by EJ Altbacker
“Lochlan says he doesn’t hold you responsible,” Barkley told the tiger commander. This seemed to settle the older shark, and the look of doubt went away.
Whalem nodded at Barkley. “I still have much to apologize for, though. Lead on.”
The Indi armada was being set in its battle formation, at least ten rows deep. Barkley began picking his way through the kelp field, away from the noise and bustle.
Ripper had other ideas. He zoomed back toward the royal court!
“Where are you going?” Barkley hissed.
“To deal with Velenka!” he shouted.
Before Barkley could do anything, they were spotted. “The prisoners have escaped! The prisoners have escaped!” the squaline shouted.
A group of ten armored guards streaked toward them.
“So much for the easy way!” Barkley shouted as he broke from cover with everyone else. “Swim for your lives!”
ONYX PASSED BARKLEY AS IF HE WERE ON A LAZY afternoon swim.
“Pick up the pace!” snapped Whalem, as he also flashed ahead.
Barkley tore after the two as fast as he could. Luckily, rather than pursuing them, the squaline broke away to defend Finnivus as Ripper shot toward him like a maniac.
Barkley saw Whalem head directly for the massive armada formation. “Follow me! I have an idea!” Whalem yelled. The old tiger swam them directly between the growing pyramid formation of sharkkind and the new mariner prime, who was busily barking orders at everyone. Barkley’s group churned past, and for a moment, the new Indi commander was too shocked to do anything. He shook his head, not believing what had just happened, then shouted, “Capture them!”
The pyramid formation seemed to melt as the sharks on the top dove into a downward current straight at Whalem, Onyx, and Barkley. The armada’s subcommanders, busily carrying out their last instructions, bellowed at the Indi mariners to stay in formation. The new mariner prime then realized his mistake. “No! Wait, stop! Back to your positions!” he cried. But it was too late. The formation was hopelessly disorganized. No one could swim anywhere.
“Ha!” yelled Whalem. “That new mariner prime can’t hold a lantern fish to me!”
“Go, go, go!” Barkley urged.
Onyx streaked toward the area where Lochlan and AuzyAuzy Shiver were assembling, with Barkley and Whalem close behind.
“Got him,” Onyx told Lochlan as he whipped into battle position facing the Indi armada.
“Good on ya,” the golden great white said, nodding. “Barkley, Snork, take the commander to the safe area. We’ll hold them up long enough for you to disappear.”
Whalem took only a moment to size up the hourglass formation of Lochlan’s forces. The AuzyAuzy mariners were mostly on the top with the Coral Shiver sharks arranged below. This would give the more experienced AuzyAuzy mariners a chance to descend from above, using the now downward-drifting currents to their advantage. With Coral Shiver’s lack of training in formation fighting, they had to be protected.
Whalem looked at Lochlan and shook his head. “You’ll be slaughtered.”
Barkley saw the faces of the AuzyAuzy Line and knew it was true! And yet they still were willing to swim into the battle. He couldn’t believe it.
“You can’t do this!” Barkley told Lochlan. “You’re supposed to be the shark everyone rallies around! You can’t die!”
“Very touching, mate, but you’ve got to leave,” the golden great white replied. “Whalem will lead you. He’s better than I am.”
The tiger commander shook his snout vigorously. “I dishonored myself! I will stay if your mariners will allow me to guide them.”
“For the love of Tyro!” shouted Barkley. “Let’s all just swim away!”
Lochlan told Whalem, “We don’t have our dolphs to coordinate the formation, so we can only delay them.”
The old tiger looked at Lochlan. “Have you studied the Battle of Silander’s End?”
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding,” Kendra interrupted. “You want to use voice commands? From the center of the formation?”
“It would have to be a two-pronged formation,” Lochlan said, a toothy grin spreading across his face.
“Exactly!” agreed Whalem. “That would negate their speed!” The two looked at each other, and Barkley could see a mutual respect grow between the old mariner and the young king.
Lochlan nodded to the old tiger. “If you wouldn’t mind commanding the second battle fin, I’d appreciate it.”
