A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale

[Music Resonation (Major)] [Marine Lungs] inflicted on [Young Sunfang Dragon, Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor]

Azure … No, no, no. So many words, so many adjectives, so many different ways to describe the view I was looking at, yet, at the same time, would my words be able to do it justice? Did my description encapsulate the beauty of the fierce wildness of the glacial wasteland of the north? Nature fully drenched in mana, the energy of the world, enriching it with both natural disasters and life?

I couldn’t find the words to describe the sight before me. I’ve “dived” once or twice with swimming goggles, peering down into the shallow murky or clear waters of beaches, yet all I saw was sand. Dark brown, heavy, salty, muddy sand—I never was able to see the “nature” of the world under the surface of the waves.

Cautiousness? Cowardness? You could use words to describe my lack of interest in swimming further from the shores. Every kid would be warned to not swim so far away and to always keep themselves in sight of their guardians. Everybody heard the scary stories, right? Even if you haven’t, horror movies exist.

A simple strong wave and you would be gone! Snatched away by the griesly, uncaring attitude of mother nature. Behind all the fun of playing in the waters would lie the abyssal end, where your grave would become part of the decor for all the many fishes living down there … Within us all lies the fear of the waters. The fear of the depths of the oceans.

… Yet, why was this apparently scary place so damn bewitching to look at?

Oh gosh … My eyes raced as I couldn’t fathom what a stark difference it was from Iceskale, no, from most of Frozen Nest.

Green and colorful vegetation wasn’t a foreign thing in the valley surrounding Home, nor the icy background of gray hail showers I would see here or then. The sea just in front of Iceskale’s harbor was all that, but even more.

Coral, seaweed, sea anemone, and so many different kinds of aquatic flora and other plant-looking organisms could be seen immediately, varying from red, brown, to even pure limestone-white. It almost seemed like these aquatic beings were absorbing the different hues of mana, making them so colorful like how Peolyncian hair colors were so varied, to the point some children might not even inherit the hair color of their biological parents or grandparents.

That dark brown, salty mud I was so used to at the beach was nowhere to be seen. I was too deep to see it clearly, as the sun’s light changed as it shone through the glassy water surface, making the sand look white to me. A green veil of plankton was more prominent, even.

Gosh, I didn’t even want to start counting the number of fish and other marine life forms swimming around. I could already feel a headache from trying to appraise everything. Yet, this wasn’t even the most worthwhile of things to mention.

Just like our Home, where the warm touch of nature was met by the cold snowy weather, Frozen Nest’s sea was equally affected by the ice-aligned mana coursing through the land and air. Though, the sea wasn’t subject to the low temperatures the rest of Frozen Nest had, but rather ice caves had formed around this ecosystem.

In fact, the natural formations down here were divided between those made from rocks and those made from ice, and sometimes you would have areas where ice would act like a coat over a rock cliff, or an ice cave could be covered by sediments. All of this ended up allowing sea stars and ambush predators to live inside the holes along this sheet of minerals.

… Hoho, and we were filming all of this!

[“Tasianna, look, look! It’s like a swarm of butterfly!”] I said telepathically, vigorously pointing at the filming camera’s screen. The salty water was touching it, but the resin applied to its wooden cover was preventing it from latching onto it as easily as rusting the metal inside. [“They’re swimming so fast.”]

Tasianna grinned, eyes locked onto the school of rainbow-scaled fish I was pointing at, equally as dazzled by such a peaceful sight on this island-continent. [“Hehe, I think they are fleeing, my lady.”]

Chuckling as I could help but agree, I nodded and turned to a small group of levianewts and dragonewts fishing with a small aquatic drake. Looking at their size and considering they might be adults, as I couldn’t make out any scents with water entering my nose, they were probably all rank B.

Unlike Drakunov’s saddle boat, theirs was fully equipped to the brim with nets, tools, harpoon cannons, and sails to help the drakes swim better underwater. In other words, they were pretty much a “normal commercial fishing boat,” similar to the other ones at the docks.

In addition, instead of shielding their fishers from the water with a submarine-like cover, they were using ice magic and their scales to create a dome over the boat. The fishers would use water magic to blast some of the water out of the cover, creating a small enough air pocket for them to rest in if needed, but most of them were just “breathing” in water for oxygen instead of air.

“Blurragh!” My head turned to the side when I heard that gargling, noticing bubbles bursting next to me. I saw Jadhund holding both his nose and mouth, looking like he was unwilling to breathe the water.

