This story applies an idea I had about Slyestis that I couldn't really think to its entirety, and what help I asked for isn't all that forthcoming. (Here's the thread if you'd like to add an idea: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=41501)

I also am well aware that my grammar is not perfect, so if you spot anything, please PM me. Ideas and other things of that sort are welcome as well.

This story will be very long. Please PM me over posting in the thread. (Also, while I'd love to post a table of contents, I don't know how to make links to certain posts, rather than the thread itself. Help for that would be highly appreciated.)

Be aware that the Sylestia I will be using is highly modified. Many things may not seem to make sense, but trust me, they will get explained. Later. There are times that I will mix some things up, so if you feel I made something contradict, feel free to PM me, and I'll fix it as fast as possible.

Special thanks to Eots who volunteered to be my editor!

(SPOILERS)
To those of you who are inclined to design, I'd like to add images of characters. If you want to, I'm offering the opportunity to design a character. Characters available for designing:

Daniel (sailor captain, Ch. 2)
Irritable Man (Ch. 3)
Fairy (Ch. 3)
Cheyenne (Ch. 3)
Shady Man (Ch. 4)
Barbara (blue eyed old woman Ch. 4)
(END OF SPOILERS)

Hiatus is now over! Don't be afraid to yell at me via pm to get the next chapter out. :D

Chapter 1 - Deja Vu
The first thing I became aware of was an alarmed shout, and screaming. The second thing I knew of beyond the terrible morning light was nausea. The ship I was on pitched back and forth like a marble within an orb that had abruptly stopped rolling, and I nearly tossed my cookies when staggering onto the wooden deck from the threadbare cot I had previously been resting. A second yell caught my attention, and it was only then that I heard a smattering of voices, all just as alarmed, yet just quiet enough to escape initial notice.

I growled out my irritation, and glanced around the sides of the ship. None of the other sailors had even stirred. They're probably used to yelling, and this entire ruckus, I thought bitterly, and, mourning my lack of sea experience, nearly slammed into the wall a few times on my way to investigate what was happening above deck.

When I finally did make it up the ladder (nearly falling a few times), I was greeted by the strangest sight. Several men were being tossed about from trying to hold on to ropes, and all of them were staring at the majestic creature that was shrieking loudly on the deck of the ship. The animal was massive, about five feet high and colored a captivating combination of black and nearly luminescent blue eyes and mane, as well as intricate blue stripes. Its hooves, razor sharp, lashed out at all who came near, and my heart skipped a beat at the sheer terror in its eyes. Several ropes lay at her feet, ends torn, and the trails led to the men who had been yelling previously.


I startled badly when a deckhand suddenly trotted up to me, smiling nervously. "Go below deck, this is too dangerous for you-" He was interrupted when one of the older sailors barked at him to return to his task. I took the time to inspect the creature before me, then gasped. I inspected the mer-horse-like creature closely several more times, but what I found only made me more certain. A Sylesti, yes, that's what she was -and a Kelpari at that- stood right in front of me. In fact, yes, there I saw it, this particular sylesti I knew very well. I had raised her from an egg, and she had been my very first Themed. I stepped forward, almost in awe, when I was dragged back.

"Are you mad?!" A sailor gasped at me. I blinked at him in a startled manner, then failing to recognize him, shook my head mutely. A freak wave slamming starboard tumbled me several steps forward, and when I finally scrabbled a few shreds of balance back together, I noticed that all of the men had gone silent. Instead, they watched me with...is that fear?

I whipped around and flinched. Only a few feet away stood the Kelpari. She was completely silent, watching me with a frightened gaze akin to that of a cornered rabbit. Her hind fins braced the wooden deck, her tail coiled so that if she wanted, then she could have struck me down with one blow. I wondered for a moment why she didn't just jump over board, then notice a rope coiled around her tail, positioned just so that she couldn't reach it. The trail end led off behind her, but she was too scared to risk turning to slice it off.

Moving slowly, I asked softly, "Would you like me to cut you lose?" I awaited her reply with baited breath. She nodded sharply; her cold blue eyes scanned me relentlessly. Very gently, I reached into my purse and searched within it. After I had found my objective, I withdrew it slowly from the bag and held out the knife so that she could see it. She hissed menacingly, and I withdrew a little. She swished her tail forward, but turned her head to watch me. I began to mutter soft assurances to lessen the tension. I raised the knife slowly and gently placed my hand on her scales. They were cool to touch and twitched under my hand. I gently grasped the rope and lowered the blade. As I did, the Kelpari began to shift, and I stilled my hand, waited until she calmed, then continued. As I sawed at the rope, I heard incredulous muttering from the other sailors. I blocked it out, fearful of distractions.

When I finally finished sawing the roped off, I let it slump away. Then, something came over me. It was a sense of calm, a nearly dream-like feeling. I became unaware of my actions until I was face-to-face with the Kelpari, muttering quietly, "Nice to see you again, Genevieve."

The Kelpari, Genevieve, reared back in shock. The sailors shouted in fear, but I was still calm. I then smiled broadly and took a brisk step forward. "Off with you!" I shouted and the Kelpari, startled, dashed for the brow and jumped off gracefully before landing in the frigid waters below with a splash.

Turning slowly, I smiled sheepishly at the sailors. They all stood in various states of shock, except for those who were managing the tasks that could not be delayed. The captain walked up to me with a new level of respect and curiosity in his eyes. He laughed, a relieved laugh that loosened my nerves, before saying, "Well that was quite a show there, Nikki! Though, one should always expect that from someone who can fall out a portal in the middle of open ocean."

