Chapter 175: 175
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As soon as the monster's eyes fix on Kal who swims a few meters below me, it freezes, peering, assessing the strange winged boy with its two good eyes, before its face shifts, eyes widening as it calls:
"Another, another!" It screeches at the top of its lungs, causing a tentacle to lash out in the waters between us, cutting through reeds and poor, unsuspecting fish, winding around Kal's body before he can even comprehend what is happening. Kal yelps as he is dragged up, clutching his dagger protectively between his hands as a shifting dizziness succumbs him momentarily, his face green against the underwater glow. Soon enough Kal is slung up beside me, twirled around on a tether of tentacles, under the close inspection of the second head, who blatantly ignores the ceaseless wails of his brother.
"Oh wow, how did I end up here? I swear, I wasn't about to stab you, or anything, my good tentacle-y friend. This is a huge misunderstanding," Kal says coolly, tucking his knife inside his belt as if this really was a whole big misunderstanding, doing his best to keep the glistening blade out of sight of the already enraged creature.
But once again, the creature appears not to hear our remarks, salivating as it scans the two of us, its snake-like tongue running out across its lower lips. The hunger in the creatures eyes is obvious.
"Two fishy morsels," it muses once again in that watery, sing songy voice, disrupted only by the dying wails of its injured brother "Two fishy morsels down in the depths dark deep down. One bad, is poison, so we must kill. Other tasty little fishy, we eat him alive."
"Alive?" Kal says, his voice hitching up an octave, before he brings it back down, regaining his cool and collected composure. "You know, I could have sworn things were better when they were cooked. Surely you don't want to eat me raw?"
The creature debates for a second, mouth twisting into a grimace before it falls in defeat, shoulders slumping.
"I want to eat cooked fishy- we could take them to mistress' underwater fires," wails the first brother, twisting back around to face us, white eyes scanning empty water. But before the conversation can be furthered, the second head flips back around, eyes wide and shining with the prospect of fresh meat.
"We eats them raw," it hisses to its brother, causing the first head to grow silent, unwilling to aggravate its more aggressive counterpart. Perhaps if I wasn't going to be murdered by this hideous monstrosity of the ocean, I might have said that it needs to stand up for itself more.
All at once the creature begins to lift Kal upwards, singing its watery tune as it drags him towards its wide, bloody maw.
Recklessly and realising time is quickly fading, Kal attempts to aim a fireball at the creature, only to be met with the black fire quickly fizzling off the surface of the tentacle, dispersing into the water as quickly as it was conjured. Kal's face goes pale.
"Shit, Serena, my magic won't work under here. I can't burn him, I'm sorry, I don't know what to do."
Attempting to steady my nerves, I try to reach out for Kal, but the tentacles hold us firmly apart.
"It's okay," I say, doing my best to keep the wobble out of my voice. Hope is not lost yet, after all. But the rate at which Kal is approaching the second creature's mouth is much too fast for my own liking. I need to act, and fast.
"Stop talking, little fishy. Food isn't meant to speak." the second head nags, dragging Kal up and around to face him. Hungrily, he licks his lips, dark eyes gleaming with a long, unfulfilled hunger of many washed out days at the bottom of this peculiar ocean.
Magic coils at my finger tips, fizzling and sparking in gleaming spots of gold and white against the unforgiving murky darkness of our surroundings, spilling heat and life into cognition.
Slowly, it opens its mouth. My magic flares, readying to action. The first head wails.
"I want some, I want to eat. Mistress said we share, Mistress said we-"
"Put them down, Cylus," comes a cold, yet somehow familiar voice from behind us, causing shudders to tremble down my spine in a dread filled anticipation. The commanding tone stills the creature- Cylus, to a grinding halt, its tentacles hanging in mid air, quite unsure what to do with itself, mouth left hanging open, as if still entertaining the prospect that it might get to eat.
Upside down and completely disorientated, I twist my head around, craning my neck to get a better look at the speaker. My eyes widen.
A few meters below us, swimming where the tentacles of the monster wreathe and slash in and out of the watery depths, stands a fair, blue skinned woman, flanked by two mermen, dressed in imperial, grey uniform and scales, and armed with spears that glow an iridescent blue against our surroundings.
Holy heavens. I think to myself, my heart pounding against my chest. Is that really her?
"Delina?" I whisper, shocked, attempting to reach out to the beautiful vampire lady, but once more finding myself utterly bonded in the grip of Cylus' tentacles. Delina glances up at me for a brief second, sparing a small smile, before realtering her focus on the creature in front of her, crossing her arms over herself, causing the golden bangles at her wrists to jingle with a watery sound.
