Sea of Secrets Anthology

by J E Feldman

  Expecting praise, Arun had been startled to get a reprimand instead.

  “Why don’t you stick to your part of the job, Arun?” Saxena said icily.

  Now convinced something was definitely fishy, he had gone to his boss’s boss.

  “Do you have proof?” Mr. Rastogi asked him.

  “No, sir, but I —”

  “Then stop wasting my valuable time!”

  What was worse, when his boss had learned Arun had circumvented authority, he’d threatened his job.

  That had been the end of the discussion. Arun loved the idea of honesty and righteousness, but he loved his paycheck just a tad bit more.

  Ronit and Nikita got off with other tourists. They disembarked at a bus stop some distance away from the caverns and walked the rest of the way, anticipation forcing them to quicken their pace. To avoid suspicious glances of the others, they trudged along with the tourists and pretended to be interested as a guide rambled on about the caves’ history.

  “… It is believed that the Pandavas had taken shelter here once. Hence, the alternate name, ‘The Pandava caves’…”

  Among a group of attentive people were two children who couldn’t care less about who had visited the caves decades ago. They were more interested in who would be visiting at four p.m., which was drawing closer. They had to find a way to sneak out!

  The Arvalem caves were surrounded by a thick forest, which opened up to the sea at its other end. All through the tour, Ronit kept a sharp lookout for possible hidden places.

  They found the opening purely by accident. In their excitement, they’d forgotten to rinse water and sand from their hair and shoes. Luckily, Ronit spotted a dangling clothesline near the forest. The caretakers of the caves must be living there in huts! They would have a spare towel or two which the twins could use to dry themselves.

  The hut was there, but the twins were dismayed to see it was empty. An eerie sense of abandonment hung around the place.

  Suddenly, Ronit jabbed his sister in the ribs.

  “There!” he shouted.

  Nikita followed his gaze and saw a narrow opening in the shrubbery. They couldn’t believe their eyes; the opening was closing in by itself! The shrubs seemed to multiply a hundred fold, filling up the opening.

  “Quick!” Nikita yelped as they dashed off toward it.

  They had barely jumped in, when the opening closed completely. Ronit looked back and was filled with a sudden sense of dread. It had vanished. The Arvalem caves were not to be seen, so dense was the overgrowth. The trees loomed tall and dark, refusing sunlight to enter the forest. They were now all alone.

  Nikita blinked to adjust to the sudden darkness. “How is this possible?”

  “Ssh!” Ronit put a finger to his lips. Fragments of conversation floated on the air, far off in the forest.

  There were two voices and it seemed they were arguing. Careful not to make too much noise, the twins followed the conversation. Soon, they could see dim outlines of two people.

  “Closer,” Nikita mouthed and tiptoed forward. Ronit laid a hesitant arm on her shoulder but she brushed it away. “Come on!” she whispered, pulling her brother with her.

  They found a tree with a voluptuous girth and decided they couldn’t get any closer. The two figures were in plain sight now, less than a hundred feet away.

  One of them was clad in a dark grey suit. His eyes were hidden by shades, and his hair slicked back from his forehead. The other man shifted his weight slightly and turned. Just for a moment, they caught a full frontal glimpse of him. To call him a man would be a grave mistake. The creature’s skin was covered with glistening dark grey scales from head to toe. Something akin to Indo Western trousers hung loosely on his legs, while the torso was uncovered. At his throat, gills protruded obscenely, giving him a terrifying appearance. He held a pointed spear, which glowed with a yellowish effervescence. He was dripping wet, as if he had just emerged from the sea itself.

  What was this creature?

  The important looking man seemed angry and was pointing a blameful finger at the other.

  “You were supposed to stay at your encampment, Yonus!” he berated. “I asked for Yoran.”

  When the creature spoke, his voice came out strangely in gurgles, as if he held a mouthful of water at his throat.

  “Yoran is dead,” he said. “The Merleons got to him.”

  “My God! You think he talked?”

