Chapter 48: The King

"Dad, you can't do this! This isn't right!"

"I agree! It must be destroyed this instant!"

"That is not what I meant!"

Eric stood in the seaside pavilion of the palace with Triton and Melody. Smoke rose from the trashed marina as crews worked to clean up the wreckage. Debris floated in the sea, some washing onto the shores while the rest sank or was carried out into the vast ocean. The day was starting to close, the sky turning indigo on the eastern horizon as the west was set aflame by the sunset.

The king of Seahaven groaned, brow furrowed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He held Lara's wanted poster in his free hand. When he told Triton to meet him at the beachside pavilion, he intended to get answers about his and Lara's history. What he had not planned on was Melody barging in and immediately getting into an argument with him and her grandfather. At some point it degraded into a shouting match between her and Triton, leaving Eric a very frustrated and tired spectator unable to get a word in edgewise.

"That thing is too dangerous to keep alive, much less imprisoned!" said Triton, pointing to the palace from the pool inside the pavilion. "It could have destroyed this entire kingdom! Perhaps the whole Alliance! It's as great a threat to us as Maelstrom! We must get rid of it before there's another outburst!"

"Larais not a thing!" shouted Melody, now wearing a simple sky blue dress. "And she's not a threat! She's my friend, and not just mine!"

"No doubt a ruse to get close to you!" replied Triton. "It wanted to gain your trust so you would lower your guard! It would only have been a matter of time before it turned!"

"Lara would never do that! Never!"

"How do you know!? Until today you did not even know what it really was!" Triton pointed to the poster in Eric's hand. "That paper is proof enough! It's a wanted criminal! A murderer! Who knows what else it's lied to you all about!?"

Melody scowled at her grandfather, snatching the paper out of Eric's hand and unfolding it. "This is not her! I don't know who Kaida Blackjaw is, but that's not Lara!"

"It admitted it! You heard it clear as I did!"

"Lara would never do these things!"

"That does not make it incapable of them! And it plainly admitted to these crimes!"

Melody clenched her hands, crumpling the paper. "Stop calling her an 'it!' She has a name!"

"You saw what it did to the marina!" said Triton, ignoring Melody's demand. "What its power is capable of! It's a monster! There's no other word for it!"

"Don't you dare call her a monster! You wouldn't be saying that if you knew her!"

"Know it!? I don't need to know it! I know enough! Even if it's quiet right now, there's still a vile beast hiding inside! It's probably making its next plot in the dungeons as we speak, devising the best way to annihilate–!"

"Shut up!" screamed Melody. "Just shut up!"

Eric jumped at the volume and abruptness of Melody's outburst. He had never seen such anger in her eyes before. She was positively glaring daggers at her grandfather. Triton was staring at her with shock plain on his features. She wadded up the poster and threw it aside, hot angry tears leaking from her eyes.

"You don't know anything about her!" Melody vented. "What she's been through! What she's done for us! She almost died trying to save us! If it wasn't for her, I'd be dead! Mom would be dead! We'd all be dead! She's risked her life for us, and this time she almost died! Twice!"

Melody looked between Eric and Triton. "And you two thanked her by trying to kill her and then throwing her in chains!? She's protected us more than either of you ever have!"

Melody stomped up to Triton, jabbing a finger at him. "You know what? I know exactly why she didn't tell us about her wings or her magic! She wasn't hiding them from us! She was hiding them from people like you!"

Melody kicked the crumpled poster and stormed away. She did not even look at Eric as she marched by. Eric reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her. Melody's arm was stiff with indignation, but she allowed herself to be halted. She still refused to look at him.

"Where are you going, Melody?" asked Eric.

"To see Lara," Melody said, her tone one of restrained anger.

"Melody, I forbid it!" barked Triton, leaving the pool on a cushion of seawater. "You are not to see that–!"

"The guards have orders to stop anyone from entering," interrupted Eric, his voice the only calm thing in that moment.

Melody glanced out the corner of her eye at him. "Throw me in the dungeon too, then. You already cleaned out one cell. What's one more?"

"Melody, I didn't want to put Lara in the dungeon. But–."

Melody now turned to face him, pulling her arm free. "But what!? She's dangerous!? She might hurt me!? Might stab me in the back!? Might blow me up!?"

Eric turned to his daughter, taking her shoulders in his hands. "Melody, look at me! Do you think for one second I believe Lara would do something like that?"

Melody scowled at him. "You tell me! I'm not the one who arrested her!"

Eric looked at her for a long moment, and then he sighed. "Do I trust Lara? Honestly, not as much as I once did. That doesn't mean I've lost all faith in her. Or I've forgotten everything she's done for us. But if that paper is real, it means she's a fugitive. And our laws are very clear about fugitives."

"So we ship her back across the desert? Is that your plan?"

"My plan…" Eric said firmly. "Is to find out the truth. Even if she has to be imprisoned, she'll have the same rights as every person in Seahaven."

Eric pulled a ring off his finger and handed it to Melody. "And that includes the right to one visitor a day."

Melody held up the ring. She recognized it immediately as the royal seal. Normally it was just for decoration, but she knew it could also be used as an emblem of the king's authority.

"Show that to the guards," said Eric. "They'll let you in."

Triton's eyes widened. "You cannot be serious!"

Melody looked at her father. She could not say thank you. She was too cross for that. But she did allow him a grateful nod. She started towards the stairs again but stopped halfway there and turned back to her grandfather. "You know, mom told me about how you were before she and dad got married. About what you thought of humans. How you acted towards them and anything that was 'different.' Mom said you turned over a new leaf after I was born."

Her hand tightened around the ring. "If you ask me, you didn't change as much as she hoped."

Triton started after her, but Melody was already running up the steps. He reached out to her but stopped, clenching his hand and pulling it back.

Eric walked over to the crumpled paper and picked it up. "Last I heard, King Triton was ruler of Atlantica, not Seahaven."

Triton drew close to Eric, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Eric, you must listen to me! You cannot–!"

Eric swatted Triton's hand away and spun on him sharply. "No, you listen to me! This is not your kingdom! Melody is not your child! And Lara is not your prisoner! I meant what I said on the beach! You attack one of my subjects or order my daughter again, and you will not be welcome here!"

Triton's face flushed with disbelief and anger. "You dare speak to me this way!?"

"Yes, I dare!" replied Eric. "You crossed a line! You tried to kill Lara! You wanted to kill her! That is not how things are done in the Alliance, and you know it!"

"I was doing what must be done!"

"That is not for you to decide! Until there's evidence saying otherwise, Lara is innocent!"

"Innocent!? That beast is anything but! That paper says it clear as day! It's actions in the marina are evidence enough!"

"Her actions in the marina are why we still have our families! Just like her actions with the pirates, the skinner, and in Glowerhaven! Lara has saved Melody, your daughters, and myself more times than gold could ever repay!" said Eric. He held up the paper to Triton. "I don't know what this is, or how Willard came by it! But after all Lara's risked for us, I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt! She deserves that much!"

"It deserves nothing!" said Triton as Eric stuffed the paper into his shirt. "You have no idea what it's done!"

"And that's another thing!" said Eric. "I have no idea what she's done, but you clearly do! I'll get Lara's side of things later, but right now I want yours! How do you know her? Why did you attack her? Why did she call you Poseidon? And who is Bel'al, for that matter?"

"Do not speak that name!" shouted Triton, the trident glowing in his hands. He loomed over Eric with a furious expression, causing Eric to take a step back. "Never speak that name!"

"Then tell me who he is!" said Eric. "Or who you think sheis! Give me something!"

Triton looked down at Eric. Then he turned away, folding his arms crossly. Eric watched him closely, waiting for a response. It seemed Triton intended to keep his silence. Eric was almost ready to leave when Triton spoke. "Sixty years ago, when I was still a child, a demon came to Atlantica."

Eric walked up beside Triton, waiting for him to continue.

"I have no idea where it came from," said Triton. "Or how it was able to enter my father's court so easily. Its form was exactly the same as that creature you're harboring in the dungeons. It introduced itself as…" Triton paused, as though speaking the name would cause himself harm. "As Bel'al."

There was that creeping dread again, crawling up Eric's spine like an insect. How could one word elicit such a strong instinctual reaction from him?

"It demanded the trident from my father," continued Triton. "Said it was not meant for mortal hands. Of course, my father refused. What king in his right mind would hand over such a powerful instrument to a monster? He tried to drive it out, but the demon matched him evenly. Then it left, swearing it would be back in three days to ask a final time. And three days later it returned. The guards had been tripled, but again they were unable to stop it. It brushed them aside and broke into the court, again demanding the trident. And again, my father refused. In retaliation, the demon kidnapped me."

Eric's eyes widened. "It kidnapped you?"

Triton's scowl deepened. "Stole me right from my father's side. It ordered my father to hand over the trident before the next full moon or he would never see me again. After that it magicked us to some distant island. It called it Arcania."

"Lara mentioned that name," said Eric. "Where is it?"

"It's a myth," said Triton. "An island that doesn't appear on any map and can't be found by stars or compass. It's not real."

"Sounds like it's not as fictional as you thought."

Triton glanced down at Eric then returned his gaze to the ocean. "For ten days I was that demon's prisoner. Then my father came, along with the Atlantican army. He ordered the demon to hand me over, but it refused. They fought each other to the death."

Triton held the trident before him, eyes lingering on the forks. "I don't remember the battle clearly. I remember thunder, lightning, fire, and storms. What I do remember is my father striking down that abomination and drowning it in the sea. That should have been the end of it."

He turned to Eric, anger growing in his eyes. "But when my father lowered his guard, that devil you're harboring attacked him. It pierced his chest with its sword and killed him. The last I saw of my father he was burning away to ash as the soldier's carried me away."

Eric understood now why Triton held such anger for Lara. He might too if he witnessed such a thing. But something did not add up. "Triton, you said that was sixty years ago. But Lara can't be any older than Melody. There's no way it could have been her."

There was an audible creaking sound as Triton's grip on the trident hardened. "I could never forget it. Those eyes. That sword. That form. There isn't a doubt in my mind. I don't know how it kept its youth, but that's the same demon who killed him."

"How come you didn't mention this before?" asked Eric.

"Because I did not remember until I saw it," said Triton.

Eric frowned in confusion. "Didn't remember? What do you mean you didn't remember? If I'd been through something like that, I couldn't forget it even if I wanted to."