I couldn't really reply that this was all supposed to be in a game, now, could I?

Chapter 2 - The Time Before
The captain, whose name was Daniel, dragged me indoors to his cabin. He sat me in a chair, and he looked at me from a chair facing opposite. " Are you absolutely sure you can't remember anything from before falling out of that portal?" he inquired. I shook my head mutely. What could I say? That this world was all fake? A mere video game? It was disturbing to think about, and I tried not to. That being said, I was half right. I couldn't remember what exactly I had been doing before I fell out of the portal. The memories felt wrong, blurred.

The captain sighed and leaned back in his chair. "In all my days of running a fishing ship, this is the first time I've ever netted a Kelpari. You never find them in an open ocean, only in shallow water, like the river we're sailing down now. You seem to be all about doing the impossible, Nikki. Accidentally netting Kelpari is one of rarest events ever, and that color scheme; ho boy, that might have even been a Tagged Sylesti at one point in time. Such a shame they all ran."

I cocked my head to one side in confusion. "What happened?" I didn't remember any such event at all on the Sylestia website.

He gave me a sideways glance, then sighed. "It happened over three decades ago; I suppose young'uns like you wouldn't remember. The story itself is pretty well known though...Either way, we have the time, so I'll tell it to you." His voice took a faraway tone, and he leaned back.

"About four centuries ago, this world was abundant with creatures. Most of them could fly, and each had an affinity with a certain element. Kelpari could command the waters, Griffi the ice; heck, a single Morkko could command a fully grown tree to its every whim. Now, mind you, nearly all of these creatures were wild. Humans back then were always at war, fighting among the elves and the fairies and the like."

"Then along came the Admins. They brought peace to the land, building bridges and friendships and peace treaties and who knows whatever else. Some have compared them to gods, with amount of prosperity that came from their arrival. Their names were Krinadon and Faiona. Now, neither of them had any sort of special powers mind you. In fact, all they did was train Sylesties. The idea had been revolutionary, and thousands of Sylestians tried it. Surprisingly, all of them met with failure. It was not until they asked the Admins that they figured out that something about them was otherworldly, a supernatural aura that drew Sylesti close and calmed them and made them perfect companions."

"Hostility grew over this until something new happened. Hundreds of people, all either human or elf, suddenly appeared. They called themselves Players, and had the same sort of aura as the Admins. I believe at the peak of population they had around 9,000 maybe? It was a relatively small number, population wise. To this day, no ones sure where they came from. Well, their aura spread and affected nearly every Sylesti in the land.
"

The now much gentler Sylesties became part of everyday Sylestian life. Somehow, the Players managed to draw out twenty-one different breeds, and many of them had never been seen before, or had only been whispered about in fairy tales. It was very humbling watching what beauty had been all around us that we had been too blind to see. Before then, we had only ever tamed Puffadores, and maybe seen a few others around."

"Well life went on for many decades after, and then something major happened. All of the Players suddenly began to act agitated. They were nervous and seemed on edge. Three days later, they all disappeared. There was no warning, only the fact that their homes were gone and that all of the Sylesties had become hostile again. They call this the Cataclysm. It caused major political upheaval and lots of panic. A lot of guards had to be retrained, because they were Sylesti handlers, not fighters."

"After a while, things began to return to normal, or as normal as possible without Sylesties. I still catch myself calling out for ol' Assaih every once in a while. She was my Aurleon friend who kept the sails full of wind. After the Cataclysm, many things were forcibly changed. I still miss her." Daniel leaned forward, listening to some kind of whistle, "and that's the end of my little history lesson. I find it so sad that the younger generations are so afraid of the Sylesties; but with the new hostility, and parents being unable to react to the sudden changes, there isn't much a choice. It warms my heart to see you so fearless in front of the Kelpari. Don't get reckless though. That'll get you killed, regardless of whether or not you're on the high seas or in the middle of the desert. Actually, something about you reminds me of a Player I once saw when I was a kid. You feel -how should I say this?- similar; you seem less aloof, though. The Players always kept their distance and spoke very little." As he said this, he glanced at his watch.

"It's high time we've left. The men are probably wondering what we've been doing." He lurched out of his chair. Startled, I jumped up and nearly fell right back down. If the river was this tame, I grumbled to myself, I'm never getting on a boat that's sailing out into the ocean. The captain laughed and opened the door for me. I thanked him for his courtesy and walked the bow of the ship. I then sat on the edge and looked overboard.

Several sailors gave me curious glances, but none walked up to question me. I gave a breath of relief at this and opened up my leather satchel. I pretended to rifle through it while thinking over what I had just learned. Players, eh? So this world's timeline didn't match the website's. In fact, it incorporated multiplayer elements to the open world. Sylesti were hostile, though that wasn't new. I wondered over the state of my own Sylesties. As Nyllei, I had several. Where were they now? My thoughts were sidetracked when my hand brushed up against a purple bottle that clinked against several others. I blinked in recognition. Why were my avatar items in my inventory bag? No, it made sense, I realize with a start. My bag had three pockets. It was my wardrobe, my inventory, and my equipment tabs.

Reaching into one of the pockets, I withdrew a small pumpkin hairclip. I ran my fingers over it with wonder. It was an exact replica of the one I had gotten during my first Fall Festival. I clipped it to my hair and smiled, though it turned out mostly similar to a grimace. I could vaguely make out the shape of buildings in the distance. According to the map, it was Esior's Haven and the ship's destination. I leaned back, and settled in to wait. There were only a few hours left before we docked.

Far below, glowing blue eyes flicked up towards the oval shaped shadow on the river ceiling.

