Biohuman

It took a lot of time to convince Aliza and Cayi everything would be fine, but they continued to cry. Keng comforted the two smaller Merfolks and eventually got them back and ready to go. They had moved to the large set of boulders blocking their way as their conchs went off.

"Aliza? Cayi? Keng? Do you read me?" Rya's voice called out. Keng lifted his hand and pulled the rocks out, watching the smaller ones crumble down as Cayi picked up the conch.

"Loud and clear!" Cayi replied with the conch next to his mouth.

"Status update."

"Aliza got ambushed by Ferals and—"

"I did not!" Aliza pulled the conch away from Cayi. "I warned them not to come but they still came!" Cayi and Aliza began to fight amongst each other as Keng pulled the last boulder out of the way.

"Alright, enough you two. What actually happened?" Rya shouted. Cayi and Aliza glared at each other before Keng pulled his conch out and answered.

"Our connection got weakened and Cayi and I thought Aliza was in trouble so we went to help her. We fell into an ambush, had a bit of trouble, but Cayi was able to kill the Ferals." Keng replied.

"Lil' Cay did what?" Vizo asked in the background. He seemed very happy to hear Cayi had landed the finishing blow. Rya hushed the excited Vizo and cleared her throat.

"Is this true, Cayi?" Rya asked. Aliza grumbled and handed his conch back to him.

"Yes, ma'am." Cayi answered, shyly. There was silence for awhile. Keng and Aliza watched Cayi go through his emotions, reeling them in and trying to temper himself for the worst of it.

"Great job, Cayi. Vizo and I are really proud of you. How did you kill them?" Rya asked. Cayi went into detail with Aliza and Keng backing his profound story. By the end of it, Cayi had a big smile on his face, Aliza almost thought Cayi would lose it. "That's good to hear. I'm glad you brought up the promise, Aliza. I'm glad you realized what you did wrong, but I need to remind you the Savior is our ally. Do not get rid of him to protect Cayi. He can handle blows of his own."

"Especially now he's manifested some sort of offensive magic!" Vizo glowed in the background.

"I just removed the boulders in the way and we're headed forwards." Keng continued. "Oh! The cave has magic in of itself. The illusion magic we came across would've stumped us if not for using Squadron Leader Calis's conch."

"Keep it up, then. Be careful and if you cannot do more, don't." Rya reminded them.

"I found a way through." Vizo's voice called for Rya.

"While you are moving forward, Vizo and I took a look around and came to the same conclusion. The cave plays tricks on your senses, especially your touch and sight. Keep your eyes, hands, and fins — feet for you, Keng — out for any illusions."

"Yes, ma'am." The three answered.

"I won't keep you. Continue forward. Be safe." Rya concluded the call. The three hung their conchs at their side and Keng shifted into a chibi Merman form and swam with Cayi while Aliza went forward.

——

Lily's chest burned as she swam forward. The screams of the Ferals echoed all around her as a muscular and handsome blonde Merman followed after her with a similar looking Denni ahead of her. The Ferals had gotten them caught up in the middle of the cave's tricks. The illusions and traps had gotten more complicated as they went deeper and deeper.

"Tch! I can't get in touch with anyone!" Trenni shouted. "This stupid conch isn't working!" Calis spun around, the shadows billowing around him as it met the tentacles with a flurry of slashes.

"Keep going!" Calis ordered with his deep voice. They moved at a slower pace because of Lily and Lily's guilt grew inside of her chest.

"I'm sorry you have to protect me like this!" Lily shouted. "If I didn't get captured, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Savior, you don't have to apologize." Trenni turned to look at her before firing condensed balls of energy into the darkness behind Calis. "We would do the same for anyone."

"But…!" Lily bit his lip.

'If I was more careful, we wouldn't have been in this mess!' Lily thought. The Ferals shrieked as charged tentacles flew straight for them.

"By Hydran!" Calis spun around and slashed the electrified tentacles clean off. The Ferals shrieked as Calis let out a scream of his own. The shadows flew into the darkness of the tunnel, piercing Ferals. The water distorted to their right, a female Feral appearing. She shrieked, grabbing Calis as she bit into his arm.

