And the truth was Theo was adventurous. Within about a 50-kilometer radius of her home, and even that was stretching it. She’d grown up infinitely more liberated than just about anyone in Last Stand, yet equally as sheltered in different ways.

She’d grown up alone. She and her parents surviving, nay thriving, outside the secure walls of Last Stand.

Her parents alone defied the protectorate, in the only way they could without invoking their ire. They left Last Stand. Not far. But far enough to be out from under the protectorate’s watchful eye. Her parents didn’t have anything to hide. It was just…in the age old argument of privacy versus security, they chose privacy. People didn't value privacy in the same way they did prior to the war. Security mattered more after that. Her parents diverged from popular opinion, young and in love, determined to do something different with their lives—break the mould.

Ultimately, their wild spirit was a disservice to their daughter. Without courses to attend or parks to play in, without other kids, Theo missed years of social skill development. Things you learned by doing, such as working in groups or expressing opinions to others without sounding like a jerk.

Theo, with nowhere else to turn, began studying alchemy at the early age of 13 when her father became ill. He’d taught her many things, and she idolized him. Her mother focused on the academic subjects while her father taught her survival. How to live off the land. Ways to defend herself, stay safe. He was the first to teach her how to mix the most basic of tonics.

When he fell ill, she threw herself into alchemical studies, resolved to discover the secrets to creating the elixir of life—reaching the rubedo stage of the magnum opus—a feet no alchemist known had achieved, though there were always legends around that sort of thing. The transformative, healing abilities of the elixir would save her fathers life, if only she could make it.

So she studied. Book upon book. Formula after formula. The Archivist's purse grew fat from all the texts, ingredients, and supplies Theo had to purchase through her. Items that were not available from your standard shop.

Theo spent nearly everything they had on trying to find a cure. Her mother hardly noticed. There was no one to curtail her growing fixation. No one to say no Theo, you can’t spend 442 chronocoin on a rare flower petal from a plant that can only grow inside a veliph crystal.

Whatever sickness ate away at her father, it was slow and painful. Her mother turned to the Followers, imploring The Pure to intercede—but their god didn’t work in such ways. The disease ate away at her mother almost as much as it did her father.

After a year of failed attempts, Theo began searching further into the Wilds. Growing desperate. She experimented with every plant, mineral, animal part and excrement she could find—alchemy was not always pleasant work.

The potions, powders, crystals, everything she produced was so powerful, in part due to some of the ingredients she used. But also because of the charge. The city suppressed it somehow. It existed inside Last Stand but in a contained manner. In the Wilds, the charge was predictably wild.

As much as she wrinkled her nose at it, the dung from corrupted biomech creatures was the proverbial goldmine of alchemical ingredients. Not only did the monsters have their own charge, but they consumed charged food, regardless of if food was plant or animal. Access to unique, supercharged ingredients meant her creations were more potent than most could make. It also made her feel all the more powerless when she failed to cure her father time after time.

It took just over four years for the illness to run its course. She reflected that her father may have suffered longer than necessary to keep her hope alive. Keep her going.

Rubedo opened shortly after his passing. More out of necessity to earn money than anything. Her mother all but wasted away. What little strength she had left went into a final gift for her daughter. A digi-glass mural for her new shop.

The life her mother had been clinging to through faith left her. In only a little over six months she lost both of her parents. Honestly, they had been gone long before that. It still hurt all the same.

Theo was well and truly alone after that, but her obsession to create the elixir of life didn’t subside. It grew into her life's work. Too much time and too many tears had already gone into the task to just give up.

———

Still, all these years later, she was searching for the key. She truly cared about little else. Rubedo was a means of earning chronocoin that she then gave to the Archivist for hard-to-find reagents, metals, or other ingredients that could only be obtained in far off places in Triahkel. It wasn’t cheap, but Rubedo was successful because of her supercharged ingredients and years of trial and error.

Anika was her first…friend. However, it was hardly fair to call her a friend since Anika was also her apprentice and, thus, more inclined to be friendly to Theo. But she was talented and Theo thought she could be an asset in solving the mysteries of life—as that was part of what the elixir was fabled to unlock.

