Although I've declined King Kelpbeard's welcoming fins for me to stay in his kingdom in the past, I still visit from time to time. My sister, Isca, is delighted to see me every time we meet and always persuades me to take up residence there. I'd be lying if I said I never reconsidered it but I believe that Isca can make Maraqua a better place without my help. Her clairvoyant dreams of a bright future filled with hope and prosperity are what the kingdom needs, not my portentous predictions.

Some Maraquans still shudder at the thought of me. "Caylis is a curse," they'd say. While it might be true to an extent, it still hurts to hear such words. That's also part of the reason why I'd chosen to settle outside Maraqua. I've gradually learned to control my psychic powers though, and I'm constantly trying to improve.

However, the nightmare I had last night was too overwhelming to be ignored...

In my dream, I was at the surface of the water, choking back tears as I swam desperately for the shore. This was strange as I have always heeded King Kelpbeard's advice to avoid the people of the land and the troubles that they bring. But soon the reason for my actions became clear. On the sands of Krawk Island was my sister Isca.

A throng of four pirates were on the beach, all armed to the teeth. One of them had my sister slung over his shoulder. She was struggling with all her might, but to no avail. Where were they taking her?

"Caylis!" Her helpless wails traveled across the quiet sea and over to me. My heart lurched.

At that point, I awoke with a start. I wiped the cold sweat from my brows and began to dress at once. It has been years since I last stepped into Maraqua, but what else was I to do? I had to warn Isca.

I swam with haste to my home of old. At the edge of Maraqua, I located the secret tunnel which my sister and I had discovered while exploring the city in our childhood. It was a shortcut which would take me near the palace compound. I glided through the tunnel without a second thought, just as I had done a hundred times before.

But at the other side was a sight I did not expect to see. Two Maraquan guards were now guarding the tunnel. They did not look pleased to see me.

"Caylis?" One of the guards exclaimed. "Our city has been at peace for the last two decades. Your troubles are not welcomed here!"

"Please, I have to see my sister," I pleaded.

"You can explain yourself to the King," the other guard said. He grabbed my fins and twisted them behind my back, fastening them together with a pair of cuffs.

As I was escorted towards the palace by the guards, my only thought was this: I hope King Kelpbeard remembers me fondly...

As I sat in silence and solitude, I couldn't help but recall what went wrong. The king was always a stubborn one, but surely he would have at least listened to me after what they went through the last time. Surely he would have at least given me a chance to explain. He had told me I would always be welcomed in Maraqua.

"Yes, and you arrogantly refused our gesture!" the king had said back in the courtroom. "We offered you amnesty, but you turned your back on us. Of course, why would someone special like you want to mingle with us low-life creatures, wasn't it?"

"But, your majesty, it wasn't—" I had tried to explain, but the King interrupted me mid-sentence.

"No, buts!" he had said. "Return to whence you came from. Maraquans can handle our problems much better without you."

"I'll not be going anywhere without meeting my sister!" I had said through gritted teeth. Maybe I should've been more diplomatic, maybe I shouldn't have allowed my emotions to get the better of me. Maybe if I didn't speak those words like I did, he wouldn't have taken what I said as a threat.

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, hoping that some rest would maybe help me think better. But as the sleep dulled my senses, my nightmares took over. Another vision, this one more horrible than the last...

I was... on a ship, tied to the mast. Nearly a dozen pirates surrounded me, every one watching me with wicked grins on their faces.

"You didn't need to be a part of this!" a voice came from behind the crew of pirates, a voice that sounded vaguely familiar yet so strange. "You should've just stayed away from Maraqua, lass! But no, you had to play hero."

And then the scene dissolved into darkness...

"This is what happens to heroes in my world!" the voice boomed again, this time seemingly from every direction. Faces appeared in the darkness... Isca... My sister. And was that Garin? They looked exhausted and injured, like someone had been tormenting them both physically and mentally. Then they faded away and were replaced by the city of Maraqua, destroyed and... in flames? How was an underwater city in flames?

However, before I could've pondered the answer, the images once again faded into darkness and I felt a strong pull from down below, like an unseen force pulling me towards an abyss. I knew it was just a dream, but it all felt so real and so scary.

