The Ravenous Scavenger
Deep in the Questaric Sea, in a quiet neighborhood right next to Navyva Village, the friends known as the Deep Blue Band were sound asleep in their modest homes. In the largest of the four houses of the serene undersea cul-de-sac, Finross the Green Soldier, a strong willed marineman, was asleep in bed. His lover, Minolly the Sea Flower, slept beside him.
The soundless night was so peaceful it would take a great disturbance to awaken the couple. Finross was a powerful warrior, though. He was rarely unalert and had impressive readiness. Suddenly, the quiet of the night was disturbed by a strange sound. A sound coming from inside the house. Finross’s acute hearing picked up the noise and he woke up. He blinked his eyes and focused his hearing, spreading out his ear fins. The noises sounded like they were coming from the kitchen. Studying them, Finross concluded they were coming from someone eating. Strangely, the eating sounded somewhat frantic. The chewing and swallowing were followed by strange gasps and groans. That did not sound like his sweet, innocent sister, Jewela. Minolly was laying down next to him, so it wasn’t her. Could it be one of his friends? He quickly concluded that was unlikely.
Careful not to wake up Minolly, Finross slipped out of bed. Swimming instead of walking for extra stealth, he floated out of his bedroom and headed downstairs to the kitchen. The warrior was alert and ready for any trouble he would encounter. He sniffed the water to pick up any unfamiliar scents. What he smelled almost caused him to gag. An awful stench met his sensitive nostrils. An odor that could only be defined as indescribable filth. Now knowing something vile was in his home, Finross heightened his guard and descended down the stairs, careful to swim and not step down the stairs. He stopped just at the side of the entrance to the kitchen. Hiding behind the wall, he slowly peeked his head out the opening to glance into the kitchen. The sounds of wild devouring suddenly stopped. Finross took attention to that, wondering if the intruder noticed him. Slowly, he floated further into the kitchen. It was dark and hard to see even with his powerful eyesight. All was quiet in the kitchen, but the stench of defilement remained. Finross turned to look right towards the refrigerator.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of swim strokes to his left. Before he could react, he was pushed from the side and nearly knocked to the ground. His eyes could not even catch a glimpse of what shoved him. By the time he flipped upright, he could only hear the sound of his living room window breaking. He rushed towards the sound as fast as he could. Sure enough, a window had broken. Finross dashed for the window and looked outside. Whatever had broken into his home was nowhere to be found. He grasped the side of the window, only to be met with a slimy touch. Caught off guard, he recoiled his hand. To his surprise, he discovered a blot of icky green foam on the windowsill. Disgusted, he tried to wipe it off his pants. He calmed himself and looked outside where the invader had fled.
“What in the name of Johnny’s den was that?” he pondered.
“Finross?” a familiar feminine voice said from behind him. Finross turned and saw his sister Jewela walking towards him, still in her pajamas. She rubbed her drowsy eyes with her webbed hands. “What’s going on? I heard a-.” Before she could finish speaking, Jewela gave a shocked expression and sniffed the water. She covered her nose and gasped in apparent disgust. “PU! What is that horrible smell?” she cried. Finross gave a small hiss and looked around.
“Someone, or something broke in, sis,” he explained in a serious tone. He walked past her and headed for the kitchen.
“Well, whatever it was, it sure left behind a terrible stench,” Jewela sighed, covering her nose again. Finross entered the kitchen and turned the lights on. As he scanned the room, it became apparent what happened. The food pantry was wide open and surrounded by a filthy mess. Half-eaten food and crushed containers littered the floor. To Finross’s shock, some of the food eaten was meant to be cooked first. Packets of kelp pasta and instant fish bites meant to be microwaved were nearly empty and crushed. Most unusual, though, was the unidentifiable sickly green substance splattered on the floor and on the door. “What happened in here?” Jewela asked as she approached Finross. He brought his index finger and thumb to his chin in his signature thinking gesture. Jewela could not help but smile at that.
“Seems like whoever was here was after food,” he deduced. “I wonder if they used the poison element for some reason. I can’t figure out what this green substance is, though. It doesn’t burn or sting when I touch it.”
“Who?” Jewela said in apparent confusion. Finross looked at his sister and raised an eyebrow. After a bit of silence, Jewela clarified what she meant. “I mean, do you mean it was a person and not a creature who did this?” she asked. Finross blinked in uncertainty, then looked at the mess the intruder caused. Now that he thought of it, this did not seem like something a person would cause, but a creature.
“You have a point there, Jewela,” he admitted. Jewela nodded, agreeing this indeed seemed like the work of a beast. “We’ll have to tell the others tomorrow,” Finross said. “You go back to bed. I’ll keep looking around for any clues.” Jewela sighed and gave a long yawn.
“All right, big brother,” she said. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Leaving the incident for her brother to take care of, Jewela headed back upstairs. Finross spent the rest of the night looking around every corner of the scene to find clues. By the time the sunlight filled the sea, he found nothing.
After morning routines, he headed into town to meet up with his friends. Gilltom, his best friend and invaluable ally, was out of town with Lumina to see a famous dance competition. The outdoor cafe in the center of the town was serving casual breakfast. Finross gathered the Deep Blue Band together to tell them everything that happened last night. Needless to say, they were all shocked.
“Well, that sure sounds like a crate of craziness,” Trench commented. “I wouldn’t have wanted to get a whiff of that stench.”
“Y-y-yeah. You’re telling me, buddy,” Wavoro said with his usual stutter. “Sounds to me like some filthy beast with a bad appetite.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Minolly stated. “I mean, it’s not like it hurt Finross when it was caught. So far all it seems to want to do is eat.”
“Eat from food pantries in people’s homes?” Cyton commented while casually leaning back in his chair. “No ordinary creature would do that.” Finross could not help but feel bothered by his friends’ words. It seemed wrong to assume the invader was a creature and not a person.
“I don’t know if it was a creature,” he stated in a firm tone. “I did not see who or what it was. I just saw what happened.”
“Saw and smelled,” Trench mentioned with a grin and nod. “In fact, I think I can now smell a bit of it off of you, mate.” He winced and waved his hand in front of his nose. “Yeesh. I don’t know how you could think that’s a person.” Finross shook his head, trying not to be irritated by Trench’s comment on him picking up a hint of the stench.
“First of all, that’s not important. Second, as a certain dragonman from Vorika always says, you never know.”
“You do have a point there,” Minolly agreed. “After all, you never saw what it was.” The friends fell silent. This was indeed an odd occurrence. Still, it did not seem like anything worthy of pondering over. Nobody got hurt in the incident. What use was it to think it over any further? Eventually that is what they decided on and moved on to other matters.
Later that day, the band was practicing their battle training in the rocky area near Navyva Village. Cyton and Finross were facing off. Finross’s blood element and Cyton’s ice swordsmanship were both powerful and unusual skills. With pricks of his eel-like skin with his long, blood red claws, Finross bled and turned his blood into solid weapons like tiny spears, shuriken, and even a serrated boomerang. Blood loss was of no concern to him when using his element. It replenished incredibly quickly. Cyton was able to materialize ice swords from the sea water. He used his blade to block Finross’s blood weapons. As they fought, their friends cheered for them nearby. Trench and Wavoro were the most enthusiastic.
