Twisted-Wonderland: Our Precious Treasure (Part 2)

(92) TMotDS: Beluga Sevruga, Come Winds of the Caspian Sea!

Before Floyd could say anything, Riddle pulled Jonah back even further than before. He should've guessed something like this might happen. There was just no way Azul would let them go as they pleased. There had to be something in their way. Sending the Leech Twins seemed like the most logical thing to do. The Leech Twins themselves were... Well, Riddle didn't know what to describe them. They had the same teal hair with black strands and dual-colored eyes. But now, both of them had slimy teal skin with freckles and white patches from their neck, down their abs, and from below their elbows. Their face was also pale with two stripes of facial markings underneath both of his eyes, the same marking could be found on their body as well. They also had a pair of fins on their ears and lower arm. To top it all, instead of a pair of legs, they had a long eel-tail.

Riddle gripped on his magical pen harder, the gems already glowing to prepare for an incoming attack. He knew the danger of facing these merfolks in their natural habitat. What actually surprised him was the nonexistent surprise from Jonah. He didn't even scream when Floyd suddenly appeared. Glancing back, he saw Jonah's eye darted in every direction cautiously. It was as if he couldn't see them.

["Hmm?" Azul blinked in surprise when he saw the eel pieces' color faded, turning into the same color as the paper of his book. What's wrong here? And why the captain wasn't gasping for air?]

"Riddle." Riddle felt Jonah gripped onto his blazer and pressed himself closer to him. If this was any other situation, Riddle would blush at the closeness, but unfortunately, now wasn't a good time. "Are they here?"

"Yeah," Riddle answered, voice just above a whisper for reassurance. He glanced behind him. "What's wrong?"

"I can't see them," Jonah whispered again, looking up slightly just to make sure Riddle saw his glazed green eye. "Side effect of the counter curse."

["Of course." Azul leaned back to his seat, hand ran down his face as he sighed. "Thinking ahead, are we now?"]

"Eh?" Floyd tiled his head to the side as he and Jade slowly swam around them. "What's with the no reaction?"

Riddle shifted their position and wrapped his arm around the smaller boy's shoulder to keep him close to his chest as he pointed his pen back-and-forth between the eel twins.

"Look, Baby Seal~ We have tails now~" Floyd tried again, flipping his tail and sent bubbles to the boys' face.

Jonah coughed from the surprise. "Tails?" he asked out loud, looking forward as if he was still able to see them. "But you're not like Savanaclaw. How come you have tails?"

"We drink a potion to change our forms for when we're above the water," Jade chimed in. "It would be very difficult to walk on land like this, you see?"

"Don't be so scared, Baby Seal and Goldfish~" Floyd swam closer, but Riddle pulled themselves back.

"I am NOT a goldfish!"

"Riddle." He felt Jonah pulled his vest. Looking down, he saw him still looking straight ahead, but he still whispered at him, "We need to run."

Riddle nodded slightly. He had no doubt he could memorize the exact pathway just in case they need to go through the same way. Looking around, trying to find a way to escape. He was sure with these legs the twins would catch them eventually. He needed to distract them somehow. Looking at the sand, he was a small patch of seaweed. That'll do.

Riddle shot out his magic toward the seaweed, enlarging it and turning it into a claw-like. The tweels didn't expect this. They were stunted when the seaweed captured them.