Tide breathed in the sweet salt water through the gills of his neck as he hid inside a nearby underwater cave. His shark fins resting over the seabed. He was so sure that the lazy Trench Guards wouldn’t keep up, and while they didn’t, the Guaninan quatrain police force searched the area on car-sized airships, several dove into the water, their finfolk attributes emerging once the salt water touched them. Accompanying them where their Guaninan akhluts; half canine, half dolphin.

Tide cursed under his breath and started rubbing himself with stingy algae that grew deep inside the cave to mask his scent. It worked and the akhluts returned to their partners empty pawed. Tide waited for a few more minutes before checking to see if they were gone.

He swam back into the cave and pushed back the stinky piled of algae from a large bag he dug deep into a hole. He yanked the bag out and opened it. The cave lit up from the light of the sunstones, causing part of the water to ripple from the heat.

“All accounted for.” Tide tied the bag up again, noticing the now dried blood of his nails.

‘How did he know?’ Tide wondered. The red-haired seraphin was half oread, that much he deciphered, but how talented was he to pick up on the tiny specks of mineral dust between his fingernails. Did he have some bloodhound somewhere in his family tree?

Whatever. The important thing was that he had done the job and didn’t get caught. On top of that, he took the liberty of snatching that firebird necklace from the guy’s sister. Could be worth a few coppers for later.

Tide swam along towards his long journey. Luckily, a friend waited from him just beyond the boarder of the edge of the Andromeda Sea. A large shadow circled Tide and large tentacles wrapped around him, pulling him close until he was faced to face with the large, bulging eyes of the great beast of the depths that Guaninans told stories about.

The kraken.

“Hey there, Beautiful. Didn’t wait too long for me, did you?”

The kraken hummed like a happy whale during matting season and rubbed Tide against its large, scaly squid head. Tide hugged her back.

“Aww. I missed you too, Karie. Now, hows about that ride to Jaws Hill?”

The kraken sang happily and Tide grabbed onto her side as she torpedoed through the ocean. It was near nightfall when they arrived at the undersea mountain range famously known as Jaws Hill. The name was well earned. When thunder struck at just the right moment, the mountains casted the shadow of a megalodon’s jaws. Even fish passing by were terrified of the sight. Tide was too when he was but a tadpole.

Karie hummed worriedly and Tide patted her tentacle. “It’s alright, girl. I won’t be long. I promise.” Tide yelped when Karie wrapped her suction-cup tentacles around him again, hugging tight.

Tide wiggled free and swam towards the dark hills. Thank The Phoenix there wasn’t a thunderstorm tonight, but even without the flashing lights and distorted shadows, the collection of stalagmite rocks didn’t come across as any less scary.

Tide noticed something glowing against his waist. He shifted his lower half to reveal his short pockets and pulled out the firebird feather. Even underwater, the feather of one of the most elusive winged beasts in the world lit up the dark undersea belly as well as any sunstone.

Of all the places to meet, why here? Jaws Hills was off limits for a reason, and it had next to nothing to do with the shadows. It had everything to do with the fact that this place used to be a windigo hunting ground. It wasn’t until a couple generations ago when the Seelies managed to kill off what was left of the creatures. The skeletal remains of the large beasts foyer remains molded into the sea rocks. The shadows of their empty eye sockets visible when luminescent jellyfish swam in and out.

The further Tide swam, his pupils enlarged like those of a shark on the hunt. He stopped when he sensed something swimming from behind him. Tide held up the firebird feather, searching the perimeter until a large, meaty hand clasped his mouth and grabbed his arm, twisting it behind him. The feather was trapped under Tide’s enclosed hand, darkening the area once more.

“Ahoy, Matey. Glad you could make it. Cap is waiting for you.” The big guy dragged Tide inside a nearby cave, tossing him inside. Tide quickly hid the feather back into his pocket and covered it with his lower fish half again.

The cave was lit by a fire peal, bubbling the waters beneath the carcass of a hammerhead shark being cooked rotisserie style. Tide tried not to vomit from the smell of meat. He sat upright when the large undine that brought him swam up from behind. He was built like a boulder with muscles that could crush stone, which he technically could because he was also half oread. Next to him was a female cecaelia with a number of piercings on her tentacles, and a half gorgon-siyokoy, snapping his headlocks at Tide.

