A/N
Wow, the updates just flow smoothly, don't they? Amazing what no school can do for someone. Meant to get this up yesterday, but couldn't find a good place to stop.
Orca: predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas
"How come they come so close to her?" Complained a lady with an eye patch over her left eye. Tulia, I think her name was. She was leaning over the side of the platform I, Rahne, and Jean were sitting on, trying to touch one of the large marine animals that kept rushing to the edge and back again, playing games. The platform itself was precariously hung over the side of the ship, but no one seemed all that worried.
Tulia shook her head and sat back up. She had a braid of blond hair that was down past her soldier blades. "What is with you?"
"Animal magnetism?" I joked as one of the creature surged forward. I was dangling my feet in the water and it bumped my ankle with its nose before it tore off to do a lap around the ship before it came back.
They were beautiful, dipping into the water only to shoot back out almost thirty feet into the air. They were like dolphins almost, but they were the size of small orcas. Their bodies were entirely white, but that's only if I looked from a certain angle. A few inches to the side and they were every color under the sun, all at the same time, like a living rainbow with fins. And the fins, they were just as strange. They spread out behind the creatures like curtains blowing in the breeze, but there was nothing flimsy about them. They were flexible and strong, and I found it incredible how little they had to use them in order to leap out of the water.
Another one of them swam forward to bump my leg. Her nose was just like the pictures of bottlenose dolphins I've seen.
Come Swim.
(I can't. I don't want to slow this ship down.)
Bah. We can go faster than any stupid ship. She said cockily lifting her tail out of the water and slapping it down, drenching Tulia.
"Hey! That's unwanted aquatic contact!" She shook her head, getting Jean in the face with a splash of water.
"Hey! Watch it!" she protested, wiping water from her eyes.
The dolphin-like creature actually started laughing, a continuous squeaky sound from her mouth.
"Good to know someone else finds this funny." Rahne giggled.
"They're kinda cute. What are they called?" Kitty asked as she and Mr. McCoy leaned over the railing above us to look at the bunch of animals circling the ship.
Tulia scratched her head. "They have scholars that make long names for these things, but we just call them the Cryers."
"Why are they called Cryers?" Jean wrung some water out of her hair.
"'Cause late at night, when you barely expect it, they make these noises, sounds like a person crying. Broken heart and all. There are hundreds of creepy stories that pop up from these little fellas."
Come Swim! Look, the water is bright and clear!
I smiled at her as she happily did a barrel roll, somehow keeping perfect pace with the moving platform at the same time.
"Wow. Hey, can I pet him?" Jean reached out a hand and stopped leveling an eyebrow at me. But it could just as easily be said she was looking at Tulia.
"Go ahead. I haven't heard any stories about them chewing up people like us." Tulia said.
Jean let her hand waver for a minute before I gave her a discreet wink. Then she leaned her hand down and caressed the nose of the animal.
She let Jean touch her nose for a few seconds then snorted and went under the water. She obviously didn't care that much for human contact.
Smells weird. She grumbled under the water. It gave her an oddly fluid tone.
"Guess he likes you about as much as me." Tulia commented.
Stupid person, can't tell a girl from a boy. How does she even find a mate like that?!
I choked down laughter, and Rahne gave me a weird look. I think she knew I wasn't laughing at Tulia's remark.
WHHUUMP!
The platform rocked violently and I tumbled off into the water. The transition from black ship, clear water, and fluffy clouds changed drastically into intense blue and rushing, tiny bubbles.
Out of complete reflex and instinct, I started to struggle against the water. Then I realized what I was doing and fell limp. My thrashing caused bubbles. Bubbles obscured my vision. If I started trying to reach air now, I'd never find it.
Hard to believe a day and a night ago, I was wondering how I was going to survive a giant trench in the ocean, now I was trying to survive the ocean, though it really wasn't that bad. If I was in real trouble, I could just call for help.
Speaking of which…
The curious female swam up to me and bumped me in the shoulder with her nose.
Glad to see you made it to the water. Isn't it nice? She asked mischievously.
(You…You hit the platform on purpose!)
Yeah. Wanna play tag?
(No, I want to go back up to the surface and tell my friends I'm okay, then I'll see about playing tag.) I scolded her. (I can't believe you did that. You've probably scared my friends to death!)
They need a little excitement in their lives anyway. She said disdainfully. Then she swam behind me and pushed her nose into the small of my back, pushing me back to the surface, which was good, because I was beginning to run out of air.
Of course, she wasn't beyond having her little bit of fun.
She sped up, way too fast, and torpedoed us both fully out of the water.
I barely got to glance at Mr. McCoy's very surprised face before I, after a quick breath, was introduced face first back into the water.
(OWW!) I yelped. She veered off, surprised by the intensity of my thoughts, but same back again.
