Chapter 20

Nimbus and Grum, Lucent Deep

Grown

            In the Rhinestone Reach laboratory, Sourced, assistants a few Tidesworn, and Ribfin, gathered around a single tank. It contained many glowing jellyfish, several Echo Stones, and tiny fragments of Lumispar mounted on the bottom. Cornelius pulled out his journal—the song scrawled on a page—and they began to sing.

            ♫ “We lay the sleeping shards in shallow beds and sing until they wake.
…
We set it in the keel or lamp and call its bright by name.” ♪

            As ridiculous as the lyrics sounded to the lab assistants, they sang with aligned hearts. Slowly, one by one, the jellyfish pulsed. The small crystal shards grew; some formed elegant, grand spear‑like crystals. Plenty of Lumispar for everyone.

            In the dim room, flashes from the windows marked each new crystal as the golden‑gloved assistants sampled pieces with Aetherium scissors. They dropped fragments into vials that revealed colors—green, violet, yellow, blue—and then, finally, red. A sample from a larger crystal glowed a piercing red, hot enough it felt like it might sear the eye.

            “We’ve done it,” Thalarae whispered.

            They set the larger crystal in a glass cylinder and sealed it. Through a tube, fine drops of spring water from Dragon Mountain flowed in. Gradually the crystal’s hue deepened. An ominous red filled the room—like embers under a clear wash. When the process finished, the red staff shone like a beacon.

            Faces crowded the entrance. All of Rhinestone Reach wanted to see. Some gasped, others cheered; news spread quickly across the city. Many sensed a connection to the two massive beasts in the harbor. Cornelius Thrimmington stepped out to speak.

            “People of Rhinestone Reach—something wonderful and yet terrible has happened. We have finally located the Tidesworn city, but it has been destroyed, thoroughly rearranged. The monster in our bay, Slobber Maw…”

            Several in the crowd gasped; a few fainted. Grum grinned at the reaction. “And its mother, the Bonegorge,” he added; another fainted.

            Cornelius continued: “They are homes to the Huntbounds and the Tidesworn, and they mean us no harm.” He finished, a bead of sweat falling on his stained coat.

            “What’s that got to do with the Lumispar?” someone asked.

            “Everything,” Cornelius said. “The Tidesworn have taught us how to make Lumispar glow. We can grow plenty—for everyone. But first we must repay our debt to them and return the staff to the sky. Only then can we use Lumispar respectfully.”

            The crowd settled; the chant in the lab resumed as they grew more Lumispar—some crystals bound for the Bonegorge, others for the Tidesworn. Grum examined a small green fragment and sighed, “It’s still sad—these little ones will never hatch.” He turned it over; it slipped from his fingers.

            “Oops!” the shard fell. It landed softly on Grum’s foot, stuck in a dollop of Brineweld he’d spilled earlier. The room held its breath as the shard changed—the green fading to the original bright white. Cornelius choked, “Do you know what this means?”

            An assistant gently placed the bright shard into another vat of seawater. Brineweld hardened to Slimeshell on one side, and then—pop—one tiny jellyfish appeared. Pop—another. Pop—more. Each one twinkled like a star. The room exhaled; glass fogged. “We’re going to need more spring water,” an assistant laughed.