“Get’em Cyton! Make him choke!” Trench cheered.
“Slice him to ribbons, Finross! He doesn’t stand a chance!” Wavoro shouted rather loudly. Trench had to tap him on the shoulder to remind him not to be too hyper. Minolly and Jewela simply clapped and smiled every time an impressive move was made. After firing a barrage of spinning blood blades, Finross dashed towards Cyton to engage in close combat. Cyton’s sword was worn down after all those blocks. He swung at him with his webbed hand to scratch him with his claws. Then, Cyton swung his sword sideways. Upon dodging, Finross saw an opening. However, before he could deliver a winning blow, something interrupted the training brawl.
“Come back here, filthy creature!! I know you’re hiding here somewhere!!” The angry shout stopped the two warriors in their tracks. They and their friends turned towards it and saw a merman in a grocery store employee uniform. His eyes were fierce with rage and his strong posture suggested he was itching for a fight.
“What the shuck is spearing his bum?” Trench wondered. Jewela gave the worker a wave to get his attention.
“Excuse me!” she exclaimed. The merman employee looked over and saw the Band.
“Deep Blue Band!” he shouted, rushing over to them. “You have to help us!” Finross left the battlefield to take charge in this newfound matter. He walked up to the merman with a firm composure.
“What happened, sir?” he asked with an authoritative tone. “What do you need help with?” The merman caught his breath and calmed his anger. His eyes lost their rage, and he explained the situation.
“It was crazy. Some shadowy creature flowed into our grocery store and swiped a bunch of food, leaving a trail of filth behind.” Finross and his friends were shocked by the merman’s tale. They all looked at each other, wondering the same thing.
“Well, th-that sure sounds awfully familiar big time,” Wavoro said.
“Sounds like a deja-vu tale to me,” Trench said. The friends all gathered together with Finross leading in front.
“Show us the scene,” he told the merman employee. The grocery worker nodded and swam back into town, and the Deep Blue Band followed him.
The group was led to the Navyva Village grocery store. It was a small store, but had all the essentials for nutritional needs. To the band’s surprise, it was not the neat, tidy place it was before. The raw food section was a complete mess. Half the shelves of raw fish were left a half-eaten mess, covered in an icky green foam. The overwhelming sense was the crippling smell of filth. Jewela and Minolly could barely stand the stench. Jewela’s pure white face started to become a sickly pale shade.
“Eeyuck! It smells like something that hasn’t been cleaned in weeks!” she cried as she held her nose. Minolly gasped as her eyes watered.
“Whatever is responsible for this, it must be absolutely filthy,” she said. Cyton approached the messy scene and poked at a mound of half-eaten fish with an ice dagger.
“Quite the mannerless beast,” he commented. Finross looked closely at the mess to find any hints of clues. He tried not to breathe through his nose as he investigated. He shifted his webbed hand through the green slime and rubbed it between his fingers. It did indeed feel like seafoam, but slightly thicker and smoother.
“Hmm. This seems like seafoam, but not like any I’ve ever seen,” he told his friends. “I wonder what could have produced this thickness.”
“Seafoam can form from a number of causes,” Minolly said. “Perhaps this scavenger used some kind of element not meant for seawater.”
“What kind of creature in the ocean uses an element not meant for seawater?” a grocery store employee questioned. “Seriously, does it even matter? We just want to catch the culprit and make it pay for the mess it made.”
“Well, did you get a good look at it?” Finross asked them, slightly irritated for some reason. The two workers looked at each other with unsure expressions.
“Well, to be honest, we didn’t,” one answered with a shrug. “All we saw was a black, shadowy figure shifting through the aisle.”
“We rushed in when we heard what sounded like frantic devouring, but the scavenger fled the second we arrived,” said the other. “One thing’s for sure, though,” he said with more anger. “If I get my hands on that filthy beast, I’ll strangle it with my own two hands!” Finross did not approve of the employee’s rage. Sure, this perpetrator made a mess, but it’s not like it hurt anyone. He shrugged it off, though. Some people were just easily irritated. Looking back at the mess of devoured raw seafood, an idea came to mind.
“Perhaps the best plan is a basic plan,” he said to his friends.
“Meaning?” Cyton asked. Finross gave a small grin and looked over at Trench. Trench was the best tracker out of all of them. His sense of smell was the strongest and his skills at tracking things by scent were the best. Trench gave a nervous look as Finross looked at him with that small grin.
“Hey, mate, nobody is fond of foul odors, including me,” he said, knowing what Finross was about to request. Finross simply crossed his arms and gave his head a tilt, wordlessly asking Trench to track the escaped scavenger. Trench sighed, then looked at his best friend Wavoro. The autistic clairvoyant marineman was visibly eager to see his friend’s tracking skills.
“Oh, come on, Trench,” Wavoro said in an eager, yet quiet voice. Clearly he was trying too hard to keep his voice down through his excitement. “I know you can do it, buddy,” he said with a wide smile and clenched fists. Trench blinked, staring at his friend, unable to resist his restrained enthusiasm. He sighed with a smile, closed his eyes, and shook his head.
“OK, OK,” he replied submissively. Giving a confident, smug expression, he approached the filthy, smelly scene with a confident posture.
“Stand aside, friends. I, the Ebon Warrior will track this shucking mess of a scavenger.” Though he talked big, deep down he was dreading the thought of filling his nostrils with this horrid scent of rubbish. With his friends watching, Trench took several hard inhales through his nose to take in the scent. He coughed a few times as he endured the stench’s nastiness.
“Come on, Trench. You can do it,” Jewela encouraged him. After a few good whiffs, Trench identified the scent. He moved away from the source and sniffed the water. His eyes lit up and he darted out of the store.
“Follow me, mateys!” he cheered like a pirate captain leading his crew.
“You heard him, Deep Blue Band! Follow him!” Finross directed his friends. With that, the group followed Trench out of the store to track the ravenous scavenger. Trench swam left, then straight, then right, dashing through the patch of kelp near the store. He swam up a small rocky cliff and peeked over the top. There was nothing unusual here. He continued tracking the scent, but when he swam up, his friends were confused to see him turn around in apparent confusion. Trench faced his friends and raised an eyebrow.
“Well, that’s an oddness under the sea,” he said looking around.
“What’s odd?” Wavoro asked as he swam up the cliff to join his friend’s side. Trench kept looking side to side and sniffed the water harder.
“The trail’s gone dead, guys,” he told the others. “The stench is strong here but gone everywhere else.” The band was perplexed. Finross did his thinking gesture again, wondering how this could be.
“That is odd,” he admitted. “It’s unusual for such a pungent odor to just disappear. One would think it would follow the scavenger indefinitely.”
“Or as long as it remained filthy,” Jewela mentioned, trying to make sense of the mystery. “Maybe whatever made it filthy dissolved away.”
“That would be even weirder,” Trench replied. “If the grime our beast held was seeping off, the stench would likely gradually go away. It smells like it just disappeared at once.”
