\

Gavin was on patrol though it was not a formal patrol. It was what he was doing none the less. It seemed as though the Fountain or was the square was always up to sometype of mischief. So it was best not to be very far from where this is happening.

Off in the distance a window that is probably letting cold air in is nevertheless cracked open. In her little room overlooking this square, Colonel Tanya has the same idea.

Danielle sits on a bench in sight of the fountain munching an apple and scribbling idly in her journal. by now she has extremly rough rendering of the fountain and its glyphs. An artist this particular royal is not but it gets the job done

Dirk is not very sober. He looks at the fountain and pokes his sword in the water. "Something needs to die." He is missing a hand still.

There is little to no wind today, but a cold speckly rain drifts down from time to time, and there is a sea mist. Where Danielle sits, she can see the glyphs reacting a little to Gavin and in particular to Dirk.

The market is closing for the evening, as darkness creeps up. The fountain's glowing glyph lights play softly on the low mist.

\

Gavin scowls as he draws closer to the fountain and the gliphys start to shin a bit more. Then Dirk draws closer and pokes the sword into the fountain. "Careful it looks hungry and may try to eat the rest of you."

The fountain entirely fails to eat Dirk, although the mist seems to be avoiding it. It is definitely thinner in that area.

Dirk says "Fine I will just kill it. " He says "the ring I was wearing found its way back to me."

From the direction of the docks, there is a sudden swell of mist, which pours into the square. The remaining marketeers hurry up with their packing. By now, they have good instincts.

\

"Great first the cold, then the desert, now the sea?" Then Gavin looks at Dirk, "You know it's really not possible to kill water, some stone, and plumbing. But You may be the first." He looks around, "This all reminds me of something."

Danielle waves in greeting to Dirk and gavin with a small smile "Greetings" she offers though her eyes turn quickly back to the glyphs charting the movements and reactions that at the moment mean nothing "does it merely like men better? "she muses "or possibly the reverse"

Amy is on her way up from the hospital, and as usual, she pauses to check on the fountain. She spies Dirk and Gavin there, and the two get a smile. "Hello," she greets easily. She raises a hand to wave, and also smiles at Danielle. "Hey, Danielle," she greets. "It's a very misty day, isn't it? What's going on?"

The mist flows in, and it looks like there is water beneath it, pushing it up, and there is the smell of salt on the breeze.

Dirk says "Before whatever happened here happened I was a cat." He closes his eyes "I smell the sea."

The sea, and shorelines. The smell of bladder wrack and mud and salt freshness drifts through the square.

\ Gavin points to the mist rolling in, "The fountain is being the fountain. I believe it's picking another enviroment or is it a shadow." The knight steps forward. "That is a good question. Maybe the better way to put it is males seem to activate it more." The knight looking at Amy, "You want me to try something?"

Amy sort of stops cold, looking at the fountain and Gavin, and then she nods to Dirk. "Me too," she says. Understatement. She takes a breath, attention going back to Gavin. "Uhm, I guess if you want to?" she offers.

Danielle wrinkles her nose. While the salt sea air is not an unpleasant smell. The same cannot be said of the other scents that come with it "I think you might be right about another locale paying a visit" She says to Gavin who has answered amy's question so she says "Hey"

The glyphs begin to go out, one by one, as the ground suddenly becomes wet underfoot. The water, and most of the mist, stay outside the circle of glyphs on the shelter around the fountain, but they are clearly visible, and the glyphs are still going out.

From the window up where she lives now, Garin's voice can be heard. A sweary complaint about the world in general.

\

"The question is are we visiting the beach or the bottom of the ocean?" Gavin looks at the others, "Were there a Shadow at the bottom of the ocean?"

Dirk responds to Tanya. "Love you too." He adds to Gavin. "Rebma was under the harbor."

Then the mist parts, where it is swelled up. A watery surface is visible; within it a man riding a fish about eight feet long looks at those assembled, and crosses his arms as he thinks about them. He is naked, but has skin like a seal's, and no hair.

"I don't - there, Dirk knows," is Amy's answer. "Rebma? That's an interesting name." She turns to eye the arriving fish rider, eyes widening. "Oh my. Who are you?" That's her brilliant conversational opener.

Dirk waves his one hand to the stranger.

