“It seems I misjudged you, Underkin.” Valen took on a tone of mock sincerity, as if talking to a child. “Clearly you were not listening, or perhaps you were not able to follow our conversation. Do you remember when Deekus was talking about air? Air under deep water gets crushed you know.” Valen exemplified his point by summoning a ball of green light between his hands, compressing it to a smaller size.
Storn laughed again, but he was the only one. Sitra punched him in the shoulder with a deep thud.
“I didn’t say anything about using air,” Cole murmured in a voice barely heard over the waves. His tone was much softer and higher than he would have liked. Taking a deep breath, he continued, projecting his voice, “We don’t need to use air. I think the trick is the flat lenses. If one of you could change the shape of our eyes to make the surface flatter, then I think we could see clearly underwater.”
Deekus slowly turned his head towards Cole, giving him a look of surprised appraisal. “Well done, Cole. Sometimes the most beautiful solution is the simplest one.”
Chapter 16
Descent
Cole waded into the warm water, waves crashing over his bare legs. He blinked rapidly. His newly flattened eyes did a poor job seeing out of water. The others were ahead of him, holding their hands up to their throats, jade light flashing in between their fingers before diving into the water.
“Are you ready?” Lileth asked, her form silhouetted in front of Oberon as she looked down at him.
Cole panted in anticipation. This was the part he was most scared of. “Yes.”
Lileth crouched, wrapping her soft yet powerful hands around his ribcage. Under the riot of Fear and apprehension, he felt a sudden comfort and pleasure at her touch. An emerald glow lit the sharp features of her face as he felt the Wisdom shock its way through him. Cole felt in his lungs an annoying burning that soon throbbed into unbearable pain. He coughed, clapping his hands to his throat. He couldn’t breathe. His chest was heaving, filling his lungs over and over but he still felt as if he were drowning. Lileth’s eyes drew him out of his panic, steadying him for what must be done. She readjusted her hands, wrapping one firmly around Cole’s thigh and the other around his head. In one smooth motion she flipped him downside up and held him under the water. Cole struggled, fighting with all his might as he choked to death. He pulled at her fingers, trying to break one free, but her grip was as steel. He coughed again, swallowing salty water as his free leg kicked at Lileth like a wild animal trapped in a snare. His lungs burned for oxygen, his instincts overrode his focus. He inhaled. A mouthful of water rushed into his lungs, quenching the fire. Seizing a temporary moment of clarity, he threw his primal urges against his Fear, sucking a bigger breath this time. The relief was immediate. He inhaled fully, dousing the fire entirely. It was awkward and very uncomfortable, but he forced himself to keep breathing as soothing seawater replaced the air in his chest.
Sensing that he was no longer struggling, Lileth released him. Cole floated below the surface, watching with crystal clear vision as Lileth flashed a green palm to her throat and dove in. She locked eyes with Cole, relief softening her features. The same part of him that enjoyed her touch hummed with satisfaction as he beheld the worry on her face. Cole nodded, giving her a casual thumbs-up.
Cole followed, wiggling his way through the shallows, amazed at the clarity of the rippling sand and darting fish. Deekus alone was able to flatten the surface of all of their eyes, showering Cole with praise all the while. Cole felt a swell of pride as he navigated the water. He’d actually contributed something to the group! No longer was he the useless pretend-Underkin. He may be half their size and unable to do magic, but now he was worth something. His ideas were valuable and they would be listened to from now on. He replayed the moment over in his mind, savoring the sour look on Valen’s face and reveling in how very impressed the rest of the group looked.
There was a surprising number of fish in the shallows. Each was a different color and none were shy. A few brave cichlids swiped by, taking an investigatory peck at Cole’s feet and belly. He reached out slowly, stroking the flank of one that looked like a zebra-striped football. As they swam into the deep, a light crunching and cracking filled the water, as if someone were chewing rock candy right next to him. The din grew louder, but he couldn’t identify the source as it sounded as if it came from all directions. Deeper they went, the sandy floor now darkening beyond the reach of Oberon’s rainbow shower. Cole’s limbs ached from the constant paddling. His chest muscles pained him as well. Water was much harder to breathe than air.
