45. Watered Down Good Guys
Watered Down Good Guys
JP
It’s funny how Lynx asked if I was Neptune, the Roman God of the Sea, when it’s believed that Felix, the guy the myth was really about, was a Nix that overstayed his time on Earth.
He enjoyed his time playing God and hid away in the ocean until his death, they say.
For all we know, he’s still there. It’s another tale we will never know, but it’s a great story to pass on at least.
It takes everyone a few minutes to learn how to move in their bodies, me included.
Although having been in this form before, I’m finding it easier to accept my new embodiment.
I already know what I look like and how my body reacts around water, and I already feel comfortable in my form.
Now, I can’t say that’s what happened the first time I shifted.
Nope, I was balls deep in my woman for the first time, making her come.
‘What are you thinking of that’s making the tips of your ears turn pink?’ Zeke asks, bumping into my shoulder. He winces at the black sticky substance he leaves behind. ‘Shit, sorry about that. Still trying to figure this stuff out.’ He dips his head so his mane hides his eyes.
‘Hey, it’s okay,’ I tell him, reaching for his head and pulling it back up.
‘See?’ I wipe the tar easily off of me and send it floating to the ocean floor before smiling.
‘And you caught me thinking of the first time I was in this form.’ I chuckle at myself.
‘It was Rez and my first time together, and I shifted. Talk about a surprise.’
‘Yep, he was a sexy smurf,’ Rez reiterates as she swims past and somehow slams into a coral reef.
‘Damn it. Where’re the brakes on this thing?’ she whines, trying to untangle her hair from a polyp skeleton.
‘Here, let me help,’ Ryker offers as he sails past me and to where his tentacles make short work of untangling her hair.
‘Thanks. I’m still trying to learn how to use this tail,’ she admits bashfully.
‘At least you’re getting some distance,’ Knots grumbles. I turn around and find the double trouble eels wiggling like a sidewinder snake as Lynx hums an annoying tune that you couldn’t go to a nineties party without hearing it blasting from the speakers.
‘I’m electric. Wiggle wiggle, wiggle,’ Lynx belts out, shaking his body so hard that it gives Knots whiplash.
‘No, we’re not,’ he snaps, but it doesn’t affect Lynx at all as he continues to sing.
‘Ohh, we’re shocking!’
‘I love this song,’ Moni chimes in. ‘Your electric!’ she sings and wiggles her little seahorse body to Lynx’s tune.
‘But you know I’m here, near, lear, and ready to spear.’ Lynx tries to do a thrusting motion, but all he does is whip Knots back and forth again, and I swear, the green around Knots’ head turns a sickly yellow.
‘We’ve got a mission,
We have a Gauntlet to solve,
We got to move, groove, prove,
From this realm that we just can’t hide.’
Lynx is on a roll.
‘We’re electric. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.’ Moni sings as she twirls in a circle.
My jaw drops as I watch Lynx and Moni put on an impromptu performance in the middle of the fucking Gauntlet of all places.
A multi-colored sea horse and a not-so-electric eel, looking like they’re having spasms in the middle of the ocean.
The only “music” that’s playing is the shit Lynx is singing and Moni’s off-tune chorus.
Fates help me. We need to get this group going, or they’ll be the death of me.
‘She sure got the boo-tay,’ Lynx sings.
‘Your electric.’ Moni bobs along with her own beat.
Rez swims up and waves her hands like a crazed person, but it grabs everyone’s attention.
‘Okay, that’s it. Come with me,’ she says, reaching for Knots and Lynx. She grabs the eels and quickly wraps them around her neck like a scarf, so they face forward from the front of her body. ‘Is this okay? Will this work?’
Without waiting for a reply, she turns to me and motions for me to go.
‘Lead the way.’ She smiles.
‘Yes, ma’am.’ I give her a salute and smile as Ryker grabs one of her hands.
With Knots, Lynx, and Rez getting help swimming, we’re able to move a bit faster through the water.
I don’t know why I didn’t suggest it in the first place.
Honestly, I think I’ve been overwhelmed with all of the signatures I’m picking up down here.
