Chosen Chapter 13: From the Deep
Part 5
Xxx
On a large and luxurious yacht in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Ambrose stood on the front deck with his eyes closed. In his hands he held the Staff of Magnus, which was glowing in a pale blue light. When he held the staff to the left, the glow became stronger and the yacht magically altered its course accordingly. Ambrose opened his eyes and let go of the staff, though it kept hovering. It would not be long now, he could feel he was getting closer.
Ambrose turned and stepped onto the lower deck, where he poured himself a drink with some ice. He took his phone out of his jacket pocket and dialed a number as he sat down.
"Hello son. It's your father." Ambrose said. "Can you give me an update?"
Ambrose took a sip as he heard what his son had to say. "Good." He eventually said. "We are proceeding as planned. Your siblings are gathering what we need as we speak. Soon the first step will be completed. We are depending on you for step two. Do not disappoint me."
Ambrose hung up the phone and smiled proudly. The time of the Wizards was almost upon them, a new dynasty would rule this world. He had waited long enough, and he would make sure nothing stood in their way.
Xxx
While the others went off to confront the Sea Hag, Violet stayed behind at the house with Arthur. She had convinced him it was only because they needed potions, but there was another reason. Billie and Duncan were worried that Arthur was being controlled by Ambrose. They suspected that he had done more than just erase his memories. Violet did not want to believe them, as she loved Arthur, but she could not deny there was reason to doubt.
Violet headed to the kitchen with a small piece of paper in her hands. She had written a spell to reveal the truth, though she hoped she didn't need to use it. As she was about to enter the kitchen, she heard Arthur on the phone.
"No, I understand." Arthur said to the person on the other hand. "Don' worry. I will handle it."
Violet waited until he hung up and entered the kitchen. "Hey, were you on the phone?" She asked innocently.
"Yeah… That was Ben." Arthur quickly said as he turned around. "He wanted me to go over his lecture."
"I see." Violet replied. "So how are the potions coming along?"
"I think they're about done." Arthur said as he stirred the large pot on the stove. "These should pack quite the punch."
"Billie said it was one of Piper Halliwell's recipes." Violet said.
"That explains it." Arthur replied.
Violet headed to the cupboard to get the potion bottles and slipped the spell into her pocket. She didn't want to use it without trying to talk to him first.
"So how are you feeling?" Violet asked. "After what your father did?"
"It feels strange." Arthur replied. "Like the last few weeks have been some kind of weird nightmare, like I wasn't myself. He invaded my mind, took my memories."
"So do you feel like yourself again?" Violet asked.
"I think I'm getting there." Arthur said. "The worst part is that it drove a wedge between us. I feel guilty about it."
"It wasn't your fault." Violet replied.
"Part of it was." Arthur admitted. "Bryant came to me the night of your party. I could have said no, but a part of me was curious. I just wanted answers."
"You've been searching for a long time." Violet said.
"Aren't you ever curious?" Arthur asked. "I know you love your adoptive parents, but you don't know where you come from either."
"I…" Violet said hesitantly, thinking about the letter her parents had given her. Lately she had been wondering, but now was not the time to discuss it. She needed to know Arthur was still the one she fell in love with. "No, not really." She eventually said.
"I wish I could let it go." Arthur replied. "But it's like an obsession for me."
"I'm sorry the answers weren't what you hoped." Violet said.
"Thanks." Arthur replied. "I'm glad we can talk about this."
"Me too." Violet said hesitantly, knowing she had to ask more directly. "So after, you know, what your father did. Are you sure you're okay?"
"What do you mean?" Arthur asked with a frown.
"Well, maybe this sounds stupid." Violet replied. "But are you sure that he just took your memories?"
"Wait, do you think he did something else?" Arthur asked.
"I don't know." Violet said. "Maybe."
"Where is this coming from?" Arthur asked.
"Uh… well. I mean, we don't really know what Ambrose is capable of." Violet explained. "And we don't know exactly what he is planning."
"He wants to reclaim this world for his kind." Arthur said angrily. "By any means necessary. I could never agree to that. I can't believe you think I'm involved."
"I don't think that." Violet said. "I know you would never join him willingly."
"But you think he might be controlling me or something?" Arthur asked.
