“How did I get tricked into this?” I wonder aloud. “No, seriously. How did I ever think this was a good idea?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxqNyE4L68
Klef shushes me. “You’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHucMiPFhj
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?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9mAv6Ezgm
“Yes. But this isn’t in public,” Klef reasons.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMfUIts4eO
“I’m with Klef on this one, Reese, have some self confidence!” Geo adds.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ycYQvQjwK
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?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWnL63PpUG
“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.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUDmdWb8IK
Flo smiles, bashful. “I really wasn’t that good at finding anything to help you, but you’re welcome regardless.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurxRKhbiNf
The other werewolf clears their throat. “Am I invisible, or something?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BwxHHIKWL
“Oh! Sorry, Rythe! Everyone, this is Rythe, my mate,” Flo says with a blush.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6H8hQlKfc9
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!”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhSXmPJdDR
I nod. “I’m Rides. Nice to meet you.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUShx0hHlYO
Rythe bows. “It’s an honor, my lady.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxxUUdXyXZ
I blush and Flo whacks Rythe upside the head. “Stop, you, you’re embarrassing her!”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGizFWxvOBO
Rythe grins. “But that’s what you love about me! And clearly she doesn’t see herself as some sort of royalty!”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFOOcJU91K
Flo mutters in a low voice, “She’s the Alpha’s daughter.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6GxarplQM
Rythe straightens. “You mean the Alpha of a rival pack or The Alpha?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIcy9RgNWk
“Try the second one,” Flo mutters, embarrassed on his behalf.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8U0GM3tErD
“Oh.” Rythe salutes me. “Terribly sorry, ma’am.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CcrL1hFiS
“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.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4G22C4QB6
Rythe nods stiffly, setting the flower crown close to the brink of desruction, and leads us inside.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHrjr8BpuD
“Guy or girl?” Klef whispers to Geo.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTl32AgfaIO
“I...don’t know? Guy, I think?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsVg3BTf4m
“No, I’d say girl,” Klef muses.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QBZU5mD9E
“What are you guys talking about?” I mutter.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkqv23G12x
“Rythe. Guy or girl, do you think?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNICU3Jb9N
“Um…” I have to think about my answer. “Maybe they’re neither…”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwCK6rz4Vq
“Neither? Is that possible?” Klef asks.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpn3s5NpYCU
“It would make sense,” Geo reasons.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrcBx36Z9s
“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.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYuiqaWH4a
“Right, because the natural neutral pronouns are it/its, but that can be seen as degrading nowadays,” Geo says.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6MBTZUKE9
“It is grammatically correct, though,” Klef points out.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpJb3PQTGR
“I guess you have a point, but would you be okay with being called an ‘it’?” I counter.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiphIZuNF0
“What are you guys talking about?” Flo asks.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUrREVHR4U
“Nothing much,” Geo says. “Just things back at our branch, you know?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAVc7NaayC
Rythe coughs and mutters, “They/them,” and I grin at Klef and Geo.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLu8qbESYTI
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.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9doaNfiMHW
Rythe clears their throat. “Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone else, allow me to present Rides, the Oracle who will be informing us on her dreams!”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcESQ52ODEe
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.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgmFKowfbx
“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’.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xWV8W4Ww1
Everyone shifts around, suddenly on edge. “And?!” a wizard with pitch black hair shouts.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ90XHZtjOb
“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.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hHZM1wxpt
“That we know of!” a gorgon yells. “We could be on a wild goose chase, lass!”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoWbuh8NAs
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.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPcpGEh7UZ
The wizard who yelled out comes up to me. “Yeah, but we were expecting…”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuaHqF52c8
“More?” I supply. “Yeah, a lot of people do. Be glad I have that much, though. This is coming from 5 years of dreams.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgUnqKfss4
“Okay. I’m Ama. A necromancer,” she introduces. “I’m going to be guarding you three for your stay.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iyMUbxmEb
“Make that the two of them,” Geo corrects. “I’m no one.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdc1WRab70n
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.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBrOxW7i0y
The room is still silent, everyone anticipating my reply. “Excuse me,” I gasp, making a beeline for the room’s exit.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBJo01FgoO
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.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFy1mnzJQcK
Footsteps come up to my back. Two pairs. “Ride?” Klef asks. “You okay?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK32uDCxAGB
I shake my head and close my eyes, resting my side against the wall. “Sick,” I mutter.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOp0bjDAX77
