In the morning, Demetri busied himself with cleaning Kai’s room for his daily chores. Kai had somehow managed to avoid him for most of the day. Demetri looked through the books stored on the ship, which were mostly about sailing, some cooking, and a few on astrology. He found astrology intriguing, but couldn’t concentrate on it well enough to learn anything. He kept replaying the previous night’s conversation in his head, trying to figure out what any of it meant. He wanted to reach out to Kai, thinking that maybe if he got him talking again Kai might accidentally let something more slip.

Around midday, some commotion drew him to the deck where everyone was staring down into the water. He walked closer to the railing. Floating in the water, like out of a dream, was a mermaid, or perhaps merman? Whatever it was, it had blue and green scales outlined with silver, gills on its neck, webbed fingers, a long skinny torso, and a dangerous looking pointed tail. Its large eyes were onyx-black and slanted out towards the side of its head.

Kai appeared and pushed through the crowd to yell down to the creature. “Hello there. I hope we aren’t intruding on your home. We are just passing through.”

When it tried to voice its reply, all they heard was gurgling noises of different variations.

Kai yelled back, “I’m sorry, but we can’t understand you.”

It seemed to understand him just fine though, because it pointed to him then pointed down into the water.

Kai turned to Cale. “The creature wishes to speak to one of us under the water. Being a water elemental, you would be able to converse with it without worrying about drowning. I don’t think it’s here to harm us, but I leave the choice to you.”

Cale didn’t even take a moment to think of other options. He immediately nodded then with a huge smile exclaimed, “Hell yeah, it’s not everyday you get to hang with the merfolk.”

The others backed away, giving Cale room to transform so they didn't get wet in the process. He changed effortlessly from a large muscular man into a dark-blue water-elemental. He held a human figure, but his skin and bones were replaced with water that flowed throughout his now translucent form. He smiled, giving them all the thumbs up before he jumped head first into the water.

Everyone stood in silence, watching as both Cale and the merman disappeared beneath the water. Demetri’s impatience made the minutes feel like hours. He breathed a sigh of relief when Cale popped up and shot himself back onto the deck of the ship. Everyone gathered around as he changed back into his human form.

Kai was the first to speak, “What did the mermaid have to say?”

Cale replied, pulling his now soaking shirt over his head, “Well he’s a merman apparently. Goes by the name of Vigos, but that’s not the important bit. He’s the curious one of his bunch and wanted to know why we were traveling the waters. I told him we have business across the sea and we wouldn’t bother them any. He said they’ve been warned to stay away from land dwellers because we bring nothing but trouble. Especially since further across the sea, the waters have been poisoned. He said they turned black.”

Cale paused, taking in a deep breath, and sat down. “I told him about the attack. According to Vigos, the entire merfolk city have been holding meetings on what they should do about the pollution coming from the area we’re heading. Said their ancestors dealt with it for centuries and made sure it was never forgotten to them. I told ‘em we are going to try and put a stop to it. Vigos said he would take this information to his superiors, but if it isn’t stopped, they will be taking matters into their own hands.”

“Anything else?” Kai encouraged.

Cale scratched his head. “Oh ya, he also warned us of a big storm coming on. Said it’ll be here by tonight. Don’t know how he knew though.”

Kai took in the information and yelled to Vigos. “We will do all that we can. Have your leader watch for our ship to return within two weeks time, and we will discuss further actions. We wish to be friends and keep both the land and waters clean.”

They all waved goodbye and spent the rest of the day guessing at what the merfolk city might be like and how hot the mermaids must be. Cale said in all the years he’d dreamed of meeting the merfolk, it definitely never played out like that. Of course, Demetri suspected his dreams mostly consisted of being surrounded by hot, horny, mermaids.

As the sailors rushed around getting the ship ready for the storm, strapping down sails and securing everything they could, Demetri wondered how Vigos would know there was a storm coming. He made a mental note to read more books on ocean life. It’s a great advantage to know if the weather will change that far in advance.