I woke up with a gasp, back inside the prison cell they had put me in.

"Seems like someone didn't have a good night, eh?" a voice from my left startled me. I swiftly backed away, only to hit my head against the wall. "Careful not to damage that skull, lady. We might need it soon. Savvy?"

Rubbing my head, I realized that I knew that voice. I looked up to see the person remove the scarf on his face.

"Jacques?"

"Captain Jacques!" the Kyrii corrected, though considered himself soon as he said that. "Temporarily."

"But how—"

"Well, I'm Garin's second-in-command, so while he's gone, the Pawkeet needs a captain—"

"Not that!" I said. "How are you here?"

"THAT, is a long story." Jacques replied. "To summarize: I got news from a trusted source and decided to help. And from what I've seen, things ain't looking pretty fine. Which reminds me, we gotta get outta here, I'll explain the rest on the way."

The images from my nightmares flashed in front of my eyes as Jacques proceeded to open the gates of the cell. A sudden wave of dread coursed through my nerves as the question spontaneously made its way through my vocal chords. "Jacques, where's Garin?"

The jolly and carefree look on the Kyrii's face dropped. "Hopefully somewhere safe." he replied, though his tone displayed a clear sense of doubt. "As I said, we don't have much time... HE is back!"

"Please, tell me what's going on," Caylis pleaded fearfully. "Where's Isca? Is my sister okay?"

Jacques grimaced. "She's been taken."

Her lip quivering with terror, Caylis mustered the courage to ask, "What? How? Who took her?"

"Captain Scarblade took her. He's back," Jacques replied.

The pit of fear that had been growing in Caylis's stomach since her nightmares began now felt so vast that it threatened to consume her completely.

"How did Scarblade get past Maraqua's defenses without anyone noticing?" she asked, barely suppressing her tears. "The guards who arrested me didn't seem worried at all. Don't they know he's back?"

"That's the thing," Jacques answered with a scowl. "They do know."

Caylis could not believe what she was hearing. "Why isn't King Kelpbeard trying to rescue her?"

"King Kelpbeard is the one who betrayed her," Jacques replied.

Caylis stopped in her tracks. "What did you just say?"

"We don't have time to stop moving." Jacques gently but urgently pulled her forward. "Rumour has it that Scarblade made a deal with a powerful sorcerer. Apparently, Scarblade was given an artefact so powerful that King Kelpbeard would give up anything to have it."

"Including my sister.”

"After everything she's done for them," Jacques growled. "They're as ungrateful as they are greedy."

"Let's hurry. They're at Krawk Island, right?" Caylis asked.

"First, I need to ask you something. It's a decision only you can make," Jacques said gravely. "I need you to think about all the times the people of Maraqua have hurt you and your sister."

"I've never forgotten."

"We can guarantee Isca's safety if we let Maraqua be destroyed. Or, we can try to save everyone. But saving the city is risky and we might not be able to rescue your sister if things go wrong. The choice is yours."

I’d never faced a decision like this before. Even when my sister reentered my life, it had always been Isca and Maraqua.

And what a choice it was. My sister, who stood up for me to King Kelpbeard, who proved to Maraqua that my nightmares were not the sources of the disasters that had plagued the city. Who I had looked out for, and been looked after in return, after the fall of Old Maraqua. And the Maraquans! While they had banished me, they had learned the error of their ways and welcomed me back into the city. I could not turn my back on them, either. And Isca would want me to save the citizens of the city, to avoid another generation having to face the trials that we had endured when they were young.

Determination gleamed in my eyes as I met Jacques’ questioning gaze.

“We’re going to save everyone, and I know just how to do it.”

Jacques didn’t look surprised. “If I know anything about the sea - which I do, having sailed its open waters for all these years,” he said, “it’s to never underestimate you taking on a pirate crew.”

I couldn’t help but smile. Now I just had to help make it happen. We swam towards the open waters ahead side by side.

When we’d made it far enough from the city that I didn’t risk being overheard, I sang a short melody, ones Jacques had heard before but I wasn’t sure he’d recognize.

