The Aradian climate meant she normally couldn't sleep in, that mixed with living in a fishing town meant that earlier than early mornings were what she had grown up with. However, Aradia itself was different. The king had spelled her chambers, an enchantment that regulated temperature based on her body's reactions. And that was all she knew and understood on that front. Enchantments had always enthralled her. So, had the magic in the gift-stones. Ever since she was a little girl, she had wondered what she could create with it. What she could share. Cooling rooms in Temis would've been a blessing, but she doubted it'd keep her asleep. She was just used it, a routine of seventeen years that no magic could stop.

As always, she found new clothes neatly folded and bundled within a ribbon of purple-gold flowers. She stripped off the pyjamas that had been there last night and left the comfortable bed behind her. Her chambers were laid out the way one would expect the architecture of a circular building to permit, her room was the centre circle and surrounding it was a larger circle that ringed it. The entrance to her chambers revealed a sitting area, decorated with overlarge beanbags. Here you could turn either left or right and walk all the way around and back to where you came from. But parallel to the entrance and with no doors was her favourite part of coming to Aradia. Another enchantment. She skipped to a section of cobblestoned flooring and spoke the spell Erya had taught her what felt like a lifetime ago.

"Waters warm and waters cold,

strip me of all this mould,

Come out warm and soapy too,

Make me feel brand new."

A second later a spray of water splashed against her skin, it seemed to read what she liked from her mind, it got warmer or colder, harder, or softer as she bathed. The soaps turned different colours and the room became a silhouette of steamy hues.

When she was done, every trace disappeared, leaving her clean, dry, and ready to get some answers...

She moved through the castle quietly, her new boots clicking off the floor were the only sounds as she strode towards the captains' quarters. The humidity engulfed her as soon as she left the castle behind her. Droplets of sweat coating her skin within seconds of the air touching her. But she didn't mind. Even uncomfortable, the outdoors beat being stuck inside. In Temis, she doubted she'd spent more than a few hours a day in-door. The ocean was just too tempting, always lingering below the boardwalks. Just one step away. Aradia wasn't far behind in terms of scenery. The sun was getting out of the ocean as if it too were awakening, the light hit the terraced city making it impossible to make out the levels below or the sparkling sea beyond. But Merran wasn't heading in that direction, instead she angled herself, so she was walking parallel to the terraces, and when she passed the perimeter of the castle she turned and walked away from the sun, away from the light and into the still shadowed mountains, home of the Whirbeasts and a lonely, and brave captain of the guard.

The Aradian forest wasn't much of an attraction, it ran the length of the Divide; the mountain range that separated the continent right down the centre. The Myre forest was shadowed in rumour and legend, but wasn't so much a forest anymore, but more a graveyard; a skeleton of once great trees that housed the most amazing creatures known. Merran wondered through the remnants of Myre, the limbs of towering ancient trees were crooked and deformed, like monsters reaching for a sun that had deserted them. This place used to terrify her, now, she noticed a certain beauty to it. It was a dying forest holding onto life. Ever so slowly, little vines with buds of different colours were growing over them, twining between the old, knotted limbs as if to decorate them, or hide their fading life.

Her destination was quite the trek, through the Myre and then a tricky ascent to the first look-out and the captains' quarters.

Luckily her enchanted outfit was well equipped for the journey, sturdy dark leather boots, tight-fitting white leather pants and a light silken blue sleeveless top that helped against the heat but wasn't too exposed in the cold shadows.

Merran picked a path with a scaly feather hanging from it and followed it through a section overgrown with weeds and brambles that covered it completely.

"You're okay Merran," she stuttered into the darkness, mostly to give sound to the silent surroundings. No one travelled these paths anymore, not even Shè, she had Reuben to —

A gust of wind passed overhead, and Merran stopped dead. It could've been Rueben, but —

The reason nobody traversed the Myre anymore was because of the —

A low growl sent her heart cartwheeling.

Whirbeasts, there weren't many, but they were still seen. The most wonderful and powerful creatures of Aradia had changed, transformed into monsters, it happened slowly at first, and then almost overnight the loyal companions had at best turned and fled, at worst turned on those they loved and —

Merran shuddered as another growl tore through her. She crouched, she couldn't see the beast, and she wouldn't not until it —

The foliage tore and she ran, she didn't so much as think before she sprinted forwards.

