{"id":2850,"date":"2020-08-12T18:31:19","date_gmt":"2020-08-12T22:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/?p=2850"},"modified":"2020-08-12T18:31:19","modified_gmt":"2020-08-12T22:31:19","slug":"3-realms-3-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/3-realms-3-2\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Realms 3-2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The data crystals were plugged into the <em>Endeavor<\/em>\u2019s computer and Shalvey was busy decoding them. Her work went well into the night as she tried every audio sorting method to get a clear answer. One such night, she was busy typing away at the computer when Thangred came in. \u201cShalvey, you need rest!\u201d he boomed in the usual Dwarven bluntness. \u201cYou\u2019ve refused to eat your meals, you\u2019ve been skipping out on rest, and you\u2019ve barely spoken to anyone! You\u2019re about to kill yourself!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYes, yes, I\u2019ll get right on that once I\u2019m done,\u201d replied Shalvey absentmindedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019re not even listening!\u201d snapped Thangred as he whirled the chair around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHEY!\u201d snapped Shalvey as she forgot she was a Mermaid and tried to stand up to tower over him. She immediately collapsed to the floor, landing on her face. A few seconds after she landed, she moved her head so her face wasn\u2019t lying on the floor and massaged her nose to relieve it of pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cShalvey, Sweetheart, you can\u2019t kill yourself over this,\u201d urged Thangred as he scooped her up bridal style and carried her to the tub. He turned on the water and filled the tub so Shalvey could hydrate herself. Shalvey sighed as the water melted her aches and pains away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOooh, that feels good,\u201d she sighed. She then turned to Thangred. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Sweetie,\u201d she bid. \u201cI\u2019ve just been taking this personally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy?\u201d asked Thangred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen I was a little girl,\u201d explained Shalvey, \u201cmy mother was kidnapped. Even though Dad followed through on the kidnapping terms, we never saw Mom alive again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c&#8230;I&#8230;I didn\u2019t know,\u201d stammered Thangred as he realized Shalvey\u2019s motives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019re right, though,\u201d continued Shalvey. \u201cI\u2019m not gonna be much help to them if I\u2019m crashing into walls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThen let\u2019s get a meal at Barmek\u2019s,\u201d suggested Thangred. \u201cYou need food something fierce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c&#8230;Yeah, I do,\u201d sighed Shalvey. Thangred brought her water chair to the tub and filled it with water, then helped Shalvey into it. They then made their way to Barmek\u2019s and were greeted by Mr. Barmek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWelcome, my friends!\u201d he cheered. He then noticed Shalvey\u2019s expression. \u201c&#8230;How many times did you sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSleep? What\u2019s that?\u201d snarked Shalvey. \u201cI\u2019m just taking a break from all the work I\u2019ve been doing lately. I\u2019m coming up with nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou need brain food and something to help you rest,\u201d declared Mr. Barmek. \u201cHow iffy are you with fish?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLove it!\u201d sighed Shalvey happily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPerfect,\u201d replied Mr. Barmek. He then turned to Jaltor. \u201cShalvey on table 2 needs a Galdredan leafy salad, Midoran salmon, Rokanth yogurt with berries and walnuts, and Wysper tea!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBrain food special for the Communications Officer on table 2! Coming up!\u201d called Jaltor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Shalvey was having her long-awaited dinner, the Caldoras and their pet moray eel, Skalomel, were all in their main dining hall, enjoying their meal. \u201cRosa, sweetie, could you pass me the crab cakes?\u201d asked Queen Jurma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSure thing,\u201d replied Rosa as she passed down a plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd I\u2019ll have more lobster,\u201d called Skalomel. No one passed him a dish for a few seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMay I have some clams?\u201d Marianes asked Troga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnything for you, my beauty,\u201d answered Troga as he passed the clams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd I\u2019ll have more lobster,\u201d repeated Skalomel. Still nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWant some tuna?\u201d Floona asked Samuje.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOoh, yes, please!\u201d replied Samuje.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHEY!\u201d called Skalomel. \u201cWhat\u2019s a moray gotta do to get some shellfish around here?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019ve had enough, Skalomel,\u201d remarked Queen Arlamu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo offense,\u201d continued Erga, \u201cbut you\u2019re getting pudgier than me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAlmost like a frightened pufferfish,\u201d sniggered Jalmurna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cJalmurna,\u201d admonished King Kulptak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat?! He is!\u201d protested Jalmurna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMe?!\u201d argued Skalomel. \u201cI\u2019m as lithe as a sea snake! Besides, I only had 14 of the 15 food groups!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat\u2019s next?\u201d snarked Dromu. \u201cWhale blubber?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDromu, please!\u201d snapped Kulptak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNot to excuse my daughters\u2019 insults,\u201d mused King Jortol, \u201cbut maybe you should go on a diet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t need to go on a diet,\u201d snapped Skalomel as he swam away from the table, offended, \u201cbecause I\u2019m not fat! I\u2019m big-boned!\u201d He headed for the little eel door and made it halfway through before he got stuck. He tried pulling himself out to save dignity. No luck, the Caldoras couldn\u2019t help but giggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNeed a push?\u201d asked Valomee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou laugh, I poop in your bed!\u201d threatened Skalomel. He then noticed something outside. \u201cHey! Who\u2019s that in the courtyard?\u201d Marianes, Jortol, Arlamu, and Kulptak swam to the windows and found two people in the courtyard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s Thengo and Marshii!\u201d remarked Marianes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat are they doing here?\u201d asked Troga from the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo clue,\u201d replied Jortol. \u201cI\u2019m getting to the bottom of this!\u201d He grabbed the door handle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWAIT! KINGY! I\u2019M STILL&#8230;!