Author's Note: A BIG THANK YOU TO THE FEEDBACK! I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH! This is so unbeta-ed it's not even funny. But here we go again…
Chapter 7
"So…what are you gonna do now?"
That was Valerie, and her voice was soft. She was sitting beside Danny on a little crop of rocks, his knees drawn up and his tense form facing the ocean, facing Amity Island. His home was a speck in the distance and it had never felt farther from him, could never be more alien and cold than it was now.
"I…I don't know." Danny admitted with a hapless shrug. He moved his head, tilting to glance at the long figure of Plasmius who lay a few feet in the shallows. The sharkman's arms were folded neatly under his chest, and the tip of his tail flicking as he watched Phantom poke his head into tide pools looking for snacks. Out of the four, Phantom was the least phased by all that had happened and he just complained of being hungry.
"How do I go back after that? It's not even me, it's Phantom I'm worried about too. Sure, my parents will believe me, maybe. Vlad might. But they're not the final authority and technically Phantom broke the rules by attacking—who am I kidding I broke the rules." Danny moaned, hiding his face in frustration. Not to mention the damage to the ship Phantom caused, let alone other humans. Except…Phantom wasn't really human. So he didn't put 'humans' and 'merman' in the same mindset. Danny glanced at the merman, his clawed hand wrenching a little starfish out of the water and looking it over hopefully. Phantom dropped it back in with a disappointed grunt and continued hunting.
At the end of the day, Phantom was a predator. And he was a lot more equipped to be one than most humans. Danny sighed, pushed that thought on a back burner and went back to the problem at hand, the one who was at least twenty pounds underweight and watching Phantom critically as the merman's tail splashed him on accident.
"I couldn't let Plasmius just sit in that tank and suffer any longer, you know?"
Plasmius swung his tail around and whacked Phantom on the flank scoldingly, while Phantom chattered apologetically, but he didn't really look it.
Valerie only gave Danny a cold look, and he blanched from it.
"Right. Okay, well. Maybe you don't but…trust me. It was hard. He didn't deserve that. No living creature does…" Danny trailed off; staring out over the ocean and wishing the sun would stop setting so fast. It would be night soon in a good two hours, but that still didn't seem like enough time for him to make a plan.
Valerie, in the meantime, had gone back to looking at the new merman. She observed him closely for a moment before commenting,
"He's just so…strange. I haven't seen a merman like him ever, he's even different than—" She turned to mention Phantom, but when she saw he had a mass of seaweed dangling over his face and was pawing at it, snorted and finished with
"That dork."
Danny nodded, knowing what she meant by that. Before Plasmius, Phantom was the odd fish out. But Plasmius' proved several new factors at once. There were species out there they hadn't seen yet, but species other humans knew about—and possibly had exploited worse than Freakshow had done to Plasmius.
"He doesn't even eat the same as the others. He sucks blood for food." Danny explained.
"Okay, wow. That's gross."
"I beg your pardon." Plasmius' smooth voice cut between them, and as one the humans turned to look down at the sharkman lying near them.
"Er—sorry." Valerie muttered, while Danny looked surprised at the lack of sarcastic bite or anything she normally did.
"Hey, Plasmius, I've been meaning to ask you." Danny started lamely, waiting until Plasmius was looking at him to continue. "Do you…remember your home? Before the ship?"
"I do…yes."
"Is it, is it close?"
"My last 'home,' if it could be called that, was Pariah Dark's castle." At his last two words, Phantom lifted his head from the water—droplets flying everywhere—and hissed lowly, bearing his teeth at the newcomer in irritation.
Plasmius frowned at him, but did not answer back in their language of merspeak. Danny wondered idly if Plasmius knew any at all. How must it feel to forget your mother language? The sharkman was really lost in this new world, and Danny felt a twinge of sympathy for Plasmius.
They were alike. Danny didn't know what his future held either, and what had just transpired earlier today hadn't cemented anything good. And if he was going to be completely honest with himself, he'd been looking for an excuse to run, but he'd just sort of expected it to involve Phantom in some way.
Still. He would take what he could get.
"Well…look. We'll take you there." The offer left his lips before he had the plan formed in his mind. He nodded to Plasmius, who grunted in sheer surprise.
Three sets of eyes turned to him.
"You'll what?" Valerie squawked. ("We?" That was an incredulous Phantom,) "Wait, Danny, seriously?" The girl stressed.
"As the grave." Danny said to Valerie, ignoring Phantom for the time being.
