Chapter 43: Devastation
The clash of metal rang out across the marina in chorus with Lara and Triton's voices as they locked weapons again. The merking and sorceress pushed against one another like a pair of angry bulls, their faces twisted up with rage as they tried to overpower each other. Sparks flew from the trident and sword as their magics clashed as furiously as their wielders. The princesses and queen shied back, frightened and confused by the aggression Triton and Lara were demonstrating as they fought.
"How are you still alive!?" demanded Triton as he bore down on Lara.
"Same to you, Poseidon!" yelled Lara, pushing him back. "I thought I dealt with you already!"
Triton's eyes narrowed. He began pushing back just as hard, halting Lara's advance. "Same to you, monster!"
Lara suddenly redirected the trident past her, causing Triton to lurch forward. She used the opportunity to slam her forehead into Triton's nose. Triton howled as he recoiled, clutching his face.
However, Triton was far from disarmed. He raised the trident at Lara, causing water to condense out of the air in front of it. In less than a second a ball of pure water formed at the tip. Triton barely had to think and the water ball went flying at Lara. It struck her square in the chest and detonated, throwing her backwards in a shower of water. She bounced off the wharf twice before flipping into a skidding slide, her boots drawing long wet marks over the wharf.
"Va–pthht! Va'oro!" Lara sputtered. Steam rose off her as the water was magically evaporated. She snarled and raised her sword overhead as Triton aimed at her in turn, his beard stained with red from his bleeding nose.
"Daddy, no!" said Ariel as she ran to Triton and grabbed his arm, trying to pull him away. "Don't do it!"
"Lara, stop!" shouted Melody as Lara's sword glowed with heat.
Neither one heard the women's pleas. Triton pulled his arm free of Ariel and took aim again as Lara raised her sword.
"Both of you, stop!" Melody screamed at the top of her lungs. "You have to stop!"
The two shouted their commands in unison. "Trident/Claymore, shoot!"
A bolt of lightning leapt from the trident as a beam of fire shot from the tip of the sword as Lara swung it. The two magics collided in midair, detonating in a flash of light and a peal of thunder. The shockwave tore a hole into the wharf. Anyone without solid footing was immediately knocked down. The galleons were sent rocking once more, several men falling into the sea as they lost their hold. Sebastian clung to Attina's hair as she and her sisters struggled against the shockwave. The sound carried out into the town, alerting everyone to the quarrel taking place. Crowds were beginning to gather, trying to glimpse what was happening.
Eric was distracted from his paperwork in the palace by a distant, low booming sound. He paused, looking up from his desk as he listened for it again. He heard only the calls of the gulls and the muffled footsteps from the hallway.
"Huh…must've been the wind." He returned his focus to his papers, unaware of what was brewing outside. "That carriage sure is taking a while to come back."
The sounds of Lara and Triton's scuffle were muted in the waters below the wharf. The seabed here was a rolling lawn of eel grass and kelp interspersed with rocks. The pylons rose out of the lawn like great trees, the chains hanging down like vines to the anchors resting below. The hulls of the ships above cast shadows down like clouds in the sky. Mussels, clams, and anemones took the place of bark in this underwater forest, algae and small invertebrates growing on their shells. Dropped cargo littered the ground like fallen leaves, the results of careless hands and misfortune. Despite the activities of the humans in these waters, the sea was still crystal clear. One could see straight to the bottom on a calm day.
Unfortunately, today was anything but calm.
With all the commotion going on above, no one noticed a dark portal open up in the sea grass. A human arm pale as snow reached through, sending fish bolting for cover. Every mollusk in sight snapped its shell shut as long black tentacles snaked through. A hermit crab retreated into his home in an old bottle as a spotted moray squeezed himself into a barnacle-studded cannon.
Morgana breathed in the saltwater as she emerged, quickly looking around. Aside from the local wildlife, no one had seen her entrance. The fins of Triton's guards stood out against the daylight overhead as a dozen shadows, all too preoccupied with getting Seahaven soldiers out of the water to notice her.
"I'll have to thank that monkey," she muttered under her breath. "Whatever fishbone she's got to pick with Triton, she's doing a top-notch job of keeping those fishies distracted." She turned back to the portal. "Send them through!"
A dozen more portals opened up. One by one, clockmen began emerging through the black, their eyes glowing with the same eerie green light as the crystalline hearts within their metal chests. Some were armed with swords and claws, all honed to a razor-sharp edge. Others had traded blades for projectiles, their limbs brimming with firepower. They assembled before Morgana in neat rows that could rival even the most efficiently trained army.
Morgana had to admit that, much as she hated Remora for her authority and superiority, these machines were something to behold. Ruthless as an arctic winter. Impervious to swords and arrows. And more obedient than the best trained dogfish. They were the perfect soldiers. Given all the Alliance had for defense was swords, arrows, and cannons, the fifty clockmen coming through were going to be more than enough to–.
"Out of the way, rust buckets!" snapped a familiar voice.
Morgana frowned as Ursula hauled herself out of a portal. She shoved her way through the clockmen, knocking them left and right. They stumbled and fell over each other, but quickly rose and fell back in line.
"You think they'd know to make way for their superiors," said Ursula as she pushed through the last row and went to stand beside Morgana.
"I'll be sure to remind them if I see one," replied Morgana dryly.
Ursula smiled flippantly at her. "You come up with that yourself? Or is that another thing you had to copy from me?"
Now it was Morgana who frowned. She was about to make a snide remark, but then thought better of it and held her tongue. "Never mind that. Focus on the task at tentacle…" She pointed a finger to the surface. "Specifically, them. Can't have that lot giving us away."
