Hydro could not believe how many people managed to crowd into the castle walls. With his father, Hydro progressed slowly, all eyes on him, all knowing the task he was about to accomplish. Roy Tityle of Katarh and his wife, Luuise; Marqiss Puwl of Rhemu and his wife, Lyane; Hekter Sigurd, the young Marquis of Roil; the dark-skinned Alyn Bloctor of the Summer Isles and his wife, Ayanna; Cadell Periwinkle of the Hart Isles and his wife, Enya; and even the old hermit Seth Axyel, Maquis of Talyn, stood before him in front of their respective families and thousands of others to pay Hydro homage. How did Father arrange this?
He had seen them from the veranda when his father made a speech about his new adventure. "Families of Power, and those of Acquava lucky enough to catch wind of this momentous occasion, I received word yesterday that my son is to compete in Guardian Eska's Trials. . . ." His father had let the announcement sink in before continuing, "It means a great deal to my family that you could come on such short notice to our castle to see him off. Once he leaves here today, he will not return a prince; he will return an apprentice and a soon-to-be guardian. Even once the Trials complete, though, there will still need to be approval from the lords and ladies of each nation. So I encourage you to make contact with the families in power in other nations and start rekindling any connections you may have. Tell them why my son is competent to become apprentice. . . ."
Hydro stated sweating at this point and tapping his leg as he waited for his father to continue and hopefully finish.
"He will become apprentice because of his determination, because of his perseverance, because of his skill, and, finally, because he has the blood of an Acquavan!"
Roars and cheers burst out at this point.
"He has seablood in his veins!" More cheers. "And because of this, he will have the ability to adapt to each trial, whatever it may be, just as water changes its form. We have lasted as a nation because of this ability, and it has given us confidence, and this confidence will be used to win the Trials. So, my son does not leave to attend these Trials for his own gain; he attends for the sake of Acquava."
Hydro had never heard such applause before. It sounded as strong as thunder. As discreetly as he could, he wiped his hands on his tunic, glad that the speech was done.
The feeling he had while up on the veranda, of being an idol for everyone to worship, continued through the progression. Eyes upon eyes upon eyes watched him progress, his father at his side and his mother and brother behind him. The Acqua guards were close, as well as Darien and Len of his father's council. Hydro walked at his father's gait—a slow pace that allowed for all the more admiration.
"Thank you, Father," Hydro said. They were almost to the castle gates now, where a hovercraft waited for his father and him. The gates were open to allow for an overflow of people, and Hydro saw all the spaceships and hovercrafts parked on the flat plains outside the castle walls.
"You deserve a parting that befits your rank. I am glad you approve."
Hydro did. It was a nice gesture, but now there was no choice but success. (Like there ever had been anyway?) "It seems like everyone in Acquava is here to see me off."
"No. Not everyone. One wishes to see you off personally."
Hydro stopped. The hovercraft was less than fifty paces away. There is still more. . . . "Who?"
"Pearl." His father smiled, put his arm around Hydro, and walked the rest of the way to the ship.
Hydro had a feeling his father was going to say that name. The goddess herself wishes to see me off.
As Hydro walked the remaining paces, he thought about the weight this visit would hold compared to the three other times he had been brought before her. His father told him that upon his birth, he had been brought before Pearl. After Hydro cast his first spell of power and officially became a blessed at the age of nine, his father brought him to her as well. But the time that Hydro remembered most prominently was when he killed his first man and ascended into manhood. A man with no promise besides that of thievery was brought before his father, and Hydro could still feel the hilt of his father's coveted ether blade, Purge, in his hand when he commanded Hydro to swing the sword. That was at the age of thirteen, and Hydro had needed both hands to wield his father's longsword. The splatter of blood that caused Hydro to look away, the head rolling on the floor of the stone court, had been worth it then to hear his father say, "Congratulations, Son."
Hydro entered the passenger side of the hovercraft and waited as the trailing servants piled the baggage in the back. Though he never looked back, he could feel the eyes still upon him.