"Hmph." Said Plasmius, which was a good enough 'yes' to Danny, who was already standing up and stretching.
"Yeah. The kingdom can't be too far from here, can it? Phantom?"
"Well, no…"
"Then we can escort you there—it's the least I can do after…after we kind of wrecked your last place. Which really wasn't a home, so it doesn't count, but you know what I mean."
The look on Plasmius' face said no, he did not know what Danny could possibly mean by his babbled, clumsy words. But the human was already wandering over to the beached jet skis. He stumbled in the sand when something black cut in front of him, luminescent green sweeping and cutting him off. Danny paused as Phantom's tail corralled him firmly, and turned to look down to look at his partner in confusion, who was staring up at him with the tiniest of frowns.
"Wait a minute, Minnow. Think about this." The merman stressed, giving him a serious look. Danny shrugged him off, stepping over one of the massive tailfins waving in the air.
"Think about what? We're just helping him Phantom, and we should really head out now before the sun sets." Danny declared as if this was the most sensible thing in the world, but Phantom just stared at him as if he had grown another arm. His tail smacked the sand, signaling his irritation was growing by the second.
"We shouldn't be going there—to Pariah's castle Danny—really? Have you lost your mind?"
"We're just taking Plasmius to him! He can't travel on his own like this, you know?" But that weak last statement clued Phantom in, and his head fans pressed back against his skull like they did when he was particularly displeased about something.
"This isn't about you helping Plasmius, Minnow. This is about you running. You don't want to face something on Amity." Phantom narrowed his eyes, remembering the growing hesitancy Danny had been showing ever since the summer had started.
"Tell me what it is." It was phrased like a demand, but came out as a low plea.
"It is not, Phantom. You're just being paranoid." Danny dismissed, missing the look from Valerie.
"Paranoia kept me alive for over two decades, Minnow." The merman shook his head. "Besides, that death trap isn't safe. You don't know what it's like there, and I don't want you just going there unprepared for what will happen—"
"I'll be fine! You're over-thinking like always, gillbrains. I've got you, don't I?!" And there it was. The fear of losing Phantom, of the unknown future that most likely didn't include his best friend, his other half, being with him.
"Danny…" Phantom tried, trailing off and giving a noise of frustration.
Danny's face hardened, and he turned instead. Unwilling to look his friend in the eye, he threw a leg over the ski and turned it on, pushing out into the deeper waters.
"Show me the way, Plasmius."
"Boy—"
"Are we going or not?!" His words came out harsher than intended. The sharkman's head fins flinched back at the raised voice and gave Danny a look not even he could avoid. Instead, he shot a glance over his shoulder, meeting Phantom's irate, hurt stare.
"If you wanna come, fine. If not…" He shrugged, even though the very action was hard.
"You don't care if I come?" Phantom shot at him, tone challenging and harsh. The merman took a second and then growled a long noise out, deep and echoing. Danny's eyes widened and he leaned in the merman's direction, giving a rough mimic of the noise right back at the merman.
"Either come or don't Phantom!" Those words alone were enough to cut deep, and Danny knew it. He knew it, and he regretted them as soon as they left his lips. But it was too late now. Besides, Plasmius was swimming off. Gunning the engine, Danny drove the jet ski after the blue tail. He was too proud to look back.
Part of him was afraid he would see Phantom still on the beach.
"Well?" Said Valerie after a moment. The sound of water and gulls broke the silence between the two remaining figures on the beach.
Phantom shot Valerie a dark look that she knew wasn't aimed at her for once.
"Neptune forbid you should fall in love with a human." Phantom snapped at her before he pushed off into the water and vanished with a snap of his tail.
"Ohhh man. Mr. Masters was right." Valerie spoke to the sky as she headed for her own ski.
"Fishboy is wrapped around Fenton's little finger."
oOo
The island they found for the night was small, smaller than Amity and smaller than most of the islands they were used to. But night was falling, and no one wanted to be out in the open dark ocean with no cover of any sort. It was the last bit of rock on the archipelago Amity was connected too, with nothing but sapphire colored ocean stretching out for miles. Plasmius informed Danny they wouldn't reach Pariah's castle until well into the second day of their trip, nightfall at the latest. Danny had nodded, distracted and weary as he pushed the jet ski onto shore to dock it. He had to do it all by himself, because Phantom was still ignoring him. This really only served to harden Danny more, making him send quick glares at the merman, who returned the gaze with a judgmental frown of his own.
