Chapter 59: Turncoat
Something cold, wet, and soft pressed against Melody's forehead, rousing her from sleep. Beads of water ran over her eyelids, and then delicate fingers wiped them away. She opened her eyes, only to shut them against dozens of bright lights overhead.
"Princess? Can you hear me?"
Melody opened her eyes again, squinting to protect her waking vision. A figure leaned over her, silhouetted against the light as it blotted her face again. She saw long hair and female features through her blurry sight. "Mom?"
The figure shook her head. "I'm afraid not, your highness."
Melody blinked repeatedly, bringing her caretaker into focus. Sadly, it was not her mother. But she immediately recognized the woman's face, her wavy brunette hair, and those rich chocolate brown eyes. That, and the brass stethophone hanging by a cord around her neck–something only the doctors of Seahaven possessed.
"S-Sarah!?" Melody exclaimed.
Sarah smiled and nodded. "Correct!" She turned aside, wringing a wet cloth into a bowl filled with dirty water before dipping it into a clean one.
Melody bolted upright. "Sarah, is tha–AH!"
A blinding pain like a firework exploded in the left side of Melody's chest. She grimaced hard, drawing a sharp breath. The air rushing into her lungs only made the pain worse, and she gave a sharp cry. It felt like a glowing hot knife stabbing into her every time she breathed. Now she felt pain in her shoulders and right leg, each no less debilitating. Melody collapsed back, clenching her jaw as she tried not to scream.
Sarah dropped the cloth and sprang to Melody, trying to keep her still. "Don't move, your highness!"
"It hurts!" Melody cried through her teeth as her eyes watered. The pain was unreal. It shorted out her very thoughts. How could anything be this agonizing? "Sarah, it hurts!"
"I can imagine! You have three fractured ribs, two completely broken ones, both your collarbones are in pieces, and your right leg is no better!" Sarah reached behind for a small bowl. "Drink this. It should ease the pain."
Melody lifted her head, allowing Sarah to cradle it as she brought the bowl to her lips. The liquid was as bitter as it was dark, and it tasted of earth and plants, but Melody drank all of it. She slowly lay her head back onto something soft and spongy. She turned and saw it was a pile of green moss. She was laying on a blanket spread over a mattress of the stuff. She looked around, taking in her surroundings. She was in some manner of large circular earthen hollow. The walls were packed dirt laced with tree roots. Bundles of dried plants, fungi, and other things she could not place hung from the ceiling, webbings of rhizomes interspersed among them. Yellow glowing crystals were scattered about, casting a warm light through the space. The air smelled of damp, dirt, and vegetation. There was a doorway curtained by long strands of lichen, slivers of daylight streaking through.
"Where am I?" asked Melody. "And–Lara!" She looked wildly around the room, but there was no sign of her. There was, however, another mossy bed with an unmistakable pair of goggles beside it. And it was empty. "Sarah, where's Lara!?"
"I'm right here, Mel."
As though on cue, the moss door curtain parted and in walked Lara. There was a noticeable limp to her left leg, and bandages tied all over her body. Her orange hair was in a long braid, her goggles hanging loose around her neck. Her tail and wings were still absent. And there was a very familiar little girl with brunette hair and freckles clinging to her side like a limpet, fistfuls of Lara's pant leg clutched in her hands.
"Jenni!?" said Melody in disbelief. She almost sat up again till Sarah stopped her with a firm hand.
"What did I just tell you?" said Sarah. "Lay down!"
"Princess Melody!" Jenni bolted for her, only for Lara to grab the back of her dress.
"Whoa there, kiddo! No tackling Sarah's patients! Especially broken ones!" Lara looked to Melody with a relieved smile. "Finally decided to wake up, huh?"
"Lara! Ow!" exclaimed Melody, wincing as her broken bones protested. "You're all right!"
"More or less." Lara hobbled over to Melody's side, carefully sitting down by her. Jenni sat beside Lara, her feet fidgeting back and forth. Lara reached out and brushed a few strands of hair from Melody's face, smiling that quirky lopsided smile of hers. "How're you feeling?"
"Honestly? Not good."
"Yeah. Broken bones suck, don't they?"
"That is a massive understatement!" Melody looked Lara over. "What about you? You don't look like you should be up and walking!"
"She shouldn't!" said Sarah, shooting Lara a disapproving frown. "Your injuries were ten times worse! You'd be dead if you were an ordinary human!"
"Good thing I'm not, then," said Lara.
"Half-dragon or not, you need rest! You probably wouldn't be limping if you'd stayed in bed like I told you!"
"I slept for a whole day!" protested Lara. "I'm fine!" She changed her sitting position, hissing sharply as she moved her injured leg. "Okay, mostly fine!"
Sarah's frown deepened, but she said nothing else. "Suit yourself."
"What about Tempest!?" asked Melody, remembering the black stallion. "Is he–!?"
Lara nodded. "He's alive, too. Out grazing on the meadow since this morning."
Melody breathed a sigh of relief. Lara was still alive. Tempest was still alive. She was still alive. She lifted her right hand, seeing the cuts and abrasions on her wrist and palm. She slowly moved her fingers, feeling the sting of broken skin as the motions aggravated her wounds.
"Lara, where are we?" asked Melody, looking around the room again. "And what happened to the werewolves? And Richard?"
"They're gone," said Lara. "All of them. So is Richard. Sort of. And as for where we are, we're–."
"Thou art in my realm."
Melody felt her hair stand on end at the voice, and then stand further as the four-tailed wolf-elk creature pushed through the doorway. He ducked his head to enter, the lichen trailing through his perpetually blooming and withering antlers. His four tails swayed like trees in the wind, each bearing one of the seasons. His form was smaller than before, just larger than a horse, but his presence was no less tremendous.
"It wasn't a dream…" breathed Melody.
"No," said Lara. Jenni quickly hid behind her, clinging to Lara's shirt. "It's all right, Jenni. He won't eat you."
Jenni obviously did not believe her, trying to conceal as much of herself behind Lara as possible as Kodama approached. Blades of grass and small flowers bloomed in his footprints. The crystals glowed brighter as he passed by, as if he radiated some sort of invisible power they responded to.
"Lord Kodama!" Sarah quickly rose and bowed to him. There was an obvious nervous tremor in her body and voice. "I was…I was just tending to her majesty!"
"Move thyself, physician," ordered Kodama as he strode towards Melody. "I will see to her."
Sarah obeyed, allowing the Eternal to stand before the princess. His luminous emerald eyes stared down at her like a pair of green stars. Melody felt unnervingly vulnerable in this position, as though he might suddenly attack her. She tried to sit up again, but the pain in her body was too much. She fell back against her mossy bed, which only worsened the pain.
"You're…real," she said, both awestruck by the entity before her and agonized by her broken body.
Kodama nodded. "That I be. Now, I ask ye be still."
Melody's eyes widened as awe became terror as Kodama reached a paw towards her, the limb transforming into a black furry clawed hand. Kodama noted this and stopped. "Thou be fearful of I. Mine eyes see it in yours. Mine ears hear it beneath thy breast."
"I…I…" Melody tried to say something, but she could not find the words.
Lara placed a reassuring hand on Melody's shoulder. "It's alright. He's gonna help you. Not much point in him saving us if he was gonna kill us, is there?"
"There be great madness and malice in this world that would do harm unto thee," said Kodama. "But I be not among them. Fear me not."
Melody looked up at the forest spirit. His eyes blinked slowly at her. He was undoubtedly the same fearsome caliber of creature as the Hive Queen. She could just sense it. Everything about him spoke of the indomitable might of an Eternal, from his tails to his patterned white fur to his eyes and teeth and antlers. But whereas the Hive Queen gave off the aura of a ravenous snake waiting to sink its fangs in and swallow her whole, Kodama's aura reminded Melody of standing out on the beach watching a fearsome storm approach. He was powerful, capable of immense destruction. Perhaps even more than the Hive Queen was. But there was no malice nor hunger to his strength any more than a storm blew down a tree or knocked over a house out of spite. He could destroy her absolutely and do so without effort. But he held no desire to do so. This creature was not her enemy.
Melody stared at Kodama for several long seconds, grappling with the emotions churning inside her. Then she felt something pressing against her chest. She looked down and saw the Oceanstar hanging there, suspended from a cord of braided cloth. Someone must have added that while she was asleep. The blue water swirled and turned gently, letting off a weak glow before going dim. She looked up at Kodama again, and then she nodded to him. He reached out, touching the tip of a claw to her head. An aura of green light washed over Melody, and her pain disappeared. More than that, she felt vitality flow through her, as though she just awoke from a nap after a full meal.
"Arise, princess of Seahaven," said Kodama, stepping back. "Arise and stand before me."
Melody felt something push into her back. She looked down and saw thick green shoots growing underneath her. They wrapped around her legs, arms, and torso, lifting her upright as months of growth elapsed in seconds. The plants set her on her feet, and then withered and fell to dust. She staggered a step and then caught herself. All the trauma and pains were gone from her body. She put her weight on her right leg and felt nothing but her foot pressing against the dirt. She looked herself over, seeing the damages to her dress but none on herself. She breathed deeply, her chest filling and emptying with ease.
"How did you do that?" asked Melody. Kodama only blinked at her. "Magic…right." She cleared her throat, then spread her dirt and blood-stained skirt as she curtsied before him. She was still a princess, and this being did save her life. She owed him her respect and manners. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm–."
"I know of thee," interrupted Kodama. "Thou art Princess Melody of Seahaven, firstborn of King Eric and Queen Ariel of Seahaven. The child of sea and shore."
"O-Oh…" Melody swallowed. Child of sea and shore. She had not heard that title in a long time. "Yes, that's me. Can I ask who you are?"
Kodama looked at Lara. She stared at him for a moment, and then pointed at herself. "You want me to…oh. Okay, then." Lara stood and hobbled over to Kodama's side. "Mel, allow me to introduce Kodama, another of the Eternals. Also known as the Voice of the Wilds, Lord of the Four Seasons, Master of–."
"Methinks the princess needs no further introduction," interrupted Kodama again.
"Hey, you asked me to do it!" said Lara. "So don't complain!"
Kodama turned his focus back to Melody. "I also be among the few to know the Solar King as a comrade, and he I."
"He and my dad went way back," said Lara.
"You knew Lara's father?" said Melody.
Kodama nodded. "Since ages long gone."
"Not to distract from the subject, or to sound ungrateful for saving us, but…" Lara nodded to her leg. "Mind giving me a quick fix while you're at it?"
Kodama glanced to Lara. "Thy body shall tend to itself absent my aid or enchantment."
Lara frowned. "Yeah, but it still hurts!"
"Undoubtedly." Kodama returned his attention to Melody. "To expand upon thy query, I brought thee and Bel'al's daughter here after dispatching Maelstrom's trained curs."
