Chapter 57: The Fall
Ariel groaned as she came to, then immediately winced as a piercing headache stabbed her skull. Cold damp stone pressed against her face and palms, and something heavy weighed on her back. Warm wetness ran down behind her ears. She did not have to see or touch it to know it was her own blood. She heard distant booms from explosions and smelled smoke and gunpowder. For a moment she thought–no, hoped everything from that morning was just a nightmare. Her senses told her otherwise.
"Ariel? Ariel!"
"Ariel's awake!"
She opened her eyes. She saw the blurry outlines of people lying on the ground, faces turning to her one by one. Dark figures with glowing green eyes stood over them with feet pressed against their backs. She saw the dancing light of fires against the fuzzy backdrop of the palace.
"Ariel! Are you okay!?" asked one of the faces. "Where's–gah!"
The world snapped back into focus. Ariel was in the pavilion. Somehow the structure was spared from the shelling and devastation that fell on the rest of Seahaven. The palace was steadily being consumed by flames. Eric and her sisters were there, each pinned under the foot of a clockman, chain gun arms aimed at their heads. It occurred to Ariel that none of her sisters were human anymore. They had all returned to their mermaid forms. The clockman restraining Eric kept pressing down, crushing the ability to speak out of him. He choked and gasped under its foot, struggling to breathe.
"Eric!" Ariel shouted. She scrambled to get to him, only to find herself pinned to the floor by a heavy metal foot. She glanced back to see a clockman standing over her, unblinking emerald eyes staring out from the sockets of its skull-like head. It raised its chain gun, giving Ariel a view straight into the dark depths of the ring of barrels. The gun rotated one over with a loud click, as if warning what would happen if she resisted further.
"Let me go!" Ariel yelled, her fingernails clawing against the floor. "Right now!"
"Stop it!" shouted Adella. "You're killing him!"
Suddenly there was a bright flash of light, followed by a crack of thunder that shook the air. Ariel whipped her face around to see Remora standing before them. She thought the witch was wearing some sort of armor made of shards, but then realized the silver metal replaced parts of her skin. She looked damaged. There were dark bruises and lacerations on what little of her natural skin remained. Arcs of angry golden electricity flew across her body as her fists repeatedly clenched and unclenched. Behind her stood the Master, the warlock's back to them as he watched the palace burn.
"Shut it!" snapped Remora, glaring through her mask at Ariel before turning her attention to the clockman restraining Eric. "And you let up! He's not yours to kill!"
Eric coughed loudly as his clockman allowed him to breathe again. "Ariel *cough* are you alright? Did they hurt you?"
"I'm fine," Ariel said, wincing against her headache. "What's going on, Eric?"
"I tried to *cough* to get them to safety," said Eric. "We almost made it, too. But…I'm sorry, Ariel. Remora found us first. I couldn't stop her."
Remora laughed loudly. "Stop me? You couldn't delay me if you tried! If that bat-winged brat couldn't beat me, what makes you think you'd have a chance?"
Ariel's hair stood on end. "Melody! Lara!" She looked around the pavilion, her distress growing as she realized they were nowhere to be seen. "What have you done with them!? Where are they!?"
Remora folded her arms crossly. "Scurrying around the palace like rats, probably! I would've killed your pet knight already if it hadn't been for your daughter! That, and your decrepit dad's trident dropping in unannounced!"
"The trident?" said Attina in alarm. "It's here? Melody has it?"
"Yeah. Kid used it to blast me through the palace!" Remora rubbed her neck and then rolled her shoulders. "I'll make sure to return the favor when I find her! Right after I finish off Lara for good!"
"So, what you're saying is our niece wiped the sea floor with you," said Andrina.
Remora looked to Andrina. She strode up to her and knelt, then seized her face roughly. "Don't get your hopes up, fish! I've got my clockmen scouring the place for them right now! And knowing those two, they won't leave without trying to save your scaly hides first!" She shoved her face aside and stood.
"Sounds like someone's a sore loser," whispered Aquata.
Remora whipped her head around, electricity arcing on her mask. "You lot keep it up and Triton will have a few less daughters to worry about!" She looked to Adella. "Though, it would even out the numbers. He's already down a son-in-law."
Adella stared at Remora, not understanding her implication. Then it struck her, and the color drained from her face. "No…Leon? He's…!?"
Remora chuckled darkly. Adella's eyes glazed over, a choking sound coming from her as she forgot how to breathe yet also tried to scream at the same time. Then she did start screaming, tears pouring out her eyes as she wailed.
"Normally I could listen to that all day." Remora pointed a finger at Adella, and a ribbon of electricity arced from her to the princess. Adella gave a sharp cry as her body tensed up, and then she went limp. "But I'm not in the mood."
"Adella!" shouted Alana and Aquata.
Ariel stared in shock at Adella's unconscious form, and then at Remora. Was that true? Was Leon really dead? It was not possible. She just saw him that morning, alive and well with his children. How could he be dead? She did not want to believe it. But if Remora was anything close to what Lara described, she would not lie about something like this. She was too cruel for that.
"You…" Ariel's hands balled into tight fists, her body shaking as disbelief gave way to anger. "You monster!"
Remora turned to Ariel and scoffed. "Monster? Is that the only insult you have?"
"Enough, Remora," said the Master, turning to face them. All eyes fixed on him as he approached, Remora stepping out of his way. He stopped in front of the prisoners, his glowing blue eyes passing over them one by one. Ariel felt her body freeze up when his eyes settled on her. She was not sure if he was using a spell on her, or if she was just that scared of him. Either way, the effect of his gaze was paralytic.
"I'm curious…" The Master folded his arms into his sleeves. "Does knowing we have yet to capture the princess or her knight give you hope? Does their possessing the trident make you think there's still a chance for you to seize victory? Or do you presume that, because I am evil in your eyes, that I and my subordinates will inevitably be defeated somehow? That fate will ensure you triumph?"
Alana scowled up at the Master. "Whether it's them or someone else, you will lose!"
The Master looked to her. "Is that a fact?"
"It is!" continued Alana. "You're not the first to try and take over the ocean! Or the land! Maybe you'll defeat us today! And maybe tomorrow, too! Maybe you'll keep doing it for years from now! But people like you always fail!"
"Yeah!" added Aquata. "One way or another, you'll lose! Just you wait!"
"Keep telling yourself that," said Remora. "See what it gets you when–!"
The Master raised a hand, indicating for Remora to be silent. He strode to Alana and knelt before her. "Your collective defiance is impressive. A trait you all share with your father. But like him, it amounts to nothing more than fragile delusion. One I will soon awaken you from. There is no salvation coming. Your kingdom is mine. Your people are mine. Your father is mine."
Ariel gasped loudly, as did the rest of her sisters. "Daddy!?"
"You're lying!" said Eric.
"I struck him down with my own two hands," said the Master. "King Triton is currently a prisoner of Maelstrom. Same as your subjects, your friends, and your families. You all belong to me now." He leaned down to Alana, a tendril of shadow rising beneath to lift her face towards him. "Every. Last. One of you."
The Master looked up at the clockman restraining Ariel, and it released her. He waved his hand and Ariel found herself lifted into the air by an invisible force. She struggled against it, but she could not move an inch save her head. She floated to in front of the warlock, facing him directly. He reached towards her face with one hand. She pulled her head back, but then that same restraining force locked her in place, unable to evade his touch as he lay a palm on her cheek. The cracked leather of his gloves was rough on her skin, and his touch was cold as ice. She could feel his foul presence washing over her like a stench.
"Let her go!" shouted Eric, flailing underneath the clockman's foot. The machine quickly pressed on him, causing him to cry out but not stopping his attempts to escape.
"Even you, Queen Ariel," said the Master. He traced the curve of her jaw with a finger. "Even you."
Ariel's response was to spit in his face, the sputum vanishing into the dark of his hood. Remora took a step forward, electricity arcing down her arms, but the Master stopped her with a passive wave of his hand.
"I will not kill you," said the Master. "Or your human or father. Ursula has earned that right. And given her success with Strihaven, I intend to honor it. But there is more than one way to take someone's life."
Black shadows sprang forth from the Master's form, enveloping him like fire. "Allow me to demonstrate."
"Don't you touch her!" Attina shouted.
"Ariel!" yelled Eric, still struggling under the clockman's heel.
The Master's shadows slowly reached towards Ariel's chest. A golden light appeared over her heart. Her eyes widened and she began struggling in earnest. It was no use. Whatever enchantment was holding her was too strong. She could only watch in terror as the black magic drew closer and closer, until the space between her and it was gone. Then the shadows sprang onto her, enveloping her body entirely. She momentarily heard Eric call out her name, and then all sound disappeared save her own screaming.
Ariel never experienced something so awful in her life. It was not just the excruciating pain that wrung every fiber of her being like a wet rag. She felt like she was being torn apart a thousand different ways and then put back together, only to be rent asunder once again. Every time it happened, she felt something being stripped away from her. On and on it went in an endless cycle. She could no longer tell where her body was, or if she had one anymore. She was reduced to a screaming mass of mind-crippling torment, being unmade and reformed over and over.
Then it stopped. The darkness receded along with the pain, and she felt herself collapse to the ground. She saw the shadows gathering into the Master's outstretched hands, forming a dark sphere of nothingness with a small golden light at its center. Then he grasped his hands together and the sphere shattered, scattering pieces of black onto the ground that then dissipated. She lay gasping for air, unable to move a muscle.
"Ariel!" yelled Eric. "Ariel!"
"Say something!" pleaded Aquata.
Ariel slowly and shakily rolled onto her stomach. Just that action took every ounce of strength in her body. She tried to rise onto her knees, but her legs did not respond. They felt heavy and cumbersome. As if they were…
A horrible realization struck Ariel as she discovered her clothes were gone. The only thing she was wearing was a purple seashell brassiere. She looked down past her hips. Instead of human legs and feet she saw her green scaled tail and fins. She was a mermaid! The Master turned her into a mermaid!
"I know what you are thinking," said the Master. "That I turned you into a mermaid. But I have taken far more than your human legs from you."
"What…what are you talking about?" asked Ariel.
"A-Ariel?"
Ariel turned to face Eric. She saw his eyes widen in shock and confusion as a wave of alarmed gasps rose from her sisters. Their reactions only deepened her own confusion and mounting terror.
"You…!" Eric whipped his focus to the Master. "What did you do to her!? What did you do!?"
"I'll show her," said the Master. He waved his hand. A pane of black appeared in front of Ariel, and then the surface became smooth and glossy as a mirror.
Ariel gasped. She was a mermaid again. But it was more than that. Her face and body were different as well. They were still hers, from her blue eyes to her distinctive red hair. But her features were fairer. The thin lines of age were gone from the corners of her eyes and lips. Her skin no longer held a sun-kissed tone. She was smaller and more petite as well. It was as if…
Her breath hitched. "No…"
"Yes," said the Master, dismissing the mirror.
Ariel quickly looked at her left hand, carefully examining her index finger. Shortly after her father made her a human permanently, she accidentally cut her finger while examining one of Eric's swords. The cut was shallow, but it still left a thin scar midway down the digit. Though it faded with time, it never went away completely. Now, however, there was no scar to be seen. It was as if the cut never happened.
"As I said, there is more than one way to take someone's life away, Queen Ariel," said the Master. "Or rather, Princess Ariel."
Ariel looked back to Eric and her sisters. The looks on their faces told her they just realized it as well. She stared at her hands again. The Master had not turned her into a mermaid. He turned her back into a mermaid! To before Melody! To before Eric! To before the trident made her human! To before every moment of her life above the sea! She was no longer a human queen in her thirties! She was a mermaid princess barely halfway through her sixteenth year!
