The ocean floor never lost its light. The moment the sun would go down, the corals would light up. If the floor didn’t have adequate light from the sun, the corals would still light up. However, when the sun was in the middle of the sky, or rather the ocean ceiling (which was pretty high) the corals would sleep, and so would most of the oceanic flora, at least around here.

Still, I saw plenty of fish swimming around. I didn’t see many Fishpeople though, waiting for which we stayed here for so long anyway.

“Follow me,” she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me.

I could barely move, so I didn’t see why she would need to tell me that. Regardless, we kept a low profile and swum in the lower regions of the city. For some reason, the few soldiers who were out on patrol, mostly kept their visions plastered above or at the horizon. I suppose they were looking out for invasions or something.

“Zo this ozer day I waz going ot and-”

Two fishmen… they were walking on the coral. Just seeing us, one of them had a wild grin. I suppose I could see where this was going.

“Let sem be,” the other one said. Voice a little high. A woman?

They all look the same, huh?

“Alzight. But-” they proceeded to kiss each other.

I did not understand whether I should have been disgusted seeing two predators kiss awkwardly trying not to impale each other with their tusks or enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime view because I’d probably never see it again.

Well, the mermaid made the decision for me by pulling me away and we quickly made it out of the city maze, swum past the mid-city and their mid-life problems, and finally reached the somewhat suburban area where I didn’t see anyone with an ounce of hope in their eyes. We got out of that place so fast, I was still somewhat dazed.

This was also the time I felt someone was watching me. I kept looking back but saw absolutely no one.

There were dead-eyed Fishpeople here though. Some were even walking around despite it technically being something like midnight for them. This was the slums, I suppose.

“How likely would they come for us?” I said.

“Very,” she said. “They want me captured. You’re just reassurance.”

“Huh. Reassurance for what?”

“I lied to them about you. I’ll explain later.”

Because we didn’t have time to stop.

Despite traveling so far, I didn’t feel any fatigue. Well, I suppose that was because I wasn’t really doing the swimming part, she was.

“How come there are no stores or any shops, or even-”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“You talk too much,” she panted, stopping.

The moment we stopped I noticed a sudden shift in the atmosphere. The people who were so dead of hope even moments ago, were now looking at us with renewed lust. No, not lust for sex. It was of the other kind. Hunger.

They drew closer, and closer; mouths foaming, eyes crazy.

They were just over us!

“If you can’t have the fish around you, but you could only have one type of meat…” I mumbled, grabbed the mermaid, and willed almost all my mana into a literal vortex of water, forming a torrent of my own and launching us into the south horizon- our destination.

“Idiot!” She cursed under her breath. “Now they’ll see us!” She whined. “All those morons would have done is lick us for dead skin.”

“Yeah, I’d rather not have… that,” I could feel my system shutting down. Feeling faint, almost fainting. But not yet. “I think I can fire that one more time but I’ll be out for some time.”

“Then on my count,” she said.

I could have sworn I saw a lot of guards swimming for us. Even if I launched another one, we wouldn’t outrun them.

Yet- just in front, I could see a reflection? Was the water changing at the city border?

“Now!” She yelled.

And I released the spell. Water gushed into us, forcing us forward.

Splash!

We crashed into the reflection, went past it; the water pressed on me hard, and for the lack of a better word, I felt like was under water… seriously, what the fuck was going on?

Darkness.

***

I kept having the same ass dream. Being chased by fish, eaten alive, being fishpoo, or rather fish pee, since I never saw any solid stuff and all that.

I woke up.

Exhausted.

The world was moving… being carried.

Something pressed down on me, or rather was pressing me. Constantly. Water pressure. It wasn’t unbearable but it was definitely noticeable. The ocean looked much darker, much scarier. I didn’t see many fish, and I didn’t see any glowing coral either. Just lonely cold waters and darkness.

“Where,” I paused. It was really hard to talk. And the moment I opened my mouth, I almost drank a lot of water. Okay, must be conscious not to breathe through my nose or mouth….

She didn’t talk and just pointed. We were supposed to head to the pointed direction.

Which we did.

The ‘we’ involved another person. Namely, one of the Fishpeople who apparently made it past that reflective barrier with us. How come we weren’t running from him or he not impaling us, was a bit confusing but oh well.

For now, we, or rather they, swum fast with me in toe and tried to go somewhere. On one side, the mermaid was pulling, on another, the fishman. Ordinarily we might have even looked like family! Yeah, not really.

Breathing was awkward. I almost breathed through my nose on several occasions, and coughed up water. The water around me was heavy, stung my eyes, and frankly was really making me miserable with just how cold it was. If I wasn’t dying before, I was certainly dying now that was for sure. But sea water was supposed to be like this. So what the hell was that city about?

Yet, the two fish never stopped. They swum, and they swum and slam! Slammed into something.

The pressure lifted.

“Woah!” I breathed… yeah, I could actually breathe properly. All water I was consuming, would just pass out from my gill and it wasn’t as cold; also, not as heavy. We were still at the bottom of the ocean yet the pressure eased up. “What is this?”

“Safe zone,” the fishman said. And wait, wasn’t he also the one who caught me?

Lots of scars on the forehead, kind of big with thin lips and a rather jawed face; yup, definitely the one who caught me.

“Here to bring us back?” I said, ready to fight him if necessary.

“No,” he said. “I’m merely using you to infiltrate Dkionbra.”

“Why?”

“I want an audience with the empress.”

“Rather, honest, aren’t you?” I spoke, mostly as a joke.

“Indeed. I pride myself in my honor.”

They both kinda mean the same thing though. “You think we’d let you?”

“It is the trade I met with the girl in exchange for the lives of you two; we, Hermon do not go back on our word.”

“You sure?” I asked the mermaid.

She shook her head. “Our chances of reaching Dkionbra increase with him,” she said. “Besides, he is no threat to the empress.”

“If you say so.” I sighed. “So, that giant city was also a safe zone or something?”

“Yes.”