The remains of storm clouds littered the sky. It had poured for three days before the invaders arrived. Deep down, she'd hoped Abyss' storm would have been enough to deter them, but eighty black specks on the horizon said otherwise.
When she fought R'lyeh out by the border, it was easy to imagine the war as a distant affair that didn't dare intrude on her home. Now she could see the lines of ships approach from her bedroom window. There was no escape.
Those spearlike figureheads and coordinated formation was too familiar for comfort. A crimson banner with a bleached snake skull flew behind every ship, and just the sight made her lips twitch.
R'lyeh. Some things never change.
The moment the invaders had been within sight, the Poseidon army was dispatched to meet them. She watched it all from the top of the main gate of Telos. Even if she wasn't fighting, she wouldn't dare be a queen that stayed in her palace while her soldiers fought with all they had.
To survive a naval siege, both sides needed supplies, and any foreign force had to weigh down their ships with extra stock. Those huge vessels couldn't maneuver very easily, and her faster ships would crush them the moment they came close. All she had to do was sink a few, and they'd have no choice but to turn around or starve.
Chase them away. Those nauseating red sails were a stain on the sea.
Before her ships could even come close, three columns of water burst out from the sea, and out slithered something horrifying. Water trickled down off their enormous bodies, and their mouths hung open, as if they could never stop howling. They were disgusting to look at, with a mockery of a woman's body above a serpentine tail. A nest of snakes lay braided on their heads, and each one wriggled and hissed.
The sight smothered her breath.
One of her captains launched the signal to fire, and every archer on the water let loose a flurry of arrows.
Just one of those creatures had been hit with enough arrows to turn a man into shreds, but there wasn't even a scratch on their brown scales. The largest of the three let out a grating hiss, and their dual colored eyes burned brightly. Blue light rocketed across the sea, through the lanes of her ships, and towards her. Too fast to dodge.
Instinctively, she squeezed her eyes shut and crossed her arms over her face. It was futile, but she didn't want to see her own demise. A chilly wave washed over her, as if she'd been thrown into a pile of snow. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes and looked at her hands. All normal. She was fine, so why-
Her heart stopped beating.
The soldiers guarding her stood petrified, with shouts and screams dead in their throats. That was impossible, wasn't it? Slowly, she reached a shaky hand towards one of her captains. Cold stone met her palm. This wasn't flesh. The clamor of murmuring soldiers had gone eerily silent.
Something was coming.
She'd never seen the imperial flagship before, and now she wished she never had. It was a monstrous ship, three times larger than the vessels below it. Sails jutted out from its sides like gruesome wings, and its mast was a jagged thorn, sending the R'lyehian flag flying into the air. Sitting on the throne, idle in the face of war, was their leader, their emperor.
"Vector," she whispered, and she tasted blood.
The creatures advanced, and one smashed a ship in half with a flick of its tail. The war had begun, and it was already a one-sided massacre.
A loud, clear clang brought her attention away from the battlefield. The bell of the war council. She shuddered as she looked at the chaos on the sea, but tore her gaze away and ran back towards her horse.
Her heels dug into the her horse time and time again, but she couldn't get there fast enough. Her knees were aching by the time she reached the council room, but she barged in, too wound up to bother caring. A map of the Poseidon shores was already laid out on the table, and every black mark for an enemy ship made her want to crumple the entire map up into a ball and throw it into the Sea. "What are those things?"
Harpyia looked the window and clicked her teeth. "I never thought I'd see those creatures again."
Merag started to yell for answers, but a memory twanged in the back of her head. "That's… that's what you meant, the day you elected me queen? Those are the snakes you were talking about?"
"Yes, and I thought they were dead," Harpyia snarled out the last word, as if it annoyed her. She quickly turned to Ondyne, who was sitting at the council table with her injured leg up on a chair. "What did you do?"
Ondyne bristled. "I didn't do anything! Why are you accusing me, anyway? Yeah, the negotiations didn't end up in their favor, but I wouldn't go and insult the emperor of R'lyeh in the middle of his own palace!" At Harpyia's incredulous stare, she tacked on a, "Well, I didn't."
"You never said what happened during the conference. Were his imperial highness' words too sharp for you? Too insulting?"
