B1~ Keeper of the Seas (BxB)

Chapter 9

~ Noel ~

Patience hasn't always come easy to me.

When I was younger, I used to get scolded for letting my impatience get the better of me. And as I watch Tide fidgeting nervously my interest for what he is about to divulge to me peaks. An impulse to speed Tide along falls on me, but I refuse to give into it. I want him to be able tell me without any pressure.

"My," he starts. "My brothers and I have been around since the beginning of the Earth." He says. I frown.

"I don't understand. How is that possible?" I interrupt. Tide crosses his legs and turns to face me.

"We were created with the Earth to protect our domains, or the source of our power. We don't age or die unless our domains are severely threatened or extinguished." Tide answers and I nod slowly. "Our domains are that of water, air, fire, nature, and darkness. As you can probably guess, my domain is water."

"If you and your brothers are so powerful, why haven't I ever heard of you before now?" I ask, confused. Tide smiles bitterly.

"The ancestors of the human race thought we were too powerful, and feared we would one day turn on them and take over as rulers of this planet. Because of this fear, the humans devised a plan to turn on us at a fake festival. They succeeded in putting a spell on us for us to sleep forever. So, here we are. Eons later, humans have delivered a deadly blow to the Earth and history has forgotten our existence." Tide concludes gloomily.

"If they put a spell on you to make you sleep forever, how are you awake?" I wonder, barely believing his words. This all sounds like it should be in some fiction novel.

"When the pollution breached my bubble of clean water, my original purpose broke the spell; allowing me to finally awaken." Tide explains as if it's obvious.

"Wait. If your domain is the water, why did you have a tail? Do you actually need it?" I question.

"I guess in all honesty, I don't need it, but I enjoy using it when I'm given the chance. Having the tail is one of the perks of having a peice of the soul of the sea running through my veins, I suppose." Tide says, shrugging. I hum lowly in understanding. We don't speak for a few moments while I struggle to completely grasp Tide's words.

"So," I break the silence when I come up with another question. Tide looks up at me and I'm once again stunned by the beauty of his eyes. I shake my head, in an attempt to disperse those thoughts for the time being. "What are your brothers like?" Tide smiles, successfully adding to his beauty.

"Hemlock, or the protector of nature, is the peacekeeper. He didn't really talk to the humans unless they were harming his domain. He's usually calm and relaxed, but when he is provoked, disaster follows close behind him. Cyclone, or the protector of the air, is the drama queen. He tends to take everything seriously which has been the cause of many conflicts in the past. Inferno, protector of fire, is the childish one. He cannot, for the life of him sit still. He's mischievous and likes pulling pranks on Draculus, who's the protector of darkness. Draculus is the quiet one. He tends to keep to himself and only talk when it's absolutely necessary." Tide's voice gets quiet towards the end, and he looks down at his hands. A frown shapes his lips as he seems to be momentarily lost in his thoughts.

He clears his throat after a moment or two; looking back up before speaking again. "So, will you help me find them?"

"What makes you think they aren't awake?" I ask. Tide takes a moment to think before responding.

"The only one who might already be awake is Inferno, because the rest of my siblings would make sure the humans were reminded of us." Tide says. I sigh.

"If I was in your position, I'd want to find them too, so I'll go talk to my boss about letting you out and you decide who we should look for first." I say before standing and walking out of the room. Emerson and Jeremy are waiting right outside and when I step out of the room they both stand with matching expectant looks on their faces. I make sure to shut the door before turning my full attention to them.

"I'm taking him back." I state. I cross my arms; expecting Jeremy to object. Surprisingly, he doesn't protest right away. He seems to actually consider my statement. It doesn't really matter if he disagrees though. It wasn't a question.

"Okay. I'll let you take him without firing you if he agrees to willingly participate in a few tests that will help us understand his skeletal system." Jeremy negotiates. I open the door and poke my head in.

"Tide," I say and his gaze flickers to me. "They want to do a few tests before we leave, is that okay?" Tide hesitates before shrugging lightly. I nod, close the door, and inform Jeremy of Tide's decision. Jeremy's face lights up in an excited grin.

"Cool. We'll go get our supplies." He says before gesturing to Emerson and leaving the room. Emerson stands and leaves the room without a word, and I take a deep breath in the now empty room.

I stay there for a few more moments before turning and walking back into the room. I close the door and sit next to Tide again. His beautiful irises meet mine and I smile. "So who are we going to find first?"

"I want to find Hemlock first." He says, a small smile gracing his lips. The urge to kiss those lips washes over me and almost drowns me. But, I manage to hold myself back.

Patience, Noel. The time will come.