Indian Summer: A Salty Dilemma (August 2023)

The sun had just begun to peek over the horizon, bringing with it the warm, refreshing heat of a summer day.

The water shimmered under the sun, like a glittering sea of tiny diamonds stretching out before the malachite stryxess, inviting her to explore what lay beyond.

 

Ryūhime lay draped across the gnarles roots of an ancient cypress tree, her sleek scales and feathers still dripping with brine from her morning plunge. Each droplet of water sparkled like a cluster of emeralds under the drying sun. Golden scales gleamed from her chest, shimmering with a lustrous shine that rivaled the most opulent treasures.

 

It was commonly said that her features resembled a dragon more than a stryx, due to the arrow-tipped tail, scarlet spikes, and the pair of horns on her head.

 

But unlike the self-centered and selfish natures of drakes, Ryūhime had more of a spirited and generous demeanor. However, when provoked, she could be as mean and fierce as any firedrake.

 

Once, she had saved a child from the jaws of a ravenous sea serpent, her wings churning the waves into frothy foam as she swept down to snatch the young one from the monster's grasp. The villagers had hailed her as a hero, but it was the tear-filled gratitude in the mother's eyes that truly warmed her heart.

 

As a stiff wind blew in off the ocean, she spied a barge making its way towards the rocky shoreline. The merchant aboard was waving their arms quickly and enthusiastically, as if they were trying to signal someone from afar. Even from a distance, they had an air of panic and desperation about them, the urgency of their movements conveying a sense of distress.

 

She turned her attention away, lost in thought when she was jolted from her reverie.

 

"Please, noble creature," rasped a voice from the shadows, "I beg your assistance."

 

Startled, she turned her amber gaze upon the speaker, taking in his ragged form as he stumbled into the sunlight.

 

Caspian was a merchant and sailor who had seen better days, his once fine clothes reduced to tatters that clung desperately to his weathered frame. Salt-crusted hair framed a face etched with the lines of hardship, while his eyes held a glint of cunning that hinted at a quick wit beneath the weariness.

 

"Who are you?" demanded Ryūhime, her voice a melodic trill that echoed through the quiet shore. Experience has taught her to keep a certain level of wariness against the unknown.

 

"Forgive my intrusion," Caspian replied, bowing low before her. "I am Caspian Waverider, a humble merchant. I come seeking your help to retrieve my stolen ship and priceless cargo from the hands of ruthless pirates."

 

"Your cargo must hold great value," Ryūhime mused, watching him closely. "For you to risk seeking my aid. I know you humans do not take my appearance lightly."

 

His voice never wavered. "These items are irreplaceable and hold a deep sentimental meaning to me. I would do anything to see them returned."

 

"Tell me what happened then."

 

Caspian recounted his story in hushed tones, explaining how the pirates had ambushed his vessel under the cover of darkness, leaving him adrift and helpless. He spoke of the precious cargo, each item a cherished memory from a life that seemed so distant now.

 

"Please, I implore you," he concluded, his voice catching with emotion. "Help me reclaim what has been taken from me. I have no one else to turn to. I'll share with you some of my wares."

 

Ryūhime hesitated for a moment, weighing the man's words against the potential danger that lay ahead. Could she trust this stranger, or was there more to his story than he let on?

 

As his desperate eyes met hers, she knew that regardless of the truth, she could not turn her back on someone in need. With a graceful nod, she agreed to help Caspian Waverider.

 

-----------------

 

Ryūhime's heart pounded in her chest as she hovered above the water, her mind racing with doubts and concerns. The weight of Caspian's plight bore down on her, and she felt torn between her instincts to help those in need and her reservations about his true intentions. Her verdant and scarlet flecked feathers rippled in the sea breeze.

 

'Can I really trust this man?' she wondered, her ambereyes fixed on Caspian's ragged form. 'What if he seeks to deceive me for his own gain?' It wouldn't be the first time she's had to escape trappers, who sought after her dragon-like appearance, believing in whatever tall tales had set them on that path.

 

Despite her apprehensions, Ryūhime could not ignore the desperation in his voice, the raw emotion evident in his every word. She knew that, despite the risks, she must honor her commitment to aid those who sought her help.

 

"Very well," she proclaimed, her voice resonating with determination. "I will assist you, Caspian Waverider. But know this: should you betray my trust, there will be no mercy for you."

 

"Thank you, Ryūhime," Caspian replied, his voice filled with gratitude. "You have my word; I seek only to reclaim what is most precious to me."

