Out of the Deep
Twenty Eight Day of Elnu-Hamba (Elnu Descendent), 1349 A. L. (After Landfall)
Though Esha does nothing to hide the covetous gleam in her eyes and you can feel the thing warm against your skin, that almost-living touch of power that you had seen before you can give but one answer: "My lady I cannot take for my own a treasure when I was bid to return in the company of Ohun, whom you call of many forms... "
"Why?" The word snaps out. "What is he to you and why do you so desire to see him returned? You do not worship as he does, you are not pledged to him in war save for the season. What is it you so desire to take from the waters? Is it some sense and understanding of your own place? Why do you so wish to be e hero sir de Verley? Why do you try and test me so? Do you not know not to tempt the sea least it devour you?"
"You are not the sea," Inge breaks in her voice an eerie calm. "Your wrath is your own, your joy is your own, lost men call you but you must not forget yourself, Lonely they name you because you choose the deep places..." she gasps, as though for breath, perhaps for something more ethereal. "I'll never go home, but I will always remember it, like it was, like it could've been too. You can't use folks even your own little'uns to make you feel like you used ta'. Sorry if that's me guessing wrong, but that's what it looks like to me with my eyes and with Hers."
"Cruel wisdom, but wisdom just the same..." a sigh passes the pale lips and then a turn, it almost seems as though he would forget the pearl so you swiftly proffer it. A moment later it had been plucked from your hand by a stray eddy and she is gone.
You find Ohun lodged between two of the stones, almost a cave, though more a pile of rubble unshaped since the world's making, one of his eyes is closed and fine red welts run across his face, when you shake him he does not stir, though perhaps that is to the best for on his face is a strange creature, half kelp, half diaphanous sea beast, though which he seems to be breathing.
Esha says something in the tongues of the east which you do not speak and then explains... or tries to at least. "A helper beast, one of those who cannot live on their own, but bond to a host of aid them... like the ox pecker and the grass eaters of the oasis, that each by the other is served." She points at places were the thing seems to have rooted in Ohun's flesh. "It looks like this one drinks blood in exchange for letting you breathe in water. Fascinating really.... though I do not think he would agree with me."
Not knowing what to answer you merely nod and keep swimming, up towards the surface towards the light.
***
As Zaia pries the strange thing off Ohun far more gently than you would have done so the questions start. What had you found? What had you fought? Who had sent spirits to bedevil then and kill many of those who had lived though storm and battle, the death of kings and the fall of realms? Who they were asking should their wrath be turned against?
And of that you are not certain. On the one hand the fey had drawn no oath of secrecy from you, but you know that any revelation of Lina's involvement would likely be an end to her hopes of rule. That might earn you foes below the waves that a sailor could ill afford. Yet it seems churlish to lay the blame at Ohun's feet, t say he failed to deal with a water spirit and drove her to wrath.
How do you explain that had happened?
[] Honestly and in full, revealing Lina's part in things
[] In brief, Ohun would likely come out with a dented standing, but he will hopefully understand given what you saved him from
[] Write in
OOC: For anyone who is wondering, yes, Zaia is trying to save that symbiote, but he does not have good chances. 
