TRITON AND ATLANTA – Physalie00 – PROLOGUE
I know, I should be updating City of Angels and Demons (check it out!) but this idea was stuck in my head. Plus, if I don't get more reviews for CoA&D, it will be up for adoption. I personally get frustrated when authors do this, but I've just run out of inspiration and ideas. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Full Summary:
"What are you?
"I am one of the Calypsaï – the untold saviours of Calypso, the daughter of the Greek titan Atlas."
When the two kingdoms of Calypsaï engage in a brutal war, nothing can reunite them but a royal betrothal. However, the male royalty of both kingdoms – Triton and Atlanta - apart from the rulers are missing, possibly dead, the princesses of both kingdoms must unite on the adventure if their lives to save the princes – before it's too late.
More at the bottom!
My one and only disclaimer: All characters belong to the amazing Ms Cassandra Clare. Hence, FanFiction.
Enjoy!
PROLOGUE – CLARY POV – 10 YEARS AGO
Boom!
The underwater explosion rocked my father, Valentine Tritos's beautiful castle. Priceless mosaic, art and metalwork went flying.
Well, when I say priceless…..
The currency of Calypsaï is the Calyae. It's worth around… one hundred times as the American dollar. Pretty impressive for a population of… 70 million. All crammed into the Bermuda Triangle.
Bermuda Triangle, my ass. The whole 'danger zone' is really more like a pentagon. The reason for the, uh… danger zone… was the carnivorous war beasts used in battles between and involving the Triton and the Atlanta people.
Like, now.
What started it was some crazy argument about the missing Calypsaï male royalty apart from the rulers, Valentine Tritos and Stephen Atlantis. Both last names derived from the original Calypsaï rulers; Triton and Atlanta; the two nations in the Calypsaï world.
The missing princes were:
Jonathan Atlantis (Stephen's son – Jonathan 1)
Alexander Lightwood (Stephen's nephew)
Jonathan Morgenstern (Valentine's son, my brother – Jonathan 2)
Simon Lewis (Valentine's nephew, my cousin)
The crappy thing was, while these idiots got lost in the ocean somewhere, the Calypsaï people depended on us.
Because we were betrothed. Joy.
I was the lucky winner of Jace (note the sarcasm). My best friend and Isabelle's cousin was Ella Naedyllei (very hard to pronounce, I assure you) which was Isabelle's aunt's maiden name. On the other side of her family tree was her uncle – Stephen. Ella was betrothed to my lost brother, Jonathan. And Isabelle was paired with Simon.
You see, we knew these boys. I don't remember them, but when I was three, suddenly they just… disappeared. After many search parties, the only conclusion drawn was that they were spirited away to the dreaded land above. My people called it the ominous name of… dry land.
So you may be a little confused. Surely I live on dry land, right? Wrong. As fore-mentioned, I live underwater in the Bermuda Triangle. I have two… forms. One, a human form (used predominantly for mating), and two, a half-fish form like a mermaid. So, I do have red hair, and I am part fish, but I do not have a crab/lobster named Sebastian. End. Of. Story. Obviously, I can breathe on land and underwater.
Back to more pressing matters. With all this war going on, we need the princes. Fast. So my father and Stephen have proposed a trip to… dry land… to find them.
So, looks. No blue skin or fangs. Just a tail-fin thing. Just normal humans with a half-fish form. I have really fiery red hair (hence the Ariel reference) but bright green eyes and really, really pale skin with freckles on my nose, cheekbones and shoulders. Apparently I resemble my beautiful mother Jocelyn, but I don't see it. I'm short, especially for Calypsaï standards. My tail is a green-y blue colour.
Isabelle is gorgeous. Again, she's unusually tall by human standards; we all are. She has long, ebony hair and dark calculating eyes that seem much warmer the better you know her. She has perfect olive skin. Her tail is a really rare red and violet shade.
Finally, Ella. She has stormy grey eyes and white blonde ringlets. She is tall - no surprise there. She is also model-pretty; Calypsaï usually are, along with the height. Her tail is really light green with yellowish tints.
Our tails are a little like the legends – yes, they have scales, but they pop out and stand up to form an impenetrable shield. We also have a line of sharp, venomous spikes running down the centre reflecting our rank and nation. We think it's something to do with how our tails are treated. Mine are like porcupine spikes and are indigo in colour. Izzy's is gold and more like a fish's top fin, just razor sharp. Ella has canary yellow spines that are slightly curved but very thin, tapering to needle-sharp points.
From what I remember of the boys three years ago, Jonathan 1 and Jonathan 2 had blonde hair, while Alexander and Simon had brown. Jonathan 1 had gold eyes, Alexander had blue and Jonathan 2 and Simon had dark brown eyes. But they could have blue hair for all I know – I only have memories from when I was a toddler. I honestly cannot, for the life of me, remember what their tails were like.
My father and Stephen had agreed to our betrothals, and now that very agreement rested on our shoulders – to restore it. Now they have organised an expedition, with supervisors in the form of Raphael Santiago and Camille Belcourt, commanders from my father's army, and Magnus Bane and Helen Blackthorn from Stephen's. I had met Camille and Magnus and I really liked them because they always slipped me more seafood from the kitchens through their friends Seelia and Meliorn Queens (siblings).
