Shadows of the Herds

Chapter 3: Under The Sea

Under the glittering waves of the Horseshoe Bay, thousands of fish swam around the bay like thousands of tiny gem stones. On the seabed sat a glittering city that was made of coral and sea rocks. A grand wall surrounded the city, seashells marking the walls every few feet. Lying on top of the wall sat a Sea Horse, a mythical horse with the front half of a horse, and the back half of a fish, this one the color of beautiful sapphires, black stripes running down her back and at the bases of her legs and tail. She watched the dolphins swim out in the open sea, her mind wandering. Another sea horse, this one a deep green with darker green flecks, glared at her.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked, using a complicated system of hoof and tail movements.

The blue sea horse rolled her eyes, lifting off the wall and drifting lazily in the water, "Just looking..." She said, using the same system the other used.

"You KNOW you can't leave the city." He signed again.

"No one can..." She signed back, glaring at the guard before twisting around in the water and swimming back into the main city. The guard intercepted her, his eyes wide and worried.

"Seacrest, please!" He signed back, "You CAN'T break the rules, you KNOW the Queen is only trying to keep us safe!"

Seacrest rolled her eyes, "Kelp," She signed, "That's what the Queen THINKS." She signed.

A flurry of bubbles escaped Kelp's lips as he sighed, "Fine...I know, I know, Seacrest..." He signed, "You can't leave though...you know the rules."

She nodded, "I know, Kelp." She signed, "I won't leave, I promise."

Kelp nodded, a smile on his face, "Good." He signed back, his smile fading, "I don't want you to be thrown into prison..."

Seacrest looked at Kelp, "I won't be thrown into prison, Kelp..." She signed, "Because I'm not going to leave the walls of the city."

"Good." He signed back, "Besides, you know the stories of the..."

"Monsters?" She interrupted with a sign, "Yes, yes I know the stories."

Kelp raised an eyebrow, "You don't believe them?" He asked.

"No." She signed back, shaking her head, "If there really WAS a monster, don't you think it'd already attack the city?"

"I suppose..." He signed back.

She nodded, "Good, take my words to heart...let it fester in your mind...." She signed back with a smirk.

Kelp nudged her with a smile, "So I can leave you alone?" He signed, "You're not just going to swim away?"

She rolled her eyes, "Nah, I'm fine." She signed, putting on a smile.

Kelp simply nodded, swimming away.

Seacrest looked behind her to the open sea, watching as the dolphins swam away, 'I promise...' She thought, swimming back to the main city.