They found a little inlet that lead to a cave, the green-blue waters lapping lazily at the mouth of the cave. Not caring where or what Phantom was doing, Danny ducked into the cavern and headed back into it, waving his flashlight around the inky blackness. It went back a few feet, and would probably be engulfed in water when the tide rose, but Danny was too tired to care. If not Phantom, he figured Plasmius would probably wake him up when the water level rose to high, if the cold water itself wasn't enough to startle him out of his sleep. He trudged into the back of the cavern, one hand on the cool damp walls to guide him and was relieved to find dry sand in the back.
"Daniel?" Plasmius asked from somewhere behind him, sounding a bit concerned. Danny waved his hand to show there was nothing to worry about, though his voice told another story.
"It's...it's nothing. I just need some sleep, okay? We can head out in the morning when you're ready." The sentence finished with a yawn that Danny tried to cover, but failed.
Plasmius needed food too, and Danny still didn't know how well he could hunt. There was also the matter of food for Danny, who was human and had a much more restrictive diet out here on the ocean. And as for Phantom...
'Phantom can worry about himself.' Danny thought darkly as he settled on his side, back against the stone wall. He had hoped, vainly, that the extra support might trap some heat and offer some form of comfort to let him sleep.
He wasn't that lucky.
Danny lay on his side, one arm under his head and the other around his stomach as he watched Plasmius settle in his own section. He was closer to the entrance and all but under the water, resting where it was more comfortable for him. Danny didn't blame him, no merperson liked lying out of the water-let alone letting their guard down enough to sleep.
Well, one did...
Danny let out a noise of frustration and rolled all the way around, so that his back was to the rest of the cave and he was facing the wall. He was exhausted, he could feel it. The ache behind his eyes and the tremble to his limbs when he moved was informing him that rest was no longer a suggestion but a demand. He couldn't manage to fall asleep though; his stomach tangled itself in knots as Danny worried away quietly. There were too many unknowns, too many what-ifs that were closing in on every side.
Sooner or later, Danny would need to face the consequences. He knew that, he did. That didn't mean it made it any easier. If anything, the denial and guilt were building to the point where Danny felt his eyes blur, something hot and wet gathering in the corners of his blue eyes. He blinked several times and inhaled sharply, torso quivering as his legs curled up in an attempt to make himself warmer. The cold was more of a problem now that he had been sedentary for a while, and it was starting to seep into his bones.
He was an idiot. Phantom was right. Danny had no clue what he was doing, and it was liable to get one of them in serious danger the longer he acted like this. Danny brought his fingers up, blowing on them harshly in an attempt to get some of the blue out of them. The ache in his head turned to stinging behind his eyelids as he closed them, in a feeble attempt to stop crying.
He couldn't go back right now. He was too scared.
And then there was movement behind Danny, startling him enough that his body jerked from its stillness. The second it moved, Danny realized he had been shivering badly. A confused sound escaped his lips, but before he could lift his head to look behind him he was engulfed by something bigger. He felt skin and scales and the thick drape of webbing. Arms slipped around his waist from behind, one over and under, and the right arm had a rusted black watch on it. Though Danny stiffened in shock, the actions continued and instead the wide hip fins came next, gathering the rest of his body up with all the care of a mother hen rounding up her chicks. That long tail swept over his calves and feet, curling tightly as Phantom pushed Danny's body under him and blocked in the warmth. The heat washed over him, and Danny didn't struggle or protest to the bundling.
Phantom tucked him close, stared down at him quietly and finally, finally Danny peeked up at him. His hands and face were shamelessly buried against his other half's chest, and his eyes were still misty. When Danny locked gazes with him, Phantom's head fins spread out. Those neon green eyes softened in what Danny realized was sympathy, worry and a look of affection about as deep as the damn ocean itself. Danny's heart ached, and he found he couldn't look Phantom in the eyes any longer. So he hid, shrinking down and waiting for the warmth to soothe his nerves. When he was sure he could speak without his teeth chattering, or his throat clicking, Danny managed a weak rasp of,
"M'sorry." Danny felt a webbed hand rub down his back absentmindedly, the black claws raking lightly but never enough to hurt.
"...And?" Said Phantom easily, which made a weak smile grow on the human's lips. Good old Phantom.
"And...I shouldn't have been so rash?" The merman snorted at his words, prompting him with a little nod.
Danny considered a moment.
"...and you love me." He moved his arms to wrap around Phantom's waist, pulling them a little more flush.
This is apparently what Phantom was looking for, because lips pressed to his forehead, Phantom's free hand shoving his black bangs out of the way to deliver said gesture of affection. It was one of the few that both of them knew already before the other, one that never had to be taught.