"Calis!" Lily and Trenni shouted. Lily's energy swirled as she began to sing. The fear in her voice made it hard to concentrate.

'Come on!' Lily told herself. 'Come on!'

"Fire!" Trenni launched a orb straight into the female Feral's face, burning it. The Feral shrieked as Calis pushed her off of him and pierced her heart. The Feral went limp as Calis spun around and ushered Lily forward. The three moved through the winding and tightening halls, pushing out into a wide open space.

Energy shook all around them. It was so apparent, even Lily could feel and see it with her heavily dampened Energy Senses. Colorful lights flew out of Lily's hands, lighting the space as Ferals began to pour into the room.

"What do we do?!?" Trenni asked. "They're surrounding us!" Calis bit his lip as Lily stayed in between them.

'Come on…!' Lily's hands tightened. 'You can do it!' Lily pulled the air out of the water and breathed out. In the chaos of Ferals attacking while Calis and Trenni defended, the sound drowned everything out.

"Remember, Lily," Lily's Father, Fan'r, called out to her. "Music isn't the only sound you can manipulate. You may be able to manipulate through music the easiest, but in times where you cannot play an instrument or use your voice, you must focus on the sounds."

The sounds of fighting grew as Fan'r's voice continued to talk.

"Each sound is like a string you pluck from your ukulele. Each sound is your vocal cords shaking to make noise. Capture that feeling with the sounds you hear around you. Strengthen the sounds around you. Make the sounds that don't sound good, beautiful. The beautiful sounds turn bad. Capture it and strengthen it. That's all you have to do."

"Okay." Lily's voice shook. The sounds flooded back in its entirety.

"Lily watch out!" Trenni shouted. Lily's eyes opened, only to see a tentacle flying straight for her.

"I can't get to her!"  Calis grunted. Lily raised her hand, the pink lights dancing around her as she looked at the tentacle. The water, the movement, the sounds of fighting… It all made noise. Lily flexed her hand, grabbing onto that noise and watched as sound rippled out of the tentacle.

The tentacle tore to pieces as a discordant sound echoed. Everyone in the room flinched, pulling their hands up to protect their ears as Lily twitched.

'I… I did it!' Lily thought. She turned and moved her hand to hover at the group of Ferals near Calis. 'Their groans. I'll use that against them.' The sounds of their groans became nails scratching on the chalk board. It exploded, bursting the Ferals away from Calis.

"Sound Magic: Siren's Melody." Lily whispered. She began to sing, the cavern morphing her singing into something alluring and dark. The music moved throughout the entire cavern, bouncing and echoing along every path, there and not there. The Ferals froze, turning to look towards Lily as she sung.

"Woah." Trenni whispered. "She is good."

Keng zoomed with Cayi by his side. They had been going quickly, following the path ahead of them. Whenever it began to split, he'd pull the earth tone conch out and direct Aliza in a direction. He kept his eyes and ears out for any sign of Lily. She was the easiest person he could focus on.

He secretly prayed, hoping they would come in contact with them. It wasn't until Aliza flew past, he suddenly stopped.

"Wait!" Keng shouted. Aliza stopped, turning as Cayi slowed with Keng. "Do you hear that?" Aliza swam back to Keng and Cayi and listened.

"No." Cayi and Aliza answered.

"What do you hear?" Aliza asked. A dark and alluring song danced around him as he looked down at the ground.

"It's coming from here…" Keng whispered. He lowered himself down, realizing he was plunging into a thick illusion.

"Keng!" Cayi shouted. "Be careful!"

"Come on! I think he's heard the other Savior!" Aliza pulled Cayi along. Keng swam downwards, pushing through the illusionary rocks. It was thick and the growing energy was starting to mess with his senses.

'Follow her voice.' Keng told himself. Aliza had to grab onto Cayi and pull him forward. Keng picked up speed and the illusions and energy were making it hard for her to follow him. The siren song grew louder and louder, reaching a peak as Keng flew through the illusionary ceiling of rock.

A familiar Fox Spirit stood in between two Merfolk as they slashed at the entranced Ferals.

"K-Keng?!?" Lily called out, abruptly ending her song. "Y-you're here!"