19
Forgotten, But Not Gone
The Xansian is one of the great beasts of the deep. While no definitive proof has been provided regarding their existence, a great number of Chalician sailors have reported sightings of the creatures. Commonly described as a “sea dragon,” these serpentine denizens of the sea have been rumored to haunt only the depths of waters near the major Ancient cities of Chalice.
—From Bestiary of the Ancients
Cold salt water enveloped him as he submerged. His encoding broken, he was no longer attached to the hull of the ship. The water continued to rush all around him. Cade could not tell which way was up or down. His left arm, the one he had used to hit the cannonball, was numb and unresponsive. He tried to swim with his other arm, but the surface never came. His lungs
