Chapter 15: Trial by Fire
Letting out a groan of pain, Arthur finally started coming to, finding himself chained to the ground in a massive white throne room. Laying on the ground in front of him was his trident, which he quickly tried to reach for. As he tried moving his limbs though, he felt his movements restrained. He looked to see massive chains being held by various atlantean guards, a testament to Arthur's strength.
"Welcome to Atlantis, brother." Orm's voice boomed. "I can't believe you're finally here after all these years."
Arthur stopped struggling for a moment, his eyes drifting up to the throne. There he could see Orm looking down on him with barely concealed scorn and hatred. To his mild surprise, Mera and Vulko sat on either side of him, both of them doing their best to appear unfazed.
"I've heard stories about you." Orm went on. "Our mother would never stop talking about you and that surface dweller that defiled her."
"I heard the story differently." Arthur remarked.
"Still, actually seeing you makes me feel… conflicted." Orm admitted. "I don't know whether to pity you, or just run you through."
Arthur managed to launch himself forward, the soldiers holding him losing their grip. The chains still came to a stop, Arthur right in front of the throne and almost right in his brother's face.
"How about taking these chains off and we'll see who runs who through first?" Arthur challenged.
Both Mera and Vulko shared worried glances.
"Ah yes, your choice of weapon." Orm noted, glancing down at the trident. "Our mothers weapon. Elegant, but imperfect. Like she was."
"She was your mother too." Arthur snapped.
"And she betrayed her home, to chase after some lowly surface dweller!" Orm spat back. "Now you come here and stand in defiance of Atlantis like she did."
"I've come to stop a madman from destroying the world." Arthur retorted.
"And what about the atrocities the surface has dealt us?" Orm challenged. "For years they've polluted our oceans, poisoned our children, and have caused our oceans to boil. Like our mother, you've chosen the wrong side."
"There are no sides in a war like this. Only death." Arthur countered. "And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to stop that from happening."
Orm moved back a bit, mulling over everything Arthur said.
"Are you invoking the Combat of the Kings?" Orm asked.
"I call it an ass whoopin, but you can call it whatever you want." Arthur replied.
"Your Majesty," Vulko spoke up. "I do not believe this to be necessary."
"Oh, but it is." Orm countered. "If I defeat Queen Atlanna's firstborn son in front of anyone, then no one will question my position as King."
"Your Majesty, I must agree with Vulko." Mera chimed in. "There is no victory in defeating the ignorant. Your brother is an imbecile who knows nothing of Atlantean culture or its ways.
Arthur shot her a bit of a look as Orm continued.
"Then I'd say he's about to get an education." Orm remarked before turning back to Arthur. "Assuming the challenge is official."
"You bet it is." Arthur confirmed. "And when I win-"
"You mean, 'if' you win." Orm cut off. "And should that happen I will cease all immediate action. The war is over. But if I win… you're over."
"Let's do it." Arthur smirked.
"Very well then." Orm declared. "The challenge has been made, and I accept."
He turned to the guards, giving a nod.
"Prepare him for the Ring of Fire!" he commanded.
"Yes!" Arthur shouted. "Wait, what's that?"
The guards holding him grabbed the chains and dragged him off. As they did, an atlantean with darker skin watched the scene unfold. His eyes flashed red for a moment before he swam out of the throne room.
…
Elsewhere, Diana hid in a coral reef as the dark-skinned Atlantean approached her. He spoke in J'onn's voice, revealing his true identity.
"Aquaman has challenged Orm for the rights to the throne of Atlantis." he reported.
"Do you believe he stands a chance of winning?" Diana asked.
"I truly do not know." J'onn admitted. "While Aquaman's skills are impressive, I have only ever seen him fight on land. I do not know how he will fair underwater, nor do I know the strength of his opponent."
"Then we'd best be there when this fight begins." Diana decided. "Do you know where it will take place?"