Chapter 3 - Questions
My first step onto the deck was shaky and unbalanced. The other sailors tried to help me, but most were young and just as destabilized. After somewhat regaining balance, I picked a random direction and began to explore.

One of the first things I realized was that Esior's Haven was much bigger than I remembered. The map illustration of it ingame showed more of a small fort that anything else. This city was busy and bustling with trade and commerce. This made sense to me personally. It was a city right on a delta for optimal farming, and the river also made trade easier.

This also called up other memories for me. One was of the captain explaining the ship's route on my first day on it. The boat would sail up the east coast to the mouth of the river in the Umbra forest, fishing all the way. The boat would then follow the river to the Sanctuary of Saerielle. There, they would trade human goods for Elven ones, then follow the rivers current back down to Esior's Haven, where they would then trade the Elven goods for human ones. Thus, the cycle would repeat itself.

What really threw me off was the lack of electricity. Not a single person had a cell phone, and all street lamps were lit by strange glowing balls of light. A library announced its presence by a floating book, which floated in the window and flipped its pages without any known contact. Two people dressed in robes, of all things, argued in a language I couldn't connect with at all. I generally could guess the base language of foreigners, but this sounded like they were making a flurry of high-pitched squeaks.

A sparkling figure caught my attention and I was startled to find a fairy in hot debate with an older looking man. I walked closer discretely to listen in.

"You know they're never coming back!" The man growled at the fairy.

She replied hotly, "You don't know that! Nobody really even knows if they're gone, dead, or in an enchanted sleep or something! Besides, they would never just abandon us at the drop of a hat."

The old man argued back with equal fervor, "We had warning! For three days, they showed obvious signs of knowing something! If any of them dared show their ugly mugs around here, I'd have them punished for just abandoning us!"

The fairy fell silent, before looking up with a spark of rage in her eyes that cowed even the old man. "They never had to do anything for us. They only helped all of us. They bridged the gap between you humans and the elves, took out the bandit camps, and never asked a single coin in return. They gave us the gift of Sylesti-"

"HAH! Fat lot 'o help the Sylesties have been lately." The man interrupted rudely. "You heard about that ship that netted a Kelpari that nearly killed one of the gals they had on board? And what of that one Aurle-"

I grew fearful of staying and ran off. After making sure no one was watching, I sank down into a nearby seat. It was part of a cafe, and I gratefully requested a simple glass of water. Then, nursing my drink, I reflected on just how out of depth I was. This world was obviously many years past the timeline ingame, so many aspects had changed.

Then there was the Cataclysm. What in the world could that have been? A site shut-down? I shook my head and skipped on to other issues.

The conversation the fairy and man were having did not bode well. If my status as Player got out, who knows how this world would react. Especially since I was not as mystical as they had thought, and instead seemly just another one of them.

I opened my purse and gave a quick glance. I had a little over 100,000 gold. I figured I later would investigate the cost of living here. Regardless, I had no idea how. My focus in school had been computer science. I was now in a world that hadn't even invented that, and used magic to boot. I would have to figure things out, and quickly.

My thoughts were interrupted by an elderly lady walking up to me. She smiled warmly before saying, "My name is Cheyenne, and I couldn't help but notice your hairclip. Could you tell how you got it?" My fingers reached up to my little pumpkin instinctively, and I panicked. What could I say? That I got it from a Festival that should have occurred before I had even been born?

Cheyenne, noticing my panic, smiled and said gently, "If you don't want to talk about it, it's fine. But you should be careful, wearing that in public. You could only get those clips from a gift from a Player, so they sell for a really high price. Someone will probably try to steal it. You probably inherited it from your grandmother or something."

Swallowing my fear, I nodded shyly, "Yes, my grandmother. Since I had lost both of my parents when I was little, she raised me. She named me Nikki. She's gone...I need a job now, because I don't have much money."

As I had hoped, Cheyenne nodded sympathetically. "I can suggest a few places. What with the average rent being ten gold a day, most people can't afford to stay long. Say, meet me here tomorrow in the morning, and I can give you a list of reliable apartments and some job opportunities."

I thanked her profusely, and she walked off with a smile. I was smiling too, but mostly out of nerves. Lying always came naturally to me, but lies like this would have to serve as a cover story. I'd flesh it out later, when I got a place to stay.

I sat back down and looked at my gold count. Ten gold a day, one hundred gold for ten days, meant that I could live comfortably for quite a while if I was smart. I pushed away the dark thought that I might need to stay that long. Either way, I needed to find a stable source of income soon in the event of an emergency.

A sudden chill sent goose bumps up my spine and it was only then that I noticed the brilliant sunset over the city walls. I jumped to my feet in alarm; I had to find a place to stay, and fast. Then a quick thought had me plucking my hair clip out and stuffing it in my bag because I didn't want it stolen. I also checked the street address I was on, promising to remember it come morning. I had only been searching for a little while before I passed a bakery. They were just closing up, but I dashed inside to order a quick bun to munch on while I walked.

Eventually I found a small tavern called Peach's Folly. Though I raised an eyebrow at the sign, it looked a little less shabby than the others I had seen. I was greeted by a homey atmosphere when I walked inside, so I relaxed just a little. I kept my guard up, however, as the smell of alcohol was thick in the air. The barkeeper was rough but not unkind. I asked the price of a room (ten gold a day), and also the limit of the duration of a stay. To this he replied that the limit was three months. I nodded sharply and forked over the toll for a night. I would find a place to rent an apartment later, I figured.

