They passed into the water, and the sea parted around them as they stepped down the pier. Descending, they found a stair of foam beneath their feet. They had yet to go far down it before the waves closed over them again.

The company now was marching down a great hall. The rear of the hall was fading to the sea and the front opening before them. The saltwater spray surrounded them, and Sahshir saw strange shapes in the water. Vast, winding tendrils seemed to coil in the depths, and he could not tell what color they were.

However, his companions did not seem to see them. Oresa seemed to be openly marveling at something in the water. A glance revealed a vast school of fish swimming past them, then a school of dolphins. Behind them, Sahshir saw the land appearing almost like a great cliff reaching up toward the sky.

"Have you ever seen the land from this angle, Urus?" asked Oresa.

"Of course not," said Urus. "None of us have ever been this low before."

They saw many other things on that journey. Whales were swimming by the corridor, their calls reaching out throughout the water. But soon, the waters became ever darker, and Sahshir needed to draw the Sword of Order to light the way. The Herald of the Fish King led on, silent, while Nagos walked behind.

And then they began to see other things.

At first, it was only massive tentacles reaching up out of the darkest depths. Then they saw shapes shifting and changing before them. They swam here and there, and gazing upon them was not enough to determine their shape. They were beasts of innumerable mouths and teeth, and Sahshir averted his eyes.

"What... what are these things?" asked Oresa.

"Elders," said Nagos. "They existed before all that was.

"Amasara..."

Amasara said something, and Nagos listened.

"What is it?" asked Sahshir.

"As they delve deeper into the unknown, they take on their true nature," said Nagos.

Soon, they reached the ocean floor. Here, they saw stones of many colors that gleamed beneath the light. Yet Sahshir could see no sign of where the light came from. Alkela walked beside them, and over time they saw structures.

They were made of many green pillars with pictures of humans mutating into beasts. Yet there were also runes on it.

"What is it, Alkela?" asked Nagos.

Sahshir looked up and saw that Alkela was making hand gestures in irritation. He'd missed them the first time. "Those runes up there are those of Amysta and Zigildrazia,"

"The Shark Queen is aligned with Amysta," said Tuor. "Her creatures ravage the universe in her name. Move quickly; their eyes may be upon us even now."

They walked on in greater haste.

As they did, Sahshir peered in various directions. As he did, he saw shapes moving in the darkness. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a white blur and looked up. He saw what he thought might have been a tan-skinned woman swimming. Yet her lower body was that of a shark, and when he blinked, he was gone.

"What is it?" asked Isamu.

"I thought I saw something, a woman, but she had the lower body of a fish," said Sahshir.

"One of the merfolk?" asked Urus.

"The merfolk dwell closer to the Sea of Power and in the waters North of Harlenor," said Nagos, shaking his head. "The lizardfolk populate most of this region."

"Then why would I see her?" asked Sahshir.

"Perhaps you did not," mused Tuor. "We'd best hope as much. Her appearance is often an omen of coming death."

"What did she look like?" asked Oresa, curious.

Sahshir tried to remember and found that he had an obvious idea of what she looked like. He paused. "She had tan skin and short blonde hair and appeared to have a Harlenorian body type, like Oresa. Her mouth was covered by a mask, though. There was a blade at her side."

"Let's hurry up the pace a bit, then," said Nagos, shivering. "Merfolk are a bit fickle. Excuse me, Herald."

The Herald looked back.

"Can we move more quickly?" asked Nagos.

The Herald nodded.

On they went, all the faster. As they did, the ocean seemed to flow by them immensely. Sahshir sighed. "Why are you so concerned?"

Nagos shrugged. "I heard a legend once of the Goddess of the Seas, the Shark Queen. Long ago, she joined forces with Amysta in exchange for the power to warp souls. With it, the first of the raishans were made. She and her kind patrol the ocean, looking for sailors to devour.

"It's said that anyone who falls into the ocean survives only because she wills it."

"Great, so we're running again," mused Isamu. "Remind me this, Tuor, what are we doing here?"

"Hmm?" asked Tuor.

"We're trying to get the Heaven's Eye; how will this help?" asked Isamu.

"Once we steal the Heaven's Eye, we will be pursued," said Tuor. "If we could find an alternate route through the seas, it would be helpful.

"And, as long as we are here, we can perhaps smooth things over."