"Somewhere called the 'Ring of Fire'." J'onn reported, his eyes flickering again. "I fear that I may be of little use should things not go our way."
"Then I will handle it." Diana reassured.
…
Later, Arthur was with Vulko in some kind of armory, trying on various pieces of armor in preparation for the upcoming fight.
"Tell me Arthur, have all those years on the surfaced dried out your brains?" Vulko demanded.
"What?" Arthur replied. "I was gonna fight Orm anyway."
"The plan was to get Atlan's trident, THEN challenge Orm!"
"So we're doing things a little out of order, big deal." Arthur dismissed. "From what I saw of him, I feel I can kick his ass no problem."
"Do not brush him aside so easily." Vulko warned. "He has earned the title of Ocean Master because none have ever been able to beat him in combat."
"Yeah, well, he's never fought me." Arthur retorted.
"And you've never fought him." Vulko countered. "Especially underwater."
"I can take anyone in a fight, just ask my friends, wherever they are."
"I have no doubt you're an excellent fighter on the surface," Vulko reassured. "But fighting underwater is quite different."
"Then show me how to do it." Arthur insisted.
Vulko sighed in response.
"Fine." He relented, picking up a trident before tossing Arthur his. "Let's see if you remember any of my lessons."
…
After a few hours of training, Arthur was taken to a preparation area beneath the arena. There, Arthur finished his preparations as Mera came in. Arthur turned towards her and saw Mera wearing a lavish dress with a jellyfish collar.
"Wow…" Arthur let out. "You… you look great."
"Thank you." Mera replied.
"Of course she does." Orm commented, coming in wearing blue and silver armor. "The Princess of Xebel, and my future Queen, deserves nothing but the best."
"Future queen?" Arthur let out.
"I am betrothed to King Orm." she explained. "It was arranged when we were children to ensure a strong bond between Atlantis and Xebel."
Her expression was even, but her eyes betrayed her true feelings on the arrangement, none of them pleasant.
"... congratulations." Arthur told them.
"Your adulation is unnecessary, 'brother'." Orm replied before turning towards Mera. "Now my dear, before you watch my victory from the royal box, I have a gift for you."
He then pulls out a bracelet with a shimmering pearl set on a golden band. He placed it on her wrist, allowing her to look at it. Her expression never changed.
"Thank you." she told him.
She then swam off, leaving the two brothers alone in the small area.
"Don't worry," Orm reassured, placing on a silver helmet with red eyes and silver fins on the side. "I'll try to make your death relatively painless."
"You know, believe it or not, there was a time when I wanted to meet you." Arthur told him. "To tell my little brother that he wasn't alone. Now I see what a dick you really are."
"Well, life's full of disappointments." Orm remarked, taking hold of his trident.
Orm then darted upwards into the arena, where he was almost immediately greeted by thunderous applause. Arthur put on his own helmet and took hold of his trident before swimming up after him. Arthur received no such adulation upon entering the arena, which was a large platform surrounded by lava. Arthur winced at that.
"Hope J'onn's not anywhere nearby." he muttered.
Nearby, Diana concealed herself behind a statue, watching as Orm and Arthur went to face one another.
"They're preparing to fight." Diana reported telepathically. "The entire arena is surrounded by magma, so you were wise to stay away."
"Agreed." J'onn replied. "This challenge is in accordance with Atlantean law, so we cannot interfere unless Arthur is in immediate danger."
"I am aware of that." Diana informed him. "But it doesn't mean I have to like it."
Down below, Arthur and Orm put their tridents together before pulling back and taking a fighting stance. Arthur moved first, swinging his trident at Orm, only for him to block it and returning in kind. Arthur deflected the blow before leaping up and trying to bring his trident down on him, but Orm easily blocked it and kicked him aside. Arthur tumbled through the water before landing on the wall of the arena and springing off as Orm darted towards him. The two clashed, sending out a shockwave as they locked tridents. They struggled to hold their lock on each other until finally, Orm kicked Arthur in the chest, knocking him back. Arthur quickly stabilized himself as Orm came in for another attack. Arthur blocked the strike before grabbing Orm and throwing him across the arena.
