The cobblestone streets damp with the morning dew, were bare, but noises could be heard coming from the square in front of the lyceum. Lunae was curious about the commotion; she wasn’t used to that much noise this early, so she went to investigate. The morning fog had not yet lifted; everything was vague, even the lighting. She had to wait for her eyes to adjust to see that a huge tent had been put up blocking the lyceum. She tucked her midnight blue hair back behind her ears.
A bazaar, perhaps, she thought, as she pulled her cloak closer around her. People were gathering and steering away from Lunae. This was typical since she was foreign to them. As she got closer for a second, she thought she could smell the sea. Being taller than most, she got a good vantage point away from the crowd. Her peers were small, but their pink, dotted, wobbly feelers were something for the eye to dodge. When her eyes finally adjusted to the fog, she could see a funny looking man with a big hat in front of the tent. She walked closer to the tent to get a look at this man. He was clearly wearing badly applied performer's makeup, and his hair looked like dyed straw. Lunae giggled to herself at the ridiculousness of this man. His clothes were torn and way too big for him, all patched together by someone who thinks they can sew, but no one had the heart to tell them otherwise.
She realized he wasn’t like the rest of them, and he looked somewhat like her. Strange looking people always made the Kalindorians very intrigued; they were generally interested in all things different, since most of their old religion was to wait for an outsider. Most didn’t believe it anymore; they saw it as more of a myth, but since she was a young child, people have been wary of her.
Lunae could tell that the man was waiting for a big enough crowd to gather. Once the crowd became big enough for the man’s liking, he put on a big smile and bowed. As he finished his bow, he looked in the eyes of everyone before he began to talk.
“Come one, come all! See the Master’s waters! See the other worlds that live among us right under our very noses! My name is Fulch, and I can tell you from personal experience that I have seen things that I thought impossible. I have taken a dip in the waters, and my life has been forever changed. These worlds have beauty and magic so wonderful to behold that it will change how you look at reality! The Master will show you these worlds, and if you are lucky enough, you two can take a dip in these waters. You will come out a changed man or woman, but believe me, it is for the better! So who here thinks they’re lucky?” Fulch said, trying to lure in patrons.
Just another gimmick. Lunae thought to herself as she tried to walk past the crowd that assembled, but something caught her eye. Fulch was staring directly at her as he helped a man into the tent. His smile made a cold shiver run down her spine, like it was her destiny. She wasn’t nervous or even scared. The thing that grabbed her curiosity the most was the fact that he didn’t ask for payment, nor did anyone offer. Lunae decided to stay long enough to see the first person walk out. Take a reading on the reactions. It took some time before the first person exited the tent, and it was definitely not something Lunae was expecting. A man walked out pleading to go back.
“Please let me go back, please, I beg of you!” The man said. Fulch had to almost restrain the man from going back inside.
“Please, I’ll give you everything I have, just let me go back!” The man pleaded as he dropped to his knees. Lunae could see that the poor bastard was crying. She paid special attention to Fulch as he whispered something into his ear, all the while staring at her. The man seemed to accept what Fulch had said and got up and started to walk away, but not before a bunch of Kalindors surrounded him, asking him questions. Whatever this man said made people line up in a hurry to get a peek at the Master’s waters. During the rest of the morning, Lunae hung back and watched, all the while Fulch kept his eyes on her.
***
It was nearly noon when Fulch decided it was about time for him to ask her if she wanted to venture inside the tent. He pardoned himself from the eager crowd that was waiting for their turns before venturing his way towards her.
“Excuse me, miss? I’ve never seen the glow of someone’s skin compete with the sun before,” Fulch said. Lunae rolled her eyes, another pick up line, she thought. She was about to turn away when Fulch stepped in front of her.
“My Master can enlighten you. Would you like to take a gander at the tent?” Fulch asked with his puckered lips and praying hands. Lunae just looked at him with a perched eyebrow and her arms crossed.
“Why would I want to do that?” She said. Fulch then seemed to relax his façade he had going on.
“I would tell you it’s your destiny, but you people never believe in things like that. How bout this? I’ll wager you for it,” he said. This seemed to pique Lunae’s interest.
