{ Hi everyone c: my name is Katie and I am new to Fanfiction. This is my first story on this site and I myself am a big fan of the Shark Wars series. I feel like this book should be more widespread so that's the reason why I wrote this. Feel free to review! }
- Chapter 1 -
The storm was getting harsher as were the currents that came constantly rolling into the homewaters of Riptide United. Lumos glowed in the near darkness of the big blue and it felt as if the surface of the waters foreshadowed the night sky.
The atmosphere was not providing reassurance to Gray who was even more worried than before as he was waiting anticipated for his best friend Barkley to return to the entrance of Fathomir.
The dogfish had been missing for hours now and he had said that he would be back before noon and Gray had even sent a patrol scout to search for him but no traces of him were found. Even Striiker who was the commander of the Riptide armada had teamed up his own search but to no prevail.
But it wasn't as if the dogfish would leave any traces of him behind anyway, being the sneaky dweller he was. And as a tribute, he was indeed the leader of a special group of armed forces known as the Ghostfins - trained to go into an enemy's hideout without being seen and perform missions only best suited for them. And it wasn't like Barkley to just leave without telling anyone.
Gray picked up movement with his senses between the other side of the orange, red and brown magnificent field of greenie. Patches and rows of all different kinds of kelp and coral also grew around that region but it clear enough as the water seemed dim and murky.
There was subtle rustling beneath the undersea garden.
The megalodon Seazarein drifted closer to get a better look.
Out popped a long serrated snout, chock-blocked with rows of deadly spikes which were in fact his transverse teeth. It was Snork! The sawfish hurried over to im, revealing himself, but before he could say anything, Gray cut him off.
"Snork! Have you seen Barkley? Or at least have you heard anything about him since the past moon or so?"
The sawfish's eyes widened, "Umm, that's exactly what I was going to ask you, Gray. And no I haven't seen Barkley since yesterday evening." He drooped his fins a little as Barkley was like a battle brother to him as well as a best friend so it was obvious that the sawfish was just as concerned of his disappearance.
"It's alright, I'm sure he'll turn up sooner or later. I think you should go back to Fathomir because I don't want anyone else missing with that muck-sucking storm out there. I have to have another scan of the area, though." He sighed, always putting forth the safety of his shiver mates before anything else.
"But Gray, Striiker's out there and he told everyone to clear off so I think we should both go home and wait." Snork explained, slightly shivering from the cold.
Gray shook his bulk to the side.
"No, that's not an option. I'm not gonna go home and wait when my best friend is out there in this weather. What if he's trapped in the maw or taken hostage by some creature or captured and forced to-" He was cut off as the sawfish slashed his serrated bill to the side.
"Captured by whom, Gray? Hokuu and his team of freaks are dead now and dwellers like us can finally live in peace and not have to worry about danger." Snork assured him.
"I know, but look, I can't just not be concerned about him." He said anxiously, hitting his tail against the bulk of a boulder and holding a look of doubt on his face.
"Barkley will be fine. You'll see, it's not like him to disappear without telling us." The sawfish rationalised and anyone could count on Snork for reassurance at times like this.
"Alright, we'll go," Gray sighed in defeat, looking away, "But can you give me a moment? I wanna do another quick search around here before we leave." Gray asked, flicking his tail to the side.
"Sure!" Snork smiled, "I'll just be on my way, then."
Gray whirled and proceeded to swim down the field of greenie, the only visible light now being the lumos reflecting off the water's surface. Good thing his peripheral vision was failing him no longer. The truth was that he wasn't going out to scan the area but to set out beyond to the border of the territory. He kind of had to lie to the simple minded sawfish in order to venture out. Barkley couldn't have roamed past that border line….would he?
Gray tried to force these thoughts off his mind but still had that gut wrenching feeling evident in him as he churned through the water, picking up pace.