---Silves's POV---
“I promise to never put us in danger like that again.” Echo said.
It was easy to see that he meant it, I smiled and was going to tell him it was okay when a voice cut through the room.
“Where were you.” The voice was cold, “And what do you mean you won’t put you both in danger again.”
Turning to see, Saous, leaning against the opening to the room. We both just stared. “What, you told me you would be back soon. You don’t show up until after daybreak and you wonder at my finding you?” I’ve been on guard all night. Watching everything, your attempt to sneak in May have gotten past someone else but not me. Now explain yourself.”
Echo looked stricken. I was confused for a moment. “Saous, I do apologize this was my fault. I didn’t realize we were supposed to be back last night. When we finished at his house, we went to our training cave, and fell asleep.”
“That only explains part, and I don’t believe that fully.”
“Well, some hu...huge sharks showed up and almost killed us because we were asleep in the water,” I said stuttering almost telling her we saw humans, though maybe we should tell her. Someone had to know humans were this close to our city.
Saous still looked pissed. “Don’t think I’m going to be doing you two a favor anytime soon, after this.” She said leaving, though it was easy to see she didn’t completely believe us. If it wasn’t for the fact that we were lying and I was sure I was bad at it, I’d feel insulted.
Echo went and laid in his bed, it would still be a few hours before breakfast would be served in the cafeteria. Trying to lay in my bed had me tossing and turning. Which must have annoyed Echo because he made a sound of annoyance. Then I felt him lay behind me.
“Calm down or I’m not going to get any rest.” He said wrapping his arms around me.
We laid there for a while until we heard people getting up and moving around. Echo was cleaning his tail in the bathing room when I looked over at him. It still astounded me, that I felt so safe around him.
“What? Did I miss a spot?” He asked looking at his tail.
“No, still just thinking how weird it is for me to feel so comfortable around you. Anyone else the thought of them touching me would send me into a panic, but you never have.”
“I don’t know.” He said setting the cleaner in his lap. “I’m glad you're not afraid of me though.” He finished softly, I almost didn’t hear him.
It made me smile, big strong Echo, liked me. We were friends. Finishing cleaning and heading out to get food, we looked around at everyone. The families were showing up to support their children. Teams were showing up to see how the training was going. We sat down to eat and Echo had fish again. I had to admit, it made me a little queasy to see him eating fish. I was a fish and knew that sharkmer would often eat merfolk if the fancy struck them.
Swallowing a few times, and looking away and focused on my food. “What other skills do you have? I haven’t heard you sing.” Echo asked.
“I don’t sing in front of others,” I said shaking my head. “For skills, my ice shield and conclusive blast as you called it, are my most powerful. Being a tropical mer, there isn’t a lot of call for using ice powers. Unless they evolve, I’m not sure how much I will end up being able to learn here.”
“What about your mother? She taught you those two, could she teach you more?”
“Probably not, she is water magic, those are two ice skills she knows. She might know more but if I could learn them she probably would have already taught me. My guess is at some point I will have to travel to the Arctic and get training there.”
“That doesn't sound fun.”
“Not really. Even if cold doesn't bother me the way it does other tropical mer, I don’t know what that will do, because we are a team, we are supposed to work together until we graduate.”
“I’m sure it will work out.”
Finishing breakfast we headed to the arena, to check when we would be fighting. Ours was to be the first fight, which was nice, it would allow us to watch more of the matches. Without having to worry about ours. Though looking at Echo he didn’t seem all that worried. Swimming over to the gate where we would wait for the start of the match, my nerves were starting to get to me.
I felt a hand rub the top of my head looking over to see Echo smiling at me. “Silves they are other first years. Don’t sweat the match, win or lose we will do our best.”
It was true, our opponents were first years, but I knew this siren, she was mean. She was pretty and had a long memory for things she felt disrespected her. The Triton, I knew very little about.
When the gong sounded we swam into the ring. She was watching me, and I knew if I moved she would attempt to stop me. The gong sounded the start of the match and the Triton took off, but instead of going for Echo, he came straight at me. Attempting to freeze the water in front of me, trying to slow him down. Echo was already moving to intercept him. The spear lanced through the ice shield as he tried to move the shield.
