Arthur Vance woke to the gentle, rhythmic sound of stone water lapping against polished river stones.
He opened his eyes. He was greeted by the soft lavender and mint-green bioluminescence of the amethyst geode ceiling. Ten hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep in the high-oxygen air of the oasis had fully cleared the muscle burn from his muscles. His mind was razor-sharp, his hands steady, and his heart calm.
Beside him, Grimm was already awake. The charcoal hound lay with his paws crossed. His dark amber eyes watched Arthur with quiet patience. The moment Arthur stirred, Grimm’s tail gave two rhythmic thumps against the snake-like floor. The hound leaned forward to press his cold, wet snout affectionately against Arthur’s cheek.
“Morning, Grimm,” Arthur whispered, smiling as he ruffled the hound’s thick neck fur. Grimm let out a soft, morning whuffle, stretching his front legs into a deep, luxurious dog bow before shaking his coat with a flurry of loose dust.
Over in the shallow pool, Titus was already wide awake, lumbering along the pebble floor with heavy, slow dignity. The great Xuanwu raised his heavy head, his snake-like tail swiveling to greet Arthur with an inquisitive flick of its azure tongue. Titus let out a low, gravelly puff of steam, looking noticeably refreshed. His newly evolved diamond-iron belly shell gleamed with a deep, healthy stone polish under the crystal light.
