[IC] War in the Deep

[wolverbells]

Once again, Ariyah found herself wrapped up by someone else's arms. It brought her heart joy as she saw how much her sisters truly cared for her, and needed her around, but she was not used to having others be so close to her.

"I... I'll explain later," Ariyah mumbled as she focused on the human, who collapsed right in front of them. Her violet eyes widened in fear as she practically screamed. At the moment, Ariyah didn't care if the others glared at her. She quickly swam over and used the momentum of the waves to push her onto the shallow water, grabbing the human by the arms and dragging her back in the water as the waves retreated.

"Please let it not be too late. Please, please, please."

Ariyah held the human close, cradling in her arms as she looked at Aquawlad, "Watch over me please? Arys is just below us, there might be a male too." She did not wait for a response as her eyes suddenly burned bright with an intensity. Ariyah had now gone into a trance. One that required their full and utmost undivided attention. Every fiber of her being was now focused on the magic that came from within all Mermaids to turn others in need. Turning those whom were volunteering was one thing. Turning those whom were on the verge of passing was another. As her eyes glowed with motivation for saving the woman, Ariyah saw nothing but white. Her mind, for a moment, became in sync with the human as she felt for her breathing to slow down. Once it had slowed to nearly nothing, Ariyah let both of their bodies sink into the water, letting it flow into the human's respiratory system.

Ariyah had never turned anyone since she had been turned herself. She remembered her elders saying that it took not only time, but passion within oneself to change someone for the first time. In a way, Ariyah guessed that she wanted to pay back the debt of having her life saved although it was involuntary. That might have been where she got the motivation from. Another reason could have also been from the sheer fact that she hated to see others in trouble.

Nonetheless, Ariyah now found herself in the most vulnerable position that a mermaid could put herself in. These changes usually took places in coves, yet here they were in the open.

@Classpet@Belle@Guardian Angel Haruki@BlackPanther

[BlackPanther]

@Classpet@Belle@Guardian Angel Haruki@wolverbells
Link found himself once again following the mermaids. He did want to help and he is curious. Both lead to him watching from a small distance. He blinked at the sight of the human. He almost rushed forward, almost, but what would he be able to do. He has no special abilities.

Instead, he stayed where he is and kept aware of his surroundings. He felt the odd urge to protect these three, he has no idea where it came from. He went with the urge and took the risk of swimming closer to Aryiah. He took a protective stance as she worked on changing the human.

[Belle]

Arys watched from below, torn in her feelings. This was NOT the time to be turning anyone. Turning someone involved using part of a mermaid's life force. It left the mermaid very weak afterward. Ariyah would not be able to fight or even get away if something should attack them.
But at the same time she knew that if one of them did not turn her the human girl would die. Taking life, or by non-action allowing a life to be lost, was one of the ultimate sins for a mermaid. Life was precious and needed to be protected and revered at all costs. Something that the monsters did not understand.

Arys glanced fearfully at the monster that was near them. Was he waiting for Ariyah to become weak and then attack? A lot of predators went for the weak or injured. Despite his words she did not trust him. Not after what she had heard and seen what the monsters could do.
Her insticts kicked in and her head turned in a direction further up the beach. The turtles... They had laid their eggs would be returning to the water. Weak and tired, they would be picked off by predators.

Arys bit her lip and turned back to her sisters. She had to help the turtles. She had to stay with Ariyah and Aquawlad and their soon-to-be newest sister. What was she supposed to do?
Aquawlad was not passive like most mermaids were. She was protective and could conceiveably get the others away from the male. And he wasn't in an aggressive stance. At least not at the moment.
Looking at him, she glared as fiercely as she could, which wasn't really saying much. "If you harm them, may the gods deal with you in the same manner," she warned, praying that mermen still believed and revered the gods of the seas. "I have to go help the turtles," she added before speeding off towards Turtle Rock Beach, which is what the mermaids referred to the area as.

