The dimly-lit chamber where the Deep Pool gathered was damp and chill, and would have been considered a gloomy and deeply unpleasant place to any Terran. However Deep Lord Athgiloi was a Brimorian and his scaly hide barely felt the cold, capable as he was of swimming down to the freezing depths of Brimor's deepest oceans. The darkness held no secrets from his black eyes, which were sensitive and highly-developed, able to pick out all the exquisite details of this sacred room in the low light. He admired the seven ornate oval stone discs spaced evenly around the floor, studying the intricate coral carvings inlaid around the base, then let his gaze roam over the majestic sculpted columns that held up the bejewelled ceiling.
Athgiloi was filled with a sense of pride and awe whenever he entered this revered place; he had felt the same way for every gathering during his twelve-year rule as leader of the Brimorian Enclave. Walking purposefully towards his dais, he noticed movement around the shadowy outskirts of the chamber and he clicked his teeth in greeting to the other members of the Deep Pool as they appeared. The Brimorian lords moved to stand on their respective platforms, while their mates remained in the shadows, kneeling respectfully as tradition dictated.
"We commence this gathering, paying homage to the wild seas," Athgiloi intoned, the six other members of the Deep Pool bowing respectfully as he did so. With the formalities out of the way, he stood tall and wasted no time in getting to the point of this meeting. "John Blake has arrived at Sequathis, just as I informed you he would."
Lord Rilosash's lip curled in distaste. "I still doubt the wisdom in permitting his entry into the Enclave."
Lord Semord glanced towards the Deep Lord, his tail lashing in agitation. "I must agree with Rilosash. Blake is a champion of the Terrans; it seems reckless in the extreme to allow him freedom of movement within our territory. What if he were to discover our arrangements with the Kintark?"
"Blake suspects nothing and is not here on some espionage mission," Athgiloi said, his voice ringing with confidence. "He might be a force to be reckoned with, but the Lion of the Federation is like a rampaging Buletark in a coral garden... there is no subtlety to the man. No, he is here merely to purchase shield technology for his vessel and I propose we provide it to him."
There were shocked gasps around the chamber. Lord Sibhaloi shook his head violently and snarled, "Deep Lord I must protest! That would be like handing over our heart served up on a platter to the Terran Federation!"
Athgiloi waved away his concerns, his calm response quietening the loud protests. "Even if Blake were to immediately gift our shield technology to the Terrans, what would it matter? In a matter of weeks, the Federation will cease to exist; there's no time for them to upgrade any fleets. Their continued blight on the galaxy is about to be dealt with once and for all."
"So you propose to fully commit to our agreement with the Emperor?" Lord Paotegh asked, his sunken eyes studying Athgiloi intently.
The Deep Lord allowed himself a wicked smile, his lips peeling back to reveal rows of teeth. "I fully intend to honour the letter of our agreement."
"But not its spirit?" Paotegh asked, joining his leader in a sly smile.
"If a pair of bull Megacaradons are battling to the death for supremacy, why intervene and shorten the conflict? Would it not be wiser to let them exhaust themselves, leaving a third challenger to establish complete dominance unopposed?" Athgiloi replied, a cunning gleam in his eyes. "I have no intention of risking significant damage to our forces unless absolutely necessary. Once all preparations have been made, then we make our move, but not until that time."
"But still..." Sibhaloi muttered, still not convinced. "Why take a such a risk with our most prized technology?"
The Deep Lord's grin broadened. "Because we need a sufficiently tempting lure, if we are to convince Blake to venture into the Desolation of Vulkat..."
Sibhaloi made a clicking noise at the back of his throat and performed a low bow. "You continue to prove the wisdom of your selection with every passing year, Deep Lord."
Rilosash nodded, lost in thought. "Yes... Keep the Federation's champion far from Terran territory in their time of direst need, without revealing any outward signs of our collusion with the Kintark. Inspired Deep Lord, truly inspired..."
"My sources inform me that Blake achieved a miracle for the Ashanath and exterminated the Drakkar," Deep Lord Athgiloi stated, drawing shocked murmurs from the rest of the Deep Pool. "Blake's prowess in combat is truly formidable... perhaps he might succeed where all others have failed?"
Sibhaloi gaped at him in disbelief. "So this isn't merely a trap designed to slay him? You truly believe he might succeed?!"
Athgiloi paused for a moment then nodded, an acquisitive gleam in his eyes. "It is a distinct possibility..."
The rest of the Deep Pool were stunned into silence, too awed by that thought to respond.
Sensing that there would be no more opposition to his plans, Athgiloi bowed to his fellow Brimorians. "As always, my Lords, it was a pleasure to be in your august company. I will keep you informed of any developments."
The Deep Lord turned and headed towards the high-arched doorway behind him, making eye contact with Celphna as he did so. His concubine had remained kneeling in wait for him, as was fitting for one of her station. She rose gracefully to her feet and Athgiloi marvelled at her unsurpassed beauty, still finding it hard to believe that such a beautiful jewel of the sea could be his.
