Chapter 168: 168
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"Kal I want you to close your eyes," I instruct, silently hoping to the heavens that Kal will listen to me. But my wishful thinking is simply not enough to do the trick.
Immediately, Kal shakes his head.
"No-ooo. No way Serena. Nu-uh. You truly must be insane to think that I am going to take my eyes off that monster when it is literally coming to consume our flesh and blood! I know harpies- you don't negotiate with them, and you certainly, definitely, do not close your eyes when one is about to throttle you."
Exasperated, I shake my head, running my fingers through my water logged hair in a witless attempt to get thoughts flowing into my head. There is not an inch of a notion of his face that implies for one second that he is going to be convinced. The fear in his eyes is blinding, almost as obvious as the frantic pulse of veins in his neck, his blood pumping with a heady mixture of fear and exhilaration.
It is hard, near impossible to negotiate with someone who believes their life is on the line- but what choice do I have?
"But do you see me fleeing?" I whisper harshly in the knowledge that time is draining short as I spread my arms against the water, my lax stance suggestive of no threat. "Think, Kal, think. I know you are disorientated from just awakening, but this place is riddled with illusions. And why on earth would you be seeing something that I can't? It doesn't make sense!"
But Kal doesn't buy it.
"You know what does make sense," he says quickly, his voice squeaking up an octave, darting downwards then up, avoiding some unforeseen projectile that apparently lobs itself into the water next to me. Kal's gaze never wavers from the creature in the air as he says:
"If you don't help me soon, then we will both be eaten alive."
Angrily, I slam my hand against the water, a motion violent enough to bring Kal to attention. Seething, I point to the sky.
"Snap out of it, Kal! Or you really are going to get us both killed. It's not fucking real- and it never was. So please, please, close your eyes!"
At my outburst, the flap of Kal's membranous wings halters for a moment, his motions slowing before he glances back round, a doubtful expression on his face. For a moment I think he might snap back at me- by the look that swims in his features and the disgruntled expression on his lips I can tell he very much wants to. But this time, he surprises me. Skin ever draining of its colour, he takes a deep breath, and shuts his eyes.
Thank you, I breathe inwardly, my shoulders relaxing. But by contrast, Kal's stance only gets all the more rigid, poised and stiff with anticipation. Fight or flight has long since kicked in.
"It's not real, Kal," I whisper, almost like a chant, my words of console echoing round the cavernous expanse, breathing life into the stagnant air. Water ripples beneath me, steam rising off my body from the heat of the flames under my skin as I channel power into my voice, and an ounce of glamour. The dragon's body goes fearfully rigid.
"It's just one of Azrael's illusions made to mess with your head. The more real you think it is, the more real it will become. I can't see it, Kal. It's all in your head. You need to stop believing in it."
Several moments of fantastical silence pass between us, breath bated with anticipation, our heart pounding in orchestrated unison. With each second, Kal's body becomes more and more tense, like a doll on strings, the coils and mechanics inside him tightening impossibly further, solidifying his form to stone. Water drips, waves of rippling murky water washes over me in rolling waves of cold as anticipation clings to my throat. But there is no impact, no scare, only Kal hovering mid air, rooted firmly to the spot.
No harpy comes.
After about a minute has gone by, he tentatively opens one eye, then the other, gaze wide and darting, his breath fleeting in his throat. Jerking his head around, he scans this way and that, a look of perplexity and utter foolishness crossing over his features.
Realisation hits him with a slow but dawning expression, fear falling from his face like water off a window pane, the dull fear in his eyes simmering to a look of mere confusion.
Nervously, he twiddles his gloved hands.
"I genuinely thought I was going to be consumed there," he laughs apprehensively, the muscles of his body relaxing as he sinks lower to face me above the water. He continues to stretch out his fingers, expelling the pent up fear from his body in a series of quick flexes. The humiliation that resides on is enough to give me second hand embarrassment. "Genuinely, I thought I was a goner. Thanks, Serena."
Carelessly, I wave him off.
"Don't mention it. But you do have to be really careful. Too much belief in these illusions and they start to manifest. And then it becomes a nightmare for both of us, in every sense of the word. So here is what I propose," I state, lifting a finger out of the water to abate him into silence, which he does so respectfully.
"Before we start panicking and shooting fireballs around this cavern- the integrity of which I would rather not find out first hand, I think we first need to determine if the threat is real. No doubt there will be creatures in here which aren't illusions since I have seen some myself, but there are going to be plenty that are. So, since I have you, this is how we are going to determine it. If only one of us can see the creature, it's an illusion, hands down. I think I might be able to tell either way if something is an illusion, it causes my necklace to go haywire," I laugh lightly, holding it up between my fingers for Kal to observe. He takes a moment to scan over the blood fighting against the glass seal, obviously disgusted. I give another laugh, continuing.