"I can't explain it myself," said Triton. "Perhaps I suppressed the memories from the trauma. Perhaps that demon cast a curse on me. Whatever the reason, I forgot all of it until I saw it's face again."

Triton turned to Eric. "I implore you, Eric! If you are ever going to listen to anything I say, let it be this! For the good of your kingdom and your people, you must kill that thing! It's more powerful than you could imagine!"

Eric frowned at Triton. "My decision stands. Even if she is who you say, she took an oath to protect my daughter. And she's been true to it. Hold your grudge if you have to, but I won't bend our laws to satisfy your need for revenge."

Now it was Triton who frowned. "So be it…" He turned away from Eric, staring out at the sea. "Then I'll be taking my daughter's back with me. And their families. I won't have them any closer to that thing than necessary."

"Even if that's not what they want?" asked Eric.

Triton gave no answer. Sensing their conversation was over, Eric turned and walked to the stairs. He started to climb them, but then stopped at the first step. "You know, while we're standing here arguing, Arista's having her first child. Right now, over at the hospital. Ariel's with her. So are the rest of your daughters. In the next few hours Melody will have a new cousin and you'll have another grandchild."

Eric looked up, seeing the first stars appear in the sky. "You know who else is at the hospital? In the basement? Everyone Maelstrom killed today. They're being laid out so people can come identify them. While we're waiting to celebrate a new life, I have subjects walking through rows of fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and friends. Just praying they don't recognize anyone. Others are sitting outside doors, waiting to hear if whoever's inside is going to come home. Some will, but too many won't. And it will go on like that. Maybe for hours. Maybe for days. Maybe even for weeks. Despite our best efforts we'll keep finding and losing more people."

He turned back to Triton. "You know why we don't have to go to the basement? Or wait outside a hospital room? Because Lara was there. Lara protected your daughters, and mine. Not you. Not me. Not the soldiers. Not the trident. It was Lara. She didn't save everyone, and she couldn't have. But because of her we get to see our families, and a lot of people get to see tomorrow. I don't doubt Lara's done terrible things in her past. Ask her yourself and she'll tell you. She's not proud of it either. But I know she's done a lot of good, too. Something you should think about if you see her again, Triton."

With that Eric left, starting his ascent up the stairway. Triton remained where he was, looking out at the sea. His fists tightened, joints popping angrily.

"I'll never forgive you," Triton muttered under his breath, face contorted in a scowl. "Never. You, or your father."


"Everyone get back!"

Remora watched as the pirates darted away from the rocky shore as Riptide thrashed about in the water. The giant sea serpent bellowed like the wounded animal he was. The ocean was stained dark with his blood. Men scrambled around wildly as they tried to get chains around his enormous frame. The dark clouds perpetually circling the island brought an early starless night, forcing them to rely on the light of oil lamps and the Factory's perpetual burning glow. The enormous main doors were wide open, the sounds of machinery and misery echoing out from the depths of the island.

Riptide thrashed again, his tail rising into the air before he slammed it into the water. A giant wave washed onto shore, sweeping men off their feet. Two unfortunate souls were swept into the water, crushed to death when Riptide threw himself against the rocky shore.

"Hold him down, you dogs!" barked Remora. "We can't do anything with him squirming like that!"

"We can't hold him!" shouted back a man. "He's too strong!"

"Then get more men!"

"Get your grimy hands off me, you stinking apes!"

Remora glanced over and saw Ursula shove a pair of men off her, tentacles grabbing and then flinging them away. Her body was riddled with burns, and her eyes were covered by a dirty cloth stained with black blood. She moved forward slowly, tentacles outstretched to feel her way along.

"Remora!" Ursula shouted. "Remora, where are you!? Answer me, you blasted air-breather! I know you're there! You think you can keep me caged up like some animal and get away with it!?"

Remora smirked, enjoying Ursula's frustration and helplessness. Ursula spent the last several hours in a literal cage while they tried to get a wounded Riptide into the main harbor. She was effectively blind, her eyes ruined by Lara's fire. Still, her injuries were not life threatening compared to Riptide's. She could wait. She could die, for all Remora cared.

The masked witch's smirk turned into a scowl. She turned around, pointing to a trio of clockmen. "You three!"

The clockmen straightened up, eyes brightening at her voice.

"Get that heap of blubber out of my sight!" ordered Remora. "Drag her to her chambers!"

"What do you think you're doing!?" demanded Ursula as she heard the clockmen advance towards her.

"Getting rid of distractions!" snapped Remora. "You're in our way!"

The clockmen seized Ursula by her arms and neck, dragging her towards the enormous entry to the factory. Ursula struggled against them, but their metal strength along with her injuries prevented her from loosening them. "Let go of me! I order you to release me!"

The clockmen ignored Ursula and continued to pull her away.

"Quit griping and go fix your eyes!" yelled Remora. "You're even more useless blind!"

Another loud roar drew Remora's attention back to the water. Riptide was struggling against several chains wrapped around his neck. He heaved his body out of the water in a travelling wave. There were six large holes punched through him, as though someone had cut out perfect circles with a giant's heated knife. His jaw hung open awkwardly, and his left eye was clouded and sightless.

Remora scowled, folding her arms angrily. Had she not seen it with her own eyes, she would not have believed it. She had been around a long time, and learned a fair deal about magic during those years. The magic Lara unleashed was unprecedented, unlike any Remora had seen or heard of. Her strength, speed, and durability were no less incredible. Not the type of power humans were supposed to have. That being said, Remora was not sure Lara was human anymore. No human could put wounds like that into Riptide.

"Struggling to examine the patient, I see."

Remora looked behind to see the Master walk out of the Factory's main doors. He strode silently towards her, eyes looking past to Riptide as the serpent bellowed.

"You try restraining six thousand tons of painful bleeding sea serpent!" said Remora. She looked back to Riptide. "Even if we get him tied down, his injuries are the worst next to Morgana's! Not sure how I'm going to fix him!"

The Master folded his arms into his sleeves. "How fares the sea witch?"

Remora snorted. "Alive, if you could call it that! They're getting the healing potions ready for her!"

"No," said the Master.

Remora arched a brow. "You finally getting rid of her? It's about time!"

The Master shook his head. "Nothing so cruel, either. Place her in one of Ursula's gestation tanks. She's to be kept alive, but not healed. Not till I decide what to do with her."

Remora shrugged. She did not understand the Master's reasons for keeping Morgana suspended in such a ragged state. Given she tried to run away, the Master had more than enough justification for executing her. Being burned by Lara was about half the torture Remora thought she deserved for it. But she had no qualms about the Master's request either. It would be perpetual pain to keep Morgana alive. Inflicting pain was something Remora never turned down.

"Whatever you say, sir." Remora turned to a pirate. "You! Get down to the vat forest! Tell them to dump Morgana in with the next batch of mutants! Keep her alive, but nothing else! Understood?"

"Aye, cap'n!" The man ran off to relay the orders.

At that moment one of the chains holding Riptide snapped. It cut through the air like a blade, snuffing out the life of three men unfortunate enough to be in its path. Riptide pulled against the restraints, snapping the rest of the chains as his head came free. He roared and lifted it into the air before smashing it down into the water, sending another monster wave over the shore. He hacked violently, spitting up a torrent of blue-blood-tinged seawater.

Remora growled, her fingers tightening. "This is getting us nowhere! At this rate he'll bleed out before I can even examine him!"

The Master stepped forward. "Seems I need to intervene after all."

Before Remora could ask what that the Master intended, shadows flew off his robes towards Riptide. They struck his body and spread across him, covering him like ink. Within seconds Riptide was covered by the dark magic. The men restraining him dropped their chains, backing away from the sorcery. Riptide continued to struggle within the black, but then his movements began to slow till he went still. The darkness lingered on his body, and then it began to recede, returning to the Master like a swarm of insects to their hive.

Although Remora knew what the Master was doing, she was still awed by the results. Riptide's injuries were gone. The gaping holes were filled in without the smallest scar. His jaw was back in place and his head tentacle was restored. He slowly opened both eyes, each one as large and gleaming yellow as the other. They swiveled down to focus on the two evil mages.

"Master…" he said, voice hissing between his teeth. "Remora."

Remora stepped forward. "How're you feeling, big guy?"

Slowly Riptide lifted his head out of the water, giving it a shake. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, revealing the sinuating blue tendrils of his tongue. A shake traveled down his whole body as he turned to face them. "Hungry." He looked around. "What happened?"

"Putting it bluntly, we lost," said Remora. "The brat turned you and Ursula into fish fry. Then she did the same to my ship and Morgana."

Riptide growled, giving them a teeth-baring snarl. "Where is she? Where is Anclagon?"

"Dead," said Remora. "Blasted her point blank twice before coming back here. There's no way she survived that."

The Master gave a chuckle. "Don't be so sure."

Remora turned to face him. "Something you know?"

The Master answered by conjuring up a pane of darkness before him. Remora saw images take form inside the black. She saw the ocean appear, the surface littered with the shattered remains of ships. Then three heads popped up from the waves. One was Melody. One was Ariel. And the other was…

Electricity arced over Remora's body as her hatred flared. Lara was alive! Those mermaids fished her out of the sea before she could drown! She though the lightning would've stopped her heart, but clearly not! She clenched her hands even tighter than her teeth as she hissed.

"How many times do I have to kill that brat!?" Remora seethed, her hands contorting as though she were ready to reach into the image and throttle Lara herself.

The Master stared at the image as the mermaids pulled Lara onto the shore. Then he did something Remora had not anticipated.

He started to laugh.

It was a chuckle at first. Difficult for Remora to even hear. Then it gathered strength like a storm, gradually rising until the Master erupted in full-blown hysterics. He threw his head back, laughing to the dark clouds above as his voice rang clear and loud. The men drew away from the Master, their fear of him unquestionable. It was unnerving even for Remora.

The Master drew his hand back and swept it over the image. It immediately shifted to images of Lara in the midst of her battles. They flashed by as seconds-long snippets. One moment she was beating Morgana and Undertow with her bare fists. Then she was torching Riptide with her sword. Then she was annihilating the gunship with her fire. Then she was tearing clockmen apart. The images moved one moment to the next, as though it were giving a jumbled playback of the day's events.

"Spectacular!" shouted the Master loudly as he watched Lara lose herself in her rage. "Absolutely remarkable! I feared the rumors were exaggeration, but now I see they fell short! Far short! This is far better than I hoped for!"

