Zafrina and Bay raced through the tunnels, gasping for breath, but they couldn't pause. Otan was hot on their tails, the fish hook flying occasionally, but the pair managed to dodge it; only just. The hook came dangerously close each time, scraping the stone floor, and the longer they avoided it, the angrier Otan grew. He was shouting all sorts of curses and insults, warning what he would do when he caught up to them. The three sped through the tunnels, unaware that a fourth was following them some distance behind.
"You can't escape me!" Otan taunted. "I'll catch up to you eventually, you might as well give up now! Maybe I'll kill you more quickly!"
That's a lie! Both Zafrina and Bay thought. Otan would take his time. He'd enjoy torturing them into unconsciousness, where he'd finally kill them. They spun round a corner, but as they did, Bay crumpled against the wall. If they weren't surrounded by water, tears of agony would have been rolling down his cheeks, for the searing pain in his tail stabbed everytime his tail moved. Zafrina frantically pulled him back up, trying to ignore his cry of pain. "Bay, come on! We have to keep going!" she cried, desperately, aware that Otan would appear around the corner in mere seconds. Bay tried to loosen her grasp on his arm.
"Just get yourself out of here..."
"Over my dead body!" Zafrina hissed. "I won't leave you!"
She pulled his arm over her shoulders and half carried him. Bay wept with agony, his tail feeling as though it were being slashed at with a serrated knife, but he forced himself to go on. He was starting to feel faint, his head throbbing, mind and vision covered by an impenetrable fog that clouded his senses. The more he forced himself to go on, the weaker he felt. Soon he wouldn't be able to swim at all. Zafrina pushed on, Bay hanging limply against her, feeling like a dead weight. She didn't know how much further she could support him until her arms gave out...
"Leave us alone! There's a battle out there, go fight for your queen!" Zafrina knew that Otan couldn't be reasoned with, but she had to try. As expected, Otan laughed, his cackles cold and echoing off the walls.
"I don't give a damn about Nia or her plans!" He screeched. His past actions said otherwise, but his loyalty to Nia had been conquered by his hatred for them.
Zafrina felt the stone smack into her face, and Bay screeched this time as they hit the wall with full force. Zafrina, covering her bleeding nose, looked up at the wall in absolute horror. "No, no!" she screamed, fists pounding the black rock. It was a dead end. Bay slid down the wall, shaking and pale, as fresh blood started to seep from his wound. Zafrina fell to his side, staring at the putrid wound. It was a wonder he had made it this far. "Bay, we have to..." But he looked at her, sorrow and despair in his silver eyes. His head shook 'no'.
"I'm sorry." He whispered, tears in his eyes. "Please just go..."
"No..." She whispered, beginning to shake as she saw Otan turn the corner. This can't be happening. Not now...
His yellow teeth flashed into a grin, utter triumph glistening within his eyes. The hook swung in one hand, and he flipped it to the other, where he rose the white bone. He approached them slowly, grinning with madness. Finally, he had what he wanted. The two merpeople he hated most, trapped before him. Terror consumed Zafrina, but she gritted her teeth in the face of death. It's not the end... I won't just lay down and die!
"Please don't do this! We'll find a way to heal your scars! I'll do anything, I swear!" Zafrina put one hand out, her other on the delirious Bay, who, in his pain, was barely aware of what was going on anymore. His head drooped as unconsciousness began claiming him.
"I'd rather live this way for the rest of my life than let you go free." Snarled Otan, four feet from her now . Her heart plunged into a sea of ice, at the sight of joy on his grotesque, monstrous face. Then he drew back the fish hook, with a cry of victory, preparing to bring it down. Zafrina lost all courage. She placed her hands on Bays head, turning her face into his hair, waiting for the hook to do it's work. But it never happened. Is dying painless? But then she heard the voice of an old merman, and she dared to pry open her eyes.
