Hello again! Wonderful news today!

Word of my companions has reached me!

My heavily expanded information network had news of them, it was pretty old news by the time it reached me. But I know now that they are all alive at least!

So much joy! A huge weight just got lifted from my chest, fresh air fills my lungs. Everything seems brighter, colors more vibrant, smells more moving, music more pleasing, and flavors more awesome!

I cannot stop myself from singing and dancing joyfully! I got lots of weird looks from my 'worshippers' but whatever! It isn't like I even want to be a 'god' or whatever. If a overgrown salmon can be one, then any prestige the post held is kind of lost as far as I am concerned.

The news I got is garbled and confusing, fifth and sixth hand accounts from traders and fishermen. Gossip probably mixing in here and there with the facts.

I guess it probably doesn't help that the translator only speaks my language in broken sentences. Turns out he picked it up piecemeal from traders who used to come to his village to trade metals for pearls.

That is part of the surprising news. There are more powers in these seas than just my primitive tribes. Who knew?

To a sort of a thataway kind of direction lies the waters and lands of the Shoto empire, and its vassal states.

And in more of a thisaway feel is the Iceni empire, and its many trade unions.

Learn something new eveyday huh?

Not much info on what makes these two local powers tick. I wasn't willing to sit back and wait for a full briefing.

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What has me confused is the fact that that these two nations are at war. Well, that isn't the confusing part really. The confusing part is that my friends have been sighted fighting for them. On both sides.

Why would they be fighting each other?

They wouldn't, so that throws everything else I heard into doubt.

I already decided that tales of super weapons and undersea cities are probably not true.

But some of the stories sound way too much like my friends to be made up. Things like the ocean rising up and fighting an Iceni fleet sounds like Lena.

But then there was the story of nearly a whole fleet of Shoto warriors dying in the space of a single night. The fleet was found floating aimlessly days later. One survivor per ship.

That sounds like Onica.

But that would put Onica and Lena on opposite sides...

Which just doesn't make any sense to me.

Maybe they are a third side? That sounds more like my friends. But why would they want to jump in on a war between two empires?

Yeah, I dunno.

There were also stories of fleets being caught in sudden storms and winding up blown into reefs or beached entirely. Which sounds like something Fen would do. 

And it is anybodies guess whether the stories of islands being torched to ash is about Julius or me.

So I am just gonna head over towards the area the empires are fighting over. I figure this will all make more sense in person. Plus the news will be fresher. And sitting still right now is impossible for me. All good reasons, but mostly I just want to see them all again as soon as possible.

Now that I have taken a moment to pause and think. I wonder how I missed two whole empires in my wanderings these last few days? Guess that is just a good marker of how vast these waters really are.

I cannot sleep tonight. Luckily it doesn't really matter if I do or don't right now.

I know how easily I get lost. Normally it's no big deal to me. Everywhere is your destination if you have no plans. But this time I do have a destination and a plan. And that is why I am not actually flying there myself.

I cannot be trusted to reach an intended destination. Not when I am this excited, or ever really. So I have taken the fastest ship and crew in my islands. They will carry me to my friends.

So here I sit, aboard the Friend Zone! I named it myself! Very proud of the Friend Zone I made!

Gah! I am too excited to sit still, just, so so so happy!!!

I need to work out my nervous energy somehow! But boats are not good places for sudden exercising, and swimming is more of a hazard than an exercise for me these days.

The captain tells my translator that we should reach our destination in a week.

THAT IS TOO LONG!!!

So I am gonna see what I can do to speed things up.

Goodnight!