Chapter 29 - Ouroboros, The Great Traveller.
In the great capital city of the Atlantis Empire, under the ocean at the very deep and darkest depths sat an underground structure that looked like both a building and a magic submarine at the same time.
At this moment, a figure wrapped in golden magic power was gliding over at a very swift speed. When the figure finally stopped, the iconic long golden hair revealed her identity as Queen Auralis of Atlantis.
At this moment, the queen was not accompanied by her guards nor any attendants. She was alone with her long golden trident that constantly emitted magic pulses with varying frequencies ranging from short to long.
Her golden eyes surveyed the surroundings. This place of the ocean looked deserted compared to the other bustling parts of the great capital city, it seemed like a forbidden land.
After surveying the surroundings for a few seconds, she suddenly raised her trident and clasped it with both hands.
Her magic shimmered like the surface of a mirage, then her figure suddenly became transparent as she transformed into a ghost.
After completing this transformation, she plunged deeper into the sea and straight through the thick rocks obstructing her view. And just like a ghost, she passed through the rocks without obstruction.
A few minutes later, after diving hundreds of kilometers down, when she started feeling suffocated and breathless from the thick convergence of origin magic power, she finally saw the submarine-like structure.
It lay dormant line an ancient beast, only the pure white glow pulsing around it revealed that something was lying there.
Most of its enormous body was hidden deep inside the thick rocks, only the tail end was revealed before the queen. With a solemn look now on her face, she hovered closer and gently knocked on the structure's surface.
Hum!
A soft but recurring sound emitted out at a gentle frequency as the part of the structure facing the queen suddenly melted in to reveal a door through which she could enter with.
She did not hesitate, with her trident still firmly in her grasp she entered the magical structure through the opening.
Entering inside, she saw an old man.
Wrinkles filled the old man's face like he already lived thousands of years, but these ugly irregularities could not hide the boundless wisdom that was emanating from his pure white eyes.
He had no pupil, making him look like a blind man but he didn't act like one. His long white beard flowed down his chest like bubbling waterfalls, his face was as calm and serene as an undisturbed pool of water.
"The great Ouroboros". The queen bowed respectfully.
The old man finally turned to face her. "Auralis".
After saying this, he no longer spoke. He just turned his head to look at the top of his magical home, seemingly deep in thought. The queen didn't speak to interrupt him on seeing him silent like this.
He suddenly sighed. "Auralis, Oceania is about to become turbulent again".
"Teacher, is this about the prophecy that was revealed to Gab?"
"Yes".
The old man finally stood up from his throne-like chair, letting his long pure white robe fall behind him.
He looked without blinking at the wall. "How are the chosen seeds?"
The queen weighed her words carefully before answering. "The special training is still going on, but despite our efforts, only 2 of the 7 chosen seeds have grasped the essence of the gods".
"Which of them?"
"Athena and Poseidon".
The old man turned to look at the queen. "That's good, they've improved faster than I expected. It is good for the empire; this is a period that we need them the most".
Seeing that he kept quiet again, the queen finally asked. "Teacher, the unique skill. Why was it reanimated so quickly?"
"The Origin is looking for an heir".
"Perhaps, this is a blessing to us rather than a curse. My intuition tells me that the curse will be lifted, but I don't know how and when".
The queen frowned in incomprehension, but she refrained from asking further seemingly waiting for her old teacher to answer himself.
"Auralis, I've lived thousands of years but I've never felt the origin become so frenzied for a new heir. Something is happening behind the scenes; I can faintly feel it but I can't pinpoint it".
"I feel that…, a new Ocean Master will be born in a century".
…
A few minutes later, after explaining everything that he could to guide the direction of the Atlantis empire for the next few decades, Ouroboros, the great traveler finally got set to embark on a new journey.
Queen Auralis wanted the old fellow to stay in the capital city for a few more years, but she knew that she was helpless to change his mind.
She was just one of the numerous sovereigns of the empire that the old man has met and mentored. His journeys were not a bad thing also, they were what gave him the boundless knowledge that he had.
He was the main reason why the Atlantis empire thrived after the curse; he was the main reason why Atlantis was the current ruling power of Oceania.
He had the knowledge of the ancients; he knew the ways of the gods. He was the sole reason why the empire still had use for chosen seeds, he was the sole reason why Atlantians could still harness the power of the 7 great gods.
Hum!
The familiar humming sound pulled her out of her errant thoughts. Turning her head, she saw the enormous submarine-like structure slowly rising.
Just like the way she was now, the submarine-like structure was currently transparent. Covered completely with pure white magic power, it trembled in place before disappearing out of her sight into the distance.
In a second, the structure was gone into the depths of the Ocean.
The queen sighed in a melancholic manner, as she was about to glide back to the capital surface, she suddenly stopped in surprise on seeing a white scroll gently rotating in place at the previous location of the structure.
Gliding closer, she took hold of the scroll, and the familiar aged but boundless-wisdom-filled voice of her teacher sounded in her mind.
"If Atlantis faces the danger of annihilation, crush this".