“Maybe that was the intention,” Cyton suggested. “Maybe that smell is meant to prevent tracking.” Finross shook his head but stopped before he could say anything. In his mind, he went through the thoughts that most creatures of the sea weren’t intelligent enough to devise a technique to prevent tracking by scent. This made him wonder if this scavenger was not a creature at all, but a person.
“What is it, Finross?” Minolly asked him. Finross snapped out of his thoughts and faced her with a firm expression.
“I have a strange feeling, Minolly,” he said. “Filthy or not, this scavenger seems intelligent. Too intelligent.” He looked off in the distance as he spoke those last two words. Minolly blinked and tilted her head in confusion.
“What do you mean?” she asked. Finross shrugged and looked around.
“Well, as far as I can tell, this scavenger is nothing to worry too much about. After all, it hasn’t hurt anybody.”
“Yeah. Not yet,” Cyton said, materializing an ice sword. “But once it does, I’ll slice it up into-.” Before he could swing his sword, Jewela stopped him with a waving hand gesture.
“Calm down, Cyton,” she said with an amused smile. Cyton’s toughness always charmed her. “Let’s listen to my brother. I think his idea works best.” Cyton gave a bored, disappointed expression and dematerialized his ice sword. Trench and Wavoro looked at each other and shrugged.
“What do you say, buddy? Back to a game?” Wavoro asked him.
“I’m game,” Trench replied with a toothy grin. With that, the two fun loving friends swam off to enjoy the rest of their day. Jewela, wanting to do the same, grabbed Cyton’s bicep and pulled him towards her.
“Come on, Cyton! Let’s go for a swim around Verdant Cove! I’m sure we’ll find some wonderful new treasures there,” she cheered. Cyton allowed his bubbly lover to pull him to where she wished.
“OK, OK, sweetie. Let’s go,” he said, grasping her hand as she swam. With his friends and his sister off to enjoy their days, Finross turned his attention to his most treasured companion, Minolly, who looked very happy to be alone with him. She looked up at him and smiled, which he was pleased to see.
“What would you like to do, Finross?” she asked him with sparkling eyes. Her wavy red hair blew in the currents. Finross was impressed with her beauty. He smiled and touched her shoulder.
“Why don’t we do what you want today, Minolly?” he replied with a smile. “You lead the way for once.” Minolly’s eyes widened, and her face brimmed with joy. She always loved how kind Finross was towards her. Giving a small nod, she held Finross’s hand and pointed back to Navyva Village.
“I would love to browse the jewelry store near the sushi shop. I was hoping I would find some new pearl earrings to add to my collection. Maybe I could find some to set my sights on buying later.” Finross was glad Minolly was happy to decide on what they would do together. She had always been a loyal follower, and he felt she needed more chances to do as she wished.
“Sounds wonderful,” he replied. “Let’s head there now.” With Minolly leading the way, she and Finross headed to the village to browse at the jewelry shop. However, they were unaware something was watching from the shadows of the kelp. The figure’s eyes stared as they swam down the cliff. Then, in a flash, it seemed to dissolve into a black, inky cloud.
Walking the streets of the quaint little village, the couple arrived at the jewelry shop. Finross found it odd it was located so close to a sushi shop. Minolly rushed up to the window in excitement when she saw the sparkling, polished shells and pearls displayed in the window. Her eyes sparkled much like the small treasures.
“They’re so beautiful,” she awed. “I can merely look at these marvelous pieces for hours. I hope I’ll find something I’ll strive to buy in the future.” As Minolly spoke, Finross suddenly sensed something approaching. A familiar scent that made him a little uneasy. He looked behind him and saw one of his former enemies swimming through the village. It was Searay, Shadow of the Waves. A merman that once fought for the Lapis Kingdom. After the merfolk were cleansed of their hatred and desires for power, Searay was no longer his enemy. However, the dark-haired merman still had an intimidating aura. Though he was no longer evil, he was still a strong fighter and avid student of shadow magic. Strangely, Searay seemed to be searching for something. He looked around every corner he came across and peeked into several stores. Then, his dark blue eyes spotted Finross. The two former foes locked eyes, and Minolly turned and saw them both looking at each other. She was surprised, but not nervous as Searay swam up to her companion.
“Rather unusual seeing you here, Searay,” Finross said in a respectful tone. Searay usually spent time in lively, sprawling cities. It was odd seeing him wandering around a tiny village like Navyva. The shadowy merman approached Finross and gave a friendly nod.
“Green Soldier,” he greeted. Finross could not help but feel pleased Searay called him by his star name. “Listen, you did not happen to see a child merman wandering around here, did you?” Finross was silent, then shook his head.
“Nobody that seemed to be in trouble,” he replied. “What did he look like?”
“Green tail, navy blue fins, dark skin, messy cobalt hair, and green eyes,” Searay described. Finross shook his head, not remembering seeing any child of that description. He could not help but notice Searay seemed to be hiding a flicker of agitation in his composed expression. He wished Gilltom were here. With his sixth sense he could perhaps sense Searay’s true emotions.
“Sorry. I haven’t seen anyone like that,” he replied. While Searay was here, Finross decided to try to ask for information about the occurrences involving the ravenous scavenger. “Have you seen anything unusual while you were here? Like, a shadowy figure stealing and devouring food?” Upon hearing this, Searay’s composed expression shot into a flare of surprise and annoyance. He clenched his fists and turned away from Finross.
“Aw, shuck!” he cursed. Without saying another word to him, the dark-haired merman swam away to another part of the village. Finross was left silent and dumbfounded. What was that all about? From that strange reaction, he could not help but wonder if Searay knew something about this strange being causing trouble in Navyva Village.
“I wonder what’s biting his tail fin,” Minolly commented in an innocent, casual tone. Finross held in a chuckle. Rarely did his dearest companion say such words.
“I’m not sure, but who knows? We might end up finding out,” he said turning back to face her. “Let’s head into the store and find some jewelry for you to enjoy.” Minolly smiled again and held Finross’s hand as they walked into the shop.
Jewelry of all types, colors, and sizes were all around the small store. For over fifteen minutes Minolly fawned over the marvelous stones and seashells displayed in the glass cases. Finross himself enjoyed the men’s jewelry in a corner of the shop. He wondered if Gilltom would like some new wrist cuffs. His old, spiked ones were beginning to show signs of deterioration. Then again, Gilltom knew far more about men’s accessories than he did. Despite not knowing much of this subject, Finross was just happy to see Minolly enjoying herself. Her ravishing eyes stayed fixed on the treasures while a smile spread across her beautiful face. It was a heartwarming sight to witness.
Unfortunately, the moment of peace was disrupted by a loud crash outside. It was followed by a series of screams and angry shouts. Always on alert, Finross’s attention snapped to the noises outside. Then, he saw a shadowy figure dash past the window outside. Reacting quickly, he ran for the exit and burst outside, looking around for what had just passed the store. Furious curses and shouts erupted from nearby. He looked towards them and saw a marineman man in a restaurant uniform. He must have worked at the sushi shop. Finross saw through the shop’s open door a mess of the same odorous sea foam he saw before at the grocery store and his home. Among the mess were scraps of sushi delicacies. The ravenous scavenger had struck again.
