Flidias' Shores

Later that night Kris checked in on Jaylon at the black healing sands. The very big man who carried him to the sands was sitting next to him. His clear blue eyes coldly settled onto her while the scent of fresh cut grass wafted around them. Krisandra straightened her shoulders and strode over to them.

Krisandra bent down and checked the boy's pulse which seemed to be pounding strongly in his neck. Her eyes slanted up at the bulky man a question in her eyes, "Can you help me to uncover him. I need to check his wounds."

The grass scented man scooped the black silk sand with his large hands and quickly unburied the boy. The cuts and punctures were almost healed and the seaweed she had packed into the wounds had been pushed out into the sand.

"These look great… I mean healing wise they have quite improved since I last saw them. I think it is safe to say that he will be fine in a couple of days ready to try and escape again in no time."

The large man looked at her his mouth becoming even more of a grim line than it was before.

"I was just joking about the escaping part."

He grunted at her response. Kris couldn't help it; she talked when she got nervous.

"Well, I suppose you can take him back to his home and get him comfortable. There is no need for me any more."

Like sawing wood his gruff voice permeated the silence and surprised her because she expected nothing at all, "Thank you."

"Your Welcome."

The man scooped up Jaylon and started walking back to the huts. Krisandra strode towards Janus' home so she could let her know where she planned on going. She had to tell someone that she was taking a trip to the city to see if what Seph told her was true. It had been in the back of her mind for these last two days. If she didn't see for herself then how was she to figure out how to help her people? The lights radiated from the windows to cast a nice path up to Janus' door. The knock sounded hollow as her fist hit the wood.

Janus met her at the opening. She felt strange telling her best friend that she was leaving. Kris cracked her knuckles before taking a deep breath and sighing, "I am leaving."

"What do you mean you are leaving?"

"I'm only going to be gone a couple of days. I'm going to the city to see if it is true, what Seph said about the world around us."

"Isn't that a little dangerous? What will you do if someone notices you are not from that place?"

"I'll figure it out when I get there."

"What do I tell the people if they need your help?"

"I'm not the only one here who knows how to heal people. You have helped me more than I can count. I think you can handle the small things that happen while I am gone."

"Wait, I can't. I am not anything compared to you. What if something more than a little small thing happens while you are gone? I can't do that."

"Yes you can. I believe in your abilities. You know where all my stuff is, just take what you need. I doubt you will need it though. I love you."

Krisandra hugged her friend and squished her tightly into her embrace. She always felt they should have been sisters. Then at least when she was growing up she wouldn't have felt so alone. When she pulled back she had tears in her eyes. She had never, not even once, left the refuge of her small hometown. Without another word she turned to leave and headed to her house to pick up the bag she had packed for her journey.

Krisandra tossed and turned that night not able to sleep although she needed to sleep so she could use her energy traveling the next day. A woman's voice disturbed her reverie of sleeplessness. At first she thought someone was outside her window but when she peeked outside there was not a trace of any thing much less a person. The air around her seemed to become charged with energy that hummed like the flitter of hummingbird wings and caused her heart to race in her breast.

"Young lady Krisandra, there is no one to look for."

"Who is it? How are you talking to me without being here?"

"I am the great mother."

"That is not possible."

"I beg to differ."

Krisandra's voice hitched into a high pitch, "I'm losing my mind. I'm going crazy. There is no other explanation."

"Will you quiet that girl? I have something to tell you before it is too late."

"Okay, let's say this isn't a dream or a delusion, what could you possible be able to tell me that will help me in any way?"

"You have divine blood in your veins. You are borne of the blood of my divine spirit. The man who fathered you was a son of my son. You bear a gift that you have still not discovered but will soon come to full power once you become a true woman. This power will give you a gift so powerful that nothing and no one can stand in your way. Your healing ability is just a tip of the fin that allows you to remain apart but still the same. Once this new ability shows face you won't be able to hide anymore and must transform from Krisandra to the mighty mother of your people. Your path will soon conjoin with a man who is more than a man. Take this gift and guide your people to freedom. This I bestow unto you so bless it be."

And then the air around her seemed to clear and the voice dissipated back into nothing creating this sense that it was nothing more than a trick of the mind. Yes, that's it. Just a trick. It couldn't be anything else. With those thoughts she settled back into bed and fell instantly asleep.

The day went by quickly as Krisandra hiked through the forests west towards the ruined city. It would take her at least two good days of hiking to reach the city and it gave her a lot of time to think about what that female voice said, the great mother. What did she mean by becoming a woman? She had already become a woman when she received her blood cycle at 14. She couldn't possibly mean when she lost her innocence. Although she had found some men attractive she never saw the need to couple with them. It seemed wrong somehow to give herself to someone she didn't love. Then how in the world are you going to breed with these mer-men? Her mind started jumping from thought to thought like bees swarming her brain and stinging her without mercy. She was going to lose her innocence to someone who more than likely hated her much less loved her. So much for saving it for a man she loved.