I look up at him. “I think it is a miracle.”
He huffs a laugh. “I am sure that it is a relief to know that there are more than three hundred of your people left, but I don’t know if I would like to invite these men into my home.”
I bite my lower lip. “Looking into an ancient society is hard enough to fathom, but these people are only fifty years separated from the Enduares I love so dearly.”
He huffs a laugh. “You really do love the trolls, don’t you?”
I look at him. “Before I met them, all I knew were stories of ruthlessness. The giants told us slaves that the Enduares ate humans—that they would violate us and throw us into their enormous fires. All of that stemmed from lies that started after the Great War. Their old king destroyed the continent, but I think they have proven that that false version of themselves doesn’t exist.”
His eyebrows rise. “Perhaps in Enduvida. But does that mean you will take these other… Enduar soldiers into your city? They don’t even call themselves by such a name, they keep referring to themselves as trolls. They are direct and loyal to violent displays.”
I look at the men speaking with Teo. Bits of the people I know in Enduvida peer back at me—their strength and ingenuity. Not to mention their intense neatness and organization. A part of me also knows that this solitary bubble at the bottom of the ocean has preserved some of their cruel, bigoted old ways.
“I trust them… I think,” I say at last. My eyes flick back up to Thorne. Logically, I know that he is here with Mrath, but there’s something about him that makes me feel at ease. I don’t see him as a threat like some of the others. “When I came to Enduvida, I tried to poison Teo. I believed the things I was told, and I changed.”
“So you believe that they will adjust as well?” He gives me a skeptical look. “These men aren’t harmless.”
“I wasn’t either.”
Thorne accepts my answer and is silent as I join my husband. Teo senses me without turning, his arm drawing me close as soon as I approach.
“Mi amor,?1 these men will take us to the spot Si’Kirin spoke of,” Teo says.
I nod as Ner’Feon and Ka’Prinn come into view. “Thank you for helping us.”
The men bow deeply, and the taller one says, “We are ready to leave when you are.”
It turns out we are ready to leave quite soon after that question is asked. We walk back to the edge of the bubble that I was playing with, and one by one, we push into the water.
Swimming away from the Ardorflame, a sense of unease creeps through me, seeping into the depths of my soul. The underwater world around us is aglow with ethereal plants and creatures that dart past in a mesmerizing display.
Dozens of pillowy creatures radiating a soft pink hue ascend to our left, their movements fluid and hypnotic. Sadly, their luminescence offers little guidance in the dark expanse.
Jellyfish,Teo supplies.Careful. Sometimes their tenticles are poisonous.
My head snaps forward, inching closer to the fish that guides us along. The curiosity fades as other small lights blink around us. They no longer mystify me, they represent potential dangers.
Time drifts by slowly in the hushed aquatic realm. It's impossible to discern how many hours have slipped away since we departed from the temple towards this vast, cavernous ruin; it could have easily consumed most of the day. Midway through our journey, an enormous fish illuminated in green-yellow hues glides near us. It’s similar to the creature that took us from the ruins to the temple yesterday, and Ner’Feon turns back to us.
“This is ahlum’cranok. Grab on when it gets close!” he exclaims.
My eyes fix on the fish as it moves closer. Then, with one last push, I seize the opportunity and cling to its fins.
My heart pounds like a drum, each beat synchronized with the rush of adrenaline. The crystal-clear water flows smoothly over my sleek suit, its gentle caress heightening my senses. My familiar panic doesn’t claw at my insides, but I feel something call out from the distance. It’s not so much a sound as a presence. I focus on the rhythm of my breaths.
In and out.
In and out.
Teo adjusts his position in front of me.
Is the water upsetting you?
No, I respond quickly.I just… do you feel that?
He confirms, but we both grow quiet as we ride along the majestic form as far as it will carry us.
With each passing hour, fatigue begins to weigh down my limbs. Despite my prior preparations for this expedition, I yearn for the comfort of a soft pillow upon which to rest my weary head. Exhaustion settles over me like a dense stone tethered to my legs, dragging me down and chilling me to the core. I honestly am amazed at the physical distance we've covered.