Nausea rose in Ariel's stomach as her head started to spin. The Master did take her life. Her human life! He stole the one thing that made everything she was and loved and dreamed of possible! The sickening feeling overwhelmed her, and she retched loudly, almost losing her stomach. She felt utterly violated.
Before those feelings could fully set in, the Master waved his hand and an unseen force dragged Ariel back to her clockman captor. It quickly seized her, holding both her hands behind her as it placed a knee on her back.
"Ariel!" exclaimed Eric, reaching a hand towards her. There were still too many feet between them for him to come close to touching her. "Ariel, say something!"
Ariel turned her face to him. It was still Eric, but now she truly saw the years on his face. The slight graying at his temples. The faint foretelling of wrinkles around his eyes. The weathering from the years on his neck, arms, and hands. She was now a child compared to him. Even younger than Melody. And for some reason, that made her feel guilty. That she should have been able to do something to prevent this. But what could she hope to do against the likes of the Master?
"I'm sorry," she said, tears starting to fall from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Eric! I couldn't–!"
A crescent of shadow slashed through the air between them, cutting a deep furrow through the pavilion floor before speeding off into the water. The two looked up to see the Master's hand extended towards them, his glowing blue eyes unblinking and callous.
"Silence," he said flatly. He turned and walked to the opposite edge of the pavilion, looking up at the palace.
"She won't be running away anytime soon," said Remora as she walked up to him. "Now all that's left is the two half-breeds."
"I'm well aware," said the Master.
"Want me to go fetch them?"
"There's no need." The two watched as a section of the roof collapsed in, sending a plume of flames and smoke roiling into the sky. The Master closed his eyes, then opened them slowly. "There are two methods of catching a fish. One is to entrap it with a net. The other is to draw it in with bait."
The Master glanced back over his shoulder at Ariel. "Neither of them will be able to refuse this morsel, even if they see the hook sticking out."
Melody followed close behind Lara as they ran through the hallway, the trident clutched in her hands. It was heavier than she expected. Far heavier than Lara's sword. Her arms were starting to tire from carrying it. It was also rather cumbersome. Three times already she almost gave them away to nearby clockmen when she knocked the forks or butt end on the ground or a wall or a furnishing. How did her grandfather wield it so effortlessly?
They came to a corner and Lara stopped, pressing herself flat against the wall. Melody did the same, and then cautiously crept forward as Lara peered around, sword at the ready. They were at the bottom of a stairwell on the south side of the palace. The floor was littered with the now collapsed stairs, but the door on the other side was still intact.
"It's this one, right?" whispered Lara.
Melody nodded. "That'll take us outside near the pavilion stairs. I used it to sneak out to the ocean when I was little."
She started to go, but Lara held her back. They both watched anxiously for any sign of the enemy. None came.
"All right," said Lara as she stepped out. "Let's–."
A clockman dropped down into the middle of the stairwell, landing with a sound of metal and breaking rubble. Its back was turned to them, giving Lara only a split second to shove Melody back and plaster both of them against the wall. Her tail shot up and wrapped around Melody's mouth, but not fast enough to keep a small gasp from escaping. They heard the clockman turn around, and then two loud crashes as another pair of clockmen joined it. The machine's steps grew closer, crunching stone and wood underfoot. Every step caused Melody's heart to beat faster and harder as her fear mounted. She squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath, pleading for something to make the clockmen go away.
Suddenly they heard the door open. The footsteps halted as they heard more clockmen enter the stairwell. Several tense moments of quiet followed, and then they heard the automatons all leave through the door. Melody kept holding her breath as she and Lara stayed put, not daring to peer out. Eventually Melody could hold it no longer, and she exhaled. Just the sound of her breath sent her heart racing again. It sounded like a gale wind in her ears, too loud to be missed by anyone or anything.
Lara released her tail and carefully inched towards the corner, peering one eye around the edge. Then she stepped out. "Okay, they're gone."
"Are you sure?" asked Melody.
Lara ran across the stairwell, pressing herself flat beside the doorway before peering out again. "It's clear! Come on! Let's get outta here!"
Melody quickly ran to Lara, fumbling over the debris to reach her. They sprinted out the door, finding themselves at the far end of what was once the palace gardens. The garden wall was barely a low pile of rubble now, but it still provided them with cover as they crouched and ran. The scars of Lara and Remora's earlier battle were everywhere. They went for what felt like half a mile and then stopped near the pavilion stairs. Melody was panting and sweating. It was hard to move like this while carrying the trident, and in a dress as well. She caught her breath as Lara peered over the top, checking for more clockmen. Melody looked back and saw they only went about a hundred yards from the palace. Was she really that tired? Or was carrying the trident wearing her out that much faster?
"All right," whispered Lara as she stowed her sword through her belt. "Here's the plan. There's no clockmen in sight, but that doesn't mean they aren't around. Once they see us, they're gonna start firing and alert the others. So, we're gonna make a break for it. I'll fly us out along the beach and use the rocks for cover. Once we get to the river, we'll use that to–."
"Princess Melody! Dame Anclagon!"
Melody and Lara's breaths hitched. They knew that voice. It was the Master.
"I know you're there," called the warlock. "I can sense you both, hiding behind that wall. No doubt thinking you can fly away along the coast while there's no clockmen in sight."
"How could he know that!?" whispered Melody.
"Doesn't matter!" hissed Lara. "Point is that he does! Which means the plan's screwed! And we are, too!"
Melody frowned. "Not helping!"
"You likely would have escaped them," the Master continued. "But you cannot escape me. You will not make it twenty feet off the ground before I swat you out of the air. And even if you somehow escape me, this kingdom is crawling with my clockmen. They have orders to shoot you on sight. As do my warships. And even if you make it past them, the entire Alliance is now ours. All four of the human kingdoms have fallen, as well as Atlantica."
Melody gasped, then looked at the trident. "Grandfather! He can't be…!"
"Your grandfather still lives, Princess Melody," said the Master. Melody felt the hair on her neck stand up. It was as if he were reading her thoughts. "But only by my whim. If you and Anclagon attempt to escape, and somehow make it past my army and borders, his life will be forfeit. As will those of your family. If you doubt me, see for yourself."
Lara cautiously lifted her head, peering over the wall. Melody saw her eyes widen, and then her teeth bared in an angry grimace. She peered over herself and immediately saw why. The Master was standing at the edge of the pavilion, looking directly at them. Remora was at his side, following his gaze to them. She gave a cheeky wave, earning a low growl from Lara. On the other side of the pavilion were Ariel, Eric, and all her aunts save Arista. Each one of them was pinned down underneath a clockman. All the women had been turned into mermaids. Even her mother.
"No…" Melody felt as if her heart was being squeezed to the point it would pop. She fell against the rubble, sliding down to the ground. "No, no…"
"As you can see, I have the upper hand," said the Master. "There is nowhere for you to run. Nowhere. You and the Alliance are defeated. You are no longer in Seahaven. You are in the kingdom of Maelstrom. My territory."
Lara ducked back down, her fists trembling. Melody could almost hear the gears turning in Lara's head, desperately trying to think of some way to save both of them, her family, and their kingdom. From the look on her face, the sweat forming on her forehead, and the way her golden eyes darted back and forth, she had nothing.
"But you need not share their fates," said the Master. "Remora tells me you have come into possession of something I desire, princess. The trident."
Melody pulled the trident closer to herself. "What does he want with this?"
"Nothing good. That's for certain," said Lara.
"Here is my offer," said the Master. "Give me the trident without resistance, and I will allow you both to go."
"What!?" shouted Remora angrily. "Hang on! I–!"
"Quiet," said the Master sharply, cutting her off. "Hand over the trident, and I swear upon my name, my magic, and Maelstrom itself that you both shall leave this place alive and unharmed. After that, go wherever you wish. Fly far, far away from here. Find somewhere to start over, or to plot some futile resistance against us. Do with your lives as you wish. Refuse me, however, and I will kill the princess's family."
Suddenly an invisible force dragged Eric and Ariel forward and into the Master's grasp. He seized the back of their necks and lifted them off the ground. They both screamed in pain as he squeezed hard. "Starting with these two."
"Dad! Mom!" exclaimed Melody. She started to stand, but Lara grabbed her wrist and forced her down. "Lara, he's got my parents!"
"I know."
"He's gonna kill them!"
"I know!"
"We've gotta do something!"
"I know!" Lara shouted, causing Melody to flinch back. "And he's gonna kill us all anyways if we give him the trident! That, or let Remora have another go!"
"You are thinking I will kill you anyway once the trident is mine," said the Master.
"I really hate how he does that," growled Lara.
"Perhaps I will. Or perhaps I will keep my word," continued the Master. "Either way, what choice do you have?" He dropped Ariel and Eric, the two coughing and gasping on the ground. They started to get up until something pushed them down flat. "You have five minutes to decide. Use them wisely."
"What are we supposed to do!?" asked Melody desperately.
"Just…let me think!" The tip of Lara's tail twitched back and forth in anxious agitation, her mind racing. She licked her lips, her eyes moving about as if searching for an answer amongst the dirt and ash.
Melody looked back over the wall. Ariel and Eric were fighting against whatever magic the Master was using to restrain them. She wanted nothing more than to run out and rescue them. And a year ago, she would have done just that. But she learned to listen to the rational part of herself since then, and that part was keeping her legs still. Rash bravery was not going to save the day here. She knew she could not fight him, with or without the trident. Neither could Lara. Even together they would be no match. He was leagues above them, and there was no telling how healed Lara actually was. Making a break for it was impossible. He knew exactly where they were. Trying to fly past him would get them both killed. A direct confrontation would be tantamount to suicide. Even if he was out of the picture, there was still Remora to contend with. Not to mention the seven clockmen, all of which currently had their guns pointed at her family.
Melody bit her lower lip, frantically trying to think of some surefire solution to their predicament. The more she thought about it, the more certain she was that there was not one. The Master had the overwhelming advantage in numbers, magic, and hostages. There was nothing they could do to harm him. One way or another, he would get the trident from–.
Suddenly it came to her. She looked down at the trident, seeing the smoky sky and her own dirty face reflected in the gold of the forks. There was still something they could do. Something they might be able to thwart him with. It probably would not be enough to defeat him. But it might give them and her family a chance to escape. And it might hamper the Master's plans to boot, whatever they might be. It was a big if, but what other choice did they have?
"Lara, I have an idea," said Melody.
Lara perked up hopefully. "You do?"
Melody nodded. "Yeah. But you'll have to trust me on this. Because as far as plans go, this one's pretty crazy."
Ariel watched the broken wall as though her life depended on it–which it did. Hers, and that of her family and everyone in the Alliance. Much as she wanted to stay alive, she willed with every ounce of will she had that Lara and Melody would leave her and try to escape. She was prepared to die a hundred times over if it meant the two of them stayed safe. She knew Eric felt the same. That, and they both feared what would happen if the Master got ahold of the trident. They both vividly remembered what Morgana and Ursula were capable of with it. Neither of them was a fraction of the monster the Master was. Who knew what manner of cataclysms he could incur with the trident's power at his command?
There was a flare of firelight from behind the wall, pulling Ariel out of her thoughts. She saw Eric and Remora tense, both as anxious as her to see what happened next. If the Master shared their feelings, he gave absolutely no sign of it. He just kept watching.
"Wait," came Melody's voice suddenly. She sounded distressed. "Lara, what are you…Lara, no! Stop! Lara!"
