Riddle Serpent

Nix stood at the edge of the surf, watching the distant waves that had seemingly come out of nowhere. One moment the blue surface had been calm, and then small swells started crashing against the shores.

Nix, Pon, Chiba, Gideon, and Deya stood in a circle talking. In the three hours since they scouted out the ocean, Beta had decided to swap out with Gideon in order to fight alongside her Commander. Apparently, it was something she never got to do.

Gideon's dark face held the barest semblance of a smile. "You guys disappointed that I replaced Beta?"

"Yeah, a bit," Pon admitted.

Nix nodded in agreement. "A second-stringer might slow us down."

Gideon made a rude gesture at the two mages, even though he was smiling at them.

Chiba feigned nonchalance. "If Master Beta wants to fight in Zed, that's okay with me."

Shae arrived a few minutes later, carrying one of Sinfaya's boxes. Before saying anything, she hugged Nix with one arm, kissing him several times despite the audience.