Ondyne shoved her limp leg towards her fellow duchess. "Well! If by insult you mean he shoved me down the stairs when negotiations went sour then yes, he was. I can't fire arrows like this! I can't even stand on a ship!"
"R'lyeh's royals always had horrible manners."
Merag swallowed. "Sylphie, you should be glad you came back alive."
"I know, I know. R'lyeh's not getting a single shard of our gems! Not even if the stuck up emperor doubles his price!"
Harpyia just drummed the end of her fan on the table, her pretty face turned down. "You should have at least pretended to be interested."
Ondyne fluttered her eyes and clasped her hands together as best she could. "Oh, your imperial majesty, don't worry about my leg, even if it was your fault! Sure, I'll give you all the jewels you want! Are you joking?"
"And so I assume Vector will say something like this," Harpyia said, clicking open her fan. "'Poseidon behaved rudely and was aggressive, so it's within our full right to act upon being threatened.' He'll use any excuse to demonize us."
"But that's not what happened!"
Harpyia's eyes flared, and she snapped, "Don't you understand? It doesn't matter what happened. R'lyeh just needed any reason to attack us again. You don't honestly think policy changes so easily in that country, do you? One conquerer replaces another, just how it's always been. And speaking of people that knows a thing or two about monsters, where is Blackray, anyway?" Harpyia's eyes thinned at the door. "Fine time for him to be late."
As if he was called, in walked Blackray, fully garbed in his black and orange war armor. He stood at attention in the middle of the room, ignoring the bitter gazes of the duchesses. "Forgive my lateness, your majesty. I had to make preparations. I didn't expect for us to be fighting Gods."
Ondyne jerked her head up. "What do you mean, Gods? I thought the bloodline no longer had magic!"
"So did I. But those," he looked out to the sea, "are definitely not ordinary sprits."
"But all magical talent should have perished with Lord Vector's grandmother!"
"It seems I was wrong too. Lord Asteron was a fluke. Magic can skip a generation, how rude of them." Harpyia clicked her tongue.
"So the brat has giant snakes. How do we kill them?"
Blackray shot Ondyne a trying glare. "Those 'giant snakes' are the guardian protectors of the royal family and the resident Gods of R'lyeh. Our arrows and swords won't do a thing against them."
There was a loud snap, and the wooden guard of Harpyia's fan cracked between her hands. The frown on her face was enough to make her comrades flinch. The only things that can defeat magic and monsters are magic and monsters. There's no way that we could convince the emperor to stop his assault- surrendering's the same as death."
The duke let out an amused snort. "I never thought I'd agree with you so much in a short period of time. But I don't suppose any of you have magical talents. So, I decided to call the one person who's actually qualified to talk about these kinds of things. Where did he get off to, it shouldn't take that long to gather…"
The doors creaked open, and Nasch walked in with his arms overflowing with scrolls, and Durbe right on his heels.
"…Ah. Perfect timing, your eminence."
Merag ran to her brother's side. There were fresh bandages wrapped around his arms, and his face was dreadfully pale. The sacrifice for three days of heavy rains was not a light one, and her stomach knotted in horror. "What are you doing here? It's too dangerous for you to be walking around like this!"
He gave her a trying look. "Stop joking around. I'll be fine after a quick nap. Dealing with the clergy's practically a war council every day."
The moment Durbe stepped into the room, Ondyne nearly fell out of her chair trying to stand up. "You know you can't be in here, right?"
He put on his politest smile. "Forgive me for intruding, but please let me help. I've stood on my king's war council before. I can contribute to your strategies."
"Sir knight, I know you're really helpful, but this is still a council room and we can't allow foreigners into the talks."
Blackray stepped forward. "As much as we are grateful for the offer, our situation is very delicate. You're here for diplomacy, and joining the war could mean that your king also declares war on R'lyeh."
Durbe's eyes dimmed, but he nodded politely. "I understand. Still, if any of you need my aid, please don't hesitate to call on me." He sent Nasch an encouraging look before bowing out of the room.