  “Don’t think so. He was a tough nut to crack. And anyway, Merleon’s don’t deal with torture like we do. They’re soft at heart.”

  The other man brushed a hand through his hair. At length, he asked, “But if he’s dead, how did you know to come here?”

  “A few of our lot wandered to your filthy beaches. They found Yoran’s body, along with your note. They brought back the body before any of your breed could see it, and conveyed your message to me.”

  So that’s how the twins had come to find the note! The creatures must have dropped the bottle in their haste to carry their dead member out of sight.

  A sudden wind made the branches sway. Some pollen grains floated through the air and settled inside Ronit’s nose. He tried his best to stifle a sneeze but couldn’t control it. What came out was a muffled sound, like an unhappy mouse’s squeak.

  The conversation several feet away and the children’s heartbeats stopped in tandem. Nikita covered both their mouths with her hands as they pushed themselves harder against the tree. After what seemed like an eternity, the conversation resumed.

  “What about the fuel?” Gurgley Voice asked.

  “They’ll sanction the amount soon,” Mr. Suave snapped. “It’s not easy funneling money under the noses of your own people, you know!”

  “And it’s not easy warring indefinitely with a powerful tribe either. We’re doing our jobs. You do yours. Call on me once you get the money.”

  With that, the creature thrust his spear into the ground twice. A ripple of energy originated at the spear end, gliding across the ground, flattening the grass blades in its path. A loud rustling behind startled the twins. They retreated into denser shrubbery and watched as Mr. Suave made his way back to where the opening had been. Little by little, the darkness gave way to sunlight as the opening parted once more. The duo didn’t stick around to watch the man step outside the grove. They tailed the creature. Soon they reached scaffolding which opened up to the sea. The creature jumped and with a graceful dive, hit the water. For a few moments, the water radiated an effervescent yellow which followed the creature’s wake. They dropped on their tummies and peered cautiously into the sea.

  “Well, look what we have here!”

  The voice made them freeze. It was Mr. Suave!

  Nikita looked back to find the man with a menacing smile on his face, holding a bundle of creepers and vines. He tied their hands and legs together and left them lying against a boulder. He disappeared into the forest, speaking crisply into his phone.

  At first, the children thought it was rather silly to bind them with something as feeble as vines. But as they tried to untie themselves, they found the vegetation to be unnaturally strong. It would not break.

  They were trapped!

  The next hour passed painfully. As if by magic, the creepers began tightening their grasp. Nikita had already lost feeling in her wrists. Ronit kept twisting and turning, trying everything possible to untie himself.

  “Stop moving, you idiot! You’re hurting both of us!”

  “What’s your big idea, Nikki?” he replied hotly.

  Nikita fell silent, scared for once.

  A loud splash in the water below made them turn their heads. Had the creature returned to finish them off? But in the air arose a dolphin, flipping magnanimously in the air. It was too big to be a dolphin, but the twins weren’t close enough to be sure. It fell back into the water. A few seconds later, it leaped into the air once more, closer to the scaffolding this time.

  “I think the man drugged us before leaving!” Ronit
exclaimed, blinking rapidly.

  The creature was not a dolphin. It was a woman! She had a tail from the waist down, which culminated into coddle fins. Mid-air, she transformed fully into a human being and landed onto the scaffolding.

  “Are we on the right planet?” Ronit said as Nikita stared at the woman, her mouth hanging open.

  The woman before them was one of exquisite beauty. She had long golden hair, reaching down to her waist. She was adorned in patchy clothes made of what appeared to be jute. Nikita noticed her leggings were purple. On a closer look, Nikita realized it was actually just leaves of the Forest Pansy sewn together. The creature’s eyes were watery and shiny blue. Her newly materialized legs were short and muscular. Perhaps the only flaw in her beauty was the pale green of her skin. She trudged toward them hesitantly.

  “Who are you?” Nikita asked, gathering bravado in her voice.

  “I’m Meristole.” Her voice reminded Nikita of high-pitched notes of an opera singer. The creature untied them, her hands rough against their skins.