"Yes, Minnow. I love you. And I will take care of you, no matter what." Phantom gave him a look. "But for the love of Neptune. Try and make my job a little easier, yes?" His green eyes were soft and Danny found himself nodding, just relieved he could feel his limbs again and that he was warm and safe.
"Yeah, partner." His smile got stronger, even giving a little laugh when Phantom dipped his head to nip his neck, fangs grazing. The gesture was downright ticklish, and Danny squirmed until Phantom stopped, crooning playfully.
"I'll try. Promise." Danny whispered, leaning over to press their foreheads together. When Phantom returned the gesture with a little pressure of his own, the human turned and rubbed their cheeks together, a little clumsily with the addition of the thick head fin his skin hit when he moved. It was something mates from Phantom's world did, to rub the sensitive head fins together to express their bond and share scents. Though it wasn't quite the same with Danny, Phantom still took the opportunity to do it, out of instinct most likely. Once Danny learned what the act meant, he did it too.
Phantom hummed in satisfaction, relaxing right against him the second their forehead touched. Then the merman was shifting to tighten his tail around Danny's torso and legs, and rubbed his hands over the human's shoulder to coax some more warmth into him. They lay in companionable silence for a minute, Phantom making his scales glow when he could tell the darkness was becoming too deep to be comfortable for the human.
Finally, Danny took a stab.
"…so what's so bad about Pariah's castle?"
Immediately Phantom exhaled a little, grunting out a low "Minnow…"
"Please!" Danny all but whined, cutting Phantom off. For good measure he pouted, knowing Phantom could see it even in the darkening cave.
"Just, just tell me a little. Prepare me." Danny reasoned, playing on the merman's surprising capacity for logic. "You know you've never told me much about Pariah. I figured you didn't like him but…"
"Like? If I had the chance I'd gut him and leave him for the seabirds in a heartbeat."
"Okay then. See. That's something I didn't know." Danny managed, freeing his arm to put it under his head and rest it. He still was tired. But he was going to pump information from Phantom if it killed him.
"But why?"
Phantom was silent.
"…it is my turn for a story tonight, Minnow."
Danny opened his mouth, but the merman kept going. Within second, Danny understood and fell silent, listening closely.
"Long before myself, even my own momdad or their grandmomdad, there was Pariah Dark. He was the ruler of the oceans, and he ruled those waters with an iron fist. He controlled two items, a ring filled rage, and a crown of fire. A fire crown, in the bottom of the sea was unheard of, but Pariah had it. It was said the two gave him unlimited power, gifts from Neptune before he ascended into the Heavens to leave Pariah to rule by himself."
"Those things don't really…exist, do they?"
"Sort of." Was all Phantom would say. "I've been to Pariah's castle, Danny. I have seen what he's like—and he is every bit the ruthless power hungry tyrant I'm warning you he is. The only thing he enjoys more than conflict is conflict he can watch."
"Conflict he can—what, like, fighting?" Danny asked wondering if he imagined the way Phantom tightened his hold around him, as if he feared Pariah was going to swim into here and rip the two apart.
"Pariah Dark cannot stand opposition. He doesn't even think humans are worth conquering, he says because it would be too easy. He thinks he rules every bit of the water he resides in. Every sea creature that lives in 'his' oceans. Everyone else is so scared most of them just lie down and take it."
"You said you had been to the castle before." Danny prompted, but his eyelids were heavy and staying closed longer than he could keep them open.
"I have. Some of it is submerged, but there are times when the tide is so low a human can enter the main room. We'll go at that time….because I do not want to leave you by yourself outside the castle walls. You have enough of those breathing caps to stay under water for a while though, right?" He could tell Phantom was lowering his voice on purpose, but Danny managed a sleepy murmur back anyway.
"Yeah, I got about…seven or so." He muttered, body relaxing. "Put em in the pockets…t'mrr…ow."
Phantom waited a full minute before double checking that Danny really was asleep. When he shifted a bit and Danny slumped against him boneless, Phantom allowed himself a low noise of laughter, making sure to keep it down lest he disturb his human's sleep.
The water shifted soft behind them, a quiet lullaby the merman knew all too well. Any other night, he would relax and let himself fade off like Danny did, because sleep was rare and treasured when you could get it. Tonight though, rest did not come to him, and Phantom did not seek it either.