The sand dropped, giving way to a vibrant reef curated with towering spires and sweeping fins with tasseled arms. Fish surged about in droves, as if rushing through their morning commute. Cole allowed himself a moment to imagine he was simply on a tropical vacation, like a normal person. He was just scuba diving with some friends. The others were still far ahead. Cole could just barely make out four little figures floating in the distance with streams of bubbles trailing from their heads.
Lileth looked back and Cole gave her another thumbs-up. She gave him a bargaining expression, holding out a foot and pointing to it. Cole begrudgingly took hold of her ankle. He didn’t want her assistance, but he knew he was slowing everyone down. He paddled along with his legs, imagining how stupid he must look. With her arms alone, Lileth powered them through the water like a racing falcon. Cole had to remind himself that he was not useless, that there was still an important job that only he could do. She led them deeper, gliding over the shoals of fish cutting in and out of the coral city. Cole watched as a yellow spear-shaped object shot at a cluster of coral, producing a small click on impact. Realization struck him as Cole saw dozens of other fish doing the same thing. The fish pecking at the coral was the source of all that clicking and crunching. The sound carried much farther than he would have thought.
They left the city of coral behind, making for the deep cold where they could no longer hear the reef’s chorus. Cole detached from Lileth when they neared the rest of the group, paddling through the last stretch by himself.
Dense silence permeated the chilly water. Oberon’s light was a mere ghostly pallor, its silky shafts fading into the void below. Cole’s resolve felt like a card castle before a steady breeze. The surface felt like a mile away, and he didn’t want to guess how far down the floor was. Following Valen’s lead, they descended into the empty murk. Chilled Fear tickled over Cole’s heart like an eager spider. Soon he would be alone in the crushing darkness.
Their descent took them to nowhere, surrounded by nothing but empty silence. Cole squinted, barely able to make out the shadows of the others. Someone stopped and pointing to their throat. The others nodded in confirmation; they had gone as far as they could. While Cole’s lungs were full of water, the rest of the group’s were full of air and they could go no deeper. They formed a circle, six thin streams of bubbles trailing towards the surface. Valen’s shadow went to the middle and addressed each of them, running his glowing hands over their bodies. He didn’t seem to put as much effort in when it was Cole’s turn. When Valen completed his circuit, he closed his eyes, face slackening. As he popped his eyes open, soft white light engulfed each member of the unit. Cole couldn’t help but notice that his light didn’t seem as bright as the rest.
Eliza approached Cole, kissing the tips of her first two fingers. The water around her fingertips thickened and warped with magic. She brought the magic to Cole’s chest, transferring the Passion into his skin. He didn’t feel anything, but her confident smile told him the spell had been successful. The predators of the deep would not trouble him.
The unit dispersed as planned. Everyone had their job. Lileth, Deekus, and Eliza hovered pensively as they maintained the various spells needed to keep the group alive at such depth. Valen, Sitra and Storn shot off like clawed torpedoes, running laps around the others, ready to defend against any of the predators of the deep. Eliza assured Cole that since she only had to maintain her si
ngle spell on him, he would have no trouble from any creature. Cole steeled himself for his part. It was time.
Cole flipped upside-down and made for the bottom. If it weren’t for the lights of the others he wouldn’t know which way was down in the weightless, featureless void. He descended one stroke at a time as his imagination assaulted him with sea monsters and giant sharks. He felt supremely vulnerable and helplessly small with nothing around but miles of unknown. With every stroke he wanted to turn back. Back to the safety and security of his giant spell-casting friends. Back to dry land, never to step foot in the ocean again.
