It was too much for one Being to handle. Never before had her life been so utterly out of control.Yrsa was on a boat heading towards a new job, with her new charge with only the clothes on her back and the contents of her pockets. There was a promise of a better life once they reached shore. Not like she had much of a choice. In her mind she pictured herself being reminded of all her mistakes by her parents for years to come.

Yrsa was sitting on the stairs leading to the upper deck with her knees tucked up. Eyes closed with her skull resting against the bulkhead of the ship she listened. Without an engine she could hear the rest of the team going about above. It all blended together in a haze of white noise. Each Being had their own walk, their own sound. Perfect for trying to clear your head.

The boat was a remolded fishing vessel that had its engine removed. To reduce pollution and prevent accidental mamings from blades the ship was tethered to a large sea creature called a Leviathan. The best way Yrsa could describe it was someone blended an orca with a long necked lizard. It was just a bit longer than the boat it was pulling and twice as high.

There was still an official captain and navigator like on a normal ship. The only real difference was that the Nessie’s handler had just as much power as the captain. Camping out in the lower deck of the ship with their animals was where Yrsa and Sylvia.Yrsa came down there to avoid the rest of her team while Sylvia actually wanted to see her Kirin.

Thankfully Sylvia didn’t try to fill the silence with empty sentiment or promises of hope. No, the redhead knew the last thing her friend needed was someone disturbing her brooding.

Then the noise stopped. Like everyone decided to stop moving around at the exact same second. Eyes flying open Yrsa pushed off against the bulkhead as if it burned her. Something was wrong. Looking around she spotted Sylvia was standing stock still, her chin pointed upwards slightly. Her outstretched hand dropped to her side as her whole body relaxed.

“Sylvia,” Yrsa called out to have the selkie take in a large breath through her nose. When she opened her eyes again they were glazed over.

“Can’t you smell it?” Said the smaller girl. She seemed giddy despite her ridge body language.

“No.”

“Oh its amazing. Fresh horse mackerel and seaweed baking in the summer sun. Where is it coming from?” She asked as she made her way towards the stairs. Without caring that Yrsa was already on the narrow steps she pushed past the taller girl.

Yrsa followed after slightly behind. Hanging back she noticed the entire crew was gathered around the navigation cabin. All eyes were focused on the fairy figure standing on top of the roof of the navigation cabin. He was dressed similar to how Yrsa liked to dress. Yet he had an air of superiority about him. From a glance he looked normal enough. Sandy hair just long enough to have to brush it out of his eyes. Tan skin with a smatter of freckles across his cheeks. His light blue wings and ears were extended as if he were posing for a portrait.

In his arms he had the shimmering golden fleece.

“Hello all.” He said. “I am Chimera. Paragon of Beings. I am so excited to meet all of you after all this time.” He gave a strained chuckle. “You’ve given me quite the hard time. But none of that matters now. In fact, if anything, your tenacity has endeared me to you. So much so, I have decided to allow you to join in my perfection.”

His smile grew wider as he looked down at the collected crowd. Yrsa had seen that look at the meat market. A hungry look that promised a sticky end.

“Before ascending I wanted to reward a very special disciple. Please come forward, Theodore.” There was the sound of horseshoes on wood as Theodore made his way across the deck.

“It's just Theo my liege.”

“Right.” Said Chimera flatly. “Moving on. You were the one who took over when your team leader was captured in Oasis Springs. Tracked down the selkie family all the way to Rainbow Pools. And were so committed, that you even went so far as to attempt to extract the fleece from the convoy with a commercial truck.”

He gave a pause to allow his words to sink in. The few not mind controlled seemed too scared to react. Even from her position she could see the fairy’s wide grin turn venomous. He began stroking the fleece as he spoke again.

“And yet I still had to get it myself.” Another dramatic pause. “So tell...do you think you deserve a divine blessing?”

“I...well...you see...there was this-”

“Do you think you deserve a divine blessing?” Asked the fairy. His tone was even, completely void of any emotion.

“No.” Said Theo.

