Shadows Beneath The Waves

The sun rose over Inaba: the light shone gold, dancing across the stuttering waves.

They walked in silence up the twisting coastal path, their footsteps swallowed up by the cloudy earth.

Mina's eyes were heavy with fatigue, but her determination was clear. Kaiza had given her a small satchel full of provisions and a spare cloak to wear.

Kaiza glanced at her. "You need to rest," he said, calmly but firmly.

Mina shook her head. "I'm fine. We have to keep moving."

Kaiza nodded, impressed by her conviction. Mina was young, but she had already been through more than most. And guilt stabbed at him for having pulled her into his world of danger and uncertainty.

But it was too late to go back now.

Finally, the trail brought them to a rocky ledge over the sea. Kaiza hesitated, surveying the horizon.

The waves were smooth, but he knew better than to trust appearances.

"What are we looking for?" Mina said, filling the silence.

"Answers," Kaiza replied. "The mermaids are relentless in hunting us. We need to find out why."

Mina's brow furrowed. "But you killed them last night. Doesn't that mean we're safe?'"

Kaiza shook his head. "Mermaids are never alone. Where there are some, there are a lot. And they hold grudges."

Mina's face darkened, but she said nothing. She trailed behind Kaiza as he started down the outcrop, his movements confident, deliberate.

They arrived at a secluded cove, where the water was unnaturally still. The air hung heavy, like the sea itself was holding its breath.

Kaiza knelt at the water's edge, eyes fixed. "Stay close," he said.

Mina complied and stood just behind him.

Kaiza produced a small vial from his cloak, which she watched him do. The inside contained a viscous liquid silver, glimmering as though lit from within.

"What is that?" Mina asked.

"A lure," Kaiza said, unplugging the vial. "It'll draw them out."

He poured the liquid into the water, where it bloomed in iridescent ruffles. Nothing happened for a moment. Then the cove's surface started to churn. Shapes swam under the water, becoming bigger and clearer. Mina's breath seized in her throat as she spotted them: forms sleek and inhuman, eyes glowing.

"Get behind me," Kaiza said, pulling his sword. Mina staggered backward, her heart racing.

The first mermaid burst from the waters with a shriek, its webbed hands outstretched toward Kaiza. Its assault came straight for him, his sword darting after it in the air, swift and lethal.

A different creature lunged for him from the side, but Kaiza sidestepped it and sunk his sword into its chest.

"Kaiza!" She pointed toward the water; Mina cried.

They were multiplying, too many to count. Kaiza clenched his molars when he understood they would not stand firm.

"Run!" He yelled, reaching for Mina's arm.

They fled up the rocky path, the shrieks of the mermaids ringing out behind them.

The creatures did not follow far, pulling back into the water as Kaiza and Mina climbed to higher ground.

Kaiza wheezed, glancing at Mina. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, but her face had gone pale. "What were they doing? Why didn't they follow us?"

Kaiza's jaw tightened. "They were guarding something."

Mina's eyes widened. "What are they trying to protect?"

Kaiza did not respond immediately. He looked out at the cove, his mind scrambling. "We need to find out. But we'll need help."

The village elder lived in a small house with siblings that older crísts.

The elder, a humped man with piercing eyes, listened closely as Kaiza recounted what happened at the cove.

Mina sat next to her, hands folded in her lap.

As Kaiza finished, the elder nodded slowly. "You're dealing with more than just mermaids." "These waters here are heavy with ancient magic.

And if the mermaids are guarding something, it's probably related to that."

Kaiza frowned. "Do you know what it might be?"

The elder paused, then stood from his seat.

He moved to a shelf to take down an old scroll.

He unrolled it carefully to display a detailed map of the coast. He gestured to a spot just above the cove.

"You see a sunken temple here," he said. "It's rumored to contain a relic of great power.

The mermaids have probably staked a claim on it."

Kaiza studied the map. "What kind of relic?"

The elder's face grew dark. "A shard of the Abyss.

It's a shard of an ancient power, able to give terrific strength or ruin. If the mermaids are employing it, they could be unstoppable."

Mina's voice trembled. "Can we stop them?"

Kaiza's gaze was steady. "We have to. Where do I find somebody who knows better?

The elder pointed to a different mark on the map.

"There's a hermit who dwells in the cliffs northward. He has been studying the old magic for decades. If anyone can help, it's him."

Kaiza folded the map, hands shaky, and shoved it in his cloak.

"Thank you."

The elder nodded. "Be careful.

The way to the hermit is perilous, and the mermaids won't let you leave without a fight."

The trek to the cliffs had been arduous.

They had to keep to a narrow path, steep with loose rocks that seemed to taunt the thought of sending them crashing into the sea below.

Mina had a hard time keeping up, but she wouldn't complain. Kaiza's presence was a calming one, his motions sure and intentional.

As they approached the hermit's home, a small cave hollowed out of the cliffside, Kaiza felt as though they were being observed. He halted suddenly, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"What is it?"Mina whispered.

Kaiza's gaze swept across the shadows. "Stay close," he said.

They arrived at the cave without problems, though the feeling of dread remained.

A wiry man with piercing eyes and a beard streaked with gray emerged from the darkness.

He viewed them with suspicion.

"Who are you, and why have you come? " he demanded.

Kaiza stepped forward. "We need your help.

The mermaids are protecting a relic, a piece of the Abyss. We need to stop them."

The hermit's face grew steely. "The Abyss is no joke." You don't know what you're up against."

"Then tell us," Kaiza said. "We do not have time to waste.

The hermit regarded him for a long moment, then sighed. "Very well.

But let me tell you: once you step on that path, there is no going back."

Kaiza's gaze didn't waver. "We're ready."

The hermit stepped aside and motioned for them to follow him into the cave.

Mina reached for Kaiza's hand as they followed him into the darkness.

He squeezed it reassuringly, not shaken at all.

Whatever was to come, they would take on together.