The cool breeze of the port town of Calinora, Northern Palificas, was much warmer than she had expected. Her curly black hair was tied up in a messy bun. Her animal fur coat had gotten too hot for her and was currently tied around her waist. She wore a white blouse with a blue skirt, brown lace up boots. Brown pants kept her legs warm, and around her neck and shoulder was a leather pouch. Her emerald green eyes squinted when the breeze hit her in the face. Having grown up at Point Halopie, Thalassa Alcmene was used to the extreme cold and the deep snow and ice.

Back home, Thalassa was a renowned figure skater as well as a Pro-Siren activist. Her stance that Sirens weren't monsters got her into a lot of controversy. Her outspoken opinions made a lot of people dislike her, but her points proved to sway people to her side. In Point Halopie, Thalassa had started a large Pro-Siren group. She was proud of her accomplishments both as a figure skater and as an activist, but the time came that when it was too dangerous to stay in her home, she left. She had to for her safety and the safety of others. So, she opted to travel the world and share her opinions elsewheres.

Calinora was a famous port town known for its music, scenery, and as being the home to Anderas Shipping. Thalassa had been traveling for a few months now and had made many allies and enemies along the way. Calinora was her most recent stop. Part of her was hoping she would be able to talk with the Andreas family and sway them to see her side of the story. But sight-seeing took precedence at the moment as she needed to think up of a good diplomatic approach.

One thing Thalassa realized traveling the world was that no matter where she went, she was too hot. Her home was one of the coldest places in the world, so even traveling just a little south was enough to make sweat buckets. When she had left Point Halopie, she was in full animal skin clothing made specifically for the harsh climate of the Antariacius region. So, naturally, the first thing she did was buy a set of cooler clothes, bringing her to be wearing the outfit she currently had on. If she wasn't going to be constantly traveling, Thalassa would have spent more time buying souvenirs to show her family back home. However, she was wise enough to just buy the essentials.

Calinora was full of flowers, too. Flowers, colors, and eccentric people. Some seemed friendly, while others seemed a little crazy in the head. Thalassa didn't care. She walked down the paved streets with a happy smile, drinking her water so she didn't overheat again. Her hair was put in a messy bun so it was off her neck, and she wore wet wristbands to keep herself cool. Her bag was loosely hanging down her side, occasionally bumping against her leg as she walked. The salty breeze made her bangs sway, and she hummed contently.

She couldn't help but feel like something was amiss. Thalassa Alcmene knew her back had a target on it. Being Pro-Siren always brought trouble, and she was prepared for it. But all the same, she was always cautious, looking over her shoulder at random times to see if she was being followed, or checking to see if she was being tracked by anyone. Call her paranoid, but she cared about her safety.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" Thalassa hissed as her palms scraped the road, her eyes wide with shock and terror before she relaxed. A young woman with curly red hair lent down a hand to help Thalassa up. Recognition flashed in her eyes. "I didn't mean to topple you over. Are you okay?"

Once back on her feet, Thalassa nodded and smiled brightly. "I'm okay. I just scraped myself. Nothing to be worried about. I'm clumsy, so I could have fallen either way." She sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck and shook hands with the other woman. "I'm Thalassa Alcmene. You are?"

"Nina. Nina An–," Nina caught herself before she revealed her last name. She didn't want people to know who exactly she was. "I'm Nina. It's nice to meet you, Thalassa. Are you new around here?"

"I am. I'm just passing through," Thalassa explained, readjusting her diamond jeweled hair clip and her shoulder bag. "I've been traveling a lot and stopping in little towns to rest. Do you live in this area?"

"I live close enough," Nina vaguely responded, looking around. "Are you looking for anything in particular?" She stretched her arms above her head and cracked her knuckles. "I know the area pretty well, so–if you want–I can be your personal tour guide?"

Thalassa adjusted her bag. "I'd like that if it isn't a bother to you. I don't like being lost." She fixed her bun so it was more put together and moved to the side so she wasn't blocking any pedestrian traffic.

"It's no bother of mine," Nina beamed happily. "Where are you from?" The two started walking side by side down the street, enjoying the breeze and the soft sounds of the waves crashing into the port.

"I'm from Point Halopie in Antariacius," Thalassa smiled wistfully, remembering the friends and family she had left behind. "I was a professional figure skater, the Snow Tiger. Fierce but graceful on the ice." She touched her clip. "This was given to me by one of my fans."

Nina listened intently. "You said you were clumsy. How can you figure skate and be clumsy?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, face scrunching. "It doesn't make sense."

Thalassa flushed with embarrassment, chuckling softly. "I may be graceful on the ice but walking and skating are different feelings. I tend to bump into things as I am not usually used to bumpy terrain. The ice is most of the time smooth with the occasional bump here and there." She winced. "If falling were a competition, I'd always get the gold medal."

"I doubt that," Nina scoffed. "You can't possibly be that clumsy." She offered the other a bright smile. "What else about you? You are a long ways from home," she pointed out.

"I had to leave," Thalassa sighed, her smile faltering as she looked at the ground, eyes narrowed. "My life was threatened because of what I believed." She tightened her grip on her bag, and Nina felt a little uncomfortable. "I'm Pro-Siren and Anti-war," Thalassa explained with a forced smile. "So naturally, a lot of people don't like me for that."

"Then they can take a long walk off a short pier," Nina snapped, placing a comforting hand on Thalassa's shoulder. "If it's any consolation, I agree with you." The redhead smiled brightly, eyes sparkling.

Thalassa laughed and grinned with Nina. "Thank you. It means a lot." The two walked throughout the town, Nina showing Thalassa all the best places to eat, shop, and the town inn. Both were relaxed with each other. Nina had almost forgotten she was an Andreas. Thalassa treated her like a normal person and didn't give Nina any special treatment because of her family name. Granted, Thalassa didn't know Nina was an Andreas. But, all good things must come to an end. While the two were sitting at a picnic table by the port, Nina laughed at one of Thalassa's jokes.

"Nina Andreas!" Nina flinched at the familiar yell of Hana. "What in the blazes are you doing?" The middle aged woman stormed over them and grabbed Nina by the arm. "You shouldn't be out. You are coming home this instant!"

"No!" Nina snapped, pulling her arm back. "I am never stepping foot in that house again."

"What's going on?" Thalassa's eyes widened. "Nina, are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Just a little bruising," Nina assured, glaring at Hana. "This is my life. I am old enough to make my own decisions. I am tired of being trapped!"

"Young Lady, you will come home right now or things will get worse," Hana warned. "The world is a cruel place. You won't last a day." Nina flinched back at the cold words, tears welling in her eyes. "Come home."

"No!" Nina pressed, stepping closer to Thalassa.

"No?" Hana gaped, eyes wide. "No? Oh, I see. Nina knows everything. She thinks she can survive in the world. Newsflash, she can't. One of these days she will slip up and come crying back. I won't say I told you so."

Nina choked back a sob. "I'm not going back. Just leave."

Hana, enraged, raised a hand to slap Nina and drag her home kicking and screaming when someone grabbed Hana's hand, squeezing the wrist making the woman hiss and buckle over in pain. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

-----

Hey guys! 

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I absolutely love Thalassa and the new character at the end. Only three more protags to go and we will have our entire crew introduced! Then we can get onto the fun stuff! 

Comments and votes are appreciated! I love hearing from you all!

Interactive Question: what kind of side quests or filler chapters would you like to see the crew do?

Have a wonderful day!

~Kat