I just wish my mother was here.
"Clary?"
Turning, I saw Isabelle standing in the doorway, looking concerned.
"Having one of those days?" She sighed.
"What days?" Enter Ella.
"The… Jocelyn days." Izzy whispered. I flinched at the mention of my mother's name. Ella's mouth formed a small 'o' and she immediately fell silent. After an awkward moment, Izzy cleared her throat and beckoned for me and Ella to follow. We complied, a little bemused.
Izzy led us down the underwater corridors lined with mussels and seashells. I had been so caught up in my thoughts, I had completely forgotten about the war raging on outside. It was incredibly obvious now; the drone of war fish whipping through the water, the clang of metal against scales and armour, the rain of shells upon the palace walls.
We soon reached my father's chambers; I don't know how the two rulers were so civil to each other when their armies were battling outside. They seem to have decided to pause the war between them while briefing us of our mission. Once we leave, it will be worse. Much worse. My father stood tall and regal, his cropped white-blonde hair neat and orderly. His dark grey eyes bore into us, calculating our chances of success.
Stephen seemed much more laid back, even in wartime in his enemies' headquarters. They had a strange love-hate relationship that pretty much no one else could comprehend. Except Céline….. and Jocelyn.
There I go again.
"Hello, Princesses; Clarissa, Isabelle, Ella-Jasmine." We all flinched simultaneously – we disliked the formality of our full names. "I hope you know what you are here for." He looked at us expectantly. We nodded our affirmative. "You must find the missing princes and bring them back here, otherwise this war will never end." Valentine concluded.
"The boys are about your age, maybe a year or two older. We know that they are in the USA somewhere – we just don't know where. It is probably going to be coastal or near a lake or river where you find them. Raphael Santiago, Camille Belcourt, Magnus Bane and Helen Blackthorn will be there to assist and look after you." Stephen added.
"We sense a dark presence lurking near water sources in the US. We are concerned that the Eulysae are reforming, with the ultimate goals in mind; our princes. Camille has been assigned money-making duty, with a job as a doctor to continue hers studies of the human –and Calypsaï – body. Magnus as lookout; scouring the broadcasts and Internet (a world communication and knowledge archive) for traces of the boys and the Eulysae. Raphael and Helen are posing as the parents – they will meet teachers, hold your fake identification, et cetera. You are to report back every three years." Valentine informs us.
"When you find them, their memories may be blanked of all Calypsaï knowledge and folklore – a clean slate. You are not to reveal their true heritage, or yours, until it has been confirmed by your guardians and they have reported back to us. The mission must be completed in eighteen years or less, for once they are completely independent they will split up and we have practically no hope of finding them. As soon as you meet them, you must try to state your position in your betrothal by actions. If any other human females are competing with you, make sure you eventually come out top in the princes' eyes. You hear me?" Stephen continued.
Boom!
The explosion wreaked havoc on the beautiful city. Valentine turned to Stephen. "I thought you called off your men!" He screeched.
"I did! These men aren't mine!" Stephen replied just as heatedly. Both men rushed towards the glassless alcoves showing the carnage of battle. In the distance, both forces of Triton and Atlanta were at a standby, facing each other in orderly lines. They hastily fumbled for their weapons and ammunition to prepare for the unknown threat.
Far off, the sandbar near Bermuda stirred up hurricanes of sand, laced with strangely opaque black wisps of smoke-like substance. Every now and then the smoke would form into rearing dolphins, lionfish, grimacing faces. Each time the symbol was larger and thicker, expanding into a massive Eulysae warrior. The man held up a hand for silence and attention. Then he spoke.
His voice was like nothing I'd ever heard before. The briny sea breeze, tsunamis crashing, seagulls cawing; all combined into one monstrosity of a voice so horrendous it was almost beautiful.
"I come to deliver a message." The voice said in its reverberating timbre. "The Calypsaï people must surrender, otherwise we shall find your precious princes and kill them. Mark my words, they shall die. So give up this land. You have until the next Halley's comet to hand it over, so move out a hide." And with that, all the black smoke dissipated until there was nothing left.
"The next Halley's comet is in nineteen years. The thing about a magical place such as this is the so many reside here that it takes years to evacuate, years to level and years to rebuild. The magic slows time and prevents much change unless the participants are willing. And to get back our princes, we are willing to leave this place." Stephen said sadly. "You must begin your journey immediately. Begin in Miami and work your way around America. Our race is counting on you to succeed."
We were ushered out of the door and into the night, directed towards and islands just South of Bermuda where many merchant ships sail. It would be easy to sneak on undetected and off again in a port town on the mainland.
"Ready, girls?" Camille asked.
"Ready."
The next chapter will be set in ten year's time. These are very smart six year olds if anyone is confused of their knowledge of dialect. So please check out my other stories and especially CoA&D, because I need to know who, if anyone, is adopting it. So enjoy, read on, and review, favourite, or add to alerts/subscriptions. Remember – I would looooove feedback of this story. Happy Late New Year!
BTW, I am reaaally nervous because I have NSW State Age Championships for swimming in a couple of days! I'm racing in the 50m and 100m freestyle. In Australia, so please excuse my funky spelling. Hope you liked it!
Physalie00