by EJ Altbacker
Takiza continued speaking to Snork. “Have you cut through many things that thick before?”
“When I was little, I used to all the time,” Snork answered. “Dad and I would go out and do all sorts of fun stuff, games where we would race to see who could cut things into shapes, or into the most pieces. But then Mom found out and stopped it. She said using my bill like that would make me go blind.”
The betta snorted. “Amusing. But . . . the greenie moved upward faster than if it had merely floated.”
“I pushed it,” Snork said proudly as he showed them the motion of forcing his bill upward. “Dad taught me that, too. The trick is to concentrate real hard. I had to try and help Mari.”
“And me,” Velenka said. “You wanted to save me, too? Right?”
Takiza shooed the mako away with a frilly fin. “Tell me, Snork, have you ever heard the term bladefish?”
“I don’t think so,” the sawfish answered, waving his bill back and forth.
“Interesting. We will speak later.” Takiza turned to Mari. “Now, I must ask, what were you doing?”
The thresher sputtered, “Um, Velenka was hungry and—”
The betta slashed his fins through the water, silencing her. “What were you doing swimming out so foolishly after Velenka told you she thought there was danger?”
“See?” Velenka said.
“I—I—didn’t think—”
“No, you did not,” Takiza told Mari. “It was pure chance I was swimming nearby and overheard. A wise fish is always wary, even when there seems to be no danger at all.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Mari replied, chastened. “I’m sorry.”
Takiza softened and swam closer to the thresher. He brushed her forehead with his small fin. “The best thing you can do for the friends you have lost is to not join them,” he told her.
Then the betta gestured everyone toward Fathomir and they went.
Velenka doubted that the Siamese fighting fish just happened to be close enough to hear their conversation. She was being watched. She didn’t like that fact but it had saved her life today. The more unsettling news was that Hokuu still wanted her gone from the Big Blue. Not only couldn’t she get even with Hokuu, she was still the frilled shark’s prey.
What could Velenka possibly do about that?
She had absolutely no idea.
“WOW!” EXCLAIMED GRAY WHEN THEY GOT nearer the Stingeroo Supper Club and could hear a group of dolphins singing in their native tongue, click-razz. “Who knew this was here?”
The place was hidden inside a forest of dense greenie a mile outside of Fathomir’s territory and couldn’t be seen at all from the outside.
“I did,” Shear told Gray and Barkley. “We know everything that goes on around the homewaters.” Shear, a prehistore tiger shark, was the leader of the Seazarein’s finja guardians at Fathomir. Back when Gray was named Aquasidor, Shear had been the captain of his guard. Since there currently was no Aquasidor, the big tiger now used his depleted finja force to protect Gray wherever he went.
“Does everything include Hokuu’s finja makos almost killing Mari and Velenka?” Barkley asked.
Gray gave his friend a bump. It was hard to patrol an area as big as Fathomir with the few specially trained mariners Shear had left. They did need to tighten security, though. Shear had taken Kaleth’s loss personally and held himself responsible even though the blame for everything could be put squarely on Hokuu.
“No one blames you for that,” Gray told the big tiger. “Have you talked with Striiker?” Striiker was a longtime friend of Gray and Barkley’s, and led Riptide Shiver now that Gray was Seazarein.
“Yes,” Shear answered. “I’m going to have him begin patrols with the Riptide mariners he has available who are not protecting your shiver sharks. Though their training isn’t up to guardian standards, I suppose they could be helpful.”
Barkley bristled at this comment. “At least Riptide is helping while they’re settling in,” he said, eyeing Shear. “That’s nice of them, don’t you think?”
Gray gave Barkley another bump to remind him not to push the guardian tiger shark too far. Since the destruction of their homewaters, Riptide had been homeless. Gray wouldn’t allow his family and friends to wander the ocean like jelly drifters, so as Seazarein, he gave them a chunk of territory and a swath of the golden greenie as their hunting grounds. Shear hadn’t liked that decision because of the security risk but Gray wouldn’t budge.