Ursula looked up, noticing the mermen fishing humans out of the water. "Leave them to me. Just remember, once the fighting starts, Triton and Ariel are mine! Restrain them if you want, but the only one who gets to kill them is me! So keep them alive unless you want to share their fate!"
Morgana waved her hand dismissively. "So long as I get Melody, you can have the whole lot of them! Also, just so we're clear, I'm the one in charge of killing her pet witch! Remora sent her half of the plan through with this lot, so you better not have slacked on yours!"
Ursula smirked. "Ah, yes! I've prepared something special for that human." She turned back to the portal. "Come on through, big boy!"
A large figure emerged through one of the portals, covered fully in a cloak made from ratted old sailcloth. It crouched behind the clockmen and then leapt, sailing over them with ease. It landed in front of the sisters with a dense thud and a rattle of metal. Morgana had to arch her head back to look up at its face as it straightened up. It towered over the sisters, its beady yellow eyes standing out against its dark skin.
"So…" The figure's hood fell back. "How do I look, Morgana?"
Morgana's eyes widened, and then an evil smile split her lips. "Perfect! That kid won't know what hit her!"
"If you think he's impressive…" Ursula's eyes flickered over to the portals as more figures began to emerge. "Wait till you see the other ones."
Remora's fingers drummed irately on her biceps, arms folded and tense with impatience as she watched the portal to Seahaven close. She wanted desperately to jump through after Ursula and massacre the place. Her blood was boiling for a chance to wet her blade on the people of Seahaven. Especially on Lara. Exclusively on Lara, if given the choice.
And she would have, too, if it were not for the Master watching her every move. The warlock stood beside her, hands folded impassively behind his back. A black orb hung in front of him, showing images of Lara and Triton as they continued to duel. He gave no hint to his thoughts as he observed, his silence both unnerving and irritating to his second-in-command. Remora waited for him to say something, but the Master kept his silence.
"This is a freakin' waste!" Remora hissed to break the quiet. "I'm the strongest mage here next to you! I should be shredding that dock to pieces right now! Not sending clockmen as a stand-in while I play spectator to whatever those three are bound to screw up!"
"Even if you were my sole underling, I would still have you remain here," said the Master. "Did you think I was bluffing when I said you would not take part in the attack? This is the price for your disobedience, and I will see you pay it."
Remora gripped her arms tighter, knuckles popping and teeth grinding as her temper began to heat up. "They should at least hit now. While the brat has him occupied."
The Master watched as Lara and Triton pushed each other away and then locked weapons once more. "No. I want to see this play out a while longer. I was not expecting this development. Most interesting."
Remora gave a snort. "What, you didn't know about the death grudge those two share?"
"Not a clue."
The blunt honesty in that statement caught Remora off guard. The Master was never one to admit to flaws, or to have them pointed out to him. Yet this gap in his knowledge left him no more perturbed than if a fly had landed on him. Like a fly, he simply brushed it off.
Remora's eyes narrowed under her mask. Something was off about the Master. Ever since he came back from the east, he had taken an unusual interest in Lara. He watched her far more than the other inhabitants of the Seahaven palace. He studied her activities with an intent he had not shown before, regardless of how mundane the activity was. He asked their spy network for every single piece of information they had on her, and all interactions she had within and outside of the palace. If Remora did not know any better, she would say he was becoming infatuated with her. Yet he refused to tell anyone the reason.
"Master…why Lara?" she asked. The Master glanced up from the orb. "Up till now you've considered the brat an amusing addition to their side at best. So why the sudden interest in her?"
The Master looked at Remora silently a while longer, and then returned to watching his orb. "You will see soon enough."
Lara darted aside as another lightning blast struck where she was a moment earlier, dancing back from a subsequent shot of ice. The shards stuck deep in the wharf, clearly meant to spear her through.
"Claymore, slash!" shouted Lara as she swung her sword. The blade glowed and unleashed a crescent of fire at Triton. The merking swung the trident up, calling forth water to shield him. The crescent hit the water wall and exploded in a cloud of steam.
Lara used the moment to counterattack. With her movements obscured by the steam she rushed Triton, bursting through the cloud and swinging for his head. Triton barely got the trident up in time to block her, the heated edge singeing several hairs off him.
"You're fast for a dead man!" said Lara as she pushed her sword towards his face.
"And you're far too cocky to get this close!" shot back Triton. Suddenly the trident blossomed with electricity. Lara yelped as she was electrocuted, jumping back from Triton.
The merking pointed the trident at Lara. The forks glowed blue, and then a jet of water shot forth. It nailed Lara straight in the face, sending her flipping backwards through the air. She hit the wharf and rolled, quickly getting her feet back under her. The water steamed off her as she looked up, the corner of her lip bloodied. She spun in place and swung her sword, sending a shower of sparks flying at Triton. He stabbed the trident into the wharf, causing a wall of ice to form in front of him.
It was what Lara wanted. Her sword arm became encased in silver fire as she charged at Triton. Just as she reached the ice block the flames disappeared, her sword traded for and armored arm as she punched into the wall. There was a loud booming sound as her fist connected with it and unleashed a concussive blast, shattering the ice instantly. Triton was caught off guard, backtracking to avoid Lara's fist. Large pieces of ice struck him, laying him out flat on the wharf.
"You're mine!" Lara shouted as she leapt at Triton, landing right beside him. She drew her armored hand back, intent on smashing Triton clear through the wharf.
"Lara, no!" shouted Melody as she ran up and grabbed Lara's other arm, pulling her backwards. "Don't do it!"