Doing his own part, Demetri checked that the books were all secure and grabbed one to keep himself entertained while being stuck below deck. The scientists packed their equipment into their padded crates and prepared nausea patches for anyone that might need them.

Ezra and Arya were both busy in the kitchen, securing all food and cooking equipment. Kai ran around checking the lifeboats and vests, along with lifelines that would connect to anyone who needed to be on deck. By the time they saw the storm rolling towards them in the distance, everything had been prepared.

Something hard hit the side of the ship. Everyone on deck, including Demetri, toppled forward. They all stood, looking around to each other, expecting someone to have an explanation.

“Everyone port side. Shout if you see something,” Kai shouted. The sun had begun to set but there was still plenty of light.

The waters tossed about even though the storm was still quite a ways off. “There’s nothing there, Captain,” Theo called. “Not on either side.”

Nico flew into the air and circled the ship. “I see something.” He paused, glaring into the water. “It looks like giant floating boulders are surrounding the ship.”

Demetri leaned over the handrail, trying to see what Nico was talking about. Another one bashed into the side. Demetri’s hand slipped, folding his body half over the railing. He tried to push himself up, but the ship jerked with another hit from the other side. Demetri was sent flying into the distressed waters.

“Man overboard!”

Every inch of Demetri’s skin stung from smacking against the surface of the water. He fought against the waves until he felt his feet connect with something sturdy to stand on. He was able to hold his head just above the water and coughed, sucking air into his lungs. He heard Kai and the others scream his name repeatedly. He looked up and waved to let them know he was alright for the moment.

The water level slowly dropped away as though the land beneath him was rising. The others silenced their shouts and watched the shiny black surface he was standing on break the water’s surface. He wobbled unsteadily and slipped to his hands and knees. It didn’t feel like a boulder or any kind of land he had ever known.

A long deep-green head emerged with a low growl that Demetri could feel resonate throughout its entire body. He was helpless to do anything but watch, horrified, as the enormous face with beady, black eyes turned and stared at the nuisance on its back.

Demetri hadn’t even registered Nico had flown down next to him until he was being lifted away, narrowly missing the creatures mouth snapping at the same spot he had just been sitting.

Nico set him down on deck. “What are those things?” He asked nobody in particular.

Kai ran to Demetri and checked him over, turning his face this way and that. “Are you alright?”

Demetri nodded and wiped dripping water from his face, still dazed by what just happened.

“Tortoises,” Sammy announced excitedly. “They’re giant tortoises. That’s how the merman knew the storm was coming.”

Kai seemed reluctant to leave Demetri’s side. He made sure he was sitting and safe, away from the side, before walking over to Sammy. “First, should we be preparing for them to attack us? Second, what would tortoises have to do with the weather?”

“No, no.” Sammy laughed. “That one probably just thought Demetri was a fish or something.” He caught himself from falling over with another jerk of the ship. “I’ve only heard stories, but it’s been said that giant tortoises travel in the same pattern, year after year. The ocean currents have always affected the weather, but only in small-ish amounts. Over time, the herd grew so large that they created their own current, so strong that it created a perpetual storm that follows closely behind them.”

Kai seemed to be getting irritated at Sammy’s enthusiasm. “Well our ship might not make it through if they keep knocking against it like this.”

As if on cue, the tortoises pulled away from the ship a few meters. Others emerged on both sides. There were dozens of them, and they were all chasing fish. Tuna and carp leapt out of the water and through the air, trying to get away from the tortoises chasing after them. The huge creatures pushed through the water at an alarming speed and snatched the fish out of the air, mid-flight.

Everyone fell back again as the ship was pulled along, caught in their current. “At this rate, we will be at Montauk much sooner than expected.” Sammy smiled ear to ear and held his wings up to flutter in the wind whooshing by their heads.

Kai looked a little green and he tried to stand again. “Yes, I suppose it’s lucky they are going the same way we are.”