An explosion went off at the top of the stairs, followed by a cloud of smoke. Then came the sound of gunfire as clockmen started shooting, followed by a roar from Lara. There were more flashes and explosions accompanied by the sound of shearing and twisting metal and shattering crystal. More smoke billowed out, obscuring the garden completely. Then it went quiet.
"Melody!" Ariel cried out. "Lara!"
The smoke drifted down, shrouding the pavilion stairs. For a long minute there was no sound save Ariel's panicked breaths, the frantic beating of her heart in her ears, and the lapping of the waves against the shore. Then she heard footsteps approaching. Slow, deliberate steps descending stone stairs. She saw a misshapen figure within the smoke, and then the orange glow of Lara's eyes and hair. But where was Melody?
She got her answer when a gust swept the smoke away. Lara was in her armored form, the obsidian plating letting off an aura of heat. She held her transformed black sword in one hand and the trident in the other. And an unconscious, singed Melody hanging limp in her tail. She heard Lara growl, seeing the heated furnace caged behind the teeth of her faceplate.
An anxious queasiness settled in Ariel's stomach as Lara reached the pavilion. Something was wrong. She could see it in Lara's eyes. There was an anger in them, but not one Ariel had seen before. This was not the hot furious rage she saw before. This anger was cold, sharp, and sinister. Like a dagger made from ice poised over her heart. Ariel actually shivered as she met Lara's gaze, despite the intense heat coming from her.
"Lara?" said Eric, not understanding what he was seeing as Lara walked directly towards the Master. "Lara, what–?"
Eric found himself unable to speak as the Master folded his hands behind his back. "We meet again, Anclagon."
"That we do," said Lara as she stopped in front of him. "That we do…"
The Master looked at the trident and then at Melody. "Something tells me you are not here to simply hand over the trident and then leave."
"You're right," said Lara. "I'm not leaving. I'm here to bargain."
"Bargain for what, exactly?"
"Two things. Morgana's seat in Maelstrom…" Lara looked past the Master, her eyes sweeping over the mermaids. "And the lives of Poseidon's spawn. If anyone's gonna kill them, it's me."
"What!?" exclaimed Ariel, Eric, and the princesses as one.
The Master's eyes widened ever so slightly. "Reconsidering my offer, are we?"
"More like a change of heart."
"Is that right?"
"Yeah. Up till now, I was fine fighting against you." Lara glanced at Remora, her eyes narrowing. "Especially that one. And don't think we're finished, sparks! We're not done by a long shot!"
Remora cracked her knuckles, making electricity arc down her arms. "I promise you, the feeling's mutual!"
Lara scowled at her, and then returned her attention to the Master. "However, I've learned a few things lately. First…"
She stepped past the Master, facing the captured royals. "It was this lot's dad and grandpa who got my dad killed!" She pointed her sword at Attina, a heat aura growing on the blade. "I'm not about to keep risking my neck for a family that took mine away from me. I will, however, destroy it. And gladly."
The Master smiled faintly within his hood. "O-ho…"
Ariel's mouth fell open. This had to be a nightmare. "Lara, what…what are you saying? You can't be serious!"
Lara glanced at Ariel and hissed. "Shut up." She walked back to face the Master again. "And second: I might be able to take down the rest of your minions. But I can't match you. I know when I'm out of my league. And since you've now got the people I want revenge on, there's no point trying to go through you to get them. Enemy of my enemy and all that."
"Yet you did not waste a second sacrificing yourself to save said people," said the Master. "Or pledging an oath to them."
Lara scoffed loudly. "You mean the hospital? That was putting on a show. It'll take more than spooklight wisps to kill me. A lot more. Everything since your first invasion attempt has been a façade. All of it. I was buying time till you made your next move. I'd have gone to you directly, but you're not the easiest lot to get in touch with. Gotta admit, though, you had me worried. When I heard Remora caught them, I thought you might kill them before I had the chance. What a disappointment that'd be!"
"No!" shouted Aquata. "I don't believe you!"
"She's not the only one," said Remora, taking a step towards Lara. "Talk's cheap, brat. You want in with us? You better be ready to prove it."
"You think I'd be here if I wasn't? I said I came to bargain, so here's what I've got to offer. You let me avenge my dad, and make this lot pay for everything I've been through. In return you'll get…" Lara stabbed her sword into the pavilion floor and released it. The blade was consumed in fire, and then the flames abated to reveal the sword's original form. Then Lara dropped Melody at her feet. "One Seahaven princess. One trident."
Then Lara did the last thing any of them ever expected her to do. She took a knee, holding the trident out flat in her hands as she bowed her head to the Master. "And one half-dragon witch, at your service." She glanced out the corner of her eye at Remora. "How's that for proof?"
"No!" screamed Andrina, Aquata, and Attina together.
Ariel gaped as she watched the Master regard Lara and then the trident. "No! He can't have it! Lara, what are you doing!?"
Then, to everyone's horror, the Master reached out for the trident.
"Lara! No!" Ariel screamed.
Lara offered no resistance and launched no sneak attack as the Master's hand grew closer and then finally grasped the trident. The moment he touched it a black aura swelled around him, releasing a sickening pressure that drove the air out of Ariel completely. It pushed down so hard she thought it would crush her flat. She felt bile rise in her throat as a wave of nausea swept over her. Her sisters felt it to, as Andrina, Alana, and Attina all lost their stomachs. Eric struggled to breathe yet again. Then there was a sharp crack and a gust of wind burst off the Master, spreading out across the land and sea. The sky growled with thunder as storm clouds billowed overhead. The sea started to churn and darken as lightning bolts flashed down from above.
The Master began laughing. Low at first, and then it quickly grew into maniacal hysterics. The pressure coming off him swelled even further as he lifted the trident high overhead. Then his darkness leapt onto it, staining the weapon black. His shadows flew into the weapon, as though being sucked in by an insatiable vacuum. They kept going until the trident was such a shade of black it looked like a void in space. Then he gave a shout and slammed the butt end down on the ground. A ring of darkness spread out from the pavilion, immediately quieting the ocean and the sky. The pressure released, allowing Ariel to lift her head. The nausea-inducing magic was gone, but she still felt sickened by what she saw.
The Master had the trident. And Lara was still bowing to him.
"And now it's done!" he said, watching the forks rotate as he rolled the trident between his fingers. "With this, there is nothing and no one that can stop me! Nothing at all!"
He looked down at Ariel, his eyes crinkling as he smiled at her. "With this, you are utterly defeated."
He looked back at Lara, regarding her for several seconds. He started to lift the trident, but then lowered it again. "I accept your bargain, Lara Anclagon. And your service as well." He touched the trident to the top of her head. "From this day forward, you will serve me in Morgana's stead as an officer of Maelstrom. Now arise, my dragon witch."
"Looking forward to it, Master." Lara rose and bowed again at the waist. "Oh…and call me Blackjaw."
Ariel found her voice again. "Have you lost your mind, Lara!? Do you have any idea what you've done!?"
Lara looked at her, eyes narrowing as she growled. "Yeah! What I planned on doing ever since I found out who your dad is! Getting my revenge! And making sure Maelstrom doesn't beat me to it!"
"No!" exclaimed Andrina. "You wouldn't! You can't!"
"You swore to me, Lara!" yelled Eric. "You swore that–!"
Lara flickered out of sight and then reappeared over Eric. Her tail swung around and then down across his back, slashing him. Eric screamed as she both cut and cauterized him at the same time.
"You think I care what I swore!?" snapped Lara as she cut him a second time, leaving a large "X" in his back. "You think I'm gonna honor any oaths I made to any of you!?"
She left Eric and paced past the mermaid princesses like an angry tiger, glaring at each of them in turn. "My loyalty to you ended when I found out who you really are! All of you! If it wasn't for Triton and Poseidon, I wouldn't be here! I never would've had to wander the east for five years! My dad would still be alive! Yumino would still be alive! But because of your family, I lost mine! I lost my home! I lost everything! And now…now you're gonna suffer just like I did! You're gonna find out what it's like to see your world, and everything and everyone you care about go up in flames!"
Aquata shook her head vigorously. "You're lying!"
Lara glared at her. "The only liars here are you all!"
Attina scowled furiously, spitting at her. "You're no knight! You're a traitor!"
Lara stared at Attina. Then she went to her and grabbed her hair, wrenching her face up painfully and then smacking her with the back of her hand. "Says the hussy who wanted to kick me out of the Alliance when she learned I wasn't entirely human! No surprise there! You're just like your dad and grandad! As bigoted and scared of me as they were! The same rotten fruit off the same rotten tree!"
Lara smacked her again then shoved Attina's face down. "And you wonder why all the other fishfolk hate your species…" She stood, turning to the Master. "So, what do you think, sir? A magic trident, a princess, and a new witch makes a pretty good gift, right?"
"That they do," said the Master. "And given you've brought me three valuables, three rewards are in order. The lives of the princesses are your first. What else would you ask of me?"
Lara looked at Remora. "Her, for starters." She walked up to Remora, their faces inches apart as they locked eyes. Their magic auras grew and pushed against one another, yet neither budged. "We've got a fight to finish, witch. And this time, without interruptions."
"Fine by me," said Remora. "I'll trash you just like I did before!"
"Try it!" Lara growled. "You'll find I'm a fast learner! And a lot more dangerous when I put my back into it!"
"Then what are you waiting for?" Metal shards started moving to Remora's hands. "Let's go!"
"Ladies, ladies…" said the Master, moving between them and forcing them to step apart. "You will have your rematch. All in due time. But your blades will cross again only after my goals are realized, and only then. Are we clear?"
Remora glared at Lara a while longer. Then she stepped back, the metal retreating onto her body. "Yes, sir."
The Master turned to Lara. "And as for you, Lara…apologies. As for you, Blackjaw, since I am delaying your reward, what say you to this? If, after your rematch, you are the one who remains standing, you will have Remora's seat as my vice-commander and right hand as well as your revenge. Makes it worth the wait, no?"
Lara looked at him and then back to Remora. For a moment no one was sure if she would back down or attack Remora anyway. Then Lara drew a breath and exhaled. "Very. You've got a deal." She looked to Remora again. "We might be working together from now on. But don't think for a second this changes anything."
"Oh, don't worry," hissed Remora. "It won't."
"Onto the last thing then." Lara looked around the pavilion. "Where's Triton?"
"Already imprisoned in the Factory," said Remora. "And if you want his life, tough luck. Ursula's called dibs. Same goes for the redhead."
Fire sprang up on Lara's right hand. "She can't call dibs if I kill her. I could go for some fried calamari."
"No," said the Master flatly. "Aggravating as that sea witch can be, she fulfilled the tasks I set before her. Therefore, I intend to honor her revenge. The kings' and queen's lives are hers to end. You are welcome to watch them die, but you will not slay them or Ursula."
Lara growled again, her burning clenching into a fist. Then the fire went out and she opened her hand. "So much for that."
"However, given how Morgana performed in the past, and that you will be taking her seat…" The Master gestured to Melody. "I've no intention of honoring her revenge."
Lara cocked her head over. "Hm…that'll do."
Ariel froze both physically and mentally. She could not have heard that right. Lara would never–!
"She's yours then," said the Master. "Do with her as you wish."
"Oh, I intend to." Lara walked over and seized Melody by the neck with her tail, lifting her into the air. Then she marched over to Ariel and grabbed her by the throat, hauling her off the ground. "I might not be able to kill you, Ariel! But that doesn't mean I can't make you watch!"
Ariel dangled helplessly in Lara's grasp as she walked back to her sword, ripping it out of the ground. It burst into flames, becoming the black claymore once more.
"No!" Eric shouted, fighting with renewed strength against the magic holding him. "Don't you dare, Lara! Don't you dare!"
