Terrin was flabbergasted when he regained consciousness. He opened his eyes to find he was surrounded by hazy yellowish light.
Is this the afterlife? he wondered. He immediately rejected the notion when he gagged on the foul-tasting substance filling his mouth. The smell of fish permeated the space, so strong it was almost palpable. He was completely covered in a layer of goo. Every part of his body ached or burned, lacing him in a net of agony. Something nudged him and rolled him onto his stomach. He groaned and wiped the slime out of his eyes.
It took him a few moments to realize he was resting on the deck of a ship. He attempted to sit up, but his left arm was completely numb. It started to tingle before a hive of angry bees sprang to life inside of it. He gritted his teeth as the unbearable sensation slowly returned feeling to his nerves.
Something nudged him again, and he rolled his eyes. Rowan was probably kicking him to see if he was still alive. He titled his head to the side and was blinded by the sun. In other circumstances, he would’ve blinked to adjust his eyes, but a gigantic shape suddenly blotted out the sky above him. A deafening shriek pierced the air as the monstrous beast prodded Terrin with the side of its horn again. Water streamed off the sides of its body and returned to the sea. Enormous eyes stared down at him; fiery reds and oranges swirled beneath the surface, resembling an active volcano. The leviathan stared at him for a long time without blinking. Terrin was too afraid to move. He could see his reflection in the great beast’s eyes, staring back at himself in terror.
But then he noticed a flicker of something else behind the swirling flames and realized the beast had great intelligence as well.
If it wanted to eat me, it wouldn’t have spat me out.
He stood up gingerly and took a step toward the monstrous creature. His left arm dangled uselessly at his side, but the wound didn’t look as bad as he had expected.
What am I doing? he asked himself as he approached the serpentine beast. Before he knew it, he was face to face with the aquatic creature. He could feel its hot breath against his torso, and its huge eyes questioned him silently. He reached out a hand and touched the hard, cold scales on the behemoth’s face. It’s rumbling growl shook the ship and water around it, but Terrin didn’t flinch. He closed his eyes and bowed his head to the creature. The leviathan snorted but didn’t pull away or try to devour him.
“I am glad I did not eat you, young one. I thought you were an ox.”
Terrin's eyes snapped open.
Did it just speak?
A thunderous hiccupping sound filled the air. He felt the deck vibrate below him and feared it would destroy the ship, but he soon realized the monster was laughing.
“I am not an ‘it,’ small one. I am one of the last of the Emuiri. We are an ancient race of sea dwellers. There are not many of us left.”
The leviathan was undoubtably female judging from the voice inside his head. She laughed again, shaking the deck.
“You carry great power around your wrist and both Yamoian and Incarian blood in your veins, little ox-boy. What a funny creature you are, just as I was told you would be. That bracelet seems to radiate power like that used by the Snowborn. Where did you get it?”
His heart sped up inside his chest.
“Snowborn? Are you talking about Snow?”
The Emuiri studied him for a second with one large eye. “Your race does not know much about the origin of your gods. The term ‘Snowborn’ has been passed down through us ancient races as a term referring to the creators, who birthed this world and many like it from snow. Much power was left behind when they vanished eons ago. Their artifacts still linger after all this time, including what you call the Kutsal Stones. But meaning has been lost over time, I see. The lands of the north are the ones you refer to as the lands of snow, and their inhabitants are the ones you call Snowborn. In your mind, you associate a girl with the word snow. I know her, yet I do not.”
Confusion must have been evident on Terrin’s face, because she closed her eyes, and an image appeared in his mind. The girl he saw had Elurra’s long blonde hair and flawless pale skin, but her eyes were a light green like sea glass.
“Who’s that?”
“This image is of Iara, the savior of Lur Alava. Her heart is as large as the sea. Of her daughter, I do not know. However, I was aware of this marriage to the king you are now thinking of. Because of their union, a great evil awoke in the heart of one long forgotten.”
Terrin swallowed the lump in his throat.
“Snow's mother is dead now," he revealed as he grew accustomed to speaking telepathically.
The large creature blinked a few times in a row. Abruptly, she flung her head back and her deafening roar threw Terrin onto the deck. His aching body screamed in protest, and he grimaced as new scrapes appeared on the back of his arms. Terrin was afraid the sky would crack from the force of her grief. After what seemed like an eternity, she lowered her massive head, and her cries of anguish faded away. The flames in her eyes turned to dying embers.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“Ox-child, explain how this happened. She was young, even for your limited lifespans. How has she perished so quickly?” Her voice sounded strained and cracked in his mind.
Terrin let his memories of all that had happened to Elurra’s family flow through his mind openly. She was silent for a long moment as she sorted through his jumbled recollections. She finally locked her eyes on Terrin, and fire leapt from the depths again, refueled by Nitiri’s betrayal.
“Queen Iara was a gifted and powerful user of Magic. She was a kind and compassionate soul who sought to relieve the suffering of others. She probably met her king when she offered to help with this curse the salmon-headed boy spoke of.” Terrin chuckled at her description of Rowan. “She found the metal to make those bracelets to protect her and her husband from the Demon curse. When Sharp-Edged Metal stole one—” Her eyes flashed, and a tornado of flames ignited in her eyes. She uttered a low menacing growl that made Terrin’s bones vibrate. It took him a moment to figure out she was referring to Blade.
“How did you know Iara?” he asked.
