The second Dimitri's body hit the water of Boston Harbor, he could tell something wasn't right. The water somehow felt less dense than usual. He knew he had to be careful along the shoreline, where there could be more people, but in the moment he'd become distracted by the new sensation. He couldn't describe the pull within him, in face, the only way he could describe it was as unknown. This is what he was looking for.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">-----</div><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #BFBFFF">"What you're looking for is something ancient. Something powerful. Something that threatens the ocean, as you and I know it."</span> Nereus had said, and it was as though Dimitri had seen a serious side of his father that he hadn't before. <span style="color: #BFBFFF">"This is why your kind is pushed so hard. As champions, you need to be strong. You're ready for this now. You're going to have to kill what's down there."</span> At that moment, Dimitri felt a great deal of uncertainty. Was it really possible that all of the awful treatment was to have Dimitri ready for something like this? Even still, the word "kill" stung Dimitri to think about. He'd killed monsters before, but that was self defense. He'd never taken initiative out to hunt a sentient being. Even when he'd been sent to play fetch for Nereus in the past, he'd always found a way to do his job without killing anyone.<br/><br/>The thought of that changing made Dimitri feel dark.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0040BF">"This thing, it soun's real strong."</span> Dimitri searched for the words to use, hoping he'd grown clever enough to avoid further confrontation. He was still bleeding from his lip, and could feel the marks on his face. <span style="color: #0040BF">"Why me? Why us?"</span> Dimitri asked, in reference to other demigods that were held on leashes to their parents. <span style="color: #0040BF">"Y'all're more powerful than us. Ain't it more smart to just go'nd find it yourselves?"</span><br/><br/>A look of frustration crossed Nereus's face. It became clear to Dimitri, and fast, that what he was asking was not a common question. Nereus became aggressive once more. <span style="color: #BFBFFF">"Listen, boy, I'm only going to tell you this once. So listen here, and listen good!"</span></span><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">-----</div><br/><br/>Dimitri regained his composure. He was here to find whatever was here, causing this sensation. He could almost feel it pulling to him, and it seemed as though the only way to it was to go deeper underwater. Dimitri obeyed the feeling, and dwelled deeper underwater. What was once his own biome now felt like foreign territory. The once welcoming calm of the ocean now felt like an unstable world.<br/><br/>His once carefree roaming became cautious. A frown formed on his face, a very rare occasion when he's in the water. He couldn't stop thinking about why this was his job to carry out. Whatever this thing was, Dimitri had never been more cautious of anything before it. Not even his father.<br/><br/>Dimitri passed lots of wildlife, even a shark. All was relatively normal for the wildlife of the sea, it was almost like whatever was going wasn't effecting them. It made Dimitri breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that things weren't going to blow out of proportions while he worked on this assignment.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0040BF">"Hey...mornin'."</span>Dimitri said to a shark. It was one of his newest techniques he'd learned, something that happened more often than he was comfortable with. Dimitri still wasn't comfortable speaking direct English to aquatic life.<br/><br/>The shark stopped dead in its tracks and turned around to face Dimitri. Sharks didn't have the organs to make any sound; a great tool for being fierce predator. All the shark did in return was move its fins in a slow and calm manner.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0040BF">"I understand you're busy, bein' a shark and all."</span>Dimitri replied, though he couldn't imagine the shark's schedule was actually that crowded.<span style="color: #0040BF">"This is important though. Has anything... noticeable, happened in the last coupl'a'weeks?"</span>Dimitri asked, struggling to find a good way to ask about what he was looking for.<br/><br/>The shark's expression dulled, and his fins moved in a similar manner as the time before. Dimitri, as little as he could justify it, was able to still make sense of the fin movements. Communicating with sea animals had been very surreal to Dimitri, and not in a joyous way.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0040BF">"I see. I feel it too. Does it make you feel... cautious?"</span>Dimitri asked, even now he could still feel the pull, but it was<span style="font-style: italic">much</span>stronger than when he'd first entered the water. Whatever was here was something very powerful. Not even the peculiar nature of talking to a shark made him forget about the pull.<br/><br/>The shark replied with a bunch of rapid fin movements, and an angry express. Dimitri, not taking the time to consider a concussion on himself, translated to himself again. The shark turned away and began to swim.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0040BF">"I get it, you like it, you don't gotta be rude about it!"</span>Dimitri called after the shark.