Flames reached up through the night sky. Their heat rivals that of the night's chill. Floosh! Another wave of heat burst from the flames. The charred remains of the hovercraft, glowed a sickly orange. A whistle, sharp and clear, cut through the air. Eileen's head turned in time to see turtles shifting through the water.
Their flippers propelled them through the water. Smaller waves grew larger as their speed increased more and more. A sharp cry burst free from the mass as one of the turtles turned sharply. A tidal wave washed up onto the beach, suffocating the fire instantly.
Black remains seeped through the hovercraft. Eileen stepped forward. How...She couldn't finish the thought. As the water pulled back, their waves left a small silver device on the beach's shore.Movement snapped her gaze to Ursus. "No," he whispered. "No!" Eileen raced behind him as he closed the distance to the watch. "Pavel!" He shot to his feet. "Pavel, where are you?"
"Pavel!" He screamed. Eileen grabbed his shoulder. "Ursus, I think..." She trailed off. Ursus's grip on the watch tightened. "I never should have pushed him away. I never..."
She cupped his face. "Hey, we're going to find them ok?" She didn't waver at his fears. "We're going to find them."
"There's no telling how far ahead she is." Donovan stepped up to them. "But if there is a chance she just set off the explosion then you two might be able to catch up once we get the turtles feeling better." Donovan nodded to one of the dark turtles near them. "Navvin will be able to take you."
"We still need to get the bacteria from the thermal vent near the plesiosaur's cave." Eileen gestured to her and Ursus. "And we're not Acerons, we can't go in the water."
"Not without protection no." Their heads turned to Asuria. She held up her hand. Eileen recoiled at the giant snail the size of her hand. What is with these people and giant insects? "This snail creates a slime that counters the water's acidity. It's not permanent though, so you two would have to be quick."
"Ursus, you and I can dive down and distract the plesiosaur while Asuria and Eileen head inside and get the bacteria."
Asuria nodded. "We'll stay close just in case we need to get out of there quickly. Plesiosaurs are smart though. It won't be long before they realize that someone is in their home."
Eileen glanced at Ursus. "What do you think?" Think we can do it?
Ursus shook his head. "We don't really have a choice but I want you to take my blaster just in case." Right. She should be able to shoot it now. She bit back a sigh. Hopefully, I won't need it in the end.
****
"I am going to need a bath after this," Eileen groaned. She spread her fingers out, nearly gaging the thick mucus membrane that stretched between them. A glance at Ursus revealing she wasn't the only one unnerved by the thickness of the mucus. "I really am getting sick of these insects!" Eileen stressed. Her hand pressed against the giant turtle's shell.
"Easy there, Navvin." Donovan scolded. The giant turtle snorted in reply. As his fingers slowed, the gray water around them stilled. Her gaze snapped up to Asuria who held the snail around her neck. "Now for the face."
"Ugh!" Eileen groaned. "Do we have to?" Her stomach churned as Asuria gathered up a nice giant ball of slime. "It'll protect your eyes and allow you to create a bubble of oxygen to breathe from. Now, hold out your hands." Eileen closed her eyes as she stuck her hands out. The chill of the slime shot through her body. She recoiled. "Ugh!"
You can do this. You can do this. Just imagine it's another day at work. She inhaled. Three, two, one...Slop! The mucus was like glue as she rubbed it across her face. "Make sure you rub it well." Fighting the urge to gag, Eileen opened her eyes. The mucus pulled at her eyelids, creating a weird goggles-like effect.
A splash sounded before she followed Ursus underneath. Her eyes widened as her lungs inhaled oxygen. The bubble on her lips grew with each breath. Alright, Eileen, don't hyperventilate. Stay calm and you won't use up all your air. A soft blue glow came into her field of vision before arms wrapped around her waist.
Asuria propelled them deeper and deeper into the ocean's depths. Eileen's hands reached out. The water was there, she could feel it around her, but it was thicker than the water back home. This feels like...jello. She frowned. Is that why there's hardly any pressure here?
