#aetherlight

[aartifex-a]

@aetherlight​ said:  that’s not what i fucking said and you know it [ to jin... from haru ]

Things had not been good for a few days. Tension was building. Each had grievances that had begun to stack up. The honeymoon period was over and now it was marriage and parenting full time. Their mistakes were beginning to catch up with them. The foundation of their relationship had always been questionable. Neither expected it to be easy and blissful forever, but neither had expected things to sour so fast over such minor concerns. It was death by a thousand papercuts, or so they say. Lost sleep from the toddler’s frequent resistance to bedtime, disagreements about how to organize their home, Jin’s increasing boredom as a stay at home step parent, Haru’s increasingly frequent late nights out and Jin’s suspicion at his lackluster explanations all started to bear down on them. A healthier couple might talk it out like adults, but neither ever did. The chances that Haru or Jin even knew how to approach such a conversation were slim. Various traumas and insecurities sat beneath the surface of each man, tugging them into less than ideal patterns of non-communication.

The kids were the only thing that kept them from outright arguing, but they were with their mother that weekend. Alone, with only their resentment, they were slowly boiling and in danger of spilling over. They were pulling on a thread, stretching it to its limit, until finally it snapped. 

He could handle the awkward silences. He could handle Haru complaining about minor things to vent his frustration. He could even handle the occasional argument here and there. What he couldn’t handle was feeling disrespected. When he heard those words, he slammed the wooden cutting board in his hands down onto the rock solid granite countertop with a deafening crash.

“Don’t swear at me,” he barked, “don’t even go there.”

He walked away from the counter and leaned against the archway into the kitchen. He took a few deep breaths before turning to glare at his husband. He was about to start pacing around in a futile attempt to exorcise the angry energy that coursed through him.

“What you say and what you do doesn’t match up, and I’m so god damned confused! I don’t know what I’m supposed to think, or believe, or do!”

[duckprintspress]

Meet Aether Beyond the Binary Contributors Em Rowntree and Kelas Lloyd

Today, we spotlight two more of the creators contributing to our current crowdfunding project Aether Beyond the Binary(a collection of 17 aetherpunk settings starring characters outside the gender binary): Em Rowntree and Kelas Lloyd!

Cadillac’s Bus by Em Rowntree

About Em: Em Rowntree’s first foray into the world of writing was with a story called The Magic Land that featured a unicorn and a flying carpet the size of a country, and they’ve been chasing that high ever since. They’ve been sharing their writing online for almost nine years, and have had poems and short stories published in anthologies. They live in the UK.

Links: Twitter

This is Em’s second contribution to a Duck Prints Press anthology; they also wrote a story for Add Magic to Taste.

Title: Cadillac’s Bus

Tags: pending

Excerpt: 

From their vantage point, the kid couldn’t see the rally racer inside. Couldn’t see the black gloves with one white star of pure aetherlight painted on each fingertip. Couldn’t see the curled mess of long grey hair. Couldn’t see the steely, hungry, fiercely joyful look on their face as their vehicle plunged on through the moorland. But the kid could picture it all, down to the last detail.

They put their hands in the air.

“CADILLAC JONES!” they yelled, loud enough for the cow to hear them a few hundred yards away and lift its head – but nowhere near loud enough for Cadillac Jones themself to know their name was being screamed as they disappeared out of sight, away down the track. “CADILLAC JONES FOREVER! YES! THE BEST –” The kid turned to left and right as though looking for someone to tell, but there was no one beside them. “THE BEST! CADILLAC JONES FOREVER! YES!”

They stood, overwhelmed, keeping the moment alive as long as they could. A few minutes after the rally racer had turned the next corner and gone out of sight, another vehicle came hurtling round the bend after them. The kid lifted their arms again – and this time turned their open hands into raised middle fingers.

“YOU SUCK!” they screamed in delight, a smile of joy splitting their face.