  Immediately, the kids scurried backwards in an attempt to get away from the creature.

  “You have nothing to fear from me,” she said. As an after-thought, she added, “You shouldn’t be here!”

  “You’re telling us!” Ronit said, rubbing life back into his wrists.

  “You must be the Merleon.” Nikita ventured.

  “Not the Merleon. A Merleon.”

  “You mean there’re more of you?” Ronit asked.

  The Merleon nodded absent-mindedly. “We have a whole population, hidden away thousands of leagues under the sea.”

  “Well, what’s our plan now?”

  “I don’t know… We need to get out of here, that’s for sure! The man’s going to return any moment –”

  “Oh, you’re not in danger from men,” Meristole interrupted. “Magic has taken care of that. Even these vines that bound you have been fortified magically. The Aquantaur closed off the opening and only magic can open it again.”

  “There must be other ways into the forest.”

  “There were, but the Aquantaurs made sure they became inaccessible by planting poisonous flora around the entrances. A single contact with the deathly plants and no man can last long enough to get here.”

  “That’s deadly!” Ronit said. “But why take so many precautions? What’re they planning?”

  Meristole averted her gaze and looked at the sea.

  “They’re after your tribe!” Nikita realized.

  “Yes.” The Merleon sighed. “For decades, our lots had managed to keep our existence a secret. But by some ungodly treachery, the Aquantaurs exposed us to those humans. They want to reap our rich resources and mine our rocks for their selfish purposes.”

  “Who was the important looking man, Meristole? Do you know him?”

  “He’s from the government. They’re funding an entire secret division to build machines that reach our habitat. They enticed the Aquantaurs by promising a world of wealth. With the Aquantaurs’ powers and the government’s technology, they plan to annihilate my people.”

  Angry tears welled up in Meristole’s eyes as she explained her predicament. Her tribe had put up a fierce fight against the Aquantaurs’ attack. There had been loss of life on both sides of the war. But the Meristoles, being in their natural habitat, had gained the upper edge. Just as they thought they could win, the Aquantaurs had partnered up with the government’s people and then they stood no chance.

  “We shifted camp and now we protect our habitat by enchantments and spells.”

  Before she could go on, a sudden turbulence broke out at the sea far off.

  “They’re coming! We must leave!” Meristole hissed. From the pockets of her bodice, she presented a ball of green leaves, resembling fenugreek. “This will help you survive underwater. Quick, eat this!”

  Nikita gulped it down hurriedly, but Ronit hesitated. Meristole urged him to shove the leaves down his throat. Ronit sighed; at home or caught in between a mysterious adventure, there was no escaping yucky green food.

  “Jump!” There was urgency in the Merleon’s voice, even a slight trace of fear.

  “I’m… I’m not sure, Meristole.” Nikita wavered, looking down tens of feet into the water.

  Suddenly, the twins felt a hard push from behind. Their legs gave out under them as they toppled over the scaffolding. Just for a single moment, the kids felt as if they were flying.

  Then, the world became an unending canvas of blue.

  “Saxena, it’s your lucky day.”

  The man in the dark grey suit allowed a broad grin on his face.

  “We’ve gotten the sanctions?”

  “Yes, we have!”

  The team was gathered at an inconspicuous restaurant. There were four them. When Saxena had proposed the crazy idea to his superior, he had been laughed at.

  “So you’re saying mermaids exist? What’s next? Unicorns?”

  Indignant, Saxena had lured the Aquantaurs into the forest and introduced them to his boss. His boss had stared at them as if he’d seen a ghost. The strange tribe confirmed the existence of yet another tribe deep underwater. The Merleons, as they were called, lived hidden under the sea. They had resources and riches that could benefit humanity in more ways than imaginable.

  His boss, along with a high-ranking person from the finance department, and a retired officer from the navy had agreed to join his solo team for Operation Blue Rock.

