Hydria Serafina, the current leader of Wall Dorphian, a descendant of the original leader, Dorphian Serafina, a water demon. Hydria is an independent leader. She holds the wall artifact, a harp made out of water, passed down by her ancestors, belonging to lady Dorphian herself. It played the most beautiful sounds.
The sky turned gray as the ferry carried people through the canal gate, passing the walls of Whither into Glorophina. It would at least take an hour to get to Dorphian. Tadashi took out a folded cloth from his satchel and opened it. It was a loaf of bread from that morning. He gave half to Tsukiyomi who thanked him. Although, Tsukiyomi was acting very anxiously.
"What's wrong?" Tadashi asked, following Tsukiyomi's eyes as they raced around, staring at everyone on the ferry who stood around them.
"J-Just people who don't seem right to me…I'm not stereotypical..I just feel as if I'm being watched.."
Tadashi pulled Tsuki close to him, wrapping his cloak around Tsukiyomi.
"It'll be fine." Tadashi reassured him, Tsukiyomi clenched his own cloak. Thoughts rushed through his head. His breathing got heavier.
"Hey, calm down, it's alright. There's no need to get yourself worked up."
Tsukiyomi calmed his breathing. It was as if Tadashi had read his mind. He felt relieved and safer. A nostalgic feeling passed over him, a feeling that he had been held like this before. He just had no memory of it. The feeling of someone else's body heat against his own. He wished his memory were better. He was worried he would forget everything. He didn't want to forget. Spoon, Lazhu, the kids, even Tadashi. He felt he had already lost so much in his life, he didn't want anything else gone.
They had reached wall Dorphian. Passing through the water gateway left Tsukiyomi in awe. There was water everywhere. Fountains, boats, fish, many fish, creatures, and different people. Tadashi pointed to a palace made of water, almost like a fountain, at the top of the city. It was where they would find the artifact. They reached a dock and got off. Tsukiyomi couldn't help but reach in and touch the water around him. Tadashi chuckled, thinking it was almost childish but cute in a way.
"It's so beautiful! I've never seen any this clear."
"It's said that Dorphian has the cleanest, purest, clear water in all of Moonrose. This is where most of the fish in the market come from."
Tsukiyomi wanted to stay a little while longer around the water, wanting to go in too but they had to leave. The city was stacked like a cake, a shell, or a welk. Everything was below a big hill that a palace sat on top of. They take a sampan boat up to the water palace, telling the man who took them that they had business with Her Royalty.
The top of the hill was an ocean. Sea grass surrounded the outside of the palace. Guards lined the outside path that led inside the palace. They walked the path, Tsukiyomi behind Tadashi, walking into the palace. The interior was beautiful with aquatic plants and animals on the walls and on the ground. There were no walls, just a ceiling and a floor with a couple pillars. At the end of the water garden was a woman in a veil and a toga. She looked like a goddess with a tail of a fish and skin of a human. Her hair was long and curly and the color of a lagoon. As the two approached the woman closer, she began to speak in a deep, loud, tone.
"State your presence. Why have you entered my palace?" she asked the two. Tsukiyomi stayed closer to Tadashi, clearly nervous.
"I am Okami Tadashi of Whither," Before Tadashi could finish, she had interrupted him, staring at Tsukiyomi.
"And you, boy. State your presence."
Tsuki stuttered over his words, in fear of this woman with great power and large aura.
"Minakami Tsukiyomi o-of Whither."
She tilted her head and rested her wrist under her chin. "Are you perhaps here on behalf of that letter?"
Tadasdhi nodded his head. Tsukiyomi noticed his hand clenched inside the satchel around his waist. The woman's face twisted into a smile and she sat up. She still had an intimidating aura.
"I'm guessing Fengche told you to go to my wall first? I am The Great Goddess of Water. Well, not really, but I claim that as my title. I'm Lady Hydria, Queen of Dorphian. Master Fengche must have sent you here to gather the wall artifacts. I would be happy to give you it for I have no use in itr here." A guard of hers walks over and hands her a delicate object covered with a cloth. She removes the cloth and reveals a harp made entirely out of water. From the pillars and the strings. It was hand held too. "The Water Harp was an instrument used by Dorphian Serafina herself. But it has no use in my hands." She takes the harp and passes it down to Tadashi from her throne. It was easy to place inside of the Glorphian pouch.
