I placed my hand on the thick ice block, eyeing the crab floating inside like a frozen dinner. It stared back with those wide, soulless eyes. Steve swam up beside me, gave the crab a once-over, and then looked at me.
"You gonna eat it or interrogate it?"
I frowned. "Both, if possible."
With a wave of my hand, I shifted the water around us, forcing it outward in a slow swirl. A hollow space formed in the center, and a thin dome of water shimmered above us. The water clung to the edges like an upside-down bowl. Steve immediately exhaled and blinked.
"Finally! I was two seconds from drowning."
"You can swim, Steve."
"Yeah, swim. Not monologue in a crab's face."
I ignored him and turned back to the cube. The crab sat in the center, still frozen solid but alive. I tapped the ice twice.
"Hey. You understand us?" I asked.
No response. Obviously.
Steve stepped closer. "Try waving. Everyone responds to hand signs."
I narrowed my eyes. "It has claws, Steve. Not hands."
