The Flotsam Fields

By late afternoon, the wind had gathered everything it could steal.

It swept across the floating islands in restless streams, combing through purple grasses, tugging petals from tiny flowers, and sending loose feathers spinning through the air. The islands drifted over open water, some close enough to leap between, others separated by broad gaps where the sea shimmered far below. Amethyst crystals grew along their edges and undersides, catching sunlight and scattering violet glints across the waves. It was rather beautiful, one might even say mesmerizing.

Between three of the larger islands, the wind and water had made a natural trap.

The islands drifted low over the sea, their dangling roots brushing the surface whenever the waves rose high enough. Stone shelves jutted from their sides just above the water, and the currents below curled around them in slow, circling eddies. Anything light enough to float but too heavy for the wind to carry far eventually gathered there.

Broken planks. Cracked barrels. Torn sailcloth. Driftwood. Shells. A few waterlogged crates bumping lazily against floating roots. Bright scraps of metal flashed whenever the water rolled. Birds circled overhead, occasionally diving down to peck at something shiny before deciding it was not food.

That was why Levi had started calling it the flotsam field. It was everything the wind, the sea, and the drifting islands had failed to let go. Levi stood on the largest island, his salmon-colored mane blown sideways across his face. Nox was wrapped around his neck, small dark body looped comfortably in place, head resting on Levi’s shoulder. His teal eyes watched the water below.

Speedy crouched at the island’s edge, raptor-like body low, blue eyes locked on the floating debris. Her short tentacle mane wriggled eagerly, ready to hold whatever she found.

Tucker sat behind Levi, enormous and gentle, his wings folded carefully so the wind would not catch under them. A few purple wildflowers grew near one of his claws, and he was doing his best not to crush them.

Cyborg stood close by Tucker’s shoulder. His artificial limbs creaked softly whenever he shifted. His eyeless head was angled toward the water, and the yellow jetpack on his back gave a faint mechanical click. Levi glanced at him. “Please don’t try using those over the water.”

Cyborg did not answer. He never did.

Tucker shifted closer,  moving gently to block Cyborg from stepping too near the edge. If Cyborg tried to use his wings, there was no telling where he would go.

Speedy made a sharp, impatient chutter.

“Yes,” Levi said. “You and Nox can swim. I know. That doesn’t mean I enjoy watching either of you dive into a floating scrap pile.”

Nox flicked his forked tongue against Levi’s cheek.

Levi sighed. “Carefully.”

Speedy waited just long enough to make it look like she had listened.

Then she jumped.

She hit the water below with a clean splash and vanished beneath the blue surface. Levi stiffened, but a moment later Speedy resurfaced, paddling easily. Being part water dragon made her strong in the water, and she moved with bright, gleeful confidence. She grabbed a floating plank in her jaws and kicked toward the nearest shallow shelf of stone.

Nox slipped from Levi’s shoulders and entered the water much more smoothly. His dark body became a ribbon beneath the surface, white markings flashing between scraps of driftwood. He circled a half-sunken crate and nudged it toward Speedy.

The two of them worked in very different ways.

Speedy was chaotic. She splashed from object to object, sniffing, biting, tugging, and chuttering whenever she found anything remotely interesting. When she reached a shallow patch, she passed smaller finds to her short tentacle mane so it could hold them: a copper coin, a shiny shell button, and one curved silver spoon.

Nox was quieter. He dove beneath the flotsam, guiding stones and silt with gentle earth magic. He shifted just enough of the island’s submerged edge to free objects caught in roots without tearing anything apart. He found a little bronze box wedged under a rock, a silver cup caught beneath driftwood, and a string of amethyst beads tangled around a water plant.

Tucker lowered his massive head to receive the heavier finds. He placed each one carefully on the grass beside Levi. His interest was mostly in making sure everyone came back safe, but when Nox brought up the string of amethyst beads, Tucker rumbled appreciatively at how they sparkled.