Now, Theo considered that magic may be the ingredient she was missing this whole time. Or maybe a Skill that would amplify her abilities as an alchemist.

Magic was not the same as Skills. Magic enabled the ability to gain a Class, specialize via Subclass, and learn Skills. That didn't mean you needed to be a mage to use your Skills, though. The tiniest bit of mana was fed into all Skills, but a negligible amount for many. There were Skills, like Atn’s [Smokescreen Shot], that required a little magic mixed in with the Skill, but they didn't take the knowledge of a true magic wielder to use. Just a little practise and the Skill did the rest of the work.

She was empty, though.

It confirmed all her feelings and fears of being powerless in a tangible way. Her mind strayed back to her field book, the now magic journal that automatically documented key parts of her journey for her.

The quest given by the smoky figure in her dream that wasn't a dream, the night on the road to Ezall, could be the answer. Her gut told her if Grnulf couldn't find magic in her the [Shaper] probably wouldn't either. But the shadow figure…it had power. She believed them when they said they could grant it to her. But at what price? Greater or lesser than 500 gold. Theo had her doubts it would be a monetary toll, but what was power worth? Or maybe she should ask what power was worth to her?

The question weighed heavily on her mind.

She'd kept the quest a secret, unsure about it. Wrestling with the choice. Holding out for the [Shaper]. But Zsig striking out on his own helped settle her mind. This was how she’d, after all this time, discover the elixir of life.

“Atn, I want to show you something.”

The field book made a plunk as she sat it on the table so they both could see it.

* Something gained, something lost

* Find Bagrah.

Atn read the entry. Then, read it a second time, mouthing the words, searching for any hidden meaning. He looked at her, confused.

“What is this?”

“It showed up as a quest after that night on the road. When I had the…visitor.”

She remembered the dream. It wasn't a pleasant memory. That probably should have been the first warning bell, but it was incredible what people would look past or ignore in pursuit of their objective. And the elixir of life was the goal of all goals.

“Why—no, wait. Start at the beginning.”

“Something showed up out of nowhere, paralyzed me, spoke into my mind and told me if I took their hand I could have the power I need. I was scared at the time, so they told me if I changed my mind to look for Bagrah and they'd help me. It sounds suspicious, but I could feel how powerful he…it was, Atn!”

Admittedly, her recap didn't sound the best. She really should practise her salesmanship.

“That sounds like a terrible idea!”

“It may be my only option!”

She had to make him understand that this was what they needed to do. Not waste time trying to make money.

“What about the [Shaper]?”

“Grnulf was magic incarnate, Atn. You could feel it as much as I could. If he couldn't do it this [Shaper] probably can't either.”

It could be a reasonable opening argument, if Theo was versed in the intricacies of magic usage. As she was not, it didn't pack the same punch as if someone qualified had said it.

“We should still try. It's a good place to start. This dream person sounds dangerous.”

Atn countered. She had expected him to agree easily, that he didn't was confusing.

“But powerful! They were sure they could do it. They could give me a Class, maybe magic.”

The elixir!

She kept that bit to herself.

“You don't need that stuff. Our goal is to get home.”

If only he could know how wrong his word were.

“It might be the answer to everything, Atn. I need it.”

And that was the crux of things. In all actuality, she probably did not need the power. But since the mountain, she had convinced herself otherwise. She needed to become an [Alchemist] instead of just an alchemist.

“I don't think you do, Theo. It isn't safe. Let's see about visiting the Drowning Siren tomorrow. We might find some answers there.”

“I want to look into it. Please. Why else would it show up in the field guide?”

She couldn't understand why he was being so stubborn. Someone else might recognize that Atn wasn't willing to follow Theo based on her gut feeling and cagey answers alone. She did not realize this, though. In her mind, if they weren't supposed to pursue it, why even appear as a quest?

“Maybe anything potentially momentous shows up in there. A book might not differentiate between safe and dangerous, Theo.”

