Eryshae

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Vael
The Beach

The whistle's sharp call still echoed in the salty air as Vael lowered her arms, chest heaving with exhilaration. Around her, the shifting sands bore the marks of the fierce rally; the smudges of footprints, the scattered grains glistening like tiny jewels in the sun. Sam stepped forward, wiping a smear of sand from his brow, his grin wide and genuine. "Looks like we earned that point," he said, voice warm with pride.

From across the net, the opposing team approached, their faces a mix of respect and good-natured competitiveness. The tallest among them, a lean man with sun-kissed skin and a wry smile, held out a hand. "Well played," he said, voice rough but sincere. "You've got some serious skill out here."

Caldris stepped forward as well, her sapphire hair catching the light. "It was a match worthy of Eryshae," she said smoothly, voice rich with admiration. One of the women from the other team gave Caldris a nod, her eyes bright. "Your final shot was impressive. We'll be practicing if we want to keep up." Caldris returned the smile, feeling the warmth of camaraderie settle over the group like a comforting cloak. "Next time, you'll have to watch out," she teased. "We're just getting started." Laughter bubbled up among them, blending with the steady crash of the ocean waves nearby. Victory wasn't just about the win; it was about the bonds forged in the heat of competition, under the wide-open sky of Ocean City.

The laughter still hung in the salty air as the opposing team exchanged easy smiles with Vael and her companions. The tall man who'd first congratulated them leaned in with a conspiratorial grin. "There's a cultural event happening tonight down by the south dunes," he said. "A sort of beach dance party; and you four are officially invited."

Caldris raised an elegant brow, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "A cultural event, you say? Sounds… intriguing." Vael caught Sam's eye, her own sparkling with amusement. "I don't know about you," she said, voice low, "but I'm not one to turn down a dance invitation." Thorian laughed, folding his arms. "I'll hold you to that. Shall we show them how the Eryshae really celebrate?"

The group fell into step together, the sun dipping lower as they made their way toward the flickering glow of torches and music carried on the ocean breeze. The beach pulsed with energy; drums beating out a hypnotic rhythm, feet stamping and bodies swaying. Lanterns hung from driftwood frames, casting warm golden light over the sand. Tonight wasn't just a celebration of the game; it was a welcome to Ocean City's hidden heart.

The rhythmic beat of drums thrummed through the night air, weaving with the laughter and chatter of the crowd gathered beneath swaying palms. Lanterns flickered like stars caught just above the sand, casting a warm, golden glow over the dancers. Vael's heart quickened as Sam reached out, his hand warm and steady as he gently took hers. "Care to join my crew, landlubber?" He whispered. For a moment, the noisy celebration around them softened into a quiet bubble of shared space and time.

He led her forward onto the dance floor, their steps syncing with the pulse of the music. The world seemed to tilt; a dizzying mix of salt air, flickering light, and the soft brush of Sam's fingers against her skin. Vael's emerald hair caught the lantern glow as she looked up at him, love and affection blooming in her chest like a secret fire. "You lead, I follow." She whispered, her voice almost lost beneath the music. Sam's smile was slow and sure, eyes shining with a tenderness that made her breath catch. "Always." Together, they moved; slow, deliberate, and perfectly in tune; as the night wrapped around them like a silken shawl.

The rhythm swelled around them, a hypnotic tide pulling them closer with each beat. Sam's hand at her waist was firm but gentle, grounding her as their bodies found a quiet harmony in the swirling crowd. Vael felt the tension of the day melt away, replaced by a warmth that radiated from inside her chest and spilled into every step. The brush of his fingers against her skin sent sparks tracing a path up her spine, each glance they shared a silent conversation heavier than words.

