Part 2 - Takatari

  Chapter Twenty-Three – Discussing the Dream

  Luxaday, 12 Tamihr, Year of Folivor the Restful Sloth, 489 years AWA

  Royal Palace of Andovarra, Candibaru and Afa Masina, Andovarra

  The main dining hall bustled with morning activity—a marked contrast to the previous evening's quieter atmosphere. Sunlight streamed through tall windows, illuminating the tapestries of Andovarra's eleven provinces and catching on rising steam from dozens of bowls of curlyseed porridge. The gentle percussion of wooden spoons against bowls created a rhythmic undertone to the low murmur of conversation, punctuated by the occasional scrape of a chair or clink of a serving vessel.

  Cali and Kere were the first ones to make it down to the main dining hall for breakfast after leaving their room keys at the desk that was set up to serve guests. They both took bowls of curlyseed porridge with mel honey, which was slightly runny; yaifwi, an egg-shaped fruit with green skin similar to that of a mango and a green interior with a texture similar to an avocado that tasted of citrus with a hint of caramel; and kahki tea, a stimulating beverage commonly served in the morning.

  “Did you sleep well?” Kere asked Cali with a smile.

  “Well enough,” agreed the cleric, returning the smile. “You?”

  “Pretty well,” replied the druid. “Are you ready for this adventure?”

  “To tell you the truth,” admitted the cleric, “I’m not entirely sure what to expect.”

  “Oh, heh,” chuckled Kere, “I’m not totally sure, either, but I would imagine it’s mainly sailing and keeping watch. We’ll be responsible for any hostile encounters, and we’ll need to keep Prince Sondil safe.”

  “You know, Kere,” said Cali, taking a sip of her kahki tea, “I had the oddest dream last night.”

  “I had an odd dream, too,” replied Kere, eating a spoonful of porridge. “A man appeared, saying something about accusations and currents and to look for him in reflections, in crystal structures, and in charts that draw themselves.” She then laughed. “It must have been something I ate last night.”

  “That’s what I dreamed about, too!” exclaimed Cali, her hands tightening around her cup. “I wonder if the others dreamed about that, too?

  Kere shrugged. “We’ll have to ask them when they come down to breakfast. Have you sailed before?”

  “Just along the coast of Tamandre, replied Cali. “I once traveled from Ertal, which is a small city with a small port, further north to the primary port city of Kunibai

  “I’ve never been to Tamandre,” admitted Kere. “How did you like it?”

  “I wasn’t in Ertal long enough to have much of an impression of it, as we traveled overland through Andovarra to get there, and Ertal is not far past the Andovarran border if you take the Coastal Road. Kunibai was very hot, as we were there in summer, but I fell in love with the food there. Tamandran food uses a lot of spices, including some hot spices. I am not overly fond of hot food, but they had this rice dish with roasted lamb and a creamy curry that wasn’t hot at all that I just loved. Now I have a question for you.”

  “Sounds good,” said Kere of the dish Cali described. To her statement of having a question, she replied, “Sure. Ask away.”

  “Well, I have never sailed in the deep sea before,” said Cali. “But I have heard it is dangerous. Do you know anything about that?”

  Kere paused, considering. “Perx touched on that briefly last night when we were talking to King Eldoran. My grandfather commanded ships in the Andovarran navy. From what he told us, there are specific risks you need to watch for." She counted them off matter-of-factly. "Temporal anomalies, wildshards affecting magic, storms, pirates, sea monsters. Also sickness, though that's usually preventable."

  She noticed Cali's concerned expression and added more gently, "But experienced crews know how to handle most of these. And you and I specifically have magic that can help with the sickness part."

  Cali nodded, then asked, “Do you think we are likely to encounter any of those things?”

  Kere thought a moment. She’d had this very question when she’d taken her captain’s exam. “The rainy season starts next month." Kere shrugged. "Could be we get back right when it starts, could be we miss it entirely. Depends on how long the wedding preparations and festivities last." She seemed unconcerned by the uncertainty. "Storms are a possibility either way. Worth being prepared for, but not worth worrying about yet. So while it’s certainly possible we might encounter a storm, I wouldn’t call it extremely likely. As for the temporal anomalies and magic effects, what I’ve heard is that the farther into the deep Matalis you get, the more common they are. Frankly, I’m hoping to learn more about the likelihood of encountering those as we travel.”

  “What about sickness?”

  "Grandfather always said sickness comes from three things: not enough supplies, contaminated food or water, or picking up something at port that spreads." She gestured toward herself and Cali. "We can both create water and purify food, plus we have healing magic. As long as we stay alert about it, we should be fine. The trip itself isn’t long enough that lack of food or drink should be an issue, as long as we don’t capsize.”

  Cali tilted her head. “And capsizing is a separate risk from the rest?”

  “The risk is different, but it can go along with any one of those.”

