The ocean once again turned silent as the two major predators were badly wounded.
But deep in the ocean another problem arose. Little Qu Wren and Hachin had an adverse reaction the next day, falling sick and unconscious.
Diago worriedly stood near the doorway, sighing. His baby brother was softly panting and moaning in pain.
"How is he?" Ren whispered.
"Not good. He is heating up the entire room," Diago sighed once more.
The day Qu wren returned down to their home he seemed healthy as a sea horse, but as the day went by he started having a mild fever. Their worried mother let him rest in his room and left just for a minute to get medicine from their very well known clan that lives nearby. But as then came back, Wren's condition had worsened. His body became flaming hot, heating up the water inside the room completely.
"I will try," Ren walked in but Diago pulled him out immediately.
"Don't even try, mom's hand got scalded from the heat emaciating from him," Qu Diago worriedly whispered.
"Then how..."
"I am trying to cool him down, but nothing is working. Mum has gone to the leaders to request help. I think they might ask warriors from the North Pole for help. If this continues... Wren might kill every living thing near him," Diago silently cursed in his heart. His baby brother was suffering so much, yet he was not even able to get close to him. Taking the nearby stick, he tied a towel to its ends and helped him gently wipe his forehead. "We can only wait...."
"There has to be a way.." Ren dashed out their house in search of answers. Near the doorway he suddenly remembered that even Hachin had swum up to the surface that day. 'What if he has the same fever as Wren?,'
Worriedly, he ran to his door and knocked.
"Hachin, its Ren here, can you open the door?"
"..."
"Hachin?"
"...."
"Shit," he banged against the door, but the door refused to budge. It was as if something heavy was holding the door down. He hurriedly ran back to his house. "Diago!! Come here," he shouted aloud. Diago ran to him immediately with a frown. "I think Hachin is sick as well,"
"What? How? He did not even go to the surface!!"
"He did," Ren worriedly whispered and swam to his house. "He swam up with me, but I hid it from others,"
"Ren that was a bad decision. How can you hide something so vital from the elders!" Diago chided loudly.
"he... he has no one brother. I didn't want to contribute to his sadness even more," Ren silently whispered, touching the cold door.
"You.... you are too soft-hearted," Diago pushed his brother out of the way and banged against the door. "Darn, what is in there? It's holding firmly in place,"
"That's what I thought as well. Let's both try," Ren and Diago backed up and swam swiftly and banged against the door.
The door hinges slowly budged, but even so it held its place.
"Again,"
After three tried they were able to break the door.
"Good, you go back and take care of wren. I will check his conditions,"
"Be careful, if Hachin is sick just like wren, then it might be dangerous," Diago warned him and swam away.
Ren slowly entered the room. The water inside was weirdly very cold. As if the winter waters have flowed in. He gently scarped the back of the door to find it frozen shut. "Ice... why is there ice here?" he carefully swam in the hall. The entire hallway was covered with ice shards as sharp as a Mer's tridents. He dodges them all swam to the familiar room to the right.
In a small room in the corner he heard a soft panting sound.
"Hachin? Are you awake?" he slowly swam close but as he neared the doorway his legs started freezing up. Alarmed, he swiftly swam back. He could only helplessly peak into the dark room. "Hachin... don't worry, I will definitely get some help from the elders,"
He swam back out and informed his brother about his sickness.
"What? Wait, we can use this!! Ren get as much as ice you can from that house. If we can wake Wren up, my plan will work perfectly."
Without asking for an explanation, Ren swam over to the other house and collected as much as ice shards he could.
Diago tied it up to the end of his stick and slowly caressed wren's forehead. "Go inform the elders about Hachin and get help for him. I'll take care of things here,"
Nodding Ren swam out, leaving Diago behind to tend to his brother.
"Come on Wren, get up... Hachin needs you,"
The cold ice melted as soon as it came into contact with his hot skin.
Qu Wren moaned softly and blinked awake.