The Guardian gods-Chapter 439

"By the currents," breathed Coralia, her voice filled with dismay. "The legends...they were true."

"Worse than true," added Delphin, his usually jovial demeanor replaced with a somber expression. "This...this is a catastrophe."

"We won the battle," said Thalassa, her voice firm, attempting to rally their spirits, "but the war is far from over."

"Indeed," agreed Coralia. "This...this contamination. It spreads. We need to contain it, isolate it before it consumes the entire ocean."

"Easier said than done," Delphin pointed out. "Creating a barrier strong enough to hold back this...this corruption...it will require immense power."

"And what about the creatures?" Thalassa added, her gaze sweeping over the schools of fish attempting to navigate around the polluted zone. "The unintelligent ones...they won’t understand. They’ll swim straight into it."

"We’ll need to guide them," Coralia said, her voice filled with determination. "Create pathways, safe routes around the tainted water. It will be a monumental task, but we have no choice."

"This will take all of us," Delphin said, his voice grim. "Every godling, every spirit, every creature with a shred of intelligence. We need to work together if we’re going to save our home."

Thalassa nodded. "We’ll send out the call. Rally the others. This is not just a fight for our kingdoms, it’s a fight for the survival of our entire world."

Meanwhile, high above the eastern continent, Xerosis felt the familiar tug of arrival. A thrill, mingled with anticipation, coursed through her as she emerged from the opulent cabin of her airship. Her gaze, sharp and focused, pierced the swirling clouds below, seeking the legendary peak that marked her destination. It was a mountain spoken of by her cousin Ikem, its summit shrouded in mystery and perpetually veiled by the swirling mists. Even from this distance, she could feel the raw power emanating from it, a silent promise of the wonders – and perhaps dangers – that lay ahead.

With a subtle mental command, Xerosis willed the airship to ascend. The vessel responded instantly, smoothly rising through the turbulent air. Yet, a disquieting sensation began to creep in. Despite the ship’s steady climb, the clouds remained stubbornly close, an impenetrable white blanket that refused to yield. Xerosis frowned, her brow furrowing slightly. She had expected to break through the cloud cover long ago, to be greeted by the crisp, clear air of the higher altitudes. Instead, she found herself trapped within a swirling vortex of mist, the air thick and damp. A hesitant unease settled over her. Was this some trick of the mountain, a magical defense designed to deter unwanted visitors?

Shaking off her apprehension, Xerosis focused her will, urging the ship forward. The airship sliced through the dense cloud cover, its prow cutting a path through the swirling white. Time seemed to stretch and distort as they journeyed through the seemingly endless sea of clouds. Then, a glimmer. A faint, ethereal light pierced the gloom ahead, beckoning her closer. Hope flickered within Xerosis. She fixed her gaze on the light, guiding the ship towards it with unwavering determination.

As she drew nearer, the light grew brighter, more defined. The swirling clouds began to thin, revealing glimpses of what lay beyond. It was a breath taking panorama of vibrant green, a tapestry of lush forests stretching as far as the eye could see. Waterfalls cascaded down moss-covered cliffs, their spray catching the sunlight and creating miniature rainbows. Birds of every imaginable color soared through the clear, azure sky, their melodious songs carried on the gentle breeze. Xerosis gasped, her breath catching in her throat. It was a world reborn, a vibrant testament to the power of nature.

The airship continued its forward momentum, smoothly transitioning from the oppressive cloud cover to the open expanse of this new sky. Above her, a different sun shone, not to warm and blinding like the one she knew. Xerosis leaned against the railing, her eyes wide with wonder. Finally, she understood. This was her uncle’s realm, the land of the green. And from her vantage point high above, she could see it all, a breathtaking vista of unparalleled beauty and untamed magic. The initial unease she had felt was gone, replaced by a sense of awe and a renewed determination to ascend and have a similar realm.

