Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2017 18:48:46 +0000 (UTC)
From: Andrew Bailey <feare909@yahoo.com>
Subject: Aquata Cove - Chapter 100

Aquata Cove
Chapter 100: Together Forever


As far as history can remember...


The old king breathes weakly in his bed. The inside of his body feels so
ragged and withered, all of the healers and medicine people have done all
that they can, but his time is up.

"Hhhgghhh... My son..." King Mithras wheezes as he turns to his kneeling
son, fully clad in his armor as he bows his head by his father's regal
bedside.

"I am here, Father." Prince Nalcious answers.

"I am not long for this world... I can feel myself being called to the
realm unseen..." He says with a very feeble voice, "Time has not been kind
to our land and to our people..."

"We endure, Father." Nalcious says in a reassuring tone, "Our empire will
survive these dark times."

"Hhhh... It does not take a soothsayer to know that our empire, like me, is
slowly toiling away... We have stood on our own for as long as we have been
able... Son... I know we have discussed this in the past, but you must
listen... The time has come for new bonds to be forged..."

"Father, I disagree-"

"My son... Hn-unnH! Uh-ghh..." He coughs, "I have foolishly ruled our lands
with the pride of a stubborn child, and our prosperity has always had a
predestined fall... Our forefathers squandered the goodness of our land,
and spoilt their natures... Hghghgh... I wanted to believe I alone could
redeem our people... But all I did was become a hero in my own mind... We
are almost out of our borrowed time... And I was always too blind to
acknowledge the future..."

"I will fix our country, Father. I will heal us all. You must rest in the
knowledge that you leave this world in worthy hands."

"Son... You must continue my plans with my Counsel..." King Mithras
whispers, "The Kingdoms of the Sea... Atlantis, Lyoness, Kandam... We must
give ourselves to them, and themselves to us... We need their ways and
their guidance..."

"Father, no!" The prince says, "We do not need to stand on their shoulders!
If we plead to them, we will needlessly be putting ourselves in their
debts. Our armies alone will sustain us-"

"Nnno...! I will not have my legacy darkened... My son..." He gives ravaged
inhale and exhale, "I have already written our proclamations..." The king
tells him drearily, "If we are to survive our struggles, we must reach to
the waters..." The king coughs several times. He has only one moment left,
"I have met only the high priestess of one such of the kingdoms... Hmhmhm,
she is a worthy and gentle spirit... We must reach out to them... From
them, we will slowly rebuild the losses and wilted ways of our people's
living..."

"Father... If you just... Allow me to amend the drought in our lands. I can
do it without-"

"Carry my last wish, my son..." King Mithras asks, "Carry on my final act
as a monarch... Connect our people to a brighter future..." He slowly
closes his eyes as the light started to fade, "Herd our flocks... To the
salvation of the beyond..."

"Father..." The prince grimaced stubbornly as he listens to the king's last
breath. One by one, the huffs become softer, quieter. The priests stand by
the door as Prince Nalcious stands up from kneeling, looking over his
passed father...

The two priests come in with their ministrations, already beginning the
primary prayer for their fallen king. Turning, Prince Nalcious walks out of
the royal chambers, frowning as he goes.

`Father... Once again, you have proven so weak... So like a child...' He
thinks angrily as dark intent seeps into his heart.


~~~Several Weeks Later~~~


"No..." Leander says as he looks over the Kingdom of Atlantis. The
soldiers, wearing red leather and iron armor, from his own clan fight with
clashing swords against the Atlantean warriors. Blood flies and paints much
of the iridescent architecture, "What... What is the meaning of this??..."
His olive-skinned face looks over the warring people, his thin-bearded
mouth ajar from the ongoing carnage before his deep brown eyes, as the
blood-scented winds rush through his semi-short brunette hair.

Robed in a traveling cloak, clad in basic iron chainmail, arm and shin
guards, the nomadic man watches in horror in the ruins of the once
beautiful city of the sea. He removes his hood, his stomach churning from
the rising smoke and the rising of the war cries of the soldiers, the dying
roars of the warriors, and screams of the civilians.

"Take to the gates, men!" Shouts the general of Leander's company. He looks
as his own comrades charge in squads from the warships from his homeland,
"The city is ours! Their castle waits!"

"General Teranton!" Leander calls out. He drops his pack and leaves his
cloak behind as he runs to the leader, "General Teranton, what has
happened?! What are we doing in battle?!"

"Leander! You have come! Good, I have sent word for you. King Nalcious has
proclaimed the water kingdoms as threats to our lands!" He answered, "Waste
no time! MOVE! Arm yourself quickly!"

"Answer me! What are we-" He stops, having to run off as the ramparts are
pulled forth. In the craze of the battle, Leander runs about, looking
around at all the carnage. His very soul cringes and falls at the very
sight of his fellow soldiers -- men he grew up with...

"YOU MONSTERS!!!"

"Hhh?!" Leander gasps as he draws his sword as a woman in gleaming golden
armor with shimmering blue alloy charges at him, "No! Please!"

"Our home! Our kingdom! For what reason do you harvest us like vile
pestilence?!" She swings her spear savagely at him, her eyes glaring at him
with sheer rage through her helmet.

"I do not wish to fight, please! I-I-I do not kno- Ah!" Leander clangs her
weapon with his shield, only able to turn in circles to keep away from her.

"You have ruined EVERYTHING! My family lies in- GLLLKK!"

"Hhh?!" Leander's eyes go wide as an arrow is suddenly shot through her
neck. She gags and chokes as she drops her spear, blood pouring onto her
breastplate. She staggers until another arrow pierces her head, and knocks
her into a ditch, "NOOO!" Leander grabs for her but misses. He falls to his
knees at the edge, staring as the female warrior rolls and slides down,
dead. He shakes as the woman who just tried to kill him... Was slain by one
of his own comrades...

"Get up!"

"Ghhh!" Leander grunts as he feels his armor yanked up, finding himself
back on his feet, and seeing a thick-framed archer move Leander's shield
up.

"Keep going, or you will die!"

"W-Wait!" Leander called out, but he had already left. Leander groans as he
tries to run, but his legs are suddenly a lot heavier than they should
be. His mind remains on that woman, that brave lady of the sea... And her
eyes becoming wide with agony, her voice distorted as she tried to
walk... The very sound of her gagging...

"What... What are we doing..." Leander says as he shakes where he
stands. He had been in many battles, but this? "This... This is
wrong... What is happening??" He gets a little dizzy, almost topping over
before his shield hits a wall, using it to keep his
balance. "... Pelagios. Pelagios!" He forces his legs to move, sheathing
his sword, but keeping his shield at hand, "I need to find him!"

"AHHH!" Someone screams. Leander turns to see a collapsing house as a man
and child struggle to get free. Leander immediately dashes over to them,
and brandishes his sword. He slashed the door down with several swings and
swooped in to force the two locals out of the hut, seconds before it fell.

"The royal family!" Leander says after to two he just rescued, "Please, I-"

"Stay away! Leave us be!!" The man demanded at Leander as he picked up his
child, and ran away. Leander stares with hurt as the two of them make a run
for their lives.

Casting this moment aside, Leander turns and continues to sprint.