I could sympathize, honestly. It was the reflex.

Breathing water just felt wrong for us terrestrial beings. Going from neutral, flowing air to thick, salty water would make anybody want to cough, even if they intellectually knew they could breathe it. Accidentally swallowing water through your respiratory tract while drinking was common enough, and everybody who felt it would understand this sheer panic your body would experience when the water would fill your lungs, making your throat feel so stuffy. That annoying feeling whenever you breathe in hot or freezing air that would make your body want to stop breathing all together was also your body telling you that what you were doing was dangerous.

You could tell somebody that [Marine Lungs] would make them able to live underwater, but you couldn’t tell their body that until they experienced it for the first time. That initial shock had to go away, first, and even then, you had to forcibly override your own reflexes and muscle tension to prevent feeling like you’re swallowing a stone.

It’s been over a year since I last used [Marine Lungs] properly, so I already had the muscle memory to not overreact, but I was still ordering my brain and body to ingest the water as if it was air. This was tiring, like riding a bike for the first time as you had to manually adjust your balance until you could do it without thinking, and I wasn’t even including the fact you had to “breath” the water back out of your lungs.

Like an empty water bottle, letting the water into your body was easy, since physics. However, getting that water out required more body strain as I had to compress my chest like tightening your grip around a full water bottle. Every second I could feel my body screaming out in pain, not to mention, this near uncontrollable desire to cough was present every time I had to breathe.

Fortunately, there was a technique to help people get used to this.

[“Mister Jadhund, as I had instructed you, you need to slow down your breathing. Similar to a miner needing to take deeper, but longer, inhales under wet clothes before exhaling to prevent mining gases from harming your body, you want to allow the air in the water to be absorbed with the spell. If you exhale too quickly, you are not taking in all the oxygen you can get from the water,”] Tasianna explained. [“We do not have gills, we have lungs. [Marine Lungs] uses mana to circumvent this difference, but our organs are still far less efficient at this compared to aquatic beings.”]

That was the gist of it. [Marine Lungs] couldn’t grant us gills, after all, and forcing our lungs to act like gills was already magical enough. As such, your breathing techniques had to drastically change to accommodate both the pain and the oxygen inefficiency. It was almost like divers being able to hold their breath for two or four minutes.

Funnily enough, despite breathing with longer gaps in between, it didn’t feel as painful as holding your breath with air. That burning sensation from holding carbon dioxide wasn’t as prevalent, but after a minute or so, you started feeling hints of your body wanting to breathe once again.

Still, instead of breathing every five seconds or so, changing it to every one minute was a massive hurdle that even Tasianna hadn’t been able to overcome yet. Although used to it as Tasianna, the twins weren’t faring much better, probably feeling as annoyed by this unnatural breathing habit like I was.

However, unlike Shay and Jadhund, us girls weren’t letting this ruin the fun of this underwater trip. The colors and the feel of water current rushing through your fingers and hair was too relaxing to not like.

[“You’re enjoying it!”] Uncle Kary howled in laughter, looking like he was enjoying himself massively with our reactions. [“The sea might not be our domain like the skies, but this is still part of our home. The freedom that touching the clouds gives us cannot be replaced by the water, but do you feel this, younglings? That seamless feeling like you are part of this world? Here, every life is equal to the currents and the guiding hands of Goddess Plesia; only here is that sensation of being part of something bigger!”]

I couldn’t fully sympathize with what uncle Kary was saying, but what I could say was that I loved this “breeze” crashing against my body similar to how the wind would do it when I flew. It wasn’t as liberating, nor as comfortable due to the cold, but with the diving suit on, it definitely made it seem like I was taking a mildly warm bath if you ignored how cold every breath of water was.

While we helped Jadhund acclimate so he could man the camera, Drakunov started to create a similar dome made of ice and his scales for us, just enough so the camera didn’t have to be underwater all the time. [“Tasianna, it’s time. Do it before we move any further into the depths.”]

Both Liandsee dragons stopped swimming, staying in place despite all the currents, acting like steel anchors for the boat; it almost seemed like they were waiting for us to take in all the sights. However, the intention wasn’t for that, but rather for Tasianna to finish preparations for our ritual. After taking out a giant slab of mammoth steak, Tasianna kneeled down, holding onto her Plesia pendant to give a solemn prayer.

