The first thing Mr. Clark wanted to do once he returned to Arkham was to have a drink. Looking out of the carriage, the sun had begun to set beneath the horizon as he arrived in town. He sighed, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, after he saw a group of university students walking around. As the carriage stopped, he stepped out, thanking the man for the ride only to be responded with silence. Shrugging it off, Mr. Clark entered Tiller's Tavern, eager for a moment of relaxation. Heading to the front of the bar, he took his seat on one of the stools next to a woman with long, light pink hair.
"What'll it be?" the bartender asked.
"A shot of whiskey, please."
"Comin' right up."
Mr. Clark pulled out his smartphone and turned his phone on for the first time in months. Service was nonexistent at Innsmouth, so he did not have a chance to call anyone he knew at anytime. The only time he spoke with his family was once every two weeks from one of the only working pay phones in the town. His lock screen displayed himself along with a woman and two children. He dialed his wife's number and pressed the phone to his ear. He greeted her, telling her that his work was done and that he would be home soon. He told her that he missed her and the kids. Before he said goodbye he requested that she kiss his children to sleep on his behalf. He placed the phone on the table and received his drink. After downing his glass, he looked at his watch. He would have to wait until morning before the cab the corporation sent would pick him up. He checked his wallet, seeing that he had a good amount of money to rent a room for a night at one of the hotels nearby.
The woman next to him swirled a glass of red wine in her hands. She caught something foul in the air, a fishy stench. Turning to Mr. Clark, she knew it came from him.
"Do you humans really not know how to clean yourselves," she jabbed, covering her mouth and nose with her hand.
"You talking to me?"
"Who else smells like fish in here?"
"Listen lady, Innsmouth isn't really a pleasant-smelling place."
The woman's face turned from one of revulsion to one of interest. "Wait, you've been to Innsmouth?"
"Yeah, yeah, I've heard the rumors a million times alr-"
"Did you by any chance meet a woman named Amelia Watson there?"
"She's a detective, right?"
"Yes. Did she talk to you?"
"Why should I tell you? What's your deal with her anyways?"
"We have business. Now, tell me, did she speak with you or not?"
"I told you already, I'm not telling you that."
The woman's red eyes narrowed. "I have ways to make you talk, don't try my patience."
In any normal situation, Mr. Clark would scoff at the threat, but looking into the woman's eyes made his blood run cold. For a moment, he felt like he was looking into the eyes of Death herself. For reasons he could not explain, the man was completely intimidated. He gulped and asked the bartender for another drink.
"Fine. We did talk."
"About what?"
"I was on a business trip on Innsmouth for a few months for the company I work at. One of my coworkers and the detective came by to collect the info I gathered."
"Why was Watson with your colleague?"
"She was on an investigation and was working with her on it."
"Are they still there?"
"They should. Didn't seem like they'd leave until they were finished with everything."
"I see. Then how did you get back to Arkham?"
"There's a carriage outside that takes people to and from there."
"Take me to it."
Mr. Clark and the woman stepped outside. To his surprise, the carriage was gone. He looked around, checking if it just moved, however it was nowhere to be found.
"That's strange, it should be somewhere here. Maybe someone else wanted a ride or it went back early."
"How disappointing. I was hoping I'd be able to see up with her soon."
"Gura?"
The short girl's attention shifted to the blood and sewage-covered girls. She screamed, dropping the canister and materialized a blue trident in her hands. Amelia waved her hands up.
"Gura it's me, Amelia!"
"A-ame?!"
"You know this girl, Watson?" Emma asked.
The detective nodded. "Yeah, she's the one who rescued me from the middle of the ocean."
"Who's she?" Gura asked, looking at the manager with red all over her clothes.
"Gura, this is Emma. Emma, this is Gura."
"What happened to you two? Why's Emma covered in blood? Why do you two smell like you crawled out of a sewer?"
"We don't have time for this," Emma said.
"It's a long story, we'll talk about it later. What are you doing in Innsmouth, Gura?"
"I came here cause I ran out of gas. There was that mean storm yesterday and I didn't realize I had no gas left. I was too far from Arkham so I stopped by here."
"Did you just arrive?"
"Yeah, about thirty minutes ago. I found some gas lying around so I decided to refuel here. I didn't see anyone around, so I thought this place was abandoned. Well, until you came in."
"Wait, is that a submarine?" Emma interjected, running towards the vehicle partially submerged into the water.
