44. Neptune? Is that you?
Neptune? Is that you?
Lynx
Afew hours ago, we said our goodbyes to the netherwraiths and headed North until sunrise, when we finally got to take a quick break for breakfast in the morning light. According to Devinyx, we should be close to the portal.
As we head off, I can’t help but let my mind wander since I’m not running point or in the back of the group.
Knox and Ryker have graciously filled those positions; our warriors.
Technically, all of us are warriors now.
I didn’t even have to enroll at Purgatory Prep to earn that title.
Thankfully, being a Stormshifter, I don’t have to worry about needing this Gauntlet or the Fates’ blessing to move between planes.
Hell, I didn’t have to enroll in the Academy to become much of what I am now, yet I’ve changed a lot since I first came here. I don’t mean shifting from my minx to human form and vice versa. However, dying brought about a different perspective on things.
I would like to think I’m no longer the young pup and immature boy I used to be. I’ve matured, and people can look up to me and seek out my wisdom in their time of need.
‘Really, rug?’ Knots lets out an exasperated sigh. ‘Can’t you keep your dick in your pants for more than two seconds?’
‘Sure! But if you haven’t noticed, Methuselah, I’m not wearing pants,’ I point out, shaking my furry ass in front of him as I lower my leg from peeing on yet another tree trunk.
‘You might want to get your eyes checked since you’re older than dirt.
I’m surprised you can see my massive trunk from where you’re standing.
’ I chuckle before running up to yet another tree and lifting my leg.
Call me weird, but now that I can easily change back and forth, I like being in my namesake while running around.
I realize in Hell that being in my human form sucks when traveling.
I’m blind, deaf, and fucking slow as a damn turtle in comparison to this.
Who wants to travel that way, if you can travel in first class?
“There’s the portal,” Zeke calls out, bringing my attention to the monstrosity in front of us. The silver frame stands tall, covered in pulsing ivy vines, while different blues swirl in its depths.
“Where is this thing supposed to dump us again?” JP asks, thinking the same thing I am. Aren’t we almost done with this damn thing? JP turns to throw a wink my way over his shoulder. Aw, that sneaky bastard.
“Tranquil Waters is next, if we go by elimination from the list Murmur gave me,” Rez says, biting her lower lip and staring at the portal.
‘Welp, what are we waiting for?’ I ask, taking a running leap for the portal.
As soon as I pass through the familiar magic, I tumble through the air.
Spinning, I only see blue with a few splashes of green before I hit a body of water hard enough that it knocks the last of the air that’s in my lungs out of me.
Quickly paddling to the light, I kick, not even trying to change shapes, and my head surfaces for me to take in a deep breath right as I get splashed from Knox’s body, hitting the water as well.
Fuck.
I spot a small strip of beach with a star-shaped rock formation to my left and start swimming towards it as the others drop from the sky like deadly rocks from outer space.
It takes five minutes of swimming before I’m pulling myself up on the sandy beach, where I finally change back to my human form and collapse, letting the sun dry my front as I close my eyes for a few moments.
I’m not the strongest swimmer in my cat form, and falling like that had me slightly panicking.
“To answer your question, furball,” Knots starts, and I crack open an eyelid to see that he’s completely dry.
It might have something to do with his blue wings that are flared out behind him.
Birdbrain. “We were going to decide on who should go first to scout out this world, since it’s a waterworld,” Knots sarcastically answers my previous question.
Damnit, why didn’t I think of that before jumping into the freaking portal? Ugh.
“If I haven’t made it clear recently, I hate you,” I remind him, blocking the sun from my eyes to catch the mocking smile on his face.
“I know, it brings me much pleasure,” he chuckles, turning away from me as I sit up.
I can’t help but check whether everyone else has surfaced from the still ocean. I could have easily shifted and stayed in that water, I guess, but not knowing anything about this world makes me uneasy in general. Hell, this whole aspect of the Gauntlet does.
As everyone comes up on shore, I notice Levi frowning as he turns in different directions and shakes his head before looking in another direction.
“What’s wrong?” Zeke asks, checking in on him.
Levi lets out a frustrated breath as he runs his hand through his short blond hair. “I can’t find a damn Ley line. I have no clue which way to go for the next portal without it,” he admits as his shoulders fall.
