The bang exploded out. Her eyes shut.

Dea expected the agonizing force of the bullet to rip through her. It never came.

Instead, warm liquid flowed on the skin exposed through her carapace. She snapped her eyes open.

Anuk lay on the floor. There was something very wrong. Her insides plummeted as if in free fall, and her vision tunneled. Noises registered, strangely distant. The ringing in her ears was too loud. She had a vague notion of Dilip disappearing into the purple fog.

"Anuk," she whispered, crawling closer to him. "Anuk."

Faint movement greeted her calls, but there was too much blood. The trench in her soul split wider. Pain rocked her in seismic waves.

She sensed several people approaching. Hands suddenly took hold of her. She wanted to swat them away, but her own were too sluggish.

"Dea, we need to go now!"

She had no idea who it was. The hands lifted her up, and her bruised body protested. She missed the next few words that were uttered. Through swimming eyes, she caught sight of Anuk being lifted into a Cypod.

A second later, they were on the move.

Self-loathing blended with pain and pooled in the chasm within. Faces, lights and noises merged into a jumbled blur. The pressure mounted in her chest, and the world dimmed.

An eternity passed.

The crash of waves and the biting wind restored her to full consciousness. Humans and merpeople were rushing down the road outside the facility. The bearded man she remembered from a month back was carrying her again.

A dab of orange in the sky hinted at approaching sunset. In the distance, Dea spied a ship waiting at the dock—a black-and-grey mass that popped out from the sparkling blue cove. The hull sported funky artwork in the form jagged teeth. Flying on the mast was the black flag of Endera.

"Anuk!" she shrieked, her voice shuddering with effort as she bounced in sync with the human's run. "Where is he?"

"Staunched the bleeding. Doesn't look good."

She whipped her head to the side. Her eyes landed on Muda, speeding down in her Cypod.

Dea tried desperately to catch a glimpse of Anuk in the stampede, but it was impossible. Instead, she found Sagari's still form propped up in a Cypod while a human pushed it down the slope.

Within minutes, everyone rushed to board the ship. Wheels whirred up the gangway alongside pattering feet. Chaos unfolded amidst yells and activity that soared above the drone of the motors. She finally saw four people surrounding one Cypod as they pushed it carefully towards the ship's superstructure. Anuk!

Dea sucked in shallow breaths and craned her neck, but he was beyond view.

Beard Guy whisked her into a cabin above deck just when the ship started pulling away from the cove. She had an instant to witness three enemy soldiers materializing on the dock and get blasted back by a giant water cannon. Then grey walls dominated her vision, replacing the glare of the sun. It occurred to her that it was the same cabin she was in a month ago.

The trickle of water flitted into her ears. A human girl not much older than her was filling up an inflatable pool. Beard Guy lowered her into it. The water was soothing to her skin, but it did nothing to quench the agony that burned inside.

"Anuk," she croaked. "Please, where is he?"

Her ogi was not in range. The humans exchanged a look and said words she couldn't decipher. A sense of urgency hung over the air, and Beard Guy left.

Dea started rocking back and forth.

The girl grabbed a box with a cross and kneeled down by the pool. When she opened it, Dea realized that it was first aid. She pushed away the girl's hand.

The human shook her head and proceeded to patch up the wound on her forehead. Dea flinched at her touch.

Her mind slowly sailed back in time to the two human kids brushing her hair, basking in the rays of a setting sun no different than this. Her taut muscles gradually eased. In light of all that had happened, it felt like a dream—too happy and outlandish to be real.

Tears welled up in tandem with a burgeoning headache. Beauty and freakishness are two sides of the same coin.

It was easy to lump all of humanity as a vile aberration, but now, one of them had sacrificed her life for her—when she had declared war against them and rallied her people to support it. A rapid montage of human faces flashed in her inner eye before focusing on the girl tending to her injury. Humans came in gradients as varied as the sky outside the window.

Dea's mind drifted to the wars merpeople had fought and the faceless individuals who had perished—soldiers no different than Manta and Ribbontail. She knew her people to be largely peaceful, but they had not vanquished the darkness in their hearts—she was the prime example. Guilt choked her when she thought of her hand in the horrific deaths that day and what had happened to Anuk. There's a monster biding its time just a flip of a coin away.

She tightened her arms around herself.

The girl finished her task just when a young human popped by to deliver a Cypod. It was the machine that Dea was using during the mission. In the orange sunlight that filtered in, its battle scars jumped out at her, though it was still in good working order. Dea grabbed hold of it and burrowed in. Her frantic hands closed over her ogi.

A second later, Dea turned to the girl and typed out a rapid-fire message. "Thank you for your help. Where's Anuk? I need to see him. Please."

The human blinked at her and then replied, "He's getting emergency surgery. I heard he was badly injured and bleeding heavily. It made him pass out. I don't know the details—"

"I need to go there now!"