"However, if we both can, it's probably real and we are going to have to fight it- assuming it's not friendly."
At this, Kal voices a begrudging scoff.
"Nothing down here is going to be friendly. I thought we already established that," he says with a roll of his eyes. Glancing down into the water once more, I suddenly have a sinking suspicion that that might not be quite so true. But instead of voicing my concerns I merely add:
"Well, I found some interesting things down there, but I suppose we will have to see. But just in case, yes, best be on our guard.
"Alright, I like this plan." He nods a few times in affirmation, letting the words sink in. I give Kal a moment to fully rid himself of his fear, continuing to tread water as I desperately try not to think about exactly what might be lurking beneath my feet. Its easy for Kal- the air is easy to traverse, and if there is something coming at you, its practically visible from a mile away. But the waters are dark, murky, and littered with enough debris to make everything appear a monster if you let yourself imagine it.
Ponderously, Kal pulls his arms over himself, a brittle edge to his voice when he says:
"There is pretty much nothing but water in this cavern. A few islands that are mostly just mounds of earth with crystals jutting out from them. I found a weird diadem, but that's also when I got attacked by a harpy, so I didn't see much else. I think it's safe to say that the exit isn't above ground though."
I raise my brow inquisitively.
"Diadem?" I ask, struggling to maintain my position afloat on top of the water. Disgustedly, I spit out a few mouthfuls of murky water that I accidently swallow in an oncoming wave, causing Kal to wince, glancing away to spare me my dignity. Meanwhile, he fishes around in his pocket, grappling for something I cannot see, before at last he hooks it out, dangling it on the edge of his fingers to hold it out to me. I refrain from touching it, or doing anything at all, too terrified of the prospect that I might drop it into the murky abyss below me and never see it again.
The thought alone is enough to send shivers trembling down my spine. Scowling, I push that thought away.
Heavens know what lurks beneath these watery depths, waiting for me to sink to the bottom to tear at my flesh like a shark ripping through a seal. I have heard tales of what lives in the murky depths of the ocean, mostly scary stories that the council would tell me in my younger years, when I was still obedient enough to sit around a fire and listen. In the far east of Faey there were Krakens, great big monsters with coiling tentacles and a wide gaping maw, famed for guzzling down the lives of unsuspecting Faey folk when they strayed too far into its territory. Merfolk of all shapes and sizes, some half sharks with a viscous array of pointed teeth and an uncanny taste for mortal flesh, others more gentle, tending to their underground gardens or building underground empires from which they would eternally rule. There are kelpies and selkies, sprites and grindylows, and then, of course, there are the all famous sirens.
In a place like this, with a creator as sick and twisted as Azrael, the possibility of such a happening only seems to become greater at the minute.. Whatever lies beneath these waters, I have no doubt that I will not enjoy meeting it.
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"Kal I want you to close your eyes," I instruct, silently hoping to the heavens that Kal will listen to me. But my wishful thinking is simply not enough to do the trick.
Immediately, Kal shakes his head.
"No-ooo. No way Serena. Nu-uh. You truly must be insane to think that I am going to take my eyes off that monster when it is literally coming to consume our flesh and blood! I know harpies- you don't negotiate with them, and you certainly, definitely, do not close your eyes when one is about to throttle you."
Exasperated, I shake my head, running my fingers through my water logged hair in a witless attempt to get thoughts flowing into my head. There is not an inch of a notion of his face that implies for one second that he is going to be convinced. The fear in his eyes is blinding, almost as obvious as the frantic pulse of veins in his neck, his blood pumping with a heady mixture of fear and exhilaration.
It is hard, near impossible to negotiate with someone who believes their life is on the line- but what choice do I have?
"But do you see me fleeing?" I whisper harshly in the knowledge that time is draining short as I spread my arms against the water, my lax stance suggestive of no threat. "Think, Kal, think. I know you are disorientated from just awakening, but this place is riddled with illusions. And why on earth would you be seeing something that I can't? It doesn't make sense!"
But Kal doesn't buy it.
"You know what does make sense," he says quickly, his voice squeaking up an octave, darting downwards then up, avoiding some unforeseen projectile that apparently lobs itself into the water next to me. Kal's gaze never wavers from the creature in the air as he says:
"If you don't help me soon, then we will both be eaten alive."