~~~


"So... It has come to this..." Says a beautiful woman from the window of
the highest balcony of the palace. A mid-aged woman, she is draped in blue
and white silks, with a Atlantean platinum mantle around her chest and
shoulders, and river-like circlet around her head that brings the shine of
her long light hair.

"Our forces could not stop them... The Gods could not help us... Fate has
declared our fall... So much will be lost..." She bows her head as she
listens to the sounds of destruction and cries within the city. "Our
kingdom bleeds unending... I truly believed our destiny was so bright and
welcoming..."

The door opens behind her and in comes a priest in a white and silver toga
inscribed with Atlantean symbols on the trim.

"Your Majesty, it is time..." He reported after he kneeled down. "High
Priestess Atargatis... We must begin with your blessing."

"Yes." The graceful and sorrowful woman turns to the humble servant, and
stepped from her window, "I pray that we will find refuge in the next plane
of our survival..."


~~~


An Atlantean warrior swings his blade across a soldier, gritting his teeth
as holds his ornate shield. He fights fiercely as he is outnumbered 4 to
1. He slings his body try to out-maneuver the nearest soldier but
ultimately falls to another assault from behind.

Leander gasps as he runs as fast as he can, his eyes looking everywhere for
Pelagios. He could be anywhere! There's no telling just how far the forces
have already reached within Atlantis.

Soon, Leander sees the majestic gates of the royal ring. A pair of golden
statues of a female holding a silver urn, and a male holding a silver
trident, both sculptures half human from the waist-up, and fishtails from
the waist-down.

"STOP! Let us leave, I beg you!" Comes a plea from an older woman. Leander
turns and sees three of his brothers in arms corner a few Atlanteans.

"We are unarmed! We are not warriors!"

"Make this swift..." One of the soldiers tells the others. They raise their
weapons to eliminate that terrified civilians.

"NO!" Leander spins a sling around and lets it fly at the heads of one of
the soldiers. The targeted one falls to Leander's quick tool, before he
runs in, and uses his sword to cut down one of the soldier's spears, "Stop
this! They are not even armored!"

"You betray us?!"

"The orders were to spare no one!"

"What are you doing?!"

"This is wrong! Why are our forces assaulting Atlantis?!"

"This is the will of King Nalcious! Now resume your post, soldier!"

"I will bear no such mark!" Leander says as he removes his helmet, and
throws it to the ground. "I will not stand idle!"

"You dare betray your kingdom?!"

"Deserter!"

"Do not do this, Leander..."

As the four soldiers confront each other, a gold sandal steps onto the
ledge of the gates, looking down upon them, and the Atlanteans sneaking
away from behind Leander.

"Then you will die with them!" A soldier says as he turns his blade, and
charges for one of the people. Leander dashes to the side and clashes his
sword with the other. Leander throws it off and kicks into the hard
abdominal plate of his comrade.

"You TRAITOR!!" Another soldier rushes in and charges at Leander. He stops
him with his shield. Leander swerves and knocks down the ankles of another
soldier, slashing his sword into his leg and making him fall. "AHHH!"

Two more soldiers see one of their own fighting against them, and they come
to investigate. Leander winces as his left arm is already feeling sore and
tired from all of the defensive bashing. He grunts and dances with his
weapon around in circles as his fellow soldiers start to become more
interested in him than raiding the city.

FfffffPPP

"AHH!" Leander suddenly feels an arrow pierce into his right shoulder,
making him drop his sword, and backing into a corner, where the civilians
were before. He pants as blood dribbles down his face from a cut, as well
as the wound on his shoulder. He can see his general staring down at him,
readying another arrow from his quiver, and taking aim at Leander, not to
mention the others brandishing their swords, and started to run towards
their traitor.

Then, the general squints his eyes, seeing a bright light being reflected
from the sun. After a moment of trying to understand, the general then
feels something swift and heavy hit his helmet! "Gaahh!" He falls from his
post onto the ground, "GHHHHH!" His back feels intense pain from the
impact... "I... I can't move..." He realizes, "I cannot move! I-I-I
cannot-"

"General!" One of the soldiers says.

Just then, all of them hear a clear voice ring out around them. They look
up to see an Atlantean flip and turn in the air before he lands on his feet
and one hand crouching down, between Leander and the numerous soldiers in
red and silver. His free hand grasps his gracefully designed silver trident
as the air suddenly felt a lot cooler. He looks through his own gold and
blue-pearl helmet, adorned with a straight blade on the front of the face
between the eyes, and one on either side of his head for a crown-like
appearance.

"An Atlantean!"

"Caution! This one is a Triton!"

"A son of their king?!"

The Triton then springs forward, leaping even, and rotates a 180 swing of
his trident. A shield blocks his attack, but he continues in the rotation
of his motion, using his left hand to knock the shield just to the side
before he pounded the pummel into the soldier's neck.

He lashes another half-circle move, brandishing his royal spear, and
stabbing the soldier in the back, easily ripping into the armor on the
back! "AHHHH!" The Triton turns, and backs away, flipping his trident and
sprinting forward. He catches the next soldier off-guard as he comes from
below. The armor on this Atlantean's forearm and hand is shaped much like a
spade, using it to knock up onto the soldier. He is blocked, his shield
bashes him away, and he strikes the man with his sword!

"No!" Leander races to him. The Triton rolls with tumble, clicking on
something in his handguard, and letting it sling around his limb, and lock
onto the side of his arm. Flipping his trident backward, the Triton shoots
forward.

"AhHHhAHhaahh!" The soldier backs away in rabid steps, as the Atlantean
enacts a melee of swings, with his left arm humming an eerie, mystical
sound as the wind races through the tuned weapon, turning around and
thrusting the trident up, and then around and around again, wasting nothing
in his movements.

A soldier knocks the Triton onto the ground, and then clashes his sword
