Beneath the Waves (Ocean Song Book 1)

*UPDATED* Chapter 13: Cascata

Serena fixes Calder with a look of confusion. What the hell is an "Ocean's Curse"?

"What the hell is that?" Rodion asks bluntly and Serena just wants to smack in the head. How is it that the man can say aloud what she's thinking when she doesn't want him to, but any other time he stays silent?

"The Sea Goddess was hardly pleased with the behavior of the sirens but she was most displeased with Proteus, who had been leading a rebellion against the humans.

"Many humans were killed and none spared. Women, children and the elderly were all killed in the most brutal of ways." The book's image changes to that of a single merman with glowing red eyes and a black trident with a sinister appearance surrounded by the mangled bodies of his victims.

"To save the humans, the Sea Goddess invoked a forbidden curse." Calder's gaze darkens as a human silhouette takes the place of the merman. "Those who heard the song would henceforth become mer upon drowning."

Serena interrupts. "Why must they drown first? Couldn't they have become a mer simply by entering the water?"

Calder shakes his head. The human silhouette engages in the act of drowning before it transforms.

"Think of it as one life coming to an end which would give rise to a new one."

"So we basically died then?" Rodion shouts—his arm caught in Serena's grasp to prevent him from acting on his anger.

Calder, however, isn't the least bit fazed. "In a sense, yes," he replies casually.

Serena's blood runs cold as she goes rigid. "So, there's no going back then?"

Calder sighs. "I never said that. There may be a way, but I have yet to find it." He emits a brief yawn before looking up at the two from the pages of the book. "May I continue the story now?"

Upon their nods, he continues, "Proteus quickly discovered that these merpeople harbored special innate abilities. As a result, he enslaved them all the moment he came into contact with them through his song. He absorbed their power and allowed his accursed beasts to devour them whole."

Serena involuntarily grabs ahold of her arms. The vision hovering over the book changes to a terrifying scene of merpeople being devoured by a monstrous beast shrouded in darkness. White spaces make up their eyes—wide as saucers—and mouths that are agape with frozen horror.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she can even hear their agonizing screams as though they're actually there with her being ripped to pieces.

Yet, Rodion doesn't seem nearly as bothered by this as he seems to be about something else. He yells, "So we've been brought down here as a pair of batteries that are made into fish food when we're drained?"

The scene before them disperses and the book snaps shut. The glow it emitted fades until it is just an ordinary book once more.

"Calm down. That cannot be possible because King Poseidon and Queen Amphitrite sealed him away at the conclusion of the War of Gems about six million years or so ago," Calder says lightly waving a dismissive hand.

"However, if he has broken free of his prison..." Calder launches into a series of ramblings with muttered theories and whispered possibilities. After a minute or so, he abruptly ceases his mutterings.

"In any event we should go and see my sister, Cascata. She would know more than I given that she is the one who was tasked with watching over Proteus's prison."

"Alright, so when do we leave?" Serena asks curiously, now recovered from her earlier instances of fear.

Calder grins. "Right now," he replies brightly. Calder swipes his hand across the space in front of him and the three are quickly enveloped in a mint green light.