“That should do it,” I said, nodding to myself instinctively at one part of my plan put in motion. “Now let’s go.”

It wasn’t long before we reached our destination. Not far from the shores of Krawk Island, we emerged from the depths, climbing onto a rock jutting from the ocean for a better vantage point in the predawn light. A few hundred yards away was the unmistakable sight that sent a shiver of fear up my spine: The Revenge.

Before I could dwell too much on my nightmares, however, Jacques nudged me pointed ahead, whispering, “Look! Over there!”

And inside the cage was Isca.

It felt like a whirlpool had opened up inside my chest, swallowing up my heart and leaving only a hot, flint anger burning within.

I didn't think twice; my song should have lured pirates away to find its source, so I dove back into the sea, swimming hurriedly toward my sister. Dimly I heard Jacques jump in after me. As we drew closer, I saw that Isca's eyes were red and puffy from crying, and her face, shoulders and arms were full of bruises and cuts. Her hair was a wild tangle that would put any kelp jungle to shame.

The sight was worse than any nightmare I ever had. Still, I couldn't help but smile back when I saw Isca's face light up.

"Caylis!" she cried, then she paused and dropped her voice. "Caylis, I knew you would come! I saw you in my dreams...I knew you would find me!"

Isca flung her arms through the bars to embrace me, pulling me as close to her as possible. Blinking back tears, I returned the embrace. It felt like the fury within me subsided...for now. I held my sister - the only one who ever understood me, who loved me, nightmares and all.

"I'm so happy to see you," I told her, clasping her hands. Never mind that I would much rather see her again in better circumstances, like visiting her in Maraqua or her visiting me in my home.

Meanwhile, Jacques was attempting to pick the lock of Isca's cage with a small dagger.

"I'm glad to see you too, Isca," he said. "Was Garin able to escape?"

She nodded. "Yes. I helped him - which is one reason why Scarblade locked me in here."

"What's the other reason?" I asked softly, dangerously.

Isca frowned. "Scarblade wants me to use my gift...to predict when he should attack Maraqua. He wants to take revenge for the last time he invaded Maraqua." She grimaced. "And he tricked King Kelpbeard. The Fire of the Ocean the king traded me for...is a fake."

"What?" I exploded, my visions of Maraqua on fire coming back to haunt me. "Wait - the artefact King Kelpbeard was after...was the Fire of the Ocean?"

"I hate to interrupt," Jacques interrupted as he dug his dagger deeper into the lock, "but what's the Fire of the Ocean, exactly?"

"The Fire of the Ocean is a pearl with flames within that can burn even underwater," Isca explained patiently. "King Kelpbeard has been searching for it for years, and believed that by handing me over to Scarblade for it - who wanted to use my clairvoyant powers - he could save Maraqua from being destroyed. But it's fake. Scarblade has the real one..."

"Which means he'll use the real Fire of the Ocean to destroy Maraqua!" Jacques cried.

There was a click, and the lock opened and dropped uselessly into the water. Isca burst from her prison to embrace me tightly again. Normally I would be peeling herself off me after a few seconds, but this time, I allowed her to bury her face in my shoulder.

Besides, considering the next part of my plan, we would have to be separated again.

"We should find Garin next," Jacques pointed out. "Before Scarblade or his crew return to the ship."

"No, you will find Garin," I said.

"What? Caylis, what are you saying?" Isca asked, her voice rising in a note of worry.

I shook my head. "Trust me. I have a plan..."

“Sister, we are powerful, both apart and together. That’s exactly why this plan will save all of Maraqua,” I said, reassuring her. “We’re going to use our premonitions simultaneously to retrieve the Fire of the Ocean.”

Isca looked at me dumbfounded. “What do you mean ‘use’ our premonitions? You know they’re unpredictable. We just see whatever is going to happen and that’s that.”

“Exactly. We’ll make a tentative plan of how to recover the Fire of the Ocean. Jacques will guard us while we sleep and dream and nightmare and we’ll know both the good and bad of what is about to unfold. We’ll be able to predict Scarblade’s every move.” I grinned guilefully.

