Beneath the Waves (Ocean Song Book 1)

*UPDATED* Chapter 14: The Twelve

Calder's grave tone overtakes the atmosphere in the room. "So Proteus is free then. If that be the case then no one is safe and we are all doomed..."

Cascata's lips twist into a scowl. "We are not doomed yet, you pessimist!" Marina snaps in annoyance, lightly slapping Calder's arm. "We still have some hope," she says pointedly, gliding over to the bowl and waving a hand over it.

"Something can be done then?" Serena asks, a hopeful feeling taking root within her. She may just make it back home yet, and finally be together with her family!

Yet she barely notices the unsettled scowl pulling at her brother's lips.

Cascata nods. "Indeed. As I have been tasked with protecting the prison, Calder was tasked with finding the Celestial Warriors," she mutters quietly—searching through the images appearing in the ball of mist over her bowl for any sign of Proteus.

"Celestial Warriors? What are those?" asks Rodion.

Cascata scowls, apparently having seen—or not seen—what she was looking for. She slaps a hand through the mist, causing it to disperse in a flurry of sparkling particles.

Calder's eyes narrow. "What is it?"

"Not even my magic is strong enough to find him," Cascata mutters in anger. She turns away and begins searching about the shelves full of potions and other such trinkets instead.

Calder says nothing and turns his attentions to answer the earlier question instead. "You humans know them as the 'Zodiac'. Most of your myth comes from the events that occur under the sea." He pauses when Cascata mutters an angered curse before continuing, "Anyway, the Celestial Warriors were merpeople gifted strong powers by their respective gods. There were four major deities and they were the reason that everything is the way that it is today."

Calder holds out his hand, resulting in a green mist that rises from it and begins to depict the silhouettes of twelve merpeople. "The first of the warriors was Aries, a warrior born from the Sun and protected by fire. Aries possessed qualities of leadership and was quite spirited." As he explains, the first silhouette is enlarged while the others shrink.

The sign of Aries appears at the core of the merperson's body as it glows a red color. "Each warrior was given a stone that identified them as a warrior and offered them additional powers. Aries's stone is currently harbored within the kingdom of Nerisia, the kingdom of blood."

At this Serena tenses—her minds turning to gruesome thoughts at the name alone.

Rodion's face is an exact mirror of her own.

"And why is it referred to as the 'kingdom of blood'?" A shiver runs up her spine in anticipation for a frightening answer to her question.

"Not for the reason the two of you might have contrived," Calder says with a lighthearted chuckle whilst he explains. "It is referred to as such because Aries's stone is a bloodstone and most of the city's color is the color of Aries's stone, but I should probably keep the explanations short."

Serena and Rodion release a sigh of relief—their fears dissolving into nothing. The last thing they need is for the ocean to become even more violent than it already is with the threat of Proteus made a reality.

"Then after Aries is Taurus, a warrior born of the Earth and protected by the earth, followed by Gemini, a warrior born of the Moon and protected by air. Next would be Cancer, a warrior born to the benevolent Ocean, herself, and protected by water. After Cancer is Leo, the second Sun warrior." As he speeds up his explanation, each silhouette shrinks and enlarges as he goes through each of the warriors with each of the signs glowing as their respective warriors are called.