Chapter 83
Lucas’ Grave was a strange island. Unlike the previous one, which Emelia had found out was called Galtea Minor, it had no sand to speak of, and the ground was paved with grey tiles. Pillars and walls made from grey bricks sprouted here-and-there, and Adam got the impression that the island might once have been bigger or had broken away from somewhere else, given that the walls and paved stones kind of just curved down off the edge where erosion slowly broke away the earth supporting it from below. On top of that, thin curling roots surrounded everything, growing out from the corner of the island where a normal-sized version of the tree in the centre of the Elphin’s Sanctuary was planted. As for the grave, it was embedded into the tree, showing a small shelf upon which was a vase. There was also a plaque next to it, but its engraved text had been eroded by time.
However, the really bizarre thing was the enormous snail that watched them from where it sat next to the large tree and grave.
Its body was a gradient of neon-orange, brightest at the top near its head and darker near the bottom. The shell on its back was made from the grey bricks of the island, and Adam wondered if it was responsible for the damage to the pavement and walls.
As he landed, he kept the fused barrier floating in the shape of a drill head, while the other hovered in front of him like a shield.
“Stay here,” Emelia told him and walked up to stand before the Slugwhale.
Seen from the air, it had appeared quite large, but seeing it up close he could fully appreciate just how massive it truly was. The name definitely did it justice, as it was only slightly smaller than a bus. It was also possible to see all the weird scale-like bumps on its body from this close, and Adam wondered if it was part of a natural defence. Still, he was fairly confident he could kill it with his barrier if he had to.
“This is one of the younger ones,” Emelia had told him.
I’m starting to understand how a bigger flying version of one of these things could be a dangerous opponent…
The large snail extended its eyestalks and shifted the feelers near the mouth through the air in Emelia’s direction. The folds below its head, where the mouth was located, undulated slightly as it appraised her.