There was a golden light at the end of the tunnel, the sound of the trident summoning it's energy. Then a beam exploded from the end, tearing through the dark, more powerful than anything Zafrina had ever tried to conjure. Otan didn't have time to scream. The beam tore into him, rippling across his skin, tearing every cell it touched apart; for a brief moment Otan rippled with light. But then, with a blinding flash of light, all that remained was black ash. The ash fell like black snow, settling in a pile on the floor. Zafrina's mouth opened, but no words came out. Bay groaned, hearing the sounds, but barely having the strength to open his eyes.
"Wha..." he mumbled, in pain and confusion. Zafrina distractedly stroked his hair, unable to take her eyes off the figure at the end of tunnel. She blinked away her tears of utter relief as the elderly merman swam forward, the trident in hand. The golden glow faded as Triton moved over the pile of ash that was once Otan; the ash stirred in the current he created, and Zafrina looked briefly at it, not believing that it had once been Otan.
Triton looked down at Zafrina and Bay, blinking, his white hair and beard filled with dirt, dried blood. "My granddaughter..." Triton began, in a state of shock, for he was still recovering from being a stone statue for so long. He blinked down at the sight of Zafrina, and the muttering merman she protected. "Are you alright?"
Meanwhile
Melody swiped the sword, and Nia leapt back, missing the attempt, before she slashed in with her own sword. Melody dodged to the right, attempting once more, but the heavy sword dragged her forwards, sending her flying clumsily past Nia. The sword squealed as it struck the rocky wall, making both mermaids flinch. The queen followed, wildly jabbing the blade at Melody, but in her rage, her slashes were sloppy and messy, missing her target by a good few inches each time.
Melody leapt back, beginning to draw Nia away from Finn, because they were fighting dangerously close to his unconscious form. She kept flashing glances at him in hopes of signs that he was coming to, but Finn was still, the only sign of life being the rise and fall of his chest. Wake up! She thought, desperately. She couldn't keep this up for long.
"Someone help me!" Melody screamed, hoping to be heard by an Atlantican or Delorean, but the battle was too far away for her voice to be heard. But she kept crying out for help anyway, because Nia was beginning to focus now, realizing that her anger wasn't helping her win this battle. Her strikes were growing more accurate, closer each time.
Nia brought up her sword, and it came down. Melody threw up her weapon, with a cry of panic. She blocked it, but Nia pushed on her sword, forcing the two crossed blades closer and closer to her face. "Finn!" She pleaded, struggling as she was forced closer to the ground, the blades looming in her face. She looked to the right, straining her neck. He muttered somewhat, but didn't move. A faint cloud of red had gathered over his head, where it had struck the rock.
"He can't rescue you now." Nia sneered, pale grey eyes filled with mocking. "He's as weak as his mother was."
"You murdered her! She's offered you the throne and you killed her anyway!" Melody pushed more, before she ducked, shoving with all her strength. The blades skimmed barely inches over her face, before Melody raced away, her sword clutched in hand. Not expecting this sudden move, Nia's sword plunged into the sand floor. With a grunt of frustration, the queen tore it free, before whirling around to face her enemy again.
Melody faced Nia, looking at her sword. Now that she was using it more, it felt less heavy, less awkward. She had a brief moment of clarity. I can do this. I can... Nia's shriek of rage brought her back to the fight. Nia sprang, her sword brought back once more. Melody dodged to the left, and this time, she slashed her sword at the same time. The metal sliced at Nia's arm, just tearing the skin, for Melody didn't want to kill her or do too much damage. Nia hissed, before trying to swing her sword again. Melody, moving like lightning, darted clear, landing another strike as she did, this time on Nia's tail, and then once again on her shoulder.
"You're hardly grazing me!" But Nia was obviously in pain, despite what she claimed. Her eyes were glazed. She rose again, clumsily swinging her weapon, sloppily due to one hand covering her shoulder wound, but after Melody dodged it a few times, she shrugged off the pain. Nia plunged forwards, the sword curving through the air; Melody dived to the side, but the sword didn't miss her torso. It just skimmed the skin across her left ribs, leaving a three inch wound. While it wasn't deep, the wound felt just like fire. Nia's eyes lit up with satisfaction when Melody cried out in pain. Her hand flew to Melody's bracelet: the gold came off easily. Melody gasped, leaping at Nia, and the bracelet flew from the queen's hand. It floated down onto a nearby rock, landing with a gentle 'clank'. Nia lunged, but Melody seized her around the neck, hanging on tight. Nia and Melody tumbled across the sandbed, and in the fray, their swords went flying.
