Time and Tide

The waves surged onto the tiny beach of the cove, clawing bits of driftwood and other debris back toward the sea. Eshra stood among the shallows, reveling in the power of the storm as it pounded against the shore. "You outdid yourself this time, Mother," she chuckled to herself as the salty spray of an oncoming wave rushed up to her waist. The sea was too rough for her uncle to take her cart to the next leg of the traders' route, but the woman doubted they would be able to receive her anyway with turbulent weather anyway.

Her purple hog lay nestled in the warm, dry confines of the brightly colored cart well away from the beach. "I am off to answer a prayer," she called to him, though Eshra was never sure whether the fez-wearing creature heard over the roar of the tide. Stripping down from her clothing, the woman tossed her dress over the low hanging branch of a tree and tied it there using the sleeves.

Then, upon the next great wave, Eshra dove into the open waters of the sea. As she swam deeper into the depth, the shell dangling from her neck shone brightly despite the dark waters surrounding her. The merchant felt lighter as her legs slowly melded back together as one. She felt the strength return to her as her feet melted away to form her golden caudal fin and her steering became more accurate as a matching dorsal fin sprouted from her lower back and along toward the tip of her tail. Eshra felt the warm summer water glide along her teal scales and she laughed as the storm's current pulled her out toward the depths.

"Not now," she scolded the undertow as if it were a mischievous child. Eshra's powerful tail propelled her along the base of the cliffs high above sea level as part of the earth came crashing down into the sea. The syren circled the debris, careful to make sure the soil did not enter the gills on the side of her face, as her dark eyes searched for the object of the devotee's wish. Blinking, Eshra noticed the shape of a man in the water and swam to him, gripping the unconscious human tightly. Despite the thundering of the waves against the earthen wall, the demigoddess heard the cries of the woman whose prayer her Mother obliged her to answer.

Keeping the man's body above her so she would not be seen, Eshra pushed him toward the surface for air. The syren knew she had to get the man to shore where he could be collected, but there was no good location along this stretch of land. She would have to bring him east to the beach the humans frequented. Eshra hoped her song would be enough of a hint for the humans above on the cliff to follow her to the meeting point.

Cleansed by storm and sea

A man has been set free

Follow, faithful heart

You two shall never part

The man stirred at the sound of her voice and coughed up some sea water but did not entirely retain consciousness. It was for the best, really. Eshra did not want to have to deal with a flailing human male or answer unnecessary questions from a drunk, even if the shock from the fall may have sobered him. At least she could confirm he was breathing for now. Now all the syren had to do was make sure to keep him above the surf so he would not be submerged again.

"Shane!" Emily cried out, nearly leaping into the sea after him before Haley grabbed her and yanked her back into the mud toward safety.

"Emily!" the blonde roared at her older sister, shaking the hysterical woman. "Falling down there with him isn't going to help anyone, especially Shane." she pointed toward the drop-off that the drunken man experienced first-hand in emphasis. "We're lucky if he's alive after a fall like that! Don't be stupid!"

The barkeep's chest heaved as her sobs intensified. "Let me go, Haley!" she begged, feebly trying to pry her younger sister's fingers from her raincoat. "He asked for my help, I can't abandon him."

Meanwhile, Violet cautiously approached the edge of the cliff, well away from the piece that had fallen from under Shane. The farmer shook from terror as what she just witnessed and the sensible part of her clawed at the back of her mind to cut her losses and return home and tend to Emily. Of course, she would never allow herself to do that, however. If there was any chance of saving Shane, Violet was going to take it.

Her hand held fast to a solid tree branch to steady herself as she leaned over the edge to view the violent waves below. Violet's ocean blue eyes widened in shock as she saw Shane bubble to the surface. Surely he would still be sinking to the bottom if he were dead, she thought morbidly. "I see Shane!" she gasped with relief.

Leah joined standing beside her and watched in awe as Shane was swept eastward toward the public beach. It was almost as if something were pulling him along. Violet's suspicions were confirmed when an eerily beautiful voice rang out over the deafening surf. Judging by the reaction of the other three, they all heard it, too.

It had to be Talla. But how? Now's not the time to be questioning miracles, Violet berated herself. "We need to head for the beach!" she urged her fellow searching party members. "I think we can get him ashore from there. Hurry!"

