A World Of Treason and Tides

Chapter 22: The Obsidian

I slammed head first into broken ribs-- probably of a whale-- just as we were about to take a turn to The Obsidian. The canals leading to The Obsidian were cold and dark, with little or no bioluminescent to light the way. Though swimming through the water was easier, courtesy to the spell; there was no way of knowing what lay infront of us- it could either be a massive creature or ribs of a massive creature.

"Be careful," Myra said from beside me.

I rubbed my forehead and tried to steady myself. Most of the narrow canal was blocked by that part of the rib, positioned in a way that it lay just a few inches above the sea-floor, making it impossible for us to go under it. Going upwards was also not an option since thick walls of kelp surrounded us from all three sides.

"Now what?" I asked Myra, who looked intently at the enormous bone structure.

"We need to break some more bones of this ribcage."

I snorted at what she said and immediately muttered an apology. To cross the way by going under it did not seem so impossible then.

"No look, if we break these bones here," she said motioning towards some of the bones infront of us, "we can make a passage."

She was right but, "How will we break the bones?" I, most certainly did not have the strength to do so.

"Oh, you can't. I will," she looked at me, her mouth curved in a mischievous grin. "I have broken a fair amount of bones." I supposed she could do that- the mers, definitely, were more powerful than us.

I watched Myra as she wrapped both her arms around a bone and after a few failed attempts managed to break the lower part of the it. She did the same to another bone, making enough space for us to glide through it. After we went inside the cage through the newly formed channel, Myra broke two more whale bones on the other side of its ribcage, thus making a passage for us to get through.

I looked at the rib-- at the bones strewn around it--after getting out and could not help but admire Myra's skill. Almost at the same time, a thought tickled my mind. Why was no one else in that canal? It seemed surreal.

"I don't think the rib got stuck there very recently," I said as I hurried to keep up with Myra. I had a feeling some malevolent creature had its lair in that canal.

"It's not much old either. Probably someone from Obsidian was playing with it and left it there," she said casually and cursed, "Careless sharks."

I let what she said set on my mind- so the canal was safe, but playing with whale bone- might have been some soldier and if not, then that someone was really strong.

We took another turn, going through another narrow canal, the only difference being the sea-floor-- it was covered with what looked like ankle-deep moss and seaweed. I was glad not to be walking.

"This means we are close to The Obsidian," Myra said gesturing towards the sea-floor beneath us. "No one ever clears the area. Every canal leading to Obsidian has these."

I nodded and went after her.

***

The place was buzzing with faeries and mers. For the first time, after coming to Odalis- to the Kingdom of Water, I was looking at so many faeries. For the first time in my life, I was looking at so many creatures who were not human. It made me somewhat self-conscious.

Myra cut through a group of mers earning hard glares from them. As I passed by, I saw them looking at me like the two mermen looked at me at the Starwater Canal- with a gaze full of hatred and curiosity, but after staring for a few seconds they went back to what they were doing.