While Cridror spoke with Aki about her new role as the owner of the pink orb, Dhaga resumed his training in search of the remaining two orbs. Recalling his previous interaction with all five orbs, he tried to figure out what the blue and yellow orbs represented. The blue orb gave him a feeling of dealing with a blade’s sharp edge while the yellow one felt like an incredible wall he couldn’t overcome. The feelings he experienced got him no closer so he simply swam faster as he waited for the orbs to inform him. Suddenly, the sirens went off again, alerting everyone of a second attack.

  Already? Most of the wounded haven't fully recovered yet…maybe that’s the intention.

  While the able-bodied nagas returned to formation at once, the wounded that could swim under their own strength made slow but steady progress. As Dhaga debated whether to join the fight or keep searching for the orb owners, Cridror stopped beside him and suggested the latter option.

  The longer we delay, the more casualties we’ll suffer. You alone can only turn the tide so much.

  Understanding what the orca was hinting at, Dhaga resumed his swim when he stopped. In the distance, a procession of naga in red uniforms moved towards the frontline. In the center, two nagas in chains swam without any resistance. One of the nagas exhibited an aura of someone dangerous, as though taking the life of others wouldn’t make the naga flinch one bit. The other naga was twice the size of Athexhi, making him the largest naga Dhaga had ever seen. The young naga was certain that, if the giant naga refused to move, none of the guards could do much. Given the odds they faced, the young naga wasn't surprised one bit to see prisoners being sent to the frontlines to strengthen the defenses. However, he couldn't see how the prisoners could contribute with the guards constantly restraining them.

  Are these two the ones you seek? They seem to match what I remembered.

  A flash from both orbs convinced Dhaga to swim towards the procession but, as he got closer, the guards raised their halberds, warning him to not approach them further. The captain of the guards swam up to Dhaga, his demeanor almost made Dhaga back away.

  “What do you want? Trying to free these prisoners during the chaos? I'd thought you criminals would be smarter than attacking from the front.”

  “I’m here to deliver the orbs given to me by the Leviathan,” said Dhaga sternly.

  He could see the skepticism on the faces of the nagas, including the two prisoners. As he thought about how he could convince the guards, a naga in full-clad armor joined the group and turned to the captain.

  “He speaks the truth. I can vouch for him.”

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  Despite not knowing who the naga was, Dhaga could see, given the captain’s and the guards’ attitude towards the newcomer, the naga was an important figure, likely a member on the council or someone trusted within the council. The guards moved aside, giving Dhaga a path towards the two prisoners. He summoned the two orbs and presented the objects to the two. The dangerous naga was presented with the blue orb while the yellow orb was shown to the giant naga. In such close proximity, the orbs were radiant, nearly blinding all those who looked in the direction of the orb.

  “What do you want us to do?” asked the dangerous naga whose gaze was focused on Dhaga the entire time.

  “Touch the orb and find out,” said Dhaga.

  He could see the hesitation from both nagas. Yet, the two still proceeded to do so. Upon contact, the two of them froze in place, much like the sorceress. The silence dragged out for a whole minute before the two nagas regained their consciousness. They both looked at the young naga, thanking him for his gift. The two nagas then turned to the naga in full-clad armor who nodded. As soon as the guards removed their chains, the two nagas headed into battle.

  Will you just stay here and spectate?

  Dhaga found himself no longer startled by Cridror’s surprising entrances. As he was about to answer the orca, he heard an unfamiliar voice calling out.

  Good work getting stronger! Let me show you a thing or two on how to change the battlefield!

  Who are you?

  I’m Acro, an orca like Cridror.

  Dhaga recalled how he summoned Cridror and did the same for Acro who, despite his deep voice, was slightly smaller than the other orca. Acro has similar black and white patterns as Cridror except for the patch behind his dorsal fin which had more pointed ends.

  Let’s head into battle!

  The energy exhibited by Acro was contagious so Dhaga followed his new companion. Despite his training, he found himself unable to keep up with Acro’s speed. Not only was his new companion more agile in the water but the orca also possessed an interesting ability. As he swam past the frontline, small particles broke off the orca’s green aura and attached themselves to nearby friendly nagas. Nagas who came in contact with the particle had a similar aura surrounding them.

  Did the aura just act as a spell shield?

  Spell shield was a common spell among the naga spellcasters, especially those boasting large amounts of mana. The defensive spell was dependable as it could fend off most spells. The one downside was how the ability was self-cast, resulting in the limitation as to who had access to it. Acro’s ability, if it did resemble spell shield, was a massive improvement only if the orca either had a massive pool of mana or the spell cost a lot less mana. Given how freely the orca used it, Dhaga assumed Acro could sustain the ability for a long time.

  While Cridror likes to charge in and disrupt the enemy, I like to support allies by increasing their survivability. In time, you will discover your own style of supporting the flanks.

  My own style?

  The young naga had so far only studied under the mentors. He never considered the idea that he could come up with something unique for himself.

  To be fair, I never thought I’d be fighting alongside orcas either.