by Dee J. Stone
Jas.
His heartbeat, his thoughts, the flow of his blood, it all beats inside me.
Gida.
Anthul.
Heren.
Yerna.
With each addition to the family, I feel the invincibility wrap around me.
Vun.
Feas.
Unn.
Xera.
We are one. Together in unity, we will trample the wretched children of the sea.
Four of us have not transformed yet. Marikus, Shil, Boni, and Rula.
“Will they shift?” Shil asks Marikus. “They are not fully developed.”
Marikus is about to answer, when Boni steps forward, a determined look on his face. “I want to rid the world of those vile beasts, Father.”
Pride shines in Marikus’s eyes. “Death is an escape, my son. Death is a release. We don’t wish to release our enemies. We wish to punish them.”
“I want to punish them,” Boni says.
Rula steps forward, too. “I want to punish them.”
Marikus glances at Shil. “They have revenge beating in their hearts. They understand the devastation their ancestors have endured.”
Shil studies her children. “They’re young, but they are not weak. They will grow in the ocean and they’ll be strong.”
Marikus nods. He places his hands on the backs of his children, pushing them toward the water. “Go forth, my children. Go forth and reclaim your true forms!”
Boni walks into the ocean, followed by his sister. Their bodies transform into who they are meant to be, albeit smaller. Six feet and not ten. But they will grow, as Marikus stated. They will grow in the salt water, in their true home. They will be strong.
Boni.
He is one of us.
Rula.
She will make a fine addition.
Shil.
Her resolve will strengthen our union.
Marikus.
He leaps out of the ocean with a roar that causes the wind to howl. The ground trembles beneath him as he lands. His tail sweeps the sand and buries some of the weak humans. They may die, they may not. Marikus faces us. At last, we are reborn! His booming voice beats in my mind. We are free! No longer slaves to this human land. No longer slaves to those human bodies. We no longer speak in the tongue of the wretched humans. We speak the language of our forefathers. We are free and we are one and we will vanquish our enemy!
Reclaim the ocean! we chant. Reclaim what is ours!
Marikus bounds off the ground and dives into the ocean. One by one, we follow, Boni and Rula situated in the middle. We dive deeper and deeper, our bodies growing accustomed to the speed that has been ingrained in us since the beginning of time. Fish and ocean life flee at the sight of us. They are low in intelligence, but they understand who we are. Jas thrusts out his palm, causing a school of fish to perish. We each wrap our tails around one and toss them into our mouths.
The coral reef here is beautiful. Too beautiful. I push out my claws and the entire thing explodes.
The laughs of my brethren echo in my mind.
The lesser ocean animals continue to flee at the mere sound of our approach. Their fear feeds each and every one of us, causing us to grow even stronger. Some feeble-minded fish who believe they are brave attempt to attack us. At the simple wave of our claws, they cease to exist.
Too vibrant, the colors, Marikus says. Too much life. Too much beauty.
Too much joy. Jas is full of disgust.
All will be destroyed when we conquer the ocean, Marikus assures him.
Jas’s tail fires toward the most dazzling fish in the area and slams it into the nearby large rock. Blood spurts out of the inferior creature as it cracks open.
Pleased hisses leave our mouths.
We continue surging through the ocean, annihilating anything that gets in our way. After some time, I feel the beats of others. More of our brethren. I look at Marikus, who has stopped and is surveying the area. The others have stopped as well.
Do you feel that? Shil cranes her neck to look behind her.
I do, Jas says.
Marikus swoops toward the left, and the rest of us do the same. We come face to face with six more sea serpents.
My fellow sea brothers and sisters! Marikus holds out his claws in a welcoming gesture.
We have traveled from distant lands, one answers. We heard the call.
Marikus’s yellow eyes fill with delight. He dives deeper and then does a somersault. Splendid indeed! I knew I did not track down every one of our brethren!
Reclaim the ocean, they chant, causing us to join them. Reclaim what is ours.
