A/N Image above of how I imagine the Temple of Water.
Hope you enjoy Emery's first journey into Izoven. <3
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There had been plenty of times in Emery Wright's life where she'd faced danger and uncertainty. Attacking a mugger in front of the Wimbourne supermarket when she was seventeen, shooting a gun for the first time, deciding to go against her mom's wishes and become a cop . . .  Those risks usually chilled her bones and made her break into a nervous sweat. The bittersweet sensation they left behind wasn't exactly pleasant. But now . . . this portal . . .

The danger of the unknown had never looked so stunningly beautiful. 

Emery stood inches away from Izoven's portal, giving in to the temptation to caress the sea of light, her fingers dipping into its kaleidoscope of cerulean and cyan. The light wrapped around her skin, feeling like a refreshing pool dip in dry summer heat. When she pulled her hand away, not a single droplet was on her skin. 

"It's amazing," she whispered, her gaze stuck to the portal. 

"Save those words for when you're in the realm," Theo's voice disrupted her enchantment. Her eyes shifted toward the prince, who'd stopped a few feet before her. He gazed at the portal as well, raising his hand toward the streaks of light as Emery had done. Instead of his hand gliding through, a sharp snap of electricity erupted out of the portal, forcing him to yank his arm away. 

The curse, she thought. He really can't pass through. 

Theo let out a string of curses in some other language, shaking his freshly electrocuted hand, before setting his sight on her once more. "You've got everything?"

Emery looked down at her outfit and satchel, though she'd already triple-checked. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she nodded. "Yes."

"Good, now before you leave. Take this . . ." he handed her the vial full of red liquid. Emery lifted it against the portal's light and swirled it around, noticing some kind of plant inside. Theo continued, "I don't know how well-fortified the temple is. If there're any guards, open the vial and say, 'Nebula praefoco'. Understood?"

"Ne-bu-la prae-fo-co," she tried her best to enunciate the foreign words on her tongue. "Nebula praefoco."

Theo cringed at her. "Well, I suppose that's good enough. The spell will knock out any enemies for hours. It should give you enough time for your um—errands." 

Emery turned to face the portal once more while she focused on mouthing the magic words, exercising her tongue to imitate Theo's pronunciation. She couldn't afford to get caught. She'd have to answer too many questions about how she got there, how she got the Song of Water, and what she was doing there in the first place. She didn't know the specifics of crime in Izoven, but she was pretty sure working together with a banished prince was on their no-no list. 

"Ready?" Theo asked her one last time. 

Clenching her fist tighter around the red liquid, she dropped any shred of fear or doubt with a tight nod. "Yes, I a-ah!" she was cut short by Theo giving her a harsh shove forward. 

Foot trampled after foot at an unsteady pace, sending Emery hurtling through the portal. Her body crashed into the light, bathing her in the cool sensation. 

The last thing Emery heard was, "Try not to die!" before Bellenau disappeared behind her. 

⤝◈◈◈◈◈⤞

The passing through the portal was but a few-second journey. A tingling sensation ran wild upon her skin, refreshing every pore of her body. The most invigorating breath of air seeped into her lungs. With a single exhale, her body felt renewed—reborn as a child of Izoven. 

However, the invigoration was short-lived. She'd momentarily forgotten that Theo had pushed her in. So, the first thing she saw when she came up on the other side was a rough, moldy slab of stone flooring getting closer and closer. 

In a desperate attempt to save herself from injury, she tucked her head in and placed her hands out until they came into contact with the coarse stone. She used the momentum to roll her body forwards. The world flipped upside-down for a moment before it straightened up once again. Her tumble was half-assed and messy, but it let her jump back up unscathed, with the exception of a few light scratches on the palms of her hands. 

Emery clutched her chest as she tried to quiet down her startled breaths. She glanced down at her clothing to check for any tear or hole in her new, precious clothes. It was pure luck that Theo's impulsiveness had had no consequences. Everything was fine, but she'd throttle the prince later for this.

By the sound of light, rushing water, and its chilling echo, she assumed she was in some sort of cave. The portal provided little light upon her dark surroundings. She could only see the circular podium where the portal rested, and the light ripples of water past its edges. 

A light breeze wafted by her, prompting her to turn and look further down the cave. Slivers of daylight seeped in faintly. That must've been the exit. 

Emery tested the water's depth, dipping in her toes first. She was pleasantly surprised to see it was only an inch deep. She didn't enjoy the feeling of water slipping over her leather sandals, but she didn't want to waste time untying the several stringy straps. 

