Zhael's story: when magic becomes a liability
[Series Two: Episode Three] Zhael takes her first steps away from the safety and protection of To’Boam and discovers if her “magic” still works
In the previous episode, Kriliah journeys to Fluvillk to deliver their first message to the remote Bamku beings. Events take an unexpectedly personal turn for Kriliah.
In this episode, Zhael takes her first steps away from the safety and protection of To’Boam and discovers if her “magic” still works. It’s also delightfully packed with maps - I’d love to know what you think of how they support the story telling.
Location and map: This story includes a journey from To’Boam to the Cochleate Islands, where the the action takes place. To see an unannotated map of The Drifting Expanse, scroll down to the bottom of this letter.
Soaked to the skin from head to toe Zhael shivers in the inky darkness. Her forehead is tender and she can feel the stickiness of blood.
Where is she?
She’d been steering her vessel towards the BeLyd Reefs Straits, formulating a spell to navigate through those treacherous straits towards the marshes at the Beneathward tip of the reefs. Sighing deeply, she realises her “spell” must’ve gone wrong - again.
Standing gingerly, she touches a rock face, slick with water and thick with algae. The smallest ray of pink light forms a tiny pool of light. Staggering a few steps towards it, she is suffused by its warmth. The light enables her to see a little more of her surroundings. It’s a cavern, filled largely with indigo-coloured water, and a little area of sand, where she finds herself. The light itself is coming through a crack in the cavern roof.
After a few attempts she finally conjures up some warmth and food. Feeling more comfortable, her thoughts drift back to what she can remember.
… Her almost crippling anxiety at leaving To’Boam for the first time since she’d been “unlocked”
… Teleporting from To’Boam to MiddleMost Transport Hub, catching water-based transport over the Sea of Berkberry to the Cochleate Islands.
… Standing on the Reurt Headland, taking in the connected space of tunnels, tubes of whirling pools like giant cauldrons, edged with sculptured multi-hued coral.
… Bidding a temporary farewell to the group of eLyd (the beings that live in the waters of the Cochleate Islands) who came to support her in her self-appointed task.
… Choosing to take the Water Course Route from Rightward to Leftward, rather than letting the eLyd guide her through the islands. Why?
“Flow. Be in the flow. Find your own path. Use your own skills.”
“What will you do with your freedom?”
Oh yes! That voice. The one she’s continually hearing since her visit to the Wayfinding Capsule. Look where those so-called skills have gotten her.
One thing she was sure of - she’d arranged to meet the eLyd just beyond the straits. Hopefully they’d see her abandoned flat-bottomed vessel and come looking for her. But how would they know where to look?
That little vessel was a liability! She chuckles, despite her circumstances. When she’d created the Cochleate Islands all that time ago, back on Earth, the idea of a boat made from a scallop shell to navigate the tortuous waters, was a bit of childlike fun. Little did she know that many, many aeons later she’d actually rely on it herself! She’d only just managed to keep herself afloat in it, never mind actively steering it. It had a mind of its own, directed by the perilous undercurrents, picking up alarming speed very quickly.
Her magic is also a liability, because she’s here.
Not in the flow on the Water Course.
Not safely on the BeLyd Reefs, celebrating with the eLyd.
Not free.
Why, for the love of Thandi1, had she thought she could rely on her magic, which she hadn’t used since the momentous day she’d spectacularly “left” Earth?
Yet. She had managed to navigate most of the obstacles on the Water Course, using a combination of magic, physical skill and resourcefulness. Not all is lost.
What are her choices? Create some kind of signal for the eLyd to see? Magick her way out of here? What else?
Exhausted, she nods off. Waking some time later with an abrupt jolt, she jumps up. A wispy notion lingers in her brain.
Maybe she doesn’t need magic at all.
Perhaps all it takes is to be herself?
The Drifting Expanse
This evolving map shows the locations of each of the episodes, from Series One and this new series. The locations are marked with their names and the series and episode number. e.g. S1:3 Hexton City is series one, episode three.
The Cochleate Islands are situated Highward-Left of The Drifting Expanse. You can also see where MiddleMost Transport Hub is located, just Highward of Frubble Frontier in the Berkberry Archipelago.
What will become of Zhael?
What does it mean for her to just be herself?
This episode is delightfully packed with maps - I’d love to know what you think of how they support the story telling.
Join me next time!
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The entire first series can be found below ⬇️
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