They become one with us, and I feel our strength multiply. We continue on in our journey.
Marikus comes to a halt before a wall of rock.
Why have we stopped? my sea sister Gida demands. This is not the home of our enemy. I wish to crush them beneath my—
Marikus raises his hand. Patience, sea sister. You will have your revenge. But first, we must seek the rebels who wish to betray their kin.
Chapter Three
We float before the wall of rock, our curious and furious eyes pinned on Marikus. I feel the blood of rage beating in the veins of my brethren. We want to extract our revenge this instant.
Marikus lifts his palms and thrusts them forward. The wall explodes, sending off little pieces of rock everywhere. He swims inside and the rest of us follow. We come face to face with what looks like an ocean wasteland. The coral here is dead and there is no sign of life. The place is barren, save for caves.
Is this our home? my sea brother Anthul asks, the excitement leaping off his body and suffocating me. How befitting it is.
Marikus shakes his head. I have given our old home to the rebels. The wretched enemy would never venture here. For it is desolate. A hiss leaves his mouth. This is where I grew up.
As did I. Shil hisses as well.
No matter, Marikus says. Soon the entire ocean will be our home. And the enemy will be our slaves!
We cheer.
Marikus swims further inside and calls out, “Gyron of the Emerald clan! We have arrived to claim the sea.”
We scan the area, but there is no evidence of movement or sound.
“Gyron of the Emerald clan!” Marikus calls again. “Show yourself!”
Again, no response. Marikus’s eyes flash red. He opens his mouth and is about to yell when a wall of one of the caves drops down, revealing an opening. A skinny Emerald hesitantly swims out. A hiss escapes my mouth and I stretch out my claws, baring my fangs. I notice the others float in a similar fashion.
Marikus holds out his claw. Relax, my brethren. They are not the enemy.
Filthy beasts, Gida spits.
Marikus holds out his claw again. Our allies, Gida. They have been aiding us on our quest and they will continue to aid us.
She flares her nostrils at the Emerald Gyron, and the other three wretched children of the sea who have emerged with him. Two tiger sharks and two blue sharks flank them. The Emerald Gyron appears frightened, as do the others. The sharks, however, seem poised to attack.
“Gyron of the Emerald clan,” Marikus says.
“I do not carry that title any longer,” he says, disgust in his voice. “I do not associate with the children of the sea.”
Marikus inclines his head. “Understood. What is your title?”
Gyron’s face brightens. “I wish to be called Gyron of the Serpents of the Sea.”
Marikus frowns. “You are not one of us but merely a servant.”
Gyron’s face darkens. “We have an agreement, Mark—”
“MARIKUS!” he bellows.
Gyron falters back. “Pardon?” He exchanges confused and alarmed glances with his kin.
“My name is Marikus. Never call me by my despicable human name ever again. Do you understand?”
Gyron and the others quickly nod. “Of course.” He swallows hard. “About the agreement, Marikus. You claimed our families would be
spared and we would rule over our fellow children of the sea—”
Marikus’s eyes flame red. “I can strike each and every one of you with the sweep of my claw!”
The four of them wince.
Marikus chuckles. “But I won’t. You will rule over your brethren. A sea serpent enjoys nothing more than to witness a creature enslave members of its own kin. Don’t worry, Gyron, I will abide to our agreement. But you will not share the title of Serpent of the Sea.”
Gyron swallows hard again and nods.
Marikus gestures toward me, beckoning me to move forward. “You recognize my daughter, don’t you?”
Gyron stares at me. “Forgive me, I do not—” His eyes widen. “Cassie Price of the humans?”
A loud hiss explodes out of my mouth. I lunge for the pathetic excuse of a creature, but Marikus plunges toward me and knocks his tail into me, throwing me back. I hit the dead coral, my body stinging. I leap up and charge toward Marikus. His tail knocks into me and once again shoves me into the dead coral.
Enough! Shil says.
I glare at Marikus. He glares at me.