Not a second later it was behind her. She heard it coming, its breath loud in her ears, footsteps changing at every step, padding of a paw, click of a hoof, its breath touched her back... she couldn't turn, couldn't stop.

It would rip into her soon, its mouth, whatever form would tear her apart and —

Something ripped through the foliage above flooding the scene with light, Merran dived to avoid the other hunter.

She hit the ground and rolled coming to a stop face down. She lay like that for a second, it couldn't have been more, when she was certain she wasn't dead or in the jaws of the other beast. She managed to get her senses together. Whirbeasts didn't hunt together, they didn't. The roar filled every inch of her drowning out her recently attained senses. She rolled onto her back expecting to find the Whirbeast at her throat, instead Reuben had landed between her and her pursuer and was ruining his kins breakfast plans.

Shè's companion had grown since Merran had last seen him. He was also completely different, although that was to be expected of a Whirbeast.

He stood on all fours the size of a pedigree horse, however, that was where the similarities ended, his legs were that of the lion of Sulfa, strong and muscled, his body bulky like the ice bears of the Frost-lands, his head ferocious like the old dragons of Aradia, but it was his skin that had always fascinated her, and it was the reason she knew who he was. It rippled, shimmering different colours and textures that flowed over him, from feather to scale, fur to skin, shinning green to sparkling gold, crimson to glimmering maroon; constantly moving like a river. Whereas his opponent, Merran's hunters had dulled, her scales were a dull grey and her body appeared to be stuck in a single form; a Tarkian bull elephant, but her body like the others had shrunk, a maw of crocodile's sharp savage teeth and the broken wings of a flamingo. As Reuben advanced, the Whirbeast shrank away, it flickered as if trying to change, but it was unable to live up to its namesake except for the shifting of paws to web-feet. The way Reuben somehow could, Whirring between shapes, sizes, and colours.

He roared again, vast wings sprouting from his body, flapping as he lifted above the wild Whirbeast.

Her hunter turned its eyes on her, eyes no longer filled with colour or intelligence, but Merran noticed a sadness there, as if it didn't want to hurt her, as if it'd been forced or —

It was gone, replaced by a predator's fierceness, a hunter, however, it knew it was outmatched, and as a hunter does when it becomes the hunted, it retreated, turning, and scampering away.

"Thank you Reuben," she breathed getting to her feet.

Reuben advanced, and Merran realised she hadn't even questioned his state or intentions. Yet, before she could even think on it, he bowed his head to her.

"You don't have to bow to me," she stated matter-of-factly to a legendary creature.

He let out what sounded like a chuckle, but unlike his ancestors he no longer had the ability to communicate, but he understood, she had seen enough to know. Right now, it looked like he wanted to tell her something, to share an important piece of a puzzle that's pieces had no pictures, but the moment passed, and he simply gestured with his head towards his back.

She ran a hand along his flank in silent gratitude, the scales morphed to soft fur as if to soften the skin for her, she scratched a few more times before mounting a Whirbeast. Her last thought was how thankful she was for the enchanted clothes, before Reuben launched himself into the sky and sped towards his rider.

Merran had never flown a Whirbeast before and she didn't think she would be doing it again anytime soon. In Temis Reuben's form resembled that of a great water creature, and powering through the ocean was far more comfortable than flying. The wings jostled her knees, unbalancing her and the wind in her eyes blinded her, which she reasoned was a good thing considering the heights. Once again, she was thankful for the enchanted clothing, the padded inner-thighs made it possible to grip Reuben's flanks between her knees and hold on as he pivoted through the air.

She only risked a glance when Reuben levelled out, the air still stung her eyes, but it was easier when they were coasting — she almost feinted at the height. In the ocean, it was no more than a splash, but up here...

She took a deep breath and took it all in. The shield shimmering against the sun's rays, the ocean, the ant-like movement of Aradian's scuttling around each terrace and the tips of the bare trees reaching for her and the mountain Reuben flew them towards.

The sunbathed the rocky white cliff turning it a blinding gold.

As they rose above the plateau, she picked out vast areas dotted with yellow blotches of dry wild grass and thorny cacti and winding tributaries flowing steadily towards... Merran heard their destination before she saw it. A thunderous roar — and then they dived towards a basin of water where the rivers converged. From her vantage point, she made out what looked like a tiny hole in the top of the mountain with water disappearing over the edges and into blackness, before Reuben angled towards the blackness and she was screaming, it happened far too fast for her to even close her eyes, they shot through the opening, a curtain of water streaming and crashing all around them and then they were gliding into an underground cavern. Merran was soaked, but she whooped anyway, more to steady herself than anything else.