Chapter 4 - Halfway Empty
When I met up with Cheyenne, I almost didn't notice the guards watching off to the sides. It was only the worried glances of other people that directed my eyes to their position. I walked stiffly to Cheyenne, glancing over my shoulder every once in a while. My smile when I greeted her was just a tad frosty. Why were the guards all looking at me? Did she have something to do with them?

Her smile was just as warm as the first meeting. "Nikki, I almost thought you wouldn't come. Who knows how long I had to wait!" My smile fell a little, confused. She hadn't specified a time, only to meet in the morning. The sun had just barely cleared the horizon, so it would still be morning. "Here's the list. I have work, so I have to go." She nearly ran away. I gazed after her in a startled manner, and then unfolded the sheet of paper.

On it was a list of locations and street addresses. None of them stood out, so I started asking around to find where they were. I was quickly directed to a small store. The person who was guiding me had whispered halfway through, "D' 'ya know you're bein' fallowed?" I flinched and nodded sharply. He sighed and said, "Watch yer back." He then vanished in the crowd.

When I entered the store, the first thing I noticed was the pungent smell of spices. Hundreds of cauldrons were stacked near the door with hazardous carelessness. Beyond them, rack after rack of strange things letting out odd smells and the unusual use of candles for lighting gave the entire shop an eerie and sinister glow. I shivered and drew cold hands up my arms, trying to rub the rough sensation away.

This place must have been one of the job opportunities, I figured. There was no room for any kind of tenants. I crouched to inspect a string of curious-looking blue gems. They were hung from a shelf as if strung together, but there was nothing holding them together. Its a very strange sight, and I felt like I should have known what they were. I found the same feeling occurred with several other ingredients too.

Eventually I gave up trying to identify substances and walked up to a desk-looking thing. It looked more like a fallen log chopped short, and rather pleasant smelling luminescent green moss grew on it. There was no one there. A little silver sign propped up on a twig announced in curly letters; Looking for assistants.

I took a deep breath and called out shakily, "Hello?" A few moments passed and I nearly called again before I heard shuffling movements in a door so cloaked in shadow I had first thought it part of the wall. I continued, "My name is Nikki. It says on the sign you're looking for an assistant?"

An extremely old woman shuffled out of the back. She took one look at me, and I nearly ran out the door right then and there. Her eyes had a milky film over them, but even so, they seemed stare right into my soul. This was just plain creepy! Had that candle just flickered? She flinched suddenly, and I blinked at her. "Yes, you, ah, you need a job?" she croaked out, and gestured towards the back. "Let's talk in there." She shuffled back into the dark opening.

When I stepped through, she was lighting multiple candles. Behind the wall was even more shelves of ingredients, stack after stack. Each was labeled here, and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. I recognized them! The blue gems were Bulbori Gems. There was some Kelpari Kelp high on a shelf, a few faintly glowing jars near the back were labeled as Lighira Light, and even more familiar names scattered around.

Realization struck me; these were catalysts! I glance around sharply, recognizing a few more. The old lady laughed at my wonder. "My name is Barbara, and this Brewery has been in my family for generations. We got all of our ingredients from the Players, so at one time we had been famous. Now with the cataclysm, we can only sell second rate items (She eyed a jar of strange looking seeds distastefully), because the Player items don't sell. Only Royalty have enough money to buy Sylesti brew catalysts, and all of them know better now than to waste their money on a hostile Sylesti."

"I'm old. I'm not going to deny it. As a result, you might want a back-up job just in case I kick the bucket while you're here. As my assistant, you'll learn everything about Brewing that I can teach you, what all of these things do, and the ins and outs of each and every ingredient. I'll show you where find ingredients, how to identify them, and how to harvest them. Your pay will be three gold an hour. You'll start at 9:00 a.m., and end 4:00 p.m. Don't worry, I'll give you lunch breaks and whatnot."

I smiled politely, "Thank you for your offer. I'm still currently searching for a job, however, so I want to check out a few other places before I settle on one."

She nodded back, "Clever girl, off with you."

I complied and was out on the street in moments. After learning the general location of my next destination, I was startled to find a guard watching me discreetly from a long distance away. After I spotted that one, I noticed several others. I began to walk away, a feeling that something was terribly wrong coiling in my gut. After I got across the street, I noticed a guard slip inside the Brewery. I clenched my fists and told myself that my hands weren't trembling.

Chapter 5 - Winter Solstice
I found that time passed and faded into winter without trouble. The guards eventually decreased to only one, and they never bothered me, though I had been questioned many times about them. I accepted the Brewery job, as all the others required skills that I just didn't have. Computer science didn't exactly fit in with a land of magic. Work in the Brewery was often frustrating, unfortunately, since I had no knowledge of herbs and had to learn from the ground up. After a month, however, Barbara finally, and very grudgingly, began to show me how to prepare the actual ingredients. It would be years, she claimed, before I would learn the actual art of brewing.

That was fine with me. My computer oriented mind could not make sense of how one mummy finger could fail a broth simply by being tossed in with the finger tucked rather than straight, and other fine details that I would have long dismissed as trivial. I had to often push away the thought I might actually stay long enough to learn them all.

I hoarded away my original coin stash, only spending the coins earned through my job. I had no idea when I would need it, so I stashed it away. Besides, I was supposed to be a poor orphan the countryside. If I had flaunted that much money, I would have raised too much suspicion.

Every once in a while, I noticed that some people would watch me as if I was familiar, an old memory they couldn't quite place. I tried to avoid them as much as possible. I didn't know why they acted like that, but I didn't want to know, either.