Lara glanced angrily back at Melody. "Stay out of this, Mel!" She shoved Melody away and prepared to strike again, but Triton beat her to it. He swung the butt of the trident up at her head. Lara jerked her head back, but not fast enough to avoid a glancing blow to her chin. Lara winced as she jumped away, putting distance between her and Triton.
TWANG! An arrow flew by Lara's face, embedding in the wharf. She looked over to see a man pointing a crossbow at her from one of the galleons. She quickly realized he was only one of many. The galleons were lined with sailors and soldiers holding bows, all of them drawn and pointing at her.
"Shoot it!" shouted Triton. "Now, while it's open!"
"Don't shoot!" Ariel exclaimed, waving her hands as she ran towards her father. "Put down your weapons, all of you!"
The archers looked at each other, unsure who to listen to. Their queen had just ordered them to hold their fire on someone who outright attacked the king of Atlantica. Should they not defend him? But was not Lara also an ally of the royal family? And Ariel their queen?
"You must shoot it!" yelled Triton.
"No one fires!" Ariel all but screamed. "I order you to put down your weapons! Now!"
The archers hesitated a moment, and then one by one lowered their bows.
"You fools!" Triton aimed at Lara again as the young woman clenched her fists.
Ariel ran around Triton and stepped in front of him, throwing her arms wide. "Daddy, stop this! Please! Before someone gets hurt!"
Triton barely gave Ariel a glance before he shoved her behind him. "Don't interfere, Ariel! I have to kill this monster!"
"Ditto!" said Lara, her eyes flickering with light. She crouched and leapt at Triton, her arm igniting with white fire as her sword reformed in her hands. Triton responded in kind, rushing to meet her as the trident came alive with lightning.
The Master gave a low sigh, releasing his hands. "I've seen enough."
The hair on Remora's neck stood on end as the Master turned away from her. She watched him like a hawk, her entire focus on him. She did not even see Lara and Triton clash with each other in the dark orb, the force of their colliding weapons causing the king and sorceress to fall backwards.
The Master glanced back over his shoulder. "Attack."
Remora could not help but smile underneath her mask. Even if she could not join the fight directly, she was still going to get a rush out of this.
"Yes, sir!" She turned around, her robe swirling in the air. "You heard him, boys! Crank the furnace and weigh anchor! We're heading out!"
The Master allowed himself a small smile as he heard the sounds of machinery coming to life around him. He turned and followed after Remora. "This should be good."
One of the clockmen suddenly shuddered, his green eyes turning a golden yellow. "It's time!" the machine barked out in a crackly, mechanistic version of Remora's voice.
Morgana grinned as the clockmen began marching towards the pylons. Those with hands began climbing as the gunners latched onto them however they could, using them to ascend from the ocean.
"About time!" she shouted out. She flexed her fingers, earning several loud and satisfying cracks. Black ink began to leak around Ursula as she grew larger, making her way towards the adjacent wharf over the bodies of the mermen and guards she slew. The hooded giant stepped back from Morgana as the water began to cool.
"Let's get this show started!" said Morgana, a thin layer of frost spreading across her skin.
Lara and Triton were about to swing at each other again when the entire wharf suddenly shook, causing both to stagger and miss. Their breaths appeared as mist as the temperature of the air plummeted. Frost began to form around the edges of the wharf, and the color of the water shifted as it cooled.
Lara and Triton looked at the frost and then at each other with puzzlement. "Now what!?"
Suddenly the unmistakable crick-crack of forming ice filled the air. Lara used the moment to jump up and double-kicked Triton square in the chest, shoving both of them apart. Triton fell back through the hole left by the magic explosion earlier. Before he hit the ocean it suddenly flattened and froze over, becoming a glistening white floor of ice. A block of ice shot up from the surface, sending Triton spinning out into the middle of the ocean like a puck. Lara landed on her shoulders and quickly rolled back to her feet, sword up and ready. Melody and the guards backed away from the edges of the wharf as the frost grew towards them. Ariel and her sisters looked around wildly, confused by what they were seeing and feeling.
"What's going on, mon!?" exclaimed Sebastian.
"Mel, get behind me!" Lara called back as she saw the ice rapidly spread over the entire marina. It crawled up pylons and the sides of ships, freezing them in place as it raced out to sea. Icicles grew down from anchor chains and prows as the air continued to cool. Dark clouds blossomed in the sky with peals of thunder. Out in the distance the ocean water turned black and began to spiral, clear signs that a whirlpool was forming.
Melody sprinted over to Lara, clutching her arm tightly. "Lara, it's her! It has to be!"
Lara grimaced, gritting her teeth together. "By her, do you mean...?"
"She's talking about me, dearie!"
A chill swept through Melody that had nothing to do with the ice. From the end of the wharf a forest of ice spires rose into the air, reaching high above the masts of the galleons. Amidst this a single thick pillar rose, ascending above the sharp-tipped tangle. Atop the pillar was the last person Melody ever wanted to see, staring down with a chilling grin on her face. She looked different than the last time they met. She was younger and fairer, her snow-white skin standing out against the pitch black of her tentacles. It was the eyes, however, that made Melody tremble. They were a piercing cold blue, like a sharpened point of ice pressed against her heart, eager to spear it through.
"Morgana!" exclaimed Melody, Ariel, and anyone else who recognized her in unison.
Morgana threw her head back and laughed. "And that's not all, kiddies!" She gestured to the neighboring wharf. "Entering stage left…!"
