Deep Sea Embers

As the gentle glow of dawn began to illuminate the sky, the mysterious structure known as Vision 001, which was encased within twin mystical runic circles, started to rise slowly from the faraway horizon. As morning’s soft light continued to expand, a vast ghostly ship, seemingly lost on an endless and placid ocean, began to glow with a radiant luster.

Far off, on the boundary where the sea met the sky, the city of Frost could be faintly seen. Its scars from past events and myriad tales of love and parting were all obscured at this distance, appearing as a blur that seemed to melt away under the warmth of the sun.

Duncan was seated peacefully at the forward-most part of the ship, the bow deck, with a fishing rod set up next to him. He observed the fishing line as it twinkled in the growing dawn light, occasionally lifting his eyes to the distant outline of Frost.

Despite it being a time when most of the city was at peace, Duncan felt no need to split his attention between his in-city avatar. Instead, he savored the uncommon serenity on the ship.

Beside him, Ai was perched on a large wooden tub. On the lid of this tub was a pile of fries – a delicacy Duncan had brought back from Frost. These fries were distinct, seasoned with unique spices that gave them a mouth-watering aroma. Ai was clearly delighted, taking breaks between munching to glance at its fishing master and to gaze out at the Boundless Sea.

Nearby, on a smaller wooden tub, sat Shirley, who seemed deeply engrossed in her writing. She looked as if she was confronting a challenging opponent. Dog, meanwhile, was resting comfortably beside her, his paws resting on a copy of “Modern Geometry.” Scattered around them were several sheets of paper, filled with notes and drawings.

The entire setting filled Duncan with a sense of calm, and a smile crept onto his face. The weight he’d felt in his heart over the past days seemed to lift.

However, this peace wasn’t shared by all on deck.

“Why is it that Nina gets to enjoy a deep sleep below deck while I’m up here at the break of dawn finishing my homework?” grumbled Shirley, her face mirroring her vexation. “If I’d known this would be the case, I might as well have stayed in the city. At least there, I could have gone for walks occasionally.”

“Frost is currently far from a thriving city,” Duncan replied calmly. “Given the circumstances, living in the city won’t be easy for a while. And quit your complaining about homework. You’re the one who claimed a stray dog ate yours.”

Feeling slightly affronted, Shirley countered, “Then why doesn’t Nina have to do hers?”

Duncan looked at her, “It’s evident to anyone that she’s probably finished hers. Morris will give her a test later to assess how well she’s been studying on her own. Nina isn’t like you. She doesn’t wait around for someone to push her.”

Feeling cornered, Shirley meekly said, “Could it be that I’ve finished mine too?”

Keeping a straight face, Duncan asked, “How do you spell the plural of ‘pebble’?”

Caught off guard, Shirley admitted, “I haven’t learned that one yet…”

“That was in your previous assignment, and you didn’t even get past the second page?”

Caught in her lie, Shirley’s face said it all. She let out a defeated sigh, dropped her head, and resumed her challenging task of mastering spelling.

Duncan let out a light-hearted chuckle, a smile playing on his lips as he observed the peculiar sight beside him. The skeletal canine, affectionately named Dog, had its attention fully immersed in a draft paper. With a pencil delicately held between its bony paws, Dog was meticulously drawing guiding lines on the paper. Adjacent to him, the book he had been engrossed in was momentarily put aside, the pages bookmarked for later perusal.

Feeling the weight of Duncan’s observant eyes, Dog’s spirit quivered, a ripple passing through his skeletal frame. Startled by this sudden sensation, his paw jerked, causing the pencil to stray from its intended path.

“C-Captain?” Dog stammered, a note of uncertainty in his voice. Torn between meeting Duncan’s eyes and the instinctual dread of turning away, his skull oscillated in a hesitant motion.

With a twinkle of intrigue in his eyes, Duncan reached out, affectionately patting the top of Dog’s bony head. After a few thoughtful seconds, Duncan mused aloud, “You seem to be advancing quite swiftly in your studies. At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if you could soon grasp the depth of Morris’s lectures.”

Taken aback, Dog, with the ethereal glow of his hollow eyes fluctuating, responded, “Really? I… I just find all of this fascinating. Is there an issue with one progressing rapidly in their studies?”

Duncan, pausing to reflect, eventually responded with a playful smirk, “Not at all. It’s commendable to be eager to learn. With your rapid progress, the disparity in academic prowess between you and Shirley may not be as stark.”

Dog emitted a bemused sound of agreement. Meanwhile, Duncan let out a soft sigh, his attention drawn to his still fishing rod that hadn’t moved an inch that morning.

