Page 19 of Whispers of the Deep

What was he supposed to do with this creature?

His achromo could barely fight while he dragged her through the water! He hadn’t a clue what she was chattering at him about, but he figured this was the best time to take her. She was already in the water. The metal creature that followed her hadn’t seemed to care in the slightest that he’d stolen her away. Luck was on his side.

Until she’d caught him with that sharp weapon of hers. He had made certain the sea ate it. Those sharp edges would not come near him again. The depths could take that weapon that was surprisingly deadly, if she had known how to wield it.

But then the depths had taken her. He’d never thought the ocean would work against him. To his people, the depths were a goddess. She looked out for them, just as they looked out for her.

His entire life, Arges had always known her touch. Luck followed him wherever he went, and the currents favored his movements. He swam easier than the others. Kelp never tangled in his tail, nor did the creatures of the ocean outright attack him.

He was favored. So why had the sea taken this achromo out of his arms?

Frustration set in rather quickly, especially when he could not find her. This was his role, his job. He had to deliver her back to the city, and that was the only option. Until he realized he was following a scent of fear and pain. It was easy to drag her scent through his gills, to play with it through the delicate filaments. But he hated the taste of her fear.

He tried to think of what he knew about her kind. They couldn’t breathe underwater, but that was fine. She had her attachment to her face and clearly she’d been breathing if she could speak. Her suit was still intact, and he assumed her second layer of skin helped her swim. Even her fins were still on her body, so what had she been trying to tell him?

As he searched across the volcanic remains, he remembered a certain fish he’d wanted to bring home as a child. His mother had been so sweet as he held the tiny, shimmering creature in his hands.

“Arges,” she’d said, opening the cage of his fingers. “You must let it go. We live deep in the ocean, my son. If we bring it that far down, it will die.”

It will die.

Ah, he was an idiot. Of course, he couldn’t drag her down to his people. Not to mention that wasn’t what Mitéra had asked him to do.

He was supposed to use this little achromo. He was supposed to convince her to help his people, even if that was through lies. How was he supposed to do that? He had no idea. It wasn’t like he could seduce her. He was lacking in many ways, he was certain, considering how grotesque she was to him.

They were two very different species who had learned to hate each other from a very young age. She didn’t trust him, and he hadn’t helped to build that trust by attacking her and trying to drag her into the abyss.

Carding a hand through his hair, he turned his attention to finding her. Thankfully, he could taste where she was. Tangled up in one of the lava crevices where she thought he wouldn’t find her. It was such a shame that this achromo had given into her fear. He liked her better when she was brave.

Arges swam close, keeping his movement measured and slow. He didn’t want to scare her even more, but he needed her to come out.

“Achromo,” he said. “You cannot stay in the stones forever.”

She wriggled farther away from him, pressing her hands against the sides of her head. There was the scent of pain again, so strong he feared she would draw a swarm of sharks in their direction. He needed to get her away from this place.

So he tried again. “Listen to me. I have no intention of harming you?—”

This time she let out a very loud chatter that he had no way of understanding. He didn’t know what she was saying, nor did he really care. She needed to come out from there.

But then he realized she was pointing at the side of her head, both sides. Then she pointed at her mouth and her head again, before shaking herself.

What was she trying to say now? This little achromo would be the death of him.

He’d been watching her for such a long time. All he wanted was to go home, and she was making that impossible to do.

Arges opened his mouth again only to have her frantically wave her hands and then lower them. Slowly. Almost as if...

Was she saying he talked too loud?

He drew back, his fin flipping him almost the entire length of his tail away from her. Was she really trying to say that he was loud? He had never been the boisterous brother, and many people asked him to repeat himself because he was so quiet!

The idiotic, ridiculous, horrible, fool of an achromo had no idea how insulting she was. She didn’t know that his people would laugh at him if he told them she’d asked him to speak quieter.

He took a deep breath, the gills along his sides flaring with the movement and tried to let go of the anger. “I need you to come out.” This time, he almost whispered the words.

But why was he even doing this? She couldn’t understand him. She didn’t care that he wanted her to come out, and clearly she had no intention of doing so. If anything, she’d wedged herself in deeper.

Staring up into the darkness, he muttered, “Galene, give me strength.” The goddess of calm seas was the only one who could save him now.

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