"Why tonight of all nights must I practice with my ring," I mutter to myself, my small rowboat rocking dangerously in the tossing waves. I shouldn't be complaining, I know. Being chosen as a Holder of a water ring, and at such a young age at that, is an honor bestowed to precious few. I just wish the conditions I practiced under weren't so perilous. Sighing, I close my eyes and focus on calming the waters around me.

Yes, I'm in the middle of the ocean. First, I had to propel the our ship all the way out here and now, exhausted and soaked through, I am expected to calm a raging ocean in a rowboat! The waves toss harder, my ring revealing my anger to them and acting as a red flag before a bull. I force my breathing to slow, pushing the rising anger down with it. The water responds, calming down to a bit less of a level than what it was originally.

I grab onto that small victory and combine my core and mental energy, forcing my calm to expand and spread across the ocean. I push it further and further, refusing to stop until I am incapable of using any more of my energy reserves without passing out. A headache of epic proportions slams into my skull when I open my eyes and I groan, slumping down to the bottom of the small boat. I sneak a glance at my ring to see it pulsing with light and the low, blue glow gives me a bit of my energy back and shoves my headache away.

Its power washes over me like the water had done just moments before and I'm able to take in the beautiful calm around me that reaches as far as the eye can see. I know it won't last long, though, so I quickly row back to the larger boat my Watchers, Aster, Kyron, and Vixie, occupy. I lift the rowboat with a limb of water and set it gently on the deck, stepping out myself and onto a bit more of a steady platform. As soon as both feet are planted, my energy drains from me, causing my knees to buckle.

Aster catches me, "Lady Atlantis! Are you ok?"

I grit my teeth and force a nod, "Yes, I'm alright. Just... tired."

Kyron scoffs, "Yes, and rightfully so after the feat you just pulled off."

I can't help but allowing a small, prideful smile to slip onto my lips at the awe and fear evident on his face as I force my legs to hold me, "Do you know how far I managed to reach?"

"Further than any of us can see, even with the spyglass," Vixie says, nodding approvingly, "Now go get some rest and put some dry clothes on. We can guide the ship while you sleep." Maybe most spyglasses wouldn't see far at night but some ancient fire Holder somehow enchanted this one to act as though when you were looking through it, it was day.

I nod, grateful, and head below deck. The simple, blue dress I wear must be ten times heavier than it usually would be when dry so I'm grateful to slip out of it and into a dry one. I often wonder why I must wear a dress but nobody has come up with a better answer than, "You are a lady and ladies wear dresses." I've met queens that do not. Not all ladies must wear dresses.

 I sign and collapse into the bed, fatigued from my training. Something about the way the ship is moving through the water doesn't seem right but I'm too tired to investigate. Drifting off takes me all of five seconds and the world melts away into dreamland.

I wake up with a gasp, the last words in my dream haunting me, "Your life will be given to save many. Don't be afraid. Just remember to keep your blood away from the ring until you're ready."

I realize, suddenly, that my ship isn't moving anymore. The water tells me we are still. I frown, and walk up to the deck to see... "No."

"Ah, speak of the devil. Or, rather, angel. That is one beautiful girl," the man standing on the deck grins, causing my stomach to turn, "Look at that hair. Long and blonde. And those eyes. She truly does look like an angel."

 "Aster, Kyron, Vixie, what is the general of the Blood Wraithes doing on our ship?" I ask, a sense of foreboding making my turning stomach clench and my heart to beat faster. The water responds in turn to my sudden adrenaline rush, causing our ship to lurch and most of those on deck to stumble and even a few fall. 

I keep my footing.

 "Yes, I do believe you need to take that ring from her before she sinks this ship," Kyron snarls, glaring at me.

 "So you're turning me in to the Blood Wraithes, for what? You don't believe I can control this entire ocean if I tried?" I laugh, but there is no humor in it, "No, you never believed in me."

"Take her," Aster says, no hint of emotion peaking through anything. Not her voice, not her face, not her stance.

One of the soldiers walks up to me and  grabs my hand, reaching for my ring.

"No! Sto-" but he touches it, then tries to take it off. 

Power pulses through the ring and, suddenly, his body is a shriveled up husk, the water that was in it floating in the air beside him. He falls and I scream. I knew the rings could kill someone who tried to steal them off their Holder but that was so real and so awful.

 "Well it looks like we'll have to cut the finger off if taking the ring won't work," General Jixa says, spitting a glob of something on the deck. Whatever it is smells rancid.

Another soldier steps up, a bit more cautious this time, but as soon as the knife breaks my skin on my finger, he's dead too and my heart pounds ever faster. I truly think it may burst out of my chest. I make the mistake of looking at the bodies and bile rises in my throat.

Jixa sighs, "Looks like we'll have to take her with us. Lock her up! And don't touch the ring!"

So I'm chained up, led onto the floating city the Blood Wraithes occupy, and thrown into a cell. Over the next few weeks, I'm tortured in hopes that I'll just decide to give them the ring.

Yeah, like that works.

I get time to think about my dream I had but focus mainly on the last sentence, "Just remember to keep your blood away from the ring until you're ready."

I've always been warned to keep my blood away from the ring but the warning does not make any sense. I assume some major event would happen if you combined your blood, your life source, with the ring. But why shouldn't I try to master that? Oh well. I guess I shouldn't try when I'm so weak. I do get food, but not much, and the torture sessions can last for hours. That, of course, doesn't exactly leave you rejuvenated by morning. 

I don't know how long I stay in the prison but I know it's a very long time. Weeks. Maybe even months.

The only thing that breaks my routine is when I overhear my guards talking about the army's plans outside my door. The rest of the soldiers would be joining them the next day and they were going to stage an attack on the air temple; where the air ring Holders practice. I'd met the four air Holders a year ago. They were all so kind, but playful - typical of an air Holder - and I couldn't imagine them suffering the same fate I am.

That also just so happens to be the day when I discover what combining my blood with my ring does. A drop of blood drips off the knife my tormentor holds and happens to land on my ring.

I know what I have to do when I'm led to the front of the army to see it's might and I keep replaying what my dream had said, "Your life will be given to save many," and it replays as a mantra in my head while I'm lead back to my cell.

The door slams shut behind me and I sit down, closing my eyes. 

"Your life will be given to save many... to save many."

I know now that it means the prisoners here on the floating ship with me as well as anyone else who stood in Jixa's way.

"Just remember to keep your blood away from the ring until your ready."

I was always ready but the army was not. They all had to be here.

And now they are.

I look at the wounds still bleeding all along my arms and put my ring to one of them, never hesitating. 

What do you wish from us?  The voices of the water ask.

"I give you my life to destroy this army, every last man and woman in it, but save the innocent, keep them under your protection," I respond aloud.

You give us you life?  They ask.

 "Yes."

It will be done.

The last thing I sense is a swell of water to wash over the floating city and the water whispering its new name.

It will be called Atlantis after the one who gave her life to create it and save the innocent in it.

Atlantis. 

Atlantis..

Atlantis...