"That's what you're in for, 'bro'." Arthur taunted. "Sure you don't wanna call it?"
"The battle has just begun."
"If you say so." Arthur retorted before darting at him.
Orm quickly brought his trident down on Arthur, sending him falling towards the lava below.
"Arthur!" Diana shouted.
"Stop!" J'onn mentally warned. "You cannot interfere!"
Diana grabbed part of the statue and crushed it in her hands. Arthur meanwhile managed to stop his descent just before he made contact with the lava, and bolted back towards Orm, slamming him into the side of the arena. While blocking Arthur's attack, Orm grabbed Arthur by the arm and threw him to the ground. Arthur quickly got up and tried stabbing Orm, but Orm easily blocked the blow. He then kicked Arthur back to the ground and tried bringing his trident down on him. Arthur raised his trident to block it, but Orm's trident sliced through his, breaking it in two.
"No!" Diana screamed.
"What happened?" J'onn questioned.
"He lost." Diana answered.
In the royal booth, Mera made a quick exit, ditching her jellyfish dress as she did. Vulko watched her go, contemplating stopping her but deciding against it. Orm meanwhile stood over a defeated Arthur, kicking the broken pieces of the trident into the lava before aiming his trident at his throat.
"You've lost brother." Orm taunted. "The only downside is now I have to clean your bloodstains off my weapon."
Before he could make a killing blow, Diana's lasso shot out and grabbed his arm, restraining his movement. He looked behind him and saw the Amazon standing behind him, a cold look gracing her face.
"You will not smite him this day!" she shouted.
"Then I will have to settle for you." Orm decided, darting forward.
Diana used her bracelet to block his attack before kicking him aside. Before the fight could escalate, Mera's ship pulled up, with her inside, now donned in her green suit once again, the doors opening.
"Get in!" she shouted. "Both of you!"
The two piled in as Mera floored it, speeding away from the arena.
"Where's J'onn?" Arthur asked.
"He'll find us." Diana assured him. "Just go!"
Mera continued flying her ship through the city, several more coming after them in pursuit.
"Well, that's gonna be a problem." Arthur commented.
"Yeah, a problem you created!" Mera criticized. "What were you thinking challenging Orm like that?"
"I thought that was the entire point of me coming to this place!" Arthur retorted.
"You were supposed to challenge him after-!"
"After I got the trident, I know!" Arthur interjected. "I thought I could take him, sorry!"
"Perhaps we can have this conversation after we escape!" Diana suggested.
As the enemy ships continued their pursuit, a set of large green tentacles came out of nowhere and grabbed some of them, knocking them aside. The tentacles belonged to a large green squid, one that batted ships back and forth. Diana glanced back at it, seeing a red X across its chest.
"I told you J'onn would find us." she said with a smile.
With a few more ships dealt with, the squid shrunk down and morphed back into J'onn, who then flew after the ship to catch up. As they approached the wall to Atlantis, the hydro-cannons began opening fire on them, As both J'onn and the ship moved around the blasts, J'onn flew forward and phased through one of them, shorting it out and leaving an opening for them. Mera floored the accelerator, flying through the opening with J'onn right behind them.
"Seems I was wrong about you surface dwellers." Mera admitted. "You are useful in a pinch."
"We try to be." Diana replied, right before one of the cannons managed to hit the ship.
Thinking fast, Arthur opened the canopy and pulled the two women out, just as the ship went down and J'onn flew alongside them.
"With any luck, they'll think we died in the crash." Arthur told them.
"Then we must leave now." J'onn told him, joining the three heroes.
"Way ahead of you." Arthur replied.
Arthur then extended his hand, calling out to a pod of whales that swam by. One opened its mouth as Arthur urged them all inside.
