Disclaimer: I don't own the characters but I own the story

Chapter Four Trials

Hunting was something Lance knew he could do. He had gone with his dad on a couple of hunting trips when he was younger, and he knew how to hide. Rosa might have caught him venturing out this last time, but she didn't know about all the other times.

It was good to have a loyal friend who wouldn't snitch. No one could compare to Hunk.

But if these Ladies wanted to, he could give them a shot. "Hey, the name's Lance. Nice swimming into you." He gave her his best sexy grin, his sharp teeth glistening white. She was beautiful; one of the Mers migrating from the East. Not a single inch of skin was exposed beneath her sparkling yellow scales, and her eyes were a deep, solid magenta he could get lost in.

The Mer giggled bubbles and blew them in his face. He felt like he had been sprayed with the sweet bliss of love. "How nice to meet you, Lance, I'm Nyma." She swirled around him and let her yellow tail brush against his.

Whoa, she responded? This didn't usually happen, what was he supposed to do next?!

Lance's cheeks tinged pink and a stupid looking grin came over his face. "I, uh, yes, you are." The words jumbled out before he could stop them and he felt his cheeks get warmer. "I-I mean, nice to meet you too…" This wasn't supposed to happen, he was supposed to be suave, not a bubbling mess. He needed to get his confidence back. "So what brings you around here?"

"I'm here for the festival, of course."

Lance wanted to smack himself with his tail. Of course, she was, he knew that. Quick, recover. "I mean, over here, in this place…" He looked around. "Th-the Hunting Bowl. They're having a trial for the new Hunters. I'm trying out, of course." He flexed his arms and tail, but barely any muscle was showing. He was as skinny as a spear pole, and the only thing going for him was his tail being longer than most others his age.

She giggled, her purring voice dancing through the waves of the current. "Well, that's why I'm here too."

"Yes, well I'm-wait, what?" He paused. He thought only Mers from his Shoal, Altea, could take the trial. When did that happen? Or was this always the case? Was it something he forgot? He always had a hard time forgetting, his sister would get mad, but she tried to accommodate. They would snap their fingers to get his attention when he zoned out and thought of random things, like how sharks had the best sense of smell, or they had that weird compass thing that let them know what direction they were going, even in open waters. Mers didn't have that luck, which was why they stuck to the ocean floor or the reefs and canyons. Which were beautiful, and he wanted so much to explore instead of being cooped up in the shoal, and could only go out when his father went hunting or his mother would take him to help pick algae and coral for food. And coral was soon good, especially the purple ones that—

"Our Migration includes traveling to Shoals who have trials to be Warriors, Hunters, and Guardians. Since we travel the open sea, we need everyone to be able to protect the Pod." She swam a little closer. "You know, we could team up. I know it's whoever catches the best prey, but we could split the credit."

Crap, his brain went on a tangent again. Why'd he have too many problems focusing? She was pretty and interesting, this shouldn't be happening.

Lance's cheeks were probably stained red, and he would never be able to change it. "Uh, yeah! Sure!" He focused on her eyes, trying to will himself to hear every word her melodic chirping could make.

She smiled, and he melted into bubbles.

"I need all new cadets over here ASAP." The shrill from the Top Hunter's voice was like a squeal from an injured dolphin, enough to make someone's ears bleed. Also, grab his attention. Who wouldn't get distracted by that?

Everyone moved in closer so they could hear the instructions and expectations of the trial. Lance looked around to see if he could spot anyone he knew. Hunk wasn't there; he didn't know if he even wanted to be. There were a couple of Mers he knew of but didn't actually know. They were in his school when they were learning about the different species of coral and fish. He never got to know anyone besides Hunk, and Allura when he was younger and they played together. She was the best. She was so beautiful with her pink fins and pink eyes and pink tail and those little pink marks right under her eyes that all royal Mers had. Maybe they were all related? He dreamed of dating her, but he wasn't really ready to settle down. He wanted to be a Hunter, he wanted to explore the ocean and visit new cultures. He wanted to be a Migrating Mer, not get tied down by His Glow and start planning what season they were going to produce eggs. He wasn't ready for that. Not that he didn't want to find His Glow, only that he wasn't ready… He had too many things to do in his life before meeting her.