He spoke so calmly. It frustrated her more. But she was unwilling to justify her request. She had no inclination to share just how deep her fixation ran. No desire to give voice to how far she might go.

“It will take too long to save up for the [Shaper]!”

She chose a more reasonable point to argue, instead.

“How do you know?”

“Gold is one of the purest alchemical ingredients. A precious metal no matter where you are. It was the point of contention between the gnomes and the village of Ezall. In no world is 500 gold a small amount for people with nothing to their name. Like us.”

She pointed a finger between herself and him, indicating their less than luxurious situation.

“And what did that thing say was the price for help from this Bagrah person?”

Atn ran a hand through his hair.

“Nothing, I just have to find her!”

It was technically the truth. The shadow figure hadn't told her the cost.

“Nothing? Or you just don't know?”

His voice was growing strained, and Theo had a sinking feeling in her gut, but still, she pleaded her case.

“It didn't say anything about a price! It just said to grab his hand or find Bagrah if I didn't decide right away.”

“Yes, I'm sure he said it just that pleasantly too?”

Atn snapped at her.

“You know what? If you don't want to help me I’ll do it myself!”

She’d angered Atn. An achievement few could claim. Rather than adjust her approach to come to an amicable agreement, Theo doubled down on her own frustration.

“Theo! We need to stay together. We already lost Zsig.”

Heads turned their way as voices rose, but they didn't notice.

“I need to do this!”

She grabbed the book, trying to show him the entry again. If the book said it, it had to be important. Right?

“No, you don’t.”

There was a note of finality in his tone.

“You don't understand.”

But it was the wrong argument for her to make.

“Then explain it to me!”

And at that, she clammed up. It wasn't something she talked about, her…obsession. Nor did she talk about the reasons that led her to it. They were painful. She had never been prepared to lose them. Her parents were everything, because she knew nothing else. That wasn’t her fault, they had created her isolated world and then left her alone in it. Alchemy became her world. Alchemy filled in all the cracks and her pursuit of unlocking the elixir of life gave her a purpose.

Instead of face all of it—explain it to Atn—she avoided. Like she’d always done. She got up and walked away. Almost running.

———

And then there was one.

Atn sat in shock and confusion as Theo rushed away. Why was everyone around him keeping secrets and running off? How did he end up alone here? It truly made no sense. Unless you knew everyone's secret reasons. Which he didn't. So poor Atn was left to sort through his confusion alone.

The innkeep caught his eye from across the room.

Fucking dishes. A near universal sentiment. The dishes got done, though, as he promised the innkeeper they would. Atn was a man of his word.

With the help of an enchanted scrub brush, he cleaned the dishes. Going through the familiar motions. He also thought about the pickle he was in. His list of problems was growing by no fault of his own. Which wasn’t particularly unusual since he was a protector and solving people's problems—via a list of protocols, regulations, procedures, and such—he was happy to do.

There was no handbook for his current predicaments though. First, where was home and how would he get there. Second, where did Theo go? Getting separated while possibly lost in time didn’t sound like a good idea. Third, how would he convince Zsig to rejoin their group?

Problems two and three were completely unfair. He wasn’t responsible for the group though he was bearing a sense of responsibility for them. They were adults and he could not control them. Yet they were acting so juvenile. Couldn’t they see this was not the time to keep or act on secrets.

He walked out to the horse stables for the night, a bit removed from the inn. Horses stabled all over at random was not ideal for the city, so stables were together and spaces rented to establishments. The inn Atn was staying at leased five stalls. A decent amount for a cheaper inn.

The stablehand also slept in the stables most nights, as he cheerfully informed Atn while pointing him to a spot to sleep for the night.

Settling in, Atn decided he needed a plan, which he sort of already had. Carrying it out alone just hadn’t been part of it.

He’d meet whoever the nereids were and see what they knew about the ocean and continent around them. Then he’d see about work. Money would be necessary either way.

———

If he could get eye crusties, he would be rubbing them away. Since he couldn't, well…the feeling was there.