[“I see you have to give an offering to God Melicertha, as well,”] I said.

Grunting in approval, Drakunov explained, [“The seas are not our domain, no matter if where we are is cut off from the rest of the oceans. Dragons, naturally, feel an instinctual rivalry against other aerial predators, like griffons or hippogryphs, but they also feel similarly towards leviathans and adamantoises. However, this is less of a hated rivalry and more feelings of a begrudging respect, as both side—including drakes as the rulers of the land—understand neither can conquer the others’ domain.”]

I could understand that feeling, as I had moments where my body wanted to fight the few leviathans I’ve met since my birth. Then again, my bloodline was more belligerent in nature, always wanting to prove ourselves to those seemingly stronger than us, as I had this same feeling meeting other dragonkin. And I was sure it was the same for the rest of my siblings.

Regardless, Drakunov continued, [“Us Liandsee dragons, though, possess leviathan blood as well. So our begrudging respect is replaced by pure respect, similar to a young scale saluting an elder scale with their tails tucked in between their legs. A submissive showing to tell the latter that we do not wish any conflict. You do not enter the territory of an older scale-kin without facing confrontation; either fight them off or grant them a toll to allow you through.”]

[“This toll is a religious custom to God Melicertha,”] Uncle Kary added. [“His influence as the god of sailors and seafaring fortunes can be considered a superstition, as even with an offering, luck can turn sour during sea travels. Yet, to many, it was more prudent to not risk it, as many know Melicertha’s spawns and blessed roam the oceans, and one would not wish to end in their fangs if the God of Ports decided retribution is needed for those unwilling to even give him a morsel.”]

Considering some gods, like Bleidla or the night sisters, were more active with managing their domains and watching their followers than others, I could see why people would fear an angry god. If you thought about it, if Kramps hadn’t lost favor with his son and most of his grandchildren, they probably would have fulfilled his wish for the dragon race to become the world’s peacekeepers. His authority was the Kargryxmor clan’s authority, so you could apply that same logic to Melicertha’s clan and religion.

The imagery of a giant water snake, large enough to swallow up military warships, lurking under the sea during a stormy night, could easily unsettle me from my sleep. Like a hunter stalking a prey for hours, causing them to lose their mind, until they snap when the target was at its most vulnerable. Everything would end, and nobody would be the wiser.

Sailors spinning this tale in as many ways as the imagination could muster, spreading it around bars, voyages, and ballads, would certainly raise the average listener’s fear of the sea. Fear, for it was sustenance for Melicertha’s power. Fear would also compel people to perform rituals, also granting him more strength. That power gave his clan’s and blessed’s authority.

Uncle Kary lowered his head, swerving his body slightly with his horn aimed at one of the ice blocks. [“As beautiful as this sight is to you, you would do well to respect it, for nature can sometimes be even scarier than a rank S. Are you done, Tasianna?”]

[“Yes.”] Tasianna stood back up, raising her body out of the water, shaking her head inside the air dome. [“A lonesome prayer, dedicated purely for God Melicertha’s mercy and protection. Not one sailors would use, but what a priest would perform to ask for his blessing while we are here. Certified by Priest Kushlek’zar; I am sure our luck will be well.”]

I thanked Tasianna as Drakunov and Uncle Kary proceeded with our trip, now with Jadhund full in-control of the camera to capture every single sight of this underwater “safari.” While Uncle Kary caroled and scared off any potential large fish, Drakunov would swerve his giant body like an eel, fluidly swimming into the perfect position for Jadhund to capture the coral bed, the lines of anemones, and the schools of turtles, seals, and walruses living their life in this vast, underwater space.

Beth and Shay would act as his spotters, pointing at interesting sections for our cameraman to film, while also translating anything he wanted to say to the dragons. Since telepathic manatech didn’t exist and, as a dwarf, Jadhund was incapable of learning [Telepathy] even if I allowed him access to the SP shop with [Hestia’s Retainer], he was typing on his party bracelet to convey his thoughts.

“Grey vision,” the term Peolyncians used to call blindness, was incurable if it was caused by genetics, so neither water or holy spells could grant somebody with this condition vision. As such, a party bracelet program was invented for these people: a short-range System notification typer. Similar to how the System would send messages from the gods to us, this program was able to telepathically send these messages to others, but it was incredibly restricted by the distance it could be used.

