Kingdom of the Deep (2 page)

CHAPTER 1

“AQUA-ZAYDOR?” GRAY REPEATED HALTINGLY TO
Kaleth, the megalodon Seazarein, who rested on her throne with a look that was somehow both haughty and annoyed.
Aquasidor
. The strange word was a title that meant messenger or bringer of news, and Gray had just been given both the title and job.

Well, not given. More like ordered.

Barkley and Mari hovered near him, open-mouthed from the surprise of it all. Only Takiza was composed. The betta fish floated as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

“Aquasidor! Aquasidor! Pronounce it correctly,” Kaleth told him, her eyes flashing. The throne she rested on had actually been fashioned for a prehistore shark—which the Seazarein was, being a megalodon—and even had a hole for her tail.

A megalodon!

This in itself was incredible. Up until five minutes ago, when Gray swam into the cave with Takiza, Barkley, and Mari, he hadn't known that any others of his kind existed in the Big Blue. Now, in addition to Kaleth, there were giant prehistores lining each side of the cavern. They weren't megalodons, but the ancient, larger versions of blue sharks, hammerheads, bulls, and tigers. They were her guards, Gray guessed.

Strangely, there were no makos.

But where did they come from? Were there others aside from the ones here? Gray had so many questions, but it seemed he would have to wait to ask them. The Seazarein and Takiza were perfectly happy having a conversation in front of Gray, Barkley, and Mari without including them.

Apparently Kaleth was fifth in the Line for Fifth Shiver, whose king was Bollagan. They were direct descendants from Tyro and First Shiver! It boggled the mind. Kaleth was a young shark—seemingly too young to be in the Line—but apparently where she came from, sharkkind grew up fast, or not at all. She had been holding Bollagan's place here in the Big Blue, but the underwater passageway between her ocean and the Big Blue had closed, leaving her to be the Seazarein. It seemed there was also some argument between Bollagan and his fourth in the Line, a mako named Drinnok, who apparently wanted to take over the Big Blue. Or worse. It was all so confusing to Gray. Everything seemed to be a giant jumble of unfamiliar names and places.

“Takiza, how can Graynoldus be trusted to manage any situation I put him into when he can't even
say
Aquasidor correctly?” asked the Seazarein.

That was also odd. Why was Kaleth calling him Graynoldus?

“Hey, he just heard the word for the first time!” said Barkley, coming to Gray's defense.

Kaleth gave Barkley a look as if he were unworthy to be in the same cavern with her. “Dogfish should be seen and not heard. And
neither
seen
nor
heard would be even better.”

Mari bumped Barkley before he could give one of his smart replies, and he ground his teeth instead. Kaleth turned to Takiza. “The question remains: Can Graynoldus do the job of keeping the foolish fins in these seas from fighting each other so we can concentrate on the traitor Hokuu and the much larger danger he represents?”

The betta ruffled his colorful and billowy fins as he gave the question some thought. Takiza's fins seemed so delicate, but the Siamese fighting fish, though tiny in size compared to any shark, was a master of shar-kata and the greatest fighter that Gray had ever seen. “He may need some training about the particulars of the position, but his instincts are surprisingly adequate,” he told her.

“I have a teacher who swears she can teach any shark as long as they're not completely stupid.” The Seazarein looked pointedly at Gray as if trying to determine if he were completely stupid.

Takiza turned toward Gray also, pausing more than was necessary before saying, “He is not. Most of the time.”

Barkley whispered, “Sweet compliment!”

“Shut your cod hole,” Gray hissed, bumping his friend out of his hover for good measure. Mari cleared her throat to warn them, but it was too late. Kaleth and Takiza were watching them both.

“If you're through
playing
, there are important things to do!” Kaleth thundered.

“Sorry,” Gray said, his tail drooping.

Mari swished her long-lobed thresher tail to get Kaleth's attention. “May I speak, Your . . . Majesty?”