“I’d be honored . . . my King.”
Lochlan told his Line, “Kendra, you’re with me. Xander, Jaunt, you’re now Whalem’s subbies,” meaning subcommanders.
Jaunt tail-slapped Whalem’s flank. “Too right! We’ll help the oldie!”
The old tiger was shocked for a moment—and then roared with laughter. Barkley supposed no one had spoken to Whalem that way for several decades.
“If today’s my day to swim the Sparkle Blue, let that be the chorus of my farewell song!” Whalem called out with a smile, showing his notched teeth.
The AuzyAuzy mariners thought this was hilarious and also laughed.
Barkley turned to Snork. “Do they realize everyone might die today?”
“I think that’s why they’re laughing. To stop from being scared,” the sawfish answered.
“Hey!” shouted Striiker. “Are we going to fight at some point? I thought you AuzyAuzy fins liked to fight, but all I see is a lot of yapping!”
Apparently Xander and Striiker were brothers at heart. Xander took his position ahead of the great white and yelled, “Soon enough, young son. Soon enough. That is if you don’t talk them to death first and spoil the party!”
Then Whalem and Lochlan had a rapid conversation that Barkley barely understood.
“Watch their Topside Rip and Slide attacks,” Whalem said. “They’ll roll down the current with Orca Bears Down or Sea Snake Engarde.”
“Should we be ready for Yellowfin Feeding on Minnows or Cuttlefish Strikes a Crab?” asked Lochlan. “Won’t they be looking for a chance to end this early?”
“The new mariner prime won’t be so bold. He outnumbers us four to one even without his third battle fin.”
Barkley recognized the terms as fighting moves, but these two obviously knew the information on an entirely different level. As Lochlan and Whalem spoke, the AuzyAuzy subcommanders moved the formation from the shape of an X to one made up of two Vs, which then interlocked to form a W.
From his position in Lochlan’s half of the formation, Barkley saw the much more massive Indi armada moving from the Riptide homewaters toward them. The armada was five levels higher than their own and in the shape of a pyramid. Barkley felt icy cold inside his stomach. How would they be able to survive Indi’s attack?
“The time for chibber-chabber is done and gone!” yelled Jaunt. “Here they come!”
Both Lochlan and Whalem were well aware. “Quick and decisive!” shouted the tiger shark commander to everyone. “That’s the way to do things!”
“Agreed! Let’s give ’em a good snout banging!” Lochlan exclaimed.
Lochlan and Whalem swam in the center of their respective V formations. From their positions, theoretically, the subcommanders would relay their shouted orders to everyone else.
In reality, though . . .
Barkley didn’t understand how Lochlan and Whalem would make split-second decisions in the thick of battle while they themselves might be fighting for their lives. And even if everyone heard the commands, there was a whale-size difference between understanding an order and doing it!
Once it got moving, the massive Indi armada was a thing of deadly grace. Their sharks swam so close together and turned with such precision that the entire formation seemed like a single, monstrous predator. They shifted their rank
s into other shapes, smoothly and cleanly. Lochlan and Whalem shouted countermoves, and their own ranks morphed and changed. But the combination of AuzyAuzy, Rogue, and Coral sharks didn’t blend seamlessly like the more experienced Indi armada. Their reactions were delayed, and their swimming wasn’t nearly as crisp.
The Indi armada split into three battle fins of a hundred sharkkind, each one larger than the entire AuzyAuzy-Coral formation.
“Hold fast in your eights!” yelled Lochlan.
The subcommander in Barkley’s section of the formation was Kendra. She translated, “Stay on my tail! Don’t attack yet!”
Many sharks were out of position, and Barkley could tell some were already tired. They had none of the training or discipline of the armada.
Then Indi’s second battle wing struck! At least ten sharkkind on Barkley’s side were mauled and spun crazily toward the seabed below. They followed that with feinting moves by the first and third Indi battle fins, which pulled apart the AuzyAuzy-Coral ranks as they tried to counter.