Flashes of their failed flight through the forest passed through Melody's mind. The werewolves chasing them through the forest and then the river valley, escaping their jaws only to run right into the hands of Richard and his pack. Lara and Richard beating each other with their bare fists until the traitor revealed his monstrous werewolf form, violently turning the tide in his favor. That is, until Kodama arrived and put an end to him and his underlings. The last thing Melody remembered of Richard was a small mouse scurrying off into the undergrowth.
"Where are they now?" asked Melody. She figured she already knew, but she wanted to hear him say it. She needed to know for certain.
Kodama nodded to the ground. "They be with the forest."
Melody looked to Lara, who drew a finger across her throat. The meaning was clear–Kodama did not allow a single werewolf to escape. "And Richard? Did you really turn him into a mouse?"
Kodama nodded. He looked off to the side for a moment, staring at the earthen wall. Melody had a feeling his eyes saw more than dirt and roots.
"You should've killed him," said Lara, a dark tone in her voice. "It's half what he deserved."
Kodama turned to Lara. "And ye presume thyself fit to judge, dame?"
"Fitter than most." Lara nodded at Sarah. "Her even more."
Kodama's eyes narrowed slightly. "The duty of a knight's hands be to wield shield and sword against the unjust and malevolent. Not to hand down death with the judge's gavel and executioner's ax."
His speech was archaic, but Melody understood the meaning of Kodama's words well enough. Lara did too, given how her hands tightened into fists. "Tell that to Vorhaven and everyone he's killed! If I still had my magic, I would've–!"
Sarah went to Lara, kneeling before her. "Lara, I understand why you feel that way. Believe me, I do. I wanted Richard to face justice since before you came to us. We all did. Gods know how many nights we prayed for it. And in a way, you answered those prayers. Richard lost everything after your match. And now he's lost everything again. He used to prey on people for himself. Then he preyed on them for Maelstrom. Now he's prey for everything in this forest."
"The healer speaks truth," said Kodama. "The life of a mouse be one of ceaseless hardship, vigilance, and fear. Do not mistake his new form for escape. Rest and security will be a stranger to the boy till his days are done. And his days shall be numerous."
"Point is, he's gone," said Sarah. "He'll never hurt anyone ever again. I'm just glad he didn't kill you or Melody." She took Lara's hands in hers. "You don't need to go looking for revenge. It's not what I want. And…it's not what my father would want either. Let him go."
Lara looked at Sarah, then drew a breath and sighed. Her hands relaxed. "You're right. It's not what Isaac would've wanted. Neither would John or Teddy or anyone else. Alive or dead, Richard's out of the picture." She looked up at Kodama. "I suppose I should thank you for that, too."
"And thank you for saving us!" said Melody, curtsying again to Kodama. "We owe you our lives! If there's any way I can repay you, I'll do it!"
"Methinks there little boon thou could offer me," said Kodama. "But I shall keep thy words in mind. Now…" He turned and walked out the door. "Follow. There is much for ye to see." He glanced back at Lara. "And to be apprised of, seeing as ye did not."
Melody heard Lara gulp. She turned to her, seeing real anxiety and guilt on her face. "Lara, what's he talking about? Apprised of what?"
"It's better you see first." Lara cautiously stood up, guarding her injured leg. "Go ahead. We'll catch up."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Don't wait for me."
Melody followed after Kodama, pushing aside the lichen. She squinted as sunlight fell unhindered on her eyes, shielding her face with a hand. She quickly lowered it, however, as she beheld the realm of the Eternal.
A picturesque forest grove straight out of a fairy tale sprawled out before her. The trees were enormous, each trunk as wide around as a house. Some were even larger. Their towering trunks rose hundreds of feet into the air. Melody had to crane her neck back to see the canopy. The trees looked taller than the now collapsed Seahaven palace! Rich green moss blanketed their bark, meshing with the green covering the ground. Small flowers and bunch grasses grew in abundance. Mushrooms and fungi of no less variety in shape and color grew in the damp corners and crannies the trees offered. Thickets of ferns claimed the shade, while saplings of a myriad of species grew in the scant patches of light that filtered down through the branches high above. A slow stream meandered its way through the forest, emptying into a deep, broad pond before babbling on its way. A small island no wider than fifty feet stood in the middle, a magnificent oak rising from it to spread its boughs out across the water. Melody looked behind and saw the hollow she came from was actually a mound of earth underneath the roots of a long-dead and enormous tree trunk. The roots wove their way through its walls, grass and flowers blooming on the sides.
Equally splendorous were the manner of creatures meandering through the grove. Never before had Melody seen such a menagerie. Deer, elk, squirrels, raccoons, mice, foxes, badgers, mink, rats, wolves, and even bears were present. Birds of every shape and size flew about. Small insects buzzed through the air and crawled on the earth. Even more remarkable were the creatures of fantasy interspersed among them. Small fairies, each no larger than a finch, flitted through the air leaving glittering trails of light in their wake. Their wings made delicate tinkling sounds as they went, like a choir of tiny bells. Their homes hung from the high branches of the trees, constructed of woven bark fibers, sticks, grass, and leaves. Treefolk of various sizes and species slowly marched about, their limbs creaking with heavy languid steps. Small, squat troll-like creatures with grass and mushrooms growing on their bodies trod around, communicating with each other with various grunting and belching noises. Tiny nymphs danced about on the pond, bodies made of the same water they called home. A water serpent long as a ship slowly sinuated through the water, light glinting off its sapphire scales. There were creatures Melody had no name or recognition for as well. Foxes with multiple tails darted about as deer with leaves for fur and branches for antlers paraded through. There were birds with long tail feathers, their colors perpetually shifting through the rainbow's spectrum. Lemur-like animals with gray fur, large ears, and even larger yellow eyes bounded through the trees, calling to one another with song-like voices. Beasts with tall, humped backs and tusks like boars and hooves like horses grazed, their green fur matching their food. The creatures all stopped what they were doing as Kodama approached, turning and bowing to him. Kodama nodded in return as he went, his steps not disturbing so much as a single sprig of moss despite his size. One of the fairies flew down to Melody, hovering in front of her face. She wore a dress made of stitched leaves, a faint warm glow enveloping her body. Her tiny head cocked back and forth as she examined Melody, small dark eyes wide and curious.
"Uh…hello," said Melody, giving the creature a small wave.
The fairy flew slightly closer to Melody, inspecting her. She reached out and touched Melody's nose, and then suddenly turned and flew up into the trees. Melody turned about, eyes wide and bright with awe. She could feel the magic and wonder all around her. There was an air of ancient purity and harmony to this place. A sense that Melody was glimpsing what the world was like in a time before mortals walked upon it. It took her breath away.
Kodama stopped, looking back at Melody as she halted to let a family of mushroom gnomes toddle past her, their red and white spotted caps rocking back and forth with each step of their stubby round legs. "Thou finds fascination with my home, I presume?"
"It's incredible!" Melody said, watching the mushrooms march into a hollowed-out log. She felt something sniff her hair and turned around, finding a quartet of stags behind her. Their antlers spread wide and proud, dark eyes looking at her with curiosity rather than fear. Melody found herself slowly reaching out to touch one of them. The stag blinked slowly as her fingers ran up and down his forehead, feeling the coarse fur brush against her skin. Then the stag turned and walked off, the other three following it.
"Hm…" Kodama watched the stags leave, then he looked at Melody. What was that look on his face? Admiration? Or curiosity? Whatever it was, Kodama started walking again.
"Where are we going?" asked Melody. He did not answer. She heard rustling and looked back, seeing Lara, Sarah, and Jenni emerge from the earthen hollow. Lara motioned for Melody to go on. So she did, trotting up to join Kodama. He led her around the pond as it curved away into the forest, revealing it was more of a small, elongated lake than a pond. Around every tree was more natural beauty and wonder to behold. Faces of woodland dwellers poked out from behind trees, roots, and bushes, curious about their champion's two-legged guest. Kodama said nothing as they went, his voice as silent as his steps. They went on like this, leaving Melody alone with her thoughts. Which, at this moment, were focused on the enigmatic Eternal. Where and what was he taking her to? And why did Lara seem so reluctant about it?
After what felt like miles of walking, Melody decided to take some initiative. She jogged up to Kodama's side. "Um, Lord Kodama?"
The forest spirit glanced at her. "What would thou ask of me, princess?"
"I, uh…I was wondering." Melody paused, licking her lips. How did one talk to an Eternal? The only one she spoke to before this was the Hive Queen, and she always felt she was one wrong word away from ending up a snack with that one. Probably best to keep it direct, and respectful. Very respectful. "Where are you taking me, exactly?"
Kodama gave no answer. He stepped around a tree, revealing a deer trail wandering into a thicket of holly and bramble. A curtain of spider webs wove through the tangle like mist, creating a veil of white threads. Kodama went to it and halted, nodding to Melody. "Step beyond, princess, and ye shall find thy answers."
Melody stepped into the thicket. The branches and leaves pulled at her clothes, and the webs clung to her. But she kept on. She heard sounds from ahead, but not of animals. Were those people? She pushed aside a bough of holly and stepped out of the thicket into a broad grassy meadow. The area was large enough to build a castle on. Streams snaked through the grass, the giant trees ringing it like a protective wall. Sunlight beat down from high noon, flooding the clearing with light.
More incredible than this, however, were the children and women of the Alliance sprawled through it.
Melody rubbed her eyes, afraid she was suffering a hallucination. But the people were no more an illusion than the fantastical inhabitants of this secret realm. There were thousands of them! Children from toddlers to teenagers filled the meadow. Among them were a smaller number of women of various ages, but all on the younger side. Some were caring for infants while others tried to keep some semblance of order amongst the chaos only children can create. Others were washing clothes in the water, fetching buckets of it, or preparing food with it. Yet Melody did not see a single man amongst them. The oldest males she saw were no more than teenagers. Some looked almost as old as herself, but none more. Small lean-tos made of sticks, grass, and earth were erected throughout. Thin strands of smoke rose from fires, and there was the unmistakable odor of cooked food in the air.
A loud neigh rang through the meadow, and then a familiar black stallion came charging across it straight for Melody. She thought he would run her over till he skidded to a halt in front of her, nickering and throwing his head.
"Tempest!" She reached out and pet down his neck. There was not a single mark from where the werewolf crippled him. No doubt Kodama was responsible for that. "You're okay!"
Tempest neighed again and pranced a circle around Melody, as if to demonstrate he had never felt better. The thicket parted as Kodama walked through, Lara, Sarah, and Jenni following in his wake. "My realm is crowded as of late. Crowded with thy subjects."
A woman looked up from her washing, eyes widening as she beheld Kodama and then Melody. The shirt she was wringing fell from her grasp, carried away by the stream. "Bless me! Princess Melody!" She quickly stood, cupping her hands to her mouth as she shouted. "Everyone! It's Princess Melody! The princess is here!"
Melody could see the news spread like wildfire. One after another the women and children abandoned what they were doing and came running. In less than a minute a crowd had formed, swarming as close as they dared with Kodama nearby.
"It really is her!"
"Thank goodness you're all right!"
"We were so worried!"
"How did you find us?"
"Are you here to bring us home?"
"We heard there was an invasion!"
