Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125422 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 627(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
“Of course,” Vellamo says as she approaches the edge of the water, closing her eyes and chanting something that causes the water to ripple away from her. She does this for a minute, while the Keskelli, standing nearby, exchange nods before wading into the water, their massive forms breaking the surface like living boulders. They kneel, allowing some of the braver troops to climb onto their shoulders.
Vellamo then raises her remaining hand, and the water stirs. A massive shape rises from the depths—a whale made of bones, its skeletal frame gleaming in the crystalline light. The soldiers gasp as it emerges, silent and imposing, its empty eye sockets glowing faintly.
“Some of you can ride with my kind,” Vellamo says, her voice quiet but commanding as she gestures to the whale.
The troops move quickly, climbing onto the whale’s back as Vellamo steps into the water, her form blending seamlessly with the currents. She glances at Tuoni, her expression unreadable, then begins to swim alongside the whale, her movements graceful despite the bandaged stump of her missing arm, until she dives beneath the water and disappears.
The boat rocks gently as I climb in beside Tuoni. My father takes the seat opposite me, his staff resting across his knees, the glow of the shimmering walls reflecting faintly in his lined face. Tellervo, her expression solemn in the dim light, sits behind us, then General Suvari takes up the oars, in charge of the rowing. Rauta jumps in last, heading to the prow where he proudly stands on patrol, his red eyes scanning the water.
The boat pushes off, gliding silently along the waterway. The trolls swim beside us, their broad shoulders breaking the surface, four or five armed troops riding each Keskelli. The bone whale follows, its hollow eyes glowing faintly beneath the water, with even more soldiers clinging to its back.
For a time, there is nothing but the sound of the water and the faint echoes of our passage. The crystalline walls shimmer with an ethereal glow, casting fragmented light on our faces. It should be beautiful, but the air is heavy with grief. I can feel it pressing down on all of us, unspoken but undeniable.
It feels like it’s coming for me, waiting just below my skin.
The boat glides silently across the water, the faint sound of oars cutting through the glassy surface. I stare ahead, focused on the shimmering walls, the reflections dancing below, trying not to let the weight of everything press too heavily on me. Then I hear a soft splash.
At first, I think it’s the oars hitting the water, but then something darts beneath the hull—a flash of kaleidoscopic light. My breath catches. Another splash, closer this time, and a fish breaks the surface.
No, it’s not a fish. It’s a mermaid, no larger than a doll, with iridescent scales and delicate features. She swims beside the boat, her luminous form glowing faintly in the dim cavern light.
“Bell,” I whisper, my voice trembling with recognition.
“Hanna?” Bell chirps, her voice high and curious. She tilts her head, studying me. “I told you I’d see you again! Vellamo put out the call, and here I am. Did you miss me?”
Tuoni glances down at her briefly, his silver eyes distant, as if he’s already dismissed her presence. Bell stares at him, unimpressed, and sticks out her tongue when he looks away. Her bright eyes narrow, scrutinizing me. “What’s wrong with you?” she asks. “Why are you glowing? You seem…off.” She pauses, looking past me to the others. “Everyone is off. What happened?”
I can’t answer. Her words pierce through something in me, striking a memory buried beneath layers of divinity. I stare at her, and for a moment, I feel the weight of who I used to be. There’s a flicker of emotion—affection, maybe? She was my friend, wasn’t she? But it’s distant, as though I’m viewing it through fogged glass.
Before I can respond, the water ahead churns violently.
“There!” Tuoni cries out, pointing at the water as ripples spread out in wavering circles, and a low, menacing growl reverberates through the cavern. I straighten up and freeze as a massive shadow rises from the depths.
Rauta starts barking like mad as the water explodes in a spray of foam and brine. A monster from the depths emerges, its grotesque form a monstrosity of jagged fins, twisting tentacles, and barnacle-encrusted flesh. His molten eyes glow with a terrible, ancient rage, and his roar shakes the very walls of the cavern, sending cascades of water down the crystalline stalactites.
“Iku-Turso!” my father yells. “The Old God of the sea! Everyone hold on!”
The boat rocks violently, nearly capsizing. Soldiers cry out as the bone whale rears back, its skeletal form dwarfed by the leviathan. Bell shrieks, diving beneath the water as a massive tentacle lashes out, slamming against the boat and sending a spray of water over us.