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It was like talking to somebody over a phone, but you could only use that phone when they were a few feet away from you. At that point, why not just talk with them? Not to mention, most Peolyncians were unused to typing on a keyboard, so it was mostly only used by the blind and mute. Even underwater fishers and divers would rather use sign language, and we also had leviathans and aquatic dragons who could communicate like orcas and dolphins.

In fact, I could hear low bassy squeaking, clicking, and whistling happening right now, with Uncle Kary coordinating with Drakunov through those sounds. To be honest, if I wasn’t aware they were talking like whales, then I would have honestly thought that large steam boats or trains were calling out to us with their horns right now.

This was the atmosphere … This wonderful orchestra of sounds accompanying this sight. The crashing waves above, the cracking ice as Uncle Kary would dive right through them like an icebreaker, and the silent streams of underwater currents were ear-pleasing. I could enjoy this for hours. Mhmm, if I wasn’t supposed to be working, this could be a gallery of inspiration. So many sounds that were impossible to replicate with instruments alone.

Our camera could record all of this, as well.

Furthermore, as the two dragons were informed that we could edit commentary after the video was finished, and that we could cut different sections into multiple videos, Drakunov made sure our tour would include multiple aspects of everything.

We would ride with a bunch of seals inside a far-moving current like a rollercoaster, jump out of the water like whales to surf on massive waves crashing against the shores, and also enter the slipstreams of underwater predators hunting for their prey with water magic. The amount of content we could make would make even marine documentaries from Earth jealous.

Haaa, I wish I knew some Hawaiien tunes or something. The mood was perfect for a chill, themed song like that.

[“Hestia, look down there!”] Drakunov arched his back for us to look forward, where my eyes widened as I thought I had just entered a pink wonderland.

Yes, the cold-looking underwater depths I had seen up until now were still there, but instead of the usual vibrant colored sea life, it had turned predominantly into pink. Pink corals, anemones, even seaweed—there was so much of it that I quickly got sick of it with a single look.

[“Those are coralplunks,”] Drakunov whispered with such a calm, silky tone, that it made me question if he really just said that with his hoarse voice instead of telepathy. He gazed down at the pink wonderland as it started to drift around like broken glaciers, revealing its true nature as a horde of giant, turtle-shelled fish with pink corals growing on their backs. [“It took us years to properly understand how these recently spawned fish thrive, so we could create the ideal environment for them to settle here in this farm of ours.”]

The latest big investment from the fishing industry, the source of the pride Uncle Kary showed during our last meeting. These giant turtle-fish hybrids were slow and cumbersome, but they were huge enough that you could mistake them for house-sized masses of land. The pink corals, in fact, acted like the homes for thousands of fishes, seemingly working in a similar symbiotic relationship like sea anemones and clownfishes.

[“The coralplunks are grouped in this school for us to easily butcher them when needed, but they also act like fish farms. Fish will lay eggs on them, growing the population in a controlled manner, allowing the fish population to surge, allowing us to meet the growing demand for seafood. Even predatory fish would turn passive when it is spawning season, as the coralplunks’ artificial coral benefit the health of eggs,”] Drakunov explained with the tender love of a farmer watching their work flourish. [“Coralplunk meat is a delicacy for us dragons, while the fish schools grow for everybody else. A rare monster spawn that produced a new species of fish that also benefits us; funny how, during the years after they first appeared, they nearly caused a collapse of the ecosystem.”]

[“I presume it’s the egg growing part, correct?”] Tasianna replied.

Drakunov sighed, confirmed the answer like a teacher worrying about some past mistake associated with the response. [“Overpopulation is never good. Coralplunks are ‘invasive’ in the sense that they aren’t in equilibrium with our natural ecosystem; to the point, it required us to gather a specific type of seaweed from a faraway ocean to satisfy the coralplunks’ herbivorous diet. It took us a bit to find the perfect one that wouldn’t further ruin the vegetation. Father is rightfully happy with the outcome with how much effort was invested.”]

A good plan coming to fruition; what could you wish more from an investment? Well, as an outsider, I could definitely say that this coralplunk farm was a great piece for the film, although I found there was too much pink to enjoy it.

Shrugging as Jadhund was having fun getting everything in picture, I turned around to look somewhere else, only to wonder where Uncle Kary was. When I asked Drakunov about it, he stated his father had told him he needed to investigate something.

