Chapter 16. CARTER

Panic unraveled. The water sipped in filling up the bullet whatever. Only Allah could save us now. The creature pulled us into an underwater cave. The air was thicker down here. I glanced at our capturer or should I say, capturers. They were the mostri that had tried to abduct me when my mom was their hostage. My blood boiled seeing the things that stole my old life away. I wanted to pounce on them but their number said I'd quickly regret it. One spoke up. I will call him Samaki.

He was larger than the rest with sea-green scales with octopus eyes. He said, "Finally a good catch. The irony is a fish caught people." He laughed at his joke, "Put them in an oyster apart from the heterochromia one. He doesn't have a mystic scent so he is human." The vile worked. The rest were thrown into a big oyster. Samaki glanced at me with his eyes closing slightly. He said, "Put him in a cage for now. We'll deal with him later after giving our friends a warm visit." I pushed into a metallic cage. "Prepare the rest to start the ritual." The other asked, "To wake up the queen." He replied, "Which other one do you think I mean?" The other said, "It will take about 15 min to complete." He replied, "Our friends are not going anywhere so it doesn't matter." The other said, "Yeah sir."

We were moved towards a mansion with cream-painted walls, giant glowing pearls along the edges of the structure, seaweed as curtains, and coral reefs forming on its foundations. In the middle was a tower with a beam of white light shooting to the surface. Inside were red carpets laid down in each corridor with a stream of water on either side of it. A symbol of a water drip was engraved on doors in each corridor.

We were taken into a wide DH. It had a long table with million seats along it and a silver cauldron in the center. The oyster was placed down and I was taken out of the room. No, they were separating me from the group. I had to do something. I tried to pull the rusty bars but no luck. A pez removed a pearl that he placed on the symbol opening the door to a dark basement where I was left. My eyes adjusted making the place look like it was being illuminated in moonlight.

I needed to escape. Time was ticking before the queen was woken up for breakfast in bed or should I say lunch. I quickly felt around the bars. If there is a way in, there is a way out–at least I hoped.

I felt a lock. Now that, I could work with. I grabbed my paper clip. I molded and inserted it in. I maneuvered it until the lock opened. BTW I didn't learn this through theft. My mom locked up the cookie jar in a cupboard. Too bad she had an overly determined kid. Let's just say I ended up at the dentist. I opened the door. Okay, now how to get out of here? My eyes adjusted illuminating the room in the moonlight. The room was full of junk. It was like a yard sale. Now to get a pearl.

Time to see if being part of a play can give acting skills. I whined, "Guards, can I use the restroom? I'm dying here." I waited for what felt like ages until the door opened, "Okay let's go." I said, "Thank you." He approached me with a trident in hand. What, now you're Poseidon. It was dark blue with a pearl in the middle. Bingo. He was far enough from the door. I charged swinging my axe at his face. He dodged. He was shocked, "You. You are a mystic too. I can recognize a cube weapon when I see one." His gaze turned malicious. 3 tips headed for my chest. I jumped to the side. He swung his trident. I ducked and hit his leg. He dropped his trident.

He staggered back. I lunged for his trident. The thing was heavier than it looked. He charged and grabbed my arm. I tried to shake him off but his grip only got stronger. He kicked me onto the ground. I got up but quickly understood I was not doing it myself. He held me by the collar and put my head into the stream. He was trying to drown me. His grip strengthened around my neck. I couldn't breathe. My lungs burnt. Water was replacing air. I struggled–hitting him with my fists. My consciousness was dropping. I felt my chest weigh down. I was slipping away. No, I couldn't. I had to save my mom. I couldn't leave her not then not now. I held his face with determination. I pushed out all the mist I could conjure. It wasn't much but it was enough. He froze in place. Crumble. I quickly gasped for air. I got on my feet and picked up the pearl from the trident.

I dashed for the door. I placed the pearl. It opened. I leapt forward. A flash of light happened. I opened my eyes to find myself in the room. In it was a middle-aged woman with rich brown skin, short black hair in a bun, and green eyes wearing a peach chiton. She glanced at a maid who was covered in robes like an assassin. The green-eyed lady said, "I promise me that you'll take Amos and hide with him in one of the sanctuaries. I don't want him near here as I handle the war, Agatha. I want to save him from the nightmares." Agatha said, "I promise, Stella. You will save us all. I just know it." Stella said, "You're just saying because you're my friend." Agatha said, "No I'm saying this because you have great power and unlike the conquerors, you'll use it to liberate the world already started with the veil." Stella said, "That is why I want him out of here. Only my bloodline can manipulate the veil. They want to use him to stop the coup against them. I hope I get to see you again after this." Agatha said, "Me too." Stella said, "In case of any trouble use the secret passages."

I returned. What was that? A memory from the past but It wasn't mine. Do you know what? Ignore it. I have bigger fish to fry. What if there is a passage around here? Walking around in plain sight is way too risky. I touched the walls quickly. The pearl glowed. Bricks opened up to reveal a passage. I smirked and dashed through the halls. I tried to head up since I was taken to the lower levels of the mansion. Chanting was heard through the walls. I increased my pace towards them. It had to take every ounce of strength to fight my teen instincts telling me, "This is a bad idea."

I reached a balcony. I glanced down at many pez circled a cauldron full of bubbling water. The oyster was hung in the air by a wire. I had to find a way to communicate with them. Whom am I kidding? I called them hoping they would pick up. I said, "Are you guys okay?" Ella said, "Yes, being trapped in a big oyster is so casual for us. Of course not." I asked, "Can't you just… I don't know blast it open." Darius said, "The shell is immune to chaos as it seems. Maybe you could cut the wire." I said, "Won't that make you fall into the pez." Ephiria said, "Better than waiting to die." I said, "I guess that is true." I looked around for a way to cut the wire.

A voice said, "Hey you, what are you doing here?" Before I could respond, a stream of water pushed me with enough force off the balcony. Perfect timing Aquaman Jr.