Silver Waves

Twenty

The moon began to peek into the sky moments after the sun had disappeared under the opposite horizon, the cue for the Tribe to set their plan in motion. Ren and Lena came back from being afield, a legion of sharks and predatory fish trailing them. Makos, tiger sharks, black and white tipped reef sharks, and hammerheads circled hungrily around barracudas and other aggressive fish. Nami even saw a couple of immense great whites among the lot, their heavily scarred skins and huge, tooth-filled mouths warning other predators to keep well away.

The Tribe gathered in a loose huddle, and each whispered thanks to Eana for their lives thus far, and pleaded with Nyt to protect them as they fought. They praised Ame for their new powers and forms that would enable them to do battle with the pirates and, hopefully, end their scourge upon the seas and islands of Oxanth.

After their prayers, the Mek looked to Nami for directions. She took charge, feeling powerful surrounded by her friends and terrifying creatures of the ocean that were docile only for her and her group. She had so many things that she wished to say to these Mek, the sisters that had stood beside her during the long month of discovery and training, the family that she was so connected to; but if she had begun to express her gratitude, she wouldn't have been able to name everything before the pirates staged their coup. Instead, she held out her arms.

The group pressed in, nine strong, scarred young women who were connected through fear and love, trauma and safety, strength and resilience. They shared a silent moment, drifting serenely in the dark waves, reminded of the first time they had risen to the surface with new bodies and only each other to cling to.

They all knew, somehow, when it was time to let go. They disentangled their arms and tails, wiping away tears and taking deep, calming breaths. Nami drifted to the front of the group, gesturing for Kaia, Raina, and Dalma to join her. She motioned to Sprigg, who slipped silently under the waves beside Sen, Oona, Ren, and Lena, leading them and the battalion of ocean predators towards the still-anchored Silver Wave.

Nami watched them depart, staring until she couldn't see them any more. They had orders to begin placing the glowing objects that Sen had created, but were not to attack until Nami signaled. After a minute or two had passed, Nami nodded to her small group, and they slipped under the waves without so much as a ripple, making their way towards the ship and their corsair enemies.

-

When Nami's team neared the ship, floating in about thirty feet of usually-dark water, they saw immediately that Sen had gone above and beyond what they had expected. From yards away, Nami could see the bright, sky-blue, alien glow surrounding the huge vessel. Hundreds of seashells, stones, and pieces of ocean debris shone with bioluminescence, and, somehow, Sen had even made the sand underneath the vessel glitter with millions of tiny blue specks. Kaia pointed to the shadows below the ship, and Nami searched them with her keen, night-adapted eyes, spotting Sen lurking under the hull with the rest of her group beside her.

The sunborn girl motioned to Nami and her crew, ushering them over into the shade of the watercraft with frantic, come-hither gestures. As the other half of the Tribe arrived under the ship, Sen raised a finger to her lips, and Ren giggled, sending bubbles twirling to the surface. Oona, Lena, and Sprigg were grinning, their pointed teeth bright in the blue light, and pointing upwards. Curious, Nami stopped moving, perking her ears and listening for any sounds from above.

Angry half-shouts, half-whispers were drifting through the water, detected by the Tribe's keen hearing. Suspicious grumbles from the pirates were shot through with undercurrents of apprehension. Sen had done her job admirably, and the men aboard the ship were already beginning to feel uneasy and confused.