White-Nape's call pulled Jiang deeper than his remaining breath could afford.
Antarctic white trembled through the drowned hall. Pale-Cheek answered from farther back, older than the chick Jiang remembered and frightened enough to break the second voice early.
The living exchange showed him the line.
Gredudande showed him everything wrapped around it.
Black bronze crossed the tide ray's carrier stem, looped Antarctic white, caught two-moon silver, and buried its last corner beside the animal's second breathing slit. The false hand from Chapter 129 had spread into an arm along the broad strip.
Bent-Toe's dead call opened from its palm.
The tide ray beat both fins.
Current drove Jiang against a bell rib. His numb feet took the impact without warning him where the claws landed. He pushed away with the working flipper and felt the shoulder wound answer through cold skin.
A little movement returned to his failed flipper.