Nasch ungracefully dropped the scrolls onto the great table, and spread one out. "The moment Blackray told me about the creatures, I remembered an old legend from the temple archives." He pointed to a picture, and if Merag looked hard enough, she could make out one of the dreadful creatures in the ink swirls. "The old texts call them Gorgons, or Gorgonics."
"Gorgonic… guardians?" Merag mumbled.
Nasch nodded. "They were first recorded in a kingdom far to the West, where the youngest was badly injured."
"How badly?"
"Her head was cut off."
Harpyia raised an eyebrow at that, but all Merag could say was, "'She'?"
"Yes. She. The Gorgons are a group of three sisters. According to the text, anyone that looks into their eyes turns to stone, but it's clear they've perfected their magic since then. It doesn't say anything about a cure." His finger found an old passage at the end of the scroll, and his eyes lit up. "But! Here it says that the hero that cut off the Gorgon's head managed to get close to her by looking at her reflection in a reflecting shield. Staring straight at her would have petrified him, but her reflection was safe."
"Not even decapitation can kill those monsters, huh?" Ondyne clicked her tongue. "But I guess as long as they can't turn our soldiers to stone, it's worth a shot?"
Merag was only half listening. Reflecting shields. She snapped her fingers. "Glass, no- mirrors! Sylphie, can you get as many mirrors as you possibly can and send them to Blackray's armory?"
Ondyne handed a servant a scribbled note and sent him scurrying out of the room. "Done and done. I'll need a few hours to gather them all and send them to Despoine, though."
"And I'll need a day for certain to modify the shields." Blackray hummed and crossed his arms. "I can make a hundred in one day, but you'll have to wait for longer if you need more than that."
That wasn't nearly enough, but what choice did she have? Merag shook her head. "I doubt Vector is going to sit idly while we make preparations."
"Quite right he won't," Harpyia looked out the window at the black dots on the horizon. "Send more ships out there. They'll be our decoys."
Merag slammed her fist on the table, sending scrolls clattering to the floor. "No! Out there? We don't know how to kill those things!"
"We can't take any chances," her cousin replied, stone faced and rough toned.
"They'll be slaughtered! Am I supposed to send statues back to their families? Those are brave men and women out there, and you're telling me to let them die?"
"I am!" Harpyia yelled, and Merag bit back her curses. "If we don't continue sending out ships, Lord Vector will see that as a chance to advance. We can't fight his monsters andhis men. That boy is not his father. Anyone that does or might rise up against is slaughtered the moment he wins. If we don't have some front, they will swarm us, and we will lose. And all of us will die. Do you understand that?"
She grimaced, and knotted her words deep into her stomach.
"They're only attacking Telos right now," Ondyne stepped in, "Rhode, Despoine, and Arion all have their ports open to continue trade as normal. We can funnel any needed supplies into Telos through the joined sea. But if Telos falls, we all fall."
"Sylphie-"
Ondyne shook her head. "I'm with Harpyia on this one. Until we know how to take down those snakes, we can't let Lord Vector's armada come any closer."
Merag chewed her tongue and looked bitterly out to the battlefield. The grotesque figures of those monsters jutted out of the sea, and the smoke rising from her burnt ships had started to stain the sky. "Send out my weakest vessels, but arm every soldier."
Harpyia's hand on Merag's shoulder came as a surprise. Her cousin was always cold to touch, but now Merag found it a harsh comfort that calmed her heart. Her teeth dug into her lip until the skin split.
She begrudgingly sent out the order.
The golden armor fit her much better now, but was still a little heavy on her limbs. She'd chased out every servant that offered to help her. If she couldn't do most of this by herself, then how could she possibly walk into a war?
Nasch had insisted on helping her, but she was in charge of her cape and necklace. He leaned against her mirror with his arms crossed. "You really do enjoy doing these dangerous things, don't you?"
Merag cast a glare his way, and pinned her blue cape around her neck. "I'm sending people out to die. The least I could do is lead them myself."
Her brother frowned back. "Even against Gods?"
"I can do it." She took her metal blue emblem and secured it around her waist. The thin ruby clanked against the steel tassets around her hips. A prickle of doubt made her clamp her jaw, but she turned away and assured herself with a, "Even against Gods." Nasch looked doubtful, and she gave him a look. "What?"
