Page 14 of Treasure of the Abyss

Jax moved to the edge of the pool and looked down. Arkon’s work was distorted by the reflection of the overhead light on the water’s surface, but the overall design was clear. The large, central circle was surrounded by rings of varying size, all of which were connected by swirling patterns that reminded Jax of water current. The shifts in color from one portion to the next were subtle butunmistakable.

He’d watched Arkon work for long enough to know that each stone had been placed with purpose, following instructions only Arkon couldsee.

Jax was a hunter, a warrior, a restless explorer, but he envied Arkon’s skill. The others called it useless, but wasn’t there something to be said for a pleasing image? Wasn’t there some value in something that could instillfeelingin a single glance, even if that feeling wasfleeting?

“I do not have the words to describe it,Arkon.”

“Incomplete. Unsatisfactory. Ordinary.” Arkon blew mist from his siphons. “Uninspired. It is missingsomething.”

Tilting his head, Jax swept his eyes over Arkon’s work. Even with the individual stones blurred by the water, the intricacy and detail were apparent. Arkon had never crafted anything on such a scale, and it was, in Jax’s opinion, his most impressive workyet.

“It needs…heart,” Jax said. “Something in the center, to give itlife.”

Arkon leaned forward and peered into the pool. His skin shifted toward blue. “Yes. A centerpiece. Something…of a different shade than all the rest. I wish you would stay for longer periods. Things are easier when you arehere.”

“I’m leavingagain.”

“I know.” Arkon moved to his bag, hunched down, and rummaged through itscontents.

“Youknow?”

“You always go, Jax the Wanderer. It is your nature. How far will you trek thistime?”

“Not far. A few days,perhaps.”

Lifting a smooth stone from the bag, Arkon held it in his palm and turned it, examining it briefly before he replaced it. “Good. Dracchus will likely call a hunt soon, and, though he despises you, he is displeased when you are not here tojoin.”

“To the abyss withDracchus.”

Arkon lifted his shoulders in a casual shrug without ceasing his search. “You know how the rest are. They respect your prowess, though they distrust you because you are so often away. As strange as they think me, they at least always know where Iam.”

“If we wish to survive as a people, we will need to leave this place one day. Where will we go if someone like me does not find another place for us to dwell? I endanger only myself.” Even as he spoke the words, Jax knew they were what Arkon would call a half-truth.

Such selfless reasons for Jax’s treks were hollow justification. At heart, he could not deny the call to wander; it was in his blood. Staying too long in any single place made him restless and fouled his mood. He needed open water, needed the thrill of the unknown, needed to be away from the pointless posturing of the otherkraken.

How would he react to the news that Jax had captured a human, and was keeping her as his own? If Jax had hundreds of questions for her, Arkon would havethousands.

“Vanishing every few days will not convince them of that, Jax. You’ve known this for a longwhile.”

“I am not interested in convincing them of anything. The others can think for themselves and decide what they will. I’ll continue to hunt for our food and scout new areas,regardless.”

Arkon closed his bag and rose. “I know what Ineed!”

“What?”

“If you come across a shard of halorium — the glowing stones the ancients used to harvest — would you bring it to me?” He returned to the edge of the pool and stared over his work. “It would serve as the perfect heart for thispiece.”

“Those stones do strange things to the Facility,” Jax said. In the presence of halorium, lights flickered, the ghosts were broken and distorted, and the Computer’s voice was crackly and faint. Larger stones produced more powerfuleffects.

“There are still containers for them, in the Underneath. That will allow you to bring one inside without causingissues.”

“But once it is removed from thecontainer—”

“Make it a small one, then. The pool is isolated enough that a small shard shouldn’t adversely affect the functions of the nearbyequipment.”

Jax could only stare at his friend; Arkon’s skin pulsed with his excitement, and his eyes were bright, viewing possibilities no one else couldsee.

“I will watch for one,” Jax finallysaid.

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