 

Despite her pride, she allowed the weary man to clamber onto her back, waiting as he adjusted himself and shifted around uncertainly. She ignored the way his movements crumpled and misplaced her feathers before he finally settled on

 

Together, they embarked on their precarious mission, navigating treacherous waters and braving fierce storms in pursuit of the stolen ship and its mysterious cargo. As the hours turned to days, Ryūhime found herself growing increasingly wary, her mind consumed by the uncertainty of what lay ahead.

 

At last, they discovered the pirates' hidden lair, a dank cavern concealed within the rocky cliffs of an isolated island.

 

As Ryūhime delved deeper into the dark recesses of the cave, her keen senses detected the faintest of whispers, the unmistakable sound of human voices. Guided by these murmurs, she came upon the stolen cargo, its contents laid out before her in a disarray of trinkets and baubles.

 

She perched lop-sided on a crevice in the cliff, the shadows doing well to conceal her.

 

To her surprise, the so-called priceless cargo consisted of nothing more than an assortment of seemingly worthless objects: a tarnished pocket watch, a cracked porcelain doll, a faded love letter.

 

Rage threatened to sell in her chest and she could sense Caspian's unease.

 

"Human merchant, what is this?" She lowly growled, lest they give their position away.

 

"Please," he tried a hand at placating her, "take another look. They are not as worthless as they look."

 

So she examined each item, and she couldn't deny the palpable aura of sentimentality that enveloped them. These simple, unassuming treasures held a value far greater than gold or jewels; they were the physical manifestations of cherished memories, the last remnants of lives forever altered by fate's capricious whims.

 

They had come this far, an she knew he'd be able to explain himself when all was said and done.

 

---------------

 

The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting a fiery blaze across the sky and bathing the deck of the stolen pirate ship in an eerie crimson glow. The raucous noises of the pirates had long since faded as they boarded a small wave skimmer to seek out food.

 

Ryūhime's emerald feathers shimmered as she paced back and forth, her talons clicking anxiously against the wooden planks. Her heart raced with the weight of her discovery—Caspian's precious cargo, those seemingly worthless trinkets that held sentimental value. She could no longer keep her silence.

 

"Enough!" she demanded, her voice echoing across the empty deck. "Caspian Waverider, I must speak with you."

 

The ragged merchant emerged from below deck, his weathered face betraying no emotion. He regarded her with an air of weary resignation, as if he had been expecting this confrontation all along. "What is it?"

 

"Your cargo," she began, her chest heaving with indignation, "it is nothing more than mementos of human sentiment, yet you led me to believe it was something of great material worth."

 

"Ah." Caspian hesitated before responding, his eyes searching hers for understanding. "I admit, I may have misled you, but only because I knew you wouldn't risk yourself for mere trinkets. But these are not mere baubles, Ryūhime. They represent the memories and emotions of people who have lost everything. Can you not see their value?"

 

Ryūhime's anger dissipated, replaced by a quiet sadness. "Yes, I understand their value, Caspian. But trust and honesty are just as valuable. You should have told me the truth from the beginning."

 

Caspian bowed his head, remorse settling upon his features like a veil. "You are right. My apologies for not being truthful with you. Will you still help me return these items to their rightful owners?"

 

"Your actions were misguided, but your intentions were noble," she replied, her voice softening with empathy. "I will help you, Caspian, for the sake of those who lost everything."

 

"Thank you, Ryūhime," he murmured, gratitude shining in his eyes. "I deliver these items back to people who have been relocated due to disaster or such other."

 

"Very well. Help me round up the treasures. Your ship is beyond repair."

 

Caspian scuttled back below deck to start collecting his wares while the stryxess set about scooping the various small treasures into a brown rucksack.

 

Everything had clearly been rifled through and thrown about by the careless pirates, but nothing seemed to be too damaged.

 

As they worked, a sudden commotion from the direction of the shore startled them. They rushed to the edge of the ship and peered into the darkness.

 

A group of people had arrived at the edge of the beach, their footsteps muffled by the sand. The pirates.

 

"We have come for our belongings," one of them called out.

 

Caspian approached the edge of the ship, his hands raised in a gesture of peace. "They are not yours to take. This is my ship."

 

The group waded through the shallow water and took a hesitant pause at Ryūhime's menacing figure.

 

She spread her wings wide, towering over them. "The items on this ship belong to those who have lost everything. They hold sentimental value that can never be replaced. You have no right to take them."

 

The pirates snickered, brandishing their swords and pistols. "We don't care about your sentimental nonsense. We want our loot back, and we'll take it by force if we have to."

 

Ryūhime's eyes narrowed, her beak parting in a fierce snarl. She was not intimidated by these lowlifes and their weapons. She had faced far greater dangers in her time.

