The Lost Secret of the Silver Sea

Chapter 8: Broken Scales and Torn heart

            Kaelonne swam through the empty halls, his mind racing. He needed to leave, but where would he go? The old lava tunnel had to many branches to track Falkon’s path and Idris was most likely in the thick of the fight. His heart pained at the thought of leaving Eirian behind, he didn’t know how he would be able to tell a mother she’d lost her husband and now she might lose her only child.

            The young royal followed the path he came from, hoping that the caves he came in from would still be unoccupied, after that, he would figure out his next move, one step at a time. His lips were thinned with strain as his unfamiliar armour pinched at his ribs, his dagger bruising his side, it was uncomfortable, but protection against a spear was better than nothing.

                Kaelonne pulled back in panic as a shadow glides over one of the walls, biting his tongue as he ducks into an unoccupied room. He doesn’t take the time to be cautious, swimming out of the room as soon as the shadow leaves. He curses as the loud shriek of a Sirinian echoes off the walls behind him, he’d been spotted.

            He swims harder, taking rougher turns and ignoring the abuse done to his fins from the harsh movements as he searches for the tunnel that he came in from. Kaelonne’s heart stutters as he notices another solider guarding the very exit he was looking for, recognising them as the very same one that originally chased him here.

            The young royal was cornered, the other solider finally catching up, pointing a spear at his face. Sirinians didn’t take prisoners, this he knew too well from lessons, and the chaos outside only solidified the thought. None of them utters a word, the soldiers circling their cornered prey with grim faces.

            Kaelonne isn’t planning to go down without a fight, not after all he’d been through in the last hour, Eirian’s blood still staining his hands and strong in his memory. He flicks out his dagger with a snarl, knocking the first spear away with pure luck. The young royal flicks his tail and slams into the siren, swimming back the way he came from, taking note of their delayed response to catch up with him.

            He shrieks as a hand grabs his tail, turning sharply and tugging it free. The siren uses the momentum to grab his wrist and send them both careening to the ground, he wrestles against the grip, meeting hard eyes with a blazing glare. Kaelonne twists in the grasp and slashes the dagger, mentally praising himself as the grip loosens and he pushes himself into another wild chase through the halls.

            He curses and darts into a room as he meets the eyes of two more Sirinians blocking his path. Swimming back slowly, his places his back to the window as they try to surround him with raised spears and low, warning hisses.

            As soon as his back fin feels the movement of open water, he shoots them bared fangs and hisses, turning swiftly and swimming out the window. They snarl and chase after him into the fray of the kingdom. Kaelonne tries to ignore the cries of his people, weaving above and around broken homes and tunnels, Sirinians and Mermatians alike, trying to shake the three tagging his tail.

            He needed to get out of the kingdom walls, a place where he could regroup with others if possible, form a plan, and finally understand what was happening. Kaelonne snarls as a body slams into him, the tangled pair crashing into the ground. A loud shrill deafens him for a moment, his hands pushing against the weight on his chest. The fin on his back heavily protested its position of being crushed under him.

            The young royal bares his fangs and flinches as the Siren bares its own right back, unable to tear his eyes away as he watches them unhinge their jaw and screech at him. He wasn’t going to let something like this scare him, he couldn’t freeze now, he had to keep moving. The fangs inch closer to his neck, his struggling no matched for the trained fighter pinning him down, but that didn’t mean he was out of tricks.

            He rears back as much as he could, bucking up and throwing the siren off just enough that he was able to wedge a hand free, he claws blindly, heart pounding as his hand meets scales. A pained, angry cry echoes above him, claws scratching over his own arm in return. Kaelonne uses the opportunity to push himself up, glancing at the siren clutching its bleeding shoulder before roving his eyes over the scene of war around him.

            Hearing it was one thing, actually being in the thick of it was even more disorienting. The Mermatian civilians were putting up quite the resistance with whatever they could get their hands on, whether they be rocks, short blades or even the weapons of the fallen sirens. Hope bloomed in his chest about the possibility that they would come out of this battle successfully.

            His musing costed his dearly, he screeched as a blade came down on his back, mind reeling at the sudden onslaught of pain. Kaelonne barely manages to turn and hold his arms up, spear clattering on his vanguards roughly. The blow pushes him back in claw distance of the siren nursing their bleeding shoulder. He was cornered, and he could barely keep his eyes open from the fire lancing on his back.

            Kaelonne lets out a daring shriek, conveying that he was not willing to go down without a fight. He bares his fangs and holds his dagger high, sending out a small prayer to Helacean as he eyes the fighters.

            He lets the water settle for a few seconds before lashing out like a shark. Clashing his daggers against one of the spears, he swipes his claws at the other in warning. He bares his fangs in warning that he wasn’t above using them if it came to be, the sirens snarl at him, circling threateningly just out of reach. The injured sirens rushes him and Kaelonne closes his eyes, bracing for the pain.

            When it doesn’t, he blinks and swallows down a shriek of surprise when he’s meet with blank eyes a claw length away from his face. The angry yell of the other siren catches his attention. Idris snarls and pulls her spear out from the dead siren’s back, swiping at the other, and grunting when the blade lands.

            Kaelonne says nothing as Idris grabs his arm and drags him with her, unable to form a proper thought in his chaotic mind. They stay low to the sea floor as possible, Idris’ dark armour and Kaelonne’s black scales hiding them from sight. The clashing of spears and harsh snarls grew even louder as they passed through the thick of the battle.

            The young royal looks worriedly to his sister was they come to a stop, a regretful look returned to him. “What are you-“

            “I’m sorry, Kael. This is as far as I can go with you.” A guard swims close to them with a grim face. “Falkon’s already out of the Kingdom, there’s a small safe area on his path, we just have to get you out now.”

            “Wait, what about you and Father?” Kaelonne tries to resist the guard tugging on his arm, grabbing onto his sister’s vanguard and sending her a pleading look.

            “Kael, as king and Commander… we won’t be leaving.”

            “Idris, please.” Kaelonne cries, gasping past the lump in his throat as Idris shoots him a sad smile, pulling him into a brief hug.

            “When this is over, this kingdom will need someone to get it back on its feet. Falkon will be King, and he will need you by his side.” Idris holds his face in her hands, bumping her nose on his forehead.

            “I am no adviser.”

            “You will have to be.” She pulls a small item from the satchel at her side, pressing it into his hand, “You will do well. Now go!”