"What are you doing?" Mera questioned.
"Getting us a ride." Arthur replied.
They all piled inside the whale's mouth just as it closed and the whale swam off.
"Got this idea from Pinochio." Arthur told them.
"Pinnochio?" Mera repeated.
"It is a children's book, one about a puppet who wants to become a real boy." J'onn explained.
"It's an interesting tale, I'll admit." Diana commented. "I still cry at the end though."
"So you trusted our fate to a children's story?" Mera questioned.
"Actually, I've only seen the movie." Arthur admitted. "Besides, it's working. Our friend just informed me that Orm and his patrols returned to the city."
"Then we are free to proceed with Vulko's plan." J'onn surmised. "Where is this 'Desert Kingdom'?"
"In the great desert the surface has dubbed 'The Sahara'." Mera answered.
Diana perked, a smile on her face.
"The Sahara?" she asked. "I have a friend who owns an airfield out there."
…
Sometime later, the four of them exited the mouth of the whale, and emerged on a beach in the Western Sahara. As Diana had promised, there was an airstrip right along the shore. It was small and clearly a family owned strip, but to the four water-weary travelers, it was a welcome sight.
"Sameer!" Diana called out.
Inside, a young man of arab descent perked up at the sound of his name. Grabbing an oil cloth, he wiped his hands and walked out of the hanger, his face breaking out into a grin when he saw who it was.
"As I live and breath, Wonder Woman herself!" He greeted.
"Hello Sameer." Diana replied. "It's been some time."
"Indeed it has." Sameer agreed. "Look at you. Haven't aged a day."
Diana laughed a bit, then gestured to her companions with her arm.
"My friends could use some dry clothes." she admitted. "We also require the use of your plane, if you can spare the time."
"For you, anything." Sameer promised, turning towards the hanger.
"Wow, how'd you meet this guy?" Arthur asked. "Save his family from a meteor or something?"
"I served with his great-grandfather, the original Sameer, back in 1918." Diana explained. "I have kept in contact with his family ever since. He will get us where we need to go, that I can promise."
Sameer came back out with two sets of clothes for Arthur and well as some towels for Diana and J'onn.
"Not exactly Atlantean, but it's more practical than a skinsuit or heavy armor." Arthur declared, taking the clothes. "Trust me, you do not want to be caught in the desert like that."
"Fair enough." Mera relented, taking her new garb.
"Once you're dressed, I'll fly you out." Sameer promised. "Where are you headed?"
"An underwater city buried beneath the sea of sand." Mera answered.
Sameer blinked, then shrugged.
"I've heard of weirder." he declared, heading over to prep the plane
…
Minutes later, the group was airborne and flying over the massive desert. Diana gave Sameer some pirate treasure Arthur had taken from the sunken ship before joining her friends in the back. Mera was looking out the window, her face paler than normal.
"You doing alright?" Arthur asked.
"I've just never been this far from the ocean before." Mera admitted.
"Right…" Arthur realized. "Listen… I'm sorry you've gone through so much trouble for me."
"It doesn't matter anymore." Mera informed him. "What's done is done. Now all we can do is find the trident and pray we're not too late."
"Maybe when this is all over, I can have it so you won't have to marry Orm." Arthur offered.
Mera turned to Arthur with a look of surprise, shock, and disgust.
"What?" she let out.
"What?" Arthur replied. "He seemed like a jerk and I figured-"
"I was betrothed to him to strengthen our kingdoms." Mera cut off. "It was my duty, and now I am a fugitive wanted for high treason."
"But when we get the trident, that all goes away, right?" Arthur assumed.
Mera sighed, just looking out the window again.
"Hopefully, yes." she answered.
"I suggest we all get some rest while we can." J'onn suggested. "Even by plane, I have a feeling it will take time before we reach our destination."
...
Back in Atlantis, Orm looked out a window overlooking the kingdom, a look of irritation on his face.
