Through the Depths
Part Three
Astera came to slowly, only aware in bits and pieces.
The soothing calmness of the sea, the dappled warmth of the sunlight on her sides, the soft breeze whispering by her ears. Opening her eyes, she took in the glassy expanse of undisturbed ocean, the reflections of clouds gliding smoothly along the still, greenish blue.
Her head and shoulders were above water, bathed in warm, subtropical light, and the rest of her laid submerged atop an underwater rock formation, worn down by aeons of breaking waves. The waters were shallow and colourful fish darted between reefs below; only a couple meters away was the shore of a small island
Across from her, lying laxly on golden sands and studying the sky, was Stormtide. His deep blue scales shone nearly black when contrasted against the pale beach, and dark, greenish wings spread wide to heat under the noon sun. Small trails of broken off scales circled around the imperial, and cracks and scars were visible all over his body.
“Stormtide,” Astera began weakly, her voice nearly gone due to her singing. “Are you well?”
“Enough,” he said after a pause, turning away from the clouds to face her. Though his tone was flat as ever, there was something vaguely disturbed in his expression. “Zero's patrol should have him passing by here soon. Once we are found, the others will find a way to get us safely back to the Waypoint.” He paused again, and there was the rough sound of him swallowing. “I… something strange has happened to me.”
“Storm?” Astera asked again, this time dragging herself upright and making the awkward flight over to him. The sand was silky and her claws sank down into it. “What--down there, what happened?”
“It was so
big,” Stormtide muttered, more to himself. “Too big. I was… I was so
small, felt small…” He blinked those huge pink eyes at her, as if he was just now realising she was there. “You are unhurt?”
Astera flicked her wings affirmatively, then tentatively said, “The creature that attacked us? The one that was telepathic?”
Stormtide gave a distant shake of his head. “You were nearly unconscious when I saw it. It had this bright--so bright and silver-- this light that, this light that shone into my soul.
Became my soul. I… something's changed in me.”
And as he said it, as though to prove his words true, a patch of scales on his side creaked and suddenly shattered off his body, falling like blue-black glass to the shore. Underneath, now exposed to the elements, was a swirling, glassy plane of bright blue tinged through with golden magic. It gleamed in the sun like crystal, and Astera could suddenly see the glimmers of blue-gold light coming up through the spiraling cracks in Stormtide's glossy scales.
Underneath the smooth, metallic sheen of dark blue was now a core of bright, glowing molten crystal that pulsed with the energy of the sea.
“You…” Astera exhaled, reaching out with what little magical strength she had left. Something within Stormtide, something new and still developing, weakly thrummed back.
The imperial gasped at the foreign sensation. “My magic…” He paused. “I am still a telepath, but now there is… something more.” Grimacing in pain as he struggled to stand, Stormtide flared his wings for balance and kept as much weight as possible off his back legs. Turning to the sea, he visibly composed himself and his newly exposed core pulsed brightly, flashing silver.
The incoming wave glittered with spots of silverish blue, and instead of calmly whispering onto and away from the beach like all the others, it suddenly rushed forwards violently as though pulled by an invisible force.
The glow from Stormtide receded, as did the wave from the beach. The imperial gave an exhausted sigh, collapsing back onto the sand with a stifled grunt of pain.
“You are blessed,” Astera murmured, striding to stand by Stormtide's broad head. She nuzzled briefly into his cheek, licking his ear affectionately. “To have the gift of multiple elements… The gods must be pleased with you.”
Stormtide made a quiet sound of agreement, busy trying to lie in a position that was easy on his hips. “What of the other dragons, ones maybe less… accepting?”
“We of the Waypoint will always support you, and the others are not worth worrying over,” Astera said quietly, letting a wing stretch protectively over Stormtide's head. How ridiculous she must look, a pearlcatcher trying to shelter an imperial! “Those creatures down there, they will plague us still, again and again until we can scare them away for good. I will need to train you in the ways of water, Stormtide, if we are to have a successful expedition.”
Stormtide, slowly sliding away into sleep, huffed in a kind of exasperated fondness. “I suppose this means I am going to remain your apprentice for some time then, Enchantress Astera.”
Astera was about to reply when a shadow fell across the beach, and the two dragons looked up to see the massive, pastel form of Zero descending rapidly towards them. The other imperial’s face was creased with worry, but when he spoke relief was in his voice. “Astera, Stormtide? Rosevine and Eclipse are on their way, we’ll have you back at the Waypoint soon.”
Stormtide grunted softly in acknowledgment, mostly asleep, and Astera stood guard by his dark head. “Good to see you again Zero,” she said with a tired smile. “We have a lot to tell everyone about back home.”