Nature Chose Me

The Palace of Songmire

“Have fun meeting the Naiad, you two~” Leena the mermaid waves herself goodbye and hopped back swimming through the waterway.

“That… female fish is pretty wild…” Said Staas, glancing at her leaving them at the stairs which headed straight to the front door of the palace.

“I hate speed.” Gytha could feel the dizziness caused by the harsh ride given by the mermaid, even though it's only but a moment.

But they both then shrug it off and continue their steps, slowly walking from one staircase to another. The front door is a giant double door in which height is times the size of Staas, with tons of ornament resembling the shape of sea waves, and they were carved beautifully out of shimmering silvery stones.

Before the door, stand guard two fully armored mer with a long trident on their hand. Each of them stared at the weapons—spear and hammer—carried on Staas’ back by nothing but plant vines attached to him.

Anyone can easily recognize a human weapon when they see one. As you can feel its cold heart by just looking at the design.

“Good morning sir, madam.” Politely greeted one of the palace guards. He has done a splendid job covering fear from his voice, even with Staas’ presence completely overwhelming him.

“Good morning.” Staas and Gytha replied with the same polite tone.

“May I have the reason for your visit?”  The guard asked nicely.

“I’m here to meet the Naiad!” Staas’ voice went a bit higher, just like the sound of an excited child.

“Noted, do you bring your letter of appointment, sir?” The guard continued with his questions.

“Letter of appointment?” The boy was genuinely confused after hearing that words.

*Smack!*

Out of nowhere, The guard’s partner smacked the back of the asker’s head harshly with his palm. “You fool! What made you think HE would need petty things like that?” The partner shouted in his whispers.

“Shit! You're right!" He whispered back. "I’m sorry sir, please… come in.” The asker's voice went awkward and apologetic.

Each of both guards then held a door handle and opened the entrance into the palace’s lobby. It was loud and heavy, considering how massive that door was.

“Welcome to the Songmire palace.”

The wall inside is cream-colored and made out of ceramics, while on the floor everything is covered by red carpets. There are tons of carvings and paintings lying in every spot, decorating this place so it feels more lively and fancy.

On the back center of the lobby is a long curved desk, and behind it seated a water nymph (hydriad) wearing a blue suit and a black shirt, who acts as the receptionist of this palace. She’s the one who’ll direct guests as soon as they entered the palace. Her beautiful blue hair was also tied with a lotus-shaped hairpin attached to it.

“Thank you for welcoming us~” said Gytha as she led Staas entering the palace through the front door. Both of the guards nodded, then nicely closed the door back. Although strange things happened, the lighting inside the room isn’t getting dimmer in the slightest.

On the ceiling hung a chandelier and water lamps are attached to it as its bulb. They’re however made the room more blueish compared to the sunlight which shines a yellowish light.

While both of our protagonists were inside, the two guards started to speak quietly about them.

“Are sure he’s the All-father? He looks younger than my son!”

“I know, but did you feel his presence!?”

“Well…”

“I can’t breathe in the slightest when he’s passing right beside me!”

“What if he’s just possessed by a powerful demon?”

“Then they must be a really powerful demon on par with the Naiad.”

“The Shaman?”

“Might as well be, and if it really is the Shaman, then I can guarantee you, that kid is the All-father.”

On the other hand, Staas and Gytha walk above the red carpet and slowly approached the receptionist who seems to be expecting their arrival.

“Welcome to the Songmire palace, sir and madam.” Said the receptionist lady. She tried her hardest to put on the most polite smile, to hide the fact of how much she wanted to just prostrate herself on his shoe.

“Do every palace have a receptionist?” Gytha asked curiously. She never heard about such a thing in her books.

“Not quite madam. All the affairs in Songmire are handled here in this palace, so we tend to have many visitors from all kinds of commodities, wanting to use one of the palace’s rooms to abid their business. Whether they are government agents, adventurers, or even highly respected merchants.” Professionally explained the receptionist.

“The Naiad is okay with that?” Gytha’s a bit confused, she thought people who are in the palace are either royalty, guards, or servants.

“Of course there are regulations to not bother the Naiad, but when it comes to safety, she is an all-powerful being. No one is dumb enough to seek trouble with her, not even the world’s mightiest assassin.” You can sense the pride in her words. The lady thought highly of the Naiad, even though she’s a nymph, not a mer.

“So… is it okay for us to meet the Naiad?” Staas asked with his puppy eyes. Hearing what the receptionist lady said, made him feel bad to bother the Naiad.

“O—Of course, I’m sure the Naiad would be happy to meet you (she probably has been waiting for this moment for more than a thousand years).” The lady felt a mixed feeling in her heart. In one way, Staas is the one she fears and respect, and on the other one, he’s a cute and cuddly-looking boy.

