Chosen Chapter 13: From the Deep

Part 7

Xxx

With each step they took up the stairs of the tower, Violet felt more uneasy. She knew who was waiting for them at the top, but she had no idea what to expect. Ambrose terrified her in more ways than one, especially due to his connection to Arthur. He was nothing like his father, he was good and kind, but she knew Ambrose would never give up on his son. He would do anything in his power to corrupt Arthur and tear them apart. She could not let that happen.

"We're almost at the top." Billie said as they slowed down their pace.

"Remember what we talked about." Arthur said. "Anything we see up there can be an illusion."

"Got it." Billie replied. "Our first priority is getting the Auger Shells. Without them, their entire plan falls apart."

"Something tells me it's not going to be that easy." Violet said.

When they reached the top of the stairs, they walked through an archway and were caught in a flash of light. When the light faded, they were standing in front of the tower, except everything was different. The city was no longer in ruins, but was filled with people going about their business like it was an ordinary day.

"An illusion." Arthur said.

"Yeah, but of what?" Billie asked.

"Look at their clothes." Violet replied as she saw a woman in a beautiful ancient dress holding a bunch of flowers. "This is Atlantis the way it used to be."

"Why is he showing us this?" Billie asked.

At that moment, the earth trembled and the sky turned dark. The illusionary people stopped and looked up. When explosions sounded in the distance, the people panicked and began running. A wave of purple energy coursed through the streets, destroying buildings and incinerating people at it hit them. Violet screamed as she saw a young woman and her child being wiped away in front of her. She reached out, but Arthur stopped her.

"It's not real." He assured her.

"But it happened." Violet said. "This how Atlantis was destroyed."

Lighting crashed down from the sky and buildings erupted in fire. The doors of the tower opened and people ran inside for shelter. In the distance, a purple glow began to expand, destroying everything it touched.

"We should go inside." Billie said. "Whatever Ambrose wants us to see, I bet it's in there."

Billie began running for the tower and Violet and Arthur followed. When they were inside, the doors closed and they saw a large group of people gathered in the middle of the hall.

"What is happening?" A scared woman asked.

"It happened at the academy." A man screamed. "The witches, they summoned a dark power. They are going to destroy us all."

"We're going to die!" Another woman screamed.

At that moment, a young man with black hair and olive skin headed down the stairs, followed by several guards. He was wearing a circlet around his forehead. When the people saw him, they called him a prince and begged him to save them.

"Open the gate." The prince ordered. "We must get as many people in here as we can. The tower's magic will shield us."

The prince headed for the gate, through before he could open it, the island trembled and a large explosion sounded. The prince was thrown back from the gate and large cracks appeared in the walls. As his guards helped him up, a stream of purple energy pierced the wall and incinerated one of them. At the same time, the floor erupted and water began pouring into the tower.

"Ever the tower cannot save us!" Someone screamed.

"The island is sinking!" Another person yelled. "We're doomed."

"Everyone gather around me." The prince said as he headed to the middle of the hall. "Our island might be lost, but we can still survive."

"How?" A woman holding a crying baby asked.

"My magic can preserve us and the tower until our city can be saved." The prince said. "We must have faith that the other great cities will come to our rescue."

"I won't wait and pray for a miracle." A man screamed. "I will take my chances."

"No, wait." The prince said. "It's too late."

The man ignored him and grabbed his wife before running outside through the large crack in the wall. Several people decided to follow him, while others remained inside and gathered around the prince. When everyone had decided, the prince waved his hand and the wall was magically sealed again. Screams sounded from the outside as the destruction neared.

"Be strong." The prince said. "This is not our end."

The prince closed his eyes and he folded his hands. A moment later, his eyes shot open and they glowed green. The ancient wizards around him all turned to stone. The prince fell to his knees as his magic poured into the floor and walls, strengthening them. With the last of his power gone, the prince turned to stone. The destruction neared and everything was engulfed in light.

When the light faded, the illusion had ended and Violet and the others were standing on the top floor of the tower. Ambrose and Bryant stood across from them. Violet felt sick having to witness the destruction of an entire city like that.

"Enjoyed the show?" Ambrose asked.