"What's happened to the Alliance?"
"That creature said it was destroyed! It's not true, is it?"
The questions came too fast, too many, and some too painful for Melody to answer. She found herself spinning in circles, overwhelmed by the sea of faces and voices. These were definitely people of the Alliance. She recognized clothes and words from each of the former human kingdoms. But what were they doing here? And where were all the men?
"Melody!"
The voice stood out amongst the cacophony like a fire in a dark cave. It made Melody's heart leap into her throat. As did the splashing sound coming up one of the streams. Melody ran through the crowd to the stream bank, the people quickly parting aside. She looked down the waterway and gave a startled and ecstatic cry at what surfaced before her. She knew those ruby scales and that platinum blonde hair anywhere.
"Aunt Arista!" The words were barely out her mouth before Melody leapt into the water, paying no heed to its snowmelt chill. Arista almost knocked her over as she swam up and hugged her. Melody wrapped her aunt up in the tightest hug she could manage.
"You're alive!" Melody all but shouted, her voice cracking as her eyes watered. "You're alive!"
"So are you!" said Arista, hugging her back. Her tears mixed with the water on her skin. Melody clung tight to her. She felt as if a rope had been unwound from her heart. She allowed a few tears of her own to leak out. "Kodama told us what happened! I was so worried! When he brought you and Lara back, you were so battered I thought you were dead!"
Melody released her, wiping her eyes. "Well, I'm clearly not!" She looked around, now hoping to recognize other faces in the crowd watching their reunion. "Where's mom? And dad? And everyone else? Have you seen Elaine? Or Rupert? Or…or…?"
Arista's face fell, and with hit Melody's hope. She did not need her to say anything else. "Oh…"
Arista hugged her niece again. "I'm sorry, Melody. I've asked everyone I could if they saw anyone else from our family. They weren't taken. It's only Aria and myself here."
"Taken? What do you mean taken? And for that matter, Aunt Ari, what are you doing here?" Melody looked back at the crowd, seeing dozens if not hundreds of eyes fixed on her. She turned back to Arista. "What are all these people doing here!? What is all this!? I can't tell you how happy I am to see you, but how did this happen!?"
Arista opened her mouth to say something, but then her eyes darted to behind Melody. She turned around and saw Kodama approaching. A parade of forest creatures followed in his wake from the land. Birds, insects, and fairies flew down, perching fearlessly in his antlers. Sarah and Jenni followed at his side. Lara, however, was lingering well behind. There was that look on her face again. Why was she acting so strange?
"Lord Kodama," said Arista. She swam up to him, sinking lower into the water. The crowd of people did the same, giving Kodama a wide berth. It was obvious they feared him, or at least were intimidated by him. Arista bowed her head. "Again, I can't thank you enough for saving my niece. And Lara. And for the hospitality you've shown us."
Kodama nodded to her, and then looked to Melody. She waded out of the river, her dress hanging wet and heavy on her frame. "Did you do this? Did you bring them here?"
"No," said Kodama. "T'was not my doing."
"Then how?"
Kodama turned, nodding towards Lara. "Her."
Melody was just one of the countless faces that turned to Lara. One look at her face, even from a distance, and Melody suddenly knew why she was acting so withdrawn. Kodama was telling the truth. But it was not pride or triumph she saw in Lara's eyes. It was guilt and fear. Maybe even shame. She shrank under Melody's gaze, shoulders hunching close as she folded her arms stiffly.
"Lara…" Melody walked past Kodama towards her. "What did you do?"
Lara shifted anxiously, unnerved by all the stares. "I…I, uh…"
"How did you get them here?" asked Melody. "And when did–?"
Suddenly a cacophony of bird cries rang out. The air became filled with beating wings as a storm of birds flew out of the forest, turning the sky dark as they fled. Fairy lights darted to their homes as the troll-like creatures scrambled for whatever hiding places they could find. The treefolk bellowed in alarm as the ground dwellers of the forest perked their ears, all looking the same direction. The herbivores quickly scattered, running for the safety of the deeper grove. Tempest went with them, no less spooked. Most of the predators followed suit, while others stood their ground with hackles raised and teeth bared. Kodama did the same, his eyes glowing brighter as he grew larger, now towering over the humans as both of his front paws became clawed hands. The points of his antlers sharpened as his own hackles raised. The shift in the atmosphere was not lost on the crowd, who huddled close together.
"Ye dare repeat thy encroachment!?" snarled Kodama, glaring angrily at a particular tree. Thick sheets of ice grew across his back and shoulders as wooden roots wove down his arms and limbs like living chain mail. The air around him turned cold. "I warned thee! Or did ye take it as jest!?"
There was a flicker from the shadows, and then the sharp whistle of something moving fast through the air. Kodama's left hand snapped out in front of him right before something struck it, exploding against his palm.
Lara's eyes widened. Then she quickly dove at Melody, shoving her back and knocking her off her feet.
"Ow!" yelled Melody, rubbing her back as she sat up. "Lara, what was that for!?"
Lara opened her mouth to answer when she vanished. She just disappeared into thin air. A split second later the sound of breaking wood and a pained cry rang out. Melody saw a tree shake back in the forest. Then Lara came shooting out of the woods and plowed into the meadow, digging a long trench through the grass that sent clods and dirt spraying like water. There were long claw marks down her right arm, and her lips were bleeding profusely.
"You!"
Melody looked back to the forest. A tall thin woman with long bone-white hair and a flowing white dress appeared in front of the thicket. Her arms and legs were stained black, and there were black lines like cracked pottery etched into her face and chest. Her expression was one of anger, a scowl exposing her sharp triangular teeth. Melody did not need anyone to tell her who or what the woman was. She only saw her in the guise of a child before now, but she recognized the Hive Queen in this form well enough. As well as the dozens of black cloaked slendermen emerging from the shadows, four red eyes staring out from white masks.
"They're back!" screamed Arista.
Every creature of the forest took off running as fast as they could. The children screamed and ran to the nearest adult they could find, clinging to them in obvious terror. Sarah grabbed Jenni and ran with the rest of the people.
"How dare you!" yelled the Hive Queen. She vanished from sight again, reappearing standing over Lara. She raised her right foot and stomped on Lara's chest, pinning her down. "How dare you cheat me, Lara!"
"Hi to you, too!" Lara wheezed around the nyctophile's crushing press.
"Lara!" screamed Jenni. She broke from Sarah's grasp and started running towards Lara.
"No!" Sarah darted back and snatched her, lifting her up and throwing her onto one shoulder. Jenni flailed in her arms, but she could not escape.
The Hive Queen snarled, leaning over Lara. "This is not what we agreed to! You–!"
Kodama's eyes flashed and he roared at the Hive Queen. A wind like a bomb blast erupted from his mouth, ripping up earth and grass and sending it flying at her. Everyone covered their ears at the deafening noise. The Hive Queen turned to him, unmoved by the gale. She hissed and narrowed her eyes. The branches of Kodama's antlers grew with the speed of bullets, flying at the Hive Queen. Her hair moved like snakes, striking down each branch before it could touch her. Kodama crouched and then vanished, as did the Hive Queen a split second later. Sounds of explosions, splashing water, and crashing wood rang out in the forest. The ground trembled and shook like an earthquake as trees fell. Sharp blasts of air came rushing out of the forest, kicking up clouds of dirt and foliage. Melody squinted against the debris, struggling to see what was happening. There was a bright flash, and then the ground heaved as a wall of air slammed into her, knocking her and everyone else down as it swept through the meadow. Melody sat up with her ears ringing and dust blurring her sight. She rubbed the grit out and saw the Hive Queen pinned to the ground under one of Kodama's clawed hands. Sharpened points of dark wood grew from his antlers, aimed down at her face. The Hive Queen's hair was aimed back at him, the tips entwined into lance-like points. Her right arm came apart into a sinuating tangle of black tendrils. Then the two Eternals vanished again, only to reappear with a clap of thunder. Kodama's claws were interlocked with the Hive Queen's ropy black tendrils. They glared angrily at each other, Kodama growling as the Hive Queen made a hissing shriek back at him. The air turned freezing cold, frost growing over the grass and Melody's wet dress.
"Stay out of this, Kodama!" shouted the Hive Queen. The black spread further up her arms. She shoved against the forest spirit and then leapt away, landing without a sound. She hissed like an angry snake, a long black tongue slipping past her teeth. "I've got business with her, and it doesn't concern you!"
The slendermen moved forward, their eyes glowing brighter. Kodama roared loudly and plants burst around the slendermen, ensnaring them with roots and thorny vines. The slendermen halted, making no attempt to destroy or evade past the plants.
"Thy business became my concern when ye entwined my home in thy bargain!" snarled Kodama. "Now dismiss thy children, or I shall do it for thee!"
The Hive Queen glared daggers at him, baring her pointed teeth. Then she looked over her shoulder and made a series of noises somewhere between hissing, growling, and screaming. The slendermen sank into the shadows and vanished within the dim. Then the Hive Queen returned her attention to Kodama, the black fading from her limbs and face as her right arm reformed.
"Consider yourself lucky there's an accord," said the Hive Queen venomously.
Kodama gave a growling dismissive snort, the ice and plants sloughing off his body. "The luck is thine. See to thy business, then depart posthaste."
The Hive Queen growled back at him, then looked back to Lara. "As for you…" She strode towards her, hands clenched in cross fists. "I've half a mind to take back my part of our deal right now! And I mean that in the most literal sense!"
"Leave them out of it!" shouted Lara. She shakily stood up, rubbing her chest. There was a dirty footprint on her shirt. Her lips had already stopped bleeding, and the wounds to her arm were almost closed. "They're not involved in this anymore!"
Melody started towards them. "Hold on! What deal?"
Melody did not see the Hive Queen move. She just heard a heavy smacking sound and then Lara went flying again. She rolled head over heels through the meadow, splashed into the stream, and then tumbled out the other side. She stood up sputtering and soaking wet right as the Hive Queen reappeared before her.
"They're not involved when I say they aren't!" snapped the Hive Queen. "And they'll stay involved until you follow through on your part! So if I were you, I'd start getting angry right now! Or…"
The Hive Queen pointed a blackening finger at Jenni. "Do I need to motivate you?"
Lara's eyes widened. "Don't you dare!"
The Hive Queen cocked her head to the side. "Oh, I dare."
"Hey!" Melody shouted as she waded through the stream. "Answer me! What's this deal of yours?"
"This doesn't concern you either, human!" said the Hive Queen without turning to her.
"This absolutely concerns me!" said Melody as she sloshed out of the water.
"Mel, stay back!" said Lara. Melody did no such thing.
"Do as she says, child!" warned the Hive Queen. "I am not in a merciful mood right now!"
"I don't care what mood you're in!" shouted Melody. For some reason, the Hive Queen's dismissal irked her as much as her refusal to look at her. "Because I promise you, it's nothing compared to the mood I'm in!"
The Hive Queen glanced over her shoulder at her. "Is that supposed to intimidate me? Should I be cowering in fear of…?" She looked the wet princess over. "Whatever this is?"