Violet's phone rang as she and Leah headed north back toward the Cindersap Forest. It was Maru. "We're heading toward the beach to get Shane," the farmer informed the scientist instead of a greeting. "Do you still have him in sight?"

"I saw the whole thing." Maru sounded despondent. "I tried to get closer with my drone to make sure he was okay when I picked up another heat signature. I was worried it was a predator, so I flew in low to get a better look, but WICCa drowned when a big wave slapped her into the ocean."

While Violet felt badly for Maru's loss. Clearly the robotics expert put a lot of love into making that drone since she had named it. But Violet felt better knowing that the suspicious heat signature was most likely Talla. "I really appreciate you helping us, Maru," she told the part-time nurse. "Could you please contact Doctor Harvey, so he knows we're coming?"

"Of course!" Maru replied instantly with a bit of a grunt. "Since WICCa is gone now, I may as well come to the clinic to help with Shane when he arrives." Violet figured she must be grabbing her things to come into town.

As Leah and Violet circled the flooded forest lake, the farmer noticed that Haley and Emily were lagging significantly. "Emily might need some help, too," she revealed to Maru. "She's been out here longer than all of us and she's not looking well."

"All the more reason I should come," Maru responded solemnly, pulling on her rain gear. "I'll see you all at the clinic."

Sebastian scratched the back of his head, mulling over the code in front of him on the screen. Clearly something was wrong, but he could not spot the problem that was making everything so buggy. He groaned in annoyance and pushed his legs off the support bar on his desk, balancing his stool on the back two legs. Sebastian's dark eyes glanced at the bottom corner of the computer to check the time. "Shit, I lost track of time," he cursed to himself. No wonder he was not getting anywhere. He should have gone to bed hours ago.

The programmer made sure to save his work thus far and turned the computer off. Sebastian rose to his feet, stretching the muscles he had abused by slouching for so long. The room was pitch black now with the storm outside blocking out the light of the moon. But why were there two glowing… "Krobus?" Sebastian called out in a hushed tone.

"Yes, Nelir?" the shadow's voice answered sweetly.

Sebastian balked for a moment as his eyes adjusted. "How long have you been standing over there?" the young man asked.

"For a while now," Krobus confessed. "But I came at an unexpected time, so I did not want to interrupt your work."

The hoodie-clad man sighed, sinking onto his bed as he shook his head. "If you come by, say something! You're always welcome here."

The small orbs of light bobbed in response and as they settled into a slightly higher position than before, Sebastian figured that Krobus had taken a seat at the table across the room. "So, what is it you wished to see me about, Nelir?"

Sebastian was unsure of where to start. "I - ugh… I've been able to cast some spells lately," he informed his old friend. "I don't know why it's just me, but… I wondered if you knew where my abilities might have come from."

"I wondered when you might dabble again after that first spell!" The shadow creature squealed with delight. "What else can you do now?"

The newbie sorcerer thought for a moment. "Well, I can copy written things really fast, throw small objects pretty far, make things cold when I touch them…" Sebastian's eyes had adjusted enough now that he could see Krobus nod enthusiastically with each ability. "Oh, and I can swap two people's locations, but I think it has to be pretty close-range."

"That is a tricky one, Nelir," the shadow cooed with excitement, tapping his hands together. "I am impressed. Well done!"

Sebastian tilted his head to the side curiously. "You once mentioned that the other magical being around here called me 'Command of the Dead.' Why is that? Do you know of others who can do these kinds of spells?"

"Once, a long time ago." A quiet hung in the air between them, emphasizing the clatter of the storm outside. "Only very few of my people possess magic now," he replied somberly. "And even then, it is not what it once was…"

"Do you know where the magic came from?" Sebastian clarified. "Or where my abilities came from?"

Krobus frowned. "I am sorry, Nelir," he exhaled in resignation. "For us, it was passed down through the generations from parent to offspring. My family was not nearly as gifted as others." The shadow gestured to Sebastian. "But we can sense the power in you. You order the dead, like you did last season, and they are compelled to obey."

This puzzled Sebastian. "So, you're saying you're… dead?" He had not categorized the shadows like he would monsters like zombies.

"In a sense," Krobus answered vaguely. "The more powerful individuals would likely be able to resist. But my weak, stupid cousins…" he chuckled, "would be less likely to do so."

