Two days had passed since the palace fell into a restless silence. Kai, Cleo and a small elite squad of guards had vanished into the blue, driven by the haunting report Clara had given. They were chasing a ghost, the massive, metal ship that had drifted too close to their borders. Following the trail of oily residue and agitated currents, they swam for two long days until, finally, the horizon revealed the mechanical beast.
At the surface, the waves churned violently. Cleo, Kai and six palace guards rose through the shimmering barrier that marked the edge of the forbidden side. Above them, the water gleamed strangely, agitated and heavy with a metallic tension. Kai narrowed his eyes at the distant, jagged silhouette hovering over the ocean's skin. They had heard Clara's frantic description and they had come to see the truth for themselves and investigate this thing.
The sound hit them first, a rhythmic, industrial thrumming that made their gills ache. The water seemed to boil around the hull.
"There it is," Cleo murmured, swimming closer. Her sapphire tail glimmered like moonlight in motion, cutting through the murky wake.
"What is that thing ?…" one of the guards asked, his hand tightening on his spear as he stared at the rusted iron walls.
"That is a ship," Cleo said, her voice dripping with cold disdain. "The vessels those evil humans use to bring poison to our water. Unlike us, they are weak and pathetic, they can't even breathe underwater" She surged forward, her curiosity overtaken by a sudden, protective territorialism.
"Princess, stop," the eldest guard commanded, darting in front of her. "You mustn't get any closer."
"Why ?" she asked, folding her arms, her fins bristling. "We were sent to observe, not to hide like frightened minnows."
"That ship… it's a floating jail," this old guard growled, his eyes fixed on the heavy machinery above. "It is death for creatures like us, for the fish. They catch them, trap them and take them away forever. I have seen the aftermath, they pull them from the life of the water and give them a terrible, gasping end up there."
Cleo's expression twisted into a mask of fury. As they floated just beneath the surface, the horror became clear. Huge metal arms swept the ocean with gaping nets, dragging dozens of terrified fish toward the surface. The fish twisted and ripped against the mesh, their eyes wide with the silent scream of the hunted.
"They're taking them !" Cleo cried, her heart racing. "Look at them ! They're screaming !"
"Princess Cleo, no ! Clara asked us to observe, not to intervene," Kai shouted, grabbing her wrist to hold her back. "This is reckless !"
"I can't just sit here and watch, Kai ! They need help ! And I don't take orders from my younger sister !"
"Princess Cleo, don't !"
But she was already gone, a streak of blue lightning slicing through the swell. The guards cursed under their breath. "She's going to get herself killed," one muttered.
Kai clenched his jaw, his heart sinking. "We don't have a choice. She's the princess. I swore to protect her. Let's go !"
They surged forward in a frantic formation. Cleo reached the net first, her fingers trembling with rage as she began slashing at the thick, synthetic ropes with a shard of razor-sharp coral.
"It's okay," she whispered to the panicked fish, trying to steady them. "I've got you…"
But the humans were ready. As she struggled to free the first few, the winch on the deck groaned. With a sudden, violent jerk, the net yanked upward.
"Princess CLEO !" Kai yelled, reaching out, his fingers just inches from her tail.
Her scream pierced the water, a high, melodic sound of pure terror as she was dragged out of the ocean and into the blinding, dry heat of the sun.
Aboard the ship, the crew erupted into chaos. "CAPTAIN ! CAPTAIN !" a scout cried, stumbling back from the railing.
Captain Harrow, a man with a jagged scar cutting through his brow, stepped forward. "What in the… what is that ?" he barked, his eyes widening as he saw the thrashing blue tail.
"It's… it's a girl ! She has a tail !"
"A MERMAID ?!"
"Holy hell, we've found one !"
"Get her in the glass chamber ! Now !" Harrow laughed, a sound like grinding stones. "The stories were true. With her, we'll be more than famous, we'll be kings. Bring me my phone ! I need proof for the buyers !" He hovered over her, clicking pictures as Cleo fought the net. The rough rope burned her skin and the air felt like dust in her throat. She thrashed against the wooden deck, her sapphire scales losing their luster in the harsh light.
Below, the water turned red. The guards breached the surface, trying to cast bolts of pressurized water at the deck, but the humans raised heavy, black weapons.
"Back off, freaks !" Harrow roared, pulling the trigger.
Crack ! Crack ! Crack !
The sound was deafening. Three shots tore through the air. Blood bloomed in the sea like dark, spreading ink. Two guards went limp instantly, their bodies bobbing once before sinking into the shadows. Kai and the survivors tried to breach the hull with light bursts, but the gunfire was relentless.
Three more guards fell, their lives snuffed out in a heartbeat. Five in total were gone, their blood clouding the water so thick Kai could barely see.
"Fall back !" Kai choked out, grabbing the last remaining guard by the harness. "We have to tell the King ! We can't fight this alone !"
****
Back at the palace, Clara's Chamber
Soft singing drifted through the water as Clara wove delicate sea flowers with her fingertips. Mini and Pebs danced around her, their laughter a stark contrast to the tragedy occurring miles away.
"You've been sad lately," Kelly noted, watching from a coral couch.
"yeah, what did you see that day ?" Shelly asked, swimming up with wide eyes.
Clara paused, her fingers hovering over a petal. "It looked like the ship we have hidden from Dad, but... different. This one was more cold and metal. I think it's what's been taking our fish, but I couldn't see well enough to be sure."
Her sisters started whispering in fear. Clara knew words wouldn't be enough to explain the horror she felt coming. She swam to the center of the room and raised her hands, drawing the water toward her.
"I need you to see," Clara whispered. She manipulated the currents, using her magic to suspend particles of sand and light within a sphere of water. Slowly, she built a glowing, liquid blueprint. A hauntingly accurate image of the ship materialized in the room. She showed them the iron "claws," the suffocating nets.
"They don't belong here," Clara said, her voice trembling as the water model of the ship loomed over them. "And they aren't just passing through. I think they are hunting us."
Just then, Oceana entered, her tentacles trailing with quiet authority. "Alright, girls. That's enough fun for now. Go tend to your duties."
"Aw…" the sisters pouted, slowly swimming away.
Oceana looked to Clara with a solemn expression. "The King awaits you in the library."
Clara stood up, a heavy feeling settling in her chest. "Thank you, Oceana."