True by Kelas Lloyd

About Kelas: Kelas is a disabled, trans, bi author and artist currently (unfortunately) living in Texas. They graduated from the University of Central Florida with an English degree and love cats, tea, and all things speculative fiction. A lot of their writing features magic or disability or both, and they’re often found in Star Trek, Mass Effect, Babylon 5, and Untamed spaces. You can also find them in a lot of bead and resin spaces, because they love making sparkly jewelry of all sorts. 

Previously published pieces include an article on disability in The Last Of Us, short stories in two publications by Shacklebound Books, a pair of poems about being trans, an essay on disabled life, and a whole bunch of pieces about San Diego Comic-con. They’re single, an Ernie looking for their Bert, but they have a found family that stretches around the globe and some of their birth family accepts them for who they are. 

You can find out more about them at kelaslloyd.com

Links: Personal Website | Archive of Our Own | Twitter

This is Kelas’s first time writing with Duck Prints Press.

Title: True

Tags: character study, foster family, found family, friends, genderfluid, magic use, non-binary, present tense, self-esteem issues, teenager, third person limited pov, transphobia (mentions of)

Excerpt: 

“Oh,” Eva says, trying to recover. “Yeah, okay. So what’s the procedure? Are you gathering up all the ducklings and then herding us over?”

Paul looks at them as if they can see through the joking tone Eva’s adopted. “You’ve got a map in your booklet. I’m here, so I introduced myself, but there’s a schedule in there too. Everyone here is old enough to herd themselves; I’m here for support.”

“So you catch us in the trust-fall exercises,” Eva says, opening up the booklet to find the map and schedule.

“No, I make sure to drop everyone during those.”

Eva’s gaze snaps up to catch Paul’s grin just before it turns into a faint smile.

“You’re here because you’re struggling with aether,” Paul continues. “Most of the time a teen is struggling, it’s because they don’t know themselves well enough yet to let it flow through them the way as it’s supposed to. That’s what I help with.”

Make sure you visit our Kickstarter campaign page to learn about the collection, take a peek at the merchandise, read more excerpts, and more!

[faithfullightning]

🎨: I Can't Watch This Anymore! (もうこれは見れない! ) - Anime-style scene 📼

Angered by Owari's merciless spree on sending an angry mob to hurt the innocent, Shadow ascends from his 4th super form to his last.

✨ Aetherlight Shadow-Lightning 🔥

#furrycommunity #furryartwork

[bencgtravels]

My Top 10 Songs of 2022: #9 - Mt. Wolf (feat. Henry Green) - "Baja"

#9 - Mt. Wolf (feat. Henry Green) - "Baja"

Another beautiful song from Mt. Wolf who feature regularly in my end of year top 10s. This one is dedicated to the famous whales, seas and ecosystem of Baja California in Mexico. I'm really looking forward to the band's second album. Until then, I recommend checking our their first album Aetherlight and their numerous singles such as Hypolight, Life Size Ghosts, Tayrona, Red and Midnight Shallows!

[hailamneh]

Bohemia By Mt. Wolf From the album Aetherlight Saved August 26, 2022 at 05:03AM Listen on Spotify: https://ift.tt/auezFcf

[a-sharlayan-abroad]

(from @secrets-and-aetherlight) 5. how easily does your muse fall in love? 12. what is your muse’s love language?

5.

Not easily at all! For U’feynril, love is more than just her feelings, it’s a series of considerations and a huge amount of effort. She looks for true compatibility with a partner, and tries not to just let instinct guide her. To even get to the point where she’s thinking about a romantic relationship with someone is a struggle, since she is often oblivious to the advances of others, and her own feelings. Falling in love is a real process for her!

12.

Gestures. U’feynril is attentive to the needs of her partner, and while she may not be quick to give voice to her affection, she’ll notice the little things about them and show she cares through acts of service. If they’re cold, she’ll get them a blanket. If they’re hungry, she’ll make them a meal, etc etc. Additionally, this extends to physical affection. She’s not the type to overdo it with PDA, but simple comforting gestures like a hand on the arm, or brushing hair from her partner’s face are easy tells that she cares!