into the singing arm-weapon, shattering it, and then stomping his foot onto
his arm. The soldier raises his sword to slay this man. "You are-
GAAHHHH!!"

Leander stands there, panting with eyes filled with rage as his sword is
deep within his comrade. The Triton's right hand shoots a hidden blade from
his metal wrist-cuff, and then stabs into the soldier's leg! He grabs his
trident again, and whirls the wind around him, and gashes the soldier torso
with the three blades.

Standing together, Leander and the Triton attack the remaining
guards. Leander takes the Triton's arm, and swings him around before the
trident knocks the sword away, and Leander comes full-circle to block
another blade with his shield. The Triton takes his trident, and reverses
to the other way, and goes into another tornado of two-handed assaults,
easily cutting down the soldier.

"You will die with the rest of them!" Yells a soldier as he crosses blades
with Leander. He grunts as he's pushed backward, before the soldier takes
his dagger, and stabs Leander's side between the lines of his chainmail!

"AHHHHH!" Leander relents from the pain, and the soldier kicks him into the
ground. Whipping his sword around, the soldier goes to make the killing
blow to his wounded comrade.

HnnnNNnggghhh

A silvery sound rings through the air before the soldier is struck down in
mid-run! "ACCKKHHH!" He falls to the ground as the trident impales his
chest. The Triton walks to the dying soldier, taking his weapon, and then
giving it a harsh crank with both hands. The soldier suddenly stopped
moving, his hands going limb.

They are relatively alone now, he and Leander. The Triton turns to him as
Leander gingerly takes the dagger out his body, dribbling with more blood
than there should be. He pants and grunts as he stands on his shaking legs,
putting his hand onto the wall of the gate, and looking at the Atlantean
before him with just one as, as the other one is closed to prevent the
blood from his head from getting in.

"Pelagios..." Leander groans. Pelagios takes his helmet off, revealing his
short and bright yellow hair, his piercing eyes of deep and vivid blue from
his fair skin. Those eyes rim with water as he looks at the wounded
soldier.

"Tell me this isn't true..." His shaky voice requests.

"Pelagios..."

"Tell me this is all a heartbreaking nightmare. A dark joke of the Gods to
teach me allegory. Tell me, Leander."

"Pelagios... I do not understand..." Leander shakes his head, "I-I..."

"Then what is the meaning of this?!" Pelagios stomped forward, "Tell me!"

"Hhh... Hhh..." Leander covers his eyes as he wipes the blood from the
right one.

"Hgeh..." Pelagios scoffs as he walks away a few steps, "So I suppose this
is King Mithras's great bridge of unity to our kingdom, yes? Is that not
what he discussed with my Mother all those years ago?!"

"No... I cannot, I do not know what any of this means." Leander says as he
shakes his head, "I-I... I just arrived..."

"Hence why you are not in full armor. I had the slight delusion that you
were somehow PART OF THIS!" Pelagios shouts, his eyes searing at him,
"Leander, you are telling me that you do not know of your country's own
warfare?! They did not even send a bird?!"

"I have known nothing!" Leander defends, still panting as his wound still
bleeds.

"Then explain the reasoning. My Mother spoke of how King Mithras sought to
bring his kingdom to others, or else stand strong alone. How is THIS," He
waves his hand to the crumbling city, "How is this building the bridge to
us?! Why has King Mithras invaded us?!"

"Kih... King Mithras?" Leander groans as he pushes up, "Pelagios, has the
king and queen not heard? Have you not been told?"

"What are you talking about??"

"King Mithras has passed."

"... What?" Pelagios blinks slowly with confusion.

"A fortnight, King Mithras fell to illness. The heir King Nalcious now
rules." Leander huffs with a hint of disbelief, "I have heard tell that he
had conflicted with the former king's council, but... Pelagios, I..."
Leander shakes his head, "I do not know what this is."

"Fine... Your King Nalcious then... Has declared war upon the three
Kingdoms of the Sea -- Atlantis, Lyoness, and Kandam." Pelagios explained
hollowly, "He demanded we surrendered ourselves to his hand, or we will
fall."

"By the Gods..."

"Leander, the city has fallen as of 7 days before now. Yours is a small
country, how can we even have fallen so soon, so easily??"

"King Mithras... Has established many small bonds with training camps
across the land... After he died, King Nalcious decided to conscript every
soldier within the boundary."

"What... But... That is outlandish, barbaric!" Pelagios covers his mouth,
"What does he hope to gain by this?!"

"I do not know... I do not know..." Leander says as he takes out the paper
letter he received from the general, "All I was told was that we were at
war, and to report to Atlantis immediately."

"No... No, no..." Pelagios shakes his head as he turns away from him,
planting his trident on the ground, still holding it with both hands, and
putting his forehead into it.

"Pelagios... Will you l-"

"You have to get out of here, Leander." Pelagios says, before taking his
trident, and turning back to him, "You have to leave Atlantis as fast as
you can."

"Yes, I will, we will leave together, right?" Leander says. Pelagios just
looks at him with eyes full of sorrow and tears. "Pelagios? We... We can
leave together. You and me."

"Leander... I cannot." Pelagios shook his head, "I am a sanctioned prince
of Atlantis; a Triton bearing our name. I cannot leave now."

"Why not, please!" Leander pleads, "Atlantis should never fall, but I..."
His breath seems to escape him, "I cannot leave without you... Why...?"

"Leander... There is a reason the three Kingdoms of the Sea have such
strange and mystical ties to the ocean, why our stock and our lands are so
much different than other lands... We are evolved and one with the seas. We
belong only to Poseidon's whim."

"Then I will remain." Leander says, his eyes wavering with tears, "I will
come with you, the king and queen will understand, I-"

"You cannot..." Pelagios says, shaking and bowing his head, "You really
can't..."

"Wha, why, why, I do not understand, Pelagios, no." Leander sniffs as his
whole body shakes, "How can you say this??"

"Leander." Pelagios wipes his eyes, "Through the ages, the three Kingdoms
have always been engraved in the sea. It is apart of the mighty
ocean... And so the Kingdoms themselves have one last line of