"Let her go!" screamed Attina. "Let go of her right now!"
"You can't!" yelled Aquata. "You can't!"
Ariel flailed furiously as she tried to get free. "Lara! Please! I'm begging you! Don't do this!"
"Shut up!" Lara snarled, pulling Ariel close to her face. The heat from her breath was so intense it dried Ariel's eyes out. "Did you really think I'd keep helping you!? After what your family took from me!? After what I've been through because of them!? That some kind words and a knighthood and a roof over my head would ever make up for any of it!?"
Ariel stared at the sword as it heated, the blade turning blazing orange. "No! Wait! Your father! He's–urk!"
Her words were cut off when Lara squeezed down. She raised her sword and placed it at Melody's side. Then she drew it back, preparing to cut the unconscious princess in half. "It's about time I showed you all how 'grateful' I am for everything you've done! This won't be over quickly! Claymore…!"
"Mom…"
It was the tiniest of whispers, but it still made Ariel's heart stop. She glanced over at Melody to see her eyes were open. She flashed her a quick smile and then a wink before clenching her eyes shut.
Lara blinked at Melody. Then she blinked again. Then she blinked a third time and shook her head. "I'm sorry…I thought you said this plan was crazy! Not totally batshi–!"
"Not so loud!" hissed Melody. "He'll hear you!"
"Mel, this is insane!" said Lara, lowering her voice. "You want me to betray you!? And then hand over the trident!? And then kill you!?"
"I want you to pretend to betray us!" said Melody. "And kill me! Also pretend to do that! Please! But do actually give him the trident!"
"And how am I supposed to save your family if he's got that!?" asked Lara.
"Because you're going to destroy it!"
Lara blinked yet again at Melody. "I'm gonna what!?"
"Destroy it! With your sword!"
"You want me to destroy the trident!? That's your plan!?"
"You said it yourself! We can't let him have it! Who knows what he'll do with it!? Or what'll happen to him if he's still holding it when it goes kaboom!?"
"Mel, you're assuming I even can destroy it! That thing was powerful enough to let Poseidon kill my dad! How am I supposed to break something like that!? And that's assuming we don't get blown up along with it! Or that it blows up in the first place!"
"We won't know until we try!" said Melody. "But it's all I've got! We can't let him have the trident! And we probably have only a minute till he starts killing my family! Unless you've got something better!"
Lara looked at Melody, then at her sword, then at the trident, and then back at Melody. "No…"
Melody set the trident down and reached out, clasping Lara's shoulders. "Then let's do it! But remember, you have to sell this! He and Remora have to believe you right up till it's too late!"
"And what if they don't?" asked Lara. "What if they see through this and kills us? Or I can't smash the trident and he turns it on us?"
Melody bit her lip nervously. "Then we're all dead anyways. But we're past rule four and onto rule five now!"
Lara's brow furrowed in confusion. "Rule five? What's that?"
"When all else fails, don't go down without a fight." Melody gave her a heartfelt and nervous smile. "Sounds like something you'd say, right?"
Lara held Melody's gaze. Then shook her head. "I don't know whether to be proud or embarrassed." She gave a sigh and then lifted her head, her sword starting to heat as she nodded. "Okay. Let's do it!"
"Flash!" Lara shouted, squeezing her eyes shut. Ariel did the same a split second later.
Several things happened at once.
Lara dropped Melody and then Ariel.
Melody, who until now had been acting asleep, landed on her feet and lunged to catch her mother. The two went tumbling away across the ground.
A brilliant flash erupted from Lara's sword, turning everything into a pane of white. Everyone who did not close their eyes was immediately blinded. This did not exclude the Master, Remora, or the clockmen. For three long seconds they could see nothing.
"Claymore…!"
The flash abated. The Master was greeted by the sight of Lara halfway through swinging her sword for his head, the blade white-hot and brimming with fire. Her armor fell apart as she fed every last scrap of magic she could spare into the weapon, betting everything on this one strike.
"Master, look out!" shouted Remora, lightning gathering on her hands a fraction of a second too late to intervene.
The Master's eyes flew wide open. In all his years of existence, no one proved capable of what Lara just accomplished. She took him by surprise. He genuinely thought her rage was real. That her treason was real. That she truly planned on slaying the princess before her mother's eyes before starting on her sisters. He was so enthralled by her display of betrayal for the sake of sating her selfish rage and vengeance that he dropped his guard. He had no defense prepared against that blinding flash, or her incoming strike. He had no spell ready to counter. No one standing by in secret to intervene. So, he did the only thing he could in that moment.
"Trident…!" He grasped the trident's shaft in both hands, the forks vibrating as he thrust for her. Lara's sword and the trident collided as they both shouted, "Destroy!"
There was a sound of rending metal and a roar like a raging sea mixed with a rockslide. A shockwave burst forth from the weapons, blowing the clockmen and their captives off as the ocean itself was driven back from the pavilion. The machines' eyes flickered for a moment and then went dark, the dark curses that gave them life rendered null. Eric went flying off as well, the magic restraining him released. Melody and Ariel almost joined him, stopped when they struck one of the many pillars. Remora leaned hard against the blast and the resulting wind, her feet skidding over the stones as she used her magic to anchor herself to the ground. The ground and sea began to quake, causing cracks to go racing through the pavilion. The ocean surged to life, large swells causing the gunships to dance about as waves went crashing against the shore. The sky began storming once again, lighting and hail falling everywhere.
Only Lara and the Master remained where they were, their hands locked onto their weapons. Lara yelled as loud as she could as she dumped her magic into her sword. The quaking increased in its violence as the two weapons began to glow white. Three lights appeared in the trident's shaft–one white, one blue, and one yellow. Threads of light wound between them, and then reached out towards Lara's chest. The darkness enveloping the trident shrank away. The Master roared as he tried to force his own colossal magic back into the weapon, but he barely made an incursion when his magic was driven out. The trident turned white again as the glow from the three lights increased.
"A resonance!?" shouted the Master. "But with what!?"
Remora squinted against the raging wind assaulting her. She had no idea what was going on, but she knew enough to know that this was not a good place for her to be right then. Not with the amount of magic she was feeling from the Master, Lara, and their weapons. She sent a bolt of lightning behind her, an electric-ringed portal opening in the air. She released the magic holding her in place and leapt back, falling into the portal as it closed.
The last of Lara's armor fractured and fell away. From underneath her shirt, her pendant began to glow with a fierce orange light. It floated up, sending its own light treads out to meet those from the trident.
The Master's eyes widened as he beheld the glowing orb. "It can't be!"
The pendant's glow intensified, as did the light from Lara's hair and eyes. The light threads from the trident connected with those from the charm, and the radiance of all four intensified.
"It is! It's the Firebrand!" The Master looked up at Lara's face, his eyes wide in shock and confusion. "How do you have–!?"
Lara's response was to yell as loud as she could as she forced her remaining magic into the sword as a final surge. Her pendant shone like a sun, drowning out the light from the trident. Then the sword flashed blazing orange as cracks went racing through it and trident. The hum grew to a deafening climactic buzz, causing the very air to rattle.
Then they broke. The trident and the sword shattered like glass beneath a hammer's wrath. An explosion of light burst forth, engulfing the pavilion and everyone inside it. The roof was blown clean off, the stone crumbling till it became dust scattered into the sky. The light spread outwards as a dome, racing behind the shockwave. It rapidly grew to consume the beach, then the palace, and then out across Seahaven and into the ocean. Clockmen and humans vanished inside the white void. The clouds and smoke were driven away, opening the land to the blue sky once more. The light dome reached far into the Emerald Woods before it stopped, the entirety of the kingdom contained within is circumference. Then it shrunk back to a singularity in a split second, collapsing into a flickering point of light and then fading away.
Lara did not remember losing consciousness. She remembered facing the Master as her sword and the trident fought against one another. She remembered a sudden surge of strength and magic like nothing she ever felt before. Then a blinding light. And then black. Now she came to, then winced as her head ached ferociously. She felt as if someone hit her with a hammer that was also being hit with an even larger hammer from behind, all while someone did the exact same thing from the opposite side of her head. She felt exhausted, too. Her body was heavy and burning. Her ears were ringing, and she tasted metal in her mouth. She felt an arm draped across her chest that was not hers. She opened her eyes and saw the arm belonged to Melody. Ariel was next to her and unconscious again. Then Melody stirred, groaning heavily. Lara heard a crash and felt the spray of water as the ocean surged back, reclaiming the shore it rightfully owned.
"Mel? Ariel?" Lara propped herself upright. "Are you okay?"
"No," said Melody, giving her head a shake and then brushing her raven hair out of her face. "My head hurts. And–what the…?"
Lara followed Melody's wide eyes to the middle of the pavilion. Four small orbs were floating above the cracked floor, slowly circling each other. Each was no larger than a marble, but they glowed with an intensity that rivaled the stars. One was golden yellow and crackled with electricity, a lightning bolt trapped inside. Another was white, filled with ever shifting fractal patterns that resembled snowflakes and surrounded by a thin veil of cold fog. The third was blue, the light swirling inside along with the water it contained. And the fourth was Lara's pendant, its glow dancing in rhythm with its captive flame. Around them floated four rings of fragmented silver and golden metal–the remains of Lara's sword and the trident.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Lara and Melody suddenly remembered they were not alone. The Master was lying on the ground, hands clutched to his face as he thrashed about. Tendrils of shadow whipped and flailed on his form in distress. Long white hair fell from his head, hands grasping greedily to pull his hood over his face.
A sliver of lightning appeared from nowhere, and then a dark electric-ringed portal opened behind the Master. Remora stepped through, eyes widening as she saw the Master.
"Master!" She darted to him. "Sir, are–!?"
"Get your hands off me, witch!" snapped the Master.
Lara and Melody tensed. That was not him. That was not his voice. Not entirely, at least. Someone else's voice was in there, too. As if he and this other person were speaking in tandem. Suddenly the Master doubled over, the shadows on him surging towards his face.
"You are dead!" came the Master's unadulterated voice. "Dead and devoured! Back with you! Back!"
"No!" shouted the other voice. The shadows halted on his body, frozen in place. "Not this time!"
"You!?" exclaimed Remora. She reached down and snatched the Master's hand. "How are you–!?"
"I said off!" the voice shouted. A blast of shadow struck Remora, knocking her backwards into what was left of one of the columns. Then the Master fell forwards, his hood covering his face. He reached a shaky hand towards Lara and Melody, causing them both to recoil.
"Lara! Melody!" he shouted. There was that other voice again. "Listen to me! Grab the Wellsprings and run!"
"Grab the what?" Lara said as she tried to stand. She almost made it up before she fell to one knee. Her legs felt like jelly.
"The Wellsprings!" said the voice. "The lights! He can't have them! They're the only–!"
"Silence!" bellowed the Master, the shadows engulfing him once more. "Remora, kill them all! Now!
Remora propped herself upright, looking at the mysterious orbs and then at Lara and Melody. None of them had any idea what those were, but they knew one thing for certain. They were not about to let their enemy have even one of them.
The trio scrambled to their feet, racing for the orbs. Lara sprinted ahead of Melody, able to get her hands around her pendant and the blue orb. Remora beat her to the yellow one. Lara was about to grab the white one when Remora kicked her hard in the stomach, sending her tumbling backwards into Melody. The two orbs fell out of Lara's hand, rolling away from her. Melody all but clawed out from under Lara and dove for them, snatching each up with a hand. The floating remains of the sword and trident fell to the ground, clattering against the stones.
"She has the Oceanstar!" yelled the Master. "And the Firebrand!"
"Drop it, brat!" spat Remora as she grabbed the white orb in her right hand. "Before I–gaaaah!"