  “That’s not perfect, but I suppose it’s not too bad a risk. Thanks, Kere.”

  Kere smiled at the cleric. “Of course.”

  About that time, Neric, Jori, and Jenna wandered in and sat down with the druid and cleric.

  “Good morning, ladies,” called Neric to Kere and Cali. “I trust you both slept well?”

  “We did,” replied Cali with a welcoming smile. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, Neric—did you learn anything new about the Brotherhood?”

  “I’ve been collecting information on them ever since they hurt my friend,” explained Neric. “I was flipping through a book on the gods I found here in the Palace last night, but didn’t find anything that speaks to any god’s opposition to art. I was supposed to attend one of the Brotherhood’s meetings a few days from now, but with this task we’re doing for the King, it’ll have to be later. I did learn, though, that they just want people to be devoted to the god of their choice.”

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  Perx, Wenthe, and Monoffa finally trailed in, and the three went about gathering their breakfast. They joined the companions, Wenthe and Monoffa chatting excitedly about their upcoming adventure. Perx just ate his food quietly.

  “Morning, everyone,” called Cali, then asked Monoffa, “Did you read your journal this morning?”

  “I did,” said Monoffa with a grin. “I even got up early!” Then, a perplexed look came over her face. “But you know, I woke up feeling like something important happened, but I couldn’t remember…”

  Cali gave her a warm smile. “Good for you, Monoffa. I think there’s a possibility for some things to be discussed today that could be rather confusing if you don’t have the necessary background information.”

  Kere set down her spoon, the kahki tea warming her hands as she met the eyes of each of the companions. "I need to tell you all something strange. Last night I dreamed of a man—silver-haired, wearing craftsman's clothes with odd tools. He spoke of accusations and currents, told us to look for him in crystals and..." She paused, trying to capture the ethereal quality of the memory. "In charts that draw themselves."

  "The purple markers," Cali nodded. “I dreamed that too. The man said they were warnings, not navigation errors."

  Perx's weathered face darkened as he pushed away his half-finished porridge. "Shared dreams are never a good omen." His voice carried the weight of experience. "I've seen it happen twice on ships I've sailed."

  Kere leaned forward slightly. "What happened?"

  "Both times meant trouble—the kind that gets people killed." He fixed each of them with his amber stare, then shifted focus. "This craftsman figure—anyone catch what those instruments of his actually were? Magic and mechanical don't usually play well together."

  Monoffa's ears twitched as the conversation continued, her pupils dilating slightly. As each companion confirmed the shared dream, she began tracing absent patterns in the air with her finger.

  "When you all speak of it together—" She paused, head tilting as if listening to something only she could hear. "I can see silver-blue threads connecting you."

  Cali watched her with concern. "Monoffa?"

  "The dream memory tastes like... like starlight on copper." She blinked, seeming surprised by her own words.

  “There’s a lot of crystal on Takatari,” said Perx. “In fact, there’s a layer of crystalline bedrock below the island that predates the Wildstorm Apocalypse. The Royal Palace was built upon the thickest part of the formation, and it’s known by locals as the Crystal Crown. Walls and stone used in construction on the island take on crystalline properties over time. Maybe we ought to take a look at it when we get there.”

  Jenna set down her spoon carefully. "The spectacles moved on their own." Her dark eyes grew distant, reconstructing details. "They moved on their own, the lenses rotating."

  "Like they were focusing?" Wenthe asked, her alchemist's mind immediately going to precision instruments.

  "Exactly like that," Jenna confirmed. "And he mentioned 'surveying instruments' at the end." Her dark eyes narrowed. "Surveying what? Or whom?"

  "The part about accusations falling on all of us—that felt like a warning, didn't it?" Neric's performer's instincts had caught that detail. "Like we should expect to be blamed for something we haven't done yet."

  Jori, who had been listening in his characteristic silence, finally spoke. "If we're to be blamed for something..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Then the islands holding fragments of truth—that's where we'll find answers." His sea-green eyes met Kere's briefly before looking away. "Takatari isn't just any island."

  Kere felt the familiar ache at that fleeting eye contact but pushed it aside. "He said 'she would sense his surveying instruments'—like someone was watching for him." She touched the small dolphin-shaped focus at her throat, a nervous habit. "The whole thing felt... important. Like water finding its course to the sea."

  Cali nodded solemnly. "There was something about celestial coordinates too. 'The one who reads celestial coordinates in the light felt the true bearing.'" She looked around the table. "Does anyone here navigate by stars?"

  "I do some," Jori admitted reluctantly. "Part of ranger training along the coast."

  "And sailors do," Perx added, glancing at Jori. "But 'in the light'—that's odd phrasing. Stars are for night navigation."

