Trapped

Cate,

As Avery set off into the darker of the corners with Angler, me, Aisha and Thaniel continued to joke.

"Eugh, I hate seafood" I exclaimed in a joking sort of way. "But I guess if it's the only way I can stay alive then I will HAVE to eat it" Thaniel smiled. And then said in all seriousness.

"But really, I wonder how that pool got there in the first place? It can't be natural, it's just too ideal." Aisha nodded. My grin faded.

"So, you mean we are not alone down here" I questioned, looking around surreptitiously.

"Apparently not." Thaniel said and I followed his gaze. There coming from the cave with the pool, was a huge eel.

<<I just thought that the underwater world that the guardians guard should have some sort of initial protection, triggered when we entered the cave. An eel just seemed like a nice alternative to a shark.>>

<<I just thought that the underwater world that the guardians guard should have some sort of initial protection, triggered when we entered the cave. An eel just seemed like a nice alternative to a shark.>>

Great idea!

Angler

"Avery, wherever you are, stay there," I said. That is, unless you are an expert eel wrangler."

"What? Whats going on?" Avery replied. But I didn't have time to answer. The eel swung it's tail at me, but I ducked. Instead, it stuck a large fish, frying it. An electric eel.

"Well, at least we'll eat well tonight," I said, gesturing toward the fish. But there was definite uncertainty in my voice.

[[Fried being an exaggerated term; the fish wasn't instantaneously cooked. ]]

Thaniel,

I pull from my belt one of the flares that I took down with me. It's one of the kind that can burn underwater.

"Let's see how fire and electricity mix, shall we?" I say grimly, "Everybody, down!"

The eel hasn't really attacked yet, but I don't want to risk anything. I light the flare, and chuck it at the eel. The gigantic fish hisses at me as the flare spirals at it.

"Wow. I did not know that fish could do that," I comment. And then, the flare hits the eel.

Cate,

The flare made a small explosion as it hit the eel but it seemed unscathed. The eel hissed again louder this time and began to advance towards Thaniel.

"Shit. Thaniel I think you made it angry." I whispered into the headset. Thaniel pulled out a knife attached to his diving suit.

"No, Thaniel you can't touch it, it will electricute you." Angler hissed. But Thaniel ignored him.

"Thaniel" I said scared. He turned to me, a comforting look in his eyes.

"There is one thing you lot are forgetting," he said as the eel advanced dangerously close to him. "These diving suits are made out of rubber." He grinned and the eel brushed up against him. He brought the knife around and slit the eel's throat. It squirmed and hissed small shocks of electricity rippling through the water. It's squirming slowed, and it drifted to the bed of the cave.

I kicked it with my boot, Thaniel grinned. I smiled, we were safe, from the eel if nothing else.

Angler

"I hate to be the one to break up the celebration," I said, thus effectively breaking up the celebration, "but we just encountered a giant electric eel. Giant. For all we know, there could be a whole race of them, or even something worse. We'll have to be on guard."

Trying to lighten the mood, though, I dived down and retrieved the dead fish. "Who wants some?" I asked. However, I had essentially made the same joke previously and it yielded to response.

"Well then," I said after a moment. "Lets move on, shall we?

And we did, and we caught our first glimpse of a giant city.

Thaniel,

I stare. Well, what would anyone have done in my situation. It was like looking at Atlanits...For all I knew, it WAS Atlantis. A city in a cavern, at the bottom of the ocean. It went against anything that anyone had ever taught me. I look around at the others. Everyone's mouths are open. I decide that now would be an ideal time to regain composure.

"Well, everybody, it's no time to start suddenly evolving into goldfish." They all close their mouths. Cate speaks up.

"I guess this changes things,"

"Oh, yeah," says Angler, "Big time."

Cate,

"Do you think its, y'know, inhabited?" I asked turning to Thaniel. He shrugged,

"It might be I guess. Maybe theres a way out down there." He wondered aloud. Angler looked worried.

"If this is the place that sent that giant electric eel, I don't think we are welcome." He said shortly.

"But if it means escape..." I asked and then tailed off when I saw his expression. He seemed to have an inner battle of decision before he raised his head and nodded.

"We have to go down, we have no choice. I want everyone to fill their oxygen tanks before we go." He said, swimming back to the tube.

Avery

The underwater city surely was a sight to behold. It went against everything science had ever taught me, which I really didn't mind. I swam back up with Angler to refill my oxygen tank. As we swam, I couldn't help but feel that someone was watching me.