Sebastian considered this information. "And as for where I go these abilities… You're saying it's passed down through bloodlines." The man sighed heavily as he felt the lump in the pit of his stomach forming. "Since Maru doesn't have them, it must be my dad."

Krobus' glowing eyes lowered as he hopped off the stool to inspect items that caught his attention. "Perhaps," he concluded. "I am not sure how it works for humans."

The young man sat on his bed, displeased with the possibility that he may never know any more about his origins than what he knew now. He glanced up at the monster in his room. "Oh, sorry. I forgot to offer you anything," Sebastian said apologetically. "Can I get you some coffee or water?" He chuckled, "I can just make that now, I don't even have to go upstairs!"

The shadow perked up at this. "You can conjure coffee?"

"Oh, sorry." Sebastian laughed. "No, just water. That's something else I can do that I forgot to mention."

Krobus nodded, though Sebastian could tell he was a bit disappointed. "I will try some of this magic water you create!" the shadow stated like a proud parent.

The programmer grabbed an empty mug from his desk and quickly ran to the bathroom to wash it for his guest. "Do you mind if I turn on a light?"

"I don't mind," Krobus answered. Sebastian flipped the light switch to illuminate the room and sat down at the RPG table, closing his eyes, and imagining the mug full of water. The stout creature smiled, taking a seat opposite his old friend and accepted the mug that was offered to him.

Krobus' bright orbital holes practically sparkled. "This is the best drink I have ever had!" he declared with audible delight. He downed the contents of the mug and requested more. Sebastian chuckled at what appeared to be a sincere reaction from his old friend but obliged even if he did not quite understand the shadow's tastes.

"You like water that much, huh?" Sebastian teased.

"This is not just any water!" The little monster declared, but he froze when the sound of footsteps came from above.

"Sebastian is that you?" Maru shouted in a hushed tone. Sebastian panicked as he heard the door from the upstairs hall to his room open. "Are you awake?"

The programmer rushed to his bedroom door to make sure Maru did not come down and enter his room. "Yeah, what does it matter?" he countered defensively, keeping the door only open enough to show his face.

"There's an emergency at the beach!" his sister informed him. "If you're available to help carry Shane to the clinic, I'm sure Violet and the others could use the help. I have to head to the clinic to get things ready."

"Shane…?" Sebastian repeated quizzically.

Maru lost her patience. "I don't have time to explain everything, but he almost drowned. Either head to the beach or not but decide now!" With that she closed the door at the top of the stairs. Sebastian heard her footsteps cross the carpenter's shop and the twinkling sound of the bell on the door as she left.

Sebastian turned around to talk to Krobus about the situation but found that the shadow was no longer in his room. "Where did he…?" The latch to one of his windows was unlocked, the man realized. Krobus must have slipped out while he and Maru were talking. Dammit. I really wanted some answers tonight, too. Sebastian realized that in essence, he and Krobus had discussed the core of the problem, though. The monster had no idea how Sebastian obtained his powers.

Either way, despite how tired he was, he supposed he ought to help since he was still awake anyway. He could just sleep in, after all. The work project was not due for another week, Sebastian had just wanted to get it done. Donning his rain gear, Sebastian grabbed a quick travel-mug of cold coffee and braved the storm toward the beach.

With Emily so weak and Haley helping her sister along the way, Violet and Leah were the first ones to reach the beach and surprisingly, they found Willy on the docks, staring out onto the horizon. "They should be close…" he told the women.

"How did you know?" Violet wondered aloud.

The seaman chuckled, pulling the hood of his poncho forward to better shield his face from the rain. "A little fish told me to be prepared for a big haul this evening." His bearded chin jutted out toward the west. "Here they come."

"I see him!" Leah shouted in relief, pointing to a bobbing figure in the water.

While Violet did not see Talla, Shane's unconscious body remained afloat on the rough sea, making its own small wake that was quickly overtaken by the waves around him. Willy gestured for the women to follow him back toward the beach. He rounded the corner of the docks and began to wade into the water.

Leah quickly followed suit, but Violet hesitated, knowing her phone would be destroyed by the salt water. The farmer removed her rain gear, wrapped the device inside it, and fastened the bundle to the dock with a tie already attached to the old wooden structure.