She had never heard about anyone who had entered the cavern like this, and she patted Reuben's flanks appreciatively, the Whirbeast shook in response, his wet scales changing to fur which she assumed felt better.

They glided down in a wide arc, the water drummed into the centre of the small lake below, the echo of a constant beat that somehow faded away, the rounded cavern wasn't big, and the enchantments lit the entire sphere, reflecting off hanging stalactites and odd shaped mountainous stalagmites. The crystallised stones glimmered with a thousand different colours that cast strange lights against the magic, illuminating the dark water in a way that made it look more like a star-filled sky than anything else.

And standing in the centre of the lake, water cannoning off her bare skin stood the captain of the guard...

***

Shè had no qualms about nudity, as a girl training among soldiers, hiding her body would've made her stand out even more then she did. So, right from the beginning she had stripped down with the boys, and yes, at first it had shocked them. But she had been a scrawny little thing hidden behind a mop of tangled red hair.

Before long it became normal, the others had stopped seeing her as a woman, but as a solider, as a part of them. And any who didn't she made sure they did.

That was how she'd told it anyway, and looking at her now, Merran understood why. The scrawny girl she'd been told stories about had been replaced. The captain's body rippled with muscle, her arms, stomach, shoulders, and legs were defined by hours of training. It was skill combined with the visual strength that had made the others respect her.

Reuben landed on the edge of the waters, his form shifting until Merran was standing on her own two feet and a slippery coloured creature was slipping into the water.

Shè appeared through the curtain of water.

"Merran —

She didn't get the chance before a silver and black panther struck, the water splashing as it surged out.

The captain of the guard didn't even break stride as she dodged Reuben's attack.

"You're getting old," she teased as Reuben now in bird for landed on her shoulder and pecked her cheek with evident affection.

Shè regarded her with wide green eyes. "What do you mean attacked?"

Merran shrugged. "It was nothing."

"Nothing!" Shè's voice reverberated around the cavern, "you were almost a Whirbeast's breakfast."

Merran had often thought that Reuben could communicate, but she'd never been certain. "You can talk to him?"

Shè stroked the grey bird's plumage, but there was a sadness in her expression. "Just a gist, images, sounds, not words. And it's getting harder to understand."

She shook the thought away, and Merran didn't pursue it. The Whirbeast's descent into crazed beasts was not a topic to breach with the owner of the last sane one.

But Shè read it from her. She was one of the only people who like Merran, deciphered expressions and formed responses by what they saw there. "You saw it, the madness, the change?"

She nodded. "It didn't shift, it was as if it couldn't..."

Shè nodded. "Another mystery to solve, but first I want to hear what you saw that troubled you so much last night."

The captain of the guard stepped from the pool of water. "Stop," she said to no one in particular.

Merran was about to ask when the water cascading into the pool simply froze.

"How?" She asked before she could help herself, an embarrassed blush creeping across her face as she pictured herself singing her rhyme.

Shè was already dry and dressed in clothes that resembled her own. Black riding pants, black boots, and a green top. "It's the enchantments Mer, they cater to your mind if the king has set them up that way. I have to say the word, and I can only achieve basic outcomes like stop, go, clothes, food, but it's enough. Why do you ask?"

"No, reason," she said far too quickly.

Shè caught on easily enough. "What did he make you do?"

"Sing a song," she admitted with a hint of amusement at herself.

"Oh, can you sing it for me?"

She punched her friend on the arm and hurt her hand when it connected with the toned muscle.

"It's impressive that you can activate it," Shè said thoughtfully, oblivious to her throbbing hand or the punch, "most struggle to use them. It's taken me ages to get these ones right."

"What can you do?"

Merran listed the clothes, controlling the shower and the temperature."

"Does Erya know?"

Merran often wondered what the relationship was between the captain and the king for her to bypass his title and speak of him so casually. "I didn't think much of it really."

Shè pursued her lips as if debating telling her something, but then she seemed to think better of it. "Come on," she said turning towards a door set into the cavern, "let's eat."