She screamed as she approached. Blood in the water... she was too late...
Darting forward without thinking, she found several mangled female turtles. Two sharks were tearing one apart as she reentered the water from the beach. Filled with anger, Arys rushed forward and slammed into one of the sharks. It's rough skin hurt her flesh but she barely felt it. When it turned and snapped it's jaws at her she jabbed it's eye. It swam away from her just as the other attacked. She dodged, it's jaws closing on water when it attempted to bite. She slammed her elbow into it's gills.
Sharks were opportunistic predators. If they could be injured they ran away to fight another day. These sharks were no different. Rather then risk further injury they started to leave only to be snagged by ropes that came from no where. Arys gasped as the monsters from before appeared. One held a long whip that was tipped with pieces of iron. He hit the shark, causing it to bleed.
"Stop!" Arys screamed and started forward only for large powerful arms to wrap around her tightly. She screamed and thrashed only for the arms to hold her tighter, cutting off her ability to breathe.

Kain smiled, a predatory smile. Mermaids were predictable. He had known that at least one would come running once they realized the slow and weak turtles were in danger. Worthless animals, but they had served a purpose.
He was furious that the sharks had run away from a mere female! He had trained them to be merciless killers, not scared guppies! He watched in satisfaction as his fellow pack members beat the sharks a punishment for their cowardice. The mermaid had attempted to stop the well deserved punishment and in that distraction she had fallen right into his hands. How her screams pleased him! Her blood would please him more...
But later. They had a mission right now. The Shellborn Kingdom was nearby. It was the reason they had come to this area in the first place : to scope it out and see how powerful an enemy they would be.
Kain laughed. "To let vermin like you to thrive under their noses, the Shellborn bastards are weaker than I had assumed," he snarled into her ear as she whimpered. He spun her around and closed his large hand on her throat. It was so small in his powerful hands his fingers were touching on either side. He squeezed as she clawed at his fingers.
"Don't worry little female, your death will come soon. But not before I show you to the Shellborn weaklings, to show their failure to them. So they will know they cannot fight The Pack!" Kain snarled and shook her. Dragging her behind him by her neck, he and his pack headed for the Shellborn Kingdom.

[Classpet]

@wolverbells@Belle@Guardian Angel Haruki@BlackPanther

Aquawlad followed her sister down with the fainted human. There was a merman just as Ariyah had said, and Arys too, just below. "It's alright Ariyah, you can do this." She said, just before the mermaid's eyes began to glow. She knew the feeling of changing someone. How you life began to dissolve and the feeling of death ebbing ever nearer. Already her life had stretched on for to long. .Seeing a changing from the outside, being so close and still not a part, reminded her that there were only so many times a mermaid could change someone, and that she probably would die if she changed anyone else. She smiled, it seemed as though fate had saved her this time.

She turned now to the merman. He wasn't like the other mermen she had, though it took her a minuet to realize why. Hi face held no malice. It was soft like a child's, and curious, and shy. "Truly i've seen everything." she whispered in amazement, her eyes wide. "You are not like the rest of them, are you." For a moment she just stared in wonder at how a merman could be like link.

The dolphin Ariyah had ridden began bobbing it's head and chirping, a signal it needed to show someone something. But before Aquawlad had a chance to ask it a scream ripped though the water."Arys!" she gasped, as the dolphin frantically swam around.