Her steps moved casually toward the exit, noticing the water flowing into a current halfway. Soon enough, there was enough light to see the dark rock glistening beneath the thin barrier of water. The cave narrowed into a path, the cave walls coming together the closer she got to the exit. The sound of rushing water got louder as she reached the end of the cave—a stone archway leading out to the Temple of Water. She pressed her back to the cave wall and carefully glanced out. 

The dawn sun glistened over the temple. 

Weird, she thought, it's midnight in Bellenau. Why is the sun coming up here?

She credited it to magic, or—her best guess—a different time zone? Who knew? At this point, even another dimension was possible, but it was best to leave it at maybes for now than to singe her brain trying to work out the mechanics all at once. 

The temple's stone walls, archways, and columns were overrun with plants and mold. They seemed weathered, unkempt, and—much to her delight—empty. 

"Thank God," she whispered, letting her stealth drop to take the steps down the cave, the water gushing out the stairs in small waterfalls. 

"Might want to say, 'Blessed Izoven' while you're there," Theo's gruff voice startled her.

She grasped her earring, momentarily distracted with fury toward the prince for pushing her through the portal. She was about to go off in a rant, but decided against it, returning her attention to the steps. If her internal clock was right, she had about seven to nine hours before Seth would wake up and notice she was gone. She hoped she could get it all done before then. 

"Hello? Is this thing on?" Theo spoke up once more, his voice clear in her ears.

"Yes, I hear you."

"Great. You're not dead."

"No thanks to you," she replied. 

Theo didn't pay much attention to her comment and changed the subject. "No guards?"

"No, actually . . . this temple seems kind of abandoned."

Theo remained silent for a few seconds. "Should've guessed that would happen."

Emery wondered what he meant as she made her way out of the temple, pushing and ducking under leaves and vines as she made her way out. When she finally had a clear view of Izoven's panorama, a small gasp escaped her. 

Her chest flooded with a sense of unexplainable pride when she set sight on Diuna's horizon. The temple stood on a high hill, where she could admire the view. The Izovenian sky seemed to share a border with the land, its rich color pouring down over the kingdom. Sparse rivers divided the slopes, tinged yellow-green from the early morning sun. 

"Blessed Izoven," she said, remembering Theo's words. "It's—"

Theo's deep chuckle resonated in her ear. "Amazing?"

"Yeah . . . that," Emery whispered, placing the potion vial back in her satchel. Not a soul was present on the path down from the temple, though she could see a small settlement where she assumed the griffin master would be. White buildings littered the expanse, some smaller and some bigger. Her heart yearned to explore them all. 

It was about a forty-five-minute walk, she guessed, maybe thirty if she jogged. 

"Do you see the town?" he asked. 

"Yeah, I'm heading toward it now," she told him, easing into a light run. Emery was thankful for the early morning sun, which kept the wind cool and restricted her perspiration. It was enough for her to quicken her pace, speeding into a steady sprint. The leather of her shoes was still somewhat humid, making the run uncomfortable, but she couldn't bring herself to ease up. Sore feet was a small price to pay in order to get this done swiftly. 

It didn't take long for Emery to reach the buildings. It was only then that she slowed down, distracted by the architecture. The villas looked straight out of a history book. The roman columns holding up the spacious balconies, with plentiful gardens in between each building. 

Ahead of her, she saw the door to a house open, allowing a young woman to walk out, holding a bucket in one hand, while she wiped the other against a white apron. 

Emery slammed the brakes on her run and started walking instead. The woman's sunny features turned toward Emery curiously. "Salvē!" the woman yelled after Emery when she passed by, waving her hand in greeting. 

Smile and wave, Emery, was her only response to the woman's actions. Engaging in conversation would not be a good idea. When she'd hurried away from the woman, she tensely grasped her earring. "Theo," she hissed.

"Hm?" He mumbled.

"What does the griffin place look like? All I see are houses." Her steps came to a halt when she reached the middle of the town, a grand fountain serving as the center of a plaza. The rushing water did little to calm her nerves. The Izovenians would soon come out of their houses and she was out in the open, lost, and practically begging to be discovered. 

"Look for stables. The giant eagle-lions should be pretty obvious," his words dripped sarcasm. 

Stables, stables, stables . . .

She turned around on her heel several times, looking at the three possible paths. From what she remembered from the map, the griffin master was closer to the sea, so she settled for the straight path. 

More people began to exit their homes, the Kingdom coming to life. Emery's feet scampered down the stone-slab road, finding the stables further down the path and to the left. She didn't see the beasts at first. The tall wooden structure only allowed her a glimpse of their white feathers and the occasional wave of a tail. Hawkish shrieks came out in short bursts, making Emery's heart race. 