To all appearances, I was content. I no want for money, food, or shelter, but I was not content. I was desperate for someone, or even something to talk too about home. Sylestia was just so drastically different from my own. Sometimes I would just hide away for a while, burying myself in studies to distract myself from the sheer sense of loss I felt.

Barbara saw it. I wasn't quite sure how she knew, but she always had a lesson for me, a new herb to learn, another use or mix or whatever else she could throw at me. Sleep became my worst enemy. I became prone to spending hours in that shop, reading by the candle light. I skipped meals regularly, only making sure to grab a snack for lunch and maybe dinner.

A sense of bitterness became to grow. I began to secretly hate my study habits, and the accompanying monotony. As winter descended, I began to also keep up with world politics. It was something else that I could do in spare time, I figured. In reality, I craved change. Something, anything that could remind me even slightly of home I jumped at; I watched like a Ryori from afar, as the Sylestians would often say.

I also took to wearing a dark hooded cloak that covered my face and helped me blend in. I had stood out too much in the beginning, so I simply vanished now. The freezing snow made my choice of clothing a common sight.

I only hoped that spring would come soon. A part of me doubted it would at all.

Chapter 6 - Change
Several years later I would be reminded of quote that I found so very applicable to what happened during that summer: time waits for no one, and it won't wait for me.

Well, summer rolled around, but deep in my heart it seemed as if no time had passed at all. I took to wearing cloaks in order to combat the chill. It never seemed to work.

It seemed like just another day when I heard muttering people in near panic and a loud commotion. I followed the crowd out of curiosity. The Sylestians were surrounding a figure shrouded in a black cloak holding a staff surrounded by glowing red runes. I fingered my Harvest Dagger, and watched with caution. I nearly dropped it, however, when I saw what happened next. A golden Aurleon flapped over to the figure and let out a loud screech. "I hear ya', Coco; I hear ya'. We just need to keep searching." She muttered, reaching up a finger to stroke its crest.

A man dashed up to her and yelled, "Y-you! You're a Player-!" He cut off suddenly, and glanced around like a deer caught in headlines, as if he hadn't meant to do that. The girl let out a loud laugh. It didn't sound quite right, and her companion flapped off with a screech. She throws back her hood, and the crowd erupted in harsh whispers. Her hair was in twin cherry red ponytails, and white bows held them up. They ran down to her knees, and I recognized the style from the Wardrobe. I realized then that I had yet to see Player Wardrobe items with any of the Sylestians, so if I hadn't worn a cloak, I might have been ousted as a Player. I shrank further into my hood.

Perhaps I might have avoided what happened next had I not blocked my view of the sky beforehand. With a mighty screech, Coco ripped my hood off. I stumbled back with a cry of fright, and when I looked up, the crowd had backed off to stare at me. I looked around with fear, but no one came forward to...I wasn't sure what I had thought they'd do.

Suddenly, the girl dashed up to me. With a shout of glee, she threw her arms around me. Reflexively I threw her off and whipped out my knife. "Who are you?" I demanded.

She stared at me in shock for a moment, and then her mouth broadened into a large smile. She raised one arm and bowed, and her Aurleon settled on her arm, puffing its chest proudly. She stamped her staff on the ground and announced, "I am Evelyn, a Player. Coco is my starter Aurleon, and my companion for life." She raised an eyebrow at me, and I fumbled for a moment before realizing what she wanted.

I answered wearily, "I'm Nikki, also a Player. I don't have a Sylesti." I had already noticed the crowd examining the two of us carefully. What whispers I could hear were about our choice of weapons, and I guessed that only Players could get them, unless, like my pumpkin clip, they were a gift. I had already been revealed, there was point no in denying it.

I sighed and sheathed my dagger. "We should talk. My place is private; we can discuss things there." I took three steps towards her, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her down the street. The crowd parted like water for us. I tried not to let it bother me.


When we finally got to my place most of the people had stopped trailing us. Evelyn had been confused about this until I explained it to her. With lunch break over, most people needed to get back to work. I needed to, too, I realized, and was relieved when Evelyn asked to see my work. I changed course and took her to the Brewery.

I introduced her to Barbara as a friend, and then told her to try identifying all the ingredients there. Mindful of Barbara, Evelyn floundered through the quiz. We had a good laugh. I asked Barbara if Evelyn could help. She was reluctant until Evelyn told her she didn't need pay. She was here because her parents needed her out for the house for a little while and she wanted to be productive since she was imposing. Barbara left us alone after telling us to sort out a new shipment of spices.

After I showed Evelyn what goes where, she and I discussed, quietly, what had happened since arriving in Sylestia.

"I fell out of a portal about half a year ago, I think. I was in the middle of the Umbra Forest, so some elves found me. I was freaking out, and pretty harshly at that. They eventually told me what had happened, the Cataclysm and all that. I honestly can't remember anything like that." Evelyn whispered softly.

I nodded, "Yeah, it's very strange. How did you find...uh, Coco, right? And um, if you could, what gender is Coco?" I shuffled nervously and nearly dropped a few seeds.

"You haven't figured it out yet? Sheesh, okay, what you do is walk up to him and swipe your hand up. Do it like this, with your palm out." She demonstrated for me. Blinking at her in confusion, I complied. My jaw nearly hit the floor. A small panel popped up over Coco's head. It was nearly identical to a pet profile page, just without the ads, or the top navigation bar. It had everything about Coco, including the image, which showed me Coco's gender. Evelyn laughed at my reaction, before continuing, "I first figured out how to do that when a Quitari nearly charged me out in the Forest. It was actually how I found out I was in Sylestia. It popped up as a released pet. You can't do that with the wild-born ones, though."