Ice exploded out from the white orb, encasing Remora's entire right side in a block of it. Lara scrambled upright and was about to run at Remora, but suddenly Remora thrust her free hand out and sent a bolt of lightning at her. It was more a river of electricity than a lightning bolt, though. It was wide enough to engulf a carriage and reduce it to atoms. Lara narrowly dodged it, feeling her skin tingle as a torrent of light and electricity flew past her. It struck the shore and exploded, sending a cloud of sand, earth, and smoke hundreds of feet in the air as a ship-sized crater of molten glass was torn into the beach. Lara drew a deep breath in, preparing to blast Remora off the pavilion before she could fire again.
"Tempes-ta!" Lara shouted with a loud exhale.
But instead of a cannon-like blast of heated air, all that came out of Lara's mouth was a forceful exhale. More than that, she did not feel her magic respond to her.
"What the…tempes-ta!" Lara repeated. Again, she felt no response from her magic, and again no air blast came forth. In fact, she felt almost no magic at all. She reached deep to where her magic dwelt. There were barely a few flickering sparks inside her.
Her magic was gone.
She was prevented from thinking about this alarming development further when Remora sent another beam of lightning at her. Lara barely dodged again, a thread of the electricity sneaking off and striking her right arm, momentarily paralyzing it.
"Get back here!" Remora snarled. She started struggling in earnest, the ice encasing her cracking.
"Not a chance!" spat back Lara. She quickly ran back to Melody, who was helping a rousing Ariel upright. "Let's go, you two!"
"Wait!" shouted Ariel as Lara grabbed Melody around the waist, tucking her under one arm. "My sisters! Eric!"
"There's no time!" said Lara, grabbing Ariel's wrist.
"No!" Ariel protested, pushing against Lara. "You can't leave them!"
"Lara, you have to try!" said Melody.
"I can't fly with all of you!" said Lara. "Either we go now or–!"
The sound of shattering ice caused Lara to spin around. Remora had broken free. She cast the glowing white orb aside, a trail of ice left behind it. The Master saw it and scurried over like a dog diving for a scrap of meat, seizing it with his hands. The orb glowed against him for a second, as if resisting his touch, and then his shadows enveloped it completely.
"You're not going anywhere except oblivion, you brats!" Remora shouted, her entire body brimming with lightning. A powerful yellow glow came from her left hand.
Lara spun and sprinted for the edge of the pavilion, dragging Ariel with her. She leapt off and spread her wings wide, beating them hard to escape. She started to climb rapidly into the sky, the mermaid dangling below her as Melody clung tight to Lara's middle.
Melody glanced back momentarily. "Lara! Look out!"
Lara looked behind in time to see Remora aiming both her arms straight at them. Hovering between them was what looked like a giant metal arrow. Electricity was arcing between the large projectile and Remora's arms with increasing frequency, a loud hum filling the air. Lara quickly banked hard to the left as the hum became a sharp buzz, and there was a flash and a snap as Remora screamed loudly.
Lara did not see the arrow strike. It moved too quickly for her eyes to follow. She felt it, though. She felt it all too clearly. She felt the immense force behind it, enough to obliterate almost anything in its path.
But it did not strike her. What it did strike was Ariel's left arm, just below the shoulder. Lara felt Ariel's hand burn away to ash as electricity coursed through her and Melody. They all screamed as pain flashed through their bodies. Then Melody passed out as Lara struggled to stay in the air. The pendant and blue orb fell out of Melody's hands as she lost consciousness, and Lara scrambled to grab them. Her tail was able to snatch her pendant while she had to snag the blue orb with her teeth. Ariel fell through the air to the ocean, her face full of shock. It seemed to happen in slow motion, Ariel's hair waving about as she grew smaller and smaller. The sea swelled up under her, as if eager to reclaim one of its daughters.
"Ariel!" Lara yelled around the orb. She spat it into her free hand and dove after Ariel as she was swallowed up by the water. Suddenly a lightning bolt blasted right through her path. She flung her wings open and halted, looking to the pavilion to see Remora standing at the edge readying another bolt. She thrust her hand forward and sent it at Lara, forcing her to retreat back. Remora started firing them rapidly as her flying swords assembled, keeping Lara from going any lower.
Lara grit her teeth. She could not get to Ariel. Not with this lightning flying around. She could probably withstand another hit or two, but Melody could not. And if those swords came after them, they were done for, and the Master would get ahold of whatever her pendant and this blue thing were.
And she knew what Ariel would want her to do.
"Damn it all!" Lara yelled. She beat her wings and then she banked away hard,flying down the coast.
"No, you don't!" yelled Remora after them.
Lara heard a sharp crack and then a barbed spear of metal blasted past, grazing across the top of her left wing and lacerating fully through the membrane. She screamed as they started to fall, but then quickly regained control. Then a second and third spear followed. Lara beat her wings as hard as she could, flying fast along the coast. She rolled and weaved as she went, trying to make herself as hard of a target to hit as possible as more spears and then lightning bolts came shooting after her. Her left wing was aflame with agony, but she grit her teeth and pushed through it. She kept flying, putting as much distance between them and Remora as she could. She heard a whistling sound and looked back, seeing those flying swords chasing her. Lara flapped even faster and harder, trying to slow their gain. Her left wing felt like it could tear in half at any moment, but she kept going. If she slowed now it would mean death. For a moment she thought the deadly blades would catch her. But then they began to fall behind, shards of metal flaking off. Then they fell apart entirely, unable to pursue her further. Lara turned her eyes forward, not slowing as she kept up her frantic speed. Then she quickly turned and headed inland, far away from the reach of bullets, warships, and witchcraft.
Remora screamed as she felt her swords reach the limits of her range. She started firing lightning bolts blindly about, not caring who or what she hit. She flung off one last flurry and then stomped her feet angrily, breaking the pavilion further with each blow. She missed! How did she miss!? She had Lara dead in her sights, and she missed! All she had now was a disarmed queen and a pair of magic marbles she did not have the first clue about, one of which almost turned her into a human icicle!
"Remora!" She spun around to see the Master on his knees, his form wreathed in weak opaque shadows. His voice was hoarse and raspy when he spoke. "Give me the Thunderbolt!"
"But they–!" Remora started to protest.
"Give it to me!" The Master bellowed, only to collapse into a fit of coughs. He hunched over as more shadows wrapped themselves around him. "Now!"
Remora looked at the yellow orb still clutched in her left hand. Now that she looked closely, she saw the writhing golden lightning bolt trapped inside it. More than that, she felt power coming from it. Raw, chaotic, immense magic of a magnitude she never–.
"That is an order!" the Master barked. "Give it here, or I swear I will cut your arm off and take it!"
Remora quickly dropped the orb. One of the Master's shadows snatched it before it hit the ground, drawing it to him. It buzzed and snapped with electricity as he stuffed it into his robe.
"Grab the mermaids and that man!" wheezed the Master. Shadows rose from the ground and enveloped him, like the tentacles of an anemone pulling in its prey. "Hand them over to Ursula, then get after those two! I want those brats found, killed, and the Wellsprings back in my grasp immediately!"
Remora watched as the Master sank into the ground and then vanished. She stared at where he left for a moment, and then she let out a furious scream of rage. Lightning blasted off her and into the ocean. The sea lit up with multiple flashes, and then she heard screaming. She looked out and saw Ariel's sisters rise to the ocean surface, rendered unconscious by Remora's electric outburst. Alana and Andrina had Eric suspended between them. Remora leapt off the pavilion, electricity crackling around her right hand as she swung it at them. An arc of lighting shot off her, striking the ocean. A wide black portal opened on the surface, seawater circling into it like a drain. The current dragged the unconscious royalty towards and then into the darkness, swallowing them up. Remora then extended her hand out to the ocean. It was faint, but she could feel the residual electricity on Ariel as she sank in the sea. She clenched her hand and suddenly Ariel's limp form came flying out of the water. Remora caught her, stowing her roughly under one arm. She stepped back as a portal opened under her, and she dropped in. She fell out the other side and landed on the stern of one of the gunships.
"You're gonna regret ever meeting that brat!" snarled Remora as she dumped Ariel onto the deck. "Mark my–!"
Suddenly the ship leaned violently to one side. Remora's arms flailed for balance as she magnetized herself to the deck. Ariel started to slide away until Remora snared her with a chain. Then the ship turned abruptly with a sound of rending metal. If Remora had to guess, something just hit them.
She looked around and realized something had. The gunship fleet was in disarray from the magic explosion. They were piled together like logs in a river, some faring worse than others. She heard yells and shouts as multiple ships began sinking, their sides torn open by each other. Explosions went off as shells and gunpowder were lit, blowing batteries and hulls apart. All the while, the sea roiled and raged underneath them.
"Captain Remora!"
Remora turned to see a pirate running towards her, clinging to the railing as he went. She jerked Ariel back to her, the chain winding around the unconscious mermaid like a snake. "What's going on here!?"
"Are you injured, captain?" asked the pirate, his mechanical right arm dangling limp at his side.
"I'm fine!" Remora lied with a snarl. "What's all this mess!?"
"It was that blast, cap'n!" said the pirate. He lost his footing as the ship was struck again, spinning it the opposite direction. "Tossed the sea up and us along with it!"
Remora growled as she saw another ship explode, water pouring into the flaming hole in its stern. "What's the fleet's status!?"
"Fifteen ships lost! Twice as many inoperable! And…!"
Remora turned to him at his hesitancy. "And what?!"
The pirate swallowed nervously. "We've lost all magic systems!"
The next thing the pirate new he was slammed back against the wall of the prow battery, his hair clenched painfully in Remora's fist. "You've what!? How many!?"
"All of them! On all ships!"
Remora yanked him forward and then banged him against the wall. "When!?"
"Right after that blast! Anything and everything that runs on magic isn't working! All the clockmen are down, too!"
Remora pulled the pirate to her face. "What do you mean they're down!?" she barked, spittle flying out her mask.
"They're not responding to any of our commands! They're just…dead!"
Remora scowled under her mask, shoving the pirate aside. Seemed she was right to get out of there when she did. That was more than a lightshow Lara and the Master caused. Somehow it wiped out all magic within its reach. The pirate's dead right arm was proof of it. That explained what happened to the Master, and why Lara's magic failed her.
"What are your orders, captain?" asked the pirate.
"What do you think!?" snapped Remora, dumping Ariel on him. "Get this fleet back in order right now! Abandon any ship that can't float or fight! If it's sinking, get it sunk and out of the way!"
Remora looked towards the shore, her eyes narrowing. "Then get ready to fire on our next target!"
At first, Melody thought she was falling. She felt air rushing past her and no ground under her feet. She opened her eyes and saw the treetops of the Emerald Woods moving past in a blur. Then she saw Lara's shadow flying across the green, her wings beating heavily. Melody looked up and saw Lara's face tight with effort and pain. Lara suddenly stopped mid-flap, grimacing as her left wing drooped. They started falling towards the trees.
"Lara?" said Melody. "Lara, where are we?"
Lara did not answer. She grit her teeth and started flapping again. They were heading towards a grassy hilltop. Her wingbeats were becoming less frequent and more strained. She started to descend. Instead of a controlled landing, Lara hit the ground running and then fell. The two women went tumbling through the grass. Melody groaned as she rose, feeling the promise of new bruises on her already weary body. She tasted dirt and blood and spat, feeling a sharp pain in her lip.
"Lara?" Melody called as she stood. "Mom? Where…?"