Thanks for the ask @secrets-and-aetherlight! These were fun to answer :)

[abductionradiation]

London, UK -- Mt. Wolf is back with a new single titled “Heavenbound” from their upcoming EP Aetherlight, coming out in May. I covered them over a month ago and they grabbed my attention once again with their lush instrumentation. The vocals on this track are pretty soft but there’s a definitely an emotion behind them that really draws you in. The highlight of “Heavenbound” for me is the instrumentation. If you listen carefully, Mt. Wolf does a beautiful job of blending orchestral composition with little tidbits of electronica, creating this cinematic feel that’ll just swoop your heart up in a golden chalice. 

Connect with Mt. Wolf:

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

[roses-and-grimoires]

♡ (from @secrets-and-aetherlight)

Odette knows a lot of folk songs from all over Eorzea. She and her mother traveled a lot, and as she got older and realized her love of music she made a point of learning as many as she could whenever they went somewhere new. She is also not above playing them for money in a pinch.

[onthishamsterwheel]

Get to know Onthishamsterwheel

Sections are from this Tag Game Thread. Thanks for the asks @blackrosesandwhump!

Favorite Color: I don't have one. I like the combination pairs of black & white or teal & red/purple, hence the color scheme of my blog.

Last Movie: I don't watch lots of films either, but Nolan's Tenet (2020) is on my list.

Last Series: Season 5 of LCDP is technically the last series I watched, but season 2 of Motherland: Fort Salem is the more interesting one to talk about. MFS is without a doubt one of my favorite shows in the past several years. I highly recommend it to lovers of fantasy/sci-fi.

Recent Favorite Songs: "Calico" by Haux, Chopin's "Waltz in E-flat major, B.46", Mt. Wolf's album Aetherlight, and songs from Yoste's album A Few Brief Moments. I could keep going, but I'll stop before this turns into a mountain of purple links.

Craving: A warm bowl of chicken and rice soup.

Currently Working On: In general? Forming better habits. But if we're talking about stories I plan to update or post, then the following three pieces: An original urban fantasy lab whump series called New Pyrope, a hurt/comfort Percy Jackson fanfic Falling into Dark Waters, and an as-yet unposted series tentatively titled Vitruvian Fae.

A penny for your thoughts?

@milk-carton-whump, I absolutely love your tiny whumpee stories featuring Fish and Deep. The one about almost being baked in bread was something I'd never thought of, and the comfort stories are great.

@janetm74fics, so far I have lots of ideas, but if I ever run out I'll know to check your wonderfully organized prompt lists!

@just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi, the fact that you answer asks from the perspective of your characters is so unique. I enjoy reading their responses!

@maracujatangerine, your Coriander character is really cute. I didn't think I liked "box boy" stories (is that the right term?) at first, but then I read yours.

@only-shadows-dwell-where-we-are, your Subject 17 series is one of my all-time favorites!

@iwhumpyou, your blog organization is wonderful to see. It's what inspired me to try to organize mine from the get go.

Feel free to keep this going by answering the prompts on your own blogs, linking to this post, and @ing me.

Find similar posts here: Penny Jar Masterpost

Cheers,

Onthishamsterwheel

[starforger-backup]

which soulmate: maha

blood

it covers your hands. you keep trying to get it right but you always seem to lose them, so you dig your grave next to theirs and refuse to get out. being alone makes it easier you think, and you let your loneliness coat the walls; keeping it from dripping from your wounds is such a struggle. you laugh at yourself about the cuts in your heart and others laugh with you because they cannot see. someone will crack your ribs and climb inside eventually and you will let them, and they'll love you either way.