“Nice! How can we meet her?” Staas excitedly asked.

“Follow the stairs, straight to the third floor, there will be a giant room with a sign written on its door saying ‘throne room’, the Naiad is in there.” She pointed at the stairs on her left.

“Written? You mean you put words there?”

“Yes…?” The receptionist was a bit confused why Staas looked shocked to hear it.

“Lady, you can’t scribble on the door! That’s a bad manner.”

Staas was genuinely offended by it. Meanwhile, Gytha tried her hardest to hold her laughter, since it was her who teach him manners.

“Oh, ahahaha… don’t worry sir, we didn’t put any scribble on the door, we platted a sign on it. Go and see for yourself. I’m sure you’ll like how it is placed.” The lady sweetly smiled at Staas. She can feel his innocence leaking through his fearful presence.

“If you say so…” The boy didn’t actually get what she meant by platted. “Come, Gytha, let’s go to the throne room.” He started running through each step of the stairs at a humane speed.

“I’m right behind you.” And the girl followed. The stair was made in a zigzag pattern, with each level consisting of two lines of stairs.

“Oh All-father, my King, such a cute and innocent boy…” The receptionist's face went bright red as soon as they left. “I can’t believe our creator is looking like that today… still, just being near him took my breath away… in a literal way. His presence is too much for a mortal like me to handle.”

Meanwhile…

“Is this the third floor?” Staas looked to his left and right, and all he saw is nothing but a hallway to dozens of rooms.

“Two more stairs Staas.” Said Gytha behind him.

“Okay.” They both went up two more times since each stair only cover half of the floor.

“There!” And they finally arrived on the third floor. “Why am I only seeing windows?”

“Let’s follow the way first,” Gytha suggested.

The stair doesn’t end up facing the throne room. They both need to walk a bit to the side, then turn north to finally see a giant sole room that existed on this third floor.

“So that’s what she meant by platted.”

The room is guarded by a highly ornamented double door, and on it, a silvery metal plate was neatly put, with a sign saying ‘throne room’ written, as described by the receptionist.

“Should we knock? Or just enter?” Asked Staas.

There’s no one guarding her door. The Naiad wanted the third floor for herself, meaning she’s most of the time alone on this level.

“Let’s just enter, give her a little surprise.” Gytha wickedly smiled.

“Alright!”

Without any hesitation, Staas pushed the door as wide as it’s capable. “Hello?” The boy then greeted the whole room with his voice.

The throne room felt magical and luxurious. Every spot is filled with jewelry and artifacts made out of silver, gold, and diamonds. The windows are all shut by giant blue curtains with wavy motives sewed on each and every one of them.

In the atmosphere of this room, streams and bubbles of water fly in every direction. Each carried its own luxuries, showing just how rich the Naiad is.

On the back center of this room, a light bestowed from the ceiling landed on what was supposed to be the throne. Yet the thing that lies there is nothing more than a small pool filled with richness and jewelry, even its water is colored like a cloudless sky. And there a lady was bathing comfortably on it.

“Hm?” She heard and felt a familiar voice coming from her door and took a glance at it. “It’s really you! Nibby!”

“Nibby?” Staas got confused.

“Oh right, you’re Staas now, that means… Stabby!” The lady walked out of her pool throne and approaches the boy with her body still fresh and wet.

The Naiad, just like every nymph in existence, doesn’t wear any piece of fabric to cover herself. Although, her ankles, hand, neck, and head, was filled with dozens of jewelry made out of gold and diamonds. Nothing covered her most important regions, however.

Her skin is shaded in creamy white like Staas and Gytha if they are hit by a bluish light. It was clear to see the water element enchanted through her body, streaming like a river. Her eyes are crystal blue like sapphire, and her hair is the shade of the wavy seas. Oh, and she’s very tall and meaty. Taller than any mer or nymph, thicker than a...

“That sounds like a weapon name…” Get it? Stabby stabby? No?

“So… Staas the… does Isergia give you a title?” The Naiad curiously asked.

“There! There’s my clue!” Staas was glimmering with excitement after she asked. “My name is Staas, the Druid of Spirit Grove, and she is my aide, Gytha.”

“Oh, nice to meet you, Druid of Spirit Grove. Mine is Riviera, the Naiad of Songmire.” She playfully obliged to his game and respectfully lower her body.

“Again, Staas, what brought you to my palace?” Anyone can tell how happy Riviera is right now. She waited far too long for him to finally awake from his slumber.

“Oh, yea… but can I use your pool?” The water practically begged for Staas to enter. Its color and aroma just seduced him to bathe in it.

“Sure, make it your own. The three of us can have a nice interesting chat in there.”