Danielle loks down after an initiall expression that betrays no small amount of shock, she gives a smile and wave, hoping the gestures will transcend any language barrier that may exist

The seal-man says nothing, but looks from one to another. Then it throws drops a white thing from one hand. The thing - a twisted shell - drifts down. The unnatural wave retreats somewhat.

\

Gavin turns to see the man on the fish. "I Think that was it, Remba." Gavin going to catch the shell.

Dirk sighs softly.

The water leaves the shell high and ... well, not dry as such, but at least not in a wave. The mist is closing in on it, but there is not a problem with seeing it.

Amy moves at the same time Gavin does, reaching for that shell. Not the smartest of moves, likely, but well, what can ya do?

Gavin flips a coin. The result is: Heads

Amethyst flips a coin. The result is: Tails

Dirk flips a coin. The result is: Heads

The wave flattens a little, and the glyphs flare on the fountain as Gavin's fingers grasp the shell. He got there just a little before Amethyst.

As Gavin grasps, the lights flare on the fountain, and Colonel Tanya's voice drifts down, "'k's SAKE." Annoyed.

Amy glances at Tanya's window and shrugs. Then she calls out loudly, "You might as well come down then, you know." Ahem. Her fingers likely hit the back of Gavin's as he got to the shell first. "Oops," is all she adds there.

\

Gavin stands there with the shell in his hand but looks down to see that the tiny form of Amy had went for the shell too. He swallows down his pride of pointing out he won. He was taller and this was a good way to get kicked out of bed. Then somebody is a brat anyway. So Gavin calls out, "Hah. I caught it."

Tanya calls back, "I have over-view here!" She's not leaving her window.

The seal-man puts his hand to the side of his face, as he looks at Gavin.

Amy pulls her hand back from Gavin's fingers then, stepping back and looking a little annoyed. Her arms cross in front of her, and she doesn't say a word, just scowls.

\

Gavin knows he'll probably pay for this but oh well. He lift the shell to his ear to see what he can hear and possibly so a crab monster can eat his brain.

Danielle hms "Are the glyphs reacting to the shell or Gavin's touching it"she muses, She turns then to Gavin to see if the man is adversely affected or otherwise by the object, training her gaze on the shell a reaches with magic sense

The shell whispers, and the sound echoes from the fountain too. "My mother told me if I put one of these things to my ear I could hear the air! How right she was! Hello, I am a catfish of the third tribe!"

Dirk stays away but says "Give it to me when your done."

Amy's gaze goes to the fountain, then to the shell at Gavin's ear, and then over to the catfish. He doesn't look like a catfish? She opens her mouth, closes it, and just stares.

\

"I am Gavin, this is Amethyst, Danielle, and Dirk." The knight says indicating the others. "Where is the third tribe at and is Catfish your name or your rank?"

Tanya's laughted echoes around the square. She has a nice laugh.

The fish does not look like a catfish. It looks mostly like a tuna.

Danielle raises her eyebrows at the sound and then quirks a brow at gavin's cool as a cucumber response to the shell and waits on pins and needles for response to his query

"I am yes a ranked catfish. Yes, my name is Catfish, yes." blurts the fish. "Can you speak for Amber? I have come to speak to Amber, this is jolly exciting!"

"We - are curious to know what you want with Amber," Amy asks. She wrinkles her nose but doesn't claim authority as yet. She does make a mental note though.

"I should really only speak to the one with the shell because only he can hear me," the catfish says. The seal-man face-palms.

"Bloody magical bloody resonators," sighs Tanya, and that is picked up by the fountain as well, and broadcast for everyone to hear.

\

Gavin looks around and then he finds Ameythst speaking for Amber. "We are not the king but we are of Royal blood." Then he looks to Amy and then to the fish. "I believe the fountain is letting everyone here."

"Oh wow a magical fountain!" The fish twiddles its fins. The seal-man slowly drags his flipper-hand down his face. "In that case, please tell your King that we of the undersea places are ready, when he is. Thank you! Can I have some tadpoles please? I have heard of them and want to try them!"

Dirk says, "I declare myself to be king of Amber."

"Ohohohoh!" says the fish. "I.... yes! I found you! This is my first mission! It's all gone right!"