"You're certain the tracker is still active?" he questioned.
"Yes, My King." One of his elite soldiers reported. "It's currently crossing the ocean of sand called the sahara."
"Send your forces to find them." Orm ordered. "Slay them on sight!"
"Sir, with all due respect, we cannot do that." the elite insisted. "Princess Mera is King Nerus' only child. If he were to learn of our involvement in her demise, it would bring an end to your alliance."
"A fair point…" Orm considered. "Contact the surface pirate. I need a meeting."
…
On a remote island somewhere in the pacific ocean, David Kane stood on the beach and waited. Finally, a group of Atlanteans emerged from the surf. Two were carrying a massive crate and third was holding that same hologram projector.
"It seems your first attempt to kill Aquaman has failed." Orm noted.
"Just give me another shot, and he's dead." David promised.
"You'll have it, I assure you." Orm replied. "You and your men just need better tools for the job."
The two soldiers with the crate came forward, lowering it into the sand before opening it. It revealed an array of high tech lasers, as well as several plates of atlantean armor.
"Atlantean armor and weapons." Orm offered. "Including one I'm personally fond of. A gun that converts water into high energy plasma."
David picked up said weapon, giving it a feel. One of the soldiers scooped up some water in a conch shell, dumping in on the weapon. It began glowing a bright red before letting out a massive beam of energy that struck a sea stack, said sea stack exploded, crumbling into the water. David took care to keep it pointed downrange as he turned to the hologram of Orm.
"I like it." David told him.
…
Later, David and his men were back in his sub, arming up for their next battle. While the soldiers were arming their weapons, David was messing with the armor and cannon, reconfiguring them into an impenetrable suit of armor. He even had the idea of creating a diving helmet with some of the plasma shooters as lenses. Once he managed to get it the way he wanted, he went to town with a black spray paint. While working on the helmet, he finished aligning the red lenses before activating a water dispersement system that fed water into the firing mechanism. The system worked and the lenses began powering up. One of his men noticed and panicked.
"Sir, get down!" he shouted.
David hit the deck seconds before twin plasma blasts shot out of the helmet and burned a hole in the side of the sub. David picked himself up, looking at the helmet that had split in half and was partially melted.
"Need to make the helmet bigger." David decided.
…
Back in the plane, J'onn just wordlessly looked out the window as Diana walked up to him.
"Guess you decided not to take your own advice." She noted.
"My martian body does not require as much rest as a human's." J'onn told her.
"I can never rest on planes." Diana admitted. "Too many memories."
"I can understand that." J'onn replied.
"Really?" Diana asked.
"When we first boarded, I sensed an uneasiness about you." J'onn told her. "I did not peer into your mind though. I imagine it must be personal."
Diana sighed.
"It was a plane that introduced me to the world of man." she explained. "It was also a plane that..."
Her breath hitched for a moment, her hands clenching a bit.
"Long story short, I have too many memories surrounding planes." She summarized.
"You don't have to share if you don't want to." He reassured.
"Thank you." Diana said, her hands relaxing.
Suddenly, a small beeping noise started sounding off. Diana and J'onn turned to Mera, who sat up in her seat before activating an Atlantean holographic display in her bracelet.
"We're here." she announced, waking Arthur from his sleep.
"Where?" Arthur asked, coming out of his slumber.
"The Desert Kingdom, we're here." she announced.
"You sure?" Sameer called out from the pilot's seat. "All that's around here is desert and some underground caves."
"Positive!" Mera called back, opening up the cargo bay door.
"Hey, wait!" Arthur called out. "What are you-?"
Before he could finish, Mera leapt out of the plane. Everyone stared in shock, including Sameer.
"She's just jumped without a parachute!" he exclaimed.
"Redheads." Arthur replied. "Gotta love em."
He then leapt out after her, leaving J'onn and Diana in the plane. Diana shrugged, then jumped out next, followed by J'onn. The two flying heroes sped downwards, catching the two falling Atlanteans before they hit the sand. With their help, the two were able to land safely on the sandy dunes, Mera immediately looking at her holographic display and bringing up a map.
