Aethelburg – City Under the Sea – Fantasy Fiction Novel

The sun, a distant, shimmering disc, cast mottled emerald light through the hundred feet of ocean that separated the surface from Aethelburg. A sprawling metropolis of pearl-hued spires and bioluminescent domes, Aethelburg was a testament to ancient magic and unparalleled engineering, Aethelburg was not alone. Across the vast, featureless expanse of the Great Deep lay eleven other sister cities, each a unique beacon in the silent world, linked by ancient, almost forgotten protocols and the rare passage of amphibious shuttles.

Malea, a young cartographer with eyes the color of deep-sea anemones, traced the intricate patterns of the city’s power conduits. These shimmering veins of energy pulsed with the lifeblood of Aethelburg, drawing power from thermal vents in the ocean floor and converting it into the stable, breathable atmosphere that filled every dome and walkway. Her latest task was to update the ever-changing maps of the Glyph-Wells, the magically active fissures that kept the city perfectly buoyant. Each well was small, contained vortex of anti-gravity energy, and maintaining their delicate balance was paramount. Malea would soon play a pivotal role in saving all of the underwater cities as a long forgotten threat reappears.