Beneath the Waves (Ocean Song Book 1)

Chapter 22: Crisis in Aquaria

"Well do we know the Ram my Prince," she says softly as the Seer finds herself growing impatient with their incessant talking. "For the Ram is you and now you must rise up and fight to protect the Sea!"

"Are you quite done? I grow weary of your incessant talking," the Seer says with sheer boredom in her tone as she looks over a well-manicured hand. Calder grimaces as he quickly glances back at Serena and Rodion, who haven't a clue as to what they should do. For now it's best if I send them back. Bringing them here might not have been my brightest idea, he thinks regretfully as the Seer then turns her gaze to the two. "And you must be the other humans that Axensus failed to obtain! How interesting..." She mumbles as though she be aware of something that they know not of.

Calder scowls as he glares at her. Before anyone can say anything he does a quick hand motion and opens a portal behind the two fair-haired siblings. "Time for you two to go. Stay in Aquaria and do not leave the palace! Do you understand?" He asks quickly.

However, Serena isn't quite ready to be whisked away yet as her mind wanders back to what the Seer said. She had said the "other humans" which means that there are others like them that have fallen prey to the Ocean's Curse. "We understand but-"

"Good!" With that Calder thrusts them both through the portal as Rodion shouts out.

"Wait a second!" Though his words are quickly swallowed as the portal disperses in an array of green mist and bubbles.

"Now then, where were we?" Calder asks with a chilling smile as he turns back to the Seer with a deep-set fury blazing in his eyes...

-

"You two are back sooner than expected," Prince Oceanus says casually as he goes about the work on his desk with careful observation. A few stacks of papers are arranged neatly upon his desk, waiting for him to look over or approve. His right hand is in a constant state of movement as he gracefully guides a magical quill across the page of one the of many papers from the stack.

Serena and Rodion take a moment to gather themselves after the disruptive displacement of their current surroundings.

"Why is it he always sends us here?" Rodion asks in annoyance, clearly not happy with constantly being sent to the Prince's office. How much dislike could this man possibly hold for another person? This be a question Serena continues to ponder as she witnesses the interactions between the two.

"Believe me, I am not pleased to have you spontaneously appear in my study either," Prince Oceanus sighs as he lays the quill down and turns his full attention to the pair. "What, pray tell, are you doing back so soon? I was given to believe that you would be away for two days. Yet here you are a few meager hours after your sudden departure." His tone implies that he's less than enthused but his face maintains a visage of neutrality even though there is a displeased look in his eyes upon looking to Rodion.

Serena quickly swims forward as her mind abruptly does a three-sixty and returns to the cause of their sudden dispatch from Nautica. "Nerisia has fallen under attack by Proteus's forces!" She quickly exclaims as the Prince suddenly stands from his seat.

"Did something happen to the Ruby?" Prince Oceanus asks urgently as his neutral expression is quickly replaced with a stern one.

She shakes her head as Rodion steps in to continue for her in a less urgent manner. "Aries has been found but Calder sent us back here before we could see how the situation would play out. Before that he told us not to leave the palace, though I hardly think us any safer if Nerisia was so easily breached," he says disdainfully but Prince Oceanus cares not for his sharp tongue at this moment.