“Thank you, sir, for the meal and a place to rest.”

Atn figured it was only polite to stop in and say goodbye to the innkeeper since he’d been so helpful to them.

“Call me Ferik. Make some money and I'll let ya stay here at a discount. Least I can do after your whole team…yeah that was a rough one. Gotta get yourself a muffle charm or learn the spell if you want to keep your personal life private.”

Ferik had a natural glower that didn't get any better once you spoke with him. But his appearance did not reflect his personable disposition, necessary for any innkeeper if they wanted to stay in business.

Breakfast wasn't part of the deal with Ferik, but he'd eaten well the night before, so his stomach didn’t protest too much.

“Do you know how I can get to the Drowning Siren, si—Ferik?”

“Ha! I knew this was a good investment. Here, take one.”

Ferik slapped a piece of parchment onto the counter and gestured toward it. Atn looked down at a…pamphlet. The paper was folded in thirds, and when he unfolded it, a glowing map covered the page. It was only a map of the city, but it also showed attractions—hot spots for visitors.

“Bought a few of these tour guide things. Cost a damn fortune. Made by a [Limner of Spells] and a local [Cartographer]. But the out-of-towners love em, got me quite a few return customers. You’ll find the Drowning Siren over here and the red circle is where you are, it moves as you do.”

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

Ferik placed a finger on the map. Right next to the water, at the very edge of the docks.

“But you only have a few, I don’t want to take one of the last.”

Atn saw the small pile of pamphlets behind the counter. He wasn't able to pay for a meal, he couldn't accept the map.

“Don’t worry about that. They can’t be stolen, so I only need two or three. That’s what makes them such a good buy. People always need help finding their way around Iskle, but having so many maps made to hand out is expensive since no one ever brings them back, so no one offers them for free. Except me. Because I found these beauties. Go past the city walls or have it for longer than I lent it, and it comes back. That limner painted magic command lines into the map—a hobby project, as I understand it.”

“A map that returns no matter what. That’s amazing. What happens if it gets dropped in a puddle, or damaged some other way?”

“Bah! The paper is enchanted against basic elements. A puddle. If a little water destroyed a simple paper in Iskle, we’d be a very poor city.”

Atn didn’t know what that meant, but as long as he couldn’t accidentally ruin the expensive magical map, he was content.

The further from the main road that led in and out of the city Atn got the more Iskle came to life around him. The main street was full of interesting people, but there was little decoration. It led from the two city gates, meeting and going towards the castle. Along the way were all the important shops, the guilds were barely off the main drag, and a direct route to the city's market street was clearly marked out. It was the path set out for business dealings, those looking to get in, get stuff done, and get out just as quickly.

In complete juxtaposition, travel three blocks off the big central lane, and the streets became a maze. The builds, while still the half-timber and plaster, were no longer white, but coloured. Not all the same, but they were specific colours.

Some of the buildings were blues and greens—all the same shade of either blue or green. Where they varied were the windows. They were all stained glass, many with a blue wave in a circular shape. The glass water started as a deep blue but grew lighter the higher the wave went. At the crest, the glass changed to a frosty clear, the wave splashing down to complete the circle. The barrel of the wave, the hollow part in the centre, was the only transparent glass in the piece.

The symbol was everywhere now that he noticed it once—many of the windows, banners hanging outside homes, barrels stamped with the wave.

Mixed in among the blue and green townhomes and stand-alone structures were red and orange buildings. The windows, in a similar style to the wave ones, were primarily decorated with a flame, oranges and reds intertwined so masterfully the flame might almost be mistaken for real. A negative space of transparent glass inside the heart of the flame formed a symbol Atn didn’t recognize.

The last of the coloured houses were earthy green or brown. These buildings were the fewest in number but stood out from the others because their stained glass windows were all different. Some homes had depictions of different gems and crystals, the coloured glass sparkling in the sun. Others had renditions of different precious metals. He saw one with a dark rock. Growing from inside the rock were nuggets of gold. Just below that window was another, decorated with a glittering red and brown ingot mixed with bits of grey so dark it was nearly black.

