he loosed his grip on me and I plunged into the ocean. The moment I splashed into the surprisingly warm water, the weight of my sword dragged me under. Fool that I was, I’d forgotten I was wearing it! Panicking, I wasted precious moments grappling with the leather harness to which the scabbard was attached, until, realising my idiocy, I gave up on the buckle, pulled the blade free, and discarded it. I kicked for the surface and reached it just as my lungs were about to burst.
I trod water for a few moments. Gallokomas was already a distant dot in the sky. I was alone.
After pulling away the harness and what remained of my shirt, I started to swim, adopting a slow and relaxed stroke I hoped I’d be able to maintain for some considerable distance. I very much doubted I’d reach the crystal mountain without having to rest but, fortunately, the sea was extremely salty, which made me buoyant, and a gentle current was assisting me. When I grew weary, I’d be able to float and recoup my strength while still drifting in the right direction.
No thoughts passed through my head during that long test of endurance. I concentrated only on my rhythmic respiration and the movement of my limbs.
If I reached my destination, what would I find there? The Yatsill had been unaware it was an island. To them, the whole sea was Phenadoor, a heavenly realm they aspired to. And for the Zull, it was a lost Paradise. But what of the Blood Gods? Were they really attacking it, or did Phenadoor extend to them the same state of beatitude the other races claimed?
I stopped. Perhaps an hour had passed and I was noticeably closer to the island, but something had just flashed beneath me. I trod water, turned, searching for the source of the fleeting light. Suddenly the current switched direction and hit my side with considerable force, carrying me spinning along. I tried to swim against it but it became more powerful by the second and sent me helplessly reeling in a wide arc. To my horror, I realised I was caught in a whirlpool. Bright orange light flared at its centre. Before I could fill my lungs, I was dragged under. My pulse thundered in my ears. I struggled, became disoriented, and lost track of up and down. Darkness closed in.
I opened my eyes and looked up into the appalling features of a Blood God.
“I am Koozan-Phay,” it said, speaking Koluwaian. “You are not damaged.”
I sat up. I was in a medium-sized chamber. Its walls were of metal upon which hung frames containing intricate shapes carved from crystal.
“Where am I?”
“In Underconveyance Two-Zero-Two.”
“And what is that?”
“A merchant vessel. It travels under the water. We were collecting food from the farms on the seabed when we detected you and took you from the surface. We are entering Phenadoor. Your injuries have been attended to. Are you hungry?”
“Yes.”
The creature shuffled to one of the frames and raised a tentacle, the end of which split into a myriad of thin fingerlike appendages. They brushed over a pattern of crystals.
“He is ready for sustenance.”
It turned back to me. “You are Aiden Fleischer. There is no other on Ptallaya with your exact physical structure and colouring. The Quintessence instructed us to keep watch for you.”
“What is the Quintessence?”
“It is the One whose design the Mi’aata follow.”
In response to my puzzled expression, the Blood God tapped itself with a tentacle. “We are the Mi’aata.”
Movement drew my attention to one of the walls. A floor-to-ceiling panel of a shimmering pearl-like substance had suddenly dissolved into the air. A Blood God—or Mi’aata—entered through the revealed doorway. It was carrying a platter of fruit and vegetables, which it handed to me.
“Eat,” the newcomer directed, before addressing Koozan-Phay. “We have arrived and the underconveyance is secured.”
Koozan-Phay replied, “Order the cargo unloaded, Zantar-Pteen. The crew may then go to their prayers.”
Zantar-Pteen made a gesture—perhaps the equivalent of a bow—and departed. The door rematerialised. I laid into my meal, too famished to consider anything else. Koozan-Phay watched me patiently and said nothing until I’d finished.
“I will now take you to a holding cell where you’ll remain until you are summoned. Do not be concerned, Aiden Fleischer—you are not a prisoner and will not have to wait for long.”
“And then?”
“Then the Quintessence will decide whether your knowledge and skills can benefit Phenadoor.”