Remora narrowed her eyes. "What you hoped for? Are you…that's what this was for!? What all this was for!? To get Lara to show off for you!?"

The Master turned to her, his smiling mouth glowing the same blue as his eyes. The delight in his shrouded expression was answer enough.

"We had them!" Remora barked angrily, lightning arcing over her body. "We had Seahaven completely at our mercy! We could have ended them right then and there! And all you cared about was getting that kid to go out of control!?"

The Master shook his head as he laughed again. "My dear, dear Remora!"

Remora almost stepped back. The Master really was in a good mood if was willing to use that gleeful tone with her. But why?

"If I wanted to overrun Seahaven, do you think I would have used such a paltry show of force?" asked the Master.

"Paltry!? My gunship was tearing them apart till that brat snuffed out its boilers!" said Remora. "Riptide and I could've slaughtered them ourselves! We were more than enough to turn that place to rubble!"

The Master shook his head. "No, no. That would not do." He looked back to the images, watching Lara breathe fire down Riptide's throat. "I anticipated it would take extraordinary means to draw Lara out of her shell. Even so, her power exceeded my expectations!" He reached out to the image, tracing his fingers along it as Lara's eyes glared back at him. "Truly magnificent!"

Remora scowled. She did not like the enraptured tone in the Master's voice. "Powerful or not, she's still a threat! That thing she turned into could be a serious problem for us!"

The Master looked to her. "Are you saying you would not be able to handle her?"

Remora's scowl deepened. There was no amount of torture, gold, or power that could get her to admit it, but Lara was beyond her. In that enraged state, at least. Remora had nothing in her arsenal, mechanical or magical, that could stand up to that kind of raw unfettered might. If she squared off against Lara as the Master did, she would have died within the first two minutes. She simply did not have a way to match her.

The Master grinned. "I'll take that as your answer. But you are right. That beast inside her could be a hindrance if it resurfaced. Right now, however, she has much bigger problems to worry about."

Riptide growled, watching as the guards led Lara away. "What problems?"

The Master waved his hand, dispersing the image. "Anclagon and Triton have a grudge to settle. That much is clear. That hatred will erode her trust in her friends. And the events of today and the wanted poster from the east will decay theirs in her. She is likely weakened as well. Such tremendous power will exact a heavy toll on her body and mind. Otherwise, she would not have been captured so easily."

Remora's hand tightened into a fist, as though she were ready to punch the next living thing that passed by her. "Then we should finish her off for good! While she's still vulnerable!"

The Master brought his hand to his chin in thought. "Yes…that would be the prudent thing to do. But we will hold that option in reserve."

Remora felt unease grow inside her. The Master was planning something again.

The Master lowered his hand. "I wish to try another approach…"


The candles and lanterns were being lit as the palace prepared for night, trading the brightness of daylight for the flickering warmth of firelight. It gave a spooky ambiance to the place as Melody approached the door to the dungeons. It was a spartan door compared to the grandeur of the palace. Three black steel hinges spanned across aged oak timbers. A blocky lock, two deadbolts, and a crossbar secured the door in place, preventing entry in or out. A pair of guards flanked the door, standing tall and straight as their spears.

A part of Melody wanted to walk away, or at least put this off till a later time. Butterflies were flittering about in her stomach, making her feel queasy. The rest of her would not hear of it. She had too many questions and too few answers. One way or another she was going through that door.

She strode up to the guards. "I want to speak with Lara."

The guards looked at each other nervously. "Um…sorry, princess," said one of them apologetically. "His majesty said no one's to go in or out without his permission."

"I'm ordering you to let me in," Melody said, a hint of anger in her voice. She immediately felt a pang of guilt for saying it. She could count the number of times she ordered someone to obey her. It was not a pleasant feeling to her, leveraging her royal authority over people.

The guards shifted, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. "We're sorry, your highness. But the king was very clear. No one in or out, and no exceptions. We're not even allowed down there, and we're the guards!"

Melody frowned. She held her hand up, revealing Eric's ring. "This says I am."

The guards leaned forward, eyes widening as they recognized the seal. They looked at each other, unsure of what the correct response was.

"Or would you rather I get my father to tell you in person?" said Melody.

That did the trick. The guards reluctantly opened the door, the lock moving with a loud yet satisfying clunk of metal. It swung into the room with a creaking of old hinges, revealing a dim stone stairway leading down into the earth. Lanterns had been set on the wall, but their weak light did little to lift the ominous air of the place.

Gathering her courage, Melody stepped through the doorway. The chill immediately greeted her, causing her to shiver. Clearly spring's warmth had not reached this part of the palace. She reached up and took one of the lanterns off the wall, then began her descent into the dark.

A reminder of less peaceful times in Seahaven's history, the dungeons present purpose was for storing objects rather than dangerous people. The walls and arched ceiling were heavy blocks of stacked gray stone without any windows. This was not a frequently used area of the palace, and it showed. Cobwebs were strewn thick, and the air was filled with glinting dust particles that made Melody cough. The lanterns cast flickering shadows on the wall, playing tricks with Melody's eyes. Her footsteps echoed hauntingly up and down the stairwell. She honestly expected to see a specter or at least a rat at the edge of her light, but no such things appeared. She followed the stairs down until they abruptly ended. A corridor stretched before her, ten cells lining the walls. There was a narrow beam of light from a barred opening at the other end, allowing the faintest amount of sunset into the gloom.

Melody walked down the hall, looking into each cell. They were as frugal as the door to this place. A wooden board suspended off the wall by chains served as a bed. The doors were iron crossbars anchored directly into the rock. Each one Melody passed was stuffed with boxes, crates, or furniture covered with storage cloth. All of them had their keys inside the locks. Melody could not remember the last time someone had been kept in this place. It had been years. Perhaps not even within her lifetime.

It was not till she got to the last cell that Melody found Lara. Hers was the only one without a key. She was chained to the far wall, sitting on the floor with her face buried in her knees and her tail wrapped around her. Her hands and feet remained bound by the enchanted chains. Her tail and wings were free, as there was no effective way to restrain them. Four sets of chains ran from her manacles to the wall. A plate of untouched food sat by the cell door.

Melody set the lantern down and stepped towards the cell, rapping her knuckles on the bars.

"I'm not hungry," said Lara, her voice muffled by her legs.

"Do I look like room service to you?" said Melody.

Lara looked up, eyes widening as she recognized her. "Melody?" She stood and walked over to the door. She was within arm's reach when her chains went taught, preventing her from approaching any further. Lara leaned forward as far as she could. "What are you doing–?"

Melody reached in and slapped Lara hard in the face. The smack echoed in the dungeon, making it sound harder than it actually was.

"Ow!" said Lara, reaching up to rub her cheek. "What was that for!?"

"That's for lying to me!" Melody shouted. She swung her hand back into Lara's other cheek. "That's for lying to everyone else!" She drew her hand back for a third slap. "And this is for–!"

"Lay off!" said Lara. Her tail swung around as Melody swatted at her, blocking her hand as Lara moved out of range. Melody pressed hard against the bars, hands grasping for Lara.

"What's gotten into you!?" said Lara as she rubbed her face. "Between you, Undertow, that sea serpent, and then Sable, I've taken more than enough knocks to the head for one day!"

"You lied!" shouted Melody as she grabbed the bars, giving them a hard shake. "You lied to me! You lied to my mom! You lied to my dad! You lied to everyone!"

"I never lied!" said Lara. "I just…I didn't tell you!"

"That's not any better!" Melody wiped her eyes on her arm as they started to water. "I said you could trust me! That you could talk to me anytime and anywhere! Did that mean nothing to you!?"

Lara looked taken aback. "Wha–of course it meant something!"

Melody shook the bars again. "Then why didn't you tell me!?"

"Why? Why do you think!? Look at me!" shouted Lara. "Really look at me!"

Melody stepped back, taking in all of Lara's form. Physically little had changed on her body, and yet she was almost unrecognizable. She had changed her red breast wrap for one of white bandages. Her hair was such a vivid shade of orange it seemed to glow in the dark. Her wings were folded tight against her body, impressively compact given the breadth Melody knew they could extend to. Her tail swayed in the air behind her. Her eyes and face were the same, save the now absent facial piercings.

"If I'd shown you this, do you think I would've been allowed to stay? Much less want me as your friend?" asked Lara.

"Yes!" said Melody. "Of course I would!"

Lara scowled. "Now who's lying? You wouldn't have let me within a hundred miles of the kingdom! And don't forget, you were hiding the mermaid half of your family from me!" She approached Melody again, leaning towards her. "Which, by the way, includes your grandfather, who murdered my dad!"

"I don't know anything about that!" Melody shouted back. "But it wasn't him!"

"I saw him do it!" Lara yelled. "I was there! He's Poseidon, I'm sure of it!"

"He's not Poseidon!" Melody almost screamed. "He's Triton!"

"And what!? I'm supposed to trust you on that!?" scoffed Lara.

Melody pressed her face up to the bars. "Yes!"

"Why!?"

"Because that's what friends do! They trust each other! Something you apparently forgot how to do!"

Lara stared hard at Melody, letting an uneasy silence settle between them. "Then prove it. Show me something, anything that will prove he's not Poseidon. Do it and I'll believe you."

Melody sighed wearily, leaning on the bars as she closed her eyes. "Lara…"

"Mel, he can't be Triton," said Lara. "He physically can't! The Triton I know is a kid! He barely came up to my ribs when I met him! And that was just five years ago! Unless they've got some sort of growth potion in Atlantica, it's not him!"

Melody looked up at her. "How do you know my grandfather in the first place? And why did he say you killed his father?"

Lara folded her arms. "I don't know the whole story. Whatever it was, it died with my dad, and I don't think Poseidon would give a fair telling. All I know is one day I came home and heard a kid crying. I started looking around and found this redhead merboy hiding in one of the rooms. He was scared to death. Thought I was gonna eat him."

Melody's brow furrowed. "Why would he think–?"

Lara arched an eyebrow at Melody. "Really? Why do you think?"

Melody glanced at Lara's wings for a moment. "Oh…"

Lara shook her head. "After I convinced him I wasn't gonna make him a main course, I got him to tell me his name and what happened. He told me my dad kidnapped him from a place called Atlantica. Said he was gonna trade him for something called the trident. I'm guessing it's that oversized fork Poseidon…" She paused at the withering look Melody gave her. "Okay, the oversized fork your grandfather was using."

