Coming of Age Ceremony, 858 words.
Siren

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It was near enough to her birthday that Siren had been having trouble sleeping. She did not anticipate any particularly grand gift or gesture from her family- not with as many mouths they had to feed- but this one was, nonetheless, important.

It was her twenty-eighth, her throat plate had stopped growing, and she was nearly an adult in the eyes of the others. All she had to do now was prove it. While some of her clutchmates were seeking out dangerous prey, or finding clay, or even cooking, she was the only one that had opted to go diving. They were nowhere near the edge of the dome, their home not too terribly far from the outskirts of Atlas; the journey itself half the battle. She had slipped out, leaving behind only a note, and set out.

Had her parents even noticed that she was gone? Were they worried? With a toss of her head, Siren shook off that thought. The dome's slow-curved wall loomed. Here and there, there were other rexes- none within easy talking distance; rather, she could only just see them. The town she'd stayed the night in frequently had 'youngsters' like her, eager to prove their maturity, and she'd been one of a handful that had set out. While some had pairs, or older relatives, she was all alone- and that didn't particularly bother her overmuch.

At least, that's what she told herself.

The roil in her belly, though, betrayed her nerves, as did the sensation of dread as she tried to peer through the solid wall keeping the water up.

Standing upright, paws came up, and she pushed them to the dome. Warmth surged through her, settling between her shoulders and beneath her sternum. It flared, slowly, towards her throat plate, her forearms, her tail, and, above her head, the simple halo burned itself into existence. Once complete, Siren dragged in air, deep, slow breaths. A slow exhale, another breath.

The dome pulled her forward- that's what it felt like. She stepped into it, one last breath, and then she was pushed through the warm wall, and into the water. She nearly sputtered at the surreal sensation, the pressure of the ocean bearing down, but instinct held her steady. A hop, and she glided forward. It was not far to the Trench, and she could see the others beginning to swim. She followed for as long as she could, through kelp forests and sea grass. Fish that she had only seen dead and dehydrated darted hither and to, delighting the lass. She almost chased some; they'd make a fine meal later on, once she'd finished her task. A powerful sway of her tail, and she was away.

The drop off yawned beneath her before long. A brief, sandy rim, wreathed in glorious riots of color and sea grapes and kelp reaching up, up to the sky- and a very noticeable point at which the light just... stopped. Siren began to tread water as she contemplated the depths, and then she leaned forward. Hesitated, started to turn. The shark slicing smoothly past, almost serene in its confidence, nearly crashed into her, but it redirected her back towards the trench.

An omen, she decided, that she ought to continue.

Or else.

One last twitch to right herself, and she began to dive. Deeper, deeper. Past the cutoff of light. The only thing she could truly see was her halo, the only way she could tell she was still diving down, the magic leaking from her forelegs. She sank deeper. She lost track of time. Could she ascend if she ran out of air? How much longer could she hold her breath?

How many foolish rexes her age had drowned doing this?

No room for doubt, she decided, and swallowed against her tongue. She had been told stories, tales that this place went to the underworld. That there were artifacts and strange beasts here.

And, as she began to pick up light, she believed them all. Dim, soft glowing plants greeted her there. Long, thin, black forms arced between pockets of dim red, beasts with massive teeth rested here and there. But what drew her the most were the bones.

Pale, resting amidst the sand, and brighter than anything else had any right to be down there. Those. Those would be her proof.

As she swam closer, she revised the thought. The ribs were near as long as she was, each. She frowned some, and wrapped herself around one of those ribs, to anchor herself, and took a few seconds to work it out in her head. Her tail dragged through the sand, and she opened her mouth. It sealed at the back, kept her from gulping the water, but the pressure was mighty uncomfortable. She bit down, hard, and used her forelegs and tail to grip and twist. The old bones creaked, and then, the rib she'd chosen splintered apart, leaving her with a maw full of the glimmering bone.

Proof acquired, Siren blew out a precious few bubbles, and began to follow them up. The dome- the surface- awaited her return, after all.