"We're close." Mera informed. "This way."
"Oh, great plan." Arthur commented, getting back up. "Leap out of a plane into the middle of the desert. Which, I remind you, has no water. And last I checked, Atlanteans kinda need that to live."
"Then we don't have time to waste." Mera countered. "So stop talking and start walking."
Arthur just groaned in annoyance before following after her. Diana and J'onn kept up easily, shielding their eyes from the sun.
"For all our sakes, I hope this Desert Kingdom is close." Diana admitted.
"How would a kingdom of Atlantis exist in a desert in the first place?" J'onn inquired.
"It wasn't always like this." Mera explained. "When the water dried up, so did the kingdom."
"Well, that's encouraging." Arthur commented.
"Keep that up, and it's a punch to the face." Mera shot back.
"Hey, in case you haven't noticed, we are lost in the middle of nowhere." Arthur retorted. "There is scenic nothing for miles. This place is a wasteland."
"You're the one who calls this wasteland home." Mera rebutted.
"Hey, just because I live on the surface doesn't mean I call all of it home." Arthur snapped. "My home is in the lighthouse with my old man, not this sand pit. Besides, it's not like everywhere looks like this!"
"Oh of course not." Mera replied sarcastically. "You've also got cities full of fuel burning cars, sewers that empty out into our oceans, factories that belch out poisonous smoke, and entire mountains made out of trash."
"The world of man has flaws, yes, but there is more to it then that." Diana spoke up.
"Thank you!" Arthur let out. "We do have good things, like green forests, big mountains, and beautiful lakes. You'd love lakes. They're like baby oceans. I could show you sometime."
Mera looked Arthur in the eye with a deadpan expression.
"It's like you want to get punched." she said.
"I'm just saying, you can't judge a place without seeing it first." Arthur insisted.
"No offense, but that is rather hypocritical coming from you." J'onn commented. "Did you not do the same with Atlantis?"
"Man, who's side are you on?" Arthur questioned.
"I am on no one's side." J'onn told him. "I am merely stating the truth."
"The truth?" Arthur let out. "You want the truth? Here's the truth."
He marched in front of Mera, slapping the holographic display out of her hand.
"We're lost because her majesty's atlantean GPS just told us to jump out of an airplane." He began, working himself into a tangent. "Now, we're in the middle of the largest desert in the world with no provisions, no water, and no idea where we're-"
Just then, the ground gave out from under him, causing him to suddenly drop into a sinkhole. Everyone gasped in shock, J'onn quickly diving into the hole after him. Mera looked down at the hole, picking up her holographic display before sighing.
"If he's the One True King, we're doomed." she declared.
"That remains to be seen." Diana countered.
Together, both women jumped into the hole after the two heroes.
…
Down below, Arthur slid down a sandy equivalent of a water slide, slipping through several underground tunnels that soon emptied out into a massive canyon. Before he could fall too far, a green hand grabbed him by his shirt, stopping his descent. Diana grabbed Mera the same way before she could fall any further.
"That was close." Arthur let out before he got a good look at the canyon. "Speaking of close… I think I owe you an apology Mera. We're not as lost as I thought."
The canyon was actually a massive underground kingdom, with statues of Atlantean rulers and ancient columns everywhere. Despite everything being covered in sand and mostly broken down, there was no denying that this was the remains of the Desert Kingdom.
"Glad you think so." Mera replied as Diana set her down on a ledge. "Apology accepted."
J'onn set Arthur down next to her as the four made their way inward. As they continued their trek, they gazed around at crumbling and dilapidated architecture.
"I can only imagine what this place was like in it's time." J'onn marveled.
"I'm certain it was beautiful." Diana agreed.
"It was." Mera replied. "Now all that remains is sand and rubble."