Then the second Indi battle fin attacked for real and broke through, killing another fifteen of AuzyAuzy-Coral mariners. Barkley barely avoided a bite at his left fin as he struggled to keep up. He heard Lochlan yell, “Regroup! Swim through the Split S!” Kendra again translated that into something he could understand.
Barkley caught a glimpse of the flashing lantern fish device relaying signals to the Indi armada. That way of communicating was much faster. Their subcommanders didn’t listen for commands but merely glanced over to see their orders, then acted on them. The Indi mariner prime also had the advantage of watching the entire battle waters from a safe distance. It’s too much of an advantage to overcome, Barkley thought hopelessly. It’s only a matter of time before they crush us.
Lochlan and Whalem were working miracles, though. Barkley couldn’t believe how speedily their formation was reordered after their initial battering.
The first battle wing of the Indi armada did a sharp looping turn and dove from above. This time the damage was far worse. Thirty sharkkind were mortally wounded—and Indi’s third battle fin, packed with heavy sharks like great whites and bulls filled the gap, preventing Lochlan and Whalem from re-forming into a single defensive formation. Blood bloomed thick in the water, causing Barkley to gag.
They were about to be eaten alive!
Barkley saw the other two Indi battle fins form a pincer move. The first did another looping attack from above. It was doubtful that the AuzyAuzy-Coral force could stop any of the attacks, much less all of them. Barkley glanced at the lantern fish light board and knew he had made a huge mistake. He wasn’t a good mariner and never would be even if he lived to be a hundred—which definitely wouldn’t happen now.
“I should be sneaking up to that signaler to destroy it! I’ve killed us all by not using my head,” Barkley muttered through gritted teeth. The Indi armada closed in for what would be a final, decisive attack.
Just when all hope seemed to be lost, Barkley caught a glimpse of an immense shark bursting from the greenie and streaking at the lantern fish signaler.
His heart leapt. It was Gray!
GRAY BOLTED FROM THE PATCH OF THICK greenie, very close to where the Indi mariner prime hovered. It was a miracle he had made it this far. But with Whalem escaping, the royal court being attacked by Ripper, and two armadas clashing a short distance away, it was the perfect storm. The utter panic and confusion inside the Riptide homewaters hid Gray better than even the thickest kelp field.
Much to Gray’s surprise, for five whole seconds after he went into a roaring attack sprint, absolutely no one raised an alarm. Perhaps, the few sharks who saw him streak behind the throne area where Finnivus was alternately weeping and screaming had other things on their minds.
Gray could hear the new mariner prime’s orders as he closed the distance between them. “Battle fin one—Sea Serpent Strikes, execute! Battle fin two . . .” The richly tattooed armada commander, a young spinner shark, looked over an instant before Gray struck. The bite was clean and deep. Blood clouded the water as the spinner’s eyes rolled upward to the whites.
“Look out!” cried one of the subcommanders, much too late.
Gray smashed through him, and there was a free path to the signaling device. The lantern fish inside panicked, bouncing and flashing madly, but couldn’t move from the enclosed mesh pen. Gray crashed into the device, breaking it to pieces in his mouth. He whipped his head side to side, crushing the signaler further as his momentum carried him past the rim of the homewaters. Finally, Gray dropped what was left of it down a deep crevice. “Let them try and find that!”
The effect on the Indi armada was immediate. They had been doing a complex weaving maneuver with all three battle fins in motion at once. At least one battle fin took the panicked flashing of the terrified lantern fish as a real command from the now-dead mariner prime. That force went into an area where another was supposed to be. The two swam straight into each other!
The third battle fin tried to withdraw, but Gray’s friends wouldn’t let them. Lochlan bellowed, “Attack! Attack!” so loudly, it could clearly be heard across the battle waters. The AuzyAuzy-Coral formation struck the one Indi battle fin still in good order. Blood clouded everything in that area for a moment.
When the current whisked it away, Gray saw that Indi battle fin had lost over half of its sharkkind—more than fifty! The other two battle fins, in snarled confusion after swimming into each other, had no way to defend themselves when the entire AuzyAuzy and Coral Shiver force turned and charged them.