The ice at the end of the other wharf suddenly cracked and bulged. Then a massive dark shape suddenly pushed up through it. People screamed and ran towards the town as the figure rapidly grew taller than the wharf. Giant black tentacles rose up from the below the ice, lashing out and smashing ships. An enormous figure with gray skin and white hair became discernable amidst the flood of water that rained down. One tentacle grew out under the wharf and then swung to the side, ripping out the pylons and docked ships with ease. The whole structure collapsed on its side, dumping terrified humans into the frigid water before it froze over again. Ariel and Triton paled as the looming figure let out a hauntingly familiar laugh of its own, dredging up memories of a similar day twenty years ago.
"Ursula!" exclaimed Ariel in horrified fright as the colossal sea witch grinned down at her, even larger than last time. And younger, too! She was not at all the corpulent aged cecaelian Ariel met in a leviathan's skeleton. She was slim and youthful now. Yet that devious malevolent gleam in her eyes was the same as the giant smirked down at them.
"Well, well, well!" boomed out Ursula. "Look what I found! Not just one little mermaid, but a whole school of them!"
Ursula reached down and picked up a schooner with one hand, lifting it clear of the water. Sailors leapt screaming off the sides, hoping to hit water rather than the ice below. Ursula drew the ship back and then hurled it through the air like a ball, the vessel spinning lazily in the air. Then it came crashing down at the entrance to the wharf Ariel and the others were on, crushing through it. The whole structure shook but held. The schooner was unable to survive its own weight, and the boat collapsed on itself as though deflating.
"Legs won't help you now, Ariel!" said Ursula before she laughed again. "And your prince isn't here to save you this time! You and your sisters are fish in a barrel! My barrel! Mua-ha ha ha ha–ah!"
Her laughter was cut short when a bolt of lightning struck the side of her face. Ursula's hands shot up to her cheek, clutching the smoking spot. She whipped her head around to see Triton suspended on a pillar of water above the ice, the trident glowing bright in his hands.
"You won't lay a hand on my daughters, Ursula!" said Triton as he pointed the trident at her again. "You have no contract to hold me back this time! I'll stop you once and for all!"
A snarl crossed Ursula's lips as her hands became coated in black. "Just try it, Triton! I won't need a contract to beat you!" she called back, spreading her arms wide as she moved towards him. The ice cracked and gave way, unable to hinder her in the slightest. "Come on! Let's see if you're as weak as the Master says!"
The barb struck hard at Triton's temper. He thrust the trident forward, a beam of gold and white light shooting from the forks. Before it reached Ursula, she thrust her blackened hands at it. The magic collided with her in a loud crash. But instead of electrocuting or shrinking or exerting any effect upon her, the magic spiraled around her hands and sunk into them. Triton was momentarily shocked, and then his face turned to a deep scowl as he redoubled his efforts, causing the magic beam to flare.
"That's it, Triton!" cackled Ursula as the magic continued to flow and she kept approaching. Was everyone imagining things, or was she getting even bigger? "Give me all you've got!"
Ariel suddenly realized what Ursula was doing. "Daddy, stop!" she shouted, cupping her hands to her mouth. "It's a trick! She's taking the trident's magic!"
Triton looked to Ariel. "What!? How!?"
"She's right!" added Attina. "Look! It's making her grow faster! You have to stop!"
Triton abruptly ended the spell, the magic trailing off towards Ursula. The light continued to disappear into her blackened hands till not a speck was left.
Ursula sneered down at Ariel and Attina as her growth petered off. "Clever little sea slugs, I'll give you that! But too little, too late! I have all I need!" She brought her hands together, and the darkness suddenly grew into a long shape. Then the top of it began to branch, molding into the familiar and enormous shape of the trident.
"Thanks for the boost, Triton!" said Ursula, giving the giant black trident a twirl.
Triton stared at her with mouth agape. "You...how...?"
"I'm not the same as before, Triton!" said Ursula. "Twenty years I've been gone, and all it's done is make you weaker! Me? I'm stronger than I ever was! Here…let me show you!"
With a yell Ursula pushed through the ice, cracking it apart as she charged Triton. She thrust the black trident at Triton, who summoned up a wall of ice to deflect her as he backed away, drawing her from the marina towards the open sea. A lightning bolt fell down from the clouds above, striking Ursula's trident as she slashed at Triton.
Morgana chuckled from atop her spire as she watched Triton and Ursula begin their battle at sea. "Have fun, sissy! Be sure to be back in time for dinner!" She chuckled as she turned back to face the sea king's daughters. "And for our next act, please direct your attention about a mile behind me!"
In the clamor of Ursula's emergence, everyone had forgotten about the blackened ocean that appeared with them. It was now a full-fledged whirlpool, drawing floats of ice into its maw. Suddenly a gray narrow prow erupted from the center of it, piercing into the sky before it crashed down in the water. A ship emerged from the whirlpool, but unlike any ship anyone in the western kingdoms had laid eyes on. It had no sails, nor masts or rigging. Its frame was long and slim, the hull made of dark steel. Two large cylinders adorned its top, belching black smoke into the sky to mingle with the growing storm clouds. Along its decks were six circular structures, each bearing three long parallel pipes.
Lara's eyes widened as the ship turned its starboard side to Seahaven. "No! No, no, no!"
Melody pointed at the strange vessel. "What is thaaaaaaat!?" She found herself being all but dragged by Lara as she bolted towards Ariel and her sisters, her sword bursting into flames.
"It's a gunship!" shouted Lara. "It's a freakin' gunship!"