“Okay,” Isca responded resolutely. “That’s crazy enough that it might just work.”

“Wait, wait… I’m confused,” Jacques interrupted. “Won’t your visions predict what’s to come even if it ends poorly? Like what if you see all three of us in a cage and Maraqua burning around us? What do we do then?”

“Once we wake up, we divert the plan and hope for the best,” I answered with a shrug. It might not be a perfect plan, but it was the best course of action. Of that, I felt confident.

“Caylis, don’t you remember when we were younger and we would dream together?” Isca asked, deep in her memories. “Yeah. We would find each other in our premonitions and be able to lucid dream. It was like when we found each other, we became aware of the fact that we were dreaming…”

“… And we could change the outcome of what was about to happen,” I finished her sentence with eyes wide in realisation. “Even better. Let’s find each other in our dreams, Isca.”

She nodded and grabbed my hand.

"Let's find a safe spot first," Jacques suggested and led us away from The Revenge to a small underwater cove nearby. Once we had settled down, he took his place at the entrance, his paw resting on the handle of his sheathed cutlass. "Whenever you're ready."

With our fins still intertwined, we gradually drifted off into deep slumber.

---

I opened my eyes to the sight of the Maraquan kingdom all around me, so familiar yet unrecognizable. The war had begun; Scarblade's army of pirates were descending on to the seabed, intent on wreaking havoc. Although I knew it was a minor diversion, my heart ached for the innocent citizens who were being ambushed. I shook my head and reminded myself to focus on the bigger problem; if the main issue was overcomed, that way, all of this wouldn't be able to manifest.

I meandered my way around the city, forcing myself to ignore the screams and pleas of the Maraquans. I had to find Scarblade immediately. I could sense his presence; he was close, but where? He'd need to find a suitable area that could catch fire easily, so that little effort would be needed to spread the flames throughout the entire kingdom. And then it hit me.

I swam to the public square as quickly as my tail would allow me. Sure enough, I spotted the unmistakable figure of a proud Lupe raising the Fire of the Ocean in his paw and tilting it to catch what little light was refracted into the deep waters, snickering to himself while gazing at the artefact fondly.

Somewhere in my mind, I was vaguely aware of my sister, of her plans and of the fact that we'd meet soon, but I couldn't place my fin on what or when exactly that would be. For now, though, I knew I had to distract Scarblade from making his big move. I opened my mouth to sing a soft and sweet melody, a tune that had the ability to temporarily confuse those who heard it.

A few seconds passed but there was no unusual reaction from Scarblade. And then... it worked! The Lupe lowered his arm and glanced at his surroundings, scratching his head, then paced around aimlessly in circles.

Just then, I caught sight of Isca at the far end of a row of houses, waving at me. I was simultaneously confused and relieved to see her. I knew why she was here - or did I? As I got closer to her, my awareness slowly grew. Jacques and Garin were beside her with broad grins on their faces. I was beginning to understand what we were here for, and my assumptions were proven right when I reached out to hold Isca's fins. In that instant, my mind jolted awake, and I could feel Isca's mind do the same too. We suddenly knew that we were dreaming and had full control of what was to happen from here on out.

"Garin!" I cried out and had a good look at him, scanning him from head to toe. "I'm so glad to see you're safe!"

"As I am you!" he replied happily. "How are things going at your end?"

"I've distracted Scarblade for the time being with my powers but I'm afraid it won't hold out for long." The worry in my voice was evident. "How about you? Jacques said you had your own plans as well."

Garin held out a thumbs-up. "Everything's all set! It went faster than I expected, thanks to Isca and Jacques' help." He patted Jacques on the shoulder, who smiled even wider. "Now all we have to do is..."

"Which means," Jacques said slowly, "we need to split up. We have to take the Fire of the Ocean from Scarblade while he's out of it."

"What are we waiting for? You heard Caylis, we don't have much time!" Garin grabbed Jacques hand and the two of them moved toward Scarblade. Ducking under Scarblade's arm, Garin snatched the large pearl from the Lupe's hand.