The vile children of the sea stare at us in utter bewilderment.
Marikus grins widely, showing his fangs. “A sea serpent shows emotion through battle, Gyron. Fear not, for we are not quarreling amongst ourselves. What we displayed was affection.” He swims toward me. Cassila, my daughter. There’s no use in getting mad at this foolish child of the sea. He turns to Gyron. “You will address her by her rightful name. Cassila.”
Gyron blinks a few times. “Cassila?” His eyebrows furrow. “You are—were—Cassie Price. A human. The mate of Damarian of the Sapphire clan.”
“That is in the past!” Marikus nearly shouts. “It will stay in the past. Nothing else matters but the future. And the future is ours.”
Gyron stares at me for a bit before bursting into laughter. “And to think I wished you dead.” His face gets a sinister look. “It will give me great pleasure watching you kill the one you have pledged yourself to for all eternity. The being who has given you his heart and soul.”
I sneer.
Jas moves forward. “The curiosity overwhelms me. Why do you hate the true heir to the throne?”
Now I am curious as well. It baffles me that these creatures are turning their backs on their own kind. A sea serpent would never betray his or her kin. When I look at the others, I see their heads are leaning forward, too, intrigued by this phenomenon.
Gyron’s gaze moves between each one of us. He seems pleased by the attention. “You wish to know why I and many of the children of the sea are turning their backs on their own kind? Here is your answer: I am discontented with the life of a child of the sea. I am bored. There is no adventure in the sea. The kingdom places so many restrictions on us. We are not to engage the humans. We are not to venture to land. All due to the fact that the humans might catch us and imprison us.” He shakes his head in disgust. “The Violets are the weakest rulers we have ever had. The Sapphires are dull. I wish to have a new ruler. A ruthless ruler. One who is not afraid of those humans. With the sea serpents ruling the ocean, those repulsive humans will no longer throw their wastes into our sea. They will no longer poison our waters. We will no longer be forced to remain hidden. Why is it that the humans are the superior race and roam freely while we are required to keep our existence a secret? With the sea serpents as rulers, we shall have the opportunity and pleasure to do as we please!”
Marikus nods. “We certainly will have the pleasure to do as we please. I assure you your life will be anything but dull.”
“And you will keep your word?” Gyron asks. “My family and the family of all those who have joined your cause will be spared?”
Marikus nods again. “As I stated earlier, nothing gives a sea serpent more pleasure that to see a child of the sea betray his own kind.”
For a second or two, it appears as though guilt flashes across the child of the sea’s face. But it’s gone immediately and replaced with satisfaction. He turns toward the children of the sea to his right and left. “Gather the others. I believe the sea serpents wish to enter battle.”
An eager hiss leaves Marikus’s mouth. The rest of us hiss in the same manner. Every limb in my body throbs with the need to extract revenge. True I was not present when the wretched children of the sea nearly wiped out my ancestors, but we are one, and I feel what they felt. It is as though I was there hundreds of years ago.
One by one, the walls of caves open, revealing masses of children of the sea, of all different colors. Though they are abundant in Emerald and Diamond. At any other circumstance, I would feel nothing but pure hatred toward them, and a part of me still does. But I know these rebel children of the sea are not our enemy. They will aid us in our mission. In our quest to reclaim the ocean and rule her.
I see the thrilled look on Marikus’s face as more and more children of the sea emerge. I did not expect so many of them to turn their backs on their kin. It further proves what a weak and inferior race they are.
“Prepare yourselves!” Marikus shouts. “In just a short while, the ocean will be ours!”
Now, it’s not only the sea serpents who cheer. The children of the sea pump their fists above their heads and join us in our chant. “Reclaim the ocean! Reclaim what is ours!”
***
I’ve never been so cold before in my life.
And thirsty. Oh, so thirsty. I think I might die if I don’t feel the refreshing taste of water sliding down my throat in the next few minutes.
I hear something in the distance. I want to open my eyes and lift my face, but I can’t move. I’m so weak.