That was fun! Let's do it again!
(What happened to tag?)
You can't keep up with me anyway. Let's do it again!
(Let's not, I'm running out of air again.)
All the more reason! She said triumphantly as she started moving towards me.
(No, wait! I can find it myself--)
It hit fast, almost unnoticeable, but I felt it. A wall of invisible…something. Power perhaps? Immediately all of the voices in the sea and their bubbly tones ceased. The large female stopped trying to come for me and froze, as if she had been paralyzed.
What was that? That was not supposed to be here. She whispered.
Another one, just as indiscernible as the last passed us by again. Now the voices started up again, at a frightened pitch. All were confused, all upset.
Except for one.
He was old, and gray. He came up right underneath me. He was another one of the Cryers, but he must have been a quite a few years ahead of the rest. He had a massive pair of tusk like horns protruding out of the sides of his face.
The world reacts to the build of magic.
(Magic?)
The same that brought your friends to this world. The magic builds, and affects the world around it. First come the water, which is more sensitive to change in magical aura than any else.
(Tell me more.)
This is just the beginning.
(Of what?)
The end. Or new beginnings. It will be the end for many, and a new dawn for another, the one who controls this power.
(But why?)
Why else? He sounded amused. Power. Uncontrollable power. But more, it is not my luxury to know. You will find out soon enough. But to go to such lengths to bring so many from one world into the next…the consequences will be dire.
(Oh…For the sake of asking, how dire?)
Very.
Another wall hit, almost unnoticeable again. The voices quieted to a deep, upset murmur.
It will get worse, as the power grows and begins to affect other parts of the world.
(How can I stop it?) I asked before I could stop myself. Must be the whole 'Champion' thing kicking in.
I don't know. You will have to discover that on your own, if indeed there is something you can do.
(Okay.)
Though, I believe that if you stay down here much longer, there shall be naught you can do. You begin to turn as blue as the sky above.
That's when I realized that I was indeed running out of air. I tried to figure out where the surface was but couldn't seem to locate it. Then my bare feet came in contact with smooth skin and I was borne up, not with the shocking intensity of a leap, but with the gentleness of simply resurfacing.
"Danny! Are you alright?!" Mr. McCoy's voice met my ears as soon as my head broke the surface. I didn't answer; I was trying to catch my breath. It hurt to breathe again after going so long without air. I was trying to steady myself on the back of the large gray Cryer as he kept steady pace with the large black ship. The female that had been playing with me swam alongside, worried about me. I shook the light headedness off and looked up. We were right at the side of the ship, so it wasn't surprising too see Mr. McCoy's worried face right above me.
The platform was gone, obviously hauled back up after the female rammed it. They might have thought it was something more dangerous than an excitable Cryer.
"Are you all right?" He asked again. I nodded and tried to gulp down some more air.
"How the hell is she doing that? They hate all of us, and love her. What is up with that?" The voice that I think was Tulia's spoke up. I had to grin. Never before had someone complained so much about my mutation. Then again, I didn't really try to make it knowledge outside of my own circle of friends, though sometimes it did get out. Only Ivan and Gregory had gotten any hint that we weren't ordinary, and they didn't seem to be spreading the news. Not yet, anyway.
"She's just like that, I guess." Kitty said in a jittery voice.
Mr. McCoy climbed down the side of the ship and offered me a hand.
You had better go, we move to leave. The gray male told me.
I reached up my hand and grabbed his wrist. He pulled me up.
See you later, mind-talker, when you come back, we'll play tag. The female beat her tail into the water and dove down.
(Bye.)
The big gray said nothing and disappeared into the depths. Mr. McCoy hauled me up onto the deck.
"Are you alright?" He asked again.
"I'm…fine. The female was just a little…fun loving, I guess."
"Where'd all the Cryers go? They were here, now they've disappeared into thin air!" A crewman looked over the edge of the ship. Another joined him.
"Maybe those tales about Cryers are partially true hunh?"
"Nah, couldn't be. They're just big fish. Wonder what scared 'em off though." The first one wondered.
Mr. McCoy looked at me as I tried to ring my hair out. "Do you know why they're leaving?"
"Bad auras," was all I said.
A little longer than usual!
PrincessOfWildfire: No, I've never read that. What's it about? Heh, Thank you, I have lots of imagination, and sometimes it gets me into trouble because I pay attention more to it than something I should be watching. Ah well. Hope you like this chapter!
Asteria: Thank you very much, I intend for it only to get better.
Anon(girl): Glad you liked it! Hope I updated soon enough for you!
Raliena: Herman to a spar…no, I never thought of that. Glad you liked the last chapter, hope you like this one too!
asp: Heh, glad you like him. Hope you like this chapter too!
Herman sits in his little makeshift crows nest to take the reviews!