Just as he began to wonder if he would ever see the bottom, he realized he had been looking at it for some time now. The grey sandy floor only made itself visible by the shining circles that peppered the bottom, as well as the shadows cast by two large animals. Cole froze. The creatures glided along the floor, appearing as large and thick as pickup trucks. They looked and moved like sharks, though their heads would be more at home on a crocodile. The largest one turned to face him. Its entire eye was solid black but there was no doubt it was looking directly at him. It shot for him with a swish of its tail, the smaller one following. Sickening dread blossomed in Cole’s chest, setting his heart fluttering its final beats. Before he could so much as raise a hand in defense, the shark was upon him, its jagged maw wide and ravenous. The creature halted abruptly, turning as it surveyed him with its empty, lifeless eyes. It snapped its elongated jaws, which were easily big enough for a man to lie comfortably inside. Cole flinched, chest shaking and heart hammering. The creature paused a moment longer as though thinking him over, then slunk off into the shadows with its fellow trailing behind.
Eliza’s spell had worked. Though the crippling Fear still shook his limbs, he wished the sharks had stayed within sight. He didn’t want to be surprised by them. Gathering himself, he made for the ocean floor. Even though he could see the bottom now it took him minutes to reach it. He stopped a moment, looking back to the surface. The lights from the others were nowhere to be seen. Cole hoped that it was only because his unit was so far away, though he began to wonder what he would do if they abandoned him.
His feet ploughed into the pillow-soft bottom, silt mushing between his toes as he half-walked, half-paddled his way over to the crest of the ventus coral. The opening was about a foot wide, its rough-cut rim barely visibly above the silt. As he neared the ventus coral, the current wrestled him as little motes floated in and out of its opening. He had to time this perfectly, or risk having an arm sucked into the hole. He waited. The particles eventually slowed, then reversed direction. This was his chance. He set himself over the hole, fingers outstretched, ready to grasp the gratia stone and kick off before the current changed. Deep within the tube he saw something rising, glinting in his dim ambient light. The gratia stone shot up, slowing to a halt just below the rim. Desperately, Cole lunged and wrapped his fingers around its smooth surface, unable to get a good grip. As soon as the current hinted at a change in direction, he released the gratia stone, kicking madly away. Water rushed back in and the stone shot back down the coral tube.
Heart hammering, he looked around for the sharks. There was nothing in the immediate area, save for a spindly crustacean scuttling by. He hoped to see a single light above from his unit, but there was nothing. He would give the stone a few more tries, but he was fully prepared to return and accept their disappointment. The oppressive darkness of the featureless bottom gave him an unsettling sort of claustrophobia.
The current shifted, warmer water rushing up from the ventus coral. Cole settled himself above the hole again, pushing his hands inside. The gratia stone rushed up again, this time into Cole’s waiting fingers. Grip sure, he planted his feet and kicked off with everything he had. The stone resisted with some unseen force, but broke free as soon as it breached the rim. Cradling his prize in one arm, he kicked at the water, paddling for the surface. He had a strange feeling he wasn’t moving, however. Looking down, Cole gasped as the floating specks rushed back into the hole. Before he knew it, he was floating inexorably downwards, faster with every heartbeat. He thrashed, trying to move himself anywhere but down. The sharks returned, taking interest in his flailing. The coral had him now. Mind racing, he allowed the current to pull him, spreading his legs into a wide squatting stance. His feet met the silt-laden bed on either side of the hole, striking soundlessly yet firmly. The current yanked him down, nearly sucking the stone out of his arms. It was all he could do to maintain balance and hold onto his prize. The sharks circled faster now.
When the coral finished its breath, Cole kicked off again, moving painfully slowly as the sharks raced about. One of the predators shot so close that Cole could feel the swish of its tail. In a flash of movement, it was level with him, black eye staring right through. Had Eliza’s spell worn off already? Faster than Cole could blink, the shark dove down to the floor and clamped the same spindle-legged crustacean in its terrible jaws. A hard cracking interrupted the empty silence as the beast fed.
After paddling for far too long, Cole was back with his unit. He offered the stone to Eliza, but she pulled Cole into a tight hug, conveying all of her comfort and affections through the contact. The Fear that coated Cole’s insides melted away. Welcoming the Passion, he wrapped his free arm around her muscled back, squeezing tightly. She leaned away, placing a hand over his heart, her smile as warm as their fire on the beach. Cole pressed the stone into her arms. His courage restored, he returned to the blackness for another stone.