Her breath caught as Sam dipped her slightly, eyes locking with hers in a moment suspended between time and space. The world narrowed to the curve of her smile, the shimmer of her hair, and the steady beat of his heart against hers. The music shifted; slower now, softer; and Vael rested her forehead against Sam's shoulder, letting herself be carried in the safety of his arms. The salty breeze tangled through her braid, and she closed her eyes, savoring the quiet intimacy that bloomed in the midst of celebration. A whisper of a smile tugged at her lips as Sam murmured against her hair, "You're home, Vael." And in that moment, with the ocean's song mingling with the music, she knew he was right.

The music's pulse began to slow, the dance drawing toward its gentle close. Sam's hands lingered at Vael's waist a moment longer, their breaths mingling as the last notes drifted through the night air. Vael smiled softly, the warmth between them settling into a quiet glow. "Thank you," she whispered, her fingers brushing his cheek. Before Sam could respond, their eyes were drawn across the sand to another pair moving with a different kind of fire.

Thorian and Caldris danced like a tempest; each step sharp and deliberate, every turn a challenge, every swirl a graceful parry. Their bodies moved in perfect sync, like blades flashing in tandem, the tension between them crackling like electricity.

Caldris's sapphire hair streamed behind her as she spun, the silks of her gown catching the lantern light like liquid night. Thorian's gaze never wavered, fierce and focused, a predator and partner entwined in the same fierce rhythm.

Vael's breath caught. "They make dancing look like a duel," she murmured, eyes wide with admiration and something deeper; perhaps a flicker of longing. Sam nodded, equally captivated. "Like a fight… and a promise." As the music swelled once more, the two couples stood on opposite edges of the dance floor; one wrapped in tenderness, the other sparking with wild, untamed energy; each reflecting different shades of the night's magic.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

The last notes of the song faded, leaving a gentle hum of conversation and the occasional crash of waves nearby. Vael and Sam exchanged a glance, their fingers still entwined, before a cheerful shout from Thorian pulled their attention back. "Enough rest for the weary! Who's ready for a moonlit swim?" he called, eyes gleaming with mischief. Caldris laughed, looping her arm through his. "The ocean's calling; and it's far too tempting to resist."

Vael smiled, her heart still fluttering from the dance. "I think I speak for all of us when I say yes." With the night stretching wide before them, the group gathered their things and headed toward the shimmering edge of the shore, the promise of saltwater and starlit waves beckoning. The party wasn't over yet; not by a long shot.

Laughter bubbled between them as Sam effortlessly swept Vael up into his arms, her legs wrapping snugly around his waist without hesitation. Her hair spilled like emerald silk against his chest as he grinned, the thrill of the moment lighting his eyes. Without warning, he broke into a sprint across the soft sand, the world blurring around them as he raced toward the water's edge. Vael's laughter rang clear and bright, wind and salt tangling with joy in the air.

The ocean greeted them like a cool embrace, and Sam plunged in first, arms strong and sure beneath her. They floated chest deep, the gentle waves rocking them in perfect rhythm. A faint, ethereal light pulsed from Sam's arms; a soft, bioluminescent glow that shimmered beneath the water's surface, casting delicate patterns of light that danced across Vael's skin.

She reached out, fingers trailing the glowing ripples, mesmerized. "You always surprise me," she whispered, voice full of wonder and affection. Sam smiled, the glow of his arm flickering gently as he held her close. "Only because you're worth every surprise." They drifted together, wrapped in warmth and light, the ocean's endless song a quiet promise beneath the stars.

The gentle rocking of the waves carried them effortlessly, Sam's arms steady beneath Vael as they floated in the cool saltwater. The bioluminescent glow from his skin cast shifting patterns of light around them, weaving a soft magic beneath the moonlit sky.

Vael's fingers traced lazy circles on his forearm, her voice low and contemplative. "Do you ever wonder how we ended up here? On this peninsula, with all this…" She gestured at the ocean's vast expanse and the quiet world around them. "It feels like fate sometimes."