"…When you have those mirror shields yes, but until then? You're going out there defenseless."
"Brother, I know what you're doing. Stop it."
"If you know what I'm doing, then you know I'm not going to."
They didn't need to be having this argument now of all times, but there was little she could do to stop it. "I have to do this."
She heard him sigh. "Right. So here we are again, with you not watching out for yourself."
"Excuse me?" She whirled around and stomped her foot on the ground, hard. "Don't you understand? I'm a queen. Those are my people that I ordered to go be shields against those creatures. Two hundred men, and two hundred statues I won't be able to fish out of the sea! And I'm not taking care of myself because I want them to know that I'm there for them? This is my duty."
"It's not. Your duty is to stay alive. Go beat that smug emperor into pulp- but do it when you have some way to defend yourself! This isn't like last time. These are Gods, not humans! Gods with powers you don't even know how defend yourself against!"
That was enough. "Why don't you understand?" She didn't raise her voice or start yelling like her brother. Her voice became deadly calm, and every word was a sharp icicle. "…And now you know how I feel whenever I see you come back with a new scar on your arm."
Nasch's anger rivaled the gathering storm outside, even as his hand flew to the bandages on one of his arms. "You know very well Abyss needs my blood to be satisfied."
"As if that ever mattered to me." She was too frozen to revel in the moment of shock on her brother's face. "You think I care for some God that makes you come back with more and more scars? He didn't keep this invasion away. Some protector God, sending a storm that didn't even help at all."
The horror on Nasch's face was enough to send his fury temporarily receding. He opened his mouth with a question on his lips, but he knew she was too firm to budge. "He told me. I told you in time. Being the high priest is no joke, Merag. You think I enjoy mutilating myself? I have to do it! Every high priest and priestess for Abyss has done it before me. This isn't something I thought up on my own! And that is my burden."
"Oh, is that how he told you? By making you scream and pass out for half a day? He does nothing but hurt you, so Abyss can go rot. Stop trying to contradict me. You're not helping me, and you're not going to help the soldiers that are going to die soon."
"That wasn't hi-" A pause hung between them, and Nasch pulled the ceremonial veils further over his face. "Whatever. I guess I'll say a few good luck prayers."
Guilt cracked her heart. Merag let out a small sound and her shoulders slumped. The frigid fury she held hard in her heart quickly melted and she clasped her brother's shoulder before he could escape. "…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I know you're just worried about me, but this…" She bit her lips. "It's still my responsibility."
She couldn't see Nasch's face beneath layers of white, but she could still hear his voice. "Can't you do this some other way?"
Merag shook her head and took his hand into hers. "I'm not going to die. I promise."
Layers of silk rustled in front of her as Nasch pulled his veils back up. "You'd better not break that."
"You know I always keep my promises."
"And that's why you only drank one of my bottles of wine, right?"
A nervous smile crept up her face. "We can talk about that after I chase away Vector, okay?"
Nasch sighed, and reached into his robes to pull out his dagger. When she flinched back, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze before breaking contact. "You're up against some crazy Gods." He slid his finger along the dagger. His bloodied finger slid along her breastplate, and in the mirror Merag could make out half-formed sigils of Crystal Zero and Abyss Splash. When he was done, he looked it over once before bandaging his finger. "Better to have the protection of our Gods with you. Whether you want one of them to rot or not."
Merag tried laughing, but her eyes kept falling back to the bloody strokes in her reflection. "I'll be fine. Honestly."
He peered at her armor, and fiddled with one of the ropes. "Why did you tie these like this? If I pulled really hard, this whole knot would come loose."
She patted his shoulder. "Don't worry about that." When he picked up his basket of powders, she quickly plucked one out. "You use these a lot during ceremonies, right? Lend me some, I'll need as many distractions as I can."
Nasch frowned and grabbed it back. "No way. You don't know what these things do. If you mix them wrong, they'll explode."
"Exactly. It's perfect!"
"No is no."
She pouted, but wrapped him in a tight embrace. He sighed before he hugged her back. "Watch over me, okay?
"I will."
When his guard was down, she shoved a finger in his face. "And get some rest!"
"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled. "I can spare a half hour nap."
"You're unbelievable."
