She has lived many lifetimes, and still she has seen nothing like this.
Of course there had been more land, long ago — before this queen, before the queen’s father, before his father, even. Lands crumbled and sank, the price to pay for war. Destruction was inevitable, but reformation? Only in myths and legends.
Before the dust settles, Helice is face-to-face with an outsider. She is almost never alone, nor on the frontline of uncharted territory, but she remains unrattled. They don’t speak long; Helice prefers to do her own fact finding, to not rely on strange others.
When she leaves the girl, she is quick to return to her soldiers, sending a small group of them to land as she wades in shallow Baltian waters with another group. She watches them, muscles tense as they reach the shores of the land surrounding the Ruins, though her gut tells her that her soldiers aren’t in trouble.
They return with information. She thanks them with a nod.

Helice slips back into the deep water, dismissing the soldiers with her silence, and sets off to the higher ups’ meeting spot: a large cave, hidden behind a small but dense brush of kelp. As she swims, she emits a red glow around her — her own way to call for a meeting, though she lets out an audible call as well. She stops when she reaches the mouth of the cave, still glowing until the rest reach her.
She dips her head in greeting as they catch up with her: the Queen, Rezza, Mesarez. Although she is otherwise friendly with Mesarez and knows she’s likely to outlast all of them and their power, she also knows enough to show formality and respect. The Baltian way runs deep within her.
“Your Highness,” she begins once they’ve settled, “I’ve come to you all with news of the land. An earthquake, not an attack as I’d originally feared. No one knows where they came from yet, but the residents call it Beqanna.”
She pauses for a moment, looking between them before turning back to the queen and continuing: “Not a place I’ve heard of before, either in my time or my studies. There is still so much land for our scouts to search, but they seem to be peaceful.”
Helice nods at the Queen to finish. She has questions — of course she does — but she is brief, waiting for the others’ thoughts first.