Guardians of the Silvery Currents
By Taeri Kim
The currents don't lie.
That was the first thing Ruth learned in Arba.
Arba, a green and sprawling trading city. Even with the bustle of hundreds of ships coming and going, the city revered the sea. There was a legend from ancient times. “When the sea turns silver, a forgotten guardian awakens.” The words wafted through the city like a sea breeze, but no one truly believed them. It was an old story, an illusion that no one saw now.
Ruth was a stranger who had come across the sea and settled in this city. She was a quiet girl, uncomfortable with the sight of others, and preferred to be alone. She often spent her time on the cliffs, reading a book or gazing out at the sea.
One day, a small puppy slipped near the cliff.
Instinctively, she reached out to pick it up, and a ripple of silver rose from her fingertips.
The puppy floated in the air. The wind died down, and the air was still, as if it had stopped breathing.
It was magic. It wasn't powerful or dazzling, but it was there.
From that night on, Ruth had dreams. Deep in the ocean, a voice that belonged to no one was calling to her.
A forgotten name, a buried memory, and the word guardian whispered in her ear.
Ruth traveled to the torch tower that had long ago guarded the shore.
The tower no longer shone, its doors corroded by sea salt.
But inside, the truth of the sea's memory remained.
The walls were carved with the sigils of the tide-followers, and silver ripples lay in the floor.
At her touch, the sea sang again.
Ruth knew.
This was not a choice. It was a call.
She left the city and set out for the fabled “Heart of the Current.” The route was not on the map, and the sea would not give way.
Through many failures and illusions, she tuned her magic and aligned her heart with the current.
And finally, she arrived. There, the guardian of the past waited.
He was no longer human, and instead of words, he spoke memories.
“The sea demands balance. Someone must go into it.”
Ruth took a shaky breath and stepped forward.
She was no hero, no wizard.
But to open a path for someone, to protect someone.
If that was the meaning of her power, there was no reason to hesitate.
She threw herself into the waves.
At that moment, the sea responded. A huge wave surged up, glowing silver.
The currents began to flow again, and a long-forgotten sigil bloomed between sky and sea.
Since then, the waters of Arba have never been lost.
The sailors say. They were able to sail through the storm,
because someone watched over them from the depths of the sea.
Ruth.
She was no longer a stranger.
She was a guardian of the silver currents.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Story Content
The currents don't lie.
That was the first thing Ruth learned in Arba.
Arba, a green and sprawling trading city.
Even with the bustle of hundreds of ships coming and going, the city revered the sea.
There was a legend from ancient times.
“When the sea turns silver, a forgotten guardian awakens.” The words wafted through the city like a sea breeze, but no one truly believed them.
It was an old story, an illusion that no one saw now.
Ruth was a stranger who had come across the sea and settled in this city.
She was a quiet girl, uncomfortable with the sight of others, and preferred to be alone.
She often spent her time on the cliffs, reading a book or gazing out at the sea.
One day, a small puppy slipped near the cliff.
Instinctively, she reached out to pick it up, and a ripple of silver rose from her fingertips.
The puppy floated in the air.
The wind died down, and the air was still, as if it had stopped breathing.
It was magic.
It wasn't powerful or dazzling, but it was there.
From that night on, Ruth had dreams.
Deep in the ocean, a voice that belonged to no one was calling to her.
A forgotten name, a buried memory, and the word guardian whispered in her ear.
Ruth traveled to the torch tower that had long ago guarded the shore.
The tower no longer shone, its doors corroded by sea salt.
But inside, the truth of the sea's memory remained.
The walls were carved with the sigils of the tide-followers, and silver ripples lay in the floor.
At her touch, the sea sang again.
Ruth knew.
This was not a choice.
It was a call.
She left the city and set out for the fabled “Heart of the Current.” The route was not on the map, and the sea would not give way.
Through many failures and illusions, she tuned her magic and aligned her heart with the current.
And finally, she arrived.
There, the guardian of the past waited.
He was no longer human, and instead of words, he spoke memories.
“The sea demands balance.
Someone must go into it.”
Ruth took a shaky breath and stepped forward.
She was no hero, no wizard.
But to open a path for someone, to protect someone.
If that was the meaning of her power, there was no reason to hesitate.
She threw herself into the waves.
At that moment, the sea responded.
A huge wave surged up, glowing silver.
The currents began to flow again, and a long-forgotten sigil bloomed between sky and sea.
Since then, the waters of Arba have never been lost.
The sailors say.
They were able to sail through the storm,
because someone watched over them from the depths of the sea.
Ruth.
She was no longer a stranger.
She was a guardian of the silver currents.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