"Did you know that farmers use Quitaris to transport goods? They're still tame enough for that, but they get agitated in heavily crowded places, so they keep them outside the city. But, anyways, I wanted go looking for more Players, but some bandits kidnapped me! I got dragged to their camp, and while I was there, I saw this little guy." She ruffled Coco's neck crest teasingly. "He had been caught by them. I recognized him as my starter Sylesti. I broke him out, grabbed my staff, and burned the camp to the ground. After that I came to Esior's Haven, and then I met you."

She let out a heavy sigh, and turned to me. I described my time here to her. I wondered about Genevieve, whether or not she was alright after she had been netted. I felt much better after I had talked to Evelyn, and I let out a bright smile. Evelyn smiled right back, and for the first time during my stay in Sylestia, I feel warm again. I wasn't alone! I wasn't alone! I nearly cried right then and there. I resolved to talk about more personal things once we were in the safety of my room.

The rest of the evening passed in comfortable silence.

Chapter 7 - Variables
When Evelyn and I finally left, we walked quickly to my apartment. There, we discussed the future. "We can't stay here," Evelyn said adamantly, "We need to figure out where we are, why we are here, where our Sylestis are, and all sorts of other stuff."

I pursed my lips. "What of my job? Of my place? Of, of-"

"I know you're scared." Evelyn's voice was quiet, but it cut through my stammering. "But we can't stay here. Both of us have been outed as Players, and I don't want to stay here longer than normal. On top of that, we've been followed. I saw guards outside."

I struggled for a few moments, and then Coco flapped over and landed next to Evelyn. I squashed the flaring hint of jealousy and sighed. "If I go with you, I want you to make a deal with me. Never leave me alone. Okay?"

She smiled broadly and offered her hand, "Deal." We spent most of night making plans and discussing what our favorite foods were.

Come morning, I showed her were the ports were to investigate tickets to Sanctuary of Saerielle, and then went off to work. This made me the most nervous.

I walked straight up to Barbara, but before I could speak, she said, "You'll be leaving tomorrow, right?" I was speechless. "I had always known you were a Player. Someone as old as me would be a fool to miss your special aura. Mind you, I shocked when I first met you. You seemed completely average. I had tried to convince myself that your obsessive study habits came from your grief over your grandmother, But I always knew there was something off about you."

"Don't worry about your job. I already have an apprentice who would be willing to take your place after you leave. I hope you'll do well." Barbara smiled and suddenly I was overwhelmed. I nodded and smiled numbly.

"Do you have any tips or pointers for when I leave?" I asked politely, even though my voice was choked.

She laughed and shook her head, "I had a Faelora to help me gather anything that might have been as far as where you're going. Just be careful."

I heard the door creak open, and Evelyn called, "Hey Nikki, our boat leaves at 1:00! You might want to get your stuff from your apartment!"

I turned to go, and was about call a goodbye over my shoulder, but then I noticed Barbara's sad look, and suddenly I couldn't speak. I rushed to her and hugged her. A sudden flash of realization came over me. "This...this will be the last time I'll see you." I nearly cried when I saw her smile a warm yet sad smile of acceptance.

"I'm old, and only the Players have ever lived without death. Perhaps that's why they were so distant, to avoid this kind of sadness. I'll miss you, Nyllei." I looked up quickly at the use of my Player name. She winked at me and gave me a little push. "Now, go to your friend. Stick with her. You two only have each other; remember that. You had so many questions when you got here. I hope you find your answers."

I choked out, "Bye, Barbara," and left the store with a sense of terrible finality. I packed my things in silence. Evelyn left me alone, sensing my need to sort myself out. I was confused. For so long, I had longed for change. I had gotten what I wanted, so why I did feel like crying? It's a case of being careful of what you wish for, I thought bitterly.

So absorbed was I in my thoughts that I didn't notice until I shivered in the sharp, cold breeze generated by the ocean that we were at the docks. I nearly went back to being self-absorbed, but I was startled to find Evelyn staring at me with an intense gaze. "Hey!" she shouted, and I looked at her in shock. "I get that you're sad, but we made a deal last night, so don't you start moping on me! I didn't get kidnapped by stupid bandits just to be shrugged off at the dock!"

I blinked at her, and shifted my gaze away and back. I blinked tears away and smiled at her. "Of course."

"Good," She smiled smugly, "now, come on, or we'll miss the boat." We walked off.

Chapter 8 - What You See, What I See
The first few days of the boat ride were fairly uneventful. Coco filled the sails with wind, so sailors who would normally have been rowing could help fish. Evelyn and I passed time by comparing little things from our own world. It wasn't until I began I noticed little ripples occasionally in the water that I called over a sailor. He gasped sharply when he saw them. "Sylvorpa, I think. Two, maybe? There's something else down there too," he muttered. He stayed a few feet away from me, but I wasn't bothered with it. Most sailors were wary of Evelyn's and my position as Players. I leaned over the side, trying to see what the Sylvorpa looked like. I saw nothing, as the ripples had disappeared.

I told Evelyn, who asked Coco to keep a lookout, who had taken to fishing around the waters for his own food. On a particularly boring day, I asked her if she had any Sylvorpas. "I had one, a blue guy with 1v2c named Void," she answered offhandedly.

"Me too," I replied, "a girl named Stargazer Lilly. She was a magenta 2v." I wonder where she is, I thought, and I could tell Evelyn thought the same. A moment later, I asked her with blatant curiosity, "What are you wearing under your cloak?"