Her scales shone as they caught the light, revealing the enchanting iridescent sheen to their surface, while her webbed fins were the longest and most exquisitely frilled he had ever seen. That Celphna was unquestionably loyal and absolutely obedient made her the most alluring female he had ever known in his one-hundred-and-twenty years.
"I need only attend to one more order of business today, Celphna," The Deep Lord said as she fell into step beside him. "Then you will have my full attention..."
"This one longs for that moment, Master," Celphna replied, her blunt snout twitching with anticipation in the most adorable way.
Athgiloi suppressed a grin and lengthened his stride as he hurried to his office. By the gods she made him feel like a stripling again! He could still scarcely believe that Celphna had been a gift...
***
Jade slowed her descent towards the seabed, watching more of the teal-skinned creatures as they laboured to harvest the kelp fronds from the ocean farm. With her sharp eyes, she was able to get a good look at the strange humanoids and what she saw surprised her. While these workers had a similar kind of greenish-blue colouration as a Brimorian, it was quite apparent that they were not the same species.
Brimorians were stockier and possessed a finned tail to help propel them through the water, while their bodies were covered in a glimmering coat of fine scales. However, these creatures had smooth, slightly-lighter coloured skin, and while they possessed fins at their wrists and calves, they had no tail. The biggest difference though was their faces. Brimorians appeared distinctly fish-like with a snout rather than a nose and webbed fins around their mouths, but these creatures had distinctly Terran features.
As Jade stared at the farm workers in fascination, one of the taller males spotted her floating motionless in the water. He called out to his friends in a series of high-frequency clicks and the dozen humanoids rushed into action, chopping furiously at kelp stalks. That reaction told Jade everything she needed to know about the relationship these creatures had with the Brimorians, piquing her curiosity even further.
Turning in the water, she lashed her tail, quickly swimming away from the farm workers and seeking cover amongst the waving kelp fronds. Her form grew hazy for a moment and she shifted to her aquatic Nymph shape, complete with a set of delicate aquamarine-coloured fins. Satisfied with her choice of appearance, she swam carefully through the undulating vegetation, heading back towards the farm.
Concealed amongst the kelp, Jade studied the workers from a safe distance, watching as they relaxed now that the Brimorian who had unsettled them had swum away. There were actually many more workers there than the dozen she had first spotted. At least forty larger, stronger males were working on stripping the leaves from the kelp trees, while a dozen smaller females gathered the leaves and bundled into nets, before swimming towards a cluster of buildings. The route the females took led them through fields of long seagrass and Jade shot off like a torpedo, rushing ahead through the kelp to intercept the last female to leave.
The females were lithe and slender, their toned figures a testimony to the long hours they clearly spent working on the farm. They were wearing quite revealing aquamarine coloured clothes, the garments little more than short dresses that kept their arms and legs unencumbered. Jade was surprised to see that most of them were clearly expecting, sporting rounded bumps in various stages of pregnancy.
The one that Jade had singled out to speak to was by far the prettiest of the group. She had beautiful feminine features, alluring baby-blue eyes, and a mane of light-green hair that billowed out behind her as she swam closer. The woman's tummy was slim with no visible bump, but Jade was hopeful that if she managed to make friends with this exotic woman, John might be able to help her out with that in the future. There was also something about her bearing that the Nymph knew made her special, but she couldn't quite determine what it was.
Jade waited behind an outcropping of coral until the rest of the mysterious woman's companions had swum past, then swam out from her hiding place, her movements slow and unthreatening. Remembering the high-frequency clicks that the males had used, Jade greeted her in the same way, saying the equivalent of "Hello" as if she were a dolphin.
Looking up in shock, the teal-skinned female gaped at Jade in fright, then prepared to bolt back towards the men working on the kelp.
"Please don't be afraid, I don't mean you any harm!" Jade called out in a rush, holding her hands up in a calming gesture.
The woman froze mid-turn, her head whipping back so she could stare at the Nymph, eyes widening in shock. "You speak the old tongue!"
"My name's Jade," the Nymph said, giving her jittery new acquaintance a gentle reassuring smile. "What are you called?"
The woman seemed torn between her curiosity over this mysterious dark-green stranger and her desire to rush to safety. In the end, curiosity won out. "I'm Helene," she replied, returning the smile tentatively. She darted a worried glance over her shoulder, then continued in a furtive whisper, "How did you come to speak the old tongue? It is forbidden!"
"We're speaking Terran standard," Jade replied, her tone warm and friendly. "I learnt it many years ago."
Her net of kelp leaves forgotten, Helene swam closer, unable to take her eyes off Jade's luscious naked body. "I've never seen anyone like you before... what manner of creature are you?"
"I'm a Nymph," Jade replied, slowly spinning in the water so that the other woman could see the rest of her more clearly. "I've never seen anyone like you before either..."
