Megan Russ's Blog

Have you read Lore yet?
Shattered Peace is coming soon. The beginning of the Miss-Fortunate Adventures is on the horizon.

The start of this adventure requires brave souls ready to fight evil. The Monastery of the Leaf is a training facility that needs recruits for the coming days. The monks of the Treefolk Nation are not your typical monks but they are ruthless fighters when it comes to protecting their homeland and friends. In Shattered Peace we will meet the future generation of the Monks of the Leaf Monastery and join them as they take their first steps into the world beyond their rigorous teachings.
Join them in games and trials. Find a team and rise the ranks of the monks.

Want to learn more be sure to join me on TikTok where I discuss the world and characters.

I know it has been some time since I have posted or updated on my website. New things are coming down the pipeline. Over the last year there was a lot of change and heartache and tragedy in my life.

Life has calmed back down, and I am ready to share what I have written over the last year with the world.

Keep an eye out for new features and news about my writing.

On December 15th Realm of Romance will be available in E-book and Hard copy! Realm of Romance like the previously published Realm of Fantasy back in August, is a collaboration of authors from Writers Unite!

Pre-orders are available now for the E-book, and hard copies will be available for order on the 15th. Click here to get your E-book of Realm of Romance when it goes live on Saturday.

My contribution is titled The Easy Part.

Inspired by recent events in my life and by someone I hold very dear to my heart. I hope I did this story justice for them.

Follow the story of a young man, Colin. After his heart is broken, he decides to push through heaven and hell to try to get back to the woman he loves. He is willing to sacrifice his future and his very soul to try to earn back the love he had once had. With a new friend at his side to help protect him along the way, he just might make it. But will it all be worth it in the end?

I stand at the precipice, the emptiness beyond fills my heart with dread. If I fell now I would not survive. My hand grips the railing, my knuckles white from the force my muscles exert, the strongest gust could not bring me from this footing.

The wonder of the canyon before me is lost in my fear of a fall. I tried to pull my mind from the natural reaction to the height. There before me was a beauty unfathomable by my simple human mind. Yet all I could focus on was the edge, the risk, the distance between me and the safety of solid ground at the lip of the bridge.

I stood in the middle, unwilling to turn to look at either of them. They each stood at the edge of the bridge, neither willing to come to me; I had to make the decision myself. I could not turn myself away from the abyss before me, to turn one way or the other was a permanent choice, could the other forgive me, would they see why I made the choice.

I looked to the left the one I had known less time, but there was something buried there. A life that could have been. How different my choices could have led me to that place sooner. I trusted him with more than anyone ever would know. He gave me a weak smile, his heart was scarred, and his eyes were heavy with the tears, his soul hiding in the darkness of his hurt. I would reach for him and pull him to stand beside me if I could. He was not proud, he was not cruel, he would not hurt me the way he had been hurt. I had missed out on the chance to be his healing light; he had come too late to the bridge. He saw the return in my smile and turned his gaze out to the canyon beyond. He could see beyond his fear to the beauty that the sight held. He held his head up high; he would do his best to stay strong. He would wait until I was ready, he would still be there waiting for my hand to close on his.

I turned to the right, the man there stood proudly, knowing that he was safe on the ground. He held out a hand to me, a strong smile across his lips. He already knew he had me, he did not have to worry about which way I would step across the bridge.

I watch as the pieces peel and fall,

I can feel my heart breaking,

Everything I did everything I was,

All gone in an instant.

This shell, this facade,

The mask I hide behind, the face the world saw,

All of it for nothing now,

I feel it fall away, break away, strip away.

With you there is no need,

I no longer have to hide who I am,

You have taken away the fear,

Your love has set me free.

In the silence that stretched between us the clicking of the golden cat in the window continued. Its arm swinging to and fro, a decorative metronome, brightening the otherwise drabe interior of the young woman’s home. I glanced at the Reaper, he and I had heard her correctly. If Claire knew who her killer was it would be all the more difficult to get her to leave.

“You know who did this?” Percy asked.

“Yes, his name is Mark, he lives two doors down.”

“Why would this Mark kill you?”

“Because I got him arrested for selling drugs.”

We glanced at each other, so if she knew why, she knew who, maybe she would just go. “Well we are sorry that this happened to you.” I said, patting her hand again, I was afraid she was starting to get irritated by it.

“I need to make sure he pays.” Claire snapped, she pulled her hand away from me and glared at us. She stood and went to the door.

