Tyra didn't think her heart had raced this fast before.

"We're under attack." Xander had said.

In a matter of seconds, Xander had dragged her further down the sea. He was a surprisingly fast swimmer. He only kicked his legs to move forward, and every once in awhile he would look over his shoulder.

Whoever, or whatever they were, they were still following Xander and Tyra.

"There!" Tyra pointed to a cave hidden behind forests of kelp. It was a perfect place to hide in. Using their last bit of energy, the duo surged forward. They both tumbled into the small cave just as the "attackers" caught up.

Tyra could now see what they were. There were three of them chasing Tyra and Xander. All of them were...mermaids?

One of them had green hair, while the other two had sky blue hair. They each had a shimmering tail that matched the color of his hair with a golden armor on their torso. The armor had intricate designs on it with a lot of swirls and geometric lines. The men also had a green aura around them.

Tyra rubbed her eyes. She still saw mermaids.

They looked around, their faces filled with frustration. One of the men looked at the direction of the cave. Tyra drew in a sharp breath and quickly released it when the attackers swam to another direction as fast as a swordfish. Xander peeked outside making sure no one else was there. When he was positive, Xander slowly swam out with Tyra following him.

"What just happened?" Tyra asked. There was a moment of silence until he answered.

"Those were Tidal's royal soldiers.  I recognize the golden armor, and of course the sea foam green aura." Seeing a look of confusion on Tyra's face he added, "Each person in Tidal has an aura around them. The color reveals your social ranking. The lighter the aura, the wealthier and more important you are."

"Why were they after us?"

"I don't know...." Xander said slowly. He suddenly cursed. "They must know who we are! Tyra we're in big trouble!"

"Hey Xander, I have a great idea, why don't you explain yourself!" Tyra said sarcastically.

Xander rolled his eyes. "Remember when I first told you about the prophecy? I told you that people born in Tidal have the ability to hear anything as long as that person or thing is close to water. We were talking about the prophecy on the ferry boat!"

"So?"

"They know you're alive, and remember, they don't like people that have parents from two different kingdoms. Part of the prophecy mentioned a child of three. The monarchy must've figured out you were a child of the three kingdoms. They might kill you."

Tyra's heart stopped. She suddenly wanted to go back to Louisiana with her aunt. She longed for the boundaries and the chores her aunt gave her. Anything, but this.

"This must be why my aunt always got paranoid whenever I got close to a pool or a lake. She was afraid of this."

Xander nodded. "So, are you still okay with going? Or do you want to retreat?"

It was a tempting decision. Staying alive sure does sound great. However, Tyra had a mission to complete, and she was determined to do it.

"We have to keep moving. We have to reach Tidal. So, where's the entrance?"

"Glad you chose to stay. Follow me, we're almost there."
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Happy Mother's Day! Make sure you give your mothers a big hug and a huge thank you. Thanks for 165 reads and 19 votes! I'm trying to figure out who Tyra looks like in real life. Any suggestions?