[“There was a deep growl that shook the waters,”] he stated, confusing me as I couldn’t remember hearing anything of that sort. [“You don’t have the same sensory organs us Liandsee have, Hestia. None of your companions do either, and the diving suit doesn’t help matters since it blocks most of your scales. Tremors and aquatic quaking vibrate through the waters and we sense it with our ears and scales; that’s how our echolocation works. Even from the abyssal depths, we can pick up on sounds.”]

[“Then what is worrying him?”] I asked.

[“Leviathans,”] he snarled, growling out his frustrations. [“Foreigners, though. As you should have noticed, Frozen Nest is home to only a few leviathan clans and their levianewts; and most of them have some dragon mixed in their bloodlines as well. You could consider them similar to those new fire dragon arrivals—a low minority. Still, they are ice leviathans and their roots trace back to the demon wars; not to mention, their clan heads have shown their loyalty to Empress Melloxtressa already.”]

[“Yeah … I do remember a few of them causing some troubles when the fire dragons arrived to coerce me. That whole incident with Rhekk still is pretty fresh to me.”]

[“No, no, no!”] Drakunov interrupted. [“Not those ones! Pah, I heard it from Brother Siegragxus, but those leviathans aren’t ours! They were invited into Frozen Nest by our resident leviathans since they are acquaintances, but they’ve shown their colors in trying to instigate unrest! I bet some of them are probably part of the harbor unrest down in Coral Beard!”]

‘Brother Siegragxus?’ Huh, I guess the heirs of Mom’s top retainers would get along well.

[“You know our barrier. It keeps those unwanted guests out! We’ve made sure to inform every resident to not invite people inside after what they did to you,”] he continued. [“Tsk, and that incident with the Fire Ruler showed everybody that Uncle Alextraxus’s warnings were warranted. The potential civil war and how dragonkin are trying to pull you into it is known far and wide in Iceskale now, Hestia. Most residents who keep up with the news will know. Those rejected leviathans growling right now are taunting us … Do you wish to see them?”]

All of us turned to stare at Drakunov as he peered down on the boat, eyes shining nothing but earnesty. He wasn’t fooling around. This question was similar to a tour guide asking the group if they wanted to go off the scripted path; somewhere that was mysterious enough to intrigue at least a few.

Unfortunately, I was one of them. I turned to look at the horizon, beyond the ice caves and school of fishes—the great blue. The unending sight and the growing expanse; there was something unknown there that was called to me. Drakunov’s question made me finally aware of it.

I felt somebody touch my shoulder.

[“I wish for our trip’s luck, but you and I know that our party’s encounter luck is nothing to scoff at,”] Tasianna gulped, her voice quivering a bit. Hearing her speak reminded me of the countless times we sought for peace only to face some massive conspiracy or life-threatening moment. [“I would rather not test it when you are unable to fight, Lady Hestia.”]

[“Let us not, please,”] Shay quickly came to Tasianna’s support, clearly distressed. He still hasn’t overcome his fears of the water yet. [“I cannot see far enough, Lady Hestia. The blue water looks clear from above, but the horizon is so dark. It shows nothing; where are the aquatic beasts swimming to when they disappear into the wider ocean?”]

I looked down, Shay looked up. Neither of us could see what was there.

[“Let me show you then,”] Drakunov interjected. [“The precipice of the horizon, where Thalaxarus’s barrier protects us from invaders.”]

With nobody against the idea, Drakunov turned to the endless blue and slammed his wings down as his forearms split the water into two for a moment, propelling his body forward at such a speed that everybody fell to the deck. Panic quickly set in as we all gargled up water from the shock of how quick he accelerated.

[Marine Lungs] prevented us from drowning, but the surprise of Drakunov’s reckless movements nearly gave me a heart attack, as I thought I would be blown right off the boat. That pressing feeling, similar to a sports car suddenly accelerating, made it very difficult for me to stand up, but Drakunov quickly stabilized his speed as he slithered around like an eel. That initial acceleration, though, had pushed him far away from the coralplunk farm and right into the middle of the horizon we were just looking at.

[“What the heck was—”] I was ready to complain, but Beth suddenly shook her hands in front of me.

[“That is how we feel whenever you activate your scale-dust burners without warning us, Lady Hestia …”] she said, her eyes looking like she was too used to it. As I turned to Tasianna, she looked at me in a similar manner, nodding her head slightly.

… Hestia Airlines and D.S (Dragon Ship) Drakunov, ready to travel.