"Bye, Brother." Aiton was at the side of the vehicle.
Hydro smiled. "Bye, Aiton." He looked up and locked eyes with his mother. "Bye, Mother."
"Bye . . . may the Twelve be with you."
The comment seemed rather forced, but so was Hydro's. Although he was going to see Pearl, he was glad he would no longer have to see his mother and listen to her theatrics. Hydro's mother walked away, pulling her son backwards with her so that the hovercraft could be started.
As his father pushed the start button underneath the container of anitron, Hydro asked, "How do you know she wants to see me?"
"She bid me. You cannot deny a goddess's bidding."
"No. You cannot. . . ." The hovercraft jolted off the ground. "Why does she wish to see me?"
"You will see."
The hovercraft drove off, and as it did so, Hydro took one last look at the people he had known, the people he would never see again.
***
Greedy eyes took in the sights like a newborn. Checkerboard-blue-and-white mosaic tiles stretched the length of the hallway. Between ivory columns sat white-washed statues carved in the likeness of the past rulers of Acquava. The Hall of the Lords.
"Do you remember these halls, Hydro?" asked Lord Paen.
Hydro nodded and said, "They always seem more magnificent than the time before."
"They always are."
Hydro walked with his father, passing the statues. Their soles shattered silence with brisk steps of anticipation. He bypassed earlier lords—such as Graynon Paquar, the first ruler of Acquava, and Symian Symer, founder of the city Symeria. And he also saw lords who ruled after the Great War—such as Karl Katarh, who froze to death in his own kingdom and had his lineage pass to Louis Hammersfall, the husband of his daughter, Karla. Their reign was short, and it was then that Hydro's family started rule under Lyonell Paen. History lived here, untainted by the salty air or unwanted eyes.
Hydro's grandfather, Áylan Paen, from whom Hydro received his middle name, was the last statue added, shortly before Hydro's last visit. Frail and old and suffering from mind loss were the last things Hydro remembered of him. Whenever he would talk to Hydro, he called him Hymin; it had become a nickname for Hydro, but Hydro wished he could see the man his father talked about—a man who stood as a symbol of their continued reign through three uprisings. One thousand feet from where his grandfather stood, the hall started to decline.
"Are you nervous, Hydro?"
"Never," Hydro lied.
"Your voice quivers. What is wrong?" Lord Paen stopped and looked at his son.
"Father, why are we here? The ship leaves from Encenro Falls, not here. We will never make it."
"You will see, Hydro. Be patient. Before you leave here today, you will see the true power of a goddess."
Hydro exhaled and tapped the side of his body but continued walking with his father. The last time he met Pearl, her deformity had left Hydro speechless. Gods were supposed to be flawless, not some creature in the form of a mermaid with seaweed hair and scaly arms that were as shiny as pearls. Hydro saw no magnificence so far, only those cruel yellow eyes. Did that make him wicked?
Minutes passed, and only their soles spoke. Down and down they went until the air became cold and he could taste the brine of the nearby ocean water. As the earthy path leveled out, the sconces that had lit the way earlier stopped. Hydro did as well.
Before him and his father stood a wall of water, fifteen feet in height and held in place as if encased in a glass box. The dark path hid from most of the suns' rays. It shone a little—enough to see that before them lay an endless expanse of water. The Watery Path led from this island to Pearl's Cove, and only the rightful rulers of Acquava could pass unscathed by the dangers that lurked within.
"Before we enter, we must pray. Would you like to lead?"
"Pearl, navigate me through your waters, steer me to land, and drench me in your power."
Hydro trailed after his father as they passed through an invisible threshold; the glass-like material rippled up and down, sending out a low hum that reverberated throughout the hallway.
Power is how places like this existed—how Hydro and his father were able to breathe underwater, how their clothes did not get wet even in a chamber filled with water and sharks, and how they were able to stand on a surface while that same area rippled with the ocean's traffic. It was wondrous and rare, like the leviathan that roamed Leviathan's Bay near Talyn Island. That is how power would stay, too—in the hands of the powerful, until the Ancients came again.
