The city of Patino shimmered beneath the moonlight, its coral towers rising like cathedral spires from the heart of the central island.
The whole archipelago had been named after this particular island. This was the ancestral home of all Tidecallers. Patino.
Everything in the city was connected to the sea. The current of the sea passed the entry corrals, turning bioluminescent, and flowing between the buildings, casting the streets in shades of deep blue and green.
At the highest point of the city, within a spire wrapped in glass and shell, the High Elder stood alone on her balcony.
The wind tugged at her long silver robes. Her hair, braided with kelp-thread, moved like drifting seaweed.
She leaned against the edge of the balcony, staring out at the city.
Even from here, she could see the preparation lines below. Soldiers arming themselves, artisans reinforcing docks, whispers spreading among the people like waves.
The sea was uneasy. Something was coming, but she didn't know what.
Behind her, footsteps echoed.
"You summoned me," came the voice of Elder Korrin.
The High Elder turned. "You came quickly."
Korrin bowed his head slightly. His robes were a deep navy trimmed with white, his beard braided tight, his expression unreadable. "I was already preparing."
"For what happens after their return."
The High Elder motioned to a chair, but Korrin remained standing. She didn't press it.
"You argued harder than anyone in that chamber," she said. "I want to understand why."
Korrin clasped his hands behind his back. "Because we are dying. And no one wants to admit it."
She raised an eyebrow. "Dying? You think the crisis is that close?"
"I don't think," he said. "I know. The Water Trees are failing. Even the powers they grant to the new generations are beginning to dim. The rituals we perform keep the islands fed, but they aren't enough anymore. The waves around us grows more erratic with each year."
The High Elder exhaled softly, fingers tightening on the balcony rail. "You speak of things we already know," she said. "But that doesn't explain your stance towards those who destroyed the Deep."
Korrin's eyes glinted. "Because they might be the solution."
Her lips parted slightly, but she said nothing.
"Their names were etched into the Mare Dulce." Korrin said. "Not by spellcraft. Not by rumor. By the sea itself. That means their souls have bonded to the fabric of the water. They're halfway to divinity."
"So you would punish them for that? Or use them?"
"Not punishment." He said. "Purpose."
The silence between them thickened.
Korrin stepped closer. "You know the old rites. The blood of divine beings feeds the Water Trees. It is said that Shing himself shed his blood to the Trees to give us a future. You know the stories just as well as I do. But now, we have no one to do that for us."
The High Elder's eyes narrowed. "You're speaking of blood rites. Sacrifice."
"I'm speaking of preservation," he replied evenly. "If we spill their blood into the roots of the Water Trees, the bond they share with the sea might be enough to rejuvenate the network."
"You want to kill the ones who saved us."
"I want to save the world they'll die to protect."
She turned fully to face him. "You sound like a desperate man grasping for straws."
Korrin didn't flinch. "Because I am. And you should be too. If the Trees fail, the reefs crumble. The Mare Dulce will drown us and itself. The balance breaks, and with it, everything."
She looked at him for a long moment. "And what of the girl? Zuzu."
Korrin hesitated, then spoke. "She is one of ours. A child of Patino. A rising voice in the tide. But we don't need her blood. Not now. We only need the outsiders."
"You will not touch her." The High Elder said. Her voice cut like ice. "That is the price of my cooperation."
He nodded slowly. "Agreed."
She turned her gaze back to the moonlit sea. "Then you have my reluctant Continue reading more chapters on NovelHub for the best experience. But we do this the old way. With judgment. With ceremony. No secrets. The council must decide. Not shadows."
They stood in silence, the wind whispering across the balcony.
Then Korrin bowed and left, his robes trailing behind him.
He'd gotten what he wanted. Continue reading more chapters on NovelHub for the best experience. All that was left was to make it happen.
The ship rocked gently as it crossed the water toward Patino.
In one of its private rooms, lit by the light of a lantern, Ren, Thorn, and Lilith sat together.
Lilith remained silent, hood drawn, staring into the flickering flame. Her eyes were distant.
Thorn stretched out his legs with a sigh. "I don't . Elders. Trials. Courts. Sounds to me like a trap."
Ren nodded slowly. "It could be. But it's better than fighting them."
Thorn looked over. "Are you sure? I mean, look at us. We survived the Deep. Lilith destroyed a Leviathan. We're not weak."
"That doesn't make us invincible." Ren replied. "If we fought on open water against the Tidecaller fleet, we'd be torn apart. No matter how strong we are, they have numbers. And the sea is practically their homeground."
"So we bow our heads and hope they listen?"
"No." Ren said. "We walk in with our heads high, and we make them listen."
Lilith stirred slightly, her eyes flickering toward Ren but she said nothing.
"You know anything about these elders?" Thorn asked.
"A bit." Ren said. "The elder council isn't unified. Some want peace. Others want control."
"No. But a few we can sway to our side. There's High Elder Serah. She listens. She values reason. Elder Rokka might lean our way too. He's practical. And there's Meran. She's a bit of a seer. I don't know if she actually is or it's a lie, and that makes her unpredictable, but she's fair."
"And the ones we need to watch for?"
Ren's gaze darkened. "Elder Korrin."
Thorn sat up straighter. "Why am I getting chills just from a name?"
"He's a purist." Ren said. "Traditionalist. Keeps to the old laws, even the forgotten ones. To him, we're not just outsiders. We're contamination."
Thorn cracked his knuckles. "Then maybe we make sure he doesn't get a chance to speak."
Ren shook his head. "There's no way we can stop him from speaking. Let him speak. Let him reveal himself. People like him? They destroy themselves in the light."
Thorn grinned. "You're starting to sound like a diplomat."
Ren chuckled softly. "Only when I have to."
He glanced toward Lilith again, watching her.
"Whatever happens," he whispered, "we stay together. We protect each other. That's how we win."