Hey guys. Welcome to my new story. It's going to be different, and I'm going to try some very new things (as well as I seem to be slipping into some favourite things as well, so I guess that can't be helped) so you and I are on a ride!

Thanks to my beta Poetess111. You're awesome.

Lulai.

I sighed, lowering my head

I sighed, lowering my head. This was it: the end. You know, of all the ways I figured I was going to die, being a virginal maiden sacrifice didn't really cross my mind.

The ropes tied around my wrists and ankles that held me in a spread eagle position against the rock rubbed my skin as I shifted slightly. At least they had let me stand. Although I wished that if they were going to make me a sacrifice, they might have picked a more maidenly position. The rope on my right wrist was slightly tighter than the others and I could feel a sore forming underneath it. The bottom of my beige dress fluttered, the slightly cold breeze raising goosebumps and reminding me that I hadn't shaved in three days.

I gave a bitter laugh. "That's good, Zo. You're about to be eaten, and all you can think about is how prickly your legs are."

This was not how I wanted to die. Although it would be the perfect ending to what had been probably the second worst day in my life.

Believe me, had I known what was going to happen to me, I would have just stayed in bed and pulled my covers up over my head. Why, oh why had I taken thatn swim?

…

One day earlier

I was two days away from moving into my new dorm on a full scholarship. So many late nights, studying my ass off, filling thousands of notebooks, and making tens of thousands of flashcards had all paid off when I got a full ride to study chemistry.

The university I had gotten into, though, was in a landlocked province, and having grown up all my life by the ocean, I decided to take one last dip before moving.

I shucked out of my clothes and piled them neatly on the rocks, my shoes on top, weighting them down, leaving me dressed only in my bathing suit. I had swum this beach so many times that I knew how to walk on the rocks without hurting my feet, so I didn’t bother with sandals or the like. The weather was odd, although I couldn’t put my finger on how. The sun was shining, not a cloud in the brilliantly blue sky, but it was kind of dark, like in those edgy, indie-flick dream sequences where everything looks black edged.

The water was cold, salty, and everything that I always remembered. Most of the people I knew didn't like swimming in the ocean, claiming that it was too salty (don't open your mouth), or that seaweed felt gross (all wet plants feel gross), or that they always felt sticky afterwards (rinse off), but I had been a salt water baby since I was born. My mom used to tell me the story all the time of the first time she took me to a lake, and I asked why the water wasn't salty.

A thought of my mom brought a lump to my throat, but I shook my head past it and continued to swim in the little sheltered bay that I always came too. It was rocky, and I remembered the time Mom and I had made a gladiator arena out of the rocks, and tried to make the crabs we found fight. They didn't want to do it, and usually ran underneath the rocks again, but with Mom anything was fun.

I guess I swam a little farther out than usual because suddenly, I was tugged underneath the water by a rip current. I panicked a little, but calmed myself, and began trying to swim sideways out of it before I was dragged too far out to sea. Being on the west coast as I was, there wasn’t really anything between me and Japan but open ocean.

Something about this current had caught my attention, though. Most rip currents go out but this one seemed to be going down. I opened my eyes underwater, ignoring the stinging of the salt water for a second, then renewed my struggles. A giant black gouge in the sea bottom gaped at me, and worst of all, the current seemed to be flowing directly towards it.

As hard as I swam, it was useless. I was sucked down, down...

Suddenly, the pull stopped. I was practically out of air, so I didn't even stop to think about it, but clawed my way up to where the blessed oxygen was. I broke the surface of the water and gasped for air at the same, and ended up inhaling half a lung of water. A coughing fit overtook me, and I had to spit several times, but after regaining most of my breath, I started in towards shore. Not surprisingly, I was suddenly tired of swimming.

With shaking arms, I pulled myself up onto the sandy beach and collapsed onto my back, closing my eyes. The sun was hot against my face and my black and purple bathing suit, but I didn't care. I was alive.

It was several minutes before something caught my attention. I sat up. Unconsciously, I grabbed a handful of sand, letting it trickle through my fingers before I realised what I was doing.

"Oh my god," I exclaimed, leaping to my feet and looking around. Smooth pale sand lined the coast as far as I could see.

“Holy crap!” The words popped out of my mouth before I could stop them. How far had that rip current taken me? There was no sand like this around where I was. It was mostly rock and dingy grey sand, not this pristine white stuff.

“Well, I’m not going back in there,” I told the ocean firmly, planting my hands on my sandy hips. Instead, I turned towards the dense thicket of deciduous trees further inland. My shoes were probably still sitting on top of my jeans and t-shirt back on the other beach, and I really didn’t want to traipse through the forest barefooted.

On the other hand though, I didn’t see a single trail or boat launch or dock or parking lot that would indicate that this beach was populated.

If I walked through the woods, I might be able to find a road, and all roads have to lead to civilization. Heck, I was on an island. Worst came to worst, I’d hit the other side. Besides, I couldn’t have gone that far out of the city. It was a twenty minute drive to get out of the city in the best of traffic, and I hadn’t been in the water that long. I was probably just in some wildlife reserve or something.

