The giant kelpfish darted between a pair of rocks, shaking her head.

  “Where was it…” She looked around, scanning the seafloor. She kept swimming, searching for the barrel sponge.

  “There it is!” She swam over to the barrel sponge and poked her head inside. She grabbed the gold necklace, a black pearl on one end of it.

  “Perfect…” She let the necklace fall around her gill area.

  She started swimming towards the old shipwreck, making sure the necklace stayed on her. The Pacific octopus was sitting on a rock in front of the wreck.

  “There you are!” He swam to her.

  “Why were you just sitting there?! Someone could've seen you!” She glared at him.

  “I know, I know… Do you have the necklace?” He held out an arm. She set the necklace on his arm and he looked over it.

  “My payment?” The kelpfish was getting impatient.

  “Here.” He handed her a small pouch. She looked inside.

  Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

  “That enough?” He was getting antsy, nervous that they'd be found.

  “It'll do. Swim safe, Pieuvre.” He nodded and swam away, holding the necklace. She swam back towards the open ocean, which was littered sparsely with seagrass, rocks, and the occasional cluster of seaweeds. She eventually reached the cave which she called home. She set the pouch on the ground and swam to the back, where she stored her valuables.

  “Where are they, where are they… Ah-ha!” She pulled down a box full of jewelry. She retrieved the pouch with the ring in it and dumped it into the box, then she returned the box to its spot. At that moment, she heard the swishing of swimming. She carefully peaked out of her cave.

  “Hello?” She glanced around.

  “Kelpie, it's me!” She looked down and saw Sebastián, the Japanese flying squid that she'd befriended a while back.

  “What is it, Sebastián?” She looked down her nose at him.

  “Well, I've come to warn you about something…” He gulped nervously.

  “And that is?” Kelpie looked down at Sebastián, waiting for an answer.

  “Well… the War is spreading to the Open Ocean… And the Reef has sent out the Sharks to attack the Kelp Forest…” Sebastián looked around nervously. Kelpie was silent.

  “Well… I guess I need to move, then?” Sebastián nodded slowly. She looked back at her collection of treasures.

  “Where were you thinking of going?” She looked back down at Sebastián.

  “I was gonna go to the Great Barrier Reef…” Kelpie swam out of her cave more.

  “Well, let's get going, then.” The fish and the squid started swimming towards Australia, to escape the War of the Pacific. Unfortunately, the War would follow them further than they imagined…

  * * *