The Unnecessary Balance VII

"I think I'll go see Sonia," you say, smiling. "I need to thank her for coming to my aid. And... I think I might learn something if I return to the spot where you two found me, Elder."

The Elder returns your smile, though you notice a far off look in his eye. "Yes, I believe you may be right. The grove we found you is a sacred place, a place of great meaning to our people. That we found you there, bearing the mark of the moon... And your ears..."

The mark of the moon? My ears? "Elder, do you know something about me?"

Your question seems to rouse him from his doldrums, and he quickly shakes his head. "It's probably nothing, child. Just an old prophecy, an old tale of Dragonchildren, adventure, and peril. There aren't many of us who still remember it. You can ask Sonia about it if you wish, or I can tell you the story later at dinner."

Dragon... Children? Why does that sound so familiar? You push the thought aside for now, and politely excuse yourself.

The docks prove simple enough to find. You could see part of them from the Elder's house, but you didn't expect them to be so... Sprawling. The village of Naandia extends all the way from the jungle's edge down to the beach, which is a stretch of gleaming white sand that rolls on for miles in each direction. A large wooden boardwalk, wide enough to fit twenty grown men side by side, connects the beach to a series of smaller boardwalks built on stilts over the water. These boardwalks stretch out quite a ways, out into deeper water, and they look like one giant maze. Dozens of people go about their daily lives, fishing and dropping nets into the water, hauling baskets of goods back and forth, cleaning fish and chatting loudly with each other. Several smaller children splash about in the shallower waters, and sleek two man canoes row in and out of port. Almost everyone seems to be wearing a straw hat and similar clothes, so it makes it difficult to pick out individual people from a distance.

The greatest hub of activity appears to be at the deepest end of the docks. A crowd of twenty or so people stand huddled around... Something. You can't quite make it out from here, but there are a lot of boats gathered around there too. You give in to curiosity, and walk over. As you near the commotion, your ears catch the sound of a young woman's voice, calling out orders. Her voice is gentle and calm, but also firm and confident, like someone used to authority.

"That's it, just like that! Easy now! We don't want to make things worse!"

"What's going on here?" You ask the first person you see, an older man probably in his late fifties.

He turns to you, likely preparing to lecture some young interloper, but he stops cold and his eyes widen when he sees you. "You... You're that girl Lady Sonia and the Elder found..."

You nod, and the man steps aside, revealing a scene that makes your own eyes widen. Two particularly large boats are moored just off the end of the pier, with five of the bulkiest men in the village on each boat, trying to hoist a giant net between them. But it's the creature inside the net, and the young woman next to it, that's causing the scene.

The creature is difficult to describe, but that's probably due to your amnesia. It looks like... A sea serpent, though you aren't entirely sure you know what a sea serpent looks like. The term just popped into your mind. The woman standing in the net is most likely Sonia. Her light green robes are drenched up to her elbows, and she has one hand braced against the pier, and another grasping a long staff, which is resting against the serpent's skin. She whispers softly to the serpent, trying to console it, when the serpent suddenly begins to thrash in the net, nearly capsizing both boats. You're eyes widen, as Sonia is almost thrown clear into the water. Several people on the pier gasp and cry out in alarm, and you act without thinking, and without hesitation. You leap into the net next to her, and the net momentarily sinks, submerging you into the water up to your chest. The boats lurch and the men groan, but the net holds.

Sonia stares at you in surprise, but to her credit, she saves the questions for later. "I need you to help me calm her down," Sonia explains quickly, and a hint of urgency shows through her calm tone. "She's gravely injured, but I can't heal her if she doesn't remain still."

Only then do you notice the pool of red slowly seeping into the water, and expanding. You nod in understanding, and place your hand against the serpent's clammy skin. "Shh girl," you whisper gently. "Everything will be fine. My friend here is going to heal you. But we need you to stay still, okay?"

Immediately, the serpent quiets down, and stops thrashing. The serpent's beady gold eyes focus on you.

You... Can you hear me?

Your eyes snap upwards, and you quickly look around. Who... Who said that?

Here... Beneath you.

You lower your eyes again, but you only find the serpent. Wait... No, it couldn't be...

Yes... It is. My name is Zarviel... We do not have long, so please listen... The veil is fading... Something has happened to the Ocean... Something must be done... You... I know who you are... My lady... Please, you must-

A wave of warm green light emanates from Sonia's staff, healing Zarviel's wounds. Immediately, multiple arms reach down from the pier to help drag you and Sonia back onto dry land. Well... Dry wood.

Zarviel effortlessly leaps out of the net, and dives back into the sea. She pops back up for just a second, and stares at you, but swims away without saying any more.

"Thanks," Sonia says suddenly, a bit out of breath. "For the help. You're really something special, aren't you?"

Sonia rises to her feet and accepts a towel from one of the men, quickly running it through her golden hair. "I guess," you reply, grinning halfheartedly. "I don't know what I am." You're still shaken from the encounter with the serpent... No, with Zarviel. What could it mean?

You rise to your feet as well, sopping wet, and a young boy hands you a towel. You graciously thank the boy. He beams, but is quickly pulled away by his father. You're a bit stunned by the newfound suspicion you see in the man's eyes.

Sonia gives a sympathetic smile. "Ah... So you still haven't remembered anything?"

You shake your head. "Unfortunately, no."

Sonia drapes the towel around her shoulders, and leads you back down the docks. The crowd of people cut you a wide berth. "I'm sorry to hear that," Sonia says, smiling sadly. "It must be awful, not being able to remember your past... Oh... That's right. I haven't officially introduced myself, have I? I'm Sonia, Sonia Elreiss."

"Nagi," you say instinctively.

You blink, and stop in your tracks. Nagi? Where did that come from?

Sonia stops too, and she beams. "Nagi? Is that your name?"

You give a hesitant nod. "Yeah... I think so. It feels right."

Sonia's smile widens. "Nagi huh... It's a beautiful name. It suits you. So, did you come to the docks looking for me?"

You nod again. "I did... I wanted to thank you. And I wanted to know if you'd guide me back to where you found me."

She dismisses your thanks with a wave of her hand. "Oh, there's no need to thank me. As a Doctor, I couldn't just walk away and leave you to fend for yourself. And of course I can take you there. The Sacred Grove is normally off limits, but we can make an exception for you. I mean, you've already been there anyway. But first, I need a change of clothes and a shower. I dunno about you, but I'd prefer a pair of dry robes."

Yeah, you tend to agree... But it's odd... She's still acting so cheerful. Didn't she notice how odd the serpent acted around you? Zarviel... What could she have meant? How could something happen to the Ocean? It doesn't make any sense...