Into the waters you seek and find
All the creatures, make them mine
Bring them here, all of one mind
Caught like a fish on hook and line
Matt made a gesture as if to spread the liquid out, and then another toward himself, as if bringing back fish. Only now did the knight realize he hadn’t noticed Matt getting the fishing cantrip, as he thought of it, from Denir. Matt straightened and took the staff back.
“How long does it take?” Ryan asked.
The wizard shrugged. “Not sure. A couple minutes?”
They waited in silence, Ryan casting a look behind. Eric and Anna stood together as far from the water’s edge on three sides as they could, and the opening behind them, as if concerned something might come from there. Or at least, that’s what Ryan suddenly thought of. But Novir stood just before the torches, as if expecting it, too, so he had their back. Jolian had walked to the water’s edge and crouched, eyes staring off into the dark as if she could see things they could not. She sniffed the air several times, making Ryan wonder what she smelled.
His thoughts were broken when a surge of water a few inches high moved toward them from out in the lake. It came in waves, something under the surface clearly moving closer to them, as if undecided about doing so and starting and stopping, each time causing a new rush of water. Ryan gripped his crossbow and loaded a bolt into it. Another surge started to one side, closer to Jolian, who turned toward it. The first surge came again, this time larger and with an audible sound of moving water. Ryan’s eyes darted up to the cavern roof, and he thought several red glowing eyes were visible, but maybe it was his imagination. The earliest waves reached their feet, lapping at the stone shore, but so far there was no sign of the cause.
“I wonder what else is in these waters,” he whispered to Matt, watching the source draw nearer. “What if it’s not just the one type of fish and this monster?”
The wizard looked back at Novir, who was too far away to ask. “Wish we had thought of that earlier.”
“Let’s get away from the edge.”
“Brilliant idea.”
They cautiously backed up, and as they did so, more waves came from the side near Jolian, one being noticeably deeper than the shallower ripples. He couldn’t see her face, but Ryan had the impression she was watching intensely.
“Soliander,” began Eric, who had approached them silently and startled Ryan, “how exactly does this spell work?”
“It brings nearby sea life to–” He stopped, a look of alarm on his face.
Seeing that, Ryan asked, “What is it?”
Eric asked, “Does the spell specify fish?” Matt’s wide eyes turned to him and Eric swore.
Ryan began, “Why does that… oh shit.”
“What?” asked Anna.
Eric answered, “The spell summons sea life. That might include the leviathan.”
Suddenly splashes came from the first source of movement and a few silvery fish broke the surface as they approached chaotically. Ryan relaxed at the sight. The rush of water grew louder and more intense, which made him look up again. For a moment, he thought one of the kirii that had been a silhouette against the dim ceiling lights had disappeared, but then he realized he was the one who had moved. A quick step to one side to change his angle and he confirmed it was still there.
But now the noise grew uncomfortably loud as a swarm of fish surged toward them, the shallow water causing waves to crash and echo in the cavern. And it only got worse when the hundreds of silver fish reached the shore and began flopping both in the water and on land. Each was about as long as his hand and narrow, but together they were making Ryan nervous with the noise. He saw other fish among them, red and smaller, and large black ones. Something that looked like a turtle was hard to see with the other fish flopping around on top of it. No leviathan, at least.
“Which ones do we want?” he asked Matt, who was pulling out a pouch. A glance at Jolian showed her still watching the other, unseen source of movement, which had come closer, too.
“The silver ones. Just grab a bunch and throw them in here.”
The sound of rushing water near Jolian made them turn. A two-foot wave surged forward, and she stood up, her wary posture showing alarm. To the left and right of the surge, two thick, black tentacles broke the surface, one lashing out at Novir near the exit, but missing. The other swung at Jolian, who did a backflip over it, and when she landed, long nails had sprung from her fingertips. Novir fired his crossbow at the place where Ryan suspected the body of the leviathan was, the bolt slicing into the water to vanish. And then several more tentacles sprang from the water.
Ryan hefted his crossbow and wondered where to aim. The tentacles were moving too fast, but then Jolian spoke a word and they slowed to half their speed as if stunned. He fired into one and it recoiled. Novir did the same, but Ryan shook his head. Crossbows would not deter this thing.
“Ryan, back away from Matt and get your sword out,” said Eric, coming closer. The knight turned and saw him leading Anna to the wizard, telling her to scoop up some fish into the bag and quickly get to the exit and wait there. Eric was right. She had to get out of harm’s way and wasn’t much help in a fight, as far as he knew. Just then a tentacle flew toward him and he swung the sword, cutting deep into it as black blood splattered around him and on his armor. The wounded limb came back, and this time he cut it clean. And then a horrible screeching sound erupted from