“Monster! Ravenous beast! How dare you abscond with my precious sushi! I’ll have you slain for this!” The sushi worker’s rage was clear from his words, mad arm flailing, and reddening face. Finross could not help but feel uncomfortable seeing such poor emotional self-control. It only became worse, though. Others who witnessed the apparent event seemed to also become angry. They rallied together on the street and expressed their rage and concerns of this unknown being that has caused this mischief.
“That shadowy scavenger struck again?” one marineman woman said among the shouts.
“Yeah! How long will it be until it trashes my home?!” a merman raged.
“I suggest we call for hunters to slay this beast!” another shouted. Finross was disgusted by this uncontrolled raging crowd. These people were far too angry with acts of mischief to think clearly. They did not bother to think through the events to decide if this being, whatever it was, was truly a threat that needed to be eliminated. Minolly peeked out the jewelry store door and saw the angry mob. Knowing Finross, he would do something about this unruly scene.
With his leadership vibe beginning to shine, the Green Soldier reached into his sleeveless trench coat pocket and pulled out a tightly closed enchanted oyster. The marine capsule vibrated with every slight movement. An unusual power lay dormant inside. With the crowd still in a heated rage, Finross threw the magic oyster above the crowd. He then pricked his hand with his own claws and shot a solidified spear of blood at it. The bright red weapon shattered the oyster instantly. Upon breaking, an exceptionally loud bang erupted from it. A sound even louder than an exploding firework. Taken off guard by the thunderous noise, the crowd silenced for a split second. Finross immediately ceased the opportunity.
“Everybody calm down!” he commanded in a stern, powerful voice like that of an army general. The angry mob immediately calmed their rage and turned their attention to Finross. Minolly was in awe of his incredible emotional strength. Even in times of peace his leadership aura still remained strong. Taking a deep breath, turned his head side to side to fully look at the crowd. Once he was sure he had everyone’s full attention, he began to speak in a deep, influential voice. “Erupting into a blinding rage over trivial food theft is disgraceful and unnecessary. Take a deep breath and think through the events that occurred. Nobody was hurt or attacked during the sightings of this being, so such fury would only make this mystery more troublesome.” Not one person protested or interrupted Finross’s speech. Minolly was amazed that once again her dearest companion had maintained order and took control of an entire crowd. “Calling hunters could lead to a potential tragedy. Who knows what this ravenous scavenger could be? For all we know it could be an endangered or unknown species,” he continued. Some members of the crowd looked down in shame, regretting the desire to have poachers slay the unknown beast. After a few moments of quiet, Finross noticed some people in the crowd still had a flicker of anger and agitation in them. There was only one option now to avoid true chaos from occurring. “My friends and I, the Deep Blue Band, will investigate this matter. So, I ask you all do not take drastic action against this scavenger unless it becomes truly violent and dangerous.”
The crowd began to mumble among themselves. With his exceptional hearing, Finross was able to pick up enough words to confirm the villagers agreed to entrust him and his friends with this task. Everyone looked at the sushi shop worked that started the uproar. The marineman man, who was still visibly irritated, sighed and nodded at Finross.
“All right, all right. You better catch that sucker, though!” he demanded, pointing at him with a sharp claw. “I’m not going to tolerate another scavenger feasting on my shop’s prime quality sushi for free!” With a disdainful turn of his head, the worker stormed off back to his eatery. The rest of the crowd also continued with their business. Finross took a deep breath and relaxed his emotions. He then turned around and saw Minolly gazing at him, eyes glimmering with admiration.
“You never cease to amaze me, Finross,” she sighed. Finross could not help but smile at her. Sparing a few seconds to enjoy her beauty, he remained silent for a few seconds. Then, he gave a small nod and offered her his hand.
“Looks like we have a new task to attend to,” he said to her. “Let’s gather our friends and devise a plan to deal with this ravenous scavenger.” Minolly felt inspired by Finross’s willpower. Feeling a rush of determination, she strengthened her posture and took his hand.
“Yes. Let us begin,” she replied. Side by side, the two companions swam off to regroup with the others and strategize the mystery beast’s capture.
Half an hour later, the Deep Blue Band, minus Gilltom and Lumina who were on away on their trip, reunited at the Navyva Village snack bar. They all sat at the same table and discussed their options of what actions should be taken to end the mischief of the ravenous scavenger. Unfortunately, Trench and Wavoro appeared rather disappointed their board game was suddenly interrupted.
“I was in the win zone, mate,” Trench muttered. “I’ll get that creature somehow for this.” Finross addressed the group with a firm, leading voice.
“From what we know about this troublemaker, its main target is food. It enters places with food and devours what it desires and leaves a trail of filth behind.”
“Filth that stinks to higher ground,” Jewela added.
“What was that scum anyway?” Trench wondered. Wavoro shuddered just thinking about the substance.
“S-S-Seafoam for the most part, but polluted and clotty,” he said.
“Like a dark, slimy mass,” Minolly added. Finross gave his thinking gesture as he went through his knowledge of the situation.
“I find it odd that nobody ever got a good look at the being. Almost as if it took the form of a shadowy mass,” he reasoned. Jewela leaned forward and spoke up.
“You know, if I could make a suggestion, big brother, why don’t we just set a trap for the scavenger?” Trench and Wavoro looked at each other and nodded.
“Sounds good to me,” Trench said.
“Sometimes the best plan for mischievous creatures is the simplest one,” Wavoro said with a wide grin. Cyton gave an approving nod and Minolly turned to Finross to see if he approved of the suggestion. In truth, he was unsure about starting off with such a basic plan, but perhaps this will give them a chance to learn more about the ravenous scavenger. He rose from his chair to inform his friends.
“That sounds like a good idea,” he announced. “Even if it does not work, we might be able to learn more about this troublemaker. Then we can devise a better plan.” The Deep Blue Band leaped from their seats in anticipation, ready to begin their mission. Trench and Wavoro were the most thrilled. The duo high fived and gave mischievous cheers and chuckles.
“It’s beast capturing time, buddy!” Trench cheered to Wavoro. “You ready?”
“Ready as ever!” Wavoro replied. Jewela grasped Cyton’s shoulder and gave him a small cuddle. He returned her affection with a light pat on her arm. Minolly kept her eyes on Finross, awaiting his instructions. Finross raised his hand and slowly lowered it, silently asking his friends to sit down again. They did, and he began discussing the details of the strategy to trap the ravenous scavenger.
A few hours later, the trap was set up, and the Deep Blue Band watched and waited for the troublemaker’s arrival. Trench and Wavoro, clever and mischievous themselves, were charged with setting up the net that would snap shut from under the ravenous scavenger. The net was covered with a thin layer of sand. On that sand, was the bait that Jewela and Cyton helped put up. An unguarded picnic complete with a basket, blanket, and a large stash of food. Mostly fish and various other carnivorous seafood. Finross had deduced from what the scavenger devoured that it prefers meat to plants. He and Minolly kept their exceptional eyes on the trap. Now all the band had to do was be patient.
