Moon Blessed

Chapter 29 ~ The Eyes of Bourne

There was very little indication about how far they'd swam, save for the perpetual darkness around them. Nikolai was guessing they'd been swimming for close to an hour, and still, there was no sign of the Eyes of Bourne or the precious jewels they were supposed to steal. He wasn't sure how much more of this darkness he could stand.

It was one thing to be in a dark, confined space with Nastasia's flickering starlight, and another to be swimming into unknown depths, unable to see a single thing. The only good thing about this is the other Knights can't see us, so they can't do anything to prevent us from completing the challenge, Nikolai thought.

All the same, it would be nice to see some sign of Human life. Everything down here was foreign to him. That fact kept him anxious and alert, constantly scanning for signs of movement. A shift in the current. A change in temperature. Not that he wanted something to happen; he just wanted to be prepared.

"Let me know when you start to feel the Voda Halitus wearing off," Nikolai called to the Silent Knight. His words were quieter than before, both intentionally and due to the weight of the water around them. The Knight nodded, but didn't look at him.

Nikolai grimaced and popped his ears for the second time. The changing pressure was already giving him a headache, though he tried not to dwell on it. They wouldn't have sent us down here if the pressure would kill us before we had a chance to complete the tournament, Nikolai reasoned.

He dearly hoped he was right and that surviving the pressure wasn't another aspect of the challenge they had to worry about. He'd heard stories about people imploding under pressure, and the idea didn't sound appealing to him. Nikolai pursed his lips. If I die, I'd at least like there to be something left so I can be burned.

That was the only way one could ascend to the Vale after death. If one was buried on land, their souls were trapped and tormented there for eternity, or until someone finally burned their remains. If there was no body left, a soul simply ceased to exist. No rest. No torment. Nothing.

Nikolai shook those depressing thoughts away as the Silent Knight tugged on the belt connecting them. He pointed into the void. Nikolai squinted and gradually made out a sliver of light reflecting from the lakebed.

"There shouldn't be light down here," he murmured. The Silent Knight nodded. "Let's check it out, but be ready for anything." The Knight nodded again and they descended towards the light.

The closer they drew, the brighter the light became, until the water around them was lit by a dim golden hue. Nikolai's eyes widened as he saw the source of the light. Hills of golden coins covered the bottom of the lake, unmarred by the environment surrounding them. Nikolai swam towards the gold, keeping his eyes peeled for the jewels or the Eyes that guarded them.

Something sparkled beyond one of the hills a few yards away. Together, Nikolai and the Silent Knight swam towards it. They crested the hill and came face to face with dozens of diamonds, each the size of Mischa's biceps. Nikolai gawked at the jewels, mouth agape. They were almost more spectacular than anything he'd ever seen. Only Nastasia's silver pupil-less eyes trumped them.

"We each take one," Nikolai whispered. "Keep alert. The Eyes are here somewhere." Already, an eerie feeling stole down his spine, leaving his hair standing on end. They were being watched.

Nikolai swam towards the jewels and reached for the nearest one. He slid it into the small pouch attached to his belt and watched as the Silent Knight did the same. "Let's get out of here," he hissed. The Knight nodded and they began to swim up.

On and on they swam, but the golden glow in the water did not fade. The Silent Knight was kicking frantically now, as if that could get him to the surface faster. Nikolai's heart began to race and blood roared in his ears. The light remained. It should've been gone by now. They should've reached the impenetrable darkness they'd left behind. They should've...