Melody blinked rapidly and shook her head. "Wait, wait, wait! Your father went to Atlantica, kidnapped my grandfather, and took him to your home?"

Lara nodded. "In a nutshell. Or would it be in a seashell for merfolk?"

Melody gave her another wilting expression for her attempted humor.

Lara shrugged. "Hey, gotta make the best of this somehow."

"How did you not remember any of this?" asked Melody.

"I honestly wish I knew," said Lara. "Up until I saw Po–your grandfather, I didn't remember any of it. Last memory I had of my dad was going to sleep after dinner. Next morning, I woke up in the eastern kingdoms. That's it. Everything in between was an empty page until today."

"Fine, so you found my grandfather in your home because your dad took him," said Melody. "And after that?"

Lara frowned. She walked to the side of her cell and leaned against the wall. "After that I confronted my dad about it. Demanded to know why we had a scared-to-death merboy as a house guest. Normally dad was straight with me as long as we weren't out training. But this time I couldn't get an answer out of him. He just said he was doing what had to be done. That he had no other choice. That didn't sit well with me. I tried to get him to let the kid go, but he refused. He even went so far as to put a magic seal on the room so I couldn't get back in. I got angry, he got angry, I said a few unkind things to him, and then I flew off."

Lara looked to the beam of sunlight streaming into the dungeon. There was a longing in her eyes, as though she yearned to feel it. "I was gone for over a week before I came home. When I did, I found my dad having a shouting match with this white-haired merman that looked exactly like your grandfather, and just as angry. My dad called him Poseidon. Things got heated, and then Poseidon started shooting at him with that trident thing dad wanted. Things escalated fast. Poseidon turned into some sort of glowing white giant and started fighting my dad. They were literally tearing our home apart. I'd never seen dad fight seriously, and to be honest, it would've been fine if I never saw it again. I saw the merkid down in the thick of it, so I pulled him out of there before he got squashed."

"So…you're saying you saved my grandfather's life?" asked Melody.

Lara looked at her. "He was a kid! A kid being used as a pawn for some stupid magic forks! He didn't deserve to get caught up in their quarrel! Once I got him to safety, I tried to help my dad, but I just got in the way." She looked down at the floor. "I…I got him killed."

Melody leaned closer. "What happened?"

Lara sighed, running her hands through her hair. "I thought I could use my sword and blind Poseidon. Give dad an opening. But it didn't work at all. I got taken down with one hit. Poseidon tried to finish me off with some sort of curse, but my dad got in the way and took it for me. Next thing I knew the whole ocean rose up, dragged him into the waves, and pulled him under."

Melody saw Lara's hands tighten into fists. "I don't remember everything that happened after that. I was so angry I was literally seeing red. I remember Poseidon turning back into a merman. I remember grabbing my sword and going at him with everything I had. I remember knocking him on his back and then…" Lara went quiet, her jaw tightening.

"And then what?" asked Melody.

"I killed him," said Lara. "I drove my sword right through his chest and burned him to nothing. Last I saw of Poseidon, he was turning to ash."

Melody unconsciously leaned away from the bars. Lara rarely talked about when she killed, and not with that much anger in her voice. Whenever she did, there was a tangible remorse in her tone. Not this time though. Melody could tell Lara wanted to kill him, and she would again if given the choice.

Lara sighed as she pushed off the wall. "After that, the other mermen left with the kid. My father managed to resist the curse long enough to speak with me one last time. He said…" Lara paused, biting her lower lip. "He said it was time for me to go find my place in the world. That he was proud of me. That no matter what happened, I would always be his daughter. And…" She paused again. "And that I'd never be alone."

Melody watched as Lara sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing you have to be sorry for." Lara shook her head and gave a heavy exhale before looking at Melody again. "That was it. Next thing I knew I was in the eastern kingdoms."

Melody rested her forehead against the bars. "Then my grandfather can't be Poseidon. Not if you…you know…" Melody drew a finger across her throat.

"He can't be Triton either," said Lara. "Like I said, all of this was five years ago. There's no way he could age that much."

"How old were you when this happened?" asked Melody.

Lara shrugged. "Sixteen? Maybe seventeen? I didn't keep track of my birthdays very well."

Melody looked down at the floor. Lara had a point. She had little doubt Poseidon was dead. If Lara did it, there was no way he survived. Melody was not sure how she felt about that, Lara killing her great-grandfather. She had too much else on her mind to really think about it. But how could all this have happened only five years ago? Triton said sixty years had passed since he and Lara last met, and Melody had no reason to doubt that. But she had no reason to doubt Lara either. If it truly had been sixty years, Lara should be even older than Triton now. What was she doing for those lost decades while Triton was ruling Atlantica and raising her mother and aunts? Having a power nap competition with Sleeping Beauty?

Melody's breath hitched. She looked at the fire pendant hanging around Lara's neck, the tiny flame flickering inside it. "Sleeping Beauty…"

"What about beauty sleep?" asked Lara.

"You said you woke up in the east five years ago, right?" asked Melody, pushing herself away from the bars.

"Yeah…"

"You're sure? You're absolutely, one-hundred percent sure that was five years ago?"

"Unless time, seasons, and the sun have a whole different set of laws over in the east."

"Then how long were you asleep for?"

Lara started to say something, but then stopped. She looked down, eyes scanning over the floor as though the answer was down there. She scratched her head. "A day? Maybe a week? I don't know. Why?"

"I don't think it was a week, Lara," said Melody. "I think it was sixty years."

"Mel, that's crazy! How could I sleep for sixty years?" asked Lara.

"Because if anyone could, you could!" said Melody.

Lara's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't get it."

Melody reached her hands through the bars, counting off on her fingers as she spoke. "Your father was a sorcerer. You have magic yourself, not to mention a magic sword. And I think there's more to your healing than fixing cuts and bruises."

Lara's eyes widened as the realization dawned on her. What Melody was saying was impossible, and yet it was the only thing that made any sort of sense.

"Grandfather didn't age faster!" Melody said. "You aged slower!"

"But then that means…!" Lara looked herself over, then back up at Melody. "I'm eighty!?"

The two stared at each other for several long seconds. Then Melody gave a timid smile. "If it makes you feel better, you don't look a day over twenty."

Lara frowned. "Gee, thanks. I'll show you my skin care routine sometime."

"You have a skin care routine?"


"I'M DYING!"

"You are not dying, Arista! Now push!"

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH! I CAN'T! HE'S KILLING ME! ARIEL, HOW DID YOU SURVIVE THIS!? HOW DO ANY HUMANS SURVIVE THIS!?"

"Keep breathing, princess! He's close now!"

"You're doing good, sweetheart! Breathe with me! One-two, push! One-two, push! One–aaah! Arista, my hand! You're crushing my hand!"

"YOU SHUT UP! THIS IS YOUR FAULT, YOU BARNACLE-BRAINED SON OF A PERCH! YOU DID THIS TO ME! YOU SO MUCH AS TOUCH ME EVER AGAIN I SWEAR I'LL–AAAAAAHHHHH!

"Everyone but the father please leave! We need to work here, and we can't do it–!"

"GAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"With all of you crowding!"

"Arista, I think I should–!"

"YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE! YOU HEAR ME!? YOU GOT ME INTO THIS! YOU'RE STAYING!"

"But–aaaaaooooowwww!"

"Everyone out! Doctor's orders!"

"But Ariel's the queen! Doesn't that…Arista, don't you dare–!"

Crash!

"GET! OUT! NOW!"

The door to the hospital room flew open, Ariel and her sisters fleeing the laboring mother's screams. A white-clad woman reached out and grabbed the doors, pulling them shut behind them. The doors muffled Arista's pained cries and the cracking sounds from her husband's potentially crippled hand.

"Holy sea horses she's loud!" said Aquata, twisting a finger in her ringing ears.

"You would be too if you had to deliver babies that way!" said Adella with a shudder. "Seriously Ariel, how did you go through with that?"

"With Eric holding my hand and a lot of…words," said Ariel, remembering some very un-queenly things she said during the process of bringing Melody into the world. Poor Eric was not able to write for two whole weeks after how hard she squeezed his hand.

The princesses went over to a series of benches along the wall, sitting down wearily. The maternity ward on the third floor of the new hospital was tranquil compared to the chaos going on downstairs. They heard voices and running feet as doctors and nurses moved fast as they could, trying to treat the wounded and save the dying as they continued to pour in from the town and marina. Even with the hospital still unfinished, it was desperately needed now.

Ariel leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes as she allowed her mind to drift off. This had been her first true moment of peace since the morning. She tried to keep her thoughts empty, but they immediately returned to the same things that had occupied her since she left the beach.

Lara and Triton.

Of course Ariel wanted to be with Eric when he talked to her father. To convince him he was wrong about Lara. To tell him she was not who he thought. That satisfying this sudden need for revenge was not the way of an Atlantican king. To ask her questions and get some answers. But Arista was her sister, and she needed to be there for her. Triton would have to wait till after. And Ariel knew how her father could be. His eruptive temper and stubbornness fed off each other. It was unlikely anyone could get through to him right now. He needed time to cool off. They all did, honestly. It had been a trying day.

Still, that look in Triton's eyes when he saw Lara frightened Ariel. She had never seen her father so angry in his life, and she riled his anger plenty of times before. Not even his outburst in her grotto or at Melody's party rivaled the hatred he gave off around Lara. She genuinely believed he would have killed her had Melody and Eric not gotten between them. Keeping him and Lara away from each other was definitely in their best interests for the time being.

As for Lara, Ariel was still wrapping her mind around that. A part of her did feel betrayed by Lara's secrecy. She thought Lara trusted them enough that she could confide in them fully. They did share their secret about the merpeople with her, after all. But Ariel could understand why Lara had not been so forthcoming with this particular set of secrets. Mermaids were one thing. They were regarded in the west as creatures of beauty and benevolence. Lara was…Ariel was not actually sure what she was, but it was not completely human. Her own initial reaction to Lara's transformation said it all, as did the emotions Lara's rampage stirred in her. She was scared of her. Ariel considered herself very open to things that were different or unique, but that did not mean she was immune to fear. Lara's anger and power terrified her, even if it was for a brief moment.

