Something Lurks

Something Lurks

The late afternoon sun was hot, and Zelnard suddenly realised how thirsty he was. His mouth was dry, his legs still stung from the razor grass, and the long walk back to the monastery felt much farther than it had before.

He remembered something old Ferson had told him on one of their outdoor expeditions: “Look for water that runs clear over rocks.” But the lagoon was murky, filled with brown plant matter, and there were no clear streams nearby.

Zelnard frowned, then decided to take matters into his own hands. Literally.

He spread his fingers wide, focusing on the magic within him. A thin column of water twisted upward from beneath the murky surface. Instead of drawing the muddy water, the spell reached deeper, pulling only the clearest water it could find while leaving the silt, algae, and decaying plants undisturbed below.

The narrow spout shimmered in the sunlight like liquid glass. It was not perfect, and it certainly did not smell like fresh mountain spring water, but Zelnard trusted the spell enough to lean forward and drink.

The water was warm and earthy, not the most pleasant taste, but it was enough to quench his thirst. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and let the water fall back into the lagoon with a soft splash.

As he turned around, Zelnard heard something rustling through the reeds.

His heart skipped a beat. His mind raced with possibilities. What if it was a wild sea raptal come to drag him back into the depths? What if something had followed the fesealon from the river mouth? What if the lagoon was not as peaceful as it seemed?

He backed up slowly, eyes wide, his breath quickening.

Then a voice cut through the fear.

“Zelnard! Where are you, water brat?”

It was Dunstor, stomping through the reeds with a scowl on his face.

“We had to leave the beach because of you!” Dunstor shouted, his voice full of anger. “Why didn’t you tell someone where you were going, you annoying whelp?”

Zelnard didn’t feel bad at all. He had saved the baby fesealon, and that was worth enough to balance Dunstor’s angry tirade.

But Dunstor wasn’t finished.

“You really know how to ruin a good day. Things were much easier before your wet little ass showed up here.”

Zelnard’s temper flared, and before he could stop himself, he retorted, “You think I want to be here with the likes of you?”

Thy Quests
Zelnard used magic to draw only the clearest water from beneath the muddy lagoon. In real life, however, water that looks clean is not always safe to drink. Tiny bacteria, parasites, and viruses can be invisible to our eyes and can make people sick. Hikers often boil water or use special filters before drinking from rivers and lakes.

If you had Zelnard's water magic, what rules would you give it? Could it remove dirt? Bacteria? Salt from seawater? Explain how your magical water spell works while keeping it believable.