"Well, Billie pointed out that it was possible." Violet replied. "You might not even realize it. He did mess with your mind after all."
"But I would know." Arthur argued. "I feel fine. I finally feel like myself again."
"And I really want to believe it." Violet said as she took his hands and looked him deep in his eyes. "But can you say with absolute certainty that he is not still affecting you?"
"I…" Arthur started saying, but then Violet noticed the hesitation in his eyes. He let go of her and took a few steps back. "You're right. I cannot be absolutely certain. After all, he is a master at illusions and mind manipulation. You're right not to trust me."
"I do trust you." Violet assured him. "I love you."
"I love you too." Arthur replied. "That's why we cannot take any chances. I should go."
"No, wait." Violet said. "I wrote a spell."
"What kind of spell?" Arthur asked.
"To reveal the truth." Violet replied as she got the piece of paper from her pocket. "I wrote it just in case, but I didn't want to use it without telling you."
"I think you should use it." Arthur said determined. "Lock me in a crystal cage and cast the spell. If Ambrose's evil is still influencing me, at least I know you will be safe."
"Alright." Violet said reluctantly.
A few moments later, Arthur stood in the middle of the living room, surrounded by five glowing crystals. Violet stood in front of him with the spell, her hands were trembling slightly. At heart, she knew Arthur was himself, but her mind still wondered what if. Arthur noticed her doubt and nodded reassuringly. Violet smiled faintly and cast the spell.
"Forces of light hear my pleas,
Help set this troubled mind free,
Reveal to us what is unknown,
Is his mind truly his own?"
When Violet finished the spell, Arthur became surrounded in a pale glow. At first nothing happened, but then he slumped over and started coughing. Concerned, Violet stepped forward, but froze when he suddenly shot up. The air around Arthur rippled and he transformed into someone else. Violet gasped as she recognized him from her premonition.
"Miss Morgan, I presume." Ambrose said politely.
"What did you do to Arthur?" Violet asked.
"All I did was try to make him see the bigger picture." Ambrose replied.
"You manipulated him, played with his mind." Violet said. "How could you do that to your own son?"
"He failed to see the truth." Ambrose said. "His place is with his own kind. His family."
"Arthur would never side with you." Violet said. "You killed the Tribunal, you're planning to kill Nadia for her immortality. You're a monster."
"I am merely a father trying to secure his legacy." Ambrose replied.
"Are you controlling him?" Violet asked.
"No. I still have hope my son will come to me on his own free will." Ambrose replied. "What you're talking to is merely an illusion. A fragment of my power that lingered in his mind. I was surprised you were able to trigger his memories. You must share a special bond."
"We love each other." Violet said.
"Love is just another trick of the mind." Ambrose stated. "Your relationship cannot last. I suggest you end it before the choice is no longer yours."
"You won't get between us." Violet said in an attempt to sound defiant, though her voice was trembling.
Ambrose smiled unimpressed as the air around him rippled and his image faded. Arthur fell to his knees and coughed until a small cloud of smoke poured out of his mouth and evaporated. Violet kicked away one of the crystals and kneeled down next to him.
"What happened?" Arthur asked confused.
"You don't remember?" Violet asked.
"No, when the spell took effect, I blacked out." Arthur said. "Did it work?"
"Yes, it did." Violet replied. "Your dad wasn't controlling you, but a part of him was still hidden in your mind. He is gone now."
"Are you sure?" Arthur asked.
"Yeah, I saw him." Violet said. "That black smoke you coughed up was the last of his power. But I don't think he is going to give up. He seems determined."
"Did he threaten you?" Arthur asked angrily. "What did he say?"
"It's not important." Violet said in an attempt to convince herself, as Ambrose scared her more than she wanted to admit.
Xxx
As Ambrose's yacht neared its destination guided by the staff, Bryant and Harper appeared on deck through spirals of blue energy. They were spent from hunting merfolk and in much need of a shower, some food and sleep. The siblings went to the lower deck and found their father sitting at a table filled with everything they could possibly desire and more. Bryant's stomach rumbled as he saw it, though he tried to suppress it. He didn't want to seem weak in front of his father.
"Come, sit, my children." Ambrose said as he gestured them to sit down. "You must be hungry."
