“How did I get tricked into this?” I wonder aloud. “No, seriously. How did I ever think this was a good idea?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBuzJm6RyR
Klef shushes me. “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMIVK8TkpV
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?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumTsSfFm1p
“Yes. But this isn’t in public,” Klef reasons.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Ekr7353pN
“I’m with Klef on this one, Reese, have some self confidence!” Geo adds.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BGicBjXZW
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?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QUcbmtGQL
“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.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpttL4kjG8
Flo smiles, bashful. “I really wasn’t that good at finding anything to help you, but you’re welcome regardless.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwecPiva0t
The other werewolf clears their throat. “Am I invisible, or something?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwnJEY0qru
“Oh! Sorry, Rythe! Everyone, this is Rythe, my mate,” Flo says with a blush.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7FLq3zMMX
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!”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuN289j8le
I nod. “I’m Rides. Nice to meet you.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxl80EAuGAZ
Rythe bows. “It’s an honor, my lady.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5qdU3jkKJ
I blush and Flo whacks Rythe upside the head. “Stop, you, you’re embarrassing her!”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4d8Hxkm4TE
Rythe grins. “But that’s what you love about me! And clearly she doesn’t see herself as some sort of royalty!”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ1NlXqeAad
Flo mutters in a low voice, “She’s the Alpha’s daughter.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9U80ylWd9
Rythe straightens. “You mean the Alpha of a rival pack or The Alpha?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TB8vUPrEi
“Try the second one,” Flo mutters, embarrassed on his behalf.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMZOULYITg
“Oh.” Rythe salutes me. “Terribly sorry, ma’am.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PODOHDuQh
“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.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrEqKjE5zA
Rythe nods stiffly, setting the flower crown close to the brink of desruction, and leads us inside.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukr7rMFe1o
“Guy or girl?” Klef whispers to Geo.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDlZnzmBl3
“I...don’t know? Guy, I think?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoXgcHoKZv
“No, I’d say girl,” Klef muses.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9TSk6kxKo
“What are you guys talking about?” I mutter.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qJOd7OFWS
“Rythe. Guy or girl, do you think?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAZ992oNuM
“Um…” I have to think about my answer. “Maybe they’re neither…”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLCcMzcg42
“Neither? Is that possible?” Klef asks.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzKKqpQXEl
“It would make sense,” Geo reasons.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdZonOhear
“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.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PpEzMcYLY
“Right, because the natural neutral pronouns are it/its, but that can be seen as degrading nowadays,” Geo says.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eYYF5irAO
“It is grammatically correct, though,” Klef points out.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPST0i0vn84
“I guess you have a point, but would you be okay with being called an ‘it’?” I counter.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NHYapNtPU
“What are you guys talking about?” Flo asks.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BwQXseAo3
“Nothing much,” Geo says. “Just things back at our branch, you know?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPhuke7q8s
Rythe coughs and mutters, “They/them,” and I grin at Klef and Geo.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfFARPwJws
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.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyXgrpxEQ1
Rythe clears their throat. “Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else, allow me to present Rides, the Oracle who will be informing us on her dreams!”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡij43sbjpVG
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.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGu0L0OPy1m
“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’.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvKRaInaQ6
Everyone shifts around, suddenly on edge. “And?!” a wizard with pitch black hair shouts.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHwIN0PBR4
“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.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfQLGPDNlk
“That we know of!” a gorgon yells. “We could be on a wild goose chase, lass!”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeod3EE0ko
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.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84k5ndSKXF
The wizard who yelled out comes up to me. “Yeah, but we were expecting…”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDG4bxI727Q
“More?” I supply. “Yeah, a lot of people do. Be glad I have that much, though. This is coming from 5 years of dreams.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp051oNurx5
“Okay. I’m Ama. A necromancer,” she introduces. “I’m going to be guarding you three for your stay.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggegYMjVx2
“Make that the two of them,” Geo corrects. “I’m no one.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtY63ef1Fkb
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.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3jJb0AVu2
The room is still silent, everyone anticipating my reply. “Excuse me,” I gasp, making a beeline for the room’s exit.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnT6rbiRZ4
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.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EBscEsZb9
Footsteps come up to my back. Two pairs. “Ride?” Klef asks. “You okay?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFkWsHFEoM
I shake my head and close my eyes, resting my side against the wall. “Sick,” I mutter.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5t8bHh8RE
