---Silves's POV---
The next morning we were awoken by Saous, it was after breakfast time and she had come to find us. Holding a tray of kelp.
“Don’t expect me to do this every morning.” She said. But she didn’t look angry. She was smiling, though having caught us sleeping in the same bed. “You a sharkmer holding someone so sweetly in your sleep, how cute.”
“Don’t tease him for being nice, that's rude,” I said softly. Nibbling on the kelp she brought. She handed a bag to Echo.
“I kept this separate so that it wouldn’t mess with the kelp.”
Echo opened the bag and pulled out some fish bites. I remembered the first time I’d seen him eat fish. I’d screamed and run from him, like a frightened child, begging him not to eat me. Thankfully we were in the cave so no one saw.
We ate before heading down to the area. Looking at our slot, we were the last fight before the break for lunch. I had been hoping to be one of the first ones to go again. Settling in for the long wait. Watching as the others tried to prove themselves in the arena. Shaking my head when they would make mistakes with a simple spell, and nodding when they did something unexpected.
The gong rang to signal the end of another match and this time it was out turn to head to the arena. Getting in and looking at the opposing team, I was surprised they had made it this far. The Siren was a quite shy girl in class, and the Triton looked like he was about to pass out.
“I think they are scared of you,” Echo said.
“Why would they be scared of me?” I asked.
“In your last match, you detonated a blast that knocked pretty much everyone out. The only reason I was okay, was because I was the furthest from it and already had battle auras on which increased my durability. They are probably afraid you will do it again, though this time not so close to yourself.” Echo chided.
“Understood,” I said.
When the gong sounded, I held my hand out and started charging the bolt. When they saw it I expected them to attack me to try and take out the threat, but they both launched attacks at Echo, trying to take him down before my spell was ready.
Unfortunately, the arena was only so big, so it only took about a minute to charge up. After that I just launched it at them, Echo saw it and retreated. Bracing himself with magic, before a shield of Ice covered him, to help lessen the impact.
The concussion wave knocked me back a few feet but slammed both of our opponents into the ground. Knowing, what I did now about the origins, it almost felt like I was picking on them. Poor Echo wasn’t even getting a good chance to shine. Though when he was fighting he was glorious. He favored the Trident, but his sword work was impressive as well.
We left the arena for lunch, this time I let the healers heal our opponents. There was no reason for me to worry about them right now. To be fair, I was curious about learning more about the magic Echo used. If I could learn both, then I could learn body strengthening magic. Which would help us. Though it probably wouldn’t help in this tournament. I would need to learn after, but being able to be stronger than other Sirens would be a help in later tournaments.
Also learning to master the magic he used to negate the need for sleep. Though he could only stay awake for so long, I knew that time was able to grow as they got stronger and more attuned to the spell. Being the third elimination round, we were in the semi-finals. With only two more matches in our year. Even if we lost now, we were still doing really well. Especially seeing as how it seemed easy. Sighing, my head hurt.
I felt my mother touch my head, and her healing magic flow through me. It was an altered form of the magic I knew, this one targeted muscle and nerves only though. It was more of a calming spell than a healing spell, but it worked.
Echo and his mother were at the table with my family. Apparently, they had started getting along after seeing us work so well together. Of course, my siblings probably told them that Echo and I shared a room because he was the only Triton nice to me.
Our mothers were talking about upcoming events in the city, some of which I had forgotten about. When I saw Saous, standing in the doorway staring at us. A wicked smile forming on her face. As she started swimming over to us.
“Silves, Echo.” She called waving. The armband signifying her as a Triton assigned to the school for protection.
“You’re on first name basis with one of the guards?” Our mothers asked.
“She is a female Triton and Silves is a male Siren.” Echo said shrugging. “And the two of us are roommates.”
“She is also the one who saved us on the first day of school when we were attacked.” I offered, worried what she would do. I knew she was still mad about the other day.
She took a seat at the table, all smiles, and I shivered. Echo seemed to shrink in his seat. “I see you both are getting along great, but seeing as your sons are not just a team, but are in the semi-finals it's no surprise,” Saous said.