Cylus' two heads pout in unison.
"Sister, we did not want to offend you. But we's are hungry. Little fishy morsels aren't as tasty as big fishy girls and boys," they cry in joint bereavement, lowering their tentacles now, twisting in distress.
For a second, my mind blanks. Sister? Surely not?
The two guards by her side raise their spears in protest at the creature, but Delina waves them down with two firm flickers of her hand. Angrily, she sticks up a finger, her red dress floating up like waves of blood around her.
"Hand them over, Cylus. These two are guests. Not food. You understand?" At this, the creature's eyes bulge in alarm.
"Guests, oh Guests! Don't hurt us, sister, we's did not know! Please don't tell the mistress, we will never eat fishy boys and girls again! We swears it!" The creature cries out in utter despair, hands flailing, twin pair of heads lolling loosely on fragile necks. As quickly as it dragged us in, Cylus drops both Kal and I, letting up sink gradually to the sandy floor with twin disbelief over the situation. I don't know much about Delina's authority or status in this part of the world, or anywhere undersea, but judging by how eager the creature was to drop us, I would hazard a guess that her influence is rather great.
Silently, she gestures to the guards to retrieve us, which they do so without question, scooping us off the ground and tucking Kal and I under an arm in perfect unison. Mesmerized and slightly dazed from the whole ordeal, I watch the merfolk's tails swish and cut through the water, my head spinning like a water wheel.
In my head, a gleeful relief washes through me. After all that- I still can't believe that happened. That Delina is here- what are the chances? But then another query comes to me, addling my mind with a temporary confusion.
If she is here, then surely she hasn't been taken like everyone else Azrael stole from the palace- but rather, it appears she has been spared. Much like me, she is an exception to his ordeals- but for what reason? Silently I wonder whether she knows about any of this at all, about the fate of Soren, or her friends in the palace. Explaining things would surely be made a lot easier that way.
After we have been brought to Delina's side, Kal grinning with a maniacal glee, we manage to muster enough energy to somewhat lift ourselves upright in the water, breathing a sigh of relief. Then Delina turns to the creature, waving a finger in disgust, like an older sister scolding a naughty sibling.
"You don't eat fishy boys and girls, okay Cylus. Not unless we give them to you, got it?" she scolds, but in a manner that seems more like a mother nagging a small child than actually having any bite behind it. Nervously, Cylus scrambles to cover his- it's?- face, a strange black liquid leaking out from the eyes of the first head, much like tears, only far more revolting. It turns the water bitter with its blackness as the creature continues to sniffle, head in hands.
"We are sorry sister! We thought they were intruders- we's were only trying to helpsies! But we were wrong, and we shall be punished. Mistress with hurt us if she finds out- please don't tell mistress!" it cries over and over, to which Delina only rolls her eyes.
"Your mistress will not find out, and you will not be punished. I will be taking my leave now, so don't do anything stupid while I am gone," she snaps, narrowing her eyes at the skeletal creature. Cylus nods frantically, bowing both heads in response.
"We's understand. No more eatings the fishy boys and girls."
Delina nods in affirmation, turning to us.
"Good, now, come along you two."
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
As soon as the monster's eyes fix on Kal who swims a few meters below me, it freezes, peering, assessing the strange winged boy with its two good eyes, before its face shifts, eyes widening as it calls:
"Another, another!" It screeches at the top of its lungs, causing a tentacle to lash out in the waters between us, cutting through reeds and poor, unsuspecting fish, winding around Kal's body before he can even comprehend what is happening. Kal yelps as he is dragged up, clutching his dagger protectively between his hands as a shifting dizziness succumbs him momentarily, his face green against the underwater glow. Soon enough Kal is slung up beside me, twirled around on a tether of tentacles, under the close inspection of the second head, who blatantly ignores the ceaseless wails of his brother.
"Oh wow, how did I end up here? I swear, I wasn't about to stab you, or anything, my good tentacle-y friend. This is a huge misunderstanding," Kal says coolly, tucking his knife inside his belt as if this really was a whole big misunderstanding, doing his best to keep the glistening blade out of sight of the already enraged creature.
But once again, the creature appears not to hear our remarks, salivating as it scans the two of us, its snake-like tongue running out across its lower lips. The hunger in the creatures eyes is obvious.
"Two fishy morsels," it muses once again in that watery, sing songy voice, disrupted only by the dying wails of its injured brother "Two fishy morsels down in the depths dark deep down. One bad, is poison, so we must kill. Other tasty little fishy, we eat him alive."