Or him, he didn't care.

There were a lot more Eastern Mers than he figured would be. He had only watched the hunting trials when his older siblings took them, and there weren't Migrated Mers in those. This must have been an occasional thing.

There were three Mers(did one of them have octopus legs?) who had…jellyfish on their heads? What kind of psychos…

"The trials are simple, you have 2 varga to catch a prey and bring it back. However, it can't be schools of fishes or anything smaller than a guppy's tail. The bigger the fish, the better."

That shouldn't be too hard, he thought. He was one of the fastest swimmers in his school and had the best nose. Being a Hunter was practically a family occupation. Though, sometimes he wanted to stand out… But that's what he was good at. That's what most Mers who were fast swimmers with great noses chose to be. Warriors were great with weapons, but he had never touched one. And he liked the bow and arrow and those little shooter slingshots. Not many Mers used them because the water would make it too slow with the friction, and one would have to be really close to get a good shot. They usually went for the best known and used weapon: the spear.

He had trained with a spear, his sister—

He pulled up a skin of seaweed patched together to make a large parchment with white writing on it.

"You will have a point system you will be graded by." Ahh, when did the Top Hunter pull that large seaweed parchment? He totally zoned. "Crustaceans and shellfish are worth 2 to 3 points, depending on the size. A cephalopod is worth 4 to 6 points."

So they were doing a point system? He remembered this from when his siblings went through the trials. Didn't they need to get a high number? They would have to take a net or something just to get enough fish and octopi to get anywhere near passing the trial. Crap, that's all he hunted when he was with his father. They didn't do anything big because he was too young and it was too dangerous. Sharks were on that list, though they were highly misunderstood. They were so fascinating though! They only swam in a straight line so it would be easy to dodge as long as you swim in vertical zig-zag. They couldn't even spin. It would be so easy to dodge and appear behind them. Lance knew he could take one. If he took on one of those, he would surely be awesome. Everyone would know his name.

"Then there are seals, which are worth fifty points." Wait, did he miss something? When did they go from 5 points to 50? "No other Air Breathers are allowed; they are too dangerous and we respect them so they will respect us."

Well obviously. Dolphins were cool, and whales had the most magnificent voices…

"The animal that will get you the most points are sharks." What?! But, but… "Depending on the size of the shark will dictate what points you get. It will be anywhere from 20 to 100, as long as it measures two tail fins or more."

But sharks were so awesooooomme. They used to have a leopard shark when he was little. They were so cute! And his mom would tell him about angel sharks and nurse sharks and whale sharks(the coolest shark) and—

"You will only need to get 50 points, so catching a large shark or seal will pass you. Any questions?"

"Are there any fish we need to stay away from? Besides mammals?" Asked a Mer in the back. Wow, he was really pretty. He had beautiful seafoam green scales and light skin on his upper body. He must have been in another school, he would have remembered him.

"Only the mammals." He paused. "And, under no circumstances, will anyone go near a Tiger Shark." He turned to a group of mature hunters and motioned to them with a nod. They brought out spears and bows with sharp strings to give a strong shot. Lance eyed a particular blue bow with wave designs carved into it. The string was really thin though, would it hold up?

Everyone else went for the spear, except those jellyfish weirdos, making him feel a little self-conscious about being grouped in with them. He decided avoiding them was the smartest option.

Nama went for a spear. A long one with a larger than normal sharp carved rock at the end. It looked heavy, but she wielded it easily.

Wow, she was so cool.

She swam back up to him. "You going to grab something?"

"Oh! Yeah!" He jutted to the weapons rack and grabbed the wave-carved one. He was back in a second.

"Wow! You're really fast. I'm glad we're partnering up." Ah, he could get used to that smile all day.

Screw His Glow, Nyma was perfect. Sometimes Mers didn't even meet Their Glow.