His red dot on the magical map hadn’t moved for close to 10 minutes as he took in the first real street of Iskle. Shock, wonder, set in again. Atn had no conception of a place such as this. Most residents of Last Stand would not, could not, imagine such a place even in their wildest dreams.

These streets weren’t as crowded. His slow meandering didn’t impede traffic as it had the day before. Standing here all day wasn’t part of the plan, though, so he pushed on.

The buildings changed as he neared the docks. The colours weren’t quite as vibrant; some even had entire patches of paint missing. Small pieces of building were crumbled away here and there. It was not a result of neglect but rather weathering. A precious few buildings retained their vibrant colours either through enchantments and wards or frequent repainting.

The smell of salt and fish and the sound of water lapping the docks increased, and pleasantly, so did the shade. The sun was high and hot overhead, but awnings were strung up over the streets. When the street opened up, Atn found small stands with bright multicoloured canopies running down the centre of the lane parallel to the water.

This area was much busier, than the residential streets he had just passed through. Carts were moving all about, with huge loads of crates and other shipping containers. Crews and captains bustled about the docks, loading and unloading cargo or mingling with the many vendors.

What seized Atn’s attention, though,…the ocean. Last Stand wasn’t terribly far from the sea, but it was separated by the Wilds. He knew stories, such as Hamalin’s. Yet, seeing the vast body of water and hearing tales of it were two very different things.

A wave collided against the dock. It stood out because the water was overall much calmer in the bay. This wave, though, crashed onto the dock, soaking the wood. And from the puddles rose bodies. Five of them. They had travelled in on…no, they were the wave, the very water that formed it.

Nereids.

All legends have their falsehoods and the idea that most, if not all, The Undine's descendants were female water beings was one of them. Nereids were gender fluid—all pun intended. Their beings were malleable. They could take almost any humanoid shape they desired on land, but most stuck to a specific form.

Another false fact was that they were all super nice because they represented how kind the ocean was. Yes, there were kind nereids. There were also cruel ones. No two had the same personality. Did the sea not change its temperament in a moment? Why couldn't it's children? But overall, nereids did go with the flow better than some other species.

After Atn came to terms with the idea that people could materialize out of thin…water, he approached one of the soaking-wet people.

They were the blue and green people whom Atn had seen previously, he realized. Making out any details was nearly impossible. Streaks of sunlight reflected off the water that moved under their skin, creating blinding beams of light that flashed all over.

The purpose of all the canopies became clear. They provided shade so that the nereids could conduct business with other less luminescent species.

He used his hands to shield his eyes as he called out to the group.

“Excuse me. I'm looking for the nereids that hang around the Drowning Siren?”

He spoke with a hesitant tone, like someone asking a question without knowing what they were asking about. Laughter was the response, though he couldn't see who it was coming from.

The bright light, blinding even through his eyelids, dimmed, and he hazarded a glance. The group of water people had donned clothes, all similar in style but different in colour and pattern. Loose billowing shirts, bandanas, and sailor slops. A typical seafarer or pirate's garb.

A young man around Atn’s age, dusty blue in colour, gave Atn a roguish grin and a mocking bow.

“Must have been hard to spot us rolling in.”

Another round of laughter followed from the five, and one of the nereids, slightly older and a blue so deep it was closer to indigo, slapped her knee.

“I’m sorry, are you the nereids? To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what a nereid is.”

Atn looked curiously at the contained ocean within each body as the water rolled and crashed around. Light refracted through the transparent substance, giving each nereid an almost gem-like quality if gems were liquid, that is.

“Doesn't know what a nereid…how can someone come to Iskle without knowing of us?”

A shimmering seafoam green man looked around at his companions, bewildered. They all shrugged or shook their heads, equally as perplexed.

“This one’s a little wet behind the ears, eh?”

Another chimed in, a cheery blue-green fellow, the colour of the shallows in a warm tropical ocean. He was older than the rest.