“I thought so.” Chimera’s smile returned as he straightened up to address the rest of the crowd. “None of you have earned a divine blessing.”

“But it wasn’t my fault!” Theo protested. The look Chimera gave his groveling follower made Yrsa flinch. “The wendigo. It's all his fault.”

“Wendigo? Are you really telling me a notoriously reclusive Being materialized from behind a cactus to thwart you not once but three times?”

“Its true. He is traveling with the selkie family. Like some sort of claw for hire.”

“SILENCE! This joke has gone on far enough. What is that racket?” Chimera had stopped his tyrad when the kirin down below began to whinny loudly. Panicking Yrsa awkwardly scrambled backwards down the stairs again.

She just barely stood upright again when she was joined by two large imposing Beings. One was a dark red ogre with two sets of large fangs too large for his mouth. The other was a cubracabra with dark matted fur poking out of his ratty shirt and holey pants.

‘Could cubracabras have rabies like lycans?’ Thought Yrsa backing away from them.

“Well what do we have her?” Asked the ogre as he was quick to grab Yrsa. Worried the other being would break her arm she allowed herself to be dragged up onto the top deck.

“Looks like he wasn’t lying after all.” Announced the ogre. His loud voice rang throughout Yrsa’s skull. In a flurry Chimera had launched himself over the crowd to hover before her.

“Why hello there.” Chimera smiled down at her. “Please, join the group.” His smile somehow grew wider as he began stroking the fleece draped over his arm. Realizing she didn’t have much of a choice Yrsa nodded weakly.

“Excellent. Please come join me at the front.” Still aloft he placed a hand on her back to guide her through the now parted crowd. Looking at the rest of the crowd Yrsa felt her stomach turn at the identical vacant expressions that tracked her as she walked by.

“So where has Konani been hiding you?” Even though he was asking a question Yrsa felt like he really didn't want an answer. The fairy reached out to grab her claws in his hands. “Oh yes very nice.”

Subconsciously she pulled her claw back out of his loose grip. He frowned at her. Looking up at her he leaned in too close to peer into her eyes.

“You're not affected, are you?” He asked, realizing she wasn’t being controlled.

“By what?”

At Yrsa’s question he drew back slightly. For some reason this caused Chimera to smile pleasantly again.

“Nothing of import. For now we should talk for a while. I’ve never had the pleasure of speaking to a wendigo before.” He placed a hand on Yrsa’s arm trying to guide her.

“I assure you. I’m nothing special.” She tried to calmly extract her arm back. The glassy eyed stare she was receiving from the crowd had all her instincts screaming for her to run away.

“Don’t be so modest! Come. We should be arriving at port in no time.” That last sentence triggered the collected body to go back to working as if nothing had happened. Sylvia could be seen going back down below to tend to her kirin. She was then led to the navigation cabin where the crew effectively ignored the two of them.

“So tell me. What brings you all the way here?” Chimera’s attitude was off putting. He was too close. Acting too familiar. Like two old friends catching up rather than this interrogation.

Figuring she playing along for a while would be her best bet Yrsa forced herself to look into his blue eyes. The same light blue of his wings and ears. She told him the bare bones of how she came to live in Oasis Spring. Still he kept pressing her for more details. Did she like working on the ranch or did she prefer her mail carrier job? What inspired her to choose her skull.

“Why did you want the fleece?” Yrsa interjected. She was going to be thrown off the boat or something. Prolonging the inevitable was pointless.

“To obtain unity. All the different Beings of the world are too focused on themselves. Mermaids hating the gremlins for their inventions. Lycans fighting the sasquatch for hunting rights. Wendigos being forced onto tiny reservations by the fairy folk.”

That last was made Yrsa flinch a little. It was a sore spot for the wendigo nation. One the schooling system there likes to bring up at any given opportunity.When Mrs. Sprankle would eye them from her stool behind the counter Yrsa’s mother would tell her that the fairy folk were the ones who needed to be watched.

“How will the fleece help?”

“I’ll show you.” Without being told to Yrsa followed him. The others still went about their day as if the two of them didn’t exist.