He lay in the dark, listening to the water with on ear fin and kept the other trained on his small partner. Every so often, if Danny stirred or made a noise that didn't suggest anything promising, Phantom would push their cheeks together and brush the sensitive webbing against his cheek or hair, shifting the black strands gently. He only make a pass once or twice, the other times he would tighten his tail or run his hand down the small of Danny's back and croon quietly, mustering up his own sort of lullaby. It was tuneless, and Phantom had never heard other merpeople do it, not even the sirens. They used their voices strongly, light and fleeting to entice.
This noise was…it was wordless. And timeless, deep like the night sky and powerful like the wind during a storm. If you asked him, Phantom could not outright tell you where he had picked this sound up. It was not a song; it was more of a noise, wordless but carrying meaning. It was a sad song, lilting and woeful and the sort of noise that could ride the wind like he rode currents, or even sometimes the thermals his fins caught for a moment. Flying, now…that was something. Phantom entertained the idea of flight often, but knew better than to voice his opinion out loud on the idea. It was unheard of. Impossible. Merpeople could not fly.
The tune continued to come right from Phantom's throat, something inside him that constantly reminded him he was not like the others he lived with, he was not one of them and did not belong.
With Danny, that never mattered. With Danny, the world wasn't a bother and the questions about his murky at best past were simple problems. Little hurdles to overcome one day, but if Phantom never found out the truth of his origins, and never unlocked all he was capable off, if all he ever had was Danny, then Phantom didn't need anything else.
He was a monster. Yet Danny loved him anyway.
Moodily, the merman stopped his odd singing and flopped his head down into the sand. He tucked his other half firmly under his chin and sighed, the noise raspy from his drying gills. They had a big day tomorrow, and Phantom needed sleep whether he wanted it or not. It would do no good to ruminate on the possibilities when phantom himself didn't even know all of them, and likely wouldn't for a while. Still, Phantom couldn't stop a worrisome thought that nagged at the back of his head for too long, it was old and had festered and therefore was very good at being a worry-thought.
How much longer would he be able to keep his other half?
More importantly, how much longer would Danny have him?
oOo
"So what's your story with Pariah, Plasmius?" Danny asked the next morning over a quick breakfast of fruit and roasted fish. Phantom had gone and brought back enough fish for Danny, and upon his request had found a few of the meater ones for the sharkman, who was currently sucking one dry as the human spoke.
"He was an old employer, and the job was risky but in terms of my skill, it made it secure. I am almost positive I can have it back, the king would be a fool not to give me my position."
"Crab-catcher." Phantom muttered from where he lay around Danny, the human resting against his large tail with one knee drawn up. Danny snorted, and shot him a scolding look, because that was more a derogative term than anything else.
Despite Plasmius' lack of language, he apparently remembered that curse, because he glared heavily at the belligerent Phantom before continuing. Danny worried Plasmius' nose might hit a satellite if it went any higher.
"Says the half-breed. Anyway," ('Half-breed?' Danny thought. He had heard his best friend called a lot of things by the other merpeople, but half-breed was new.) "I was sort of what you'd call a tax collector for merfolk I suppose. Though the consequences were more serious than the paltry punishments humans have to deal with."
"Punishments?" Danny squawked, unable to keep the worry from his voice.
Plasmius shrugged, pushed the fish husk into the waters to take the carcass away.
"It was a job. Like or not. And after Neptune knows how long at being trapped in that display case and gawked at by the two legged simpletons of the world, I am more than ready to return to my old duties. I will make a convincing case, and I'm sure King Pariah will understand."
"For your sake, I hope so too Plas'." Danny said. Plasmius didn't seem over fondly of the nickname, but he tolerated it. Danny wondered if it was because of Phantom, then decided it must be for some other reason, because he had already shown no qualms in butting heads with the merman.
For his part, Phantom chomped with more force than necessary into a fish's belly and tore it out, slurping a bit of thin fish blood off his cheek as he chewed.
"Let's just get this over with."
Danny agreed to that, and soon they were back on the waters and swimming off into the blue, blue horizon.
As it turned out, Plasmius' estimate of time was a little off, because that afternoon they reached a round outcropping of stone. It didn't look like much, but Phantom slowed Danny down, and guided the jet ski to a small section of shallows where the current wasn't so forceful and strong.
"Is it below?" Danny guessed as he docked the ski with its anchor contraption. Phantom nodded, giving a few anxious glances about. He was alert, which wasn't entirely unusual for Phantom, who was as watchful as a cat and ten times more curious. But he was borderline wary now, which was unusual and almost made Danny second guess going into the water with only his breathing caps, goggles and a flashlight.
