28. 28 #2
When I get closer, I see a small creature set before him.
This creature appears to be long with sleek, iridescent scales and holds a pale brown color that shimmers in these darker waters.
On the top of its head, a dark brown fin frills upward and decreases in size until it completely disappears about halfway down its body.
I assume the same position as Orion, coiling my tail as tightly as possible and sinking into the middle, bending to get a closer look at the creature, securing my hands in my lap.
“Small movements, Snapdragon,” he says, “Wouldn’t want to scare my favorite animals in Virellan, now would you?”
With that statement, the little creature nudges its snout on Orion’s hand.
“Sarah, meet Ildrina, my bonded Snapdragonis.”
Snapdragonis? My eyes widen. He brought me to their home?
My eyes drift to the side, and I watch as Orion interacts with the creature. A softer side of him emerges, and it’s really hard not to reach out and ask all the questions I've been so nervous or scared to ask about us. But I withhold myself, remembering to keep a mask of indifference with him.
“Where do they originate from?” I ask, keeping the questions neutral and more research based.
“Here. In Virellan,” he states. “Virellan’s borders extend farther than you could imagine. Not just left and right but even down. Even some parts I myself cannot venture because the danger is too risky to endure alone.”
“You said bonded. What do you mean?” I ask, wondering if his explanation might unravel the mystery of what ties us together.
“Yes, bonded. Some Snapdragonis will not bond with others in the sea given they are very independent creatures. However, in some cases, they bond in hopes of protecting another. While independent, yes, they are also very loyal and protective of those they care about.”
“Do they ever venture outside of their habitat?” I ask, realizing I may have used the wrong phrasing. “I meant home. Do they ever venture outside of their home?”
Orion gives a light huff, or maybe it was a small chuckle, as he smiles softly at me, continuing to comfort his little friend. Ildrina? I think that was her name.
“Only bonded Snapdragonis leave their home. Those who are not bonded must stay to protect their territory,” he says, as if he is saying something without saying it.
“So then how do they bond with someone if they never leave their home?”
“They wait until the brave come to them and prove they deserve a bond with one of these fierce creatures.”
He rises from his position, and Ildrina follows, managing to keep their body at shoulder level with Orion.
He moves deeper into their territory, and Snapdragonis appear out of thin air.
A moment ago, none were visible, or perhaps I simply hadn’t noticed them.
Then, in a flash, their fins stir the water, each sweep releasing a hushed cascade, like rainfall tumbling through hollow stone, echoing softly in the sea around me.
Some emerge from the sand, others swim out from under rocks, and the rest slip from in between coral reefs.
The creatures display a spectrum of shades, some muted to match the ocean floor, others brilliant as coral.
They appear all at once, the way schools of fish once startled me on dives, an eruption of life from the shadows that sends the water quivering around me, both breathtaking and unnerving.
A sluggish one drags itself along the ocean floor behind me, its fins stirring lazy clouds of sand.
Its body shimmers with a pinkish-red tint while its fin holds a muted mauve, as if painted with dusk itself.
Another sweeps overhead seconds later, its body a dazzling violet with a near-black fin cutting the water like a blade as I duck from the speed of it racing past. The flicker of its scales creates a ripple of light across my face, stealing my breath for a moment.
The sight is nothing short of mesmerizing, a blend of chaos and harmony.
I’ve only ever dreamed of witnessing something this sensational.
As a marine biologist, I’ve seen my fair share of extraordinary moments, but the closest I’ve come to this kind of wonder was deep in the caves—when the walls pressed in tight, currents shifting unpredictably with each curve, and the ocean feeling alive in ways we couldn’t measure.
Orion leads me deeper into the heart of their territory.
The wall we approach is dark grey-black slated sea stone, slick and ridged like natural scales, stretching up toward the same two endless crashing waterfalls we just descended.
The roar of them vibrates faintly in the background, sending subtle pulses against my body.
Except this wall is perpendicular to those two parallel waterfalls, and all the Snapdragonis we encountered a moment ago have fallen into a grid-like pattern, the lightest colors at the top and darker colors sinking to the bottom, almost as if it’s a roll call.
The neutral-colored ones blend in at the edges, their muted tones acting like sentinels following the same pattern as the colored ones.
I keep my distance, overwhelmed by the raw beauty and order of it, my pulse quickening as the combination of color, sound, and movement presses on my senses.
It takes a moment, but I notice the same Snapdragonis that follows Orion around seems to be orchestrating the formation.
A flick of its tail nudges one into place, a dip of its snout directs another.
Its control is subtle yet evident, and the others respond instantly, moving with excited discipline, creating currents that ripple through the surrounding water.
I can’t quite understand why, but the energy is palpable, and it sends a thrill through me.
“Now comes the time to test your magic,” he challenges, his voice steady and almost reverent. “Choose.”
I blink, my eyes sweeping across the grid of creatures and my heart skips a beat.
“Choose?” I echo.
“One who ventures bravely down here on their own, and not forced, gains the trust of their own loyal Snapdragon,” he says, “but the bond must be reciprocated on both ends. You will know which one mirrors your beliefs when you gravitate toward them—unguided.”
He says it as if it’s that simple, though the tension pressing in around me tells a different story. His words ring in my ear, and my tail shifts slightly as if it too feels the overwhelming pressure rising from within.
I approach the endless grid of Snapdragons—each holding a vibrant hue of color. At first glance, you can see each holds its own. But a further glance also reveals their personality breaking through. Some hold their posture well, while others are timid and seem to hold some fear.
I make my way far left of the grid and work my way right, but nothing stands out—minus the known fact of how many exuberant colors these creatures can hold. Endlessly back and forth in front of hundreds of the creatures. I descend to the lower rows and repeat the same process.
I’m on the verge of ceasing my rounds after several long minutes when something tugs me. Not a physical tug, but one that tugs on my heart. Similar to the magical tug I get when Orion is near, but this one feels different. The tug comes from behind, where I currently float in place.
My balance shifts, and I follow it. Not sure how my heart understands where to go, but trusting it anyway. A thread forms from within and guides me up, and to a section I had been mere moments ago.
My focus shifts for a moment as I notice the ridges that have formed on the wall behind these creatures.
The ridges are sharp and construct themselves in weird angles.
Could the ridges be from the two cascading waterfalls that lie in front, always battling over who can scar this wall further until it is broken into nothing?
I'm nearing the end of the wall, noticing the ridges have slowly disappeared the higher you go. The damage from each waterfall leaves this space untouched.
Only a few more rows are left, and a flick from a Snapdragons tail catches my eye. This dragon is bright yellow and has a sun-kissed orange fin that separates halfway down its body.
Gliding toward it slowly, I smile. Not sure what to do next. It stares at me blankly.
You will know which one mirrors your beliefs when you gravitate toward them—unguided. That’s what Orion said. You’d think he would have said what to do after. I might be educated, but this is uncharted territory . . . for any human. I guess unguided means unguided by him.
Do I talk to it out loud? Am I supposed to know its beliefs automatically?
Ugh, why does everything down here have to be in riddles!
Nothing down here is in riddles, you're just too slow to understand instructions as they are.
A voice rings in my head. This isn't the same voice from when I was dreaming, no, this is a feminine voice.
And honestly, a little bit rude . . .
Rude! I am not rude.
“You can hear my thoughts?” I say, looking at the yellow creature in front of me.
I know I didn’t say that last thought out loud. Can they hear my thoughts and just talk out loud or am I genuinely crazy and it is talking to me in my head?
You practically scream them, but the crazy part I'll be able to determine over time. Over here.
The Snapdragonis toward the top all hold white colored bodies, but each has a different colored fin.