Ocean Song Beneath the Waves
Chapter 29: Lost in Thought

Sorry I forgot. I was in Tennessee and just got back Saturday evening. Happy Thanksgiving, and I shall be releasing 4 bonus chapters instead of 2 or 3!

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“Pleasure to make your acquaintance, my name is Aquanetta.” The woman flashes a grin containing naught but sharpened teeth all around.

Pelagios’s body tenses as he sharply says, “You are a Siren of the Deep! I thought you accursed creatures to be sealed deep within the Azarian Trench!”

Aquanetta cackles darkly as her black eyes flash with a murderous light. “Indeed, I was, but my Lord Proteus saw fit to finally release me from my prison.”

“But how?!” Pelagios growls, but quickly shakes his head before continuing, “What is your purpose here?!”

Another chuckle. “My Lord has seen fit to grant me a most important task!” Her eyes finally land on Serena and Rodion, who stand behind Pelagios with tense expressions upon their faces. “He craves the almighty powers of these humans that the Ocean’s Curse has bestowed upon them.”

Pelagios releases an inhuman hiss in warning as Aquanetta regards him with a displeased scowl. Serena grasps onto Rodion’s arm as she glances at the rapidly setting sun.

“You two need to dive into the sea! Mount the hippocampi and hurry back to Aquaria!”

“You think I would allow them to get away so easily?!” Aquanetta quickly rushes in with elongated nails poised to kill and mouth agape in a terrifying display of ferocity. An ear shattering screech rips from Pelagios’s throat as the pupils in his eyes constrict like a cat’s; meeting the attack head on.

Serena and Rodion both cover their ears at that ensuing shrieking and screaming as they look about behind them for any passersby’s that may be looking on.

“QUICKLY!” Pelagios roars out just as he catches on of Aquanetta’s hands whilst the other sweeps across his chest in a diagonal slash. He winces slightly as his shirt is torn and a metallic-looking light blue substance leaks from the slash marks lining his chest.

Rodion quickly grabs his sister’s wrist and makes a beeline for the end of the pier as Aquanetta replaces herself hard-pressed to stop them. Just as the two make contact with the water, tails spontaneously appear in a flurry of sparkling blue mist in the place of their legs. Their clothes fall away leaving them in exactly what they had on before, or in Rodion’s case, shirtless.

However, when they move to approach the hippocampi they immediately take notice of that same light blue substance that had been leaking from Pelagios’s wound. Serena holds in a shriek by covering her mouth as their gazes follow the trail of blood to Serena’s hippocampi laying upon the ocean floor. The poor beast has been maimed and ripped to pieces with a wide-eyed gaze filled with terror from her last moments of life. Not even her spine was left in tack as pieces of it listlessly float about them with pieces of the hippocampi’s ripped flesh attached to them.

Rodion’s grip on her wrist tightens as the remaining two hippocampi emerge from hiding at having felt the disturbance in the water. They quickly rush up to Serena and Rodion in a panic after having verified them as the last to ride them. The hippocampi possessed of green and black scales presses its head into Serena as its dark eyes look into her own with a sense of terror still evident within their depths. She strokes its muzzle in an attempt to calm it, but just as it begins to calm, a splash disturbs the water’s surface and all look up to replace Aquanetta and Pelagios locked in battle still. Though Aquanetta has taken on a most ghastly form that strikes horror in the two as they gaze upon her grotesque form. Pelagios, however, isn’t as bothered by it after having spent years as a battle-hardened warrior. Serena, for the most part, is relieved to replace that his form hasn’t changed too drastically as she’s quite certain she couldn’t handle another grotesque form. The only thing different about Pelagios is his constricted pupils, glowing eyes, and the newly appeared fangs sitting in his mouth that are made visible whenever he screeches.

Although Serena and Rodion feel the fear gripping their insides, it’s nothing compared to the sheer panic the hippocampi have whipped themselves into as they thrash in place, wanting to escape. The only reason they remain is the fact that years of training keeps them from abandoning their riders despite the sheer intensity of their fight or flight instincts.

Rodion snaps out of his frozen state first as he grabs Serena and forces her to mount the green and black hippocampus and grip onto its neck. The hippocampus takes off immediately as Rodion mounts the other and quickly follows after. They beasts move much faster compared to when they were coming, only further indicating how terrified they are as they push their bodies to tear through the ocean just to get away from the danger.

Eventually, the sounds of fighting disappear in the distance and the only sounds to remain are the water rushing through their fin-like ears coupled with the heavy panting of the hippocampi. Nothing is said between the two. Not that Rodion can say much to his sister anyway. Her gaze is turned forward in the direction they’re traveling, but her eyes are unfocused and locked in a perpetual state of just staring at whatever happens to be in her view. It’s a gaze he knows all-too well. Often would she suddenly enter such a state after their mother died. At which point, she would immerse herself in her thoughts trying to work through them while they try to consume her. He often wondered as to what it was that was going through her head and whether or not it was good or bad. In some cases that question answered itself as she would abruptly come back once the thoughts began to overwhelm her. A brief flash of fear would dart through her gaze before she regained her senses and brushed it off as nothing. It which case, her thoughts are always bad.