There was blood and chaos everywhere! The shrill, terrified shrieks chilled Gray’s spine, but at least it wasn’t his friends doing the screaming. If sharks had to swim to the Sparkle Blue today, thought Gray, let them be Indi mariners.
But the Black Wave armada wasn’t going to swim away just yet. They were too disciplined. Their subcommanders saw the lantern fish weren’t signaling and took matters into their own fins. AuzyAuzy tried to press its momentary advantage, but their next attack was deflected without any damage done! Then the three disorganized Indi battle fins merged into two organized ones. Even with their losses, Indi still outnumbered the AuzyAuzy force by two to one!
The armada wheeled and attacked, biting deeply into the AuzyAuzy formation. Through his lessons with Takiza and Lochlan, Gray knew they wouldn’t last another strike.
Gray sped up. He would fight to the finish with his friends. But suddenly, there was something in front of his eye—Gray thought it might be a bit of floating greenie, but then it spoke!
“Take them in, Nulo! And try not to be your usual clumsy self!”
“Takiza!” Gray shouted. “Take who in?”
“Always asking questions!” The little betta scooted upward and behind. When Gray looked in that direction, he didn’t see Takiza—but he did see two hundred AuzyAuzy mariners swimming toward the battle!
That was what the maredsoo greenie was for!
Takiza swam across the entire Atlantis and into the Sific to lead the AuzyAuzy forces from there. The maredsoo had allowed them to get to Riptide in time for the battle.
The sharks of the Golden Rush, the name they used because of Lochlan’s peculiar family shading, put Gray in diamond head position out in the center and near the front. Whether he wanted to or not, Gray would lead this group into battle!
“Takiza told us to follow you,” said a mako with an AuzyAuzy accent. “Orders, sir!”
Gray surveyed the situation. He was deathly afraid to do the wrong thing but knew he needed to be decisive or his friends would die. They needed to stop the Indi armada’s next attack! “We’re going directly in!” he shouted to everyone around him. “Spearfisher Streaks by the Cliffs—execute!”
But his order wasn’t shouted. It was relayed by the clicks and whistles of a dolphin swimming right above his dorsal fin
. The AuzyAuzy mariners understood the dolphin’s odd language and snapped into perfect formation.
Gray and the AuzyAuzy’s forces caught the Indi armada unaware and unprotected. With a tremendous howl, the mariners of the Golden Rush ripped into their enemy. Indi had killed their king and attacked their home. AuzyAuzy showed no mercy. This attack broke the Indi armada.
Lochlan’s formation merged with Gray’s. “If you don’t mind,” the young king told him, “I’ll take it from here!” Gray was happily relieved as Lochlan took the diamond head position with his personal guard and the dolphins now relayed his commands.
The subcommanders ordered everyone from Rogue and Coral to leave the formation. Now that Lochlan had his forces and the advantage of dolphins to relay his orders instantly, they would be much better without Gray and his untrained friends. The AuzyAuzy mariners smoothly and cleanly re-formed and swept after the Indi armada, striking at any groups that tried to organize into a battle formation. Soon, it became a rout! The shattered Indi mariners turned tail and swam away in disarray.
In the distance, Gray saw another large group of sharkkind had already left. It was Finnivus and his personal guard. They were retreating. Wait! Actually, they were swimming away as fast as they could!
Gray hovered in the bloody waters in numbed shock.
Somehow, they had done it. The Battle of Riptide was won.
AN HOUR LATER, THE LAST REMNANTS OF THE Indi Shiver armada were driven from the furthest reaches of Riptide territory. Barkley, Mari, Gray’s friends from Rogue and Coral Shivers, Lochlan, and all those from AuzyAuzy were talking, shouting, and singing as they grieved for their lost friends.
Even Ripper was there! How did he get out of the royal court alive?
After the initial euphoria of the moment, Gray realized the one fin he didn’t see was Takiza. Where was the frilly little betta? He, most of all, deserved to be celebrating with them. Gray told everyone, “Be right back!” and quickly swam the way he’d come with the AuzyAuzy mariners. He searched and searched but found nothing. Where was Takiza?