Eric's jaw hung open as he pressed his face to the window, the panes rattling from his own shaking. When he heard Ursula's deep laugh, he thought he was hearing things again. Now he was hoping he was suffering a hallucination because, unless his eyes were deceiving him, Morgana was standing on a tower of ice in front of his daughter, wife, and sisters-in-law as a giant Ursula dueled with Triton in an ice-locked marina, and now a strange ship just popped out of a whirlpool over a mile from shore.
The door to his office slammed open as Grimsby rushed in, out of breath and panting. A piece of paper was clutched in his hands. "Your majesty! Urgent news!"
"I saw!" said Eric as he bolted for the door. "Sound the alarm! We're under attack! I want every guard at the marina now!"
Grimsby snagged Eric's arm as he ran past. "The guards left five minutes ago!" He waved the paper in Eric's face. "But this cannot wait! It just arrived from Strihaven!"
"It can wait!" snapped Eric. "Ariel and Melody are down there! I know Lara's with them, but she can't defeat those two by herself! We need every available soldier there ten minutes ago!"
"Lara is why this cannot wait, Eric!" Grimsby said as he flattened out the paper.
Even with his thoughts racing, Eric had enough wits to recognize how deadly serious Grimsby was. He never used Eric's name anymore unless there was absolute urgency, specifically so Eric would know the gravity of whatever was at hand. The royal advisor was not prone to hyperbole.
Eric grasped the paper and held it up. His eyes widened as he immediately understood why Grimsby was so insistent.
"Is this real?" Eric asked, his eyes scanning back and forth over the page.
"I'm afraid so, sire," said Grimsby. "It seems Miss Anclagon has not been honest with us."
From the prow of the ship Remora watched the scene unfold by the Master's side. She watched through an iron spyglass, savoring the expressions of pure panic on the faces of the princesses and their red-haired sister. Pity Lara was behind them. She would have killed to see her reaction–not that she ever needed a reason to kill.
"Give the order, Remora," the Master said calmly.
"Gladly!" She turned back to her crew, who were scurrying over and within the ship like ants. "Eighty degrees port then engines stop! Guns to shore, explosive loadout on all barrels! Synchronize first volley! Batteries one and two, take out those galleons!"
A pirate with an iron mask covering the top half of his burn-scarred face popped his head up through a hatch on one of the gun batteries. "Loaded before you gave the order, Captain! Triggers are itching for a squeeze!"
Remora spun around, extending a hand towards the marina. "Fire at will!"
"Where do we aim the other batteries?" asked the pirate.
"I don't care where you point them!" shouted Remora. "Just make sure you kill someone!"
When Lara saw the flashes and smoke from the guns, she knew this was no nightmare. Nor was the distant high-pitched whistle rapidly growing louder.
"Incoming!" yelled Lara as she dashed into the middle of the princesses. She flipped her sword over and stabbed it into the wharf. "Claymore, shield!"
Fire sprung up in a circle around the group and then arced over their heads to form a dome of flames. Lara pulled Melody close and shielded her head. "Cover your ears!"
The shells hit with a roar louder than a thunderstorm. The galleons flanking the wharf were shattered in clouds of fire and debris as the blast waves issued forth, obliterating anything and anyone on board instantly. Ariel and her sisters were thrown off their feet, the fire shield protecting them from the shrapnel but only weakening the shockwaves. Melody felt the air smack into her body like a gut punch, the sound causing her ears to ring and drown out her screams.
The rest of the barrage fell on the marina with obliterating fury, reducing ships and wharves to burning piles of wreckage. A ship of the line was hit in its powder magazine, causing it to explode with vicious force. The blast tore out a section of the wharf next to it and shattered the hulls of the adjacent ships, sending debris and people flying. Flaming debris went cascading outwards, spreading fire to other ships and the neighboring wharf. Another wharf was strafed top to bottom, the people on it lost in a tempest of fire and smoke before the whole thing collapsed onto the ice. Screams immediately followed the last crashing shell as it split a schooner in half like a twig before its gunpowder ignited, creating a giant fireball and ripping the wharf in half.
Another distant rumble and the subsequent whistles announced the second volley. The other two galleons were demolished as more wharves began falling victim to the artillery. One shell hit the flame shield Lara created, blowing it apart and sending her and Melody rolling away. Alana was nearly blown off the wharf, saved when Andrina and Attina grabbed her. Sebastian went flying, falling through a hole in the ice and disappearing into the cold water. Now the buildings along the marina were being targeted. A row of shops went up in flames as explosions ripped them asunder. Horses and people fled screaming as the shells continued to rain down, reaching deeper into the town with each shot. Thunderheads clapped overhead, adding their own sounds to the artillery.
Over all this, Morgana's incessant laughter carried out across the marina. It was cut off as a shell flew perilously close to her before striking a pub.
"Watch where you're shooting!" she shouted toward the gunship. Another volley went off with flashes of fire and smoke. A shell streaked right by Morgana's ice tower, shaking it roughly. Morgana's tentacles latched onto the ice, her arms flailing as she fought to stay on. "Blasted air-breather! That one was on purpose!"
She yelped as a third shell narrowly missed her, sailing down into town and exploding in the middle of a street. Stone and earth went flying as the buildings around it caught fire.
"No!" screamed Ariel as she watched three more shells strike the town, knowing each one ended innocent lives. "Stop! Stop this! Daddy! Daddy, help! They're attacking the town!"
Triton turned as the shells decimated another slew of buildings. "Leave them to me!"
"Don't think you can afford to look away, Triton!" said Ursula as she swung her enormous trident like a bat, lightning dancing between the forks.
