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“I don’t know what’s funnier. You not deciding which god to pray to, or that you are praying at all.”

Raan shook his head and looked down at the baby, whose fussy cries had settled for now. “You act as if they don’t exist, my friend.”

“They left a long time ago.”

“Or so we think,” Raan refuted, but the other man laughed and turned to give Raan his back.

“Have you forgotten about The Great Disappearance?”

The Great Disappearance of the gods happened centuries ago. The gods left, leaving a handful of mortals with their powers. Those who were stronger used their power to reign over the others, thus the kingdoms appeared. But Raan believed the gods were still around, still listening, cursing those who deserved it as well as blessing those who do good.

“I wasn’t talking to you, though. Mind your business,”Raan said.

“Even if the gods were still around, I sure wouldn’t be praying or asking for anything.”

Raan scoffed this time and waved his hand dismissively before going back to the baby girl swaddled inside his coat. He took in her features. Like all Sealians, the child had thin blue curls on top of her head, as well as blue eyes. The baby was beautiful. Saha would love her the second she saw her—he was sure of it.

“First, I have to make it home alive,” he whispered to the baby, a tired yet bright smile spread across his face. Leaning against the wooden wall, Raan sighed loudly as the rocking boat drifted him off to a light sleep.

He could still hear the conversations around him. Soldiers and rescuers exchanged theories of what had happened. Some said it was just bad luck; the Sea Kingdom’s island hadn’t been hit by such a storm in decades. Others said the gods had punished them.

Upon the ship’s arrival on the Sky Kingdom’s shore, a soldier slapped his hand on Raan’s leg, waking him up. Raan gasped softly, clutched the baby to his chest. He didn’t want to admit it now, but he had grown protective of the child.

“We are here, Era. Let’s go.”

Raan nodded at his fellow soldier and watched him walk up the stairs to the main deck.

“We are home, little one,” he muttered, checking inside his coat and finding the baby girl smiling wildly and waving her hands to reach his nose. “You must be starving. I will get you some fruits as soon as we are out of here.” Raan sealed his promise by pressing his lips against the baby girl’s hand. His black beard tickled her fingers, and she squealed in delight.

He climbed the stairs to the main deck and off the ship. The Sky Kingdom already had helpers out on the docks. Large wooden tables were set out, where Sealians were asked to give their names, their towns, and the names of any immediate family members.

Raan squeezed the bundle in his arms, his other hand moving to touch his sword’s handle. He and his wife had been trying for a child for such a long time. Finding this baby felt like a blessing from the gods. But at the same time, if she was someone’s child, there must’ve been a couple of parents looking for her.

“Let’s look for your parents, shall we?” Raan walked with a slight limp through the dense Sealian and Skylian throng. His injury in battle burned through his thigh with each step. The air became dense with feelings of desolation, mourning, and fear. He saw Sealians embracing each other as they found their loved ones alive, as well as mothers falling to their knees crying at the confirmed deaths of their children or mates. Raan swallowed hard as he stood before a Skylian clerk.

“Soldier.” The middle-aged woman tilted her head in a somber greeting. “What do you have for me?” she asked, dipping her quill in ink and eyeing the bulge inside his coat.

Raan tensed, deciding whether he should show the baby to the clerk. Before he could walk away, he saw a father embracing his adult son, his shrieks of happiness swallowing Raan whole. He turned back to the clerk and undid his coat, presenting the beautiful baby.

“I found her abandoned outside of the castle. She wasn’t dressed and she had nothing to identify her by.”

The clerk’s eyes widened, and Raan wasn’t sure if it was because of the child’s beauty and innocence or if she was just surprised someone would’ve left their child alone.

“Were there any dead bodies near the child? Any that you thought might have been her parents?”

Raan shook his head. “It was as if she was just left to die near the shore. I had just been checking for survivors in Triton Castle and… there was no one.”

The woman bit her lower lip and brushed the quill against her jaw. “I’ve had so many orphan children through my table today.” Her gaze moved from the baby to Raan. “I could take her, but I don’t think we will be able to find any family members. A child this young, left alone like that—” She shook her head while turning and pointing to a group of children. “Just now I had a brother and sister who lost their mother as their ship docked.” She cringed. “It has been difficult.”

The orphans were all sitting alone, separated from the rest of the Sealians. Raan’s stomach dropped. There were children of all ages, from toddlers to teenagers—all broken, crying, bruised, and cold. Shivering, his attention returned to the baby in his arms. How could he leave her here and hope for the best?

The woman released a resigned sigh before saying, “I will take her off your hands and—”

“Can I keep her?”

The clerk took a deep breath, looked at the baby, and shrugged. “If someone comes forward claiming they have a baby more or less her age, I will have to contact you for further investigation.” She took out another large book, opened it and dipped her quill in ink. “What’s your full name, soldier?”

“Raan Era. I am a guard from Oberon.”