The ocean depths were as ebony as night, but I could still see every type of fish swim by as if the water was crystal clear. My gaze flickered to the beautiful Marina, who swam just a few feet ahead of me, and I studied every multi-colored scale on her new slender but strong tail. Her purple hair flowed behind her like the finest threads of glistening silk as she pushed forward with her porcelain and toned arms, but she must have sensed me staring because she flashed me a small smile over her shoulder, and even her pearly-white teeth shone through the black water.
“We’re almost there, master,” she said with ease. “I can feel the pull of whatever we need to find dragging us closer. Do you feel it, too?”
Before I responded, I took a moment to feel deep inside my heart. It was beating fast and hard, and in my mind, I could sense a strong magnetic pull drawing me closer to whatever we were looking for like a moth is drawn to a burning, bright flame.
“Yes,” I replied with a small nod. “I can feel its power growing closer. Whatever it is, it harbors strong holy magic. I sense both its beauty and atrocity.”
“I feel the same thing,” the beautifully transformed siren remarked. “Whatever it is, it’s been dying to be pulled from the water for an extraordinarily long time, and the deeper we venture, the stronger the sensation becomes… Wait, look up, I think there’s a small air space. Must be a cave within a cave.”
When I glanced upward, I saw exactly what Marina described. It looked like the surface of a small pool, so we both swam toward it, but I gasped and struggled to breathe when we broke the surface.
“F-Fuck,” I sputtered as I reached for my throat, but the painful sensation behind my ears seemed to suddenly seep back into my skin, and when I looked down at my hands and feet, they were no longer webbed and scaled.
I glanced over at Marina, but for some reason, she still had her tail, and when she looked at me, there was a helplessness in her eyes.
“Master,” she began. “I can’t crawl up onto the surface as you can. I can breathe, but I believe it is you who needs to find the missing clue.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I think the charm Beatrix placed upon us only works for me when I reach an air pocket… or it has simply worn out.”
“Let’s hope it’s the former,” Marina sighed dramatically. “We still need to swim back.”
“It’s alright, Marina,” I said in a reassuring voice. “I still remember every word Beatrix uttered if that’s the case.”
“Master, you’re incredible,” Marina said with adoring, lavender eyes, and I couldn’t help but smile back at her loving face.
“Wait here,” I ordered. “Let’s see if I can find this mysterious clue on my feet.”
“Yes, master,” the siren responded in an obedient tone. “I will keep a lookout.”
I grasped the edges of the stone surface and carefully pulled myself from the cool water, and when I managed to stand steadily upright, I scrunched the water from my shirt and shook my head to get the ocean water out of my ears. I quickly rubbed the saltwater out of my eyes, looked around the dim cave, and then pulled out my wand.
“Illuminana,” I whispered before the tip of my wand glowed bright yellow.
The spell lit up the entire inside of the small cave, and I studied every feature of the black rocks and darkly-hued sea pebbles. As I looked closer, I noticed some carvings were embedded and splayed across the entire cavern walls, and it looked like random drawings etched deep into the greenish-black stone.
But then I realized one carving depicted two men with wings and long, spiked tails. They were both placing a glowing circular object inside a large chest with no lock, and behind them lurked a giant squid with razor-sharp tentacles and menacing eyes. Just the image itself sent a violent shiver down my back, and goosebumps covered my entire body.
“Did you find anything yet, master?” Marina called out as she slapped her tail against the water.
“Not yet,” I shouted back, “but I have a feeling that whatever we’re looking for has got to be around here somewhere.”
“What about there?” The purple-haired Wicca pointed to a corner covered with massive stones. “I’m sensing something underneath.”
I gazed at the pile of rocks and could feel a formidable force pulling me toward it, and as I took a few steps closer, I could sense the magnetic power growing stronger. I approached the heap, and I knew deep in my bones that something holy and potent was hidden beneath the rubble, so I closed my eyes, opened my soul to Satan, raised my hands, and pictured the stones hovering in the air to uncover whatever laid beneath the debris. Then I took in a sharp breath and steadied my breathing before I uttered the proper incantation in my head.
Motus.
Suddenly, the rocks began to tremble and slowly lift upward, and as I held onto my inner strength, I commanded the stones to move out of the way and reveal whatever laid beneath the bottom of the rubble. I guided the rocks away from the corner and placed them in different spaces around the small cave, and Marina began to clap her hands with glee and splash her tail up and down. I did not know what she was so excited about since my gaze was focused elsewhere, but when I turned to her, there was a wide bright smile plastered across her flawless face.
“Master!” she squealed with joy as she pointed to the corner. “Look! I
