“How did I get tricked into this?” I wonder aloud. “No, seriously. How did I ever think this was a good idea?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxYVgoU9EV
Klef shushes me. “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj01F6kY58m
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?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjK9VLe5ia
“Yes. But this isn’t in public,” Klef reasons.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cN8VugFMl
“I’m with Klef on this one, Reese, have some self confidence!” Geo adds.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bGEzAsxqw
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?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9XLHlMnoz
“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.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx44zh2UJvt
Flo smiles, bashful. “I really wasn’t that good at finding anything to help you, but you’re welcome regardless.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxctySmV2r
The other werewolf clears their throat. “Am I invisible, or something?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfFGO0LEGJ
“Oh! Sorry, Rythe! Everyone, this is Rythe, my mate,” Flo says with a blush.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0njABtTsk
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!”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8kwrMN4zk
I nod. “I’m Rides. Nice to meet you.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9XEmakZNA
Rythe bows. “It’s an honor, my lady.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJcQeX4dIP
I blush and Flo whacks Rythe upside the head. “Stop, you, you’re embarrassing her!”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQEedba9PZ
Rythe grins. “But that’s what you love about me! And clearly she doesn’t see herself as some sort of royalty!”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLDBlLEIfA
Flo mutters in a low voice, “She’s the Alpha’s daughter.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBsqNCgSd2
Rythe straightens. “You mean the Alpha of a rival pack or The Alpha?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LxkD4c9jM
“Try the second one,” Flo mutters, embarrassed on his behalf.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXR1cSWf1Dc
“Oh.” Rythe salutes me. “Terribly sorry, ma’am.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZpaq26srP
“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.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡij9tKZLess
Rythe nods stiffly, setting the flower crown close to the brink of desruction, and leads us inside.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iVe1zvZkf
“Guy or girl?” Klef whispers to Geo.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMK0QfpEiSa
“I...don’t know? Guy, I think?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53ckZB0flp
“No, I’d say girl,” Klef muses.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQVNqtN5Lb
“What are you guys talking about?” I mutter.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTt66qO3EaC
“Rythe. Guy or girl, do you think?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeU0uuJRFqf
“Um…” I have to think about my answer. “Maybe they’re neither…”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uhg5UVVG7
“Neither? Is that possible?” Klef asks.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zhkj3d4Mp
“It would make sense,” Geo reasons.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6OhWBmI3i
“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.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCRGwqiuOY
“Right, because the natural neutral pronouns are it/its, but that can be seen as degrading nowadays,” Geo says.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJo0IwwKwq
“It is grammatically correct, though,” Klef points out.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07ZccrkLLr
“I guess you have a point, but would you be okay with being called an ‘it’?” I counter.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqFI3WEM8c
“What are you guys talking about?” Flo asks.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrdjLRc1Ev
“Nothing much,” Geo says. “Just things back at our branch, you know?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4OMVwyBG6
Rythe coughs and mutters, “They/them,” and I grin at Klef and Geo.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmjyQUVyZY
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.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZoIAcGZUJ
Rythe clears their throat. “Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else, allow me to present Rides, the Oracle who will be informing us on her dreams!”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLMhdcwLtM
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.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCSISvoITm
“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’.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnhkb2bBzW
Everyone shifts around, suddenly on edge. “And?!” a wizard with pitch black hair shouts.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf436waDA4J
“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.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFx1UaPvFTl
“That we know of!” a gorgon yells. “We could be on a wild goose chase, lass!”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNUoDT3Zgt
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.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl41lhO0fPj
The wizard who yelled out comes up to me. “Yeah, but we were expecting…”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7Og8Qbpys
“More?” I supply. “Yeah, a lot of people do. Be glad I have that much, though. This is coming from 5 years of dreams.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEHCVIan5W
“Okay. I’m Ama. A necromancer,” she introduces. “I’m going to be guarding you three for your stay.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4I3fV8l3q
“Make that the two of them,” Geo corrects. “I’m no one.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4CMaOUifz
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.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwYgDmGvbC
The room is still silent, everyone anticipating my reply. “Excuse me,” I gasp, making a beeline for the room’s exit.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pR7AAQ8Wi
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.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKvMnBQz76
Footsteps come up to my back. Two pairs. “Ride?” Klef asks. “You okay?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRqa5rEmQ8
I shake my head and close my eyes, resting my side against the wall. “Sick,” I mutter.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHN7cifbbO4