“What would be the wager?” She asked. Fulch started to laugh.
“Alright, I’ll wager everything in my pockets against yours,” he said. Fulch seemed delighted by this little game.
“Sure, but what’s the catch?” Lunae said. Fulch did a little dance.
“If you give me all of your money before entering the tent, and you don’t like it, you get all the money in my pants!” he said. Lunae wasn’t about to get tricked like this, especially by the likes of this buffoon.
“Who’s to say you even have money in that pocket of yours?” Lunae said, slowly getting tired of this game.
“Oh, silly creature, I said pants, not pocket, but not to be a stickler,” Fulch said. Lunae just rolled her eyes at him and tried to walk away. Fulch quickly jumped in front of her and shook every single pocket he had, and surprisingly, they all jingled.
“Don’t believe me, you can check the contents yourself,” Fulch said. Lunae was grossed out by the thought of going through his pants.
“Fine, I guess. I’m bored anyway,” she said as she gave a smirk towards Fulch’s direction, and he obliged with one himself.
“Lunae, you have always been bored,” Fulch said, skipping back off to the crowd.
“Wait! I never…” Lunae said. There was no use in trying to grab his attention now that he was back amusing the crowd. So Lunae decided to get in line and wait for her turn.
“What am I thinking?” Lunae stated out loud. The lady in front of her overheard her.
“My dear, I believe we all are thinking that,” she said. Lunae didn’t like this lady much; she seemed too uppity. Her pink translucent skin had been oiled; the rich did these types of things. Her feelers were tied together, making her face seem thinner. Lunae was one of the lower classes. Even though the Kalindorians saw outsiders as a bestowal, it was rarely put into practice. Lunae, as far back as she could remember, had been by herself; no one was there to guide her or teach her how to be a lady, but Lunae rose from the streets she came from, jumping from one job to the next, trying to save up enough money to reach the coast. She always wanted to be by the water.
“Umm, excuse me, miss, but the line has moved,” The elderly Kalindor behind her said.
“Sorry sir, would you like to go before me?” Lunae politely asked. She liked him; he reminded her of when she used to work for a shoemaker. He too, would always try to wear hats over his feelers. Pushing them down against their odd shaped ears. Lunae always thought that their ears were reins, especially since their points went on to look like rope.
The elder man said his thanks with a tip of the hat and squeezed on by. Lunae couldn’t comprehend why she did what she did; she kept getting lost in her own thoughts and memories. Something about this tent gave off a feeling of drowsiness.
“Maybe we’re all being drugged,” Lunae said out loud, laughing to herself. The people who did hear her chose not to respond and acted like she wasn’t there. They wouldn’t be seen as people being played like dupes. It was the old man's turn, and right before he went in, he turned and tipped his hat at her one more time.
“Hopefully it’s a wonderful drug,” He said to her before entering. That made Lunae smile. Not all people were cruel; some even had a sense of humor. Fulch just leaned on a poll staring at her with a big smile on his face. They just stared at each other for some time before the old man came out, smiling ear to ear.
“Ready to wager?” Fulch asked snobbishly. Just as Lunae was handing over her money, she realized exactly what she had wagered away. That was supposed to be her ticket out of here.
“How could I be so stupid!” She screamed. The other guests were startled, but Fulch was not.
“This just means you’ll have more spending money on your travels,” Fulch said as he pushed her into the tent. Luckily, to Lunae’s surprise, there was a small hallway before you entered. It was dark and narrow, she smelt salt, she felt as if she were by the ocean.
“What the fusht did that mean?” Lunae said, aggravated with Fulch and all his mystery. She looked down at her skin, and it glowed brighter than she’d ever seen it do before, which startled her. She decided to collect herself before walking any further. She had money on the line. Lunae walked into the center of the tent to see an older man sitting on a chair holding a pitcher of water. The place was badly lit, and there seemed to be carpet on the ground. As she is studying him, she realized he was studying her. He too looked like her, and his head was not yet filled with grey hair, but it was getting close. He wore a mahogany looking robe, which she found peculiar. He also looked very tired, like whatever he had been doing was taking a toll on him.
