Maybe before I explain the morphing, you should know exactly how big the wave was. I kind of opted it out in the last chapter.
The wave in its peak casted a shadow to cover more than half of the city, from its original position. So, you can guess how much damage it could actually do, don't you?
Anyway, as the lower half of the wave collapsed, losing all of its momentum and the upper half that was about to crash back into the water, changed its form.
It split into several parts and each part turned into several water serpents. The serpents looked so life like. Their eyes, their body shape, the appearance of the scales… everything looked way too life like and that was reinforced by one more thing.
*HISS* *HISS* *HISS*
Most civilians closed their ears as these serpents hissed loudly. They hovered in the air as their heads moved from side to side. One more added reason to almost think that it was a real thing.
As if they were trying to find something. Only when I looked through the camera lens once again did I came out of my daze. The creature was indeed lifelike, however it was definitely not a real one. Up on closer look, the illusion of its scales and body being real disappeared.
I tried to calm myself down. But..,
*HISS*
The serpent looked at me.
At least that was what it felt like. As I observed the majestic creature through the lens, its head swooshed to the side and stared straight into the lens of my camera.
I almost shat my pants.
My body was frozen once again. I felt like I was losing my breath.
"TEJ"
Dhana yelled and then only I came back to my senses a bit. The water serpents started moving. Three of them started moving towards our location. We were the farthest targets from the water and there were a bunch of groups between us.
The other serpents targeted.
I watched as a serpent came crashed into a group of soldiers who were trying to move back with his some of their injured comrades. I could almost see it in slow motion as I captured the image. The serpent's head with hundreds of thousand of liters of water and its pressure, amplified by the force of the mana put behind it crashed into the group.
Their bodies were crushed into meat paste that quickly disappeared. From the crash point, the water serpent just broke down into large mass of water. It razed the ground like the calamity it is and started flooding down the surroundings.
With such a backdrop, the three serpents moved towards us.
"Dhana, Brace for impact."
I said while clicking the pictures. For some reason, beyond all that terror that seeped into my very bone, and in the heart beat that was like rattle drum, there was something very very very tiny voice screaming in excitement.
And that excitement made me take those pictures.
Of course, for that excitement to stay alive, I need to stay alive. To guarantee that, I need to do something else.
"In ocean's depths, where currents churn,
I call upon the queen to return.
With waves of power, her presence seen,
By spirit's call, let the water spirit queen.
Summoning the Queen of Water spirits, Aquanora."
As the spell slipped out of my mouth, my head started hurting like hell. The sharp pain was like it was created by a hot sharp spike was being stabbed into my brain.
As I struggled to keep myself intact, the mana started gathering from my body as well as the surroundings on top of the barrier.
The surrounding mana which was originally invisible started conjuring into a large glowing dark blue colored mass of energy which slowly conjured itself into water.
The water revolved to create a vortex which turned into a giant that could rival the size of the water serpent that came at me. From within the water vortex came the water spirit queen.
She was a regal figure. Unlike Zephyrion who barely had any humanoid features, Water spirit queen was much more humanoid.
She was adorned in the robes that were woven from the finest seaweed and pearls. And it wasn't just any seaweed, it was a special sea weed conjured purely out of mana and they are blue in color. Unless one was close enough they wouldn't even know that the attire was made of sea weed.
Her hair cascaded down her back like flowing streams, shimmering with a glow reminiscient of the sunlight dancing up on the ocean's surface. Eyes, the color of deep ocean depths gaze up on you with a mixture of curiosity and wisdom, and her presence exuded a calming aura. As if the very essence of the sea had come before me, I could feel my heart calm down.
Her size shrunk the next moment, as she stood in front of me, outside the barrier.
The serpent neared us and it was about to crash into the barrier, at that moment…
Aquanora just raised her hand and touched and the head of the serpent that was almost there to touch us halted right there and then.
Not just that, even the remaining two serpents did the same.
The serpents halted in their tracks and only the remaining flood came forward. However, it didn't carry the same momentum and hit against the barrier created by Dhana and Dharma.
*SPLASH*
I heaved a sigh, however I groaned in pain as I fell to my knees.
A wince of pain appeared on Aqua Nora's face. She was sharing my pain as well.
I gritted my teeth and said.
"Quickly, please."
I could feel my head wanting to explode. Aqua nora waved her hand and the three serpents, turned their direction and crashed.
The waves increased and they crashed against the barrier, however it was nothing that we couldn't handle.
Aquanora disappeared from the outside and conjured inside the barrier.
She sat on the ground gracefully and held me in her lap.
"Foolish Child. You know you are not strong enough to summon me like this. You could have escaped with a general instead."
She spoke to me in the most soothing tone possible. It was as smooth as calming as the flow of the morning dew on the leaves of a plan.
I felt relaxed.
"You know I couldn't do that."
I said as I pointed at the rest.
Aquanora smiled and said.
"If you act like this, your kindness will get you killed. I can tell from your soul, you are on the death's door way too many times in the recent past."
"Did you talk to Zephyrion?"
She just smiled without answering. She helped me take a few potions. With her slight control she made the potion digest much faster.
Dhana and Dharma moved to save the citizens and move as fast as possible. At that moment, we were surrounded by the flood of water and it didn't look like it will recede. The barrier was the only thing that made us have some dry land there and kept the flood water out.
But all of us knew that it is not sustainable.
We needed to think of a way to get out of this.
"Can you create a passage?"
I asked Aquanora.
"In your state, I cannot. Even the last attack was way too much for you to handle. Only people of seventh circle and above should have withstood that.
You made me draw that much energy without fusion form. I am surprised that you are not puking blood all over the floor."
She said as she gently wiped my mouth. It was a bit embarrassing, but she was just like that. I tried to get up, however she made me lay down with my head still in her lap.
"You need to recover a bit more, if we want to open the path. We need to fuse and finish it one go as well."
She continued speaking.
I could feel the gazes of everyone on me.
Did I mention that I had a great relationship with spirits? Even if I didn't you must have understood by now. However, when it comes to Aquanora, the relationship is a bit too affectionate. For some reason, even when I summoned her for the first time, I felt that her face was a bit familiar.
And she also showed me most affection in the world and it wasn't an exaggeration. At first, I thought it was a case of Anthropophilia. I know it was a term used for germs and such, but in this case I am using it in a different context.
I thought she was developing feelings for me.
But no, that's not true. Anyway, I don't want to digress further. She just loves me too much and I could feel it, not romantic though.
At that moment…
"Tej, let this go."