“I’m sorry if I upset you, but you need to get it into your head that you’re special,” Ama states.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4nKUxhWXP
“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.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ74wCGbxKsm
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?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIRMWzpaVN
“S-sure.” I stumble on the word, because what is the correct response to someone volunteering to reanimate a corpse for you?874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRK78TFH7r
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.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTesHnckO8h
“Definitely not someone I’d call a necromancer,” Klef mutters.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVYs4hohZX
I still don’t turn enough to see him properly. Ama shifts so she can face me fully. “Pet the bun,” she instructs.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLUcoxsVij
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.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHCBbMd9uJ
I put a hand on her shoulder. “But you’re great at it.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gJm4WeoXn
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.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSfRpUeNzP
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.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYasYZwTW8y
“I’m fine,” I mutter as I lean against his shoulder.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpYQuEz9a3
“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.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXSHNCSgcY
I scoff. “Shut up, bird brain.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclUw3QWkxH
“Make me, pointy ears!” Klef challenged.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdoPYJB1Fu
Ama looked between us. “You two are so dating.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5yK2d2DOM
“No we’re not!” we deny at the same time.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf04AyXDOpw
Ama laughs. “So dating.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOFwnJ3PpU
“Well don’t say anything. We want to keep it on the DL, if it’s possible,” Klef requested.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAK6GQlLhT
“Seriously? I’m willing to bet half the people here have started a pool on your relationship status!”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxDWaiKHNF
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.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiicUpAGq2y
Klef raises an eyebrow at me. “Is that how you see yourself?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTqfF4qxc0
I shrug. “Well, people mix up you and I a lot.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIN8PM5AIS6
Klef lightly punches me. “There’s the Ride I know and love.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZX37fPE2dw
Ama sighs. “I ship it,” she murmurs.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fjkSSPzgN
“There’s that word again!” I exclaim. “Why would people ‘ship’ us?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc47cgFvfzS
“It’s cute!” Ama defends.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AMcwj5HwP
“It’s weird!”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlK3BphhdC2
“It’s true!”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FKPsWlEv3
“It’s really really funny,” Klef interjects.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0ZltevI2o
I elbow him. “It is not,” I sigh.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkggX23LTvv
Klef grins.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcLPMWcJao
“It’s not funny!” I exclaim.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MyYdQUtYJ
“Whatever you say, Ride. Whatever you say,” Klef laughs.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Nop1YpXoC
Rythe and Flo come into view outside the conference room. “You okay?” Rythe asks.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVPnrXs4rA
I nod. Klef lets go of me and I nearly topple over. “Do you mind?” I growl.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClujONh8NB
He grins. “We’ll get you something to sit on until you feel better,” he assures.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdVlKvFm57B
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.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAUpmgT7ds
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.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UwKqigo1Y
“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.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqXBF9Y0Hb
I nod. “Are we sending people to check out the most probable places?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpHM7OQoMo
“Yeah, and we’re sending you and Klef to some of the less likely ones, to deal with the messages somewhere safe.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzOrEiO8ox
“Okay, I guess…I’d rather be out looking, though.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsEOkp6PaCP
“It’s for the best you don’t,” a pale human with freckles says. “Hibiscus A, they/them. Has a mild obsession with dragons.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67tJQs92kW
I smile. “Rides. My dad wants me to go by Iri. I’m old fashioned, I don’t like using my full name.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlY3IjwJh8j
Hibiscus A nodded. “I got you. Completely got you. Nice to make your acquaintance, Rides.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7ykLonWPe
“Likewise.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiZoYZKcso
Klef walks in, followed by my dad. “Still hanging around this scum, Iri?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FT1XWh8ft
I laugh. “Hi, dad.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZV24uAOGS
Klef looks offended. “What am I?”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sVCH7q3bF
“Chopped liver,” I respond.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxYTGKrvb4
Dad laughs. “Nice one!”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77PCJTARkI
Klef holds a hand to his heart. “You wound me, Ride. You wound me.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3C84Boky6r
“Good. I was trying to.”874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabosQ6MnDf
Hibiscus A coughed. “Ship it,” they mutter.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFqJNCxEbm
I throw my hands up. “I’m done with this!” I sigh.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbfCnPxpaf
Everyone laughs. “You think I’m joking?” I ask, standing up shakily. “I’ll see you all tomorrow,” I exclaim, waving.874Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5fUeJtFTT
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