Launching a conclusive blast of ice, knocked him away. It didn’t daze him though seeing as it didn’t have time to build up. As Echo engaged him, I realized that the Siren was gone. The ice shield had blocked my vision allowing her to slip away. Turning I saw her behind me. She was charging some spell, that looked dangerous. Before she launched it at me, I threw up my shield again, even knowing that it would allow her to move again. Pushing back to be closer to Echo.
The Triton disengaged with Echo and tried to attack me. I wasn’t the only one who noticed that the opposing team seemed to be targeting me. Though if they saw our match yesterday they might think I was the stronger one. Charging my concussion attack, focusing on dodging their attacks. While trying to move as little as possible. The attack charged up and soon, it was impossible to move while holding it. Looking at Echo I smile sadly before detonating the attack at point blank range for myself and the other Triton.
Echo had tried to get closer, but the attack tore through the arena. I went flying into a wall. Screaming in pain. The Triton hit the wall next to me, his spear stabbing in between our heads. The Siren was knocked into the far wall, and Echo was slammed into the ground. My vision dimmed, but I saw Echo get up and start swimming closer to me. Since he was the only one moving we were declared the winners.
Echo was holding me before my body slid to the floor. He was calling for the medic when my hand erupted in healing light, healing myself. Reaching out I took the other Triton’s hand and healed him and Echo.
“I need a nap,” I said relaxing in Echo’s arms. My magic energy used up. My mother’s healing spell was strong. For me anyway, I was sure she knew many stronger ones.
The other team was taken to the infirmary, they wanted to take me as well, but I refused, saying I would be fine after I rested. So Echo took me up into the stands to watch the rest of the matches. Holding me close not letting me go, he narrated each of the following fights.
They were pretty straightforward the two Triton's would try to knock each other out while the Sirens would try to heal them. Dozing, I could hear Saous talking to Echo about our match. She seemed less than pleased with my idea. She laid a hand on me and I flew out of Echos lap and was halfway across our seating area before turning around. Breathing heavy.
Echo swam towards me, “Silves, it’s okay.” He said calmly. He reached out and grabbed my arm, before looking back at Saous. “I’m going to take him back to our room, I think he needs more rest.”
Saous and everyone there just nodded before Echo lead me out and towards our room. Getting in, he closed and bolted the door, closing the shutters he laid me down on the bed.
“Are you okay Silves?” He asked me.
“Yeah, I just panicked when she touched me, I was almost asleep and it…” I didn’t finish talking.
Echo laid next to me on his back before pulling me closer to him and resting my head on his chest. “Rest, we will go down for dinner. Don’t get used to laying on me like this. I’m just doing this to help you feel better.”
“If you don’t want me to touch you, I can roll over,” I said softly.
“No, your fine, I think you need this.” He said softly.
“Echo,” I asked. “Why do you try to push me away when we are close, do you not like me?” I asked softly.
“I like you, I’m just not really comfortable with a lot of touching. Unlike mermen like yourself, sharkmer are more of a solo group. They settle down into a family pod, but don't usually…”
“I’ve never thought about that, but that's true, Sharkmer are less social,” I said moving to get up.
“No, your fine, rest. I will wake you for dinner. There is still a while to go.”
“What about lunch?”
“Missing a meal, won't kill us and you probably need rest more than you need another meal right now.”
Nodding my head in agreement, I closed my eyes.
My body was sore when Echo woke me. The drain on my magic had been tough. Echo swam quietly next to me while we made our way down to eat. This time we sat with my family while we ate. My mother and siblings didn’t seem to have an issue with him eating fish. So it seemed only. Something that bothered me. Though I wasn't sure why I knew I was safe with Echo.
Dinner finished and my mother went home while Echo and I returned to our rooms. Saous glaring at us as we had said our goodbyes. Making our way back to our room, we gathered our bathing supplies and headed into the bathing area. It would be nice if we had our own private one, but that wasn’t how it worked here. Cleaning up and heading back to our room, Echo laid down in my bed again. Holding his arms out and blushing slightly. Smiling I laid down resting my head on his chest.
I wasn’t going to lie having him hold me while we laid down was very calming. Tomorrow would be another day of rest, it was hard to wait a whole day, but the rest was important for the higher years because they used more energy in their fights. So they needed more time to recover.
Laying there listening to Echo’s breathing even out as he fell asleep. I felt safe. As safe as I did sleeping on the beach next to him. His arms wrapped around me tighter as we laid there before I fell asleep myself.
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