Quiz

Tagged by @trishelle​ @phoebe-of-ivalice​ @dancing-phoenix​ @nightshade-on-my-grave​

Tagging @rokachan​ @halonic-rage​ @mira-isenhart-xiv​ @vazaymir​ @yascaret​ @candies-n-collars​ @ofsecretsandsighs​ @wildname​ @secrets-and-aetherlight​ @mteshi-ffxiv​

[aartifex-a]

@aetherlight​ sent: “   i  was  gonna  tell  you  tonight .   ”  haru to jin

All of the colour had drained from Jin’s face. He’d always suspected Haru had some sort of secret. He was out late, he had shit excuses, and came home tired in a way he didn’t expect a businessman to be tired after a night at the office. For a while he had suspected an affair. After all, cheating on his spouse was how Haru ended up meeting Jin. If they’ll cheat with you, they’ll cheat on you. That much he could live with. That much he could anticipate. But this was different.

“I just can’t fucking believe you let me marry you and didn’t tell me,” he said, hands shaking. Now he was scared. Scared of the man he loved. Scared of the man he wanted to have a family with. He felt like he’d slipped into another dimension.

The shirt was covered in blood. Not a little, a lot. A lethal amount. Whoever bled this much hadn’t survived. Whoever bled this much was laying dead somewhere, in some ditch or warehouse or at the bottom of the Hudson River. The blood was only partially dry. Some of it had gotten on Jin’s hands when he went to unpack Haru’s gym bag and do his laundry. He never should have fucking opened it.

His breaths were shallow. His shoulders shook. Tears welled in his eyes. He knew there was a catch to this life. The money, the perfect husband, the perfect kids. There had to be something. He assumed it was an affair. He assumed it was Haru’s multitude of issues, things they should’ve gone to therapy for long ago. It was so much worse than he could have ever imagined. His husband was a murderer. His husband built this life, this empire, taking lives to build up theirs.

The room felt so empty now. The high ceilings and modern fixtures of the penthouse were surreal. The dim light overhead cast a warm glow over the sleek coffee table, the tall bookshelves, and the couch they sat on. He had pushed himself to the end, away from Haru, his legs unable to hold him up. He tried to keep his voice low, a pained whisper. The kids were asleep down the hall.

“Are you going to kill me now too?”

[phoebe-of-ivalice]

What type of symphony are you?

The Nocturne: The Rise

There is a darkness which has tormented you, and the genius lament burdens you, but fear not... you are the pull of the tide and the light of the moon on a winter path. You are the soft notes which increase in intensity till the pianist pours over the keys with such passion it can only bring tears to your eyes. You cannot do things halfway though you yearn for it, and you envy those blessed with blissful ignorance, but in the end, you know you'd not have it any other way -- you are the rise they are afraid of till they cannot look away.

Your song: Nocturne in C Minor by Chopin

QUIZ HERE!

Tagged by: @tavard-ffxiv and @nightshade-on-my-grave! Thank you both for thinking of me!

Tagging: @celaena-blackthorne, @mistdrinkersblade, @warsaints, @wildname, @galla-xiv, @absolutely-bunbelievable, @mai-takeda, @trishelle, @ashenbun, @flood-of-shadow, @spellsandtales, @graaveguard, @secrets-and-aetherlight and anyone else that would enjoy taking a quiz! Feel free to tag me!

[delightfulvoidstudent]

FFxivWrite2021 Prompt #5: Free Space

Auberi hummed, softly, letting his own voice fill his ears, rather than the silence of the rooms above him. Few knew about the rooms below the club, fewer still knew about the workshop floor beneath that. Even when the club was at its fullest, when it groaned with people, the music loud enough to drive all thought from your head, this place was deep enough to be still. Just how Auberi liked it, when he chose to tinker. Today was no different, though the club would not open for hours yet. Silence filled the rooms, save for his own humming and the hiss and click of tools and metal as he built. Today’s project was something he’d discussed with Asti, a need for something that could guard, but more than guard. They needed something that could watch for trouble in multiple directions, immobilize troublemakers, and, at least in a few instances, remove them from certain locations with a minimum of fuss. It meant leveraging multiple limbs. He’d been drawing for two days, trying to find the right balance for the mechanical he wished to build, uninspired by any of the designs, before chance had dangled the perfect biological answer right before his nose. 