  Saxena became the mediator; it was he who had found out about the Aquantaurs. Yonus had washed up at the beach, injured after a battle with the Merleons. Saxena had carried him off into a deserted alcove and helped him revive. Yonus had pledged a lifetime of debt to the man for saving his life. The Naval officer took up the development of equipment. Using his deep knowledge of underwater armory, they had subcontracted the development of advanced submarines. Secrecy was ensured through heavy bribes.

  The first trip had been a success, led by the naval officer himself. He had confirmed sightings of the creatures and their underwater towns. Now, they’d gotten funds to build a better submarine with built-in surveillance capacities. They’d reveal their rock solid proof to the world, and the world would make them heroes!

  “It’s cause for a celebration!” Thakur the naval officer said. “Malhotra, you’re paying.”

  Malhotra readily agreed. His had been the most difficult task: manage the accounts and records such that no one would suspect the money laundering. Saxena and his boss, Rastogi, had made life miserable with their unrealistic demands and badgering. Conning is an art and art should never be rushed. But he’d pulled through. He considered his devious ideas of funneling money to be his marvelous brain children.

  Just as the drinks arrived, Saxena narrated the events at the forest.

  “They should be taken care of,” Rastogi barked. “Just like we took care of those idiots living in the huts.”

  “Don’t worry. The Aquantaurs will take care of them.”

  Thakur had smuggled out some of the most modern communication equipment with the help of his connections in the Navy. Saxena had offered it to the savage tribe to facilitate dialogue. He’d ordered Yonus, the tribe leader, to meet them regularly at the forest and learn how to use it. It had taken them a frustratingly long time to master it. Hence the age old way of sending messages in bottles. Thankfully, Yonus now had a basic understanding of the transceivers. Saxena had already left a message, ordering Yonus to take care of the two children.

  “Let us drink,” Thakur said.

  Glory was near.

  The funny tasting weed transformed them entirely. Gills protruded at their throats and their arms and legs morphed into webbed structures. A thin veil of fibrous, transparent flesh covered their eyes, allowing them to remain open. Breathing became unnatural and strange, but they adjusted pretty quickly. Their clothes stuck to their body. Meristole transformed back to her mermaid-like form.

  “Why do I keep opening my mouth against m
y will?” Ronit asked, flustered.

  “How would you breathe otherwise?” Meristole replied. “The water now reaches your gills, which sucking out the necessary oxygen.”

  Another silly thought crossed his mind. How could he speak?

  “Stridulation,” Meristole offered.

  “Huh?”

  “It’s the way some animals talk, dumbo!” Nikita explained. “You communicate by rubbing a few stridulant organs behind your lips.”

  “So you mean whatever I’m saying is coming out as noises and sounds?”

  “Yes! And we can understand you perfectly,” Meristole said.

  “Just because you can talk, doesn’t mean you should,” Nikita added. “Shut up for once!”

  Suddenly, the Merleon pushed them behind an underwater rock. They lay still, confused. Mere feet away, the water began to roar in anger, disturbed by the horde of Aquantaurs swimming toward the scaffolding. The trio counted eight of them, each as powerfully built as the one in the forest had been. Reaching the base of the scaffolding, they raised their spears upward and some mysterious force appeared to propel them out of the water. Once on the scaffolding, they disappeared from view.

  Meristole beckoned them to swim out of hiding. They swam downward for half an hour. The twins took in the breathtaking view wordlessly, trying to reconcile the existence of magical creatures and underwater battles.

  Abruptly, Meristole stopped in her tracks. She pointed to an effervescent tunnel of light a few feet away. The twins stared in awe at the pipe-like water current. It stood out from the surrounding sea by its yellowish glow. They swam toward its opening.

  “This is going to nauseate you a little,” Meristole said.

  “What is?” Ronit asked, gulping sea water by accident. It seemed not to harm him.

  “This,” Meristole said and pushed both of them into the water current.

  Their stomachs lurched as they were propelled forward, helpless against the current. The tunnel angled downward and sucked the three of them in at a dizzying speed. Soon they emerged at the other end of the tunnel. What lay before them was a towering wall of blackened coral rock, stretching upward as far as the eye could see.