“I was going to have a large ceremony later tonight on the island. The diversity of creatures there is exquisite. However, I would like you to be the first one to accept my blessing.”

“That's not necessary.” Yrsa paused on the deck as one of the crew bumped into her.

“Yrsa.” He called out to her in a warning tone. “There is no need to be scared.” He reached a hand back to beckon her forward. When she refused to move he used his other hand to scratch at the fleece. As one everyone around them stopped working to stare. Feet propelled her forward the wendigo obeyed.

“You’ll love this. I promise.” He led her down to where Sylvia was stroking the mane of her kirin. The girl had a vacant expression on her face as if she was completely unaware of anything. Equally as strange was the kelpie was in its unicorn disguise. The two of them eyed each other for a moment. Looking into its deep eyes calmed Yrsa a little. She felt herself give the tiniest of nods.

“This is Sylvia. As you can tell she is a selkie.” Sylvia kept brushing even as Chimera plucked at her fur coat. “How would you like the ability to swim?”

“Take off your coat.” He ordered before Yrsa had a chance to answer. The selkie complied without batting an eye. Chimera placed a hand on the offered coat while stretching his other towards Yrsa.

“Your turn Yrsa. All you need to do is take my hand.”

This was happening. Behind her was an army ready to strike at a second’s notice. Infront of her Sylvia was about to have her entire life ruined. Out of the corner of her view she saw a blur of green.

“Unicorn.” Yrsa blurted out. Chimera just stared at her. His confusion gave her a second to think. “I want the power of a unicorn. Specifically the horn.” She pointed at the horn hoping it would help her cause. “Very well then.”

Chimera placed a hand on Yrsa’s arm first this time. His hand wrapped firmly around her forearm. He reached out the other towards the disguised kelpie.

“With this exchange you are vowing your eternal loyalty to me.” Chimera had his full attention on Yrsa. “I have the power to either bless or curse you. My word will be absolute from this moment forward. By accepting this blessing you are accepting me as your master.”

Yrsa glanced back up at her kelpie then back to Chimera.

“I am yours to command, master.” Yrsa swore. Satisfied Chimera reached out to touch the kelpie. In a flash the kelpie had lashed out to bite firmly onto the fairy’s arm. Screaming in pain the fairy was dragged towards and up the stairs. Yrsa followed after to see the kelpie being blocked by the mind controlled crew. Rearing up the kelpie kicked out its legs driving its attackers back. Plowing through the crowd Yrsa managed to grab the golden fleece. Even in the confusion she noticed the fairy had it strapped onto him.

The kelpie dropped the fairy onto the deck. Nursing his wound he curled into himself. Not to be deterred Yrsa kept tugging at the fleece trying to dislodge it.

“You will regret this.” Chimera managed to talk through the pain. “Kill them both! I want their skulls on my wall!”

“Don’t listen to him.” Yrsa tried to order hoping her hand buried in the fleece would grant her some of its power too.

“They will only listen to me.” The fairy grinned, his eyes alight with sadistic glee.

“Very well then.” Said Yrsa. The fairy’s eyes turned from to horror now as it was his voice Yrsa had spoken with. Not giving him a chance to think Yrsa kept going.

“Listen to me. All of you.” Yrsa ordered causing the controlled mass to stop in their tracks. “NEVER LISTEN TO ME EVER AGAIN!” Yrsa sounded as loud as she could. Chimera gave a scream of horror as the spell over them broke. Chaos broke out as Chimera’s ‘loyal’ disciples tried to flee the boat. Cottoning on the crew subdued the disciples before they got too far.

“OBEY ME! OBEY ME!” Chimera screeched at the top of his voice. All composure gone, the fairy looked nothing like the imposing figure he was five minutes ago. Hair askew. Arm bleeding. Yrsa just noticed his left wing was torn.

“Somebody gag him.” Ordered the captain coming over. Wordlessly excusing herself from everything Yrsa grabbed her kelpie’s halter to take it back down below.

“Good job, Tide Breaker.” Yrsa whispered to her steed.