“How did I get tricked into this?” I wonder aloud. “No, seriously. How did I ever think this was a good idea?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAWdqTwsjv
Klef shushes me. “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrbFbYp6zN
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?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHRQPHbFtW
“Yes. But this isn’t in public,” Klef reasons.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Rmrnp3bHw
“I’m with Klef on this one, Reese, have some self confidence!” Geo adds.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSwC1VHMyY
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?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSW36ZycA0O
“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.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtxKY6xUTD
Flo smiles, bashful. “I really wasn’t that good at finding anything to help you, but you’re welcome regardless.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6myY3If6e
The other werewolf clears their throat. “Am I invisible, or something?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1bDOtr4Fh
“Oh! Sorry, Rythe! Everyone, this is Rythe, my mate,” Flo says with a blush.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzD7IseviVo
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!”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85qOe8dzH6
I nod. “I’m Rides. Nice to meet you.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCucm7r0Y5
Rythe bows. “It’s an honor, my lady.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhT5wIVTxRH
I blush and Flo whacks Rythe upside the head. “Stop, you, you’re embarrassing her!”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzq7kr5E0l6
Rythe grins. “But that’s what you love about me! And clearly she doesn’t see herself as some sort of royalty!”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUVUx8Sn6P
Flo mutters in a low voice, “She’s the Alpha’s daughter.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AVE8fIGH0
Rythe straightens. “You mean the Alpha of a rival pack or The Alpha?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwX2Si8dxjx
“Try the second one,” Flo mutters, embarrassed on his behalf.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXP0rvhBiTK
“Oh.” Rythe salutes me. “Terribly sorry, ma’am.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbk1yZ5RWi
“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.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzRlevxwmh
Rythe nods stiffly, setting the flower crown close to the brink of desruction, and leads us inside.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4BbAVfQPh
“Guy or girl?” Klef whispers to Geo.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeU4ASZmG1Y
“I...don’t know? Guy, I think?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc38Gc7tnTf
“No, I’d say girl,” Klef muses.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFtbuCIcWq
“What are you guys talking about?” I mutter.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NpxMlRsaW
“Rythe. Guy or girl, do you think?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnAoPhZzHz
“Um…” I have to think about my answer. “Maybe they’re neither…”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kAHz0oRHh
“Neither? Is that possible?” Klef asks.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcU3r7nZbWr
“It would make sense,” Geo reasons.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkHsueZh2l
“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.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlLPQmSvGs
“Right, because the natural neutral pronouns are it/its, but that can be seen as degrading nowadays,” Geo says.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEY3ks3Y7t2
“It is grammatically correct, though,” Klef points out.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgGgUU3m3i
“I guess you have a point, but would you be okay with being called an ‘it’?” I counter.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17zOen1MfE
“What are you guys talking about?” Flo asks.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLrs0w078m
“Nothing much,” Geo says. “Just things back at our branch, you know?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlyZHFttwM
Rythe coughs and mutters, “They/them,” and I grin at Klef and Geo.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDttO2GKXT
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.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzGfrS6cvX
Rythe clears their throat. “Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else, allow me to present Rides, the Oracle who will be informing us on her dreams!”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDPBu8bEtY
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.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XO5enuCRS
“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’.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6NiR2u8VO
Everyone shifts around, suddenly on edge. “And?!” a wizard with pitch black hair shouts.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrg4HIgF5xb
“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.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCulT24vO8
“That we know of!” a gorgon yells. “We could be on a wild goose chase, lass!”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzZtdZV6Pb
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.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNjPZZvERt
The wizard who yelled out comes up to me. “Yeah, but we were expecting…”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNR18zCSYuN
“More?” I supply. “Yeah, a lot of people do. Be glad I have that much, though. This is coming from 5 years of dreams.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFjDbxwYjs
“Okay. I’m Ama. A necromancer,” she introduces. “I’m going to be guarding you three for your stay.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHJ7rH5OTD
“Make that the two of them,” Geo corrects. “I’m no one.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xg0y0XsDX
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.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LGmpnRE8W
The room is still silent, everyone anticipating my reply. “Excuse me,” I gasp, making a beeline for the room’s exit.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS07kMht7y8
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.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUexRgWLfP
Footsteps come up to my back. Two pairs. “Ride?” Klef asks. “You okay?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Cv4UCFpGw
I shake my head and close my eyes, resting my side against the wall. “Sick,” I mutter.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWQxhlwHr2