The group swam through the thick greenie curtain toward the music. Inside this barrier was a large area where most of the kelp and seaweed had been cleared. What was left seemed to be there for decoration. Lumos were plastered everywhere. Since the sun was shining straight down this time of day, their light wasn’t noticeable, but at night it would be beautiful.
Sharkkind, none of whom Gray recognized, hovered in clumps of twos, threes, and fours as they ate seasoned fish prepared by skilled shellhead dwellers who stuffed them with tasty greenie and mosses from around the watery world. This environment was different from Slaggernacks but just as fun. This was exactly what Gray needed. A little time to clear his head and relax!
“I see too many lionfish swimming about for it to be natural,” Shear commented. “They are usually loners.”
Barkley gave Gray a look, agreeing with the tiger. “And those are just the ones you can see. Oh, you’ll love this place, Shear. It’s delightfully full of poisonous dwellers. Trank hires them out to be assassins from time to time.”
“What?” The tiger turned to Gray. “Then this place is too dangerous for you to be here. We should leave and I’ll order my mariners to attack before nightfall.”
Gray spied a group of rocks and reached out with his senses. Sure enough, he could tell that many of the rocks weren’t rocks at all, but stonefish. He had a feeling one of them was Trank and decided to have a little fun. “So, you think you could wipe this place out in the next day or two?”
“I wouldn’t need that long,” the finja captain answered. “I didn’t realize this was a nest of killers, or I would have already done it.”
“Well, since I don’t see any friendly faces, or free orders of seasoned fish . . .”
“Whoa, whoa, sharkkind,” Trank said as he stopped acting like a rock and swam up from the pile Gray had been watching. “Is that any way for youse to treat an old friend? Especially when I have your favorite south seas flavored bluefin with volcano sauce being made as we speak? And it’s never been proven that anyone died of anything other than natural causes where I was concerned.”
Shear had chomped his teeth in surprise at stonefish’s sudden appearance. Barkley couldn’t be happier at his startled reaction and rubbed it in.
“Look at that. Gray and I, the two poorly trained Riptide Shiver mariners, didn’t flinch at all because of Trank but you did. Maybe you could use a little training tune up.”
Shear glared at the dogfish.
“Quit bumping snouts you two,” Gray told the pair. He turned to the stonefish and said, “I was only kidding, Trank. How’s Gafin doing?”
Gafin was the reputed king of the urchins who controlled all criminal activity in the North Atlantis. Supposedly, Trank worked for him, but Gray and Barkley didn’t know for sure. Trank was something of a mystery. There had been times when he helped Gray and his friends in the war against Finnivus. But another time it seemed Trank had betrayed them. The stonefish always came up with a great explanation for why he did whatever he did, though.
“He’s good,” Trank answered. “He sends regards and congratulations, but also his regrets at not being able to be here today. Follow me, please.” The stonefish’s tiny fins circled as he led them deeper into Stingeroo. “I’ve been saving the best spot in the place for youse. And don’t worry, it’s private.”
The stonefish took
them to an area in a maze of coral that formed a cavern over their heads. You could see and hear the musical group through a number of honeycombed openings that also allowed a nice current to flow.
But there was only one way in or out unless you were Trank’s size.
“I don’t like it. This isn’t safe,” Shear told Gray.
Trank turned and faced the giant tiger shark. “Not safe? Sharkkind, youse is safer here than under your momma’s belly when youse was a pup.” He gestured with his fins to the opening they had swum through. Now there were long strands of clear greenie hanging in front of the opening. Then Gray realized it wasn’t greenie at all. They were jellyfish tentacles! A swarm was tumbling with the light current and blocking the opening. Not only that, they were the most dangerous jellies in the Big Blue.
“Box jellyfish!” Barkley gasped as he watched the translucent, square jellyfish.
“That’s right, dogfish,” Trank said, nodding with pride. “And nobody, but nobody, swims through a swarm of box jellies.”