Books and schooling taught Hydro that ever since the Great War and the disappearance of the Ancients, power stopped surging through the veins of just anyone. Those who had it before the Great War kept it in their lineage, but even that wasn't a guarantee. Children could still become denied instead of blessed, and families in power might have no power at all after centuries. Rulers on other planets had lost their reign due to their child's ineptness to cast. A good change too, Hydro had thought at the time. Everyone having power seems too fair.
After rounding a few bends in the path, a school of sharks circled them. Red eyes examined Hydro's worth. He did his best to ignore his heavy breathing. The sharks circled for a while longer until some became bored and swam away from the Watery Path.
"You do not have to be afraid, Hydro."
"Who says I was?"
"Your breathing, your hand on your hilt, and your tone. Control your actions; you will need to if you wish to win the Trials. Otherwise you may become too predictable."
"That is only a small advantage."
"An advantage all the same, and one that might cause you to roam these watery halls one day instead of the proper place of a guardian."
Since the first ruler of Acquava, the deceased lords became guards to their god, even in the afterlife. Whether it was true or not, Hydro could not help but admit that he sometimes wondered if his grandfather lurked about.
After a few more turns, they ascended to a cove above land. The water sloshed against the granite steps. White-washed walls held the salty scent of the departing sea, and once the steps ended, the room opened up to a large, circular alcove supported by cobalt columns. After the columns, a mound of circular steps rose to support a pool of water with a golden fountain that misted the room. Open-mouthed clams—large enough to devour Hydro whole—lay waiting by each cobalt column. Mermen and mermaids inside of them carried various musical instruments. Above, the dome was painted with a ripple of waves that constantly changed to different views of Acquava.
Water rushed over the pool's edge and dripped down the circular steps, wetting the soles of both Hydro and his father. Hydro relieved the slight trembling in his leg by kneeling. Even after he rose, he tried not to acknowledge it. His pride, if nothing else, would keep him standing.
"I hear you are to attend Eska's Trials?" Pearl said. The goddess bathed in the pool of water. Hydro could only see her head and scaly, sleek arms. The moisture and mist made her seaweed hair cling to her face.
"Yes."
"And will you win?"
"If you see fit, my goddess."
"I do." Pearl shifted her gaze. "Lord Paen, what is it you wish of me?"
"I want you to show Hydro the power of a goddess. One-twelfth of the power that he will obtain by becoming guardian."
Pearl smiled. "Prince Paen. Come."
Hydro gulped and walked forward. As he climbed the steps, he passed two mermaids strumming harps. The female creatures were of fair skin and covered in nothing but necklaces of pearls and shells. Seaweed hair fell past their shoulders. Hydro looked at them; they looked back with daffodil eyes that made his groin tighten. The sweet music they plucked from the air enthralled him. Too much so. He looked away to regain Pearl's dark-blue eyes, but soon he regretted that decision.
To break the gaze, Hydro knelt at the top of the stairs. Pearl hoisted herself out of her pool and slid on her tail like a serpent around Hydro. The scales dissipated near her midriff. Bare skin lurked beneath her shirt of clams and shells—they rattled while she circled him. Hydro winced as Pearl dragged her long nails across the back of his shoulders. He closed his eyes.
A soft chant ruminated. It wasn't power's language—it was older, more guttural, a language privy to gods and forgotten by years. At the end of it, Hydro expected to feel something, but he didn't. Did it work?
"Your destination is Encenro Falls." Pearl's voice was soft. Helpful. Seductive as the sea was to pirates. "I will transport you there now."
Pearl moved past Hydro to the pair of mermaids. A claw from each hand stole perfection away from their faces. As she dug into their skin, creating a trail of cerulean blood, they whimpered but remained stationary until their eyes glowed a dark yellow. In some unwritten code, the mermaids smeared their cheeks, covering their hands in the blood, and then they played again. Did Pearl control them?