As a water creature down here, we are all capable of sensing the water currents, where we are in the water, who’s around us, and who’s friend and foe.
As a Nix, my senses are stronger; I can pick up more souls at further distances, and not only am I able to control water, but I’m able to read it, and the powers that are within it.
For example, I can close my eyes and see where my family is in the water.
Their power signatures show up for me, and it kinda reminds me of a dolphin, and their echolocation, except I get much more information than someone’s location.
That’s how I know which way to go, at least I hope we are going the right way.
Diving deeper to skim the bottom of the ocean floor, the temperature drops a few degrees as a current sweeps in front of me. It’s gorgeous down here, I have to admit. One would think the ocean is a vast wasteland of open water as far as one can see, but it’s far from that.
The ocean is filled with life and sea creatures to the brink of exploding out of the sea. I’m surprised we didn’t hit any of them when we fell from the portal. Different power levels are spread throughout the ocean, as well as across the reefs, landmasses, and underground volcanoes.
It’s a sight to see, and I’m momentarily fascinated by all of it. Would I like to spend time here, exploring this side of my life? I am part Nix after all. I am a sea creature. We dip further, and it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust as we lose some of the sun reflecting off the coral reef.
What I’m following is a power signature for Delvin, and since he’s the one who placed the portal, I figure he’s the best one to follow. We come to a massive landmass, and I can only guess that above us is an island, so I call for a small break.
‘How’s everyone doing?’ I ask, turning around to check on everyone again.
The first thing I notice is our sharks running off to chase the fish.
‘You good, Knox?’ It’s not normal to have him lose control or let his animals get the control of him, so I can’t help but feel a little nervous about him running off.
‘Yeah. Reaper is hungry, so I’m going to help him get some food,’ he explains, and relief hits me.
I watch as the rest of the group huddles up around Rez. It’s almost comical how we all migrate towards her, like we’re trailing behind her. No matter where she goes, we follow.
Nah, it’s not comical, she’s our sun.
The air that we breathe to survive. Our only reason to live on most days, it seems.
‘We’re good,’ Rez says, but cocks her head, looking at me.
‘We are, aren’t we?’ she asks, pointing out the land mass behind me and the rock formations that split off in two different directions.
This ocean floor has almost turned into a maze with all the twists and turns I’ve found down here; it’s been a different beast altogether.
Can’t pull the wool over her eyes. Not like anything would get past this group. I take a few minutes to explain how I can track Delvin’s power signature, but since this land mass is here, it’s gone cold.
‘I can tell it carries on through to the other side, but which way to go? No clue. We have options, and I don’t feel comfortable making that call on my own.
We can either go right or left and go around and stay in these forms or somehow change back and go through the land above,’ I offer, but hesitate slightly before continuing.
‘There is something I must confess. It seems from what I can pick up, we might be at the base of King Desmond’s castle. ’
‘What?’ Rez shrieks, the color draining from her face. Ryker wraps his tentacles around her, trying to calm her down.
Looking over the group, everyone seems to be contemplating the options except Moni and Chester, who seem to be dealing with their own drama. Chester’s trying to calm down a dark gray-and-periwinkle-colored sea horse.
‘What’s wrong?’ I ask, bending down to Moni.
‘She hasn’t had any coffee since we’ve been down here,’ Chester admits, and suddenly I realize we have a bigger problem than finding Delvin’s signature.
‘Shit! Can one of you reach your S.I.N. box?’
Chester nods immediately, and he bends just enough that his fin disappears, and I can reach in with him to root around to find a cup and straw.
I hope this works. Putting my finger over the hole, I pull out the small cup.
As soon as Moni sees her lifeline, she torpedoes over and physically sticks her snout inside the straw, taking in long draws of coffee.
It doesn’t take long to fill her up, and she whines when I put it back.
‘Sorry, it’s gonna have to hold you over until we get out of here, okay?’
Turning, I address the rest of the group. ‘So, what are we thinking?’
‘I think we all agree that the decision is up to you, JP,’ Levi answers, his long, silent form easily floating in the current.