“Call me Kaleth,” the Seazarein answered. “Titles give you a big head.”

“Well, Kaleth, it seems like you're making all these decisions without even asking Gray what he wants to do. I mean, he's the leader of Riptide Shiver and won a battle of life and death against Finnivus and Indi Shiver. Doesn't he deserve to be treated with a little respect?”

The Seazarein straightened and gave Mari a searing gaze but then nodded. “You and your shiver have been through a lot, that's true.” She motioned at Gray with a fin. “And your victory in that war is the only reason you are here. I could use some help. The last Aquasidor, a frilled shark by the name of Hokuu, continues to be a problem today, which is why there hasn't been one for over a decade. But now there is too much going on at once and my influence must be felt to keep the peace. No ordinary sharkkind will do. It must be a shark that others will immediately respect.”

“I—I don't know if I'm that shark,” Gray stuttered.

Kaleth slammed her tail against the ground behind her throne. “Don't put down your accomplishments! You have earned respect, and I need to use it. The danger, should I fail, would be much worse than if you had lost to Finnivus.”

Gray gulped. “Worse than Finnivus and Indi Shiver taking over the entire Big Blue?”

The thought was frightening. It was only by the edge of their pointy teeth that a combined force of Riptide, AuzyAuzy, Hammer, and Vortex Shivers, along with Tik-Tun and his orcas, had managed to defeat the mad emperor Finnivus and his Black Wave armada in a titanic battle in the depths by the Maw. And now there was something worse in the current? Already?

Takiza flicked his fins in agreement. “It is true. If Hokuu releases Drinnok and his prehistore allies from the under-waters, they have the potential to wipe every shark and dweller from the Big Blue.”

“King Bollagan will never allow Drinnok to go that far, but the danger
is
great,” Kaleth said.

Takiza gave the Seazarein a head bob before adding, “We have not heard from Bollagan since the passage closed, which is why it is best to be prepared for anything.”

Mari's eyes widened and she asked, “What do you mean
prehistore
allies?”

“And what are the under-waters?” asked Barkley right after that.

Kaleth stared hard at Barkley and Mari but answered in clipped tones as if they were dumb pups. “The under-waters are where I come from and where many other prehistores live. They are located
under
these waters, hence their name.”

“Wow, that was super-snobby and arrogant, but let's move on,” said Barkley. “Who's this Hokuu?”

Kaleth's eyes blazed as if she wanted to eat Barkley, but he continued undeterred. “How come I've never heard of him if he's such a giant threat? Everyone in the ocean knew about Finnivus.”

“Which was his undoing,” Takiza replied. “Hokuu is much smarter. He swims in the shadows, waiting for his time to strike. And, as I have told Gray previously, he was my Shiro, which makes him exceptionally dangerous.”

Now Barkley did react. “Hokuu was your master? He trained you to do all that magical stuff that lets you toss sharks around like they were minnows in a whirlpool?”

“Shar-kata is
not
magic,” Takiza answered. “It is a form of training that enables one to take power from the ocean itself.” The betta frowned. “And Hokuu was much better at it when I was
his
Nulo ages ago.”

“That's not good,” Mari whispered, but since it was so quiet in the cavern, everyone heard it.

Gray had been Takiza's Nulo, or student, until recently. If the gap between his and Takiza's abilities was any clue, Hokuu would be almost impossible to beat. Add to that prehistores, and Gray felt a tingling fear slide down his spine and settle like a cold rock in his stomach.

“Okay, I'm officially worried,” Barkley told Gray.

“No one cares what you think!” shouted Kaleth. “This is important sharkkind business and you are a dog
fish
!”

“They're called dog
sharks
,” Mari said, defending Barkley. Why was Kaleth picking on him? Barkley always complained about how dogfish were disrespected by other sharks. Gray usually dismissed it because his friend could whine for no reason at all—as could anyone—from time to time. Sure, Barkley took complaining to a whole different level, but here it seemed that Kaleth didn't think much of him
because
he was a dogfish.