\u201d Too late. The door opened and Skalomel\u2019s rear end was slammed into the wall. As someone tended to the poor moray eel, Jortol swam to the courtyard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cExcuse me!\u201d he called. Marshii and Thengo turned to give him their attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAh, there you are,\u201d greeted Marshii. \u201cWe\u2019re using medical privilege here. Where\u2019s Samuje?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAh, it\u2019s about her methods of dealing with her trauma,\u201d realized Jortol. \u201cOne moment.\u201d He swam back to the dining hall and got Samuje. As they returned to the courtyard, she stopped as she realized what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou have reservations about my coping mechanisms, don\u2019t you?\u201d she muttered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYour Highness, with all due respect,\u201d replied Thengo, \u201cit sounds like you\u2019re trying to force yourself back into Realmfleet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDoctor, I assure you,\u201d soothed Samuje, \u201cI AM giving myself time to recover. I know what I\u2019m ready for and what still needs time. The fact that I\u2019m talking to you tells me that I don\u2019t have any grudge against Realmfleet Officers. I\u2019m still uneasy about looking at a Realmfleet ship, much less setting a fin onboard. I assure you; I\u2019ll make a full recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as a \u2018full recovery\u2019 from that kind of survivor\u2019s guilt,\u201d countered Thengo. \u201cTrust me, I\u2019ve had a few cases like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c&#8230;Survivor\u2019s guilt?\u201d hissed Samuje.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLike Thengo, I\u2019ve seen this before,\u201d continued Marshii. \u201cIt was at its worst when I tended to your injuries. You feel as if you should have died with your crew. You somehow think that you surviving dishonors those that died. It looks to me that you\u2019re only trying to get back in the Captain\u2019s chair so you can \u2018die in glorious battle\u2019!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019re getting rather personal, Doctor!\u201d warned Samuje. \u201cRealmfleet needs ship captains, especially now that Oyed\u2019s coming back!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cRealmfleet needs STABLE ship captains, especially now that Oyed\u2019s coming back,\u201d corrected Thengo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI AM stable!\u201d snapped Samuje.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith all due respect, no, you\u2019re not,\u201d answered Thengo. \u201cYou really need to step back from Realmfleet for a while longer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c&#8230;You\u2019re asking me to stay out of Realmfleet?!\u201d shouted Samuje.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re asking you to look at your mental health objectively,\u201d countered Marshii. \u201cYou\u2019re coming off as self-destructive and you\u2019ve been pushing your family away for a while. Your mental well-being comes before your service record.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c&#8230;You can leave!\u201d hissed Samuje. Marshii and Thengo then left the courtyard as the guards escorted them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEr, Samuje,\u201d ventured Jortol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cJust leave me alone!\u201d grunted Samuje as she swam off. Jortol winced as he imagined what was going on through her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thangred and Shalvey were back in their quarters, both crashing on the couch. Shalvey had her head in Thangred\u2019s lap as they snored. Shalvey was the first to stir. She sat up slowly and yawned, letting Thangred snore away. She stroked his beard as her chair arrived. \u201cKeep dreaming,\u201d she whispered. She then maneuvered herself into the chair and then she made her way to the coffeepot. She poured herself a cup, then moved back to her workstation. Her computer had its screensaver on. She chuckled a little bit. \u201cLots of pretty colors,\u201d she sighed as her hand hovered over the mouse. Then&#8230;it happened. \u201c&#8230;Colors,\u201d she mused. \u201c&#8230;Wait, what if&#8230;I mean, such files WERE mistaken once or twice&#8230;\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSomething the matter?\u201d asked Thangred\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDid I wake you?\u201d winced Shalvey as Thangred approached her seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYes, but I have no arguments being woken by your voice,\u201d replied Thangred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSorry,\u201d muttered Shalvey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLike I said, your beautiful voice is always a pleasant thing to be woken by,\u201d assured Thangred. \u201cI didn\u2019t fully hear your muttering before I spoke. Is something wrong with the decoding?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think the police may be wrong about one or both of the files,\u201d replied Shalvey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHow so?\u201d asked Thangred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat if one of them ISN\u2019T an audio file?\u201d mused Shalvey. \u201cWhat if one of them is visual? If that\u2019s the case, I need to run an audio\/visual sort for both, sorting one by sound waves and one by colors. After that, it\u2019s a matter of stringing the two files together in a logical pattern.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHow long will that take?\u201d asked Thangred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat depends,\u201d replied Shalvey. \u201cWhat time is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c14:45,\u201d answered Thangred<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAccounting for the possibility that I might be running the wrong kinds of sorts on both files,\u201d remarked Shalvey, answering Thangred\u2019s question, \u201ceasily until 35:00.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYikes,\u201d winced Thangred. \u201cBetter keep some coffee and snacks on standby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYep,\u201d confirmed Shalvey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWell, I\u2019m heading off to see how the water pumps are doing,\u201d rumbled Thangred. \u201cWe can\u2019t have water in the engines. Good luck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThanks,\u201d replied Shalvey as she typed at her computer, setting the parameters for the audio\/visual sort and sipped her coffee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The data crystals were plugged into the Endeavor\u2019s computer and Shalvey was busy decoding them. Her work went well into the night as she tried every audio sorting method to get a clear answer. One such night, she was busy typing away at the computer when Thangred came in. \u201cShalvey, you need rest!\u201d he boomed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,236],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-2850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-3-the-first-strike","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2850"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2850\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2851,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2850\/revisions\/2851"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}