964 copyright protection882ＰＥＮＡＮＡ580pgADNCC 維尼

18.97.14.85