"You ought to!" Melody got between the Hive Queen and Lara, looking the nyctophile straight in her teal twin-slit eyes. "Do you have any idea what I've been through!? My home's been destroyed! My family and friends are captured, or maybe even dead! I've lost track of how many times my life's been threatened in the last day! And now I find all these people here, and you two definitely had something to do with it! I want answers! You owe me answers!" She looked at Lara. "Both of you! Why are they here!? When and how did this happen!? And what does this deal you two made have to do with it!?"
The Hive Queen nodded stiffly towards Lara. "Ask your new knight. It was her idea."
Melody went to Lara, grabbing her firmly by the shoulders. "Lara Anclagon!"
"Oooh…full name," commented someone from the crowd.
"You tell me what is going on!" Melody said firmly. "And you tell me all of it right now! Or so help me, I will never speak to you again!"
"I…" Lara swallowed nervously. "It was…"
"Ever again!" Melody emphasized. "The truth! All of it! Now!"
Lara sighed in defeat. "Okay, okay! I'll tell you." She lifted her face. "It was the night after my trial. You were already asleep."
Lara took a step towards the Hive Queen. "Which is why I want to make a bargain with you."
The Hive Queen turned to face Lara. She looked at her, and then a slow grin split her mouth into an inhumanly wide and toothy smile. "I'm listening."
"Maelstrom will be back," said Lara. "So will the Master. I don't know when or how, but they will. And I'd bet just about anything it won't be one ship and a handful of monsters and machines he brings. Not after this. He's probably got an army ready. And when that–."
The Hive Queen's smile disappeared. "If you're about to ask me to defeat Maelstrom and their boss for you, forget it. And you more than anyone should know why."
"But Maelstrom will slaughter them!" yelled Lara.
"And the world will continue as it always has," said the Hive Queen. "So will we."
"What about your skinners!? There's gotta be some in the Alliance still! Are you gonna leave them to die when the battle starts!?"
"I will take care of my children as I see fit. But, if you must know, I'll have them gone long before the bloodshed starts. We've already started the recovery."
"And you'll just leave everyone else to die!?"
"Maelstrom is the enemy of humans and merfolk," said the Hive Queen. "Not of the nyctophiles. Or the Eternals, for that matter."
Lara kicked the sand angrily. "You sure didn't feel that way after they got ahold of your rogue!"
The Hive Queen scowled slightly. "That was different. They exploited a disobedient child, so I disciplined them both accordingly. That it worked in your favor was coincidence. And luck, on your part."
"They're using your claws and techniques in their machines! Doesn't that violate some sort of Hive code!?" The Hive Queen gave a dismissive shrug. It only angered Lara further. "Then what do you call saving my life!?"
"Protecting an investment." The Hive Queen folded her arms. "How many times do I have to remind you, Lara? I'm no more human than my children. Those people may have value to you, but not to us. And I imagine our mutual leafy acquaintance out in the sticks will give you the same answer. As would your father."
Lara's jaw tightened. "No he wouldn't! Dad wouldn't stand by and let this happen!"
"Would he?" The Hive Queen pointed to the east. "You saw it yourself. You lived it! Slavery. Persecution. Bigotry. Corruption. War. All running rampant through half a continent long before you arrived. And what was your late 'father' doing while all this went on? Ignoring it so he could raise you." A smirk pulled at her mouth. "Or maybe he was hoping they would destroy each other? That sounds more like him."
"Don't talk about my dad like you knew him!" Lara snapped.
"Knew him?" The Hive Queen gave a derisive laugh, then tapped the side of her head. "My forebears and I have known him for eons! Longer than you can imagine! And far better than you ever did! Believe me, he isn't…sorry, wasn't the paragon you thought he was!"
An angry growl rose in Lara's throat. She stepped towards the Hive Queen, her body becoming hot. "Are you going to help me or not?"
"No." The Hive Queen folded her arms behind her back, dropping her smirk. "You want to save those people so badly? Then do it. Fight Maelstrom with everything you have. Fight them till you've wrung every last drop of magic and strength from your body. Hack, burn, and blast away till there's not even a speck left. But you'll do it without us. Let them keep their metal claws for their metal toys. It makes no difference to me. They suffered the consequence for exploiting my child. Our involvement in this conflict is finished."
Lara grit her teeth, hands clenched hard as her gaze lowered to the sand. She figured that would be the Hive Queen's response. She hoped, but inside she knew she hoped in vain. To the nyctophiles, humans were little different than cattle. A food source that produced an individual of interest once in a rare while. It did not matter if one herd was lost so long as there were others to harvest from. That did not make it any easier to hear, though.
"Then…!" Lara lifted her face. "Just the kids!"
The Hive Queen said nothing.
"Only the kids!" continued Lara. "At least save them! They can't fight! They can't run! They don't have any say in this war! They're completely innocent! They shouldn't have to die because of the actions of adults! And you can't harvest them if they don't make it to adulthood, right?"
A bit of bile rose in Lara's throat. Did she really just say that?
The Hive Queen kept regarding Lara quietly. Then she grinned. "Interesting. You'd sacrifice the parents if it means saving the offspring?"
"Any parent worth anything would give their life if it means their kid survives."
"Speaking from experience, are we?"
Lara's hair bristled. "Don't."
The Hive Queen cocked her head to the side. "And what could you offer in exchange for such a favor? This is more than one life. You're talking thousands of humans. I will need something of equal value in return."
Lara placed a hand on her chest. "Me. You save them, and I'll give you the fight you want."
The Hive Queen frowned. "You'll have to do much better than that. Seeing as how our first meeting went, swatting your around a second time sounds dull. Hardly worth the effort for my children and I."
"Not 'me,'" said Lara. She drew a hesitant breath. "The monster from the marina…and Lao-Xan. I'll let you fight that."
The Hive Queen's frown immediately became a smile. "O-ho! Now that is tempting!" She lifted her left hand, popping her knuckles one by one with her thumb. "I just might need to exert myself against that thing! But I need to ask–how do you plan on getting said monster to play with me? So far, it's only come out after someone you care about gets killed. I can't imagine you're eager to lose another one…are you?"
"Leave the how to me," said Lara. "I'll find a way. Besides, if there's one thing I inherited from my dad, it's his temper. I've never been good at holding it back."
"Quite." The Hive Queen held her chin, looking down at the sand. She was quiet for a long while. Lara watched, the tip of her tail twitching in anxious anticipation. What would her answer be?
"Very well." The Hive Queen lifted her face. "You give me a fight with that beast inside you, and my children and I will save your precious kingdom's 'innocents.' Everyone who hasn't passed their eighteenth year." She chuckled and smirked. "You know what? I'm feeling generous tonight. I'll also throw in every nursing mother in the Alliance. Can't have the little larvae starving to death, can we? And one adult of your choosing. But only one. So choose–."
"Sarah!" Lara blurted out.
The Hive Queen arched a surprised brow. "That was quick. And here I thought you'd say your princess. Her, or the queen or king. Are you sure?"
"Sarah's a doctor," said Lara. "And she knows how to look after kids. I can take care of the royal family by myself."
"Can you? Your first attempt to protect royalty from an invasion ended in failure. So did your second one, almost."
"I said…" A brief glow came to Lara's eyes. "I'll take care of them. Just get the kids and moms somewhere safe. Far away from here."
The Hive Queen shrugged. "Suit yourself. We'll move the children and a few mothers out of harm's way, along with your doctor friend. And in return…"
"I'll give you a proper fight," said Lara. She held out her hand. "Deal?"
The Hive Queen took Lara's hand, a dangerous glint in her eyes as she bared her teeth in an inhuman smile. "Deal. For their sakes, you better not disappoint me."
Melody just gaped at Lara. Same as Sarah, Arista, and everyone else who heard. She believed every word she heard. That did not make it any easier to hear.
"There you have it," said the Hive Queen, folding her arms crossly. "The children, a smattering of mothers, and one doctor. All for the chance to go one-on-one with a monster."
Melody stepped back from Lara. "Are…are you serious, Lara?"
Lara turned her face aside, lips stiff and silent.
"You traded these people's lives…?" Melody paused to swallow. "For a fight!?"
Still Lara said nothing. And still she refused to look Melody in the eye.
"Answer me, Lara!" Melody shouted, giving Lara a shake. "Did you–!?"
"Yes!" Lara shouted back. She brushed off Melody's hands, stepping away from her. "All of them safely out of the Alliance in exchange for a fight! That was the deal!"
"A deal you broke!" snarled the Hive Queen. She started to move, only for Kodama to growl at her. She stopped, hissing back at him before returning her anger to Lara. "Look at you! There's barely a scrap of magic inside you! You can't even make a spark! You expect to satisfy me with this!? You don't even qualify as a punching bag! Had I known you'd reduce yourself to this, I never–!"
"You think I wanted this!?" Lara brushed past Melody to the Hive Queen. "You think I'm happy things turned out like this!? That I don't have my magic!? That Mel's family is back with those maniacs!? That these people are all that's left of the Alliance!? That John, Isaac, Teddy, and almost everyone I call a friend is probably dead!? You weren't there! You didn't have to fight your way through a palace while under fire from an armada! You didn't have to fight Remora or gamble yours and your friend's lives on double-crossing the Master! And you didn't have to leave any friends behind–but seeing as you don't have any, I doubt you'd know what that's like!"
The Hive Queen narrowed her eyes at Lara. "I'm three seconds away from reminding you who you're talking to, mortal."
Lara leaned within inches of the Hive Queen's face. "You're the one who needs reminding, 'empress!' I might be Bel'al's daughter! I might have his magic and his blood! But I'm not him! I'm not an Eternal! I can't go wherever I want in the blink of an eye! I don't have skinners or slendermen or whatever other nightmares you spawned at my command! I can't rip through armies with my bare hands, or shrug off bullets and blades and black magic without a scratch! I can't blast them away with a single spell or make them drop their weapons and run with just a look! Yet you've got the nerve to stand here and berate me because I didn't come out of it unscathed!? All while you sat back and watched the rest get slaughtered!? I didn't choose this! I didn't decide to lose my magic! But you did choose to do nothing! Be pissed all you want, but don't complain about the outcome when you didn't lift even a finger to change it! I did what I could with what I had, which is more than I can say for you!"
"And it wasn't enough, was it?" sneered the Hive Queen. "What was it you said? I can take care of the royal family by myself?" She looked to Melody. "Tell us, princess–where's your mommy and daddy?" She then turned to the people. "And your other halves, for that matter? Did your knight take care of them?"
SMACK!
Anger swelled in Melody like an explosion. The Oceanstar glowed with light as she struck the Hive Queen hard across the face. The sound of it echoed through the meadow. As did Melody's voice as she all but screamed at the creature's face, hot angry tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Don't you dare!" yelled Melody. "Don't you dare say another word about my parents! Or Seahaven! Or Lara! You have no right! No right to say anything, much less criticize! Lara tried! We tried! We tried to save them! Even when we were outnumbered and outmatched, we still tried! We knew we might die doing it, but we still did! And I know my mom and dad wouldn't blame her for choosing me over them! None of my family would!"