"Hope not." Arthur spoke up. "We really need that archive room."
"It should be down this way." Mera deduced, heading down a pathway.
The three heroes followed her towards a large room with massive, intricate doors. J'onn fazed through them, looking around before coming back out.
"I believe this is the place." he reported.
"Great." Arthur replied, approaching the doors. "Allow me."
He then pushed against them, forcing them open and allowing the others to walk inside.
"Ladies first." Arthur offered.
Mera and Diana enter the room first, the two men following after.
"So what exactly are we looking for?" J'onn asked.
Diana's foot caught on something, stopping her in her tracks. She looked down, her eyes going wide.
"Is that…?" She let out.
"The mold of Atlan's trident." Mera confirmed.
"The story… it's real." Arthur realized.
At their feet was a massive, stone slab that had the indentation of a trident in it. It was huge and broken, but there was no denying what it was. Mera ran her hand over it, determination in her eyes.
"We're close." she insisted. "Now all we need is the archive display."
"And what exactly does it look like?" Arthur questioned.
"That." Mera answered, pointing at a large mechanical looking dome in the center of the room.
She ran over to it and took out the cylinder, placing it carefully in the center of the device. She stepped back, waiting for something to happen. It seemed to do something, but then coughed up a cloud of sand before dying down.
"Well that was disappointing." Arthur commented.
"If not completely unexpected." J'onn remarked. "This is an Atlantean city that has dried up. I highly doubt the technology could function without-"
"Water!" Mera suddenly exclaimed. "Of course! Arthur, take off your shirt."
"What?" He let out.
"I need your sweat." She told him. "It's the closest source of water we have."
"Hope you don't need that from everyone." He joked, taking his shirt off and giving it to her.
"It doesn't have to be a lot." She replied, taking the shirt and syphaning the sweat off of it. "Just enough to get it running again."
After getting enough sweat, she moved it over to the cylinder, splashing it and powering it up.
"Yes!" She let out.
"Great." Arthur replied. "But um…"
"Oh. right." Mera realized, handing the shirt back. "Here."
"Thanks." Arthur replied, putting it back on.
The recording continued to power on until a holographic image made out of sand appeared, taking on the form of King Atlan.
"In this trident, resides the very power of Atlantis itself." Atlan explained. "In the wrong hands, it would bring about destruction, but in the hands of the true king, it would unite all our kingdoms, above and below. If you seek my power, you must prove yourself worthy of it. Journey beyond the edge of the world to the hidden sea. Look inside the bottle for the charted path. Only in the hands of the true king can he truly see."
The recording then cut out, the sand dropping to the ground. Everyone stared for a minute, trying to process what he meant.
"That was… cryptic." Arthur piped up.
"Even the Oracle of Delphi was less vague." Diana remarked.
"Even so, at least we know for certain that the trident exists." J'onn insisted, trying to see the positives.
"And getting it is our top priority." Mera added, picking up the cylinder. "We can't let Orm get his hands on this."
She then threw the cylinder to the ground, shattering it to pieces. Arthur jumped in shock.
"What did you do that for?!" he exclaimed.
"Preventing Orm from finding out what was on that." She explained.
"But what if we needed to watch the message again?" Arthur questioned.
"I memorized it." Mera answered. "Didn't you?"
"Well… yeah, sort of." Arthur replied. "I mean I got the jist of it."
"And what jist is that?" Mera asked.
"Use golden trident to save the world." Arthur stated. "...And something about a hidden sea."
Mera groaned and opened her mouth to say something, but that's when a section of the floor suddenly opened up. Everyone jolted, then looked at the floor. The part that had opened up revealed a secret compartment, one that contained a green glass bottle with a roll of paper inside of it.
"I believe that's the bottle the message mentioned." J'onn surmised, pulling out the paper. "And here is the charted path."
The other three crowded around, seeing a map of the Sicilian Peninsula.
"Guess we're going to Sicily." Arthur declared.