Loyal Riptide

Chapter 2

Asa swam ahead of Kaiyu, anticipation rolling through her stomach as they neared the front gates leading out of the kingdom. Never in her life has she step foot outside the kingdom she was supposed to rule one day and now the opportunity presented itself. She wonders if she'll meet any humans or merpeople even, or maybe-

"Asa wait." Kaiyu hissed at her, clenching his fist around the collar of her jacket and pulling her back towards him. "What are you doing? Freedom is right there!" Asa cursed, pulling herself out of Kaiyu's grip. He pointed towards the surface and then to the bottom of the lagoon. Several guards were positioned both on the sea floor and on the surface at the gate. 

"Damn." Asa muttered, recoiling backwards and heaving herself from the water to slump on a ruined bell house long ago abandoned. Kaiyu joined her, sitting on the cool bricks. They didn't speak for a few minutes as they thought up a plan to freedom or if they should just accept defeat and go home to the stuffy palace. Asa and Kaiyu always seemed to have these quiet moments together where they just sit and don't mutter a breath of air. This wasn't anything different, this situation. When they were children they would plan on completing something only to have some sort of road block or have it fail completely, they then would spend some time just sitting.

"Ah! I know what!" Kaiyu suddenly called out,  heaving himself back into the water. "What did you figure out?" Asa replied, sliding herself off the brick wall and into the lagoon. "You remember that one tunnel that the rookie guards used to quickly get from the training camp to the outside? Well, they should be all outside by now leaving the tunnel open for us to sneak out." He explained as they swam a bit faster from the realization that the sun is now setting rather quickly.

They took the underwater tunnel short cut that connected the central lagoon to the different districts in hopes of not running into anybody that would tattle on their parents. The two arrived in market district where everyone did their shopping and selling. Launching themselves from the water they made a bolt through the now empty market square with the market vendor's and shop's windows and shutter closed. Nearing some stairs Asa began to wonder why Kaiyu even agreed to come with her. He was always scared to do anything that remotely hurt him or get his mother involved. But maybe since he got his pistols he had this new sense of protection and confidence and she shouldn't meddle with his pride. Not yet at least.

After ascending the never ending stair case through the darkness blanketed forest they finally reached the tunnel Kaiyu mentioned before. "See? I told you it would be here! Now let's just hope nobody comes waltzing through her, too." Kaiyu cheered, making his pace faster leaving it difficult for Asa to keep up. 

The tunnel was quite large to be a supposed "secret" tunnel with its tall rock ceiling and a grey brick pathway that was dimly lit with small lanterns perched on the odd edged bit of rock. They followed the path that led down a hill and Asa could barely see the light at the end of the tunnel. As they walked she began to worry more that she thought things over.

What if they ran into a sea monster that were the stuff of legends? What would happen to them if they couldn't find their way back home? None of the children of the kingdom has ever step foot outside these walls, so what is there to expect of the outside world?

The end of tunnel revealed the bright moonlight half hidden behind translucent grey clouds and a wide expanding ocean that she could see stretched on for miles. Multiple islands with many rolling grassy hills lined like a connect the dots throughout the expansive cove that covered the kingdom from prying eyes. Stone towers loomed over some of these islands with stairs leading up to bright lights, leading wandering ships home. Asa didn't realize she wasn't breathing until Kaiyu tugged on her shoulder.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He spoke softly, mesmerized by the picture perfect views before them. "My older brother told me about a water fall that overlooked the merpeople kingdom. Let's check that out." Asa hesitated, gripping her trident leaving her knuckles white. "The merpeople? We were told to stay away from them. What if we get into trouble with them?" She questioned, following Kaiyu even if her heart told her not to. She has never seen a mermaid or merman before and is curious as any other kid about it, but she also knows about the danger lurking beneath the race's perfect bodies and smiles.

They dived beneath the waters and Asa's eyes darted between the same plants and sea life she would normally see in the kingdom. How boring, she thought, what happened to all the different things she expected to see? From under the water it seemed as if the ocean just ended. Like the water seemed to drop off into nothingness. She stopped herself but her body moved on its own. Before she knew what was happening it was too late.

"Kaiyu! The current!" She screamed, trying desperately to swim away from the center of the force. Kaiyu's look of utter terror cut through her eyes and he was then pulled towards the ending ocean. She couldn't hear his screams as he fell down and down until she couldn't see his grassy hair anymore. Her heart pounded when her body moved towards the edge of world and she followed Kaiyu down the ending edge of the world.