Salem and Star left the little cafe with full stomachs and a few extra pastries. Together they walked down the streets towards the beach, the cobblestone road soon gave way to sand as they drew near. They stepped out onto the beach watching as a few people roamed around it, picking up shells or enjoying the sun.

“Alright Salem, you ready?”

“I suppose, do you have the potions?”

“You bet I do here,” Star pulled out a small bottle filled to the brim with shimmering blue liquid. “This is my absolute sea affinity potion, it’ll allow you to breath underwater, stay warm underwater, swim quicker, communicate, and be able to keep your eyes open without them stinging as well as giving us perfectly clear vision under the sea.” She explained.

“Useful.”

“Yeah, just don’t take it before we’re near the water you won’t be able to breath normally until it wares off in a few hours.” Star rummaged through her back and pulled out a pill, “This is a deep sea affinity pill, it’ll keep us from being crushed from the pressure and allows us to see in total darkness. We’ll have to take it once we’re deep beneath the waves.”

Salem took the pill into her hand examining it. It was a deep blue color and quite large. “I see.” Hopefully she’d wouldn’t have to take it

“That’s all,” Star pulled off her shoes and outer layer of clothing, placing them in her satchel. She then pulled her satchel off her shoulder and handed it to Salem, “Do you mind?”

“Sure,” Salem grabbed the bag before cutting space around it and reweaving the space to create a bubble, she then pinned the bubble to Star, making it follow her. “Anything else you need?”

“Nope, I’m set.” She began walking into the waves until they reached her hips. She took a deep breath before looking at the potion in her hand. She uncapped it easily before holding it to her lips, hesitating for only a moment before guzzling it down. The liquid tasted like elderberry and came out of the bottle like a sludge. Star grimaced slightly, quickly finishing off the bottle before diving down below the waves.

She felt the cool water envelope her as she fell beneath it. Star blinked her eyes open, noting a distinct lack of a stinging sensation as she did so. The water around her suddenly felt nice as it had seemed to have suddenly warmed ten degrees. Star couldn’t help but smile to herself at this. For her final test she took a breath. Water entered through her nose, but she did not feel as though she was drowning. Only as if she’d taken a deep breath.

The potion had worked. Not that Star had any doubts it would, but it was nice seeing, and feeling, the product of her success. Star grinned wildly as she kicked her feet sending herself forward as a truly impressive rate. She’d probably swam a hundred yards in mere moments.

“Salem!” She called back behind her, twisted her body to see Salem speeding towards her like a shark. Maybe she’d see some real sharks while she was down here to.

“I’m here,” Salem replied, arriving at Star’s side.

“Good! We gotta explore this entire place you now.” Star waved her arms about, gesturing to all around her.

“There’s not much here is there?” Salem pointed out, kicking her feet lightly to stay is place.

Star took a good look around them noticing nothing but the blue of the water surrounding them, “No, I suppose not right here.” She conceded, “But I’ll sure we’ll find all sorts of fish once we get a little deeper out. Maybe even some sharks!” She began swimming forward deeper into the water.

“Hmm.” Salem hummed, swimming alongside Star, “We will see, I suppose.”

Not long passed before fish of all kind came into view. In a matter of minutes the duo had manage to stumble upon a thriving coral filled with all sorts of fish. Salem and Star watched from above as the fish went along with their lives. They saw little fish and big fish dart in and out of coral eating all sorts of things, including each other on one notable occasion.

“Wow…” Star muttered as she and Salem watched with growing fascination. “This is so cool!” One of the fish swam a few inches from her face, its body the length of Star’s entire arm. She giggled as it passed by reaching out one hand and poking it lightly. It quickly fled once it felt her touch.

“Look at this fish.” Salem called out, looking down a fish hidden in the coral.

Star hadn’t even notice her absence until she’d said something, to caught up with the new fish all about. She quickly came swimming Salem’s way. As she slowed she spotted what Salem was looking at, an eel with a brilliant pink strip down it back. Star’s eyes widened in excitement as she look at it in fascination.

