Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 627 - 580 Mosue’s Tides
The difference in altitude of five hundred meters is enough to change the local customs and culture.
And the deep sea, to the land, is another world altogether.
The lightless deep sea resembles the void, where faint glimmers silently exist within the tides, lulling everything into slumber.
Descending to depths where the sun’s rays cannot penetrate, the concentration of algae plummets, the sea is stripped of its azure hue, and the silence that persists in the water is suffocating. Princess had long grown accustomed to all this; she knew her tribe awaited her on the ocean floor, so the silent descent was just a boring journey to her. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
As she descended, the temperature gradually dropped, and the surging, irregular currents were like malevolent hands dragging the Dragon Priest’s body deeper. To the average person, the fear brought on by the sea, for Princess, was more like an enthusiastic welcome. She dispelled her icy armor and allowed the ocean to regulate her temperature—like a favorable wind that propels a sailboat, the sea was carrying Princess home.
The sensation of being dragged by the current ceased, and the Dragon Priest found herself thrown onto an empty seabed covered in sand and stones, devoid of the Merfolk, let alone any schools of fish. The pressure of the deep sea had excluded life itself; Princess seemed lost.
The White Dragon Priest paid no attention; she seemed to rather fancy this bare patch of the seabed. Facing the solitude, she floated in the water.
Singing... or rather, an unusual shriek emanated from the Dragon Priest’s mouth, the Daughter of the Sea let out her "song," a howl that only the Merfolk could appreciate. After losing the blessing of the "Mermaid’s Song," their voices would sound like the sinister whispers of a vicious old hag in the air. Had Princess not lost some of her Merfolk traits by becoming a Dragon Priest, she wouldn’t have acquired the ability to speak at all.
Merfolk had no language; their telepathy allowed for more convenient communication, with blurred emotional impulses making their thought patterns broadly similar, especially under the influence of the "Daughter of the Sea," the Merfolk were like naive children full of curiosity about the land. Apart from telepathy, this kind of howl, which could travel through water, was their way of calling to one another.
Disturbed by the howling, the currents vibrated, and the surroundings began to blur. The Dragon Priest’s singing also received a response; the songs of the Merfolk intertwined with Princess’s voice, becoming a chorus. After the chorus ended, the veil over the underwater city of Mosue was also lifted.
The first to appear were four Merfolk who had responded to the White Dragon Priest. They had the appearance of women with fish tails, yet distinct from Merfolk with their long serpent-like tails, scales that extended up to their waists and bellies, slender fingertips with webbing, and fins on their elbows and backs. Their enchanting appearance had become more alluring since their youth, but the elongated vertical pupils hinted at malignancy.
They were the guardians who had forsaken their illusions, choosing to protect their kin and city with force and magic, the Dark Tide Sirens.
"Your Majesty."
Princess caressed the serpentine tail of one of the sirens, and the honored guard obediently swayed her body to follow the angle of the caress.
Touch and go, as they both had their own duties to attend to.
Princess had returned to her realm.
Once the water flow disguise of the Dark Tide Sirens had been removed, the seabed was transformed. Dense coral crafted into distinct layers of houses by the hands of Merfolk, the purified currents rich with vitality, fish and microorganisms thriving in the new ecosystem established by Mosue. Magic Pearls lit up this underwater city, with the Tamer leading shoals of luminous fish that adorned every corner of the city.
The rather simple production system maintained the Merfolk’s simple matriarchal clan society; even though the White Dragon Priest had left her tribe long ago, except for the newborns, most of the Merfolk showed respect to their leader.
Mosue held its own wonder, the Undersea Divine Temple guarded by the Merfolk, situated on the largest rock layer. It was an ancient temple constructed of unknown materials, shaped like a giant clam stretching out abruptly with the halves of its shell slightly ajar, revealing a luminescent interior. The opening was densely inscribed with Dragon Language Runes, and a closer examination revealed the slightly different syntax of five types of dragon languages.
The radiance of the temple illuminated not only the deep sea but also imbued the merfolk with vitality. It was like the sun in the sea, fostering the growth of algae and fish schools, allowing the mermaid kingdom to sustain itself.
To the temple, the merfolk were respectful. Celebrations and rituals near the temple were held almost every day, though merfolk didn’t have a precise concept of time, and their day might represent a longer span. No one entered the interior of the temple, for it was a profane act explicitly prohibited by the White Dragon Priest.
Less than fifty meters from the temple was the Giant Pearl Shell ranch. Here, the magic pearls that supplied the entire city were produced, and it was also the dwelling place of the nobler merfolk. Princess was well aware that the soft flesh of the pearl shell made for a much more comfortable bed than coral, although occasionally, a newly formed pearl could disturb one’s sleep.
Princess swam toward the largest of the Giant Pearl Shells, which belonged to her. This huge creature, arising under the temple’s influence, possessed not only the longevity of a turtle but also an excellent memory. Princess simply tapped lightly on the shell, and it obediently chose to open, revealing the small tenant inside.
The mermaid slumbered within the shell, embracing a glittering pearl the size of a human head. This pearl possessed magical power; its smooth surface occasionally rippled, drawing tiny whirlpools to circle around it.
Princess’s gaze lingered on the Tide Pearl momentarily before moving to the little mermaid’s face. She had grown a little, becoming more beautiful and all the more heart-wrenching for Princess.
[Vina.]
With a gentle stroking and a soft whisper, Princess disturbed the young mermaid’s sleep. She opened her eyelids, clutching the Treasure Bead in her arms, and relaxed after seeing who it was, then reached out to touch Princess’s shoulder, the voice that would no longer sound appeared in the White Dragon Priest’s mind.
[My lady, you have returned.]
[During my absence, Vina took good care of the Treasure Bead.] The White Dragon Priest caressed the little mermaid’s cheek, giving Vina a new task with a slightly vacant look. [Gather our people, Vina, we have a major plan ahead. I intend to use the power of the Tide Pearl, drawing from the collective strength of the merfolk.]
[Why?] Vina’s confusion reached Princess. She didn’t resist the command but was just puzzled.
[We plan to resurrect the Giant Dragon, and the Dragon Priest needs the strength of the merfolk. Soon, the merfolk will once again have a new Giant Dragon. Vina, you probably haven’t seen it yet, when White Dragon Princess took me to soar through the tides, you were just a fish egg.]
[I understand.] Vina nodded slightly, handing over the Treasure Bead to the Dragon Priest, and silently swam into the distance.
Princess clenched her fist, ultimately struggling to catch Vena’s hand. Her irritation, her tenderness, and her hopes echoed in Vena’s mind.
[Once we have our Giant Dragon, there will be a new Dragon Priest, my dear, and you can set foot on land like the Daughter of the Sea.]
Princess felt the trembling in her body. The thoughts rising within Vina’s heart were like surging tides, these strong currents washed over the Dragon Priest and also over the young mermaid.
[Then, is he alright?]
Princess embraced Vila, their foreheads pressing close together.
[When you become the Dragon Priest, you can go see for yourself, Daughter of the Sea.]