"Get off!" Melody was smothered by sand, face pressed into the seafloor. The older mermaid crushed her with her weight, and Melody threw up her hands, trying to push her away without success.
"You're helpless. Weak! Human!" Nia hissed in her ear. "You should have stayed on land!"
"You're not hurting one more soul!" She gasped, struggling in vain. "I won't let you..." Nia ignored her. With her arm on Melody's neck, her other arm extended toward a fallen sword, out of hope. Melody didn't expect the sword to move, but then both she and Nia stared in bewilderment. The sword moved. She had to blink to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, but to her horror, the sword was twitching as Nia tried to summon it more.
"No -" Melody tried to scream but Nia's other hand crushed her throat, cutting her off. She thought she heard a noise from where Finn was, but Nia blocked her view of him. Nia tried harder to summon the sword, eyes wide. The sword was slowly dragging itself across the sand; it would falter occasionally, but it was gradually gathering speed. The serum didn't destroy her magic! At least not all of it... Melody didn't know why Nia's power was suddenly returning - it wasn't as powerful, but that didn't matter. The sword moved achingly slow, but still. Melody tried and tried, pushing with all her might, digging in her nails, but it was useless. Nia had her trapped.
Finally, the sword was near enough. Nia plucked it up, and immediately pressed the blade to Melody's neck. Melody struggled desperately, on the verge of tears, but when she felt the metal press dangerously hard, she was forced to remain still. Nia grinned, enjoying the look of terror on Melody's face. "Your little plan worked out well, didn't it?" She said, mockingly. Melody clenched her teeth to stop herself from crying.
"Well, this is it. Any last words?" Nia's powers then took control of the sword. While her hands pinned Melody, the sword moved a few feet above. Since her magic wasn't the same or as powerful, it took a long time for the sword to move into Nia's desired position. The blade waved and rose and fell randomly, but despite this, it was still coming down somewhere in Melody's flesh, either her neck or torso. Melody writhed once more, resisting, but then it dawned upon her. She wasn't getting out of this.
"Not for you." Melody whispered. I'm sorry, mom, dad. She tried to think about the good times of her life. She remembered Ariel; her first clear memory was being in her mother's arms, while she sang that song, the one what's lullaby played in her locket. She remembered one of her favourite memories as a toddler, when Eric had taken her down to the seawall, a few months after is had been built. She remembered him putting her down on the sand, where the little bit of seawater came in from underneath the wall. She had been old enough to walk then; he had watched in amusement, as she experienced seawater for the first time. She had felt the tide wash over her little feet, and she had raced away, giggling in happiness. She didn't know where Zafrina and Bay were but she prayed they were alive. She tried once more to see Finn; her heart lurched.
The sand at the foot of the wall was empty.
"Very well." Nia grinned, and Melody ripped her gaze away from the wall. "Say hello to Merissa for me." The sword steadied. Nia prepared to send the sword into flesh. But then both she and Melody froze. There was a cold voice, and when Melody tried to see Finn, she saw him behind Nia. Finn's eyes were clouded, the pain from the blow to his skull still radiating throughout his head. They were filled with tears and rage.
"You took my mother from me. Do you know how it felt?" Melody didn't see the sword come down into Nia's upper back, but she saw the tears in Finn's eyes, felt Nia go rigid in shock. He didn't want to do it, but he had had no choice. The sword impaled Nia, piercing her through the back. Finn's voice shook with guilt as he pulled out the sword. "It felt like that."
Nia tried to breathe, but every breath cut off before it could fill her lungs. Suddenly, she fell off Melody, and the sword she had suspended in the air fell to the ground. Nia lay on the sand, hands tearing at her chest, gasping for breath - the sword hadn't pierced all the way, so there was no wound on her front. However, blood was pouring from underneath her, forming a red fog that enveloped Melody and Nia.
