Stolen Scales

Chapter 20

They keep swimming until they reach an outcrop of rocks on one side of the island, where Alai dives down to meet the gray stone. Kyma follows her down, and they stop before a dark indent in the rock. Carefully, Alai swims towards it, and Kyma almost inhales water in surprise when Alai disappears altogether. She floats there for a moment before carefully eases closer to the indent with a few flicks of her tail. She is a meter or so away from the stone when Alai's head pokes out at her and the two girls behind Kyma. Alai stretches out a hand from within the stone and beckons before disappearing back into the rocks.

Kyma swallows hard before following, her silvery tail quickly swallowed by the gloom. She follows Alai down the tunnel, barely close enough to see the fins of her tail. They continue on, her eyes straining through the darkness for any glimmer of light, but failing. Finally, after many long and agonizing minutes of darkness, Kyma sees a tiny spot of light at the end of the tunnel. As they keep moving forward, it grows slowly, until Kyma can see Alai with perfect clarity as they emerge from the tunnel. Kyma lets out a gasp of awe and starts choking at the water now flooding into her mouth and down her throat.

Alai hears the faint noises despite the water muffling them as well as amplifying many other sounds and turns, panic filling her eyes when she sees Kyma. She darts to Kyma and grabs her arm, dragging her up and up in the vast cavern. Kyma barely registers their path any more than it being an upward one. With barely a noise at all, the pair break through the surface of the water. Kyma's eyes are blinded by tears as she coughs and sputters in a desperate attempt to get the water out of her lungs and air into them.

Alai thumps on her back, murmuring gently. "You're alright, just cough it out. You can do it Kyma." With a final splutter, the last bit of water is forcefully expelled from Kyma's mouth and she shakily inhales gasps of air. Alai continues murmuring. "Go easy, Kyma. Just breath. You're fine, there's plenty of air, just breath." Slowly, Kyma's gasps esse into heavy breathing, and finally into steady, normal breaths. Alai smiles shakily at her, having clearly been scared for Kyma. "You're all right. Drowning isn't fun, isn't it?"

Kyma shakes her head. "No. I can definitely say that it isn't. But I wasn't trying to drown."

Alai holds her hands up placatingly. "I know, I know. Relax, Kyma."

Kyma sighs in apology. "I'm sorry, I was just panicked."

Alai smiles again. "I know. I was panicked too. I was scared that we wouldn't make it up here."
Kyma frowns at the last word and looks around at the cavern in confusion. "Speaking of here, where are we?"

Alai's smile is unburdened this time. "Look down."

Kyma does, and gasps in delight, gaping at the gentle light emanating from the water. She submerged her head and stares down at the city in wonder, watching the glowing lights rising up from its stony buildings. She pops her head back out of the water, her amazement proudly showing on her face.

"It's gorgeous, but that doesn't answer my question. Where is here."

"Oh! You mean this little cave?" Kyma nods. "It's one of a few air pockets in the underwater city."
Kyma nods in understanding. "Is this entire cavern inside that little rock formation?"

Alai laughs in amusement. "Oh, no! The tunnel starts in the formation and then moves to the island. You remember how all of the sides of the island have underwater cliffs?" Kyma nods. "The tunnel leads inside the cliffs, so we are in an underwater cavern."

Kyma grins. "That's cool, but how is this air pocket here?"

"Do you remember how I was talking about underground caverns beneath the dangerous spots on land?" Kyma nods, thinking hard. "These air pockets are near the spots, which let air through."

"Ah. How does the city glow?"

Alai laughs. "I'm not going to tell you!" When Kyma frowns, she begins to giggle mischievously. "I'll show you!"

With another tinkling laugh, Alai dives beneath the surface of the water once more. Kyma sighs to herself in amusement before following her down to where Nami and Fala are floating near the tunnel entrance. They follow Alai towards the city, and Kyma skims along the edge of one of the buildings, trying to discern how it is glowing. At one point, her tail fins brush against the building and come away, now glowing faintly. Her eyes widen as the understanding clicks into her brain. It's glow worms! Or algae? She shrugs to herself. It's some substance in the stones that are causing them to glow so beautifully. As they twist through the stone pillars and towers of the city, Kyma waves giddily at several of the merrow as they pass them by. Some of them are initially stunned, but they all wave back at her in friendly joy.

She grins, and puts on a burst of speed as she darts around the next column, stopping abruptly just before she swims into a new guard, this one clothed in dark blue. Kyma mentally prepares herself for yet another confrontation, as there was with all the other guards she'd met. She isn't wrong, and he soon begins to move through a flurry of hand motions. He stops and looks at her expectantly, but she shrugs, not understanding. His face darkens slightly in anger, and he repeats his hand movements as Alai rounds the corner. She waits until the guard is done speaking - signing - and does her own movements. The guards expression clears and he bows to Kyma as best as he can in the water, and she gives him a weak smile in return. He swims off, and Alai grabs Kyma's arm, pulling her through the water once more.
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Poor Kyma. Every single guard she meets does this to her. What do you guys think of the city so far? Tell me your thoughts, and questions! Happy reading, and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.