The morning sun broke through the fog that had clung to the quite villages, painting the cobblestone streets in warm hues of gold, as vibrant colors of beautiful array of flowers surrounded the outside front of the inn. Lira and Undertow emerged from the modest inn where they had spent the previous night, the salty sea breeze ruffling through their hair as they stepped back out into the bustling market square. ''I hope we did a good job fixing up the room before we left, the inn-keeper was such a sweetheart.'' Undertow said, her voice bright and cheerful, yet laced with excitement, today was the day they would finally get back in the water. ''I'm sure it's great,'' Lira replied, shaking his head, ''Now that we're finally getting a move on, I'm eager to get to this lagoon. We need to focus on what lies ahead.'' She shot him a playful glance, as she smiled that same bright smile. ''If I were you I'd be focusing on if I could drive the thing,'' she laughed. As they organized their belongings on their way to the docks, Lira's mind drifted to the lagoon, Undertow had told him a bit more about it the previous night, she'd said it was a mystical place spoken in hushed tones. It was said to reveal glimpses of the future to those who approached it with an open heart and clear intentions. She'd read somewhere that the lagoon possessed great wisdom if asked correctly, you could get it to pretty much tell you anything. So their plan, ask the lagoon how to defeat the queens whose reign of manipulation had brought fear upon the seas, not just the seas in Vellona.
''My question is do you really think it can tell us how to defeat them?'' he asked, his voice straight and steady as they took off down the street, the light of dawn following them from behind. ''I have to believe it will,'' Undertow replied, her expression suddenly going serious. ''We've got too much riding on this, if there's even a chance, we have to take it, otherwise my soul will be trapped within the trident, that is if they possess the magic to reform it.'' Lira nodded in agreement, his resolve solidifying. ''Then we're ready. Once we set foot on that boat, we take our lives into our hands.''
it wasn't long before they arrived at the dock, their eyes drawn to the small boat bobbing gently against the wooden pier. Dappled with weathered paint and patches that told stories of wear, it seemed unassuming yet full of so much promise, and in doing so, they had both agreed on a name *The Wayfinder, a vessel that would carry them towards their destiny. ''I still can't believe we actually bought a boat,'' Undertow said, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she took in the the way finder's full form. Grinning, she grabbed what little things she had, and secured it carefully inside the boat. Climbing aboard, she then turned to help Lira with a gentle thug, pulling him up beside her. Together they took a moment to savor the thrill of adventure that coursed through their veins - the unknown waiting just beyond the horizon. ''Alright, captain, shall we?'' she smiled, scanning the horizon. ''The hidden lagoon isn't far from the cove just past the rocky cliffs. If we stay on course, we should reach it by midday, that is if the weather stays still like this,''
''Do you remember what I told you?''
''Of course,'' he replied confidently. ''The lagoon is hidden behind a waterfall that only appears at the highest tide. If we're quick and vigilant, we'll be there before anyone else can spot us.'' As Lira got busy unfurling the sails, he let out a deep breath, feeling the anticipation bubbling upon inside of him, however all of that seemed to die down a little every time he would glance towards her. With one final look at the village they were leaving behind, Undertow turned toward the open sea. ''To the lagoon!'' she declared, her voice ringing out like a bell, a resounding call to the long awaited adventure that awaited them. With the soft wind now at their backs and hope in their hearts, they set sail, gliding away from the familiar and towards the unknown, determined to unlock the secrets of the hidden lagoon, and hopefully reclaim the land.
As they sailed further away from shore, the sunlight danced along the water in front of them, casting a reflection of courage - a bond stronger than blood, forged through shared dreams and aspirations, as with their determination, they were ready to confront whatever challenges lay ahead. The vast expanse of ocean stretched before them, a canvas of possibilities with an adventure just beginning. Once it seemed still enough to get comfortable, Lira slowly took his seat from where he'd been standing, drawing Undertow's attention onto him, as she watched him take his seat right in front of her. ''So, I wanted to talk to you about something.'' he started. Undertow titled her head slightly, curiosity lighting her eyes as she watched him settle into the seat. The gentle sway of the way finder beneath them providing a soothing backdrop to his suddenly serious tone, an unexpected shift from their carefree atmosphere. ''What's on your mind?'' she asked, leaning slightly forward, her elbows now resting on her knees. The vibrant colors of the sea seemed to reflect the myriad of emotions fluttering up within her. Lira's brow furrowed as he forced himself to look away from her, not being able to look her in the eye, made Undertow a little uneasy, but she tried her best to keep composure, she didn't want to jump on him, if it wasn't anything she needed too.
