TW: Sharks. Specifically, Great Whites and Shortfin makos. Sorry if this disturbs any of you, I'm afraid this chapter is really important

Thomas blinked uncertaintly, then glanced behind him. Patton shrugged back at him and Thomas turned back and yelped to see the nyren had swum right up to him. He glanced down at the sharp teeth nervously and felt the bony hands on his face as the Water King observed him, muttering to himself with a frown. The kitchen boy pulled back slightly in fear but a thresher shark jumped up behind him, pushing him closer and Thomas felt the anxiety rise. Logan had literally just announced that this man was about to try to eat Roman and share him among sharks and Thomas really didn't want to be the Water King's' plan B.

"Please, don't eat me..." Thomas whispered.

The Water King ignored him, letting go of his face and spinning around to one of the nymphs. "Keep an eye on that one! I need to check something." Then he flicked his tail at his thresher sharks and swam off, muttering to himself quietly as he rolled in the water, vanishing from sight. The thresher sharks watched their master leave before instantly flocking to Thomas, snarling when he tried to back away, keeping them between each other.

Roman glanced from Thomas to the thresher sharks, to the nymphs and back to where the Water King had last been. "Well, okay, then."

"Thomas? Are you okay?" Patton asked, kicking forwards to join Thomas. A thresher shark suddenly jumped at him, snapping it's' jaws, making the Air King quickly retreat.

"Hey!" Logan snapped and his fist seemed to harden and grow as he defended Patton. The two sharks snarled at him, curling themselves around Thomas.

"It would do no good to fight Civavi and Cazoru," Warned the male nymph, placing his hand on Logan's' shoulder. "They are the King's' favourites. He will kill all of you if you hurt them and you seem to need his help."

Thomas huffed as the thresher sharks entangled themselves around his legs and shoulders, keeping him wedged between them. "That's all very well but why are they fussing over me?"

The blue nymph smiled at him, her laugh delicate. "Oh, because their master told them to! Our King told them that you may be who the-"

"Ulati!" Snapped the pale green. "We are forbidden."

The blue, Ulati, bowed her head shamefully. "Apologies, Lokki."

Logan frowned, staring at all the nymphs harshly; each one met the Earth King's' gaze.

Thomas swallowed and then turned to Ulati, who seemed the most informal. "So... Which one is Civavi and which one is Cazuro?"

She instantly perked up. "Well," Ulati smiled. "Cazuro is the thresher who has..." The nymph swam over to the one draping itself around Thomas's' shoulders and she tilted the shark's' head so the human could see a large, uncomfortable bitemark by it's' neck. "This. He got in a fight with Hytori, one of our King's' great whites'. Hytori is known for... being highly protective over a small tiger shark called Luka."

"Are Hytori and Luka a thingy? I don't know what you call a group of shark mates, sorry," Thomas laughed nervously.

Ulati shook her pretty head. "Oh, no. Hytori and Luka are just friends. You humans don't understand, sharks can be just like you."

Thomas blinked and looked at Cazuro who eyed him back. "Oh... A-And what about Civavi?" He asked, looking down at the thresher tangled around his legs.

"Civavi is docile until our King wants him not to be. He once took down a live bull, that you humans gave us, alone." Ulati smiled fondly at glanced up at Thomas. "No one is usually so fond of sharks. You will probably be meeting Karti soon."

"Karti? Who's he?"

"This is Karti!" Called the Water King. He swam around a bend in the ravine and Patton couldn't hide a scream as a huge, huge shark turned the corner after him.

Patton clutched to Logan's' arm. "Big shark! Big shark, very big!" He wailed, pointing fearfully.

Karti was so big, she could barely move around the bends and corners. Her fins scraped against the ravine's' walls and she lumbered like a gentle giant. Her teeth were long, jagged and monstrous but her eyes were scratched and murky. The Air King hesitated. "Sh-She's blind?"

"Very observant." There was something new in the Water King's' voice, a softness that hadn't been there before. The softness and gentleness were unplaceable. You couldn't decipher where it fitted, whether it was parental or different. It was just... complete and utter adoration and care. "Karti was hurt by another Great White, Hytori."

"Ulati told us about him," Commented Roman, watching the nyren with lovesick eyes. It seemed the Fire King was still caught under the other's' spell, or it at least still had influence over his thoughts. "Hytori sounds violent."

The Water King giggled lightly as he gently led Karti to Thomas. "Only a little." He drummed his fingers along the Great Whites' snout and instantly, she began to sniff at Thomas, the thresher sharks backing off instantly. Then she turned back to the Water King, giving him a small, rumbling hum. Instantly, the nyren and the nymphs turned to Thomas in awe. "I'll help you avenge your people, Thomas," Grinned the Water King, Civavi and Cazuro backing away from Thomas, almost fearfully. "My name is Virgil."