"Ready?" He snapped back to focus. They were already leaving. They followed the group of Hunters to a series of caverns. Even the younger guppies knew their way in and out. Everyone was taught it just in case they got lost outside. It protected from predators and potentially Land Walkers. Though, if they were getting that far advanced with their strange devices, they might need to rethink how to keep themselves secret.

The caves weren't the same small holes he swam through earlier to get home, they were larger so a group of them could swim through with their catches. They were windy and maze-like though. One led to a large abyss no one entered, and the other to their Shoal. Everywhere else was a dead end. It was one of the only places young Mers were allowed to explore unsupervised. Guards floated at the exit and the entrance to the abyss to keep guppies from straying out.

The labyrinth was surprisingly short as they got to the end where the guards were floating, the open sea outside letting a little bit of light through. They were good in the dark, it was one of their best traits for hunting. Mers were the most dangerous creatures in the depths because they could smell, see, and swim fast enough to catch any prey they wanted. Their only competition being sharks and dolphins. They revered whales as sacred, and wouldn't go near them.

The Top Hunter turned back to them to give his final speech. "From here, you will have your 2 varga to catch large enough prey to pass this trial. If you succeed, you will be apprenticed with a Seasoned Hunter to begin training. Those who fail…better luck next migration."

Lance frowned. A whole migration to try out again? That was too long of a wait. He needed to pass this.

"You may now start!" The Top Hunter swam to the side as the Mers shot out and scattered into the darkness of the open ocean. Nama quickly grabbed Lance's hand and swam off. He was smiling too goofily to notice.

"I think we're far enough out. Want to start looking?"

"Oh, yeah." He shook his head to get back into focus. He turned towards the open waters(because Nyma was a distraction) and sucked in water through his gills to relax. When he exhaled, he used his nose to smell the area around them.

There were a couple pods of schools to the north. They were small, so they wouldn't count towards the trial. Normally they would take a net to them, and his stomach started to growl with hunger. He could probably catch one for a snack. He twisted around, his eyes closed to concentrate, and took another deep inhale of water through his nose. Mostly corals and algae. They had a strong scent. Some fish used it to mask themselves. They could go over there, but it wouldn't be a guarantee. He turned again to the smell of something bigger. It was a shark. Should he tell Nyma about it? He twisted full circle, but couldn't smell anything else nearby. They only had 2 varga, so they were limited on time. He conceded. "There's a shark in that direction."

"Wow! That's so amazing!" She swam closer, placing a webbed hand on his arm. "You're so talented, I could get used to hanging around you."

Lance lit up like a coral reef. "Uh y-yeah, thankssss…" He went blank for words.

"Lead the way?" His body moved on its own, luckily led by his nose, as his mind went off to dreamland.

They found the shark scarring along the sea floor looking for food. It was a Nurse Shark. Awe, it was so cute. And harmless. Lance frowned. "I-I don't know, that's one of the most passive sharks, it won't be much of a hunt."

"That's the best kind. Haven't you had shark before? They're my favorite." Nyma's love of eating sharks almost snapped him out of his daydream. "If it makes you feel better, I brought a small net and we can release it later?"

Logic should have told him that's not what happens when hunting, but he was too enamored. "Okay."

Nyma pulled out a net hanging on a seaweed belt and opened it. It was just big enough for the shark. It might not get them the full 50 points, but it was a start. "You scare it this way and I'll catch it."

He nodded, enthusiastically swimming off around the coral to ambush the shark. It was a bit startled by the movement but went back to bottom feeding. When Lance got in the right position, he swam out.

He could have easily caught it on his own. He almost did, because he was so fast. But he held back so Nyma could throw her next on top of it.

"That's a good catch!" She said, holding the struggling shark in her net. "This'll get us quite a bit of points." She smiled up at him.

And he was mesmerized.

To the point that he didn't see her hand heading for his face until it hit his nose.

