I flew on, and decidedly I would now start skipping two islands per day, as I could go much faster. So, as usual, another island came up, and it was a massive opening to a cave.

“There are small dragons, and then big dragons, that is what resides in there, with piles of food, water and torn cloaks.” Grandfather said gravely.

So I avoided that island, and flew on. Before I had started flying, I thought of it as cool, entertaining. But in reality, as far as I know, it is so boring by yourself, and a lot more entertaining with others. Grandfather was boring, not entertaining, and my friends from home would have never come with me. All I knew was that mother was growing more and more distant from their mental mind. I came up on another island, yet again avoiding it. It was a prairie, but that did not mean there was elf dwarfs there. As the sun started setting, I had a question.

“Grandfather, can we fly when we are asleep?” I asked.

“No, I lost one of my good friends finding that out.” Grandfather said quickly.

So, I just stopped talking. Sadly, the island I had to land on was a lake. I spotted a small platform and landed. The platform opened beneath my feet, and suddenly I was in an air bubble that seemed to take out what I breathed out and take in oxygen. Then, I saw one of the things that lived here. Well, technically, a bunch of them.

They all had different hair colors, but they seemed to stay within the rainbow. The eyes were only two different colors, pink and neon green. The skin was one color, white. They had tails and gills. The gills looked like the ones on fish back at home, just placed as their ears. Both were white. Same features as humans would have, and the tail looked like a fish as well.

“Um, hi?” I said nervously.

“A human!” One of them shrieked.

“Keep your voice down! Let's introduce ourselves first” One of the others said.

There was five of them, so I needed to remember five names.

“My name is Aerihaneh,” Aerihaneh said. They had purple hair

“My name is Laomerane” Laomerane said. They had long red hair.

“I am called Taliciane,” Taliciane said. Their hair was short and blue.

“The name is Metireisis, but everyone calls me Meti” Meti said, with their orange hair, up in a bun.

“I am Vivienoe,” Vivienoe said, their green hair floating around.

“Can I call Aerihaneh, Aeri. Laomerane Mera. Taliciane Tali, and Vivienoe Vivi?” I asked, as all of their names were ridiculously long.

“Yep!” They all said in unison except for Meti.

“Unfortunately, you have to be imprisoned.” Vivi said.

“Wait what? Why?” I said, alarmed.

“Well, not exactly, if you can prove you will not hurt us to the king nerander, Arriguna, you will not be imprisoned. But I was there for one of the trials, and you have to say yes to all the questions, because it is obvious you are lying” Aeri said.

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“Come here!” Tali screamed.

So I swam as fast as I could, and I managed to find a hiding spot, but what was there was worse.

Spikes that were on the verge of falling were on top of me, but a deep voice that sounded like a deeper voiced grandmother spoke.

“Please! Come quick! Those wretched neranders will find you if you do not!” The voice said.

It was not like I had much of a choice. I swam towards the voice to find a dark grey octopus with a human top there. They had black skin, with eyes. Long magenta hair flowed around it. I thought it looked less welcoming, but the neranders were still screaming outside, so I decided that they were more friendly than Mera and their friends.

“Hello, please do not kill me.” I said, cowering.

“Oh no! I will not hurt you. I look more threatening, but I have saved as many humans from those things as I can. Tell me, what do you need?” It asked.

“Your name, a place to sleep and eat.” I said, standing up.

“My name is Alliganha. I can provide food and a place to sleep, but eat quickly.” Alliganha said, shoving food in my face.

I quickly ate, but that was because the screams of the outraged neranders was coming closer by the second. Then, I dove into a small nook in the cave with a small hole to see out of. Then the neranders burst inside.

“There you are, Alliganha! Arriguna will be unpleased to see your horrid face again!” Vivi said.

“Where is that disgusting human?” Aeri asked, demandingly.

“I will never tell you!” Alliganha shrieked.

“Well, then we have to reside to torture! Everyone! Surround them!” Mera shouted commands.

The neranders surrounded Alliganha, and pinned them against a wall. Tali and Meti started rapidly searching for me, while the other three started shooting what looked like bullets underwater at Alliganha. They screamed in pain, and I started crying. What must have been blood started seeping from Alliganha and the more they screamed, the angrier I got. Alliganha was risking themself for me, but I refused to stand there and watch another creature die. Especially when I could possibly change the outcome.

Once Tali peeped their head into the hole, I pulled them by the hair, and covered their mouth and pinned down their arms. Then I used my free hand to grab a sharp spike, and stabbed Tali in the heart. At least that's what I thought it was. But that did not matter, it killed them, so I threw their body aside and waited for Meti to check. Soon, they did, and I repeated the process. Alliganha was still alive, and thankfully, did not seem to be weakening. I figured out that they were self healing themselves. But Aeri noticed that Meti and Tali were gone. So they went looking.

Aeri checked my spot first, and I grabbed them and was starting to repeat the process, but they broke free. So I had to dodge the bullets, because I was not self healing. Grandfather came to my aid, and started meddling with their vision. So Aeri always missed me, and I was able to stab them. Then Vivi noticed and let Mera know that three of them were gone. That gave Alliganha a chance to strike Vivi, and squeeze their neck until they died. That left Mera alone against me and Alliganha. Unfortunately, Mera was the strongest. I let the bodies of their friends float out, and that just made them angrier. So I shot out, using the element of surprise to my advantage, and tackled them. Grandfather blurred their vision, and Alliganha restrained every part of them, only leaving an opening in their chest. So I stabbed them, and they died. Then I blacked out.

I was so exhausted from fighting that I passed out. Once I awoke. Alliganha gave me food, and told me to rest a bit longer.

“That was great. What you did yesterday. I appreciate it, they would have eventually killed me if you did not help.” Alliganha said.

“Well, I had someone die before, and I could not control it. I was not about to lose another person.” I said, remembering my encounter with Aigeor.

“Well still, thank you very much,” Alliganha said.

I finished resting, and Alliganha restored my food and water supplies. They wished me good luck as I left the cave. I made sure not to encounter any neranders. Sadly, it looked like they just guarded the platform, so I swam up to the surface, and took off on the edge of the platform, as my cloak was dry. I was half excited, half scared.

“Grandfather,” I said.

“No, this will not make your soul un pure. They were already un-pure, considering they all hurt Alliganha. You killed them in self defense and to protect Alliganha.” Grandfather said, already knowing my question.

With that, I lifted off, ready to take on whatever came next.