“Way to make a fish feel welcome, Mates.” Tide said, “Urchin! Is it just me or have you gotten bigger since last time? Venus, love the new tentacles piercings. They really bring out the gleam in your scowl. Veins, you using a new shampoo? Your locks look extra… snappy.”

“Cut the flattery, Kanaloa!” Veins snapped, his dreadlocks wrapping around Tide’s neck. “Where’s the loot you promised us?”

“Could you repeat that, Mate?” Tide chocked at the lock pressing harder against his neck, “It’s a tad difficult to think with little oxygen coming through.”

“Let him go, Veins.”

Tide’s vision was blurred even after Veins released his grip. He coughed, inhaling the sweet salt water into his lungs for air through his gills, mouth and nostrils. Once his vision cleared he saw the one person he really wasn’t looking forward to seeing again.

Like Urchin, he was an undine, but unlike the former, he was shorter but no less well built. His body was that of a model, capable of making even the most strong-willed of women fall on her knees. He was taller than Tide, with fair skin and dark hair that floated above his forehead, strong and perfect cheekbones and piercing sea-green eyes. He wore an open button shirt around his shoulders like a flowing cape, knee long ripped jeans and was barefooted. He reached for one of the cooked shark’s fin and tor it off, taking a bite.

“Where are my manners?” He offered the half eaten fin at Tide. The boy recoiled.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Ever so generous, Captain Kai. But, I’m afraid I already hade some whale on the way over.”

Kai tossed the shark fin over his shoulder and Urchin grabbed it, sinking his teeth into the flesh and tearing it off with vigor. The captain secured a light-crystal lantern on a hook-shaped rock, revealing the skeletal remains of the long dead sea-wendigos. Their dislocated jaws punctured through the walls, molded into the stone. The hand of the creature was where Kai hung the lantern, creating the nastiest looking chandelier Tide had ever seen.

Tide dropped his revulsion and proceeded to utilize his smooth-tounge. “Shame we couldn’t all get together at our old hideout.”

“No thanks to you!” Urchin said with his mouth full of shark meat, while waving the half eaten fin at Tide.

“Now, now, we didn’t invite our old comrade here to berate him over past mistakes.” Kai said calmly, pushing Urchin’s meaty hand away from the young lad.

“He left us to dry!” Venus hissed.

Tide raised his hands, “Look, I upheld my end of the bargain. I gave you the means to break into the Seven Seas Vault. We split the winnings and then we part ways as unlikely friends. How was I to know you’d be too slow to outswim the police?”

“You swam off with most of our loot!” Veins’s dreadlocks arched upwards like hungry snakes ready to snack on Tide’s limbs.

“No, that one was on Urchin. You know math’s not his strong suit.” Tide nodded at Urchin.

“That’s what I’ve been saying!” Urchin said, spitting shark meat into Venus’s face. She slapped him and he swam a few feet away, rubbing his now bright red face.

“Once the fez caught up to us we lost everything!” Veins hissed. “We rotted away in jail for months until Cap got us out.”

“Months?” Tide chocked on a laugh, “And you’re mad at me? Sounds like he took his sweet time.”

“Enough!” Kai yanked Veins away from Tide. His slick bangs floating. “I don’t blame you for what you did, Tide my boy. It’s a fish eat fish world, after all. You know that better than anyfaerie. But, even so, we sea pirates still live by a code. You did leave us out to dry, so naturally, you would need to recommence.”

“Let’s just cut the crab and get on with it.” Tide pushed the bag towards Kai with his tail. “Here’s the shinny rocks you wanted so badly.” He gave it a good kick and the sunstones pilled out. The pirates drooled over them like starving dogfish.

“Folks in the underbelly will pay big money for these stones. We’ll be dinning like royalty for months.” Veins flipped about like a happy dolphin.

Tide fought back the urge to roll his eyes. ‘Sure, live like a stuffy royal who only cares about their wealth and power. Dream come true.’

“Make out with the rocks on your own time. Where’s what you promised me?” Tide demanded.

Kai tucked a couple of stones into his pockets. “Well, you see… in the off chance you pulled a fast one on us again, we… took some precautions.”

Tide’s cockiness was wavering. He clenched his jaw and his pupils enlarged again. “What precaution are you talking about?”

“Don’t worry, your little trinket’s in good hands.” Kai played another of the sunstones by tossing up around like a ball. “Dropped at a cargo ship leaving the Andromeda Harbor by the plaza. Can’t say I remember which one. Oh well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Or not. Comrades…”

Kai snapped his fingers and Urchin, Venus and Veins to ganged up on Tide, blocking the exit.

