C15 THE SPIRIT OF THE SEAS

Although Sara didn’t understand the rune on the Tablet or the clues written on the Obelisk, she could detect the flow of energy radiation and mapped a circuitry that connected the Obelisk with the test Tablet, and after Cartelle’s failed attempt, the pathways were reset.

Sara speculated that the correct answer to the Obelisk test wasn’t static, and the tablet randomly changes the correct pick after every test attempt.

“Only eyes of magic shall pass” was what’s written on the Obelisk so it meant only those who could see the magic radiation and circuitry on the runes could pass, and that would be me in theory.

Even though Sara was certain of the right answer I felt a little pressure too as failure would mean I would end up like Cartelle.

After some initial hesitation, eventually, I pressed on the rune with the unique circuitry pathway, and the Obelisk suddenly lighted a flashing blue.

I instantly jumped up in joy as I passed the test and wasn't turned into stone.

After my first attempt, the tablet reset again, and the correct pathway changed to a different rune.

The Obelisk lighted blue again after I pressed the correct rune a second time.

Then I made my final selection and the Obelisk flashed blue a third time and, in the end, I passed the test and cleared the Obelisk’s Test where so many have failed, thanks to Sara’s scanner and analysis.

Kay looked on with amazement, but he didn't seem surprised at all and if he wasn’t convinced before, he was totally convinced now, that I was his tribe’s God.

After the Obelisk lighted blue three times, it began to vibrate and shake, and after about fifteen minutes it disintegrated into tiny pebbles and sand, to reveal something within it.

Perhaps the Obelisk test wasn’t really a test as Cartelle thought it was but the entry of a set of passwords to unlock the item inside the Obelisk.

Failure to key in the correct password would have meant the undertaker was an unauthorized intruder and should be punished or stopped.

Viewed in this manner the Obelisk test’s massacre of those who attempted it seemed appropriate but cruel, nevertheless.

Unlocked within the Obelisk was a humanoid with the head and face of a shark, with a missing eye and sharp claws on its limbs, and when the shark beast saw us, he cried “I am the Spirit of the Seas”.

We were quite shocked that the beast could talk but this was not our world so the faunas here might have different genetic makeup so meeting a talking animal wasn’t exactly farfetched.

There were many more illogical instances that I recalled and witnessed in this magical world than finding a creature that could speak.

I thought perhaps this Sharkman would grant us the reward Cartelle seek, but I was proven wrong when the Sharkman charged at us to slaughter us with his claws but fortunately for us there were chains affixed to the shark which pulled it back.

The chains were illuminated in a bright green, and it was probably some kind of magic that changed the beast.

With the destruction of the Obelisk, the brightness on the chains slowly diminished so I guessed the chain would not hold for too long. Before the shark was fully released, we aimed for Sharkman’s heart and blew several large holes through him as he fell to the ground and groaned, but the shot did not kill him.

It seemed the shark’s heart regenerated quickly, and his wound closed immediately.

Suddenly a bright laser was shot from Sharkman’s eye toward me, as I jumped to dodge the beam.

Luckily for us, Sharkman reeled from the wound to his heart and was shaky, so the laser he shot missed and didn’t hit any of us.

Before the talking fish could charge up another beam, we returned fire as we shot repeatedly at his heart, which caused him some serious damage, and had we not relented, he would soon be killed.

Then the chain that restrained Sharkman suddenly waned and disappeared, and at that moment, he waved his hands in a circular motion, and a whirlpool of water filled the area around us which whirled us into it.