“How did I get tricked into this?” I wonder aloud. “No, seriously. How did I ever think this was a good idea?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNmIPCXYzw
Klef shushes me. “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZXxnmH1CG
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?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFVTxoXaGQ
“Yes. But this isn’t in public,” Klef reasons.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzd66m7tjg
“I’m with Klef on this one, Reese, have some self confidence!” Geo adds.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzB55tgH50w
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?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7BQQmKxPn
“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.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIsmQji597
Flo smiles, bashful. “I really wasn’t that good at finding anything to help you, but you’re welcome regardless.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0nEGtqgAV
The other werewolf clears their throat. “Am I invisible, or something?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYAuK3jlhQ
“Oh! Sorry, Rythe! Everyone, this is Rythe, my mate,” Flo says with a blush.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVJp4gkxSy
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!”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYsmNTeK1Y
I nod. “I’m Rides. Nice to meet you.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowLHycMolB
Rythe bows. “It’s an honor, my lady.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEb8BVMM3Jn
I blush and Flo whacks Rythe upside the head. “Stop, you, you’re embarrassing her!”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4wrofT1B1
Rythe grins. “But that’s what you love about me! And clearly she doesn’t see herself as some sort of royalty!”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDBheKPQOu
Flo mutters in a low voice, “She’s the Alpha’s daughter.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBtzh7OZN1
Rythe straightens. “You mean the Alpha of a rival pack or The Alpha?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZalWsz88G
“Try the second one,” Flo mutters, embarrassed on his behalf.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26YpYg19EC
“Oh.” Rythe salutes me. “Terribly sorry, ma’am.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4x9fLY0f3l
“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.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZIgB2rlY3
Rythe nods stiffly, setting the flower crown close to the brink of desruction, and leads us inside.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPpkDEOYVZ
“Guy or girl?” Klef whispers to Geo.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiC3NIbEleM
“I...don’t know? Guy, I think?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjhAFlF9C7
“No, I’d say girl,” Klef muses.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDzxB5t5yB
“What are you guys talking about?” I mutter.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKK6ZjcXqlU
“Rythe. Guy or girl, do you think?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSCbp0jP0a
“Um…” I have to think about my answer. “Maybe they’re neither…”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYrKu8fFrM
“Neither? Is that possible?” Klef asks.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1MVThbtAi
“It would make sense,” Geo reasons.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5UNhrzrby
“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.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGDXEjVAvv
“Right, because the natural neutral pronouns are it/its, but that can be seen as degrading nowadays,” Geo says.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkj6JFN5oCf
“It is grammatically correct, though,” Klef points out.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucOMEQshv9
“I guess you have a point, but would you be okay with being called an ‘it’?” I counter.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWF6VLRUXx
“What are you guys talking about?” Flo asks.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbAjo5u0w0
“Nothing much,” Geo says. “Just things back at our branch, you know?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDPrWDisec
Rythe coughs and mutters, “They/them,” and I grin at Klef and Geo.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6r2NJVYDN
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.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AU6SiqHIc
Rythe clears their throat. “Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else, allow me to present Rides, the Oracle who will be informing us on her dreams!”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDum4xxuR7
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.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZqh7lcgDA
“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’.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrw6QdZeEvm
Everyone shifts around, suddenly on edge. “And?!” a wizard with pitch black hair shouts.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyya2JmulW
“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.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVzmEBbDF4
“That we know of!” a gorgon yells. “We could be on a wild goose chase, lass!”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMlXCgFrV2
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.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIZf5iZYQY
The wizard who yelled out comes up to me. “Yeah, but we were expecting…”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0Be2gpVON
“More?” I supply. “Yeah, a lot of people do. Be glad I have that much, though. This is coming from 5 years of dreams.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoCVGMOL80
“Okay. I’m Ama. A necromancer,” she introduces. “I’m going to be guarding you three for your stay.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdZHmMiBbA
“Make that the two of them,” Geo corrects. “I’m no one.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZWjsSGeu7
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.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3UJjHNEO6o
The room is still silent, everyone anticipating my reply. “Excuse me,” I gasp, making a beeline for the room’s exit.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPHOSy0Cv0
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.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBW2ja1s16S
Footsteps come up to my back. Two pairs. “Ride?” Klef asks. “You okay?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4HmQAYaon
I shake my head and close my eyes, resting my side against the wall. “Sick,” I mutter.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjj1VRUjJ4R