“I’m sorry if I upset you, but you need to get it into your head that you’re special,” Ama states.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLQTPYTud8
“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.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfN9IYOESBA
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?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzrjo5OSml
“S-sure.” I stumble on the word, because what is the correct response to someone volunteering to reanimate a corpse for you?863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5brvwHhp6
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.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡud7oFHYJ3y
“Definitely not someone I’d call a necromancer,” Klef mutters.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcCDrMsp5g
I still don’t turn enough to see him properly. Ama shifts so she can face me fully. “Pet the bun,” she instructs.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nuXUz4VVD
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.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeBVWVOPpX
I put a hand on her shoulder. “But you’re great at it.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLBlfAINwi
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.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zKuYUP12f
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.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaWctPM8A4
“I’m fine,” I mutter as I lean against his shoulder.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntiansFVtd
“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.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7cKMR7DHv
I scoff. “Shut up, bird brain.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsyfIGdg1I
“Make me, pointy ears!” Klef challenged.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh4tkNx3isw
Ama looked between us. “You two are so dating.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImBfWTyGWU
“No we’re not!” we deny at the same time.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqhRorZul2
Ama laughs. “So dating.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwR2oWrtyz
“Well don’t say anything. We want to keep it on the DL, if it’s possible,” Klef requested.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebppl4Vdxr
“Seriously? I’m willing to bet half the people here have started a pool on your relationship status!”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBY6l1dn9w
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.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOaJjoInO5o
Klef raises an eyebrow at me. “Is that how you see yourself?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJY3YzMOKUf
I shrug. “Well, people mix up you and I a lot.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHBXLPm6sK
Klef lightly punches me. “There’s the Ride I know and love.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Z6zM3RRmE
Ama sighs. “I ship it,” she murmurs.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Snxm9Tiyq
“There’s that word again!” I exclaim. “Why would people ‘ship’ us?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtHIGzRIIt
“It’s cute!” Ama defends.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgCH6dxOeR
“It’s weird!”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTMPx6Fgkx
“It’s true!”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnDs7lFYd6
“It’s really really funny,” Klef interjects.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUVfR5X1C0r
I elbow him. “It is not,” I sigh.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0TsdJHoco
Klef grins.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVt8igmiSU2
“It’s not funny!” I exclaim.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcPW6TMrKr
“Whatever you say, Ride. Whatever you say,” Klef laughs.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYo2I2QGI7D
Rythe and Flo come into view outside the conference room. “You okay?” Rythe asks.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmpI1jppVM
I nod. Klef lets go of me and I nearly topple over. “Do you mind?” I growl.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxljIx1e19
He grins. “We’ll get you something to sit on until you feel better,” he assures.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiaTieJ1Vl
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.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdhUsDqL4v
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.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkX428q6Fw
“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.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycCiGPL35a
I nod. “Are we sending people to check out the most probable places?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUG1F31XFn
“Yeah, and we’re sending you and Klef to some of the less likely ones, to deal with the messages somewhere safe.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ591ey87yhc
“Okay, I guess…I’d rather be out looking, though.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSfY9ndkWf
“It’s for the best you don’t,” a pale human with freckles says. “Hibiscus A, they/them. Has a mild obsession with dragons.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZk06HZngt
I smile. “Rides. My dad wants me to go by Iri. I’m old fashioned, I don’t like using my full name.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVjiLfb3ZK
Hibiscus A nodded. “I got you. Completely got you. Nice to make your acquaintance, Rides.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0ino14sI2
“Likewise.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzvYfrQE4a
Klef walks in, followed by my dad. “Still hanging around this scum, Iri?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLZvlhf3od
I laugh. “Hi, dad.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDsCuNofsx
Klef looks offended. “What am I?”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJyJ4ukWb7
“Chopped liver,” I respond.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7QvMKgEAp
Dad laughs. “Nice one!”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMWSuhN43T
Klef holds a hand to his heart. “You wound me, Ride. You wound me.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyo9LrqQLp
“Good. I was trying to.”863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIejrbjxjc
Hibiscus A coughed. “Ship it,” they mutter.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGNKLag7OF
I throw my hands up. “I’m done with this!” I sigh.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBuxhdZASO
Everyone laughs. “You think I’m joking?” I ask, standing up shakily. “I’ll see you all tomorrow,” I exclaim, waving.863Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKD33bvbfGY
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