Yugawaralite
TEO
The parting caves are a sacred place in Enduvida. They create a direct channel between our city and the open ocean. After the Great War five decades ago, we started coming here to send the Enduares to be home with their family members.
There is a set of stone doors left wide open, letting out the sound of a massive waterfall crashing down on stone, drenching the air in a humid mist. This mist is neither dark nor cold like the vaimpír’s mist, but it still reminds me of death. Carvings from our ancestors line the walls, illuminated by both spell lights and glowing crystals along the wall.
After an endless day of planning this trip, I could deduce that they would lead us to the deeper ocean, despite no living Enduar knowing their exact course into open water.
While the unknown is uncomfortable, I’m confident everything will work out. It is fortunate that we have a lower entry point to the sea than the beaches outside the mountain—it will save us time.
“Iravida was destroyed, sunken, and moved in the eruption.It used to be much further out, but the volcano made the plates shift when it destroyed our old home,” Liana explains to Thorne as Flova makes final adjustments to his suit’s fit. The wise woman then bites the crystal piercing in her lip and smooths her hands over the clear material, tuning the harmony of the suit.
Unlike our fun in the pools, we are all given leather clothing to put under our protective gear. The ocean can be dangerously cold and we need to have a layer of insulation.
Vann is already completely suited up and ready to leave. Estela stands at my side, quiet, but just as fascinated as I am. She continues to talk to Flova, and I walk to the tall companion in the corner.
“Are you ready?” I ask.
Vann nods. “It has to be today?”
The question surprises me; Vann isn’t typically one to be so upfront about his reservations or fears. I nod firmly. His eyes travel back to the crashing waters.
The roar fills my ears with such force that it resembles the rhythmic pulse and beat of war drums.
“The test yesterday was perfectly fine. You came back in perfect health. We will be fine—I trust Flova.”
“I do too, but I have never spent much time in the water. They told us that we would only have four days under the ocean, but we don’t know if that will truly be enough.”
“I’ve spent time calculating—” I start.
“Damn your calculations. Perhaps you shouldn’t even go with us. Sending the king and queen into some dark, cavernous hole? Where is the sense in this?”
I frown, remembering what he said to me about going on all these dangerous missions. “There was time to bring up these concerns.”
He shakes his head, bitter. “No, there wasn’t. We didn’tdiscuss bringing Estela. You told me just yesterday. Dissuading anyone of this plan was impossible, which is why I volunteered. Someone needs to protect you from yourself, and I am officially extending such a vow to your mate.”
My heart contracts. “And I appreciate it.”
He shakes me off. “Show me by finding this artifact.”
He walks back, away from the channel that spits out into the ocean and follows me to my mate. Liana helps Estela to open and seal each part of the suit, perfectly encapsulating every part of her.
The helmet was designed so that the magic would let her breathe underwater for an extended time. It’s shaped like a bell, but the crystal itself slightly exaggerates her features.
I smile at the sweetness of her. Her eyes snap onto me, furious—which only makes me smile wider. As if her beauty could be diminished by a bit of silliness.
Besides, I saw her in the outfit yesterday, free of clothes. I have nothing but fondness for the creation.
“Put your suit on,” she chides. The rose quartz placed around the helmet amplifies the sound of her voice, filling the entire cavern.
It takes a few mere moments to reach past her, pick up the hefty thing, and start to assemble it on my person. Thorne slings the pack over his shoulder, uncharacteristically quiet.
“Will anyone come to see us off?”
Vann grunts. “No.”
“No? Why not? You people celebrate everything, from a babe eating its first solid food to miners bringing back a new crystal,” he rants.
