Reborn as the Last van Ambrose-Chapter 127: The North Sea

Grim felt himself falling through endless blue-green light. The sensation was unlike anything he’d experienced—not the swift drop of a physical fall, but something more profound, as if the very fabric of reality stretched and twisted around him. Water surrounded him, yet he could breathe normally. His body tumbled around like it was weightless.

Then, abruptly, the falling stopped. Grim found himself floating in a luminescent tunnel. The walls appeared to be made of water held in place by something he couldn’t see. The walls glowed with an ethereal blue light. Small currents of golden energy spiraled through the light.

"Get up, Ambrose," Bi’an’s voice came from ahead. "The Jiaolong moves quickly. We cannot afford delay."

Grim got to his feet, surprised to find solid ground beneath him. Despite being surrounded by water, the tunnel itself remained dry. Ahead, Bi’an and Suanni were already moving forward.

Grim hurried to catch up. "Where are we?"

"Between realms," Suanni answered without slowing. "This is a corridor that connects your world to ours."

"It feels... alive," Grim observed, watching the swirling patterns in the walls.

"In a sense, it is," Bi’an replied. "These passages form naturally where the boundaries between realms grow thin. They respond to those who know how to call them."

"Like the Jiaolong did?"

Suanni’s mane rippled, sending small embers floating through the air. "Yes. Though he shouldn’t have been able to. Unless you have a key or someone showed him how."

"He’s clearly been preparing for this," Bi’an added, his iron-hued scales gleaming in the blue light. "The question is why."

They continued through the tunnel, which curved gently downward. The further they went, the colder the air became. Grim noticed ice crystals beginning to form along the edges of the path.

"I thought we were going to your father’s realm," Grim said. "The Eastern Sea, right?"

Suanni and Bi’an exchanged glances.

"We are following Jiaolong," Bi’an explained. "He initiated the crossing, so we go where he leads."

"And where is that exactly?"

"I fear we may be headed to the North Sea," Suanni said, his voice troubled. "Not our father’s domain at all."

"Ao Shun," Bi’an confirmed. "Dragon King of the North Sea. Our uncle."

"Why would Jiaolong go there instead of home?" Grim asked.

Suanni’s ember-like eyes narrowed. "That is precisely what concerns us."

As they walked, Grim took the opportunity to learn more. "You mentioned my great-grandfather, Caius. You said you knew him."

"Caius Ambrose," Suanni said, and there was something like fondness in his voice. "A remarkable human. One of very few to ever visit the Sea Realm and return."

"What was he like?" Grim had heard stories of his great-grandfather, of course, but family tales often grew embellished over time.

"Stubborn," Bi’an said immediately. "Fearless to the point of foolishness."

"But honorable," Suanni added. "He became a good friend to our father, Ao Guang. Only the second human from your empire to be welcomed as a guest rather than an intruder."

"Who was the first?" Grim asked.

The two brothers fell silent for a moment.

"A name we no longer speak," Bi’an finally said.

The tunnel began to slope more steeply downward. The temperature dropped further, and Grim’s breath became visible in the increasingly frigid air. The blue glow in the walls dimmed, replaced by a colder, whiter light.

"We approach the North Sea," Suanni announced. "Prepare yourself, Ambrose. Few humans have ever laid eyes on what you’re about to see."

The tunnel widened, opening into a vast cavern. Grim stepped out and found himself standing on a ledge overlooking an incredible sight. Below spread an expanse of dark water, partially covered with floating ice. But it was what lay beneath the water that stole Grim’s breath.

A city of ice and crystal sprawled across the sea floor. Massive structures that resembled ice pillars and buildings. Chasms that went so deep you couldn’t see the bottom. In the distance, what appeared to be mountains of pure ice rose toward the surface.

"The North Sea Realm," Bi’an said quietly.

"It’s..." Grim struggled to find words.

"Harsh but beautiful," Suanni supplied. "Much like its ruler."

Bi’an stepped to the edge of the ledge. "I don’t understand why Jiaolong would come here. Father and Uncle Ao Shun haven’t spoken in nearly a century."

"A century?" Grim couldn’t keep the surprise from his voice. "What kind of dispute lasts a hundred years?"

"For dragons?" Suanni made a sound that might have been a laugh. "A century is but a moment. Their disagreement is quite recent by our standards."

"What were they fighting about?"

"Steam Buns," Bi’an said dismissively.

"Uncle believes Father has grown too accommodating to human realms," Suanni added, giving Grim a meaningful look.

"Which means we’ll need to be cautious," Bi’an continued. "Especially with you, Ambrose. Humans are not welcomed in the North Sea.

Grim thought to himself for a moment. "They’re having a fight that has lasted 100 years because of steam buns."

Grim looked out over the icy domain again. "How do we find Jiaolong?"

"We must present ourselves to Ao Shun," Suanni said. "He may already know of our arrival. Nothing happens in his realm without his knowledge."

"Besides," Bi’an added, "if Jiaolong has sought sanctuary here, only Ao Shun can tell us where to find him."

They began making their way down a narrow path that led toward the dark water. As they descended, Grim noticed enormous shadows moving beneath the ice.

"The path will take us to the caverns," Suanni explained. "We’ll travel through a series of frozen passages until we reach Ao Shun’s palace."

"What’s his palace like?" Grim asked, trying to imagine what kind of dwelling would suit the ruler of this frozen abyss.

"Unlike our father’s," Bi’an replied. "Ao Shun throne room is a vast, open space. A single enormous chamber with almost nothing in it."

"He finds comfort in emptiness," Suanni said. "It reminds him of the deep ocean trenches."

The path ended at the water’s edge. Grim hesitated, looking at the dark, freezing water with apprehension.

"Fear not," Suanni said, noticing his concern. "The water will part for us."

Sure enough, as they approached, the black water receded, revealing a slick path of ice leading downward. They stepped onto it, and Grim felt the cold bite through his boots.

"Stay close," Bi’an warned. "And whatever you do, do not touch the water. The waters of the North Sea would freeze your blood in moments."

With that cheerful warning, they began their descent into the frozen kingdom of Ao Shun, Dragon King of the North Sea.