WARNING: SPOILERS!!! ~A Watty's 2019 Submission!

Saved for Bloodline of Hades

"Is this where Scarheart said to meet them?" I asked, huffing heavily. We had been walking along the beach all day, and deep into the night. Eric had fallen asleep and Fang was carrying him on his back. We were all exhausted, and we had been trying to find Scarheart's cohorts all day!

"Madame Poisson gave me the coordinates for this spot." Decker grumbled tiredly. "And they were what I gave Xav. Ask, HIM." I crossed my arms, stomping my feet so that the sand flew up and got into his -and unfortunately everyone including myself's- shoes.

"Xav, are you-"

"Yes, I'm sure." Xavier answered before I asked.

We kept walking in silence, before Xavier stopped, and looked out to the sea. "Xav? What's wrong?"

"I heard something." He murmured. "Something big."

"There can't be anything that big." Eli told him. "We're too close to the shore." But I looked, and I could see it. It was almost too dark, and I could've been mistaken, but with the help of some squinting and the moonlight, I saw a huge creature swimming out in the ocean. A creature as big as a whale.

"Do whales normally come up this close to the shore?" I asked, wondering if I should lower my voice.

"No, they don't." Xavier murmured, crossing grabbing my wrist and putting his arm out in front of Fang, Eli, and Decker. "Stay back. Don't let him see you."

"Xav? Let who see us?" If the others didn't even know, then we were really screwed.

"Sh!" He hissed, making me jump. He never acted like this. "Just wait. The Sirens should be here soon."

"Sirens?" I asked, then I saw the whale again, then a few... dolphins? Is that what those were.

"Hide, in the brush." Xavier muttered. "They don't need to see you or Eric. I'll let you know when it's safe."

"Xav-!" Eli grabbed my hand and dragged me into the brush with Decker and Fang, who had lifted Eric down from his back and set him on his lap.

We sat there and watched as the dolphins jumped in and out of the water, heading inwards towards shore. Xavier stood there, his fists clenched as the dolphins went under and didn't come back up. What did come up, were people! Regular humans, two guys and a girl, came out of the water and walked onto the land. The worse part? They were bare naked. Ass naked with all of their junk hanging out.

"Xavier." One of the guys greeted, standing before him with his arms crossed.

"Jerrod." Xavier greeted back, unfazed by their appearance.

"I thought we told you to clear off our beach." The first guy, Jerrod, told him. "And yet, here you are again. What, did you and that half breed get kicked from the Heathens and the Mutants as well?" Xavier kept his cool of course.

"What my business here is of none of your concern. I have an audience with the Sirens, and nothing more." The girl stepped forward, a devilish grin across her face.

"Oh, Xavier. You know that that is never the case. If you're here, your business is our business. Now, tell us. Where are they?"

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Xavier." The girl walked over, caressing his cheek, but he refused to move or changed his stern expression. "I know you've seen them. Blood, and the little boy." I winced at my own name, taking Eric's hand into my own, hoping that he would stay asleep. "You've been traveling with them."

"Even if I were, why would you care where they are?" Xavier hardly moved. If he hadn't spoken, you could barely tell he was a human.

"Aikan offered us complete control over the seas if we turn them in." She told him, taking her fingernail and tracing it down his cheek and down to his chin, where she brought him closer to her face. "Now, tell us where they are?" Suddenly, something flew at the girl and wrapped itself around her wrist, pulling her away from Xav! She screamed as the rope tossed her back into the sea.

"Sirens!" Jerrod shouted, turning to the other boy. "Back to the sea! We'll have to contact Megalodon and Kraken!" Both of them ran back to the ocean, and Xav turned in the direction of where the ropes had come from.

"Aranella." He greeted, and another girl, thankfully dressed in a gray cut off top and a long green skirt. She was barefoot with long, green hair, and she was soaked to the bone, with what looked like seaweed wrapped around her right arm.

"Xavier. Where are they?" She asked, and Xav waved us over. I helped Fang stand, both of us getting scared when Eric mumbled in his sleep, then we walked back over by Xav. "Good. It's lucky that I showed up. The Leviathans wouldn't have let you stand with no answer to give them for long. You should have been more wary of your surroundings."

"How weary I was is the only reason they are safe now," Xav answered, then turned to the four of us. "This is Aranella. She's a scout for the Sirens. She can help keep Eric safe." Aranella gave a bow to the four of us, before walking towards the water.

"We must be swift. They won't be long, and they'll be bringing back their warriors." Xavier nodded, before following her towards the water.

"Wait, hold up!" I called, running after them. "Where are we going? What's going on, Xav?" Xavier took my wrist.

"Just trust me, okay?" He told me, and I slowly nodded, though I was skeptical

He pulled me in, Fang, Decker, and Elijah following wearily. As we walked under, I saw Aranella again, this time, with a fin! Her green skirt had transformed into a green tail! She was using her hands to form a bubble around us, allowing us to breathe underwater!

"Electric." Decker murmured, looking around in shock, Elijah taking a seat at once, closing his eyes. I guess he was just as tired as the rest of us, though I don't think that anyone could have been as tired as Fang, who flopped onto the bottom of the bubble, pulling Eric onto his lap.

"There." Aranella murmured. "Now, you should be fine." I looked around, counting heads, and turned back to her.

"Wait, where's Xav?" I asked, and she pointed to a small fish. A small fish that looked like it had wings!

"Xavier is not only master of the skies and the land. He can transform into the Flying Gurnard, a small fish with flightless wings." I stumbled a little, staring at the small fish, who stared back.

"Xav?" I murmured, and it bobbed up and down, like the nod of a head! "Oh my god!" Aranella nodded, her expression unmoved.

"Come. We must get back to base. They can't follow us down there." She waved her hand, and a small chain of bubbles appeared attached to the large one with us inside. She then pulled us along, deeper and deeper under the water. It was getting so dark, I could hardly see a thing, but she seemed to know where she was going.

"Where are we heading?" I asked, trying to squint and see in the dark.

"Down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench," Elijah muttered, making me jump. It was getting so dark, I couldn't see him at all. "I've only heard the rumors, but they appear to be true."

"The Mariana Trench?" I looked to where Fang had been before.

"The deepest part of the ocean." He murmured. He sounded as those he had been asleep. "Mortals can barely reach the bottom. They have all sorts of theories of what might be down here." I sighed, sitting down along with the rest of them and bringing my knees to my chest, exhausted. I couldn't sleep now, though. Not until Eric was safe and we had stopped Aikan. There'd be plenty of time for sleep later.