Before a fight could break out, the cave started to quiver. Debris fell upon them with the Captain reeling back against the wall when a pair of tentacles started smacking everyone away. Tide cleverly floated to the top of the cave, half shrieking over being too close to a dead wendigo for his comfort. He swam out at top speed, bypassing the sea pirates, and out the cave where Karie was waiting.

“Not a moment too soon, Love!” Tide latched onto the side of the kraken and it swam off with the speed of a torpedo.

The pirates swam out of the cave before it collapsed. Kai searched his pockets to make sure the sunstones were still there. They were, but the large bag was gone

“KANALOA!!!”

His banshee scream causing more of a rockslide that the pirates barely got away. Not only had they lost their hideout, they lost their loot and the boy.

* * *

The Andromeda Plaza was an open tourist attraction for anyone swimming to and from all corners of Agartha’s oceans. Buildings were carved right into the rocks, painted with pink, purple, blue, green, and white colors that blended in with the colorful coral. Bioluminescent algae and undersea crystals lit up the spiraling lampposts, with jellyfish-like lids and neon light tentacles moving back and forth with the current.

While the crystals found on the surface were often jagged and sharp with triangular or octagon edges, underwater crystals were smooth in texture due to the salt water, making them resemble more of seaglassthan anything one would find on dry land.

Merfolk, undines, selkies, nagas, merrow, and vodnicks swam in and out of the local shops and restaurants, while others sat along the coral-shaped benches talking or texting with friends on their geodes.

Touring families arrived in fish-shaped vehicles, each one carved in the form of sharks, dolphins, or, in the case of a tour bus, a whale. Along the polished sea-stone pathways merfolk swam along with their pets: dolphins, manta rays, sea turtles, blowfish, octopi, barracudas, and even tiny seahorses. Others came riding in on the backs of their hippocampi, sporting cowboy hats decorated with seaweed and shells.

Tide’s gills flared, taking in the sweet aroma of steamed tortillas heated by fire peals and chopped starfish fruit being rolled into seaweed wraps. He grimaced at the sight of shrimp and shark kabobs.

Too soon.

He arrived at a sunken ship-like structure that looked as though it had been molded onto the side of the undersea rock with barnacles and coral sprouting from the cracked edges. The ship itself, once black as an abyss, had been painted over with bright colors to make those of the ever changing bioluminescent algae that furnished the entire plaza.

A large neon sign above read Dutchman’s Cafe. The name came from the words originally edged on the side of the ship, long since faded. Most faeries didn’t buy into the fanciful tales the structure held, but it made for good tourists bait.

Tide swam inside and was greeted by the bombastic sound of rhythmic drums and acoustic guitars. He spotted the cecaelia barista magically moving all kinds of colorful liquids above his head like ribbons. He blended the colors together to create new flavors, while his tentacles chopped up ocean fruits and tossed the tiny pieces up to be caught by the colorful moving water.

Once he parted the salt water from the flavorful drinks he had them spun around his fingers before sending them into four bubble-like cups with colorful straws poking out. The cups had a similar function to a child’s sippy-cups; keeping the liquids inside so thatthe fruity beverage wouldn’t float away and become tarnished by the salt water again.

“Well, well, look what the catfish dragged in.” The barista said once he spotted Tide. He wiped a few empty cups while his tentacles gathered more ingredients for the next order. “Should I be keeping an eye out for any new patrons with badges?”

“Not this time, Otto. I’m here on business.”

Otto laughed, “Serious business or funny business?”

Tide raised his eyes at the bartender, and Otto pulled back. “Serious business it is.”

“Your business gets in a lot of foreign goods transported from the Andromeda Harbor. Heard of any recent departures?”

“What’s it to you? Loose somethin’?”

“You could say that.”

Otto sighed before leaning in close, his eyes searching the establishment to make sure no one was listening. “Look, all I know is that the recent ships to leave were headin’ for Avalon. No doubt for the Pascal Festival.”

“How many ships?”

“As far as I know, only a couple. They left about three hours ago. That’s all I know.”

“Thanks, Otto.”

Otto nodded and went back to taking orders. Tide swam away from the plaza and returned to his kraken friend just out of range from any passing finfolk. He shared the last of is nachos with her and she hummed graciously.

“I hope you like road trips, girl. We’re making a pit stop to Camelot.”