"Oh, I never showed you?" She startled. She took off her cloak, and I let out a little ah. She was wearing the Vorkid Webbing outfit, dyed red to match her hair. She rubbed her arms, and threw her cloak back on. "And this is my other Held item, besides, you know, my Arch Mage's Staff." She took out a short but thick stiff braided cord. She waved it around and a cloud of scarlet sparkles floated out of it and gathered to form a moth: an Atlas Moth Spriteling. She smiled and waved the cord around and where she pointed the cord, the moth followed.

I laughed, "That's so cool! You've already seen my Held item, though." I took out my Harvest Guardian's Dagger. The crimson hilt was warm on my hand, despite having been in the cold sheath. The jewels glinted with a familiar twinkle, and I showed it to her. She admired it's shininess and laughed that the dagger was much prettier when it's not being bared against her. Embarrassed, I tucked it away. She tugged at my cloak, but before I could take off my cloak, I noticed one of the sailors watching me.

I pointed him out to Evelyn, and, with a huff, she dragged me below deck. There, I finally took off my dirty brown cloak and crossed my arms with embarrassment over my Novice Adventurer's Outfit. She stared at it for a moment, then squealed, "Yes! So you're new too?" She dashed up to me with a smile. "I had only joined for- uh, for...huh?" She stared at me with sudden alarm. "I'm- I know I'm new...right? I've only been on...I can't remember. I know when I joined, but I can't remember anything before I came here."

I licked my lips and nodded. "Yeah, I'm the same. I remember doing things related to Sylestia, but beyond that it's all blurred. I can't even remember how far back my memories are blurred." Something occurred to me, and I frowned in confusion.

Evelyn saw it and hummed in question. I answered, "I have a Gnarled Vines With Pumpkin back item. I wonder how that works." Carefully I drew the item out of my bag. There was a loud pop, and then I felt a weight on my back. Evelyn looked me with wide eyes.

"That looks so weird with your cloak on," she burst into giggles. I whipped my cloak off and turn around. The vines follow, and could I feel them adjusting to my shift in position. There's a marked weight that I guessed was the pumpkin. It felt very awkward, and I switched to the regular version without the pumpkin. That felt much better. It also was a lot less conspicuous without the pumpkin. Loud shouting drew our attention, and we went back up to the deck

In the time after, I began to experiment with the vines in my free time, and eventually figured out that I could influence the shape of them with my own thoughts. It was a very odd feeling, but useful. The other sailors thought it was creepy, so I tried to limit my use of the vines around them. Evelyn found out how to use the moths eyes and ears like second senses, though she didn't use it very often. Sometimes, out of boredom, we traded items and freaked each other out with them.

Over a course of seven days, Coco alerted us of the Sylvopas no less than eighteen different times. It was highly unnerving, but there wasn't much we could do. We had three days left in the voyage, and we hoped to make it without incident.


Deja vu was the third thing that greeted me when I rolled off my cot, too disturbed by the screaming sailors to go back to sleep and too groggy and nauseous from the morning light and rocking boat to really think my actions through. I was properly woken up by the time I clambered up to the deck.

The first thing I saw was Genevieve. She was the largest thing in sight, easily dwarfing Coco, who was fluttering around and screeching. She was rearing and striking at the Aurleon. All of the sailors were off to the side, desperately trying to combat the waves generated by the agitated Kelpari. So shocked was I that I could only watch as a lucky shot clipped Coco on the wing. He hit the deck with a pained cry and Genevieve reared to strike him again.

Suddenly I realized I was moving too. I threw myself in front of Genevieve. I spread my arms and shouted, and I even felt the vines spread out my cloak to make my figure even larger. The tactic worked, and I heard Evelyn run up behind me to tend to her companion. I keep my focus on the Kelpari in front of me, however.

After I had blocked her shot, she had backed up a bit with a snort. She moved her head from side to side. I kept a sharp glare on her face. The shouting died down around me, as the Kelpari's rage calmed and likewise the sea. I slowly, very slowly, lowered my arms. The vines lowered my cape around them. Genevieve stopped shifting from side to side, and took a hesitant step forward. I looked her straight in the eye, neither of us looking away. Gently, I reached up and stroked her nose. She didn't flinch at the contact this time.

After a few strokes, she closed her eyes and lowered her head into my chest, nudging me gently. I smiled and raised a palm to check her stats. I smiled happily at what I saw. No released message greeted my eyes, only a message that I viewed since my girl had been a dark egg retrieved from a brew. This is an Exclusive Sylesti.

I turned to look at Evelyn. She was eyeing Genevieve's profile with an irritated eye. I grimaced and passed her a Revival Draught in apology. She sighed and administered it silently. Genevieve walked around me to sniff at Evelyn. She tensed her shoulders around Coco protectively, but Genevieve had already twirled around with a joyful whinny much to our confusion. She cantered over to the edge of the boat and raised her wings, ignoring the sailors that had scrambled out of her way. A plume of water suddenly shot up from the ocean, and I watched with wide eyes as a deep blue Sylvorpa suddenly slammed onto deck. He popped up with a yelp and nearly tried to dive back overboard when he suddenly caught sight of Evelyn.

Evelyn froze. Coco, who was finally awake from the draught, hopped over to the stranger Sylvorpa and let out a joyful caw. This jolted me from my shock and I quickly swiped to check the Sylvorpa out. A male named Void, I read, 1v2c. It sounded familiar until the text suddenly flickered and changed the exact instant Void dashed forward into Evelyn's arms. I blinked at the new words until Evelyn called out to me, "Hey Nikki, remember when I told you about my little 'vorpa? Come meet Void!"