“Come, sit down and let me show you my tales of wonder, or if you have the stomach, my tales of horror,” he said. Lunae thought to herself about how this was another charade; this man couldn’t be this cheesy. She still contemplated what to say.
“Show me what you think I want to see,” Lunae said. This made the man laugh as he started pouring puddles on the floor. At first, they looked like any other puddles, but as time went on, blurry images started to appear. The man was watching her intensely to see what she would call up. The first one was of an old town of people, similar to her, having a party and dancing, nice place, Lunae thought. The next puddle, Lunae could have sworn she saw a winged beast hanging out with tiny people with wings. She let out a gasp. The old man’s intensity started to wane.
She is like all the rest, he thought. Then the last puddle started to steam, then boil. With a closer look, she saw a war between two peoples. One had skin of blood red, big, and muscular. Claws and teeth that reminded her of her nightmares. They looked like monsters. The other is a majestic purple. They were tall, not as muscular as the red people, but they reminded her of the ancient givers. The red people were ripping apart the purple people with their claws and teeth.
One of the red creatures she would have sworn looked straight into her eyes and saw her. It ran towards the puddle; Lunae almost jumped out of her chair, but the Master quickly stepped on the puddle. Next thing she knew, she was in a stone room filled with altars, lit by candlelight, with puddles everywhere. She felt as if she were home and took a big sigh of astonishment.
“Where are we?” Lunae’s voice was shaking as she spoke.
“What was that?” She said. The Master looked as shocked as she was.
“Forgive me, but you can not take a trip through the waters. I must have done something wrong. I will tell Fulch to give you your money back. Please you must leave!” The Master said. Lunae was confused.
“Leave! We aren’t even in the same place?” Lunae said. Just then, the man took a pitcher of water and poured another puddle.
“Back to the tent with you!” He said. The rush came over her like a flame of dizziness from spending too long on a ride; she almost threw up. Just then, Fulch entered with a worried look on his face. The man looked at him and told him to give Lunae’s money back and to end the show. Money was shoved into her hand as she was pushed out of the tent.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am truly sorry, but the Master is no longer taking anyone else this morning. Please come back tonight for a far better experience! Thank you!” Fulch said as he ran back into the tent. Lunae just stood there, mouth gaping open, still holding her money. People were moaning all around her as they slowly walked away. Then out of nowhere, the old man from before came up to her.
“Thank you again for switching places with me. I’m sorry you missed out. It was something special. You have a good night, Istil,” The man said as he was being pulled away from the crowd, wanting to know what he had seen. Lunae just stood there in shock for a time, and by the time she came too, everyone was gone, except for the tent. Lunae tried to get in, but it seemed something was preventing her from entering. She decided to leave and come back later; she had questions that needed to be answered, but something in her had changed. She longed for that room again.
***
Lunae’s walk home seemed longer than normal. Her thoughts were elsewhere. What did I just go through? Lunae thought. So many questions ran through her mind. The last puddle, the place that was going through war, seemed familiar to her somehow, but she couldn’t place it. And that stone hall, they ended up in, how did they get there? How did they return? Her mind was circling. She needed a drink. Lunae walked to the closest hostelry and sat down. The place was a dump. Full of unsavory Kalindors who could not be trusted. Lunae felt like she belonged with them. It smelt of old stale wallops and tushti leaves. The chairs were falling apart, and the lack of lighting was an acquired taste.
The tapper wasn’t surprised to see Lunae here so early; she usually always found an excuse to come into any hostelry as soon as she could.
“Hey Lunae, the usual?” The tapper asked as he was already starting to prepare it.
“Actually, two jiggers of your finest grist and a wallop please,” Lunae said. This surprised him.
“You can pay for that, I’m sure?” Beraht said. Lunae wasn’t offended by this at all; she was more of not these days.
“Yes, I’ll give you the money before you pour, how bout that?” Lunae said with a bit of an attitude. She didn’t really know why she liked Beraht. Beraht took no offense; he liked Lunae’s rigid attitude. He handed her two jiggers and took her money. Lunae chuckled, then downed them so fast Beraht had to make sure he gave them to her. By the time he came with the wallop, Lunae looked like she was going to have a breakdown. Which was not a normal behavior for her.
