Savior Of The Seven Kingdoms Chapter 6
Precautionary extreme measures have to be taken. Ariel can't afford to ignore this any longer or risk disaster.
Pure pandemonium is near.
Which is why Ariel is now currently rocketing towards Atlantis as fast as she could go.
First Bruce Wayne suddenly shows up out of the blue in Iceland searching for her, requesting she join a team he's building, and then demanding answers about the Mother Boxes.
Now there's even more signs of undeniable danger to come.
Ariel has just rescued a fisherman in Scotland after his fishing vessel the Cortlandt had overturned in stormy seas claiming that monsters fell from the sky that tore right through his boat. Ariel had been very hard pressed to believe him until she found a green gooey residue on her fingers that was sticking to the man's raincoat. A huge warning went off in Ariel's head as she recognized it for what it is. All of a sudden the fisherman's story didn't sound all nonsense.
Ariel has to get to the Mother Box first before Steppenwolf and his legions of Parademons get their grimy hands on it.
And so this is the main reason Ariel is heading to the underwater Kingdom Xebel. From her past lessons with Vulko she knows this is where the Mother Box Atlantis was charged with protecting is being heavily guarded. In secret Vulko had showed her where the Temple is located once just in case the circumstances one day would require her to go and defend it. Despite her petty grudge against Atlantis that is irrelevant compared to what's really going on right now.
Unfortunately for Ariel she arrived too late.
By the time Ariel arrived the corpses of slaughtered Xebel guardsmen are littered in the vicinity. Steppenwolf was locked in single combat with Mera the Princess of Xebel. It appears as if the proven warrior princess is holding her own against this mighty foe.
But how quickly the tables can turn on someone.
Steppenwolf broke free of the whirlpool Mera had trapped him in.
Somehow Steppenwolf broke free and now has Mera by the neck. He then tosses Mera hard into a column knocking the breath out of her.
Before Steppenwolf does not have the chance nor opportunity to land the fatal finishing blow that's where Ariel steps in to save her.
Steppenwolf sees Ariel coming as she bullets within the sanctum, turning his attention and fury onto her. Steppenwolf launches his battle-axe at Ariel hoping to impale her in the head. Ariel agilely dodges the weapon. It ends up implanted deeply in the wall. The two of them now engage in a lock of fierce battle. Ariel may have far more experience fighting on dry land, but she's still a descent warrior in the oceans.
Regrettably it's still not enough.
Steppenwolf gets what he came for after rendering Ariel out of the way.
Retrieving his battle-axe Steppenwolf gets his hands on the Mother Box. He activates its power teleporting out of there with the prize in hand. Carnage is all he left behind leaving Mera and Ariel the only survivors in the sanctum. All of the guardsmen were floating around dead.
Mera now creates an enlarged air bubble so the two of them can converse in private.
Walking over to Mera, circling her in concern to speculate her condition, Ariel said "You took a hell of a hit. You all right?"
Mera and Ariel aren't exactly what you would call best friends. Around the same time Vulko first took Ariel here to see the Mother Box is when he introduced her to Mera. The reason for this is as the future Queen of Atlantis, Vulko wants her to have well placed allies when the time is right to assert her claim to the throne.
Since then, well…let's just say they don't really get along too well. Ariel has tried, but Mera's attitude leaves a lot to be desired.
Exhibit A.
"At last," said Mera, scornfully, sarcastic. "The firstborn of beloved Queen Atlanna."
Mera basically hates her because Ariel prefers to stay out of Atlantean affairs and integrate herself with the surface.
Rolling her eyes Ariel made to leave, not willing to tolerate this type of bullshit from her again. She has every single time at other encounters in the past.
"Wait. Please," sighed Mera, saying the latter as if it physically pains her.
Ariel turned to face Mera wearing a deadpan uncaring expression.
"I knew her," said Mera, softly.
Eyes narrowed, Ariel said "Well that makes one of us."
"When my parents fought in the wars, she took me in," admits Mera.
"What a saint," spat Ariel, disrespectfully.
Insulted in Atlanna's name, Mera said "You dare speak of Queen Atlanna that way?"
"Your Queen left me on my father's doorstep and never gave me another thought," corrected Ariel, frowning.
"Your mother left you to save your life," rebuked Mera, reminding her of that important factor. "You cannot imagine how it hurt her. What it cost her."
"Oh I can picture it just fine," disagreed Ariel, sneering. "I see it everyday when each time my father stares at the ocean waiting for my mother to come home. And a daughter who can do nothing to ease that pain, the suffering. A useless child."
"But you're not a defenseless child now. It would have been her responsibility to follow that monster to the surface and stop it. Now it's yours," declares Mera, firmly.
Nodding, Ariel said "Fine. Them I'm going to need something from you."
Ariel hasn't touched her mother's trident in years. After Vulko finally came clean about her mother's demise she declined ever having anything to do with the thing. The only time she did is when Vulko made her during weapons practice. When her training was complete that was it. Xebel was charged with keeping it safe because Mera had been so close to Atlanna.
But now Ariel needs it back. Some armor for battle wouldn't hurt either.
Authors Note:
Hope you all like this one! I certainly did writing it! ;D