Several minutes passed, and before they knew it half an hour had gone by. Trench and Wavoro were beginning to feel boredom creep over them. Trench gave an irritated glare and brushed his white hair away from his face. Wavoro lay on his side as he stared at the trap’s snapping mechanism near where Finross and Minolly were. One tug from that rope, and the hidden net will envelop the picnic and the ravenous scavenger. Still, this waiting wasn’t easy for a fun lover like him, and he felt himself dozing off. He ended up collapsing on his back, and Trench gave him a small slap to wake him up.
“Awah! I’m awake! I’m cool! I’m-.” Trench quickly covered his chatty friend’s mouth.
“Shhh. Quiet, mate. That fiend’ll be here before we know it,” he snapped. Wavoro shook his head and regained his focus.
Cyton and Jewela waited from behind a rock. Jewela could tell Cyton was becoming a bit impatient. She stroked his muscular shoulder to ease his tension.
“Take it easy, handsome. The scent of that food will attract that creature for sure. Then it’ll be caught.”
“I’m not thinking about that,” Cyton replied. “I’m thinking about what happens after. There’s no way I’m letting some filthy critter get the jump on me or tangle with you.” Jewela’s light blue eyes sparkled with glee. She loved how protective her ice swordsman was towards her. Still, she wanted to prove she was capable of protecting herself.
“If that beast pulls a fast one, I’ll hypnotize it into submission,” she vowed with a charming smile. “But I wouldn’t worry. My brother’s got this.” Cyton gave a small grunt. Though he did not show it, he was amused by Jewela’s admiration for her brother.
Standing firm near the trap triggering rope, Finross kept his eyes set on the picnic bait. Minolly quietly sat behind him. She dared not to say a word and break her companion’s focus. It did not bother her. Looking at him was enough. Just the sight of him ignited her deep-rooted admiration for him. Finross turned his head side to side to survey the area. He decided if this took too long, he would think of another plan. There was no sense wasting too much time on such a basic strategy. Wondering how Minolly was doing, he looked back at her. To his surprise, she was looking at him with glimmering eyes. She turned away, her pink face brightening with a bit of red. Finross could not help but smile. He looked back at the trap and spoke to her.
“Don’t worry, Minolly. Once this is over, we’ll continue our time together.” He waited a while before turning to see her reaction, pleased to see she was smiling a little. However, his moment of satisfaction was interrupted by something. It was not a sight or sound, but a smell. A horrible, filthy smell. One he recognized. He quickly turned his sights back to the picnic trap. What he saw made him nearly gasp out loud in shock. It was not anything he was prepared for.
There, standing on the blanket, rummaging through the food, and making ravenous eating noises, was a black, hazy figure. It almost looked like a phantom made of octopus ink. Looking closer, though, Finross could make out three protrusions of the figure. Were these fins, or limbs, or both? The others were equally shocked. Trench and Wavoro looked on with wide eyes and gaping mouths.
“What in the abyss of Johnny’s Den is that?” Trench gasped. Wavoro held in a yell of shock, covering his mouth before he could make a sound. Upon seeing the dark, inky figure, Jewela hid behind Cyton, who was fully prepared to materialize a sword. Minolly became anxious, wondering when Finross would spring the trap. After a few more seconds, he reached for the release rope and gave it a firm tug. Upon pulling, the rope retracted and flew towards the trap. The ropes under the picnic all lifted up at once. An air orb floated up and the net closed on the dark, phantom-like figure. That is when the mystery scavenger finally made a sound. To Finross’s surprise, it did not sound like any beast he had heard before. It was high pitch, clear, and almost sounded like a person.
“We got it!” Jewela cheered from behind the rock where she hid. Cyton leaped over the stone and rushed over to the trapped scavenger. Trench and Wavoro also emerged from their hiding place. Wavoro stumbled in the water, nearly doing a full front flip, but readjusted himself and followed Trench.
“What a catch, mate! An inky phantom, ain’t it?” Trench chuckled. Finross sensed that trouble was brewing. His friends were approaching too close too quickly.
“Wait!” he shouted at them. Suddenly, the phantom inside the net began to shake violently, sending a mist of foul-smelling foam flying in all directions.
“Yikes! Look out!” Jewela cried, shielding her face from the onslaught of filth. Everyone else backed away and flinched as well. Finross stood his ground, though. He watched carefully as the unknown being tried to break out of the net. To his surprise, it did not. Right before his eyes, it appeared to him that it was shifting right through the thick, intertwined ropes. Passing through the trap like a ghost. Then, in a cloud of dirty foam, it swam off, leaving the Deep Blue Band stunned.
“After it!” Cyton exclaimed, pointing his sword. Trench and Wavoro immediately dashed upward and dove for the escaping phantom, screaming battle cries. Before they could descend on it, the comical duo slammed into each other and floated down to the sand in a heap. Cyton took over and dashed straight on the grab the fleeing inky beast. His speed was superior to the scavenger, and he was on the verge of catching it. However, he was caught off guard by a slap to the face that splattered his face with gunk. By the time Finross, Jewela, and Minolly caught up with them, the inky mystery scavenger was gone. The Deep Blue Band was silent with shock over what had just occurred. Finross stood still in bafflement.
Minutes of recovering later, the group gathered around to discuss the events that transpired devise a new plan. Trench and Wavoro were still dizzy after their clumsy head on collision and Cyton was bitter over getting his face covered in the foul sludge. Minolly and Jewela paid close attention to Finross as he began their discussion.
“All right. Let me review what just occurred,” he said in an authoritative tone.
“We know what happened, mate,” Trench moaned, rolling his eyes. “That beast got the drop on us and escaped our claws.”
“Y-Yeah. I-I can’t believe it managed to break out of the net,” Wavoro said.
“It did not break out of the net,” Finross stated firmly.
“It slipped out,” Cyton said.
“No. It passed through it like a true phantom,” Finross corrected him. The rest of the group looked confused, and he gave a nod to confirm. “I saw it with my own eyes. That being had powers of intangibility.”
“Intangi-what?” Trench asked, raising an eyebrow.
“He means it can pass through solid objects like a ghost,” Minolly stated. Hearing this, both Trench and Wavoro trembled with disturbance.
“Creeeeeepy!” Wavoro cried.
“Creepy, yes. Also, unusual,” Cyton said. Finross gave his thinking gesture. Cyton was right. There was no creature of the sea he knew of that possessed shadow morphing abilities. Also, if it did have that skill, it was obviously lacking. Those with the full potential of that power would have had no trouble escaping the net. Additionally, what about that disgusting foam? Finross got up and walked away to think harder about the situation. How are they going to catch this thing? There was something else, though. For some reason Finross felt there was something about this that was more than meets the eye. That sound the scavenger made was too weird not to dismiss. He was beginning to question whether it was even a creature.
“Well, what are we going to do now?” Jewela asked her friends. “We have the think of a new strategy to catch that icky thingy.” Cyton gave a small smirk from the innocence of his female companion’s tone.
“Well it’s going to be tough now that we know it can pass through solid objects,” he mentioned. He materialized an ice dagger and gave it a thrust. “Looks like I won’t be able to shank it.”
“Calm yourself, Cyton,” Finross snapped. “This scavenger has yet to injure anyone, so I forbid anyone from harming it.”