She escorted Nasch back to his room- knowing her brother, he'd stay on the balcony all day, watching the battle from afar.
Just as she thought she could leave quietly, Durbe caught her before she left the castle grounds, fully garbed in his armor. "I'm coming with you. I only need a minute to get Makha ready."
She sputtered in surprise. "No, you're not!"
"Of course I am. You're my friend! I'm not letting you go out without any sort of defensive plan."
"Who told you- my brother. Of course." Merag shook her head and crossed her arms. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you fight. This is an international affair. You're still not from Poseidon, Durbe."
"But I'm a knight. A soldier! It's my job to fight. And I might as well fight for you!"
"No is no. I can't risk Vector attacking your home once I drive him off."
"He's already attacking my home," Durbe bitterly replied. "I can help, even if you don't want me to fight. Makha can fly you out if the battlefield gets too rough."
Merag gave him a sad smile. "Thank you. Really, thank you. But my answer is still the same."
His face fell, and she clapped him on the shoulder. "Can you watch over my brother for me instead? I'd be more than grateful if you did that."
Durbe pursed his lips, but bowed politely. "If that's what you wish."
"Thank you, Durbe."
The walk alone to the docks was a quiet one.
Soldiers shuffled onto the war ships with spears in their hands and their hearts in their throats. Merag stood at the head, leading the vanguard once again to a hopeless battle. She gave her practiced speech to rouse their morale, but the moment she finished her troops grew deathly silent. They sat quietly below the decks and whispered in the dark. She said this battle was important, but every man and woman knew they were going to die.
The flag of Poseidon unfurled, and the ropes of toy ships were pulled taut.
Vector had about three times as many ships she could afford to send out at the moment. Those otherworldly stone serpents were nowhere in sight, but she had no doubt they'd emerge the moment her feet came close.
This was nothing short of a cruel joke, but she couldn't afford to show even a second of weakness.
Her ship sounded the war horn. The attack was on.
They had a favorable wind, and the heavy storm clouds hadn't broken overhead. The line swept out into the sea, towards the files of R'lyehian vessels. Her archers pulled arrows from their quivers and strung their bows, ready to fire at any moment. Oars cut through the water and left a trail of white behind the ships. She couldn't afford to be leisurely now- the sooner Vector realized reinforcements were coming, the sooner he'd dispatch those awful creatures.
A shadow slithered underwater. She spotted a red glow beneath her ship and shouted out to prepare for battle. The words had just left her mouth when braided snakes rocketed into the air and plunged through flesh and wood. Stone tails were all around her fleet. She saw a wreath of coils spring up around the ship next to her and crush the boat in half. The end of its tail hissed through the air and pierced another ship from bow to stern.
The creatures had arrived.
She didn't see their next victims, but she heard the great smash of a ship being forced underwater. One of her ships was aflame, and another rammed its bow into one of the creature's stomachs. Not even that seemed to bother the creatures. What… complete monsters.
"Fire," she ordered, and sent a volley of arrows towards one of the creatures as it reached to pick up one of her ships like it was a fascinating toy. It hissed and swung its tail at her, knocking the mast clean in half and sending it flying into the sea. Splinters rained down on her, and one pierced her cape.
A cold sweat ran down her neck. The creatures had emerged much closer than they dared to come last time- why?
Vector.
She whirled around towards the towering vessel and the sneering monster laughing atop it. Generals or no generals, his soldiers would stop the moment their emperor was in danger.
"Turn the ship towards the imperial flagship!" she yelled. "We're going after Vector!"
Oars beat against the water, and her ship rushed forward. A flash of brown whistled down from overhead, but caught the ship beside her instead. She grimaced, but tore her gaze away. No time for regrets. Keep rowing towards the red sails- if she could damage Vector's ship even a little, then she had won.
A jolt sent her stumbling, and she clutched the rail to keep herself from falling overboard. Three red claws had latched onto the back of the ship, and no amount of rowing could break it free. A loud crack of splintering wood hit her ears as one of the creatures tore off half the rail and shook the boat. It peered over the edge of the ship as it rose up to its full height. She spotted a jagged discoloration around its neck, too straight to be a normal scar, and flinched as it looked at her. One of its eyes glowed bright blue, and she braced herself.
