Whether it was an illusion or not, Coppelia felt the cyan halo ahead moving faster. Its trajectory was short and bobbing, seemingly in a hurry.
The Seelie led them through an underground maze where the forks became even more complex. The light grew dimmer, and the moisture in the air condensed into a thin mist.
Finally, it stopped at the entrance of a cavern, and its light stabilized.
The two following the Seelie stepped forward, and their field of view suddenly opened up.
This was an exceptionally wide underground space. The towering dome draped down strands of glowing moss, casting a hazy shimmer. The ground was covered with large patches of strange, ink-blue meadows. Under the faint light, the entire cave was soaked in a quiet and mysterious blue-purple hue, like a secret realm cut off from the world.
In the depths of the cave, jagged rock pillars rose from the ground. The soil at the base of the pillars was perpetually wet, covered in a layer of cool, moist vapor.
In the distance, wisps of stream water fell into puddles, making a splashing sound. A shallow brook wound through the rocky beach, babbling as it eventually flowed into a bottomless, dark-colored pool on one side.
From the shadows further away, one or two low, short guttural animal sounds drifted over—the sounds of Vishaps.
Just then, Columbina's figure trembled slightly.
"Over there." She turned toward a certain direction in the cave, a definite look appearing on her face.
"Many?" Coppelia asked.
Columbina nodded. She reached out to grab Coppelia and, following the Seelie, flew up lightly, landing on the top of a rock pillar.
With their vantage point elevated, the view became unobstructed. Coppelia immediately looked down.
Below was a shallow shoal surrounded by streams. The soil in that area showed abnormal desertification and pallor; under the washing of the water, it had actually formed a small, striking white sandy beach, completely out of place with the surrounding deep blue-purple environment.
And in the center of the white beach, a small hill was piled up. A small hill made of countless stones radiating moonlight.
Coppelia's eyes suddenly lit up. A weight lifted from her heart. Fortunately, these Vishaps hadn't swallowed the Moonlight Stones. Not only that, they had "kindly" piled them all up here, saving her and Columbina some effort.
The corners of Columbina's mouth also tipped up slightly. She turned to the Seelie floating beside her, expressing her thanks silently with a smile. Coppelia also gave the Seelie a thumbs-up.
The Seelie's halo expanded and contracted happily a few times, as if saying: That's more like it.
Afterward, it lingered no longer. Flickering as if very pleased, it drifted leisurely back toward the darkness from which they came, disappearing behind the rock wall.
Seeing the guiding Seelie leave, Coppelia and Columbina returned their attention to the scene below.
Around the hill of Moonlight Stones were scattered no fewer than twenty Vishaps of various forms. Most of them lay on the edge of the white beach in lazy postures. Some were even slowly rolling their bodies on the sand, their rough scales rubbing against the grains to make a rustling sound, as if enjoying a cozy sunbath—though there was no sunlight here.
Occasionally, one or two Vishaps would swing their thick bodies, moving somewhat clumsily toward the stone pile. They would use their heads or sides to gently nudge away the companions lying in the innermost circle, squeezing themselves next to the Moonlight Stones. Then, they would extend their long tongues and lick the surface of those glowing rocks a few times.
Immediately after, a strange scene occurred: the Vishaps that licked the stones quickly became glassy-eyed. Their massive bodies toppled sideways, pressing against the cool sand. They began to stretch and writhe, rubbing their spines or flanks repeatedly against the sand grains, emitting vague purring sounds from their throats, looking completely lost in ecstasy. Once the writhing stopped, they would lie paralyzed on the spot, turning into the same lazy state as their outer companions, until pushed aside by the next impatient Vishap.
Are they... "high"? Coppelia suppressed the odd association rising in her mind and swept her sharp gaze across the terrain of the entire area.
On the outer periphery, closer to the shadows of the rock walls and grass, a few Vishaps were moving slowly. Grouped in pairs, they wandered along fixed routes, their heads turning occasionally to scan the surroundings vigilantly. Those were the patrol sentries.
"I have a plan." Columbina's voice was suppressed extremely low, almost pressed against Coppelia's ear. "I'll fly directly over from above, grab the stones, and run away immediately before they react."
Coppelia withdrew her patrolling gaze and looked at her. "Do you need me to make a disturbance to attract attention?"
"No." Columbina shook her head. "I will go over quietly."
Coppelia glanced once more at the Vishaps lying lazily on the beach and said, "Be very careful."
Columbina nodded. Her figure floated upward soundlessly, like a wisp of weightless moonlight, rising toward the darker shadows at the top of the cave, attempting to bypass the sightlines of the Vishaps below from high above.
Almost simultaneously, Coppelia's hand had already gripped Amos's Bow. She drew the bowstring, and an arrow formed purely of light materialized at her fingertips, ready to strike. Although Columbina said she didn't need cover, Coppelia tensed her entire body, her gaze locking onto the movement of every Vishap below, the arrow tip adjusting slightly with the direction of possible threats.
"Hoo—ROAR!"
Columbina had barely left the top of the rock pillar by three meters when a sharp-eyed patrol Vishap below suddenly raised its head, its vision capturing that unusual white silhouette in the air. It let out a short but thunderous warning roar.
The roar echoed through the empty cave.
In an instant, every Vishap on the beach scrambled up as if electrified, squeezing threatening low growls from their throats, their turbid eyes scanning everywhere. Even the Vishaps still in their intoxicated state struggled to lift their heads. Residual unfocused looks remained in their eyes, yet they instinctively bared their teeth, revealing sharp fangs.
The Vishap that first spotted the target opened its mouth. Hydro elements gathered rapidly, forming a pulsating Hydro orb in its maw that shot straight toward Columbina in mid-air with a whistling sound.
"Come back!"
The Vishap's speed was unexpected, but Coppelia's reaction was faster. The bowstring twanged. The moment the light arrow left the string, it was infused with explosive Pyro elements, transforming into a streak of scorching flowing fire that accurately intercepted the Hydro orb's flight path.
Hiss—BOOM!
Fire and water collided violently in mid-air, exploding into a rapidly expanding cloud of white steam. The water vapor dispersed, temporarily obscuring a section of the view.
The moment she heard Coppelia's shout, Columbina plummeted downwards. Using the steam as cover, she landed lightly back on the top of the rock pillar beside Coppelia. She lowered her head slightly, remaining silent, seemingly apologetic; she hadn't expected to be discovered so quickly.
"They're all coming!" Coppelia spoke rapidly, her gaze locked tight on the scene below.
Columbina spread her senses. Below, more than ten Vishaps were surging from all parts of the beach. Their thick limbs clawed at the rock walls as they began to climb toward the tall rock pillar where the pair stood, their scales making skritch-skritch sounds against the stone.
Further away, the Vishaps that didn't approach immediately—especially the larger, darker-colored ones—opened their giant maws one after another. Streams of water, frost, and lightning gathered madly in their mouths, condensing into elemental orbs of various colors and restless energy. They all aimed at the top of the rock pillar, accumulating a fatal strike.
____
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