“Given the recent tumultuous events and the colossal battle that ensued, I suspect the local fish have been scared off,” Duncan sighed with a hint of regret. He began to methodically pack away his fishing equipment, adding thoughtfully, “Such chaos tends to deter even the deep sea creatures from approaching these parts.”

Catching onto Duncan’s words, Shirley’s curiosity got the better of her, prompting her to inquire, “Does that mean we’re setting sail soon? And when do you plan on retrieving Mr. Morris and Sister Vanna from the city?”

Pausing his activities, Duncan met Shirley’s gaze, “Did I ever imply that everything in Frost was settled?”

Caught off-guard, Shirley retorted, “But haven’t the primary issues been addressed? Plus, you even endorsed Mr. Tyrian for a position on the city council. I assumed you were entrusting him with the remaining responsibilities.”

“While I do expect Tyrian to shoulder the city’s challenges, there remain certain predicaments that even the Mist Fleet can’t contend with,” Duncan said, resuming his task. He added, rather cryptically, “Some situations necessitate a personal touch. Until those matters are settled, it would be unwise for the Vanished to wander too far from here.”

Shirley’s confusion was evident, “What sort of problems can’t the Mist Fleet handle?”

With a profound look, Duncan replied, “Ever wondered about the origins of the Mirror Frost?”

Pensively, Shirley offered, “Wasn’t it invoked by those cultists from the spiritual abyss of the deep sea?”

“Close,” Duncan acknowledged, “It was indeed conjured from the spiritual deep sea realm. All the menaces we’ve eliminated thus far, including the ominous sacrificial grounds within the Mirror Frost, are fundamentally ‘entities’ that have been summoned. And where there’s a summoning, there must always be a source.”

Realization dawning upon her, Shirley’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

“You’re suggesting… that there’s a deeper, lurking entity beneath the sea?” she stammered.

Duncan nodded gravely, “Indeed. Based on my analysis,” he began in a deliberate tone, “everything we’ve encountered on the surface, be it the deceptive replicas or the Mirror Frost itself, merely represents the manifestation of a deeper power. It’s akin to a vast plant stretching towards the sunlight. In the cataclysmic conflict in Frost, we merely severed the sprawling, rampant crown of this metaphorical plant. Yet, its roots, deep and entrenched, persist.” His gaze became piercing. “Remember, in ancient times, the Frost Queen dispatched multiple deep sea submersibles, plunging into the abyss, just to barely graze the essence of that enigmatic entity in our reality. This force manifests physically within our oceans, just as palpably as it did within the mirrored realm.”

Shirley’s reaction was immediate and impassioned. “Hold on! Does this mean we’ll have to dive into the ocean’s depths to confront this beast? Otherwise, isn’t it inevitable that it will conjure another mirrored reflection of our city?”

Duncan chuckled, shaking his head to reassure her, “It’s not that imminent. Yes, while the entity remains, it’s certainly been debilitated. The surface manifestations were essentially tendrils of its power, and I’ve incinerated a majority of them. What remains, now devoid of the cultists’ ritualistic sustenance, is likely dormant. Even if we let it be, it might take decades, perhaps half a century, before it re-emerges as a threat.”

As Duncan spoke, he paused suddenly, extending a hand into the void.

“Don’t you concur, Agatha?”

Emerging from thin air, a spectral, greenish flame ignited at Duncan’s fingertips, swiftly blossoming into a vortex of fiery energy. Enveloped within this blaze, a sight appeared: a sightless priestess, donned in black, with a mask covering her eyes, stood in a stance reminiscent of prayer, her hands entwined in front of her.

Both Shirley and Dog were spellbound by the unfolding scene.

Agatha tilted her head upwards, her voice a mesmerizing and ghostly whisper, “Indeed. Those in the know would share our apprehensions regarding the Abyss Plan. We’ve merely dismantled its superficial manifestation, yet lack the power to truly obliterate the underlying force nestled in the abyss.”

“We cannot simply wait decades for another calamity like the one in Frost to strike,” Duncan added firmly, “Every such conflict yields needless casualties. My intervention can’t be the recurring answer.”

Pensively, Agatha remarked, “Frost might lack the means to craft those deep sea submersibles once more. Beyond the vessels, the requisite equipment, data, skilled workforce, and vital resources are beyond the capabilities of a Frost that’s still healing.”

Duncan interjected, his tone decisive, “Then let’s mobilize at the earliest. Have your council devise a strategy. In the worst case, craft an iron sarcophagus, primed to detonate within the abyss, housing a cadaver. Using this vessel, I can investigate the oceanic depths. Even though such a temporary embodiment holds limited might, once a stable conduit is fashioned, I should be capable of dispatching my flames to the ocean’s floor.”