“How did I get tricked into this?” I wonder aloud. “No, seriously. How did I ever think this was a good idea?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVK7wjYhlk
Klef shushes me. “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZzPwUuMP0
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?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMX1dmWZwP
“Yes. But this isn’t in public,” Klef reasons.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqZCzEzgDn
“I’m with Klef on this one, Reese, have some self confidence!” Geo adds.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDh54UCmZc
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?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXM0xPOrUg
“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.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyMWXGTrzJ
Flo smiles, bashful. “I really wasn’t that good at finding anything to help you, but you’re welcome regardless.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFUWbOW3S2
The other werewolf clears their throat. “Am I invisible, or something?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUz6YucrjVR
“Oh! Sorry, Rythe! Everyone, this is Rythe, my mate,” Flo says with a blush.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxvK8m1ho9
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!”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXVpoQGcxD
I nod. “I’m Rides. Nice to meet you.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeJMgU3yk9
Rythe bows. “It’s an honor, my lady.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47IK80gY85
I blush and Flo whacks Rythe upside the head. “Stop, you, you’re embarrassing her!”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcCqTGBkho
Rythe grins. “But that’s what you love about me! And clearly she doesn’t see herself as some sort of royalty!”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8P9HI0cjL
Flo mutters in a low voice, “She’s the Alpha’s daughter.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSl9wrc6mLi
Rythe straightens. “You mean the Alpha of a rival pack or The Alpha?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5K3K41TAl
“Try the second one,” Flo mutters, embarrassed on his behalf.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVz0RzzQNfm
“Oh.” Rythe salutes me. “Terribly sorry, ma’am.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFln6W6e3lt
“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.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMFsqY5AMf
Rythe nods stiffly, setting the flower crown close to the brink of desruction, and leads us inside.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgEPdrpqkN
“Guy or girl?” Klef whispers to Geo.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniS3bFuiGU
“I...don’t know? Guy, I think?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2ewNkpRAA
“No, I’d say girl,” Klef muses.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIpOqhwJXF
“What are you guys talking about?” I mutter.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6buf0kAPhZ
“Rythe. Guy or girl, do you think?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBw7IgFgVMI
“Um…” I have to think about my answer. “Maybe they’re neither…”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGf5Sxx4soH
“Neither? Is that possible?” Klef asks.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozkXX3BmYu
“It would make sense,” Geo reasons.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSY57OWOnU
“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.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsOf60VlwO
“Right, because the natural neutral pronouns are it/its, but that can be seen as degrading nowadays,” Geo says.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9ihMPWLef
“It is grammatically correct, though,” Klef points out.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7TuX6n9x5
“I guess you have a point, but would you be okay with being called an ‘it’?” I counter.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBNt37oBEn
“What are you guys talking about?” Flo asks.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuj86MM1BfY
“Nothing much,” Geo says. “Just things back at our branch, you know?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSYlWjOX9A
Rythe coughs and mutters, “They/them,” and I grin at Klef and Geo.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq434yYT6e6
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.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpeCju0ukaS
Rythe clears their throat. “Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else, allow me to present Rides, the Oracle who will be informing us on her dreams!”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60oDSn6ftK
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.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5RU1VXBpU
“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’.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9OhUbEqVS
Everyone shifts around, suddenly on edge. “And?!” a wizard with pitch black hair shouts.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MuU1FRaJc
“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.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyo91ifa8Bw
“That we know of!” a gorgon yells. “We could be on a wild goose chase, lass!”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RTP4e9zRE
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.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxnKvmtjPD
The wizard who yelled out comes up to me. “Yeah, but we were expecting…”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlM08DbfUli
“More?” I supply. “Yeah, a lot of people do. Be glad I have that much, though. This is coming from 5 years of dreams.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tzZJgOUPX
“Okay. I’m Ama. A necromancer,” she introduces. “I’m going to be guarding you three for your stay.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdeaABB9sx
“Make that the two of them,” Geo corrects. “I’m no one.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzU4Kvn4dFe
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.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetE3hdK11f
The room is still silent, everyone anticipating my reply. “Excuse me,” I gasp, making a beeline for the room’s exit.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2raP7v8ff
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.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeELnQlELB
Footsteps come up to my back. Two pairs. “Ride?” Klef asks. “You okay?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPeXFhKOhMN
I shake my head and close my eyes, resting my side against the wall. “Sick,” I mutter.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4CmOc1O12