"Yup, the SS Hammerhead."
Emma turned to Amelia. "Watson, you know what this means."
The detective nodded. "Of course. Gura, you came at the perfect time."
"What's going on here? You two look like you've been through hell."
"There's no time to explain, we need to get inside now before-"
The three heard the sound of hundreds of footsteps quickly approaching their position. Gura stuck close to Amelia as they heard chanting outside in another language the detective had never heard of before. The three peeked outside, seeing Priest Andrew with his fish people congregation following behind him. They stood their ground right in front of the warehouse, the priest with a grin on his face. Fishmen with rifles stood beside him, guns at the ready.
"Come out, you two. We heard a scream coming from here. There are fifty of us and only two of you. Come out and accept the responsibility of appeasing our Lord Dagon."
"Who are they?" Gura asked.
"Cultists," Emma replied.
"Seriously? Like those crazy religious people in horror movies?"
"I will give you thirty seconds to surrender. If you do not comply we will have no choice but to use force. Know that you might not leave unharmed."
"He's crazy right, there's no way they'll do that," Gura's voice was becoming more jittery.
"Gura, refuel the sub now. We'll hold them off until you're done."
The girl nodded, returning to the submarine. Amelia and Emma ran to one of the broken boats scattered around the room and pushed them over to create a barricade at the door. It would not last, but it would at least give time for Gura to refuel and for them to plan out their strategy.
"What's the plan, Watson?"
"We just gotta defend our position until Gura gets finished fueling up. Once she's done, we're getting the hell out of here." Amelia pulled out her revolver and reloaded it with the little bullets she kept in her pocket. "Shit, I'm almost out of ammo."
"No worries, if you run out during the fight just go help Gura if she needs it and I'll take care of them."
Thirty seconds had passed. Priest Andrew turned to the man beside him, nodding. He and the first group advanced to the warehouse door. As they stepped inside, they spotted the barricade blocking the door and began to attempt to break it. The sound of bashing alerted the two.
"It's started," Emma unsheathed her sword.
"Gura, how's it going over there?"
"Need a few more minutes, it'll be up and running soon!"
An arm squeezed through the gaps of the barricade. Emma swung her blade down, slicing through the arm. The person on the other side screamed profanities at the top of his lungs. However the effort to break through did not cease and they continued despite one of their numbers being wounded. Gura watched the two as she refueled her sub, her heart beating rapidly. The tank was halfway filled, but the fish people were getting inside. Emma worked the most in fending them off, Amelia wanting to conserve her ammo as much as possible.
"Priest Andrew, we've come with the equipment."
"Good, prepare it at once."
Amelia turned to Emma with a nervous look on her face. The fish people placed something at the door and a bunch of them ran out. The two backed away from the barricade. Amelia could barely react when she heard the sound of an explosion. The force of the blast swept her off her feet into the air for a few seconds. Lying on the floor, she looked towards the barricade, now in shambles. Emma was only a few feet beside her, also recovering from the blast. Apart from the piercing ringing noise in her ears she heard Gura calling out her name. As she got to her feet she saw Emma standing, katana at the ready.
"We're ok Gura, hurry!" Amelia yelled out.
From the smoke a group of fishmen came in, rifles drawn. Emma pounced forward and slashed at the men across the chest before he could react. As the second man realized what happened, Amelia shot her first bullet, going through his head. She ran ahead, punching the third woman walking in and knocking her down. The detective holstered her gun and picked up the shotgun the second man held in his deceased hand. Emma finished taking care of the fourth man, driving her blade through him.
"I'm almost done here guys!" Amelia heard Gura shout.
Amelia peeked out the door and saw more fish people running towards them. She aimed her gun and took shots. The force of the shotgun rounds knocked them back onto each other. Even so, more people came forward.
"Damn, these bastards are persistent!" Amelia remarked as she fired again and again.
"Alright, we're in business!" Gura announced.
"Let's go, Watson!" Emma yelled, running to the sub.
"Right!"
Amelia left her position at the door, stepping over some corpses along her way to the submarine. Someone grabbed her from behind, knocking the wind out of her.
"You aren't leaving here." Priest Andrew struggled.
"Let go of me, you piece of shit!" Amelia elbowed the mad priest in the gut.
As he fell to the floor, the detective kicked him hard in the face, knocking him unconscious. Though he was heavy, Amelia dragged him to the submarine.
"What're you doing with him?!" Emma asked, confused.
