Trench Exploration: Mysterious Deep Water Event 22

After having read the posted flyer seeking adventurous horneds, Evangeline slinked back to the waters for which she felt most at home in. She wondered what it be like as more horneds dove into the dark watery world below, most likely meant more fun to be had. Either way, she was a horned who enjoyed adventure and exploring new places. It was time to plumb the depths once again but maybe she’d go deeper. She recalled a trench that she’d seen but had never investigated, perhaps today was the day to finally check it out. However, before she started her descent, Evangeline went in search of her tiny friend Coralia. Coralia was the cutest little thing, a mere foot tall against Evangeline’s over eleven foot length. Coralia was one of Evangeline’s closest friends but also the youngest. 

She found the tiny pale shrimp horned floating about some colorful coral, coral to Coralia was similar to pearls to Evangeline. Evangeline observed the fae playing among the coral, chasing tiny fish around that was closer in size to Coralia. As she approached Coralia, Evangeline sent up a bunch of bubbles and growled deep enough to vibrate the waters. It was a strange thing to do but Coralia was deaf and Evangeline liked to give the fae enough forewarning of her approach so not to startle her. It startled the fish though and they darted off, quickly vanishing. Coralia took notice and turned around, grinning once her blue eyes caught sight of the massive mega approaching. She moved her hands in a strange fashion and Evangeline responded in kind. Using hand signs to communicate was how Coralia talked and Evangeline had been learning since before they became friends. Evangeline wanted to make friends with the fae and had made an effort to learn a few signs before finally approaching her, since they became friends, Coralia had been teaching Evangeline more and more. Now they talk near perfectly with strictly hand signs but Evangeline also used vibrations and bubbles too.

After their greetings, Evangeline communicated what she saw on the flyer to Coralia. The little fae tilted her head in curiosity. Coralia was rather brave despite her youth, which made her an ideal friend for Evangeline who loved to explore all sorts of places. Evangeline communicated that she wanted to dive deeper to see what they could find but mainly to check out this trench. Maybe they’d find some new species, a cool new cave, or even treasure. Coralia signed that she was on board for such an adventure, she enjoyed seeing new places and creatures, the weirder the better. The tiny fae swam up to Evangeline and grabbed onto her back fin, this allowed Evangeline to swim faster while not having to worry about making sure Coralia could keep up. If Evangeline had to swim at her fastest speed, Coralia tended to move to Evangeline’s shoulder. 

They swam to where the coral reef and dropped off into open water. There was such a vast difference between the busy and colorful coral reef and the deeper wide open water. Out here, even bigger creatures roamed, creatures that were less colorful and tended to blend more into the open water rather than colorful corals. A small fae like Coralia could easily end up a snack out here on her own, but with Evangeline, she was safer. The open water is where Evangeline tended to spend most of her time, it was more friendly to her size and allowed her to move quicker. While in the coral reefs, Evangeline had to swim much slower and with more caution. Her great size could easily damage the delicate corals and create havoc among it’s residents. In open water, Evangeline dove deeper as she followed the sea floor that dropped down. With lighting being incredibly dim, both Evangeline and Coralia’s bioluminescence began to glow brightly. 

The sea floor here was less exciting than a reef, but it made curious objects stand out all the more. While this wasn’t the depth they were aiming for, neither could avoid checking out the oddity here and there. But they would have to move on quickly if they wanted to make good time towards a trench Evangeline had heard about and seen from a distance. Today was the day she would finally descend down into it. Both pondered what they’d find there, what lived on the walls of the trench but even more so at the bottom of it.  It appeared in the gloom like a gaping maw, as they swam closer it grew bigger and more intimidating, like a massive black crack in the earth that even dwarfed Evangeline. They’d come to a stop to look down into the inky black depths, Coralia now floating near Evangeline’s head as they gazed downwards. Eventually, Coralia turned towards the mega and signed both her excitement but also hesitation. She was brave but even that had it’s limits, while she was with Evangeline, there had to be bigger more intimidating creatures in this watery world. Evangeline acknowledged her companion’s hesitation and signed back that she also felt a bit of nervousness but that they had each other. 

Eventually, Evangeline began her descent towards the gaping mouth of the trench. She hesitated at the edge as both looked over and into the darkness. By now, Coralia was at Evangeline’s shoulder, partially to seek safety in the mega’s long thick hair but also so she can communicate easier in the dark. Evangeline then swam over the edge and down into the darkness. As it swallowed them up, the bioluminesce on both horneds became more intense. There was no sneaking around in the darkness for them but perhaps it would draw some interesting critters towards them. The sides of the trench were rough, occasionally pocked with small holes and containing little rocky shelves with some baring some sort of sea plant life or discarded shells and rocks. Swimming deeper and deeper, the plant life changed to something more alien and also glowy. 

A soft glow appeared below them, not just on the walls of the trench but also from strange gelatinous sea creatures. As they continued, strange glowing sea plants rose up from the bottom. They moved slowly to and fro in the water, lighting up the undersides of strange looking sharks with long pointy noses; they moved slowly and gracefully through the water without a care in the world. Small jellies with long tentacles moved through the water up above their heads, small shrimp getting caught in the tentacles as food for the jellies. Along the seabed, oddly shaped crabs scuttled along, some picking the plants and attaching them to their shells. 

Evangeline felt a tap at her cheek and she looked towards the tapper, Coralia. Coralia then signed her excitement at their find to Evangeline. In reply, Evangeline let up some bubbles which floated up and even tickled a passing fish that was ball shaped with a single antenna with a glowing bulb on its head. The teeth were huge and startling but it wasn’t huge and more bizarre if anything. Coralia swam away from Evangeline and down towards the plants, they didn’t sting or do anything as she touched them. Coralia then moved passed them towards the sandy bottom and reached to pick up rather unique shell. She raised it up and showed it to the mega hovering above, Evangeline smiled and gave a thumbs up for the find. Coralia tucked it away into a bag she had with her. 

From her shell, Evangeline pulled some glass vials and scooped up sand in each one, corked the bottles and held them up to inspect it. Even the sand seemed to have a strange glow and it gave Evangeline an idea. She tucked the vials safely away and gestured towards Coralia to continue moving along the trench. They may as well explore more of the bottom, who knows what else lurked down here unseen. Coralia swam alongside Evangeline who was swimming as if they were back in the coral reef, no…more like the shark they saw not long ago. It allowed Coralia to keep up with the massive horned as they moved along the trench. Coralia signed to Evangeline asking if they should try to take some plants. Evangeline signed that they could try but there wasn’t much guarantee how well they’d fair higher up and in the light. 

Nonetheless, Evengeline selected a couple plant samples to take back with them when an eerie sound echoed. Both horneds looked at each other and decided it was time to leave the trench. Evangeline tucked the plants away and Coralia returned to Evangeline’s shoulder. With the little fae secured safely, Evangeline navigated away from the bottom and then with a burst of speed sent them both back towards the mouth of the trench. The sped past the opening to the trench, turned towards the coral reef and kept swimming quickly. Whatever made that sound, it sounded bigger than even Evangeline and she wasn’t sure she wanted to risk it with Coralia with her. She’d rather see the fae safely back in the coral reef that she called home. After that, Evangeline wanted to attempt using the trench sand to craft pearls, maybe they would give off a glow too? And the plants? Maybe she’d get them to survive up here? Who knew, but that was the fun with making new discoveries, all the new information one could learn. Evangeline may even brave returning to the trench some day, especially if the glowing trench sand does make glowing pearls!