Still, he had Phantom and Plasmius, and the latter was looking much better already. The constant food source was in abundance now, and with the rest and movement he was building his strength up he said. It would be a good few months before they would see an muscular change, but Danny took the shark man's word for it and didn't vocally fret over him too much. For one thing, it seemed to embarrass Plasmius. For another, Phantom whined like a puppy and shot him dramatic, jealous looks all morning. If Danny didn't know any better, he would be annoyed. But there was no one he knew better than Phantom, so honestly it was just funny at this point.
"C'mon, ya dork. I'll be okay, just the lead the way." Danny said as he waded in-between the leading Plasmius and the hesitant Phantom. He addressed Phantom, knowing the merman wouldn't let anything happen to him.
After only a moment of hesitation, Phantom plunged into the ocean. Danny, his hand tight on Phantom's back fan, was taken along for the ride. But he was ready, and he let himself be dragged.
The castle was apparently set back into a mountain side, the water masking how high the ledge really was. If you were on a boat, even a steam liner, there was no way the hull was in danger of scraping the massive rock formation. But it wasn't so deep Danny's ears popped, which was good. He noticed the entrance, or what appeared to be many of them, were much lower than the mountain was, meaning there was bound to be air pockets somewhere it was hollow. Sort of like a grease trap in the sink. Phantom swam into the knot of holes with ease, his fins twitching every which way as he swam easily in the dark. The merman felt a hand clap his shoulder twice and with a watery roar, his scales began to glow, illuminating the area around them. Danny had a feeling not every hole would lead them to where they wanted to go. It was a good solution to keep others out and also the possibility of an ambush, especially if the entering party didn't know which route to take to the castle.
But Phantom and Plasmius did know, and to Danny surprise no one stopped them as they swam through the tunnel system. When the tunnel opened wide enough for Phantom to spread his hip fins, he did so. They gave a few slow, ponderous beats before Phantom twisted and took them through a small tunnel. Danny was sure he felt the rocks scrape his back, and he closed his eyes to avoid claustrophobia setting in. then light hit his face, bright even through the wide goggles, and Danny opened his eyes. They widened further, and he gazed up with a stunned expression at the huge pool they had entered.
'Holy…' He thought.
'Glurp' He said, bubbles speeding past them to the surface as Phantom pulled him.
The merman heard that, and shot him a little look that Danny couldn't quite analyze before they broke the surface and Phantom pulled him onto stone. Danny floundered for only a second, finding his footing in time to look up (and up and up) at the monstrous behemoth sitting on a throne that looked like it was gouged emerald to form a rugged sitting place.
Danny stared up into Pariah Dark's emotionless eyes, and decided he know knew what giants looked like so long ago. This merman was massive. His tail alone had to be two bus lengths; his hand could wrap around Danny's head and crush it like a grape. Green hair spilled over his shoulders, tangled and the color of the ocean's nastiest seaweed. A shimmering ring was around his finger, and Danny thought he spotted something among the birds nest that was the merman's hair. It was just like Phantom had said then—that wasn't just a story.
Pariah Dark's imposing stare swept over them like a lion eyeing the next gazelle from the herd, and Danny didn't like that look one bit.
Danny swallowed, and was rather glad that when he put his hand out on instinct, Phantom was there. He happily crammed his skull into it and nuzzled, sending water everywhere from his dripping wet hair.
His security blanket there for him, Danny managed a noise of,
"Uh—your majesty?" He was going for politeness. It didn't work. He immediately realized Pariah wasn't even looking at him. It was like he was looking through him.
"A human? Who has brought a human here? In my castle? Why does a runty male from the weakest species stand before me? Finless and gilless. Feh." Pariah grumbled, casting about and eyes landing on Plasmius.
Plasmius, who had actually slipped forward, following Danny over the embankment and resting in the shallow water that lapped at the calves. His tail tapped Danny's ankle gently, a sort of quiet apology and a merspeak statement that meant 'I am here for you.' Which Danny thought was rather nice of him, and he felt a rush of affection for the sharkman.
"Pariah, my lord," Danny noticed it was same tone he used when calling Freakshow 'master' "This human was escorting me. And is not as weak as we could initially perceive—"
"Are you saying I am wrong?"
"Not at—not at all your highness! To get to the matter, if you remember me—"
"I do."
Man, this guy was good at speaking dismissively. He could give even Sam a run for her money, Danny decided as he watched Plasmius' tail swing in quiet discomfort.
"Yes, well, I am here to ask for your counsel and to be allowed back into your main domain. The others as well. By, by proxy you know. As is the…rules."