Triton waved the trident in her direction, summoning a pillar of ice to knock the attack away. Ursula's momentum was stopped, giving Triton the chance to raise the trident up. He squeezed his eyes shut and shouted, "Trident, flash!"
A dazzling light erupted from the trident, blinding Ursula. She screeched as she reeled back, her tentacles thrashing about as she covered her eyes with one arm. Triton turned as the trident's radiance turned orange, the water below him lifting him high into the air. He drew the trident across himself and then swung it wide. A beam of light shot forth, raking across the shore of the marina from end to end. Ice erupted upwards as it went, leaving a tremendous wall of frozen water in its wake. The ice climbed higher and higher, dwarfing the houses behind it. There were flashes of light and clouds of smoke as the artillery shells smashed into it, but the ice wall held against them.
Triton was about to turn his attention on the gunship when suddenly the water supporting him shook viciously and collapsed. He looked down and saw one of Ursula's tentacles sweep through it. Her face was lit with anger, one eye squeezed shut as the other one focused on his blurry form.
"Don't think you can beat me with cheap tricks!" she shouted, reaching out with a giant hand to crush him.
Triton acted fast, pointing the trident upwards. "Shoot!" A beam of lightning shot out, propelling him down towards the ice. Ursula grabbed empty air as Triton descended, water racing up from the sea to catch him.
"And don't think you've saved those monkeys with your little barrier!" added Ursula. "You may have protected them from that ship, but now you've trapped them here with us! And now that Remora's toy boat has softened up the ice, my babies can join the party!"
A chill went up Triton's spine. "Yours?"
A sailor scrambled over the burning remains of his ship, trying to flee with the rest of his crewmates. An explosive shell had ripped out the seaward side of the vessel, causing it to list away from the wharf as it sank through the ice. Men were scrambling up the tilted deck trying to escape, lest they fall into the chilled waters below. The men were using anything they could to get up. The sailor caught hold of a rope, wrapping his arm in it as he began to climb.
A sudden scream and a loud splash came from behind him. He turned around to see something pull a terrified sailor over the railing by his leg. He only caught a glimpse, but it was enough to know the attacker was neither human nor merfolk. The man's screams were cut short as he disappeared below the waves.
The identity of the attacker became apparent moments later. A horde of grisly creatures began crawling out of the water and onto the ship. They were all humanoid in form, but their bodies had been melded in ghoulish ways with various denizens of the oceans. One with the torso and legs of a human but the claws of a crab and the head of an eel swung itself over the railing. Its head suddenly shot out on a long neck, jaws biting into the head of a young man. A merman with the spines and coloration of a lionfish and the head of a mako shark threw spines the size of javelins into a man with his leg trapped under a cannon. An eyeless thing with four octopus arms leapt onto a pair of men, ending their lives with a pair of sharp crunching sounds as it twisted their necks. Dozens of dark shapes moved beneath the ice, signaling the presence of more horrific mutants below. All across the marina they were emerging by the hundreds through the holes made by the gunship, making short work of anyone they could get hold of.
A sailor leapt off the high side of the ship for the wharf, only to have a slender sharp claw seize his leg mid-air and swing him down into the sea. The owner of the claw crawled into view, revealing it to have the torso of a man and the lower half of a lobster. Two large spear-like appendages took the place of arms as stalked compound eyes swept over the ship.
Before the sailor could even give his own scream, the mantis shrimp-man-thing locked eyes on him and leapt. It smiled, revealing rows of shark teeth. The last thing the sailor saw was the spear-shaped claw rushing for his face.
Ariel could only stare in abject horror at the massacre happening around her. Morgana was cursing at the gunship from atop her spire as Ursula swung her trident down at Triton, forcing the sea king to block her with a wall of water and ice. Meanwhile the gunship had returned its attention to the marina, abandoning the town for sowing terror from above onto the helpless people trapped by the ice. Nightmarish monstrosities were now climbing out of the water all across the marina, killing anyone in their path. The smell of smoke was thick in the air from the wreckage of the galleons around them. She could hear her sisters' cries of fright mix with the screams of terror all around, the sounds ringing again and again in her ears. She could not think. She was in too much shock to think. All that kept racing through her mind was the utter horror at what she was witnessing. The senseless destruction and loss of life. How could such a thing be permitted in this world?
The sound of crunching wood from behind her only added to the fear. She turned to see the glowing green eyes and skeletal face of a clockman as it pulled its upper half over the edge of the wharf.
"Aaaaaah!" she screamed, alerting her sisters to the enemy as it pulled itself up. A dozen more appeared from the edges of the wharf Ariel started running, but the clockmen had them surrounded. The first one bolted after her, running her down with ease. It knocked her to the wharf and seized her neck, pulling her roughly onto her knees. Her sisters met the same fate as more surged up from the sides of the wharf, trapping the princesses in their metal clutches.
Melody groaned as she got up, her head and ears ringing. Her daze was banished, however, when she saw the machines holding her mother and aunts.
"Mom!" She tried to bolt past Lara, but she grabbed Melody's wrists and pulled her back. "Let go, Lara!"
"You go and they'll kill you!" said Lara.
"Melody, don't!" yelled Ariel. "Just run! Get out of here!"
"Save your breath, Ariel!" called down Morgana. "Even if your daughter and her guard can avoid getting blasted to bits, there's no getting over that wall! I was going to put one up myself in case you tried to run, but your fish-father beat me to it! You're all stuck here with–gah!"
Another shell whizzed by Morgana. She turned back to the gunship, waving her fist angrily. "When I get done with them, I swear I'll put you in such a deep freeze they'll be thawing your carcass for the next ten years!" She gave a huff, running a hand through her hair. "Now, where were–?"