To Gray, that was a mark against her, not Barkley.

Kaleth swished her tail in short, irritated, strokes as she balanced on the throne. “Graynoldus, I want a shark to be the teeth of will around the Big Blue as my Aquasidor. I need to keep the peace everywhere else so my guardians can concentrate on finding and stopping Hokuu.” Kaleth scowled at Barkley and Mari before either could ask a question. “Since the path between our two seas closed, I have no way of knowing what's happening down below with Drinnok, so I don't know what he's up to exactly. I do know that Hokuu fights me at every turn in the Big Blue and has tried to kill me. If whatever he's planning comes to be, there will be blood in the water like you've never seen before. So, make your choice. Will you help or not? I can't use a fin that will not fully commit to following my orders.”

Barkley was about to open his mouth when Gray slashed his tail through the water. “I guess lounging around in the Riptide homewaters isn't something I get to do right now,” he told his friends.

Mari smiled a little half smile. “But you've done so much already, Gray.”

“It's true,” Barkley agreed. “You deserve some rest and relaxation.”

The Seazarein interrupted from the throne. “
Deserve
has absolutely nothing to do with it, dogfish.”

Barkley relished ignoring Kaleth, flicking his tail at her. The megalodon leader made a rumbling noise deep in her throat but didn't reply.

Gray faced Kaleth and Takiza. “I'll do it. I'll be your Aquasidor.” This time he pronounced the word correctly, earning a nod from Kaleth. Gray glanced at Barkley and Mari. “I just don't trust anyone else to do this. Especially if it means keeping the peace we fought so hard for.” Barkley and Mari were quiet, but they understood.

Gray looked at Kaleth. “So. When do we start?”

“At once, of course.”

CHAPTER 2

VELENKA HOVERED IN THE DARK, A FEW SILVERY
streams of moonglow brightening the rock floor of her cell and creating pools of light. This and a few other smaller holes through the lava rock provided her with enough current to breathe. Because the blackness was so complete otherwise, it seemed as if the hazy tubes of moonlight were solid, cutting her cramped space into smaller pieces. Even when the sun rose high over the Big Blue, it remained murky in the underwater dungeon where Velenka was locked. Many would be unnerved by the gloom she was forced to endure day after day.

Not Velenka.

She enjoyed the dark, always had. Ever since she was young, she preferred hunting at night. When the sun set and the ocean grew dark, it was the time of the predator. And despite her predicament, Velenka was
still
a predator.

This was all Gray's fault, she thought, grinding her needle teeth together. Velenka's teeth itched when she wasn't being honest to herself and that maddening tickle was there again. After all, was her situation really Gray's fault? Some of it, undoubtedly. Yet she had swum a current so thin no one else would be alive to tell the tale had
they
been forced to do it.

First, when she managed to keep Goblin and his shiver from being overwhelmed by Razor Shiver. Then, trying to turn the stubborn Gray to her will and having that careen out of control. And after that, when Velenka finally took control of Riptide Shiver, Finnivus and his Black Wave armada came in and ruined everything once more. Time after time, she was forced to dip her snout to someone else more powerful!

You
want
control but never enough to
earn
it, teased a small voice in her mind.

Velenka silently and totally disagreed. Not true! I deserve it! No one deserves it more than me! The itching in her gums became maddening as she silently blamed Gray once more. She ground her teeth fiercely until one snapped off with a
tink
.

The sound echoed off the smooth lava rock walls. It was then she heard a noise—several noises, in fact. They echoed down the slender holes in the wall from the Riptide homewaters. There were shouts of “Alarm!” and “Intruder!” Her cell was so quiet, other than a slow current that kept her alive, that Velenka could hear individual sharkkind tearing this way and that through the water above.