Straining my ears takes up so much energy, but I need to hear what those sounds are. Using every bit of strength I have left, I concentrate on them. They start off low and then grow louder and louder. Reclaim the ocean. Reclaim what is ours.
For a second, I black out. At least, I think I do. My eyes are shut tight because I’m too exhausted to open them. I try to lick my lips because they are so dry, but I’m too weak to even open my mouth.
I’m so damn cold. And so damn thirsty.
Cassie. Cassie, my love. Do you hear me?
Damarian. My sweet, loving merman. He feels so far away, like he’s in another galaxy and the only way to get to him is to hop on the Starship Enterprise and go at warp speed.
Cassie, please answer me.
His voice is choked with tears and desperation.
Damarian, I try to think in my head. But I’m even too tired for that.
Please, my love. I know you are there. I cannot bear the thought that you are truly gone forever. Please, my love. I beg you.
I’m here, my merman. Please don’t go away. Continue talking to me. I need to hear your voice.
What sounds like a strangled cry fills my mind. My sweet Cassie. My beautiful sweet Cassie. I do not sense even a glimmer of your presence. His voice cracks. I cannot bear…He sobs. I cannot accept…Another sob. Please, my love. Respond to me!
Damarian, I try to call out. I’m here. I’m here. I’m here…
Chapter Four
They stand before us in masses. Hundreds of them. Children of the sea who are set on betraying their friends and families.
Oh, how sweet it is.
There seems to be something amiss with their sharks, though. I don’t like the way they look at us, with hostility buried in their eyes. I swim over to Marikus. I do not trust those sharks.
He follows my gaze. He does not look bothered by the expressions on their faces.
How do we know we can trust them? I demand.
Relax, my daughter. Sharks are governed by their nature. They are ingrained to see us as their enemy. But have no fear. They may be built to despise us, but they are sworn to protect their masters. They will obey their masters’ wishes. They will destroy their fellow sharks. Not a single one will be alive once this battle has ended, other than the ones who serve the rebels.
My fellow sea brothers and s
ea sisters hiss in pleasure.
Marikus swims to the middle of the area, where he is surrounded by the sea serpents. The rebel children of sea form an outer circle. Marikus raises his claws, beckoning us to do the same. Once all of our claws are raised, we cloak ourselves, our bodies disappearing from sight. I hear a few gasps from the rebel children of the sea. Marikus moves out from the circle and makes his way toward Gyron. He grabs him around the arms, squeezing tight, forcing him to cry out in pain. His eyes grow too large for his face and he pales, his lips growing blue. A second later, his body blends into the water. He is cloaked.
A few shocked whispers come from the other rebels. A child with a diamond tail swims forward. “Gyron?”
“Yes, it is I!” his voice says.
We sea serpents are able to sense one another when cloaked, but we cannot sense the rebel children of the sea. I don’t know if this is a cause of concern. I don’t trust anyone but a sea serpent.
A few of my brethren perform the same procedure to the rest of the children of the sea. When every single one is cloaked, Marikus announces, “And now it is time we reclaim the ocean.”
***
The journey to the colony of the children of the sea is too long. The areas we pass are so beautiful that they leave a stale taste in my mouth. I, like many of my sea brothers and sisters, take the opportunity to destroy as much of the beauty as possible. As much life as possible. The sea creatures may as well grow accustomed to this—it is how things will be when we rule the ocean.
Gyron has offered his guidance quite a few times, but Marikus has assured him that he needs no guide. He very well knows where the children of the sea dwell. Every part of me pounds with the anticipation of battling those revolting creatures. To feel their lives slowly seep out of their bodies when I have my claws wrapped around their necks. Buried deep in their chests.
But naturally, we will need many survivors to remain. After all, we do need inferior creatures as slaves.
Marikus comes to a halt before two large rocks with a gap in between. He doesn’t need to tell me what this is, because I know. We all know. This is the entrance to the colony of the children of the sea.