That same chill from before washed over her, but when she opened her eyes, she was fine. All around her stood statues of her soldiers, and she winced. She whispered an apology before turning her fury towards the creature still clutching the side of her ship.
It looked at her and tilted its head. Behind her, its tail splashed out of the water and prodded Merag's head. Without a second to waste, she spun around and smashed her sword into its tail. Her blade cracked against the stone, but it retracted its tail and dove underwater.
Beyond her ship, she could see the other two creatures lashing out against her fleet. Wood splintered and the screams of the dying pierced her ears, and she had to turn away. In her retreat, she caught sight of her petrified soldiers and her hands started to shake. She'd expected this, but seeing it unfold before her made her want to howl until she couldn't scream any more.
The imperial flagship advanced, and Merag dashed to the steering wheel. Her fingers wound around the wheel and spun it as hard as she could. She didn't turn it fast enough to avoid the advancing battleship completely, and its armored sides knocked off the figurehead and shredded the remaining railing into splinters.
Then, it stopped.
A line of hooks slung down and notched onto the rail of her ship, and panic flooded her stomach. She ran over, ready to pry each one off and throw them into the sea, but the enemy had already started coming down.
An army of faceless soldiers stared at her. All brutish, identical pawns robbed of their identities. Which one was the general this time? She felt that old red scrap between her fingers again, but its owner had long sunk to the bottom of the ocean. They advanced, and she plunged her sword through one soldier's neck. She was alone, but the blood was cold in her veins, and she'd kill as many as possible before she'd allow them to lay a hand on her.
Three lay dead at her feet before they knocked her sword away and wrestled her arms behind her. One stumbled backwards when she slammed her head into his. By the time they dragged her onto the royal flagship, she was stuck full of splinters and littered with bruises.
A ring of soldiers kept her in place, and if she much as moved, a spear was thrust in her face. Nobody said a word to her, or even cast a look her way. She stood with her arms behind her back and blood filling her mouth.
They hauled a Poseidon soldier onto the ship and shoved him down. He was bleeding badly, but very much alive. "My lady," he coughed out.
"How did you survive?" she whispered back.
"Below the deck. I'm sorry... I couldn't make it up in time..."
"All right. Just… stay calm."
The moment Vector stepped onto the deck, all of his soldiers bowed. His steps were heavy on the floorboards, and she could have sworn she heard them scream as they creaked beneath him. Her eyes caught the creature by his side, with three purple heads and stone paws. Its yellow eyes gleamed and it growled the moment it caught her stare. Vector stopped before her and smiled.
"Merag. It's been a while."
"Vector. I'm honored to have a god incarnate grace my presence," she spat out. She's heard the rumors, as ridiculous as they were.
The Mad Emperor, still a prince in the eyes of those who accused him of parricide. There was never any proof, but how else could both his parents have died in one night and leave the throne to this twisted conquerer? She could tell he was impressive from afar, but up close, he was a force in himself. The soft, boyish charm he had as a child had been stripped away and left an intensity that burned her. For a moment, she couldn't remember why she was standing there.
His stare was strong enough to hold her steady, so she shot back an equally vicious glare. If he didn't want her to move, then she wouldn't allow him to retreat either.
When she didn't bow, one of his soldiers knocked the butt of his spear against the back of her head, and she nearly bit off her tongue when her teeth clattered together. Even with the blossoming pain in her skull, she raised her head and spat out blood. "Well? Are you here to kill me?"
A wicked grin crawled up his cheeks. "You really think that I would've dragged you all the way up here for that? If I wanted you dead, my archers would have shot you the moment my ship came close."
"Then call of those creatures of yours."
Vector laughed. "Do you really think you're in any position to give me orders?"
"I bet you're the only one that's able to control those things, so yes, I do."
"You bet." He parroted, "Oh, that's funny. At least you acknowledge that you're completely helpless. Pretending like you've seen this sort of thing before- how cute. You're not going to ask me how I do my magic? Something like this must be so shocking for someone mundane like you."
