The oysters mouth gave a great groan, like a mighty beast denied its meal, and slowly began to drift closed. If Galadria was expecting some greater display of trouble, a shuddering of the earth, a crashing of the waves, thunder far overhead, she was sadly disappointed. Virulina, however, seemed to shine with the same luster as the pearl, as if its magical power was somehow enhancing her own magical abilities.
Even so...
"Merklynn forbade us moving the pearl! You know how important it is!" she said, snatching up her sword. It moved clumsily through the water, but it was a piercing weapon, it would provide minimal resistance with a simple thrust. In that respect it would serve better than Virulina's axe at least, which would have to deal with water resistance more fully as a slashing tool.
Perhaps knowing this, Virulina drifted backwards through the water, keeping her bronze weapon up defensively. "Darkstorm offered me a fortune if I got this too him," the dark-haired lady replied. "And if he can't meet my price, well, I can always find someone else who can."
"You selfish stupid witch!" Galadria snapped. "How can you only think about yourself?!"
"It's what keeps me alive!" growled Virulina. "Not everyone was lucky enough to be protected by their own stupid kingdom when all the power went out! Some of us had to fight to survive!"
Galadria's crystal blue eyes narrowed dangerously as she tentatively swam forward, keeping close to the ocean floor so she had something to push off of when the time came. She knew a fight was inevitable at this point, but she had to try and talk down the Darkling Lady anyway. Or at least threatening to acquiesce. Galadria held the clear advantage her with her totem still an option and her weapon better designed for aquatic combat.
"Virulina... don't make me hurt you!" she warned.
The dark-haired lady laughed, bubbles erupting from her lips to float upwards. "You? Hurt me?! HA!"
Thrusting her axe through the water in an awkward attack, Virulina forced Galadria back, then kicked her legs for all they were worth, swimming for the exit from the reef that they'd entered through. Galadria was right on her tail, kicking off the ocean floor and knifing through the water sword first to aid in her speed.
Sensing her close behind, Virulina turned as she entered the exit tunnel. Lashing out with her axe, Virulina severed a cluster of fire coral, letting them float down between the two of them as Galadria quickly backtracked to avoid the poisonous structure. It formed a natural barrier between them as the dark-haired lady turned and kicked her feet, swimming away. Seconds later, her form shimmered and vanished in a glow of purplish energy, replaced by a violet shark which more swiftly slid through the water and out of view. The new color gave Galadria momentary pause, evidently it was a sign of the pearl's magic. But that wasn't important right now.
Virulina was getting away with the Pearl of Nyseis. And Galadria could do nothing to stop her.
Determined not to let the treacherous Virulina escape unpunished, Galadria used her short sword to push the fire coral out of her path. It was difficult, awkward work, coupled by the complication of the water's weight and the fact that she had only one item with which to manipulate it, but she dare not let any of her uncovered skin touch the stuff. Finally, a path was clear, and she wasted no time in bolting for it and assuming her totemic form immediately.
A bright blue dolphin shot out of the reef like a torpedo, instantly searching the surrounding waters for Virulina's distinctive purple shark form. There was no immediate sign of her in the vicinity, but if Galadria was a betting woman she'd imagine Virulina was making a straight line back towards Dagger Point. She took off swimming as fast as she could in the same direction, smashing right through a school of fish in her way and scattering them in all directions as she flapped her tail fin as fast as she could.
She had to catch up to Virulina before she reached the shore. If she got back on land, there was no possibly way Galadria could fight her all by herself. Worse, knowing Virulina, the rest of the Darkling Lords could easily be there. Ready to defend her and her prize.
I can't let that happen, Galadria thought. Faster! Must go faster!
Her blue dolphin form was a blur as she sped through the water like a guided torpedo.
At first it seemed hopeless, and Galadria even worried for a moment she might have mistaken Virulina's intent. If she was bound for another destination the Spectral Dame would never catch her, and she'd have to return to Merklynn alone with terrible news.
