Sol

I stood up shakily after my legs formed beneath me. My arms, back and legs all ached from the long swim from Locksin to the shores of Illuria. Cool rain pelted our heads in fat soft drops as I wiped the excess water from my eyes. I knew I wouldn’t have much time to stay on my feet the longer we stayed out in the rain.

Melinde moaned behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see her spread eagle on her back. She flung an arm over her eyes while shaking her head. “I don’t… know how all… of you… do it!” she gasped. “I’ve…never swam so far… in my life!”

I chuckled as I grabbed her under her armpits and began dragging her above the tideline. I could hear Lasaro laughing as he carried our gear out of the water. I rolled my eyes and focused on pulling Melinde clear of the water. I felt my legs and feet tingle as the wind whipped my clothes and hair toward the tree line.

I crouched and lifted her into a princess carry. I raced for the trees as my legs rapidly became number until they snapped together as my tail formed. I cried out, twisted, and fell hard on to my back with Melinde’s full weight on my chest. I felt a sharp pain along my sternum as my breath was forced out of my breast.

“My gods! Are you alright?” Melinde cried as she rolled off me.

“I’m…fine…” I croaked as I sat up. “You’re heavy.”

“Did you… just call me… fat?”

“Maybe I did.” I winked at her and she snorted.

“So…how are we getting…to the trees?”

“I can carry you,” Lasaro said. We both looked up to see him standing over us.

“How are you still standing?” I asked suspiciously. He lifted one of the bags in his hand.

“I took the time to take off my Grace while you two were making your ridiculous attempt to outrun the rain,” he said solemnly. “I take it that you never got very far with your warrior training?”

I scowled at him. “Not by choice,” I said sharply.

“Well, it shows. Lady Melinde, if you would allow me to carry you first?” he said bowing.

“Yes, sure,” she said weakly. He crouched, picked her up and carried her to the tree line while I sat in the wet sand still scowling. I slapped down my fins in frustration. Why hadn’t I thought of that? I was so intent on reaching the trees as quickly as I could. If I had glanced back a second time I could have seen what he was doing. Now I looked like a blundering idiot.

Lasaro soon returned and crouched next to me without touching me. His face lacked emotion, similar to Vael’s emotional mask. The only difference I could see was Lasaro’s eyes did not hold the same coldness that Vael’s would. Instead his eyes were warm and gentle. How could he display such a feeling with only his eyes?

Was this why the Bone God favored him over me?

“Eminence,” Lasaro said, breaking the silence between us. “Will you allow me to carry you to the trees?”

I considered crawling at that point. The thought of him touching me curled my stomach. I know he didn’t mean me any harm, but I still had the scars from when he had. How could he be so polite and calm with me after seeing how much of a monster I had become by challenging a god?

Didn’t have a little hate and disgust for me? Why did I feel like I needed to be punished? Why couldn’t I forgive myself?

I looked down and raised my arms like a child. “I will allow it,” I said softly. After all, I would look ridiculous crawling along the beach on my belly. The thought made me cringe inwardly.

“As you wish,” he said bowing his head to me. He placed his left arm across my back and under my left arm while placing his right arm under my tail. He stood with little effort and began to walk with me toward the trees. I could see Melinde smiling and waving at us with my mother right beside her.

My mother looked pleased as she watched us make our progress. I wondered what she would say to me now. As we drew closer my stomach began to form knots as I felt tendrils of miasma coming from the north.

Lasaro sat me down on a grassy patch beneath the roots of an old gnarled tree. The bark was gray from the salt spray and riddled with small holes. Melinde touched my shoulder. “You alright?”

“Yes…” I replied. “What about you?”

She smiled and lifted her tail. “I’m feeling less sore, so I guess that’s a plus.” She shrugged her shoulders before dropping her tail. “This still feels surreal. Am I still a Landwalker or am I Waterfolk?”

“You’re human.”

“I know that, but I’m different now. I was born a Landwalker and now I can swim among Waterfolk. Arno has taught me Waterfolk customs and holidays, but I still feel like an outsider. I want to feel like I belong.”