“Claire there is nothing that you can do, you cannot interact with the world around you.” Percy called to her as she made her way over to the door.

“I will figure it out.” She roared, she was angry, the clicking stopped for a moment before starting up again. I looked from her to the golden cat in the window. She had stopped it, her rage had transferred.

“This isn’t good.” I glanced at Percy, he had felt it too. She was angry, her rage was allowing her to become more than just a new spirit. He went to the counter and looked at the hourglass.

“It’s speeding up.” He said.

“Claire, you have to calm down.” I went to her by the door, she was crying again, crying was better than screaming.

“Why?”

“If you let the rage and hate take over, you will be lost to Percy quicker.”

“But it made me feel better.”

“It makes you a poltergeist.” Percy snapped from beside his hourglass.  

“I could do things with the living world if I’m a poltergeist.” She said, we glanced at each other. “So, I just need to get angry when I see Mark.”

“Don’t do this.” I grabbed her hands, she pulled away from me and walked through the door. We followed her. She was already running down the alleyway between the apartment buildings, she disappeared through the door of the apartment with the brass four on the door.

When walked through the door and I saw her standing in the center of a similar living room to her own. This apartment was more lavishly furnished, there was a lounge recliner and a leather couch. Drug pipes, paper, plastic wrap, and a scale on a glass coffee table. She went to the bedroom, we followed. Inside were lamps and plants, no bed or anything that would indicate someone actually slept there.

“Where is he?” She growled, the lamps flickered.

“He isn’t here.” Percy said, he looked at the hourglass again. “The police will put together that you reported him and take him in. Let them handle this.” We froze as we heard the door open. We went back to the living room.

A short stocky man stood just inside the apartment. He was wearing a blue ball cap, and a dark jacket over a blood spattered white shirt. He hadn’t even changed yet. He had probably been disposing of the gun.

“Bastard!” Claire roared, she rushed at him. The lamps in the bedroom flickered, and the curtains in the kitchen windows blew back. The man’s eyes widened and he fell against the door, a scream splitting the air. He had seen her. “You did this to me!” She went to the coffee table and flipped it. The pipes and drugs went flying across the room as the table shattered. She screamed again, the paint on the walls began to split. The bulbs in the grow lamps snapped.

“Stop her.” Percy cried over Claire and Mark’s screams. He held up the hour glass, the once full top well was now only a quarter of the way full.

“Claire, you’re going to get stuck.” I called to her.

“You did this to me.” She roared again. The windows shattered.

“Apalis, you will get stuck here too.” Percy called over the screaming.

I dived forward and grabbed Claire by the shoulders. I made her face me, her eyes were filled with tears, as she screamed. “Claire stop now. You have shown him, he will be afraid for the rest of his life.” I said. She stopped screaming, the room settled, as silence fell over the apartment. The only sound was the wet sobs of Mark huddled by the door.

“One more thing.” Claire left the apartment. We didn’t follow, a moment later, the sound of clicking came from the other side of the door, then a knock. Mark rose shaking to his feet, his trembling hands reached for the door knob and pulled it open slowly. Outside was the golden cat its arm swinging back and forth.

“I will go now.” Claire said from beside me, as we watched Mark collapse to the ground, unconscious.

“You were really close to being out of time.” Percy said, holding up the hourglass, maybe two minutes of sand left. “I’m glad you were able to save her.” He said looking at me. I just nodded to him as he took Claire’s hand and they vanished.

I glanced back at the open door and the unconscious man. The golden cat stared at me as its arm swung, click, click, click.

I looked, through the tears I could see two young men peering over the counter top. I didn’t recognize either of them, I felt the fear bubbling up within my stomach, had one of them done it?

I look back down at the body laying at my knees, my body, my eyes staring up at the ceiling, my blood spilled across the floor of my kitchen. I looked back at the two young men, were they looking at me or my dead body? I stood, one fluid motion, no effort for the dead. Their eyes followed me.

“Who are you?” I asked.

They glanced at each other, the one on the right had platinum blond hair, wore a white robe, and had silver eyes. He had a kind round face and his full lips curled in a small smile when I met his eyes. The man on the left, wore a flowing black cloak over a black suit, he had the hood of the cloak pulled up over his head. The face beneath the hood was angular and strong, green eyes shown from beneath the hood, in the moonlight the green flashed red as his gaze followed my movement.

“Do you know what happened here?” The man in the dark cloak asked.

“I died,” I snapped, he nodded in agreement.

