Apart from Phyler, who was my best buddy in the Round Woods for a very long time, my closest friends are the gnomes working on all sides of me. I occasionally visit them and they stop by the Round Woods, too. We are a solitary species to an extent, but without strong supportive connections to other gnomes we get lonely.

My favorite walking trip is a visit to see Rau’u at the seashore. There is nothing like a relaxing outing to the ocean for resetting my mood. Not only do I enjoy the exercise, the distinctive scenery along the way and the Infinite Ocean itself, but Rau’u is quite entertaining. She always has news of the latest gnome activities throughout the quadrant.

While we are at the beach, we often visit some of the beings who live under the water. Today we are planning to visit the mermaid queen and her pod.

As usual, Phyler accompanies me. We chat as I walk. Our conversations are mostly telepathic so it looks like I am silently, solemnly striding with a quicksilver fairy occasionally resting on my shoulder. Phyler has a hard time being inactive for long, so she tends to flit off frequently to investigate birds and plants along the way.

My friend Rau’u and the start of the Infinite Ocean are just a half day’s walk straight east from the Round Woods, through a scenic, isolated area. I could just instantly transport to the edge of the ocean, but then I would miss getting to walk in that lovely area. The walk itself is an important part of the day’s excursion. I enjoy feeling the sun on my face, greeting local inhabitants along the way, and exchanging news with occasional passing travelers.

Rau’u has a hand-built home, but it is not a typical gnomish stone cottage. She has cleverly constructed her home by tucking it into the side of a permanent sand dune. The structure is built from driftwood and lime cement, with decorative seashells pressed into the walls. It has large east-facing windows, a stout wooden door and a few magical spells to keep trespassers out. It suits her needs admirably and of course has a beautiful ocean view.

And what a huge ocean it is. The Infinite Ocean gets its name from the legend that there is no bottom to this largest ocean on Zelen. Supposedly if you dove deep enough, you could just keep swimming and come up on the other side of the planet. There wouldn’t even be rocky depths to pass through, just saltwater from one side to the other. With this theory, the only thing holding Zelen together is the increased gravity and water pressure at the center of the planet.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

I am not sure how that story got started, but belief in the idea is strong. Underwater sonar readings clearly showing a rocky core in the center of Zelen are disregarded. How can you argue when the same sea monsters seen on one side of the globe are suddenly seen on the other side of the world? Phyler and I always share a few scornful opinions on both sea monster sightings and the infinity of the Infinite Ocean.

However, as enjoyable as our walk is, the force of the wind is always a revelation after living in the quiet and peaceful Round Woods, where tall trees act as windbreaks.

The eastern lowlands start as hills covered with grasses and scrubby trees, but quickly become flat and sandy. And as much as we try to stay inconspicuous, the wind always notices us hiking. It becomes interested in our progress and visits us uninvited.

There is nothing to stop the wind’s forceful progress across the open land. It gusts hard against us, striking our faces and howling in our ears. It merely laughs at our presumption to complain before it blows even stronger.

The wind increases as we head further east. It forces travelers to wear layers of clothes to keep it at bay, even on a warm day. We pull our sturdy linen cloaks close but still tire of the living wind howling around us. The squalls tug on our garments and toss sand in our eyes. They spray grit everywhere, tear belongings out of hands, chap skin, and dehydrate bodies. I think the wind would even enjoy knocking us over and dragging us into the ocean.

I finally shout, enough! Let us alone or we will bring Rau’u here to deal with you. The wind knows that Rau’u could invoke multiple dust devils to break up its force into a series of small breezes, so it finally leaves us alone, moving away to grasp onto the next travelers.

I’m relieved to see the ocean and Rau’u’s home come into sight. The ocean looks wide and calm and very blue on this sunny day. To the north we see a pod of dolphins cutting through the waves. We are not here to see them, so we just wave hello and keep walking.

We see Rau’u outside, doing a bit of housekeeping. She is raking all of the dead grasses around her house into a big pile to keep the local beach tidy. Most homeowners would burn all of the dead plants, but Rau’u waves a hand and the detritus simply disappears.

Rau’u catches a glimpse of us and says hello telepathically, then walks along the trail to meet us. We are all looking forward to visiting the mermaids and Queen Mystica today.