Rushing back to holohonu as fast as I could, my mind was focused on two things: finishing the rest of my plan and, more importantly, helping Hoka. Karson stood there on the edge of the canyon as the city came into view. Panic set in, and I couldn’t think of anything else to do but scream.

  "Karson, help! Karson, Hoka is hurt! Please, do something!" I shouted, my voice trembling with desperation.

  But Karson just stood there on the seafloor, his gaze turning away from me. Why? Why isn’t he helping? Doesn’t he care? He’s known Hoka as long as I have. My frustration grew as I swam past him as fast as I could. Then, I heard him speak, his voice calm and distant.

  "Why didn’t you help them, child?"

  Help them? I am helping him! What is he talking about? Nothing spirits say makes any sense. He just sits there doing nothing while I’m trying to save Hoka, and he asks why I’m doing nothing? I just don’t understand.

  Avoiding the ocean currents was harder than usual while carrying Hoka, his weight and the urgency of the situation making Hoka feel heavier and heavier. The only place I could think to take him was the temple. It was the only place I knew in the city. Maybe Karson was a little right, though the city was hard to navigate. People and carts didn’t do much to avoid me, and I got a few curious looks, but no one stopped to help.

  Eventually, I found my way back to the temple. As I waited for the doors to open, I was surrounded by green-robed figures. They looked at me with confusion, their eyes asking questions I didn’t have time to answer. I couldn’t stop to explain that I had to help Hoka.

  The doors creaked open, and I pushed through, carrying Hoka inside. The temple’s

  Lochlainn Luslá came out to see me, a large Sieki following close behind.

  "What’s goin’ on, lass?" he asked, his voice calm but thick with concern.

  “There’s no time! Hoka, he’s hurt! Please, you have to save him!” I begged, my voice trembling with desperation.

  Lochlainn stood there for a moment, his eyes searching’ mine as if trying’ to find the right words. Finally, he looked down at Hoka. His face darkened as he took in the damage. Hoka’s body was nearly torn in half, a wound that’d be a challenge even for the best flesh crafters or the strongest healing’ tonics. But the worst part wasn’t just the damage, it was the basilisk venom. Hoka, my friend, had turned to stone. it was the basilisk venom. Hoka, my friend, had turned to stone. I’d been carrying around nothing more than a statue, screaming and crying like a child with a broken toy.

  Guilt crashed over me, heavy as the sea. This was all my fault. If I’d never come to the temple, if I’d never killed that official, if I’d hunted alone, if I’d picked anything other than a basilisk, Hoka would still be alive. Every choice, every decision, led to this. Why did I have to survive the ice only to bring this about?

  Lochlainn started to say something but I cut him off.

  “... I understand, but there’s something I need to tell you.”My voice shook, but I forced the words out. I couldn’t let Hoka’s death be for nothing’. I had to finish what I’d started. “I wasn’t alone with Hoka out there. There was a Raroren with us, but the basilisk... the basilisk ate him.”

  A heavy silence fell over the temple. The Raroren believed their souls resided in their flesh, and that by consuming’ it, they could be reborn. If the basilisk was left alone, that pure soul would be damned to a new life as nothing’ more than a basilisk.

  "We’ve gotta alert the nearby imperial forts. We’ll be needing’ a unit of the army for this." Lochlainn said, breaking’ the silence.

  “Do we have the time? What if the creature flees? It needs to be hunted down now,” the Sieki argued, their voices rising’ in heated debate. It seemed my plan was working’.

  “I stabbed it in the eye,” I interjected, my voice firm. “With an Okris knife two serpents interlocked on the blade. It should still be in its eye”

  Lochlainn looked at me, his gaze softening’. "Fair play to ya, lass." G"Off with ya now, get some rest. We’ll be needin’ ya to guide us to where ya last saw it, but for now, catch some sleep." His eyes flickered to the stone form of Hoka. "I’ll see to yer friend, lass. I’ll make sure he’s properly sent off."

  His words did little to ease the ache in my chest, but I nodded, too drained to argue. I couldn’t bring myself to say more as I turned away, leaving’ Hoka’s stone body in Lochlainn’s care.

  I found myself wrapped in bed, unable to sleep. My mind kept racing, thoughts of Hoka consuming me. His lifeless body felt so heavy. Why hadn’t I realized that before? Things are heavy when they die. You’d think I would know that I’m a hunter, after all. I get my own food. But this time, it didn’t sink in. Were they so heavy because they were turned to stone? I couldn’t tell. And why did I care so much? Hoka was just a pet. What am I thinking? I don’t deserve to feel like this, not after what I did. I killed that official without a second thought. Why did I do that? Because I was scared? Is violence always my answer to fear?

  "Why do you grieve for the beast? Was it not but a pet?" Karson's voice cut through my thoughts, making me grit my teeth.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "He wasn't just a pet! Hoka was the closest thing I had to a friend..." I snapped back.

  "Katari, it was a fish," Karson replied, his tone cold and indifferent.

  "But he saved me! He saved me!" I yelled, my voice cracking.

  The door creaked open, and fear shot through me. Had he heard me talking to myself? It was the Sieki from before.

  "Are you ready to leave, girl? We’re heading for the Fort now," he said, ignoring my outburst. I wasn’t going to complain, but it was strange that he didn’t comment on my shouting.