survival... When calamity befalls any of them, the Kingdoms must become its
own ruthless miracle."

"I still don't understand." Leander moves, and takes Pelagios's hand, "Just
run away with me! We will live elsewhere, leave everything behind! I-"

"Please, stop, I can't!" Pelagios takes his hand. Leander stares at
Pelagios profound betrayal as he steps back, crying as he covers his eyes.

"Why..."

"HhhHHh... It is called Aquaforming." Pelagios says after he had gathered
more strained strength.

"What is that?"

"Each of the Kingdom has this very resort. To Aquaform, Atlantis will sink
into the ocean. We will descend into the depths of the water, never to be
seen again. With the Gods' blessing and mercy, our kind will endure. We
will transcend into another being of existence. If this world hunts and
executes us in its current way, we transform to become more suitable."

"I still do not see why we cannot just leave, Pelagios... What is stopping
you??"

"If Atlantis is to have any chance of leaving and changing... The blood of
the royal family, as well as the holy monks, must be spent."

Leander feels his insides drop as he hears this.

"I have no chance in this, Leander... We do not even know if this will
work..."

"Pelagios, please, do not do this, please... Do not leave me from here,
come with me... Why take the chance then? Just step away, and take my
vessel with me."

"Leander, I cannot... I am sorry..." Pelagios lowers his head.

"But... You promised me we would be together..." Leander says. Pelagios
unhands him from himself and turns to look at the smoking remains of the
city. "Your Mother ordained me as yours. Y-Your King signed my nobility to
Atlantis; I am to be your Ambassador! Do not leave this behind, Pelagios!
Life is not worth living if I have to leave you behind! If you have to go
back to the palace, I will come with you!"

Pelagios merely shakes his head, "WHY?! Did you not choose me?! Did I not
pledge myself to you! Did all we have mean nothing-"

"That was before your king decided to kill us!!" Pelagios whipped around
and shouted. Leander stopped and took a step back, "It has already begun,
Leander... There is no stopping it... Lyoness and Kandam have already
surrendered to the waves and the deep. Fate has declared that we follow the
destiny of our brother and sister kingdoms."

"Pelagios..."

"You have to leave Atlantis, Leander... While you can..." Pelagios comes
close, and moves his hand to his face. Leander takes his wrist and looked
him straight in the eyes.

"There is something else you are not telling me."

"... Leander. You have to leave Atlantis. Now, while there is still time."

"Tell me what you are hiding, Pelagios." Leander pleads, "Why can I not
stay with you?"

Pelagios huffs with emotion and swallowed his sadness, "If Atlantis is able
to Aquaform, the power of Poseidon will smite every outsider within our
border." A tear rolls down Pelagios's cheek, "If you stay, you will
die... You must leave, now." He tenderly rubs his hand onto Leander's
bristly cheek, "Please... Save yourself..."

"Nnnoo... No, no..." Leander cries as he puts his hand onto Pelagios's, "I
cannot live without you." Leander's lip quivers as his hands push and
squeeze Pelagios's hand, "Do not ask me of this."

"I will live in your heart, through your memories, I will exist." Pelagios
states as more drops fall from his eyes.

"I do not want you in my memories... I want you with me..." Leander says as
their foreheads touch.

"I am sorry, my love..." Pelagios says as he rubs his soldier longingly,
"Just know that if I am to see the next life, I will cling to whatever we
used to have to my soul..."

"Pelagios..."

The Triton looks to the side as he spots the glowing of the lines on the
ground. "We are out of time."

"What?"

Leander looks up, and gasps as Pelagios as his mouth suddenly pushes with
his mouth. Leander stands there in confusion and fear, not know what to
make of this, or how to ask what is happening. Regardless, he closes his
eyes and moans as he enjoys this last moment. Their lips roll and lap as
their tongues rub one another, as Leander almost immediately becomes lost
within the now.

Pelagios breaks the kiss, and forcefully pushes Leander a few feet away.

"Ahh!" Leander falls to the ground, and scrambles up as he sees the
threshold of the royal gates flash a wall of transparent light. "No! What
are you doing?!" He gets back up and rushes as Pelagios puts his helmet
back onto his head. Leander runs, and suddenly finds himself slamming into
a solid force! "Ahhh! What is this?!"

Pelagios doesn't answer, but only looks through his helmet with sorrow as
his mourning and desperate lover pulls and claws at the barrier, "I love
you, Leander."

"Pelagios, no! Please! What are you doing?! Come back, please do not
leave!"

"Goodbye..."

KUUNNGGLLL

"AHH!" Leander gasps as the gates suddenly jerk backward. He gasps as he
hears the furious rushing of water pouring, and sees the ocean cascading
into the giant circle-shaped reservoir around the entire royal
providence. Out of Leander's immediate site, the sea water rivers and runs
into lines all around the continent of Atlantis, "PELAGIOS!"

The prince turns around, placing his hand over the eyeholes of his helmet
as he feels himself give into despair.

"I will not say it! I will NEVER say goodbye!!" He yells, "If this is the
end, then I will not have it! I will stay and die here!" Pelagios clutches
his trident as the holy center of Atlantis continues to descend, platforms
forming layer by layer, "And when I die, I will escape Elysium and be
reborn in the next life, and I WILL FIND YOU! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"
Leander proclaims, "I will never forget you! I will hold you again in my
arms! I will find you in the next life, and the life after that, and the
life after the next!"

Pelagios turns around and looks up at the emotional soldier, his body
shaking as he sees that man refused to move from the edge.

"I WILL FIND YOU! I will ALWAYS come to you!" Leander calls out, fairly
certain that Pelagios can't even hear him by now. "By the Gods... I will
always... Come for you..." Leander sniffs as he falls to the ground,
wincing as this blood from his wound has drained his dying stamina. Panting
with immense despair, he lets himself slip down and lay upon a broken wall.

Leander digs his hand into his tunic and brought out a seashell amulet. He
coughs weakly as he looks into the orb tucked into the opening, his