''About our journey,''
''You're not having second thoughts, are you?''she asked, her voice steady though concern flickered in her gaze. ''No, no - nothing like that! I'm here to stay,'' he hastily let out, reassuring her, raising his hands as if to dispel all of her worries. ''It's just that I've been thinking about what we might face when we get to the lagoon. We're going to be asking it for guidance on how to defeat the queens...and I guess I'm just wondering if we're truly ready for what it might say. I just, want to make sure if it tells us that we need to kill them, and how to do it, are we prepared to do it.''
''Oh, I was hoping it wouldn't be something like that.'' she admitted, rubbing her shoulders as if she was cold, even though the sun was fully in the sky now, casting its warmth down over them. Undertow's admission hung heavy in the air between them like a heavy fog, mingling with the ocean spray and the distant gull of the seagulls. Lira watched her rub her shoulders, and he felt a instant pang of empathy for her had always stroked the fires of ambition and hope, but the prospect of violence hadn't come up in any of their conversations, and as much as he enjoyed being with her, he had to watch out for himself as well, even though he was a traveler before a prince, he was still a prince, if he was gonna commit murder, he needed to know what he was getting into first. ''I know it's lot to consider,'' Lira continued gently, searching for the right words. ''But we need to prepare for any outcome. By what you've told me, the queens have held your people captive for way to long. If the lagoon reveals a path forward that involves...drastic measures, we can't turn away from it. I mean, you owe it to your people to find a way to free them, and I owe it to you to help you.'' At this Undertow inhaled deeply, letting the salty air fill her lungs before exhaling softly.
''I understand the gravity of the situation, Lira. But killing...that's a line...I don't want to cross unless we have no other choice.''
''I agree,'' he interjected, feeling a surge of solidarity. ''But we have to face the reality that this journey may bring us to that crossroads - we can't be naive about it. We're not just fighting for our survival; we're fighting for a lot of other people as well. If we have to confront the queens, we need to know what we're both willing to do.''
''You make a valid point,'' she acknowledge, casting her gaze across the waves, where the sun glimmered and danced like shards of broken glass. ''But if it does come to that, we need to remember who we are and what we stand for. It should never be about revenge, it should be about liberating those who have suffered long enough.'' Before Lira could think of something to respond back with, the boat jolted violently forward, a tremendous force was pushing them sideways. If they'd both been standing they might have stumbled overboard, quickly grabbing the railing of the boat to steady herself, her concerned eyes found Lira's. ''What the heck was that?!'' she yelled over the sudden increasing roar of the wind. Then as if on que, from the depths of the water, a massive serpent - like creature broke through the surface, scales shimmering like emeralds under the dark sky, it's long, sinewy boat undulated effortlessly through the waves, its towering head rising ominously above them, eyes as bright as an all - consuming red flame. Undertow could feel her heart beating rapidly, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she grabbed onto Lira. ''What is that!'' she shouted, eyes wide with shock, faces transformed into something drenched in fear and something paralyzing.
Noticing them, the creature emitted a low, rumbling growl, thrumming through the hull of their boat, sending vibrations through everything near by, as if a earthquake was beneath them, even though there was no ground for miles. Dangerous and alluring, it seemed to be both a guardian and harbinger of the lagoon, meaning they were getting closer, alas there was nothing to her knowledge that mentioned anything about a guardian showing up when she was making their root to the lagoon. ''That must be the beast that guards the lagoon..'' Undertow breathed, her voice barely able to be heard above all the chaos. ''We must have disturbed its water!''
''I don't remember you mentioning anything about a massive sea creature, when you were working on that map!'' Lira barked, as he sped off, grabbing the oars as he tried to take back control over the boat. Before he could say more, the creature lunged toward them with a terrifying speed, its massive jaws opening wide, revealing rows of glimmering white teeth. In an instantaneous motion, it snapped down, but Lira yanked the helm hard to the side, narrowly avoiding the monster's snapping maw, there was no time to be slow. ''Shit!'' he shouted as he realized what he'd just done, so without a thought of hesitation, he grabbed Undertow from where she was covering behind him, strong arm wrapping around her waist, as he brought her close against him, breath against her ear. As their eyes found the monster, the guardian unleashed a second deafening roar that echoed off the sudden cliffs, sending a flock of seabirds flying off into the sky. Surging forward again, the beat tossed a wave high enough to capsize their entire boat, however thanks to Lira's experience, he'd been ready for the monster to try such a thing as he shouted for her to hold onto him as tight as she could. Thrusting the oars into the water with his entire strength, fighting against the current as he attempted to steer them away from the monster.