She moved over to the largest of the holes in her cell to get a look. A small, escaping bubble of gas had created it before the lava was frozen by the water, so it was still very thin, even though it was the biggest. Looking almost straight into the moon, Velenka's eyes watered. She forced herself to bear the brightness and gradually, they adjusted. Groups of sharks, probably patrols, were rushing back and forth. The yelling increased.

“I wonder what's got them so spooked?” Velenka whispered in the gloom.

“Me,” said a voice behind her.

Velenka was so startled she smashed her snout into her little portal of the Big Blue. She whirled and saw—

Something impossible.

It was a monstrous eel, or perhaps a sea snake—no, it was just too big to be either of those. Velenka remembered a story she heard when she was a pup. There was one type of rare sharkkind that remained the same as their prehistore cousins through the eons, a living prehistore. They were called frilled sharks and swam the depths of the Deep Blue. That's what this snaky horror was, a frilled shark.

It was hideous. Its large head, which was thicker than her midsection, had a mouth filled with wicked, multi-pointed teeth. Its eyes glittered emerald green even in the darkness of her prison. The monster's body was flatter than a sea snake's, but because of its size, it was taller than she was except toward the end of its tail, which had a wicked spike.

Velenka found herself at the back wall of her tiny cell. With the monster so close the whale-rib bars seemed thin and brittle. For the first and only time Velenka wished her prison was sturdier. Much sturdier.

“My poor girl,” the frilled shark said. “You look like you've seen a ghost. But I'm not a ghost, I'm your savior. I am Hokuu.”

“Nice to meet you,” Velenka managed. Hokuu laughed, the sound echoing off the lava rock.

“So, how have you been?” Hokuu asked. Velenka's eyes, already very large, widened a bit more. She hovered there, mouth open, not knowing what to say. “This place. It isn't very nice, is it?” he continued.

“No, it's not,” she replied.

“But that's the way of it for you in this world, and makos in general, don't you think?” Hokuu asked, his emerald eyes boring into her. “I've found that makos are very smart. But other sharkkind, they call it deviousness. Like being smart is a bad thing.”

Velenka felt as if a trap was closing but nodded. Makos were always distrusted. It was rare for them to be chosen leaders of mixed shivers. And everyone thought they were sneaky. “I agree, of course, but may I ask what you want from me?”

“Polite and smart. Excellent. I heard that about you.” The frilled shark poked his spiked tail through the bars and tapped Velenka between the eyes. The tip was razor sharp and she had no doubt it would go right through her skull if Hokuu wished. “I want you to join me.”

Velenka's insides turned to ice, but she didn't know why. This was an opportunity, a chance to get out of her tiny cell. So why was she afraid? She pushed the feeling aside. “Let's go,” she told him.

“Not today,” he answered. “It's better that you stay here where I can find you for now. Don't worry, I'll be back. When I do come, be prepared to serve me. And for that service you will be rewarded like no other shark in this Big Blue.”

The part about reward was appealing, but Velenka found herself thinking that she'd never work for anyone again unless it suited her goals. Hokuu seemed to know this and smiled. “These sharks will question you about the deaths that happened tonight,” the frilled shark hissed. “When they do, find out what you can about the Seazarein.”

“I will. I promise. But—”

Hokuu cut her off with a rippling shake of his long tail. “You don't even know what a Seazarein is, do you?”

“Only the legend. They haven't swum the Big Blue for millions of years.”

Hokuu smiled. “You're not up on current events. The Seazarein is back. She's real and wants to keep the oceans for herself. But they're not hers! Or any of the puny shivers here that claim pieces of them as their own. Anyway, when the time is right, I'll give you your freedom.”

“Yes!” Velenka said. “I'll do what you want. Thank you.”

Hokuu smirked but said nothing. Then he was gone as if he had never been there. Velenka let out a ragged sigh, more nervous than the situation called for. Sure, she didn't know anything about Hokuu or his plans for her, but it was a chance to better her situation. How could that be a bad thing?