Chapter 1
~June 14 1999~
Katsuo looked out from his post at the northern corner of the Kingdom. He was sat on a boulder on the seabed that marked the Bermuda access point, his spear in the crook of his elbow. Although he didn't talk about it much, and his parents had been outrageously proud of their son, being chosen by the Chief himself to guard above the cavern's, a job which was becoming steadily more dangerous. The Dark one known as Gaito was sending Water Demons in an attempt to breach their borders, the reason as to why was only theorised among their people. They knew that the other nine nations were being attacked as well, although the attacks on the seven Mermaid Kingdoms were more frequent and purposeful.
It was fortunate, their people were far more experienced at defending their boarders. They were very secretive people, very few outsiders genuinely knew that they actually existed, otherwise they were just folklore and myth among the other nations. Not even the North Atlantic Kingdom (whom they were closest to) knew that they were there, and part of their Kingdom even partially extended beneath theirs. Un-surprisingly, the humans are oblivious to their existence (although they had been spotted once or twice over the years) and had put the disappearances in this area down to a myth they called 'The Bermuda Triangle'.
He jumped at the sudden movement in the corner of his eye, he looked round. Someone, one of their people, was swimming towards him at a top speed. As they got closer, he realised that it was Megumi, it must of been urgent for them to send the fastest messenger in the kingdom. As he pushed himself upright, she stopped abruptly in front of him, not even panting slightly.
"There's a plane heading your way, supposed to be Freeport to Nassau, forty minuets estimate."
He nodded and she swam off, heading back towards the Miami corner. Now standing with his spear ready, facing outwards from his corner, searching intently for Sea Demons. They wouldn't of sent a messenger if it hadn't been for the prediction the court Seer had told them this morning, and she was rarely wrong, she'd said 'there is a Dark power heading towards us, it is intent on destruction' so a plane could be a big issue here. Planes carried people, and if they had to use their possibly destructive defences, it could knock the plane out the sky.
~A.M.S~
Akane swam through the halls, everyone was on edge today, so no one would play with her. Frankly this 'Dark Power' didn't bother her, she had faith in the people of their Kingdom.
Bored of looking for someone to even talk to, Akane made her way back to her room. It was hard not to be annoyed with Katsuo, he couldn't help having guard duty today. Katsuo was ten years older than her, but as she grew up, she'd always accustomed to seeing guard trainees around the palace and had simply taken a liking to him when he'd helped her when she'd swam head-first into a pillar (she hadn't been looking where she was going). Since then, when ever he wasn't on duty, he'd play with her in the garden(?), but today was exceptionally dull, and he was on duty.
~A Few Hours Later~The Chief's Chamber~
Chief Mizushima looked at Makoto. As much as he didn't like to admit it, she was right, this was the only option short of leaving themselves vulnerable to the Sea Demons.
"I do not wish to have my daughter leave my side." he said sternly
Makoto nodded her head understandingly, currently in her human form "Yes, but while she is here, both her and the population are in danger from the Dark Lovers." he stared for a moment, unsure "She would not be alone, I would go with her and I'm sure the young Hamasaki-san would gladly accompany her."
"Hamasaki?" he mused, before turning to his attendant "Fetch Hamasaki and have Ito replace him."
The attendant rose and bowed, before leaving the chamber.