Levithan [76]
The beautiful shine koi aren't able to keep my anxiety at bay. I swim, my tail flexing behind me as I move toward the dark shape moving on the edge of the black watery abyss. Mother created a dragon. A sea dragon, she said. Apparently it can talk just like I can, so here I am, trying to meet with it and communicate.
I can feel the water moving in waves as I get further from the center of Farumi. It's like something huge is moving right in front of me, but I'm struggling to see it. The sensation is a little scary!
Further out I swim, until suddenly the sensation vanishes. It's like I'm alone out here in the deep empty part of the sea. My brows press together as I scan the water for any sign of the dragon I expected to find. I could have sworn the water was moving like something huge was here! But now, there is nothing at all.
"What are you?"
The voice is so deep and booming that I feel my bones rattle. Wide eyed, I look up to see a gargantuan head poking down into the water. Through the surface of the water I can make out a massive snaking body floating in the sky above the ocean. The dragon is looking at me with the intensity of a predator staring at prey. Oh, Mom, what have you gotten me into?
"Can you not speak?"
Again it speaks, and its words are so loud that I feel my whole body being vibrated by the noise. The dragon's teeth are massive, each one big enough to split me in half. I've never felt like this before. This fear, the urge to hide and run away, isn't fun at all.
Swallowing that fear bubbling up in my body, I do my best to make myself look unbothered. Just because the dragon is massive and terrifying doesn't mean I need to be scared. He can talk. Mom created him, so we're kind of related, in a way.
"I can speak."
The dragon's brows raise slightly at my response. It clearly wasn't expecting me to respond to it, and it tilts its head slightly as it regards me with renewed interest. It repeats its earlier question with the same thunderous voice as before.
"What are you?"
His impatient tone is kind of irritating. I huff, water bubbling around my mouth as I look up at him without fear. He's not that scary. He's just a big rude lizard, and I am basically his older sister, aren't I?
"I am Pearl! The custodian of water, and your senior!"
"Pearl... My senior?"
His head tilts as he speaks. His head comes dangerously close to me, and I feel water pushed out of his nostril hit me with enough force to push me back. I shrug off the difference in size with a stern glare.
"Yes. You were created by Mom just like I was, but I was here first. So I'm your senior."
Something about what I'm saying amuses the dragon. It smirks, the expression threatening on its massive toothy face. The water moves in strong waves as the dragon descends. It slips its lengthy titanic body into the sea, its body coiled in a circle around me, as if I'm encircled in walls of scaly flesh.
"Well, Pearl, I am Levithan."
Levithan draws closer. His jaws spread wide, showing off his array of deadly bone shattering teeth. He could turn most things to red paste if he so chose. The shiny blue tinged scales look tough, too. No sword or arrow could penetrate his body. One of his massive eyes draws near, sizing me up as I struggle to keep myself from being pushed by the water. Each movement of his huge body displaces the sea.
"You may have come before me, but you are inferior to me."
I don't like his tone. Nor the way he's sneering down at me. I keep swimming to stay in place, my eyes wide as he starts to open his jaws in a more threatening manner. He's getting closer. His teeth are practically encircling me now as he speaks. Each word hits me like the eruption of a geyser.
"And this mother you speak so fondly of will answer for attempting to trap me here..."
He wants to challenge Mom?
Without any further warning Levithan snaps his massive jaws shut. The force and speed with which his teeth come down is like nothing I've ever seen. The darkness and the tingly sensation of death fast approaching engulfs me.
Just who does this piece of shit think he is?!
My hands clench into fists as I finally decide enough is enough. I can stand for a little uppity smack talk from a newbie, but trying to eat me? That's too far!
The mana around is swirling under the influence of Levithan. Of course that's none of my concern, because I'm the Mom approved custodian of water. With the twitch of my finger the water in Levithan's mouth flexes like muscle. The teeth he is undoubtedly so proud of crack. My ears ring as I force the water around me to explode outwards with enough force to dislocate even a dragon's jaw.
"Wha- Agh!"
Levithan's deep booming voice is reduced to a strangled groan of agony as I enact my will on the ocean surrounding us. The water he was so comfortable moving in is now his enemy. I whip my hand up, and the water of Farumi squeezes him tight. He flails like a lowly worm as I keep going. His huge body rises, held up by undulating tendrils of water. I surface, breathing in the air and giving him a smug smile as he panics.
"Just because you're big doesn't make you the top dog, you overgrown earthworm!"
I'll have to teach him to behave so he doesn't piss off Mom. Can't have him disobeying the rules or trying to eat people he doesn't like!
~
The sleepy atmosphere of the village is almost enough to make me feel at ease. Unfortunately, memories of that severed head I found in the dungeon are too fresh on my mind. We're going in with a few pieces of new equipment. Fresh shoes made to last with all the water. Clothing that won't get ruined when we inevitably get soaked.