The song strung was soft at first. Slowly it intensified. Each of their cheeks healed and they began to sing. It was a song Hydro had never heard.
The sea sways us.
The sea guides us.
The sea steers us.
The sea! The sea! The sea!
The sea listens to us.
The sea demands from us.
The sea allows us
To see! To see! To see!
From above, a swish echoed like waves on a beach. To his surprise, the watery dome shifted to one large image of Encenro Falls. Pearl said nothing; she only slid to the back of the room, circling around the throne. Hydro waited for his father, then followed. He stole a glance at the mermaids before he left. Their eyes pleaded for liberation.
On the wall behind the throne a large body-length mirror hung, its frame decorated in true gold. The glass shifted and reflected the image that rippled above them on the watery dome. The once-solid glass changed, as if it was liquid. It reminded Hydro of the Watery Path.
"This will take you to where you need to go."
Pearl didn't enter. Her blue eyes continued to look at them with slight satisfaction. His father stepped through. The act stupefied Hydro, but then, there were many things about a goddess's power that left answers to be desired. Pearl's gaze fell on him like a lone animal. "Do not abuse the power given to you, Hydro Áylan Paen."
Hydro paused. What does she mean by that? Does she sense my doubts? But he crossed the threshold, and a slap of wind jolted his senses. Pine trees lingered in the air, and rushing fresh water filled his ears. A dozen paces ahead, his father stood on a jutting rock that overlooked a forest below. A flock of morning birds cawed. "They are migrating. Is it that time of season already?"
Hydro didn't respond. He extended his arms, looking them over. "Father, I do not feel any different."
A sharp slap stung his cheek. "Hydro, you question a god's gift? Did you see that dome? She can see anything at any time—hear anyone at any time. Do you think Pearl would be pleased to hear disapproval?"
Hydro's flared temper subsided. "No . . ." He understood that he overstepped his place. It was not his right to question the authority of a goddess.
A low rumbling like thunder pierced Hydro's ears. From the cloudy sky, a ship descended. It was a massive black-and-green army cargo transport. The roaring engines hushed the rushing water. "This is what Guardian Eska decides to send to pick us up?"
Lord Paen did not comment until it descended a few hundred more feet and hovered in clear sight of the jutted rock. "At least there will be no question of your safety." Lord Paen took Hydro by the shoulders and looked into his eyes. "I may not know when I will see you next, but I have no doubt that you will do our family proud. You have Pearl's blessing, the strength and sigil of the House of Paen, and also my praise and tidings—not as Lord Hydro Paen, but as your father. Atesia and Aiton will miss you. If you do return, I hope that it is for the better."
Hydro couldn't escape the hug that followed. During that embrace, he thought of Aiton, of his mother. When a tear slid down his cheek, he turned his head, leaving it to dry on his father's shoulder. For the first time, he realized how many duties would fall upon Aiton's lap at his departure. A heavy thud jolted him, and the embrace ended. "I know my departure will leave Aiton more responsibility to the family. But please let him maintain his youth for as long as possible. I do not want to see him grow too old too fast."
"I will keep that in mind. Now go. Make Acquava proud."
Hydro walked up the ramp and entered the empty cargo hold. He claimed his spot on the far right wall, just underneath an audio box.
"Please strap on your harnesses and prepare for takeoff. Next stop, Gar."
Hydro chuckled to himself. Garians? They don't know how to fight. Not truly. Even their precious elites are nowhere near the caliber of Father's Acqua guards.
Hydro didn't worry. He tilted his head back on a hard red neck rest, which comforted soldiers traveling long distances for war. He closed his eyes, but even there he couldn't escape the thousands of people who saw him off today. Even there he couldn't escape Pearl's gaze and the amount of confidence she put in him by her blessing. Even there he couldn't escape the duty he owed his family to win and uphold their pride.