Lasaro sat down on the other side of Melinde. “I think I understand. My mother was a paramour and so I was born into a life of luxury, but treated like a bastard. I never had any friends among the civilians or nobles. Only the warriors accepted me as who I am,” he said. “My father spoiled my youngest sister and me, which caused a divide between us and our half-sisters. I wanted to be his noble son, to make him proud, but his other children never lost an opportunity to remind me of my less than noble roots.

“Without our warriors or my father and sister, I would have remained an outsider. Lady Melinde, instead of focusing on whether or not you’re a Landwalker or Waterfolk, focus on being a part of your family. You are not an outsider to them, and you won’t be an outsider to me.”

I felt my heart soften by a small degree as I listened to Lasaro. It was hard to remain completely mad at him when he seemed so kind. Was this kindness part of the reason he and Melinde were chosen as champions? I don’t know if I would ever be capable of his sympathy.

Melinde rested her hand on his knee. “Thank you, Eminence,” she said smiling. “So…where do we go from here?”

“When Ryaa returns we’ll choose a spot to set up camp so you can dry off,” my mother said as she floated in front of us. Her nose wrinkled like she smelled something bad.

“I have a random question,” I said suddenly. They all looked at me. “Do you feel the miasma?”

“Is that what this is?” Melinde said with wide eyes. “I have been feeling nauseated, I thought I was coming down with something.”

“I feel it as well. It’s stronger when I face north,” Lasaro said.

“I do too,” my mother said. “I felt it before we reached the land. Maybe it’s because I am dead, but I’m more sensitive to it now.”

“Ok…so…is there any way to block it?”

“Try the spear.” My mother pointed to the weapon near our bags. “If you can attune to its power you should be able to use it to dispel this miasma sickness.”

Lasaro picked up the weapon and handed it to Melinde. She held it aloft awkwardly in front of her. She took a deep breath then released it as she closed her eyes. Her hair began to glow and float around her head. I watched closely as the lettering on the spear began to pulse with a dull light which brightened for a moment before fading away.

“Phew, I don’t notice anything different. Do you guys?” Melinde said as she looked between us. I shook my head. My unease had not faded at all. “Hounds…” she muttered under her breath.

"Well maybe if you didn't hold it like you were going to drop it, the cursed thing would work," a gruff voice said.

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All of us looked around for the source of the new voice. I noticed Lasaro moving his head stiffly upwards, a blank look on his face. I followed the path of his eyes and saw an old man floating before us. He was dressed in long black robes with green vines twisting and branching along the folds of his sleeves. A black fan was clutched in his right hand while he "stood" with his arms crossed.

Lasaro stood, took a few steps forward then tumbled to his knees. "NO!" he screamed. The sound of his voice petrified me, Its disjointed tone that sounded like a flute being blown forcefully. "Father!" he yelled and began to sob into the damp sand.

My eyes stung as I watched the man shake his head and beat his hands against the ground. He was soon covered in sand that had yet to be washed away by the rain. My heart throbbed with each beat as I watched the spirit descend and place his hand over Lasaro's head.

"I'm sorry, dear boy. It was an accident," the old man said softly.

Melinde crawled toward them and rested her cheek on Lasaro's right shoulder. I joined them and rested my hand on his left one. I felt his body tremble beneath my chilly fingers. I splayed my fingers and began to move my hand in a small round circle.

We continued to sit around him; his loud, choked unrhythmic moans and sobs began to lessen till they could scarcely be heard over the roar of the sea's waves.

"Minnow, I'm sorry," the old man said. Lasaro began to tremble at a quicker rate. "I had hoped to live to see you married off and having children of your own. That was a selfish wish. I knew I wouldn't have much time to spend with you when you were born; I was already a grandfather then. I'm glad that I at least go to see you grow into a fine young man, and a good leader."

"I-I promised myself that I would come see you," Lasaro moaned. "I hoped that I could finish this duty quickly and return to your side."