"Now, you might as well stay in Dorphian while you're here. I'm sure you have an awfully long road ahead of you both. It must be hard for only two of you. I don't want to keep guests too long in my kingdom!" The two bowed and she shooed them away with the flap of her hand and a smile.
They took another ferry back to the shell-like city. Tsukiyomi was amazed at how different people lived here. People swam underneath their boat with fins and tails and gills. There were buildings with water bubbles around them. Boats, ferries, fishermen, everything was non stop and it seemed so nice. The boat stopped at a dock on the north edge of Dorphian in a little town called Kailani. Tsukiyomi constantly stared at everything around him while Tadashi led him to the place they would stay the night at until tomorrow.
They approached a turquoise marble building, tall with many windows, nothing Tsukiyomi had ever seen before. Tadashi wasn't as fascinated at all, for he had seen almost everything in almost every wall.
The sky was clear as well, just like the water that surrounded them. There was so much to look at. And the interior of the building was lovely. It was definitely an inn by the looks of it. There were humans and yokai but it seemed everything was mostly run by demons. Tadashi had paid a fair amount of Rose coins for a room, which puzzled Tsukiyomi. They were led up a spiral staircase, but they didn't have to walk. Everything was water and it was like a reverse waterfall. It took them up and up and up and up in circles until they reached the second floor of the inn. Then, down a hall with many rooms, to a room of their very own. Tsukiyomi couldn't quite wrap his mind around how the stairs would move on their own though.
The room they were given was enormous. Two beds inflated and full of water somehow with tiny bioluminescent fish and squids living swimming around inside them, a large window with cobalt blue curtains, a teal carpet and mahogany floors, a golden wooded. The kitchen was small in another room and the bathing room had a big tub. The door shut and Tadashi and Tsukiyomi placed their things on the beds they chose. Tsukiyomi flopped down on his bed and sank into the water inside it. It sloshed between his ears and had an oceanic sound. Tsukiyomi wondered if the beds would pop in his sleep. Then he wondered if Tadashi had pooped one before, maybe as a child. What was Tadashi like as a child? Tsuki couldn't imagine a happy, hyper child Tadashi but more of a well behaved obedient quiet child Tadashi.
"Are you hungry?"
Tsukiyomi's mind comes back, processing what Tadashi had asked.
"Yes, slightly, but yes."
"Good, because Dorphian has the best seafood cuisines."
Tsukiyomi smiled and said, "Lead the way, then."
They took another boat to where Tadashi was leading Tsukiyomi. A small tavern nearby by the name of Doremi To Manahimeko. Once They had stepped foot into the tavern, Tsukiyomi could smell so many new things. He had never had seafood before besides fish from the market in Whither. The place was filled with people. Demons with fins and gills. Yokai with flippers and scales. Of course there were humans as well. Everything here though smelled wet and fishy.
A woman in an apron seated the two at a booth. "Welcome to the tavern of Waterway and Lake, home of the legendary Reef dragon of Reef Mountain. Our famous meal is Reef fried salmon with evergreen leaves from wall Rosebold." she said. To Tsukiyomi, everything sounded good and Tadashi could tell. So they ordered just that. As she left, Tsukiyomi couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation happening behind him between four old men. They were speaking loudly.
"I've heard they call this place after that 'Reef Dragon' outside of the walls. What was it…Oh! right! It was that one Chinese story all the way from Jasmanium!"
"You mean that one about the dragon demon?" "Yeah, yeah! The reef Mountain dragon was a legendary dragon demon who could transform from demon to dragon. He was known for his teal, blue mane and his sky blue scales. Legend says that his scales could heal sick people in no time!"
"I heard that the Reef Mountain was home to Lady Dorphian herself. The Dragon would protect the mountain and those who lived up there. Well apparently, the mountain was also enchanted, but when the darkness came, the dragon went into hiding as did everyone when the walls were built. Some say he turned back into a demon and roamed the streets of the different walls."
"But do you really think that's true? I mean, come on, it's a child's bedtime story!" "Well, have you seen any dragon flying above the walls?"
"Come on, I swear on Rose it's true, just go to Jasmanium, the dragon is there, I've seen him!"
Tsukiyomi realized they were talking about that Qingse person back in Jasmanium. Was it really true that Qingse was the dragon? They were so young though
"I believe it! I met the dragon!" Tsukiyomi interfered.
"Tsukiyo-"
"You can't say you don't believe in something if you haven't seen it!" He turned back around, feeling satisfied and finishing his meal the woman had brought. It was the best meal he had eaten in a while.