Children of the Ocean

Nightmare Sky

Several years ago three boys sat quietly under the ocean's surface. Dread was all they could feel. afraid of what would come next. Their father waved to them and they got up and walked over to where he was. Their mother was sick, but she was an ocean spirit so she was receiving treatment under water as being in the ocean only helped. It may have seemed an odd sight, a being made of ocean water lying in a hospital bed on the ocean floor but to those three brothers it was a terrible thing.

  "My sweet and beautiful boys," said Banded-Tulip.

  "Hi mum," was all any of them could manage.

   "Oh boys you mustn't look so down, I'm a fighter I'll be at full health again before you know it."

   "You've said that a few times this last month," said Blue-Ring.

   "This is really different from any other time someone's been sick," said Shark-Fang.

   "We're really scared for you," said Manta-Tail.

   "I know," said their mother. "I wish I could take you fear away so you'd never be afraid again. But all three of you have got both my spirit and your father's spirit in you. And that means you can face any fear you ever feel." Banded-Tulip decided to change the subject and told her sons a story of a battle against a sea monster, slightly embellished for the younger audience. Night drew on and one by one the boys fell asleep.

   "I better get them home," said Barracuda-Fins. "I hope their dreams are taking them somewhere nice."

   "I can't stop wondering what they'll be like when they're older."

   "Well if you're right about spirit then they'll be first to head into danger when trouble arises. And they'll happily go into said danger to impress someone they have a thing for."

   "That sounds about right. I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up doing what the four of us did."

   "I don't think I'd ever be able to come around to that idea."

  "Me neither but who are we to stand in the way of them doing what they feel is right?"

   "Their parents."

   "Good point." She looked at each of them in turn and sighed. "I want to leave them something behind. A message that'll come to them when they most need it."

   "That shouldn't be too hard to do. I'll look into it in the morning." Unfortunately Banded-Tulips health never did improve and less than a month later she was gone.

More than five years later those same three boys were indeed doing just what their parents used to do, fight bad guys. It had been some since their last adventure and they were worried about would come next. Shark-Fang lay on the sand staring at the sky.

   "If we don't hurry up it'll be too late," he thought. "She's had a while to figure out that map. And we can't find any clue to where the Pantheon of Dream is."

It was already too late. The Nightmare Witch had already figured it out and was soon to be on her way. She stood by herself staring at a large rock formation on the horizon.

   "I guess it's just me now," she thought aloud. "Codium's dead. Blackbraid was carried out to sea. Even the ocean spirit's will have trouble finding her. Still I've been on my own more often than not with only my nightmares to comfort me. And soon enough there'll be nothing but nightmares." She headed off.

Shark-Fang continued to stare at the clear blue sky as if it would suddenly give him the answer. But all that happened was that his two brothers appeared standing over him.