When the Ocean Calls

Chapter Twenty-Five | On Top of the Forest

A sunset splattered across the sky by the time our group reached the beach. If I thought the journey to the Gemini's volcano was strenuous as a muscular dragon, then what I endured on the way back was torture. My calves burned almost as much as the scorched sand my feet dragged through. But I was just grateful to have toes again. Dragons had their perks, like flying, swimming, and being taller than everyone else. Yet nothing beat being a human again—having use of opposable thumbs and not needing to duck under every tree branch.

The warriors hadn't uttered a word since the morning. They were probably still shocked by my transformation. Not Dranesh, though. His face was either deadpan or stuck in a glare. But every so often, I found the male or female warrior staring at me, only to whip around once I caught them. I didn't blame them for their shock. Sometimes, I struggled to believe it myself.

Throughout our trek, events from the past few weeks swarmed my thoughts. I'd traveled so far that my time in Oamer reduced to a distant memory. In fact, all my experiences were surreal. Mermaids and mermen, curses and dragons—if I didn't know better, I'd say I was going crazy.

Maybe I am going crazy. Maybe this is all a dream. The idea was jolting. I shoved it aside. This was neither the time nor place to have a philosophical debate with myself.

In the distance, two figures stood in the sand. I shielded my eyes with my hand and squinted against the setting sun. The smiling faces of King Jesole and Queen Tameki crystallized. I wondered how long they'd been waiting, and what they wanted.

"Tuya!" Abido called.

"Tuya!" the King and Queen exclaimed. They stretched their arms wide as if to envelop us in a hug.

"What does that mean?" I whispered to Abido.

"'Hello' in Tocon," Abido replied.

My brow furrowed. "Tocon?"

"Yes, it's the language we speak here. It has roots in Spanish and Portuguese."

"So, if I had learned Spanish, I may have been able to understand what everyone was saying?"

"Maybe." A mischievous grin spread across his face.

I didn't try to decipher that one. The strides between us and the royals diminished until we stood in front of them. King Jesole's voice rumbled a few words.

"What did he say?" I asked.

"He says 'welcome back, I see your scales have been shed,'" Abido said.

I laughed. "Yes, they have been. Thank you so much for your um...um..." I stopped. The King and Queen seemed like friendly people, but let's just say that my stay hadn't been entirely sweet. I turned to Abido for help. "...hospitality?"

Amusement flickered in his eyes. "How about, 'thank you for allowing me to go see the Gemini?'"

"Perfect!"

Abido relayed this to the King, who pressed his hands together and dipped his head.

"That means the honor was mine," Abido said.

Queen Tameki spoke, her voice higher and more dulcet compared to when I first met her.

"The Queen wants you to share the evening meal with them," Abido told me.

My eyes gravitated to the waves lapping the shore, cast in a peach glow from the sunset. It would be dark soon, too late to start home. With a silent sigh, I said, "Alright."

***

The Monarch's castle was unconventional by our standards. Wooden beams composed an open-air square nestled between the boughs of four trees. Steps spiraled up the archaic trunks all the way to the tender sprouts at the trees' tops, leading to ledges that jutted to the sides. The King and Queen ascended first, capes dragging behind to create the illusion that they were floating.