We pretty much got there before the crocodiles did. Mermen were on the banks, selling ornaments made with sea shells and corals, sea food, starfish and an occasional pearl. To tell you the honest truth, mermaids were the last thing I was expecting to see here in Sightless.

There were piers all over the area with people bending down to buy stuff from the mer-folk. There were even a few merchants selling goods to them instead.

The men wore nothing on the top. Some wore a vest occasionally. I think they were guards since they had spears. Women wore a soft draping which fluttered trough the water with their long hair floating on the surface. I saw one holding a small baby who was crying.

'River sickness,' said Slitzer as we passed by.

What amused me were the tails. They were silver with rainbow patterns shimmering over the corners at the edge of the scales as the sun reflected its light off them. The end of the tails was like that of a boney fish too shimmered in silver. I really hoped they might be the aquatic version of a human, but they really were just half fish.

Everyone looked up at us as we flew over them.

'The queen!' one cried.

The merfolk stopped their work and looked up.

Andrew nudged at me.

'Ehem,' I said. 'I'm sorry to interrupt but there is a pair of giant crocodiles heading this way_'

The crowd instantly panicked. Of course the terrestrial folk ran out of the docks for their lives. The problem was with the mermaids. The merfolk squirmed, looking to and fro. Honestly, where could they go?

I looked at Andrew. He was thinking the same thing.

We need a plan.

'Okay,' I said. Salzar landed on the pier.

I looked around. The Nile was too wide to lay a barrier across. The crocodiles were forty feet long. I doubt they will notice a few mermaids.

'Hide under the priers,' I said. 'All of you. Try to crawl to the banks and hide behind the reeds. Whoever is in the water, don't move at all. Crocodiles are sensitive to movement.'

'Are you sure?' said Andrew. 'This might be a bad idea.'

'What else can we do?'

He nodded.

'Hay, can you contact Poseidon?' I said.

'Are you nuts?'

'Or... someone related to water?'

He stood there with a blank expression.

'Or a metal fence that is about twenty kilometers long to hold giant crocodiles for a while?'

He jumped to his senses and climbed on Salzar.

'Give me ten minutes.'

If we were lucky the crocs might simply swim past us. But I doubt our luck. I saw some of the women swim away deeper into the bands with their children. The men with spears formed a line across the Nile. I doubted it was a good idea, but they seemed confident enough. I simply stood on the docks, staring down at the green water below me. If I fall, I'm doomed. I didn't know how to swim.

'Eh... the crocodile is forty feet long you know,' I said to the guard below me. 'It's very very big.'

He nodded, gripped his spear and focused his gaze forward.

Well, I did warn them. I just hope Andrew had some idea of what he's doing. I felt very useless, just standing like this. I crossed my fingers behind my back. The Nile was surprisingly silent. I just wish that there could be a net wide enough to cover the Nile. While we waited I looked down at the mermaids below the pier. They were clutching their children. At least we warned them.

Then out of the water, something black swam towards us at surprisingly high speeds. But it was very small? The mermen guards held their spears pointed at the approaching thing before the head of a black horse emerged, screaming, 'THEY ARE COMING!!!! HELP!!!'

I felt like spanking my own head. 'Go to the banks!' I yelled.

Slitzer stared at me and blinked. 'Oh yeah, good idea.'

And I thought that horses were supposed to be smart. Guess not this horse.

Slitzer turned to his white horse stallion form and climbed to dry lank, panting as he did. Silence returned again while all of us stared at the end of the river. I felt adrenaline pump throughout my system.

Then we saw it.

Slitzer shrieked with a horsey neigh. The mermen yelled orders and prepared to attack. Out from the water surface, a large green head emerges, them a trunk and then a tail. They were not kidding, it was big. Very big. And it approached us at an unimaginable speed. The crocodile opened its long snout, revealing a large set of gleaming teeth. At that moment did the mermen realize that going head to head with this thing was a bad idea.

I couldn't bear to watch. 'RETREAT! I REPEAT. RETREAT!'

But they were too late.

Some were quick enough to get away. But the ones in the middle were not so fortunate. I looked around desperately. Then the crocodile groaned. Some mermen were trying to spear it while avoiding its mouth. But its tail lashed dangerously at them. Seeing their efforts, the mermen who retreated charged at the crocodile.

Then out of the surface, another one leaped up taking them by surprise and fell on the river with a loud splash. No one was caught. Its fall sent rippled through the water. The mermaids below screamed.

There was one of the guards staring at the trashing second crocodile when I noticed the fishing nets that were lying around. It might be big enough to tie it's snout at least. It fullest effort, I heaved the nets at the nearest and quite the most cowardly set of mermen.

'Tie its snout and entangle it with the net,' I said.

They looked at me like as if I were crazy. I dropped the long net at them.

'Do it!' I snapped.

They looked at each other with the net in hand and swan towards the nearest crocodile. The ones battling the crocodile noticed them and waved them to approach with the net. But one net seemed not to be quite enough. The mermaids sort of noticed it and brought out some more nets. Soon the ones on the other side understood and brought out nets to handle the first crocodile.

