Chapter One: A Dreadful Omen
The pale, disc-shaped full moon cast it's weak silvery light down into the dark, rippling ocean, the dark waves curling up and crashing down again, forming white bubbles as it constantly repeats.
The eerie light broke away as it filtered down into the bone-shivering deep depths of the open ocean, forming a myriad of colors.
Humungous, broad and well-built reptiles, carrying scars attained many years ago by fierce, once formidable rivals, now their pride, slithered along the sandy seabed, each with a delicious meal.
Gliding along the seabed, an immense wall of rocks jutted upwards to the sky like fangs, with a narrow entrance in between as it lead to a large retreat.
Reptiles of all kinds settled and lived inside the huge circle of walls. From the smallest, agile swimmers to the humungous, bulky reptiles with jaws and fangs strong enough to crush rocks and skulls.
Three large hunters glided along the seafloor, sending a puff of sand erupting into the water like an underwater volcano as they swam by.
"Jawcrunch, Jawcrunch, look at me!" a young megalodon flexed his fins as he twisted around and around, bubbles streaming behind as he tackled the battle-scarred warrior, hitting his flank.
"Nice move!" the old warrior brushed the young megalodon's head with his fin.
" It stuns your opponent for a while, but open your jaws as well, so you can ram, paralyze and at the same time, bite your opponent."
"No, you look at me!" another deliberately rammed on her older brother, desperate to get his attention.
"Why you!" he snapped hotly, momentarily paralyzed before he rammed his sister back.
The swift megalodon shifted of to the side with ease and nipped her brother on the flank. "You're gonna have to do better than that!"
"Ah, youngsters!" the old megalodon was amused. "Always full of energy and never knowing what mischief they're up to!" Jawcrunch twisted around. "Kyro?"
"Machios," Jawcrunch brushed his tail on the agile hunter's flank.
"Have you seen him?" he spoke with a muffled voice
The swift hunter spun around, scanning the retreat for any sign of it, his large prey dangling from his jaws.
"No, I thought he was with us." Machios agreed, his coal-black eyes gleamed.
"Nevermind, maybe caught extra prey along the way." the battle-scarred warrior assured, doubt gnawing on his belly.
A loud noise came from the nursery.
"I'm hungry, Ma!" a young fin swished his tail in rapid strokes.
" When do I get to eat?"
" Hush, little one," a mother reptile patted her young one as she coiled tightly around him. "You will eat soon, my beloved."
Three broad, muscular hunters crawled through the water, flexing their powerful, immense fins as they rushed by inhabitants, making friendly gestures as they swam into the middle of the retreat.
"Welcome back!" a sleek, stunningly beautiful megalodon warmly welcomed, brushing past the gray flanks of the huge, three hunters, moonlight striking her glossy, gray hide.
The three muscular hunters gathered together in the middle of the shiver grounds, each taking their turn dropping their prey on the pile, their necks still dripping with blood.
"Those are impressive catches!" she praised the three hunters, her smooth hide glowed under the moonlight as she stroked through the water with swift fins around the impressive prey-pile. ``Well done.``
"Not as impressive as we expected it to be, Vasmine." a strong, well-built
tylosaurus remarked with a deep, sturdy voice.
" Why not?" Vasmine questioned curiously, her tail whisking briskly.
" Those whales you caught were plump, juicy ones."
"It's something to be thankful for."
"It's not that." the tylosaur cast it off, his abyss-black eyes gleamed.
"What then, Wolftail?"
Wolftail spun around abruptly, bubbles streaming behind as he circled the group. " The hunt took longer than it did the last high-sun." He replied briskly without looking back.
"How long, Wolftail?" Vasmine asked with a sturdy voice.
"We left the shiver grounds well before sunrise." Wolftail replied hastily with a steely voice, his black eyes unreadable. "We could have gotten back here by the time the sun is at it`s highest."
The sleek megalodon's black eyes gleamed like it did when she was curious.
She spun around hastily. "That`s odd.."
"You sure it was not the other shivers, poaching on our feeding grounds?."
Vasmine locked her gaze on them, eager for an answer.
"We patrolled the boundaries as well this sunbreak." Machios, the swift tylosaur replied. "No scent, no trace, no prey."
. "Did all you four--" Vasmine broke off abruptly.
"Where in Sparkle Blue is Kyro?"
The old battle-scarred megalodon twisted around.
"I don't see him!" Jawcrunch reported with a steely voice.
"Me neither. Where did he go?" an agile tylosaur turned around, scanning the shiver grounds for any sign of the other megalodon.
" I thought he was with us."
Wolftail spun away, bubbles streaming behind him as he snorted in disgust.
"Where had that old head gone off to now?"
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Moonlight struck the huge rocky wall with a pale, eerie light, lighting the dark corners of the cavern. Two immense rocks jutted upwards to the sky.
The sandy bed sent a puff of sand in the water as a huge tail smacked on it, the huge creature stroking his powerful fins as he glided across the seafloor and coming to a stop in side the large cavern, three times his size.
The old, battle-scarred megalodon whisked his tail briskly side to side, spinning around abruptly as he swam in tight circles.