Melody's arms shook with barely contained fury. "But you!? You could've saved everyone! You could've done it! It would've cost you nothing! It barely would've been an effort for you, wouldn't it!? But you didn't! You just did what you wanted and then sat back and watched Maelstrom destroy everything and everyone we care about! Because that's all you ever care about! Yourself!"
"Mel, stop!" Lara yelled, grabbing Melody's shoulder. "You're–!"
Melody spun and shoved Lara back before continuing her tirade. "Mom told me what you said to her! That this world bores you! That Lara's the first thing in forever to make you actually feel something! That's all you care about, isn't it!? Not your Hive! Not your creed! Not even this world that you're a part of! The only thing that matters to you is finding the next thing to cure your boredom! And you know what!? It shows!"
The Hive Queen said nothing. She just held Melody's gaze without so much as a blink. There was not the slightest mark on her face where Melody struck her.
"You knew that rogue was with Maelstrom!" Melody continued. "You knew it was in our kingdom! You knew it killed someone, and you knew it was coming after me! But you didn't do anything! You let it get into the palace, and then you let Lara fight it for you! And then right at the end you decided to step in! You weren't punishing it! You weren't protecting your species! You were using us for your entertainment! And I'd bet that's what you've been doing ever since! Spectating from the sides, just waiting for the next thing to make you that less bored with your miserable existence! You're not a queen! You're not even a monster! You might be stronger, and faster, and tougher, and more powerful than any of us! But beneath all that, you're just a coward!"
The Hive Queen's eyes widened slightly.
"You hear me!?" yelled melody. "A coward! A pathetic, selfish, spineless coward who can't stand how lonely and sad she–!"
The Hive Queen's hair came alive. Lara darted for Melody right as Kodama roared, drowning out Melody's words. The next thing Melody knew Kodama's right hand was between her and the Hive Queen, clutching several sharpened strands of the Hive Queen's hair. Strands aimed directly at Melody's head. Lara was clutched in his left hand like a doll in a child's hand. Then Kodama spun, yanking the Hive Queen off the ground and flinging her and Lara in opposite directions. Lara went sailing towards the forest, tumbling head over heels when she landed. The Hive Queen immediately righted herself in midair and landed in a skid, leaving furrows in the earth. Those black crack-like marks were back on her face, and there was a murderous look to her eyes as her limbs turned dark. Kodama placed a hand protectively in front of Melody.
"Still thy tongue, princess. Lest she try to silence it once more." He growled as he turned his gaze to the Hive Queen. "The child's point be made, Empress! Now depart! Return to thy shade!"
The Hive Queen hissed angrily. Claws grew out of her fingertips as her hair began to darken. "You dare order me, mutt!?"
"'Tis thee who dares! Ye may be Empress of Shadows, but before me ye stand as in the sun! And ye stand alone!" Kodama's eyes began to glow, and then the emerald aura spread across his entire body. The air and the forest went silent. "If thou need reminding of thy place among the Eternals, I shall be thy tutor!"
The Hive Queen hissed again, then looked at Melody. Despite the ache in Melody's hand, there was not a single mark on the creature's face. Kodama tensed, watching for the creature's next move.
"Fine. I'll go." The Hive Queen gave a huff and smoothed out her dress, the dark disappearing from her limbs and hair as the marks vanished. "If you ever speak to me like that again, Princess Melody, much less lay a hand on me, you'll discover just how far above you I am."
She spun on her heel and walked away, radiating anger and frustration. "As for you, Lara, you have one week to come through on your end. Otherwise, you'll have far worse than Maelstrom and the Master to contend with."
Before Melody realized it, the Hive Queen had vanished. Silence hung in the air for long seconds, and then the first sounds of insects returned to the grove. The animals and forest dwellers slowly revealed themselves, hesitant to return lest the nyctophile matriarch and her underlings made an abrupt return. Kodama kept watching where she disappeared from, tense and ready. Then he eased. "She is gone."
Melody exhaled in relief, not realizing she held her breath. She clapped a hand to her chest, feeling her heart pounding away inside. She just slapped one of, if not the most dangerous creature in the realm, insulted her to her face, and lived to tell of it. Had Kodama not intervened when he did, she would be in pieces right now.
"Equal parts bravery and lunacy be needed to confront a Hive Queen as ye did, Princess Melody," said Kodama as he strode to her. "More to tempt one's anger, especially that of this iteration. It would be wise of thee not to repeat it."
Melody nodded. "Agreed." She took another breath. "Lara, I…huh?"
Lara was gone. There was no sight of her anywhere. Melody looked around the meadow, but she was not there.
"Lara?" Melody called out. "Lara, where'd you go?" She looked to the crowd of people. "Did any of you see where she went?"
As one the crowd pointed to the forest. Melody followed their fingers and caught a glimpse of Lara heading back towards the grove.
"Lara!" Melody shouted. Lara ignored her and kept going, disappearing behind a tree. Then she started running, still gimping on her hurt leg. Melody knew there was no way Lara did not hear her. Her ears were too good. Melody started after her, but then Kodama's winter tail blocked her path.
"Leave her be," said Kodama. "She wishes for silence when words weigh heavy upon her."
Melody vaulted over Kodama's tail. "She doesn't have to talk to me! But I won't let her be alone!"
She ran across the field and through the thicket, emerging into the forest once more. She followed the trail back to the pond, following its bank back the way they came. The forest creatures scattered at her presence, but she paid them no heed. By the time she reached the hollow she was out of breath, leaning against the side as she gasped for air. She let her breathing slow before she went inside, trading daylight for the glowing crystals strewn across the roof. There was Lara, sitting cross-legged on the moss bed with her back to the door. Melody did not say anything. She just went and sat beside her. Lara would not look at her. She kept staring blankly at the ground. Melody scooted close to her, allowing their arms to touch. Lara did not shy away from the contact. Nor when Melody rested her head on her shoulder. Neither of them said anything for a long while. Maybe it was minutes. Maybe it was hours. Whatever it was, Melody knew there was nothing she could say that would ease what Lara felt. So she would do what she could, which was be there with her. If that offered any small comfort, at least it would be something.
"Lara?" said Melody finally. "Are you okay?"
"No," said Lara. She took a breath and sighed, resting her face in her hands. "No, I'm not. You?"
Melody shook her head. "No. But at least we can be not okay together."
Lara gave a choked laugh. Then the silence returned.
"I could've done more," Lara finally said.
"What?" said Melody.
"I could've done more." Lara ran her fingers through her hair as she sat up. "I should've done more."
Melody turned to her. "Lara…"
"I should've flown you away right when the ships appeared," said Lara. "Or when the ocean changed. I should've found Ariel sooner. Then I would've–."
Melody moved behind Lara and hugged her, cutting off her words. Normally Lara made her feel like she was hugging a giant. Now, however, she felt small and defeated within her embrace. She lay her head against her back, feeling her warmth against her cheek. "It wasn't your fault, Lara. You did what you could."
"If I'd done all that I could, your family would be here with us." Melody felt a tremor start in Lara. "Maybe I wouldn't have lost Ariel. Maybe there'd still be an Alliance. If I'd been stronger, or faster, or–."
"Don't," interrupted Melody, holding her tighter. "Don't do this to yourself, Lara. We both know where that leads. It won't change what happened. You'll just torment yourself."
Lara shrugged out of Melody's arms and stood. "I–!"
The sound of footsteps made them turn around. Kodama entered the hollow, regarding both of them. Just as surprising, however, was Arista seated on the forest spirit's back. A cloak was wrapped around her, fins poking past the hem.
"Are we intruding?" asked Arista.
"No," said Melody as she stood. "Aunt Ari, what are you doing here? Should you be out of the water? And where's Aria?"
"I'm fine," said Arista. "And Aria's with Sarah. I need to say something to Lara."
Lara flinched, already expecting the worst as Kodama's antlers grew long soft vines, encircling Arista's waist and planting her down in front of Lara. "I leave thee to thy words. Speak and listen wisely."
With that he turned and left. The silence that followed was deafening. Lara looked down, refusing to meet Arista's eyes. It reminded Melody of when Lara stood trial. She had the same air about her.
Arista patted the ground in front of her. "Lara, sit down." Lara did so silently, sitting on her knees. She still would not look at Arista. "I don't agree with what you did. You effectively had me and all these people taken against our will. Some of us would call that kidnapping. And by nyctophiles, no less! Of all the places to turn to for help, you chose them!"
Lara's hands tightened along with the rest of her. Melody could tell she wanted to turn invisible right then.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't angry with you," continued Arista. "Or disappointed that you resorted to this. Or upset that you weren't able to save anyone else. But…" She paused, taking a breath. "I don't doubt for a moment that you did everything you could. Or that I'd be dead or captured if you hadn't made your bargain with that creature. So would Aria and everyone else back there. And I know that if Aria's father were here, he'd be grateful that the two of us are safe, even if he isn't."
"So would mine." Everyone looked to the doorway as Sarah walked in. "Sorry for interrupting, your majesties. But I have something to say to Lara as well."
"Sarah, I–," Lara started, but Sarah raised her hand to stop her. She went and sat beside Arista.
"My father was no fool, Lara. He knew enough from talking with you and me and the townsfolk to know a war was coming. Said he could feel it in his bones. Same way he always knew a storm or rough seas were coming. And he told me in no uncertain terms that if it came, he would sooner give his life than let anything happen to me or the kids. I don't like the idea of you making deals with that…whatever it is any more than Arista does. And I know there are those who are going to blame you for people's deaths. But I know you, and I know you wouldn't have done this if there was any other way. And I don't doubt for a second either that you did everything in your power to try to stop them. I don't blame you for what happened to the Alliance, or to my father and our friends. And promise you I never will. So, thank you. For saving our lives, I mean."
Arista nodded. "Yes. Thank you."
Lara finally looked up at them. Her eyes were glassy, and she moved her mouth like she wanted to speak, but no words came out. She was saved from her speechlessness, however, when Kodama re-entered the room.
"Come with me," he said sternly. "All of you."
"What is it?" asked Lara as she stood.
"A development." Kodama turned and walked out again. "Regarding the queen of Seahaven."
Melody's heart missed the next two beats. "My mom!?"
"The same," Kodama answered from outside. "Now come."
Melody sprinted out the doorway after him, almost tripping on her own feet. "Where is she!? Is she alive!? What's happened to her!? And everyone else!?"
Kodama walked to the edge of the pond, not saying another word. He waved a hand across the water as his eyes glowed. High above, the tree branches started weaving together, forming an impenetrable curtain that blocked out the sun. The grove quickly took on the gloom of night, revealing the nocturnal dwellers of the Eternal's lair. Luminescent plants and fungi revealed their glow, staining the forest with a myriad of lights that could rival the midnight sky. Small fireflies took flight, dancing about in the air with moths as crickets and frogs began calling out.