fingertips feeling at the carved symbols embedded with pearl-like ink.


{}{}{}


"Here, for you, Leander." Pelagios says as he gives Leander a decorative
seashell.

"Hah, a beautiful tribute. Did a mermaid grant you this treasure?" Leander
says playfully as he nudged his lover.

"Hahaha, no, Leander." Pelagios pats at his arm, "It is a blessed amulet of
faith. My Mother sanctified this talisman for you." Pelagios said as he
takes a thin silvery rope. He tucks it into a hole on the shell, and
reaches around Leander's neck, and ties it in place.

"High Priestess Atargatis?" Leander asked with an amazed smile, "This came
from her?"

"My Mother has always approved of our courtship." Pelagios beams with a
smile as they walk together, "She blessed it as a token of my love for
you."

"Wow... I am honored..." Leander says as the sunlight makes the white pearl
symbols along the shell's path glimmer, "What do these markings mean?"

"It is a prayer from our monks." Pelagios answers, "Roughly, it says that
no matter what befalls the world, a light from the sea will lead our sight
to the truth of one."

"A light from the sea? It sounds more like a riddle to me, heheh."

"Hahaha, ancient allegory, I'm sure."


[][][]


Pelagios's steps echo as he walks into the innermost chamber of the
temple. He looks up to see a circle of monks and priests all around the
alcove, praying lowly and meditating in procession with the nation-wide
ritual. He sees his family gathered around the scared Urn of Amphitrite;
one of the holiest relics of Atlantis, said to contain the tears of rage
and scorn of all of the Gods of the sea.

His father, mighty King Oceanus with his own golden trident in his hand,
stands in his regal toga of scallop shells and cloth of silk, along with
his eldest brother, Proteus, who is also their most ordained priest, having
sought enlightenment in recent years. Pelagios looks to his mother, Queen
and High Priestess Atargatis, in a very quiet and distilled trance, having
inhaled much of the ceremonial incense in her attempt to be one with the
ether. The eldest, his sister Eidothea, silently mourns for this tragic day
-- she was to begin her diplomatic education and practice to assume the
throne within a few more years. And there are their two younger siblings,
Pontus and Clyte. Both preteen brother and sister appear very sleepy,
probably have not been told of what is to come, and have only just been
awoken.

"Oh, Pelagios." Oceanus says with concern as he approaches him, "Thank the
Gods you are here."

"Yes, Father..." Pelagios says lowly.

"It is... A very melancholy day..." Oceanus says heavily, "By the Gods,
King Mithras will pay for his hubris-"

"It wasn't him." Pelagios said.

"What?"

"King Mithras has died... This siege is the work of his son, the new
king..."

"How... How can this be?" Oceanus asked, thoroughly confused, "How can you
know this??"

"Leander... Leander was given orders to come here... He was informed..."
Pelagios said somberly.

"... I see..." Oceanus closes his eyes, "Yes, I see..." He takes a moment
to gather his emotions in this grieving moment, "If... If this was ill of
King Mithras... Then by the will of the Gods, our survival will tribute him
justice." He says before he turns back around to the others.

"Father."

"Yes?" Oceanus turns around to see Pelagios take his helmet off.

"H-He... He's still out there." Pelagios's eyes rim with tears, "Please,
Father, is there no way I can bring him here with me?"

"Pelagios..." He looks at his son with sympathetic eyes.

"H-He will not leave without me, h-h-he's going to die out there all
alone," His voice shakes as he pleads the King Triton before him, "Or he'll
be killed for desertion, and I just left him there,"

"Pelagios, I," Oceanus walks back to him.

"Can I not bid the Ningyo to bring him here, he is dying as we speak,"
Pelagios cries, almost hysterical.

"Pelagios, there is no-"

"He is out there and I need to protect him, and I just abandoned him, and
he..." Pelagios sobs as he covers his eyes with one hand, "He is going to
die..."

"Son..." Oceanus puts his large hand onto Pelagios's shoulder.

"Father... Please..." Pelagios looks up to the taller man, "Is there no way
to save him?"

"My son... I am very, truly sorry..." Oceanus lamented, "None but our kind
may set foot in our sanctum... He would have no more of a chance here than
he does out there." Pelagios clenches his eyes and his teeth as he bows his
head, his chest feeling solid and broken. Oceanus walks away from his
mourning son, retreating back to the sacred artifact to leave his son to
lament.

Pelagios draws from his pocket and takes out a strung charm of red and
brown feathers, tied together very neatly in a wing-shape arrangement with
a shiny yellow thread, placed with a glittering ruby in place, carved into
a diamond-shape.


{}{}{}


"Here, I had this made for you." Leander says as he digs in his pack, and
produces what appears to be a small bird wing of red and gold make.

"Oh, wow," Pelagios beamed as he takes it, turning it over and letting the
fire light of the evening make the item glitter, looking at the sparkling
red jewel bound at the base.

"This is from a trophy I won in the Grand Coliseum." Leander says as he
taps on the gem on the elegant shock of feathers.

"How do you mean?" Pelagios asked as the wing charm rotated from the
braided leather tie attached to it.

"I mean on that tournament last month." Leander chuckle, "Remember? We were
in a feast of the body to celebrate my victory."

"I do not know, I couldn't stop looking at all the men~" Pelagios grins as
he recalls that night. When the warriors and soldiers on that night were
stark naked as they ate and drank, right after being bathed from the harsh
and graphic battles; an extraordinary but fantastic custom in Pelagios's
eyes.

"Heheheh, it was from a cup that was presented to me." Leander scuffed his
lover's back, "I went to an old crafter, and had him assemble a charm
inspired by the will of the Phoenix."

"The eternal bird of fire?" Pelagios asked with intrigue, "But... You
fought so hard for that prize. Why would you take it apart?"

"Heh... I do not need a jeweled cup on my mantle," Leander says as he
strokes Pelagios's cheek, "As long as I have you by my side."


[][][]


"Hghghhhghh..." Leander breathes roughly as he lays there. The puddle of
blood on the ground has grown from his knife-wound. He has not even
bothered patching it up, but only applied some of the herbs he carries to
ease the pain.