“And Echo is taking such good care of Silves. Why I had to go into wake them up this morning. And I found Echo and Silves sleeping in the same bed cuddled up together. After what happened at the last match, Silves must have been pretty shaken up.” Our parents looked at us, Echo was blushing and I wouldn’t look up from my food.
“Don’t tease Silves, it’s mean,” Echo growled, though from the corner of my eye I could see he was still beet red, making him come off as adorable not threatening.
“Oh, I wasn’t teasing him, my little Shark, I was teasing you.” Saous said her voice even, “You who lied to me.”
“He lied to you?” Echo’s mother asked.
“Yes the day they escorted you home, they were supposed to come right back, they came back a few hours before breakfast the next day. They say they went to their secret training area for some extra work, but I’m unsure.”
“Boys?” Our mothers asked.
“We were practicing. Hard, as you noticed we’ve made it into the semi-finals. There were a few things we wanted to practice.” Echo said.
Saous smiled, lifting her arm, her bracelet jingling, before. An image appeared above it. Showing Echo and I asleep, my head resting on his chest his arm holding me tight. Echo growled and launched himself over the table, but wasn’t able to do anything to Saous. Our mothers demanded copies of the picture. Which to our horror Saous said she already had two extra copies and gave them each one.
My face burned bright before I got up and swam away from the table. It only took a couple of minutes before I was safe in our room. I had heard Echo on my way out of the cafeteria. Before he followed me. If I had looked back I might have seen a look of regret and sorrow on Saous’s face, but I didn’t look back.
Knowing tomorrow would be a day of rest I was tempted to stay locked in my room. Unable to look at everyone afraid they would call me a baby for needing to be held. Echo was angry the whole night, but neither of us talked. Saous came and apologized for teasing us, but we didn’t answer or open the door.
When we laid down Echo held me and I sighed thinking that if things could be simple then we might all still have the power of the ancients.
My dreams were anything but simple as the night progressed. From dreams about the Oracle of Delphi to dreams about cohabitation with humans and Skyfolk. Some were peaceful, others I would wake up from shaking. I had a feeling this was a lingering effect from opening the book, and I was seeing fragments of what the oracle saw way back then.
Each time a nightmare woke me, Echo would comfort me until I was back asleep. I felt bad each time, knowing that I’d woken him up. Yet so glad that he was there. Dawn came and I was glad it was a rest day, I felt horrible. Not only didn’t I sleep well. The dreams had given me a splitting headache.
Some of the old stories told that the oracles often had to have a healer near because their visions gave them killer headaches. Yet they were old stories, there had not been an oracle in an age. Many were unsure of the accuracy of the stories.
We had barely gotten up when there was a knock on the door. Echo opened it and Saous was standing there, holding a plate of food. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,”
Echo let her into the room. “We may have overreacted as well. Silves is sensitive, about others touching him. And I am sensitive about emotion in general. While it was embarrassing for you to see us, showing our parents. It hurt Silves, he isn’t ready for anything like that. We aren’t a couple. I’m just offering him support.”
“What if he wanted to be a couple?” Saous asked.
“Are you trying to mess with us again?” Echo said his tone low.
“No, just you said you were not a couple and Silves looked at his lap. Maybe you two should figure out what you are, or what you both want before someone really gets hurt.” Saous said leaving the food on Echo’s bed before leaving.
I couldn’t bring myself to look at Echo, I had read books on attraction and intimacy in the library. In no way was I unaware of what feelings meant. Though the comfort I’d felt with Echo for so long. Even if he was supposed to be my guardian, could he be my boyfriend too, would he want to be?
Same sex relationships were not unheard of and most people didn’t care one way or the other. Though the school might have an issue with the idea of us dating and living in the same room. I tried to focus on my lap, and ignore the look Echo was giving me. He sat on his bed.
“Silves?” he asked softly.
“I don’t know,” I said defensively. “Part of me likes the idea, another part fears it. I’ve always questioned myself about ever getting the chance to date someone. People like me are often alone, isolated even among our peers.”
The look on Echo’s face was hard to describe, though thoughtful would probably be the closest I could come to a description. Yet there was more there, confusion, anger, sadness, a myriad of emotions flickered across his face. Getting up and swimming to the door.
“Don’t worry about it Echo, everything will be fine,” I said softly leaving the room. If I had looked back I might have seen the hurt and worry in his eyes.
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