It was other people's fear, however, that Ariel was truly concerned for. She was not sure what put a larger knot in her stomach–seeing Lara marched through the palace in chains, or the faces of everyone who saw it happen. Their confusion and fear were so plain even a blind man could notice them. In mere moments Lara had transformed from an accepted resident of the palace into a dangerous, untrustworthy creature. She offered no resistance or explanation as she was taken down to the dungeons. She looked drained, and not just physically. It was as though her spark had been snuffed out.

Then there was the matter of the wanted poster. Ariel could not doubt it was Lara in that picture. What she had to doubt, however, were the charges it made against her. Ariel knew Lara had an extremely rough time surviving in the eastern kingdoms. She understood Lara did some things she regretted immensely. She was still grappling with the trauma those experiences left on her. Theft, assault, trespassing, even killing Ariel could believe. Lara admitted to them herself. But Kidnapping? Assassination? Treason? Murder? A holocaust? Those did not fit Lara at all. That was not the person Ariel was coming to think of as an adopted daughter.

The word "holocaust" played over and over in Ariel's mind. She knew the definition of it. It described destruction or slaughter on a massive scale, especially one caused by fire or war. The word brought back images of an enraged Lara as she lay waste to Maelstrom and the marina with her fire and strength. Ariel found herself wondering if this was not the first time Lara's magic had run wild. And if it had, what was collateral from the previous times? What happened to this Lao Xan, who or whatever it was?

Ariel drew a breath and sighed. At the very least, the wings explained how Lara crossed the desert.

"Ariel?" A hand took her shoulder and gently shook her. "Ariel?"

Ariel opened her eyes, turning to see Aquata. "Huh? What?"

"Are you okay?" asked Aquata. "You looked like you were about to nod off."

"Oh. No, I'm fine." Ariel sat upright, giving her shoulders a roll. "I couldn't sleep even if I wanted to."

A sharp scream from the delivery room caused everyone to flinch.

"At that volume, the whole kingdom won't be able to," said Andrina, nodding towards the door.

Ariel cringed as Arista screamed again, remembering she made a similar sound during her own labor. She empathized immensely with her sister. Mermaid mothers had it easy by comparison. There was not a tonic, potion, or concoction on land or sea that could lessen the pain Arista was going through.

Alana looked to Ariel. "Is she going to be okay?"

Ariel bit her lip as she clasped her hands together. "I…don't know. I think Lara's fine physically. But she's–."

"I was asking about Arista," clarified Alana.

Ariel blinked at her. "What? Oh, Arista! She'll be fine! Don't worry! Everything going to…going to be fine…" Her voice trailed off as she leaned forward, resting her forehead in her hands as her thumbs massaged her temples in slow circles.

"You're worried about Lara, aren't you?" asked Aquata.

"How can I not be?" said Ariel. "First she gets into a fight with father. Then Undertow almost killed her. Then that masked witch tried to kill her again. Now she's accused of being a fugitive and murdering our grandfather, chained up in the dungeons, on top of which daddy wants to kill her." Ariel drew a heavy breath and sighed again. Aquata reached over and rubbed Ariel's back. It was not much, but the touch made Ariel feel a little better.

"What's going to happen with Lara?" asked Adella. Her right thigh was wrapped in bandages, a pair of wooden crutches leaning against the wall beside her chair.

"I don't know yet," said Ariel. "I still need to talk with Eric about it."

"She's not going to stay in Seahaven, is she?" asked Attina.

Ariel looked sharply at her eldest sister. "What is that supposed to mean? That we should exile her?"

"It's better than execution," said Adella. Aquata and Alana reached over simultaneously and gave her a smack on the back of the head for the comment. "Ow! I'm already injured!"

"Ariel, I know you're fond of Lara," Attina said cautiously. "But you saw what happened! You saw what she turned into, and what she did afterwards!"

Ariel stood up. "That happened because she thought Melody died!"

"I know!" said Attina, holding up her hands disarmingly. "And in her place, I'd be angry too! Any of us would, right?"

The sisters nodded in agreement.

"But we don't turn into ten-foot monsters that can blow up an entire country when we're mad!" added Attina.

Ariel's expression darkened. "So Lara's a monster now?"

"You know what is not what I meant!" said Attina firmly. "Lara had no control! No idea who you were or what she was doing! It's a miracle she didn't kill you or Melody, or someone else!"

"But she didn't!" said Ariel. "She protected us!"

"Thistime!" said Attina, working to keep her voice from rising. "She didn't kill anyone this time! No one innocent, at least! You may not be so lucky if it happens again!"

Ariel turned away from Attina, staring hard at the floor. She knew Attina was not trying to be unfeeling towards her or Lara. She was worried and frightened. Her family was in Seahaven too, after all. But to hear Attina talk like that made Ariel feel she was trying to validate abandoning Lara.

"How are you going to stop her if she goes berserk?" asked Attina. "She too strong! Morgana and Ursula couldn't put a scratch on her! Even the trident didn't do anything to her! What would happen if she turned that power against Seahaven? Or Atlantica?"

Ariel clenched her hands tight. "So what!? I should execute her like our father wants!? Is that what you'd do?"

The princesses tensed visibly. They looked to their elder sister, faces asking if that was really what she was suggesting.

Attina paled, recoiling from Ariel. "No! Good gods, no! You know I'd never do anything like that! I just…!" She reached out, grasping Ariel's shoulders and turning her to face her. "I just don't want you or anyone else getting hurt!"

Ariel was about to speak when a shadow behind Attina caught her attention. The hairs on her neck stood up when she saw the four-eyed raven peeking out from the doorway of an empty room. He looked at her, burning eyes unblinking.

Attina noticed her sister's attention shift elsewhere. "Ariel?"

Ariel startled slightly. "What?"

Attina looked straight at her. "Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost."

Ariel glanced back into the room. The raven was gone. "I'm all right. I just…I need to be alone."

"Are you sure?" asked Attina. "I didn't mean to upset you. I was…"

Ariel nodded. "I know. Just give me a few minutes."

"Okay. If you're sure. We'll be here."

A fresh scream of pain and effort tore from the delivery room, making all the women flinch.

"Waiting…and hoping," said Attina, her tone making it clear she was worried Arista may in fact be dying.

Ariel gave Attina a small smile and walked to the room. The princesses watched as she went in, closing the door quietly behind her.

Aquata frowned at her older sister. "Nice going, fish lips. You made her mad."

"You know how Ariel feels about Lara," added Andrina. "She adores her! I'm amazed she hasn't offered to adopt her yet…wait, can you adopt an adult?"

Attina sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I wasn't trying to upset her."

Alana glanced out the window to the setting sun. "Do you think she'll do it? Kick Lara out of Seahaven, I mean?"

Attina went and sat beside her. "Not willingly."

"What would you do?" asked Adella.

Attina stared at the floor for a moment. "I don't know. I really don't know. Lara's protected all of us at least twice now. We all owe her a lot. But if she stays…" Attina leaned on her knees, nibbling at her lower lip. "What if this happens again? What if she goes mad and they can't make her stop?"

"You have a point, Attina" said Andrina.

Aquata scowled at her. "Not you, too?"

"But you know what scares me more?" added Andrina. "What if Lara leaves…and then they come back?"

Quiet filled the hallway as the princesses ruminated on the two questions. No one was sure which was worse–having Lara stay, or having her go?


Ariel closed the door behind her, setting the lock for good measure. The room was empty and unused. The bed was made neatly, and the floors looked clean enough to eat off of. Ariel stayed facing the door, resting her forehead against it. She did not need to see the raven to know he was still in the room. She could practically feel his eyes on her.

"I know who you are," said Ariel.

The raven said nothing from his perch at the open window. Then he gave a conceding sigh. "For how long?"

"The moment Lara changed," said Ariel. Then she shook her head. "No, that's not right. I think I've known for a while. Since Lara shielded me from that wave. Maybe even since I first met you. It's been in the back of my mind. Like a little voice. I just couldn't hear it till now."

She paused, waiting for the raven to say something. When he did not, she continued. "I thought it was strange, you appearing when you did. Right after we made her Melody's guardian. You came out of nowhere, just like her. I thought it was a coincidence, but now…now I'm sure it wasn't. Not after what happened to William. Not after what I saw in Glowerhaven. Not after today."

Ariel turned to the raven, her twin blue eyes meeting his four orange ones. "You're Lara's father, aren't you?"

The raven hopped off the windowsill into the room. Smoke enveloped him in a concealing cloud, and then the black demon emerged, sparks rising from his body. It was undeniable to Ariel, furthering her conviction that she was right. That was the exact form Lara took when she first fought Morgana and Riptide.

"You are correct," said the demon. "I am Bel'al. And I am Lara's father."


"I still can't believe it," muttered Lara. "Sixty years? I slept for sixty years!?"

"I can't think of any other explanation," said Melody. "Can you?"

"No, but…" Lara shook her head. "Sixty freakin' years! That's not just a good night's sleep! That's longer than some people live! How did I go that long without food or water, or even a gray hair? Unless…"

Melody saw the look in Lara's eye. "Unless what?"

"Dad!" Lara rushed towards the bars, forgetting she was attached to the chains until they abruptly halted her. "Dad must have done something! He must've put some spell on me! To keep me asleep and slow down my aging! But why? He must've known he wouldn't be around to undo it!"

Melody looked Lara over as she started sinking into her own thoughts. "Lara, not to change the subject, but…"

"But what?" asked Lara

"Age aside, how did you end up like, well…" Melody gestured to her. "This?"

Lara looked herself over. "What, the wings and tail?"

"No, I mean just under six feet tall with perfect teeth," Melody said sarcastically. "Of course the wings and tail! And that black thing you turned into! What else would I be referring to!?"

"I don't know!" said Lara. "It's been a busy day!"

Melody wiped her hands down her face. She simultaneously felt she could sleep for an entire day, yet also felt she could stay awake for two more. "Just tell me, please?"

"Fine, fine." Lara moved to the middle of the cell. "Remember when I said my father used magic to save me?"

"Yeah?" said Melody.

Lara opened her wings partly, revealing the leathery black membranes. "There were a few more…changes I didn't mention."

"Changes? Changes!?" Melody blinked at her in disbelief. "Lara, you have wings and a tail! You defeated two sea witches, an army of fish-mutants and metal men, a giant sea serpent, and a warship! By yourself! That's more than saving you with a few spells! What kind of a man would do this to a child!? Why would he turn you into this!?"

