Contents
Chapter 18 — Grim
Overview
Azul reveals lore of ancient, magically linked waters that could serve as a portal to the otherworld. Grim drags Oro to a hidden tidal pool site on Lightlark, but impatience ignites a brutal clash. The fight stops abruptly when both Grim and Oro realize they can no longer sense Isla, raising dire stakes.
Summary
Grim, frantic after returning to the Skyling newland, presses Azul for answers. Azul shares a legend: the Moon Isle oracles’ mother drowned in a hidden otherworld pool; her lung water was harvested to create connected pools across realms, one poured onto Lightlark by a founder. The waters might form a portal back to the otherworld.
Seizing on the lead, Grim forces immediate travel to a Lightlark beach beneath a white cliff. Azul explains the pool appears only at high tide. Impatient, Grim demands Oro raise the tide; Oro refuses, sparking a violent confrontation.
Flames and shadows collide as Oro burns free of Grim’s chokehold and counters with searing power. Grim retaliates with obsidian-hardened shadows. Azul stands aside, trusting Oro. The duel escalates until a sudden, overwhelming despair stops both combatants mid-strike.
Grim and Oro simultaneously realize they cannot feel Isla’s presence. The fight collapses into shock and dread on the sand, leaving the potential portal unexplored and signaling that Isla may be lost or beyond their reach.
Who Appears
- GrimDesperate to reach Isla; seizes on ancient water-portal lore; provokes and battles Oro; ends devastated when he can’t feel Isla.
- OroRefuses Grim’s demand to force the tide; unleashes intense sun-fire in a fierce duel; also cannot sense Isla, stopping the fight.
- AzulRelays his husband’s tale of connected ancient waters and the hidden Lightlark pool; remains neutral during Grim and Oro’s clash.