Kingdom of the Deep by EJ Altbacker Page B

had settled into, but he was happy to be away from the floating ice of the Arktik. This should have been a nice, stress-free swim toward the Seazarein’s territory, where some other huge problem was undoubtedly waiting. But trouble was already swimming just ahead of them.
    When Gray first smelled the blood, it was faint and he ignored it. The Big Blue was the Big Blue, and fins and dwellers were either having lunch or being lunch. That was the way of the watery world. But then the guardian scouts, who traveled ahead of the group, came with news. It wasn’t the blood of one shark or dweller. There were many different types. Too many kinds and too much of it.
    Gray had to investigate. Even before he was Kaleth’s Aquasidor, he couldn’t have ignored this. He ordered Shear to increase their pace. It took another day before Gray saw the mass of sharkkind. Their mariners had a solid defensive screen, but inside that were many older shiver sharks and pups. And though blood was thick in the water, there was no attacking force that Gray could see for a long while. But then there was a disturbance.
    â€œTheir rear guard is being attacked,” said Shear. He, like the other guardians, was nearly invisible. Gray peered into the distance. He couldn’t see anyone striking, but the mariners
were
fighting someone.
    Gray realized who the mariners were at the same time Shear said, “Finja! The renegades!”
    â€œIt’s Riptide and they’re being attacked!” Gray told him. “Help them!”
    â€œNo, the danger is too great!” Shear answered, shaking his snout. “We must withdraw.”
    â€œDo what you want!” Gray said as he accelerated into an attack sprint, bursting through his barrier of guardians. “But I’m not leaving my friends!”
    Shear had no choice but to follow. “Protect the Aquasidor at all cost!” he shouted as he caught up with Gray. The water was murky and provided some cover. Gray could see the dim outlines of Hokuu’s mako finja assaulting the outclassed Riptide defenders.
    Gray shouted, “
Riptiiiide
!” as his small force crashed into the fight. Using his senses as Takiza had taught him, he could feel the electric shadow signals of the renegade makos. Each sharkkind had their own image, and because of this Gray could separate friend from foe. He rammed one attacker and Shear took its fin.
    The makos were surprised. It looked like they would be scattered, but they were too skilled for that. Instead, ten more joined the fight. At least they were concentrating on Gray and his guardians and not the sharkkind of Riptide. Soon it was a chaotic battle with roaring charges and flashing teeth everywhere.
    In all the confusion Gray was swept clear of the heaviest fighting after he bit the tail off a prehistore mako finja and sent it spiraling toward the seabed. It was tough to send them to the Sparkle Blue, but it could be done. As Gray turned to rejoin Shear and the rest of his guardians, a huge horror rose in front of him. The monster’s flexible eel-like body was longer than him by a good ten feet with a spike on its tail.
    Gray’s eyes widened. It was Hokuu!
    The frilled shark knew what he was thinking and replied, “Yes, it’s me.”
    Hokuu struck with his tail, tapping Gray between the eyes. Gray was paralyzed! He couldn’t move a muscle!
    â€œLet’s talk,” Hokuu told him with a horrible, toothy smile. A misty wall encircled them both. “I like a little privacy when I’m speaking with a friend.”
    The battle a few tail strokes away reached a fever pitch, but no one could see them. Gray found he could move his mouth enough to speak. “I’m not your friend. You’re evil!”
    Hokuu looked positively wounded as he balanced Gray on his tail so he wouldn’t drift to the sand below. “I’m not evil. Just misunderstood.”
    Gray struggled against the paralyzing