“Yeah, Cyton. Calm down,” Jewela said, giving an innocent, wide eyed look. Cyton looked at her and gave her a playful pat on the head.
“OK, OK. I won’t stab it,” he promised her.
“Then what are we gonna do?” Trench asked in an irritated voice. “How exactly do we catch something that can’t be touched?” He gave a bitter sigh, stood up, and turned around with his arms crossed. “I swear, I could be browsing some new fun novelty props at the game shop right now, but instead I’m on some inky blind monster hunt. Just my luck!” Finross rolled his eyes at the mention of novelty props. What a ridiculous thing for Trench to desire such things at a time like this. Then again, he wasn’t expecting this to happen today, so he could not fully blame him for being upset.
“Honestly, I wish there was a way we could do this peacefully,” Minolly suddenly said in a soft voice. “If we could just confront the scavenger in a way that won’t scare it off and keep it nice and calm.” Finross overheard Minolly’s idea and his bright red eyes lit up slightly.
“Uhh, I don’t think the beast is going to fall asleep and let us cradle it, lassie,” Trench chuckled. That final sentence caused a brilliant idea to spark in Finross’s mind. His eyes widened and he turned his head up in a moment of insight. He snapped his webbed fingers to get everyone’s attention. The Deep Blue Band looked at their leader, anticipating what he would say.
“You are all geniuses,” he said to them with a smile. The friends were confused, so Finross wasted no time explaining his new plan. “Trench, isn’t there a special powder sold at the novelty shop that can cause drowsiness?” he asked in a firm tone.
“Oh yeah, mate. It’s the ultimate prank powder. Knocks you out like a light in a matter of seconds for a good five minutes. Perfect for calming hyperactive friends,” Trench chuckled, glancing at Wavoro jokingly while saying the last sentence. Wavoro gave a playful smile. Finross quickly turned to Minolly.
“Minolly, you’re absolutely, right. Capture by force would be useless against such a being. We need to do this at a subtle, nonviolent approach.” He paused, looking back at Trench with an uncharacteristically mischievous grin. “Perhaps a novelty approach.” Trench’s eyes immediately lost the irritation in them and their usual spark of fun-loving returned. Wavoro was even more thrilled, his eyes bursting with excitement and a wide smile stretched across his face.
“Finross! Do you mean that?” he exclaimed. Finross nodded.
“It’s time for plan B. Plan slumber bait.” Trench and Wavoro jumped and cheered with enthusiasm. Cyton rolled his eyes at his comical friends and put his arm around Jewela.
“What knuckleheads,” he muttered with a tiny grin. Jewela snuggled up to his chest and giggled.
“Well, they’re our knuckleheads,” she said. Finross was happy to see his friends so pleased with his idea. Minolly looked at him with a gentle smile.
“Thank you for wanting to do this my way, Finross,” she sighed. He nodded and walked closer to gather his friends in attention.
“Come on, guys. Gather round. It’s time to discuss our new plan.” Listening to their leader, the Deep Blue Band sat back down to hear his new instructions. They were full of anticipation to capture this mysterious entity they called the ravenous scavenger. The question still remained, though. What in the world was it?
By the time the friends finished deciding on the new plan, the evening lights were shining under the sea. The dancing lights on the sea floor turned a beautiful, sparkling silver to match the dark blue sky above. The white sun was beginning its descent.
“OK. I’ve got it!” Jewela cheered.
“You can count on us, buddy!” Wavoro exclaimed, giving a sailor salute. Trench gave a hang loose sign and Cyton nodded. Minolly smiled at Finross, who was once again deeply pleased with the determination of his friends.
“All right, guys. Let’s get started,” he declared. The band swam off back into town to gather their needed supplies. However, they were surprised and stopped in their currents when someone floated in front of them. It was Searay. The dark-haired merman looked more agitated than usual. He stared at the group for a while, then looked around the area as if looking for something.
“If any of you guys find a thieving little flounder, let me know,” he said in a deep, disdainful tone. “I’m getting irritated with all this searching.” Trench, Wavoro, Minolly, and Jewela were visibly intimidated by their fierce former enemy. Cyton and Finross held their composure, but Finross suddenly became curious about something.
“Searay, are you even aware of what’s been happening in town?” he asked.
“What would I care about what’s happening in this tiny village?” Searay asked, still infuriated. The friends hoped Finross would not say something that would incur his wrath further. Still, a hunch urged him to ask the shadowy merman.
“You mean you don’t know about the inky, intangible phantom causing mayhem through the town eating every unguarded bit of carnivorous food?” As Finross asked the question about the scavenger, Searay’s pale, white face began to warp into an even angrier expression. The band was worried he would snap at Finross, but instead, he gave an angry growl and dashed off.
“Shucking brat. When I get my hands on him…” Those were the only words the band could hear from him before he left the area. They were all left bewildered and Finross was left more curious.
“That was odd,” he remarked.
“Is it just me, or does he seem like he knows something about this?” Wavoro wondered.
“Well, whatever. We got this covered anyway,” Trench dismissed. “Come on, pal. We got a prank prop to buy at the novelty shop.” He grabbed Wavoro by the arm and the duo swam off to complete their part of the plan. Jewela then clutched Cyton’s arm and pulled him back towards the neighborhood area.
“And we’ve got another round of bait to cook,” she said to her companion. Cyton sighed and allowed his lover to pull him.
“I’d rather do something to sharpen my blades, but all right.” With their friends off to do their task, Finross and Minolly went off to do theirs. They swam off to prepare their home for the new trap.
“It’s kind of sour that we have to use our home again,” Minolly said. “That mess was not at all easy to clean up. Even with you and your sister helping.” Finross felt bad about how Minolly felt. He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
“No worries. I’ll do all the cleaning up after we’re done,” he promised her. Minolly felt a wave of warmth come over her spirit. Finross’s kindness always touched her heart.
“Thank you Finross. I shouldn’t have complained. I’d be happy to help you once this hunt is over,” she said with a smile. Finross smiled and gently held her hand as they swam back home to work on their new plan. Still, he couldn’t help but ponder on Searay’s reaction to hearing about the scavenger. Wavoro was right. It almost seemed like he knew something. He considered searching for Searay to ask him about it, but he knew it would be pointless since the shadow haired merman was so angry. For now, it was best to stick with their plan and capture the mysterious phantom before it could cause a riot.
That evening, with the sunlight replaced by the light of the blue moon, guardian planet, and the undersea village lights, the Deep Blue Band were ready for the arrival of their target. The door to Finross’s house was cracked open, allowing the wafting aroma of the food inside to trail into the water. All the friends hid safely upstairs, listening for the ravenous scavenger to come. The house was kept dark to make it look like the residents were either away or sleeping. Hopefully, the scavenger will fall for the bait. Trench and Wavoro were itching with excitement and anticipation.
“To think a pack of prank powder will purge our people of this pest,” Trench snickered with a grin.
“Nice poetry,” Wavoro commented.
“Quiet, you knuckleheads,” Cyton whispered, giving Trench a tiny push. Trench rolled his eyes and did a lip zipping gesture. Wavoro did the same. Jewela held onto Cyton as she stayed close to him in their hiding place in the bedroom.
