The Legacy

Underwater

The moment I hit the water, an icy chill pierced through my skin, sharp as needles. The cold was unbearable, but I quickly muttered a warming charm under my breath, wrapping myself in a subtle warmth as I moved through the freezing lake. While the other champions immediately dove below the surface, I swam a little farther out, putting some distance between myself and the shore. Once I was a fair distance away, I cast the Bubble-Head Charm, the protective sphere forming perfectly around me, and then I plunged beneath the surface.

Everything underwater was a murky blur of greens and browns, the depths of the lake darker than I expected. Kelp swayed lazily in the current, obscuring parts of my vision as I moved deeper. The world below was eerily quiet except for the faint rush of water, and my heartbeat echoed loudly in my ears.

Then I saw them—silvery forms moving with fluid grace just beyond the dense kelp beds. Hypocampi! Their elegant forms, part horse, part fish, glided effortlessly through the water, their manes shimmering in the dim light. My breath caught in my throat as I remembered my great-grandfather's words about taming these mystical creatures. I wracked my brain, trying to recall his methods, his soft, reassuring voice as he guided me through their world.

"Approach with calm," he had said. "They can sense fear and aggression, but they respond to gentleness. And always, always offer something in return."

I had no treats or offerings, but I needed their help. Tentatively, I stretched out my hand, hoping the warmth of my charm would make me seem less threatening. One of the hippocampi turned its head toward me, its deep, intelligent eyes locking onto mine. Slowly, cautiously, it began to swim closer.

My heart pounded as it circled around me, inspecting me with curiosity. I whispered softly through the bubble, words of reassurance even though I knew it couldn't hear me clearly. The creature came even closer, brushing against my outstretched hand, and I could feel the smooth, cool texture of its scales. It didn't bolt or flee.

Taking a deep breath, I moved to its side and gently gripped its flowing mane. The hippocampus let out a soft, melodic hum, and I knew I had gained its trust. With a swift motion, I swung myself onto its back, and the creature surged forward through the water, powerful and swift, cutting through the murky depths like a living arrow.

I leaned down toward the hippocampus's ear, though I knew it couldn't hear me clearly through the water. Still, I whispered, "Where is what I've lost? Can you take me there?" My voice trembled with urgency. The hippocampus let out a soft, melodic neigh in response, its silver eyes glinting with understanding.

Without hesitation, the creature surged forward, its powerful tail propelling us swiftly through the dark, murky depths of the lake. The rush of water around us was both exhilarating and terrifying, as everything around me blurred into dark shapes and shifting shadows. Time felt distorted—each passing second stretched into what felt like minutes, the cold of the lake creeping in despite my warming charm.

We glided over thick forests of kelp, twisting and waving in the current like ghostly fingers reaching for the surface. Schools of shimmering fish darted out of the hippocampus's path, their scales catching brief flashes of light from above. The world below was vast and foreign, an entirely different realm hidden beneath the familiar shores of the lake. The water grew darker the farther we went, but the hippocampus moved with purpose, as though it knew exactly where it was going.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the shadows ahead began to shift, and a faint, eerie glow emerged in the distance. My breath caught as we approached what could only be described as an underwater city. Towers made of glistening stone rose up from the lakebed, intertwined with thick vines of seaweed and illuminated by faint, bioluminescent creatures drifting lazily in the water. The structures were ancient, weathered by time, but still magnificent in their own way—an otherworldly beauty hidden beneath the surface.