Headed by a Snake

⟬ Two suns later... ⟭

⁆ So there we were at the bottom of the ocean. ⁅

⁆ We had some magic pearls that let us breathe underwater-- talk too, enough to understand. Lieutenant Tycon made the spell circles out of some chalk. Wonderboy supplied the pearls by losing them in a game of spades. And because I am a caster of great power and stunningly good looks, I provided all the heavy mana work. ⁅

⁆ Each pearl essentially had my ⌈Water Sphere⌋ on them and lasted a whole lot longer-- which led to this whole underwater expedition. ⁅

⁆ I learn something new about myself, every sun. Especially about how badass I am. ⁅

⁆ Anyroad, It was nice to be back on the sea floor, having chosen to be there instead of just waking up, floating around. Tall strands of kelp obscured our vision. Reef formations grew on everything-- which admittedly made it easy to lose sight of the Coral Boys. It wouldn't be impossible to lose one or two of them, if they wandered off. ⁅

⁆ There were fish everywhere, most of them smart enough to mind their own business. There were a few curious predators, of course, looking to see if we could be f*cked with. ⁅

⁆ The answer to that, of course, was a big fat no. ⁅

⁆ This sun, I also learned that I can literally knock out sharks with my powerful fists. ⁅

⁆ Lieutenant Tycon helped. ⁅

"Did you bring the idol?" Tycon asked.

"Nah, you said it was dangerous as hells," Krysaos smirked. "Hades offered to get rid of it."

"Brother-Hades certainly has the power level required to destroy an artifact," Tycon mused.

"He ate it."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Yeah," Krysaos shrugged. "He just... swallowed it. He's still on the Neptune's Revenge-- an' he'd been pissing off the end of the deck for like two bells when we left."

"That explains... much," Tycon nodded listlessly.

⁆ There I was... at the bottom of the ocean... having a full conversation with my Lieutenant about an orc's pissing habits. ⁅

Krysaos, Tycon, and a squad of Coral Boys navigated the depths... following Tycon's magic leaf towards the figurative pot of gold at the end of the figurative sea rainbow.

"Cap'n," Catshit pointed at a bull shark with wicked black stripes. "Dere's anuvver shark-- big, too."

"Yeah, so?"

"Can we fight it?" The Coral Boy blinked his eyes-- which would have fluttered his eyelashes if he had any. It didn't change Krysaos' mind in the least.

"No, don't f*ck with it," Krysaos waved. "It'll make a mess."

Knowing the Coral Boys, it wouldn't be a one-shot knockout. There'd be a lot of blood. Then the blood would attract more sharks. Eventually, there'd probably attract the attention of more than just those.

The Water Pearls they had were good for a few bells, but they couldn't afford to spend the whole sun fighting.

He shook his head... "These guys... they're like children, LT. Can't get 'em to focus on one thing, y'know?"

Tycon nodded... "As I know their sire... each Coral Boy is less than two years old."

"...Oh," Krysaos furrowed his brows. "Seven hells, that's f*ckin' weird."

"Hey, Cap'n," Came a different voice.

"WhaAAt?" Krysaos groaned.

The pale Coral Boy, Stickyfingers, approached from the opposite side. In his arms he carried a clam the size of his torso, "We'z got a fing."

"Oh, it's you. No, you can't keep it as a pet."

"...Very well, Cap'n," The Coral Boy shrugged before chucking it through the waters like a ball.

"Brother-Captain," Tycon grimaced, "The enchanted pearls we hold come from... such shelled creatures, no? Is there no value in one so large?"

Krysaos shook his head, "Stickyfingers had it. If there was a pearl, it's already looted."

"We'z looted it," Stickyfingers grinned. "Finders keepers, eh?"

"Personal loot stays personal," Krysaos walked onward. "When we raid the mermaid village-- that stuff gets divvied up."

"I believe you mean to say 'save' the village, Captain," Tycon suggested.

"We'll figure out which to do when we get there."

"Fair enough."

"Ehhhhhh... Cap'n," Bob tapped Krysaos on the shoulder and pointed at the unluckiest Coral Boy, Wonderboy.

He had an eight-legged devilbeast twice his size wrapped its tentacles around his head and torso-- probably sticking his skull with its beak.

"Ignore him," Krysaos waved. "We're moving."

Following Tycon's magic leaf, Krysaos and company figured out the general location of the place. Then, after another ten minutes, they came upon two... sahuagin. They were guarding the entrance of what appeared to be an underwater cave.

...and one was a real big, real familiar guy.

"Anaru! You sonuva b*tch! Nice to see you!!" Krysaos opened his arms.

The scales on the sahuagin's face had burnt off and left him with a terrifying scar. As Krysaos knew how he got it, he didn't mind it too much.

"HhhhWhAAAatt!?!" Anaru gurgled menacingly.

"The Captain is insulting you," Tycon explained. "I advise you to be offended."

"Krysaossssss!!" Anaru seethed through long, pointed teeth... "(The Amphitrite Reef Tribe does NOT welcome you!!)"

"Hey, LT," Krysaos looked over to Tycon, "why's that name sound familiar?"

"It's the tribe we're trying to..." The Lieutenant pursed his lips... "decide a course of action for."

Krysaos felt his heart fall to the depths of his stomach. He was hoping to find a tribe full of reasonably attractive mermaids... or at least partly filled with them. Instead, they'd just found... Becky's tribe.

In hindsight, it sounded like he should have been paying more attention.

"Judging by the look in your eyes," Tycon crossed his good arm over his chest, "you are... disappointed."

"Nah... I... I just... my hopes and dreams... they blinded me from the truth, LT."

"I'd imagine that happens with regularity, Brother-Captain."

...Krysaos got the sense that it was his turn to be insulted.

It was true, though.

The other sahuagin stepped forward, trident in hand, "Captain Krysaoss... and esteemed ssir, I advise you... nott to do anything rassh."

"Oh, yeah?" Krysaos scoffed. "You mind explaining what exactly you mean by... rash?"