Asti had disagreed, at first. In fact, she’d screamed and sworn to have nothing whatsoever to do with his little (and a few not so little) machines. He’d laughed, and had his prototype prove just how versatile it could be. That had been a good night. Attaching another leg, he spoke to the palm sized mechanical spider for the first time, watching the small eyes glow with aetherlight as the crystal attuned to his voice. “You’re not so terrifying, are you? Everything we need. Eyes to watch, web to catch. A mild sedative to slow or stop, if needed, and you can walk on six legs and use two to carry or pull as needed. Absolutely perfect. I don’t know why people fear arachnids, really.” Somewhere, back in a corner, the spider that had spawned the idea busied herself with a fresh web, setting up to catch whatever might make it so far below the surface, unaware of the mechanical cousins she’d inspired. She’d startled the Elezen, almost landing on his nose, but he’d merely peered at her, stepped back, and lifted her with a single finger, moving her to a different corner of the workshop. 

[mirageofthecrystal]

(From @secrets-and-aetherlight) 💞 Favorite romantic trope

I have two for this one! One of which I've never actually gotten much opportunity to write, and the other which I have experience in doing multiple times.

First is the classic 'enemies to lovers' trope. But, I prefer to preserve the status of enemies as much as possible, because oh boy does that make relationships complicated. Two forces, pitted against each other ideologically and perhaps even by the powers that be, condemned to struggle and fight until one of them falls. Perhaps the fate of the world hangs in the balance, or some other high stakes... and yet there is a burning passion of love that cannot be quenched. An aggressive, blazing inferno of both love and lust that threatens to consume them both, and possibly the world itself if one cannot slay the other.

The other is the 'friends to lovers', but specifically in such a way that you have these two people that, while they slowly grow to have feelings for one another, run into many obstacles on the way. Perhaps one of them develops feelings and then moves on by the time the other realizes how they feel. Perhaps each of them is possessed with a notion that they aren't good enough for the other, and even though they harbor mutual feelings, they dare not tell the other. Perhaps they engaged in a drunken moment of lustful interaction, and thus believed their friendship tarnished to the point where a relationship would only carry the same stain. But in the end, despite all the hang ups and such that they've worked through, they fall in love and choose to face their burdens together rather than apart.

Thank you to @secrets-and-aetherlight & @natashas (I will answer your other one separately, but you both sent me the romance one ;) ) for the ask!

[placesyoucallhome]

(From @secrets-and-aetherlight) 💔 Favorite angst trope

Well I already mentioned hurt/comfort haha, so something else...

Behind a mask/slip of the mask, then I think, as an overarching trope. Ruhka does have trauma and angst, but it's kept tightly wrapped up and hidden away, except for unexpected slip ups. He does have a hand on it, he is trying to deal with it and slowly heal and cope, but every once in a while there's something to hit him sideways and he has to scramble to regain composure. Sometimes the slips are funny, sometimes they're horrifying, but they all come from the same place and getting to the core of it usually requires some extremes. But well, I like slowly ripping characters apart.

[Writing wishes asks]

[ink-dreams-ffxiv]

Prompt 12: (Extra Credit) Mermaid

Sahxa had been sound asleep, being of Keeper birth, she found herself often working the overnight watch on the Confederate Ships. Everyone thought the Confederates only ran warships, but some of them were runners. Slipping between the Ruby Sea and Hingashi, smuggling contraband back and forth. A light crew. More about speed then fighting. That was what the Green Coral was, a smuggling ship. 

The sudden ear splitting sound of the explosion, the wild rocking of her hammock in the small cabin at the stern of the boat, next to the Galley Pantry had Sahxa awake in an instant. Holding fast to the swinging net of the hammock, trying to make sense of it all. Another explosion, the ship listed wildly as timber groaned in protest to the abuse, but it was the third explosion that sealed the fate of the fast ship. The gunshot sounds of heavy timbers snapping like twigs while the cabin again changed it’s orientation. Sahxa found herself dumped from the hammock, her grip torn from the netting she had been clinging to, making her spin as she fell. What had been the front wall and door of the small curved and angular space, was suddenly the floor. 

