Pain . . . anger . . . rage . . . bitterness. Only a few singular thoughts settle in the creature's mind as it drifts through the dark waters of Atlantis. He had thought it would be far more satisfying to see the dead bodies. Alas looking at them now, it is so pathetic. Women. And children. And little males with big dreams. They are not the fish he had hoped to catch.
"Daniel," he growls. The Atlantean hybrid drifts through the shadows to his side.
"My Lord."
"You assured me my daughter would be here."
A nervous flicker passes through the blues of his eyes. "And she should have been my lord. The dose of the nanites . . ."
"You question my calculations boy?"
"No!" A little bit too fast and he has to clear his throat. "Of course not my lord. I am simply saying that I was sure she would be out cold."
"Unless . . ." How unfortunate it would be if it were so. "The would be King thinks he can oppose me does he? I will have to set that notion to rest. Take Keresis. Take the creature. I want what is left of this wreckage rounded up. Let us see how far the King can bend before he breaks."
"No, no . . ."
He can't believe he's doing this. It's madness. It's insanity. They're both going to end up as two dead floating bodies, lost to the sea. But the darkness . . . if it is what he thought it was . . . there is nowhere in the ocean where she would be safe.
"Why didn't you leave me alone?!" Aeryn sighs as he half pulls her through the tunnels. "I was going to die and you were going to be a King again and I was going to make amends for what I did . . ."
"Make amends?" Orm growls. "Is that thing messing with your head?"
"Yes if you must know they are!" she hisses as she yanks his arm from her waist. "I didn't ask for your help! The lights going out? That means they're here, up there, right now with your people, probably looking for me, and if you think I'm going to hide out here just because I'm afraid of something that may or may not happen, than you're wrong!"
She had just started moving in the opposite direction when the walls began to shake. When the balls of flame began to flicker and the rubble begins to come down. Instantly he shields her, covering her body with his but it is short lived. A few tentative moments sees them lying there in the dark. Imagine a knife slowly piercing your wrist. Feel the trepidation. Then the shock. Then the pain, burning pain, start coming. So it is as whatever is above their heads moves forward. It stops. Orm covers her mouth. Silence. Nothing coming from either way but it feels like there should be. Then, the creature keeps on moving as they exhale a sigh of relief.
"Aeryn," Orm whispers, their mouths centremeters apart. "If you attempt to leave my side, I'll knock you out. Do you understand me?"
"You wouldn't dare." He raises an eyebrow. She gulps. "Alright."
"Let that be the end of that. What was that thing?"
The second she tries to speak, her throat chokes up. Not a word. She knows what it is. Where it came from. Why it's here. But the more she tries to enunciate, the more pain it causes, so she settles for a sad smile. "I don't know."
"It won't get down here," Orm promises, squeezing her hand.
"You seem very sure."
"I know it won't," Orm sighs. "Come now." He brushes a strand of hair from her face. "Let's get a move on."
It is some time there, going through the tunnels. It feels as if they abandon one trap only to walk into another one, and there they go, into the maw of the beast.
"Ah . . . yes . . . yes . . ."
What power! How glorious it feels just to touch the fringes of the light! Centuries imprisoned could not quell their hatred. And now even to behold the young King and the woman . . . it fills their empty hearts with something akin to happiness.
"She is here . . ."
"But the King . . ."
"Send him back in pieces . . ."
"No . . . he loves this one . . . our salvation . . . let him watch as we strip her from his mind . . . when we have her heart . . . awaken we will from our slumber . . ."
"To have Atlantis?"
"And the world. Take them now."