Citizen 482 Starburst

It was only when Star was slipping below the waves that xe began to think that maybe, this wasn’t the best idea. It had seemed like a good idea earlier, with xir friends crowding around xim, egging them on, to show that xe was really that brave and tough, but now, alone in the watery dark, xe was starting to have doubts. But, xe had agreed to get an ancient relic from the depths of the trench, so that was what xe’d damn well do. Even as xe’s back plates began to itch in worry as xe descended along the darkening ocean floor, xe continued.

Though the sun had been shining high above, sparking off of the waters outside of the Crimson Cove, the water clear and calm, as Star descended along the sandy seafloor, it began to darken. Where there had been reefs, seaweed, and bright fish swimming in the rays of sunlight beaming through the water, as the light faded, so did the visible life. The sand rippled beneath xir, like waves frozen in time, and occasionally xe caught the flash of movement of something darting away, but nothing clearly visible. It was eerier than xe’d care to admit.

Occasionally, xe’d see shadows of larger creatures swimming in the distance, but they never got close, and somehow those looming shadows were more unsettling than an up close encounter with an aquatic predator. Still, xe continued, swimming stubbornly on, trying not to think too hard about the warned dangers of the depths. It’d be worth it in the end, xe told xirself, as xe’s halo slowly became the only source of light in the shadows.

The seafloor loomed below, half-glimpsed in the gloom, and Star began to realize xe hadn’t even considered the possibility of getting lost. It was a daunting prospect, and xe hesitated for a moment, circling in place, as all the dreadful possibilities of getting lost flashed through xir thoughts. Swimming as long as xe could but not finding anyone… surfacing and finding that a current had dragged xem out to sea so that none of the landmarks xe knew were visible… it made xem hesitate.

But a dare was a dare, and xe squirmed a little at the thought of ‘chickening out.’ In some ways, it was worse than being forever lost. It was a stupid decision, xe knew that, but still xe set xir jaw and continued on.

Star had been following the seafloor for what seemed to xem, someone who hadn’t much left the area immediately around the Cove, to be frankly absurd. Xe’s legs were tired, and xe desperately wanted a snack. Xe was realizing xir planning was leaving much to be desired, but xe was too far along to quit now, though xe supposed xe could always grab something from here and pretend it was from the trench…

It was a surprisingly tempting prospect, and xe was seriously considering it before the slope dropped off like a blade the size of an island had rent the seafloor. Star froze, xir momentum carrying xir forwards somewhat over the yawning dark, and to xir embarrassment, xe frantically swam back to the edge of the dropoff. Xe hovered over the edge of the depths, task suddenly daunting. Though the seafloor around was dark, somehow the depths of that trench was even darker. Xe tried to tell xirself that it was xir imagination, but it was for naught.

Common sense told xir to turn back, to grab a rock and call it a relic, and go home, but xe was this close… a quick look couldn’t hurt, xe told xirself. Still, xe hesitated for longer than xe would care to admit before xe began to follow the steep cliff into the trench.

It was disconcerting, swimming down at this angle, after the gentle slope of the seafloor earlier, but even more so was the glow that began to lighten the depths below. At first, Star thought it was simply xir eyes playing tricks on xem, but as xe got closer, it became increasingly clear that there was something glowing down there. Xe had heard stories about the strange flora and fauna that lived down here, bu xe hadn’t really believed it until a curious glowing fish flitted by.

Xe paused, reaching out to touch it like a small hatchling, but the fish darted away. Suddenly excited, xe swam down towards the glow faster, exhaustion forgotten. As xe got closer, the dim glow resolved into glowing plants, the likes of which seemed to be out of storybook illustrations, and strange, luminous creatures that seemed to delicate to be real. Xe swam through some glowing fronds and reached out to run xir claws through them, laughing in surprise as the fronds sucked back into a crack in the walls, hiding from xir touch.

Xe swam on, touching the strange glowing plants and animals if they didn’t swim away fast enough, fascinated. There were some things xe recognized, or creatures that xe thought xe could see echoes of recognizable animals in, but many for the most part were strange and bewildering. Slugs that had rippling fins and odd, fleshy spines that flinched and spat out going goo when Star touched them, and things that looked far too much like oversized, glowing spiders for xir liking.

Those xe stayed away from, though there was more than plenty to look around at, in wide-eyed awe. The bottom of the trench was a veritable living rainbow, as stubborn aquatic plants and life that seemed somewhere in between grew determinedly in cracks in the chasm walls, and coating parts of the floor in a sort of strange inverted reef. Here, instead of the light shining from above, the reef was the light. It did all sorts of strange things with shadows, and more than once Star bumped into something that xe had thought was placed differently due to the strange lighting.

As xe rifled around on the floor of the trench, poking small animals and watching as they spat out glowing stuff that temporarily coated xe’s scales, or waved unsettlingly long appendages at xem in threat, xe was reminded of why xe’d come down here in the first place - to bring back something that proved xe’d done this.

At first xe considered grabbing a slug, or one of those ungainly spider-crab hybrids that xe was keeping a careful eye on, but despite the thought of xir friends shrieking in fear as xe threw it at them was tempting, xe didn’t want to have to carry one of those creepy creatures all the way back. Plus, did the glow stay if they died? And what if xe got hungry on the way back and ate them? Or they swam away?

Better to not risk it, xe decided, absently picking at what appeared to be a luminous barnacle on a nearby rock, then lost the train of thought as the barnacle popped lose and frantically swam away… right into xir face. Xe was glad that none of xir friends were around to witness the undignified flailing and yelling that resulted from, and after the demented not-barnacle had been sufficiently removed from xir face, xe took a moment to float along with the current and try to gather xir thoughts.

Xe wanted something glowing, xe knew, but xe wasn’t sure how long the glow would last if a creature or plant was killed, so maybe… a piece of rock with a plant on it? But then that could be dismissed as coming from elsewhere, xe supposed, so it had to be a relic of some sort that was obviously relic-y. What that looked like, however, xe had not a clue. Xe decided xe’d know it when xe saw it. Hopefully.

Xe decided that any relics were probably heavy, right, and began to riffle through the rocks at the bottom of the trench. Some seemed to have slid down the sides from the walls, and Star lifted some of those to check underneath and see if they might’ve hidden something. Most of xir search was for naught, and xe was thinking about grabbing a rock and calling that a relic. Like xe’d friends would know better, none of them had swam down here.

But, after the silt disturbed by xem flipping over a rock settled, xe was delighted to find something shining up from the muck. As xe picked it up curiously, it appeared to be some sort of metal… thing. Hm. It was only partly rusted, and xe decided that that was good enough. It may not be glowing, but it wasn’t a rock, and that worked for xem!

Eventually, though, xir delight could no longer mask xir exhaustion, and xir yawned. As hungry as xe was, xir muscles ached, and xe decided that xir needed to head home. Xe's magic was also getting tired from keeping xir lungs full after this long, and xe turned and began to make xir way back to the surface, metallic relic in one hand.

However, not everything that lurks in the trench was amiable to xir intrusion...

(to be continued)