"Alive?" Kal says, his voice hitching up an octave, before he brings it back down, regaining his cool and collected composure. "You know, I could have sworn things were better when they were cooked. Surely you don't want to eat me raw?"
The creature debates for a second, mouth twisting into a grimace before it falls in defeat, shoulders slumping.
"I want to eat cooked fishy- we could take them to mistress' underwater fires," wails the first brother, twisting back around to face us, white eyes scanning empty water. But before the conversation can be furthered, the second head flips back around, eyes wide and shining with the prospect of fresh meat.
"We eats them raw," it hisses to its brother, causing the first head to grow silent, unwilling to aggravate its more aggressive counterpart. Perhaps if I wasn't going to be murdered by this hideous monstrosity of the ocean, I might have said that it needs to stand up for itself more.
All at once the creature begins to lift Kal upwards, singing its watery tune as it drags him towards its wide, bloody maw.
Recklessly and realising time is quickly fading, Kal attempts to aim a fireball at the creature, only to be met with the black fire quickly fizzling off the surface of the tentacle, dispersing into the water as quickly as it was conjured. Kal's face goes pale.
"Shit, Serena, my magic won't work under here. I can't burn him, I'm sorry, I don't know what to do."
Attempting to steady my nerves, I try to reach out for Kal, but the tentacles hold us firmly apart.
"It's okay," I say, doing my best to keep the wobble out of my voice. Hope is not lost yet, after all. But the rate at which Kal is approaching the second creature's mouth is much too fast for my own liking. I need to act, and fast.
"Stop talking, little fishy. Food isn't meant to speak." the second head nags, dragging Kal up and around to face him. Hungrily, he licks his lips, dark eyes gleaming with a long, unfulfilled hunger of many washed out days at the bottom of this peculiar ocean.
Magic coils at my finger tips, fizzling and sparking in gleaming spots of gold and white against the unforgiving murky darkness of our surroundings, spilling heat and life into cognition.
Slowly, it opens its mouth. My magic flares, readying to action. The first head wails.
"I want some, I want to eat. Mistress said we share, Mistress said we-"
"Put them down, Cylus," comes a cold, yet somehow familiar voice from behind us, causing shudders to tremble down my spine in a dread filled anticipation. The commanding tone stills the creature- Cylus, to a grinding halt, its tentacles hanging in mid air, quite unsure what to do with itself, mouth left hanging open, as if still entertaining the prospect that it might get to eat.
Upside down and completely disorientated, I twist my head around, craning my neck to get a better look at the speaker. My eyes widen.
A few meters below us, swimming where the tentacles of the monster wreathe and slash in and out of the watery depths, stands a fair, blue skinned woman, flanked by two mermen, dressed in imperial, grey uniform and scales, and armed with spears that glow an iridescent blue against our surroundings.
Holy heavens. I think to myself, my heart pounding against my chest. Is that really her?
"Delina?" I whisper, shocked, attempting to reach out to the beautiful vampire lady, but once more finding myself utterly bonded in the grip of Cylus' tentacles. Delina glances up at me for a brief second, sparing a small smile, before realtering her focus on the creature in front of her, crossing her arms over herself, causing the golden bangles at her wrists to jingle with a watery sound.
Cylus' two heads pout in unison.
"Sister, we did not want to offend you. But we's are hungry. Little fishy morsels aren't as tasty as big fishy girls and boys," they cry in joint bereavement, lowering their tentacles now, twisting in distress.
For a second, my mind blanks. Sister? Surely not?
The two guards by her side raise their spears in protest at the creature, but Delina waves them down with two firm flickers of her hand. Angrily, she sticks up a finger, her red dress floating up like waves of blood around her.
"Hand them over, Cylus. These two are guests. Not food. You understand?" At this, the creature's eyes bulge in alarm.
"Guests, oh Guests! Don't hurt us, sister, we's did not know! Please don't tell the mistress, we will never eat fishy boys and girls again! We swears it!" The creature cries out in utter despair, hands flailing, twin pair of heads lolling loosely on fragile necks. As quickly as it dragged us in, Cylus drops both Kal and I, letting up sink gradually to the sandy floor with twin disbelief over the situation. I don't know much about Delina's authority or status in this part of the world, or anywhere undersea, but judging by how eager the creature was to drop us, I would hazard a guess that her influence is rather great.
Silently, she gestures to the guards to retrieve us, which they do so without question, scooping us off the ground and tucking Kal and I under an arm in perfect unison. Mesmerized and slightly dazed from the whole ordeal, I watch the merfolk's tails swish and cut through the water, my head spinning like a water wheel.
In my head, a gleeful relief washes through me. After all that- I still can't believe that happened. That Delina is here- what are the chances? But then another query comes to me, addling my mind with a temporary confusion.
