Sealed within Kealie Gothalis are the secrets of a magic destined to flood her kingdom.
Trading her Mortality to disguise the heritage her mother fears most, Kealie is gifted with a blessing. She need only do one thing; keep her kingdom in the dark...
Immobilizing shivers took over Kealie's body, her teeth beginning to chatter uncontrollably. "N-not lying... Con-f-fused.."
"I don't understand," he muttered, brows furrowing. "They came to save you..."
Kealie blinked more water from her vision, focusing in on the man before her now. She noticed the way he seemed lost in thought, in consideration, and tossed a glance to the sea.
There, two small draconian heads bobbed above the surface, tails wagging in and out of the waves.
Leviathans.
Kealie swallowed roughly, eyes wide.
No wonder the Nerydian male was so confused.
One, a female with gorgeous crystalline scales, arched her head back and let out a small, sweet cry. It echoed through the space between them and into her chest.
For just a moment, Kealie forgot about the miserable cold, and smiled.
She ached to take off the stupid necklace, to claw the elixir from her veins as if it were possible. She ached to sing to them.
And yet even in disguise, they recognized her.
"What are you...?" he asked, a whisper to himself.
Kealie tried to answer, her lips parting only to remember how truly frozen she was. Bound by magic and conscience not to mention even a word.
Instead her teeth chattered and her body wracked itself with shivers.
Every time she went to speak, she failed.
"-oh, nevermind. We need to get you warm, fast..."
She couldn't argue as the tall man scooped her off the sand and jolted her into his arms. She felt feather light, his arms steadfast and strong around her.
Immortal strength, she realized.
"W-where are we going?" Kealie demanded, teeth still clacking together.
"Care to give me a destination?" he asked, half-smirking down at her.
It was then that Kealie's eyes and brain began to communicate in a strange whirlwind of memories and emotions. When she stared at the man holding her, his golden skin and scales, the information punched into her gut the way that elixir had all those years ago.
Many Nerydian's bore scales, but most were green and orange or sometimes shades of purple.
Never since had Kealie seen bright gold and blue scales since they were on her own face.
"Uh..." she fumbled over the words on her tongue. "I..."
"I guess I could always let you freeze to death on the shoreline..." he chuckled, still walking up the path I'd come from. His grip didn't waver. He had no intention of leaving me behind. "I don't know much of hypothermia, but I've been told it's an unpleasant way to go."
Kealie huffed a frozen laugh, her breath frosting the dusk air.
She knew she could chuck her necklace into the ocean, forfeit both the life she knew and the one once offered to her, and at least pass away more peacefully than this hellish cold. But Kealie couldn't bring herself to even lift her arm.
Instead she thought back to that stormy night, being dragged to Natansia in the dead of night. After drowning three sailors for stabbing a Leviathan on the coast of Luverie.
They were the monsters, not us.
Those were Naida's words.
But casualties were casualties and her fateful visit with the Castor had...
Kealie blinked, looking up at her rescuer.
"How far away is Natansia?" she asked, her voice a wavering, but solid gravel now.
The male snorted. "Do you have a death wish I don't know about?"
"It's the only place I'll be safe..." Kealie murmured, meeting his eyes.
He seemed to catch the meaning in her stare, the truth, because he did not question her again. Instead he adjusted Kealie's body ever so slightly and began the silent march to Natansia.
The home of many Nerydian's.
As well as the Caster.
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