Finross kept his composure solid as a fortress. Though he was silent, and his expression showed focus, Minolly could tell he was thinking of something. Curiosity and concern became stronger than her need to be quiet. She just had to ask.
“What’s the matter, Finross? You seem to be thinking about something.” Finross blinked and gave a small grunt, both slightly annoyed and amused that his companion sensed his wandering mind. The truth was, he was thinking of something. He had been for a while. With their plan ready to commence but no sign of the target, he felt a brief explanation would not hurt to satisfy Minolly’s curiosity.
“Well, I’ve been thinking about this scavenger,” he said. “I feel I’m the only one questioning its apparent intelligence and odd actions. It only invades homes and businesses, so it appears capable of opening doors and windows. A normal beast would simply hunt for food in the wild, too.” He paused, then looked down at the partially open front door from his hiding place. “Something tells me we’re not really dealing with a creature.” Minolly gasped in surprise.
“Wait. Do you mean…?” she stammered.
“Yes. Perhaps we are dealing with a person,” Finross stated. “It’s a hunch I cannot ignore. We will find out soon enough when it shows up.”
“If it shows up,” Cyton grumbled, visibly growing impatient. Jewela rubbed his muscular shoulders and rested her face on his back.
“They’ll show up, sharky shark,” she cooed. Cyton looked back and raised an eyebrow.
“They, huh? Honestly, if this scavenger is a person, I’m going to be disappointed.”
The band hoped that their lookout would not last much longer, but to their dismay, minutes turned into hours. Before they knew it, midnight struck the clocks. Trench and Wavoro were sound asleep on the floor snoring. Cyton stayed awake, but he was obviously too bored to stay focused any longer. Jewela was sleeping on his lap. Minolly tried to stay awake, but it was becoming a challenge for her. Her eyelashes were feeling heavy, and her senses were dulling with sleepiness. To her amazement, however, Finross did not falter his focus one bit. He was not only perfectly awake, but still fully attentive to his task. He kept his sights on the door, waiting patiently for the troublemaking scavenger to arrive. What a warrior he was. A true trooper. No wonder he was called a soldier. Minolly could not help but admire him with all her heart. Unfortunately, this moment of peaceful admiration caused her to give into her need for sleep. She lay on the floor and closed her eyes.
The clock had struck half after one o’clock in the morning. Finross was not deterred by the uneventful time passed. He looked behind him and saw Cyton had finally dozed off as well. So be it. If this plan works, their target will be slumbering soon as well. Finross just hoped they will find the food appetizing after being left out for so long. The calm of the quiet night settled into Finross’s mind, but he remained alert.
Suddenly, the sound of the front door creaking open rang in his ear fins. His heart skipped a beat and he looked closer down into foyer. Even in the darkness of the night, he could still see the inky, black figure slither its way into the house. Finross ducked to remain hidden, and the mysterious entity swam into the kitchen where the sleep powder covered food was. There was no need to watch now. All he had to do was listen closely. Listen for the devouring to cease and be replaced with soft, peaceful breathing. Then he would move in and unmask the ravenous scavenger. Finross, like all great warriors, was patient.
It did not take long for the sounds of vigorous chewing, swallowing, and manhandling food echoed through the house. Gradually, however, the annoying noises became sluggish and quiet. Finross could feel his anticipation heating up like a hot spring. Soon, his patience will pay off. Eventually, the ravenous eating sounds ended, and a soft, gentle yawn was heard. A yawn that did not sound like that of a creature. Finross waited a few more extra seconds, not wanting to rouse the now slumbering scavenger. When he heard the awaited sounds of gentle breathing downstairs, he rose up from his hiding place and stealthily swam down to the kitchen, leaving his friends behind as they slept.
While she slept, Minolly sensed Finross was no longer beside her. She awakened from her slumber and blinked in confusion.
“Finross?” she whispered. Suddenly, she smelled a familiar foul stench. Looking down at the foyer, she saw a trail of icky green foam. Oh no. This wasn’t good. She got to her feet and splashed her friends’ faces with elemental water. They all woke up startled by the blows.
“Who? What? What the shuck?” Trench mumbled as he sat up. Wavoro groggily raised his head and yawned.
“What was that for, Minolly?” Jewela whined. Cyton gave an irritated scowl, unhappy with being woken up and the fact that his lover was bothered.
“I’m sorry everyone, but I think we’ve done it,” Minolly stated, pointing down the stairs. The stench and disgusting foam still lingered, leaving a trail leading to the kitchen. Trench and Wavoro immediately snapped out of their drowsiness and stumbled over each other.
“No way! We missed it! We missed it!” Wavoro cried, tripping over the carpet multiple times and flipping in the water.
“Come on! Let’s go, go, go!” Trench exclaimed bumping into a side table and swimming down the stairs. Wavoro followed after him. Cyton held Jewela in one arm and carried his ice sword in the other. Jewela held onto Cyton tightly.
“Way to go, Finross,” she said.
“He may have caught it, but if that thing is a beast, I’m not letting it escape my clutches,” Cyton vowed. He too headed downstairs with Jewela in his arms. Minolly followed after her friends. Once they were all together, they stood in front of the closed kitchen door. Only the sounds of peaceful breathing were heard behind it. The Band felt uneasy.
“Is it really asleep?” Trench wondered. “Is that really its breathing?” Wavoro focused his hearing and did not hear any sign of a struggle.
“Finross,” he called. “Are you ok?” There were a few seconds of silence, then Finross spoke from behind the door.
“Don’t worry, my friends. Everything is fine now.” To the band’s relief and surprise, their leader sounded unexpectedly calm and reassuring.
“Do you have the beast?” Cyton asked, brandishing his sword with one hand, and holding Jewela with the other. He was still ready to finally see the being that caused all this mischief. However, everyone was caught off guard when Finross gave a small chuckle.
“I really hate to disappoint you, Cyton, but…” Finross paused, then the kitchen door opened. Everyone prepared themselves for the sight of the ravenous scavenger. What they ended up seeing in Finross’s arms was not at all what they expected, though. The band could not believe what they were seeing. Finross was not carrying a creature of any kind. Instead, he held a slumbering merman child, who looked to be about ten years old. The boy was sleeping peacefully, under the drowsy effects of the prank powder. The band was utterly dumbfounded. Cyton was visibly disappointed.
“Ummm…What’s with the kid?” he asked. Finross smiled and released the child, letting him float in the water as he slept.
“This kid is the scavenger,” Finross told them.
“No way,” Wavoro gasped. “That kid is the hungry beast that broke into places and ate all the fish?” Finross nodded.
“But what about the shadowy stuff?” Jewela asked. “How did he go phantom?” Finross reached into his trench coat and pulled out a pitch-black scarf. The garment was studded with multiple dark crystals and had a dark blue orb sewn into its center.
“He was wearing this,” Finross explained. “I’ve heard of these things before. They grant people the powers of a phantom. It’s called a shadow morpher.” Trench and Wavoro’s eyes instantly glimmered at the sight of the magical artifact.
“Cool,” they awed.