I was constantly looking back over my shoulder, looking for any sign of humanoid movement in the dark water. Maybe it was just the fish. I thought. "Hey, what if that eel was like a guardian to this city? That means, that if we killed it, the people who live there, if any, won't be happy." I explained.

"Well that was surprisingly pessimistic." Thaniel joked, I couldn't help but laugh.

"I prefer the term, creative." I joked back, receiving a few chuckles.

Cate,

I moved back to the oxugen tube and queued up to fill my tank. Thaniel came up behind me. He jabbed me in the ribs playfully.

"Ouch" I said jumping out of the my skin. He laughed.

"Your hilarious when you are scared." He grinned. I scowled. I came to the tube and took a deep breath before removing my oxygen mask and quickly filling my tank. I pulled back on my mask and took a well needed breath. Angler and Avery were waiting by the entrance to the city. I joined them. Not long after Aisha and Thaniel followed.

We advanced carefully forward, Thaniel had his knife raised. I saw a movement out of the corner of my eyes. A girl lept from the shadows crandishing a staff.

"Who, you?" she asked in disjointed English.I gripped Thaniels forearm.

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed.

Angler

Another inhabitant swam forward and spoke angrily to the first one.

"You don't ask, you attack!" he shouted. Then he suddenly lashed out at Cate with a trident- like thing.She ducked in the nick of time and I swore. These guys definitely weren't friendly.

"Stop!" I cried at the angry one. "We don't want to bother you. we just want to leave this place."

"You lie! Just like others!" he replied. His English wasn't broken like the other one's.

At this point I wished I had a weapon, and was skilled enough to use it.

[[Okay, guys! The mysteries of the city are for you to decide! I'd recommend us retreating from this first encounter, though. ]]

Cate,

The girl looked troubled, and she whispered in some strange language to the other inhabitant. He shook his head and turned back to us. We backed away back into the cave where we had come from.

"Don't return!" He said brandishing the sword. Thaniel tried a stab at humour.

"Don't worry, we won't," he whispered. I would have laughed except that I was terrified.

We reached the back of the cave, still on our guard but no-one followed.

"What are we going to do now?" I asked. Thaniel shrugged.

"It's simple enough," I replied to Cate's question, although it hadn't been directed at me. "We sneak into that city and find something to escape with, or spend the rest of our lives eating raw fish and sitting in a air pocket. I don't know about you, but to me, the decision isn't hard,"

"Right, but how do we bypass those... things?"

I didn't know. But there had to be a way.

Thaniel,

"Hey, I've got an idea!" I say, holding up one of our flares.

"Yes?" says Angler cautiously.

"We light this, lob it in the direction that those two...guards, or whatever they were went, and swim as fast as we can to the city, see what we can find, and hightail it outta there."

Avery clears her throat, "Thaniel, that plan has so many holes in it, it's not even funny."

I pretend to look miffed, "Well, I don't see any of YOU coming up with a better plan."

Cate,

I could see problems with Thaniels plan too, but I couldn't think of anything better to do so I nodded.

"It's the best plan we've got." I looked around. Angler nodded,

"Alright, lets do it." We crept forward towards the city again, keeping to the shadows. Thaniel had two flares, I had one and Avery carried three. It should make enough of a distraction. We eventually got close enough to see the two guards. They appeared to be arguing.

Alicia,

"You are pathetic!" Ora said to me brandishing his finger in my face. "You need to learn English, no-one speaks the ancient language anymore!" I glared at him,

"Mi Fatria hace!" I responded.

"Your father is the oldest guardian in the city. Everyone else speaks English, and is happy staying below the surface of the water." I turned away from him. It was true, I didn't want to stay here, I wanted to leave with the divers. My fingernails that had been bright red from Ora's innterogation turned palest blue. I took up my post again, guarding the city and its stupid secret. I had just finished picking back up my staff when a small tube flew through the air. I spun around, it hit the floor and smoke and colours erupted from it. Another few followed. I felt bodies swim quickly past me. I lashed out with my staff and made contact I heard a cry of.

"Cate! Are you alright?" and felt a strong hand grasp my upper arm, pulling me away. Another hand grabbed my foot and as we were dragged from the smoke. I saw the divers who we had stopped earlier a male had a hold on my arm and a female who was the one I had hit, Cate I think she was called. The male turned to look at me.

"Argh!"