“Are you ready to pass on to the waystation?” The blond asked.

“The waystation?” I asked.

“It is the next step for you now.” The other said.

“Who killed me?” I demanded, I could feel the fear settling into anger. Like a rock in my stomach, heavy and burning.

The two men looked at each other, the cloaked shrugged. The blond man turned back to me. “I didn’t see who did it. You don’t remember?” He asked.

“Why would you have seen?” I snapped.

“Come sit,” The cloaked man said, waving to my old couch. “We have a great deal to speak of.” He said. He took something shiny from his cloak, an hourglass, ornate the frame was made of a dark wood, carved with what looked like dragons, coiled around the glass wells. He placed it on the counter, the sand slowly began to spill from the top to the bottom well.

“What is that for?” I asked.

“You have twenty-four hours until I leave, and you are stuck here.”

I stared at him, my mouth open. “You mean if I don’t come with you now, I might get stuck here?” He nodded. “I can’t go yet, I need to find out why I died.” I growled, my hands forming fists, I felt my arms shaking as the pit in my stomach began to grow.

“It doesn’t matter, let the athouraties worry about that.” The blond said.

“It won’t matter if you find out what happened, there is nothing you could do about it.” The cloaked said.

“I still need to know.” I snapped, dropping down onto the couch, the cushion didn’t move, no puff of dust, not even the usual squeak of the rusty springs.

The blond sat down beside me, “Claire, you need to move on.” He said.

“You know my name?”

“Of course we do.” The cloaked man said, as he sat in the wicker armchair across from me.

“Who are you?” I asked again.

“My name is Apalis.” The blond said. “I am your Guardian.”

“I was known as Percival in my mortal life, I was assigned to be your Reaper.” The other said, he lowered his hood, revealing a head of dark hair, his eyes still flashed red when the light hit them.

“Reaper, Guardian,” I whispered, “so I’m not dreaming then? I really am dead?”

“Were you doubting it?” Percival asked.

Part of me thought I was just dreaming, it wouldn’t’ve been the first time I had dreamt about two handsome men. “A little.” I admitted.

“Well you are very dead, and if you don’t go with Percy soon you will be stuck here on earth for centuries.” Apalis stated, “What happened here isn’t for you to worry about anymore, you should move on and try to enjoy the beginning of your next journey.”

“How can I, I was murdered.” I snapped, I might be dead but I could still feel the heat of my rage burning up my spin as my fingers gripped the legs of my pants. I felt the tears stinging my eyes as I glared at the coffee table. “I wasn’t some old woman, who got to die peacefully in my sleep, I felt fear, I felt the bullet, I remember his voice.” I growled. I glared across the small living room at the Reaper, he was here to take me, but I was not going.

“There isn’t anything you can do about that now.” Percy said, how could he be so calm? I jumped to my feet and headed towards the door of my apartment. I reached for the handle, my hand passed through the brass knob without making any contact. The tears began to seep from my eyes and down my cheeks as I shook with anger.

“Please Claire, go with Percy.” Apalis begged, I turned to see them both standing a few feet from me. “There is nothing you can do about what happened, there won’t be anything you can do to the man who did this to you. Leave this pain and this life behind.”

“What if he is going to do it again?” I demanded.

“What will you do about it?” Percy growled.

“I don’t know.” I felt my shoulders fall, what could I do, I couldn’t even turn the door knob. “There are stories of ghosts hurting people why can’t I do that?” I asked.

“Those ghosts are decades or centuries old, it takes a long time and a lot of practice for a spirit to just cause a breeze through a room.” Apalis said, his eyes were pleading, and his voice was soft.

“Do you even know who did this?” Percy demanded.

I stared at him for a moment and thought back to the last thing I could remember. I had been doing dish, I think, I could remember the sound of a car alarm. I had gone to the kitchen window to look out into the parking lot. Then footsteps, I had turned around, nothing.

“I think it was a man.” I said.

“Helpful.” Percy breathed.

“I can’t remember.”

“That is normal.” Apalis said patting my hand.

“Anyone who might have wanted you dead?” Percy asked.

“No, not that I’m aware of, I’ve always kept to myself.” I shook my head, tears returning to my eyes. “I didn’t have a boyfriend I’m not sure I even had any friends. I doubt anyone will miss me.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.”

“So, this was just a robbery gone wrong?”

“All robbery is wrong.” Apalis snapped at Percy.

“You know what I meant.”