“Wow, its so pretty…”

“Mind telling me what it is?” Salem asked giving Star a small smile.

“Oh yeah!” She quickly pulled up the fishes information displaying it to Salem, “Here we are.”

Adult electric coral eel

This eel is found only in coral reefs. They can produce and control electricity around there bodies. They eat small fish and other eels. They produce a natural and potent toxin that will often result in death if eaten by a human or most other animals. There are few know ways to prepare this fish.

[In depth scan]

“Huh,” Salem glanced from the eel to the displayed screen, “Well your safe for now eel.”

Star lost interest after that, quickly swimming off after that. She soon found herself in enraptured by the other fish around the coral, like the little pink one with black tipped fins, or the larger green fish with a bright yellow dot on its side. There we’re still so many fish to see. Star hopped from one fish to another soon finding herself staring down at one fish burrowing into the ground below. It was as she watch this odd fish when she noticed out of the comer of her eye a few fish suddenly change direction, fleeing. She turned her focus away from the fish as a large black shadow fell over her.

Confused, Star looked up, her eyes widening.

Above her swam a large shark. She watched as its massive form moved above her, its tail propelling it forward with graceful ease. Star swam backwards, trying to get a better look at the thing. Its skin was gray and its teeth massive. Her gaze stayed on they shark as it went pass by the coral without much fuss and swimming farther out to sea. She watched it until she could see it no more.

“Salem did you see that!” She cried once it disappeared into the blue, spinning around to see Salem floating not far on the other side of the coral.

“That shark? Of course.” She began swimming her way.

“We should see where it’s going.” Star decided, already swimming towards the direction the shark went.

Salem winced slightly, “Alright…” She followed not far behind, “What do you think we’ll find?”

“I don’t know, more sharks maybe? Or even a whale! Whales are so cool, haven’t seen once since… well we haven’t seen one in a real long time.” She grinned.

“No I suppose we haven’t, and whales are pretty neat…” Salem agreed as they raced through the water quickly catching sight of the shark, “There’s the shark.”

Star and Salem slowed their pace swimming a good distance behind the speeding shark. As they followed the shark it began swimming deeper below the waves, going down towards the ocean floor. As they neared the bottom Star began swimming backwards looking behind them to see all the ocean they’d already swam pass. It was nothing back a blue expanse. Quickly growing bored with that, she flipped back over to see the shark.

“Hey isn’t that a stingray?” Salem suddenly called, looking over to the left.

Star swam up slightly, following her gaze to get a look. From her vantage point she was able to spot the large creature swimming along the ocean floor. “Yeah it is! Look how big it is.” She exclaimed swimming closer to the ray. She reached out a hand running it along the stingrays back as it swam pass. “It’s so cool…”

Salem to reached out a hand petting the stingrays back, “I love stingrays…” She muttered, watching as it disappeared into the distance. “Well back to the shark then.”

“This way!” Star called waving her hand as she took off. Salem swam after her. They followed the shark for a few a while longer before the scenery changed. The shark swam forward, and as Star and Salem did the same they started to notice the water suddenly changed depths not to far off.

Salem couldn’t help but feel uneasy as she recognized what the shark had began to swim over, a trench. Salem slowed, watching a bit farther back as Star followed after the shark ready to cross or even drive down into the trench. Into what lay below lay below where the sun couldn’t reach.

“Wait!” She called out, picking up the pace before stopping at the edge of the trench.

Star quickly swam back, meeting Salem at eye level, “What?” She asked tilting her head slightly.

“I-I don’t think we should go down there…” she trailed off looking at the depths below with a touch of fear.

“Really? I think we’re just going over it, and besides why not, I have everything we could need…” Star trailed off.

“Well I mean…” Salem shifted uncomfortably, “It’s just really dark down there, we have no idea what could be lurking in those depths.” Salem reasoned, swimming backwards away from the trench a little ways.

“But it’s where the sharks going…”

“Yeah, well maybe we can just swim around.”