  I uncoiled myself from the bed, grabbed my poncho, and followed him. If he wasn’t going to say anything, it was best I kept quiet too. As I stepped out, I saw Nomi waiting outside my door. He must have been there the whole time. I wanted to talk to him, but I didn’t know what to say. This horrible feeling gnawed at me—the sense that this might be the last time I’d ever see him.

  The Sieki continued walking, not giving me a chance to pause or think. At that moment, I acted on impulse. I gave Nomi a kiss. I didn’t want anything long or drawn out. We’d had fun together, and I didn’t want his last memory of me to be one of me crying alone in my room.

  As I pulled away, I saw the confusion in his eyes, but there was no time to explain. The Sieki was already moving ahead, and I had to follow. With a heavy heart, I turned and walked away, leaving Nomi standing there, his expression lingering in my mind as I trailed after the Sieki

  The Sieki led me to a massive manta ray, easily the size of a house. A strange harness was either tied to or had somehow grown out of its back, with a series of handles that soldiers were gripping tightly.

  "Alaka?i, we must embark soon. The beast grows restless; it would be unwise to linger," one of the soldiers urged.

  Alaka?i was that a name or a title? I wasn’t sure. Would it be rude to address him that way? I wasn’t under his command, so it might offend him if I got it wrong.

  The Alaka?i gestured for me to get on the back of the ray. Not seeing much point in waiting, I climbed aboard. The ray’s back was a tan sandy color with white spots, reminding me of some of the docile sharks I’d encountered before. Just like that, my thoughts drifted back to Hoka, and I felt a pang in my chest.

  Before I realized it, the ray had already taken off. The sensation was disorienting, and I lost track of time as we soared through the water. I couldn’t tell how long we’d been traveling; the rhythmic flapping of the ray’s wings and the gentle hum of the water around us seemed to blur the minutes into hours.

  As we flew, I couldn’t shake the feeling of loss weighing down on me. Hoka’s image kept resurfacing in my mind. The way he had saved me it was all I could think about. My surroundings faded into the background as I wrestled with my emotions.

  Finally, I forced myself to focus on the present. The soldiers around me were silent, their expressions serious and focused. I wondered where we were headed and what awaited us when we arrived. The Alaka?i hadn’t said much since we left, and I was hesitant to break the silence with questions. Still, the uncertainty gnawed at me.

  I shifted slightly to get a better look at our surroundings. The water around us was deep and dark, with only the occasional glow from bioluminescent creatures illuminating our path. The manta ray moved smoothly through the water, its massive wings propelling us forward with a steady, unhurried grace.

  As we continued on our journey, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding. The quiet, the darkness, the weight of everything that had happened it all seemed to be building toward something

  As we passed through the dense kelp forest, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, drawing in the mana that permeated the kelp it swayed gently, brushing against my scales like a familiar embrace. When I opened my eyes again, the fortress emerged from the shadows, nestled within a vast coral reef. The walls and towers of the fortress blended seamlessly with the natural coral formations, creating a structure that felt both ancient and alive, like it had grown from the ocean itself.

  The outer walls were made of dense, sturdy coral, shaped and woven together over centuries by skilled Ausawen artisans. The coral wasn’t just strong; it pulsed with vibrant colors that shifted with the tides, almost as if it breathed. Intricate designs were etched into the coral, forming patterns that resembled sea serpents, clouds, and waves. The fortress had an air of mystery, like a relic from a forgotten age.

  The thick forest of kelp surrounded the fortress like a living barrier, its long, flowing strands swaying gently in the current. It was as if the kelp itself was guarding the fortress, keeping the outside world at bay. As we approached the courtyard to land the ray, I caught sight of gardens filled with vibrant anemones. The pathways were marked by intricately carved stones, and stone lanterns stood tall along the sides, their interiors glowing softly with jellyfish that seemed to have been carefully nurtured within them.

  The manta ray glided gracefully toward the courtyard, its wings barely disturbing the water as it descended. The soldiers around me remained silent, their expressions calm and composed, as if this was just another day for them. As we touched down, the ray settled gently on the ground, and I could see the details of the fortress more clearly.

  The anemone gardens were a riot of color, with vibrant pinks, oranges, and blues blending together. The anemones swayed gently in the water, their delicate tendrils reaching out to brush against the coral stones lining the pathways. Yet, something about the scene felt foreign. The vibrant natural gardens and structures built into the coral didn’t match the building style of the KaHohonu. The stone carvings were accurate, but the rest felt foreign.

  The Alaka?i dismounted first, his movements confident and assured. He turned to me and gestured for me to follow. I slid off the ray and onto the courtyard, feeling the cool stone beneath my coils. The water here was different thicker, charged with an energy that I couldn’t quite place.

  I glanced around, taking in the full grandeur of the fortress. The towers rose high above us, their tops disappearing into the shadowy depths above, giving the impression that the fortress stretched infinitely upward. The coral walls seemed to hum with life, and I could see tiny fish darting in and out of the cracks and crevices, as if they were part of the fortress itself.

  The Alaka?i led the way toward a large entrance carved into the coral. The doors were massive, made of dark, polished shell with intricate spiral patterns that contrasted sharply with the vibrant coral surrounding them. As we approached, the doors began to open slowly, revealing a dimly lit corridor beyond.

  I hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of the fortress pressing in on me.