It was the water, however, that held Melody's attention. A ripple spread out from where Kodama waved, rendering the surface flat as glass. The lights of the forest reflected perfectly off it. A hazy mist appeared over it, and then the colors began to shift. Shapes began to appear, and then Melody realized she was looking at an image. And not just any image. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized what she was looking at.
"Mom!" exclaimed Melody.
Drip…drip…drip…drip…
The rhythmic drops of water finally roused Ariel. She slowly opened her eyes. It was dark around her save six distant fuzzy bands of light. She blinked, bringing everything into focus. The light was weak, but it still caused her to squint. As her vision came back into focus, she saw the bands of light were from the barred window of a door. A metal door.
A prison door.
Ariel pushed herself upright, taking in her surroundings. She knew a dungeon cell when she saw one, and she was definitely in one. The walls were dank stone brick, laid as if the intent was to pull as much warmth out of the room as possible. A pitiful bed made of a blanket over a thin pad of straw occupied a corner. She did not want to know what the bucket in the opposite corner was for, but she could guess. She pushed herself upright, hearing the rattle of chains. She felt something on her neck and touched it. There was a metal collar attached to her. The heavy edges dug into her collarbones, making them ache. She saw the glimmer of her green scales in the light. She ran her right hand down them, feeling how dry they had become. They were more like a snake than a fish now. She must have been out of the water for a long time. Her left arm felt odd as well. She looked over at it and–.
Her left arm was gone. Everything from halfway down her bicep was missing. Elbow. Forearm. Wrist. Hand. Fingers. All of it. A crude, brown-stained bandage was tied around the stump. She grasped at the stump, only to jerk her hand away and cry out as white-hot pain shot forth. She looked at her palm and saw old dark blood on it.
Her breaths became rapid and panicked. She was missing an arm. An entire arm! But how did…she remembered! Lara tried to fly off with her and Melody, but Remora managed to fire a final shot at them. She remembered the flash and then a piercing fiery pain, but nothing else. Clearly, Remora managed to land her shot.
The light from the door disappeared. Ariel looked up and saw the face of a man in a metal helmet peering in. Their eyes met for an instant, and then retreated as quickly as he appeared.
"Send word to his majesty," said the man. "The prisoner is awake."
"Yes, sir," said another man. Ariel heard footsteps and the jangle of armor running down a hallway. Then a heavy door opening and closing, the clamor of locks and hinges echoing off the stones.
"Hello?" said Ariel. "Who are you?"
She received no answer.
"Where am I?" she asked. "What is this place?"
Still no response. Ariel awkwardly dragged herself towards the door with her one arm, her tail scraping over the floor. The chain rattled behind her. "Where's Melody? And Eric? And my sisters?"
Silence.
"Hey!" she shouted. "Answer me! Where's my family?"
There was a loud bang on the door, causing her to flinch back. "Quiet!" barked a harsh male voice.
Ariel was about to reply when she heard a door open. This time the armor and footsteps were coming towards her, and they were not alone. She backed up till she was pressed against the wall. She heard armor rattle and a pair of men sharply say, "Sire!"
"Open it," said a new voice. Ariel's breath hitched. That sounded like…
Her suspicion was confirmed when the cell door opened and in walked King Willard. He was dressed in a tunic of gray and blue, his crown seated proudly upon his head. He strode into the cell with his chin held high, sharp blue eyes looking down his nose at her.
"Finally awake," said Willard, his voice as cold as his gaze. "I'll admit, I was worried you might bleed out through your wound. Glad to see I was wrong."
Ariel blinked at him. "Willard? What's going on?"
"You are in the dungeons of Strihaven castle," said Willard, clasping his hands behind his back. "Remora brought you here shortly after your daughter and her pet monster escaped."
"Remora? But why would Remora bring…me…to…?" Ariel's words trailed off as she held Willard's gaze. That look on his face told her everything. "You…you're working with Maelstrom!? You betrayed us!?"
"Hardly," said Willard flatly. "I cannot betray someone if I was never on their side to begin with."
"But the papers! You signed them! At the Glowerhaven ball! Strihaven was going to rejoin the Alliance and–!"
"And nothing," interrupted Willard. He took a step towards her. "What I did was apply ink to parchment and nothing more. The only reason I accepted in the first place was to allow Remora's weapon to infiltrate the castle. I'd hoped it would at least kill your husband, if not that fat oaf Ben as well."
Ariel gaped in shock. "But…but why?!"
"I told you already, your highness. I want my son's death avenged. And I want the ones responsible to face justice." Willard narrowed his eyes at her. "And if you had never left your kingdom of fish and seaweed, my boy would still be alive."
"I could argue that's a matter of perspective."
Every hair Ariel had stood on end. There was no mistaking that voice, or who walked into the cell next. Ursula may have slimmed down immensely and was walking on two legs instead of her tentacles. But that lavender gray skin, short white hair, and that characteristic wicked chuckle were impossible to forget. She was wearing a pitch-black dress, reminding Ariel of the sea witch's tentacled form. The jagged pale scar across her eyes was new, though. No doubt the result of when Lara blasted her point-blank in the face.
"But who am I to argue with a king?" said Ursula, giving a low curtsy to Willard.
"Ursula!" Ariel gasped.
"In the flesh." Ursula grinned, exposing white teeth. She strode to Ariel, who pushed herself as far back against the wall as she could. Ursula reached towards her, causing Ariel to shut her eyes and turn away. Ursula grabbed her jaw and forced her head back around. Just that touch sent shivers down Ariel's spine.
"Now there's a face I haven't seen in a while," said Ursula, turning Ariel's head side to side. "In twenty years, to be exact. I don't know how the Master considers this torture. Seems more of a perk to me."
Her eyes glanced down to what little remained of Ariel's arm. "Ooh…that looks like it hurts."
Before Ariel could stop her, Ursula grabbed the stump. Ariel screamed as searing pain exploded from her wound, her voice echoing inside the room. Ursula laughed and squeezed even harder, doubling Ariel's torment.
"And I was right!" Ursula shoved Ariel back and stood up, smiling as the mermaid collapsed onto her side. Ariel lay gasping for air, tears and spit leaking down her face. "I don't know about you, but that felt so good for me!"
Ariel was barely regaining her wits when Ursula's arm split into four black suckered tentacles. They wrapped around her, hoisting her into the air. One tentacle snaked around her throat, slowly squeezing down and cutting off her air. "You can't imagine how long I've dreamed of this moment, Ariel! To have you in my grasp and at my mercy! To finally make you suffer the way I've suffered!"
"Where's…my family?" Ariel managed to wheeze.
"Still worrying about others even when it's your neck that's in danger of snapping? Tch!" Ursula dropped Ariel. She lay coughing and gasping on the floor, rubbing her throat. "I really hate that goody two-shells attitude of yours! It makes me sick!"
Ursula finished her sentence by kicking Ariel in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She began to stomp and kick Ariel all over without mercy. Ariel shielded her head as best as her one arm could, but the blows still got through.
"Ursula," Willard finally said sharply. The blows stopped. "That's enough."
"Oh? Is that concern I hear?" mocked Ursula.
"I share your desire to see her suffer," said Willard. "But I won't have you killing prisoners without my consent."
Ursula stepped towards Willard confrontationally. "Don't push it, human. This might be your kingdom, but she's my prisoner. I get to do what I want with her for as long as I please! Got it?"
Ariel cowered as Ursula turned back to her, drawing a leg back. She thought Ursula was going to start beating her again, but the witch held her strike. The she scowled and stomped her foot down. "Now look. You've gone and spoiled my mood. And just when I was getting into it."
Ursula knelt before her. "Since you're so concerned about what happened to your family, I'll tell you. Right now, the only ones we don't have in chains are your sister Arista, that newborn of hers, and your own 'darling' daughter. Them, and that flying lizard you're so fond of. As for the rest of them, they're currently prisoners at the Factory. Including your hubby."
"They're…not dead?" Ariel said.
"They should be."
Ariel lifted her head as a hooded figure entered the cell. She could immediately tell it was a man by his frame under the cloak. But his face was hidden in shadow. Ariel thought it was the Master for a moment, but quickly realized it was someone else.
"The plan was to execute the lot of you together," said the figure. "But the Master changed his thoughts on that after your daughter and that dragon spawn flew off together."
A gnawing anxiety rapidly built in Ariel's stomach, and not just from Ursula's kick. This person sounded just like…
"But I wouldn't get your hopes up, Ariel," said the figure as he reached up and pushed his hood back. "Werewolves are known for their excellent sense of smell. That, and ripping their prey to shreds. By now, they're either long gone or dead."
Ariel's voice caught in her throat as she beheld the man. She was not sure who she expected to be under the hood. But of all the possibilities, she never once thought it could be him.
It was Urchin. The merman stood before her bare chested. The silver bracers of his rank as captain were gone from his arms, replaced by a pair of blood red ones. He was not the atrophied comatose skeleton she last saw wasting away on a bed in Atlantica. His body was rippling with muscle, as though the tissue had hypertrophied till every last trace of fat in his body were consumed. Veins wove their way under his skin like ropes. His hair was trimmed short, and his beard was cut back to a coarse layer of stubble, exposing the angry scowl on his face. His fins were gone, replaced by olive green squid tentacles.
Ariel stared up at him as he approached, Ursula rising and moving out of his way. "What are you doing here!? And how are you–!?"
SMACK!
The blow hurt far less than the confusion when Urchin drew back his hand and struck Ariel hard across the face. It knocked her to the floor. Her face felt numb and hot as she slowly rose to look at him. "U-Urchin? What…what are you–?"
SMACK!
He struck her again. This time Ariel tasted blood when his knuckle split her lip. She looked at him again. She could not have spoken if she wanted to. Her mind was a blank slate. She could not understand what was happening before her. This was Urchin hitting her. Urchin. The closest thing she had to a brother. He was no close friend. He was family. Her family.
"Stop!" Ariel shouted as Urchin drew his hand back a third time. "Urchin, stop! Why are you doing this!?"
Urchin held his hand at bay, glaring down at her. Then he lowered his hand and pulled off the bracer on his right arm. There, on his skin, was a tattoo of a black whirlpool with a skull in it.
It clicked for Ariel right then. "You're with Maelstrom, too!?"
Urchin said nothing as he slipped the bracer back on. Ariel shook her head. "No, no, no, no, no, no! You can't be! You're an Atlantican! You're daddy's left-hand merman!"
Urchin snorted derisively. "Was! Those days are over! Just like the Alliance!"
"You're my friend!" Ariel exclaimed in panic. "You're like a broth–urk!"
Suddenly Urchin seized Ariel by the neck and lifted her off the ground before pinning her against the wall. His face came within inches of hers.
"You are not my friend!" yelled Urchin. She could feel the spittle from his lips and his hot angry breath against her skin. "Much less my family! You…you're nothing but a traitor!" He pulled her off the wall and then slammed her back against it, sending stars exploding across her vision. "A filthy, human-loving traitor just like the rest of your family and those Atlantican scum! You even had a child with one of those fish-eating barbarians!"