She shot a worried look at Ariyah then to the merman. "Keep them both safe, They'll both be weak when she's done, let them rest here, our city is that way. Don't leave them and don't let them follow me. Stay here. She said, all rather quickly. She whistled to the dolphin who came to her side immediately, and then they were both gone toward the sound.

~~~

The pair soon crossed paths with Arys and the viscous group of mermen. Aquawlad had no weapons as they did, but all the same she had her loyalty to her sister. "Let her go," She said, her voice commanding. She sized up the group, chances were slim that she could beat them fairly, she'd have to win by wit.

Eyeing the sharks her eyes began to glow white. She didn't need to tell them what the should do, they already wanted to be free anyway, they just needed a push in that direction. The sharks snapped at their abusers, rows of teeth capable of tearing flesh from the mermen's enemies, now turned on them. They caused havoc in the crowd, blundering into whatever was in their path, blinded by hatred of their captors.

Eyes still burning like the sun she starred at the merman holding her sister.
"Do not make me repeat myself." She finished, her tone motherly and scolding.

[Holy Soldier]

Aquarius

Shellborn Kingdom - Stables --> Guard Post

@wolverbells@Guardian Angel Haruki@Classpet@BlackPanther@Belle

---

The sharks were restless. SGT Jetsam watched as they paced about erratically in their pins as though eager to escape. That behavior only meant one thing. Blood had been spilled nearby. It might have been another fishing boat, but regardless what it was, it was the Shellborn’s duty to investigate. The sergeant left the fish stables to swim with haste to the guard post. Upon arriving, he saw SGT Flotsam with several other mermen wrestling with his Tiger Shark mount, trying to restrain the beast. The captain was solemnly gazing out the sea when SGT Jetsam swam to his side.

“Blood has been spilt. All the sharks are in a frenzy,” he reported.

Aquarius’s octopus-like tentacles slowly rippled and oscillated in the water as he floated in place. “Take four soldiers with you and investigate. Arm yourselves. If you run into any trouble, then return here immediately and report.”

SGT Jetsam brought a closed fist to his chest in salute. “Yes, Sir.”

He then started swimming back toward the barracks, echoing orders out to his squad.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Cec--............

In her unconscious state, Cecily felt cold and her body grew even colder, threatening to completely shut down. At first, all she could see was just darkness. However, that darkness suddenly became an endless sea of white light. There was one shadow against that light, and she thought she saw that shadow extend their hand towards her. She reached her hand towards the shadow's and grasped on. After doing so, an onslaught of strange sensations hit her.

She felt a sensation of sinking. At first there was the harsh pain of losing all of her air and the salty sea water suddenly flooding into her lungs all at once. However, as quickly as it appeared, the pain went away, and whatever this was became as natural as breathing air. She noticed that her breathing seemed to be in perfect sync the shadow's breathing. After that, she felt calm and whatever worries or troubles she had completely melted away. She remained unaware of the world around her, and how her memories of her life were being erased. Her own name even disappeared.

In the outside world, where the human remained unconscious as a light surrounded her. Her legs merged themselves to form a long, elegant, blue and silver fish tail. Her sneakers and jeans had disappeared as her legs formed the tail. Her hair grew a little longer in length as her face regained some color from having life return to her.

[Belle]

@Classpet

Kayn laughed uproariously at the mermaid before him. "You think you can take us little fish? We will use your bones as toothpicks!"
When the sharks started attacking Kayn roared and lifted his hand, giving the signal to end the useless traitorous animals. They were not worth allowing to live. Several of his pack got bitten badly but he had not trained them to give in to wounds. He raised the female he held in front of the foolish one and shook her harshly. "Once I show this female to the Shellborn to thrust their failure in their faces, I will skin her and use her scales to decorate my swords. And you," he added, tossing Arys to one of his men to hold. "I will drench my skin in your blood."

"Aquawlad! Run!" Arys gasped out, clawing at the merman's hands. "Leave her! I will go without fighting! Just leave her be!"
"I hunger for blood... flesh... and screams," Kayn said, ending in a roar as he charged at Aquawlad. When he finally managed to get his hands on her, which wasn't easy, he reared back to deliver a blow that would have snapped her neck like a piece of coral.

But he made the mistake of looking into her eyes.
He froze. Couldn't move.
He couldn't deliver the blow.
There was something there... something in her eyes... something familiar...

His pack eyed him warily, wondering why their ruthless leader had frozen.
"The mer-witch has bewitched him!" One of them shouted and raced forward, jagged spear in hand ready to strike. Before he could reach her a roar sounded and Kayn grabbed his pack-mate, landing several horrid blows before ripping his head from his shoulders.