But just as she was about to give up hope, she caught a splash of purple up ahead amidst the dark waters. Speeding towards it, Galadria was pleased to discover it was indeed the familiar shape of a finned predator she knew all too well. And with Virulina trying to swim away from her, she had no way of knowing that Galadria was closing the distance between them. Forward facing eyes on predatory species, like the shark, did not allow for great peripheral vision like those enjoyed by the dolphin.
Galadria closed the distance, saving a bit of her strength for her opening attack. When she was close enough she dove a level under Virulina and came speeding up, slamming her snout into the soft underbelly of her shark opponent. Such was the force of the blow that it knocked Virulina back through the water, forcing her to revert to her humanoid form as the magic waned within her.
Exhausted, the blonde warrior also assumed her humanoid form, unable to maintain her dolphin shape any longer. She needed a moment to recover before attempting it again. None the less, she drew her sword and prepared to fight.
Grimacing in pain, Virulina none the less quickly reached for her axe, swinging it awkwardly through the water in an effort to lop Galadria's pretty blonde head clean off her shoulders. The orb was kept tucked under her free arm.
Galadria ducked and thrust hard with her short sword. Not a lethal blow, but one designed to end this conflict quickly. A jab through her legs or feet would cripple the dark-haired witch with pain. Virulina, however, saw her attack coming, and countered the blonde with her axe, twisting it through the water and knocking the short sword out of her grip, letting it drift downwards towards the ocean's floor.
Determined not to be the only one disarmed, Galadria lashed out with a kick, striking Virulina's wrist and causing her to drop her own weapon, though she clung all the more tightly to her prize now with both arms. A wave of light engulfed her as she again assumed the form of the shark, snapping a mighty maw of teeth at Galadria, who barely managed to avoid such. She struck Virulina's vulnerable purple belly then twisted and rolled, assuming her own aquatic form. A blue dolphin angled away then came speeding back for another pass as Virulina again attempted to make a run for it.
Under the water, in humanoid form, their speed was more or less even, both having equal experience and training in swimming. But when it came to their totemic forms, the dolphin was a fin faster than the shark, and Galadria again slammed her snout into the sickly violet predator's vulnerable belly, knocking her off-course and forcing her to revert to her humanoid form again.
Growling, bubbles slipping from her lips, Virulina lashed out with a fist, smacking it upside the blue dolphin's head and reverting it to its own natural state. Without warning she dove, kicking her legs hard. Tossing the pearl aside at the last moment, she wrapped her hands tightly around Galadria's pale throat, intent to choke the life out of her. Instinctively, the Spectral Dame tried to grab the hands and pry them off, but Virulina was every bit as strong as she was and had momentum on her side. Her grip was like iron. Switching tactics, Galadria rolled backwards, using the water's momentum to throw Virulina forward and lashing out with a knee to her gut, sending her tumbling through the water. She managed to recover the pearl before Galadria could reclaim it.
They seemed evenly matched, as they reverted to their animal forms once again and circled each other, looking for an opening or a weakness. Neither could overpower the other in either of their forms, and they had almost equal experience fighting in a three dimensional environment such as the sea. They'd lost their weapons, and there was no way anyone or anything could aid either of them now. This would be a battle determined by who wanted to win more.
And in the end, that proved to be Galadria.
Once more too weak to hold onto their animal forms, Galadria ducked under an underwater punch that was meant to break her jaw, swimming downwards and grabbing Virulina's ankle to tug her the same direction. Virulina kicked, but Galadria had already let go of her leg and swam upwards, jabbing her in the stomach and forcing Virulina to tuck into a tight ball. However, she under-estimated how quickly she'd recover, and Virulina kicked out with both legs, striking Galadria in the shoulders and sending her flying backwards through the water.
I have to finish this soon, Galadria thought. Between their exertions both physical and magical, they were both going to run out of air soon. The blonde dame reared back her arm and collected all her strength for her next strike, intending it to be her last. Even so, she waited for a chance to use it, maintaining her discipline and calm. Virulina, but contrast, had gone axe crazy without her axe, lashing out with all of her limbs in quick strikes that did not come near hurting Galadria, though a few bounced off her shoulders awkwardly thanks to the water resistance.