“I’m sorry if I upset you, but you need to get it into your head that you’re special,” Ama states.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFJiVaX3aG
“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.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCZ578Tyig
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?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmz0eNU84Hd
“S-sure.” I stumble on the word, because what is the correct response to someone volunteering to reanimate a corpse for you?965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52iYGjTXpg
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.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BfSv2GoFJ
“Definitely not someone I’d call a necromancer,” Klef mutters.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKJwrqZXHY
I still don’t turn enough to see him properly. Ama shifts so she can face me fully. “Pet the bun,” she instructs.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcBf6rpPGk
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.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4e3Hdlui9
I put a hand on her shoulder. “But you’re great at it.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qSw21TJ59
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.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlY1nfG0uo
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.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQrqtT4BtK
“I’m fine,” I mutter as I lean against his shoulder.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJEbPYEwiG
“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.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1iEXYNqy1
I scoff. “Shut up, bird brain.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXS20H1CBK
“Make me, pointy ears!” Klef challenged.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEBQR3zW8V
Ama looked between us. “You two are so dating.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKdekPZSlN
“No we’re not!” we deny at the same time.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8TWIAclIN
Ama laughs. “So dating.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bjq5dWKkp
“Well don’t say anything. We want to keep it on the DL, if it’s possible,” Klef requested.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGayyzxHtfW
“Seriously? I’m willing to bet half the people here have started a pool on your relationship status!”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MIR37gobR
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.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRpLyiFcuS
Klef raises an eyebrow at me. “Is that how you see yourself?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxOebvCLNX
I shrug. “Well, people mix up you and I a lot.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmh0CFzb25
Klef lightly punches me. “There’s the Ride I know and love.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuza3IU3j4
Ama sighs. “I ship it,” she murmurs.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ld3Qj533i
“There’s that word again!” I exclaim. “Why would people ‘ship’ us?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9AFUSrmPY
“It’s cute!” Ama defends.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiHkL7D4D7
“It’s weird!”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jsLLhIccc
“It’s true!”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqWHLVAJH5
“It’s really really funny,” Klef interjects.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvVox2TET0
I elbow him. “It is not,” I sigh.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL89MPTw8nT
Klef grins.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Snk7d9KN0
“It’s not funny!” I exclaim.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJqFsFbECG
“Whatever you say, Ride. Whatever you say,” Klef laughs.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6TshOmHsI
Rythe and Flo come into view outside the conference room. “You okay?” Rythe asks.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfroY9YxcL
I nod. Klef lets go of me and I nearly topple over. “Do you mind?” I growl.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIochd7Kaz
He grins. “We’ll get you something to sit on until you feel better,” he assures.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIW144xxapI
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.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xbXN8dFXn
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.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jb44xiXiO
“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.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0s4H6BQHd
I nod. “Are we sending people to check out the most probable places?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5Q3hLUwng
“Yeah, and we’re sending you and Klef to some of the less likely ones, to deal with the messages somewhere safe.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1dIuG8JWx
“Okay, I guess…I’d rather be out looking, though.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgfq9AR0rN
“It’s for the best you don’t,” a pale human with freckles says. “Hibiscus A, they/them. Has a mild obsession with dragons.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4Wu0cRrYL
I smile. “Rides. My dad wants me to go by Iri. I’m old fashioned, I don’t like using my full name.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUwvIcdQPs
Hibiscus A nodded. “I got you. Completely got you. Nice to make your acquaintance, Rides.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8G61pYVHxe
“Likewise.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTtWItKO76
Klef walks in, followed by my dad. “Still hanging around this scum, Iri?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EVncn9vkO
I laugh. “Hi, dad.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaG3Jq8BDxG
Klef looks offended. “What am I?”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDofBOEeNh
“Chopped liver,” I respond.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1nivPGrkL
Dad laughs. “Nice one!”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoV0UILkJz
Klef holds a hand to his heart. “You wound me, Ride. You wound me.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqIGjddeEq
“Good. I was trying to.”965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JlSS73LhH
Hibiscus A coughed. “Ship it,” they mutter.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhI49EtBT8g
I throw my hands up. “I’m done with this!” I sigh.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20KK3FzSpI
Everyone laughs. “You think I’m joking?” I ask, standing up shakily. “I’ll see you all tomorrow,” I exclaim, waving.965Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlJMvyyFon
Penana
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