"Claymore…!" Morgana spun around to see Lara's sword drenched with fire as she swung it. "Torch her!"
A jet of flame shot forth from the sword, aimed straight at the ice witch. Morgana threw her hands up in the nick of time, summoning a shield of ice out of her spire. The flames hit the ice, melting it but failing to penetrate before it petered out.
Morgana scowled down as her ice shield collapsed. "Loraine Ankle-gone, I presume?"
"That's Lara Anclagon to you!" said Lara, holding her sword at the ready as Melody hid behind her. "And you must be Morgana!"
"In the flesh!" Morgana swept a hand across and bowed. "I have to thank you for keeping Triton busy while we got into position! Your quarrel gave us just the opening we needed to start this party!"
Lara held her sword up, her face dark with anger. "Trust me, if I'd known you lot were here, I would've finished him a lot faster!"
Morgana scoffed. "Whatever you say, sweetie. Anyway, I've got a proposition for you. Hand over Melody, and after Ursula kills Triton, you can have his head for a trophy. Oh, and you also walk out of here with your own head still attached. Good deal, no? What do you say? Hm?"
Lara glared up at Morgana as Melody hid behind her, hands tightening around her sword.
"No, I didn't think so." Morgana smirked and shrugged. "Ah, well, can't blame a girl for trying. But to be honest, I'm glad you refused. Now Melody gets to watch you die! More fun for me!"
"Get down here and I'll show you a real fun time, you witch!" shouted Lara. "You won't be so confident once I've got you one-on-one!"
"Dream on, kiddo! You think I'd give up the high ground to fight one measly human? Also, in case you haven't noticed…" Morgana pointed downwards.
Lara and Melody's breaths hitched. Ariel and her sisters were lined up on their knees, a clockman behind each one of them. Blades, guns, or sharpened claws were pointed at them, ready to end the women's lives at a moment's notice. A slew more of the machines stood behind them, their eyes green and glowing as they waited for orders.
"I'm the one with the advantage here! Besides, fighting you isn't my job!" Morgana leaned over the edge of her spire, cupping a hand to her mouth. "Oh, Undertow! Time to reintroduce yourself!"
Melody's entire body clenched in terror. "He's here too!?"
"Remind me who Undertow is?" asked Lara.
There was a crash of breaking ice, and then a dark form leapt out of the water and onto the dock beside Lara and Melody. Lara had just enough time to push Melody aside before a giant hand backhanded her, sending her flying away. She skipped across the wharf like a stone on water before crashing into a pile of crates.
"Lara!" cried out Melody.
"That'd be me, small fry!"
Melody turned and then screamed. Standing on the wharf was an enormous shark-man hybrid. He had the head and dorsal fin of a shark, but the rest of him had been transformed into a human-esque morphology. He stood fifteen feet tall, limbs rippling with muscle underneath gray and purple striped skin. A long tail with a shark's fin swept behind him, smacking down sharply and snapping a row of boards like toothpicks. His chest and arms were fitted with matte gray armor, as were his thighs and the dorsum of his tail. He smiled with evil intent, revealing sharpened steel teeth.
"Been a long time, fish brat!" said Undertow, his yellow eyes fixing on Melody.
The princess fell backwards, scrambling away from the anthropomorphized shark. "U-U-Undertow!?"
"The one and only! I'm back, baby!" He reached for Melody with a giant hand, mouth curling into a hungry grin. "And this time, I'll make sure you don't get in the way!"
"Claymore, shoot!"
There was a loud whooshing sound. Undertow and Melody turned to see Lara standing on the wharf, a ball of fire flying off her sword towards them. Undertow yanked his head back as it cut between him and Melody, but not fast enough to avoid singeing his nose. The ball carried over the heads of the clockmen and struck one of Morgana's spires, shattering it in half. Undertow yowled as he clutched his smoking snout.
"Get your hand off her!" barked Lara as she drew her sword back.
Undertow gave an irritated snarl as he lowered his hands, revealing the blackened tip of his nose. "Make me, shrimp!" He seized Melody and tossed her towards her mother and aunts. She hit the dock hard in front of them, crying out at the pain. A clockman immediately seized her, wrenching her arms behind her back.
Lara's eyes widened. "Melody!"
"Lara, help!" cried Melody as she struggled against the clockman. She stopped when it placed a blade against her throat, the edge exerting dangerous pressure on her skin. Tears of both pain and fear began leaking from her eyes.
"I wouldn't move too much if I was you," sang Morgana from above. "Undertow isn't the only one looking to cut his teeth on something."
Lara growled as she grimaced with anger and distress. "You coward! Too afraid to fight me on your own!?"
Undertow clenched his fists, cracking one hand and then the other. "Nah! You're just not worth her time! You might have magic, but when it comes down to it, you're still just a puny little ape! It'll take me…oh, I don't know. One, maybe two minutes to mash a pipsqueak like you! Four if you're lucky!"
"I could say the same to you," said Lara. "One swing of this'll be enough to cut you down to size!"
Undertow grinned. "You talk big for something bite-size."
Morgana rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't you two start on the size thing."
Undertow rolled his neck. "I'm going to enjoy this. I haven't had a chance to test this body out yet. I'll start by tenderizing you real good."
Lara readied her sword. "Unfortunately for you, I've had plenty of practice fighting the strong and stupid types."
Undertow's eye twitched. "What was that!?"
"I think she just called you stupid, stupid," said Arista.
Undertow spun around, glaring daggers as he bared his teeth. "One more word out of you, mermaid, and I'll turn you and your baby into mincemeat!"