"Ah…" Lara fidgeted in her chains, her tail twitching nervously. "About that…"

Melody frowned. "What is it now?"

"Guess it's as good a time as any." Lara closed her eyes and gave a heavy exhale. "There's something else you should know. About my dad, I mean."


Ariel looked at the demon. She should have been afraid of this being. This was the mage who taught Lara her magic. Everything she knew came from him. Who knew how powerful he was by comparison? For all she knew, he could snap his fingers and erase the Alliance. But she kept her composure. This sorcerer had not made any threats or offense against her or anyone else so far. She had no reason to think that would change.

"Tell me who you are," said Ariel.

"As I said, I am Lara's father," said the demon.

"I mean who you really are," said Ariel. "I believe you're Lara's father. And I believe you are who you say you are, even though I've never heard of you. I even believe you're trying to help us. But I don't believe you're just another sorcerer. Not after everything I've seen you and Lara do."

The demon folded his arms. "And what have you seen?"

"You drove Morgana out of William's body," said Ariel. "You knew that seaclops and those pirates were going to appear at the marina. You knew we were in danger at the Glowerhaven ball. Melody was dead and you brought her back. And Lara…you and she use the same magic, but magic completely different from anything I've even heard of. And you both have this exact same form."

Ariel walked up to him, looking into his burning eyes. "You told me that if I trusted my heart it wouldn't steer me wrong. And right now, it wants to trust you and Lara. I want to trust you both. I really do. But I can't when you keep hiding secrets from me. I can ask for Lara's truth later, but right now I need yours. The real truth. Who and what are you? And for that matter, what is Lara?"

The demon held Ariel's gaze silently. Finally he sighed, eyes closing over. "Very well. If the truth is what you want, you shall have it. You've earned that much." He raised his right hand, extending a clawed finger towards Ariel's forehead.

Ariel took a step back as his fingertip began glowing. "What are you doing?"

"It will be far more convincing to show rather than tell you," said the demon. "I will share a memory with you. One that will provide adequate explanation."

Ariel eyed his finger nervously. "Will it hurt?"

The demon gave an amused chuckle. "It will be as a dream. You will experience it as though you were there, but nothing will be able to cause you harm. I must warn you, though…"

Ariel gulped. "Warn me about what?"

"There is no going back from this," said the demon. "Once you have seen the truth, you will have to bear it by yourself. You cannot tell anyone of this. Not your daughter. Not your husband. Not Lara. No one. And you may find your perceptions of Lara and myself permanently altered. Are you still determined to go through with this?"

"Yes," assured Ariel.

"Then prepare yourself." The demon touched the claw to Ariel's forehead. "This will be…intense."


"Run!"

Ariel awoke with a start. She was standing in the middle of a city street at night. People were screaming and shouting as they stampeded like a herd of cattle around her. Children and babes clung tight to their mothers and fathers as they fled from countless burning buildings, faces streaked with dirt, soot, and tears as they cried. Those who were separated or even abandoned called out for their loved ones as they were carried with the crowds. Horses whinnied in fright, breaking from stalls and throwing riders before running away fast as they could. Soldiers were dropping their weapons to flee, their oaths and courage forsaken. Firelight shadows danced against the rising smoke as the masses scrambled, desperate to escape the blaze. The city sat in the bottom of a wide glacial valley, tall stone mountains flanking it with snow-capped peaks reaching towards a dark moonless sky.

Ariel threw her hands up as a man came charging at her, only to have him pass through her like a ghost. She turned around in alarm, watching him run off with the rest of the people.

"Do not be alarmed."

Ariel whipped her head around to find the demon standing beside her. She flinched away as another man ran right at her, only to have him pass through without any sensation or hindrance. She held her hand out, watching as one person after another phased through her body. She felt none of it.

"What is this?" asked Ariel.

"Memory," said the demon, watching Ariel dart back as a horse and rider went galloping through him. "As I said, nothing you see can harm you."

Ariel could smell the fires. The smoke was thick and sinister black as the thatch roofs burned, reflecting the flaring orange light as the air grew hot and parched. A boom sounded as a home burst into conflagration. The fires were spreading with frightening velocity, jumping between the buildings as though alive.

A terrible shriek like nails over a chalkboard came from one of the buildings up the street, followed by a spout of flame erupting from a second story window. A man went flying out the window engulfed in fire, falling screaming and flailing into the street. Ariel covered her mouth in horror as he disappeared below the line of the crowd.

A devil in every sense of the word emerged from the window. Its red skin was the color of blood, horns curling back from its forehead. A whip-like tail sinuated behind it, thin and wispy with a spade tip. Its body was twice the size of a normal man, but thin and scrawny with unnaturally long limbs. Its round eyes glowed red as it smiled horribly wide, menacing yellow teeth bared in evil delight. It clutched a pitchfork in one hand, the three barbed tips laced with dripping flames. The touch of its other hand immediately blackened the windowsill before igniting it, the flames licking at its skin without harm.

With an ear-splitting shriek the devil leapt to the other side of the street, smashing through a window. Moments later screams came from inside and then were quickly silenced.

Ariel ran towards the building, only for the demon to appear before her and block her path. "Your concern is admirable but futile."

"You have to help them!" said Ariel.

"As I said, this is a memory." The demon spread his arms out. "Everything and everyone around you passed long before you were even a possibility. You and I cannot help them, for there is no one alive to help."

Ariel looked around. The devil was not alone. The city was crawling with them. Devils of all form, color, and evil imaginable were tearing through the streets and houses. Their claws set fire wherever they touched, leaving burning handprints in their wake. Their teeth and weapons bit through anyone that came within reach. Their skin was thick and hard, rendering the valor of the few still brave enough to fight negligible. Arrows glanced off with mere scrapes, and only the truest of strikes from the finest swords could draw their boiling toxic blood. They pounced on the people like foxes after voles, shrieking with relish at the fear of their victims as they were cut down. Others were dragged off above the roofs or into alleys to whatever terrible fate awaited them.

"I told him!" shouted a man as he stood atop an overturned hay wagon. "I told his majesty they could not be trusted! This is their doing! Those hooded charlatans brought this calamity! They have brought divine judgement down upon us! This is Heaven's retribution for our sins! They've doomed us all to–!"

He was silenced when a harpy swooped down from above, screaming as her talons seized his neck before hoisting him up and hurling him into a burning building.

"What happened here?" asked Ariel.

"Human arrogance and greed." The demon gestured behind himself with his tail. "And him."

Ariel followed the demon's tail. Her mouth fell open as she beheld the cause of the chaos around her.

A mountain loomed over the town from a far distance. A sheer-faced monolith of dark stone easily ten thousand feet tall, overshadowing the town entirely. It was a strange and eerie thing, its barren dark rocks illuminated in the flames. A fiery chasm adorned the peak, spewing forth an endless horde of monsters from every nightmare imaginable. Harpies and bat-winged devils swooped down, snatching people up like fish from a lake and tossing them into the fires or carrying them off to be devoured. Goblins with warty skin and beady black eyes cackled and laughed as they scampered down the rocks like lizards. Giant serpents large enough to swallow men whole, ogres larger than bison, and all manner of beasts of the Pit were racing down the mountain. Hulking ones with arms thick as redwoods, towering tall as a house. Slithering slimy multi-limbed ones, bodies like a cross of centipede and salamander with mouths brimming with venomous fangs. Mutated abominations too frightening to describe, all rushing out of the flames to satisfy their dark urges. Lava and streams of fire leaked down the mountain like wax from a candle, the demonic army charging through it with no regard for the heat. A large stone castle sat at the foot of the mountain, giant tongues of flame reaching above its walls.

Looming over all this was a demon of immense size. He stood atop the mountain as a king sits upon a throne, for a king of darkness he was. Ursula's giant form was not even half his height. His torso alone was more than two thousand feet tall, his lower half immersed in the molten heart of the mountain. His body was pitch as the night, illuminated by the fires of the city and the volcanic peak. His great horned head was held proud, glowing yellow eyes staring down with malicious light. Enormous bat wings extended from his back, so large they could be mistaken for clouds. His muscular arms were folded across his powerful chest as he watched the madness unfold below him, mouth twisted in a grin to show his pointed gargoyle teeth.

"W-w-what is that!?" stammered Ariel.

"Chernabog," said the demon, folding his arms as he turned to the mountain. "King of Night. That is what the stories called him. There was a time when he and his armies of the Pit cast the northern world in shadow. The great wildernesses and kingdoms were burned to ash by them. Their wanton destruction continued till an ancient god sacrificed his body to contain the demon and his hordes, binding them within his own divine flesh. There he slumbered for eons until, thanks to a few wayward humans, he was set free. In return he slew them and loosed the nightmare before your eyes."

A horned devil leapt into the street, pinning a man beneath its feet. The man screamed as the devil seized his head and then leapt again, dragging its hapless victim into a burning building.

"Why?" asked Ariel. "Why would they do this!?"

"Because they can. Devils and demons are creatures of dark motivations and impulses. They need no reason to cause pain and death. They spread ruin for no end besides ruin itself." The demon glanced out the corner of his eye at Ariel as she opened her mouth to speak. "And no, I am not Chernabog. Nor am I or Lara any resident of the Pit. The very notion offends me."

Ariel closed her mouth quickly. Chernabog's gaze suddenly centered on her. Ariel stepped back, her pulse rising rapidly.

"He is not looking at you, your majesty," said the demon, pointing to a girl running with her father. "He's looking at her."

Ariel watched the pair try to keep pace with the running mob. Then the girl's foot caught on a cobble and she tripped. Her hand slipped from her father's as she fell, her chin striking the ground with jarring pain.

"Maria!" Her father halted to fetch her, but the tide of people impeded his efforts. He was swept away by them, desperately reaching for her as she grew further and further away. "Maria! Maria!"

"Papa!" The girl scrambled to her feet after him but fell as she was shoved aside. A boot stepped on her back, trampling her as its owner ran by screaming. Moments later a devil's flaming claws opened up his back, the monster leaping off him onto another defenseless human.

Ariel ran towards the girl as she darted for an abandoned pull cart. Ariel reached out to take her hand, but her fingers passed through the girl's arm as though she were made of smoke. The girl flung herself underneath the cart, curling up tight as the crowd streamed by like a flood around a tree. She looked back to the crowd for her father, but he was gone.