"You'd have to wait till Doc is done. There's another person badly hurt—leg injury and multiple bone fractures." Sadness radiated out from the girl. "And we actually...lost someone."

Dea's stomach lurched. "What's your name?"

"Tamara. I'm a deckhand."

"What about Sagari?" she suddenly asked. "The Callian merwoman? She's been unconscious for a while—it's dangerous because she can't breathe now."

"I don't know. They're probably treating her too." Tamara peered at her. "If you're feeling okay, you can go join the others on deck, but I think you should rest."

"I'm going."

Dea clambered into the Cypod and zipped through the door. The noise swelled, warring with the rush of waves.

The island of Kadol Doova had receded into the horizon, but she knew the danger was far from over. For an agonizing instant, her heart went out to the merpeople still trapped in the dreaded island. Bull and Eagle must've bailed. Did they think I'm dead?

Dea watched a crewman fast-walk across the deck, though her view was partially obscured by a davit that hung above a motorboat. She hurried after him.

A gathering came within sight.

Almost a dozen humans were present, along with seven merpeople. A few of the humans perched atop the deck railing, while others tended to wounds. The waning sun limned their windswept hair in fiery gold.

Humans and merpeople. Together. It was a bizarre spectacle that she never expected to see.

This small force had successfully fought Serendiva's military and escaped from a top secret facility. Yet, the air was far from jubilant. A morose mask adorned almost every face.

As she neared the group, heads turned and conversations faltered. She was distinctly aware of quite a few hostile looks that flew her way.

"Dea, how are you feeling?" Muda spoke up, fingering a bandage on her arm.

"I—I'm okay. Are you?" she asked.

The merwoman just nodded and let out a heavy sigh.

Coming to a halt, Dea balled up her fists in an effort to compose herself and looked from one to another. "Thank you all for coming when you did. Thank you—even though we couldn't rescue the prisoners. I know I'm here right now because of you."

The wind blew through the small crowd as Merlingo translated the words for the humans' benefit.

"Yeah, well, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place if it weren't for you," a merwoman spat, and several heads nodded.

Guilt coiled in her gut, squeezing the breath out of her.

"I can't believe Nalin's gone," a human said angrily. "If something happens to Anuk too, I swear—"

"That's enough."

The deep, authoritative voice made everyone quieten down. It belonged to a human woman who approached the group and seated herself on a box. Her athletic figure hinted at a strenuous workout routine while her hair was pulled back into a tight knot. A piercing glinted on her nose—the only adornment in her no-nonsense style.

"Yeah, shitty choices were made, and the damage is done," she said, crossing her arms. "There are a few things we need to discuss with Calliathron's young queen here. But fighting isn't going to get us anywhere. Nor is it going to help Anuk—all we can do is stay calm and have faith in Doc."

A long silence greeted her words, punctuated by the whoosh of wind and waves.

"I understand your anger." Dea bowed her head and tried to still her trembling. "The lives lost today, and the pain we now endure...I'm to blame for that. Forgive me."

No one said anything for another minute.

"Anuk insisted that we go on this mission," said the human woman with the nose piercing. "To monitor the situation and move in if you needed us."

A knife twisted in Dea's heart.

The woman continued, "I guess he knew that Goonewardane would have something up his sleeve. They go way back...Anyways, it's true that we couldn't rescue the merpeople they're holding there—damn, it was way worse than we imagined."

Murmurs broke out in agreement.

"And now, there's an imminent war we have to deal with—unlike anything we've ever seen before. We'd have to keep our eyes and ears open to see what transpires during the night. But," she said, her full attention on Dea, "Anuk still believes in you."

Dea forced the words out of her throat, "I made this war happen."

"But you're the key to stopping it, and you're the best chance Calliathron's got at forging a new future—better than it ever did under Massa."

The simple statement made her sag. "For the longest time, I was opposed to Massa's isolationist policies—maybe he really was just trying to protect Calliathron the way he thought best."

"Are you sure you know exactly what he's playing at?" the human woman asked. "There are a few pieces that don't fit so well, don't you think?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm surprised Massa was okay with you being on the front line despite your scant military training. That commando force was exceptional, but still...And where's the craft that transported you? It just abandoned the queen?"

The question jolted a host of questions in Dea's head. Despite the unease that took root, she brushed them aside. It's probably because Bull thought we were dead. Wait, if they think I'm dead...

The woman continued, "Massa also seems pretty eager for war when he probably knows that some of the problems cannot simply be fixed by making demands of Serendiva's government. He knows full well that other countries won't idly stand by while an ally is being attacked."

Dea just stared into space while she recalled her own thoughts on how this level of aggression could lead to a world war. "What do you think he's trying to do then?"

"Well, Anuk and I had a brief discussion on that. But we're not sure."

"May I ask who you are?" she asked, realizing she didn't even know the woman's name.