"What was the point?" Billie asked.

"To show you the truth." Ambrose replied. "You witches destroyed this marvelous city and we wizards payed the price. Help from other cities never came, as the Source declared war on us. This single event led to our destruction."

"What happened was a tragic accident." Arthur said. "It's doesn't excuse what you're trying to do. Killing others to bring back our kind is wrong."

"They are irrelevant." Bryant remarked.

"They are innocents." Violet said.

"As were the wizards living here." Ambrose replied. "We were the greatest race of all, and we will be again. These sacrifices are needed."

"We're going to stop you." Billie said determined.

"You can try." Bryant replied.

"Billie, the staff." Arthur whispered.

Billie nodded and held out her hand, trying to pull the Staff of Magnus from Ambrose's hands. Ambrose smirked and tightened his grip, sending a shockwave through the hall and throwing them off their feet.

"Okay, that didn't work." Billie remarked.

"Let me try." Violet said.

Violet got up and raised her hands, attempting to stop time. While Bryant slowed down and became frozen, Ambrose was unaffected. "As long as I have the staff, your powers won't work on me." He said as he used the staff to unfreeze Bryant. "Get the shells."

Bryant nodded and ran away. "I got him." Billie called out and ran after him.

Ambrose raised the staff and fired a bolt of lightning at her, though she levitated and did a summersault to avoid it. Before he could fire again, Violet grabbed a potion and threw it at him, which exploded and gave Billie enough time to escape.

"It's not too late to stop this." Arthur said. "We can find a peaceful way to bring back the wizards. Nobody needs to die."

"That's where you're wrong, son." Ambrose replied. "This world will be ours. All those that stand in our way will be crushed."

"I see." Arthur said disappointed. "I knew your methods were wrong, but I still thought that your motives were noble. You really are a monster."

"I'm doing this for the sake our or race, our family." Ambrose replied.

"I don't want to be a part of your family." Arthur said.

"In time, you will change your mind." Ambrose replied.

"He won't." Violet said angrily. "Arthur is nothing like you. He could never be as evil as you."

"This is a family matter, witch." Ambrose warned her as he raised the staff. "Stay out of it."

"Violet is my family." Arthur said as he took her hand and stepped in front of her in a defensive stance. "I love her, and I will always choose her over you."

"You would choose a witch over your own blood?" Ambrose asked.

"I would." Arthur said. "And if you want to hurt her, you will have to kill me first."

Ambrose glared at them and the staff in his hand began to glow. Violet was scared he would kill them and squeezed Arthur's hand. Arthur, on the other hand, seemed confident and she wondered how he could stay so calm. After a tense moment of silence, Ambrose lowered the staff.

"It seems I underestimated your feelings for the witch." Ambrose said. "Still, it doesn't change anything. She will die and you will take your rightful place at my side. I can wait."

The air around Ambrose rippled and he disappeared from their sight. When he was gone, Violet felt like she was finally able to breathe again. She hugged Arthur in relief. It seemed that Ambrose was still not ready to give up on his son, which had saved their lives for now.

Xxx

Billie ran after Bryant down a long hall. She feared she had made a mistake leaving Arthur and Violet behind with Ambrose, but she didn't have time to worry about it. Stopping Bryant from getting the Auger Shells was important. If the wizards succeeded, the merfolk would be killed and they would become immortal. She could not let that happen.

When Bryant noticed Billie was following him, he used his power to topple two pillars at either side of the hall. Billie ducked to avoid one and leaped over the other. She then held out her hand and threw Bryant off his feet. He rolled over the floor and hid behind a pillar.

"You're not stopping me." Bryant called out. "This is too important. I can't fail him."

Bryant stomped his foot on the floor, causing the floor to tremble and collapse. Billie stopped at the edge. The distance was too far to jump and it was a long way down.

"You forget I can control the earth?" Bryant asked smugly. "This entire tower is made of stone."

"You're awfully cocky." Billie remarked. "Forgot I can levitate?"

