Chapter 123: Servants of Ao Guang
Grim remained standing before the wall carving, lost in thought, when he felt a presence behind him. A subtle shift in the air. It felt like he was being watched. He turned slowly.
The three sea creatures had returned. They stood just a few paces away, their blue-tinted skin glistening in the strange light. Up close, Grim could see more details – gills on their necks, webbed fingers gripping their tridents, eyes that were completely black without whites or visible pupils.
Their armor appeared to be made from the same material as the fragments he’d found scattered through the ruins. Overlapping plates that resembled shell or scale.
One of them, slightly taller than the others with a crest of what looked like coral growing from its head, took a step forward. It made no aggressive movements, but Grim’s hand went instinctively to his sword hilt.
From the corner of his eye, Grim saw movement at the far end of the temple. Lianna and Huangyan had spotted the creatures and were now hurrying toward him, weapons drawn.
The lead creature noticed too. With a swift motion, it struck the butt of its trident against the stone floor. The sound echoed through the temple – a clear, ringing note like a bell struck underwater.
Where the trident touched the ground, water began to rise. Not flowing in from elsewhere, but seemingly materializing from the stone itself. It rose rapidly, forming a transparent barrier that stretched from floor to ceiling, cutting Grim off from his companions.
Lianna reached the wall first, striking it a fire javelin. Grim could see her mouth moving, shouting his name, but no sound penetrated the barrier. Huangyan pulled her weapon and stroked the barrier as well. No steam, just resistance as the water moved as it was attacked. They couldn’t get through the barrier.
The lead creature made a series of clicking and whistling sounds, clearly trying to communicate. When Grim shook his head to indicate he couldn’t understand, the creature reached into a pouch at its waist and withdrew something small that glinted in the light.
It held the object out to Grim – a small, pearl-like orb with a soft blue glow. It than demonstrated placing a similar orb it already wore against the side of its neck, where it adhered to the skin.
The creature than threw the pearl to Grim. It felt warm in his palm, almost alive. Following the creature’s example, he placed it against the side of his neck.