More groans and snapping of timber could be heard through the hull, the rush of air like a wind, followed by the sound of in rushing water made Sahxa move against the wall away from the small door, which moments later buckled inward with the force of the churning water trying to fill the small space. Sahxa grabbed a rafter that was part of the decking for the Captain’s cabin which had been above the small space she shared with other crew. Another such space was on the other side of the pantry, and the sounds of jars falling and crashing from the shelves could still be heard through the wall. She grabbed onto her duffel, which was floating atop the rising water in the cabin. The familiar greasy feel of the oiled canvas was a little reassuring as the world around her seemed to be coming apart.

After a moment, Sahxa realized the section of ship she was in was slowing. She knew without a doubt it had been sinking, and sinking fast. That she was standing on what should be the front of the cabin like it was the floor, made it clear the rudder was pointed to the sky. She couldn’t help the giggle that rose in her throat, part panic, part absurdity, as she watched the small oil lamp she had lit to read by, until she fell asleep, was swinging above her in a small circle. Still lit, unbroken, and not even sputtering. It brought a measure of calm to her. 

The jolt of the broken ship suddenly coming to a stop rocked her to her knees. More groaning wood, and a muffled high pitched squeal caught her attention. To her ears, it had sounded like it came from the pantry, but before she could ponder it some more, the cabin shifted again. What had been the ceiling was now a steeply angled floor as Sahxa realized the stern of the ship  had settled on the bottom, falling until it had settled upside down on the aft deck and wheelhouse. She pictured the ship in her mind, and realized, the ship had broken apart between the main mast and the stern, probably along the bulkhead of the cargo hold. 

More sounds of things crashing, another squeal of panic and then sobbing came from the other side of the wall and the pantry. Ona, the Captain’s daughter, did much of the cooking for the crew. She was a little older than Sahxa, and being raised in the Confederacy, she wasn’t what you would call a wallflower. Sahxa took a last look around the small cabin, the rivulets of water seeping through the planks where the air was working its way out, and water worked its way in. The sobbing continued and Sahxa made a decision. Using her foot to move the remnants of the door, she took a breath and plunged into the water. The pocket of air had stopped the rush of incoming water, which let her sink into the icy chill with ease. Her feet contacted the broken and splintered bulkhead of the cargo bay, as the Miqo’te got her bearings. She closed her eyes, concentrating, and when she opened them, the murky black water took on a translucent green color. One of her gifts was being able to see in the dark from the aether glow of her eyes. It’s how she could dive at night, and dive deeply, below where the light of the day could go. The soft current of the water swirling about turned her hair into a cloud around her, obscuring her vision for a moment. She didn’t have a tie at hand, so she did the only thing she could think of, swimming the short distance to the pantry, and the trapped woman within. 

Just like in Sahxa’s cabin, the small oil lamp was still lit. The drowned looking, bedraggled woman, covered in the detritus of a pantry that had been caught in a whirlwind was pressed against the hull, where the extra thick beams held the pivots for the rudder crossed. She had a foot on each of the shelves, with her back pressed hard to the wood. Seeping water dripped down over her, her wet hair hung down around her face, putting it in shadow from the swaying lamp. It was the cocked pistol in her hand that made Sahxa stop in the doorway, an arm's length from the rising surface of the water into the pantry space. 

Sahxa wondered what the woman saw. If she could see the glow of her eyes, in the dark water. She was afraid to blink, as she watched the terrified woman above her. The barrel twitched, there was a small spark, and nothing. Sahxa’s heart had stopped for a second as she realized the woman had pulled the trigger, the flint had sparked, but the old pistol’s powder was too wet to ignite. A scream of rage and terror, then Ona threw the useless pistol towards Saxha as hard as she could. In turn, Sahxa threw a binding spell at the woman, pushed off hard, and launched herself upward in a spray of water. 

