by EJ Altbacker
Nothing worked.
Then Salamanca jabbed his sharp bill right inside Hokuu’s nostril!
Pain exploded inside his head and all Hokuu could smell was his own blood. The marlin shook his bill and said, “You are deeply disappointing.”
Luckily for Hokuu the marlin had to dodge when a drove of bluefin ripped through the greenie. These were the fastest tuna, leading the way for the others. Soon the main mass of fish would come through and demolish everything in their path.
Hokuu made the only decision he could.
He fled.
Grimkahn would find out about the Tuna Run soon enough.
Striiker sent wave after wave of mariners at Grimkahn and the five mosasaurs that were marching forward on the ledge. Riptide and AuzyAuzy mariners fought bravely. Some were crushed by the terrible jaws of the jurassics. Frilled sharks also took lives, but Shear and his guardians were using their finja abilities and scoring mortal hits to their gills.
“Dip your snout into the muck and call me king!” yelled Grimkahn. “I’ll make your trip to the Sparkle Blue a quick one!”
“Thanks but no thanks,” Gray told the giant jurassic. “Xander, it’s time!”
The scalloped hammerhead nodded and gave a tail waggle that was seen by the rest of his mariners still at the top of the Atlantis Spine. They had been warned about the current after the first wave and corrected for it as they dived down the rockside.
Grimkahn swung his giant tail through the water and cleared his area of an assault team headed by Striiker himself. “It is only a matter of time before I have you in my jaws!” he told Gray.
“That’s right, Grimkahn! It is only a matter of time!” Gray said as he saw the stream of bluefin off to the side thicken. The Tuna Run would whip past in barely a minute. “And yours is up!”
“BREAK, BREAK, BREAK!” bellowed Striiker.
Olph clicked out the command but the area was small enough that the great white’s shout did most of the work. The Riptide mariners, along with one AuzyAuzy battle fin, scattered to make room for wave after wave of new mariners. A full three battle fins of AuzyAuzy mariners came at the mosasaurs and pummeled them to the edge of the ledge.
Gray was about to lead the charge to finish them with Striiker but Xander put his tail out. “Hold on for a bit,” he said. “I’ve got a surprise for you, savvy?”
Then two Indi Shiver battle fins streaked into the fray, led by Tydal!
“For Indi Shiver and VICTORY!” Tydal shouted.
These were the superbly trained remnants of the Black Wave armada. Each battle fin twisted and turned on their way down, confusing Grimkahn and the jurassics to no end. The mosasaurs took the combined impact of the battle fins straight to their face and trunks. The giants were ejected from the plateau’s ledge right as the main body of bluefin tuna came through.
Gray’s forces had timed it perfectly.
The main body of the Tuna Run roared through the area like an unstoppable force.
The mariners on the ledge cheered as the frilled sharks were destroyed by the speeding tuna, each weighing five or six hundred pounds and all traveling so fast they were a silvery blur. The mosasaurs were bludgeoned and swept away.
Grimkahn hung on the longest, his flippered claws tearing out chunks of the mountainside as he was hammered by the bluefin smashing into his side. “YOU HAVEN’T WON!” he shrieked. “THIS ISN’T OVER!”
“It is for today!” Gray answered, and then he rammed Grimkahn between his eyes.
The great mosasaur finally lost his grip and tumbled away with the current.
They were safe.
For now.
GRAY AND THE WEARY SHARKS FROM RIPTIDE, AuzyAuzy, and Indi Shivers got back to the Indi homewaters a week later. Gray insisted on only moving as fast as their wounded mariners could swim. No one would be left behind to make it on their own.
Gray looked around the private meeting cavern in the Indi homewaters. Shear hovered at his side, of course. Barkley, Leilani, Striiker, Xander, and Tydal chatted among themselves while they waited. On the other side of the room was the very odd trio of Takiza, Snork, and a large blue marlin called Salamanca. Velenka had been missing since a frilled shark had attacked her, Barkley, Leilani, and Snork at the Tuna Run.
No great loss there, he thought.
Gray also had to answer several quickfin messages that had found him at Indi. This was an unwelcome new development. Apparently, messages and the problems contained within them could find him even if he wasn’t in the throne cavern in Fathomir. He waved at the First Court Shark, Oopret, who was an epaulette shark like Tydal, to send another messenger in.