“Sure,” I muttered to myself. “A wildlife reserve I’ve never heard of. In the city where I grew up.”

I shook my head against the negative thoughts, and tore my elastic band out of my soggy ash-blonde hair with a bit of a wince. Gathering all the locks that had escaped during my swim, I twisted the mass into a knot on the back of my head and secured it with the elastic.

“Here we go,” I announced bravely, and crashed my way into the forest.

Four hours or so later (I was guessing; my watch was in my jeans pocket back on the other beach) I was inventing new swearwords and seriously considering just lying down to die. I had been walking forever, and hadn’t seen a hint of civilization. I was sweaty, still partially damp, my feet were sore and lacerated and filthy, and the sand caught in my bathing suit was irritating me to no end. Dusk was approaching, causing the forest to darken, meaning I hit my shins on every single tree branch and old stump I came across. My mouth was dry and salty, and I told myself that I would drink from the first clean-looking stream, pond, or heck, even a ditch at this point – no matter how much motor oil and deer pee might have been in it.

I seriously debated turning around and going back towards the beach where it was out in the open, but being completely honest with myself, I didn’t know exactly which way was back, and for all I knew, I was heading back to the beach.

Hope sprouted anew, however as a light glimmered through the dim forest, giving a dim orange glow that drew me like the proverbial moth. Street lamp! House! Campers!

I stumbled into a clearing still slightly lit from the fading sun, and had to stop and rub my eyes. Great. I had gone delusional from thirst.

I was standing in an honest-to-God village. A large bonfire burned, throwing the orange light that I had seen over a double row of two-story wooden houses, all facing a central road. In fact, it looked almost like that village from that Disney movie, although a lot dingier.

Maybe one of those theatrical villages? I thought to myself, but then my eyes caught sight of a semi-familiar circular stone structure. A brightly lit halo and a choir of angles might have surrounded it, but then again, that might have been the delirium.

I rushed over and dropped the pail down the well, sighing when I heard it splash at the bottom. Almost frantically, I grasped the wooden handle and began turning it, bringing my hard-earned water back up.

I took some huge gulps of the water straight out of the bucket. It tasted slightly stale and earthy, but it washed the salty flavour and cotton balls out of my mouth, and moistened my painfully dry throat.

It wasn’t until I had lowered the bucket that I noticed quite a crowd gathered around the fire, and they were all staring at me. I stared back. It seemed I had wandered into one of those acting troupe villages because all of them were dressed as though they were peasants from a Medieval England play or something. The women all wore long brown dresses and veils that covered their hair, and the men were dressed in home spun wool trousers and vests.

I blinked several times, then decided that they must have something I could use here.

In an attempt to break the ice, I lifted the bucket with a half-grin and asked, “Is this water drinkable?”

The crowd began murmuring amongst themselves. Ookay, so much for pleasantries.

“Listen,” I said, “I got lost when I was caught in a riptide and ended up on the beach over there. Do any of you have a cellphone or something I could use to call a taxi?”

More murmuring. Finally, a man stepped forward. “We don’t know of this ‘cellphone’ you speak of,” he said.

“What?” Who had never heard of a cellphone? Then a thought struck me. “You’re not one of those weirdo anti-technology communes, are you? Or you guys are Amish or something?”

The murmuring increased, as did my irritation.

The man held up his hands, and the talking ceased.

“I am Andrew Smitherson. This is our village. You said you came from the ocean?”

“Yes,” I replied in exasperation, rolling my eyes, “I came from the ocean. Then I walked though the forest in bare feet. I’m sticky, dirty, tired, thir – well, no longer thirsty, but hungry and would really, really appreciate some help.” I was also starting to get cold now that the sweat on my body was cooling, but I felt the list was long enough, and it might seem forced if I tacked anything else onto the end.

The man nodded. “Very well. Lily?”

A female stepped from amidst the crowd, but I couldn’t tell her age in the dusk.

“Let’s give our honoured guest a bath and some bread,” he continued as I sat the bucket down on the edge of the well.

“And maybe a blanket?” I interjected, realising that my toes were going numb. Honoured guest. I could deal with that.

Smitherson nodded.

“Yes, Father,” she replied and moved forward to take me by the arm. Up close, she looked to be at least a couple years younger than I was, although probably twice as pretty.

She led me to one of the two story buildings and picked up a small candle from a table just inside the door. She used it to light a sconce of candles which she picked up, throwing a slightly brighter cast on the gloom of the inside of the house.

“We need time to heat the water for your bath,” she said softly, lighting another bracket of candles. “Would you like something to eat?”

“Yes,” I replied, probably slightly too emphatically, but my stomach was practically done eating itself and was hunting down my liver for more food. A slight nod was all I got in return, but she continued to lead me down a hallway until we reached a small wooden room that only had a single tub in it.

“Please wait here,” she instructed in her whispery voice, then left one of the candelabra with me.

