Secrets Beyond - The Beginning (a Tangled the series original fan fiction)

True Sirens - Chapter 19

Iris took one look at the cover of her new treasure and showed it to Varian who looked up at her with the same astonishment as her, they were clearly thinking the same thing. "Hey Chess??..." Iris asked, looking over into the other boat where the vampire sat, grooming his mare. "Hmm?" He hummed, combing the horse's silky mane. "Uh, do you know Ethan Brightblood???" She asked carefully, watching as he stopped dead in his movements upon hearing the name. He didn't move for a few moments, "H- How'd you know my grandfather's name??..." He asked, slowly looking over with an expression consisting of a strange mix between horrified, curious, and sorrowful.

The young couple flashed each other an even more intrigued look, their desire for knowledge on the subject burning at their chests. "We found his journal... With the-...." Iris couldn't finish. "With the dead people stuff..." The alchemist finished for her, gently grabbing the leather bound book from her and handing it to the eager blood sucker. "He-...." The vampire couldn't even finish choking out his thoughts. 'grandfather was killed by those- no, even in his thoughts, he would keep his language clean... even to scum like those gremlins... ' He had gone missing many years ago only five years after he and his grandma had had Chess's father... but the fact that he not only had proof that he was killed but by the very same people who had attempted to end him made him upset. "I can't believe he was a guardian...." He finally managed, whispering softly as he took the book into his rough hands, flipping the pages.

The younger two looked at each other again, unsure how to proceed with things, then Iris started softly, "Chess I'm so so-"

THUMP!

Something hit the boat, and hard. Chess looked up as the other three's craft began to rock from the force of whatever had hit them. "What was that!?" Varian cried, gripping the edge of the boat, Iris did the same, shaking her head, "I- I don't know!!" She responded, sounding just as frightened and unsure as him. Ashton didn't say anything but he too was clearly startled as he began looking down into the swirling waters, looking for some sort of clue. And that was his mistake.

In one clean and swift motion, an unknown being lunged from the churning and whirling depths, grabbing Ashton by the shoulders and pulling him forward into the raging waves... Everyone there only had a mere second to come to terms with what was happening, but everyone's faces lit up with horror and fear as everything seemed to pass them by in slow motion; the sight of their friend being dragged away by some sort of giant water demon flashing before them as they remained helpless to stop it.

Before anyone could say or do anything, Iris lunged after him, wrapping her hands around his ankle quickly, preventing the dark forest spirit from being dragged below. The webbed hands that gripped at him quickly released upon the realization that they would not be taking him down with it.

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" Ashton finally cried out, finding himself shaken by the encounter. "I don't know!" Iris responded, her and Varian wasting no time in deftly pulling him back into the vessel. "Think whatever it was is gone?!" Varian asked as he turned to look over the edge, being careful not to put himself in reach. "Maybe!?" Chess responded, and now he too was on his knees, not daring to stand as it may set his boat off balance.

Alas they spoke too soon...

With more force than before something hit Chess's boat, almost flinging him right out of it. He cried out as he gripped the edges, startled. "Are you okay!?" Iris called to him, the boats now a good distance apart. "For now!" He yelled back, not wanting to jinx things. Crack! The sound of the wood of the ship denting was sickeningly loud despite the muffling effects of the rushing water. The fae, chemist, and mermaid all cried out and latched onto the boat for dear life, Varian protecting his raccoon in his arms, as the boat nearly flipped. Chess was able to make out a large fishlike tail that glinted briefly before the creature took to the water once more. "HEY! IRIS!" He called desperately over the adrenaline in their ears amongst the loud ringing created by the river flow.