I closed my eyes as the Reaper and Guardian argued about the moral standing of thieves. I heard the footsteps again, the clicking of my lucky cat and remembered turning around. The click, click of the golden cat, and seeing the barrel of the gun. Click, click of the golden cat, and green eyes.

“I know who it was.”

All is silent, no crickets, no birds, no rustling of the trees in the wind, only the soft click, click of the swinging arm of a golden cat in the window. The cat, with its pendant that reads luck and holding its coin that reads ten million gold pieces, with is right paw as its left arm waved back and forth, clicking softly.

The room beyond was dark, the moonlight spilled through the curtains too bathe the floor in a silver light. The dark pool spreading over the scuffed and peeling linoleum show black and silver in the moonlight. As the moon began to dip in the sky the light fell across the half open hand covered in a thick dark stain.

Click-click-click, the arm of the golden cat swung as the silence stretched out around the moonlit room. The arm stopped as my feet touched the cracked linoleum of the small kitchen. My dark cloak fell around me like fog over an island, smooth, silent, and heavy. My bare feet made no noise as I moved across the room, I stared down at the body laying in the pool of drying blood. I left not tracks in the blood, not footprints across the faded floor. She was dressed simply, a flower sundress, with red and yellow daisies dancing across the fabric, she wore no jewelry except for stud silver earrings, her auburn hair had fallen out of the loose bun she had it in, strands of it were floating on the surface of the blood, her blue eyes stared unseeing at the white plaster ceiling.

I froze as I felt other eyes following my silent movement through the room. I turned to meet the glowing green eyes of a silver tabby, watching me from the back of the couch in the living room. I let out a heavy sigh, the only noise that had been heard since my arrival. I moved from the kitchen to the couch where the tabby sat watching me. I lowered myself to the tread bare cushion, the couch has probably once been a vibrant gray or silver, but time and much use had warn the fabric to a dull brown gray, stains from food or drink had left dark blotches, shadows of the past. For such a young soul; her home was old, maybe she didn’t live here, or maybe she didn’t mind owner older things.

“I thought I would be here longer.” The tabby whispered, his voice was young, but his green eyes were old.

“I’m sure you did.” I was not here to make small talk with a Guardian, I was here to do my job, but if speaking with him made my job easier so be it. I looked back at the body of the young woman, when I looked back at the Guardian he was in his natural form. All pale skinned, platinum hair, and gray eyes, his white robe was spotless and highlighted against the drab room around us.

We stared at each other for a moment, he practically glowed in his white robe, while I glowered from beneath the hood of my onyx black cloak.

“What can you tell me about her, anything to make her transition easier?” I asked.

“She won’t go,” he stated flatly, “she was angry when he shot her, she will want to find out why.”

“Great.” I growled, glancing over at the body again, once she woke up she would have twenty-four hours before I would leave. Twenty-four short hours to find her answers, twenty-four excruciatingly long hours of me being towed around by a vengeful spirit. “You’re sure there isn’t anything I can say to get her to come with me?” I asked.

“She is estranged from her family, and has no connections on the other side. I’ve seen her type before, but if she’s as determined in death as she was in life, she won’t go with you until she has answers.” He replied.

“A ghost then?”

“We’ll see.”

“When do you leave?” I asked.

“When she does,” I felt my eyes widen.

“And if she doesn’t?”

“Then I will watched her until she is no more.” He stated, his young voice taking on a flat matter-of-fact tone.

“That could be ages.” He nodded, his gray eyes on the living room window. He did not want to be stuck here any more than I did, and at least I could leave after a day, he would be stuck until her ghost faded. If she stayed she wouldn’t be my first ghost but he would be the first Guardian that I had watched be trapped, the others had not been worthy of Guardians.

“I will make sure she goes.”

“Your job is to see them safely to the waystation, not to worry about a Guardian.”

“I might be a Reaper but that doesn’t mean I’m heartless.” I said. “Reapers, Guardians, Gatekeepers, we are all the same in the end, just with different jobs.”

“You mean souls that decided the afterlife was to boring and wanted a day job?” He asked, I felt the corners of my mouth curl, it was hard not to smile. It sounded crass but it was true, the afterlife was boring.

We both jumped as the sound of heavy sobbing echoed through the small apartment. She was up.

Just recently finished the draft for Book 3 of Ark Lost in Time, here is a first look at Day One!

