Descendants of the Dragon, Book One: The Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 20: Counsel of the Dragon King

For the second time that day, Jia was drowning. The dragons were lords over the sea and did not need to bother with little things like breathing underwater. It was very unfortunate that of all the gifts the Heirs had, none of them extended towards breathing underwater.

Jia tried to build a pocket of air around herself, but her mastery over the air was limited to her own focus and concentration, which were both shattered at the moment. It was all she could do to hang onto the spine on the dragon's back, as the water buffeted her, blinding her, filling her mouth, eyes, and nose. The roar of the water, as they soared farther and farther into the sea, faster than any boat, filled her eardrums. Her muscles were weakening, as the cry for oxygen from her lungs began building at a steady pace.

The dragon suddenly dove downwards at such a breakneck speed that her ears popped before her stomach had a chance to turn at the freefalling sensation. Her eyes began to throb, and she felt certain she was going to black out. Would any of the others notice if she fell off? She didn't even know if any of them were still holding on. They could've easily fallen off miles ago.

The pressure drastically increased, and Jia's temples began to pound like drums. At the speed of their descent, she guessed it would only be a few more seconds before her eardrums burst, and only a few more after that for her body to cave in from the incredible pressure.

Then, a strange tingling sensation rippled across her skin, and the pressure vanished, although her skull was left throbbing. Before she could stop herself, she opened her eyes. Against all expectations, her eye sockets were not torn apart by the buffeting water. What's more, she found herself able to breathe again. She gasped gratefully and greedily drank in the air that had been robbed of her.

Shimmering rainbows filled her vision, and she gaped at the sights around her. Having grown up in the Jade City, she had seen many wondrous and inexplicable things, many of which would be enough to commit any sane person to a mental ward. This was new though.

"Gods above and below," she said aloud, which should not have been possible underwater. The water was different here though. It glowed and flashed multiple vibrant colors, as it flowed. It was soft and agreeable to the lungs, unlike the invasive, polluted seawater that had nearly drowned her.

Surprisingly, the other Heirs were still present as well, clinging tightly to their spines for dear life. Sam had his arms and legs wrapped around his spine. His eyes were still squeezed tightly shut, and he seemed to be whispering a prayer of some kind.

"That was awful," Liang said, looking dizzy and green. "I am not sure I want water powers anymore."

"Apologies, little dragonlings," the dragon rumbled. "I did warn you that the journey would be perilous."

"You said it was going to be difficult!" Sam said accusingly. "There is a very, very wide range between 'difficult' and 'deadly'."

"Yeah, riding dragons doesn't really live up to the hype," Aiden commented. "Now that I've done it once, I think I'm good for the rest of my life."

The dragon descended further, and the water continued to brighten and dance with light and color, which went against all logic. The sea floor soon came into view. Soaring through the water like birds of prey were dragons of all sizes and color. Jia watched a few dragons swim upward towards the surface, when they passed through an invisible barrier. Their bodies disappeared from sight.

"Are we in another dimension?" Aiden asked the dragon courier.

"No merely a supernatural realm. No mortal can cross over into the realm of the dragons uninvited. As intertwined as the scattered realms may be, barriers must always still be in place.