Danielle turns to the window "That's what the foountain fountain is? You could have mentioned that?" she says, her annoyance at the moment do to the strange presence of guest, which is likely why she doesn't respond verbally Instead she gives a glare that speaks volumes "the king is away just now can we take a message

Gavin looks to Dirk as he declares himself to be the King of Amber. If he knew the sign of the cross he'd make it but instead he hands Dirk the shell. Then take several steps away from Dirk and make sure the fountain or any guards aren't between him and Dirk. He looks at Amy and Dannielle gesturing for them to stand back.

Amy stays quiet now, a brow arched in some bemusement. She's speechless it seems. But the odd thing is that she is by now laughing.

Dirk takes the shell and says "Hello. how are you? I hope that life is treating you well?" He gives the person on the other side a smile.

"I didn't know until now," Tanya says, "Because the magic here is particularly screwy!"

The fish replies, "Yes, life is! What a wonderful way of putting it. Listen, are you ready to join up with us again? We want to get to the fabled warm seas - it's been so long!"

Dirk says, "Things are disrup"

"YES!" The fish breaks in then shuts up as the seal-man taps it on the head.

Dirk says, "Things are busy here but Amber would be willing to assist in a return , in due time. No need to abuse the fish good sir. it is eager to join the journey. ""

"Oh, never mind him, he's just there to keep me from getting lost. I'm the important one!" The fish attempts to nod, wiggling up and down. The seal-man ignores the movements. "And alright, I'll go report that Amber has a King and we found it and it's all good!"

Dirk says, "And which of our allies are we having the pleasure of reuniting with?"

Danielle grits her teeth ,eyes blazing perhaps for the first time a reminder of who she's descend from

"The undersea places people," the fish replies. If a fish could sound proud, this would be how it sounded.

Dirk says "We are honored to be at your side."

Amy eyes the fish, and the rider, not quite sure she believes the fish. But it's not like the guy is giving any more information. King Dirk the First, as of Nov. 28th, year 2. Yeah, that's going down in some history book somewhere. She is watching the sealman, not the fish at this point. "I mean," she observes lightly, "If you will let Catfish talk for you," she murmurs. Of course the fountain amplifies and resonates that too. Maybe?

\ Gavin shakes his head at the all of the this.

The seal man lightly rubs a fore-paw over his throat, and gives Amy a big, elaborate shrug.

"HONOURED YES!" The fish flails its tail, and the water surges forward so that fish can stay in it, and then it turns around and begins swimming away. The seal-man puts a hand up to Dirk, as if asking to catch something.

Dirk says "ok." and throws the shell back.

\

"I think he wants his shell back." Gavin says.

The shell hits the water, and the fish swims away. "Well, I think that went very well indeed," says the voice from the fountain. "I'm glad we found the King so easily and I'm sure the Deep Majesties will be pleased with me. It's great, isn't it?" And then a pause, and a worried, "Oh," that fades away a little. "But he declared it and he said!" And then, "Well, we can report! We found Amber! That's good at least!"

And that is the last that the fountain speaks in the voice of a fish, although Tanya says a moment later, "Damnit. They just cut off the resonance."

Dirk has a smile on his face. "that went well. "

Danielle sighs "At the moment, i'd like to send you for a prolonged visit to whereever the hell that was, your majesty"

Dirk looks over "And Why is that? "

Amy just shrugs, as she listens. "You know, that fish was not really in charge, I don't think. But very vocal."

Danielle sighs "Because things could go sidewise quickly if the expect us to have a power we do not"she shurgs and stalks off in a bit of a huff

Dirk says "They know that I just declared myself king."

Gavin says, "And good luck with that Dirk." Gavin says making sure not to call the man king or any variation of it even as Jest. "Well we might get to visit with the actual king down." Probably his exectuioner."

Dirk says "I know how-to get the pattern ghost sitting on the throne to our side.:

Amy just shakes her head. "I'm heading for the hospital to do patient rounds. What are you all up to?" she asks.

\

"I'm heading back to the inn to go sit by the fire and dry out my clothing. See if I can get the smell of the ocean from my boots."

Dirk says "I am going for a walk. See if I can get a hook for my missing hand."

"I'll meet you back at the inn later," Amy says to Gavin. "Good luck with that, Dirk." She chuckles softly and turns to head towards the hospital.