B3 – Chapter 26: Under the sea

The group mounted up and the unicorns took off at a leisurely trot as they traveled along the sandy beach. Bertram spoke up, “A water dragon means that we will probably be going into the water. Can you still swim?”

“Yes,” Tristan replied with confidence, recalling their swim lessons with their family going out to the lake side a few miles from the country estate. “Remember that time we raced? All the way to the rock at the center?”

Bertram cracked a smile, “I remember you were exhausted when we got to the rock. And then-” he chuckled, “Gisele scrabbled up top and we played king of the hill. She kept both of us down, and you lost your swim trunks when you slipped on the moss!” he let out a guffaw of laughter, and Tristan chuckled along with him at the embarrassing memory.

Rory smiled, “It’s good you two are back together and getting along. I was a bit worried that your relationship was strained.”

Tristan shook his head, “Bertram and I have always been buddies. He…” he quieted slightly, “He was always better than me…at a lot of things. But he wouldn’t always shove my face in it.”

Bertram nodded solemnly and though he kept his smile, his voice did deepen slightly with compassion. “I do apologize for that. But when you’re as amazing as me, and as cocky as younger-me was, well, you can’t help but brag.”

Felicity interrupted, “I think you’re still a bit cocky.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Bertram said with a quizzical look. “I’m one of three living dragonslayers – well, besides Gisele, but she doesn’t count since she’s playing noble. I’m special.”

“Well, Tristan is more s-p-e-c-i-a-l,” Felicity replied haughtily.

Bertram rolled his eyes, “Yes, yes.” He mock bowed from his waist, “Lord Tristan, king of the capricious fairies and sexy nymphs.”

Rory let out a small purr, and that elicited a jolt of laughter from the other three.

“Don’t forget the strong unicorns,” Onyx added.

Tristan ran a hand alongside his mane, “Yeah, can’t forget about Onyx here. Carried me all the way from Bhant.”

Bertram peered at Onyx, “I thought I recognized you. One of father’s destriers.”

“Yes. He treated me and my mare well. But Tristan has been an excellent master.”

The sand beneath the unicorns began to shift and distort as the realm shifted once more. “Here we go,” Bertram said. “We’ve been traveling long enough to go into the wild again. Think about the water dragon you seek with everything you’ve got!”

Tristan nodded and focused his attention on where the beach met the ocean, picturing the creature he sought within the shallows. Preferably in a cove or somewhere that I can fight on more equal ground, he thought. He tried to picture a blue version of the fire dragon that he had fought.

The world shifted and blurred around the group before recrystallizing. They were standing on a different beach, but a craggy coastline rose up all around them as they stood in the curve of a small cove.

Felicity used the dowsing rod, and it flicked out to point to the water. “Looks like it’s in the ocean!”

The waters were deep, dark, and the rolling waves on the pebble shoreline were ominous, as they left behind small streaks of black silt that sank between the rocks and left behind a sinister, diseased appearance.

Rory dismounted, “If we are going into the depths to hunt this thing, we want appropriate weaponry and to use a few spells. Bertram?”

He sighed and dismounted as well. “Everyone gather up.”

Tristan dismounted and looked at Onyx, “Get inland a small ways. Keep the cove in line of sight.”

Onyx dipped his head and moved off with the other unicorns as Tristan looked to see Rory pulling off her boots alongside Bertram. “Come on,” she said gesturing to his boots. “You don’t want any boots for this spell. Mind us using Felicity’s storage dimension?”

Felicity opened her storage space, taking everyone’s boots and greaves, muttering, “Peee-eeww!” as she wrinkled her nose and tossed the clothing into the space with the dragon parts. “Disgusting!”

Tristan shook his head, “Drama queen,” he muttered as he felt the rocky pebbles between his toes. “Okay, done. What next?” he asked. He saw that Rory’s feet had small webbing between the toes. She had walked to mid-calf in the surf, and had stowed her shield. Bertram had also walked to that depth, and Tristan quickly followed.

Bertram vented essence that was a burnished orange just like his armor. He placed his palms on his thighs, with the fingers facing inward, and then slowly rotated them out to face the edge of the thigh, before then running them along the sides of his legs. “Verwandle meinen Körper in den der Menschen, die im Ozean leben. Passe meine Form an, um mich mit Anmut und Geschwindigkeit zu bewegen” (Transform my body to that of those who live in the ocean. Adapt my form to move with grace and speed).

Tristan saw the water form a skin around Bertram’s legs, and through the dark water he could see a sheath of hardened water that formed around his feet. “That’s neat,” Tristan observed.

Bertram chuckled and flopped over to Tristan, crouching down and running his hands down Tristan’s legs, repeating the spell. Tristan could feel a weird sensation – like bubbles traveling along his skin and tickling his flesh, as a sheath of water elongated and formed around his lower extremities. “One more spell,” Bertram commented as he stood up. “We need to be able to breathe and see underwater. But, when I cast this spell, you will not be able to breathe air until I let it fade or see unless you’re underwater. So, you gotta dive in almost instantly.”

Tristan glanced at Felicity, “What about you?”

She smirked and shifted shape into a sea otter, splashing into the water and swimming in small, lazy circles around the duo. “I’m good!”

Bertram placed his right palm over his throat, and his left palm over his eyes. But he paused. “Right, I should probably do this on you first, then myself. Can’t cast the spell if I can’t breathe.” He placed his hands on Tristan’s face, and muttered, “Meinen Körper in den der Menschen verwandeln, die im Ozean leben. Passe meine Form an, um durch die trüben Tiefen zu sehen, und atme das Wasser unter mir.” (Transform my body to that of those who live in the ocean. Adapt my form to see through the murky depths, and breathe the water below.).

Tristan’s throat closed up, and his vision went white. He immediately dove forward and thankfully it was a shallow dive as he felt the rocks scrape against his armor. He could see once his head went under, and his armor caused him to sink down. His throat loosened, and he cautiously took in a breath – the water rushing into his throat. Soothing, and just a bit bitter and salty.

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He glanced sideways at Rory who was already beginning to swim out ahead of him into the depths, and a split-second later, Bertram dove in and began following her.

Felicity swam in front of Tristan in small circles, waving her flipper paws as she dove after the duo.

“Can we talk under here?” Tristan asked as he kicked his feet, rocketing forward thanks to the spell surrounding his feet with hardened water that acted like flippers.

Rory glanced back and her voice came back, slightly distorted and with a brief delay between her mouth moving and the words. “Yes.”