My hunger was under control and my energy levels continued to climb. Kradr learned from the first time around, and I was more in tune with being in my human form. We had a sack of dry fish to keep me satisfied as we moved through the Quag toward Kradr’s village—Volming.

As we walked, I could see the tops of mountains and the peaks of volcanos in the distance. The elevations were much higher, so the air was a little drier and colder. I had Kradr’s blanket wrapped around me to keep my body temperature regulated. I thought my transition would be much harder than this despite the earlier incident, but it wasn’t so bad. I was lucky because of my dual nature. As long as I kept protein in me, I would be fine.

I spotted some tall, mature aloe plants on the ground near a tree and stooped low to break off a few stalks. “This will be good for my skin when it gets too dry,” I mumbled.

Kradr knelt beside me. "You know, I think you're going to be a great doctor one day."

“I wish. I was always fascinated with marine life and plants. I’d beg my father to go deep in the Volatile in search of the prettiest corals and shells to bring back to the surface to show my mother. Now that I'm on the land, I see so many different species. Some we never even studied about in sea school. It's amazing."

“You probably know more about these plants than most everyone in the Quag,” he said. He handed me a knife. I made swift, clean cuts to a couple of the leaves, and then stuck them in my pouch.

I sniffed the air and sighed. “I smell the sea.”

“We’re right on the border of the forest and the shore. I didn’t want to risk it going in too deep. We have big boars and mountain lions on this side of the Quag. Unless you want to eat one, I think we should stay close to the edge.”

I giggled. “I’ve never had meat. I don’t think I’d like it.”

“It’s a good source of protein and we use just about every piece of the animal.”

“Oh yuck. I can see all the blood now.”

“Are you squeamish like that over blood?” he teased.

“No. In the sea, we gore them once and they’re dead. No need to stab and rip to pieces. That’ll just spoil the meat, won’t it?”

“Depends. The fur blanket you’re wearing….that’s from a bear I took down myself. I hunted him for three days and then dragged him back to my village.”

He sounded proud of his accomplishment.

“Poor bear,” I exclaimed.

“We don’t kill for sport. Food supply is limited enough already.”

“The Quag is huge and the ecosystem seems to be full of life. Like the berries and medicine leaves from the other day. Things are growing back around here. This used to be a wasteland. A big, deserted island.”

He nodded. “That’s why we protect our land and resources. Pirates scavenge. Excavators sniff around. Humans from other islands want to discover new things to put in their museums. They don’t get very far. If we barbarians don’t scare them off, the wildlife does. And then they also have to get to the shoreline first, and that’s only if they make it in the Volatile. But from what I gather, that sea king of yours is vicious.”

“He rules with his magical trident,” I said in a sing-song voice. “I guess we all work together to protect this side of the globe, even if it's not intentional. I wish we truly were at peace."

“The world has never been truly at peace,” he said. “Not before and not after the Epidemic.”

“I hear the waves crashing on the rocks.” I paused, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. “I told myself I’d never come back to the sea, but the call is so strong.”

“Even if you chose land instead of sea, you should always visit your home. I sometimes sit on the beach too when no ones around and it’s quiet. But I used to steer clear whenever the Sirens were out.”

I laughed. “Do you think it’s quiet there now?”

“Well, let’s find out.”

We raced to the ocean and left our worries behind in the forest. My lungs filled with the salty ocean air and the breeze whipped through my hair. I walked out slowly until my toes came in contact with the sea. The sun was beginning to set, and the moon peaked between the scattered clouds. The waves were high and relentless, crashing onto the rocks to the right of us.

Kradr came up behind me. I could see his unmoving shadow across the sand. I wanted to feel his touch. I dropped the fur blanket and it landed about my ankles. Then, I felt his arms wrap me like silk and his warm body fully engulfed me. I relaxed, letting my back fall against his chest. We stood there silently, watching the sunset.

After what seemed like forever, hand in hand, we walked over to the rocks. Kradr leaned back on one of them with both of my hands in his and stared at me.

“Your eyes are glowing,” he whispered, sliding his fingers up and down my arm where my scales had started to appear and my skin was a tinted blueish silver. “You change. Almost like magic…”

“I…it’s my connection to the sea. These are my waters. I was born in this sea.”

“You can be free, Celeste. You know that, right?” He looked out at the sea briefly and then back to me. “There’s a whole other world out there. More seas. More islands. More villages. Sirens. Humans. All you have to do is swim.”

“I don’t want to go,” I stated.

He sighed. “I don’t want you to go either. I want to give you what you deserve. But I’m a warrior. I fight and I bleed. For you, the call of the sea is strong. For me, the call to defend my people is strong. One day, I will die defending them.”

“As will I. I’ll defend what I love until my last breath,” I replied. “That day hasn’t come yet.”

“I’ve always wanted a mate.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “I never thought I was worthy.”

I closed my eyes as his rough, calloused thumb stroked my chin, lifting it upward.

“And I never thought I’d have a choice.” As I stood there, I knew without a doubt what it meant to be free and have the power of choice. To want something so badly that you would give up something else to have it—if only for a moment in time.

My head fell back as Kradr lowered his lips to latch onto my collarbone. I sighed as his eager mouth graced the column of my neck. He found my lips just as I parted them and we lost ourselves in an all-consuming kiss that made my toes curl.

We didn’t hear the sound of footsteps crunching the seashells until it was too late.

Three straggly looking humans with weapons and fish nets stalked out from behind the rocks.

Pirates.