Talina, be back at our pontoon before half-moon. Do not make me tell you twice.
She flinched as Gladriel’s voice echoed through her mind. Her mother was the one Spurn she was forbidden to block out. She had the capability, but it wasn’t worth the drama.
Rising once again, she swam closer to the surface. The protective clear lenses over her eyes flicked, clouding her underwater vision, before settling back into place. Glancing to her left, a pod of droltines swam alongside. The playful pink creatures with large fins and spout-shaped noses were a very distant cousin to Spurns. She danced with them in delight until they moved off in a different direction.
Talina groaned as her stomach rumbled; she hadn’t eaten that day, refusing the morning’s ration of cucreamer. Normally she loved the sweet, pink fruit, but for some reason, earlier she’d been unable to stomach any food. But with the distance she had traveled, her energy had depleted significantly. Through her lenses she noticed a small stock of krillonia, the shrimplike planktonic crustacean that was her favorite. Gliding in the midst of the dense cloud, it was simple enough to open her mouth, expelling the water through the small gills on her neck, and take in the sustenance.
Satisfied for the moment, she increased speed toward her home pontoons. A flash in her peripheral vision brought a broad smile to her face. A familiar image darted out of the gulfstream to fall in beside her.
Raror, where did you come from?
She opened her mind to speak with her brother. He was the only one never to judge her, and she loved him dearly. His emerald-colored hair, long enough to secure him as a future leader, streamed behind in the ocean depths. The visible veins beneath his skin were more prominent than ever; he had to have been swimming long and hard to get that amount of pump.
Earon was called to Silver City for a meeting of council heads. Mother sent me.
The deep rich timbre of his voice echoed through her mind. Without fail it evoked memories of the many nights he had protected her, rocked her to sleep and comforted away her hurts throughout the years. His voice was the sound of safety. Talina had only been to the underwater city once. It was difficult for her to make that distance; the water pressure at that depth played havoc with her senses. But Raror was often there. It was the neutral ground where the four clans discussed all issues.
What has happened to bring everyone together?
He didn’t answer immediately; they’d just reached the edge of Earon’s pontoons, and needed to slow.
Some strange occurrences. Three Baroons and a Gerk have gone missing, and there have been disturbances on the Sacred Isle.
His eyes widened, nostrils flaring. In a world that was predominantly water, the one and only section of land was protected and off-limits to everyone except the Keepers.
Cucreamer and wood are missing. The rationing systems have been thrown out, so we’ve had to redistribute. The vote found the Gerks will receive less.
Talina’s pulse raced as panic threaded through her mind. Who would risk the wrath of the gods by stealing from the Sacred Isle? She pushed that terrifying thought aside to focus on the caste system which she despised.
Why is it always the Gerks who are treated like lesser Spurns? They are no different. Hair color should not dictate status for life.
Raror shrugged.
Talina knew that while he sympathized with her point of view, he failed to understand why she was so soft-hearted. The way the majority of other Spurns had treated her had resulted in her possessing an unparalleled empathy. But the castes were a part of life on Spurn. The Gerks, or Grays, were mostly found in positions of servitude. They controlled less territory, and had less power and status. It had always been that way.
They dodged the pontoon pets, cat-and dog-fish swimming lazily in the waters surrounding their family home. Talina gave a quick pat to Toto, her favorite little friend, whilst keeping an eye out for Earon’s guardian, Chamandia. The large water dragon had never liked her, and since just one touch of its scales or breath of its venom would find you writhing in agony for days, it was worth the vigilance.
In sync, brother and sister surfaced. Talina sucked in a deep breath. This was the fastest way to activate their interior respiratory valve to switch from gills to lungs. Unlike other Spurns, she found this a more comfortable state.
Instead of moving forward she stared in dismay toward their floating pontoon. Returning home was never a pleasant experience.