Horrified at the sight and smell of the blood, Melody dived away from Nia, crawling backwards as fast as she could. She watched Nia in shock, as the blood continued to cloud, denser and denser. Nia began to shake, like how she had upon being given the purple urchin spine, but this time it was more violent, even more frightening. She suddenly began to shriek uncontrollably. Her screams echoed off the walls, were heard from the battle, even inside the palace.
In the palace, Triton had freed all the other stone merpeople that had once lined Nia's corridor. Now, the bewildered and confused bunch stiffened at the sound of shrieking echoing off the walls. Triton looked around, trident poised, and Zafrina was distracted from Bay, who was being carried by some of the once-stone merfolk. Zafrina wanted to stay with Bay and her grandfather; but suddenly, she felt a sickening feeling. She realized that something sinister was about to happen, and without warning, she abandoned the party, racing toward the stone entrance, which was ahead. Meanwhile, Nia's soldiers all stopped fighting, knowing who the screams belonged to.
"The queen!" gasped Ontari, and several merpeople from Nia's kingdom headed for the sound, while Atlanticans and Deloreans tore after them, to also see what had happened. In the dip, meanwhile, Melody shrank into Finn's arms, staring upon Nia. Nia crawled across the sand, coughing, spluttering, as if she were about to be sick. She tried to rise, but she only crashed back to the sand, where she continued to shudder as shock set in. On the battlefield, all the merfolk who had been trapped under Nia's spell stopped fighting. They all fell to the ground, shuddering as the magic began to die, and across the sea, all the merfolk Nia had turned to stone over the past months were beginning to melt out of their frozen states.
"Y-you... y-you..." Nia stammered, eyes raking across Melody and Finn. Melody and Finn went cold at the sight of the blood rising from her mouth. She choked several times, and one hand clutched her chest. But then her other hand was revealed. It held a large stone. At first, Melody thought she was going to throw the rock at her and Finn. But then she saw the glint of gold and red on the sand before Nia. Nia grinned, yellow teeth glistening in her insane smile.
"No!" Finn shouted, diving forwards. Too late. Nia brought the rock down onto the bracelet, and the gold collapsed - the red jewel shattered into a thousand fragments.
A strange thing was happening. Melody's red tail was suddenly thrashing and jerking by itself, and a brutal twisting feeling took hold of it. Melody dropped to the sand like a rock in shallow water, where her tail continued to thrash by itself. She let out a scream of agony - it felt like her tail was splitting apart on the inside. Finn whirled around, briefly too shocked to react, but then he rushed to her side, his hands out to catch her head before it hit a rock on the sand. "Melody!" he exclaimed, in horror.
On the dip edge, there was a crowd of shocked onlookers - the Atlanticans and Deloreans were looking from the bleeding Nia to the thrashing Melody, while Nia's soldiers were staring at their dying queen. They looked briefly at each other - then they were shoving the Atlanticans and Deloreans out of their way, rushing to escape. Weapons fell to the floor. Ontari, however, drew an arrow, took aim at Finn and Melody. Before the arrow could fly, however, she disappeared under a mass of merfolk who tore her bow from her hands.
It was just like what had happened a few days before. A brutal crushing sensation spread throughout Melody's chest, and then the water she breathed was rushing into her lungs. But this time, it flooded them, smothering her from the inside. Her tail rippled and split, the fins becoming feet, the scales fading away. Melody tried to release a cry of horror, but her hands flew up to her lips as her lungs screamed for air, water filling her throat. Nia was laughing hysterically, more blood pouring from her mouth. She coughed once more, before she fell to the sand, twitching as her life started to trickle away.
Then Melody's tail was gone. Her legs floundered uselessly, and the Atlanticans and Deloreans surged downwards, Attina at the head of them, screaming one thing. "The surface! The surface!"
Melody's vision blurred and stung, and voices rang all around her. Through the darkening corners of her vision, she saw Zafrina emerge from the stone palace, heard her cousin's scream of horror. Then dozens of hands had grabbed hold of her, and she was being dragged upwards. The last thing Melody remembered was Finn crying out her name, before she fell into dizzying blackness.