 

Without a moment's hesitation, Ryūhime leapt off the deck and landed gracefully on the sand, her wings buffeting the air. She drew her talons, ready for combat, as the pirates descended upon her.

 

The first one came at her with a rusty cutlass, swinging wildly. Ryūhime dodged the blow with ease and jabbed at him with her talons, catching him in the side. He stumbled backwards, howling with pain.

 

The others surged forward, their weapons glinting wickedly in the moonlight. Ryūhime met them head-on, her sharp claws and powerful wings slicing through the air. She was a blur of feathers and fury as she fended off their attacks, her mind focused solely on protecting the precious cargo that lay on the ship behind her.

 

She rose the spikes along her back as one pirate swung his sword onto the back of her neck, only for it to glance off harmlessly with a loud ping.

 

Her talons and beak struck with deadly precision. Blood spattered across the sand as she battled them.

 

Caspian watched in awe as Ryūhime held her own against the pirates. He had never seen a creature fight so fiercely before, and he realized that this stryxess was not just any ordinary stryx. She was a force to be reckoned with, a true warrior with a heart of gold.

 

But even Ryūhime could not withstand the onslaught forever. One of the pirates managed to land a glancing blow on her wing, causing her to stumble and lose her balance. Another took advantage of her momentary weakness and thrust a sword towards her heart.

 

With lightning reflexes, Caspian leapt over the railing of the ship, intercepting the blow with his own sword, deflecting it just in time. The pirate recoiled in surprise, giving Ryūhime the chance she needed to strike. With a powerful gust of wind from her wings, she knocked him off his feet and sent him tumbling back into the waves.

 

Caspian's fist connected solidly with another man's face.

 

The other pirates backed away in fear, their courage sapped by Ryūhime's ferocity and Caspian's unexpected intervention. They were outmatched, and fled back onto their wave skimmer.

 

With a menacing glare, she let out a shrill cry that echoed across the cave, a warning. The remaining pirates hastily retreated, leaving behind their weapons and their pride.

 

Ryūhime retracted her talons and lowered her wings, breathing heavily. "Are you all right?" she asked Caspian, concern etched on her face.

 

Caspian nodded, his eyes filled with admiration for the powerful creature before him. "Thanks to you, yes. I owe you my life."

 

Ryūhime shrugged off his gratitude with a flick of her feathers. "I was just doing my duty. We should leave this place before the tide comes in."

 

-------

 

Guided by the stars and the memories etched within each trinket, Ryūhime and Caspian journeyed to reunite each item with its grateful owner. Tears of joy flowed like rain, and laughter rang out like peals of thunder, as families embraced and old wounds began to heal.

 

"Thank you," murmured an elderly woman, clutching a silver locket to her chest as if it were the most precious gemstone in the world. "You have returned not only this relic of my past but also a piece of my heart."

 

"Your gratitude is reward enough," Ryūhime replied, her chest swelling with pride as she watched the woman's eyes brim with unshed tears.

 

"Indeed," Caspian agreed, his ragged face lit by a rare smile.

 

---------------

 

A golden sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow on the malachite stryx as she stood with Caspian at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the vast expanse of the sea. Their mission was complete, and the silence that enveloped them was one of reflection and shared understanding.

 

"Ryūhime," Caspian began, his voice soft like the distant lapping of waves upon the shore. "I cannot thank you enough for your aid. You put yourself in harm's way and asked nothing in return."

 

"Your appreciation is sufficient, Caspian," she responded, her thoughts swirling. The journey had taught her that trust was fragile, yet powerful. She'd learned to see beyond the surface, to understand the depths of emotion beneath a person's outward appearance.

 

"During our voyage," Ryūhime mused, her gaze locked on the darkening sky, "I discovered that true wealth lies not in material possessions, but in the bonds we forge and the lives we touch."

 

"Indeed," Caspian agreed, his eyes gleaming with sincerity. "And while our path has been treacherous, I'm grateful for the friendships we've made along the way."

 

Ryūhime thought of the motley crew they had encountered: pirates who had once plundered and pillaged without remorse, to the tear-filled face of an aging lady whose memories were dearer to her than any gold.

 

"It looks like our journey ends here and I wish you the best of luck."

 

"May the winds always be at your back, Ryūhime," Caspian whispered, his hand resting on her shoulder.

 

Ryūhime nodded.

 

As the sun vanished beneath the sea, she spread her wings wide, preparing to take flight. With one last glance at Caspian, she leaped from the cliff's edge and soared into the twilight.

 

[2,691 words]