Virulina jabbed hard at Galadria's pretty face, intent to break her nose. Ducking under her enemies clumsy strike, Galadria swung her fist up and smashed it into the Darkling Lady's delicate jaw, feeling a satisfying crack as her head snapped back. Virulina tumbled end-over-end through the water, having been knocked unconscious, until she drifted down towards the ocean floor, bubbles trickling from her mouth towards the surface.
Rubbing her knuckles, Galadria swam down to reclaim the pearl... pausing only briefly when she saw Virulina settle in the muck nearby. She'd drown if she didn't regain consciousness soon and assuming her shark form. Galadria tried to slap her awake, but it seems she couldn't quite bring her around. Perhaps her magical power was all but spent. In which case she was going to die. And it would be the Spectral Dame's fault if she perished. The blood would be on her hands.
I will live to regret this, Galadria mused, mind already made up.
In the end, she did the honorable thing and dragged Virulina with her back to the reef, helping her into the clearing where water was like air with seconds to spare. Pressing two fingers to her throat, Galadria found a pulse, and was relieved when the Darkling Lady began to breathe more easily. Being unconscious definitely seemed to help ease the transition from water to air.
Leaving her to rest unconscious on the bottom of the reef, Galadria swiftly returned the Pearl of Nyseis to its resting place within the great oyster. It gave another low groan and began to open up again, and she breathed a watery sigh of relief. It seemed no permanent damage had been done, though they would have to await final word from Merklynn on that score. What little of magic Galadria knew wouldn't fill a mouse's teacup.
That task done, Galadria scooped up Virulina, took as deep a breath as she could manage, and swam them out of the reef, heading for the surface the instant they left the maze of fire coral. Her legs kicked and kicked as she pushed them as fast and hard as she could towards the surface, managing to make it seconds before her lungs began to burn once more.
What I wouldn't give for a modern air tank, she mused as she sucked in another lungful of air. Still, she had it easier than Virulina as she too surfaced. This proved to be the last jolt to her system that the dark-haired Visionary needed to return to consciousness. It was not a gentle awakening.
She spluttered, coughing heavily, water surging out of her lungs as she exhaled the last of it to clear her airway. For a moment Galadria just watched her, hoping she wouldn't drown, but sensing any attempt to help her would only be met with contempt.
Cough. "Why...?" Cough. "Why didn't you leave me to die?" demanded Virulina, looking like nothing so much as a waterlogged rat. She brushed some wet locks of hair out of her eyes, tucking them behind her ear.
Galadria sighed wearily. She'd half been expecting a thanks, but she should have known better than to expect something like that from Virulina. She was utterly impossible. She was backstabbing, treacherous, unscrupulous and two-faced as a chimaera.
So why had she been saved again?
"Well..." Galadria replied slowly. "... I guess I might still need you someday."
Still trying to clear her airways, Virulina managed a weak chuckle at that, finding the words darkly ironic with the situation reversed. But it was true, she supposed. They'd both saved each other once, so that put them at about even for now. It was all so ridiculous she couldn't help but laugh. Galadria tried to hide her own mirth behind her hand, but the look on her face told Virulina plain as day she was laughing too. In seconds, both of them were giving full blown guffaws that made their bellies hurt and their lungs burn from lack of air.
Life was utterly full of irony, and Galadria couldn't help but appreciate it here, even as she felt her whole body ache from her exertions. Thankful all her wounds had healed, owing to the magic of her totem, but she felt utterly exhausted. And the two of them still had to bring the kelp they'd collected back to Iron Mountain and Merklynn's shrine, and with little time left to spare.
Galadria sank back into the water until her blonde hair floated in it, and blew out a stream of bubbles in frustration.
This was going to be a long day.
Authors Notes:
By now it's become obvious that in the real world one or both of the girls would have drowned by now, magic or no. But this is a cartoon made in the 80s, and subject to the same lazy observance of real world physics and mechanics. Plus, as TV Tropes would say, A Wizard Did It. They can stay under water as long as I damn well want them to. So there.
When the cover artwork that inspired the story was commissioned, Galadria's shark form was made purple by accident. The effect was incorporated into the story as a side effect of the pearl. 80's animation was rife with the same sort of thing all the time.