“Huh. That’s a small, wet moon. Not even sure if it’s big enough to be considered a moon. Or even an asteroid. Looks cool though.”
Arkay, Litvir and Retvik peered out of the cockpit window, not sure what they were really looking at. It looked like a massive glass and water disco ball, but it had a convenient metal landing pad on the very top, which Arkay quickly set the ship down on.
“It does look interesting, I guess?” Litvir seemed a little less certain. “My problem is, well, Retvik and I are still under the impression that we need to breathe. And I believe we are about to throw ourselves into an underwater maze. Also, Retvik is scared.”
“I AM NOT SCARED!” Retvik shouted.
“You are definitely scared, do not lie!” Litvir smiled weakly. “I mean, I am a telepath and I am currently using your fear to hide my own fear, so I cannot act too high and mighty.”
“You are scared as well?” Arkay asked. “What are you worried about, Litvir?”
Litvir’s smile faded. “Well… I am worried about many of the same problems that are plaguing Retvik, what he worried about.”
Arkay thought for a moment, then made sure the ship was secure and shut everything down. However, he pulled his seat forward then flipped it around so he was facing Retvik and Litvir.
“Are we not heading off?” Litvir queried.
“No, we’re not heading off.”
“How comes?”
Arkay looked Litvir and Retvik up and down, then sighed. “You two aren’t mentally ready yet.”
“I thought we were on a time limit though…” Retvik grunted.
“Maybe, but in all honesty? I don’t really care. We don’t have specific deadlines, we were just told to come here, go through a maze and meet some Voidborns who at some point captured a being and made them try and kill the person we are doing this mission for. So I’d rather we stop what we are doing, sit down and discuss what’s wrong before we go out there in a bad state of mind.”
Retvik frowned, but he settled down. “That is very reasonable. Because you are right, I have not been… mentally well since we were told we had to do this mission.”
“Is it because of all the water?” Litvir asked. “You do not normally have an aversion to water like this.”
Retvik hesitated, then looked past Arkay, out of the cockpit and into the darkness outside. “There is a difference between a quick swim in a lake, somewhere we know, where I can just climb out and dry myself off. That out there is a glass and water death trap designed to kill mortals the way I used to be.”
Litvir nodded in agreement. “I normally do not have problems with my former mortality, after all, I hardly eat and routinely forget that I am breathing very little air at all, but… that mess out there… I am definitely having thoughts about potentially drowning, despite the fact that I do not even need to breathe and do so out of habit.”
Retvik sighed as well. “That is the exact problem I am having. I know I am a god. I know I do not need to breathe. But being here? This place… it is messing with my head. I feel… weirdly mortal again. And considering how that out there is a colossal underwater maze? It and those thoughts to not mix well.”
“Hm… Fair enough…” Arkay didn’t give an immediate answer. “You didn’t really have problems with water when you were mortal though.”
Retvik shook his head. “Not at all. I mean, I was a very good swimmer when I was mortal.”
“You were?” Litvir snorted. “You were called the Flame of the Dessaron even before you got your fire powers.”
“I was the Flame because I was the roaring inferno of pride and power that kept the Dessaron together!” Retvik tutted. “But, somewhat ironically, when I was in the Junior Stratos, I actually won… quite a few regional championships when it came to swimming. I was a very gifted student.”
“To the point where you were told to tone it down a bit, so you would not outshine Rethais in any way.”
Retvik opened his mouth to speak, closed his mouth, thought for a moment, then opened it to speak anyway. “I was going to ask how you knew that, Litvir, but, well, of course you know that. You have been inside my head plenty of times.”
“Pretty much. But I wonder if there is something here, some sort of telepathic influence, that is making us feel more mortal?” Litvir suggested. “Not so much a mental command, just a very weak suggestion. And because many Decayons fear being mortal, it keeps them away. And it could theoretically work on beings like you as well, Arkay”
“Can you counter those suggestions?” Arkay asked. “Or do you need me to help you counter them?”
Litvir thought for a moment. “I can minimise the effects of these mental suggestions, but I am going to need something… physical to help us counteract the more intrusive thoughts.”
“Like… like underwater breathing apparatus and scuba gear?” Retvik suggested.
“Oh, I can do that!” Arkay perked up. “Gimme ten minutes to make you guys some gear and then Litvir can work out some workarounds to the mental stuff, then we can have a breather before we get started. Does that sound alright to you both?”
Retvik hesitated, then sighed and nodded. “That is fine. I would feel more comfortable with gear made by you than stuff made by Deathven anyway.”
“You still have a small lack of faith in him?” Litvir asked.
“He did try to kill Arkay directly and you indirectly…” Retvik grunted. “I know that is in the past now, but… well, I guess this is all that low cloud of mental doubt you mentioned, Litvir.”
“Oh, probably!” Arkay beamed. “Helps scare people like us off. Anyway, I’ll be back in a minute. Sit tight, my darlings!”
Arkay got up, then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Once the smoke had cleared, Litvir turned back to Retvik.
“Do you feel more secure now?”
“I do, yes…”
“How comes?”
“Because… well… I am not alone…” Retvik admitted. “I have you two by my side.”
Litvir patted Retvik on the shoulder. “Hah, I understand that feeling. I think we will be fine.”
“Yes, we will…”