Bryant's smile disappeared and he ran ahead. Billie stepped back and leaped over the chasm. Even by levitating, she barely made it across. She ran after Bryant until she reached the end of the hall. There was a huge stone door, which had been shattered into pieces. She went inside and saw she was standing a huge chamber filled with artifacts. Bryant was at the back, standing in front of an altar. There was a large golden trident on the altar, surrounded by several Auger Shells. When he reached for them, Billie waved her hand and threw him back.

"Sorry, no immortality for you today." Billie said. "Those things have to be destroyed."

Billie waved her hand and unleashed a wave of telekinetic energy at the shells. However, Bryant slammed his fist on the ground and a wall of rocks rose from the floor to protect them. He then magically lifted a statue and threw it at Billie. Billie held out her hand and stopped the statue midair. Bryant then clenched his fist and the statue shattered, throwing Billie as she shielded herself. The shards caused several cuts and bruises on her arms.

"I'm not letting you stand in my way." Bryant said determined. "I will restore our kind and make my father proud."

"Desperate much?" Billie asked. "Doesn't daddy love you enough?"

Bryant glared at her and used his power to lift another statue. He held it over Billie and planned to crush her with it. Before he could, someone grabbed his shoulder and turned him around, punching him in the face. Bryant fell down and Billie rolled away to avoid the statue as it fell. She looked up and saw Nick standing over Bryant.

"The shells." Nick said.

Billie nodded and waved her hand, unleashing a wave of telekinetic energy and destroying the wall around the shells. She then released another wave and destroyed the shells.

"No!" Bryant screamed.

"It's over, dude." Nick replied. "The others are already underway to free the merfolk. You lost."

"You will pay for this." Bryant hissed.

Bryant slammed his fist on the floor and it crumbled underneath him, giving him the chance to escape to the floor below. Nick ran over to Billie and helped her up. As much as she hated to admit it, he had saved her life.

"Are you okay?" Nicks asked as he saw her injuries.

"Just a few scratches." Billie replied casually. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I figured you would screw up and need my help." Nick remarked. "So how about a thank you?"

Billie wanted to punch the arrogant smile of his face, but instead she kissed him. When the kiss ended, she realized it had been a mistake. A stupid impulse. Not just because he was a jerk, but also because he was dating Darcy. She knew it could never happen again. When Nick opened his mouth to say something, she immediately stopped him.

"Not a word. This never happened." Billie warned him as she turned around and started walking away. "Let's just find the others and get out of here."

Xxx

Duncan and the others appeared in front of Ambrose's mansion through a teleportation potion. As they approached the door, two statues came to life, though Duncan quickly destroyed them with bursting balls.

"Quite a security system." Nathan noted.

"Yeah, let's keep an eye out for other surprises." Duncan replied. "You said they were in the basement, right?"

"Right." Nathan said.

"Then let's move." Ridley said impatiently. "I have to find Nadia."

The others nodded and they headed inside. Duncan was amazed by the luxury in the mansion. He realized they could probably learn a lot from snooping around, though he realized there wasn't time. Getting the merfolk to safety was more important. They headed to the basement and found a giant tank of water in the middle. Several merfolk were swimming around inside, including a beautiful blonde girl.

"Nadia!" Ridley called out as he ran over.

"Ridley." The blonde replied as they reached for each other through the glass. "I knew you would find me, my love."

"I had help." Ridley said. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Nadia said. "But being trapped like this is horrible, it's so small and confining. It's suffocating. You need to get me out of here."

"I wonder if goldfish feel like that." Nathan remarked softy, at which point Duncan poked him with his elbow.

"Hold on." Ridley said.

Ridley took a step back and hit the tank with his fist. The class cracked and then shattered, causing a wave of water to pour out along with the merfolk. Ridley picked up his love and carried her in his arms as they shared a passionate kiss. The other merfolk thanked them and Duncan used potions to teleport them all back into the ocean.

"What about us?" Nadia asked. "We lost the other bracelet, so we can't be together on land."

"I don't care where we are, as long as we're together." Ridley replied. "I'm never leaving you again."

"Don't worry." Duncan said as he looked at the bracelet. "I think we can come up with a spell to replicate the bracelet's effect. Maybe on a couple of rings?"

"That sounds perfect." Ridley replied with a smile.

xxx