Still, despite having to taste my own medicine, I was still ready to speak up to Drakunov for that, but before I could do it, Jadhund suddenly waved his hand as he pointed to the boat’s starboard—its right.

Woah …

The endless expanse, that big “great blue,” was right in front of us. Although, I had to correct myself as the “endless” part wasn’t as true as I initially thought. However, it was still quite blue and dark as Shay feared, as the ice barrier surrounding Iceskale was blocking the light from entering the waters.

I’ve seen the Thalaxarus’s barrier before when I left Frozen Nest for the mainland. In the sky, the barrier was like a strong, unending blizzard with how the snow and hail was moving like a water current or the circling winds of a tornado. Yet, when Mom traveled through it with me, I couldn’t feel any resistance. Sure, I felt snow and hail hit me, but it didn’t make me feel like there was something there to protect me, like how a giant wall would give me a sense of safety.

However, that turbulence was properly visualized down here. There was no snow or hail in the water, or giant glaciers and blocks of ice or whatever. It was just stormy waters that moved like the barrier—in a circular fashion around the island. In the sky, we had a tornado of sorts; here, under the water’s surface, we had a whirlpool or sorts.

Back to that giant wall analogy, sections of the “great blue” were simply the shadow the barrier was casting. It would have been impossible to see the barrier and rough waves, weren’t it for the glimmer of light coming from above. It almost felt like I was looking at the empty void left behind after I used [Light Horizon] to “crack” the air open.

Then I turned down … and understood I was looking at a hole into the nothingness. The blue shine of the ocean was gone, replaced by a darkness where light couldn’t reach.

I snapped my fingers, creating an inextinguishable flame in my palm before throwing it into the darkness. I saw it softly wafting around, trying to find something to feed on like a hungry kid, grabbing whatever was edible. The mana I injected into it would keep it alive until it would be forced to absorb the mana inside the water to sustain itself.

Sadly, that wouldn’t happen as I felt a chill run down my spine. That little light touched the dirty veil of the water and … disappeared. It was gone. I believe I still felt a link to it, somewhat, but it was as if a portal had eaten it up. I couldn’t see anything, to the point I was moving my head up and down—to the sides and here—trying to make my brain understand what was going … Until I snapped my fingers again and allowed the flames to die out.

Yet, did it actually go out? By my command? Or did something else extinguish it? I knew for a fact only I could tell my flames when they would be allowed to die, but at this moment, my brain was asking so many questions about that little flame that I was confusing myself.

Nevermind how I was also making this chill worse with my struggle, as I realized … that we all were alone. There was nothing here. Empty. Just water. Drakunov was like a single boat, stranded in the middle of nowhere. If it wasn’t for Thalaxarus’s barrier, it would have probably made me feel lost.

Not to mention how everything here was so silent, as my music was flowing through mana, not the water. My song wasn’t making any noise.

I gulped and jumped away from the edge of the boat, lifting my body into the air dome just so I could hear the sound of my breathing. Hearing myself was enough to calm me down slightly, but it wasn’t enough as I began to softly smack my ears just to hear the flow of wind touch my ear drums. For a moment there, I thought I had gone deaf.

… Although, it did feel odd to listen right now. I was hearing a low crackling. When I started to vocalize my confusion, my voice was starting to feel weird as well before I felt something invisible start to drill into my head. I looked down at Tasianna, Shay, Beth, and Jadhund and could see they were still there, but they were still looking into the darkness.

How deep are we?

I checked my [Detection Sensor] but, outside of us on the boat, nothing else was there. Why wasn’t there a single bioluminescent plant or creature? Something!

Shine!

Creating a cone of scales around my pointing finger, I cast [Shine] through it to create a miniature flashlight, shedding some light into the darkness to see if there was anything there, but the void stopped it before it reached an end.

Gruueekhuu.

My body froze before I shivered, breathing in through my teeth as I felt the warmth leave my body. There was a sound. Something responded.

A deflating balloon? Something squeaky was transmitted through the waters before the silence returned. Still, there was nothing to be seen.

“Urghakraaaaya!” My head snapped to the side when I heard that bassy rumbling, seeing Drakunov suddenly jerk his head back with his mouth widened. [“Father spoke. He just scolded me, haha.”]

Uncle Kary? But, where is he?