“I'm sorry, but I'm not really sure what’s going on. You are nereids, yes?”

Atn’s tone was clipped, annoyance slipping in. Uncertainty, and if he was being entirely honest with himself, fear and a sense of helplessness were stirring a fatalistic attitude within him—feelings and thoughts he didn’t like.

“Outta his depth, he is.”

The last of the five, a deep deep blue, unhelpfully contributed. He stood out from the other nereids in that he seemed to absorb more of the light than he refracted.

“Guess we gotta show him the ropes.”

They all agreed on that.

Their talking over him and about him as though he weren't right there was aggravating. Then, instead of answering him at all, they began to walk away.

As Atn stood there, mouth agape, brain trying to catch up to this group who seemed to move a kilometre a second, the younger, dusty blue nereid beckoned him.

“Come on. Before the tide turns would be nice.”

Two of the other nereids locked arms with Atn and towed him along.

———

He’d arrived at the Drowning Siren. He hadn’t found it the way he intended, but he’d found it and some nereids, so his plan was off to a good start, frustrations aside.

The bar was filled with boisterous voices and laughter. Almost everyone was a nereid, though he saw some horns poking out now and again above the crowd of blue and green heads.

“Rum?”

The indigo nereid called Atn’s attention back to the table.

“Water?”

Atn wasn’t much of a drinker.

“He’ll have rum!”

The nereid ordered for him, then turned back to look at Atn with eyes that could only be described as midnight purple.

“Couldn’t get them to serve ya a water here if you were a fish.”

“It’s almost embarrassing you asked. You clearly aren’t from around these waters.”

They really emphasized speaking with water terms or water-related puns. Atn could imagine the ridicule Biomechs would face if they used mechanical idioms and such constantly. Last Stand—and the protectorate—were so paranoid they’d likely interpret it as a sign of rebellion.

“I hadn’t planned on visiting long. I’m just trying to get home.”

“And you were looking for us?”

The group gave him a knowing look.

“Must be from across the pond.”

Murmurs of agreement chorus around the table.

“I’m not…sure. There is a chance I need to travel the water. A man suggested I speak with you about getting back to Triahkel. He said one of you may know how to get there.”

He hadn’t been sure about sharing the name before, but if anyone was going to be familiar with it, it would be the people who travelled between continents.

“Never heard of it.”

The nereid around Atn’s age replied quickly. It felt like his heart deflated at the words.

“Llyr, you ever heard of a Triahkel?”

The indigo nereid gave a contemplative look to the much older, deep blue man. Llyr didn’t respond, but the pregnant pause was telling.

“Might sound familiar. Triahkel, hm….”

Llyr was calmer than the other nereids. They aged slowly, not immortal like The Undine, but much slower than some other species. His internal waters moved slower, reflecting his age. He encapsulated the part of the ocean between the lighter blue surface and the deep abyss. A seemingly depthless area—known technically as the bathypelagic zone.

Atn sat on the edge of his seat. His vision was blurry from the emotional whiplash. Not a teary-eyed sort of blurry, but rather, there was so much buzz occurring in his body he was getting tunnel vision, and everything had a slight wobbly haze.

“I’ll have to think about it.”

The man finally answered, and Atn held back a string of profanities. His frustration, the feeling of defeat, wasn’t aimed at anyone in particular, but it was growing overwhelming.

“I’d appreciate that.”

Atn was uncharacteristically curt, and the nereids could sense the tide turning in his mind.

“Here, have a swig. Rum always helps. We should probably introduce ourselves. I’m Dwin.”

Dwin, the nereid the colour of tropical shallows, held out a hand across the table. Atn considered the increasingly shittier situation he was in and took a drink of the rum. Then, he choked on the strong liquor as he tried to introduce himself, much to the amusement of everyone at the table.

“Atncore.”

Atn grasped the man's hand and almost recoiled. It wasn’t the firm handshake he was used to. Dwin’s hand was solid, as in he could grab it without his hand completely passing through the nereid’s, but it felt like…jello stuffed into a protective sleeve. Or a mattress but filled with water instead of foam and springs. He took another sip of rum.