“It’s okay, we’ll figure something out,” Zeke offers in support, but before Levi can respond, Ryker calls over.
“Hey Levi, can you help me over here?” Ryker asks, and Levi joins him by peering over the shrubbery behind me as the others start looking around the small island for clues.
Honestly, just looking at the coast, we’re the only ones that have landed here.
There are no markings, no footprints, nothing to use for shelter, and even looking out over the water, I don’t see any portals.
There are a few nearby landmasses with weird formations on them; my guesses from here are a cross, a trident, and a doughnut.
But I don’t see why those would be important since this is a sea world.
I would think our task would be to survive in the sea.
“Do you see anything useful around here?” Moni asks, picking up a small shell before throwing it in the sea, only to have the water spit it back onto land.
Moni’s bark turns seafoam green as her eyes go wide and she points to the area of the disturbing water.
“We might want to stay away from this area,” she calls out, before drawing an arrow in the sand and backing away slowly.
“Point taken,” Chester and I say together.
The water spits a silver sphere back to us, and I hear a sharp ding.
“What is that?” Zeke asks, pointing to the area Moni just marked where the sphere now sits.
I’m closer, so I pick it up and open it, pulling out the paper inside.
The sea is vast, so time wonders over
Be vigilant or become a loner.
Adapt like Tali with essence,
Or stop in the path of vengeance.
-Gus
“Do all high-leveled supernatural people suck, or just the ones we know?” Moni pouts as she flashes between her red and dark brown bark. I understand her frustration. I’m tired and angry too.
‘Why can’t they just come straight out and tell us this shit?’
‘It’s probably in the rules, puss ‘n boots,’ Knots answers my rhetorical question.
At least I think it was rhetorical.
“Looks like it’s a dead end here,” Rez calls back from the right side of the land.
If we all lay out and stretch out flat across the sand with our arms over our heads to each other’s feet, we would probably reach around the small island—if we can even call it an island.
“Here, let me see that,” she says, reaching for the paper.
Her brows pull together as she rereads the paper, and her lips pull up in a tight line as she bites her lip.
I swear she’s so cute when she’s concentrating. She lets out a sigh and shakes her head.
“I swear, the first part sounds like gibberish to me, but the second part sounds like something we need to do to continue on, maybe?” She shrugs her shoulders.
“We think we found the solution,” Ryker calls out, holding up something that looks like a cross between a star fruit and a horned melon.
“What the hell is that?” Zeke asks, as his nose wrinkles with disdain.
“Tali Essence,” Ryker announces, like we all know what it means. Maybe instead of sharpening his weapons, he should have worked on his brain. We aren’t all mind readers.
“According to the research we found in Death’s Window, this fruit should help us navigate through Tranquil Waters,” Levi suggests, holding up the yellow fuzzy item with small black spikes.
The entire fruit itself is as big as his hand.
“It's said for travelers of Tranquil Waters, it brings out one's true essence of the dew, and allows them access to the waters below.”
“OH!” Moni sprints around all of us, leaving behind a green streak.
“Adapt like Tali with essence! That’s so cool that we figured it out,” she whoops and hollers, smiling big before immediately stopping in front of us.
“Wait.” Her mood swiftly changes. “So, it’s supposed to allow us to survive in the water?
” she asks, looking like a dark rain cloud.
I don’t blame her, I’m nervous too. The fuck is the dew, and do I even want it?
Before anyone can answer, her eyes roll back and she crashes to the ground.
“Well, I didn’t see that coming.” Chester’s cheeks turn bright pink as he rushes to pick her up and brush the sand off of her.
“I guess she’s getting used to the coffee,” Knots chuckles. “I was wondering how long it would take.”
“That’s one,” Zeke calls out, holding up a finger.
“Are we taking bets again?” I ask, already guessing in my head.
Chester shoots us a glare and a cute little growl before he wakes up Moni by nuzzling along her neck.
“Did my magic coffee wear off?” Her eyes go wide as she looks up at all of us. “I didn’t even feel that one coming on,” she softly admits and turns into Chester's chest.
He holds her against him as he stands and rocks her back and forth. He’s such an overachiever, but I can’t deny he’s a good mate.
“I don’t know how I feel about that fruit. What is dew, and why does mine need to be measured to be granted access to this place? It sounds fishy to me,” Knox admits as he stares at the fruit against Ryker's chest.