The Silver Scales

The Silver Scales Chapter 6

The Eleventh Tribe?

Deep below the surface of the ocean, past the midnight zone. Far into the trenches and the abyss.

A strange-looking, one might say deformed and mutated, Seawing swims through the pitch black of the abyss. Floating around other members of his tribe he makes his way to the palace that they carved straight out of the underwater trench sides. His milky white eyes were useless now that he and his tribe had spent nearly 2,000 years under the water where the light could not reach. But they had developed other methods. He and his tribes strengthened and bigger muscles and bones were doing their job to keep him from crushing under the weight of the water.

Using a form of echolocation he works his way through the palace, heading for the queen. Not waiting to be introduced he burst through the giant stone doors. Carved in the gates were many depictions and decorations from kelp to whales to even the strange yeti crab.

The Queen was sitting on a stone throne that was carved with waves and a maelstrom carved into the stone above her head. "You are to wait to be introduced, regardless of your status as my son." She said, however, the speech sounded like a mix of the sounds dolphins and whales make when they communicate. "I apologize, mother," The prince said back. "But I have come with concerning reports of the surface dwellers." He said approaching the throne, he gave a low bow to show the respect the Queen deserves.

Her milky white eyes grew angry. "And what have the corrupt surfacer queens done now?" She snarled, her tail whipping in the water angrily. "They seem to have a meeting every so often, to meet underneath a mountain. From what I can tell they just talk. They have even built a school for all the seven tribes of Pyrrhia to meet and keep their peace after the war." He explained, catching the Queen off guard.

She goes silent for a long moment. Thinking about the prophecy Soothsayer had given them all those years ago. Was it finally arriving? Was the prophecy about to be fulfilled? She didn't know, but she was not sure if this was going to last. Even after everything the tribes continue to fight with one another, and within their tribes, about the smallest of things that should not even become an issue.

"Mmmm... tell our watchers to keep observing. We need more information before we risk exposing ourselves." She said, "With all due respect to your majesty." The prince said, frowning at the queen. "Why do we wait if they are making peace? There are some arguments, yes but none of them have any form of corruption or ill will. They are mainly things that happened thousands of years ago or just simple land disputes."

The queen's sides puffed up, filling with air she gathered from the water and released in two powerful streams. Like that of an octopus or squid, and was in front of her son within seconds. "I gave you an order. Follow it. I decide when we will make ourselves known." She said her echolocation letting her see her son's face and body's reactions to her anger. Much more advanced than a dolphin, it allows her tribe to see every detail they want to see, rather than small blurry shapes. She could even see the scar across his right eye because of a fight with a colossal squid.

"Yes, Your Majesty." He said with a tip of his head. Just as she was turning away he decided to get one last remark in. "But we also must be willing to let ourselves go to them and FIND the dragoness with the same powers as Soothsayer if we are to be reintroduced." Causing the queen to whip around again. "I have made my decision, Abyss, now GO." She demands, not earning even a flinch from the prince.

"Yes, Queen Maelstrom." He said before swimming away to alert The Watchers. "You know he is right." Her chief advisor said, watching the queen get back on her throne. "I am aware." She replied, looking at him. "And that is why he will make a great King one day." Maelstrom smiled softly. "He can already make a valid analysis of the situations we are in. What is the next order of business?"

~~~~Back on the Surface~~~~

Abyss finished informing the last Watcher, who was surveying the Jade Mountain academy for any signs of favoritism or another form of favoring one tribe over the other. "Do any of them exhibit the signs of Soothsayer?" Abyss asked the Watcher. "One does, but I have not been heard within her thoughts. There are two others, one does not exhibit mind reading. The last one, a hybrid of night and sand, has both." He informed his prince.

"Mmmmm... Thank you." He said diving back into the water, but he paused when out of sight, looking up at the mountain for a long moment. He was tempted to get out and find this hybrid. But he knew that would cost him with his mother, he had his orders. But he also knew she wasn't doing the right thing.

So he takes a deep breath and becomes the First Abyssalwing to step foot on dry land in nearly two thousand years.