What Lies Beneath The Surface

~Prologue~

What Lies Beneath The Surface.

The ocean; what fascinating mysteries it held. Crystal clear waters, ancient coral reefs, marine life and sea creatures so vast in numbers and so assorted in colours. The golden sand sat at the bottom of the sea, a lazy cat who was in the process of digesting its milk.

The fish that darted in and out of the coral, evading the sharks as they swam overhead, their eyes diligently peeled for prey in the tranquil waters. Yes the ocean was truly a beautiful place.

Swimming in the murky depths with her golden hair floating around on her head, the pale sunlight dancing off the emerald green scales on her flexible tail and kissing her pale skin was Princess Cassiopeia Halosydne, daughter of sea god Poseidon and sea goddess Amphitrite. Seventeen years old, with a kind, endearing, personality, Cassiopeia was the pearl in her parents' eyes.

"Where are you? Show yourself, fear not what awaits you beyond this coral reef, your judgement is now! Do you hear me? You will not escape my clutches!" Cassiopeia vowed as she placed her hand on the coral reef and peered discreetly beyond the rocky foundation.

Her aqua blue eyes concentrated as they roamed, landing on an anemone, home to a family of clownfish. "Stop hiding and show yourself you coward!" she muttered under her breath as she abandoned the coral reef and swam off in pursuit of her evasive quarry.

Just then a pod of dolphins swam by and one of them brushed against Cassiopeia's tail and clicked playfully. Cassiopeia giggled and stroked its nose. "Hello my friend, off swimming with your mommy and daddy are you?" she asked sweetly. The dolphin clapped its fins together and whistled.

Cassiopeia laughed and flicked her tail a few times, conjuring up a tornado of bubbles, much to the dolphin's delight.
"Do you think you can help me my friend? I'm looking for someone, maybe you've seen her?" she inquired.

The dolphin clicked again and swam off, Cassiopeia grinned and followed her, her movements fast and coordinated, careful not to bump into any of the dolphins as they swam over several coral reefs and passed a few sea turtles on the way.

The dolphins had to surface for air five times before they reached their destination, an underwater sea cave, with barnacles stuck to its exterior and thick long reeds that provided a barrier to its interior. The dolphin whistled and hit the cave with it's flipper.
"So that's where the guppie hid," she muttered under her breath.

Picking up a rock Cassiopeia threw it in the cave and a loud shriek was heard from inside. Out came a mermaid with auburn hair and a violet tail, her forest green eyes skittish. Seeing Cassiopeia looking at her, her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched.
"No fair Cassiopeia! Using dolphins to find me? That's cheating!"
Cassiopeia laughed and flicked her hair to the side.

"Eirene that's not cheating, it's utilizing your resources. I can communicate with dolphins, I asked them to help find you, how is that cheating?" she asked innocently.
"It's cheating because you had to take outside help," Eirene said rolling her eyes. "You didn't find me on your own."

"Whatever you're saying that because you lost," Cassiopeia said.
"Whatever is right. Can we go home now? It's lunch time and I'm starving," Eirene said as she left the cave and swam past her sister.
Cassiopeia thanked the dolphins for their help and followed Eirene to their home, their underwater palace where they lived with their parents Amphitrite and Poseidon and their brother Zachary, the first born. Cassiopeia, the second born and Eirene the third.

Each sibling had a power of their own. Cassiopeia's powers were that of healing, discovering her gift when she turned thirteen. Zachary had the gift of super strength, also discovered at thirteen. Eriene, fifteen years old had the powers of teleportation and was still had trouble controlling her powers, much unlike her siblings. In addition to their individual gifts, like their mother, Cassiopeia, Zachary and Eirene could also shift into humans.

"Now remember Eirene, we sneak into the palace through the tunnel and when you're absolutely sure no one is around, you go to your room. We were supposed be studying for our Fishology exam tomorrow, not playing hide and seek," Cassiopeia whispered as she and Eirene swam behind the palace and entered through the tunnel they used to escape from.

"What if Mom and Dad finds out we've been missing? They'll make us scrub the barnacles off the palace gates for a week!" Erine said worriedly as she followed her sister through the narrow tunnel. When they got out, they were in the palace basement.

Cassiopeia swam out with Eirene and opened the door that led into the hallway.
"Swim, swim, swim!" Cassiopeia urged as she took Eirene by her hand and pulled her down the hallway.

Several palace guards passed them and bowed their heads respectfully, Cassiopeia and Eirene swam past them and peeped cautiously around each corner before swimming out into the open. They eventually reached their rooms. Cassiopeia went into hers and Eirene did the same.

"Stay in there for half an hour then we'll go down for lunch. Pick up your books and study in the meantime," Cassiopeia whispered.
Now behind closed doors in her room, Cassiopeia sighed and sank down on her queen sized bed where several books on Fishology, Coralstry, Oceanomics and Echolocation laid open with pieces of paper with unfinished diagrams.

She and her siblings attended St Terraferma, the school where mermaids and mermen went to learn, develop and enhance their gifted powers. Cassiopeia has a Fishology exam tomorrow morning, but for some reason, she could scarcely concentrate.

Her brain was distracted and she could focus on anything. The surface above the ocean captivated her attention. She rarely went up to the surface and when she did, she'd never stay long enough to get aquatinted with anything or anyone. Her parents were fiercely protective of her and her sister and always kept them close to home, to never venture above the ocean, to stay inside the protective walls of the palace and to always have an escort wherever they went.

As princess of the sea and daughter of Amphitrite and Poseidon, Cassiopeia's life was dull, desolated and so colourless. She felt trap, a prisoner of her own fate. The surface, it beckoned her to it like how the sirens' song would lure sailors to their deaths.

What mysteries the outside world held? What was up there that her parents tried to shield her from? She'd been asking herself that question for as long as she could remember. With a sigh she swam to her window and looked outside where orcas swam with their pod and the distant figures of the coral reefs sat in the sandy bottom.

Several fishes swam in their schools and a few dolphins and turtles passed by. Cassiopeia had known this ocean her whole life, this was her home. But why was she so compelled to go to the surface? Why was she so eager to leave and go exploring when she was supposed to stay within the palace walls? Why?

Frustrated with all the unanswered questions, Cassiopeia picked up her books and packed them away, she wasn't in the mood to study. She went back to the window and sat on the frame, gazing at the surface where a stream of sunlight cast down on her.

The surface was calling her. She couldn't look away. What was up there? Why couldn't she just close her window and go back to study for her exam like she was supposed to? "What do you want? Why are you calling me? What are you after?" she mused.

And the first chapter of What Lies Beneath The Surface has been published. I hope you all enjoyed the prologue, uneventful as it was. Please remember to vote and comment. What Lies Beneath The Surface was drafted for a while, but I just published the first chapter so it'll be available for all to read. Love you guys!
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