Shane was swept by the current toward the shore much faster once he reached the shallows. Willy grabbed the unconscious man with deft fingers, as if he had experience pulling people from the sea. Leah grabbed hold of Shane's other arm and Violet gripped firmly around his ankles. Between the three of them, they were able to get him out of the water and lie him on the sand. "I'll be right back," Violet informed the others and she waded back into the water.

"Talla!" the pastel-haired woman called, once she was sure she was out of range of those on the beach. "Talla, where are you?"

Violet nearly lost her footing in the sand when a head breached the surface beside her. "I am here, little flower. What is it?" The farmer was shocked to find that Talla no longer looked human. Her golden, iridescent skin seemed shiny and slick like a dolphin and her pupils were slitted like a shark. Her nose was far less pronounced and spiny fins now rested where her ears should have been.

The human stuttered a response. "T-Talla, you're -"

"Not human, yes," the merchant interrupted, displaying a mouth full of jagged teeth. "I thought you knew already, little flower. We discussed being descendants of the goddesses..."

Violet blinked, at a loss for words briefly. "You weren't kidding, huh?" she finally said as a wave lapped up a bit higher on her body than the rest.

The teal scales above her eyes rose, "Why would I make such a blasphemous joke?" Talla retorted coolly, the gills along her neck flaring and relaxing in rhythm. "Now, if you will excuse me, I cannot be seen by the humans." She glanced toward the shore and Violet's eyes followed to see that Emily, Haley, and Doctor Harvey were all huddled around Shane. "I have answered the young woman's prayer, so now I must return to my cart."

"Wait!" Violet ordered, outstretching her hand toward the merchant. "Why don't you come by the clinic so we can all properly thank you for saving Shane?" Violet urged the syren.

Talla laughed in her singsong manner. "I should not be thanked for this. It would result in too many questions." She sighed, "Besides, I am partially responsible, I suppose…"

Violet's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean, Talla?" the human asked doubtfully. "You can't possibly make a piece of cliff-face fall, can you?"

"Perhaps not," the demigoddess smirked coyly. "But I can curse a man and he was rude to me earlier today." Talla exhaled sharply to emphasize her displeasure. "Besides, the woman has been praying to Yoba for this man to find the strength to cease his alcohol consumption for some time now. My Mother felt it necessary for me to clean up my own mess and grant the woman's desire all at once by saving his life tonight." She shrugged, the sparkles in her skin catching what little light the moon cast below. "Perhaps that ungrateful cousin of mine will receive the credit, but I suspect this little dunk in the sea will help sober up the human male."

Violet could not find the words to form a response. Talla seemed to take her silence as complacency. "See? Everything is as it should be." The farmer's jaw dropped as Talla flashed her one last toothy grin. "I will see you again soon, little flower," the sea creature hummed with a little wave of her webbed hand before disappearing into the sea below.

The farmer was not sure how long she stood there, watching the turbulence of the sea and listening to the sounds of the waves and the rain when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Violet, we've been calling you from the shore. What the hell are you doing standing out here?" Violet turned and found Sebastian looking down at her with concern.

"I… thought I saw something…" she replied with a half-truth. Violet tilted her head slightly to look up at him. "What are you… doing here, Sebastian?" she asked, her mind still in a bit of a haze.

"Getting you out of the water before you get swept out to sea and need rescuing yourself, dummy," he growled, taking her hand in his and leading her to shore. "C'mon. We need to help with the stretcher to get Shane to the clinic."

Violet realized she had forgotten about Shane for a moment and fell into step, sloshing toward the shore as she trudged alongside Sebastian. "Sorry, it's been a long night…" she apologized. She felt guilty that Sebastian had to wade into the sea to retrieve her. The young woman was not even the one in danger.

"I can believe that from what I've heard so far," Sebastian responded gravely. "Let's hope the doc can save him…"

Both of them picked up the pace to get to the beach and joined Leah and Willy in assisting with the stretcher as Doctor Harvey gave careful instructions. "Gently now…" he breathed as they eased Shane onto the canvas.

It was a difficult time getting Shane off the sandy beach, but once the volunteers got the stone bridge where their feet could get better purchase, things became much easier. They were all soaked and tired, but they managed to get Shane into the clinic where Maru awaited their arrival. Once the unconscious resident of Pelican Town was safely on an exam table, Willy dismissed himself, and the young people were all shooed into the recovery unit to rest themselves.