I let out a little oh, and smiled. I would have shaken my head but Evelyn wasn't looking at me, too absorbed in reacquainting with Void to bother. I let out a soft chuckle and startled when Genevieve began to nip playfully at my ear. I shoved her head away and walked over to the captain, a younger fellow.

He stared at me in fright. I smiled warmly and rubbed my hand up Genevieve's nose. "How extensive is the damage to the boat?" I asked calmly.

He blinked, and then raised an eyebrow at another man across the deck. The new man shook his head and hand signaled a one. The captain replied, "Nothing extensive. My girl will be fine."

My smile grew wider at that and I spoke again, "We are sincerely sorry for the disruption. Genevieve here was a little enthusiastic to meet with me again, and spooked herself the process."

The captain grumbled softly to himself and waved his hands to the rest of the crew. Within moments, they got back to fishing. I turned away and went over to Evelyn, who was watching Coco and Void catch up. I tapped her on the shoulder and grin. "You still mad at Genevieve?" She puffed up to say yes, and then Void let out a particularly chirp. She deflated and sighed, shaking her head. "You might want to ask Coco to go back to blowing air into sails." She gave me a reluctant nod. I ignored the tightness in my chest.

I turned my back to her and walked over to the brow of the ship. I sat on the edge and heard a nervous neigh from my companion. A small smile graced my lips before I whispered softly, so softly that Genevieve had to lean down in order to hear, "Do you know the locations of any of the others?" Genevieve was silent for a moment and the tightness in my chest grew, but then she snorted and pulled on my bag. She pulled out the world map, operated the zoom to focus on Umbra Forest, and then tapped the Enigmatic Grotto. I could barely contain my tears then, but this time I was smiling, smiling like I was going to die tomorrow. I leaned in to hug her neck, still poised over the map, and whispered, "thank you."

All of my tears were washed away into her silky blue mane.

Chapter 9 - Closer
I was grateful to finally get off the boat when we got to the Sanctury of Saerielle. Most of the bridges had been upgraded to rope bridges that spanned to river from tree house to tree house, which allowed boats to pass beneath. The tree houses themselves looked amazing, nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding foliage. "They took the idea from the Lunemara," one of the Elven sailors told me proudly, when I commented on them. I had to admit; it did look extremely cool, and gave the entire area a ghostly, yet somehow welcoming atmosphere.

They used pathways below the tree line as roads for those driving carts pulled by Quitari. Evelyn and I had fun by pointing out different traits as the passed below us. The entire city was centered on the river, which was a massive port.

Evelyn and I had blast running around the rope ladders after I forced her to hide her appearance under her cloak and have her Sylesties tail us discreetly. I had told Genevieve to follow us by the river. She had been upset but I then pointed out that she had no means of traveling on the rope bridges. She went off huffily. It felt odd not having her nibble on my hair randomly every once in a while.

I told Evelyn about Genevieve's message on the boat, and we agreed before to split up. She would scout the city, get a general sense of bearings, as well as find us a place to stay. I would investigate the Grotto, and gather information.

Several hours later, I hoped down quietly onto the forest floor. In front of me loomed the dark entrance to the Grotto. It had taken me several hours of traveling through the trees, and without my thorns and dagger, I would have been attacked multiple times by packs of roaming Sylesties, Vorkids, and even a Myconid. Instead, I hopped from branch to branch above the forest floor, and hoped my torn cloak was sufficient camouflage.

I approached the entrance with trepidation. I was glad I was wearing boots, as the floor was completely flooded with water about a foot deep. I shuffled in, taking only brief look around before turning and sloshing out. I had located the opening, and now I needed to get back.

I was about to scramble back up the tree, when a low growl rumbled out. I whipped out my dagger, already commanding my vines to spike up and protect my back. I saw a strangely colored green and purple Lupora approach, and I barely have any time to wonder the color scheme was familiar before I hear a hostile hiss to my left, and I glance over quickly, adjusting my stance automatically so that I could see both hostile Sylesti at once. Out of a nearby tree flutters a so extremely distinctive Sylvorpa that I nearly dropped my dagger. "Stargazer Lilly?" I gasped out. Stargazer Lilly stopped hissing instantly. She froze and shot an uncertain look at the other Sylesti. I turned towards it, and recognized Canach. He watched me with a hostile stubborn look. I gently lowered my dagger. I passed it to my vines, and held up my palms.

I was surprised by the chill in the air. I glanced at the sun, and I flinched. I should have been back ages ago. I turned around and scaled the tree. Glancing down at the two Sylesti below, I called out, "I'll come back tomorrow." I scampered off, too worried about how late and how cold I was to linger.

As expected, Evelyn was furious when I got back. "Where have you been?!" she raged, dragging me by the collar to our hotel. Even Coco gave me the cold shoulder, and Void snuck pitying glances. I secretly was unimpressed by them too. Wow, I'm getting lots of help from you guys, I thought grudgingly.

As soon as we got to the hotel and were in private quarters Evelyn wasted no time, whipping around to rant at me. I didn't give her chance too, instead holding up a hand and saying, "It took way longer than expected to reach the Grotto. By the time I got there it was night, and I had to avoid every Sylesti that passed by. The way back was quicker because I could use the Shrine as a reference point, but the city is still really far. Its going to take us a while to get there tomorrow, so we need to get sleep now." Evelyn looked torn, but I took off boots and cloak, placed them by the door, and flopped down on the bed. A few minutes later I hear Evelyn do the same, and a few minutes after that I heard Void snuggle up with her. I squashed the flaring hint of jealousy. Coco was probably keeping watch.

*Disclaimer: I do not own the image at the beginning of the chapter. I found it on Pintrest*