What in Sparkle Blue are they trying to say! He flexed his fins as he spun around abruptly again, tail swishing in rapid motions as he gnashed his teeth together, annoyance gnawing away in his belly.
Impossible! No way to avoid it! The old warrior was exasperated and worn out at the thought. He bared his sharp teeth as it glistened under the moonlight.
This is the destiny of every dweller of the Big Blue. a menacing voice added.
The sand stirred beneath the old warrior as the voice spoke, sending cold ice rippling down his spine.
Impossible! I promised them a future away from harm and chaos! He shot back hotly, gnashing his teeth again.
The sand beneath him stirred again, sending a puff of sand into the water as his gills started to hurt immensely, his vision became hazy.
Nothing is absolute! the menacing voice wildly echoed in his ears, the old megalodon screeched wildly in pain as his head throbbed.
The Big Blue will vanish right before your eyes, Kyro! It shrieked savagely into his ears, only making his head throb more and him screaming outrageously in pain.
No, no! How could you do this to all! I trusted you! Kyro furiously shot back, icy pain clutched his whole body, temporarily paralyzing him.
The old warrior opened his eyes, his vision was still blurry, but the menacing voice shrieked abusively again, as a jagged bolt of lightning shot through his body.
Kyro thrashed frantically on the seabed, screeching wildly as the ferocious shadow approached him, gaping it`s jaws and engulfed him in complete darkness, draining the last of Kyro`s strength.
I`m not done with you just yet, Kyro..... Ferocious eyes gleamed in the darkness of his mind. Not just yet....
Nothing will ever be the same again for your little friends....
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"Where was he?" Vasmine demanded, her voice had an icy edge, her tail swishing rapidly as he circled Wolftail, Jawcrunch and Machios.
"That old codhole gets in trouble all the time!" Wolftail growled as he muttered under his breath, deep down though, he too was getting worried for Kyro.
"What did you say, Wolftail?" Vasmine turned around abruptly, locking Wolftail with her piercing gaze as it scorched his hide, making him vulnerable.
The tough old warrior held his head up high, confronting Vasmine as they were snout to snout.
"Nothing." he replied with a steely voice, his abyss-black eyes giving away no emotion.
"Good." The sleek megalodon narrowed her eyes as she spun away, which intimidated Machios, as she glided to a stop at the pre-pile.
"Where was the last time you saw him, Jawcrunch?" she asked without turning around, worried immensely.
"When we were just coming in into the shiver grounds." the old megalodon`s mighty voice cracked at those words.
This is odd.. It never takes him this long to get back... Vasmine gnashed her teeth together as she swam in tight circles, her brisk swishing of the tail giving away her anxiety.
"The three of you here, stay put. I`ll go and find him"
The three hunters nodded with approval as they watched her swim away.
I know just where he goes when he needs time to think.
*********************************************
Sands stirred as Vasmine glided by the seafloor, her beautiful, sleek gray hide glowed under the moonlight as she flexed her powerful fins and glided to a stop at the large cavern.
Memories flooded her as she stared at the large, rocky wall in front of her.
How funny it was Vasmine chuckled at the thought. Me and Kyro used to hide here from Jawcrunch when we were just pups, and he was just my age, from training classes.
I wonder if he still remembers that, our beloved mentor.
She stroked her way inside the cavern when something large bumped her snout.
Something large and alive.
Vasmine stared down at it, only coming to a full shock at the realization it was Kyro.
Shock immobilized her tail and movements, as she gazed at the awkward position of Kyro, lying on the seabed.
"Kyro! Kyro" Vasmine recovered from her shock as she frantically prodded her mate with her fins, hoping he will wake up.
"WHAT HAPPENED!!!!"
The old megalodon was breathing still, but had no response to Vasmine`s frantic prods.
"KYRO!!!!!"
"What happened?!" The three hunters immediately swam inside the cavern, shocked to see Kyro lying on the sand.
"He won`t wake up!"
"We better take him to the infirmary, right now!" Wolftail was shocked and bewildered that such thing could happen to the strong old leader.
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The scorching, hot sun dappled the rippling ocean, it`s peaceful light filtered through the shiver grounds as it roused Kyro from his sleep.
Pure adrenaline bolted Kyro awake, his eyes opened, and wildly screeched in pain as everyone in the shiver grounds directed their attention to the infirmary.
The healer struck Kyro`s dorsal fin and his flank, abruptly stopping his wild yells and his head dropped down heavily, asleep again.
"It's bad." the small creature tapped Kyro`s head. "Very bad."
"How bad?`" The four of them asked as their voices cracked with sorrow.
"I don`t know what the cause is, but whatever it was, it will put him in this state for a few sunrises."
Doesn`t matter anymore.... The sands stirred up into the water as the conversation mysteriously grew silent.
Wolftail, Machios, Vasmine and the small creature heard the voice.
Chills ran down their backs as it continued.
You think the future will be so promising, eh? the deadly voice mocked.
It won`t be so much now. The sands stirred into the water once more at the menacing omen.
The end will draw nigh... The cruel voice laughed as it faded away.
The end draws nigh....