 

Day One

 

It was hot, I cannot think of anywhere on the Island that it was this hot, the Center was never this hot. Cryo still had not worn off enough for me to open my eyes but I could feel my skin burning in the heat. I could feel the ground beneath me vibrating, something large was moving along the ground nearby. I prayed to the Hosts that it was not a predator, I had not even woken up yet, I did not want to die already.

I took a deep breath, I cracked my eyes open, the sun was blazing and hot overhead. Slowly I pushed myself to sitting position. I sat naked in the sand, but this was not beach sand, it was coarse and packed hard. I stared wide eyes around me, I could see the air rippling from the heat, brown as far as the eye could see. No tall jungle forests just small shrubs clinging to life in a desert. Where the hell was I? I had never seen an Ark like this before, there was always an ocean, always hundreds of miles of jungle. Here there was only sand and rock.

I pushed myself to my feet and heard a whimper, I glanced around, and a little black blur rushed towards me. I was worried I was being attacked at first. I realized that the black blur was a wolf pup, Blue-eyes, he had made the upload with me. I knelt down to pick him up and snuggle him, he shook in fear.

“I’m scared to little one.” I whispered to him as I stood back up. I was burning up, I had to find some shelter, but first I had to find water. “Oh there had better be water,” I growled to myself, if I died before finding the others with no respawn point I would end up separated from Blue-eyes and he would die without me. The others, what if they had not come to this strange place with me, what if I was on my own again.

The rumbling in the ground grew greater, I looked up as a Paracer stepped by me. At least I recognized the animals, I thought. I would follow the paracer but I had no guarantee that he would be headed to water, the giants could go without water for days. Myself and the wolf cub in my arms we would need water soon. I stared up at the sun, was it morning or evening, was that west or east, I had never had to find my way to water before, away from it plenty.

It must have been morning, because the sun only grew higher as I worked my way across the burning sand. Blue was whining pitifully in my arms as I began to stumble, it grew hard to breathe, the air was burning my mouth and my sweat dried the second it made my skin.

I fell, and Blue-eyes rolled from my arms, my face hit the ground. The ground felt cool, and soft, I just wanted to close my eyes and die. Instead a dry tongue scraped against my cheek, he was not going to let me give up. I pushed myself up, and stared in astonishment at the ground in front of me.

The sand was dark and moist, water? I looked up, a pool of water bubbled before me, I dove into the puddle and began to gulp down the water as fast as I could swallow it. The water tasted like sand and algae but it was cool and refreshing. When I came up for air I crawled away from the pool and retched up all the water I had just taken in. I knelt at the edge of the pool panting, I had to take it slow or it would just happen again. Slowly I cupped my hands in the water and drank scoop by scoop.

“Do you realize how lucky we are we found this little puddle?” I asked Blue-eyes, he looked at me, his eyes glowing with a knowledge that I was still yet to understand. I sat back against a rock near the water, and stared up at the bright blue sky. “Do you think the others are here?” I whispered.

The ground began to rumble, and the rock behind me shifted. I jumped to my feet, and jumped the puddle to where Blue was, I snatched him up and stared up at the looming rock giant that grew before us. Was it my secret guardian named Apocalypse, I smiled up at the rocks that formed the monster’s head, searching for his glowing sapphire eyes. I stared up at an empty black crevice.

“Apocalypse?” I ventured. The great rock head turned to look down at me and Blue-eyes. There was no recognition in the dark creese that formed the creatures eyes.

“Run,” Cradix whispered in my ear, and I ran, I turned and sprinted over the sagebrush and thorny webs.

The sounds of rocks grinding against each other echoed through the air as I fled. My feet left the hot sand as a boulder hit the ground where I had been a moment before. Broken rocks pelted my bare back as I hit the sand and rolled. I was going to die, Blue-eyes was going to die, if that monster threw another rock and managed to crush us. I felt the ground fall out from under us as we rolled through the dust. We were falling, I curled tightly around the wolf pup, as we fell, at least if he survived I could find him later.

I hit the ground with a crack, pain shot through my right shoulder, a scream echoed against the rock around me. With all my strength I remained curled around Blue as I rolled off what every ledge I had landed on. I landed broken on the sand below. I stared up at the small line of blue above me, I was in a canyon, the dark sandstone walls that towered next to me were cool and welcoming. My arms rolled open and Blue-eyes crawled off of my, I tried to sit up and felt my spine crack, I was not going to leave this canyon alive. I looked over at Blue-eyes, he sat beside me his head down, a small whine escaped from him, as he licked my cheek.