"Boy, you are a leader! Sometimes you will miss the important things, like a birth or a funeral. Duty comes first. I guess it's fitting that since I wasn't there for your birth, you weren't there for my death."

"I'm so sorry," Lasaro replied.

"Don't be! I'm not mad at all!"

Lasaro lifted his head and looked up at his father. The old man smiled widely. "Think of this as a reward. I get to spend all the time with you now that I couldn't when I was alive."

"That's looking on the brightside," my mother said.

"Well we can't all be dark and moody; no work would get done!"

My mother bowed to the old man. "Wise words, my lord."

"Now, if you ladies would excuse us, my son and I need some time alone together."

I lifted my hand quickly from Lasaro's shoulder. I couldn't believe that I was till rubbing it. How did I go from not standing the sight of him to comforting him?

He looked at me, his silver eyes grayed with grief, and smiled gently. "Thank you for your kindness," he said. He turned his head to Melinde. "And you as well." He rose slowly as if a great weight had been placed on his back. His body still trembled even as he stood tall and began to walk down the beach next to his father.

"I miss my father," Melinde said softly. I looked at her and saw that her eyes were red from crying. "I hope I can see him before it's..."

"Before it's too late?" I said. I wondered what my own father was doing at this moment. Was he worried about me? His wife and parents were dead, his sister exiled and I was miles away. Only Neoma was there to keep him company. Was our duty really worth the time spent away from our families?

"I'm sure you can still see your father."

"Thanks," Melinde replied. She patted my shoulder before drawing me into a hug. I felt the warmth of her tears as she cried into my shoulder. My own tears began to run down my cheeks mixing with the rain.

Was it foolish for us to hope to see our fathers?

Damia

I wiped the blood from cheek then grinned at the man who had left it there. “Maybe next time you’ll be careful when picking on travelers,” I said then spat at his feet. The man scooted back from me using his heels and, his hands too busy cradling his severed fingers.

Before he could react, I grabbed him by the hair and used his shirt to wipe the blood from my dagger before sticking it in my belt. The man let out a squeal but didn’t move as I completed this action.

“You should be grateful you’re still alive. My sister is the nice one,” my younger sister said. She was busy rifling through the sack the man previously hid in a hollow stump. She tossed aside the jewels in favor of a small stiletto dagger and brass knuckles. “Now these, I like,” she said trying on the weapons.

“I’m starting to think I’ve been a bad influence on you,” I said as I joined.

“You? Never!” my sister said mockingly. She slipped her new weapons into her own bag before slinging it over her shoulder. She straightened then went over to the man and kicked him in the soles of his boots. “Hey, you, how far is Naomi?”

“J-just half a day south f-from here,” the man stuttered. He pointed with his elbow down the path that we had been traveling on. I looked up at my cousin as she sat in a tree above us. She nodded then flew down the road. “A-are you two part of a cult or something?”

I smirked. I was surprised that the man still had the spirit to talk to us. “No, we serve the Mistress,” I replied before taking my sister by the arm and heading down the path. Our boots squelched in the mud as we picked our way around puddles. My sister began to hum a tune and I joined her. Soon we were skipping and jostling each other on the narrow path as we giggled like children.

“What do you think Naomi is like?” my sister asked.

“Pfft, like any other Illurian town. Small, stuck up and boring.”

“I can’t wait to go home.”

“Yeah, me too, but orders are orders.”

“I wonder what the champions are like. I hope they’re sexy.”

“They could both be women like us.”

“That would be no fun. By the way, is your stomach still upset?”

I patted my stomach. Before the would-be bandit had attacked us, the miasma had caused my stomach to turn. I still had not managed to get the taste of bile from my mouth no matter how many times I took a swig from my water skin. This trip was wearing down on my nerves. I could only hope that the champions had it slightly worse than us. I knew it was a bad thing to wish, but it helped me feel better about heading into the demon’s stronghold.