I turned away - even though I was admittedly curious about how they were going to keep the artefact from Scarblade until we got back - and Isca and I swam straight for the palace. We manoeuvred past Maraquan guards clashing with pirates near the entrance and plunged into the halls, searching for the other Fire of the Ocean - or King Kelpbeard.

We found the king in the throne room, deep in frantic conversation with a Maraquan Cybunny I recognized as one of his high magistrates while several guards patrolled the area. The Cybunny had pointed a staff at the fake artefact, but the flames within were not reacting. They continued to dance like real fire, but did not blaze with fervor.

"I'm sorry, your Majesty," the Cybunny said. "It really is a fake. A very convincing one."

"Then...then we need to - " King Kelpbeard looked up and saw us. "You! How dare you two show your faces in my palace!"

I froze, the memory of being locked up in the dungeons still fresh in my mind, but Isca drew herself to full height and pleaded with the king who had betrayed her. "Please, your Majesty, give us the fake Fire of the Ocean."

"And why should I? You have caused enough trouble already!"

"We'll swap it for the real one Scarblade has," I interjected. "It's the only way we can save Maraqua. Then you'll have the artefact you traded my sister for."

I hadn't meant to say that last sentence. But that caused King Kelpbeard's eyes to widen. He emitted an almost feral growl.

"I did it for Maraqua!" he shouted, pointing his trident at us with one fin and clutching the false artefact in the other. "But where were your visions of the future, Isca? And where were you, Caylis? What did you do for Maraqua?"

My ears rang as though all the water around us, all the sound, had been drained away. I remembered how I had felt, seeing Isca locked up in that small cage.

Without thinking, I raised my hands and created a magic blast - strong enough to knock King Kelpbeard backward, but not strong enough to stun him. As soon as he dropped the fake Fire of the Ocean, Isca swooped down to grab it.

"This is what we're doing for Maraqua," I said as Isca and I swam away as quickly as we could before he could lift his trident.

* * *

No doubt by now my spell had worn off, but I trusted Garin and Jacques to do their best to keep Scarblade busy while we gave him the fake Fire of the Ocean. But a terrible sight was waiting for us when we emerged from the palace.

Scarblade was grinning toothily, the Fire of the Ocean still in his hand. Garin and Jacques were bound next to him with cutlasses pointed at them.

"It looks like you were too late," he said smoothly.

Isca cried out as a Purple Bruce threw a weighted net over her. I raised my hand to cast a spell, only for another pirate to grab my wrists and pin them behind my back as a net was thrown over me too.

One sharp blow to my head later, everything went black.

I didn't think that was possible in a dream.

* * *

When I woke up, I was tied to the mast of the Revenge. Isca, Garin, and Jacques were next to me, and we were surrounded by Scarblade and his crew.

"You didn't need to be a part of this."

The voice sent a shiver down my spine. Not only because I knew exactly who was speaking in the midst of the horde, but also because this scene had been in my nightmares.

My nightmares chased me, even as I tried to escape them with Isca. She was still groggy, while Garin and Jacques were still out cold.

"You should've just stayed away from Maraqua, lass. But no, you had to play hero." Scarblade emerged and began to pace in front of us, the Fire of the Ocean clutched tightly in his hands. "Now...you, all of you, will get to watch Maraqua burn."

My mind raced. Garin's plan had failed. But this was a dream. It wasn't real. That meant we still had hope.

We had to stop all of this from happening. And I think I finally knew what to do differently once Isca and I awoke.

Reaching under the ropes, I found Isca's hand and grasped it tightly...

How will this story end?

"If you want, you can always let us free so my fist can find its way to your ugly jawline." Jacques said, earning a hit from Benny the Bruce in response. "Ow!"

Scarblade just grinned, before turning back and walking towards the other side of the deck. "You'll get the chance soon, kid. And you'll regret it!"

"We need to wake up, Caylis!" Isca whispered.

"If we woke up now, then it was all for nothing." I whispered back. "We're not going back until we finish our job."

"Well, if you're waiting for an opportune moment, this would be it." Garin whispered from my left as we felt the Revenge start to sink lower into the ocean. We had reached Maraqua... Whatever there was to be done, needed to be done now!