"Papa!" she cried out, tears of fright streaming down her face. "Papa! Where are you!? Papa!"

"Behold, human filth!"

Ariel whipped her head back to the mountain. Chernabog's wings were spread wide, hands raised to the heavens and wreathed in flame. Some people ceased their running, legs paralyzed by the black demon's booming voice. Those smart enough to keep running did so, less likely to fall victim to the beasts attacking them.

"Cower and grovel, you paltry insects!" called down Chernabog, the fires flaring beneath him to illuminate his matte dark form. "Fall upon your knees and know despair, for your end is nigh! Long have you lived in the shadow of my prison! For eons I have been forced to watch you breed and spread as rats upon a ship! But your repose is ended, for I am free! Ia'io has failed you! His body lies broken beneath my wings! Now I shall cleanse the realms of you and put this world to the torch! This land shall join the firescape of the Pit, but not before I cast you into it!"

He held an arm out to the side, clenching one gigantic fist. A spear of fire erupted out, the flames holding shape in his grasp as though solid. With a roar he threw it at the castle, a thousand-foot javelin of conflagration forming as it flew straight down.

The castle exploded in a pillar of flame, as though it were packed to the brim with gunpowder. Giant blocks of stone went flying as smoking meteors, smashing through houses like toys. Some went rolling away, crushing all in their path as they tumbled. A black mushroom cloud rose from the flaming wreckage as a shockwave of intense heat blew through the town. A stone smashed into the street nearby, crushing three men to death. The little girl screamed, closing her eyes shut. Ariel covered her head as debris came raining down, even though she were no more vulnerable to the plummeting rocks than the air itself.

Chernabog threw his head back, laughing as only a demon of his might and size could. Another giant spear appeared in his hand. "See how powerless you are before me! Feel your insignificance in the face of my power! Know the name of the one who shall be your death! For I am Chernabog, King of Night! Devastation Manifest! Lord of the Pit! All I see is mine to destroy! All that lives is mine to burn! You shall once more know the fires your world was born from! Now…!"

He drew his spear back, aiming down at the city. "Perish in fear and flame, wretched–!"

"CHHHERRRRRRRRNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAABBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGGG!"

Ariel clutched her ears at the sound, as did every soul and soulless as the chaos was brought to a grinding halt. The voice was just as loud, deep, and resonant as the roaring noise. It came from everywhere, shaking the very air. Ariel frantically looked about, trying to identify a source for it. People started running again, while others looked about in as much confusion as Ariel felt. The demonic hordes halted their charge, confused by the disruption to their rampage.

"What!?" roared Chernabog, his eyes luminous with rage as he looked about, the fire spear clutched in hand. "What is this!? Who dares call out my name!?"

"I DO!"

Ariel gasped. She recognized that voice! She spun to the demon, so fast that her hair swung around and covered her face. Ariel frantically pawed it out of the way. "That's you! You're doing this!"

The demon only nodded in acknowledgement.

"What fool are you that would openly speak the name of the King of Night!?" shouted Chernabog.

"KING OF NIGHT?" A rumbling like a storm sounded, almost a growl. Was that supposed to be a laugh? "THE ONLY THING LARGER THAN YOUR FORM IS YOUR HUBRIS, PIT WHELP! YOU ARE NO KING! YOU ARE NOT EVEN A PRINCE! YOU ARE A SHADE! A LINGERING EMBER OF A FIRE THAT DIED LONG AGO! KING OF NIGHT, INDEED! YOU ARE NOT A FRACTION OF YOUR FOREBEARS!"

Chernabog's eyes flashed angrily. Flames erupted out of the mountain, encircling him as he spread his wings wide. "You dare to mock me!? Reveal yourself, coward, so I may make your end known to all! Let them witness as I sentence you to the fires!"

The fires of the town flared upwards, as though ether had been sprayed over them. "THE ONLY END THAT WILL COME IS YOUR OWN!"

The flames danced in time with the rise and fall of the voice. Ariel's eyes widened. The fire! The demon's voice was coming from the fires! What in the world was going on? How was he doing this?

"THIS SLAUGHTER IS BEYOND REDEMPTION!" continued the voice. "AS IS YOUR THIRST FOR IT! YOU WILL FIND NO FORGIVENESS HERE TONIGHT! ONLY THE BLOOD YOU HAVE SPILLED!"

"Slaughter?" Chernabog threw his head back and laughed. "This is a mere squashing of insects! This sty these mortals call home is nothing! Fire over an anthill compared to the annihilation I shall bestow upon the land! A pity you will not see it, for I will flay you alive for your insolence!"

"YOU WILL FIND MY HIDE AND SPIRIT IMPERVIOUS TO YOUR THREATS, RELIC!" said the voice, the fires rising and swirling with its response. "I SHOULD STRIKE YOU DOWN NOW FOR YOUR BARBARISM! BUT I AM OF THE OLD WAYS, AND I HONOR THEM! I OFFER YOU ONE CHANCE TO KEEP YOUR LIFE! RETURN TO YOUR REALM! RETREAT TO THE PIT AND TAKE YOUR SOLDIERS WITH YOU! NEVER TAINT THE LIGHT OF THE STARS OR THE EYES OF MORTALS WITH YOUR PRESENCE AGAIN! THIS WORLD IS NOT YOURS, AND I WILL NOT HAVE YOU OR YOUR ILK UPON IT! GO, AND YOUR EXISTENCE WILL BE SPARED! REFUSE, AND YOU SHALL–!"

"SILENCE!" bellowed Chernabog, fire rising in a great pillar around him as his eyes glowed brighter than ever before. "You would order me!? You dare utter commands at me, you piddling maggot!? I am Chernabog! I stand upon the pinnacle of darkness! The infinite rages of the Pit submit themselves to me! None may command me! None dare threaten me! I have suffered your prattle long enough!"

He drew his spear back in preparation to throw. "Hear me, my minions! Kill these pests! Cast them all into the fires, down to the last squealing babe! Butcher them all! Leave nothing but corpses in your wake!"

He threw the spear straight towards the hiding girl as the devil army set upon the humans with renewed savagery. Ariel gaped in wide-eyed terror as the bolt of fire raced towards them, unable to do anything as the girl screamed in anticipation of her end.

The fires of five city blocks suddenly surged upwards, coalescing into an enormous clawed hand in a fraction of a second. Chernabog's flaming spear came to a dead halt as the hand grabbed it, the giant lance a mere stick in its fiery grasp.

The girl's scream cut off in shock as Ariel and Chernabog's eyes widened in disbelief. "What!?" the trio exclaimed simultaneously.

The hand clenched down, shattering the lance into a shower of sparks. They sailed up into the sky, becoming a myriad of orange stars against the canvas of night as the arm dissipated to smoke.

The girl suddenly screamed. Ariel turned back and saw a devil had hold of the girl. Its unnaturally wide mouth was smiling at her with what could only be killing intent. It cackled and hissed as it dragged her out from under the cart, her nails scraping against the stone as she tried desperately to get away from its blistering grip.

"Papa!" she screamed as the devil wrenched her free of her cover. "Help! Papa, help!"

One of the flecks of orange light came hurtling towards the girl, striking the devil through the top of its head as a streak of fire. It immediately released her, scratching and clawing at its head as its entire body started to burn. The girl scrambled back as the devil burst into fire, quickly scorched to a pile of black charcoal dust.

Suddenly the orange lights came raining down in a hail of firebolts. They struck the devils and monsters cleanly, igniting them and reducing their bodies to cinders and charcoal in seconds. Though they came close to the humans they never struck one, deliberate and precise in their targets. One devil saw what was happening and held a woman over its head as a shield, only for the fire to pass through the human without harm and set it ablaze.

Ariel looked around in disbelief, seeing the nightmare army that brought the city to the brink of oblivion mowed down in seconds. No matter how the devils and monsters ran, hid, or tried to protect themselves, the lights found and destroyed them. One by one they became piles of char surrounded by very confused, slightly relieved, and extremely frightened people.

"My army!" shouted Chernabog, fire spitting from his mouth in anger. "My minions! You…this is your doing, you seditious cur! How can a human mage wield such power!?"

Another rumbling sounded. Maybe the shock was getting to Ariel's senses, but she thought it sounded like a chuckle. "YOU ARE MISTAKEN, CHERNABOG…!"

The fires stopped.

Ariel spun around. Every single flame, from the smallest spark to the largest towering blaze, froze in place as though time stood still. Smoke and ash hung suspended in the air alongside flickering sparks and flares. Even the flames around Chernabog stopped their dance. It was just like what Lara did in the marina.

"I AM NO HUMAN!"

The fires rose into the sky. Hundreds upon thousands of flaming threads snaked and sinuated their way into the dark heavens, drawing with them the smoke and ash in the air. They converged with each other, threads forming into ribbons forming into streams and rivers of fire as they rose. They twirled and twined together into an enormous flaming sphere far above Chernabog, who watched in equal parts outrage and confusion. His remaining minions had ceased their descent from the mountain, watching the orb of fire forming high above them.

A flare ejected from the fireball, showing sparks over the ruined town. They flew about like fireflies, actively seeking and striking the people. Instead of singeing clothes and skin they sunk into their bodies like rain upon a lake. A speck of orange light flashed on their foreheads before their eyes rolled up and they fell over. Screams of panic were quickly silenced as the entire town was put under. Ariel whirled about as people fell one after the other, collapsing in place like puppets with their strings cut. Then their bodies burst into white flame and faded away, leaving nothing behind. Only the little girl remained, hiding desperately beneath her cart.

"Worry not," said the demon as he noted the distressed look on Ariel's face. "They are moved, not dead."

Ariel turned her gaze back to the ball of fire. The light it gave off had turned night into day. It was massive now, worthy of being called a sun. The fireball Lara created would have fit inside it a hundred times over. The last of the fires were being absorbed by it. Something was taking shape inside of it. Something huge and dark.

"Enough of this farce!" shouted Chernabog. He clenched his hands tight, a pair of spears forming in them. "I care not if you are demon or deity! I have slain generals of Heaven and Pit alike! I have overcome the might of the olden gods, and I will overcome you! I will not be cowed! Now die!"

He threw one and then the other spear at the fireball, the castle-blasting projectiles streaking at the fireball with a whooshing roar. But rather than exploding with fury they were absorbed by the sun, becoming one with its fire and causing it to swell.