His question was so sudden that Merag nearly spat out a curse on reflex. She had to think for a moment. Why wasn't she surprised? Nasch with his precognition and his link to Abyss couldn't summon huge creatures like this. "It doesn't matter," she finally said, "I've never seen anything like them, but if they threaten my kingdom and my people, then they're just things to take down. Like your army, and just like you."
She didn't expect him to be delighted with her answer, and he smiled so earnestly she couldn't help but shiver in discomfort.
"So what do you want?" she asked irritably.
"An offering. I'll give you a chance to save yourself. Unconditional surrender. If you do so now, I won't turn Poseidon into a sea of blood."
Merag ground her teeth. He was making fun of her, questioning her leadership, laughing at the very integrity of Poseidon. "Of all the things you could possibly suggest! Do you honestly think those terms are acceptable? You-"
And then it occurred to her.
"Unless you don't… do you?"
She put on her ladylike smile, sharpened through countless parties and congregations. "What a charming ploy, lord emperor. Now you can claim to be the first to negotiate. If you miraculously win this siege, then you can say I callously declined your offer. Sorry, but a trick like that won't work on me."
Vector didn't say a word. Slowly, a dark chuckle pierced the silence, and he doubled over laughing. "Interesting!" he clutched his stomach and madness turned his pleasant smile into a horrible grin. "You're a lot of fun, Merag! I wouldn't have it any other way! Much better than those worthless kings. Still, a mundane girl like you getting captured like this is really, really boring."
Her soldier moved. He knocked a R'lyehian soldier over, and grabbed his spear, took aim at Vector and threw. It shot towards him, and she followed it with her eyes, more than glad to see this miracle pierce Vector's heart.
She grew a little paler.
Vector watched the spear thoughtfully with a small smile on his lips, as if its very existence amused him. That wasn't the face of a man caught off guard. The three-headed creature whipped one of its heads forward, and caught the spear in its jaws. The handle splintered between its teeth, and Vector laughed.
"Ah, too bad! You can try again, if you want!" A second attack never came, and she could see her soldier trembling. "Oh well." Vector jerked his chin forward. "Beat him to death."
An awful scream pierced her ears and she twisted on her heels. She tried to move to help, but before she could get even close, the guards' blades were at her throat. A curse flew into her throat, but a sickening crack of shattering bone stopped it in place. The pained screams silenced, and one of the soldiers swung his sword back to clean it. The handle was slicked with blood, and her stomach churned with bile.
The three-headed canine advanced, and she wished she had the freedom to cover her ears. Every munch and visceral squish sent a chill down her spine. Finally, it let out a gleeful bark, and white fangs dripped with blood. One of its heads chewed on a severed arm, armor and all. It padded back to its master, lazily rolling its tongues. The moment it passed her by, she rammed her foot into its side.
Her toes were an ocean of pain, and it took all her strength to not yelp. The creature dropped its snack and growled, snapping its jaws at her. Spittle foamed behind its bared teeth and dropped onto the deck with a deadly hiss.
"Stop, Cerberus." Vector gave the creature a scratch on the head. "Well?" When she shot him a glare, he laughed. "I guess that's a no."
She kept a brave smile, but a bead of sweat trickled down the back of her neck.
One of his soldiers bent down to whisper in his emperor's ear. Vector looked up and grinned while the rest of his soldiers were busy chattering amongst themselves. "Looks like your backup finally decided to get close. And you couldn't have picked better spectator seats."
Her ships with blue sails rushed closer and closer. She kept her eyes wide and her lips trembling. She could make out the curve of her coat of arms when Vector flicked his finger forward.
Five serpentine Gorgons burst from the water with a horrible moan. Their eyes gleamed bright blue and beams of light shot towards her ships. The shimmer of mirrors caught her eye, and she formed a gasp on her lips. The mirrors caught the light in their surfaces and threw them back. Too surprised to fire back or dodge, the Gorgons were engulfed in the light they'd cast on a thousand people. Their scales dimmed and grew cold and gray. Cracks formed deep from their core to their skin, and they imploded into tattered flesh and severed limbs.
The backlash rocked the ships, and she nearly stumbled over. The R'lyehian soldiers were paralyzed with surprise, and Vector doubled over, clutching his head and gritting his teeth. She wanted to strike him, but the canine creature by his side stood firm and wrapped a long neck around its master's side.