  Monoffa suddenly giggled, the sound bright and incongruous. "Your worry tastes purple, Jori. Like storm clouds dropping lizards that bounce.” Everyone stared at her, and she blinked in confusion. "Did I... did I say that out loud? I've been having the strangest thoughts since..." She trailed off, her hand moving unconsciously to her journal.

  Perx's expression shifted from irritation to sharp interest. "Since when, girl?"

  "Since I lost my memories," Monoffa said softly. "But this is different. New." She looked at her hands as if they belonged to someone else. "The dream felt like swimming through liquid music."

  A thoughtful silence settled over the breakfast table. Cali absently stirred her cooling kahki tea, her jade eyes distant. "A craftsman who surveys... something. But what?"

  Jenna's fingers drummed against her bowl—a nervous habit when her mind was working through puzzles. "The accusations part bothers me most. What could we be blamed for that we haven't done?"

  "Nothing good ever comes from shared prophetic dreams," Perx muttered, pushing his porridge around without eating. "Mark my words."

  Wenthe's ears flicked forward with typical curiosity. "But if we're supposed to look for him in crystals and charts, maybe we'll actually learn something useful on Takatari."

  Neric leaned back, his performer's instincts already weaving the experience into potential stories. "At least we'll have quite the tale to tell when we return."

  Perx snorted. "If we return."

  "When," Kere corrected quietly, touching her dolphin focus again. The dream felt too important to dismiss, but what were they supposed to do with it? She glanced at

  Jori, catching his eye for just a moment before he looked away—the familiar ache of their complicated situation.

  "Whatever it means," she said quietly, "we should remember everything. Write it down if we need to."

  Monoffa was already reaching for her journal.

  Before anyone could respond, Sondil entered with his measured stride, consulting a small leather-bound notebook. "Good. You're finished and we're on schedule." He made a small notation. "The transport portal is prepared, the ship's crew has been briefed on our timeline, and we should reach Afa Masina with adequate time for..." he glanced at Kere, "your dolphin summoning procedure."

  The shift from mystical dream discussion to royal efficiency was jarring, but Sondil's practical approach somehow grounded them all. This was their mission now, whatever strange dreams might have visited them in the night.

  "Efficient preparation prevents complications," Sondil continued, closing his notebook with a snap. "Shall we proceed to the transport portal?”

  Perx's weathered face showed the first spark of genuine interest he'd displayed all morning. "Transport portal?" He leaned forward slightly. "Teleportation magic, I assume? Been wondering how Andovarra maintains the infrastructure for that." His tone mixed scholarly curiosity with the practical assessment of someone who'd seen plenty of magical disasters.

  “It is, indeed,” confirmed the Prince. “It will take us straight to Afa Masina and save us having to take the ferry down the Hotokewai River.” He strode out of the dining room, and the party followed him.

  "Oh, teleportation!" Monoffa's ears perked up and she practically bounced in her seat. "I've always wondered what it feels like—is it like falling or flying or just... poof and you're somewhere else?" She looked around at her companions eagerly. "Has anyone tried it? Please tell me someone's tried it!"

  Jori nodded toward Kere. "We used the return portal yesterday. Two gold each way." He shrugged. "Works well enough, though the transition's rougher than I expected. Like being pulled through water that isn't there." His sea-green eyes showed mild interest in the mechanics. "Worth the cost when you need speed."

  “Is there a teleportation portal to Takatari?” asked Wenthe. “That would get us there in a hurry.”

  Perx's expression grew more animated than any of them had seen. "Can't teleport across water larger than a river. Lake Nameriuli? Forget it. Ocean? Impossible." He gestured dismissively, then leaned forward with reluctant enthusiasm. "Magic works fine at sea otherwise, but teleportation just... stops. Theory is wildshards interfere with the spatial mathematics, but nobody's proven it."

  He paused, looking almost embarrassed by his passion. "Been studying the problem for years. Need to get considerably stronger before I can test any real solutions, though." His tone turned gruff again. "Not that I'm eager to advertise that particular obsession.”

  Sondil's eyebrows rose with genuine interest. "Your understanding exceeds most court mages I've consulted." He made a mental note, his mind already cataloging the potential applications. "Should you solve the transoceanic limitation, Andovarra would consider substantial compensation for exclusive implementation rights. A portal to Takatari alone would transform our trade capabilities."

  His expression grew more calculating. "Though I suspect other nations would make similar offers."

  “No doubt,” muttered Perx under his breath. He figured his life would become a living misery if he actually unlocked that mystery. Probably many nations would seek him out for the knowledge. While he was intrigued by the actual problem of unlocking transoceanic teleportation, the idea of dealing with all of the people greedy for the knowledge depressed him. He supposed he’d need a business partner if he actually succeeded. He shook his head irritably, bringing himself back to the present.

  Monoffa's pupils dilated as she watched Perx. Birds of gold swim around him like bright-tasting music. Then the vision shifted—black moons that smell of itchy bells. She shivered and reached for her journal.