Then everything became a painful blur of white and he lost his equilibrium, feeling himself spin in every direction, and he didn't know if he actually was. He couldn't see anything, and his eyes stung with pain, and everything was white, and he couldn't make anything out. He tried shaking his head, but that only made it worse. He closed his eyes to try and fight back the squeal that was on his lips and the pain that was threatening to spill out of his eyes. he tried to cover his nose, but he couldn't feel his hands. Everything was starting to slow down and he didn't feel like he was spinning anymore. He tried shaking his head and squeezing his eyes tight, and finally started to feel better. He opened his eyes and saw a blurry Nyma smiling down at him. When everything focused, he realized his hands weren't actually on his nose.

They were tied to a rock. "Wha-who-what happened?"

"Sorry Lance, this isn't against you, but we needed the points. And you had the best nose."

"Wha-we?"

Nyma's scales began to glow slightly and turned brighter until a purple Mer swam up. He had a strange straightened nose and weirdly built upper body, but he was altogether pretty. He was glowing as well.

Wait. Glowing? Were they mates? But then… "You lied to me!"

"Like I said, nothing against you." She swam closer and kissed her finger, then booped him on his already sensitive nose. "But you are cute."

"Let's get going." Said her mate, smiling as gently as her. They were bad guys. Why were they smiling like good guys? "No offense, kid, just trying to survive."

"But…but…this is just a stupid trial!"

"We're migratory Mers. We have to learn to protect ourselves more than you. You have a shoal to keep you safe." Said Nyma, frowning. Lance didn't like her frown.

"Later." The Mer took Nyma's hand, their scales glowing brighter where they touched, and they swam off. He could see them for a couple seconds longer because of their glowing scales.

How could this happen? He thought she liked him… and now he was stuck, and if he didn't get out he would fail the trial and have to wait for another full migration! He tugged on the seaweed, but this was expert knotting. They were experienced.

"Psst."

Lance startled and looked up. he saw a weird looking jellyfish peeking out from a coral. Did it just…did that jellyfish just talk? How'd it make the sounds of Mers?

"Hey, you okay?"

"Uhhhh… Well, jellyfish, I would be if I wasn't tied to a rock."

"Lemme help." The jellyfish swam up and connected to a solid scaled Mer. Wait, the jellyfish was a face cover. It was one of those weird Mers he saw earlier. She(judging by her voice) swam up and untied him from the rock. She had green scales from what he could see, but she was draped in a cloak. "I figured she would trick you. Nyma's not the most trustworthy Mers."

"Yeah, noticed." He grumbled and rubbed his wrists. "Why'd you help me?"

"What, I can't be a decent Mer?"

"Uhhhh…" Crap, that was rude. "Yeah, sorry."

"But yeah, I need your help."

"Wait, I thought you did it out of the decency of your heart!"

"I can do both!"

He folded his arms and blew some bubbles out in frustration. "So what do you want?"

"You have a really good nose, and I noticed you could have easily caught that shark on your own."

Lance smirked. "Yeah, I'm pretty good aren't I?" He puffed out his chest for emphasis.

She didn't seem to notice or care. "We lost a friend and we're trying to find her. We've been following with the Eastern Mer's migrations, and we know she was here in the gulf when we last saw her." She pulled out a hairpin. "Maybe you could sniff this and find her."

"If she's been gone a while her scent won't be around."

"Please, we're worried something might have happened to her."

Through the thick smokey body of the jellyfish, he could see how pleading her eyes were. He sighed. "Fine…" But what about the Trial?

"It'll be a far travel, but we really need your help."

The sound of travel caught his interest. "How far?"

"Maybe the entire gulf if we have to."

He pondered. It would be risky, and he would get in so much trouble. But this Mer needed help finding her friend, and if he came back a hero…"Sure, I'll help." He gave her a toothy grin, and she trilled in delight.

"Thank you so much! I'm Plaxum, by the way."

"Lance." They patted tail fins in greeting. "So who's the Mer you lost?"

"Her name is Florona. And…" She paused, and he waited with bated breath. "She's QueenLuxia's daughter."

Hey guys! I know, I know, they haven't met yet; I am just as impatient as you. I was hoping they would meet sooner! But looks like I have some backstory to finish. I swear it's coming up! I was just laying the groundwork for the plot.

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed!