Not your princess.

Deep waters hold dark secrets

"Harder! Quicker! Show no fear!" The words the general spoke echoed through the hall, where they filled the ears of roughly two dozen warriors. They had been training for hours now, but it was not yet time to rest. You could see the younger ones groan as their exhausted muscles protested their every move. The few ones whose hair had ink black streaks through it, a sign of maturing in this species, were also getting tired although they would never admit it. They knew this training was highly necessary. Even though the kingdom they fled from almost two decades ago had always been safely guarded, these deeper waters were cold and treacherous. The light that had been abundant in their old homewaters, had almost completely abandoned them and dangers were around every corner. They needed to train to be strong and vigilant, because they knew what could happen otherwise...

Enemies in these cold, unforgiving depths, were plentiful and diverse. One could encounter giant translucent squids, or a school of hostile crustaceans that could strip a shark bare in mere seconds, or even brave deep sea divers of a species unknown to most of them.

That last enemy was certainly a curious one. It was obvious that they did not belong in the ocean. They lacked gills of any kind, and used huge tanks of air to stay alive. Their body was not built for the immense pressure of the deep sea, and to protect themselves they had to wear very peculiar armor-like clothing. If this didn't make them terrifying enough, they also sported complex weapons, as well as an infinite curiosity and ignorance to the dangers that lurked beneath the surface.

By far, most deaths were attributed to these monsters. Their only goal seemed to be killing anything that crossed their path. Predator fishes, guppies, single mothers, old men, nothing could change their brute minds. They would recklessly throw their spear-like apparel, and they would take whatever had been in its path. They seemed incapable of complex emotions such as remorse or compassion. All that was left when they were gone was a cloud of blood, while the victims were never seen again.

Wild rumors spread throughout the cities in the ocean. Some said, that the monsters cut the victims up for dinner. Others believe the creatures to be some strange cult, and they need sacrifices for their rituals. Others just believe it's a sport to them. That the victims they manage to catch serve as trophies to be displayed on their walls. So far nobody had escaped from their grasp. All everyone knew, was to stay far away from the artificial lights that indicated their presence.

Everyone... except some. You see, these warriors that were training just now, weren't any ordinary warriors. They belonged to a clan that's equal parts fascinating and terrifying to outsiders. Nobody had ever managed to approach them. They were as mysterious as the dark streams they inhabited, as swift as swordfish, and hostile to anyone who dared to approach uninvited.

Eventually, the same way rumors about the race of surface monsters spread, wild stories surrounding this mysterious clan started to appear. See, any time the clan was nearby a village or city, people randomly began to disappear. Nobody had ever seen it, and nobody could prove that the clan was to blame. It was all just too much of a coincidence. Children didn't return from the market, husbands woke up in empty beds, and shops never reopened as their owner had vanished. Nothing could stop it. Guards never saw a thing, and not a cry or scream could ever be heard. No valuables were ever taken, and there would never be any sign of a struggle. They just disappeared, as if they had never existed in the first place.

This way, the clan turned into a bit of a legend. Nobody in their right mind would dare approach them. The few that were brave, curious or stupid enough to, were never to be seen again.