“Seazarein,” Oopret said, bowing. “The last quickfin.”
“Thank you,” Gray told him. “You’ve done a fine job organizing them.” The epaulette beamed and dipped his snout all the way to the rock floor before sending in Eugene Speedmeister.
Gray couldn’t help but grin as the young flying fish zipped in. He stopped and flicked his four wings downward in a snappy salute.
“Quickfin Speedmeister with a message from Kendra, regent of AuzyAuzy Shiver in Prince Lochlan’s name, code word Whorl Current. The message is as follows. ‘Jurassic and frills spotted in Sific. Grimkahn and Hokuu are with them.’ That is the end of the message.”
The room went silent as everyone, even the overly loud Salamanca, stopped speaking. Gray flicked his tail to the quickfin. “Wait for my reply outside. Oh, and Speedmeister, I’d like to request that you be assigned to Fathomir as one of my permanent messengers. Would that be okay with you?”
Eugene saluted once more before leaving the cavern, his eyes brimming with tears of joy. “That would be just fine, your lordship.”
“I suppose having either Grimkahn or Hokuu out of the way was too much to hope for,” Barkley said.
Salamanca whipped his bill through the water. “If Salamanca had one more moment he would have put paid to Takiza’s mortal enemy, Hokuu.”
Takiza ruffled his fins. “The Tuna Run giveth, but it also taketh away.”
“What will you do about Grimkahn?” asked Leilani.
“The short answer is, I need to stop him,” Gray said. “Negotiations won’t work. We’re going to have to win.”
Tydal flicked his tail from side to side as he thought it over. “If I were him, I’d look for reinforcements. Another passage to the Underwaters, perhaps?”
Gray nodded. The epaulette had a keen mind, and it was worth considering what he said. “They were spotted by Kendra’s fins. They probably aren’t there just because the water’s warm.”
“We should definitely stop that,” Xander said. “Wouldn’t want to fight an armada of jurassics, now would we?”
Gray looked at Tydal. “How’s everything here?” he asked.
The epaulette understood what he meant. “Thanks to Xander, all right.” Tydal gave the AuzyAuzy commander a flick of his fins. “Things have calmed.”
Gray nodded. Without Tydal’s additional help they might have lost. The epaulette could be a tremendous ally in the future. Gray had an idea on how to set that current into motion.
“It only took banishing one of the royal families, and the rest fell straight into line,” added Xander. “You think I can maybe go home, Gray?”
Gray shook his head sadly. “Sorry, I need you here to help Tydal train another three battle fins of Indi mariners.”
Tydal swished his tail. “With our recent history that’s a rather large force for us to have, don’t you think?”
“You have control of this shiver,” Gray answered. “I need you as an ally, not someone whose homewaters we’re occupying.”
“But after the Black Wave . . .”
Gray shook his head. “This isn’t going to be the Black Wave. I want a combined Indi and AuzyAuzy pe
ace force that will guard this area until the threat is over.”
Xander nodded. “Okay, I’m game. I can see how that’s pretty important.”
Striiker added, “Not knowing where they’re going to strike next, it’s very important.”
“Agreed,” said Shear.
“Besides, this place got much less boring once Tydal put the royals in their place.” The hammerhead gave the epaulette a grin. “Maybe Indi Shiver is the place for me for now.”
Tydal dipped his snout in thanks. “I’m very happy to have you, Xander.”
Salamanca slashed his bill through the water, getting Gray’s attention. “Seazarein Graynoldus. May Salamanca borrow your friend Snork for a while?”
Takiza gave Gray a fin flick that indicated he agreed. “It would be good for him.”
“Right, like lifting rocks good, huh?”
Takiza gave Gray a haughty look. Salamanca had asked earlier if the sawfish could go and learn the ways of their bladefish society. But in the end it was Snork’s decision to make. Gray turned to the sawfish and asked, “Is that what you’d like?”
Snork nodded. “I think it’s the current I should swim.”
“Good. Any other business, then?” Gray asked.
No one said anything, and he was about to end the official audience when First Court Shark Oopret poked his snout inside the cavern. “I beg your pardon, Seazarein. A mako named Velenka would like to speak to you.”
Gray motioned for her to be sent in. There were varied reactions around the room.
“The bad clamshell returns,” Barkley muttered as she swam into the cavern.
“I’m surprised you can show your face,” Leilani commented as she passed.