"We're taking him with us! We need to know the truth about all this!"
"Fine, toss him inside!"
Amelia dropped his body down the top entrance of the sub. She knew the fall would not kill him. The climbed down as fishmen pouring into the warehouse opened fire on them. Closing the hatch, the submarine descended into the water. As soon as she knew they were safe underwater, she ran out of the control room. Emma and Amelia sat on the floor, panting heavily. The unconscious priest was tied to a chair.
"You two have got some explaining to do," Gura said, crossing her arms.
Amelia explained what had happened since their last meeting and introduced Emma to her again.
"So they chased you at night, you escaped through the sewers, and then met me?"
"Yeah. I wish we met again under better circumstances."
"It's alright, I'm glad you're safe. But what the heck were you two doing here in the first place, you should've known how dangerous it was!"
"She doesn't know?" Emma asked.
"What's she talking about?" Gura turned to Amelia, her eyes with desperate pleading. The detective knew she could not hide the truth any further, after everything that had happened.
"I..." she started. "I'm from the future."
"From the future?"
Amelia looked down. She proceeded to explain to Gura where she came from and the apocalypse that destroyed her future. A frown fell on Gura's face.
"That's horrible. I'm so sorry."
"I'm supposed to be the one apologizing for not telling you."
You...you should've told me."
"Sorry, when you picked me up, I just woke up from the time jump. I was just...so tired."
"It's ok, I forgive you. So the world...is going to end?"
"Not unless we find a way to prevent it."
"So you're trying to find this priestess to do that?"
"About that," Emma interjected. "Watson, didn't you say she was the one who destroyed your home?"
The detective nodded. "She attacked the town I lived in."
Emma took off her glasses. "She could be a possible ally. Are you sure you're fine with that?"
"If saving the world requires it, then I am."
Emma watched her for a moment as she wiped the lens with a cloth. "Alright, just asking."
"You two look like you need some food and rest," Gura commented.
Amelia shook her head. "Not yet, we still need to talk to him."
The three turned to the priest. He began to stir awake. Emma stood up from the floor. Opening his eyes, he started to struggle through his bindings once he realized the situation he was in.
Amelia crossed her arms. "It's no use trying to escape."
"Where am I?" Priest Andrew asked through gritted teeth.
"That's not what you should be worried about right now. We want the truth about this place."
"I'm not talking, especially to the likes of you."
"Oh really?" Emma stepped forward, "We'll make you talk sooner or later."
The priest sneered, "Do you intend to beat it out of me? Seems like something you savages would do."
"We're the savages? No sane person would lead an entire town to hunt down and sacrifice two outsiders."
"You slaughtered civilians."
"And you almost killed a girl who wasn't even part of this," Amelia gestured towards Gura, "Don't even try and guilt-trip us, it was self-defense, we had no choice. Now stop wasting our time and talk."
"You won't get a word out of me."
Emma turned towards the detective. "I don't think he's gonna tell us."
"He will, he just needs some encouragement."
Amelia reached down her leg and grabbed one of the syringes she had placed in a leather holder wrapped around her thigh. Light blue fluid splashed around inside as she pulled off the cap covering the needle. She stood next to the priest, who was now nervous.
"What are you going to do with that?" he asked.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Wait, Ame!" Gura called out, getting the detective's attention. "What's in it, we can't be just sticking needles into people without knowing what's gonna happen to 'em."
"I'm interested too," Emma concurred, staring at it.
"I call it the Watson Concoction. It's a truth serum my family uses when we interrogate suspects that won't talk or when we need answers fast."
"Does it have any side effects?" Emma asked.
"None. We've tested the serum on ourselves and had no bad reactions to it."
"So he'll be fine?"
"He should be, the Watson Concoction's never failed before," Amelia smiled.
The detective injected the serum into the priest's shoulder, who became docile once it was administered. He stared forward in a hypnotic trance.
"D'you wanna talk now?"
He slowly nodded.
"Alright then. Tell us the true history of Innsmouth."
"What I told you earlier about the origins of the town was true. However, I did not tell you about the Deep Ones."
"The Deep Ones?"
"An aquatic race with traits similar to you humans. The Order keeps one living in the sewers."
"We're familiar with it," Emma interjected.
"What does this have to do with the history of the town?"
"Obed Marsh formed an alliance with Lord Dagon and his people. In exchange for plentiful fish and rare minerals to sell to the outside, we would in turn worship Lord Dagon and mate with his people for generations to come."
