Elements of Change

The Festival of Tides

The port city of Nivet was one of the oldest ports in Distria, with a towering lighthouse and markets unparalleled in the Seven Nations.

Ezo had been there once as a child to help his uncle gather supplies and trade for goods needed by their village. He'd stared at everything with wide eyes and asked a hundred questions as they walked through the stalls. It was nothing compared to Nivet during Nivala, the great Festival of Tides.

Nivala was celebrated across Distria, but if there was a home to the great sea spirit, it was the waters of Nivet Bay. Legend said that Nosah created a great nest to lay her eggs there. When the eggs cracked, she coddled her brood and created the walls and sands of Nivet Bay. After the serpents had fed from Nosah, they fled in all directions. The shells created the mountains and peaks of the earth and her life's blood had filled the oceans. Thus, all life came from the ocean and all life returned to it.

Every stall in Nivet was decorated with hanging lanterns and kites decorated to look like serpents. Ezo stopped to get a meat pie at a stall, then took it to the hillside above the port. The view was amazing, but by the time he reached the top, he was licking his fingers clean of the meat pie's juices.

The beach below him was full of laughing children and vendors hawking their trades. People created the likeness of Nosah and her children in colored sand sculptures for everyone to marvel at.

Ezo closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He had been traveling hard the last few months and had nearly overtaxed himself a few times. Growing up, he'd never come close to his limits, and it wasn't until he started traveling that he began to learn them. The hard way, often, but he was smart, and he didn't make the same mistake twice. He was very good at making all new ones though.

Today was a chance to relax. He'd made note of a few things he might be able to help with in the coming days if he chose to stay, but he wasn't going to make a single offer today. Not even a mention of being an elementalist.

He could almost hear Uncle Jacob laughing at him.

From the hilltop, he could see the mountains that surrounded the seaport, and on the other side, an amphitheater had been carved out of the rising foothills. A wagon was pulled up and a band of traveling players was performing. The audience broke into applause and Ezo thought he might try to catch a performance later in the afternoon. For now, he wanted nothing more than to enjoy the warm sun and the cool breeze.

And if he happened to fall asleep, his weren't the only snores on the hillside.

###

"Damn it!" They were the first words out of Ezo's mouth as he woke to screams. He jumped up and turned around, looking for trouble. The noise came from the docks and Ezo began running towards them. The docks were set to the east side of the city where the mountains ended in deep caves. The jut of the caverns created a natural break from the tides and protected the boats and the city.

He ran through the crowd and finally stepped onto the docks. It was chaos. The air moved with a swarm of small creatures. As he ran closer, he could see the long scaled tail and feathered wings of the beasts that harassed the crowd.

Amphithere.

Full-grown amphithere were small and these feathered serpents were still youngsters.

People ducked away and covered their heads, while sailors concealed their day's catch as best as they could. He watched the swarm turn and attack a young man who covered a wagon full of fish fresh from a ship.

Ezo closed his eyes and focused on the world around him, pushing aside the swarm and the people. He felt the earth beneath his feet, always ready for his call. The water at his side pulled for his attention as well, but it was the wind that rushed through his hair and brought the scent of the sea that he reached for. There was so much power around him and the desire to fill himself with it was tempting but dangerous. He pulled at the wind, using his magic to divert a small part of it away from its path. He opened his eyes and directed the air into the swarm.