For a moment she forgot about Lara and Ariel. Far in the distance she saw what remained of Seahaven. The town was in flames. Countless columns of smoke rose from the blue inferno to form a single ominous charcoal black cloud against the sky. Tiny dots of people fled through burning fields and toppled homes towards the forest. The palace was in shambles. Several of its towers had fallen, and there was a large hole in its face from Lara and Remora's earlier battle. The marina was burning, not a single ship afloat in its waters. The gunship fleet was moving about out in the sea, scuttling the doomed vessels as they put themselves back into formation.
Melody's mouth fell open as she stared. Was that really Seahaven? Was that her home? It looked like a warzone.
Pained groaning caused Melody to turn around. Lara slowly pushed herself onto her hands and knees. Her wings were splayed out, a large gash ripped through the left one. Her mouth gaped as she panted hard, her hair hanging disheveled around her dirt-smeared face. Melody shakily got to her feet and ran to her, staggering and stumbling as she went. "Lara! Are you hurt?"
"To put it mildly!" Lara groaned again as she pulled her wings in, her left moving slowly. "You?"
"I think I'm okay!" Melody looked around. "Where's mom?"
Lara did not answer. She stared down at the earth, crushing fistfuls of grass and dirt as her hands clenched into fists.
"Lara, where is she?" said Melody. Lara still said nothing. Melody felt her heart start to sink. "Where is my mother, Lara? I know you had her! Where is she!?"
Lara looked to Melody. Her eyes were sad, guilty, and apologetic. It came rushing back to Melody. Feeling herself leave the pavilion as Lara took off. The sound of lightning and then the flash as Remora shot at them. The momentary agony as the electricity assaulted her. Ariel falling towards an angry sea as Melody's vision faded. And then darkness.
Melody backed away from Lara. "No…"
"I'm sorry, Mel," said Lara. "I tried. I tried to get you both out of there. But Remora…she got us first, and Ariel fell. I wanted to go back for her, but…" She hung her head as she sat back on her feet. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. There was nothing I could do."
Melody stopped, her breaths coming faster. She felt as if something was binding her chest, preventing her from getting air. The rest of her felt numb. She spun and looked back to Seahaven. Ariel was back there. So were Eric, her aunts, and all of her friends. Everyone she ever knew and loved was back in the middle of that hellscape.
"If you and Anclagon attempt to escape, and somehow make it past my army and borders, his life will be forfeit. As will those of your family."
Melody ran back to Lara, wrapping her arms around her chest and trying to lift her. She was too heavy for Melody, though, resulting in her dragging Lara backwards instead of hoisting her.
"Ow!" yelled Lara, struggling to get her legs under her. "Easy, Mel!"
"Get up!" Melody said forcefully as she tried to lift Lara again. "We have to go back!"
"We can't!" said Lara.
"That wasn't a request!" said Melody. She tried again to lift her, but this time her heel caught on a rock and she fell backwards, dropping Lara. She grunted as hard rocks jabbed across her back. "We have to rescue my family!"
Lara rolled onto her stomach and then sat upright. "I'm telling you we can't!"
"There's no time!" said Melody. She got to her feet, staggering back a step before catching herself. She reached for Lara, but the hybrid brushed her hand aside.
"Mel, stop!" said Lara. "We cannot go back there!"
"We don't have a choice!" said Melody. "You heard what he said! He's going to kill my family! Now come on! Get up and get those wings working!"
Lara looked up at her. "You mean…" She grunted as she spread her left wing out. "These wings?"
Melody looked at Lara's left wing. There was a large full-thickness laceration through the middle of the membrane. Melody could see through it to the other side. The wound was bleeding freely, dripping red onto the grass. She saw no signs of it healing. Lara was not going to be flying anywhere with that wound.
Suddenly Lara's wings and tail burst into a cloud of sparks and smoke. The dark swirling haze siphoned down onto Lara's face, reforming the piercings in her brows and lip.
"Huh?" Lara looked over her shoulders. "Why did…redeo."
Melody expected Lara's wings and tail to come back in plumes of fire. But to both their confusion, nothing happened. Lara's wings and tail remained gone.
"Redeo," Lara repeated. Still nothing happened. She stood up, craning her neck to look down her back. "Redeo! Redeo! I said redeo!"
Her wings did not return to her. Neither did her tail. Lara looked towards the forest and took a deep breath, then released it as she loudly shouted, "Tempes-ta!"
The only thing that came out of Lara's mouth was her breath and voice. There was no blast of air. No fire. Not even a spark. Then she set her feet wide and clenched her hands and eyes tight, grunting as she focused with all her might.
"Come on!" Lara hissed between her teeth, her arms and legs shaking with effort. Melody saw veins stand out on her temples and forearms, sweat running down her skin. "Come on! Give me something!"
Nothing happened. Lara kept going a bit longer and then gave up, panting as she stood upright. She looked down at her hands, opening and closing them.
"Oh no…" breathed Lara. "No, no, no! This can't be happening!"
"Lara?" asked Melody, stepping towards her. "What's going on? Where are your wings?"
Lara turned back to her. "It's my magic. It's gone."
Melody drew a sharp breath. "Gone? What do you mean it's gone?"
"As in gone! G-O-N-E! Gone!" Lara snapped her fingers three times, expecting to at least make sparks. She made only sound. "There's almost nothing left! I can't even light a candle with this! But how did…the trident! When it blew up! Something must've…!" Lara swore under her breath and started pacing back and forth. "This is bad! This is very, very bad! If I don't have my magic, then…!"
Suddenly Lara marched towards Melody and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards the forest. "Ow! Lara, what are you doing?"
"Getting you outta here as fast as possible!" said Lara. "It won't be long before they come after us! And if they find us, we–!"
"But we can't go!" interrupted Melody, pulling against Lara's grip. "We have to rescue my family!"
"There's nothing we can do for them anymore!" said Lara.
"Nothing we…!" Melody dug her heels hard into the ground, wrenching herself out of Lara's grasp. "You mean you're not even going to try!?"
Lara stopped at the tree line. "We did try! That's what two-timing the Master and blowing up the trident was! And it didn't work! He's still alive! So is Remora! And now we're even worse off than before!"
"So that's it!? You're just giving up!?"
"I'm trying to keep both of us alive! Rule four, rem–?"
"Damn your rules, Lara!" Melody was screaming now. "This is my family we're talking about!"
"I know! But I'm not about to do something that'll get us both killed!"
Melody's hands involuntarily clenched into fists, and then those fists grabbed hold of Lara's top, giving her a shake. "My mom is back there! She's back there because you lost her! You promised, Lara! You promised you'd protect us! You're a knight now, remember!? You have to save them! You gave them your word! You gave me your word!"
Lara grit her teeth, her hands clenching and unclenching. She turned away from Melody. "I'm sorry."
Melody was not sure if she felt more anger or disbelief towards Lara in that moment. Either way, she could see that Lara was not going to help her.
"So that's how it is, then." She let go and stepped back, giving a disappointed scoff. "Looks like your blades and magic aren't the only thing you lost back there. Some knight you turned out to be."
Lara tensed, her hair starting to bristle. Then she eased and her hair settled down. "That's not fair and you know it."
Melody's response was to spin on her heels and start marching towards Seahaven's burning remains.
"Mel? Mel, where are you going?" called Lara.
"To save my family!" Melody shouted back.
"That's suicide!"
"It's better than running away like a coward!"
She heard Lara jog after her, getting in front of her and then walking backwards as she went. "I know you're angry, so I'm gonna let that slide! But you–!"
"You're not going to stop me, Lara!" interrupted Melody, brushing past her. Lara jogged back in front of her again, this time forcing her to stop.
"Mel, listen to me!" pleaded Lara. "You can't go back! You set one foot in the kingdom and they'll either capture you or kill you on sight!"
"I'll manage somehow," Melody said sharply. "I always do." She went to push past Lara again, but Lara grabbed her arm. "Let go of me!"
"Not happening!" said Lara.
"You don't have to go with me! Run away if that's what you want! But you don't get to say what I can and cannot do!"
"Except when you're about to do something incredibly stupid that'll get you killed!"
"I said let me go!"
"No!"
Melody spun to face Lara. "It's my life, Lara!"
"And I care about you too much to let you throw it away!"
"Says the kettle to the pot!"
Suddenly Lara grabbed Melody by the shoulders and shoved her back. Melody stepped on her dress and fell, landing hard on her rear.
"You think I don't want to go back!?" Lara yelled as she stomped towards her. "That I want to run away!? It's not your friends and family Maelstrom's got, Mel! It's ours! I care about them just as much as you! Believe me when I say I want nothing more than to fly back, rescue them all, and beat the tar out of anyone who gets in my way! But I can't! We can't! My sword is gone! My knives are gone! My magic is gone! And you don't have the trident anymore! We don't have any allies or an army of our own! Which makes it the two of us against all of Maelstrom!" She pointed behind her to the gunships. "Against all of that!"
Lara stopped in front of Melody, standing over her. "How are we supposed to win against that, Mel?! Huh!? Tell me! If you've got some secret plan or weapon you've been hiding from me, now's the time to spill it! Because unless you do, I don't see a path where we go up against them and come out of it alive!"
Melody tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind. Lara stared down at her for a long while, waiting for her to say something. Then she took a knee, her features softening as she reached out and took Melody's hands.
"Please," said Lara, her grasp as pleading as her voice. "I already lost one princess to a war. If I lost you too, I don't know if–."
A distant roar of artillery caused the two of them to stand and turn around. There were multiple flashes from the sea as the gunships began firing rapidly. Seconds later blue explosions erupted all over the palace. They saw the southern section start to buckle as the sounds reached them in full. Then, before their eyes, it fell. The palace collapsed on itself, large tears racing through the walls as though they were paper. Piece by piece the once magisterial palace of Seahaven was reduced to a pile of burning rubble. A mushroom cloud of smoke and fire rose into the air as the last piece fell, a wave of dust and blue sparks fanning out in a ring.
Melody stared unblinking at the dust cloud, mouth hanging open in shock and disbelief. She started walking towards it but then stopped as the strength left her legs, dropping to her knees. She kept staring at where the palace once stood. Tears spilled out her eyes, her lips trembling. Lara grimaced and squeezed her own eyes shut, arms stiff at her sides as she resisted the urge to scream and rage. Then a single drawn out scream of anguish tore from Melody's throat, and the tears came in rivers. They left dirty streaks down her face as she wept, cry after cry of grief pealing forth.
It was gone. Seahaven was gone. The home where she grew up, and the kingdom along with it. The home she had so many memories of, some fond and others not, but all inseparable from herself. The home she shared with her family and friends, and where she would someday rule and raise a family of her own. The home she could rely on for safety and comfort. The home she thought would always be there for her. It was just rubble and fire and death now. She felt as if Maelstrom did more than topple a building. They destroyed her very world.
Lara came and knelt beside her, putting an arm around Melody's shoulders. Melody turned and buried her face in Lara's chest, hugging her tightly as she cried.
"I'm sorry, Mel," said Lara, holding Melody just as firmly. "I'm sorry."
"It's gone!" Melody sobbed. "It's all gone! The palace! The town! Mom! Dad! Everyone! They took it all away, Lara! They took everything!"
Suddenly a horse's neigh rang out loudly. Lara immediately stood, instinctively reaching for her sword and knives, then grimacing as she realized they were not there. She raised her fists in anticipation of an enemy. "Mel, get behind me!"
Melody quickly crawled behind Lara, holding tight to the leg of her pants. They heard the neigh again, and now the drumming of hoofbeats.
"Who is it?" asked Melody.
"Don't know," said Lara. A bead of nervous sweat ran down her face. "But we're about to find out!"
Seconds later a familiar jet-black stallion came charging over the top of the hill, running straight for them.
