Page 98 of Citrine

He doesn't believe me, but doesn't argue anymore.

I'm starting to think he has a daily quota of words.

I dive closer to the rocky bottom where multiple schools of fish all swimming around between gently swaying plants of green and purple.

There's even something gleaming white staring back at me. I look closer at it, trying to figure out what kind of fish it is, compared to fishes I've seen on earth. Wroahk's still attached to me as I move closer, and I can hear his grumbling as I press on.

I ignore him and move forward, still curious.

The white goes away, and I frown in disappointment. Instead, I see something flicker, like an eye. I'm still curious, but I move away slowly.

As I back away, I hear low growling.

As Wroahk pulls me away and flings his tentacles out to snap out at the suddenly stirring creatures, I realize it was multiple Many Teeth, who had covered themselves in silt. Now blinking up at me and snapping their teeth.

Yikes.

"I do not know why you tried to get closer to their nest."

"You didn't say it was their nest."

"I didn't think you would be reckless enough to go look at it."

"And I assumed you would point out if I was heading toward them."

He wraps around me with his tentacles, but this time I don't disapprove. I can't out swim them, only he can. I watch safely from inside my new cocoon as he roars back an echoto intimidate them, making them stop their lazy float in our direction.

His clicking becomes violent as he searches for a way to escape. He sees a route and immediately goes for it, the Many Teeth following.

Wroahk speeds up, and I shut my eyes. The resistance around us is increasing and the water feels different. I feel his hand around me as the familiar feeling of his suckers disappears. It seems like our trip has come to an end.

"Did we lose them?" I ask, looking around.

"Yes. They did not follow us here. I do not want to know why."

The creatures not following us could mean a bigger predator and that is much worse than being chased by a group of crocodile-looking creatures.

The scenery around us has changed. I can no longer see snails and I was right in saying the pressure has changed. There's something different about this part of the water, something sinister. I don't like it at all.

"Let's swim up. We shouldn't stay here too long," I say, looking at him. He holds my hand and begins to drag us up. We are still pretty deep in the water, and I can tell he hasn't had anything to eat all day. Maybe the bigger predator in the water is him. I certainly don't want to be breakfast today.

As we move up, something in the water catches my eye. It is moving toward us, well, not exactly to us but in our generaldirection. It looks like it's sinking, being dragged down by the water's pressure. If it wasn't for Wroahk, I don't think I'd be able to swim against this water's pressure.

"What's that?" I point at it.

"Please do not bring us danger again."

"But it's getting closer. Shouldn't we check what it is at least?"

"No," he refuses firmly. I huff out a breath but don't argue with him. Eventually, we are going to pass it and I'll be able to see what it is. Hopefully, it's not a corpse or something. If it is…

We pass by it, and I can see it properly. My eyes widen as I see the gray-green creature with huge black eyes sinking down toward the depths. It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before, and it scares me.

I swim toward the surface, pushing myself to go faster until my head resurfaces near the shore.

42

Wroahk

---