Equilibrium

Prologue - Part 1

Kevyn stepped out of the portal and scanned the area. His partner Jake was right behind him, followed by Nexus. The dappled tropical sun felt good on his skin and he was eager to leave the copse of trees and get to the beach.

"Thanks for the ride, Nex," Kevyn said, turning to him.

"See you in a few," Nexus replied, fingers dancing in a goodbye wave before stepping through again, and closing the portal behind him.

Kevyn and Jake walked along the hard-packed sand path and Kevyn heard the crash of the waves. He deeply inhaled the smell of the sea, and the sand baked by the Ranbutan sun.

"You made it!" said their contact, Skye. The blonde Light Elf wore a silver sports bikini top and wet suit bottoms, ready for their little adventure.

"We said we would, didn't we?" Kevyn teased and shook her hand. They've met many times before, though never for official business. Kevyn's home Tribe wasn't all that far away. He could see the sister volcanoes of his homeland in the distance. He's never lived there but visited often. He grew up in the Capitol of the human lands, along with his family.

Riptide - their other contact and Skye's boyfriend - came out of the water. Blue shimmering scales adorned his legs and a fine pattern of smaller scales hugged his face and neck. His name was Tidus, but every fifth male Water Elf was named Tidus, and he liked Riptide much better. "The way is clear," he announced then looked over Kevyn and Jake in their wetsuits. "Those suits'll do," he assessed. Riptide himself just had on a loincloth. "So it's agreed, right?" Riptide asked. "We keep any treasure we find. All you want is a possibly Dark artifact, yes?"

"That's right," Kevyn agreed. "The Peace Corps is grateful for your transparency, and only wants to dispose of a dangerous object."

"Remember, Tide," Skye warned, "easy come, easy go. Don't get hung up on the rewards. There might not be anything in there."

"Yeah, but I'm the one that found the cave," Riptide argued amicably. "So, are we ready?" he added to everyone. Getting nods of accent, he turned and led the way to the water. "We'll swim out a quarter mile and then descend," he instructed. "And babe," he added over his shoulder, thick blue braids flying from the movement, "I'm taking the lead on the way down. Try not to ogle."

"No promises," she teased. "Lead the way, Seaweed Head."

"Beach Bum," he returned, smiling.

Kevyn turned to Jake, who nodded. Jake was not a fan of the water. It made him nauseous and a general pain in the ass for days afterward, but needs must.

They swam out through the cool water for five minutes without trouble, and when Riptide stopped they all gathered around him, bobbing gently with the waves.

The Water Elf held his hand straight out towards Skye. An air bubble formed around her head like the glass of a surfer-themed snow globe. He did the same for the others. Only Riptide didn't get one. Kevyn saw the gills on the side of his neck that let him breathe as fish do. The gills moved as if readying for use. Their guide pointed down in a sign to descend. Skye tipped her face upward to the noontime sun, eyes closed, like a flower drinking in the rays, and followed. Then Kevyn and Jake swam down after.

Kevyn tested breathing in the air bubble and it was as natural as breathing normally. He knew the spellwork of the bubble included air filtration, expelling carbon dioxide, and bringing in oxygen from the water.

Vibrant yellow and blue fish swam across Kevyn's path, making him smile. When he trailed them with his eyes, he spied the many-colored lights that must be from the underwater village Riptide calls home.