Somehow, the mermen managed to tangle the things. They trashed on the water, squirming and turning as the mermen threw the nets on them. One group managed to tie the snout of the second one.

Finally, the two crocodiles settled and began to calm down.

'HAIL POSEIDON!'

And then they started to trash again. The net tied around the first crocodile snapped and it started to trash again. Screams and yells filled the air. A huge roar filled the air.

This was turning out pretty bad. Two mermen pulled a young one to shore. It seemed to have he knocked off by the crocodile. I heard him mutter, 'See weed... sea cucumber... cumber.... Oy... oyster?'

'Get a hole of yourself!' one of his companions snapped.

'Oh, God,' I muttered.

From above, I heard a familiar groan and looked up. 'Salzar!'

I let out a breath of relief. It was Andrew, along with Sobek. I was so relieved that I could have hugged that kid!

'Sobek to the rescue!' yelled Sobek with two pistols in hand and in his crocodile head.

Seriously, does he think that two revolvers can do the trick?

Salzar landed on the pier.

Sobek jumped down heroically in to the Nile while winking at a mermaid and swam towards the giant crocks.

'You can't be serious... right?' I said.

'Those are tranquilizers,' said Andrew. 'We hope the doze is strong enough to subdue them.'

'Would it pierce through that hide?'

'You have to shoot inside its mouth.'

SPLOSH!

I guess the crocodiles hated Sobek since the second one which was still entangles got some sort of resolve with killing intent and snapped all of its nets and charged at Sobek. Panicked and instantly tuned into a giant crocodile himself. The two crocodiles snapped at each other and wrestled in the water.

'Get.... Blub.... THE..... TRANQUILIZERS!'

Of course, crocodiles can't shoot. The mermen backed away from the fight. The first crocodile who got itself free joined the second in the pulverizing Sobek. I think that didn't get what Sobek said.

'I'm your master you punks! Would you_ hay! That's my tail you're chewing at! Wait! We can negotiate! Unfair! It's two versus one!'

I felt anger boiling inside my system. Without thinking twice, I jumped to the bank.

'Slitzer!'

'Huh?'

'To get those revolvers!'

'What!'

'Get the revolvers,' I said with chimes in my voice.

Sobek and the crocodiles were wrestling away from where the revolvers fell. But I could feel Slitzer shaking.

'Then take me there.'

'What difference does it make? Send a merman!'

'I doubt anyone in their right mind would do that.'

'I have a right mind too. And do you see hands on me?'

I caught hold of his mane and hauled myself onto his back. Luckily I didn't fall. It would have been embarrassing otherwise.

'Just swim under them,' I said. 'They are all focused on Sobek now.'

'Amethyst,' said Andrew from the pier. 'Do you even know how to swim?'

I shook my head. 'Salzar, try and held Sobek.'

Then I turned to Slitzer. 'Go. Now.'

He jumped into the water and immediately turned into a mer-horse. I took a deep breath as he dived under. I tried to open my eyes, but the moment I tried, they stung. It was useless if I couldn't see. I peeled them open as Slitzer swam a few meters down. The riverbed was a mess with old rotten wood and silky sand. Enough light penetrated through. Ahead of us, three crocodiles were battling. A blue long serpent like creature joined the fight. I saw a few mermaid tails above. About fifty feet away from the crocodiles on the river bed laid two revolvers. I reached out for them and grabbed both with one hand while the other held Slitter's mane.

I was losing my breath. Slitzer sort of noticed this and pulled me to the surface. The instant my head broke the surface I gasped for air. We didn't notice that we were too close to the crocodiles. One crocodile broke away from the fight and turned to us. Slitzer neighed and I got too excited that I let go of his mane and I fell off him.

Did I tell you that I couldn't swim? I felt one revolver slip through my hands. I used my other hand to catch it. Instantly, something caught hold of my right foot and pulled me down. I screamed. A set of teeth held onto my shirt pulling me up. Below me, bright green beady eyes were looking at me.

I kicked out of desperation. Harder every time I felt my breath leave me. I sort of started to remember that crocodiles used to drown their pray. The crocodile opened its mouth to get hold of a larger portion of my leg. I pointed at revolver at its mouth and shot the beast.

The moment the dart hit its tongue, it snapped it backed away and snapped its mouth shut. Slitzer pulled me up to the surface. I gasped, hugging his neck with one revolver in hand.

'Amethyst! The revolver!' said Andrew's voice from behind me.

He was riding on Salzar. I threw it at him. He caught it with a swoop.

'Sobek! Get ready!'

Sobek snapped at the remaining crocodile and yanked its face with his tail. The crocodile opened its jaws I heard a pop.

The thing roared and trashed around. Finally, its movements subsided and it sank to the bottom of the Nile.

Finally, everything settles down.

I was taking hard deep breaths and felt my ankle sting from the bite. If this is what it means to be queen, then I am going to die younger than I anticipated.