“This is crazy,” Shear grunted. “Dwellers and jellies do not work together.”
“Most dwellers, and all sharkkind, do not work or talk to jellies. But I and my new jelly friends share a certain, how can I put it—”
“Poisonous-ness?” Barkley offered.
Trank shrugged. “Youse isn’t far off the mark, doggie. We venomous dwellers are mistrusted by youse regular types in the Big Blue, misguided as everyone is about our gentle and honest natures.”
Gray gave Barkley a tail slap before he could throw out a smart comment.
Trank went on, “It turns out the less poisonous jellies don’t like the more poisonous ones, either. So, out of the goodness of our hearts, we bonded with these friendless dwellers and formed an arrangement profitable to both of us.”
“What could they possibly need from you?” asked Shear.
“That youse don’t need to know,” Trank answered.
Shear ground his teeth. “You cannot stay in here forever, stonefish. And you will tell me how you were able to get a quickfin code word.”
Trank flicked his tail at Shear. “Whoa, whoa! Please, stop. For your own sake. It just so happens that making threats to me in my own place happens to be very, very bad luck, Shear-the-guardian-captain-of-the-finja-at-Fathomir. Fins who do that tend to have shockingly horrible, bloody accidents soon after making those threats.”
“Why, you—”
Gray bumped Shear away from Trank. “How about nobody threatens anyone today?” he said. “I’m here for a nice meal and to hear some music. I don’t want to spend my limited free time having to yell at anyone for acting like a chowderheaded moron. Is that understood?”
“Got it! Sorry,” Trank said. “I apologize to everyone.” Shear also nodded.
“I do have a question for you,” Gray went on. “And I’m asking this as the Seazarein and a friend.”
“Since youse added that last part, ask away,” the stonefish replied.
“Why are you here?”
Trank opened and closed his mouth a few times, thinking before he answered. “I’m here because you’re here.”
“What does that mean?” Barkley asked suspiciously.
“Not like that,” the stonefish said. “Youse see, the people I work with, the leaders of the families in the other oceans, their business sunk to nothing when that psycho Finnivus was around. And youse solved that problem, permanent-like. And since Gray and I worked together in the Atlantis . . .”
“So, you’re here to help Gray?” Barkley asked. “Seriously?”
“Very seriously,” Trank told them. “Profits have never been better than during this peace youse created. Gafin and the other urchin kings want it to stay that way. Nice and quiet.”
“Could you tell me where Hokuu is?” asked Gray. “That would help.”
Trank shook his head. “I’m glad youse asked about him because he concerns the urchin kings. Maybe it’s better for everyone if youse take him out like with Finnivus?”
Shear slashed his tail through the water but kept his temper. “The Seazarein is not a contract killer, stonefish.”
“Not saying he is, though I think Gray would be pretty great at it if he tried,” Trank said. “That’s a compliment. As it is, we don’t know exactly where Hokuu is, but we think the fire waters in the South Sific are a good place for youse to check.”
“And why do you think that?” asked Barkley.
“Because everyone I send there doesn’t come back,” Trank told them.
Everyone was silent, considering.
“Your meal will arrive shortly. Enjoy yourselves and don’t forget to tell your friends about the Stingeroo Supper Club.” The stonefish swam out one of the openings in the wall to the main area.
“As if that means anything,” Shear commented after Trank left.
Barkley sighed. “Unfortunately, it kind of does.”
Gray nodded. “It looks like we need to go visit Kendra and AuzyAuzy Shiver and speak with this Eyes and Ears shark, Leilani. Something is going on in the fire waters and we need to find out what.”
TYDAL GAZED ACROSS THE FLOATING GREENIE Gardens of Indi, trying to order his troubled thoughts. The gardens were famous as one of the true wonders of the Big Blue. It was a collection of the most beautiful kelp, coral, seaweed, and sea flowers in all the seven seas tended by master dwellers who trimmed and pruned them to perfection. Walls of delicate coral moved back and forth allowing the blooms to be caught by the current and whisked upward to create swimming lanes of dazzling color both above and below.