Emma raised a brow. "Mate? If this has been going on for centuries, does that mean everyone in town is a Deep One?"
"All of the native residents of Innsmouth are Deep Ones, only humans working from outside are not. Though, I should not say they are Deep Ones, at least not yet. While they have aspects of our brothers and sisters living underwater, they are still human as well."
"So they're hybrids..."
"For a time. They shed their humanity as they grow old."
"I'm assuming this is where the Esoteric Order of Dagon come in."
"Yes, as I said before, our founder led this town for decades, shielding our community from outside threats. The great plague that swept Innsmouth never happened. Our founder was wrongfully interrupted during a holy ritual on Devil's Reef and was arrested. Our brethren underwater rose up and freed him, though not to the delight of some of the townsfolk."
"Some? Half of the people living in town then were killed," Amelia said.
"A necessary sacrifice to ensure the longevity of our town's survival."
"You keep mentioning the Deep Ones living underwater. They come from a city in the ocean, right?" Amelia asked.
Gura's interest piqued, she left the kitchen and stood next to Amelia.
"Y'ha-nthlei. Lord Dagon and his loyal subjects' home. When a Deep One renounces their humanity, they go into the sea to live with our lord for eternity."
"So that's why I saw readings on the radar when I was passing through the area before I landed on shore..." Gura commented.
"I told you about the raids of 1927, if I am not mistaken?"
Emma nodded. "Yes, the FBI destroyed the town because of your order's practices. Covered it up as a raid on an illegal alcohol smuggling ring."
"Close. Not only did they discover our practices, but they also found something else."
"The underwater city," Amelia replied.
"Precisely. They sent submarines to destroy our lord's great city."
"Did it work?" Gura asked.
"Of course not. Valiant warriors fought for Y'ha-nthlei's defense. Their attacks were repelled. Unfortunately they could not send any troops to defend Innsmouth our town was destroyed. We lived along the coast for many years afterwards, until our lord gave us the command to resettle and rebuild."
"How did he contact you?"
"The minds of all our brethren are connected, no matter the distance. We are a connected community."
Emma turned to Amelia, "So that's why everyone was onto us even if we were there for a day."
A nervous look appeared on the detective's face. "Wait...did you contact anyone while you were in here?"
"I did speak with Lord Dagon's closest knight. He should know that you will be arriving soon."
The three looked at each other.
Emma shrugged. "Well it wasn't like we were going to go the stealthy way in anyways."
"You're right. If know we're heading there right now, then we shouldn't keep them waiting. Alright, where's the city?"
"It is quite a distance under Devil's Reef, a few hundred miles down."
"Gura, can you take us there?"
The short girl nodded. "It'll take maybe an hour or two."
"Sounds good. Sorry to bring you into this mess."
"I'm too far into this to back out now. You did save me earlier, so it's my turn to help out. You two should eat and change. Leave your clothes in the laundry, I'll try to get it clean before we get there. You can use my room to rest."
Amelia smiled. "Thanks, Gura."
Gura walked into the control room, leaving the two and the priest alone.
"Is he gonna be awake for a while?"
"No the serum will knock him out in a few minutes."
The two headed into Gura's room and after taking turns changing in the bathroom, they stepped outside to see the priest fast asleep. They pulled up some chairs at the table next to the kitchen.
"Gura's clothes are really tight on me," Emma remarked.
Amelia chuckled. "Imagine how it feels for me."
The manager giggled. "Gura's nice."
"Hell yeah she is. I've honestly never met anyone more friendly than her."
"Where's she from?"
"Atlantis. When I met her she told me she wanted to go back."
"But doesn't she know that-"
"No. I didn't have the heart to tell her."
"Understandable. I wouldn't want to either."
"I still want to tell her, I just need to find the right way to."
"Good luck with that."
Gura came out. "We're on course! We're you two talking about something?"
Amelia shook her head, smiling. "Nothing, just about the mission."
"What's on the menu?" Emma asked.
Gura opened her fridge. "I've got some Hot Pockets in the freezer if that's cool with you guys."
"Haven't had one of those in a while," Amelia turned to Emma.
"I haven't eaten one in my life."
The shark girl and the detective gave the manager an incredulous look.
"You serious?" Amelia asked.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Gura said, grabbing three frozen packs, "Let's get you a fresh Hot Pocket!"