Maru appeared briefly and handed out dry hospital gowns. "It's not much, but wearing wet clothes isn't going to help everyone get warm again. You all were out in the rain too much." She pointed to a laundry bin in the corner. "Everyone can put their wet clothes in there and I'll take care of them upstairs once we have Shane stabilized," Maru instructed as she pointed out the two beds that would be available for those who needed to rest immediately. "I can bring more cots out later, if needed." The nurse then disappeared into the exam room.

Haley brought Emily to the nearest bed because although it was least private of the three, Emily's strength was flagging. Sebastian ducked into the sequestered area around the corner so he could change in privacy while the woman quickly did the same. Thankfully, Maru had provided gowns that closed all the way once properly tied, so there was no embarrassing exposure on the backside.

Once Emily was settled into bed, Haley took her place on the stool beside her. The blonde held her sister's hand delicately. "Everything's going to be okay now, Emily," she assured her sibling. "Just rest until they bring Shane out, okay? He's in good hands."

"You're a really good sister, Haley," Emily breathed sleepily, giving the blonde's hand a tight squeeze. The sapphire-haired woman closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep quickly.

Leah stood beside Haley, touching her shoulder lightly. "She'll be okay, Haley," the artist assured the worried woman. "I'll sit with her if you want to head home for now and get some sleep."

Haley shook her head. "I can't leave Emily like this," she replied adamantly. "Besides, she's always been looking out for me as my big sister. Now it's my turn to take care of her a bit."

Leah nodded understandingly. She did not have any siblings, but she knew that there was a special kind of bond between sisters. "I'm going to go find you a cot so you can still be next to Emily and rest. Then I'm going to head out of here so I can walk home without anyone else seeing this ridiculous hospital gown," the red head laughed, trying to ease the tension in the room. "Unless you want me to stay?"

The blue-eyed photographer smiled. "I appreciate the offer, Leah," she reacted earnestly. "But you've done enough tonight. Thank you so much for your help."

Leah beamed. "I would say 'anytime,' but I would rather not have to have a manhunt all the time. So, let's just leave it at that, eh?" She wandered into the hallway to try and find a storage closet.

Haley turned her head to thank Violet for all her help but did not see her anywhere. Had she and Sebastian snuck out? The blonde was a bit too tired to care now.

Sebastian shed his sopping wet clothing and tossed them to one side, putting on the baby blue hospital gown his sister had given him. "Dammit, Maru…" he cursed quietly. It was one of those stupid ones with a gap in the back. She did this on purpose! the man thought to himself. The last thing Sebastian wanted was to go back out to the rest of the group with his ass hanging out. He turned to retrieve his boxers when he heard a tap on the privacy screen.

"Sebastian? Are you done in there?" In a panic, he leapt into the bed, making sure to lie on his back so the lack of fabric would not be noticed and covered himself with the blanket. If I pretend I'm asleep, she'll probably leave me alone… he thought to himself. Then when Violet leaves, I can grab my clothes and sneak out of here.

Violet rolled the privacy screen to the side to enter the section of the room. Sebastian heard a quiet "oh," escape her lips and after a moment of rustling, the screen closed once again. When he was certain the farmer was gone, Sebastian sat up and threw the blankets back to get out of the bed. When he went to get his clothes, however, they were missing. "Fuck, she must have grabbed them to put with everyone else's…" he cursed quietly.

The black-haired man was now faced with a dilemma. Did he dare try to sneak past the rest of the rescue party to head home in a hospital gown, or did he stay put? His dark eyes glanced back at the bed. It was comfortable… he reasoned, and his bed was so far away.

He settled back into the bed and pulled the covers over his face. Yeah, this would work out just fine.

Violet, having collected all the clothes in the bin, placed it out into the hallway for Maru to get later. There, she found Leah, searching the hall closet for the cots that had been offered previously. "I've only found one that looks like it will still reliably hold a person," the artist informed Violet in annoyance. "The rest are pieces of junk that clearly haven't been touched in decades."

"It is a small town," the farmer stated forlornly. "I doubt the clinic has ever been this full…" She had so wanted somewhere to go back to sleep, but part of her also wanted to wait until Shane's condition was stable before resting.

