Water – Tidecaller

The ocean had always been a mystery to Eila. Born in the coastal village of Marisport, she grew up surrounded by the roar of waves and the scent of salt in the air. But unlike the other children, who played in the shallows and learned to fish, Eila felt a deeper connection to the sea. It was as though the tides whispered secrets only she could hear.

Her grandmother, an elder with a faraway gaze and a voice like the rustling of leaves, had always warned her about the power of water.

"Be careful, child," she would say. "The sea is a fickle friend. It gives life, but it takes it, too."

Eila didn’t understand what her grandmother meant until her twelfth summer. That was the year the storm came.

The Storm

The storm arrived with little warning, its dark clouds rolling in like an advancing army. Fishermen scrambled to haul in their nets, and villagers rushed to secure their homes. Eila, however, was drawn to the shore. The waves crashed violently against the rocks, and the wind whipped her hair into her face, but she couldn’t look away.

Then she saw it—a figure standing in the surf. At first, she thought it was a trick of the light, but as lightning illuminated the scene, she realized it was a woman. Her hair flowed like seaweed, and her skin shimmered like wet stone.

Eila’s heart pounded. The figure raised a hand, and the waves seemed to respond, growing taller, fiercer. Suddenly, a voice echoed in Eila’s mind:

"Come to me."

Before she could think, her feet were moving, splashing into the icy water. But just as she reached the edge of the tide, strong arms pulled her back.

“Eila! What are you doing?” Her father’s voice was panicked, and his grip was firm.

“I... I saw someone,” she stammered, pointing to the waves. But the figure was gone.

That night, the storm wreaked havoc on the village, destroying boats and flooding homes. But Eila couldn’t shake the feeling that the sea had been calling her—and that she had almost answered.

The Call

Years passed, but the memory of the storm lingered. Eila grew into a young woman, her curiosity about the ocean only deepening. She spent hours by the shore, sketching the patterns of the waves and collecting seashells. She began to notice strange things: the way the tide seemed to rise and fall in time with her emotions, the way the water always felt warmer when she touched it.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, she heard the voice again.

"Come to me."

This time, she didn’t hesitate. She waded into the water, her heart racing. The sea wrapped around her like an embrace, pulling her deeper. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in an underwater cavern illuminated by a soft, otherworldly glow.

A figure emerged from the shadows—it was the woman from the storm. But now, Eila could see her clearly. Her eyes were the color of the deep sea, and her dress flowed like water itself.

“Who are you?” Eila asked, her voice trembling.

“I am Nerith, a Tidecaller,” the woman said. “And so are you.”

The Tidecaller’s Gift

Nerith explained that Tidecallers were guardians of the sea, chosen by the water itself to maintain balance. They could command the tides, calm storms, and communicate with marine life. But their gift came with a price.

“The sea is not just a force of nature,” Nerith said. “It is alive, with its own will. To be a Tidecaller is to serve it.”

Eila felt a strange mixture of awe and fear. She had always felt connected to the ocean, but this? This was something else entirely.

“Why me?” she asked.

“Because you listened,” Nerith said simply.

Over the next few months, Nerith trained Eila in the ways of the Tidecaller. She learned to summon waves with a flick of her wrist, to still the waters with a whisper. She discovered she could breathe underwater and even speak to the dolphins that swam alongside her.

But the most difficult lesson was learning to respect the sea’s will. There were times when Eila wanted to use her powers to help her village—like when a fisherman’s boat capsized in a sudden squall—but Nerith forbade it.

“The sea does not like to be controlled,” she warned. “If you use your gift recklessly, it will turn against you.”

Eila didn’t understand the full weight of this warning until the day tragedy struck.

The Reckoning

It was a bright, sunny morning when the news reached Marisport. A neighboring village had been destroyed by a rogue wave, leaving dozens dead. The villagers were terrified, and many blamed the Tidecallers, accusing them of angering the sea.

Eila felt a pang of guilt. She had sensed the wave’s approach in her dreams but hadn’t acted, heeding Nerith’s advice. Now, she wondered if she had made the wrong choice.

As the villagers grew restless, a man named Halric took charge. He was a loud, imposing figure who had always been suspicious of Eila’s strange abilities.

“It’s her!” he shouted one evening in the village square. “She’s the reason the sea is angry. She’s cursed!”

The crowd murmured in agreement, and Eila felt their eyes on her.

“I’ve only ever tried to help,” she said, her voice shaking.

“Then prove it,” Halric challenged. “Call off the storm that’s brewing out there.” He pointed to the horizon, where dark clouds were beginning to gather.

Eila hesitated. She knew she could calm the storm, but Nerith’s warnings echoed in her mind.

“You’re afraid,” Halric sneered. “Because you’re powerless.”

The crowd erupted into jeers, and Eila’s fear turned to anger. Without thinking, she raised her hands and summoned the tide. The waves surged forward, crashing against the shore with a force that sent everyone scrambling.

But then, something went wrong. The sea seemed to rebel, the waves growing wilder, higher. Eila tried to calm them, but they didn’t respond.

Nerith’s voice rang in her mind:

"You cannot control the sea. You can only guide it."

Panic set in as the storm intensified. Lightning split the sky, and the wind howled like a living thing. The villagers screamed as the water surged toward their homes.

Desperate, Eila dove into the sea, letting it swallow her whole.

The Bargain

In the depths of the ocean, she felt the presence of something vast and ancient—a consciousness as old as time.

“Why have you come, little Tidecaller?” the sea’s voice rumbled.

“I made a mistake,” Eila admitted. “I tried to control you. Please, spare my village.”

The sea was silent for a moment, and Eila felt its currents swirling around her, probing her mind.

“You are brave to admit your folly,” it said. “But bravery is not enough. Will you give yourself to me, to serve without question?”

Eila hesitated. She thought of her family, her friends, her home. But she also thought of the responsibility she bore as a Tidecaller.

“Yes,” she said finally. “I will serve.”

The sea’s embrace tightened, and Eila felt a surge of power unlike anything she had ever known. When she surfaced, the storm had abated, and the villagers were safe.

But Eila was no longer the same. Her hair shimmered like moonlight on water, and her eyes glowed with an otherworldly light. She had become one with the sea.

A New Beginning

The villagers were wary of her at first, but over time, they came to see her as a protector. She used her powers to ensure their safety, guiding fishermen to abundant waters and calming storms before they reached the shore.

Nerith visited her one last time, her expression proud.

“You have done well, Tidecaller,” she said. “But remember, the sea’s will is not always kind. Stay true to your path.”

Eila nodded, understanding the weight of her role. She was no longer just a girl from Marisport. She was a guardian, a Tidecaller, bound to the sea for eternity.

And as she stood on the shore, watching the waves dance in the moonlight, she felt at peace. For the first time, she truly understood her place in the world.

The sea had called, and she had answered.