Angrily, I slam my hand against the water, a motion violent enough to bring Kal to attention. Seething, I point to the sky.
"Snap out of it, Kal! Or you really are going to get us both killed. It's not fucking real- and it never was. So please, please, close your eyes!"
At my outburst, the flap of Kal's membranous wings halters for a moment, his motions slowing before he glances back round, a doubtful expression on his face. For a moment I think he might snap back at me- by the look that swims in his features and the disgruntled expression on his lips I can tell he very much wants to. But this time, he surprises me. Skin ever draining of its colour, he takes a deep breath, and shuts his eyes.
Thank you, I breathe inwardly, my shoulders relaxing. But by contrast, Kal's stance only gets all the more rigid, poised and stiff with anticipation. Fight or flight has long since kicked in.
"It's not real, Kal," I whisper, almost like a chant, my words of console echoing round the cavernous expanse, breathing life into the stagnant air. Water ripples beneath me, steam rising off my body from the heat of the flames under my skin as I channel power into my voice, and an ounce of glamour. The dragon's body goes fearfully rigid.
"It's just one of Azrael's illusions made to mess with your head. The more real you think it is, the more real it will become. I can't see it, Kal. It's all in your head. You need to stop believing in it."
Several moments of fantastical silence pass between us, breath bated with anticipation, our heart pounding in orchestrated unison. With each second, Kal's body becomes more and more tense, like a doll on strings, the coils and mechanics inside him tightening impossibly further, solidifying his form to stone. Water drips, waves of rippling murky water washes over me in rolling waves of cold as anticipation clings to my throat. But there is no impact, no scare, only Kal hovering mid air, rooted firmly to the spot.
No harpy comes.
After about a minute has gone by, he tentatively opens one eye, then the other, gaze wide and darting, his breath fleeting in his throat. Jerking his head around, he scans this way and that, a look of perplexity and utter foolishness crossing over his features.
Realisation hits him with a slow but dawning expression, fear falling from his face like water off a window pane, the dull fear in his eyes simmering to a look of mere confusion.
Nervously, he twiddles his gloved hands.
"I genuinely thought I was going to be consumed there," he laughs apprehensively, the muscles of his body relaxing as he sinks lower to face me above the water. He continues to stretch out his fingers, expelling the pent up fear from his body in a series of quick flexes. The humiliation that resides on is enough to give me second hand embarrassment. "Genuinely, I thought I was a goner. Thanks, Serena."
Carelessly, I wave him off.
"Don't mention it. But you do have to be really careful. Too much belief in these illusions and they start to manifest. And then it becomes a nightmare for both of us, in every sense of the word. So here is what I propose," I state, lifting a finger out of the water to abate him into silence, which he does so respectfully.
"Before we start panicking and shooting fireballs around this cavern- the integrity of which I would rather not find out first hand, I think we first need to determine if the threat is real. No doubt there will be creatures in here which aren't illusions since I have seen some myself, but there are going to be plenty that are. So, since I have you, this is how we are going to determine it. If only one of us can see the creature, it's an illusion, hands down. I think I might be able to tell either way if something is an illusion, it causes my necklace to go haywire," I laugh lightly, holding it up between my fingers for Kal to observe. He takes a moment to scan over the blood fighting against the glass seal, obviously disgusted. I give another laugh, continuing.
"However, if we both can, it's probably real and we are going to have to fight it- assuming it's not friendly."
At this, Kal voices a begrudging scoff.
"Nothing down here is going to be friendly. I thought we already established that," he says with a roll of his eyes. Glancing down into the water once more, I suddenly have a sinking suspicion that that might not be quite so true. But instead of voicing my concerns I merely add:
"Well, I found some interesting things down there, but I suppose we will have to see. But just in case, yes, best be on our guard.
"Alright, I like this plan." He nods a few times in affirmation, letting the words sink in. I give Kal a moment to fully rid himself of his fear, continuing to tread water as I desperately try not to think about exactly what might be lurking beneath my feet. Its easy for Kal- the air is easy to traverse, and if there is something coming at you, its practically visible from a mile away. But the waters are dark, murky, and littered with enough debris to make everything appear a monster if you let yourself imagine it.
Ponderously, Kal pulls his arms over himself, a brittle edge to his voice when he says:
"There is pretty much nothing but water in this cavern. A few islands that are mostly just mounds of earth with crystals jutting out from them. I found a weird diadem, but that's also when I got attacked by a harpy, so I didn't see much else. I think it's safe to say that the exit isn't above ground though."