Chernabog roared at the sun in anger. "How!? How are you doing this!? There is no power in this realm that can command Pit sorcery! Unless…!"

Even from so far away, Ariel could see the fear that covered Chernabog's face. "No! It's impossible!"

The last pieces of flame were consumed by the sun. It pulsed with a burst of light and then collapsed on the dark form within, wreathing it in fire as it fell from the sky. It descended as a burning comet, a contrail of fire and smoke trailing behind it. Chernabog's eyes widened as he realized the thing was even larger than he was and coming right for him. He heaved himself from the mountain and took flight, swooping out over the city like a storm cloud as he passed over. Wind pressed down on the city with hurricane force, forcing the girl to cower to avoid being blown away as the giant demon flew overhead. His legs were those of a man, as powerfully formed as the rest of him. Dust and soot blew about as he descended to the earth far from the city, causing Ariel to shield her eyes on instinct. Her view of the object became obscured as it fell onto the peak of the mountain.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!

The earth heaved upward and then fell. Ariel and the girl were tossed into the air as though thrown, shrieking as they landed. The cart tipped onto its side, breaking when it came down. The earthquake knocked the remains of the castle to the ground, as well as no shortage of weakened and charred structures. Chernabog himself was put off balance by the impact, forced to step backwards. Ariel saw the summit of the mountain tear open under the black thing, spilling fire and lava down its sides like an overfilled bucket. The remaining devil hordes shrieked and cried as they were shaken from the slopes, plummeting to the earth far below. Giant boulders and rockslides were loosed, crushing them in an avalanche of stone. The black titan breathed a jet of flame down the mountain's face, incinerating the hordes to nothing in a flash.

Ariel lowered her hands as the dust blew away, revealing the shadow that dethroned the demon king. Her eyes widened larger than they would for the rest of her life.


Melody stared at Lara, blinking as she tried to process what she just heard. "What…what did you say?"

"You don't believe me, do you?" said Lara.

"It's not that," said Melody. "I believe you. At least, I want to. But say it again. So I know I'm not hearing things."

Lara took a breath before speaking again. She could count the number of people she told this to on both hands. The number who believed her she could count on one. "My father wasn't a human. He was a…"


Ariel remembered a story. A very old story she heard as a merchild. Where it came from no one was certain, but if the story was to be believed it was older than Atlantica itself. Strangely, Ariel would hear a very similar version of it shortly after becoming a human, and one she would tell Melody when she was a little girl. It was one of the few things the merfolk and humans unknowingly shared.

Long, long ago, the world was divided into three realms. The gleaming Heavens where the angels and divine deities sat. The sky, earth, and oceans where mortals and the ancient gods dwelled. And the infernal Pit, lair of devils, demons, and all manner of abominations. For countless eons the inhabitants of each were content to remain in their respective realms, never trespassing upon each other. But as time went on the tensions between the Heavens and the Pit grew, both increasingly less inclined to leave the other in peace. They vied against one another for the earth, each believing they were entitled to it and the lives that called it home. Eventually their grudges spilled over into outright conflict, birthing a cycle of unending warfare in their futile quest to vanquish one another and claim their prize. Their war spilled over into the mortal realm, which they saw fit to use as a battlefield. They gave little regard for the suffering and scars they inflicted upon the earth and its peoples. The ancient gods pleaded for peace, but their voices were ignored. Neither angel nor demon would be satisfied till the other was extinct, even if it meant sacrificing an entire world of innocents.

The apocalyptic battles continued until, fearing the extinction of life itself, the ancient gods sacrificed their immortal souls and power to birth a new race of beings. One endowed with the magic and might to strike down deities and demons. The wars were quickly ended by their presence, for neither the Heavens nor the Pit was prepared for the savage fury and unfading strength their new foe brought against them. It was said these creatures accomplished the impossible and stormed into the Heavens and the Pit, slaying the high commanders of angels and devils alike. If the legend was to be believed, to this day the angels and demons did not make themselves known in the mortal realm not for any covenant with the mortals or any peace with their opposites. They remained withdrawn because of the devastating losses they suffered at the hands of the warriors the ancient gods gave their lives to create. To this day they were considered the most fearsome and powerful of all creatures to ever roam the earth.

Now, with one of them in full view, Ariel understood why.

The size of it was unparalleled by anything Ariel imagined or heard of in the stories. Ursula's giant form was puny compared to it. Riptide would be a tiny grass snake in its hands. Even Chernabog was outclassed by the creature's mass, barely a child beside it. It was tall as the mountain itself–no, even taller! It stood on two legs, anthropomorphic in its form as the heart of Chernabog's former prison spilled out from under one enormous clawed foot, the mountain crumbling under its weight. Its body was black, the light of the molten earth reflected on its obsidian hide. Threads of fiery light streaked across its body, flickering and flaring like the searing coals of a blacksmith's furnace. Its back was to Ariel, revealing rows of thorny spikes running down its spine, each larger than a trio of galleons stacked atop each other. A mane of black quills longer than a hundred ship masts laid end to end extended behind its head, wreathed by six backward swept horns. Its clawed hands were titanic. One talon was long enough to crush multiple city blocks. A long skeletally segmented tail swept out behind it, the bladed tip tearing the air apart with loud booms as it sped past the limits of sound itself. Enormous jet-black wings like a bat spread from its back, so large they blocked out half the sky.

The creature turned towards Ariel, revealing limbs and a torso bristling with muscle of unfathomable power and form. Its neck was short, not long and serpentine as depicted in old tapestries and tomes. Nor was its snout elongated and narrow, but shortened and rounded out, made for sailing through the air as a ship's prow cuts through water. A burning light came from its mouth, the fires its race was renowned and feared for caged behind dagger teeth larger than the tallest of trees. Its four eyes glowed with the luminescence of fire, flickering yellow, orange, and red as black ring and slit pupils focused on the demon standing below.

Chernabog stepped back again, not from imbalance but fear. "You cannot be! They are gone! Extinct!"

"WRONG!" said the creature, the movements of its mouth out of synch with its voice. "I REMAIN!"

The creature suddenly drew in a deep breath, chest swelling as its wings spread fully to cast all of the city and beyond in shadow. Then it leaned forward and roared, mouth gaping wide to revealing the fires that blazed within its core.

Ariel clapped her hands over her ears for what little it did. The sound was beyond deafening. It was a noise worthy of the prophesied day when the deities and demons would wage their final war on the earth–provided these creatures left any alive to do battle. It went beyond cannon and gunpowder, beyond thunder and lightning, beyond earthquake and volcano, drowning out her very thoughts. The ground shook and the air trembled, becoming desert hot with the sheer heat the colossus' challenging bellow gave off. A shockwave hit the town, blowing down houses as if they were made of cards. Even Chernabog covered his pointed ears, alarmed at the sheer volume of the noise. The creature reared up as its roar trailed off, lips curled back to bare gigantic teeth.

Chernabog roared back, his own voice not nearly as impressive. "You will not dethrone me so easily!"

The giant demon bellowed and then drew a deep breath in, fires springing from his skin as his chest swelled. Then he stepped forward, releasing his breath and fires at the mountain in a torrential storm of flames. Trees and houses caught fire as it scalded the air, racing towards the creature on the mountain. It struck the giant creature, bathing it in searing fires.

The black colossus narrowed its eyes as the fires harmlessly licked its hide. "IS THAT ALL?"

The creature extended one arm to the side. The flames of Chernabog's attack leapt into its palm, gathering into a single large orb of fire. Then the fires collapsed down to a point as the creature thrust its hand at Chernabog. A pair of white-hot beams shot forth from its hand, tearing through the air with an ear-splitting crack. Before Chernabog could react, they slashed through his wings, cleaving them free. Chernabog howled as his severed wing turned to ash and dissipated. The beams carried on past him and raked across the valley and up the face of a distant mountain, cutting through it and then detonating on the other side. The earth shook as an enormous churning fireball rose into the sky, turning night into day once more.

Suddenly the giant creature drew its wings back and then flapped. A visible wall of air shot forth with a sound like the sky tearing open. The wind toppled buildings and trees instantly. Moments later it struck Chernabog, bowling him off his feet with a deafening crack. He went tumbling backwards, rolling across the valley before crashing into the distant hills. Ariel shielded her eyes as dust and ash were stirred up in a great cloud, obscuring even the hand in front of her face from sight.


Ariel suddenly found herself back in the hospital room. The city was gone. The girl was gone. Chernabog and the creature were gone. It had all been happening before her a split second ago. Now it was vanished, existing only in her memories. She felt as though she had woken from a dream.

A low growling sound reminded her that the demon was still in the room with her. He was standing in front of her, staring at her with one finger pressed to her forehead.

"Will that suffice?" asked the demon. "Or do you require more?"

Ariel recoiled from the demon so fast she fell backwards, scampering away till she hit the wall. She pressed herself hard against it, as though she could pass through it if she tried hard enough. "Y-y-y-you!"

"I will take that as your answer," said the demon as he folded his arms.

Ariel broke into a cold sweat, her limbs shaking as though she had just fallen in a snowmelt river. She had her answer all right. It was clear as the demon standing before her. No wonder he had cautioned her. It was too terrifying, too impossible to be true, and yet it was. Only a single creature matched what she saw. There was nothing else he could be. Nothing else so completely explained him and Lara.

"Say it," said the demon. "So I know you understand."

Ariel swallowed hard, trying to calm her nerves enough to form words. "Y-y-yo-you're a-a-a…d-d-d-!"

"Say it," demanded the demon. "I gave you what you asked for. Now say it!"

Ariel steeled herself against the urge to run. "Dragon!"

The demon stepped towards Ariel and smoke enveloped his body. It swirled around him for a moment, and then it settled into his hide. The demon was gone, replaced by a human-sized version of the monolithic creature that cut down Chernabog. He knelt on one knee, bowing his head to her.

"Allow me to properly introduce myself, Queen Ariel of Seahaven. I am Bel'al, last of the dragon clan of Anclagon and chiefest of the Eternals." The dragon lifted his head, his four eyes meeting Ariel's once more. "Also known as the Solar King."


A/N: Hope you all enjoyed the double-post! Things are going to be crazy for a while, so it may be some time before the next chapter comes out! Hang in there! More to come, I promise!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own "The Little Mermaid," "Fantasia," Disney, or any of its associated characters and intellectual property. Everything else, however, is mine =)