The Forgotten Waters.

Chapter Thirteen: The Taste of Red

Caspian kept a tight hold on Aiden. The male gripped the male tightly against him as he looked down towards Aiden and shook his head no, "The horn has stopped Aiden. It's not safe to swim in the valley." He whispered as he peeked up. Those ice colored eyes glowed in the redness of the waters. A vibrant white light would occasionally sway through. The color threw him off. Red? Why were they using it? Caspian shook his head, "Aiden, we need to move away from here, now. We'll stay low and out of the lights. The drop will work as our hide until we can get to the shortest land strip to get around."

"We don't have a choice but to go through the light, do we?" Aiden's blood was pumping. He shook his head, "We shouldn't be wasting time. We need to get over there. Now." Aiden swam down into the deeper part of the water with Caspian. Everything was so quiet, and not much could be heard above. Aiden and Caspian had both gone quiet. Only the soft breaths could be heard from the feminine male. He was nervous, and his thoughts scattered. It had been peaceful for so long, and it was the night of the Pearl Dance.

Caspian's mood hadn't faltered. He was at attention, watching around them both at all times as he kept a close eye on the waters around his merman lover. The male shifted as he kept Aiden close beneath him. Nothing showed around them, and the lights hadn't offered to come near them. The warrior assumed that they were scouting the valley, but the waters were already dark and difficult to see into. He didn't understand the red other then the fact that it was disorienting to him a bit, but for the most part just irritating.

When they came towards the last stretch, Caspian and Aiden were at least eight feet below the ledge. The raven haired male looked up for a moment before leaning down and gently kissing his forehead, "Aiden, love. You stay right here. I'm going to take a look. Don't move until I call you up. Understand?"

Aiden's eyes widened, "What?" He grabbed ahold of Caspian's hand tightly, "I'm going with you."

Caspian glanced down at Aiden before shaking his head no, "You stay right here. I will not risk getting you hurt. When I call for you, you come. I'm not risking your life, Aiden."

"B-But Caspian that's not fair!"

"No Aiden. I mean it. Don't you dare even try to follow me unless I tell you to. You have places to hide. I've showed you. Remember that. Alright?" Caspian moved up. It wasn't a goal to be seen, and instead of risking himself on land, he kept very close to the side. The male lifted his head and looked over, scanning the entire area. Any shining metal he wore in the red waters, he had removed to avoid any shimmer that would snag attention. The male was looking for a sign of their people. With as close as they were, it was hard to tell whether or not they had started moving into the Deep. Caspian knew they had no choice, and he knew which way to go. Drake had drilled it in his head so many times, Caspian knew the plan as well as his father.

He looked around, scouting the area for any signs, but as he glanced forward, he saw Lana. Her hand was raised and she looked to be waving. The mother hadn't left the area, but she did well to stay out of the red herself. No doubt Drake was down there watching his Queen. "Aiden, come here."

The male swam up to Caspian in a hurry, but as he attempted to peek over, Caspian pushed his head down, "Stay out of the light, Aiden. Just for a bit longer. I saw my mother. It looks like everyone made it to that side except for us."

"Hello?!"

A voice rang out, and it had stopped almost everything else. Caspian peeked up to see that familiar girl standing in the middle of the red lights. The mechanism on her leg continued to beep rapidly, and she began to sob, and loud splashes started to come from the surface. The girl choked out, "I'm so sorry!" Terror is what fueled her. The way she cried and moved, she was no doubt terrified.

As the bubbles cleared from the waters, the shapes were revealed. Caspian felt his heart slow. The male had expected to see the beasts in black. Those who carried their own weapons that shot faster then any of them could swim, and their two legs that connected to their hips instead of a tail. What he saw next, left him silent, and Aiden the same.

Several large mermen swam around the girl. All had that same machine on their tails. A rope had been thrown down, and she, forced to grab it before being lifted out of the water. These mermen had those weapons in THEIR hands. Caspian gripped his weapon tightly. All were Caspian's size and bigger. All had a sheen black tail. Caspian swallowed. Lana and the others could no longer be seen, and the warrior found himself uncertain of a way out of this.

Aiden clung to Caspian like a lost child. His eyes were focused on the group of mermen, but as several screams let out, a few came out of hiding, and a few more of those foreign mermen swam behind them, rushing to get them to the valley. One, he dragged by her held, and Aiden immediately recognized it as Penelope. His breath hitched, he cried out quite suddenly, but Caspian had covered his mouth before much could be heard.

The waters had all suddenly flooded purple around them. A ultraviolet glow lit up the world around them, including directly above the waters in the Deep, and as clear as day, the entire school was visible fleeing their home. As Caspian looked up and back at Aiden, he saw that his small lover's vibrant scales were glowing a vibrant red and orange. It wasn't until now Caspian had realized the red lights were nothing but a distraction. He grabbed Aiden's hand tightly, "Aiden, swim!"