Griffins . . . Actual griffins.

Her hand rested against her chest as she tried taking deep breaths to settle her racing heart. She walked under the shade of the griffin master's establishment, raising her first to land ten quick raps on the door. She didn't get to knock an eleventh time before the door swung open. 

A tawny man gazed down at Emery, wiggling his thick, grey facial her into an expression of distaste. 

"Good morning," Emery was quick to speak first, hoping he caught on that she wished to speak English. 

"We open when the sun rises halfway to noon," he told the girl. "This is known to all."

Emery cleared her throat. "Yes, of course, but I—"

The man placed a hand on her shoulder and ushered her inside. The smell of freshly-cooked eggs wafting up her nostrils. "Come. Have you eaten this morning?"

"Yes," she lied. "You see, I find myself in a hurry and in dire need of you—"

"Well, I must eat. Have a drink of water at least. Your complexion is quite flushed." He walked toward a wooden table next to a lit hearth. A plate was placed on it, filled to its edges with seasoned eggs and toppings.

Emery inwardly facepalmed. "That sounds—"

Again, the man cut her off, yelling, "Good! Take a seat." The man pulled up a chair and distractedly gestured for her to sit down. 

She tried her best not to seem amazed as the man waved his hands around the kitchen. His hand gestures seemed to control the orchestra of opening and closing cabinet doors, flying mugs, and flowing water. The movements finished when the mug of water floated in front of Emery and landed on the table with a thud and subtle splash.

He took the seat in front of Emery and began to swallow down the mountain of puffy, yellow eggs. "You from the castle?" he asked. "Haven't seen you around here before."

"Yes, actually,"—a bright, bulb went off in her head—"I'm here on quite urgent business. I must head to Master Sago's."

The man's face once again scrunched up in distaste while he chewed. "That old coot? What do the royals want with him?" 

"I'm afraid I can't discuss the matters at present," she retorted, feeling quite smug that she was doing a great job of imitating his tone. 

"Ease up on the fibs, Wright," Theo chided, putting a downer on her pride. 

Emery decided it was best to ignore him. She took a sip of her crystal clear water before continuing, "It's of utmost importance I get there in the next few hours."

The man stopped chewing, swallowing drily while he stared at her, eyes wide. "Well, if you're in that much of a rush, I'll give you Kiate, my fastest girl," he told Emery. 

Take that, Theo. I know what I'm doing.

"For the royal price that is. . . ."

 Emery nearly choked on her sip of water. 

"Now you've done it," Theo complained, while she resisted the temptation to rip the earring away and crush it under her foot. 

She cleared her throat. "I am willing to pay 30 silver pieces," she offered, though she hadn't the faintest idea about currency. She figured 10 silver pieces more than what she'd originally planned was good enough.

The man let out a hearty laugh, his big shoulders shaking with each chortle. Emery's expression remained unwaveringly austere until his laughter died down. "For the King and Queen? How about 2 gold pieces and the 30 silver?"

What?! That was almost all she had!

When in doubt, lie it out. "Unfortunately, all I have is a single gold piece with 30 silver. Will that do?"

He frowned. "The political tension has put a rabid strain on my pocket. Conflict between Kingdoms isn't exactly good for travel. The least the royals could do is not haggle with their small businessmen."

"I apo—"

"If Diuna's under economical duress, they should put an end to the fight over Vareus' territory. Let the Kingdom of Wind have it. We all know they've grown too powerful for us to fight."

"O—"

"And Ephy's Kingdom—ever-so-peaceful—isn't going to lift a finger! What's the point of this cold war then?! Tell me! What are we suffering for?" He slammed his fist on the table with blinding passion, shaking the wood and making a clump of scrambled eggs spill onto the table.

Emery opened her mouth, but before she could get a syllable out, he was already interrupting her. "Snobistische, ignorante Monarchie! Sie haben ihre Werte vergessen und sind vor Macht blind geworden."

"Alright!" She stood up, throwing the chair back and away from her. "I'm in a rush! So quit your political rambling and get me a fucking griffin."

The griffin master furrowed his brow. "Excuse me?"

Her eyes went wide; her sudden outburst of emotion was too disrespectful. Maybe the lack of sleep was getting to her.

In a desperate attempt to finish the conversation, she told him, "3 gold pieces and 30 silver. Take it or leave it," before she raised a hand in between them. 

The man's grin appeared behind his thick gray whiskers. He slapped into hers and shook it up and down. 

"You've got yourself a deal, meine Herrin."