Atn shook Dwin’s hand and saw a ripple of water travel back up his arm with the movement. The other nereid took it as a signal and went around the table making introductions.

“Kalloll.”

The younger, dusty blue nereid held out a hand.

“Alda. Nice to meet you, Atncore.”

The indigo nereid smiled at Atncore, and slight wrinkles stood out on her face. Marking her as older than all but Llyr. Smile lines, the crinkles in the corner of an eye, everything that gave expression to their words was there, even if it was more subtle due to the water flowing beneath the features. They were living water in every way.

“Kaspius, Turner of Tides—

The seafoam green nereid started imperiously but was cut off by his friends, who instead took turns filling in the rest.

“The Great and Mighty Tidal Wave.”

Kalloll ribbed.

“The First Wave and the Final. So fierce.”

Dwin announced with faux august.

“Yes, yes, we know. Poor Atncore doesn’t need the whole speel.”

Alda took mercy on Kaspius, whose ears had begun softly boiling in embarrassment. How fascinating. Atn had another sip to avoid staring at Kaspius’s ears.

“You're obviously a fish out of water, Atncore. What’s your story?”

Llyr asked as he pushed his empty cup into the centre of the table. By this point—approximately twenty minutes after arriving—there was a small collection of empty cups on the table, and the rum kept flowing. Never more than 30 seconds after a cup was emptied, the nereid would have a new one in front of them. They drank the liquor down with practised ease, and not one of them showed signs of intoxication.

To Atn’s defence, their drinks were technically watered down. His was not. So his lips loosened, and he recounted his adventure thus far.

He told them how he and his partner made the idiotic decision to drink an unknown potion that teleported them to Olera. The encounter with the Qhul and, subsequently, the Scorpion Men of Tahir. Grnulf, the gnome that awakened them, then kicked them out with no directions on how to use their new powers.

He spoke of Ezall, the badger, learning he was [Unclassed], and the kind Ms. Callette who finally explained a little bit of how Olera works and helped his partner Zsig. Their uneventful journey to Iskle. His impressions of seeing all these different species of people for the first time. Their brief meeting with the [Shaper] and his steep price.

Atn finished the, by this point, quite lengthy story by telling them how his group split ways just the night before. The alcohol didn’t help the glum mood his tale left him in, but it was cathartic to share.

His audience of five never wavered. They listened with rapt attention. Kaspius even boiled a bit at appropriate moments, which would prompt one of the others to smack him in the back of the head, interestingly creating a splashing sound rather than the typical sound of a solid hand smacking a skull.

The group of nereids had become invested in Atncore’s story—in his success. They each knew what it was like to have shoddy crewmates, people you didn’t always choose to sail with but had to rely on all the same.

“You sound like an alright human, Atncore. You said you needed work, our crew can help with that.”

They all nodded at Alda’s words.

“Biomech, not human. What did you have in mind?”

He’d corrected them automatically. Dwin held up a questioning hand, drawing the attention of the table.

“Uh. What’s a Biomech?”

Atn had wondered. There had been no signs of biomechanical beings anywhere in Olera. But oh, he had wondered and maybe even hoped.

“We’re part natural human, part mechanical. Charge lets the metal and organic stuff all work together. Sort of…enhanced humans in a way. Not that they'd agree with that…”

Not used to describing his entire species, he was uncertain how to explain himself. A more complete answer was interrupted by a susurration travelling through the room.

“It’s time.”

One voice whispered to the next, repeated many times over, from person to person.

“It's proclamation day! Can we take him with us? Please?”

Kalloll looked around at his crew excitedly.

“Can you swim metal man?”

Alda gave Atn a challenging smile. It was a question he had never had to consider before. Could he swim?

“Probably not.”

They each gave him varying degrees of disappointed looks.

“We’ll have to take the dinghy. Kaspius, can you wrangle the tide?”

Kaspius scoffed at Alda as though it was utterly preposterous to even ask.