Thomas grinned back happily. "Well, this is Logan, Patton and Roman. Y'know," His voice turned sarcastic but friendly. "The one you tried to eat."

Virgil giggled. "Yes, I'm not exactly sorry about that."

"Uh! Excuse you, I am the Fire King!" Gasped Roman, offended.

"And you are in my kingdom!" Virgil swam straight up to Roman, holding his hands together low by his tail, flicking his gold-flecked eyes across Roman's' face thoughtfully. "Last I checked, water and fire don't go in hand too well, do they?" Roman flushed and stammered back an answer. Virgil stuck his tongue out at him and the blush grew. Pulling back, the Water King beamed at Thomas, yet it didn't reach his eyes. "I'll get you up to the surface. Nymphs, fetch them some shortfin makos." The nymphs bowed steeply and swam down the route Virgil had taken earlier, leading away Karti. Virgil beamed at them and then swam up out of the ravine. "I'll be waiting for you!" He called down, Cazuro and Civavi trailing after him obediently.

Roman stared up after him. "I like him..."

Patton glanced at Thomas. "Well, if the Water King is on your side, then I am too. We've been allies for a long time, trading messages between harpies. First time I've seen him face to face actually."

Logan, however, waited a long time before he spoke. "I'm confused. When did we tell him Thomas's' name?"

"Yeah, I was wondering that too..." Mumbled Thomas, narrowing his eyes at the retreating nyren.

.:*:.

The shortfin makos carried up the Kings and kitchen boy to the surface, Virgil swimming alongside them. They broke the water of the surface and Thomas felt his ears pop and it hurt. He yelped in surprise and Patton winced.

"Sorry, kiddo!" Patton flinched apologetically. "It's the sudden change in atmosphere, I should've warned ya!"

"N-No, it's fine, Patton," Thomas smiled.

Roman sighed loudly. "Well, can we get out of the water, yet? I really don't want Patton letting go of my bubble, I quite enjoy being alive!"

"Yes, it will probably be vital before Patton tires," Logan said. "Virgil, is there a current that will get us there quickly."

Virgil smirked. "Not yet."

"What do you mean by yet-?" Patton's' question was cut off when the water suddenly shoved them forwards at high speeds, propelling them towards the distant shore. The shortfin makos disappeared beneath them, allowing only the water to send them to the shore.

The group found themselves shoved ungraciously on the sand. Roman yelled out, grabbing his ears as they popped too. Thomas smirked at him and Roman rolled his eyes playfully in return. Then they heard someone splash unstably. 

All four sat up and watched as the Water King struggled in the tiny amount of water he had. He looked completely like a fish out of water, breathing heavily as he switched from gills to lungs. The scales along his shoulders spread off his skin and stitched together, forming clothes. Virgil winced in pain as his tail began to split slowly. The two fins warped into feet and the tails turned into legs, the scales forming black trousers that hung wetly.

Roman got up to help him as the King shuffled about on his hands and newly created knees. He offered his hand and Virgil took it, standing on shaking legs. They waited a few seconds and Roman let go. Almost instantly, Virgil fell forwards, knees buckling beneath him, into Roman's' arms. The Fire King caught him and smirked when their eyes met and a violet blush appeared on Virgil's' cheeks.

"Not so cocky out of the water, huh?" Roman teased.

The Water King's' blush deepened and he glared up at him. "Shut up, I haven't walked for most of my life. Besides, you were the complete peak of confidence in my world, weren't you?"

Roman stammered, embarrassed, and rolled his eyes huffily. "Whatever, you wet blanket. Can I get out of the shallows now? It's starting to sting my feet."

The two walked out of the water and Thomas helped Virgil off Roman's' shoulder, allowing the Fire King to join Patton and Logan. Then Thomas saw the yellow eyes again. They were peeking out from behind a tree. Virgil saw it too and Thomas quickly expected him to point it out.

He didn't.

Instead, the Water King smiled and nodded ever so slightly to the yellow eyes that dipped in return. Thomas bit the inside of his cheek as he watched Virgil in careful fear. It was probably nothing. It wasn't anything. To be honest, Thomas was imagining it. Just as he was imagining those big, yellow eyes flicking over to large green ones on the other side of the clearing.

There wasn't anything going on. He was just...

"Hey, guys, it's getting late again!" Thomas called to his friends. "Let's... make camp, and sleep."

"I'll take first watch!" Offered Virgil quickly.

Thomas narrowed his eyes at him but tried to keep the distrust from his face. "You can barely walk.

The Water King shrugged. "Then I'll sit and yell if I see anything. Besides, you guys probably need the rest."

"Yeah..." The 'human' muttered. "Yeah, we do..."