Legends Of Zyconia Part 29

Terrek looked around. He was completely soaked. Surprisingly, he hadn't blacked out from their ride with the huge squid, but his compatriots lay groggily on the stone floor. They were in a large stone room, its only features a large metallic door at the top of a dozen steps, and a dear pool that entered a spacious aquatic cave below. The pool is where the squid had brought them into the room. The aquatic cave led outside to the bottom of the lake. Somehow they had been brought to some sort of undersea room. It was amazing.

Terrek helped Diana to her feet. Terrek winced when he saw the bruise on her arm, she merely pulled down her sleeve and moved away from him.

"Where are we?" asked Hemoth stupidly, as though one of them had the answer.

Terrek looked toward the iron door. Footsteps could be heard beyond. Suddenly the door swung aside and three strange creatures came down the steps. The creatures seemed to have human bodies. Yet their skin was blue and scaly. Their eyes were smaller than those of men, and they had fins on their backs. Their hands were thin and bony. They looked like some kind of fish beings. Their appearance was disturbing but their faces were inviting.

"Greetings," they chimed in unison, "welcome to Kaldoria."

Terrek stepped forward a bit nervously.

"Greetings."

The creature in the front appeared to be female; she had long brown hair and a shapely figure. She was attractive even though she had blue skin and a fin on her back. She was their leader.

"I am Velerion and these are my servants, Malican and Berathus," she said indicating the fishmen to her left and right.

At the top of the stairs stood six fishmen. Velerion didn't, introduce them. Terrek assumed they were guards.

"Come with me," Velerion said ascending the stairs, "we will give you a tour of the city."

"City?" Terrek asked.

"City." Velerion replied.

They all followed.

Velerion led them through a temple like structure. Many fishmen appeared to be praying toward a large curtain of darkness. For some reason one end of this temple wasn't lit. Terrek had never seen the Maker worshipped in this manner before. As they exited the temple they stared in awe at the huge dome high above. They were standing on a road in front of the temple, many buildings could be seen in all directions. They were at the bottom of the sea and Kaldoria was an undersea city encased in a transparent dome.

Terrek stared at Velerion.

"Your amazement is understandable," Velerion said walking down the *street as they followed. Velerion continued. "Long, long ago our kind lived on the ocean floor but over time we gained extreme knowledge. We want to take our place in the world above. This is why we have harnessed a mystic power of our own. It helped us to change ourselves, we can now live in your world. It may be possible to raise our city from the sea floor with this power."

Velerion led them to a large tower that connected to the top of the glass dome.

"This is our fastest way to the surface," she said indicating the tower.

The base of the tower had a large bronze door.

"Inside is a metallic compartment. When anyone enters, the pressure in the volcano beneath increases, and the compartment is shot up through the dome to the surface." Terrek took note of the tower's location.

"So why have you come. Terrek?" asked Berathus.

"We have been sent by the Council to seek the ancient crystals of Zyconia," replied Terrek.

"The - the Council," Velerion seemed perturbed.

"Follow me, I think I might know what you're looking for," Velerion spun around.

TO BE CONTINUED...

TO READ FROM THE BEGINNING GO TO: LEGENDS OF ZYCONIA PART 1

TO READ THE PREVIOUS PART GO TO: LEGENDS OF ZYCONIA PART 28