Gateway to Astria - Part 1

  ~*~

  Water rushed past our submerged vessel as we glided towards the coordinates. We were hitting speeds upwards of 500 miles an hour, yet it felt like we weren’t even moving. It was pretty spacious – the submarine was – more than I thought we would get for what we paid. The softness of the seats and hum of the boat was relaxing. I might have fallen asleep if I wasn't high on anticipation.

  The closer we got to Astria, the faint blue aura the planet had above still lingered underneath. The closer we got, the stronger the blue light's soft touch almost mystified me as I examined my hand, which was now glowing blue.

  It took us a good twenty minutes under water, but when I checked the screen to my right, we were nearing the coordinate, just on the verge. Slowly, it felt like my body pulled forward just a tiny bit. We were stopping.

  “Windows Resh?” I asked, turning my head to him. He nodded yes, the metal plating around us retracted to a stripe down the middle. The vessel was made of a glass layer on the inside. I was in awe of the sights, the mist of the water made it so much more inspiring, I was so enthralled by it I missed the fact that we nearly collided into a building.

  Wait, A BUILDING? I looked up, the faint glow, the architecture. We were under Astria. We were gliding down the side of an underwater canyon. We were right on the edge of the coordinates. If we were going to find anything, it would be here.

  A giant wall to both sides, and a planet above us, all we needed was a glimpse.

  “Natalia?”

  “Yes?” I responded, perking up.

  Resh just pointed. From a crack in the wall to the right, there was a faint, amber glow. I nodded and he proceeded forward. There was one light that glowed in the middle of the crack. Resh drove around it and once past. It went near pitch black, but then slowly the light grew. We reached a small alcove, a tiny pocket of air with a spire of land in the center. The water rushed of the surface of our ship as we got a clear sight of the small cove. We had pulled up parallel with where the water met the soil. The only thing on the patch of land were two amber torches and a door that slanted down to who knows where.

  I think we found something.

  I turned to Resh who took a deep sigh. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “They do things I don’t agree with, and they have a problem with you. They want you, so they have to survive me. Plus, there’s something about this that is intriguing.” As I spoke to Resh, every bone in my body was firing with energy. It was like I was being stirred with something I haven’t felt in a long time: Passion to go after something, a longing to fight. It felt good.

  I walked to the back of the boat to some bench seats. The seats of the benches in the back of the ship lifted to reveal a stash of weapons. Resh got up from his seat. “Ready Natalia?”

  I reached inside and pulled out a single handgun. I turned a dial on the side, and the white metal hummed to life with blue streaks around it. Technically, I wasn't supposed to have this weapon, it isn't exactly standard issue. But I have it, and I love it.

  “Yes, Yes I am.”