They passed into the water, and the sea parted around them as they stepped down the pier. Descending, they found a stair of foam beneath their feet. They had yet to go far down it before the waves closed over them again.
The company now was marching down a great hall. The rear of the hall was fading to the sea and the front opening before them. The saltwater spray surrounded them, and Sahshir saw strange shapes in the water. Vast, winding tendrils seemed to coil in the depths, and he could not tell what color they were.
However, his companions did not seem to see them. Oresa seemed to be openly marveling at something in the water. A glance revealed a vast school of fish swimming past them, then a school of dolphins. Behind them, Sahshir saw the land appearing almost like a great cliff reaching up toward the sky.
"Have you ever seen the land from this angle, Urus?" asked Oresa.
"Of course not," said Urus. "None of us have ever been this low before."
They saw many other things on that journey. Whales were swimming by the corridor, their calls reaching out throughout the water. But soon, the waters became ever darker, and Sahshir needed to draw the Sword of Order to light the way. The Herald of the Fish King led on, silent, while Nagos walked behind.
And then they began to see other things.
At first, it was only massive tentacles reaching up out of the darkest depths. Then they saw shapes shifting and changing before them. They swam here and there, and gazing upon them was not enough to determine their shape. They were beasts of innumerable mouths and teeth, and Sahshir averted his eyes.
"What... what are these things?" asked Oresa.
"Elders," said Nagos. "They existed before all that was.
"Amasara..."
Amasara said something, and Nagos listened.
"What is it?" asked Sahshir.
"As they delve deeper into the unknown, they take on their true nature," said Nagos.
Soon, they reached the ocean floor. Here, they saw stones of many colors that gleamed beneath the light. Yet Sahshir could see no sign of where the light came from. Alkela walked beside them, and over time they saw structures.
They were made of many green pillars with pictures of humans mutating into beasts. Yet there were also runes on it.
"What is it, Alkela?" asked Nagos.
Sahshir looked up and saw that Alkela was making hand gestures in irritation. He'd missed them the first time. "Those runes up there are those of Amysta and Zigildrazia,"
"The Shark Queen is aligned with Amysta," said Tuor. "Her creatures ravage the universe in her name. Move quickly; their eyes may be upon us even now."
YOU ARE READING
The Rival of Gods
FantasyAbdul Sahshir has won great victories and achieved many of his goals in life. Yet with the gradual encroachment of his disease, and the coming of the Heir of Kings, his work is not done. Now he must embark on mission alongside the Disciple of Baltot...
