II

The lone fisherman was fishing that day. The day looked promising, better than any other. The humidity was low and the temperature ideal. The sea was calm as a picture. The surface of the water was clear, at the bottom stones could be seen, stones of all sizes and shapes. Near the beach the sea was shallow, a man could stand and his water would be up to his knees. The beach and the sea were a place of relaxation for everyone but not for the fisherman, maybe two years ago but not now. He had a family, a constant task he had to worry about.

When he was alone, he rarely fished. He would sell most of his daily catch to dealers in a nearby town.

Fish was in abundance, all he had to do was choose.

He threw the net, waiting for it to sink to the bottom. He was surprised to see that the net was empty. The fish was there a minute ago so it could disappear without a trace.

The sea was no longer so calm, the wind was blowing harder. Something passed under him, something ten times wider than his boat. On those grounds it was massive.

The creature began to appear, the head itself was larger than his house. He estimated that the top of the nose was at least twenty-five feet long from the junction with the neck. There were spikes on top of his head, spikes of negligible height. The neck was strong; the line separating the neck was not emphasized.

He thought the spikes were only on the creature's head, he was wrong, they went the entire length. The skin was reptilian but not wrinkled like a lizard's. The eyes were too human. The weirdest thing about the creature was its beard, which began halfway down the lower jaw. The rare beard was in the ropes while in some places it was missing.

The creatures he saw all had only an iris red, while this one had an entire eye.

Many fishermen were afraid of this place, most of them were not even allowed to come in, let alone fish. For many, these places have been a disaster. If this place was a measure of luck, the fisherman was on the opposite side. No one ever returned after his fishing adventure let alone boasted that he had seen the creature.

The creature's gaze was focused on him. The mouth opened, revealing full rows of sharp, jagged teeth that were slightly bent at the tip.

The fisherman bet that the creature with its snake tongue could raise the cow. Retired sailors, who told stories when he was little, all swore they saw creatures that could destroy entire cities. Still, the stories were true.

"Who are you?" the fisherman asked.

"I'm Irthail," the creature said. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm fishing..." the man replied.

"In these parts, isn't that a little strange? Wouldn't you agree?"

"No, not at all ... Why would it be? There is nobody."

"It doesn't change anything. You won't find any fish here."

"Why?"

"They all went to the underwater city."

"What city?"

"You don't know. Do you? The island town of Qualtar, which was once the most civilized in the whole known world. Qualtar was destroyed..."

"…many centuries ago." the fisherman finished.

"An ancient door still leads to the city."

"Where is that door?"

"You're on them."

"What will I find in the city?"

"All or nothing, it's up to you."

"Great."

"Are you sure you want to go?"

"Yes."

"Follow me."

He jumped into the sea.