“I’m sorry if I upset you, but you need to get it into your head that you’re special,” Ama states.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRrTgsmpZB
“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.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXH15B5fYn
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?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRp7Xp15s9
“S-sure.” I stumble on the word, because what is the correct response to someone volunteering to reanimate a corpse for you?914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsQdsHaN2W
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.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8CYXeXTtJ
“Definitely not someone I’d call a necromancer,” Klef mutters.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00vzmu8vDN
I still don’t turn enough to see him properly. Ama shifts so she can face me fully. “Pet the bun,” she instructs.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3hSmdAwWv
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.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dtyPjfngL
I put a hand on her shoulder. “But you’re great at it.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylvEDzbkCt
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.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rFZOYDhvg
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.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JcqEMyoNp
“I’m fine,” I mutter as I lean against his shoulder.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8BTuP3gnD
“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.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DvWnX9hGr
I scoff. “Shut up, bird brain.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpPWVBSxmO
“Make me, pointy ears!” Klef challenged.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ970N7bsk6N
Ama looked between us. “You two are so dating.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7Mba4k1ab
“No we’re not!” we deny at the same time.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBRyqjhHbh
Ama laughs. “So dating.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjBoIgL31M
“Well don’t say anything. We want to keep it on the DL, if it’s possible,” Klef requested.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROcOieiy32
“Seriously? I’m willing to bet half the people here have started a pool on your relationship status!”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0wi1cCU39
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.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqGzIXRo63
Klef raises an eyebrow at me. “Is that how you see yourself?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeryLP4XMh
I shrug. “Well, people mix up you and I a lot.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOHpVQCCgp
Klef lightly punches me. “There’s the Ride I know and love.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUe7aqS4qU1
Ama sighs. “I ship it,” she murmurs.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEERgabn5ip
“There’s that word again!” I exclaim. “Why would people ‘ship’ us?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAc6gacFeU2
“It’s cute!” Ama defends.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUoII2yes5
“It’s weird!”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfaLYW9CvE
“It’s true!”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweYu6bKg8L
“It’s really really funny,” Klef interjects.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEc1I8vjfsU
I elbow him. “It is not,” I sigh.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6bdd1c8rS
Klef grins.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQnE3JcMJc
“It’s not funny!” I exclaim.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGHzFhS4Ws
“Whatever you say, Ride. Whatever you say,” Klef laughs.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofMEgjxqO1
Rythe and Flo come into view outside the conference room. “You okay?” Rythe asks.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZuH9iTiUN
I nod. Klef lets go of me and I nearly topple over. “Do you mind?” I growl.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsP1i7Lke8
He grins. “We’ll get you something to sit on until you feel better,” he assures.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvMaHAjAY0
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.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRwXk3A9lU
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.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC84FJ4zOxL
“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.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMPJ9VUHs2
I nod. “Are we sending people to check out the most probable places?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gNIOuTFfG
“Yeah, and we’re sending you and Klef to some of the less likely ones, to deal with the messages somewhere safe.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSbNAFRWmN
“Okay, I guess…I’d rather be out looking, though.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWS89P0CKBc
“It’s for the best you don’t,” a pale human with freckles says. “Hibiscus A, they/them. Has a mild obsession with dragons.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOBNYek1bW
I smile. “Rides. My dad wants me to go by Iri. I’m old fashioned, I don’t like using my full name.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzEwy9etAo
Hibiscus A nodded. “I got you. Completely got you. Nice to make your acquaintance, Rides.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Y1L7EXJJv
“Likewise.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8INmq2AaW
Klef walks in, followed by my dad. “Still hanging around this scum, Iri?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKr6ppifWt
I laugh. “Hi, dad.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJpnrLgc0C
Klef looks offended. “What am I?”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSAW7bJu5h
“Chopped liver,” I respond.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUHfoF88kq
Dad laughs. “Nice one!”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIS14gNr5R
Klef holds a hand to his heart. “You wound me, Ride. You wound me.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcT9SRCiTck
“Good. I was trying to.”914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysT6hyKvVh
Hibiscus A coughed. “Ship it,” they mutter.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5S9AvzWth
I throw my hands up. “I’m done with this!” I sigh.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EEfsSWrl2
Everyone laughs. “You think I’m joking?” I ask, standing up shakily. “I’ll see you all tomorrow,” I exclaim, waving.914Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQROPUimtKN
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