Jal main Kahin (Somewhere in the Sea)

Chapter 19

The fish and the corals started to hide in their homes. "Honey, you have to hide now! They're after you!", said flower pot. Marjan frightfully hid beneath the reefs.

"Come out, come out where ever you are princess.", said one of the sirens. She was holding a spear head. "Come out and play. We're not gonna hurt you". "Yeah our leader wants to see you. She says that you'll be an excellent guest for her", said another. They were approaching the place where Marjan was hiding. She was holding still. "Infidels! Filth! Get away from our homes!", Oldie shouted at the sirens. "Oh shut up you old twig!", snapped back the siren. "Don't you wanna meet your sister, princess? She's getting lonely with us", said one siren. "She's practically starving. She said she won't eat until she sees her baby sister". "Yeah the dungeons are the bit sad with just one mermaid in it" and then they all cackled loudly.

"And don't try to use any of your fancy powers! We know all about them now. Thanks to Miss Perfect Princess back home". Marjan was beyond shocked. So its true. The sirens do have her sister. They're the ones behind all this. She has to do something. But what?

"You need to go now, Marjan", said a voice and she saw Rio beside her. "You can't fight them. They're too powerful. You go on. We'll hold them off". "But they'll destroy everything here", replied Marjan. "We'll be fine. It's you they want", said Rio. "But I can't leave you here to suffer, it's not right!", pleaded Marjan. "I'll use my powers to ward them off". "That won't help you now. They know about your powers and they know how to counter it. You have to leave now". After protesting, Marjan finally agreed. "Good, now here's the plan..."

"I think I know you where you are!", said one of the sirens as she approached the coral bed. "I see you", she said in a maddening voice. All the sirens gathered around her and closed in. She reached in between the crevice, "Now you're mine, you litt- AAAHHH!" She withdraw her hand as she was bitten by Rio who leapt out and started attacking them. "NOW!", shouted the flower pot and all the corals let out their stingers and started attacking the sirens. The other eels who were hiding underneath came out and started to bite at their hands. Sea urchins pierced their tails and the fish swam around the sirens to distract them. "Aaahh! What's going on?" "I can't see", shouted the sirens as they started to attack blindly. "Come out princess or they'll all die!", the largest of the siren shouted.

Marjan came out of her hiding and swam up to help them. Rio blocked her. "Go now!", Rio shouted. "But-", Marjan shouted. "There you are!", said one of the sirens. "She's here! She's here!", directing the attention of the group who was still struggling with the attack. Rio pushed Marjan back with his tail. "Leave now!", he shouted and Marjan turned and swam away in the opposite direction. "Oh no, you don't", said one of the sirens and she pursued Marjan. She was on her tail when Rio jumped in and bit her and wrapped himself around the siren's hand. "Go...GO!!", he shouted as the siren struggled to ward him off.

Marjan swam as fast as she could. She swam and swam and didn't look back. She was devastated. The sirens have kidnapped her sister and kept her locked in. And they're using her powers to cause all the attacks. And now the reef was attacked by those sirens who were after her. She was on the verge of tears. She stopped and looked around. She had come a long way from the reef and the island in general. She was heading towards the shore. She found a rock formation where she hid. She was crying out for everyone, her parents, her sister, the coral reefs. "It's all my fault! It's all my fault! Help someone please!", she cried out.

Well, what a waste this was!", said the lead siren to the others. "What will we tell Madam Roohar now, Tempus?, said another frightfully. "We'll just send you to deal with her", the lead siren said to her. "After all, we did manage to destroy her home. She can't be far ahead. So spread out!", Tempus said and then they all headed out to find Marjan leaving behind a destroyed reef with dead fish and broken corals. Among them was a broken sea fan, a severed flower pot and a butchered moray eel.