Master Of None

Chapter 2259: 2259. Dangerous Nests

The heated water gave off a lot of fog, however, Su was surprised by the speed that the fog began to appear. Her questions whether or not wyverns would be over there only grew.

The fog would make it safe for their nests. That was a clear example of how they could hide them from other predators, but would that be enough? The issue was the heat and dangerous amount of light mana all in one place as well. The wyvern's eggs would need to resist that. Let alone the adult wyverns.

But when Su began to hear something over the dampening of the fog, she understood that something was over there. Comparing it to the sounds of the earth wyverns before they were a recognized race, she noted that they were similar shrieks and roars. But could they be the same?

It was too hard to tell through the fog, sounds of waves, and general distance between them and the islands. However, Su noticed that she could feel a significant amount of water mana moving around a distance away. An odd feeling since it would be light mana that they had to focus on right now.

The light mana should be the most prevalent because of how the islands reflected the light and caused it to feel amplified or to be gathered in reflections. Not the water mana even with the fact that it was part of the fog.

Regardless, the sounds continued as the sun had begun to set and the fog finally started to ease up in the lowering temperature of the night. Even as the fog settled on the surface of the calm waves, Su could still feel that there was more water mana flowing than the light mana, it should take longer for the heat and light to dissipate. The fire mana that the light mana gathers alone would be much higher right now, but wasn't.

She was not the only one to notice it though. Mages that had come with her also noticed it. Just because this was a light focused travel did not mean that there weren't mages of other affinities present. They could be useful in defending the boats that they took from the shore. Not to mention that the wind magic users could be the key focus to get in contact with sky wyverns as it was.

"If there is so much water mana ahead of us, then it is more believable that some form of water monster that can resist the heat lives there. They may even have fire affinity as well." The idea that the fire affinity would resist the heat from the high amount of light causing flames and fog was clear in the mages' analysis. But there was still an odd amount of water mana for that to be happening.

"What if the water monsters are causing the fog? What if it isn't natural?" Su's return comment was a more interesting theory for the mages. Mostly because it would mean that it was an adaptation over time on and around the islands to survive them on a daily basis.

"If that is the case, they will be highly resistant to both light and fire mana, and able to control water mana with a higher ability than we expect. There may also be many of them." The theory ahd taken a hold on the many mages listening. But as the fog changed and the night began to move on before the silence was taken over the ocean they anchored in, Su believed that they would be able to prove this sooner than later.

A few more hours later...

"The moon is setting, it's time to begin moving. Keep it slow and steady. We are going to keep it low profile to halt potential dangers moving ahead." The moonlight had cast duller colors in to the distant waves. But those calm colors still showed off the brilliance of the islands that came in to view after another hour of sailing.

Large peaks showed off the rocky cliffs polished by the constant waves. The toughness of the stones making up this string of seven islands made it clear that they had been forged by time and the ocean. Not to mention their slightly different stone makeup due to the effects of time on their rocks.

It wasn't mana that changed the colors, but the difference in water currents and light mana affecting them. The crystals would be useful for using different kinds of specific light manas. It was something that Su knew instinctively. More like these islands had all been together at one point before time wore away at them causing the islands to separate and become islands rather than island.

Regardless, she could grasp the dangers now. The sheer size of the cliffs would direct the light from above and change the shores in to boiling saltwater with dangerous beams of colorful light that could harm many around them.

Surprisingly, the heat and the steam around the center of the islands was allowing for the rocks to be covered with plant life. Keeping them a potentially thriving habitat for whatever was there. Not that su couldn't see it already.

She saw blue scales. Not the white that she expected to see or even the shades of green she thought might be there. "Those are water wyverns, aren't they?" One of the mages asked another who was using an appraisal scroll on what they were seeing.

The spiky scales were still angled backwards to allow for there to be an easier time diving in to the water. Along with that, there were a few that were smaller and thinner which would allow them to move through the waves faster to hunt for water living monsters as food.

"Not just the water wyverns, there are sky wyverns too. I think I understand what is happening here." Su's understanding was met as she noticed a larger group of wyverns watching their boats. But they were not making a sound as they watched from the island with vibrant purple hues within the crystal cliffs.

"The water wyverns must have found homes here. They can cool the crystal islands so that their nests survive using the water around. They can also hunt the monsters that come back here after the sun sets. But it's the sky wyverns that would be abnormal."

Su looked around as she smiled slightly. She understood it easily due to her experience with other monsters and also with how genesis was coming together in brilliant ways between the other races.

"The sky wyverns are fewer, but when they came here, they were able to push away the fogs sooner. This allows for another aspect of cooling and also for a sooner hunting time for the water wyverns. In turn, the sky wyverns have lived here. If you look carefully, some of them have blue and white flecked scales. They are half water and half sky wyverns. They are entirely different compared to what they used to be."

"Oh, and that appraisal, it says the water and sky wyvern race, right?" Su looked at the mage who had used the scrolls and he nodded. He was stunned that Su had gathered all of this right away. "That's why they are not attacking. They have better control of their intelligence. Those larger wyverns on each island are the elder wyverns. I would assume there is a king or queen for each species, if not both."

A rumbling started where the wind and the water became slightly chaotic around the boats. In response, ropes were tossed to link the boats and keep them balanced on the rumbling waves and sudden additional winds.

The mages reacted to stabilize the boats as well. Their calming wind and water spells allowed for the boats to stop their bobbing. This made the elder wyverns of both forms look down at them more carefully. It also prompted one of the more damaged and clearly older water wyverns to flap its wings.

Su noticed the damaged scales and the fact that its body was significantly thinner. The scars all over it proved that it had worked tirelessly to defend these islands. It was clearly being sent because of its age in case there was a chance that it would be in a battle with these strangers. Its sacrifice would save the others who could attack together.

As it fell in to the water and slowly surfaced with a mouth full of condensed saltwater, Su looked at it in the eyes and allowed her half dragon aura to radiate from her. She could strengthen herself with various manas, specifically with light mana that was very powerful

within this area.

"We came to offer you a safe home and also to ask for assistance in return. We will not harm a single wyvern of your race as we are already allies with the earth wyverns and various other races." Now she needed to see what they would say.

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