The Ark of Humanity

Faster and faster, Maanta and his slick-backed companion swam. Swift currents pushed them along in an ever increasing pace; rendering the sea creatures and plant life they passed nothing but a blur.

  As they swept through the cool depths, Maanta found himself thinking about old Amaranth, and what he might be getting up to back home in Meridia. Amaranth probably lay across a smooth slab somewhere beside flowing molten streams, dipping his corundum scribing claw into the luminescent lava currents and then scalding historic preaching upon a leaf of kelp parchment.

  The bizarre old man totally escaped Maanta’s comprehension. What on earth could he find so fascinating about long-mucked historic writings by older, dead scribes?

  And then there were all those shimmering trinkets in Amaranth's hollowed-out cove. When the waters went dark, Maanta would often find himself hovering in mid-swim outside the old man’s windows, trembling as he anticipated what magics might unfold within.

  Of course, nothing of interest ever happened… But Maanta was sure that one day, if he waited long enough, surely one of those frightening creatures from the olden days would appear…

  Maybe even a fang-toothed worm, spewing black poisonous ooze…

  Maybe tonight will be the night, Maanta thought to himself, as Archa dove just below an approaching driftwood column. He ducked and its bark barely skimmed Maanta's curly brown hair as the two swept onwards.

  Maanta loved this wild ride, with its swift-approaching perils and heart-pulsing speeds. There was something invigorating about being swept along by a swirling current that you couldn't control, something enlivening about just accepting the dangers of the world and attempting to overcome them…

  Maanta thought of Meridia as a place where nothing of interest could ever happen. There were never any wars; not so much as a skirmish. An abundance of fish was gifted in adoration of King Nicholea Rocaran from his people, and with the weekly festivals to Gelu, with their bountiful food and merriment, Maanta was left to his own devices when it came down to actually entertaining himself.