Still... He shouldn't just die on a rock... At least he should make some
sort stance, some posture... To show the Gods and destiny that he shouldn't
just be forgotten as he is now...

Grunting, Leander gets up, feeling dizzy and tired as his side stings with
pain. He limbs to his fallen sword, dragging his shield with him, and
moving a few feet to the edge, slipping weakly as he can barely manage to
even get that far. Gradually gripping his sword, he pulls it up, points it
to the ground, and plants his weapon swiftly into it.

"Hghghhghhghh..." Leander coughs as his legs slide down, his hands still
holding the sword's handle. His shallow breaths shake as he pushes his
knees to kneel as he bows his head, panting as he takes his shield, and
drags it around in front of him, and props it in front of his sword.

Leander's energy fades as he remembers his beloved... That young, playful,
flirtatious, mischievous prince... How he had the honor of being chosen to
be that noble boy's true love...


{}{}{}


Leander patrols the halls of the Atlantean vestibule, where the nobility
and royalty have come to meet and discuss national matters.

"Pardon me." Comes a voice. Leander turns to see a young adult male with
fair skin and short light gold hair. He carries a silver trident in his
hand, and is dressed in formal clothing. Judging by the crown-like mantle
on his head, he is probably the prince of this land, as well as being
escorted by two armored guards.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"You serve King Mithras, yes?"

"I do. I am Leander Aeolus, soldier of His Majesty's army."

"I am curious about you. Might I trouble you with a stroll?"

"I am at my post, Your Highness." Leander replied, "I am to watch for
danger of the western wing."

"Clyte. Zale." Pelagios turns to his guards, "Resume this man's post, I
wish to speak with this man."

"Yes, Triton Pelagios." The guards comply. Leander smiles as the royal
young man comes to him.

"Lets go to the gardens."

"Heh... Yes, Your Grace."

They walk along the luminous fountains of the gardens, decorated with
crystal fish statues and sculptors of half-humans half-fish pouring water
into different streams.

"You must be a significant man to be here for a regal gathering." Pelagios
chats.

"Heh, none at all. I am a glorified replacement, nothing more."

"So harsh in your stature." Pelagios raises a brow.

"One of the royal commanders could not come, so I was selected by chance."
Leander says.

"A handsome and no doubt skilled warrior like you? Surely you merit more
than you allow yourself to see."

"None that comes to mind, lest I be allowed to peer at the riches of your
kingdom." Leander says with a charismatic smile, "Oh, I apologize, that was
out of turn."

"Heheheh, not at all."

"So, if I may ask... Who are you in the royal hierarchy?"

"I am a prince, almost a middle child, and I have been taught the elite
ways of our ancestors. To honor the son of Poseidon, a warrior prince such
as I is dubbed `Triton'. My Father, King Oceanus, is also a Triton -- he
taught me everything I know."

"Wait, do you not have an elder brother?"

"Yes, but he does not find purpose in holding a weapon. He is more of a
scholar, so he resides in our temple."

"Hahaha, so he is a Noita?"

"Do not be ridiculous." Pelagios swats his padded arm playfully, "Noitas
are dubbed to the holiest of our female priests. Males and other lower
sorts of monks are called `Disciples'."

"So, does that mean you are to be King then?"

"No, that will be my sister, Eidothea." Pelagios chuckled, "She is the
eldest, so she will assume the crown when it is time."

"Your sister is not a Noita then?"

"Hahaha! Her? A holy priestess of our kingdom??"

"Hahaha, she divulges in revelry I take it?" Leander says with a smile.

"That is an even more ridiculous notion of her! She is the harshest, firm,
iron-fisted person I have ever known, reasonably fair yet very blunt. If
she were a man, she would be a Triton unlike any other; she already
terrifies me every time she picks up so much as a knife for dining, she can
turn it into a flying sword with just a flick of her wrist!"

"Ahahahah, by the Gods." Leander laughs as they walk on, "I must say,
Triton Pelagios, I find your kingdom very fascinating. The architecture
alone is beyond enchanting."

"You should come often. I'll allow it." Pelagios grins.

"Hah, not on my stipend." Leander chuckles, "I make fair pay, but I do not
think I can afford regular ships to Atlantis."

"That will not be a problem, I can finance your arrival." Pelagios says as
they come to the main fountain, "I will be honest, I find you..." The
smiling boy reaches, and rubs his hand onto the other, "Very entrancing..."

"Heh..." Leander gives a grin as he steps a little closer, "I suppose I
could request an occasional leave from my captain. After all, your home is
wondrous to behold..."

"See that you do." Pelagios says as he puts a hand onto the pec-shaped
breastplate on Leander's armor, "I would love to speak with you more..."


[][][]


Pelagios stares with hollowed, tear-dried eyes at the glowing Urn of
Amphitrite, the ritual flowing with little hinder. The more the rites are
chanted, the more his heart breaks. His helmet is the only thing hiding his
severe anguish as he listens to distant crumbling and clashing of the
outside.

"7 members," Oceanus explains, "7 seas. Let the Gods see mercy, and protect
our own from nonexistence." Pelagios sniffs as he tries to stay
silent. "... Let the Gods... See our tragedy..." King Triton Oceanus says
as he looks at Pelagios, "Show compassion to all that we have lost, and
acknowledge that justice has been denied to us on this day..."

"I am sorry, Brother..." Proteus says as he rubs Pelagios's left shoulder,
"I truly liked Leander... His mind was more enlightened than he might have
realized..."

Pelagios looks to his mother; the high priestess is so enveloped in the
incense and prayer that she is probably not even aware of her immediate
surroundings as if she is hypnotized by invisible creatures swimming around
her...

The Aquaform may very well happen... They really might survive and evolve
into the sea... All of the soldiers that have invade will die...

Pelagios's heart pounds as severe nerves of fear and anarchy start to pull
at his brain... Looking upon his family, all of them somber and calm,
readying themselves for a forced metamorphosis. The work of the Gods, to
spare them, to live on... But if this is what it all comes down to, then
