Igniting A Flame {Kingdoms #1}

Twenty-Five

Lukas observed the Hehtan waiters floating around coral tables and the others who blissfully chattered in the corner. Their skin varying in shades of blue and green; usually a deep blue torso leading into a green tinted tail. He wondered how they controlled themselves in the water; how they kept unwavering in one position, how they thrust their bodies upwards or fluttered downwards.

Lukas found out that two species inhibited the ocean kingdom, the shallow watered Kaishin and the deeper Hehtan. Kaishin had blazing orange skin with spots or stripes of white, a colourful pair of wings displaying kelp and coral. That unrelenting beast that attacked him had been Kaishin. Apparently the Kaishin once peacefully resided in the depths, until an unwelcome evil corrupted them; changing their skin and behaviour. They were sent into exile, never to set foot in the depths again.

A waiter whipped its tail towards Lukas, placing a platter of food in front of him. Yevvi had suggested they stopped for some lunch in a nice restaurant. Lukas originally liked the idea, until he was placed at a table overlooking a wide window and the blue cavern beyond it. He surveyed his plate, a mix of strange leaves and ingredients unknown to him. One thing stood clear, a small fish slathered in a tangy garnish.

"Wait, fish is eaten here?" Lukas glanced at the waiter, "Isn't that a little strange, considering you are fish people?"

The waiter straightened his back, his lips pursed and expression sour. "Do I seem like a fish to you? I am Hehtan. Not a damned fish," he grumbled before flicking that graceful tail around and floating off.

Yevvi burst into laughter, slamming his hands onto the table. Arvin grinned slightly, that posture still unshakeable. Lukas quietly mithered, his cheeks burning with immense embarrassment. He lowered his head and dug into the fish, its guts and bones still intact. He swished its contents in his mouth and held back the instinct to barf. Lukas shoved a few yellow leaves into his mouth to combat the rancid freshness of the fish, only for it to taste equally as unpalatable.

"Tell me more of Heht," Lukas gurgled through his mouthful of food, his body refusing to allow it into his system. Finally, he forced it down, his eyes watering.

"Heht isn't favoured among tourists as you have to consistently drink water breathing potions in order to remain," Arvin spoke monotonously with that deep gruff voice, "Hehtans aren't designed to be on the surface, so they cannot leave unless they retrieve the blood of a snow dragon in the Ice Mountains of Galai." Lukas found himself edging closer to Arvin, intrigued by his story despite the bland tone of voice.

"Could we go there one day?"

"You'll need a weapon if you want to survive Galai," Arvin scoffed, that warrior's cockiness getting the best of him, "That is why you are here. Heht is known for crafting the finest swords."

"Oh, I already have a weapon," Lukas pulled out a gleaming dagger from his oak coat, "I swiped it from the witch who kidnapped me." He strangely wondered where Evanora was now and why she bothered to kidnap him.

"The witch who what?" Arvin shot his upturned eyes to Yevvi, who retreated into his shirt as if the very glare were piercing through his mind. "You let another person kidnap him?" He cracked his knuckles and thrusted it into Yevvi's arm, leaving him to whimper and moan on the table. Arvin chuckled manically, pleased with his strength. Lukas held in his own laugh. They acted very similar to siblings. He wondered how long they'd known each other.

"Anyways," Yevvi coughed, still clutching his arm, "Arvin knows a few blacksmiths who make near indestructible swords. We'll take a phantom whale down into a sea cave to find the right material, of course." Lukas tensed, glancing at that gaping deep blue through the window.

"We're going deeper? All of us?" Yevvi's enthusiastic smile faded and he slouched, suddenly recalling Lukas's deathly fear of the ocean.

"Definitely. A warrior's sword must be constructed by the warrior," Arvin chimed in, running his hand through his slicked hair.

Lukas aggressively pushed back his chair and strode out of the restaurant, refusing to explain himself another time. He had pushed past his fear coming into Heht and that resulted in a near death. There was absolutely no way in hell he could deeper.

Lukas stomped onto the streets, furiously barging his way through crowds. He kept his pace as they dissipated, some scowling at his rudeness. He halted in the centre, shaking his black hair. Bright colours of blue, purple and green struck the elegant underwater kingdom, lighting up the town instantly. Hehtan females danced through the water gracefully, calling the sea animals to join them in a grand parade of unyielding joy. The mystical streets clouding the daunting reality of the surrounding water. His stomach felt like a pit, his anger turning to shame.

Lukas considered turning back, but kept a soft pace as he ambled past the twirling women. He'd like to think his mother's body drifted to this wondrous place rather than an empty cavern. She frequently delved into the river depths just to speak to the fish and eels that inhabited the sea floor. Insane, he thought she was. Lukas chuckled at the bittersweet memory, a little shocked to have allowed such recollections to occur.

He found himself nearing the edge of the coral plate keeping the kingdom afloat. His stomach churned and his body felt faint. Lukas pushed through the growing terror, until he faced the never-ending blue abyss. He cautiously huddled near the edge, that pit taunting him.

He held a mixed blame of the ocean and himself for his mother's death. Before that, he adored basking in the invigorating freshness and being swept up by waves. Lukas remembered the way his mother's auburn hair would curl after drying. He always admired that style wishing to have his own straight hair curled. The ocean seemed cruel and filled with danger. So, he avoided it.

Lukas slowly lifted himself up, his legs violently quivering. He stared down the menacing abyss, at the emptiness. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He saw his mother's kind face, her sweet nose and joyous grin. His lip trembled, longing to feel her matronly embrace, that motherly comfort.

Lukas reopened his eyes. Forcing his thoughts back, he dived off the coral and into the cavernous pit. His heart thumped rapidly but he remained in control. He pushed his arms through the ripple of waves, the water thick. The area seemed to light up, as if hidden until now. Glittering sea creatures of varying sizes spun around, structures of sea rock towering tall and jagged. Lukas gaped in awe. Had the ocean truly been hiding such wonderful things or had his mind refused to see them? He twirled and flipped, excitedly. Finally, he understood the appreciation his mother held for the ocean.