She grabbed the spell bound Ona, and let them both fall into the water below. She didn’t know why she did what she did, but she wrapped her strong arms around the hyur, carried her through the short hallway, looking into those terror filled eyes, the aetherlight of her own eyes glowing back at her. She guided them up the shattered stairwell, to what had been the deck, then out from under the wheelhouse. The sliding doors of the Captain’s cabin had been shattered from the Imperial attack on the ship, and Sahxa realized that was why the section had sunk so fast. It had turned into a wooden tunnel, letting the water pass right through it. 

Ona started to struggle in her arms, panic and pain filling her expression. Sahxa covered her mouth with her own, drew in a deep breath through her nose, concentrated hard, felt the aether shift, and she pushed the breath into the other woman’s mouth. Air seeped out of the woman’s nose and the sides of her mouth as Saxha kicked her legs, dragging Ona to the surface. She felt it when Ona breathed in, taking the life giving breath that Sahxa’s magic had made for her. Together they rose, until Sahxa felt the binding spell break, and Ona grabbed her hair and yanked her head to the side. Sahxa had allowed her grip on the woman to loosen, making it easier for them to rise, now though, Ona was kicking her bare feet, swinging her arms through the water, struggling to swim to the surface, which was just the barest hint of a glow above them. Sahxa swam easily around behind Ona, who was focused above her. She grabbed the woman by the soaked tunic with one hand, and dragged her upwards. A big bubble passed Sahxa, and she took a deep breath, again concentrating, feeling the magic change it in her chest. She looked into the terror filled eyes of the woman she was trying to rescue, pulled her up, and again pressed her lips to the woman’s. Ona breathed it in greedily, but didn’t resist as they swam to the surface.

One of the longboats bobbed on the surface when they reached it. There was no sign of the Imperial ship that had blown the ship apart. She had gotten Ona into the longboat, thrown her duffel in as well, then began swimming over the surface until she had located all of the crew. From Captain Juk, Sahxa took the thick leather bracer off his arm. It was his pride and joy because Ona had made it for him, and from his waist, she took the pocket watch that held the picture of baby Ona and her Mother. Sahxa had never learned her name, but she felt Ona should have them now. She could see the sails of a ship on the horizon, as she floated in the water. She watched them for a bit, and realized they were in deed coming this way. Swimming back to the longboat, she found Ona had succumbed to the shock, and slept curled in the bottom. Sahxa climbed in herself, unrolled the canvas along the bottom, which was an amusing adventure with the woman curled up there, but she managed. The small mast went through the hole in the center seat, the triangle of sail was strung, and quickly filled with the wind. Settling back, Sahxa guided the small craft towards the approaching ship. She figured it was the merchant ship out of Hingashi that they had been sailing towards. 

Ona didn’t say much to Sahxa over the next day. They had been plucked from the sea, and put into the Captain’s Cabin. Ona didn’t really have to say much though, every time she looked at Sahxa, the ginger haired Miqo’te could see terror and fear in her expression. When they made the piers in Kugane, Ona and Sahxa followed Captain Carvallain down the plank from the Kraken’s Arms. He had spoken to them both together, and then separately about the events that had left them floating with an emergency sail in a longboat. Ona hadn’t said much more than “she dragged me from the water” when they had been questioned together. It was when she had been questioned along that made Sahxa wonder, because when the woman came back to the cabin, she was being carried by a ship's mate, and smelled strongly of rum. 

At the bottom of the gangway, Ona kept walking, and Captain Carvallain de Gorgagne placed his hand on Sahxa’s shoulder, turning her to look him in the eye. “She tells me you grew scales, and a tail, and that you took her from the pantry of the Green Coral, and swam with her to the surface. She also tells me you tried to bite her face off at least twice.” She couldn’t help it, she started laughing so hard she was crying. 

“And tell me Captain, did she tell you why she was in the pantry?” He shook his head, and Sahxa pulled the brass opium pipe from the pocket of her duffel that had been in Ona’s pocket and engraved with Ona’s name on the stem. “It was probably an opium dream”