“Istil dear? Are you doing alright?” Beraht said sincerely, and Lunae actually believed he meant it, he wouldn’t have used that term lightly.
“I’ve just had the strangest day, and it feels like everything is about to change, and I’m scared,” Lunae said. Beraht wasn’t expecting so much honesty and vulnerability from her, but he had to admit it was a nice change. Beraht leaned over the bar and looked directly into her eyes.
“Of all the souls I see come in and out of this bar, you, by far, are the one who is the most dispiriting, and yet you are full of purpose. Your life changing is exactly what is needed for you. It is your destiny Istil. So be scared! Dahak the consequences! Live your life Lunae!” and with that, he poured two jiggers. One for him and one for her.
“Dahak the consequences!” They both said as they gulped down the drink and talked of happier things, or joked about the corner drunk or the stragglers that came in. Before the night came, Lunae wanted to know something.
“Istil…I didn’t believe you were religious,” she said. Beraht looked at her with serenity.
“You coming here should make everyone a believer. I know you don’t like it, but something about you, Lunae, you are the Istil. I’m sure of it. You will bring back a world that is forgotten. If only you could believe in yourself,” Beraht said. Lunae smiled, rejuvenated, and got up to leave. She left feeling, though, that it’d be a long time before she would see Beraht again, and that saddened her, but she was glad she left on a good note.
Once Lunae got to her home, she stood in front of the steps, knowing if she walked inside, things would change, and that feeling was too overwhelming, so she kept on walking.
***
Fulch was inside her home, looking through the window. He never thought that he would be in her home, and he couldn't help his excitement.
“Yep! Just like you called it Master, she did not come to the door,” Fulch said gleefully.
“I don’t think she’s ready yet. But it won’t be long before she changes her mind. I have another thought also…” the Master said, allowing his sentence to trail off. Fulch caught on.
“You think I shouldn’t be here for when she does come back, don’t you?” Fulch said, pitifully. The Master nodded his head and poured a puddle on the floor.
“Now back to the temple with you, and quickly she’s turning around,” Fulch had no argument and left. Just as the puddle closed up, Lunae walked through the door.
Lunae already had the sense someone was there, and oddly enough, she was not scared. She took off her cloak and held it up towards the hook, but something told her to keep it on. The Master was watching her as she put her cloak back on. He thought to himself that she had good intuition.
“Hello Lunae, did you have fun with Beraht?” The Master asked, and the way he did made Lunae angry.
“What business is it of yours?” She said, and just stood there, wondering to herself why she was so calm.
“What are you doing in my house?” She said. The Master stood up from the chair he was sitting on and stared at her fireplace.
“I’m here because the water has sent me,” the Master said. Under normal circumstances, Lunae would have forced this man out for fear of being insane, but what she experienced today made her believe him, and only he could have brought her back to that room. Deep down, Lunae knew something like this was going to happen; she just didn’t think it would be this momentous.
“What does the water want with me?” Lunae said, smuggishly; the way she asked it awkwardly made the Master endear himself to her somehow. The Master looked Lunae up and down; she was indeed strong with her build, and he knew she needed to be. With the light from her skin shining in the dark, the Master knew that she was the lost daughter of the Signuck people.
“Where are you from?” The Master asked. Lunae was annoyed that he didn’t answer her question.
“From here and there, I’m not sure really. I’ve been on my own since before I can remember. Now, why did the water send you? What does it want from me?” The Master smiled. He remembered that attitude. He then poured a puddle and stared at Lunae.
“It seems the water believes I am getting too old for all the work that needs to be done. You, my dear, have been called to be the new master of water. Or really, my partner. Now come, I have much to teach you,” the Master said, as he beckoned her towards the puddle, and Lunae thought about hesitating, but she didn’t; she wanted to learn more.
“Before I go, what is your name?” She asked. The Master laughed at this; he hadn’t said his name in a long time.
“In due time, I may tell you, but for now just call me Master,” And with that, they both went into the puddle, leaving her house bare, and it would remain so for a very long time.