I raise my brow inquisitively.
"Diadem?" I ask, struggling to maintain my position afloat on top of the water. Disgustedly, I spit out a few mouthfuls of murky water that I accidently swallow in an oncoming wave, causing Kal to wince, glancing away to spare me my dignity. Meanwhile, he fishes around in his pocket, grappling for something I cannot see, before at last he hooks it out, dangling it on the edge of his fingers to hold it out to me. I refrain from touching it, or doing anything at all, too terrified of the prospect that I might drop it into the murky abyss below me and never see it again.
The thought alone is enough to send shivers trembling down my spine. Scowling, I push that thought away.
Heavens know what lurks beneath these watery depths, waiting for me to sink to the bottom to tear at my flesh like a shark ripping through a seal. I have heard tales of what lives in the murky depths of the ocean, mostly scary stories that the council would tell me in my younger years, when I was still obedient enough to sit around a fire and listen. In the far east of Faey there were Krakens, great big monsters with coiling tentacles and a wide gaping maw, famed for guzzling down the lives of unsuspecting Faey folk when they strayed too far into its territory. Merfolk of all shapes and sizes, some half sharks with a viscous array of pointed teeth and an uncanny taste for mortal flesh, others more gentle, tending to their underground gardens or building underground empires from which they would eternally rule. There are kelpies and selkies, sprites and grindylows, and then, of course, there are the all famous sirens.
In a place like this, with a creator as sick and twisted as Azrael, the possibility of such a happening only seems to become greater at the minute.. Whatever lies beneath these waters, I have no doubt that I will not enjoy meeting it.
"Kal I want you to close your eyes," I instruct, silently hoping to the heavens that Kal will listen to me. But my wishful thinking is simply not enough to do the trick. Immediately, Kal shakes his head."No-ooo. No way Serena. Nu-uh. You truly must be insane to think that I am going to take my eyes off that monster when it is literally coming to consume our flesh and blood! I know harpies- you don't negotiate with them, and you certainly, definitely, do not close your eyes when one is about to throttle you."Exasperated, I shake my head, running my fingers through my water logged hair in a witless attempt to get thoughts flowing into my head. There is not an inch of a notion of his face that implies for one second that he is going to be convinced. The fear in his eyes is blinding, almost as obvious as the frantic pulse of veins in his neck, his blood pumping with a heady mixture of fear and exhilaration. It is hard, near impossible to negotiate with someone who believes their life is on the line- but what choice do I have?"But do you see me fleeing?" I whisper harshly in the knowledge that time is draining short as I spread my arms against the water, my lax stance suggestive of no threat. "Think, Kal, think. I know you are disorientated from just awakening, but this place is riddled with illusions. And why on earth would you be seeing something that I can't? It doesn't make sense!"But Kal doesn't buy it."You know what does make sense," he says quickly, his voice squeaking up an octave, darting downwards then up, avoiding some unforeseen projectile that apparently lobs itself into the water next to me. Kal's gaze never wavers from the creature in the air as he says:"If you don't help me soon, then we will both be eaten alive."Angrily, I slam my hand against the water, a motion violent enough to bring Kal to attention. Seething, I point to the sky."Snap out of it, Kal! Or you really are going to get us both killed. It's not fucking real- and it never was. So please, please, close your eyes!"At my outburst, the flap of Kal's membranous wings halters for a moment, his motions slowing before he glances back round, a doubtful expression on his face. For a moment I think he might snap back at me- by the look that swims in his features and the disgruntled expression on his lips I can tell he very much wants to. But this time, he surprises me. Skin ever draining of its colour, he takes a deep breath, and shuts his eyes.Thank you, I breathe inwardly, my shoulders relaxing. But by contrast, Kal's stance only gets all the more rigid, poised and stiff with anticipation. Fight or flight has long since kicked in."It's not real, Kal," I whisper, almost like a chant, my words of console echoing round the cavernous expanse, breathing life into the stagnant air. Water ripples beneath me, steam rising off my body from the heat of the flames under my skin as I channel power into my voice, and an ounce of glamour. The dragon's body goes fearfully rigid."It's just one of Azrael's illusions made to mess with your head. The more real you think it is, the more real it will become. I can't see it, Kal. It's all in your head. You need to stop believing in it."Several moments of fantastical silence pass between us, breath bated with anticipation, our heart pounding in orchestrated unison. With each second, Kal's body becomes more and more tense, like a doll on strings, the coils and mechanics inside him tightening impossibly further, solidifying his form to stone. Water drips, waves of rippling murky water washes over me in rolling waves of cold as anticipation