Without a Pod [#underthesea2016]

Chapter 2: Going Further

"Siren, get up." said one of the hunters accompanying them. "We have to get moving. The fin tipped sharks are approaching us."

Oceana got out from the rock and began to swim towards the sharks. She did not fear them. Oceana saw sharks as misunderstood creatures, who got a bad reputation and no one gave them a chance.

"Oceana, what are you doing?" Atlas asked when he saw whet she was going.

"They are lost not hunting," she calmly told him. "You are frightening them and I was going to ask to the nearest reef."

"Atlas, the Siren is a sponge-brain. She is luring us to the sharks so she can escape," said the hunter. "We should continue on and let that shark bite her fin."

"I'm going this way to a reef." Oceana announced. "You can see what my home was before the Sirens attacked us."

"You are going nowhere, Siren." spat a hunter. "You will be killed if you tamper with the task."

His grip on Oceana's arm was very tight, but she managed a small, "Help,"
The male only tightened the grip and was crushing the fins on her arms. They were a trademark of her pod.

"Release her, Reff," Atlas commanded.

"Yes release the stray. She has brought no harm to us and there is a ship coming," said Coral, "it would be best to go to the reef where the humans cannot follow."

The hunter released Oceana. She looked down to examine the fin on her arm.

"It looks broken," Atlas took some seaweed and carefully wrapped the fin on her arm.

"Thank you." Oceana said softly. His webbed fingers were thicker than Oceana's. Her pod had weave carefully, in and out of coral. His pod had open area to swim at rapid paces.

"We cannot afford a broken guide no can we?" He smirked.

"That was uncalled for, Reff." Coral scolded. "If she died we would be prey to the Sirens. That fin on her arm is a trademark of her pod, as well as the fin on her ears." Coral was a mix of both reef and shallow pods. Her scales went up to the top of her chest, while Oceana had shells and occasionally seaweed instead.

"I'm okay and my name is Oceana, so please stop referring to me as Siren or stray." she pleaded.

"Very well Oceana. It is a pretty name." Coral complemented her.

"Thank you." Oceana bowed her head again.

"I am Reff and the other hunter is Caspian." Reff said.

"My mother descended from the pod in the Caspian Sea." Caspian told Oceana.

"Follow the sharks and we should reach the reef soon." Oceana explained.

Once they had been swimming for an hour or so, Oceana could see bright, colorful fish and corals. It was not the same reef that she was last playing with her mother in, but it was similar. Her Sirens' mark was on her lower back and was a small fish skeleton. The coral shaped mark next to it was almost glowing and Oceana felt happier than ever to return to where she felt most at home.

"This is beautiful," Coral said, in awe of the vibrant colors.

"This used to be what my home looked like until I was running and my homes were not this beautiful." Oceana told them.

"The tails here must be every color imaginable." Caspian added.

"Indeed," Oceana nodded. "Some even have strips to blend in with the fish."

"It is unfair that you cannot return to your own pod." Atlas said.

"Yes the children are quite bright and playful. Perhaps they will allow us to shelter for the night," Oceana suggested, "but we need to cover the mark somehow."

"You could wrap it with seaweed and say something cut you," Caspian said.

"But that will cover my reef mark and there could be war if you do not prove I am from a reef pod." Oceana turned the idea down.

"True, but they will kill you for the Siren mark." Coral pointed out.

"We have you, Coral. A mature female that will convince them that we are here on our own terms," Caspian said.

"Who entered the domain of the Reef Saviors?" A female, not much older than Oceana, had said and was holding a spear to defend herself.

"I am Oceana from the Reef Seeker pod," she began. "My father was Chief Reef. They were killed by Sirens eleven migrations ago. They marked me soon after."

"I believe your story, the chieftess was in the same situation as you," the female assured them. "She will want to hear your story."

"Thank you and what is your name?" Coral asked.

"I am Opal and what are your names?" Opal motioned to Coral, Atlas, Reff and Caspian.

"I am Atlas, this is my sister Coral, and two hunters, Caspian and Reff, in case of any Siren run-ins." Atlas told her.

"Well I will take you to the pod now." Opal then motioned for them to follow and Oceana went first.

A/N: So what did you think of this chapter and Opal? Let me know and I have decided to just keep the cover underwater because Oceana's hair looks bluer so ya

Love ❤️,

-Hannlzy😘