"Thanks, dad." Harper replied as she sat down and poured herself an orange juice. Bryant followed and reached for the sandwiches.
"Did you find what we need?" Ambrose asked.
"We caught six of them." Harper said. "They're all trapped under the mansion ready to be stripped of their precious immortality."
"That would suffice for now." Ambrose replied. "Did they give you much trouble?"
"Nothing we couldn't handle." Bryant said quickly. "We can go back and catch more."
"It can wait." Ambrose replied.
"How many are we going to need in the end?" Harper asked. "You never told us how many of us there are anyway."
"There is a reason for that." Ambrose said. "Some are not old enough to join our cause yet, others are fulfilling other purposes. Our family shall be complete when our task is done."
"What other purposes?" Bryant asked.
"As I explained before, reclaiming this world takes time." Ambrose said. "The right steps need to be taken. I don't want to rush it and make mistakes."
"I can be of more use, father." Bryant said. "I can reduce our enemies to rubble."
"You're already fulfilling an important task." Ambrose replied. "Without our immortality, our reign would end before it can truly begin. I want to secure our legacy for the coming centuries, not mere decades."
"When are we going to hear the rest of the plan?" Harper asked bored. "I'm over our little fishing trip. I want to have some fun."
"Patience, dear." Ambrose said with a smile.
"That really isn't one of my virtues." Harper replied.
"Do you have any virtues?" Bryant remarked.
"You're right, I'm mostly a vice girl." Harper replied with a wink.
"All of that will change once our goals have been reached." Ambrose said. "After all, you will be royalty then. Now eat up and get some sleep. We're almost there."
Ambrose rose from his chair and left the room. Harper and Bryant finished their meal in silence and then retreated to their cabins. Bryant took a long steamy shower and dropped down on his bed to get some sleep. The closer they got to their goal, the more worried he became. First there was just him and his father, then came Harper and Arthur, now even more mysterious siblings were out there. He needed to prove himself. He had a purpose, he had importance, and he was not going to hand it over to someone less deserving. Especially not to a weak traitor like Arthur.
Despite his troubled mind, Bryant eventually drifted away until Harper knocked and entered his room. "Get dressed." She said. "Father wants to see us on deck."
After she left, Bryant got up and quickly changed into some fresh clothes. He followed her upstairs and joined his father on the top deck. Ambrose stood at the front of the yacht with the Staff of Magnus in his hand. The stone on the top was glowing brightly.
"We're here." Ambrose said.
"I don't see anything." Harper noted.
"It sunk to the ocean floor after it was destroyed, stupid." Bryant remarked as he rolled his eyes.
"So we've going to dive down?" Harper asked.
"Not quite." Ambrose replied.
Ambrose held out the staff and started chanting in an ancient langue that sounded strangely familiar to Bryant. Storm clouds gathered and lighting sparked around them. Waves crashed against the yacht as an enormous whirlpool opened. Suddenly the towers of a ruined city rose up. Bryant watched in amazement as an entire island was lifted from the bottom of the ocean. In the middle of the island stood the withered ruins of a once magnificent city.
When the entire island was surfaced, the weather calmed and Ambrose dropped the staff. He stumbled and Bryant caught him before he fell. "That look a lot of energy." Ambrose said panting.
"You did it, daddy." Harper said excited.
"Are you alright?" Bryant asked.
"I'll be fine." Ambrose replied. "It has been so long since I saw those towers. They were beautiful once. We will make sure they will be again."
Xxx
In the underwater cavern, Billie and the others were about to leave with a teleportation potion when the entire cavern started trembling. Billie lost her balance and tripped into Nick, though he caught her in his arms. When the trembling stopped, she noticed he was smiling at her, so she quickly got on her feet tried to ignore him. Why did he have to be so annoying?
"So you are falling for me after all." Nick remarked.
"I tripped." She replied annoyed. "And seriously, lamest line ever."
"What the hell just happened?" Duncan asked.
"I felt it." Ridley replied as he looked up to the surface. "The entire ocean felt it. Atlantis has risen."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Nathan asked.
"A very bad thing." Billie and Duncan replied in unison as they exchanged concerned looks.
xxx