If she is here, then surely she hasn't been taken like everyone else Azrael stole from the palace- but rather, it appears she has been spared. Much like me, she is an exception to his ordeals- but for what reason? Silently I wonder whether she knows about any of this at all, about the fate of Soren, or her friends in the palace. Explaining things would surely be made a lot easier that way.
After we have been brought to Delina's side, Kal grinning with a maniacal glee, we manage to muster enough energy to somewhat lift ourselves upright in the water, breathing a sigh of relief. Then Delina turns to the creature, waving a finger in disgust, like an older sister scolding a naughty sibling.
"You don't eat fishy boys and girls, okay Cylus. Not unless we give them to you, got it?" she scolds, but in a manner that seems more like a mother nagging a small child than actually having any bite behind it. Nervously, Cylus scrambles to cover his- it's?- face, a strange black liquid leaking out from the eyes of the first head, much like tears, only far more revolting. It turns the water bitter with its blackness as the creature continues to sniffle, head in hands.
"We are sorry sister! We thought they were intruders- we's were only trying to helpsies! But we were wrong, and we shall be punished. Mistress with hurt us if she finds out- please don't tell mistress!" it cries over and over, to which Delina only rolls her eyes.
"Your mistress will not find out, and you will not be punished. I will be taking my leave now, so don't do anything stupid while I am gone," she snaps, narrowing her eyes at the skeletal creature. Cylus nods frantically, bowing both heads in response.
"We's understand. No more eatings the fishy boys and girls."
Delina nods in affirmation, turning to us.
"Good, now, come along you two."
As soon as the monster's eyes fix on Kal who swims a few meters below me, it freezes, peering, assessing the strange winged boy with its two good eyes, before its face shifts, eyes widening as it calls:"Another, another!" It screeches at the top of its lungs, causing a tentacle to lash out in the waters between us, cutting through reeds and poor, unsuspecting fish, winding around Kal's body before he can even comprehend what is happening. Kal yelps as he is dragged up, clutching his dagger protectively between his hands as a shifting dizziness succumbs him momentarily, his face green against the underwater glow. Soon enough Kal is slung up beside me, twirled around on a tether of tentacles, under the close inspection of the second head, who blatantly ignores the ceaseless wails of his brother."Oh wow, how did I end up here? I swear, I wasn't about to stab you, or anything, my good tentacle-y friend. This is a huge misunderstanding," Kal says coolly, tucking his knife inside his belt as if this really was a whole big misunderstanding, doing his best to keep the glistening blade out of sight of the already enraged creature.But once again, the creature appears not to hear our remarks, salivating as it scans the two of us, its snake-like tongue running out across its lower lips. The hunger in the creatures eyes is obvious."Two fishy morsels," it muses once again in that watery, sing songy voice, disrupted only by the dying wails of its injured brother "Two fishy morsels down in the depths dark deep down. One bad, is poison, so we must kill. Other tasty little fishy, we eat him alive.""Alive?" Kal says, his voice hitching up an octave, before he brings it back down, regaining his cool and collected composure. "You know, I could have sworn things were better when they were cooked. Surely you don't want to eat me raw?"The creature debates for a second, mouth twisting into a grimace before it falls in defeat, shoulders slumping."I want to eat cooked fishy- we could take them to mistress' underwater fires," wails the first brother, twisting back around to face us, white eyes scanning empty water. But before the conversation can be furthered, the second head flips back around, eyes wide and shining with the prospect of fresh meat."We eats them raw," it hisses to its brother, causing the first head to grow silent, unwilling to aggravate its more aggressive counterpart. Perhaps if I wasn't going to be murdered by this hideous monstrosity of the ocean, I might have said that it needs to stand up for itself more.All at once the creature begins to lift Kal upwards, singing its watery tune as it drags him towards its wide, bloody maw.Recklessly and realising time is quickly fading, Kal attempts to aim a fireball at the creature, only to be met with the black fire quickly fizzling off the surface of the tentacle, dispersing into the water as quickly as it was conjured. Kal's face goes pale."Shit, Serena, my magic won't work under here. I can't burn him, I'm sorry, I don't know what to do."Attempting to steady my nerves, I try to reach out for Kal, but the tentacles hold us firmly apart. "It's okay," I say, doing my best to keep the wobble out of my voice. Hope is not lost yet, after all. But the rate at which Kal is approaching the second creature's mouth is much too fast for my own liking. I need to act, and fast."Stop talking, little fishy. Food isn't meant to speak." the second head nags, dragging Kal up and around to face him. Hungrily, he licks his lips, dark eyes gleaming