"I'd rather die," she growled, just loud enough for Vector to hear.
With one tug, she undid the fastens on her armor and sent the pieces clattering to the floor. One of the soldiers tried to grab her, but she left him gripping one of her empty gauntlets. She had no time to slow down before she hit the railing, and quickly vaulted over, keeping her heels balanced on the deck. The sea loomed menacingly below her. She had miscalculated- this was definitely a substantial drop.
Thunderous footsteps pounded on the floorboards. The R'lyehian soldiers would be upon her in a matter of seconds. A deep breath. Blood hardened to ice.
The wind caught in her hair, and the deck dropped away from her feet. She met the water with a cold smash, and sunk into its depths. Which way was up? Which way was down? Sea salt stung her lungs and she panicked, kicking her legs until she met cool air. She sputtered and coughed out water, and clung to a piece of driftwood. Her wrists hummed with pain, the fall had been harder than she expected.
Shouts sounded behind her, and the gleam of the R'lyehian soldiers raising their spears caught her eye. Down she dove beneath the water's surface as spears hurtled past her. When she broke the surface again, they were notching their bows. An arrow nicked her side underwater, and her side burned. The sea salt eating into her wound made her want to howl in agony, but she clamped her teeth firmly together. If she screamed now, the sea wouldn't offer her any air.
An arrow just missed her head as she came up for air. Harpyia's ship with its dark blue sails was the closest, and she swam towards it as fast as she could until her soldiers could pull her up, soaking but still alive.
"She got away," growled one of the R'lyehian soldiers, as he kicked one of her gauntlets overboard. A panic shot into his eyes and he dropped to his knees. "L-Lord Vector! We greatly apologize for this disgrace-"
One of the R'lyehian masked admirals quietly knelt before his emperor in front of his subordinate. "Your orders?"
"Shut up." Vector clawed at Cerberus' side, using the creature's necks to hoist himself up. His body was drenched in a cold sweat, and he had to keep one hand on the monster's back to keep himself standing. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, squeezing the bridge of his nose. A long deep breath that made his soldiers go silent.
Finally, he opened his eyes, and rested on Cerberus' back. "They're fine."
"It was wise to have sent out the doubles. I pray for their continued safety, my lord," the admiral replied.
"Then your prayers have been heard. They're stunned from the backlash, but they're still alive. We're not done." Vector chewed on his nails and scanned the group gathered on the water. His body still trembled, but he broke into laughter that made all of his soldiers flinch. "She really did it. She actually used herself as a decoy."
The soldiers were abuzz with concerned murmurs. "Without the noble Guardians, it's hopeless!" one cried out a little too loudly.
Vector twisted towards the man who spoke, his lips set in a taut line. "Hopeless?" Each one of his steps were a dull quake in itself.
The soldier tried to subtly squirm away, but between the railing and his emperor, there was nowhere to move. He opened his mouth to protest, but reconsidered it the moment he spotted Vector's vicious glare boring up at him.
Vector drew his sword and slid his palm along the edge. All apologies seemed to fall on deaf ears. He glided his bloodied finger along the man's chest, forming sloping, undecipherable words from a language long forgotten. His soldiers stared in confusion, but none of them dared protest.
An admiral finally spoke up. "My lord, you shouldn't shed your blood. What are you doing?"
Vector gave the marked soldier a smile through blood speckled lips. "Do you really think it's hopeless?"
"I meant no offense-"
Before anyone could blink, Vector drew back his sword and rammed it through the soldier's stomach. The dying man let out an ungodly groan as Vector drove the blade in up to the hilt, twisting it through sinew and bone. Vector, snarling in madness and grinding his teeth, drove the man up the railing and with one shout, flung him overboard.
All the soldiers stepped away from their emperor, as he started to tremble with excitement. "The unbeatable goddess is on my side now!" Vector whirled towards the ranks of Poseidon ships. "You humiliated my Gods, Merag!" he screamed, "So I'm going to kill you with yours!"
A/N: I unfortunately have lost the motivation to finish this, but I have compiled what I had planned for the rest of the story at ( twitlonger dot com /show/n_1spgb66). Thanks for reading this far!
