Lune Tidecaller's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Lune Tidecaller pressed their palms against the cool stone basin, watching the small crabs scuttle across the sandy bottom. They had spent three years collecting specimens like these, dreaming of the day when merchants and collectors would gather at their tide pool market. Each creature would have its own space, its own story to tell buyers. The rarest ones would draw crowds from distant places. Lune traced a finger along the water's edge, imagining rows of basins filled with starfish, anemones, and shell-backed creatures no one had seen before. This was just the beginning. The next morning, Lune stood before an old treasure chest they had found half-buried near the water's edge. Pearl encrustings dotted its surface, and coral grew between the hinges. They pried it open and cleared out the sand inside. This chest would hold their first real trading stock. Lune carefully transferred three specimens from the basin into smaller containers, then arranged them inside the chest. The iridescent glow of the wood made each creature look even more valuable. But Lune needed to find rarer specimens first. They walked along the shallow pools at low tide, squinting at every shadow and movement. A tall structure rose from the water ahead—a lighthouse wrapped in kelp and starfish. Lune climbed the slippery steps and peered through the viewing window at the top. From here, they could see dozens of pools stretching in all directions. A flash of purple caught their eye in the farthest pool. Lune marked the spot and hurried back down. The specimen was too heavy to carry by hand, so Lune loaded it onto their seahorse-drawn chariot. The creature pulled the ornate shell cart across the sand without complaint. Lune guided it back to the treasure chest and added the purple-shelled specimen to the collection. Three rare finds in one day. Soon, traders would come asking what else Lune had discovered. The market was closer than ever.