Water

Wave Fifteen

The Council of Guardians met in the usual place, gathering in an alcove far removed from the Nest. The walls were covered with etchings of Mer-lore and Source worship. Each council member was allocated a stone spire protruding from the seabed, like a stalagmite, called up from the rocky floor by Carvers. Every spire had a flat circular rock atop it. The Mer curled their tails around the spires to remain in one place, sitting comfortably at the top of them without having to tread water or free float.

          Ropes of dark weed hung from the low ceiling and were adorned with tiny, dim orbs which glimmered like scales in sunlight. Eli pushed through the strands to address the waiting Mer. He saw the usual faces, Dale’s among them, and knew they were all here for one purpose: to decide Leira’s fate. Getting her back to the Nest had been a struggle. But they’d managed. He wished he could say the same for Cam. Shame flooded through him as he remembered leaving the young Mer’s body in the cavern. Still floating.

          The other Guardians had been waiting for them, alerted by Dale as soon as they were within range. Eli had wanted to wait, to try to heal Leira first, but Dale had been adamant. Eli knew he was right; trying to hide the truth from the Guardians would’ve been futile. Dale had been trying to protect him, as always. They’d torn Leira from his arms. He’d been forced to watch, helpless, as they administered sea urchin venom into her heart. The drug had worked instantly. She’d relaxed into a deep sleep, blocked from the Herd for days until the venom worked its way out of her system.

    Eli knew it was necessary. She needed to be cut off, for her own good – and the Herd’s – until they knew more. But it had hurt to see the poison given to his own flesh and blood. It was normally used as a punishment to sever Mer from the Herd. It was rarely used.

    The Leader of the Guardians, Darya, acknowledged Eli with a curt nod. Darya herself was majestic and proud, her long tail sweeping constantly from side to side asserting her dominance. It was a lighter shade than Eli’s, faded almost to mauve: her years in charge during these difficult times had bleached the colour from it. Her auburn hair glinted in the light of the orbs and her long braid contained flashes of bright scarlet – dye from the skins of starfish.

          She beckoned Eli up to a platform jutting out above the anchored Mer seated below. Mer councils were important to the Herd; each clan had their own form of Council proceedings. For the Guardians, they were a necessity. If the Council believed a Guardian was shielding their mind from them, or hiding something, then the full force of the Council would turn on the suspect until their mind broke. Eli knew he had to act carefully. He glanced down at Dale. His friend avoided his gaze, but Eli heard him think softly,
(Tell them everything.)
Eli set his jaw defiantly and waited his turn.

    The Guardians all leaned toward Eli as he told them what had happened. Not quite everything though, he thought to himself grimly. He projected quickly, trying to appear dispassionate.
(The Trainee evaded us for a long time. We pursued her, but then her presence…we couldn’t sense her. We thought she may have gone up, beyond the old Nest, so we tried to track her there. Her signal came from far below us. We returned to find her, tracked her to a small cavern. Another Trainee was there – he’d already passed. Leira was…under attack. We rescued her and brought her here.)

          The Council members all leaned forward as he projected and some of the older ones, their amethyst tails mostly faded to a colourless white with age, looked worried.
(Attacked by what?) demanded Darya, seeming annoyed that Eli had kept his report so vague. She was bigger than most of the Guardians gathered, towering above them from her platform. She looked across to Eli as though daring him to defy her. He lowered his eyes in submission, but stayed quiet.
(Attacked by what?) Darya repeated, seething.
(We aren’t really sure,) replied Eli, which was the truth – in part. He didn’t fully understand the Sources; none of them did.
But Darya saw Eli’s eyes dart in Dale’s direction, and she pressed Eli for more information. He flinched as her mind stabbed at his.
(You aren’t sure. But you think you know. Tell us what you really saw.)

          Eli sagged against the platform as Darya pushed him with her mind. He could protect Leira no longer. He had to tell the truth. She – Leira – had destroyed one of their Sources.

          This time he recounted all that he’d seen, the memory of it draining him. Transfixed as they were, none of the Guardians noticed a Mer with a pearlescent shimmering tail slip quietly from the cave.