“The sentries have surrounded the Starwater Canal from all sides,” Fiona mentioned. She looked straight ahead, her face devoid of any expression.

I, on the other hand, was panicking and searching for ways to avoid the sentries. I had failed to realize that there would be sentries at the Starwater Canal, although it was most normal for them to besiege the most important canal of the Kingdom of Water. But, I couldn't get caught — if I got caught, then everything I went through would have been for nothing. I was starting to regret my actions.

“Will we have to go back?” I asked Fiona. Maybe I could hide somewhere, maybe at The Obsidian, and come back some other time.

She turned to me. “No,” she said and holding my wrist took me to only she knew where. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Stopping in front of a stretch of seamount, Fiona surveyed our surroundings. My vision was fixed on the opening of the tunnel in front of us. “Come,” Fiona said brusquely and went inside the tunnel. “This tunnel will lead us out of the vicinity of the sentries,” she added.

I nodded and followed her into the tunnel. Darkness consumed me, and a sudden burst of cold. I felt like I was in a void where time had ceased. “Are there many such tunnels?” I asked.

“There are a few.”

“Why didn’t you directly bring me here?”

My question was left unanswered. I sighed and focused on swimming.

We manoeuvred the rest of the tunnel in silence, only the sound of us parting water, and the occasional hissing and swishing of the water surrounding us accompanying us. The tunnel was wide enough only for one creature to move at a time, and there were no bioluminescent to light our way through the blackness.

At a particular turn of the tunnel, I tumbled upon Fiona — it was a messy and awkward situation resulting in even more incoordination when both of us tried to take the turn at the same time. We were plastered to the walls of the tunnel and I did not need to be able to see through the dark to feel Fiona’s glare on me.

“Do you want to go first?” Fiona asked in her bored voice.

“No, you go,” I replied while trying to get out of the narrow passage — I ended up punching Fiona on the shoulder. A frown immediately found its way to my face.

Letting out a groan and with a lot of difficulties, Fiona wriggled out of the passage and swam forward. I released a shaky breath and followed her through the tunnel.

After another such turn, which we were both careful to wind about cautiously, I saw an opening. Brown kelp grew along the walls of the mouth of the tunnel, and faint white rays of the sun peeked out from the blades of kelp, illuminating our way. We had to be somewhere in the sunlight zone, maybe not too far from the surface itself.

I followed Fiona out of the tunnel. My legs hurt from swimming and I wished Kia or any other kind of transport was there. The heaviness in my feet from the boots I was wearing did not help either, still it was better than the first time I swam in these waters wearing my boots.

We emerged inside a kelp forest. The forest was not very deep; sunrays showed us our path and small shallow-water fishes passed by us. This kelp forest was nothing like the kelp forest I had stumbled upon the previous night — that was in the depths of the sea, enveloped in a shivering silence and an equally cruel, demonic darkness — while this looked angelic with the drumming of hundreds of fish creating rhythmic music around us, with the shimmering sunlight bouncing off the kelp blades and disappearing into the water surrounding us, but not before leaving a trail of light in its wake.

I saw a starfish casually laying on top of a kelp blade. After taking my time to admire the magnificence of the sparkling starfish, I went on to follow Fiona who swivelled and circled about the stipes of kelp swimming forward and upward towards the surface of the water.

We were just under the water surface and out of the kelp forest when Fiona turned to me. “Be careful,” she said.

Her words took me by surprise. I had never imagined Fiona would ask me to be careful. “I’ll try to be,” I said, smiling a little after the initial blow of shock registered.

“Be careful because even a human does not deserve to die due to the caprices of Aeron.” Fiona’s voice was once again devoid of any emotion. No anger, no sorrow could be discerned from the way she talked; the only reaction I ever got from her was inside the tunnel when I had accidentally hit her.

Leaving me wondering how she could be so calm, Fiona went back the way we came. I looked wide-eyed at her retreating figure and rose to the surface. A landmass of green and yellow could be seen not very far away. Taking a deep breath and welcoming the early-morning sunlight, I swam towards my destination.