[“Where there is beauty, there is also the ugly. Deep down there, where you can’t see anything, there lay the underwater dungeons. Rifts in the middle of the sea—like a whirlpool, they suck in everything that comes close enough to them. They prey like octopi and squids, ambushing and grabbing whatever comes close enough for them to eat. They can’t see them. Nothing can see them.”] Drakunov swerved his body to the side for us to get a better view of the nothingness. [“Such a stark difference from the skies, right? Admittedly, even I hate going to the borders of our home. Everything that I love about Frozen Nest? None of it can be seen here …”]

An unknown enemy that could appear before me at the very last second, before my senses could locate them, would give me nightmares as well. I was trying to rely on [Detection Sensor] to show me something here, but it just couldn’t.

[“This is why no dragon can conquer the seas. Not even Kargryxmor.”] Drakunov ended before he turned around and swam back to Iceskale—our trip was over. Yet, despite the fact Drakunov could see better in these waters and swore nothing was close by, I couldn’t get rid of this feeling that something was staring at us.

What a world, huh?

I heard Kramps for a moment there, but I didn’t answer back. I could only take in a deep breath of water.

Unsurprisingly, Tasianna’s ritual to Melicertha worked, as nothing attacked us on the way back. It was peaceful, yet at the same time, it didn’t feel like it.

Jadhund and Shay were kissing the waters, cheering loudly the moment the sight of the coralplunks came back into view. This pink vista that made me feel slightly sick before was, without a doubt, far more comforting than the “great blue.”

Drakunov quickly apologized for the harsh lesson on respecting the ocean, mentioning this was usually a welcoming trial for new draconic members to the fishing crew. It was meant to scare them; to instill some respect for Plesia’s world. To teach them that their job wasn’t all fun and games, as a single current could end the life of the fishers and sailors that a dragon or drake would bring along them on a trip.

[“We true dragonkin have a responsibility to protect our dragonewt and levianewt breathens on any sea voyage. Pride doesn’t matter. Even if we are Frozen Nest’s breadwinners, my father always warns us to never get drunk on this feeling of superiority, as the ocean can humble even the strongest leviathans,”] Drakunov ended with this final message before he began to resurface.

I stared at the sky and stopped [Music Resonation] as I took in the first clean waft of air in what felt like an eternity. Yes, it was salty and painfully cold for my lungs, but I preferred it this way.

“… That was fun.” Surprisingly, those words didn’t come from Tasianna or me, but from Jadhund. He turned around, shaking his head as he shivered. “Reminds me how scary the darkness can be. Never been too scared even inside a dark mine, but that just proves that we dwarves belong on land.”

Tasianna burst in a giggle. “If you look at the situation in that way, yes. It was a short, but fun, adventure. A new sight that Miss Saori will probably be envious of, just because it is new.”

[“I rather never come back here …”] Shay stated, looking like he had aged a couple of years.

[“Just ‘cause it is out of our control, Brother!”] Beth argued, patting her brother on the back to encourage him. [“We’ve seen our fair share of scary sights already. Kahalantheel, for one, and then there was the blizzard we ended up into—”]

[“That leviathan is the same, Sister! That damn monsoon was enough to make me feel like a feather in a storm!”] Shay suddenly grabbed his twin by the horns, angrily trying to pull them off her head to relieve his stress. [“Idiot, You nearly died during that trip, so try not to bring that up, again!”]

[“Ow, ow! Okay, okay, I get it, I’m just teasing to lift your mood! Stop it!”]

Haha … To peer into the abyss and to come out of it with laughter. That is the Aurora I love.

Speaking of Aurora, my misfortune did finally rear its head, though, thankfully, not in the ocean. After returning to the harbor of Iceskale, a loud commotion erupted through the streets, even reaching the pier. Drakunov, Jadhund, and my party rushed over to see what was happening, only to see there was a conflict between the ice dragonkin and the refugee fire dragons we had recently taken in.

Flames and ice were covering the streets as both roared out, trying to intimidate their opposition as the fighting intensified. Yet, despite the chaos happening, I couldn’t help but smile.

Oh, thank goodness! It didn’t happen in the ocean!

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A note from AbyssRaven

So, I once did go on a diving trip. It was shallow waters, of course, since I have no experience with diving. While the underwater was beautiful, the moment I felt water enter my goggles, I almost reflexively took off my diving mask. Breathing in from an oxygen tank was a new experience, lol. I hope you guys had fun feeling some thalassophobia!

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