"Hey, I'm not the one challenging a sorceress with his bare hands!" added Arista.
"She's got a point," said Lara as her sword ignited. "You might have muscles and size on your side, but it's not gonna mean a thing if I can turn you into a fish fry in a second."
Undertow grinned broadly at her. "There's more to me than muscles and metal! Hit me with your best shot, Laura Amblebon! I dare you!"
Lara scowled at him. "For the last time, my name is Lara Anclagon! An-cla-go–!"
Suddenly a tendril of glowing green fog shot up from underneath the wharf and slipped into Lara's mouth. Her voice cut off instantly as she seized her neck. A glowing golden orb was extracted from her, leaving Lara gasping as the light zipped towards Undertow's chest and then sunk through the armor. The shark man smiled wickedly as he reached under his breastplate and produced a glowing nautilus shell.
"You were saying?" he said as he turned and threw the shell. It sailed through the air to Morgana, who caught it with one of her tentacles.
"No!" exclaimed Ariel, struggling against the clockman holding her. Its grip tightened, drawing two spots of blood from her neck. Lara clutched at her throat, the fire on her sword dying. She tried to speak, but no sound came forth.
"Like I said, more to me than muscles and metal," sneered Undertow as he watched Lara's repeatedly try to use a voice she no longer possessed. "Who's the strong and stupid one now?"
"Did you really think we'd come without a plan to deal with you?" called down Morgana. "You've been a persistent thorn in our side ever since the seaclops. Fortunately, we did our homework on you. I had this trap ready and waiting. All it needed was your consent–which you gave when you said your name." She looped the nautilus shell around her neck. "I know everything I need to about your magic. You might be able to enhance your strength on your own, and that sword has a few nifty enchantments. But it all relies on your voice. If you can't speak, you can't go casting those nasty little spells of yours. And while I'm on the subject of nasty little things..."
Morgana snapped her fingers. A sharp pain stabbed in Lara's thigh. She jerked her leg back and looked, revealing a dart made of an urchin's needle and seagull feathers stuck in her. A movement in the corner of her eye caused her to notice a small clockman no taller than two feet in the burning wreckage of one of the galleons. One of its arms was a long pipe fixed at the shoulder. It stared at Lara a moment and then hopped off the edge of the wreck, disappearing into the water with a splash.
"Have you ever heard of the blue ring octopus?" asked Morgana. "They make a very potent toxin. Just one of the little critters can kill more than a dozen merfolk."
Lara suddenly felt weak. Her muscles refused to respond to her, and her head felt light and dizzy. She could barely keep her balance. Her lungs were heavy, as though they had become thick canvas. Just breathing now required effort.
"Don't worry," said Morgana. "That dart won't kill you. Just something to take your edge off. Blue ring octopus was just one of the juicy venoms I added to it. There's stonefish, box jellyfish, and cone snail to name a few others."
Lara's legs begin to shake. She suddenly teetered forward, falling to one knee. She leaned on the sword, trying to keep from collapsing completely.
"No!" cried Melody. "Lara, get up! You have to get up!"
"And since you no longer have your voice…" Morgana sat on the edge of her spire, an amusedly evil grin on her face as her tentacles swayed back and forth. "You can't use your magic to negate it, can you?" She rested her head in one hand. "All right, Undertow. Let's see how long that healing ability of hers can last."
Suddenly Undertow leapt at Lara, throwing a giant fist straight at her. She started to dodge, but her movements were far too slow. He caught her square in the chest and sent her flying. Lara went tumbling backwards, stopping sprawled on the wharf. Her brow and nose bled freely. Undertow chased after her, leaping into the air and coming down with a hard punch. Lara rolled aside, evading the punch. Undertow planned on her evasion though and spun as he swung his tail down on her. It slammed into Lara like a wrecking ball, cracking the boards underneath her. Her mouth opened in a mute scream.
"Lara!" Ariel, Melody, and the princesses cried out as Undertow stomped on her.
Undertow smirked, flashing his metal teeth at Lara as she turned over and swung her sword at his leg. The slash was slow and weak. Undertow pulled his leg back, the sword passing harmlessly by. "You're in deep trouble now, aren't you kid?"
Lara stared up at Undertow as he drew his fist back again. She hated to admit it, but he was right. She was in deep, deep trouble.
The raven scowled as he watched Undertow hammer Lara with his fist, then grab her and throw her back towards Melody. His entire body was shaking as he resisted the urge to fly down and claw Undertow's eyes out, sparks and smoke floating off him. It was hard to see Lara being so savagely beaten, but he could not intervene. If he revealed himself any further, the risk of Maelstrom finding him would become a real possibility–and that would mean doom for more than the Alliance. No, Lara would have to overcome this on her own.
The question was, would she even try to?
"Stubborn girl!" he uttered beneath his breath. "You're going to get more than yourself killed!"
A/N: In the span of minutes, Maelstrom throws Seahaven into turmoil. The corruptive thirst for vengeance created the opportunity for their assault. Machines, monsters, and magic have invaded the shores of this tranquil kingdom, sowing death and destruction throughout its once-safe harbor. Even Lara's might is laid low by their schemes, robbed of her voice and her strength as long dead foes watch with glee. Is there any hope in sight?
Here's the next chapter, folks! I'm so excited to be at this point! I hope you all enjoyed! I'm already working on the next one, so hopefully it will be up soon…ish! If you liked this one, be sure to favorite and/or follow! The action will be continuing next chapter!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own "The Little Mermaid," Disney, or any of its associated characters and intellectual property. Everything else, however, is mine =)