"Tempest!" Lara exclaimed, lowering her fists. "Mel, it's Tempest!"
The black stallion neighed loudly as if confirming it. Lara broke into a run, heading straight for him. The stallion skidded to a stop as Lara threw her arms around his neck, hugging him fiercely.
"Good boy!" Lara said, her eyes watering as they threatened to leak tears of joyous relief. Tempest knickered as he rubbed Lara's back with his muzzle. "Good boy!"
Melody stood and ran after them, scarcely believing it herself. With all the death and destruction, it seemed impossible that this animal could survive it. Yet here he was. "Is that really Tempest!?"
Lara stepped back and nodded, wiping her eyes. "It is! I don't know how, but it's him!"
Melody stepped up to Tempest, running her hand up and down his face. He was no illusion, and there was no mistaking him. There could be no other horse. "He must have escaped during the attack! But how did he find us?"
"Does it matter?" said Lara. She walked around Tempest, checking every inch of him from hoof to head to tail. "He not hurt, either! You're not, right?"
Tempest snorted and shook his head.
"Tempest…" Lara walked up to face him. "I can't imagine what you went through to get here. And I can't tell you how glad I am to see you're alright! But right now, we really need your help. I know you're probably tired, but we've gotta get out of here right now. Can you give us a ride?"
Tempest nodded and stomped his hooves repeatedly, turning to face the forest.
"You don't happen to speak horse, do you?" asked Melody.
"No, but I'll take that as a yes. Come on." Lara cupped her hands for Melody and she stepped into them, boosting her onto Tempest's back. "We need to get to the mountains."
"But where are we going?" asked Melody. "You heard what the Master said! Maelstrom has the entire Alliance! Nowhere is safe anymore!"
"There's one place," said Lara. "You remember my friend? The one I went to see after I became your guardian?"
"You mean the one you left your sword with and took those plants to?"
"The same. He's got a home in the White Iron Mountains. If we can find him, we'll be safe."
Melody looked to the mountains in question, their distant snow-capped peaks reaching far above the forest. Even from so far away, their immense size and span was daunting. "You mean we're going there?"
"That's the plan." Lara started to bounce on her toes, then stopped. "Oh, crap!"
"What?" asked Melody.
Lara pawed herself all over. "The light!"
"What light?" asked Melody.
"The light! That blue light thing the Master wanted!" said Lara as she ran to the stretch of trampled grass where she crash landed. "And my fire pendant!"
Suddenly Melody remembered. She quickly patted herself all over, but she felt nothing remotely resembling the small orbs. "I must've dropped them!"
"You did!" said Lara as she dropped to her knees, hurriedly searching through the grass. "But I managed to grab them again! I must've dropped them when I landed us here!"
"Crashed, Lara!" said Melody. She slid off Tempest and started searching the grass herself. "You crashed us here!"
"Whatever! Just help me find them!"
Melody pushed aside a clump of grass, disappointed to find only dirt and more grass on the other side. "What was it the Master called them? Wellsprings?"
"Yeah! He called my pendant the Firebrand! And he called yours something, too! What was it? Seastar or Wavestar or something-star?"
"He called it–."
A strange sensation touched Melody. She felt as if something was pulling her to the right. She stopped searching and turned towards it. The sensation grew stronger, as if beckoning her forward. She crawled on her hands and knees towards it.
"Called it what?" said Lara. "Mel, he called it what?"
Melody ignored Lara's question and kept following the pull. It led her right to a patch of churned-up earth, and then it disappeared. She slowly dug into it, lifting a handful of dirt. There, amidst the clods and stones, was the blue orb. Its aqua light illuminated her face as the water inside swirled and flowed in defiance of gravity and nature.
"The Oceanstar," breathed Melody. "I found it!"
"You did!" Lara stood up and trotted over to her. Her eyes widened when she saw the orb in Melody's hands. "You found it! You actually found it!"
Suddenly a beam of blue light shot out of the orb, causing Melody to drop it as she and Lara flinched back. But instead of falling, the orb floated in midair. The two women stared at it for several moments, as alarmed as they were confused by the sudden change. Then Melody slowly approached it.
"Mel, be careful!" said Lara. "We don't know what that thing is!"
"I know," said Melody even as she reached for it. She hesitated for a moment, and then gently grasped it between her fingers. Her eyes followed the light beam to a nearby patch of grass. Was she seeing things, or was there an orange glow coming from that spot?
"Lara?" said Melody.
"I see it," confirmed Lara. She walked over to the grass, and Melody heard her take a sudden breath. Then she reached down and pulled out her fire pendant, the flame inside glowing bright. The light from the blue orb faded, and then the light from Lara's pendant did the same. Lara walked back to Melody. She held out her pendant, and Melody did the same, holding the two orbs near each other. Side by side, they could see the difference in elements between the pair. Yet they could also see an undeniable similarity. More than that, they could feel something from them. It was faint, barely a murmur of a whisper, but it was there.
"Lara…what are these?" asked Melody.
"I don't know," said Lara. Then she slipped her pendant around her neck again. "But if the Master wants them, I'll bet you they're important. And if he's got two already, I think it's safe to say we shouldn't let him complete the set."
Melody nodded. She took the blue orb and stuffed it down the front of her bodice, earning a perplexed look from Lara. "What? Where else am I supposed to keep it?"
"Ever heard of a thing called pockets?" said Lara.
Melody pulled out the skirt of her dress, demonstrating she had nothing of the sort on her.
"Duly noted." Lara walked back to Tempest. "Whatever these things are, we can figure that out later. Right now, we need to get to my friend. We find him, and then we figure out what comes next."
"Lara, this friend of yours…" said Melody as Lara helped her back onto Tempest. "Can he really help us?"
"Trust me. If anyone can, it's him."
"How can you be so certain?"
"You'll know when you meet him."
Lara set her hands on Tempest's back. She was about to hop onto him when Melody placed a hand on hers. "Lara, before we go, I want you to know…I'm sorry for what I said. You're right. It wasn't fair. And you're not a coward."
"I know," said Lara. "You're upset. I won't hold it against you."
"And I was wrong." Melody turned to face Lara. "Maelstrom didn't take everything. I still have you. And I know it might sound cheesy, but so long as we have each other, we still have hope. That we can do something, I mean."
Lara stared at Melody for a moment. Then she took Melody's hand in hers. "I don't know how this is gonna all play out, Mel. But I promise you this. I'm with you all the way to the end."
She looked back to Seahaven. "And we might've lost today, but that doesn't mean we're giving up. We'll get your family back. We'll get everyone back. Somehow…"
With that Lara bounded onto Tempest, seating herself in front of Melody. The horse shifted to the side under the burden then shook, adjusting his passengers to a better spot. Lara gave a sharp click-click with her tongue, and then Tempest took off at a run into the forest, causing Melody to grab onto Lara's middle. Horse and riders were quickly lost amidst the trees, heading towards the snowy peaks.
Thus did Seahaven, the last free kingdom of the Alliance, fall to Maelstrom.
The first thing Remora felt when she left the portal was the pressure. It was ubiquitous throughout the Master's vast chambers, as if it were filled with the dark depths of the abyssal ocean. It weighed down upon her like the ocean as well, its force as oppressive as it was unrelenting. The white flame torches were diminished, barely able to cast their light several feet. It made the place more ominous than usual.
The next thing Remora noticed was the Master himself. She could barely make out his humanoid form inside a swirling globe of shadows and darkness. It hovered in the middle of the platform like a midnight sun, tendrils of pure black waving about. She saw a pair of lights inside, one vivid yellow and the other white and cold as a winter moon. A raspy sound like asthmatic breathing echoed forth as the globe swelled and shrank in rhythm, as if it were breathing. The pressure on Remora increased as she approached, her steps becoming short and heavy. She could sense the Master…inside it? Around it? Or was all of this him? As far as her senses could tell, he was somehow directly in front of her and all around her.
"Halt," said a thin wheezing voice from the darkness.
Remora stopped immediately. She slowly bowed her head, struggling to keep the pressure from dragging her to the floor. She glanced up, seeing the darkness ripple like water.
"Where are they?" said the voice. It was the Master's voice. But it was tired. Struggling. Labored. "Where are they, Remora? And where are the Wellsprings?"
Remora licked her lips. Maybe it was the change in the Master's form. Maybe it was the way that enveloping pressure was gradually increasing. Or maybe it was because she knew he would not like the answer she was about to give. More likely it was all three. Either way, she was nervous.
"I don't know," said Remora.
There was a rustling noise and the tendrils on the shadow orb whipped about, reflecting the Master's anger. "You've had more than enough time to find their trail!"
"There is no trail to find!" said Remora, a touch of anger in her voice. "The brat's wings took care of that. And her magic is gone, too. I can't sense her anywhere. And all the clockmen from the invasion are–."
A noise between a yell and a wildcat's hiss issued from the globe as it swelled. Remora was forced to her knees by the spike in the pressure around her.
"Useless!" yelled the Master. "Children, Remora! They are two sniveling, defenseless children! And you cannot find them!? How can you be so–!?" He suddenly fell into a fit of coughing and wheezing. The globe shrank as the darkness and pressure lifted.
Remora bowed her head. "I'll double the search parties! I'll send out every clockman we have! And I'll join them myself! I will find them, sir! I swear it! And when I–!"
"No!" shouted the Master, falling into another coughing fit before he continued. "You will not!"
Remora lifted her head. "What?"
"You will remain here!" wheezed the Master. "They are no longer yours to find!"
Remora shot to her feet, electricity arcing on her body as her anger and magic flared. "What!?"
The Master coughed again. "I cannot lead Maelstrom in my current state! I must sleep if I am to regain my former self! Until then, you will act as my voice and will!"
Remora momentarily forgot her outrage. She knew the blast created by the trident's destruction was powerful, as was its effect. Her brief investigation confirmed what she already suspected. Every scrap of magic within Seahaven had been nullified, rendering her clockmen invasion force nothing more than lifeless metal puppets with their strings cut. Every pirate with limb and body modifications was now dragging useless scrap metal around, or dead depending on the parts she replaced. No doubt Lara suffered a similar affliction from her exposure to it, given her failed attempts to blast Remora. But even so, for the Master to be reduced to this? He was always the picture of indomitable might, defying every expectation of magic. Just how powerful was that blast really?
"My orders are this," said the Master. "Riptide will snuff out the last sputtering flames of resistance. Once Ursula has claimed her vengeance, she is to divide up the captured and set them to work expanding my army. Strip the Alliance for everything it's worth. And above all else, you are to prevent all efforts to usurp me or steal the Wellsprings while I rest."
"And what makes you think I won't do it myself?" said Remora.
The Master laughed weakly. "Because I know you, Remora. You are powerful. Stronger than any other. But even now, you would not dethrone me without forfeiting your own life. And what you desire is not a throne to sit upon or a crown to wear upon your head, much less limitless power. What you desire is a battlefield. A place where you can spread blood and pain and death with every swing of your blades. And there's no one's blood you desire more than Lara Anclagon's."
Remora stared at the darkness, and then nodded. "You know me so well. But if I'm here, then who's going after the brats?"
"Avitas."
"Richard?" Remora scoffed. "You're sending that mongrel to fetch them?"
"No," said the Master. "I'm sending him to kill them."
Remora stiffened. "Come again?"
"Princess Melody's life no longer has value," said the Master. "And Anclagon has proven herself an inexcusable hindrance. Were it not for them, I would not be in this state. The only silver lining is that, if she was affected to even a fraction of the extent I am, Anclagon will be entirely without her magic. I will not waste this opportunity. She and the princess will die, and I will reclaim what they took."
