A Promised Prophecy

Chapter Forty-One

Coralis was beautiful, and something I'd imagine seeing in the movies. As we got closer to the lights, I could see more of the surrounding area. Large glass dome structures created pockets of land protected from water in the depths. I wondered if it was the same glass used to create the Vault's seaside wall. The surrounding areas of water were a cave-like system; holes indicated entrances and exits through caverns in the rocks. Not appealing to the eyes, but it blended in with the surrounding area. It seemed as though the caves and rock formations that fish were swimming through existed long before the glass-like domes.

The domes were where the beauty of Coralis existed. The domes were big enough to house five to six buildings within its midst. And each dome created its own pod, with one designated to shopping, one designated to food, medical care shopping, this place had it all. It felt like an underwater mall. Within the dome the buildings themselves were pristine. Granite and marble covered every surface, including the walkways, and extravagant fountains marked easy places for people to congregate within their center. And there were, in fact, people. Mixed in with the people, I noticed the Lizari as well. Given what the whale had said, I wondered if the Lizari visited frequently or were they just hiding out down here until things with Eris calmed down up on ground.

"I assume everyone who lives down here is a shapeshifter?" James asked the whale. It was in that moment that my eyes caught someone leaving the dome that I realized they weren't just any type of human or witch, they had transformation magic. While we might not have known about the people of Coralis, it was very clear that they could've easily existed with the rest of the world without a second thought.

"That is correct," the whale answered.

To me, that answer was loaded. He was also a shape shifter and while I knew him as a giant whale, he had a human form as well. The people of Coralis had great magical abilities and that shouldn't have been a surprise given how well hidden they were. Still, to know that a coven existed down here in the depths, who arguably could rival Silverleaf, was fascinating. I didn't blame Silverleaf's ancestors for creating an accord or whatever they did with the people of Coralis. In the short time I've known them, they used transformation magic, teleportation magic, and telepathy, none of which were generally considered 'easy' magic.

Maybe I could learn from them.

"Up ahead is the palace." The whale reoriented his body, shifting our focus up to the large dome that was offset from the others. Inside the dome was only one structure, a white palace with gold adornments, surrounded by trees. Artificial lights operated as a greenhouse for the plants housed within and made the palace feel as though it were daytime outside. Unlike a standard building with sharp edges, the palace housed rounded and soft features, almost as if it were built to resemble shells. As stereotypical as it seemed, I couldn't have envisioned the palace any other way.

Who are you?" James asked as the whale stopped in front of the palace. Before he answered us, the whale teleported us inside the dome. When we arrived, it felt like spring; I could hear birds chirping and even see them flying from tree to tree. The temperature within the dome was warm, as if the sun was touching my skin, and I could feel a light...breeze. I looked around, trying to understand the depths of their magical abilities, including manipulation of weather.

Then the whale swam to the entrance to the dome, his body shifting into that of an elderly man, shrouded in white robes.

"I am the king of Coralis, you may call me Cetus."