"Okay, this would sting a little!" I whispered, closing my eyes and channelling my magic to Isca, who squirmed under the sudden rush of pain. "Don't resist it, sister! Embrace it as your own, guide it using the magic you have within you and let it be your ally."

"Mhmm..." Isca nodded, her grip on my hand getting tighter. It was a risky move, I had to be precise with the magic. A bit more and it would overwhelm her, causing the dream to end and we'd lose our only chance to save Maraqua.

The next few seconds, our entire lives flashed before our eyes. Our childhood, the curse that destroyed our homes, the time we had to fend for ourselves in the ruins of old Maraqua until Kelpbeard found us, our little moments of happiness in the new capital, our separation after I was banished, that loneliness, that grief, all those emotions that we had bottled up inside ourselves for decades.

And then we felt a massive impact from beneath us, followed by a roar that echoed through the water. I opened my eyes to watch the pirates panic as another strike almost toppled the vessel over. One of the pirates fell on his back and dropped his cutlass, which came sliding over right near Jacques's foot. The Kyrii wasted no time and stomped his foot on the hilt, which flipped over and slashed at the ropes, narrowly missing his arm by a fraction of an inch.

As the pirates were either panicking or trying not to lose their balance, another hit rocked the ship like a paper boat. Soon as we were free to swim again, Isca hugged me and squealed in delight. "You genius little— you called Goregas to help, didn't you?"

"Yes." I smiled back. "But not just him. I was more interested in what he brought with him."

Isca, Garin and Jacques all matched my line of sight just at the right moment to see a pair of large tentacles slam on the ship's deck.

"Cap'n Threelegs's beard!" Garin gasped. "Is that—"

"The Krawken." I grinned.

"How?"

"We're in the mindscape." I replied. "Anything is possible here!"

Garin smiled at that. "Handle Scarblade then, we'll keep the rest busy." He turned to Jacques. "Time for some old school swashbuckling!"

Jacques grappled one of the crewmates who had the misfortune of trying to attack him and pinned him down, snatching the cutlass from his hands. "Way ahead of ya, mate!"

As they darted towards the crew of already disoriented pirates, I looked at Isca. "Let's do this!"

"Together!" she replied.

We found Scarblade trying to free the Revenge from the Krawken's tentacles. The sparks from the Fire of the Ocean danced around him, his cutlass ablaze with a fiery glow even underwater. He had an advantage, but I had my sister with me. And that was all that was needed.

We made our way past the pirates and tackled the Lupe in unison, throwing him off guard. His cutlass was thrown out of his hands as he grappled against both of us. There were two of us, but unfortunately, Scarblade was physically stronger. After a while, he managed to brush us away, although exhausted by the struggle.

"Y'know," he gasped, raising the Fire of the Ocean over his head. "I should've just done this in the first place and be done with it!"

I watched as the pearl started to glow intensely. The temperature of the water suddenly started to rise and I could feel it almost scathing. I looked at Isca, who was watching with fear on her face as flames started to swirl around the Lupe. I'd never seen her like this since... since, we were kids, alone in the ruins.

No, we couldn't lose after coming this far! We couldn't let Scarblade win. Out of sheer instinct, I lunged at Scarblade, aiming for the pearl. I heard Isca cry my name, but it was already too late. Searing pain took over my body as the flames engulfed me completely... and then, it all faded into black.

~~~

I opened my eyes to Isca calling my name. As my vision came to focus, I noticed that we were back in the cavern that we went to sleep in, the worried faces of my sister and Jacques standing by my side. I tried to move, but my body still ached. However, the most interesting part was the warm and smooth sphere in my hand. I held her out for others to see.

"The Fire of the Ocean!" Isca exclaimed, as she hugged me tightly. "You did it! You really did it!"

My muscles winced under her embrace, but it was alright. I hugged her back. "We did it, Isca. Together!"

After a minute, we parted away. "But what about Scarblade?"

"I think Garin's got that covered." Jacques said, looking outside the cave. "Here, take a look!"

I swam outside with Isca supporting me and looked towards the surface where the Revenge was anchored. There was another vessel by her side, the one we all knew as... the Black Pawkeet!

THE END