No one would touch her! They had to go through him first!
Kayn froze again, the corpse of his former pack-mate in his hands and the others looking on in shock. He roared again, this time in confusion, shaking his head fiercely. What were these thoughts?
He had failed her before! He would never fail again!

He glared darkly at the female before him. "What kind of spell have you cast on me witch?!" Kayn demanded in a furious growl.
He waved a hand at the remaining pack. "Taken the little female to the Shellborn as planned. Show her to the leader and then kill her before him."

The pack hesitated a moment before another snarl from Kayn had them swimming off. Kayn blocked the female from following.
"Who are you little witch?" Kayn demanded again, his teeth set in a snarl.

[BlackPanther]

Link

---

Link watched in awe as one mermaid changed the human into one of their own. He shook his head and refocused to guard them. He would not be able to keep away a whole pack, but he could at least buy them time. He lightly glanced back at the mermaids with a look of curiosity.

He wondered why he was different. What made him care about them...why is he..himself? He smelled the blood from the turtles even at this distance, but decided to stay put. These females would be weak.

[Classpet]

@Belle

Aquawlad put up a show of avoiding capture for as long as she could. If she'd been much better with her water magic she may have even gotten away, but her talent lay in her charisma not her speed or magic. The least she could say was that she hadn't scream when he charged at her, eyes blind in rage. No, she hadn't screamed when she fled either, or as he held her, prepared to snap her neck. She looked him in the eyes and felt she could never be afraid of him. Soon enough, it seemed her couldn't bring himself to harm her either.

He rounded on his brother, giving her precious time to flee, while he tore the man limb for limb. But she didn't swim away. Whatever it was between them made her stay. He needed her, and whether he wanted it or not she was going to help him find out why.
She whatched as he floundered about in a mess of his own feelings, his command of Ary the only thing that troubled her, for now she would just have to hope that someone else could save her sister.

"The ocean is an awfully big place, you know. It's not just a coincidence that you and i met, now, after all these years." She said as he finished. "The tides have brought us together, and our ties from dry land are keeping us here now. I may not remember anything from before, but i know the past is a powerful thing, if only you remember anything."
Aquawlad held out her hand, "I want to help you. Please."

[wolverbells]

The process never took long. It was the great amount of energy draining that made Ariyah feel as if the process took years rather than mere minutes. Still, the young mermaid powered through as she kept her undivided attention on the transitioning human in her arms. She could hear the world around her but she could not see anything but a bright white. It wasn't until something sort of 'clicked' inside of her mind, that Ariyah suddenly let go. It was instinct telling her that she had done all that she could do. Her momentarily lifeless body floated downward onto the soft sands of the semi shallow cove, landing softly and remaining still until she regained consciousness.

Ariyah's thick lashes fluttered with her eyelids as she began to wake up, with not much recollection of what she had done. As she began to push herself up, she could feel a heaviness come over her, as if there were thousands of pounds sitting on her. She, for the first time since being a mermaid, felt sick to her stomach.

"Arys?"

Ariyah peered up into the water above her only to see the merman guarding herself and the newly turned human that laid next to her. Aquawlad and Arys had left and only Link remained. The fact that he watched over them didn't scare her. What worried her was that the other two were now missing.

With great struggle, Ariyah found the strength to push herself up more until her tail began to move and she could swim up to Link. It was a strange feeling. Like when she had been reborn into a mermaid.

"Link? W.. Where are the others?"

Through Ariyah's voice one could tell she was weak but she tried hard to hide it and look normal. She didn't have plans to go looking for them yet, seeing as how the reborn mermaid would need someone to show her the ways of the merpeople, although it usually tended to be second nature.

@Guardian Angel Haruki@BlackPanther

[BlackPanther]

Link started to swim to Aryiah, but stopped himself. The last thing he wanted to do was to scare one or both of them. Instead he stayed put, making sure neither were harmed. He met Aryiah halfway so that she did not have to swim so far and shook his head.

"I do not know where they went, but I was told not to allow you to follow them....you are not in the best condition. I will guard you" he tilted his head and lightly swam closer to help support her so she did not have to swim so hard. "I can take you and your new sister to your sister if you wish" he hoped the other two were okay...if he were to be honest he would not be a whole lot of help against a pack. Being a loner made him a target to be killed to his kin.