“But what about the filthy scum he trailed?” Cyton asked, visibly disappointed with their discovery of the scavenger’s identity. “Where did all that rank slime come from?” Finross lost his smile. He looked at the shadow morpher, then the child.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” he replied. Suddenly, he realized something important. Taking a close look at the merman kid, he realized he fit the description of the one Searay was searching for. Green tail, navy blue fins, dark skin, and messy cobalt hair. A serious look spread on Finross’s face.
“What’s wrong, Finross?” Minolly asked. Before Finross could answer her, the child began to stir. He yawned a long, deep yawn and stretched his arms. He was waking up.
“Uh oh,” Jewela gasped. The merman kid opened his eyes, and immediately looked side to side at the crowd of marineman surrounding him.
“Hey! What? Huh? Who? I! Ummm…” the child stammered. He reached for his neck but found his shadow morpher was gone.
“Looking for this, young man?” Finross asked in a somewhat amused tone. The boy’s eyes widened, and his lips snapped shut. He looked both shocked and utterly defeated. “What’s your name, boy?” Finross asked. The merman child blinked, then started fidgeting.
“Ummm…Clamkai,” he stammered. As he spoke, he began to reach for his shadow morpher, but Finross kept the scarf away from his grasp.
“What are you doing kid?” Cyton asked in an irritated tone, setting Jewela down. Clamkai looked at Cyton and shrugged.
“Just stuff,” he replied.
“Stuff?” Cyton snapped. “Kid, do I have to go through the list of your offenses? You did a lot more than just stuff.” Jewela touched Cyton’s shoulder, wordlessly telling him to calm down. Clamkai was startled by Cyton’s intimidating behavior. He looked back at Finross and made many attempts to take back the shadow morpher.
“Look, I’m sorry, but can I just go home? I promise I won’t come back here again,” he said as he tried to snatch back the enchanted scarf. Finross chuckled again, amused by the boy’s attempts to take it.
“Sorry, kid, but you’re in a lot of trouble. We can’t just let you off with a warning,” he said.
“You really upset a lot of people,” Minolly said. “Those townsfolk were threatening to call hunters to capture you. You could’ve been hurt.” Clamkai gave an annoyed scowl at Minolly.
“I can defend myself just fine,” he pouted. “And give me back my shadow morpher!” he snapped at Finross. When the boy said that, another hunch sparked in Finross’s mind.
“Are you sure this is yours?” he asked him. “Are you sure this doesn’t belong to someone else?” Suddenly, the sound of the front door bursting open was heard behind them. The band all looked and saw an ominous shadow entering the home. It was none other than Searay, and he looked angry.
“It belongs to me,” he snarled. “That kid stole it.” Clamkai immediately looked frightened, but slowly his fright turned to annoyance. Annoyance like that of a child caught doing something bad. Finross handed the shadow morpher scarf to Searay, pleased that his hunch was correct. Searay snatched it out of his hand and glared at Clamkai, who gave him a childish pout.
“Shuck. This should be good,” Trench whispered to Wavoro. Searay lowered his head to intensify his angry stare at the merman boy. Clamkai simply looked away with an irritated scowl.
“Clamkai! I heard about your antics through the town. Why in the hell did you go on a scavenging spree? Do you know how much trouble you caused?” Searay asked in an angry tone. Clamkai simply rolled his eyes.
“It’s not my fault my parents feed me nothing but icky vegetables,” he whined.
“That’s your excuse?” Jewela said, clearly exasperated with an expression of shock and disapproval.
“I mean, I hate veggies as much as the next guy, but come on,” Trench whispered to Wavoro.
“I was starving for real food,” Clamkai sulked, crossing his arms. “My parents never give me real food like fish. All they give me is plants. That’s not real food.”
“I don’t care what your reasons are,” Searay snapped. “You stole one of the shadow morphers I crafted! And a failed one at that.” The band was instantly confused.
“A failed one?” Jewela said.
“So, that shadow morpher doesn’t work properly?” Minolly asked.
“Of course, it doesn’t,” Searay said. “The intangibility is faulty, and it produces filthy, rotten clouds of foam.” The band finally understood.
“Aha!” Wavoro exclaimed. “That explains the mess that was always left behind.”
“I intended to dismantle it in the public crafting station, but this kid snatched it like a no-good thief,” Searay stated. Clamkai clenched his fist and gave Searay an immature, angry scowl.
“What do you care? You weren’t going to use it anyway! Why couldn’t you have just let me have it?” he grumbled.
“To prevent it from falling into the wrong hands,” Searay replied. “Hands like yours.” The shadowy merman extended his hand towards Clamkai, who was still sulking. “I’m taking you home right now, you troublemaker. Your parents are going to hear all about this.” Clamkai made a bunch of irritated, childish whining noises. He thrashed around in protest and curled his lips in an even angrier pout. Finross could not help but chuckle at this.
“You know, kid, I would do what Searay says if I were you,” he said. “I’m sure you would rather deal with your parents than all the townsfolk. I’m sure many of them wanted you put in a zoo or something. They thought you were a creature.” Clamkai thrashed and whined harder and louder, then screamed in frustration.
“Fine!” Defeated, the immature troublemaker allowed Searay to grab his hand and the two swam out of the house. The band went outside to watch them leave. Jewela, Wavoro, and Minolly waved goodbye.
“Your parents are going to hear every bit of your antics,” Searay stated.
“I hate you! Jerk!” Clamkai screamed into the darkness of the night. After a while, the duo disappeared from sight. With everything over, the band looked out into the surface of the sea. The mystery of the ravenous scavenger was solved.
“Looks like our task is complete,” Finross said to his friends, feeling very satisfied. There was nothing like the feeling of a successful mission. Few things offered more gratification.
“Well, I don’t know about you, mates, but I think I’m ready to get back to bed,” Trench said with a yawn.
“Yeah, me too,” Jewela sighed as she also yawned. “I’m going upstairs. Goodnight, everyone.”
“Goodnight, pigtails,” Cyton sighed as he rolled his eyes. She giggled, noticing Cyton was still annoyed that he did not get to fight a savage creature today like he hoped to do. Trench and Wavoro swam off back to their homes, leaving Finross and Minolly left to go back inside their house. They followed Jewela indoors and headed upstairs to their bedroom. Finross touched Minolly’s shoulder and smiled at her.
“You did good today, Minolly,” he said in a friendly tone. Minolly smiled back at him.
“Thank you, Finross,” she said. The clock had struck two in the morning, and finally it was time to rest for the night. However, there were still things to attend to tomorrow.
“I’ll have to tell the story of what happened to the townsfolk first thing in the morning,” Finross said as he and Minolly entered their bedroom. “I’m sure they’ll be very surprised when they find out the beast they wanted hunted was nothing more than a child with a defective shadow morpher.”
“I can imagine,” Minolly said. She lay down on the bed, and Finross lay beside her. They pulled the covers over each other, but one final thing was on Finross’s mind. Something that made him chuckle.
“I can’t wait to tell Gilltom about this when he returns from his trip,” he whispered as he turned over on his side. “He may be having fun at that dance show, but I’m going to inform him of what he missed out on.” Happy with how their little village adventure went, the Deep Blue Band drifted off to sleep. They all hoped their next adventure would be even better.