I glanced at the yellowing plants around me. Everything from the tree bark to the grass blades was turning a sickly yellow under the exposure of the miasma. The two of us had hardly eaten anything because of the fear of being corrupted by it. So far, it seemed, water was the only substance unaffected by this miasma. I wondered if it was because of the blessing of the Gentle God.

Our cousin came floating quickly down the path, she seemed to be shouting something, but I couldn’t hear what she was saying. At that moment I realized the entire forest was quiet except for a ringing in my ears. I looked at my sister just as a hound leapt out from the brush and latched onto her throat.

I grabbed my dagger and plunged it into the beast’s belly, but it did not release its grip. My sister grabbed its jaws then rolled forward. She landed on top of the hound causing it to let go for a brief moment as it smacked its head. My sister’s hair began to glow and floated around her head as she gripped the hound’s throat with two hands and began to squeeze.

I crashed to my knees as something large and heavy hit the back of my legs. I had barely lifted my head when I felt teeth sink into my thigh and arm on my right side. I screamed, but no sound left my throat.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on the gift my god had given me. I felt my body grow larger while the points of pain on my body grew smaller. I opened my eyes and looked at the yellow hounds clinging to my giantess form. I picked them off my body like ticks then crushed them under my heel.

I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to see a massive cloud of thick yellow smoke rising from the trees. I felt a tug on my sleeve and looked at my sister who had grown into her own giantess form. She was mouthing a word and pointing off to her left.

My gazed followed her finger. Nodding in understanding I took her hand in mine and began to run as the silent cloud came rolling towards us like storm clouds. A flood of birds preceded the ominous clouds and flowed around us as we began to run. I could feel a burning sensation on my skin as we reached the pond shore and jumped into its murky water. The brown water sprayed into the air like a geyser as we sank into the muddy bed.

How strong was this demon? Why had the Mistress waited so long to choose champions to defeat it?

I clutched my sister’s hands tightly as we waited for the cloud to pass. I had begun to doze when my sister elbowed me in the ribs. I looked at her and she pointed to our cousin who motioned for us to follow. “The cloud is gone,” she said.

“Thank you,” I sang before reaching up and pulling myself out of the muck. “Ugh,” I groaned when my large body finally disloged from the bottom of the pond. “Thalia, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Damia,” my sister said as she stood. She took a deep breath and allowed herself to shrink in size. I scanned the woods around us before returning to my normal size beside her. “What was that back there? I couldn’t hear a thing.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. This must be another ability of the demon. You saw how it controlled those accursed hounds.”

My sister spat on the ground and sneered. “Filthy beasts,” she growled. Her throat was raw and bloody after the confrontation with the hounds.

“We should look for our things,” I said.

“Easy, I can lead you to them,” my cousin said then took off through the trees. My sister and I sighed before following after her at a jog.

“This sucks; I hate losing weapons,” Thalia said as we weaved through the rotted underbrush. “If that fool tried to steal from me again,” she began.

“You mean take back what you took from him?” I said.

She glared at me. “Losers end up in the bottom of the ditch with missing teeth. Winners,” she said pointing to herself, “get to confiscate whatever the loser had on them.”

“Yep, I’ve definitely been a bad influence on you.”

“I only learn from the best!”

“Flattery, keep it up.” We reached the path and found our bags where we had left them. I picked up the sopping leather by the strap and threw it over my shoulder. “We still have a ways to go before we reach Naomi. The demon knows we’re here and will more than likely try to attack us again. Since it can alter sound, Sidra, you can’t be on night duty any longer.”

“I understand,” my cousin said with a sad sigh. I wished I could pat her on the shoulder.

“Thalia, we’ll flip to see who takes night. In the meantime watch for hounds or whatever the demon may throw at us. I think the safest place to sleep will be at the bottom of another pond or even a lake. Sidra, if you could look for one near Naomi?”

“Got it,” she replied.

“Understood,” Thalia said. I looked up at the sun as it began its descent to the horizon. We wouldn’t have much daylight left to find shelter and I knew we wouldn’t have the time to reach Naomi on foot. How many more surprises waited for us?