The captain's house was carved into the cavern. Every surface was the marble-green-rock of the cavern except it was smoothed out. The enchanted lights should've created a greenish glow, however, they didn't. The magic of those little glowing orbs seemed to be repelled by the rocks.

Merran had never wondered why Shè lived so far afoot. When Whirbeast's had started turning on their companions, others had sought to destroy them all. Shè had moved as much to protect Reuben from the people as to protect the people from him. Not that she would ever say as much.

The house itself was huge. Four pillars were carved into a long balcony, and glowing lights showed windows and a massive opening on the second floor. An entrance which Reuben leapt off Shè's shoulder and flew towards.

Merran followed the captain into the opening and found herself at a kitchen crafted by rock with wooden counter tops that appeared to be wood from the trees of the Myre.

Shè sat down at a wooden stool and Merran took the other one.

"Food," Shè said aloud, and a small spread appeared. Watery scrambled eggs, cold toast, and a pitcher of lumpy orange juice.

The captain shook her head. "Sorry Mer, like I said I'm not the best at this conjuring — Wait," she stopped as if struck by a sudden thought, "why don't you try?"

"Um okay," Merran agreed happy to make an attempt to get something that looked a little fresher.

She was gonna ask how it worked. But it didn't sound overly difficult. She simply closed her eyes and pictured the food she felt like and...

"Interesting," shè said before she could announce the word on her lips.

She opened her eyes only to find half of the food she'd pictured steaming before her eyes. A Temis special of fried lumpy potatoes, steaming bread, soft poached eggs, and warm butter.

"It didn't work," she admitted.

"It did," the captain disagreed still looking stunned by something.

"What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you after you tell me about what happened last night."

Merran tossed a piping hot fried potato into her mouth, swallowed, and then launched into her tale...

"So, you encountered three instances of the stones, and they were by your accounts all different sources."

Merran nodded, counting them off. "The man, the seer and the Sulphite."

"The man is my main concern," She admitted, "too many of the Gift-stones have been found around the terraces for my liking, and as you must know our people don't know how to handle them, the results...' she trailed off.

"Anyway, the seer I'm not too worried about, what she said," she glanced at Merran as if she wanted to admit something but then seemed to think better of it, "the future can change, besides the wording they use can always be interpreted in about twenty different ways, as I'm sure you've gone over."

Merran nodded but didn't argue, but she didn't agree the seer and her prophecy worried her immensely. Even sharing it had been difficult.

Still, it was true, fate was never set in stone, and the prophecy itself could mean just about anything.

"Now, this Misa is a different story entirely, entrapping people in the old prison caves is worrying and could somehow tie in with the spreading Gift-stones, although I doubt it, like you I believe that when the bridge exploded it did the same to any of the stones located in the rock."

Not for the first time she was impressed by Shè's deductions. Merran hadn't said anything about her theories, but it was exactly what she was thinking. There were rumours about strange powers in the old prison, unexplainable happenings. If it was a source of Gift-stones, then it stood to reason that when it was blown up it blew them up as well. However, fragments of them could still reside in the rock and if that was the case it was those powers Misa's little operation resided on.

"That's exactly what I thought," she said, "but I don't think Misa is the type of person to share these abilities with others, even if there were still stones intact, it would draw too much attention to her operation, besides she's a Sulphite, they don't share their stones. It's not permitted."

"Unless they know the affects it has on Aradians?"

Merran bit her lip in thought. It wasn't common knowledge that Gift-stones ate a person out from the inside, but still handing out a power they had fought so hard to make their own. It didn't make sense.

"We're gonna have to look into it."

"Well, at least we have a lead." Shè had a sly smile on her face.

Merran shook her head. The captain hadn't missed her mention of Avesh, or apparently the way her face had changed when she spoke about their meeting.

"I would accompany you, but by the looks of it I'd be intruding." She elbowed Merran who scowled and earned a chuckle.

"Join us please, I don't think he'd mind. It wasn't as if he showed any interest."

She hated how bitter she sounded, that some boy had affected her this way.

"I highly doubt that. But I would like to hear what he has to say."

Merran shrugged. "Well, we best get going then. It's a long walk to the lowest terrace."

"We not walking anywhere," Shè said, "we're arriving in style."

An annoyed growl echoed from the floor above, and Merran could only laugh at the captain's bravery at disturbing a Whirbeast from his sleep.