Picking up on what they were trying to do, the guardian retailed with a swipe of its tail. crashing against the side of the wayfinder, resulting in Lira sprawling onto the small deck. The boat rocked back and fourth violently, flooding Undertow with a surge of panic as she found herself flung a few feet away, however though her landing had been better than Lira's, he'd saved her again. As the guardian's tail crashed against the side of the boat for a second time, sending a deafening crack reverting through the air, Undertow was flung hard against the deck, her body colliding hard with the wood. The impact had her senses shaken, as stars danced at the edges of her vision but she was able to recover pretty quickly. She felt the boat rock violently beneath herself, a surge of panic gripping her as she watched Lira tumble, then still. Heart racing, she lunged forward, muscles straining as she reached her side just before she could lose him to the edge. ''Lira! Are you okay?!'' she shouted, keeping her voice steady despite the chaos surrounding them. Letting out a pained groan, he pushed himself up on his elbows, dazed but unharmed, aside from a small scratch on his forehead that had began to bleed. ''Just...give me a second,'' he replied, try as he might to blink away the haze of impact. But time was slipping through their fingers. The guardian, enraged at the disturbance, raised its head high, its eyes burning down on them like molten lava. Releasing her grip on him, Undertow scrambled to the helm, adrenaline propelling forward.
''You can't lose it!'' he called to her, voice urgent. The guardian arched its body, preparing for another strike, its jaw threatening to close around the boat if they didn't act soon. With Lira dazed and weak as he was, Undertow knew it was up to her, as scared as she was, she was the only way able to stand on her own feet, and as much as she didn't want all of that responsibility to come down on her shoulders, it was either that, or have the monster come down on them both. ''It...it can't end like this...''
It can't end like this.
It can't end like this.
It can't end like-
It can't end!
Suddenly a bright light of golden rays erupted from her palms, blinding her for a fraction of second. Instantly, the air around them vibrated with a new energy, one that was pulsing like her own heartbeat as the tendrils of light became stronger, as they curled and danced around in the wind. Undertow blinked in astonishment, as she could only take in the sight of what she was doing, fearful that if she moved in any way the light might suddenly disappear. ''Lira! Do you see this!'' she shouted, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and awe. ''I don't know what's happening!'' shebreathlessly shouted staring at the radiant glow spilling from her hands. It was as if the entirety of the sun's warmth and brilliance was radiating directly from her. Instinctively, she turned her palms outward, the golden light intensifying, casting flickering shadows across the turbulent guardian's immense form paused, confusion flickering in its fiery eyes as Undertow's power surged. A deep roar echoed from its throat, but it was a sound that seemed to blend both anger and intrigue. Instead of lunging, the creature hesitated, its focus shifting from attack to curiosity.
''I...''
''Don't question it! Just keep doing whatever you're doing!'' Lira urged, as he watched the guardian respond, it was slowly backing away, as if the light was pulling at its essence. Taking in a deep breath, she focused on the glowing energy, her fear melting away as it was replaced by a growing determination. The light in her palms expanded, illuminating the entire deck of the boat, as she felt a ripple through her, as if she was connected to the very fabric that was the lagoon, the water pulsating in rhythm with her own quick heartbeats. With all her strength, she thrust her hands forward, unleashing a dazzling beam of light toward the guardian. The golden rays shot straight out, enveloping the creature in a warm embrace. Surprised, it flinched, but instead of attacking, it seemed to relax, the flames in its eyes softening. "Undertow, keep it steady!" Lira instructed, gripping the helm with weak, white knuckles. "It means to respond to your power. You can guide it!"
As the light surged, the guardian's massive form began to shift, its fierce demeanor softening, as though her energy was reaching deep into its primordial consciousness, igniting something ancient and powerful within. A thundering sound erupted beneath the water as the surface began to shift and swirl, mirroring Undertow's intense focus. From the depths, streams of light began to rise, intertwining and spiraling around the guardian and across the lagoon, transforming the violent waves into an exquisite dance of luminescence.
''Why have you come to these waters!''
Undertow felt her stomach drop, as her vision was suddenly drowned in white.