He doesn’t ask, because it’s pointless. She refuses to answer and so the topic is dropped. Nor does he call out to her in an attempt to bring her back to reality. She won’t respond and he pretty much goes unheard until she snaps back all on her own.

He groans in frustration at his own uselessness. On land there was never any worry of sea monsters and sirens trying to kill them. Sure there are wars, but they never affected them! And if there was someone messing with her, well, she’d get a thorough apology and a promise of peace once he was through with them. Down here...he can’t even protect himself against this madness! All this shouldn’t even be real, and yet here they are in the middle of it all!

He stares out into the endless sea with a renewed sense of loathing. After all, when is it going to be enough? When will it just leave them alone? Yet, these are questions that will just continue to go unanswered. Of that he’s certain.

Upon arriving back at the Aquarian Garnet Palace, the two are quickly accompanied by guards who were concerned as to the reason they returned without their appointed guardian. After a few minutes of trying to coax Serena from her innermost thoughts, it was decided that she’d be taken back to her room instead.

Which is why Aaralyn stands before them now with obvious worry in her hazel gaze.

“Take the Lady Serena back to her room for the time being. We shall accompany her brother to the Prince’s study to report on what has happened,” says one of the guards as Aaralyn nods her head and gently places an arm around Serena to guide her into the palace.

To which Aaralyn replies, “Of course. This way Lady Serena.” Rodion watches after them with a blank expression on his face as that feeling of uselessness comes back to bite at him even harder than before. Meanwhile, Serena replaces herself staring listlessly at the slowly changing scenery before her, but she takes no notice of it. Instead it feels as though she’s in something of a haze whilst she moves as if in a dream with her mind clouded by a myriad of thoughts that persist in monopolizing the entirety of her mind. First it was thoughts of her father as she found herself reverting back to that frightened little girl calling out for her parents within the confines of her mind. A little girl she thought she had locked away a long time ago. Next it was her brothers, followed by a sudden and desperate desire to go back in time to when she knew nothing of any of this. A time when her family was still together and happy. Finally, it all comes back around full circle to her beloved mother. Again her child-like voice echoes in her head in a desperate attempt to call for her mother and in her mind’s eye she can picture that little girl. She’s sitting with her knees brought to her chest in a vice grip with blue eyes desperately searching the darkness with tears running down her reddened cheeks.

The sobs of that child echo in her mind and consumes her thoughts as an intense pain clutches at her chest. A pain that has her subconsciously grabbing hold of herself where her heart beats just beneath the surface. She doesn’t even register Aaralyn’s worried voice calling out to her as she replaces her breath stolen away and a sudden desperation that drives her to rid herself of the pain just so she can breathe.

But all at once, it stops. As it always does. Her senses begin to work again and the first thing she’s met with is Aaralyn’s terrified expression which quickly morphs to one of relief.

“My Lady are you alright?! I feared something horribly wrong!” She says in relief as she releases a tired sigh. She gently helps Serena stand upright as she hadn’t been aware that she had doubled over clutching at her chest.

Serena rushes to regain full control of herself and her composure as she says, “Yes, I’m fine. It is nothing to worry about.” Even she’s surprised at how convincing she sounds! She is still thoroughly rattled and fighting desperately with her body to regain control, but she doesn’t need anyone else knowing that.

However, Aaralyn still seems a bit unsure as worry resumes its place on her face. “Are you sure? I could call for the doctor and-”

“I am fine Aaralyn! I was just dizzy is all. I assure you it is nothing that requires such great concern, but thank you anyway,” she abruptly says with a kind smile. Aaralyn isn’t too convinced, but nevertheless she nods her head and resumes her task of returning Serena to her room.

All the while, Serena returns to her thoughts, just not as deeply as she had been moments before. Rarely does she ever react in such a way in front of people. Usually when this sort of thing happens, it is within her own solitude where no one else may see her when everything abruptly begins to crumble and shatter within her. The fact that it is doing so now only adds to her concern as she vaguely takes notice of Aaralyn opening the door to her bedroom and gently pulling her inside.

Once inside, she’s immediately ushered over to her bed where Aaralyn insists that she turn in early for the night, but immediately Serena’s thoughts turn to Pelagios upon remembering all that had happened before she locked herself away in what should’ve been the safety of her mind.

“Has Pelagios returned yet?”

Aaralyn falls silent for a moment as an uncertain expression crosses her face. Then she shakes her head and mutters quietly, “I am afraid not. He remains to be seen within the boundaries of Aquaria.”

“Oh...I see,” Serena mutters quietly as a brief vision of a battling Pelagios and Aquanetta flit through her mind.

“Do you desire anything to eat or drink at all, my Lady?” Serena shakes her head in reply as she settles beneath the covers. Aaralyn nods and bows before turning to leave. “I bid you sleep then. The day has been long and you have been through much.” With that said, Aaralyn bids her goodnight and leaves through the doors just as the lights within the room fade until the room is dark with the only light coming from the dimly lit floating pink orbs that appeared about the room.

Only then does exhaustion finally descend upon her and not too long after, sleep follows. Dreamless and void, as if to spare her any more visions and provide her with one night of fitful rest...