Urchin pressed down on Ariel's throat, pinching her windpipe shut. Ariel gagged and squirmed, grasping at his arm with her one hand as her fins flailed against him. His body felt like it was made of rock. Her head started to spin as her lungs burned for air. She thought she would pass out when Urchin dropped her. She collapsed onto the floor, gasping and coughing.
"And to think I ever cared about you," hissed Urchin before spitting at her.
"I don't *cough cough* I don't understand!" Ariel choked out. "What *cough* what is *cough* going on!?"
"You mean you still haven't figured it out?" said Ursula. She walked up beside Urchin, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Then let me draw it out in the sand for you. Urchin's a spy for Maelstrom."
Ariel lost her voice again. She looked at Urchin, her eyes pleading for him to give some sign, however small, that she did not hear that right. Or that this was all part of some secret ploy between him and Triton that even she was not privy to. But Urchin gave her no such thing. Just that steady spiteful glare.
"Next to Remora, he's been with Maelstrom longer than any of us," Ursula continued. "He's been feeding information to us for years now! It's thanks to him we were able to do our dirty work for so long without anyone getting in the way! Especially your daddy!"
"No!" Ariel croaked. "No, you're *cough* you're lying!"
Willard stepped forward now. Were Ariel's eyes playing tricks on her in the dim, or was there a smirk on his lips? "I assure you she's not. And neither is he. Did it not once occur to you that you might have a spy in your midst?"
"I guarantee you it didn't," said Urchin. "She's too naïve for that. She can't help but assume the best about people. Triton's no better."
"Isn't that the truth? If the merman was even a tenth as 'cautious' as his father was, he never would've let me into Atlantica in the first place!" said Ursula. She walked behind Urchin to his other side, tracing a hand across his broad back. "But while you're sputtering there on the floor, Ariel, ask yourself this. How do you think Morgana and I knew about Melody's party? Or how Remora was able to attack Abyssum so easily? Or how we were able to ransack Eel Ectric City and disappear before Triton could even get close? Or that we knew to strike when you and your sisters would be meeting dear old dad at the marina? Or why no one's been able to find a single trace of Maelstrom after any of that? It's all because of him!"
Ariel looked to Urchin again. "But…you were in a coma!"
"Wrong. You all assumed I was in a coma," said Urchin.
"Blue-ringed octopus venom," said Ursula. "A single bite from the squirmy little critter has enough punch to kill more than twenty adult merfolk. Even more humans. But with some tweaking from my magic, it can put someone into an indefinite coma-like state while remaining conscious."
"Triton thought I couldn't hear him while I was lying there," said Urchin. "But I could hear everything he said. Including all that pathetic apologizing he did. Oh, and all the times he blabbed about his plans."
Ursula smirked again. "Add on a simple listening spell, and we could hear everything you were planning."
"You almost died!" shouted Ariel.
"The Master had to make it convincing," said Urchin flatly. "And given how well you all bought it, I'd say it more than worked. I've just been waiting for him to make his move. Once he did, the poison was undone and I was restored." He raised a hand, clenching it tight to cause the muscles in his forearm to strain. "With a few modifications, for good measure."
Ariel shook her head. She was starting to feel dizzy and nauseous. This could not be real. This had to be a nightmare. It had to be. Reality could not be this horrible. "Why!?" she cried. "Why would you do this!?"
Urchin narrowed his eyes at her. He stepped forward and leaned down to her. Ariel backed away, afraid he was going to hit her again. Instead, he brought his mouth next to her ear.
"Because I hate humans," he whispered. "I hate them more than you could imagine. If I had my way, every single one of those fish-eating savages would be tied up in a net, their wrists cut, and dropped into the deepest, darkest, most shark-infested abyss of the ocean. If it wasn't for the fact Remora and Willard are with Maelstrom, I'd do the same to them without a second thought. But more than them, I hate your father for allying us with those apes. I hate your family and Atlantica for going along with him. I hate that we've had to share our oceans with those beasts for so long." He backed away, looking directly into Ariel's eyes. How could those cold, vindictive eyes belong to the same merman she had known since childhood? "And more than any of them, I hate you."
Ariel felt as though Urchin punched her in the gut. He rose and backed away, keeping his gaze fixed on her. Then he turned and left the cell, his tentacles squelching as he went down the hall.
"Wait!" Ariel lunged forward, only for Ursula to kick her straight in the gut. She doubled over, coughing as she reached desperately towards the door, as if she could still grasp him if she tried hard enough. "Urchin, wait! Come back! Urchin!"
"Aw…" cooed Ursula mockingly. She knelt beside Ariel, draping an arm around her shoulders. "Betrayal hurts, doesn't it sweetie?"
"Get away from me!" Ariel snapped, darting away from Ursula. Her hand slipped on the floor and she fell on her back, striking her stump on the stones. She let out a pained scream and curled into a ball.
"Probably as much as that." Ursula chuckled and stood. "Still, if you're looking for something to keep you occupied while you're in here, try to figure out why he's got such a sore spot for you and your kingdom. But be quick about it. You've only got two days left."
Ariel lifted her head. "Two days? What happens in two days?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Ursula grinned and spread her arms wide. "Your execution!"
A lump like an egg lodged itself in Ariel's throat. "My…my ex…execution!?"
"Of course!" Ursula cackled, tapping a finger against her cheek as she smirked. "Like the boy said, the Master was planning to execute your family once we conquered the Alliance. But Melody and Lara getting away put that plan on hold. Have to keep the bait fresh. They'll stay alive for now, though not comfortable. The Factory will see to that. You, however, are the exception."
"The preparations are nearly done," said Willard. "Two days from now, at noon, you will die before the entirety of my kingdom. I will get the justice my son deserves."
"And I'll get the revenge I'm due!" added Ursula. She laughed as she rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Oh, I can hardly wait! We've got something special planned for you!"
Ariel swallowed hard. "What are you going to do with me?"
"What am I…sorry, what are we going to do with you?" Ursula held her chin as she started walking back and forth across the cell. "I've been pondering that question ever since the Master brough my sister and I back. Once I got my tentacles on you, what would I do with you? I only get to kill you once. Which means it needs to be something special. Something unforgettable. Something that would make your end so unspeakably cruel and agonizing that you'll be pleading for death long before you die. Just hanging you or cutting your head off is too simple and quick. We could always quarter you. Or flay you alive. Or vivisect you. Or feed you to my pets. Or impale you…actually, no. I'll save that one for your husband when it's time. See how he likes it!"
Ursula stopped her pacing. "I must've changed my decision a thousand times over since I first thought about it. And then a thousand times again since I heard Remora caught you! I just couldn't decide which was best! That is, until I realized there's a certain masked witch who knows more about pain and killing than anyone else. So, I asked her: what's the most excruciating, most cruel, most memorable, most terrifying way to kill someone? And right away she had the answer."
Ariel started to tremble as Ursula bent over at the waist, bringing their faces close together. She saw not one shred of mercy or pity in her eyes as she gleefully said, "Burn them alive."
The trembles became uncontrollable shivers as cold dread swept through Ariel as though she were doused with ice water. Death by fire. Of all the ways to for a person to die, fire always struck her as among the most awful and painful. The history books in Seahaven's library held accounts of witch burnings from centuries ago, including horrific woodcut prints of the events. She remembered seeing the burn victims created by Maelstrom's first attack. How people screamed and flailed as they ran about drenched in flames. How they groaned and cried as the doctors and nurses struggled to tend to their wounds, unable to do anything but blunt their pain. The more Ariel thought about it, the greater her dread and panic became.
Ursula saw it as well, because she straightened up and threw her head back, laughing maniacally. "Oh, your face! That's priceless! Shame it'll be charred to a crisp soon!" Her laughter started up again as she turned and left. "Sleep well, Ariel! If you can!"
Ariel looked to Willard as terrified tears started to leave her eyes. She barely made eye contact when he turned to leave, marching straight for the door.
"Willard!" she pleaded. "Willard, wait! Please! Don't do this! I'm begging you!"
Willard stopped in the doorway. "I've already told you twice, your highness. I will not tell you again. I will have vengeance for my son. And I will see the ones responsible pay for it." He looked back over his shoulder at her. "No matter the cost."
With that Willard strode out, a guard shutting the door behind him. "You burn in two days!" he called back to her. "Make peace with yourself while you still can!"
"I seriously doubt she could!" added Ursula. "Not when she's about to become her own fish-fry!" Her face reappeared behind the bars. "Oh, and don't get any hopes up for your daughter sending that flying freak to rescue you! Even if they somehow escape Richard and his dogs, we've taken more than enough precautions! My pets are standing watch throughout Strihaven, and so are our guns! Lara can be torn to shreds on the ground, or shot to pieces in the sky! Either way, she'll be dead before she gets within a mile of you!"
Ariel's terror became mingled with despair as Ursula laughed again. Her mind was struggling to grasp everything that just happened. First, she lost her arm. Then she learned Maelstrom had her family. Then Urchin betrayed them. And now she was set to be publicly burned. It was too much for her. She was overwhelmed by a thousand different thoughts and feelings and fears. She crawled over to her meager bed and collapsed, her despairing wails echoing in the dark of the dungeons.
In the midst of all this, no one noticed the small moth clinging to the ceiling. The insect's eyes glowed a vivid green color. Then the light faded and it flew off, bobbing and weaving its way through the dim of the dungeons.
Melody stared in dumfounded shock as the image disappeared from the pond. So did Lara, Arista, and Sarah. Melody staggered back, shaking her head as her breathing turned rapid. None of that could be real. It was impossible. Her stomach was twisting itself into knots as her heart raced. She was not sure which she felt like doing more – screaming, crying, or vomiting. All three, actually. At once.
"Burn her!?" shouted Lara angrily. "Are they serious!?"
Kodama nodded. "The queen is to die by the flame in two days. Pyre and pitch be ready. As be the kingdom."
"No! It can't be!" Melody started pacing back and forth. "Willard, I get! I don't like it, but I get why he'd betray us! But not Uncle Urchin! Not him! He's family! Mom always said he was a brother to her! Grandfather thought of him like a son! He said so himself! Loads of times! Why would he do this!?"
"Maybe he's been brainwashed?" suggested Sarah. "Or they're forcing him to do this somehow?"
"Coercion is not at work here," said Kodama. "His wits are his own."
"No! No, that's not true!" said Arista. "Not Urchin! He would never, ever, ever do something like this! Not willingly!"
"That doesn't matter!" snapped Lara. She kicked at a rock, sending it flying out over the pond. "Mind control or none, who he was isn't who he is now! He's with Maelstrom! And if he is a spy, it explains how they were always one step ahead of us! Ariel said it herself! He's Triton's left-hand merman! Which means he probably knew everything you told Triton!"
"But I thought he was in a coma!" said Sarah. "How can he have recovered that quickly!? The nutrition and effort it would take him to get to that state is…it's impossible!"
Lara clenched her fists. "Black magic! It's the only way!"
Kodama nodded. "It hangs upon him as a cloak most foul."