"The rules…? The rules! Hahah! You mean then—the challenge?" it was the first 'positive' reaction Pariah had had so far and even he made it look somehow angry. Like he was happy and angry at the same time. This was not good, Danny could just tell. The human petted Phantom's head fins absentmindedly.
Plasmius nodded.
"Uh. …Whaaaat's the challenge." Danny said, addressing anyone at this point that would at leat acknowledge he was standing between the two merman.
"The challenge is an age old tradition." Spoke the merman at Pariah's left side, holding a spear in its left hand.
"To gain admittance into the great castle-domain, there are requirements. Only the strong may enter, the weak shall be turned away…if they can swim away, that is."
"You must pass a test first. Anyone in your party. All three if you want to, though it won't matter the numbers."
"A test?"
Pariah nodded.
"It is a fight of strength, against my knight. Best my best warrior in battle, use whatever you have at your disposal, any powers and weapons. The first to get the other to fight for its life is the winner. I will grant you entrance in my domain."
"Oh this guys a Grade A fruitloop…" Danny's mutter didn't go unnoticed, Phantom snorted in amusement down by his hip where he was leaning on his palms. Pariah seemed to not hear Danny, didn't even spare him a glance, as if he wasn't worth it. Danny finally recalled Phantom's explanation of Pariah's opinions about humans the night before and crossed his arms.
"Which one will take the challenge?"
Plasmius opened his mouth, but before he could Phantom had slipped into the water, staring defiantly up at Pariah Dark.
"I will."
"You?" He looked down at the merman as if for the first time, dark recognition flashing through his own green eyes. Danny's stomach twisted and he almost called Phantom back. "…You have returned Ghost. Grew some proper tailfins did you?"
"My name is Phantom." The merman corrected with a venomous snarl. "And I returned for one reason only." As he said this, his tail brushed over Danny's ankle, with more purpose and certainty than Plasmius had. This was his.
Pariah only sneered, but his look was colder and filled more anger than Danny expected.
"You two…uh, have a history?" Danny edged warily, blinking when Phantom suddenly herded him back.
"Go up those stairs Minnow, and stay there. Plasmius, wait here." Phantom instructed, flapping the open air with a hip fin to shoo Danny, who walked slowly in the direction Phantom was pointing. He paused by the merman though, and crouched on the balls of his feet before him.
"…everything gonna be okay?" Danny asked, reaching a hand out and running his palm along the edge of one of Phantom's head fins. The merman leaned into the touched, tilting his head down and relaxing the head fins a moment.
Phantom warbled quietly back, a low purring reverberating from his throat that was meant to soothe the human's nerves and give him an affirmative that yes, everything would be alright.
"Okay…but if you need me—"
"I know, Minnow. Now please. Up where I know it's safe."
Danny smiled, tousling the merman's messy white hair atop his head a moment. His hand flat on the merman's skull now, and Phantom pushed up, helping Danny straighten before he did as Phantom requested and walked up to the little balcony. It was abandoned with the lack of water, otherwise Danny was sure there would be other visitors to watch the…entertainment.
The entire throne room had Pariah on the farthest wall, had all eyes on the center of the round room or on Pariah himself. Pariah's opinion of himself could put Vlad's conceitedness to shame, Danny thought mildly as the opponents got into place.
Phantom's 'opponent' was a large purple sea horseman, his tail thick and curled as he rose above phantom in the water, having several feat and double that in muscles on the sleek black merman. Danny glanced over the Knight's design, and thought inwardly that he must have a hard time on land, with that curled tail that left little room for flexibility. Knowing Phantom, he'd find a way to exploit that.
"Let the fight…begin!"
Phantom plunged into the water the second the fabric was dropped. With the lack of natural lightning, his colors were lost easily among the near-black choppy waters.
The seahorse man brought his spear up, pulling out of the deep water. It was a smart move, smarter than Danny would give him credit for. Leaning worriedly over the ledge he was standing on, Danny watched for the telltale shimmer of green or white, knowing where to look.
"Face me like a merman, Ghost!" The Knight roared angrily, jabbing his sharp spear into the water.
The water splashed, something jutting up from the side at the last second. It was a good shot, but the Knight was prepared and leaned back, checking Phantom dangerously hard into the shoulder and slamming him back into the water. Phantom landed with an indignant shriek, and before he could dive into the black water he was tossed, his smaller body ending up on the left side in the shallow, watery sand. The Knight advanced and drove the flat edge of his spear into the sand by Phantom's head. The merman jerked back, but not in time for the glob of sand that slapped into his face at full force. Blinded, Phantom gave a raw shriek in anger and flailed backwards, falling on defensive.
