The Little Merman

Chapter Ten: "Poor Unfortunate Soul"

Flotsam and Jetsam led Nate out to the barrens at a slow pace. Nate had never been this far away from the Trench Kingdom and he was bit nervous. As angry and heartbroken as he was, there was something in his gut trying to resist going through with this. He ignored the feeling to keep going though. When the moray eels stopped over what looked like a foggy layer of sand, he gave them a confused look. There was nothing here for miles in all directions. Flotsam and Jetsam smirked to each other, then turned to swim down into the foggy cover. Mark hesitated, telling him softly. "Nate... I don't like this..." Nate squeezed Mark's hand to comfort him, then followed them down. The sandy fog felt weird against his skin. Unlike the water above that was cold, this water transitioned into warm water. The water down here bubbled up from holes in the sea floor far below them within a vast rocky cavern maze. The walls of the cavern rose to the foggy stop, making it impossible to see over with all the bubbles that appeared to make the sandy fog. Flotsam and Jetsam, beckoned them with their long tails, distortedly saying in unison. "This way, little prince. Wouldn't want you to get lost down here."

The cavern walls were massive. It could easily hold a whale or two within it. Which made navigating this giant maze a nightmare. Mark jerked to a stop to point down at the sea floor of the maze, where skeletons of all species were. Including merfolk. Nate swallowed but tried to keep up with the eels. While Mark whispered to him uneasily. "I've heard of this place... It's the Serpentine's maze. Home to a sea monster..." Flotsam looked back, cooing out casually. "She was no such thing. She was a threat to Triton and nothing more." Mark pointed to the skeletons scattered across the floor, snapping out. "Ya? And what are those?" Jetsam snickered before answering innocently. "She had to eat. As do you. Don't judge so harshly." Mark snorted with distaste in response. While they made their way through the maze, Flotsam and Jetsam regaled to Nate in soft calming tone of voices. "This used to be home to many of Ursel's friends. Moray eels like ourselves and merfolk like Ursel. All of the made through Ursel's power to live our lives reborn. We were happy. Ursel's greatest creation was the Serpentine. The largest Moray Eel to ever live. A guardian. But Triton couldn't handle the competition. And destroyed all but us..."

Mark hissed, then shot out bitterly. "And where is the part where Ursel tried to attack the Trench Kingdom with those 'friends' of his? Where is the part where he kidnapped Merfolk and trapped them in this maze for his 'guardian' to feast upon for sport!" Flotsam stopped, coiling around like a sea snake to face Mark as he hissed back. "You weren't there! You have no right to say shit. All your facts are based on the words from only one side of the war!" Flotsam hissed again in anger, then coiled back around to lead them out into the center of the maze. The center mystified Nate. It was a large open area with the skeletal remains of a monstrous creature that he'd never seen the likes of. It had the body of a massive moray eel with a strange coral like spine that rose high above the rest of its body like a wide dorsal fin of a shark. Around the remains, the water bubbled from heated vents, giving the creatures lair a frightening ambience. This had to be the Serpentine. The moray eels started toward the massive open jaws that were glowing with a faint purple light from within. Mark gasped, then said shakily. "Oh, great Poseidon... That thing is... Even dead, It's frightening."

Nate could feel his own instincts telling him to run from it even though it was dead. His primal nature telling him it was an unnaturally large predator. Beside him, Mark shook a little, tugging on Nate's hand as he pleaded to him. "Nate, please? We shouldn't be here. Something is wrong. Can't you feel it?" Nate nodded, but told Mark in a calm defiant tone. "Ya... but I'm not going back. Not yet. Flotsam is right. I wanna learn both sides of the story..." Mark grabbed Nate by the shoulders, telling him seriously. "Nate, listen to me. I'm begging you! Ursel might not tell you the truth! He might lie just to get your guard down! You can't trust him!" Nate locked eyes with Mark, saying firmly. "You don't know that. And besides... If I'm like him... I wanna know why." Mark shook his head, warning him just as firmly. "This is not the way to find out. You don't know ANYTHING about him. Nate, he killed your aunts to gain power! He hates Triton and you are Triton's SON! His only son! You can't do this!"