Demon Tail (Book 2)

Atlantis

Chapter 6

~8 months before Juvia's return~

The water was much colder here, just a ways out from what was left of Atlantis and a trench or two later Juvia found herself swimming deeper towards the ocean floor, deeper than she usually would have on a regular day. The deeper she went the darker it became. A mermaid's vision always adapted to the changes in light as they canvased the oceans and seas, even on land, so seeing was not a problem for her. The problem lied within the ominous stillness and silence that surrounds her. Juvia felt uneasy under the cold and dark depth which she found herself, she stops swimming and glances around her. Juvia steadies her breathing, the pressure was much stronger here than anywhere else under Atlantis' watch. Juvia raises her arm in a defensive position, waiting for any incoming attack.

The water vibrates around her, one by one large orbs of water begin to form before her. Mere seconds later the literal wind gets knocked out of her as they slammed into her. Juvia raises her hand and shoots out her own water orbs in all directions. The balls of water shake and fizzled out becoming a part of the ocean once more, confirming she hit her target , Juvia swims away, faster than she had ever done before. 

'Was it the demons?' She thought, it had just been a little over half a year since she crawled away from Galuna's beach, was it possible that they had found her already.

The princess dashes away, flipping her tail at high speed, she bends through corals after corals, trying to get away, she glances back only for a second, a second was all it took for her to swim straight into a hard surface.

"Ow ow ow!" She whines holding her head

"Dear me princess, you should really watch where you're going" Mira swims towards Juvia and helps her up whilst inspecting her head

"Says the one trying to kill me" Juvia jokes 

Mira shakes her head and laughs at her pupil. Mira had been training Juvia since the moment of her recovery. Juvia's encounter with Ul's ice shell had awaken her final form. A mermaid's final form increased their magical prowess greatly, but it took time and patience to learn to control this new power. It had been centuries since a mermaid had been able to awaken their final form.

 She always had combat training, but non like this. Many of days and nights found the princess on the brink of exhaustion. Her official training would've started after her coronation, but, it never came. Mira saw it as her duty to safe guard and train the heir to the Atlantean throne. 

"What is this place" Juvia's face was in awe as she looks ahead at the ruins in front of her. 

Mira suddenly stiffens and she becomes more serious, "This is what I needed to show you" 

Mira swims pass the princess, leading the way through the crumbled ancient city. Juvia follows closely behind, before them stood a great building, a temple, two cream pillars one falling inwards and the other out, stood against the fallen rubble. Vines wrapped graciously around what was left of the building's foundation. Juvia swims sheepishly, her senses on high alert, she couldn't help but feel sad as she went through what seemed to be the city square. She could almost imagine the mer-people that once lived within these walls.

"What happened here?" The words escaped her lips so softly yet so painful, it was as though she felt the pains of those that once lived here.

Mira makes her way to the temple and slips through the entrance with ease, Juvia quickly follows her and couldn't help but look on in awe.

The interior of the temple stood as a contrasting brethren to that of the outside. The walls were porcelain and untouched. Not a single crack in sight. Rich sand laid beneath Juvia as she continued forward towards, a round object in the center of the room draws her closer and closer, she came before a round, stone table filled with carvings and etchings going around the face of it, at the center of the table was small cone that seemed to look sharpened at the point. The table was flooded under the moon's motherly embrace, rendering it the center of attention as the rest of the room seem to just fall into the background.