“I’m sorry my love,” I whispered, the darkness began to close in. I shivered, how was I so cold in a desert.  “I’ll find you,” I whispered to him, “Stay alive.” I breathed as the blue line above me vanished.

I could hear the lament of Blue-eyes howl, as I felt my beacon go dark, I felt my heartbreak.

Here is Part 4 of a new idea I have had based off the above picture. Art by Mateusz Ozminski I discover while looking for art for a writing prompt. I felt this image was beautiful and it created an idea I could not get out of my head. I will be posting pieces of this a little at a time for the next while.

Enjoy Part 4 of Titan’s Call

Nikon just stared up at the ship that while small compared to some of the others around them, still towards over his head like a giant. He nodded, setting he jaw and turning his eyes to Captain Lic, who smiled down at him. “Yes sir, I will do whatever you need me to, and be the best cabin boy on the island.”

“So we have the best net mender and the best cabin boy,” Lic said smiling at them. “Come with me, I’ll introduce you to my wife, you two can stay at our house we have plenty of room.” He said.

“An’ they have a nice house,” Sal called, as Lic ushered them down the dock.

“Most of my crew eat supper with my wife and eye most evenings, so tonight you will get to meet some of the men you will be working with.” Lic explained to Nikon. He looked down at Esme, “My wife Cindy will be glad to have someone helping around the house, and preparing the meals. See my wife is pregnant and can’t do as much as she used to be able to do, and now with you there she will have someone to help her out other than myself, but I’m useless at all of the fine things she does.” He said.

Esme giggled and smiled up at him. “I will do my best to learn everything your wife teaches me.” She said proudly.

“I’m sure you will.” He waved at the house built on the dock, a large square two story building, with smoke billowing from the chimney on the back of the house, the smoke trailed between the massive scales of the island as it dissipated in the air. Racks of drying fish lined the windows on the front of the house, as well as nets that were hanging from the parapets of the roof, some so long they dipped into the water beneath the deck a few inches. Lic opened the front door and waved them into the warm front room of the home beyond. A woman’s voice called through a doorway at the back that seemed to lead to a study of some kind. In the living room there were three couches all faced towards an empty fireplace, shelves of books strapped to them stood build into the walls around the room and above the fireplace was a well rendered painting of the Sea Baron with Captain Lic standing at its helm.

“Cindy dear we have guests.” Lic called.

From the study emerged a woman about six months pregnant, holding a book in her hands. She stood about five feet tall, and had long auburn hair pulled back into a neat braid. Her blue eyes looked the two children up and down before looking eyes with her husband.

“And what is this now?” She asked, she placed her book onto the table beside the doorway and came over to Nikon and Esme.

“I’m Esme,” She said happily, holding out her hand to the woman, “Captain Lic said that I will be helping you around the home and with the mending.”

Cindy glanced from the filthy little girl in front of her to her husband who had become very interested in the wood of the ceiling, as his cheeks turned red. Cindy turned a kind smile back to Esme, and shook her hand. “Well before we do that how about we get you cleaned up and properly clothed.” She glanced at Nikon. “What about you?” She asked.

“Captain Lic has offered to take me on as a cabin boy for the Sea Baron.”

“I didn’t know the Sea Baron needed a cabin boy,” She said glaring at her husband, “my husband’s heart is to soft, it will get him killed one of these days,” She said, sternly, “Welcome to our home you two.” She pulled a purse from her robe pocket and shoved it at her husband. “Have one of your men go up to the city and get these two some proper clothing.” She said, he stammered at her holding the purse, “Now,” She snapped he nodded and rushed out the door. “Now to the bath.” She ushered the two of them into a room on the far side of the building, from the warmth that filtered through the walls the children guessed it was opposite the kitchen. The floor opened up into a net that fit right into the sea beneath the house. “Now you two soak in here I will bring you some soap and fresh towels. We’ll get you dressed as soon as Lic gets back.”

Nikon and Esme striped down and jumped into the large pool of water, they could not remember the last time they had had a proper bath that was not rain water. Cindy just laughed as the water splashed onto the polished wood of the floor. She left them to bathe.

Hours later Esme and Nikon were sitting down to dinner for the first time in five years. The dinning room took up half of the bottom floor of the house, there were twenty or so men and women filling the space by the time Cindy and five other wives brought out the dinner of fish and seagrass.

Esme smiled across the table and Nikon, he smiled back. They had found a home at last.