“I’m sorry if I upset you, but you need to get it into your head that you’re special,” Ama states.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJldZljCG8
“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.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkClnvkuB94
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?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8qbC7kluY
“S-sure.” I stumble on the word, because what is the correct response to someone volunteering to reanimate a corpse for you?864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEHiJctKvO
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.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXa0duavw6M
“Definitely not someone I’d call a necromancer,” Klef mutters.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8JNvi6CKC
I still don’t turn enough to see him properly. Ama shifts so she can face me fully. “Pet the bun,” she instructs.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ211uSYXdM2
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.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOxO8lGyMp
I put a hand on her shoulder. “But you’re great at it.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9X9PTwZr9
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.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBSCK8mxfy
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.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHReXWH7Zfz
“I’m fine,” I mutter as I lean against his shoulder.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcw69QWi16b
“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.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54qszYxKF6
I scoff. “Shut up, bird brain.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYDx44pHPb
“Make me, pointy ears!” Klef challenged.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUZ12gQZHp
Ama looked between us. “You two are so dating.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGeqSk5JW2
“No we’re not!” we deny at the same time.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZuwfkqEZMo
Ama laughs. “So dating.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCvlaMSHDd
“Well don’t say anything. We want to keep it on the DL, if it’s possible,” Klef requested.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudx0WKQKue
“Seriously? I’m willing to bet half the people here have started a pool on your relationship status!”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXWdAZkQDf
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.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28wotouhqv
Klef raises an eyebrow at me. “Is that how you see yourself?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqv1Ic9QbxD
I shrug. “Well, people mix up you and I a lot.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0lxPePELC
Klef lightly punches me. “There’s the Ride I know and love.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwv71geWK0
Ama sighs. “I ship it,” she murmurs.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAo16cYqoG
“There’s that word again!” I exclaim. “Why would people ‘ship’ us?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNy9Rgz9h9
“It’s cute!” Ama defends.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTqLmo2QYw
“It’s weird!”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUs0DOmKUlf
“It’s true!”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvb2pKgYAK7
“It’s really really funny,” Klef interjects.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOyHaltTC9
I elbow him. “It is not,” I sigh.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMMlPOohMX
Klef grins.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDobXqy8x8
“It’s not funny!” I exclaim.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbs6axCJtOQ
“Whatever you say, Ride. Whatever you say,” Klef laughs.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMI0jlF9U5G
Rythe and Flo come into view outside the conference room. “You okay?” Rythe asks.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGHjKXep08
I nod. Klef lets go of me and I nearly topple over. “Do you mind?” I growl.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8uucwu4eC
He grins. “We’ll get you something to sit on until you feel better,” he assures.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXLEXcpRMF
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.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFbx7D0sOE
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.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zCZADVPYE
“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.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡli7QmWuEMo
I nod. “Are we sending people to check out the most probable places?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSH37D1YTg
“Yeah, and we’re sending you and Klef to some of the less likely ones, to deal with the messages somewhere safe.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeg4IGAJjn
“Okay, I guess…I’d rather be out looking, though.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnjJtwWfho
“It’s for the best you don’t,” a pale human with freckles says. “Hibiscus A, they/them. Has a mild obsession with dragons.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVnKy9SZv0
I smile. “Rides. My dad wants me to go by Iri. I’m old fashioned, I don’t like using my full name.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMq9LtWC9Xm
Hibiscus A nodded. “I got you. Completely got you. Nice to make your acquaintance, Rides.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79VuStmBPN
“Likewise.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlefhQ5qEtX
Klef walks in, followed by my dad. “Still hanging around this scum, Iri?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIevCtsCNoD
I laugh. “Hi, dad.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBMhHczMKu
Klef looks offended. “What am I?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7pWQzTmwz
“Chopped liver,” I respond.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSuardNk6f
Dad laughs. “Nice one!”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6Sd2M6Fx6
Klef holds a hand to his heart. “You wound me, Ride. You wound me.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ44JTgOShw
“Good. I was trying to.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoworIdRcu
Hibiscus A coughed. “Ship it,” they mutter.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfGLMKaAFk
I throw my hands up. “I’m done with this!” I sigh.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhdmddPLy5
Everyone laughs. “You think I’m joking?” I ask, standing up shakily. “I’ll see you all tomorrow,” I exclaim, waving.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZV7ov0qxv
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