From her aerial perch, Xerosis drank in the breathtaking panorama of her uncle’s realm. It was a world sculpted by nature’s own hand, a vibrant tapestry woven with emerald forests, sapphire rivers, and amethyst mountains. The air itself hummed with a palpable energy, a raw, untamed magic that tingled on her skin. Waterfalls, like ribbons of liquid silver, cascaded down cliffs draped in moss of every shade of green imaginable, from the deep forest hues to the vibrant lime of new growth. Crystal-clear lakes mirrored the sky, their surfaces undisturbed by even the slightest ripple. Flowers, unlike any she had ever seen, bloomed in a riot of color, their petals shimmering with an otherworldly luminescence. The very air seemed to vibrate with the songs of unseen birds, their melodies weaving a symphony of nature’s music.

The forests were not mere collections of trees; they were living entities, their leaves rustling in what seemed like a whispered conversation. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, dappling the forest floor in shifting patterns of light and shadow, creating an ethereal, almost dreamlike atmosphere. In the distance, mountains rose like jagged teeth, their peaks capped with snow that shimmered like diamonds in the warm sunlight. The rivers snaked their way through the landscape, carving paths through the verdant valleys and feeding the lush vegetation that thrived along their banks. It was a realm of untamed beauty, a place where nature reigned supreme.

But it was one particular sight that truly captured Xerosis’s attention, anchoring her gaze. In the heart of the realm, nestled within a secluded valley, stood an awe-inspiring spectacle. A colossal tree, its trunk thicker than any she had ever witnessed, reached towards the heavens, its branches laden with leaves of every imaginable shade of green, from the deepest emerald to the palest jade. It was a being of immense age and power, radiating an aura of ancient wisdom and serene strength. And entwined around its massive trunk, as if it were a living part of the tree itself, was a serpent of equally colossal proportions. Its scales shimmered with an iridescent blend of green and purple, catching the sunlight and creating a mesmerizing display of color.

But the most striking feature of this magnificent creature was its wings. Vast and powerful, they were folded gracefully around the tree, their membranes catching the light and revealing intricate patterns that seemed to shift and change with every movement. The wings, a blend of deep forest green and vibrant amethyst, were tipped with feathers that shimmered like polished obsidian. The serpent, a creature of breath taking beauty and terrifying power, seemed to be in a symbiotic embrace with the ancient tree, a living testament to the harmonious balance of nature.

Xerosis, utterly captivated by the breath taking vista unfolding before her, remained oblivious to the pair of reptilian eyes that had fixed upon her from the heart of the valley. The vibrant greens, the shimmering waterfalls, the sheer untamed magic of the realm had ensnared her senses, drawing her into a world of wonder. She was so absorbed in the spectacle that she failed to notice the subtle shift in the air, the almost imperceptible feeling of being watched.

A sudden shiver snaked down her spine, breaking the spell of her reverie. A voice, clear and surprisingly youthful, spoke from directly behind her. "It’s more fun when you head down to join them than staying up here."

Xerosis’s breath hitched. Instinctively, her body dissolved into a wisp of blue smoke, a reflexive act of self-preservation. She reappeared a short distance away, her eyes now fixed on the source of the voice. Standing before her was a figure that appeared to be a child, their face beaming with an innocent smile. There was something familiar about the presence, a resonance that tugged at the edges of her memory. The child’s brow arched slightly, a hint of amusement flickering in their eyes as they observed Xerosis’s startled reaction.

A blush crept up Xerosis’s cheeks. She had made a hasty assumption, her mind still caught in the afterglow of the awe-inspiring landscape. "I thought you were... gone, Uncle?" she stammered, her voice tinged with embarrassment.

The child-like figure pointed at themselves, their smile widening. "No, I am not him. I am just a realm consciousness connected to the spirit world of this realm. You can see it as me being another child of his, only I did not come from his... balls." The last part was delivered with a touch of wistful regret, the smile faltering for just a moment before returning to its previous brightness. The child’s expression conveyed a sense of longing, a hint of something missing. It was a strange and oddly candid admission, spoken with the guileless honesty of youth, yet carrying a weight of unspoken meaning.