After a few minutes spent waiting, from the microwave game three, toasty Hot Pockets. Amelia wasted no time and took a bite into the steaming hot pizza pocket, her eyes widening as she remembered how intense the heat burned her tongue when it was fresh from the microwave. Gura had a similar, albeit more worse experience, as she ate half of the Hot Pocket in a single gulp. As the two desperately breathed in and out to get cold air in, Emma took a small bite out of her pocket, feeling the heat at first but then tasted the other flavors.
"What's the verdict, Emma?" Amelia asked.
"It's pretty good. I think I'll have this for a snack sometimes."
"Glad you liked it," Gura grinned.
Emma smiled. "So Gura, Watson here tells me you came from Atlantis."
The short girl nodded. "Yup, born and raised."
"How long have you been away?"
Gura hesitated for a moment. "About a few months or so."
"Why did you leave Atlantis, then?"
"My parents wanted me to travel around the world so I could have experience for my job later in life. I met Ame here a day ago while I was on my way back home."
"Sounds like your job's really important."
"Yeah, it does," Gura took a sip from her salmon milk. "It's a shame I don't even remember what it is."
Amelia raised a brow. "You don't remember?"
Gura shook her head. "Nope. It's been bugging me since you and I met. I dunno, it's nothing to be worried about right now."
Emma nodded. "Right. We need a plan once we get into the city."
"D'you think they'll attack us as soon as we're in range. The sub can take a beating, but I don't know if it can handle a head on attack."
"The priest already contacted them and told them we're heading there. I think it's safe to assume they'll be expecting us. The problem is if they decide to attack."
"Aren't there any weapons on board, Gura?" Emma asked.
"No, this sub wasn't made for war."
Amelia rested her cheek on her arm. "That means we're going into the viper's den without any way to protect ourselves..."
"We do have a hostage," Emma glanced towards the priest, "Maybe we can use him to stop them from attacking us?"
"Maybe, he was leading the cult. Who knows how valuable he is to Dagon?"
Emma shrugged. "Every way we look at it, they'll be expecting us. We'll just have to wing it. If things go wrong, so be it. We'll roll with the punches."
After having their little break, the two took a much deserved nap. Gura, left to herself, decided to start cleaning. She picked up their bloody, dirt-caked clothes and threw them into the washer. Setting a timer for herself and sitting on the captain's seat in the control room, she wrapped herself in a giant, cozy blanket, drifting off into sleep.
Gura found herself next to a river. She could hear the gentle flowing of the water. A breeze blew her white hair with the wind. The summer sun hung overhead, warming her body. She listened to the buzzing of cicadas and birds in the distance. Turning around, a tall mountain loomed miles away. The sub lightly breached the surface of the water. The rustling of grass and approaching footsteps grabbed her attention, yet as she thought she turned her head her body refused to comply with the command. She stood, completely still, staring at the scenery. A small village was nearby and a few kids were playing at the other side of the river from where she was standing. The footsteps stopped right behind her.
"Gura!" she heard a voice say.
She turned around.
The girl woke up back in the submarine. She rubbed her eyes, hearing the loud chimes from her phone alarm. Turning it off, she sat in silence. There was no light coming in from the outside, only two headlights illuminating the way forward and the various colors coming from the control console. A tear streamed down Gura's cheek and she quickly wiped it, confused.
"Why?"
When Amelia woke up, she felt slightly better than she did before she slept. Though her body ached from all the action that pushed it to its limits, the detective knew the job was not over yet. She would not sleep satisfied unless she knew where to go next. Sitting up, she heard the something in the room spark to life. Gura's voice could be heard through a speaker at the top of one of the walls.
"Rise and shine ladies, we're almost there."
Amelia saw her clean clothes sitting at the foot of the bed and went to get changed. Emma woke up soon after. Stepping into the control room, Amelia saw Gura huddled in a blanket with a box of salmon milk resting on the console in front of her. Amelia and Emma stood by the door.
"How's the priest doing?"
"Still sleeping," Amelia replied, "How's it looking out there?"
"I've been getting a couple of faint readings but it's nothing to be worried about."
"Hey, look over there," Emma pointed outside.
A bright dark green glowed in the distance. As the sub made its approach, Amelia could see shapes forming from the darkness. Formations resembling large, black coral reefs surrounded this glow. Light poured out from rectangular openings in the structures. The detective caught things moving in the dim glow, swimming across. From beside them, Amelia saw a Deep One holding a long spear in its hands staring at them, swimming along with the sub. More Deep Ones surrounded them from all sides, forcing Gura to halt it completely. From inside the sub, Amelia could hear the priest waking up and starting to talk.