So, Violet helped Leah get the cot set up next to Emily for Haley, who graciously accepted the place to lie her head. The blonde dozed off quickly while Violet and Leah sat on the stools they found and brought them over to the wall between the two sequestered "rooms" in the recovery room. Leaning back against the wall, the two chatted for a while. Violet could not quite recall what it was they spoke about, but she had a feeling Leah would not remember, either. The rescue and the rain took so much out of them, it was all they could do to stay awake.

It was another hour or so before Doctor Harvey and Maru finished with Shane. Violet and Leah sat up straight when the two medical professionals rolled Shane out of the exam room and into recovery. Maru worked on getting Shane into bed while Harvey came to talk to those who were still conscious to hear the news. "... I've pumped his stomach, re-hydrated his body, and checked for water in his lungs," the doctor said, his mustache twitching as he spoke. "He's going to be okay."

The members of the rescue party felt the tension in their bodies release with relief from the diagnosis. "That's good to hear…" Leah uttered gratefully.

"It's good that you brought him in though," the doctor admitted. He heaved a sigh. "Too much alcohol is terrible for the body… but right now I'm most worried about his mental health."

Leah and Violet both bobbed their heads in accord. While they were not first to arrive to Shane's rescue, he looked like a man on the edge.

"When he comes to," Doctor Harvey continued, tugging his lab coat to find his pen, "I'll have a chat with him about his treatment options. I know an excellent counselor in ZuZu City…" He jotted down a few notes on a clipboard before he forgot the details and then held the records at his side.

The bespectacled man glanced into Shane's room. "Life can be painful sometimes…" he supposed sadly. "But there's always hope for a better future. You've got to believe in that."

"Or else you might end up hurting yourself and others," Leah added with a frown. Neither Doctor Harvey nor Violet could really argue the point. Slapping her knees, the ginger stood up from her stool, stretched, and announced that she would be back later to pick up her clothes. "Since the sun still isn't up, I'm just going to risk looking silly heading home," she laughed. "Are you coming Violet?" the artist asked the farmer, who was already nodding off in her seat.

Doctor Harvey intervened. "Violet, I don't think you'll make it home like that," he warned. "You're exhausted."

"But there are no more places to sleep!" he groaned grumpily as she started to precariously position herself across both stools.

Harvey's right eyebrow rose in confusion. "What about here?" he thought aloud, as he opened the privacy screen to the south-most section of the recovery room and poked his head inside. "It looks like someone sat on the bed, but I don't see anyone in it," he told the young woman. He gestured for Violet to enter. "Go on in, I'll turn down the lights so you all can sleep. I'll be back to check on Shane frequently. Get some rest."

Leah nodded, satisfied that her neighbor would be better off remaining at the clinic and headed out toward the waiting room to leave. "Thanks, Doctor Harvey," the red head said appreciatively. "See you later."

Violet was not sure when Sebastian left the room, but she was not about to turn down the offer of a soft, warm bed. The farmer had not slept much before Leah and Haley had come to get her. Doctor Harvey dimmed the lights before Violet managed to reach the bed, but she found it just fine and nestled herself into the covers. The pastel-haired woman was out before her head hit the pillow.

Author's Notes:

Since I cannot PM a guest to answer a question posed in a review, I'll post it here. My original plan was to make a "book," or separate section of this fic for each season until Grandpa's evaluation. For the first year, I think I'm going to divide up each season, but for year two I might combine multiple seasons unless the material I have planned truly does pan out to be as wordy as the first year. So, minimum of five "books" with a max of eight is what I had in mind. This is going to be a saga for all of us and I want to keep my ridiculous weekly word count going. Haha

In the future, if anyone has any questions about this series (I will not give spoilers unless I think the hint is vague enough to drive you all a little crazy), please send them to me via PM.

I'm aware that "siren" is the widely accepted spelling for the being Talla most closely represents. I'm kind of making them a bit of my own Stardew twist here, so I decided to use different spelling. Also, I like the letter "y."

I've had this chapter ready for over 24 hours and I was going to wait to post it until next Saturday and try to keep on a regular schedule (posting an update every Saturday). But two things stopped me. One: guilt. Two: The idea of a regular schedule inherently destroys me. So... lucky you, readers. I hope you enjoyed it.