I stood in the dark room which smelt faintly of mould, tapping my cold toes absently on the floor.

“This is all the bread we have left for today,” Lily said, her voice so soft I could barely hear it. “I also brought you a blanket.” I wanted to cough for her benefit, but I refrained.

“Thank you,” I replied, throwing the blanket around my shoulders and taking the bread, biting into it a little bit savagely. It was tough, and I wouldn’t have minded a glass of milk to wash it down with, but I didn’t want to push their hospitality. I just choked it down and prayed I didn’t get hiccups. The bread did ease the rumblings of my stomach, though.

Guilt began to seep into my mind as Lily and an older woman began hauling in buckets of hot water two at a time, on in each hand.

“Do you need any help?” I asked, feeling useless.

“No, we’re fine,” Lily replied in her soft voice. My throat began to clear itself unconsciously, but I stopped it with a firm swallow.

When the tub was half-full, the older woman came towards me and attempted to pull down the straps of my bathing suit.

“I can bathe myself, thank you,” I told her, a tad more tartly than I had intended.

The woman merely nodded and left a candelabrum on a table in the corner. The corner seemed to be braced with sheets of beaten metal, and upon a closer look, I noticed that they had been blackened with scorch marks.

I tested the water with my hand first before stripping off my bathing suit and stepping in. It was delightfully warm, bringing the feeling back into my toes, and with another wince, I pulled the elastic out of my damp hair. Grabbing a lungful of air, I slid backwards in the tub, lifting my legs and feet out of the water in order to dunk my head. I quickly rubbed my face clean of salt and shook out my hair to rinse it.

I lifted my head back out of the tub, glaring at my nails in distaste as they came out with sand underneath them.

“I’m going to be digging sand out of my hair for a week,” I muttered.

Suddenly, an enormous BOOM shattered the still night, making me jump three feet into the air. Water sloshed over the rim of the tub, soaking the floor.

"What the crap was that?" I asked to no one. I quickly rinsed out my bathing suit, and wriggled my way back into the damp fabric, cursing as it stuck to my thighs and stretched instead of pulled. Wrapping the blanket around me like a shawl, I quickly ran outside to see what the commotion was.

Most of the village was already outside by the time I scrambled out of there. I noticed most of them were looking in the same spot in the sky, so my eyes immediately were drawn there as well.

A plume of what looked like smoke was a dark smudge against the dark blue sky, blotting out the stars.

Whispering surrounded me like a quiet buzz.

"...The wizard..."

"...Ruarth..."

"...omens..."

As I stood there, wrapped in the blanket, I noticed several pairs of eyes were drifting towards me fearfully. I attempted to smile, but forced smiles were never my specialty so I stopped before they thought I was truly crazy.

I spotted the leader of the village, Smitherson, so I rushed over to him quickly.

"What's going on?" I asked, wrapping the blanket more tightly around myself. It was seriously chilly out there in a damp suit.

"We don't know," he replied to me, still looking at the dark smudge. It was drifting slowly with an unfelt wind, passing in front of a large red moon – wait, red?

"Is that Mars? Can it look that big?" The words popped out of my mouth in surprise.

Smitherson looked at me sharply. "That's Vrenna. The moon."

"It can't be the moon," I replied. "The moon is white."

"Vello is new tonight," Smitherson replied, now looking at me strangely.

I forced a laugh. "Oh, right. Sorry."

I looked again at the blood red moon, a feeling of unease settling into my stomach and not letting up. The feeling was only compounded by the almost blatant fearful stares I was receiving.

"Why is everyone looking at me funny?" I asked, mostly to myself, hugging the blanket closer to myself and ducking my head down into my shoulders.

Smitherson didn't reply, but gave me a look I couldn't quite decipher. Pity, maybe? Resignation?

He sighed. "We should find you some clothes and a bed."

"That would be splendid," I replied.

…

A hand clamping over my mouth woke me from my sleep.

“Hey!” I exclaimed, but it was muffled, making it sound more like ‘Mmfgh!’ It also tasted disgusting, and I had to stop myself from gagging.

More hands grabbed my wrists and ankles as I fought like a wild woman, kicking and punching. A rope appeared and I was subsequently bound with a piece of cloth tied around my face. My unknown assailants then wrapped me in the blanket I had been laying in and carried me outside.

I rather lost track of time as they carried me. It seemed as though we were going a good distance, though. I liked to think I made it tough on them by wriggling like a bag of live eels, though they seemed to have no sympathy for my plight.

I winced even in the dim early morning light when the blanket was pulled off my head, my eyes having adjusted to the darkness.

“I’m sorry about this,” I heard one of my captors say. I glared daggers at the three men, although I couldn’t quite make out their features in the early dawn light, and renewed my attempts to escape. It was pretty useless, however, and before I realised it, I was tied to a large flat rock.

“If the dragon has attacked the wizard, we can’t have him coming after us,” the man continued sadly. “Your sacrifice will save the village, although your appearance was ill-fated it seems.”

Then they left.