what is the point? Very slowly, Pelagios's hand goes to his side, and draws
his silver moon-shaped dagger...


{}{}{}


Leander steps side from side with a shield in one hand, and his sword in
the other. He pants and grits his teeth as his fellow soldier assaults him
with a spear. He blocks each thrust, listening to the other men step,
grunt, growl, as well as the many other sounds of metal clashing against
each other.

Pelagios watches the sparring session in progress of the morning, leering
at every soldier wearing very little -- helmets, for one. Also sandals with
leather bands and straps on the shins and on his forearms, and a leather
garment that they wear that protects only the loins and the buttocks.

"ENOUGH!" Calls the captain. All of the soldiers stop their sparring
immediately, and turn to attention, all of them coated in sweat and
panting, "Most of your reflexes are improving, but you are losing
finesse. Go for rest, and report back when I command."

"CAPTAIN!" They all shouted before the men go their separate ways. Leander
huffs as he takes his helmet off, shaking his head and bringing a cloth up
to wipe the sweat away.

"Your company is very skilled with the blade." Pelagios says as Leander
comes near him. Leander turns to him, chuckling as he comes.

"Hah, yes... I am a little lacking today, I can barely keep up."

"Hmhm... Maybe I can help with that~" Pelagios teases as he puts his hand
onto Leander's very thick pecs, his moistened muscles glistening with the
workout and the thin layer of hair of his body.

"Hah... You would make me delayed for my training? The Captain will have my
head."

"Heheh... Not if I have it first..." Pelagios says as he tucks his fingers
into Leander's leather bottom piece, and escorts him away onto a cooled
shade in a secluded spot. Leander can easily spot a bottle of oil and a few
cloths on the side, as well as a half covered basket of fruit and bread,
before his sees Pelagios shrugging off one of his own togas. "Ugh, I will
never become accustomed to your empire's immensely hot climate. How do you
people stand it?"

"We manage." Leander says as he crept down onto the grass, crawling down,
just as the Triton puts his lips to the other as they lay down on the soft
grass, putting his hands onto Leander's face. Leander huffs deeply as his
lover really digs his mouth into him. Pelagios holds Leander's arms firmly
the younger male cuddles with the manly soldier.

"Hhh, hhh, hhh, heh heh," Leander chuckles as he rolls onto his back, as
his mostly exposed prince sits on top, wearing only his very revealing
white loincloth, "And what if the Captain were to summon me back to the
quarry?"

"As far as he is concerned, you are escorting foreign royalty for important
business." Pelagios grins as his hands dig and grab onto Leander's beefy
chest, while Leander's hands are holding Pelagios's hips. Pelagios's
growing erection can be seen within the semi-transparent cloth, while
Leander's leather bottom pushes forward as his contained penis slowly
shoves forward.

Pelagios moves his face in, and starts to lick and gently gnaw on Leander's
neck, "A-Ahhhhh..." Leander sighs as his mouth becomes ajar with his lover
gently grazing on him, "Hhhhhh..." One of the Triton's hands wonder down
into the relatively firm leather piece and started to pull one of the
straps back, loosening the right hip seam.


[][][]


"On this day our lives will be placed in the embrace of the ocean," Oceanus
continues to his eulogy of his kingdom, "Let our sorrow bring out plea to-"

-CLANGangnngnng-

They stop and look to see Pelagios has dropped his helmet on the floor.

"Pelagios?" Eidothea suddenly says. They see Pelagios a little farther from
them, holding his dagger in his hand.

"What is it, son?" Oceanus asks, his eyes going to Pelagios's
crescent-shaped knife. He notes the dark look in his son's eyes as he
slowly brings his face up, "Pelagios... Answer me."

"I... I cannot allow this to be my end..." Pelagios says as he brings his
small blade up, shimmering in the light. Proteus stares at him.

"Brother? What are you doing??"

"Forgive me." Pelagios says before the blade rings up, and slashes down,
"AHHH!" His cry echoes in the chamber. The two children gasp out, Eidothea
and Proteus as well as Oceanus stare in shock.

"What are you doing?!?"

Pelagios strains as blood pours from the knife in his hand, having stabbed
and slashed into his other hand, spilling his royal blood onto the
floor. Wracked with pain, Pelagios grunts harshly as he then unequipped his
chest plate that contains his sacred Atlantean gems, allowing his blood
soak into the ornate armor before throwing it to the floor.

"Oh son..." Oceanus looks at him with remorse eyes, "Pelagios."

"I-I-I am sorry, Father, I cah..." Pelagios takes a couple of steps back,
"I can't..."

"NO!" Eidothea suddenly grabs onto Pelagios's reddened arm, "You must STAY!
If you leave now, our Kingdom does not have a chance!"

Pelagios yanks his arm back from his older sister. "Pelagios." Oceanus
speaks up. He comes to his son, and puts his hand on his shoulder, "You
realize what you are doing..."

Pelagios pushes that hand away from him. Tears run down his face as he
walks backwards, taking one last look at everyone. His mourning father, his
praying mother, his furious sister, his stunned brother, his horrified baby
brother and sister, the shocked monks and priests.

With his hand still bleeding, Pelagios turns right around, and sprints from
them.

"NOOOO!" Eidothea runs after him. "GET BACK HERE, BROTHER!!!" Before she
can leave the hall itself, she finds herself being caught in the mighty
arms of the king, "PELAGIOS! Return to us now!!" She shouts. Oceanus huffs
in sadness as Eidothea writhes in his grip, "Let me go, Father! We NEED
him!" Oceanus does not answer, but only watches the hall as he sees
Pelagios's silhouette in the illuminated halls. "You have ended us,
Pelagios!! YOU HAVE EXTINGUISHED US!!!"

Pelagios pants and moans as he runs as fast as he can, blood still flinging
and dripping from his injured fist, running freely as he goes. He sobs with
hurt and excitement as he passes the Ningyo sentinels, fighting and
protecting the temple from the soldiers still trying to get in, "I'm
coming, Leander... Please wait for me! I'm coming!"

Draws his trident, he commands two Ningyo nearby to guide him through the
battle. The golden merfolk-like statues, moving as if the air itself is
made of water, circle him as he runs, their glowing eyes aiming for any
soldier who dare come at the prince.