with a long, unfulfilled hunger of many washed out days at the bottom of this peculiar ocean.Magic coils at my finger tips, fizzling and sparking in gleaming spots of gold and white against the unforgiving murky darkness of our surroundings, spilling heat and life into cognition.Slowly, it opens its mouth. My magic flares, readying to action. The first head wails."I want some, I want to eat. Mistress said we share, Mistress said we-""Put them down, Cylus," comes a cold, yet somehow familiar voice from behind us, causing shudders to tremble down my spine in a dread filled anticipation. The commanding tone stills the creature- Cylus, to a grinding halt, its tentacles hanging in mid air, quite unsure what to do with itself, mouth left hanging open, as if still entertaining the prospect that it might get to eat. Upside down and completely disorientated, I twist my head around, craning my neck to get a better look at the speaker. My eyes widen.A few meters below us, swimming where the tentacles of the monster wreathe and slash in and out of the watery depths, stands a fair, blue skinned woman, flanked by two mermen, dressed in imperial, grey uniform and scales, and armed with spears that glow an iridescent blue against our surroundings.Holy heavens. I think to myself, my heart pounding against my chest. Is that really her?"Delina?" I whisper, shocked, attempting to reach out to the beautiful vampire lady, but once more finding myself utterly bonded in the grip of Cylus' tentacles. Delina glances up at me for a brief second, sparing a small smile, before realtering her focus on the creature in front of her, crossing her arms over herself, causing the golden bangles at her wrists to jingle with a watery sound.Cylus' two heads pout in unison."Sister, we did not want to offend you. But we's are hungry. Little fishy morsels aren't as tasty as big fishy girls and boys," they cry in joint bereavement, lowering their tentacles now, twisting in distress. For a second, my mind blanks. Sister? Surely not?The two guards by her side raise their spears in protest at the creature, but Delina waves them down with two firm flickers of her hand. Angrily, she sticks up a finger, her red dress floating up like waves of blood around her."Hand them over, Cylus. These two are guests. Not food. You understand?" At this, the creature's eyes bulge in alarm."Guests, oh Guests! Don't hurt us, sister, we's did not know! Please don't tell the mistress, we will never eat fishy boys and girls again! We swears it!" The creature cries out in utter despair, hands flailing, twin pair of heads lolling loosely on fragile necks. As quickly as it dragged us in, Cylus drops both Kal and I, letting up sink gradually to the sandy floor with twin disbelief over the situation. I don't know much about Delina's authority or status in this part of the world, or anywhere undersea, but judging by how eager the creature was to drop us, I would hazard a guess that her influence is rather great. Silently, she gestures to the guards to retrieve us, which they do so without question, scooping us off the ground and tucking Kal and I under an arm in perfect unison. Mesmerized and slightly dazed from the whole ordeal, I watch the merfolk's tails swish and cut through the water, my head spinning like a water wheel.In my head, a gleeful relief washes through me. After all that- I still can't believe that happened. That Delina is here- what are the chances? But then another query comes to me, addling my mind with a temporary confusion.If she is here, then surely she hasn't been taken like everyone else Azrael stole from the palace- but rather, it appears she has been spared. Much like me, she is an exception to his ordeals- but for what reason? Silently I wonder whether she knows about any of this at all, about the fate of Soren, or her friends in the palace. Explaining things would surely be made a lot easier that way.After we have been brought to Delina's side, Kal grinning with a maniacal glee, we manage to muster enough energy to somewhat lift ourselves upright in the water, breathing a sigh of relief. Then Delina turns to the creature, waving a finger in disgust, like an older sister scolding a naughty sibling."You don't eat fishy boys and girls, okay Cylus. Not unless we give them to you, got it?" she scolds, but in a manner that seems more like a mother nagging a small child than actually having any bite behind it. Nervously, Cylus scrambles to cover his- it's?- face, a strange black liquid leaking out from the eyes of the first head, much like tears, only far more revolting. It turns the water bitter with its blackness as the creature continues to sniffle, head in hands."We are sorry sister! We thought they were intruders- we's were only trying to helpsies! But we were wrong, and we shall be punished. Mistress with hurt us if she finds out- please don't tell mistress!" it cries over and over, to which Delina only rolls her eyes."Your mistress will not find out, and you will not be punished. I will be taking my leave now, so don't do anything stupid while I am gone," she snaps, narrowing her eyes at the skeletal creature. Cylus nods frantically, bowing both heads in response."We's understand. No more eatings the fishy boys and girls."Delina nods in affirmation, turning to us."Good, now, come along you two."
