Venom Of The Sea

Part Eleven: Lotus

S-She's gone....

Everything seemed to have grown still after I witnessed the earth-walker, as my mother used to call them, swam further than I had ever seen one go... And he was swimming after Serenity. God, I-I'm pathetic! I froze on the spot and watched as he almost died and.. And took Serenity.

I shook my head as I went wide eyed and started to swim back towards where Rayne had stayed behind, especially after that whole... Dispute. My tail pushed harder against the water as I looked around to see Rayne holding our satchels and slowly swimming back towards... The barrier.

"R-Rayne! Rayne, hey, w-where are you going?" I ask after I catch up to here, slightly huffing as I tried to catch my breath. I noticed a large red handprint that was slowly forming a bruise on her cheek, where Serenity had struck her. I could feel the anger radiating off of her.

"Where do you think I'm going, Lotus?! I'm going home." She growled her teeth bared as I slightly backed up, as she stood there one of the satchels on her shoulder while the other hung loosely on her wrist. I swallowed the spit that gathered as I watched her.

"Rayne, are you kidding?! We just found Serenity and all of sudden, you both get into an argument and then next thing I know..." I paused, looking up through my eyelashes to see if Rayne was listening, I had her attention since I paused.

"She's taken away." I slowly spoke as Rayne turned around as fast as I swam here. The bags dropped to the ground as my back sudden slammed against a rock, my shoulders trapped by Rayne's hands as her eyes read worried, anger and... Fear.

"What the hells do you mean, "taken away?!" Rayne screamed, I felt my blood sudden shoot up in temperature. I snarled as I felt my nails grow longer, along with my teeth which were turning into fangs. My eyes started to hurt as I felt my jaw unlatch and become into a snout.

"L-Lotus... You're a- Siren?" Rayne whispered as I turned away and clenched tightly onto the rock, some of it breaking off and crumbling in my palm. Sucking in deep breaths as I slowly looked up and turned around, the dark green scales that appeared on my arms and shoulders slowly disappeared.

"Why do you think I wasn't allowed out of my house until I was 16?" I whispered, remembering all of the times that my mother wouldn't let me go out with them, or even go to school because I couldn't control my anger. Rayne stood there and stared at me, I knew that she was remembering all the times.

"I-I never thought of it. Honestly, I just thought that your parents were really, really strict on who you hang out with.." Rayne gave a pitiful laugh as I laugh also, shaking my head lightly.

"Yeah, my mother tried to stop me from hanging out with good influences like the princess, or you..." I sigh, as I lean down and grab the satchels. Looking up at her as she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, opening her eyes as I hand her the satchel.

"Psh, when I was that hoodlum I was nothing of a good influence." Rayne gave a small laugh as she took the bag from me. I sent her a small smile as she slung the thing over her shoulder, I wrapped my own bags' handle around my wrist and held tightly onto by my hand.

"Oh, please, even as this so called "hoodlum," you were literally the perfect child." I laughed as she rolled her eyes and started to swim back towards the barrier. My eyes went wide for a quick second as I swam ahead of her and stood in front of her.

"Hey, what are you doing? We need to go after her, Rayne.." I say as she looks at me with a slightly stern look, shaking her head as she closed her eyes and sighed.

"I'm going home, Lotus. There's nothing that WE can do for her, especially since we are alone..." Rayne sighs, opening her eyes and looking straight into my eyes. She moved a little closer and held her stern look as I held my own stern look.

"Rayne, she needs us! Are you really about to return to the city without Serenity and face Cedric?!" I growled as she looked down and closed her eyes, holding her breath some as she looked back up at me. The way her eyes looked now read sadness, fear and sympathy.

"Fine, Lotus... But if I go up there, you have to go to the kingdom and tell them what is going on. With you and Serenity..." She whispered as I looked at her with wide eyes, coming to realiztion that this might be the only way to get Serenity back safely... The only thing holding me back was the thought of... Lowell.

"Fine.."

- Lowell -

I watched as many of the other soliders fought against one another, readying themselves for battle against the enemies. Earlier that day, King Cedric had received a letter from the rival kingdom, Altona, saying that the princess, or soon to be Queen was to be married to the prince. And if not... War would be brought down upon Mercadonia.

I feared for the kingdom, along with the safety of Serenity and her friends... God, I miss Lotus and Rayne. I miss how Rayne acted like the mother of Lotus and Serenity, and how she would come to save them if they got into trouble. I miss how Lotus use to get Serenity into trouble and would get scolded by Rayne.

Then, I missed how Serenity always acted like the victim of Lotus's hoodlumness. I couldn't help but smile at the small, happy thoughts of them all laughing and giggling while they tried to get out of trouble. Thankfully, I was the main guard taht would find them in trouble.

The small chats we would hold in secret, the way Serenity would try and sneak out; sometimes with my help, to try and go with her friends. I would laugh and smile as she gave me this bashful smile as she begged me to let her go, which I would everytime...

"Lowell! The king is wishing for your pressance in the throne room, I'll make sure these boys become men." My right hand man gave a cocky smile as I nodded and made my way towards the throne room, my tail pushing me quickly towards the area.

"My king, you called for me?" I ask as I bowed some, straightening as Cedric sighed and came down to where he stood before me.

"Yes, I did Lowell. You see, I trust no one else to have the safety of myself and my family.. That is why I want you to find Serenity and the others." He paused, looking around making sure none of the servants or other hands were listening, or spies...

"Because, if we don't... We might as all be dead."