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Gillion Tidestrider floated on the water’s surface staring up into a great blue. A blue that used to give him comfort and security. It would coddle him when no one else would, the water would protect him when no one else would. Now, the ever-expanding blue seemed impossible. He couldn’t reach for it anymore he couldn’t swish it between his fingertips. This joy he once felt had vanished and was replaced with an overwhelming sense of longing and regret. Once the water kept him in its clutches holding him tight, coddling him, but now it felt ready to let go. He wanted to believe that the safety would find him once more, that he would eventually be at peace. But his mind was racing, images of the past twenty-four hours flashed before his eyes. Every mistake, every failure, every time The Elders looked at him with disdain. He hated thinking about them this way. He wanted to love them and appreciate their teachings, only, the longer the thoughts stewed in his mind the more his hatred grew. As night began to fall, he found a small collection of boulders sticking out of the ocean. He didn’t want to completely lose track of his surroundings while he slept. But there was no one to care where he went anymore. He didn’t have anyone or anywhere to go. He pushed these thoughts away and prayed that Lunadeyis would send someone to him, someone to lead him home. He was her champion after all.
Sleep didn’t find him that night. He looked up at the darkening sky and watched as each light appeared. They reminded him of the small schools of fish that once swam above him. He remembered being a child playing with the fish, talking to them even though he knew they couldn’t speak back. But they would listen. he sat curled on the rock clutching Pretzel’s orb until day broke. When he couldn’t see his sister, or the Elders had once more screamed at him for reasons he didn’t understand Pretzel was his one constant. As he watched the sun rise, he marvelled at its beauty. It looked so different above water, the shades of pink and orange seemed so much brighter. He was mesmerised as the glowing ball slowly travelled above the horizon reflecting its rays along the glittering blue. He wanted to catch the beams in his hands and pull them close to his chest, he wanted to save them in a jar and keep them with him forever. Maybe there was a chance for him to find comfort in the oversea.
As the day passed his mind continued to stew. What was left for him now? What could he even do? He didn’t know the oversea. He feared what the humans would think, these people he’d been told all his life were evil. He would now be living among them, as if he were the same. He liked to believe he wasn’t, but his reassurance had started to dip. Was he any better than them? He’d acted so violently and rash… Maybe there was no saving him. Maybe Lunadeyis chose wrong. The sun burnt hot, the rocky surface like a hot plate beneath him forced him to enter the water. He started swimming. He needed to move, do something, anything, to change his mindset. Usually, he would have grabbed his sword and taken it to a training dummy, but did that expression of violence make him just as bad as the humans? One arm after the other one kick after the other, the repetitive motion helped soothe his mind. He quickly picked up speed, the world a blur around him. He wasn’t, however, ready to avoid an obstacle in his path. He’d swum directly what looked like, to him, a large piece of wood. He watched as a piece of pink coral drifted from his head and to the deep ocean floor below. After taking a moment to right his mind and orientate himself again he decided to see what had caused his stumble. As he broke the surface, he saw a wooden floating vessel and two humans bickering atop it. At the sight of the two, he ducked back underwater, and prayed they didn’t see his movements.
“Hello?” He heard a voice call. He ducked further down and tried to cover his coral. “You know I can still see you right?” the voice jested again.
Gillion took a breath and began to raise his head from the water, the sick pit in his stomach growing.
“We’re not that scary, are we?” A second higher voice piped up. Now that Gill could actually see the two, he discerned the first voice came from the scruffy looking young man, and the second came from the well-dressed red head.
The young man made his way to the edge of the vessel and beckoned for Gill to swim closer. Cautiously he made his way over to the edge.
The human reached his hand down and spoke with a crooked smile, “I’m Chip, and over there’s Jay. Care to join us?”
Gill looked between the two humans, uncertain. The Elders would have scolded him, told him he was worthless. But the Elders weren’t watching his every move anymore. Gill was free. He took another breath and for the first time in what felt like months, smiled, a real and genuine smile. It felt good defying them after trying and failing to please them over and over. And even if the two humans hated him or betrayed him, at least he could say he wasn’t the Elder’s pawn anymore.
He took Chip’s hand and allowed him to hoist him aboard. “Welcome to the Big Chipper! Glad to have you around.”
Maybe he could find comfort in the oversea. Maybe not all humans were evil genocidal maniacs like the Elders had told him. He’d met two that hadn’t tried to kill him, maybe the rest wouldn’t either. Before the choice between land and sea seemed simple. He wasn’t so sure anymore.