"Let's get him."
Emma, her sword at her side, nodded. The two headed into the living room where Amelia released Priest Andrew from his bindings and forcing him to his feet. Pushing him into the control room, Amelia crossed her arms.
"Tell them we want an audience with Dagon."
"I have a better idea, why don't I tell them to tear this ship piece by piece?"
Emma raised the tip of the blade to the priest's throat. "We aren't in the mood for games, old man. Tell them now or we'll give you another dose of Watson's concoction."
"Why, you..." Priest Andrew grumbled, "Fine."
He looked at one of the Deep Ones in front of them. The Deep One looked around at its friends, conversing with them, until it turned back to the priest. He nodded.
"Lord Dagon has agreed to speak with you on the condition you do not bring harm to his subjects."
Amelia nodded. "Fine by us, we didn't want to hurt anyone anyways. Tell them to tell your boss we'll be there soon."
"The guards will escort us to Lord Dagon's temple."
"Sounds good."
Gura started the sub once more as the guards guided them through the city. Amelia saw Deep Ones being ushered into their homes, watching them from windows. Deeper into the town, the detective saw a giant tower of stone. Not only did the shape of the structure, which reminded her of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, intrigued her, but also the creature sitting at its peak. It was a beast similar to Dagon depicted in the painting at the church, but had noticeable differences. It had seven heads attached to long necks that looked in all directions with dead eyes. With its tail coiled up, the creature turned its attention to them as they passed by staring at them with all its seven heads. Priest Andrew stared at it in utter awe, kneeling at the floor.
"Mother Hydra..."
"Huh?"
"Lord Dagon's other half. She guards the prison below. Finally, to see her with my own eyes is a blessing."
"Didn't know the big guy had a wife," Emma remarked.
"What's in the prison?" Amelia asked.
"Unfathomable abominations too destructive to be kept free. Be thankful that Mother Hydra protects us."
The sub moved onward, reaching a massive temple. The entrance was large enough to fit fifty submarines through. Gura marveled at the sight, leaning forward in her chair to see the temple's ceiling above her. Giant windows lined the sides of the temple. The guards moved upward, prompting Gura to begin rising. As they ascended, the green glow became brighter and brighter, almost becoming blinding. The sub reached the surface. The three girls and Priest Andrew climbed out of the sub and stepped onto the stone platform in front of the sub. Climbing up some stairs, they found themselves in a vast room. The Deep Ones that had brought them there stood in two lines on Amelia's left and right. The group's footsteps echoed around across the expanse. In the center of the room was an imposing obelisk that towered over the group as they made their way deeper inside. The symbols Amelia and Emma saw in the painting were engraved into the pillar.
"This must be the temple's inner sanctum," Priest Andrew remarked.
The ground beneath them rumbled. A sinking feeling came in the detective's stomach, as she looked up at the pillar. Gura thought her heart would beat out of her chest. From behind the pillar, a creature rose from the depths. The priest kneeled on the floor in worship. A serpentine body wrapped around the obelisk with arms clinging on to it as well. The dead eyes of the gargantuan beast looked down at the four with a growl. A moment of tense silence set in, with the three girls speechless to start anything.
"My lord, forgive me for my incompetence," Priest Andrew broke the stillness.
"Silence! Your foolishness has led to the loss of a large number of my people. You bring failure and yet you still have the audacity to speak with me?" Dagon said in a guttural voice. "You two," he pointed at Amelia and Emma with a sharp finger. "I must respect you for having the courage to face me after what you two have done to my people."
"We didn't mean any harm," Amelia explained, "We just wanted to talk with you."
"Why would I speak with someone who has wronged my people?"
"We were trying to defend ourselves!"
"Lies! Guards, dispose of them."
The Deep Ones nodded and raised their spears, beginning to approach the group.
"Wait, this is bullshit! I thought you'd talk to us if we didn't hurt anybody!"
"I wanted to bring you here to execute you personally."
The guards closed in, ready to strike.
Emma unsheathed her katana. "This isn't looking too good."
"Well at least you've got a weapon."
Gura turned to Amelia. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
The shark girl closed her eyes and with a flash of blue light, a trident materialized in her hands.