Star shock her head, “That’d take to long we’d lose the shark.” She stated turning her head to look back to the shark already half way across the trench, “Look, that sharks already nearly across, its fine--” Star cut her sentence off, her breath catching in her throat as she watched something massive come up from the depths below, jaw wide open.

“OH WHAT THE FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK WHATTHEFUCK!!” Salem screamed.

Star and Salem jolted back, swimming several feet away from the edge as they watched the shark be swallowed whole in one bite. Salem shock in terror as the things eye rose up above the edge of the trench, becoming visible for an agonizing moment. Its eye was easily the three times the size of her and stared directly at them.

Frozen in fear the duo watched the creature slowly fall back from which it came, finally disappearing back into the trench. Salem slowly came back to herself noticing how she was clutching Star’s arm tightly. She quickly let go.

“No, I’m done. That's it. I’m never coming back to the ocean. Come on Star we’re moving as far inland as possible, and then we’re creating another floating island. Whatever we gotta do to be as far away from that thing as physically possible.”

Salem paused once she noticed Star wasn’t following, “Star come on!” She called turning back.

Star swam closer to the edge of the trench.

“Star get your dumbass over here!” Salem cursed, swimming back over despite all her instincts wanting telling her to flee. “Don’t you dare start swimming into the trench I swear to-- NO!” She swam quicker, grabbing Star’s arm before she could swim into the trench. “Are you crazy!!”

“Salem, we gotta check that thing out! It was massive. Do you think it was a whale?”

“Last I checked, WHALES DON’T EAT SHARKS!!!” Salem stressed pulling Star farther away from the trench, “Why would you go after that thing! Are you trying to die!”

Star rolled her eyes pulling her arm out of Salem grip, huffing. “I wouldn’t die.”

Salem sighed, “Look, I really didn’t like that. I’d prefer if we just headed back. I’d rather not risk drawing that things attention.”

Star’s eyes softened as did her demeanor. “Alright, if it makes you that uncomfortable we can go.”

“Thank you.” Salem breathed, sagging in relief.

“Maybe we’ll see a whale on our way back!” Star lightened up swimming back the way they came, “We can hang around the coral reef until the potion wears off. We’ll be stuck under the waves until sunset by the way.”

“What! I thought you said it would ware off in a few hours?” Salem squacked.

“Yeah nine of them.”

“Thats not a few.”

“Its not?”

Salem stared at Star for a few long moments before sighing heavily “Alright fine.” Together they began making their way through the water. On their way back to the reef they spotted a few boats making their way out into the depths, probably to a fishing spot, or carrying goods to other lands if Salem had to guess.

It’d didn’t take the duo long to get to the reef again. Once they arrived they hang around for the rest of the day playing with the fish and all the other sea life. They watched the fish come and go and a few smaller sharks that hung around the area, hunting a few of the fish unfortunate enough to cross their paths.

The hours passed and the sun fell into the horizon lighting the sea with the last of its glow before it would disappear for the rest of the night. It was by this time the potion Star and Salem had taken began to ware off, allowing them to resurface. They made it to shore just as the potion wore off completely, all the water that was still left in their system expelled itself seamlessly without any complications or discomfort.

“I thinks that’s enough ocean for a while,” Salem proclaimed as she stood up drying herself off with a towel she’d stored.

“Yeah, I think I’m good for a little while to. I wanna know what kind of monsters are on the surface now that I know whats in the ocean.”

Salem shock her head, “I don’t think your going to find anything like that thing on land. The ocean depths have a thing were creatures can grow insanely large, we have limits on land.”

“Oh…” Star sighed. “Well I suppose we don’t have to worry about it then.”

“Unless we cross over one of those trenches… I really hope we were actually as far out as I think we were and that thing isn’t anywhere near land.” Salem shuddered, “I hate it so much.” She muttered to herself as she put on the rest of her clothes.

“I thought it was neat.” Star commented, wrapping herself in a nice shirt and pants, followed by her obscurity cloak.

“You have no self preservation.” Salem deadpanned, “Come on, we should go check on Opal. She’s been left alone all day now.” She stood placing her towel into storage and walking away.

“Coming!”