Chapter 1: The Clank of Failure The piercing screech of metal sliding along metal fills the air. Or rather, water. The blades collide mid-swing. One of the younglings flares his gills, slowly sliding back, leaving a trail of slime on the marble. He swings his tail like a cautious cat. Daisy enters a protective position, raising their sword in front of their chest. They hiss, flaring their gills as well. “You’re not threatening, Troy.” Troy’s feet stay planted where they are. He splays his toes, letting himself get a better grip. He crouches down ever so slightly. Daisy takes a step, ready to pivot in either direction. They’re trembling slightly, though they keep their sword safely in front of their chest. There’s no movement in the arena for a moment. Their couch rings the bell in her hand, changing her scale colour rapidly to get their attention. “Get on with it, cadets! We don’t have all day!” Troy pounces. He leaps forward. He slashes at Daisy with a full swing. They jump to the left, taking advantage of the weak spot in the side of his armour. A nifty trick they had picked up on from watching the adults. He stumbles back, slightly surprised. He’s almost kneeling on the floor. Daisy stands over him, looking proud of themself. Troy smirks, jumping up and quickly ramming his blade into their chest. They fall onto the ground, a large dent in their armour. The couch blows her whistle, signalling a victory. The sound of a sword falling from someone’s hand overtakes the cheers. The sound Daisy had heard so many times, yet still wasn’t used to. The clank of failure. Chapter 2: An Unexpected Gift aisy slowly rose to their feet. Their scales are a slightly green colour. They reluctantly slide their sword into the sheath on the side of the arena. They mutter quietly to themself as they walk home, alone. The door is ajar when Daisy arrives. They smirk. Their parents always did that for no particular reason. It’s not like it was letting cold air in. They live underwater, after all. They slip into the house. “I’m back!” Their mother immediately rushes over from the kitchen, scooping Daisy into a tight hug. Her scales are a mixture of orange and yellow, her scales looking like they were reflecting the sunset. “Daisy! How’s my baby doing? Your brother made something for you!” Daisy laughs. They loved how overprotective their mother could be sometimes. It was quite funny to them, to be honest. “I’m fine, mum. Gyll made something to give me?” “Yes, yes! Let me show you. GYLL!” Gyll comes down the stairs, looking annoyed. His scales glow a vibrant blue. He was flashy like that. His gills are always flared out, that’s how he got his name. His genes had definitely pulled a lot more from our father. “What is it? Oh, Daisy. I made you this.” He throws a strange metal thing at Daisy. They squeak and step back, the thing hitting the floor. It’s round, a floral pattern engraved into the top. “What..?” “It’s a compass, stupidhead. It’ll point to treasure or whatever. It can also point back home. I know you like wandering off so, have fun, dork.” Gyll retreats back upstairs. “Oh, cool.” Daisy grins mischievously. An adventure for hidden treasure awaited them!
Shoutout to @FruityBestieVibes for helping with the concept :] Music is Eyes Blue Like The Atlantic - Sista Prod, Subvrbs