"Phantom!" Danny could keep quiet no longer, leaning dangerously over the edge as he watched his now blinded merman thrash uselessly on the sand bank. The tip of his tail was just making the water where the small pool was.
"That isn't fair! Hey—foul!" He cried, glaring at Pariah and expecting him to do something other than sit there. But the King only smiled and laughed at them, waving his hand for his Knight to continue.
"Fine…if that's the way they're gonna play it." Danny grumbled, digging into his pockets and cupping his free hand around his mouth.
"Roll to your left, Phantom—now!"
The knight's spear came down sharply—harmlessly into sand. Phantom had dodged but he was still on his back, one hand clutching his obviously painful eyes, tail thrashing with no purpose. But the Knight was closer now, the only thing between Phantom and the water.
"Sweep!" Danny commanded without thinking.
Before anyone could do anything else, Phantom had rolled onto his stomach and with his own momentum, rolled his tail into a half circle where it slammed heavily into the Knight's body, sending it off balance on its too thick tail. Danny was right, the sea horseman wasn't made for land maneuvers. The way was clear now, though Phantom was still tossing his head and gnashing his teeth.
"Phantom, to your right, quick!" The merman swung to the side at the right moment, splashing into the deep section of the pool. His tail vanished. Danny gave a noise of relief, with any luck Phantom could get the sand out of his eyes and get most of vision back now that he was camouflaged again.
The Knight cursed loudly, stabbing the water uselessly. A livid glare was sent Danny's way, and Danny mustered up his best right back.
"Stay out of this human—" But Danny was already holding his hand over the water and opening it. Stones dropped, plummeting into the water and vanishing. The sea horseman looked up, scoffing.
"Little stones? What were little stones supposed to do?" The knight laughed at him. "And you missed."
Danny smirked right back at him. "We never miss." He said, smug as something shone under the water for a split second. The knight was able to give him a confused look for all of two seconds before Phantom streaked out of the spot where the pebbles had just splashed. He erupted at full force, checking the knight into a wall and slamming him into the thick coral.
The merman's eyes were still clouded from the sand, but he sank his claws into the skin he found and pinned the Knight long enough to summon a disorientating wail. The unearthly cry sailed right over the horseman's head fins, making it thrash and roar in agony under the merman's deadly grip. The human waited for the King to call the trial over—Phantom had tested his strength well enough, hadn't he? If Pariah waited any longer Phantom was going to kill his Knight.
But Pariah made no move, and Danny's anxiousness grew.
Danny pushed off from the ledge and ran down the back rugged stairs, stumbling into the shallow water. The balcony stair let out near Pariah's left, but Danny ran past him, ignoring anyone else. He missed the stare the King was giving him, plunging right into the shallow surf until he was within arm's reach of the massive sea horse and his own merman.
"Calm down! You're gonna kill him if you keep that up." The merman didn't respond, and Danny's fists clenched, his voice rising above Phantom's continuous growling. The merman shifted his position, leaning back to spread his jaw wider and give his wail more room to devastate. Danny knew what that meant—the killing blow. Phantom's hip fins spread wide and his scales glowed, something working in the back of his throat and giving off a strange click-clicking sound but Danny didn't notice—
"Phantom—I said stop!"
And Phantom jerked to a halt, snapping his teeth shut so quick something cracked lightly. He turned his green eyes on Danny and grumbled, giving him a rather nasty, insulted stare. His eyes were slitted, the venomous horrific gaze leveled at a pair of ice blue eyes that stared right back, unphased.
"It was a test of strength, phantom." Danny reminded sternly, mirroring Pariah own words, even as he turned to glare up at the King.
"Not a fight to the death. So knock it. Off." He turned back to Phantom, giving him a dark look that rivaled the merman's murderous one. Everyone held their breath. A second later Phantom swung his gaze away from the human and down in submission. With a dismissive grunt, Phantom unhooked his talons and pushed off the knight, suddenly acting disinterested. It looked like a cat abandoning its new toy, the way Phantom dove elegantly into the deep pool. He came up a moment later, sliding onto the rock to curl around Danny and look smugly up at Pariah.
It was then they noticed the Pariah was staring at Danny with a chillingly curious stare. And after that, everyone realized that while Phantom had bested the Knight, Danny had (technically) bested Phantom.
A human had won the challenge.