We owe it to Miss Hawthorne. She's provided the items in exchange for us forking over the majority of the coins we've gotten from the dungeon. She explained that in order to make use of the money we need to keep our purchases moderate. If we start throwing around gold and silver coins like we're a couple of rich nobles it will attract the wrong kind of attention.
Naturally we all agreed with her plan. Each of us kept a tidy sum with ourselves, and Miss Hawthorne is looking into getting the money exchanged for the less conspicuous copper.
With the new gear and little else to do around the village, we're setting off again. Henry and Leah are more prepared this time. Each is carrying a weapon. Leah wields a spear traditionally used for fishing up the more elusive catches in the river. Henry is using a sword his Pa lent him, a relic from a bygone war. It is in remarkably good condition for its age.
"Are you certain you want to take point going into this, Billy?"
"Of course. Drist has done plenty, and I need the experience if I plan on getting to his level."
Drist chuckles at my words. The man is old enough to be my father, yet he's sprier than a spring chicken. I'd like to catch up to him someday. Maybe even surpass him.
We're stepping through the antechamber now. The dappled refracted blue light has a slight calming effect as we pass under it. We're in the dungeon again--Aquartis, as the door states. We walk past Rushwater Canyon. Then Upper Gunkthick Sewer. Finally we settle in front of the next accessible door. The shimmering barrier displays its name prominently.
"Farumi. Can hold up to a capacity of... eighteen people?"
Drist lets out a low whistle at the count. The level must be pretty expansive if the dungeon is letting that many people enter at a time.
"I'm entering. Stay alert, everyone."
I step beyond the threshold and into Farumi. The air here is unlike that of both the canyon and the sewer. It's humid, and smells faintly of brine. The scent of the sea burns in my nostrils as I step onto artificial stone flooring.
I'm standing on a stone structure, circular in shape. Above me a roofed awning casts a shadow. Four pillars support the roof. The door is set against a wall connecting two of the aforementioned pillars. Several standing stone lanterns of unfamiliar design circle the perimeter of the stone structure I'm standing on. Each one is lit with orange flames.
"It's safe to come through!" I shout back to the others.
Everyone comes through in single file. They seem just as confused by our surroundings as I am. We're standing on an island, but it is constructed of stone tiles and bricks. There is no sign of any natural ground here. What's more, we're surrounded on all sides by a vast expanse of dark water. Low flying clouds and a dense fog restrict our vision. The only indication there is a sun is the vaguely bright patch in the clouds overhead.
"Been a long time since I've visited the sea."
Drist' comment makes it clear he too considers this to be an ocean. The salty scent of the water and the obscured vastness of the body of water is enough to convince me. Henry and Leah are being extra cautious as they explore.
Truthfully there isn't much to see. While the previous levels have had some kind of direction, this one is little more than an isolated island in the middle of a deathly quiet sea. The water isn't moving with waves nor is it sloshing with movement. It's eerily still.
"What do you make of this?" I ask Miss Hawthorne.
She may not have been in a dungeon before Aquartis, but she's heard all kinds of reports on them. Unfortunately for all that knowledge she has little to give me at the moment.
"It's like the second level of the Daywark dungeon. Big and open, with no clear goals."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that. There's always down."
Drist' cheeky comment gets a glare from Miss Hawthorne. I of course have to agree, there is down. Seeing as we've discovered both water breathing potions--and that belt Drist is wearing--we can traverse the water like we're a school of fish.
I stop my musing to glance over at Henry and Leah. Henry is poking at one of the oddly shaped lanterns. Leah is leaning over the edge of the stone platform. She's gawking at the water below.
"Oh wow! Look at this!"
Leah calls out to us and we approach. Following her pointing finger we find the water is far from black and empty. Filling it is a number of softly glowing fish. Their scales shimmer, shapes warped by the water as they swim. Clumps of kelp float aimlessly in the water. They're suspended by nothing, their odd hovering giving me goosebumps.
The sight of it is beautiful. It also makes it clear that this level is one where we must swim. How we're meant to accomplish that when we've only got two water breathing potions, I can't say. Using the one we acquired as a group makes sense. Leah will have the last say on the potion in her possession, so we can't count on it.
"This seems like a job for me, wouldn't you say?"
Drist is wearing a smarmy grin as he adjusts the odd looking belt on his waist. The strange blue tinged leather and matching buckle make it an eye-catching trinket. I swear I see it shimmering out of the corner of my eye, but when I look at it there's never any sign of it.
"Why not give me a chance, Sir?"
I hold out my hand as a means of asking for the belt. Drist looks a little conflicted, eyeing me up and then glancing down at the water below. He finally grabs the belt and pulls it off his own waist. His black expression has me worried, but as he hands me the belt he grins wide.
"Go for it, kid! Impress me."
"Will do, Sir."