Chapter 1149: Miuna
The Eye of Tyrus was a terrible thing to behold. A hole in space that promised such untold destruction that even Terris shuddered at the mere thought of it. He’d seen the profane thing lay waste to entire cities, end wars, and convince even the most recalcitrant foe to yield.
The thing that opened upon the brat’s leashed monster was only a pale imitation of the true Eye of Tyrus—the real thing was a weapon wielded by the Ocean King, and such was its power that no one else was allowed to even touch it—but Terris still felt a chill run down his spine as the enormous eye-like portal opened on the skin of the jellyfish.
He was in public, though, and he could feel not only the attention of his enemy but also his own people, and showing fear in public and in the face of such an august guest was unconscionable. He made up for his anxiety with decisive action, diving into the portal as soon as it was opened despite his every instinct screaming at him not to.
He went alone, though not entirely by choice. Had he not been ordered to come alone, he would’ve brought at least one of his Strategoi, but when the brat gave orders, there was little else to do except follow them.
The journey through the portal was mercifully brief, and Terris emerged standing on the sandy shore of a small tropical island. His feet sank into the soft sand, and the sound of the waves gently lapping at the shore soothed his frayed nerves—given the maintenance of the ocean wall, he’d not heard the waves in far too long.
A few dozen feet in front of him was a marble pavilion, tall columns of polychromatic marble holding up a roof with gilded roof tiles. In the center of the pavilion stood a marble statue several times larger than life-size, showing a man of spectacular physical strength wrestling a leviathan emerging from the sea.
‘Ocean King Ahndhas Gargan, seizing his position as Ocean King,’ Terris thought as he beheld the statue. His attention soon turned to the three young women standing at the edge of the pavilion, staring down at him on the shore with neutral expressions. Each one was seraphically beautiful and dressed in the finest purple sea silk, gold embroidery of krakens, sharks, and more eldritch leviathans making it clear who they worked for. None were post-Apotheosis mages, but not once did Terris consider showing them any disrespect.
Without a word, Terris advanced to the pavilion, walking up a flight of marble stairs from the shore to meet the three women.
Once he drew close, the strongest of the three said in melodic tones, “Follow us, Despot Terris. Her Highness awaits.”