CROWN OF BLOOD

BLACK MANTA

Black Manta sits on his throne as his son Kaldur'ahm fights in the arena against three Manta guards. They both fight with tridents, Kaldur wears fish scale leggings and his chest is bare. His skin is light ebony colored and he has white hair and gills on his neck. Like Arthur he is half human, half Atlantean.

The armor of the Manta Guards enhances their strength to put them on equal terms with Atlanteans. Kaldur defeats all three men. "Well done my son!" Black Manta says standing up clapping.

"Excuse me sire…We have a visitor…King Nereus."

"Kaldur come with me."

"Yes father."

"King Nereus…What brings you to the surface?"

"I will speak with you alone!"

"Kaldur is my heir…He is learning to take my place and become a leader."

"Very well…I need you to hunt and kill the Aquaman…He does not travel alone…My daughter is with him…Bring her to me alive…Also there is Lord Falco."

"The legendary warrior…I thought he was dead."

"A lie…The Aquaman is the son of Queen Atlanna."

"Very well…I will accept this contract…But keep your gold…I owe Aquaman a debt of blood for what he did to my men."

"This is Tula a second, degree water mage…She will help you subdue my daughter and Lord Falco."

Later after Nereus leaves Black Manta and Kaldur prepare for their mission. "You are ready my son."

"Thank you father."

HYDROXIA

The Kingdom of Hydroxia is ruled by Queen Coralya. "King Orm of Atlantis and King Nereus' lap dog, General Nyluss…You are trespassing." She says via hologram.

"Aunt Coralya."

"We may share blood, but blood will not save you…Your actions are an act of war…"

I have not come to make war but to accept your fealty and loyalty."

"And why would I swear an oath to you?"

He takes out the crown and places it on his head, "Because I wear the crown of Poseidon."

She drops to one knee, "Hail Orm Ocean Master."

ARTHUR

"I think the first thing we should do is contact the Justice League." Arthur says.

"No! We should handle this ourselves…No outsiders!" Mira replies, "Especially land loving champions of the surface."

"Who do you…"

"Enough!" Falco says, "We cannot argue amongst ourselves." They go to Arthur's lighthouse to retrieve the map.

"Dad I don't think you should stay here…Go to my Uncle's place."

"Alright…"

"One more thing I need a favor."

"What is that?" Mira asks.

"An airplane…What you scared of heights."

"Falco! Atlanteans were not meant to fly." She says grabbing his arm.

"Flying is a lot like swimming…Go with the current." As they fly to the Sahara Desert Mira falls sick and throws up. "The little Princess has a weak stomach."

"Shut up!"

"We are here at the coordinates!" The Pilot yells.

"Here put this on."

She sneers and opens the door then she jumps out. Arthur looks at Falco. "Women!" He jumps and Falco follows. Arthur moves the map this way and that. "This crazy map says we are here." Suddenly water starts bubbling up and they are sucked down through a tube into an underwater lake.

HIDDEN KINGDOM OF THE DESERTERS

There are large buildings and merman like statues. Then out of nowhere several soldiers appear. "Halt land dwellers."

"We are Atlanteans!" Falco says.

"Meeth T'grat!" The Leader barks. They are taken into the lake and swim to a underground-underwater city.

"You stand before King Sahan Lord of the Hidden Kingdom."

"Your majesty I am Falco…This is Princess Mira and…"

"Silence!" One of the guards had scanned them and now whispers to the King. "You…Half Breed…Who was your mother?"

"Queen Atlanna…"

"And your father?"

"He is human…Tom Curry."

"Come with me." They swim through the palace to a vault, "Our Scientists predicted that humans would one day become technologically advanced…They also predicted the pollution of the seas and earth…So our Scientists took the underwater land mass and pushed it to the surface and lowered the sea water in the area below…Zeus foretold of a great warrior who would take possession of Poseidon's trident and unite the seven Kingdoms…Even the Trench would obey this warrior."

The vault opens and King Sahar gives them the map piece entrusted to them by Zeus. They complete the map and it points to Athens Greece.

CORALAX KINGDOM OF THE FISHERMEN

The Fishermen are intellectuals, scientists, philosophers, poets, and builders. They only fight as a last resort. Coralax is ruled by King Ricou; his wife is Queen Rina, they have one daughter Princess Areia. "My King…" The Royal Vizier says entering the great archives of Coralax.

"What is it Markyss?"

"Our long-range scans detect the fleets of Atlantis, Neptunopolis, and Hydroxia approaching they swim under the sigil of King Orm."

"I will try to reason with them but prepare the fleet and the defenses."

"Yes my King."

"My war armor!" Orm, Nereus, and Coralya swim to the edge of the city to speak with Ricou. "You are trespassing on the sovereign Kingdom of the Fishermen."

"King Ricou…As you can see I wear the crown of Poseidon…You must bow to me and swear fealty."

"Tell me King Orm…What do you intend to do as Ocean Master?"

"Take what is ours…The Earth."

"You would make war on the surface dwellers. What of their champions the Justice League?"

"We have already taken care of them." Nereus says.

"And the Brine…The King of Brimeria will never bow to you."

"I grow weary of your Questions King Ricou bow to me!"

Ricou examines his trident. "I challenge you to a duel. If you win we will be yours to command…If I win…We will remain an independent Kingdom."

"To the death! Fisher King…"

"Yield!"

He shakes his head, "No to the death! That the gods make known their will."

"So be it to the death."

The arena of the Fishermen had not been used in ages, but the servants prepare it according to tradition. The citizens gather to observe. "Please Father don't do this."

"Yes husband! What has come over you?" She grabs him, "Please…"

"Please what? You would have me surrender our people, our knowledge, our forces to him…He would make war on the surface dwellers…Our Progenitor's wife was human."

"A human who betrayed Poseidon."

"I must do this."

The people cheer as their King rises into the arena; they chant his name. The fight is broadcast to the other Kingdoms, even the Brine. So when Orm arises the Fishermen boo him, but the other Kingdoms cheer him as Ocean Master. "This duel shall be to the death…That the gods may make known their will."

Ricou has a tale and fins on his tale; he also wears tale armor. He wears white and green armor. Orm wears silver and blue armor. They touch Tridents and fight. Their moves are consistent with fighters using a spear or quarterstaff. Ricou stabs forward, but Orm leans to the side and spins into him with an elbow. Ricous growls and performs a short loop using his tale and hits Orm in the face.

Like a torpedo Orm shoots away loops around and stops. Then he spins his trident really fast and sends a blast of water and bubbles at Ricou. Ricou is hit and goes flying into a statue of his father cracking it at chest level. Ricou swipes his trident across the neck severing the statue's head and with one arm throws it at Orm.

Orm swims at the massive head shattering it as he swims through. He stops as Ricou is gone. He looks this way and that way. Ricou comes up behind him and throws his trident at Orm's back. At the last minute Orm holds up his trident pushing the water around him away creating an air bubble. Ricou's Trident never reaches him. He extends his hand taking Ricou's Trident and throws it back at him. Ricou leans away and catches his own trident.

"FATHER!" Princess Areia screams as his blood pools into the water around him. Although Ricou catches his own trident, he fails to notice that Orm threw his own trident right behind his. The Fishermen King floats lifelessly in the arena waters.

Orm swims up, takes his trident and then swims to the Queen and Princess. "Stay away from my daughter!"

"Long live the Queen." Orm says holding out her father's trident.

She takes the trident staring enraged at Orm, "Hail Ocean Master." She reluctantly says.