‘How do you figure?’ I am so lost, I’m not a leader.
‘You’re gonna have to get used to calling the shots, babe,’ Zeke points out, having heard me. ‘You are the prince of Hell. Besides, you’re the one who can pick up power signatures. Which way has the best option to pass on?’
I bend down and kiss him on his snout, not at all worried about his tar. ‘Thanks, Mon amoureux.’ I turn to the others. ‘Well, there’s no guarantee that there will be more of the Essence of the Dew on land, so I think we should stay in this form for now,’ I reason.
‘I concur,’ Levi speaks up.
‘Ditto.’ Zeke nods along.
‘Yeah, don’t want to take that chance,’ Ryker agrees.
‘You think? Are you sure it doesn’t have anything to do with the deadly king or the princess that hates Rez and wants the princes for her own?’ Lynx points out.
I swallow down my discomfort and continue on, trying to block out what Lynx hit on the head.
‘So, that just leaves going around the sides. Since both sides seem to be equal in population, the best way to diffuse the situation is to pick the side with the least power signatures.’ I talk myself through everything as I face the massive rock and try to glance through it.
Looking for the power signatures of the creatures on both sides, only one side seems significantly lower than the other.
‘And if we’re looking for less power, I would say the left is the way to go, as of right now,’ I confidently call it.
‘Okay, then let’s go, and will you stop singing already?’ Knots snaps at Lynx. ‘If I weren’t attached to you, I would have strangled you when you started.’
Lynx just sticks out his tongue as Rez laughs and pats both their heads since they are still wrapped around her neck.
‘We’re ready, Knox. You ready to go?’ I ask as we start to move.
‘We’re good, we’ll catch up,’ he responds. I don’t like the fact we’re not all together, but it’s Knox; if anyone is safe on his own, it’s him. We head out and hug the landmass, swimming slowly as we go.
We spot a few dolphins, a squid, a swordfish, and a male harpy further out, and I can only guess they might be other students heading towards the same portal.
It’s confirmed once we get close to an underwater cave with at least ten other power signatures in it, where I hear a commotion and call the group to stop.
They definitely weren’t there before. Is there an opening to the castle above this cave?
I motion for everyone to drop lower along the ground so we blend in, and hopefully, if need be, we can crawl past, but a voice stops me first.
‘Go take out that group of students,’ a familiar voice says.
‘Yes, ma’am.’
Within seconds, a group of harpies in golden armor rushes out and engages the students in combat.
‘Is it really fair to have your minions take out the competition, Sera?’ a smoky voice asks.
Being made of water, I easily peek around the edge, unnoticed, and see the midnight twins along with Serafin.
The cave is as big as our kitchen and living room together, but what’s surprising is the air pocket, which allows the midnight twins to sit comfortably on land without needing to change forms.
‘Of course it is, Myka. It’s part of the perks of being the princess.’ Serafin cackles. ‘Let’s have brunch while they make a path for us to the portal.’
‘Sweet, I'm starving,’ Miska cheers, climbing up behind Serfin out of the grotto.
Apparently, they are taking the land approach, but that’s fine with me; it allows us to take the path her minions pave before they have the chance to.
‘Are you guys thinking what I am?’ I ask everyone to make sure they are okay with taking this route.
It wouldn’t be right to leave the students defending themselves against Serafin’s royal guard.
It’s one thing to fight other students, but for royalty to cheat like this? It doesn’t sit right with me.
I pretty much know what my family will say; they are just like me. We have morals even though sometimes we wish we didn’t.
‘Ugh. We have to be the good guys here, don’t we,’ Moni whines.
‘I’m afraid so, little sis,’ Knox says, finally swimming up with us with an over ecstatic thresher shark next to him.
Reaper’s tail whips back and forth, allowing a small vortex to form behind him, and I swear he’s a menace no matter what form he’s in. I love it.
‘We might as well see what our water version of good-guys forms can do, right?’ Rez smiles as she gives us two thumbs up while Lynx whispers, ‘We’re electric.’
‘We’re fucked,’ Knots groans.
I have to agree.