“Let’s go before we’re late.”

Kalloll urged them all out of their seats and to a small boat docked just down the pier. Even with the nereids clothed, they were so bright. Atn had to shade his eyes while they rode in the boat.

There was no effort that went into making the small craft move. No paddles, no sails. They just enjoyed the trip as a small tidal wave pushed them along from behind. It was not natural. Atn suspected Kaspius was using a Skill or magic of some sort.

The boat followed the coastline until an inlet was revealed in the cliffside, almost directly below the palace. Travelling on top of the water was making Atn nervous. Even magically aided passengers could still feel the rocking of the sea. He was getting a bit queasy.

“What is proclamation day?”

Atn finally had the sense to ask.

“Each proclamation day The Undine addresses her people, it’s open for anyone in to attend. It’s like a big meeting where she updates us on anything she thinks we ought to know or just says words of encouragement.”

Dwin shrugged like it was no big deal. But the way the rowdy bar had cleared out for the event and the excitement in the air said otherwise.

“Who’s The Undine?”

“Our leader. So she has been since time immemorial. She is highly respected among our people and many of those residing in Iskle. The Undine is wise and graceful. Terrifyingly powerful. Nereids, along with all other water species, are descended from her. She is the water elemental—the first.”

Llyr explained in a reverent voice.

“We’re the closest to her likeness though!”

Kalloll helpfully tacked on.

To Atn, she sounded like someone who might know how to get back home, which is exactly what he asked his new friends.

“Would she know how to send me home?”

“You know what. She just may have some ideas.”

A flicker of hope surged in him.

———

The grotto-esque throne room was almost beyond description. The many other people popping up out of the water, like the ones with scales and fins, were fascinating. They all paled next to her. Such was the presence she commanded.

The Undine was not of this world. Something that was obvious from the very first look at her.

Her skin rippled and changed like her very being was water. Similar to the nereids, but to a much greater degree. A thin, transparent layer of shimmer contained the sea that moved within her. One moment, she was the deepest of blues, then the tide would gently roll through her, and she would transition to a green so light it was nearly white.

Beads of moisture rolled down her body as though she were constantly standing beneath a soft cascade of water. There was nothing sensual about it. Neither was there anything unsightly. Instead, it was as though there was too much power for her body to contain, so it leaked out of her.

She wore a grand crown of coral and was adorned in jewelry made of shells. Her clothes were flowing and transparent. Light refracted off her body, rebounded off the folds of her gown, and decorated the walls behind her with a prismatic display of rainbows.

She glided to the podium and spoke into a giant conch shell.

“My people. My children.”

She spoke fondly, eyes warm as she looked out at her subjects.

“First let us remember those who have gone to sleep in the waters deep and loving embrace since last we met. May the next wave carry them to calmer tides.”

She bowed her head briefly before continuing.

“Our ocean grows increasingly restless by the day. We conduct extraordinary workings to bring peace to nearby waters, but what of the lands beyond our aegis?

The unrest from the east spreads. We cannot let the sea claim even more of our kin. It will continue to cut off each continent until we all must survive in isolation. And where would that leave us, my children? Can you imagine a world where the ocean is impassable? Where you can no longer swim in the sea?

We must uncover the root of this illness that has spread through our waters. This comes as no surprise to you. We have all seen the change in the tide. But now we must put a stop to it!”

The room was silent, everyone waiting to hear what came next.

“To that end, we will be enlisting a team to recover an object to aid in our fight. If there are any willing to brave untold dangers in the hope of saving our great ocean, the palace is open to receive such individuals.

Thank you for joining us on this day to hear the plight that weighs on us all.”

It was such a vague request. Atn couldn't help but be disappointed in The Undine’s speech. He seemed to be the only one, though.

The crowd around him cheered as she finished talking. Then, the chatter began. Names floating through the air. Speculations on who would volunteer for The Undine’s quest.

More than once, he overheard the name Kaspius mentioned. And when he peeked at his new friend…Atn noticed a dangerous glint in his eye.