"Not a chance!" snapped Remora, marching towards the Master. "If anyone's gonna kill that brat, it's–!"
A tendril of shadow lashed out and seized Remora's neck, lifting her off the ground. She choked as her legs flailed about. She tried to bring her magic forth, but she felt it drained away faster than she could summon it.
"You have proven yourself incapable of the task!" bellowed the Master. "Six times, Remora! Six times you tried to kill Anclagon! As a child! At Glowerhaven! At the marina! At the hospital! And at the invasion! And just now when they made off with the Oceanstar and Firebrand! And six times you failedme! Your latest failure resulted in my reduction to this pathetic state!"
"Says the one…who bought…her act!" choked out Remora.
The Master gave an enraged yell and the shadow slammed her down against the platform, cracking it. Then it lifted Remora up and began flinging her back and forth against the floor, thrashing her like a dog with a rag doll until the Master's shadow slammed her down one final time. Remora hit the platform so hard she left an imprint in it. Even with her metallic body, she still felt pain. She groaned and lay still, not daring to move a muscle lest she worsen her agony.
"Your claim to the girl's life is void!" said the Master. "She has only clouded your judgement and weakened your loyalty since you laid eyes on her! You deserve far less than the chances and leniency I've shown you till now, but no more! Anclagon is no longer yours to kill! Richard will see to her demise, and that of the princess, and return the Wellsprings to me! And even if he fails, it will not be you I send to finish them! You will remain in the factory! You will carry out your duty! And you will abandon your revenge until I see proof that you can follow orders without fail! Otherwise, you will suffer my wrath as many times as needed, or till I deem you more trouble than you are worth! Is that understood!?"
"Yes…sir…" Remora said. She rose stiffly, groaning as she stood up.
"See to it that you do." The shadows retreated into the globe. Then a single tendril came forth, depositing a vial of swirling venomous green fluid on the ground in front of Remora. "Send this to Ursula and have her relay my orders to Richard. It's time to put the boy's hatred to use. Now, get out."
Remora glared spitefully at the master, electricity buzzing audibly around her. Then she stiffly bowed to him. "As you command, my Master."
She snatched the vial and turned as a lightning-ringed portal appeared before her. She stepped through and exited into a hallway of riveted steel panels. Her angry footsteps echoed down the passage as she stormed to her lair, electric arcs jumping off her to the walls, ceiling, and floor. To say she was furious was an understatement. To think that Richard – that egocentric, mangy, spoiled mutt of a boy – was going to take her chance to kill Lara! He barely had the right to land so much as a punch on her, much less the ability! But if anyone had a shot at finding her, it was him and his werewolf underlings. Their sense of smell was unrivaled. Bloodhounds and sharks were nose deaf by comparison. And if Lara did lose all her magic in that blast, then he stood a real chance of ending her. Of taking what belonged to Remora! She had half a mind to disobey the Master's orders and go after the brat herself. Even in his weakened state, however, Remora knew she would barely make it out of the Factory before he found and disposed of her. She was effectively chained to a post like the mad dog they all thought she was. All she could do was watch as some other cur ran off to hunt her prize.
"You better pull off another miracle, brat!" hissed Remora as she stomped along. "You let that mongrel kill you, and I swear I'll drag you back from the Pit so I can do it myself!"
Richard stood atop the tower of Vorhaven castle, surveying what was left of the mountain kingdom. The town was burned to ruin, the last fires dying as they ran out of fuel. The once free and proud people were being clapped in irons or thrown into cages, ready to be shipped off to wherever Maelstrom needed them. Those who opposed them were dealt with, their remains displayed along the castle walls along with the soldiers, knights, and their dead king. None dared to stand against them now. None had the courage or will for it.
Richard knew he should feel triumphant. Pleased, at the least. He performed his role perfectly. He took Vorhaven without so much as a dent to his forces. Twenty dead werewolves were a meager price to pay for an entire kingdom. And yet he felt little if anything. Even his momentary anger at Gerrod's final resistance was muted and fleeting. As though it were drowned as soon as it was born.
He knew it was the Master's doing. His encounter with the Hive Queen in the forest left him a broken quivering wad of nerves and fear. His every waking moment was choked with terror, anticipating that demon and her children to come slithering out of the shadows for him. He could not remember what the Master did to make him this way, but he did more than put an end to the fear. He put an end to everything. Ever since then, his emotions were far off. He could still feel them, but they were like a great many voices trying to shout across a vast distance, barely reaching his ears and often failing to at all. Their absence granted him a focus and clarity of mind he never knew before. The price, however, was an unrelenting apathy towards all that befell him, good or bad. Fear. Anger. Jealousy. Greed. Pleasure. Satisfaction. Lust. Pride. Contempt. Even hatred felt like a foreign sensation to him. He could barely remember what it felt like now.
There was a knocking on the tower door. Richard glanced over his shoulder as Ursula strode through, her tentacles pulling her across the stone floor. He could tell she was in a good mood just by the smirk on her face and the way she sashayed towards him. And when she was in a good mood, it meant someone else was having a very bad day.
"I thought I might find you up here," said Ursula, coming to his side. She looked out over the town. "Not a bad job. Nice touch with the decorations. Taking inspiration from Remora, are we?"
"Ursula," said Richard, nodding to her. "What brings you here?"
"What? That's it? No 'how've you been' or 'how did your invasion go?'" Ursula gave a fake frown. "Richie, I'm hurt! I thought we were closer than that!"
"Then you thought wrong," said Richard flatly. "Now, why are you here?"
Ursula gave a dismissive snort and folded her arms. "Trouble, actually." She paused for a moment. "The Master's been injured."
Richard stiffened. That was the first time he felt genuine surprise in a long while. It was gone just as fast. "Injured? How?"
Ursula glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Courtesy of your favorite sword-swinging half-breed pyromancer."
"Lara Anclagon," said Richard, his left eye twitching involuntarily. No matter how dampened his emotions had become, the mention of her still stirred some resentment and fury within his depths. "How did she do it?"
"Remora didn't give much in the way of details," said Ursula. She walked around Richard, strolling down the wall. He fell in pace behind her. "She's not in a talking mood since the Master put her on house arrest. What she did say is that Lara somehow destroyed the trident, and the resulting blast wiped out all the magic within Seahaven to boot. The Master survived, but he's in no shape to lead us currently."
"Let me guess–you want my help to overthrow him," said Richard.
Ursula gave a short laugh. "Hardly! Weakened or not, I'd sooner take my own life than waste it trying to bring him down! You know well as I do there's no overthrowing that monster! And not with Remora playing bodyguard to him! However…"
"However?"
Ursula stopped, turning about to face him. "I'm told that Lara got caught in the blast as well. And her own magic may be even worse than his. If what Remora said is true, right now she can't make a single spark."
"If she can't use her magic, then why are you bothering me with this info?" asked Richard.
Ursula grinned at him. "Because Lara and Princess Melody got away. And the Master has ordered you to find them." She strode up to Richard and leaned close to his ear. "And here's the best part. He wants you to kill both of them."
The hair on Richard's neck stood up. He felt the faintest sensation of…he was not sure what, but he liked it. As though he was being allowed to open a door that remained locked to him for the longest time, giving him a peek at the glorious prize inside.
Ursula's grin became a smile as she stepped back. "Oh? Is that excitement I see in your eyes?"
"Where do I start?" said Richard. That sensation from before was gone now. He wanted it back. He needed it back.
"Hmph. All business as usual. Did no one ever tell you that all work and no play makes Jack a dull fish?"
Richard remained silent, staring at her.
"Never mind." Ursula rolled her wrist and pieces of gray and blue cloth appeared in her hand from nowhere. "This is a piece of Lara and Melody's clothing. Get a good whiff, then pass them around to your dogs. You leave as soon as you're able. And after you're done with them, make sure you bring everything they have back with you. And I mean everything! Remora was very clear on that! Don't leave anything behind!"
"Is there something in particular I should be looking for?" asked Richard as he took the cloths.
Ursula shrugged. "Who knows? But if it's there, you make sure it gets back to the Master."
Richard brought the fabrics to his nose and inhaled deeply. Immediately the scents of Lara and Melody hit his senses, burning into his mind. Melody's scent was salty with a whiff of seaweed, sand, and human sweat. Lara's smelled like he expected a fire mage to–smoky, warm, and powerful. It stirred something within him. A heat in his belly and chest he had not felt before. That, or one he forgot. He wanted more of it and took another breath. But that same dampening force quelled the sensation before it could build further. A momentary growl escaped his throat. Was this frustration he felt?
He lifted his head and stuffed the cloth into his belt. "If this is what the Master commands, I will see it done."
Ursula sighed and shook her head. "No, no, no. This won't do."
"Pardon?"
"Is that really all you can manage?" Ursula straightened up, scrunching her face to imitate his as she mockingly said, "'If that's what Master wants, that's what Master gets 'cause I'm his good little doggy!'"
Richard felt nothing at the imitation, even if Ursula's voice became a perfect match for his. The sea witch scoffed and folded her arms. "This is Lara Anclagon we're talking about! The woman who took your life away from you! She humiliated you before an entire kingdom and reduced you to a broken criminal crying in the dirt! You were dreaming of revenge on her every day until…well, you know! So, if you're going to be taking her head off…!"
One of Ursula's tentacles lifted, unrolling to reveal a glass vial filled with a liquid of a vile shade of green. "You might as well enjoy it properly."
Richard glanced at the vial and then at her. "What's this?"
Ursula offered the vial further to him. "Something you've been missing. And the Master thinks it's time you got it back."
Richard looked at the vial again. Then he took it, popped the cork off, and downed it in one gulp. It barely hit his stomach before searing hot pain shot through him. He yelled in agony and dropped to his hands and knees, his muscles straining taught as a dark aura enveloped him. He felt as though someone was injecting molten lead directly into his veins, and it was all making its way into his brain and amassing there. He clutched his head, screaming over and over as his voice went back and forth between human and something else entirely. The heat became thoughts, overwhelming his mind. He thought his head might split open like an overripe melon split by an axe, spilling all over the tower.
Then, as suddenly as the agony started, it stopped. Richard knelt panting on the ground, his body sheen with the sweat of exertion. He lowered his hands, looking at them as if he never truly saw them before.
"Well?" Richard looked up to see Ursula smirking down at him. She reached out with a tentacle and lifted his chin. "How do you feel, pretty boy?"
Richard felt disgust and indignation rise in his throat. He snarled and swatted her tentacle aside. He leapt up, seizing Ursula by the neck and angrily lifting her off the ground. "Get your slimy worms off me, you–!"
Richard dropped her as he realized it. He could feel! He could feel! This was anger burning in his mind and chest right now! Anger that this demi-human would dare to look down on him, much less touch him with those revolting tentacles of hers! He backed away from Ursula, feeling himself all over. All those emotions that were once so distant were his again! And one stood out amongst all the others like the sun in a desert sky.
His unbridled, scathing, insatiable hunger for revenge on Lara Anclagon.
Richard's anger gave way to surprise and then excitement, and he could not stop himself from laughing loudly, not caring who might hear. Ursula folded her arms, chuckling to herself as she watched him. "Someone's happy, I see."
Richard whipped around to face her. "I don't know what you did, witch! But I haven't felt this good in a long time!"
"Think you feel good enough to hunt down two women in a forest?"
"It'd be my absolute pleasure!" Richard grinned at her, the green of his eyes transitioning to a feral yellow. "My only regret is I can only do it once!"
DISCLAIMER: I do not own "The Little Mermaid," Disney, or any of its associated characters and intellectual property. Everything else, however, is mine =)