Speedy noticed and immediately tried to claim them.

“No,” Levi said. “Shared treasure.”

Speedy growled around a mouthful of wet driftwood.

“That isn't a treasure either.”

She spat it into the scrap pile with a rather offended look.

Cyborg stayed near Tucker. Every so often, his wings clicked, but he did not try to use them. Tucker’s body remained angled between him and the edge, a living barrier against the worst possibilities.

Then the flotsam shifted with the waves. A gust of wind rolled across the water, shoving the floating debris against one another. A cracked barrel bumped into a waterlogged crate, which pushed a long plank sideways. The plank swung hard and knocked into Speedy’s shoulder.

She snapped at it, more angry than hurt, but the movement sent another crate spinning. A rope of soaked plant fiber caught briefly around her foreleg.

Levi’s heart jumped but Speedy did not panic.

She planted her feet against the nearest half-sunken crate, growled low in her throat, and tucked her head under the water to snap angrily at whatever dared to try and hold her back. The soaked fiber snapped apart. She surfaced with a furious sneeze, shaking water from her face and chuttering at the plank like it had personally insulted her.

Levi crouched at the edge. “Are you hurt?”

Speedy spat out water and slapped one hand against the plank with a growl.

“I’ll take that as no.”

The commotion had shoved one of the crates close enough for Tucker to hook it with one claw. He dragged it onto the island, careful not to crush it. The wood was swollen and dark with water, but the latch was still intact.

Speedy scrambled out of the water at once, shook herself violently, and stalked toward the crate. Nox followed, dripping, and curled beside Levi’s foot.

Cyborg stepped closer. His mechanical fingers clicked around the latch. He pulled once.

The latch snapped open.

Inside was treasure.

Not a huge hoard, but enough to make Speedy’s eyes go wide, there were gold coins, silver rings, a polished jeweled pendant, a pair of little pearl earrings, and a few loose gems resting in the bottom of the crate.

Speedy made a delighted series of chirrs.

“No swiping,” Levi said immediately.

She froze with one hand halfway forward.

Levi softened. “You can hold one coin.”

Speedy’s short tentacle mane lifted at once.

“One.”

She selected a gold coin with extreme seriousness and tucked it safely into her tentacles.

By sunset, the flotsam field was much smaller. They had sorted useful wood, pretty shells, a few scraps of metal, and enough treasure to fill one small cloth bundle. The floating islands drifted gently over the sea while birds settled into the amethyst-rooted edges above them.

Levi sat against Tucker’s warm side, Nox wrapped once more around his neck. Speedy seemed rather content, happy with her one gold coin. For now. The vernid kept an eye on her, sure that she’d try to snag more of the treasure if he tore his attention from her for too long. Cyborg stood beside Tucker, silent and creaking softly, the silver ring packed safely with the rest of the treasure.

The wind blew through Levi’s mane in a harsh gust but in the bright sun, it was a nice feeling. The soft rush of the waves below was comforting as well. It was nice enough that it could easily lull one into taking a nap. And Levi found his eyes closing, eyelids beginning to feel to heavy but he was shaken from the lull when he noticed Speedy moving out of the corner of his eye.

“Speedy.” His tone was sharper now, holding an edge of a command but still gentle in that special way Levi always was. The orange dragon, who had totally heard him, kept her slow reach for the chest. “Speedy. I can see you.” Her tail twitched, her eyes completely focused on the task at hand. She got closer. “Speedy!” Now her rider’s voice held authority, it echoed against the wind, creeping into the raptor-like dragon's mind. She jolted back as if she had been burned. She lifted her head to stare at her rider before chittering rather angrily at him before rolling her eyes and turning away from both her rider and the treasure box.

Sometimes she missed her rider back when she had first bonded with him. Back when he’d let her do whatever she wanted because he held no control over her. But now, older and wiser, he was a force to be reckoned with.