"The king has returned!", a spinner dolphin shouted as she saluted with her bow.
"Alright dad's back.", Nai'a shouted, swimming towards the returning hunting party.
Lima-loa chuckled as she followed her son at a more dignified pace.
"Dad!', Nai'a shouted, diving into Kini's arms.
"Hello son.", Kini chuckled as he embraced his son.
"How went the hunt my king?", Lima-loa asked.
"The poachers escaped.", Kini answered quietly.
"At least you're safe.", the queen said, wrapping her arms around her king.
"What happened dad?", Nai'a asked, curious.
"Nothing Nai'a.", Kini answered.
"You said last night you'd teach me to use the mere.", Nai'a reminded his father eagerly.
"Hmm…that I did.", Kini replied. "Follow me son."
"Yes!", Nai'a exclaimed excitedly as he swam after his father.
"Picking anything up on your sonar?", the black dolphin asked the harbor porpoise.
"No Rangi.", the harbor porpoise answered. "I'm going up for air."
"Alright.", Rangi relied, twirling his stone patu by its wrist cord as his companion flicked his fluke and swam towards the surface.
"They're splitting up Ho'oh.", Kamipulu whispered as he lifted himself off the seabed slightly.
"Alright you stay here.", Ho'oh said. "I'll swim up there, get his attention."
"Got it.", the sand devil replied. "I'll be waiting."
Rangi lazily flicked his fluke as he drew a small wineskin from a pouch on his leg. Good stuff, he thought as he took a pull of the briny booze.
"Huh?", he started as a sudden current tore the pouch from his grasped and carried it behind him.
"Hey big guy.", Ho'oh said tauntingly, waving the wineskin in his hands.
"You've had it now poacher!", Rangi shouted angrily as Ho'oh ditched the wineskin and darted down towards the seabed.
Heh heh, good job, Kamipulu thought as he watched the dolphin follow the dogfish down towards his hiding place.
"I see such plentiful waters have made you soft!", Ho'oh shouted over his shoulder as he channeled his magic into the water around himself to increase his speed.
Stupid mindless cuttlefish, Rangi thought as he swam faster. I'll pin you to the seabed in a minute.
Now, Kamipulu thought as Ho'oh passed over him. The sand devil leapt from the mud, his cavernous jaws agape.
Rangi's eyes widened in shock as Kamipulu's maw filled his vision. "Gahhh!", he screamed as his head was engulfed, his patu sinking from his fingers as he thrashed around frantically.
Kamipulu growled triumphantly as his sharp teeth hooked into the dolphin's flesh, caused a red cloud to expand around them.
"Rangi!", the porpoise exclaimed as he swam back down, nocking an arrow to his bowstring. He took aim and loosed the arrow.
Uh oh, Ho'oh thought as he saw the arrow darting towards them. He stretched out his hands, manipulating the water around the arrow to alter its trajectory.
"Argh!", Rangi gurgled as the arrow sunk into his shoulder.
"Damn!", the porpoise swore as nocked another arrow.
"No you don't.", Ho'oh laughed as he clenched his fist and drew it back.
"Wha-?", the porpoise gasped as his bow was torn from his grasp by an unseen force.
Kamipulu jerked his head back, stripping meat from Rangi's head as the shark launched himself at his next opponent.
The porpoise drew his bone dagger as Kamipulu closed the distance between them.
The porpoise thrust his knife forwards, only for the shark to counter by raking his tooth-laced forearm across his wrist.
"Gah!", the porpoise exclaimed, releasing his grip.
Wasting no time, Kamipulu drew a cord from his belt, swiftly wrapping it around the thrashing porpoise's neck.
The water churned around them as the cords began tightening about the cetacean's throat, cutting off his oxygen supply.
Grunting with effort, Kamipulu put his feet into his enemy's back and pulled harder.