“I was with them first,” Velenka said.
“As their prisoner,” the spinner retorted.
Gray slapped his tail against the cavern wall before everyone got to arguing. “Velenka, why are you here?”
The mako became a bit nervous, which was odd. It wasn’t like her. “I, umm, I would like . . . to join your forces as a shiver shark so I can try out for the ghostfins.”
“Whaaaaat?” Barkley almost shouted.
“I, for one, looove this idea,” said Striiker.
Barkley glared at him.
“You have to admit she’s gifted at being sneaky,” the great white said.
“Doesn’t matter,” Shear put in. “Enemies can be gifted but they are still enemies.”
“Thank you, Shear!” Barkley exclaimed.
“Why do you want to join?” Gray asked.
“Because he saved my life,” Velenka said, pointing a fin at Barkley.
“You cannot be serious!” his friend blurted. “No, no, no!”
“Now that’s interesting,” Striiker quipped. “You kinda left that part out.”
Barkley had glossed over what Velenka had been doing when the frilled shark attacked. He had told Gray about Snork’s duel with the beast, which was incredible, but he’d said nothing about what happened with Velenka other than she got away in the confusion.
Certainly not that he had saved her life.
Velenka moved in front of Gray and gestured again at Barkley. “He saved my life and so I owe him. I can’t go through life owing him.”
“I didn’t save you!” Barkley whined.
She nodded. “Yes, you did.”
Barkley shook his head. “It wasn’t on purpose.”
“It kind of was,” Leilani said.
He looked at the spinner. “Whose side are you on?
Velenka stared at Barkley with her big black eyes. “You hate me and yet your split-second reaction was to save me. It’s . . . fascinating. And I can’t have that hanging over my head.”
“Graaay,” Barkley said. “You’re being very quiet and I don’t like that. You’re not considering this, are you? Come on.”
Velenka flicked her fins. “I know things that would be useful,” she said. “I was around Hokuu more than anyone. I can help stop him. That’s very much in my interests as he’s trying to send me to the Sparkle Blue.”
Gray looked at Barkley and his friend sighed. He already knew.
“Fine,” Barkley told Velenka. “But don’t expect me to take it easy on you.”
Takiza said, “I have some excellent techniques you can use to make sure she remains obedient, if you wish.”
“I do wish,” Barkley answered.
Gray slashed his tail through the water. “Okay, Velenka. But if there’s even a hint that you’re playing some sort of game, I will send Shear for you. There will be no excuses when he finds you. Understood?”
Velenka clicked her mouth shut and nodded.
Gray looked around the cavern, particularly at Velenka and Tydal. “It looks like we’re not done fighting for peace, which I know is an odd thing to say. But war sometimes forces fins and dwellers who never had anything in common to become allies. We have to join together and figure out a way to beat the jurassics and whatever allies they manage to call. It won’t be easy, so let’s get to work.”
And with that, they did.
Acknowledgments
First I’d like to thank Ben Schrank, president and publisher of Razorbill, who took a huge chance by letting a first-time author write this book series.
Also in the Penguin family, thanks to Emily Romero, Erin Dempsey, Scottie Bowditch, Courtney Wood, Lisa Kelly, Anna Jarzab, Mia Garcia, Tarah Theoret, Shanta Newlin, Bernadette Cruz, and everyone else from marketing, publicity, and sales. My hardworking design and production team: Vivian Kirklin in managing editorial, Kristin Smith in design, and Amy White in production. And special thanks to Laura Arnold, my fantastic editor and fin-tastic conspirator on all things Shark Wars.
I’d also like to thank Wil Monte and his talented crew at Millipede Creative Development, led by Jason Rawlings, for creating the Shark Wars game. I hope to one day meet you lot in Melbourne for a pint. Thanks to illustrator Martin Ansin for the Shark Wars covers and endpapers, which look better than I could have ever imagined; and of course my agent Ken Wright at Writers House for all his hard work.
To my good friend Jim Krieg, who has done so much that I can never repay him, although I will certainly try. And finally to my family and friends who were so supportive through the years. Best wishes to you all.
EJ ALTBACKER is a screenwriter who has worked on television shows including Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Ben 10, Mucha Lucha, and Spider-Man. He lives in Hermosa Beach, California.
Visit www.SharkWarsSeries.com to learn more and to play the Shark Wars game!