"Assuming they don't kill us as soon as we return," muttered Isamu.

"You needn't fear," said Tuor. "I expect the riots shall persist for some weeks. In my experience, when one situation escalates, it tends to escalate all the rest."

"You seem calm for a man who has left a city falling into chaos," noted Sahshir. Then he glanced back to Garrick, who had been silent.

"Chaos is a valuable tool," said Garrick.

"Cadas, did you know what Isamu did?" asked Sahshir suddenly.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"...Yes," said Cadas. "Why do you ask?"

"If this gets traced back to you, King Belosh will have to account for it," said Tuor. "You will have to take responsibility for his actions."

"I know," said Cadas.

"Are you willing to take that attitude to the cross?" asked Tuor.

"...You don't think Father would-" began Oresa.

"He might have no choice after this," mused Tuor. "Certainly, I will not be taking your part."

"Sahshir... can't you do something?" asked Oresa.

"I could," said Sahshir. "However, men ought to pay for their own mistakes."

"You call justice a mistake?" asked Isamu.

"If it leads to chaos in the streets of the person we are trying to negotiate with?" asked Sahshir. "And leads to the shedding of innocent blood? Yes."

The Herald stopped. Nagos spoke with it, then turned to them. "The oceans must be closed before the way may be opened."

And the oceans were closed.

For a moment, all was in darkness. Then, before their eyes, another light broke through. It was green and faint, and the world looked strange and warped within its light. The ground seemed to peel back like a snake's skin, revealing beyond a stair.

It led down in a spiraling path, and the Herald descended.

"Who is the Shark Queen?" asked Isamu suddenly.

"The Fish King's enemy and the Lady of Waves," said Nagos. "Some say she is the Queen of Death as well. She terrorized sailors in these parts before the Fish King drew her out. Now, she is returning with the coming of enlightenment.

"Her coming is the coming of this world's death. And the death of all plagued by life."Heading down the steps, Sahshir stopped to look at the water above. There was no water here, but there wasn't air either. Nor was there anything. As the last member of their company passed the threshold, the entrance shut.

They were in darkness.

For a moment, that darkness held, and outside, they heard snarls and snaps. If indeed there was an outside within this shroud. Then, slowly, light emerged, and they were walking along a path. Around them was a vast place, what seemed a cave of roots. Yet the roots were of a strange material Sahshir had never seen. It seemed at once slippery and yet also hard.

"Hey, Sahshir, we're not going to meet the Fish King directly, are we?" asked Isamu, slightly worried.

"I assume so," mused Sahshir.

"Well, I saw him once," said Nagos. "It took me a month to recover. Looking at him might be a problem."

"You will not gaze upon him," said Tuor.

"Oh good, that's a weight of my... mind..." said Isamu.

The cave around them passed away, and they walked into a vast city street. Yet the buildings around them were vast towers. Looking up, Sahshir saw a huge ocean in the sky above them. Between the towers were huge walkways. On the bottom of those walkways were many tentacled creatures. They seemed to be city streets under them. There were also lizardfolk around them.

"What is this place?" asked Oresa, sounding afraid.

"We've passed into another dimension," said Sahshir. "The Sword of Order has fallen silent."

The Herald led them on, and Sahshir looked to Amasara, who seemed to have taken a different form. Outwards, she was the same, but at the same time, a shadow seemed emerging from her.

"Of course it has," said Tuor. "What you imagine in the unknown is always far grander than what it turns out to be. This dimension is a place where the unknown gathers in full."

There were no people on the streets they walked. Yet Sahshir thought he saw windows a bit off the ground. Yet, looking into them took a lot of work. Gazing into the darkness brought to mind a shadow. Many eyes were gazing out of that blackness, but they seemed to hang from above.

The sea above them suddenly swelled as they came to the edge of a great cliff. A vast vortex of foam swirled deeper and deeper. And from within it came something, a sort of shadow that was cast upon them. Yet this shadow seemed to have a physical form. It was more like a beast than a man, but with the wings of a dragon. Tentacles, each one as long as of the towers, looked upon them.

"I uh," Nagos shifted. "I think I'd better do the talking here if you don't mind."

"By all means," said Garrick.

"Hey, Fish King, it's been a while, hasn't it?" asked Nagos. "Last time we met, I nearly got my mind destroyed, but don't worry, I'm better. How'd you like that treasure I sent down to you, by the way?"

