Tess had an uneventful few days. Her lessons were becoming monotonous, almost boring. They weren’t challenging to her anymore. “Miss Priestess, Matera requests your presence in the testing room.” A troll bowed at the entrance of her room.

Tess gave the troll a confused look. “Where’s Dorian?”

“I have not seen him today, Miss Priestess,” the troll replied, not meeting her gaze.

Tess felt a chill run down her spine. Dorian always brought her her messages. What was wrong with him? Did trolls get sick? “Tell mother I’ll be right there,” Tess finally said. If she didn’t respond soon enough, they would think she had grown attached to Dorian. She didn’t want to think about what would happen to him if Matera suspected a friendship forming.

“Very well,” the troll bowed once again, then walked off down the hallway.

Tess felt her heart speed up at Dorian’s absence. Her eyes drifted to her window. There was a courtyard filled with statues that could be seen from her room. She shook her head. She couldn’t think about those things. Tess opted to see what her mother wanted in the testing room.

It didn’t take long to arrive in the testing room. Tess knocked on the door. She couldn’t figure out why she was meeting Matera here. She didn’t have a test that she was aware of.

The doors opened to reveal Matera smiling at the sight of Tess. “Oh good, you’re here.” Matera motioned for Tess to enter the room. “You probably haven’t noticed yet, but your poison should be coming in and I’d like to see how potent it is.”

“My poison?” Tess asked shakily. She had forgotten the sirens had a poisonous kiss.

“Yes, dear,” Matera continued, brushing off Tess’ uncertainty. “You still want to become a siren, right?”

“Of course, mother,” Tess’ response had become automatic. She had been asked this same question several times before. “What will you need to test its levels?”

“Just lightly kiss this paper,” Matera demonstrated on her own paper. The paper dissolved as soon as Matera’s kiss touched it. It surprised Tess at how fast it happened. “Your turn.” Matera handed Tess her own sheet.

Tess licked her lips, wondering if she’d be able to taste or feel her own poison. She finally took the paper and brought it to her mouth. She kissed the paper. Only to be disappointed when she continued to feel the papers’ resistance on her lips. Maybe she did it wrong?

Matera took the paper from Tess and looked at it. “Not too potent. It must be just coming in,” Matera mused as she looked at the barely bubbling paper. She glanced up to see Tess’ concerned face. “Nothing to be concerned about. I knew it was a little early to be testing.” Matera placed the sheet down on a nearby table and gave Tess a reassuring hug. “We’ll try again in a few weeks, and see how you’re doing with it then.”

“Okay,” Tess grinned. This was new and exciting for her.

“That’s all I needed you for this morning,” Matera dismissed Tess as she turned to do something else.

Tess nodded, then turned for the door. As she reached for the doorknob when Matera called her attention back to her.

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“Before I forget,” Matera started. “After lunch, please meet me in the courtyard.”

Tess bobbed her head in agreement, then walked out of the room. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do to pass the time. Perhaps she’d go read in the library. It was full of books from the sunken ships. There were a few books that had caught her eye not that long ago.

—--

Tom was one of the first to wake on the ship. He ambled up to the deck and walked to the railing. He leaned on it to look out at the dock, his tail swinging lazily behind himself. Only stilling when he noticed a small animal sitting on some barrels close to the water. The orange tabby Destru had complained about the night before. Tom looked around himself before looking back towards the cat. It was staring back at him.

“Sign of the guardian,” a low gravelly voice startled Tom, making him look towards the speaker.

“Nyx, you startled me!” Tom held a hand at his heart, as he tried to slow its beating down.

The troll nodded towards where the cat had been. Tom looked back towards the barrels, then started when he didn’t see it anywhere around the deck. He looked back towards the troll, confused. “It was just there… where did it go?”

“Back to the Dias,” Nyx nodded toward the gated flower fields.

“Should I follow it?” Tom asked. He didn’t want to go without Destru, but if this was going to be one of his only chances… he should take it, right?

Nyx shrugged, a small rumbling in his throat as he studied the horizon.

Tom looked from the horizon to the troll, then back again. “I’m going,” he finally announced, walking down the plank. He glanced back. He expected the troll to stop him, only to see him nodding his head, then leaving the deck for the kitchens. Trying to get out of the sun before it rose.

Tom took a deep breath, shaking out his shoulders, then headed towards the fields.

—---

It didn’t take long for Tom to make it to the fields. It helped that the population was still sleeping. Tom looked around at the gate and wall. They were steep and tall. How had he scaled it the first time? He glanced around as he contemplated a transformation. He was still alone.

Tom moved to the side of the fields so he wouldn’t be seen as well. Quickly undressed, then bundling his clothes into a quick sack. He transformed into his giant wolf self. His gray ears and tail darkened so the black of the wilkolak showed. When he was done, he was standing tall enough that his shoulders could almost brush the lower limbs of the trees. Tom picked up his clothes in his mouth and ran towards the wall. He picked up enough speed, jumping the wall with minimal effort.

Once on the other side, he dropped his clothes bundle and shifted back into his human form. He groaned a little as he felt his muscles complaining from the quick transition. He usually tried to make sure he was shifted longer than that, so his body wouldn’t protest as much. It wasn’t impossible to do several shifts within a short time. His parents had actually trained himself and his brother to do it. He just didn’t enjoy doing it a lot because it took a lot out of him.

Tom looked around the path he was on. Why didn’t he pay attention when he was on top of the wall? What was he looking for? Tom scratched his head as he tried to figure out where he should go to find the hero’s Dias. If it was truly here, as everyone thought it was. Tom opted to go straight. He had been here several times before with Tess, so he had a rough idea of the layout.

His heart yearned for Tess as he saw all the plants that she would’ve gotten excited for. He even stopped and admired some of them. He reminded himself of how Tess would start rambling off facts of the plants as she admired them. “Lavenders good for relaxing before bed,” her voice entered his head. “If you’re ever feeling too wound up, take a sniff and let it soothe your scrambled thoughts.”

Tom took Tess’ advice and picked a couple of sprigs off the plant and inhaled the scent, closing his eyes. It reminded her of his favorite shampoo of hers that she liked to make in the spring. She’d make fun of him if he ever used it, but he never cared about that. He liked the scent, too. He opened his eyes, nearly crying when he didn’t see Tess standing next to him. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea…

He shook his head. No, he was going to complete this mission. Tom continued around the flower fields, deciding to make his way to the center. Important things always seemed to be in the middle of places, so why wouldn’t the Dias? Tom’s ears perked forward as he started seeing a rocky hill that he didn’t remember seeing before. His heart beat faster as all his searching paid off. He was finally here.