He made the trip twice more, the last stone so heavy that he almost had to leave it on the bottom. The sharks were there every time, waiting for his light to draw in more of the crunchy crustaceans. Cole actually looked forward to seeing them on his final trip, but they shot off into the darkness soon after his appearance. Confused by the sudden change in their behavior, Cole twisted around in the darkness. His eyes scanned the void, snapping wide when something the size of an office building floated near. If he could have screamed he would have, but the only sound to emit was a dull rushing of water. The thing was somehow darker than the water around it, and so vast that Cole had mistaken it for the void around him.
Cole held his breath and tucked his limbs into his chest, wishing himself invisible until the leviathan passed, leaving him alone once more. He decided he’d had enough. He had recovered three gratia stones to repay his broken one. The debt was paid. Cole set his mind for the surface and swished his way back to his unit.
Eliza signaled to the others with a rapid pulsing from her hand. One by one the unit returned, forming their circle of lanterns. Lileth’s face sagged with exhaustion. Valen waved his hands defensively as the unit started for the surface. He jabbed a finger at Cole, then back towards the bottom. Cole shook his head slowly, donning a look of pleading as he attempted to convey the severity of his weariness.
Valen’s lips curled, disgusted. He faced Deekus, inclining his head with a look of challenge. Deekus cocked his head, lips pouted in contemplation. He locked eyes with Valen, smiling with a quick nod. Deekus brought his hands to his ribs, emerald light beaming from in between his fingers. His face went slack in forced calm as he expelled a geyser of air from his mouth, with hollow chugging sounds. He breathed rapidly, clearing the rest of the air from his lungs. Deekus now seemed less focused, appearing almost drunk as he smiled and swayed. He bowed to the circle before shooting off into the darkness below.
Cole wasn’t sure what made him do it, but he tore after Deekus, following his soft glow into the darkness. They didn’t go to the place where Cole had found his stones, however. They went farther from shore, towards the omnistones Chiron had warned them about. Deekus slowed his pace when he recognized Cole swimming after him, offering an ankle as Lileth had.
The ocean floor came into view, but it ended abruptly with a rocky cliff. They alighted on the edge, gazing down into a void so profoundly empty that Cole felt as though he’d lose himself if he stared too long. Deekus placed a hand on Cole’s
shoulder, shrugging towards the surface. Cole knew what that look meant; he could turn back now without shame. Cole frowned and shook his head, clasping Deekus’s arm. Deekus gave him a drunken smile, bowing his head in thanks. He then tilted his head and plunged over the cliff, moving without paddling. Cole grabbed his ankle and the two sank like an iron spear into the abyss.
Cole was terrified, but knew it couldn’t be worse than doing it alone with sharks. This time he had a spell-casting giant with him. The descent didn’t take as long as he expected, thanks to Deekus’s magic propelling them along. Cole recognized the ventus coral and gratia stones nearby, though they were several times larger. The floor was a bit softer and squishier than the shelf above, and the ventus coral breathed with such force that it was audible. Cole paddled away from the opening, keeping far outside the reach of its current. Deekus, on the other hand, swam closer without hesitation. A small part of Cole worried at the slightly vacant, drunken look on his friend’s face. He hoped Deekus wasn’t exerting himself too much maintaining his spells. Cole dismissed his doubts, however. He knew nothing about magic and Deekus was one of the most adept in his unit.
Deekus approached the hole a little too soon in Cole’s opinion, as the current was still inhaling. It pulled Deekus violently off balance. Deekus corrected himself, laughing silently as the current halted. As Cole had done on the shelf above, Deekus planted himself above the coral, waiting to snatch the gratia stone when it reached the crest. The exhaling coral was powerful enough to lift Deekus’s giant frame off the floor, making him look like some absurd parade float. Deekus righted himself as the current slowed, eyes lit with recognition. He reached down into the coral and without any apparent effort, pulled out a large milky omnistone.
Saving The Dark Side: Book 1: The Devotion Page 26