Besides the skilled shellheads and fins who took care of the gardens, no one but royalty had been allowed to look at this marvel for ages. Finnivus, the former leader of Indi, hadn’t even let other royals see the gardens, preferring to keep them for his own enjoyment. Tydal wanted to open the marvel to everyone, but they were located near his royal quarters and there had been two attempts on his life already so he couldn’t for safety reasons.
His safety.
All this beauty and no one to enjoy it, Tydal thought. Not even me.
At least Finnivus could take pleasure in the fabulous gardens because he didn’t care about anyone but himself. It added to his enjoyment that others wanted to see them and couldn’t. Tydal shook his head, remembering.
Finnivus was the reason for Indi Shiver’s fall. The vain fool had declared war on the entire Big Blue. He didn’t stop until the Indi armada was crushed and he was sent to the Sparkle Blue in the titanic Battle of the Maw in the Atlantis. Tydal didn’t miss or mourn the former emperor. As First Court Fish, he had lived in fear of being sentenced to death every day of his life. No, Tydal was glad Finnivus was gone.
The victorious force in that fight, Riptide United, had been led by Gray. Tydal thought him a bold and cunning leader. It was Gray—now the Seazarein of the entire Big Blue!—who had imposed the sanctions on Indi Shiver after their loss. The Black Wave armada was disbanded, their mariner force made smaller, and five hundred AuzyAuzy sharkkind were left in the Indi homewaters to watch them. This was actually better than Tydal had hoped for. If Finnivus had won the Battle of the Maw, he would have put each and every shark that opposed him on a feeding platter.
That Tydal, a lowly epaulette shark, had been chosen to lead was nothing short of incredible. Finnivus had no children, so after his death the main royal families—Punjaw, Razor Tooth, Charavyuh, Korak, and Taj—each thought they were the best fins to lead Indi Shiver. But they were all equal in power and none would ally with another. They couldn’t agree, so when Gray picked Tydal—probably as a joke—they said yes.
Tydal knew the royals chose him as a placeholder—he’d even heard them use that word—destined for the Sparkle Blue as soon as any of them won the power struggle for control. The royals considered him a mucksucker becau
se epaulette sharks preferred hunting squid and shellheads by the seabed instead of catching fish in the open waters. There was no way any would allow themselves to be led by a mucksucker. But Gray was too smart for them. He had kept the Indi court—including the strongest of the royal sharkkind—in the Atlantis and under guard as “guests” until Tydal could sort things out. What Gray hadn’t counted on was that the royals were getting messages to their relations in the Indi homewaters.
It was those sharkkind who had made the attempts on Tydal’s life. The most recent was by a squaline, one of his own personal guards. It was only the lightning quick reaction of Xander del Hav’aii, the AuzyAuzy commander and a royal himself, that had saved Tydal’s life. Xander had relieved the squaline of their duties, and now Tydal was guarded only by AuzyAuzy sharkkind.
Tydal wondered if that made his chances of survival better or worse. The AuzyAuzy homewaters had been destroyed by Finnivus and Indi mariners. For better or worse, he was an Indi shark. What did any of them care if Tydal lived or died?
Enough moping, he told himself.
Tydal was Indi’s acting leader and there was work to do. Though his selection was approved by the royals because they thought him weak, he still had to rule them. It was the only way that Indi wouldn’t get into another war. The royals had been coddled their entire lives. Most didn’t understand what it was to be told they couldn’t do anything they wanted. Each thought everyone should bow before them, just like Finnivus. They were dreadful! If Tydal allowed one of the royals to take his place, there would be plots and killings and finally civil war.
I cannot allow that, he thought. We have been through too much already.
Tydal swam out from the gardens and into the royal court proper, where Indi’s coral throne sat. The throne was made of gleaming rose coral and polished by sea snails until it shined. When the sun above the chop-chop cast its rays just so, the reflection formed a rainbow that glowed around the throne like a halo.
