Page 12 of A Contemporary Mythos Summer
This little barracuda.
Turning my limbs into water, I tightened my grip on the trident, and shot through the ocean like a torpedo. I held my trident above my head like a spear, aiming for the dragon’s chest. The tentacles on the creature’s head lashed out, going for my throat, but I swung the trident around, making them wrap around its hilt instead. The dragon thrashed left to right, taking me with it considering I wasn’t willing to let my trident go for anything. Cordelia burst from below us, her arms outstretched as she zoomed past, her trident cutting through one of the tentacles and making the dragon let go in an agonized cry.
Dark tendrils swirled through the water like ink—dragon’s blood. The creature spun, baring all sharpened fangs, hissing, screeching, and flapping the loose triangular cartilage surrounding its head, making the single horn atop it stand straight. It took a catapulted start skyward in one swift motion, shifting its focus.
“Shit, Cory, it’s headed for the surface,” I shouted.
Cordelia flapped her tail with extra zeal, pinning her trident at her side. “On it. Wrestle the thing, and I’ll work on diverting it.”
Per my Queen’s request, I caught the tip of the dragon’s tail in one hand and latched on, grunting as I fought to pull it back. If we had been on sand, my heels would’ve dug in until they reached China from the brute strength of this thing.
Alright, King of the Seas, time to put your big boy briefs on.
Conjuring the will of every creature beneath the waves in a hundred-mile radius, I grunted and pulled down, halting the dragon. Cordelia stabbed it in the side with her trident, but the creature smacked her shoulder with its gigantic head. Cory went flailing sideways before flicking her tail twice and regaining her composure.
“You alright?” I’d asked through a snarl, sending off a sea mist from my palms to improve their grip.
“NowI’mpissed off.” Cory glared at the dragon before lunging at it, trident poised.
Pulling the creature back inch by inch, I used my trident to pin its body to mine once I’d had enough of it in my grasp. Growling, I struggled to keep it from continuing its ascent toward the surface—toward unknowing mortals. Despite Cordelia’s constant jabs, stabs, and thrusts, the dragon kept sending her flying away. Concentrating, my vision blended with the sea itself. If we were on the surface, my eyes would appear like two blue wavering pools. I called to the creatures of the deep, beckoning them, asking for aid. Two humpback whales, a great white shark, and a hammerhead answered.
In tandem, both sharks nipped at the dragon’s body, quickly averting any whips from its tail or mighty snaps of its jaw. The whales waited for the opportune moment, lurking and floating nearby.
I signaled my plan to the sea life using my sea god-king power before turning to Cordelia. “The sharks are going to circle and shepherd it downward. When I say go, slice your trident as close to its neck as you can. I’m going to do the same from the other side. The whales will take care of the rest.”
She gave a curt nod and twirled her trident, the scales of her blue mermaid tail reflecting from shadows playing in the water. “Good plan.”
The sharks did as instructed, circling, chomping, and dodging the dragon’s attacks as we forced it further and further downward. Once the creature focused solely on the sharks, I shouted for Cordelia to strike. With a feral stare I’ve only ever seen on her in the heat of battle, she sliced her trident through the water, severing part of the dragon’s neck. I followed suit, skirting my own prongs beneath the creature’s head. Floating backward and motioning for Cordelia to do the same, the humpbacks plunged past us, using their massive size to tackle the dragon. They dove until they disappeared into the dark depths, the only giveaway of their location being the plumes of sand and the echoingthumpas they slammed the sea dragon into the ground, killing it.
Cordelia stroked each shark’s head, thanking them for assistance before they swam off. Letting my trident disappear from my palm in a shimmer of gold dust, I slumped my shoulders with a sigh.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m getting too old for this shit.” Willing the water away, I made my human skin reappear. “That or creatures are getting stronger.”
Cory hugged my side, still sporting her mermaid tail, the scales at her hips rubbing my stomach. “You’re not too old. Maybe out of practice?” Grinning up at me, she winked.
I pulled her tighter and kissed the side of her head. “There aren’t exactly a lot of mythical creatures left in the world. But given mortals don’t believe in half of it, that’s probably a good thing.”
Cordelia’s tail morphed back into her legs, and she stretched her toes wide. “The sun will set soon. Let’s soak in what more we can, huh?”
When we reached the surface, we poked only our eyes out to scope if anyone saw us before ultimately emerging. My wet feet flapped against the sand, water beads trickling down my legs and from the long tendrils of hair hanging over my face. Cory stretched her legs once back on land, and something hit my foot.
Frowning, I snapped my gaze over my shoulder, only to see a glass bottle jostling back and forth in the tide. “What in the—”
“Is that a message in a bottle?” Cory pointed to a circular piece of parchment shoved into the dirty bottle, a single cork securing the top.
Popping it off, I tried to stick my hand in the opening to no avail and couldn’t even fit two fingers in. With puppy dog eyes, I shoved the bottle in Cordelia’s direction, waving it back and forth. “I open jars, you use your dainty little hands to retrieve things from small places. Like the last few Pringles in a can.”
After rolling her eyes, she stuck what she could of her hand into the bottle and pulled out the parchment. She uncurled the paper, and her eyes wavered as she read through it before glazing over. The message fell from her limp hand, and I snatched it before the wind that’d picked up had a chance to whisk it away.
“Cory, what is it?”
A single tear rolled down her cheek. “It’s from Rhode.’
“What? How’s that possible?” Snapping the parchment, I feverishly read.
Dear Dad,
If you’re reading this, that means the crazy sea witch was right, and this enchantment actually worked. I hope it does because I want to let you know I’m alive and safe. I’m in the Caribbean and have made the most of my life that I can here. Don’t worry. No one knows who or what I am. If I know you, you’re doing everything in your power to find me, find a way to me, and probably running yourself ragged over it. Thank you. But just know, if, for whatever reason, we aren’t able to see each other ever again, I’myourdaughter, and I’m a survivor. I love you to the stars and back.