"Halt," Dagon commanded. "That trident...little one, would you perhaps be an Atlantean?"
"Well...yeah. What's it to you?" Gura asked with a confused tone.
"What is an Atlantean doing with these savages?"
"They aren't savages! They're telling the truth, they were trying to protect themselves!"
"Priest, have you deceived me?"
The three glared towards Priest Andrew.
"No, my lord, they're lying! I would never lie to you!"
"Bullshit!" Emma shouted, "He tried to kill us, even Gura! She wasn't even a part of this!"
Dagon turned to Gura. The shark girl nodded.
"Take this priest to the prison. No one attempts to kill an Atlantean and gets away with it."
The guards took Priest Andrew away despite his pleas for help.
"She tells the truth, I see it in her eyes," Dagon declared, "Millions of years ago we were forced off our land by the Elder Things. We were a nomadic people until we met the Atlantians. They treated us with compassion and sympathy, helping us find a new home for ourselves. Without them, our people would have been wiped out long ago. We owe a great deal to the Atlantians for all they have done for us."
"Really? My parents never told me about this. I'm glad my people helped you out. I'm sorry this was all one big misunderstanding."
Dagon shook his head. "We should be apologizing."
"My friends need your help."
"Very well."
Gura nodded to Amelia. "I'm looking for a Great Old One. Are you one of them?"
"No, I am only the leader of my people, nothing more."
Amelia sighed. "Do you know where I can find one?"
"Perhaps."
"What do you mean?"
"In order for me to tell you you must promise me this: never tell your leaders on land anything about us. We would like to live in peace."
"And let you continue sacrificing innocents?"
"There is no room for negotiation."
Amelia sighed. "Fine."
"Seek the Great Dreamer in the ancient city of R'lyeh. My people have made pilgrimages to this place for millions of years. To meet the Great Dreamer, one must pass his trial."
"What kind of trial?"
"A perilous journey through the storm surrounding the island. Many pilgrimages end because of this challenge. But those who emerge victorious can live on the island in his domain. I may point you in the correct path, but success falls only under your own abilities."
"I'll get through this."
"We will see."
Amelia turned towards Emma and she stepped forward, taking out the peculiar red mask. "I wanted to ask you if you knew what this was."
Dagon grimaced, shielding his eyes. "Do my eyes deceive me? This mask, could it be?"
"What?"
"Dispose of the mask immediately. Nothing good will come out of keeping it."
"What is it?"
"Enough, I refuse to speak any longer. Do not test the powers of the Crawling Chaos. Discard it from your possession at once," Dagon turned to Gura, "It was nice to meet you, young Atlantian. May our paths cross again one day."
"Wait!"
Gura and Emma had little time to react before Dagon slithered back into the darkness once more, never to be seen again.
Amelia, Gura, and Emma stood at the docks of Arkham. The sun was beginning to rise in the horizon and the night began to recede. A few hours passed since their meeting with Dagon in the underwater city of Y'ha-nthlei. They left the city with applause from the citizens who saw Gura sitting at the control room of the submarine. All Gura could do was smile and wave with a blush on her face. Despite how peculiar the situation was, Amelia was happy for the shark girl. Emma stretched with a yawn.
"That was one hell of night."
Amelia chuckled. "You could say that again."
"So what's next for you?"
"Going to that island, of course. I need to find the priestess."
"You planning on going on your own, huh? Well I won't let you. I'm taking you there," Gura crossed her arms.
"Seriously?! It's gonna be dangerous!"
"Pfft, dangerous my butt. Don't you remember what just happened? If I could go through all that, then this should be a breeze. Besides, I don't want the world to end as much as you do. I'm not going home till we save the world."
The fiery look in Gura's eyes told Amelia all she needed to know.
She sighed. "Alright then. So what's next for you Emma?"
"I'm writing a report to the higher-ups about all this, about your situation and this whole mask business. I wonder why the big guy was so angry about it."
"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now," Amelia outstretched a hand, "It was nice working with you, Emma."
Emma took her hand and shook. "It was nice working with both of you too."
The manager reached into her pocket and pulled out a mildly wrinkled card. She handed it over to the detective, who notice the blue Hololive logo on the front.
"Here's my business card, call me if you need anything."
Amelia nodded. Emma walked into town, leaving the two.
"Well, it's time to set sail for that island."
"It might take a while, wanna play some games on the way?"
Gura grinned. "You know it."