"Oh, yes, I'm yet to introduce myself. I'm Nadie, the leader of Endera and the captain of this ship." A hint of a smile flitted across her lips. "I looked forward to making your acquaintance when you were aboard a month back, but then you jumped off."

Dea processed the information, one hand rubbing her temples, and then glanced in the direction of Kadol Doova. "Are we out of danger?

"By now, yes." Nadie's eyes shifted to the bridge that stood high against the darkening sky. "This ship, EMS Valakula, has hybrid propulsion with a top speed of forty knots—it's faster than most big vessels. We're already out of Serendiva's waters. That's why I came down here for a talk—though no amount talking is going to ease what we're going through right now."

Another silence stretched on as a dark cloud weighed down on the group.

"Who's the person who carried me?" Dea asked. "The man with the beard and the tattoos?"

"That would be Ravi. He's the first officer—he's currently on watch." Nadie's gaze swept over those assembled. "Y'all wanna introduce yourselves to Dea while we wait to hear from Doc?"

Several people proceeded to do so while someone arrived with a tray of cups, which made her parched throat yearn for water. The drinks turned out to be "ginger beer". It wasn't actually alcoholic, and the sweet liquid sloshed in her mouth, leaving behind a slight fiery sensation.

Dea couldn't commit the unfamiliar names to memory, but the sheer diversity of the crew made an impression on her. Each member offered a glimpse of a fascinating life story. They had unique skills that made up the cogs in this well-oiled machine of an organization. There was a marine biologist, aerospace engineer, aircraft pilot, electrician and several army veterans. Most of them had sailing experience—one having worked aboard a cargo vessel. What bound them together were their love of the ocean and a vision of a better tomorrow.

As she shared drinks with this fascinating group, it struck her how much she had in common with them—when all her life, these land dwellers were as strange as the denizens of the deep.

"So what exactly does Endera do?" Dea asked, finishing the last of her beer. "Anuk told me that you were...a superhero of the ocean."

Weak chuckles spread around the group like a fast-moving current.

"He said that, did he?" Nadie smiled. "We do what we can."

Muda took a swig from her beer and looked at her fellow merpeople. "We're not the only ones dissatisfied with our government."

The human captain nodded. "The Goonewardane dynasty has been dominating Serendiva's politics for a long time. Their propaganda machine is big."

A frown materialized on Dea's forehead as her memory jogged back to how Dilip was received at the girls' shelter.

"Dilip Goonewardane is the worst of them all," Nadie went on, her expression grim. "He intends to run for Prime Minister after his father steps down, and he projects himself as the champion of our country's youth."

Several humans scoffed.

"Many young people say they care about the environment and climate action, though the public is largely unaware of what needs to be done," Nadie continued. "So Dilip's using greenwashing tactics and has a massive following on social media. The reality is—he and his family are the epitome of corruption. They mismanage public funds and load themselves with riches. Plus, they're heavily invested in the fossil fuel and animal ag industries—which means they have zero interest in reducing carbon emissions."

Dea struggled to wrap her head around the enormity of the problem. "And the oceans? I know he's directly involved..."

"Yes. Serendiva has a long way to go, but the current law does attempt to regulate things. For instance, the number of dolphins killed as 'by-catch' cannot exceed a given quota. Wildlife trafficking is plain illegal. But these are not monitored or enforced—in fact, Dilip has secret investments and ties with these massively lucrative businesses. He's the reason that those trawlers have free reign on the seas."

"So you've taken it upon yourselves to enforce what laws there are?"

"Yes." Nadie let out a weary sigh. "Even from a purely human-centric viewpoint, we know that the ocean is a massive carbon sink, and if marine ecosystems die, then life on land will also die. If this goes on, a day will come when Serendiva is in ruins—bankrupt and battered by climate disasters."

And I tried to reason that part with the devil himself. Dea massaged her temples again while her tail flukes beat a repetitive rhythm inside the Cypod. The sun had dipped beneath the horizon, and darkness drove away the last splotches of orange.

A middle-aged merman spoke up, "This is why us exiles and nomads haven't tried to communicate with Serendiva. It's pointless and plain dangerous."

"There hasn't been any new Callian exiles, right?" a human asked. "The prisoners at Kadol Doova must've been captured a while back. We had no idea..."

Muda nodded. "I think that's because Massa knows that the exile policy is now a problem for state security. Because if language apps like Merlingo get into Serendiva's hands, information could be extracted."

"Yeah, I don't think Massa's top priority is taking care of you pro-humans. Anyways," Nadie said, smacking her cup down onto a box as she turned to Dea, "we're the last line of defense for many marine animals. Protecting the ocean is what we do. It's one of the two primary objectives of Endera."

Suddenly, a crewman came running towards them. Everyone tensed, eyes darting in his direction.

"Doc says he's done," he panted. "Doc had to amputate Anuk's arm."

Location: Sea Cave

https://youtu.be/4AQQk3y3Qg0