To Be Proud: Revamped

Chapter 56: Bizzare Peculiarities

~Thwok~

For a monster who was keen on observing patterns in their environment, I didn't expect the pattern to break so quickly. When we arrived at the aquanine castle, the first thing I noticed was the large, metal door that prevented us from entering any further. A small black screen hung above the door, and small lights flashed on either side of it. I glanced up at Bona, confused as to what was going on, but based on his concerned expression he didn't seem to have the answer either.

Suddenly, the doors behind us slammed shut, closing the five of us in. I jumped from the unexpected motion, and as I looked up I could see tiny red dots lining the edge of the ceiling. Beeping sounded as the screen from before lit up with a bright blue brilliance. Bright red text started to appear as a small compartment opened beside the door. The text read: "Scan complete. 1 water-breather and 3 air-breathers detected. Initiating drainage system." I glanced over at Shellbeat, who had taken an item from the compartment and held it tightly in their hand. Before I could get a word out, Bona pulled the question from my mouth.

      "I'm sorry, 'drainage system?'"

      "You'll see," Shellbeat responded as they closed the compartment with one hand.

A deep buzzer sounded, and the sounds of latches caught my attention. Looking down at the floor, I was able to see little drainage grates in the corners of the room. I glanced back up at the ceiling, and it was then that I realized the room was being drained completely of water. Watching the water level slowly close in on the ground, I could sense my body trying to stabilize due to the shift in gravity. Wringing my fur out from the excess water, I watched as the metallic door in front of us finally opened up to allow entry. The sound of a single puff caused me to glance over at Shellbeat, who had held the item up to their mouth and took a breath.

      "Welcome," they calmly spoke as they walked ahead of us, "to the Aquanine Palace." I stuck behind Shellbeat, making sure that Kay and Bona were close behind, and as I looked around I could feel my breath being taken away.

      "Woah."

The size of the main room easily doubled that of the hangar back on Air Island. The walls were constructed using a polished form of aquanine, carefully carved to show the most intricate of details. A large chandelier hung in the center of the room, shimmering with bright crystals that reflected the light in every direction. Different pieces of delicate furniture lined the walls, positioned under enormous watercolor paintings. A ginormous skylight opened up towards the room's ceiling, allowing us to see the aquatic ecosystem above us.

      "This is the main foyer," Shellbeat explained as we passed through a set of aquanine pillars. "If you ever find yourself lost within the castle walls, it is recommended that you try to locate this room as quickly as possible."

      "And...if we can't find the foyer?" Bona inquired as the group entered what would be one of many passageways.

      "If you can't find the foyer, there are maps in some of the hallways to guide you. Safety precaution, of course." As we roamed the extensive corridors, I slowly started to come to a realization.

      "This castle is...much diffwehnt than the othuhs. Wasn't this built at the same time as the othuh castles ohn the Natuhwuhl Islands?"

      "Good question. During the Palace Restoration Era, or PRE, a single schematic for a crystalline castle was copied and shared for the Bosses of the Natural Islands. Of course, the Bosses of the Magical Islands eventually got a hold of the schematic, but that is another story for another time. When I saw the schematic myself, I wasn't too pleased with the simplicity nevermind the amount of flaws in the build itself. Castles, second to security, are meant to be extravagant and intricate. Or functional, in the case of Riff."