As You See It

Chapter 6: The Home I Once Knew

     The story continues with our hero on a familiar shore now. He feels the sun warming his skin and sand grains escaping his toes. This time he is wearing some nice shorts with a shirt and a long scarf. This scarf is what kept Rongst warm when he first visited the kingdom given to him by a friend. Little warm for a hoodie but he won't be in the sun for long. He then enters a cave by the shore called the Ruglu Passage. This leads to the kingdom of Nerolis. An underwater civilization with a ruler, a kind king, and his loyal subjects. This kingdom is comprised of sea-humanoid creatures called the Aqaz. The name of the ruler is King Myisus and he is Rongst's favorite person to see in this world. Now, of course, this is an underwater kingdom. But the inhabitants are used to Surfas visiting them. Surfas are what the residents or Aqaz call people from the surface. So for Surfas the Aqaz built a separate way to enter the kingdom and an area where they can live and stay. The interactions between Aqaz and Surfas would be a means of communicating through closely designed structures of the palace. So a lot of the rooms meant for Surfas are close to the rooms filled with water. It wasn't perfect but the two kinds of people from two different walks of life could communicate this way.

     Rongst stands at the entrance to the kingdom that he would usually take before with the other saviors Karen, Tucker, and Gale. In this cave, there are aquamarine stones that light the path. These stones are the staple of the kingdom. But something is really off. As Rongst descends down the steps of the Ruglu Passage there is water. Why is there water here? How am I supposed to get to Nerolis now? He thinks to himself. Just then he spots a weird mechanism just before the water starts. He begins to walk to it and it reacts to him.

     "Salutations Surfa, the Kingdom of Nerolis welcomes you." The screen lights up. "Whether this is your first visit or not we kindly remind you to put on your breather necklaces and friction nullifiers on your clothing. Friendly reminder the friction nullifier can be adjusted so one can swim or just walk normally. These can only be taken off in this area once you return. Enjoy your stay." The screen folds back and shuts off.

     "Well alright, that's new." He picks up the breather necklace and friction nullifier. It's weird but how the breather necklaces work is that when water is swallowed and passes through the throat it converts it to oxygen. As for the friction nullifier, it adjusts the friction levels of the body to match that as if it was traveling through air.

     Rongst readies himself and enters the water. To his surprise, his clothes remained dry and he noticed he could breathe. Still nonetheless scary but exciting. As he continues down the path pillars best resembling Doric style begin to align the sides of the path. And cameras? Rongst does not remember there being cameras. They turn to him as he walks closer to the palace door of the pass. As he approached the palace door with its aquamarine color and gold trim waves designed on it. And a speaker at the base. He tried opening the door but it wouldn't budge.

     "Hello?"

     Static noises followed by a voice, "S...Salutations and welcome to Nerolis." A faint voice says. "Er um, what was next. . . Oh, I must check the cameras to make sure you don't got anything that could ha-" the sound of something falling is heard. "R..Rongst! H...Hold on one second for me okay?" Rongst wonders could it be? Then he remembers the stuttering.

     A sea horse humanoid comes out and hugs Rongst. "It's really you!"

      "Nice to see you are still the same as ever Noelle. Still got that stutter I see" He pats her head.

     "H...Hey you know I only have it when I get nervous or scared. Other than that I am fine!" She pushes him playfully.

     The two sounded with laughter, "Well then I am sure King Myisus will be happy to hear of my arrival too. Why don't we go see him in the throne room?"