Ever After #7: Waves of Scales

Chapter 7.1 The Waves

NAKED SERCEANAS AND serceano crawled out of their broken tanks. The sharp edges of glass grazed their skin, they bled, but they were not bothered for their wounds quickly healed. Losing the seawater around them, their exposure to air triggered their transformation. They all jumped to the floor where they all morphed into humans in the most painful way. After a minute, they all stood, panting. Adjusting to the changes, they witnessed the commotion that was happening outside.

Just like the first to get out, they all extended their barbed stinger and stormed outside, attacking every guard or human in their way. There was blood everywhere: on the walls and ceiling, but mostly on the floor. Several guards were impaled and killed instantly, especially with the venom they excreted. On the other hand, some of the serceans were incapacitated by the bullets, just like Asceia, they lost consciousness and dropped to the floor. But their guns didn’t scare the serceans away from having their revenge.

From the storage room, Troy and Frejean listened to the screams, cries, gunfire, and other noises on the other side of the door. Stray bullets rained their door, leaving bullet holes. They instantly dropped to the floor and covered their head and ears. They kept their mouth shut. With the fear embracing them, all they heard were their hearts thumping and their heavy and short breaths. Until minutes later, the gunshots were replaced by silence.

Outside, along the corridor, the Curaceans sat beside their fallen people. They placed their palm on top of the wounds and started healing them by humming a song. Whereas the Senticians, Faunaceans, and Floraceans who were still fine and unscathed, connected their minds and discussed their next move.

“Go and sweep this place. Search every room and kill the humans,” said the Senticean who assumed control.

Everyone left, except for the Curaceans who continued to help heal the wounds and pull out the bullets of their people. The other families of serceans searched every room near the corridor. Screams of the humans were heard echoing everywhere when they were found; gunshots were fired, but still, no human stood a chance against them.

Troy and Frejean heard what was about to happen. One way or another, they knew they will be caught. They feared ending up like Cynthia, to die helplessly in the hands of these predators without being heard. Immediately, in the small window of time, they scrounge the storage room for anything they can use against the serceans. But unfortunately, there was no effective equipment inside that could protect them. Troy picked up one of the mops with the wooden handle and bent it using his left knee, until it broke into two, creating sharp ends. He gave the other half to Frejean and they both held on to it as if their lives depend on it.

A loud bang on the door spooked them, for a second Troy felt like his soul just exited his body and returned. The serceans were behind the door and pushing their way in. Troy positioned himself far from the door with his heart pounding like it was about to explode. He was hardly breathing. He doesn’t know what to do next. He knew what these serceans were capable of and it will be a miracle if he will not meet death today. Each second that passed by, the banging on the door kept getting louder and louder, and the metal rack that they used to block it was moved.

“We’re definitely going to die.”

“At least we did our best to help them.” Troy was losing his hope, but he kept his grip on the stick tighter.

“Can we still convince them?”

“I don’t know, ‘Jean---”

The door was ajar and the first serceano to come in pushed the metal rack and gave for the other two serceans to flood in. At that very moment, Troy’s life flashed right in front of his eyes. His mind went blank and he was about to fight back when a familiar voice stood among the chaos and halted the attack and death that was about to greet them. His eyes landed on the woman who was pushing the two serceano aside and looking back at him. She had brown eyes, straight and long black hair, and a lean body.

“L...Leyrosa?”

“Troy...” Leyrosa glanced at the serceans with her. “They’re good people. They’re friends.”

••°°••

NOT LONG, THE serceans lying on the floor covered in blood woke up and gathered back their strength. There were no signs of wounds on their body as they got up and joined the others on their hunt. Asceia, on the other hand, immediately looked for the presence of Troy and Frejean. As she reconnected with the minds of her people, through Leyrosa and the others, she saw them safe and unharmed.

“Sweep the bunker. Leave no human alive. As for Troy and Frejean, leave them alone. I’ll deal with them,” she telepathically ordered to every sercean in the bunker as she regained her control over them.

As her force was mobilized, she walked the corridor with several dead bodies of humans covered in blood. Until her path crossed with Troy and Frejean escorted by Leyrosa.

“Asceia. Thank God you’re safe,” Frejean said and greeted her with a genuine smile. Troy, beside her, also smiled in relief.

“Leave us and help the other,” she telepathically gave her orders to Leyrosa and the other two escorting serceano. They all nodded and leave the two humans with her. Her gaze shifted to Troy and Frejean. “I said stop looking for me, but here we are.”

“We were captured, Asceia.”

“My people are dangerous. Right now, they perceive humans as a threat. You were lucky when Leyrosa found you and not the others.”

“Asceia...” Troy glanced at Frejean for a second. “Cynthia was murdered by one of your people. I saw your kind heal the others, can they possibly heal Cynthia too? She could still be alive. We l...left her when your people started to attack.”

“I’m sorry but the healing ability of Curaceans is only limited to sercean biology. What they did to us earlier was just first aid, we need to get back to water immediately to fully heal ourselves.”