Fuckin' weird, indeed. Now they were both on edge, and what had been meant as a fun day away from the cares of the War was shadowed.
But Melita was still willing and Hadama was determined to make the trip enjoyable for them both. Nodding in agreement at her point that there was nothing they could do today, he waited until she was safely within the ten foot radius of the subtly swirling stars and then dove with a flip of his tail.
His water magic stretched out behind and around Melita, a manipulated current providing her own swimming a boost so she could keep up with the merman and stay within the ring's radius.
He stayed near the surface at first as they swam out to sea in case she would need to reach the air, but once they were certain the item worked as intended he led them down deeper. The light thinned and began to fall away though he didn't take them down to the true depths until they were near their destination.
They swam through twilight though it was bright day above, and a glow spread out beneath and before them as the Underwater City came into view. Other merfolk and sea creatures began to appear, swimming to or from the City and pausing to view Melita with emotions ranging from excited curiosity to glowering mistrust. A guard soon approached, but after a few words exchanged with Hadama and a display of Safrin's ring she reluctantly allowed the manta and his companion to pass.
He looked back to check on Melita and made a welcoming gesture towards the City itself with a small, reassuring smile before leading her down the broad avenue between towering spires of stone and shell and coral, glinting crystal windows, and flowering seaweed gardens and white sand parks. Many of the merfolk they passed stopped and stared at the human so openly in the midst, and comments in the language of the mer filled the waters around them with a thousand echoes.
But Melita was still willing and Hadama was determined to make the trip enjoyable for them both. Nodding in agreement at her point that there was nothing they could do today, he waited until she was safely within the ten foot radius of the subtly swirling stars and then dove with a flip of his tail.
His water magic stretched out behind and around Melita, a manipulated current providing her own swimming a boost so she could keep up with the merman and stay within the ring's radius.
He stayed near the surface at first as they swam out to sea in case she would need to reach the air, but once they were certain the item worked as intended he led them down deeper. The light thinned and began to fall away though he didn't take them down to the true depths until they were near their destination.
They swam through twilight though it was bright day above, and a glow spread out beneath and before them as the Underwater City came into view. Other merfolk and sea creatures began to appear, swimming to or from the City and pausing to view Melita with emotions ranging from excited curiosity to glowering mistrust. A guard soon approached, but after a few words exchanged with Hadama and a display of Safrin's ring she reluctantly allowed the manta and his companion to pass.
He looked back to check on Melita and made a welcoming gesture towards the City itself with a small, reassuring smile before leading her down the broad avenue between towering spires of stone and shell and coral, glinting crystal windows, and flowering seaweed gardens and white sand parks. Many of the merfolk they passed stopped and stared at the human so openly in the midst, and comments in the language of the mer filled the waters around them with a thousand echoes.