Melody ran her hands through her hair. "What are we gonna do?" She turned to Lara. "Lara, what are we gonna do!? They're gonna kill mom! We have to do something!"
"I know!" snapped Lara. "I know, Mel!"
"We have to rescue her!"
"How!?" Now it was Lara who ran her hands through her hair and paced. "They're already expecting us to try something! I can't rely on my magic anymore! Charging in equals death! The shadowsilk got burned along with the rest of your bedroom! And I doubt the Hive Queen's gonna loan me another one, so I can't sneak in! And I'd bet the magic I've got left, if any, that they're not going to be caught off guard by me flying in, assuming I can even get my wings back! Even if I can get to her, I can't fight my way out of there!" She looked up at Kodama.
"I know thy question," said the spirit before she could speak. "And ye know my answer."
"Come on!" Lara shouted. "You can't be serious! Not even for one person!?"
Melody spun to him. "You mean…you're not going to help her!?"
"The affairs of mortals are not affairs of the forest," said Kodama. "Nor be they affairs of Eternals."
"But they're going to kill her!" shouted Melody. "You have to help her!"
"And stop Maelstrom while you're at it!" said Arista. "You're an Eternal, aren't you!? You could do it with a snap!"
Kodama shook his head. "That is not our way."
Lara marched up to Kodama. "If you're not gonna intervene for the sake of mortals, then at least do it for your forest! You saw what Maelstrom did to Seahaven! They didn't conquer it! They burned it to the ground! They probably did the same to the other kingdoms! And they won't be satisfied with just that! Not if Remora's got any say in it! Once their ready, they'll start this all over again! They'll march and sail wherever they want, and that includes right through your lands! You'll be lord of a wasteland of stumps and dust if you don't do something!"
"Let them come," said Kodama plainly. "Let them fell the trees and foul the waters. We will endure."
"They will destroy everything!" Lara yelled. "Everything! Your forest! Your mountains! The animals! The water! All of it!" She gestured to the forest. "They will tear all of this down! You're a forest spirit! You're supposed to guard life! So guard it!"
Kodama blinked at her, then looked up at the trees. "There is much thou doth not understand of life, young one."
A single acorn grew off his antler. Kodama plucked it off, digging a small hole with one claw before dropping the accord in. He pressed the dirt over it, and seconds later a small shoot pushed through the earth. The sprout grew rapidly, spreading branches and leaves as it ascended. Centuries of growth passed in moments, aweing Melody and her companions. It seemed the tree was on its way to rival the giants around them, but then suddenly its leaves withered and browned. Its branches bent and sagged. It sank into itself, and then there was a loud crack as it began to lean. Further and further it went till its fall became inescapable. Down it came, crashing to the earth. Melody felt the tremor in her feet and saw its ripples spread over the pond.
"To thee, life and death be foes," said Kodama, watching as the tree rapidly decayed. Wood and bark frayed splintered, the trunk deflating as it rotted. "Light and dark, forever at odds. To I, they are one and the same, forever flowing into one another. From a final breath comes a first. Night becomes day. Sun becomes moon. The snows come and the snows melt. The fallen tree makes way for life beyond its final seed."
Mushrooms, molds, and fungi of all sorts began growing on the remains of the tree. In less than a minute the trunk was buried beneath a blanket of colorful flourishing fungi.
Kodama turned to Lara. "The young are born to supplant the old. They grow, produce, become old themselves, and then pass. The mountain and river be not immortal. Though I have seen the earth mold itself anew, I too shall one day know the final sleep. Yet even when I am departed from memory, and the rivers run their last drops, and the mountains fall to dust, and the last tree has fallen, nature shall endure–patient, unstoppable, and ceaseless. Even in the barren waste, it is there. Naught be forever-lasting. This realm be no stranger to the cycle of birth and death, nor I. Storms topple trees. Quakes crumble mountains. Rivers carve the earth. Fire burns all to ash. Forests become deserts. Mountains become plains. The land may be waste for generations, such that mortal minds and eyes forget the sight of green upon the earth. But the world continues. Such is its way. And such is mine. Lest this world itself be imperiled to end, my place is here."
Kodama now looked to Melody. "I will permit you and your people sanctuary within my realm, princess. I am not so callous as to leave them to thy enemy's whim. Nor will I permit them entry to my domain. But I will not be soldier and army for ye to send against them. Nor be any of we Eternals. This is a war begun by mortals and their magic. Thus, to mortals and their magic its end falls, whether that be with thee or Maelstrom."
"But what about my mom!?" said Melody.
"Her fate is for thee to decide," said Kodama. "Not I."
"She's not asking you to fight a war for us!" yelled Arista angrily. "She's asking you to save her mother! To save one person! One!"
"Whether it be one or one thousand, my answer remains." Kodama lay down beside the water as the forest canopy opened, daylight returning to the grove. "The life of Queen Ariel is yours to save."
Melody sunk to her knees. Of course she wanted to save her mother! Just as much as she wanted to save her father, her aunts, her uncles, her nieces and nephews, her friends, her people, and everyone Maelstrom took! If she had the power to do so, she would jump on Tempest and ride into Strihaven right now to do it! But she did not have the power. Neither did Lara anymore. Nor did anyone in that meadow. The only one who did was Kodama, and he made it clear he was not about to play the role of hero. And Lara was right that Maelstrom would not be caught off-guard again. Ursula made that clear. They were expecting a rescue attempt. If anything, they were hoping for one!
She felt a painful hopelessness inside herself. Like she was losing Will and Lara all over again. Only this time it was her mother. The woman who raised her, cared for her, nurtured her, and loved her unconditionally. She was in danger, and there was nothing Melody could do. The tears came fresh and plenty, falling from her cheeks to water the earth as she collapsed to her knees. She felt like she could shatter into a thousand pieces at the slightest touch, and a part of her wanted to. It wanted her to lay down and cry and scream till she passed out, and then stayed asleep forever. How could she possibly go on under the weight of such despair?
"Then…!" Lara went and stood in front of Kodama. "Then help me do it! Help me save Ariel! If you don't wanna fight this fight, then fine! Don't! Stay here and protect them! But don't be her! Don't stand by and watch! At least give me a fighting chance!"
"What would thou ask of me?" said Kodama.
"I don't know!" said Lara. "A distraction! A weapon! Anything! I'll take a bag of freakin' rocks if that's all you'll offer! Just something to tip the odds in our favor, even if it's just the tiniest amount!"
"And if I decline?" said Kodama, crossing his forelimbs. "Wouldst thou still go?"
Lara drew a shaky breath. "Yeah, I will!"
"Even if certain death awaits thee?"
"The odds could be a billion to one! As long as there's a chance, I've gotta go!"
Melody sniffed, whipping her eyes on her sleeve. She stood and went to Lara's side. "And so do I!"
Lara took Melody's shoulders, turning her to face her. "Mel, no! You have to stay here!"
"But mom is–!"
"This is too dangerous! Way too dangerous! We both almost got killed escaping from Maelstrom! This time they're expecting me, and they'll be shooting to kill! I promised your parents I'd keep you safe, and it doesn't get any safer than with an Eternal! It's one thing for me to risk my life. But I'm not about to let you risk yours!" Lara turned back to Kodama. "And I know I have no right to ask this, but…"
She knelt in front of Kodama, bowing her head till it almost touched the ground. "If I don't make it back, please look after Mel and the others. Please. I ask this in the name of the Solar King."
Kodama narrowed his eyes at her. "Thou hath already imposed thy machinations upon me. Along with the intrusions of the Hive Queen. Ye presume the name of thy father from thy lips to still hold weight with me? Why should I extend such benevolence to thee?"
"I don't have an answer to that," said Lara. "And I don't have anything I could offer in return." She lifted her head. "But I took an oath. A shield against the wicked. A sword to protect the helpless. And a flame to guide the lost. I don't have a shield, or a sword, or even a fire. But I've still gotta to try!"
Kodama stared at Lara for a long while. Then he stood. "Ye would venture into the den of thy foe for this mermaid?"
"Yes," said Lara.
"Without magic, metal, wings, or ally?"
"I would."
"Knowing thy life may be forfeit from this venture?"
"Abso-freakin'-lutely!"
Kodama looked at her, studying her like a painting. He leaned down, eyeing her with one luminous emerald eye. "What be yonder queen to thee that thy own life be worth risking on such a narrow chance?"
"She's my friend!" Lara shook her head. "No, she's my family! And beause it's the right thing to do!"
Kodama regarded Lara for a while longer. Then he sat and scooped up a handful of dirt. He cupped the earth within his clawed hands and then pressed down hard. His eyes glowed, and then the same glow came from between his hands. The wad of earth shrank as the light grew brighter, till it was so bright Lara and Melody had to shield their eyes. Then the light faded and Kodama opened his hands. Lying in his palms were a pair of knives almost identical to Lara's former pair. The silver metal gleamed flawlessly as they floated out of his hands, gliding towards Lara. She reached up and took them, lips parted in awe as she held the weapons.
Melody looked to Kodama. "Does that mean…?"
"Lara Anclagon, daughter of Bel'al." Kodama grabbed his right antler at the base. With a sharp twist he broke it off, grunting from discomfort. Instantly a new antler grew in its place. The broken antler began to sinuate and twist in his grasp, as though the wood were liquid. The creaking and groaning of wood resonated through the forest as the antler shrank and darkened, taking on a shape all knew well – a bokken of jet-black wood.
"Seasons ago, thou stood before me a haunted and broken warrior, entrusting thy blade to me. As such, I rendered unto thee a weapon of thy worth. Now ye kneel before me not as a warrior, but as a knight in service beyond thyself." Kodama handed the bokken to Lara as it stilled, settled in its final shape. "Thus, I bestow upon you once more a worthy weapon."
Lara reached out and took the bokken. The wood was so dark it looked like stone. Yet its balance was as perfect as its blade was straight. She gave it a twirl in one hand, then grasped the hilt and slashed through the air. Melody heard the wind shear as though it were a true sword.
"Do not think this on par with your prior," said Kodama. "What ye held before was of my design. This be of my very flesh. There be no sword of man or magic that can render harm unto this wood. Nor shall it bend or break under thy might."
"Thank you," said Lara. She held the bokken flat in her hands and bowed to the forest spirit. "I'll do this proud!"
"Make it so," said Kodama. "But if thou truly intends to fly back for thy comrades…"
Kodama drew a breath, and then he breathed at Lara. A fog littered with sparkling light came forth, enveloping Lara in an aura. It rapidly turned blazing orange, and her hair and eyes glowed. Lara gasped loudly as flames burst from her seat and shoulders, returning her wings and tail near instantaneously. Melody gasped as well as Lara stepped back, moving her tail and wings to make sure they were real. The air they moved proved them to be no illusion.
Kodama chuckled, a small smile at the corners of his mouth. "Ye shall need these to do so."
A/N: Next chapter is already in the works! Till next time!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own "The Little Mermaid," Disney, or any of its associated characters and intellectual property. Everything else, however, is mine =)