clings to my throat. But there is no impact, no scare, only Kal hovering mid air, rooted firmly to the spot.No harpy comes.After about a minute has gone by, he tentatively opens one eye, then the other, gaze wide and darting, his breath fleeting in his throat. Jerking his head around, he scans this way and that, a look of perplexity and utter foolishness crossing over his features.Realisation hits him with a slow but dawning expression, fear falling from his face like water off a window pane, the dull fear in his eyes simmering to a look of mere confusion.Nervously, he twiddles his gloved hands."I genuinely thought I was going to be consumed there," he laughs apprehensively, the muscles of his body relaxing as he sinks lower to face me above the water. He continues to stretch out his fingers, expelling the pent up fear from his body in a series of quick flexes. The humiliation that resides on is enough to give me second hand embarrassment. "Genuinely, I thought I was a goner. Thanks, Serena."Carelessly, I wave him off."Don't mention it. But you do have to be really careful. Too much belief in these illusions and they start to manifest. And then it becomes a nightmare for both of us, in every sense of the word. So here is what I propose," I state, lifting a finger out of the water to abate him into silence, which he does so respectfully. "Before we start panicking and shooting fireballs around this cavern- the integrity of which I would rather not find out first hand, I think we first need to determine if the threat is real. No doubt there will be creatures in here which aren't illusions since I have seen some myself, but there are going to be plenty that are. So, since I have you, this is how we are going to determine it. If only one of us can see the creature, it's an illusion, hands down. I think I might be able to tell either way if something is an illusion, it causes my necklace to go haywire," I laugh lightly, holding it up between my fingers for Kal to observe. He takes a moment to scan over the blood fighting against the glass seal, obviously disgusted. I give another laugh, continuing."However, if we both can, it's probably real and we are going to have to fight it- assuming it's not friendly."At this, Kal voices a begrudging scoff."Nothing down here is going to be friendly. I thought we already established that," he says with a roll of his eyes. Glancing down into the water once more, I suddenly have a sinking suspicion that that might not be quite so true. But instead of voicing my concerns I merely add:"Well, I found some interesting things down there, but I suppose we will have to see. But just in case, yes, best be on our guard."Alright, I like this plan." He nods a few times in affirmation, letting the words sink in. I give Kal a moment to fully rid himself of his fear, continuing to tread water as I desperately try not to think about exactly what might be lurking beneath my feet. Its easy for Kal- the air is easy to traverse, and if there is something coming at you, its practically visible from a mile away. But the waters are dark, murky, and littered with enough debris to make everything appear a monster if you let yourself imagine it.Ponderously, Kal pulls his arms over himself, a brittle edge to his voice when he says:"There is pretty much nothing but water in this cavern. A few islands that are mostly just mounds of earth with crystals jutting out from them. I found a weird diadem, but that's also when I got attacked by a harpy, so I didn't see much else. I think it's safe to say that the exit isn't above ground though."I raise my brow inquisitively."Diadem?" I ask, struggling to maintain my position afloat on top of the water. Disgustedly, I spit out a few mouthfuls of murky water that I accidently swallow in an oncoming wave, causing Kal to wince, glancing away to spare me my dignity. Meanwhile, he fishes around in his pocket, grappling for something I cannot see, before at last he hooks it out, dangling it on the edge of his fingers to hold it out to me. I refrain from touching it, or doing anything at all, too terrified of the prospect that I might drop it into the murky abyss below me and never see it again.The thought alone is enough to send shivers trembling down my spine. Scowling, I push that thought away. Heavens know what lurks beneath these watery depths, waiting for me to sink to the bottom to tear at my flesh like a shark ripping through a seal. I have heard tales of what lives in the murky depths of the ocean, mostly scary stories that the council would tell me in my younger years, when I was still obedient enough to sit around a fire and listen. In the far east of Faey there were Krakens, great big monsters with coiling tentacles and a wide gaping maw, famed for guzzling down the lives of unsuspecting Faey folk when they strayed too far into its territory. Merfolk of all shapes and sizes, some half sharks with a viscous array of pointed teeth and an uncanny taste for mortal flesh, others more gentle, tending to their underground gardens or building underground empires from which they would eternally rule. There are kelpies and selkies, sprites and grindylows, and then, of course, there are the all famous sirens.In a place like this, with a creator as sick and twisted as Azrael, the possibility of such a happening only seems to become greater at the minute.. Whatever lies beneath these waters, I have no doubt that I will not enjoy meeting it.