She looked at him blankly for a few seconds.
Abruptly, he was no longer on the Dwarf. The ocean around him looked like a sea of ink, and the moons and stars glimmered on its surface. He glanced up to see them shining brightly on their heavenly thrones. Pain emanated from multiple places on his body, and a barbed wire net twisted around him. He cried out desperately. He knew he was on the brink of death. This body wasn’t his own; the Emuiri was sharing its experience with him.
Suddenly, a beautiful song cut through the frozen air. He couldn’t find the source of the voice. His vision was failing; a barb was caught in his eye. The song was ghostly and complex, and the words were in the language of magic. His vision cleared enough for him to make out a blonde woman walking across the beach. His agony eased, and the net started to untangle itself from his body. Poison from the metal spikes leaked from his system, and his wounds mended themselves. The song came to a climax, and the net dissolved into thin air. The distorted image of Iara in the bright moonlight dissolved as his consciousness returned to the sunny deck of the Dwarf.
“Not only did she heal me, she hid me from the people looking for me. They wanted to steal my body parts. Scales are in demand, and horns have many uses. She told me where all the nets were in the harbor and protected me in a time of great need.”
Terrin suddenly wished he could have met Elurra’s mother.
“Ox-child, it is time to face matters at hand. The events that have been set in motion are not easily undone. You must return to Iara’s child. She will need you more than either of you realize. Call over Sharp-Edged Metal. I must speak with him.” Her eyes were no longer soft. Terrin almost felt bad for Blade.
Almost.
He turned to see his shipmates cowering behind barrels. Terrin hollered at the captain, who was hiding behind a large crate close to the festering ox blood. He peeked out with uncharacteristic fear.
“I believe I’ve proven she won’t eat you!” Terrin shouted. There was no response at first, then Blade’s shaky voice echoed back over the deck.
“Who in tha name of King Parcus tha Fifth is she?”
Terrin realized that was a decent question.
“What’re you called?” he asked sheepishly.
“It is long in the ancient language, but you can call me Vixquilla,"
“Vixquilla? Do you have a simpler name?”
She rocked the ship with her laughter.
“That is the simplified version.”
He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly as he turned back to Blade. “Vixquilla is one of the Emuiri,” he called back.
Rowan’s pale faced popped out from behind a box and mouthed, “Are you insane?” Terrin ignored the frightened redhead who ducked back behind the box when Vixquilla glanced in his direction.
“Hurry up, Blade. She can destroy this ship if you keep her waiting for long.”
Terrin had never seen the hefty man move so fast. Vixquilla chuckled, which shook the ship again. He practically dove to the ground at Terrin’s feet and quivered in fear before the great beast. Vixquilla glared at him.
“I will not speak to him. You will speak for me,” she told Terrin.
“Oh, great Demon of tha Sea, what are yer demands?” Blade asked. His words were muffled because of his posture.
She snorted and relayed a message to Terrin. He cracked a smile. “She says to get off the ground and find a backbone. She is not one of the creators.”
Color flushed the dark man’s cheeks as he quickly stood. “Why will she not speak to me?” Blade asked suspiciously, glaring at Terrin. A tornado of sparks whirled under the surface of Vixquilla’s eyes. Blade flinched and took an involuntary step back.
“This is why!” Terrin exclaimed, lifting his injured arm with surprising ease. His tattered sleeve slid back to reveal the bracelet.
“How can I move my arm? Did you do something to it? I was afraid I would never be able to use it again,” Terrin thought, unable to hide his gratitude and astonishment.
“Emuiri saliva is a natural healing agent for those with Guardian blood. Even so, you will have scars, ox-child.”
Blade paled when he identified the charm hanging from Terrin’s wrist. “How?” he started, but Vixquilla’s eyes swirled with explosions of fire, and he shut up.
“She will not speak to you because you took something that didn’t belong to you. As a result, two great rulers perished, a child was orphaned, and a great evil now plagues the land,” Terrin said gravely. Blade looked at Terrin with guilt-filled eyes. He didn’t want to finish the accusation, but Vixquilla urged him on. “Because of your greed, you have doomed many to suffer. You deserve to die for your sins.”
Terrin knew Blade understood he’d committed a crime, but it was obvious he had no idea what repercussions ensued. Terrin could tell he was appalled once he laid out the entire tale. Blade apologized profusely and begged Vixquilla to let him atone, but she ordered he follow three conditions. First, she demanded he bring out his crew. Plague, Snore, Ahren, Pronn, Curth, Drake, Rowan, Jon, Tristen, Monkey, and Yestin all lined up in front of the beast, trembling in fear. Tristen looked like he was about to wet himself. Blade joined them. For her second command, Blade pledged to follow Terrin and Elurra on their mission, and each crew member pledged their life to the captain. To make the crew understand, Terrin told them how he met Elurra and about their journey, how they were separated, and how he came to be on their ship. Blade filled in the rest for those who didn’t know the events leading up to his tale.
At the end of his confession, Terrin did his best to answer any questions the crew had, although he decided to conceal his real age and some of the enchantments from them. By the end of the story, the sun was brushing the horizon. After all questions were addressed, he asked who would be willing to come with Blade and him to assist the princess in saving Lur Alava from Nitiri. The crew stared at them in complete silence. Terrin could hear the wind ruffling the sails and the waves lapping the sides of the ship. Finally, Yestin spoke up.