A click cut through the water. Eileen's eyes widened as the ground around them burst to life. Plants glowed and fishes darted away as Asuria released another click. Eileen couldn't stop her gasp of awe. Real life sonogram.
The ground glowed again, this time illuminating the cave up ahead. Stalactites hung from the top, illuminating a dark red at Asuria's click. Entering, they followed the trail of red toward a crack in the ground.
The bacteria! Eileen kicked toward the crack. The warmth of the water drew her in closer. Her hands reached for the bacteria with one hand and the tube in the other. I just need to get...
A cry, loud and pained, echoed throughout the water. Eileen's gaze snapped to the sound. Asuria's body glowed a dark red before she took off. "Wait, where are you-" She was gone in a blink.
"Asu-" A roar ripped through her words. She knew what it was from the sound alone. The plesiosaurs. Her gaze snapped back to the bacteria. She scooped some into the tub and screwed it tight. Now, I just need...
Crack. Her gaze snapped to the rock. Crack. It shuddered. Crack! Her gaze snapped to the cave's opening. A sharp shape was approaching fast. Oh no. Frantic eyes snapped for a hiding place. Where...where....
Seaweed, long and pink reached toward her. Eileen's eyes widened. "Perfect!" With a grunt, she swam toward the long plants. They wrapped around her, rubbing against her legs and limbs. Her jaw clenched. Augh!
A growl rumbled through the cave's darkness. The creature's back arched, its head turned to examine its home carefully. Large fins kept it hovering in the water while the giant reptile's lips curled, exposing sharp fangs.
Eileen's jaw clenched tighter. A tingling sensation pricked her skin where kelp met flesh. With a roar, its tail slashed through the air, crashing into rocks as it dove deeper in. Eileen yelped. She kicked her legs as the rocks dropped toward her, forcing her forward at impact. With a powerful kick, she shot toward the light.
Faster! Faster! Faster! She kicked her legs, straining against the current pulling her back into the cave. A roar echoed behind her. Looking over her shoulder, Eileen's eyes widened at the dark shadow gaining. I'm not going to make it. Her eyes snapped up toward the cave entrance. At the sight of the rock, the Lumanora cave came rushing back.
Her hand gripped her blaster. Ready, aim...Her thumb slammed the button. A beam of green light shot out, knocking her back from force alone. Whoa, whoa, whoa! Sky and ground spun around and around. Whoa, whoa... Flaring her arms, she quickly corrected her. Her eyes snapped up to see the block entrance.
"Eileen!"
She turned her head. Ursus swamped toward her. His skin glowed a bright gray in the water's light. "Are you alright?" His gaze snapped to the cave. Instantly, his eyes widened. "You did it." They snapped back to her. "You did it!"
A squeal left her lips as he spun her around. "I knew you could do it." Eileen's smile faltered when his hand brushed against her arm. "Augh!" She cried. Pulling away, her skin was an angry red where the kelp rubbed the mucus off.
"Oh no." Ursus's arms wrapped around her. "We need to get to the surface now." She leaned into his touch as he kicked off through the ocean. Close and closer, they rushed toward the surface until they burst through, earning gasps.
"You made it!" Asuria cried. She smiled. "I'm so glad."
Yeah, no thanks to- She swallowed the remark. Donovan leaned against Navvin's neck. Blood dripped from a deep gasp across his arm. "You're hurt." She swam to his side instantly.
"I'm fine." He sighed. He glanced at her. "You got the bacteria?" Eileen nodded. "Good, now we can create the ointment the turtles need." Grabbing her waist, Ursus helped her back onto the turtle's shell. Her jaw clenched at the pain that raced up her arm.
"You were underwater too long." Donovan frowned. "It burned your skin."
"I'll be fine." She remarked. "We need to head after them."
With a thud, Ursus sat beside her. His hand grabbed her arm. "We'll just have to be more careful from now on." His gaze met hers. "Right?"
"Yeah." She nodded. "We're going to get Pavel back."
And then we're finally going to prevent this new war, once and for all.