Sam's gaze held hers, steady and sure. "Maybe it is. Or maybe we make our own fate; one choice at a time." She smiled, leaning into his warmth. "I like that. Choosing each other." Their quiet moment was gently broken by movement near the shore. Vael's eyes flicked toward the water's edge, where torchlight flickered against the night.

Thorian and Caldris sat close together; Caldris with her toes just brushing the water, leaning back into Thorian's chest. His arms wrapped protectively around her, fingers tracing slow patterns along her shoulders. The way they moved; so natural, so entwined; spoke of a history both fierce and tender. Vael squeezed Sam's arm softly. "They have that kind of love, don't they? The kind that's fought for." Sam nodded, eyes still on the pair. "And maybe that's the kind we all want, in one way or another." Vael rested her head against his shoulder, the waves whispering around them like a quiet promise.

Vael lifted her gaze from the shimmering water to meet Sam's steady eyes, the soft glow of bioluminescence reflecting between them like a secret shared. "So," she began, her voice barely above the whisper of the waves, "this treasure hunt my cousin and Caldris are leading... What do you really think we're walking into?"

Sam's fingers tightened around her waist, a quiet anchor in the shifting sea. "It's more than just treasure," he said carefully. "That vault off the coast; it sounds important, to things that shaped this entire peninsula. The Amber in my chest? It might be just a piece of something much bigger." Vael's brow furrowed, the weight of the revelation sinking in. "And if that's true, then what? Are we chasing power? Or history? Or something we can't yet understand?"

Sam's gaze darkened with resolve. "Maybe all of it. But I feel like we can trust Thorian and Caldris. They wouldn't dive into something without knowing the risks." She swallowed hard, the saltwater stinging her throat. "I want to believe that. But I also want to protect what we have; us; from whatever shadows this expedition might stir." He brushed a damp strand of hair from her face, voice low and sure. "We face it together. No matter what's waiting beneath the waves." Vael nodded, heart steadying in the certainty of his words. The ocean around them whispered its ancient secrets, but in this moment, their future felt as clear and unyielding as the tide.

Sam treaded water easily, the faint glow from his forearms casting soft ripples of light over Vael's face. Her hair floated around her shoulders, the moonlight catching on droplets that clung like silver beads. Their conversation had wound its way from teasing banter to quiet, reflective murmurs; about the expedition Thorian and Caldris were planning, about the uncertain days ahead, about what it might all mean for them.

"I think they're ready for it," Vael said, glancing toward the shore. Caldris sat with her toes in the water, leaning back into Thorian, who had one arm loosely draped around her. The gentle rise and fall of their shoulders suggested a private world neither Sam nor Vael could touch. "But the risk…" She trailed off.

Sam's gaze followed hers. "They're not doing it because it's safe," he said. "They're doing it because they can't help themselves. That's the thing about people like them. Once they set their eyes on a horizon, nothing keeps them from crossing it." Vael tilted her head, her voice quieter now. "And us?"

"We're already sailing toward something," he replied, brushing a hand through the water. "We just don't know if the wind will stay with us… or turn against us." Her lips curved faintly, though her eyes lingered with thought. "That scares you?"

"Terrifies me," he admitted, then grinned suddenly, closing the distance between them in one smooth kick. His hands slid under the water to cup her booty. Vael blinked, caught off guard. "What are you; "

Sam dropped his voice into a ridiculous pirate growl. "I have come for yer booty, lass." She burst into laughter, splashing him, and he feigned a wounded stagger in the water. Vael's surprised laugh spilled into his chest, muffled by the warmth of him. He tilted her chin up with his other hand, his voice dropping low and earnest. "Tomorrow, after breakfast, I'm taking you sailing. Just you and me, the wind, and the sea."

Her breath caught; not just from the promise of the ocean, but from the way he was looking at her now. "But tonight," Sam said, brushing his lips against hers, "is ours. The suite is ours. And I fully intend for us to make the most of it." Her brows arched in surprise, but there was no hesitation in her answer. "Aye, captain."