***

I was sitting on one of the benches that lined either side of the road, eating a seaweed dish I had brought with me. Beyond the benches stretched lush green fields dotted with trees, shrubs, and grasses — I sat facing the fields and took in the ruckus that was in front of me.

Haphazard arrays of leaves marred the ground and uprooted shrubs lay here and there. A broken branch of a tree sat on the bench beside me, giving me company while it itself was encompassed by twigs, fresh leaves and small, white flowers. Several other branches of all sizes and shapes lay on the ground: some resting peacefully while some half-dipped in puddles of muddy water.

The scenery around me was a clear indication of a recent storm. What I found strange was the occurrence of such a heavy storm at the onset of November and that there were no indications of it in the sea. Shrugging, I went on to finish my food, shivering a little bit in the process — the weather had cooled down due to the storm, and clouds still guarded the warm rays of the sun.

I ate my food observing the witches, both male and female, hurrying about the field; some of them were taking care of the plants, while most busied themselves in cleaning up the residuals of the storm. I watched as one of the witches uttered a spell and without even bending to pick up the leaves, guided them to a nearby pit, and as I observed more carefully, I noticed most witches using spells and magic to clean the field, except for a few.

Their appearance was the same as faeries: pointed ears, graceful movements, the only exception being the black strokes of ink on one side of their neck that looked a lot like Japanese calligraphy. Although black in colour, the ink reflected the light and appeared to be shining. Some of the witches went past me casting me quizzical glances but did not stop to interrogate me (they probably had more useful things to do). I was glad they decided to leave me alone, although I knew I would eventually have to go talk to them.

It had not been much longer since I came to the Village of Magic. After crossing the beach and aimlessly roaming for several minutes, I had discovered a signboard that led me to these grasslands, but I did not know where to go from there. Now that I had rested, eaten and there was nothing but only a dull pain in my leg, I needed to ask someone for directions. Or maybe I could ask for…

I went to a lady standing near me. Actually, there were three of them talking among themselves and occasionally pointing at me, I must add, not so subtly. “Do you recognize someone named Tarina?” I asked one of them.

All three witches looked at me. “She is the Nayema’s daughter. Why do you ask for her?” mused one of them.

“My friend knows her. What is the Nayema?” I asked, brows furrowed.

The witches looked at one another, a silent conversation going on among them. One of them, a short witch (she looked about an inch shorter than even me) with short, straight hair and brown skin, looked at me and sighed. “Nayema is a position. A rank. For the Head of us witches.”

Another one of them, the one who had informed me that Tarina was the Nayema’s daughter, arranged the white petals lying around us in a line on the ground only with a sweep of her wand of black wood. She gave me a haughty smile. “I would have loved to assist you to Tarina except I’m too busy at this moment.”

“And you were specifically told not to get distracted,” said a witch who had been silent till now. She was sweet-looking, chubby with green and pink hair.

Cutting a sharp glance at the sweet-looking one, the witch with the haughty smile continued with a wave of her hand, “This line of petals shall lead you to Tarina.”

I didn’t know if the petal path was accurate, if it was going to take me to Tarina or to somewhere else; but not having any other option, I murmured a thank you to the three witches and followed the lead of the petals.

“If she’s any threat, Tarina is capable enough to take care of her.” I heard one of them utter. By the sound of her voice, I knew it was the short one who spoke. Shuddering, I hoped Tarina would be kind enough not to ‘take care of me’.

<<•••>>

Hope you enjoyed this chapter!✨😊

Sorry for not updating for more than a week. I'll not give excuses but know that there are some xD🙃.

Anyway, how do think Tarina is going to be? Do tell. It will be very nice to know how you imagine her, especially since she hasn't been introduced in person now.

And before you go, do not forget to vote, comment, and add this book to your library.😊 Thank you. ♡