There was a response, and Oresa fell to her knees, screaming. Isamu clutched his eyes and fell on his face. Urus averted his gaze while Tuor made incantations.

"Ah, right, figures it was more symbolic than useful," said Nagos. "Well, maybe you could do some decorating using it."

"Garrick, now is your chance," said Sahshir.

He tried to look at the Fish King and understand what he was seeing. Yet even as he seemed to grasp his nature, some other element invalidated it.

"Hail to you, God of the Unknown," said Garrick, coming forward. "Your tendrils are infinite and exist beyond the borders of perception. I desire peace between the known and unknown."

The Fish King spoke, and Garrick shifted. "I know what Kaba has done; he is also my enemy. However, if you rise from the depths now, it will lead to the death of far more than him."

The Fish King spoke, and there was a guttural voice. Garrick held his ground, and his face remained impassive. However, sweat dripped down his brow. "Neither do I."

"King Sahshir?" asked Nagos.

The Fish King spoke to Sahshir, and he was not sure he understood what was said. Yet he could not quite make out what was said. However, he must have understood on some level because he found himself replying. "I am no empath. Those around me mean nothing to me. And yet, I still concern myself with their existence. I do so because it is my choice. One may act in another's best interest with all their heart and yet care nothing for them."

Garrick flinched visibly then as the Fish King looked upon him in full. His hands were shaking, and he gripped his sword. "I represent a powerful Merchant Lord named Carath Magnious. And he has an offer for you.

"If you delay your rising, he will see that shrines are erected in your honor. Shrines that speak of the unknowable power within these depths. This will provide an excellent opportunity to push through regulation.

"It will be far simpler to cease the persecution of your people if the threat of destruction looms. And even now, it is said that you have set your will against Sorn. That you have caused chaos by the presence of your Herald."

The Fish King said something, but Sahshir couldn't figure out even the tone. He wondered if they weren't speaking into a void.

"Simple enough," said Garrick. "I shall tell the merchants of Sorn that they have displeased you. If you are not appeased, you will rise from the ocean and destroy them. No doubt, they shall raise a shrine in response. From there, rumors shall be spread that those who dwell within Sorn have succumbed to your will.

"This shall further elevate fear of your unknowable power that lies beyond understanding.

"And so the foundations of your realm shall be restored."

There was another somewhat lower whisper, and then the Fish King gazed upon Tuor. The old man looked straight at the thing, and only then did Sahshir realize he'd been averting his eyes. But Tuor looked on straight into the unknown and smiled. "Ah, and what do we want in return?

"I mean to come back this way in something of a hurry. A swift means to reach the shores near Ruscow would greatly help."

More whispers.

Then, suddenly, the Fish King's shadow entered the vortex and was gone.

Nagos was standing in its place, and Sahshir only realized he had been standing in the shadow. His eyes were black and glassy, and he spoke. "Go.

"The Fish King has given you his answer."

Then his eyes returned to normal, and he fell to one knee.

"Come, let's leave the matter be," said Tuor.

"Let's get the hell out of here; this place gives me the creeps," said Isamu, picking up Oresa.

"Not that way, Isamu," said Tuor. "The Fish King has offered to transport us to Gel Carn through the road of Ancient Stone. It will cut a significant leg off our journey."

"The road of Ancient Stone?" asked Oresa, who looked to have been crying. "But... that place is horrible; almost no one who ventures in there ever returns."

"I doubt there's anything in it worse than coming back here," said Urus.

"If we try heading north, we'll be sighted for sure," said Tuor. "Aren has watchers in that area, and he might intercept us. This way, we can make for the Dark Land of Gel Carn unseen."

"What about me?" asked Nagos.

Tuor looked at Nagos, and he seemed worried for a moment. "I'm certain you could head back to the surface alongside Garrick."

Nagos shrugged. "No, I think I'll go with you the whole way. I've always wanted to see Harlenor." He glanced at the Herald of the Fish King, standing still as a stone. "Hey, can Amasara be our guide?"

Amasara was here now, still flesh and blood, but the shadow within her was far stronger.

"Nice," said Nagos.

"I will return to the surface and explain the results of negotiations," said Garrick. "Farewell and good luck."

Then, two stairways opened before them, one leading down, the other up.

They descended and did not look back.