“I’m sorry if I upset you, but you need to get it into your head that you’re special,” Ama states.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSfAKcmVylI
“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.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6JM5nEvUQ
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?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNPDbJ0gWH
“S-sure.” I stumble on the word, because what is the correct response to someone volunteering to reanimate a corpse for you?870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZ3HQz4vkF
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.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ym8TORRia
“Definitely not someone I’d call a necromancer,” Klef mutters.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKuPgTiQji
I still don’t turn enough to see him properly. Ama shifts so she can face me fully. “Pet the bun,” she instructs.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dKXreFzc6
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.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplsI8gavcn
I put a hand on her shoulder. “But you’re great at it.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhcvmHVqI0
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.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRlopoytny
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.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkebQ7OjnAO
“I’m fine,” I mutter as I lean against his shoulder.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mUCjVDaKd
“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.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0IxKU8FpcY
I scoff. “Shut up, bird brain.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxjQ48IeYq
“Make me, pointy ears!” Klef challenged.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeRH7O1MN6
Ama looked between us. “You two are so dating.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPUakhNuat
“No we’re not!” we deny at the same time.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfLOkiX7dJ
Ama laughs. “So dating.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpefV2WVf4
“Well don’t say anything. We want to keep it on the DL, if it’s possible,” Klef requested.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyaKe0tdco
“Seriously? I’m willing to bet half the people here have started a pool on your relationship status!”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJOux6mvEZ
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.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5adiPIa91k
Klef raises an eyebrow at me. “Is that how you see yourself?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGdV1WgzrS
I shrug. “Well, people mix up you and I a lot.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzbcAitOoJ
Klef lightly punches me. “There’s the Ride I know and love.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTou9Ut7hwl
Ama sighs. “I ship it,” she murmurs.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zBSkMjSZ2
“There’s that word again!” I exclaim. “Why would people ‘ship’ us?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4USJQwzETK
“It’s cute!” Ama defends.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1MFOSSXcg
“It’s weird!”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBR1wtso2q6
“It’s true!”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3brzpy1WYy
“It’s really really funny,” Klef interjects.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibHZCZ5FKt
I elbow him. “It is not,” I sigh.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOGYquLPQ3
Klef grins.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9boxsSL0lN
“It’s not funny!” I exclaim.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXruXiOONk9
“Whatever you say, Ride. Whatever you say,” Klef laughs.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JcDI5MoOh
Rythe and Flo come into view outside the conference room. “You okay?” Rythe asks.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9UPMTflC4
I nod. Klef lets go of me and I nearly topple over. “Do you mind?” I growl.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtomaglLMM
He grins. “We’ll get you something to sit on until you feel better,” he assures.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJX8v5MYpl
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.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrVzsQMAXv
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.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vpkRN6gU9
“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.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdpZNg5Lnf
I nod. “Are we sending people to check out the most probable places?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBIkDJyEKd
“Yeah, and we’re sending you and Klef to some of the less likely ones, to deal with the messages somewhere safe.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBz6K4tmXKi
“Okay, I guess…I’d rather be out looking, though.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjqT28B7Ye
“It’s for the best you don’t,” a pale human with freckles says. “Hibiscus A, they/them. Has a mild obsession with dragons.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeD6Nctiei
I smile. “Rides. My dad wants me to go by Iri. I’m old fashioned, I don’t like using my full name.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2c6wxgfkk
Hibiscus A nodded. “I got you. Completely got you. Nice to make your acquaintance, Rides.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFkppuStho
“Likewise.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDS6buTPVm
Klef walks in, followed by my dad. “Still hanging around this scum, Iri?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxlNHe2bCW
I laugh. “Hi, dad.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuIdYs1xrP
Klef looks offended. “What am I?”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkfcErfMgW
“Chopped liver,” I respond.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3evE2aEweT
Dad laughs. “Nice one!”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBqBN2EOHU
Klef holds a hand to his heart. “You wound me, Ride. You wound me.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUw4XwOEZG
“Good. I was trying to.”870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNWT0UhIbq
Hibiscus A coughed. “Ship it,” they mutter.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQ91Dfapwb
I throw my hands up. “I’m done with this!” I sigh.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbGIqXZcWS
Everyone laughs. “You think I’m joking?” I ask, standing up shakily. “I’ll see you all tomorrow,” I exclaim, waving.870Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojzeivehMT
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