The lobster scurries between rocks, corals, and other Reef-dwellers. He looks around, his antennae twitching. He scuttles between two large rocks, reaching the top, and he finally sees it: The palace. He hurries to the gate, which the nautilus guards open for him. He makes his way inside, and he finally reaches the throne.

  “Your Majesty, I have news…” Sheldon says.

  He looks up at the throne. The Queen turns to face him.

  “What is it, Sheldon?” She looks down at him.

  He shifts his claws nervously.

  “Our soldiers, on the Kelp Forest front, they… They’ve all been killed…” He says softly, his head lowered.

  The Queen swims right up to him.

  “They WHAT?!” She shouts.

  She slams her stinger into the ground, just inches from Sheldon. He jumps away.

  “Th-the enemy… Just came out of nowhere..!” The lobster stammers.

  He looks shaken, trembling as he looks at the Queen’s stinger-tipped tail. She swims back to her throne.

  “Send in the Sharks…” She mutters.

  “The… The Sharks?! Your Majesty, you must be joking! They’ll-” Sheldon begins.

  The Queen holds her stinger right in front of Sheldon’s face.

  “Did I stutter? I said, send in the Sharks, now GO!” She orders.

  Sheldon nods and scurries out.

  “Why the Sharks..?! They’ll tear the whole Reef apart before they reach the Kelp Forest..!” He exclaims to himself.

  He sighs as he reaches the Reef Shark barracks. He pauses, before knocking on the door. A massive, scarred white-tip reef-shark opens it.

  “Rodney, hello…” Sheldon’s eyes straighten up to look Rodney in the eye.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Whaddaya want, Sebastian?” Rodney says, his voice thick with a Boston accent.

  “It’s Sheldon…” The lobster mutters.

  “Yeah, whateva. Whaddaya need?” Rodney asks boredly while he looks down his nose at Sheldon.

  “The Queen needs you and your troupe to deal with the enemies at the Kelp Forest front…” Sheldon mumbles.

  Rodney turns his head to get a better look at Sheldon.

  “Eh? She wants our help?” The shark says, a toothy grin spreading across his face.

  Sheldon’s eyes adjust a little.

  “Unfortunately, yes…” Sheldon mutters.

  Rodney pokes his head into the barracks.

  “Guess what, boys! The Queen needs us!” He exclaims.

  Cheers ring out from inside.

  The sharks charge out of the barracks, on their way to the Kelp Forest. Sheldon sighs, and scurries back to the palace. The Queen looks down at Sheldon.

  “The Sharks are on their way to the Kelp Forest…” Sheldon says, somewhat begrudgingly.

  The Queen nods.

  “Good… They’ll do well…” The Queen says as she swims to the window.

  “Sheldon, come here…” She murmurs.

  The lobster scuttles over to the window and peeks out.

  “Good mother of Neptune…” Sheldon gasps.

  He grips the windowsill, watching as a pair of eels pulls a net, filled with the bodies of the killed soldiers, to the Reef. Many of the inhabitants come out to mourn family and friends.

  “War is a cruel thing, Sheldon…” The Queen says simply.

  She returns to her throne, and Sheldon remains silent.

  “When will this awful war end for Neptune's sake..!” Sheldon whispers to himself.

  The Queen shakes her head.

  “The last war lasted for hundreds of years… The Cambrian War…” She sighs and looks down at Sheldon.

  “Take a message to the King of the Deep. Tell him the Reef seeks an alliance with him.” The Queen says, her expression serious.

  “Th-The Deep?! But-” The Queen's glare cuts Sheldon off.

  “I'll set off right away, Your Majesty…” He says, turning to leave.

  Sheldon scuttles out of the castle, on his way to the Deep Abyss. The Queen sighs and swims to her throne, briefly glancing out the window at the Reef.

  “Will this war ever end…” She sighs.

  * * *