~~~


"Pelagios..." Leander mumbles as his body grows cold and tired. His vision
is blurry, he can hardly see. He has lost so much blood... Part of him
wants to go to sleep, while the other part of him wants to make it to the
end. He closes his eyes as he tries to summon a brighter memory.


{}{}{}


Leander swims along the river, all of his clothing neatly left over by the
rock of the creek. Pelagios swerves and zooms around him, easily the better
swimmer. Leander dips down, and swims around, breaking the surface,
laughing right before his naked prince rises up and pushes him down
under. Pelagios hugs Leander tightly as they swim further with the cooled
current.


~~~


Pelagios walks with Leander as they wonder about the home village. The
heated air carries the scent of fresh pastries as the Phoenix Festival
brings the cheer and excitement about the people. Leander buys a kite from
one of the merchants, and Pelagios takes the string to attach it before
they run off.


~~~


King Oceanus and Queen Atargatis smile as they sign the parchment before
Leander, promising him his future position as an ambassador of Atlantis,
with Pelagios beaming with joy.


~~~


"You truly are the most important man I know." Pelagios says as he lies on
his back on a soft mound in Leander's home.

"Heh... How many times must I correct you?" Leander inquires with a raised
brow, "I'm just a peasant with connections."

"Heh... Your people take everything so in material." Pelagios says as
Leander rests on his side, "It does not matter if you are nobility or
rabble; these years has proved that much, has it not?"

"I try to keep humble." He simply says, "Some of the other men tease half
the time for being courted with a prince, and some of them even accuse me
of special treatment." Leander stretches with a chuckle. Pelagios cuddles
close as he holds him.

"You make me feel more alive when I am with you..." Pelagios mumbles, "You
are all I can think of every day that passes..."

"Yes..." Leander kisses Pelagios's forehead, "And every time I may see you
is far more than anyone can bargain for..."

"Heheheh..." Pelagios breathes lowly as they slowly doze off, "I love
you..."


[][][]


Eidothea sits on a chair with her hand holding her forehead, while Oceanus
paces with low spirits. Atargatis flinches as her eyes remain closed, the
Urn vibrating slightly.

"Why did you let him leave?" Eidothea finally broke the silence, "Why did
you stop me, Father? You know we have no chance without 7 members of our
family..."

"Leander Aeolus is dying out there... Pelagios must go to him."

"Leander is not of our kind! We are the only thread of which our continued
survival hangs upon, and he has forsaken us!"

"He left us his blood... And his mantle..." Oceanus says as he looks to the
puddle that leads out of the chamber, "By the God's mercy, I pray it will
be enough..."

"But WHY Father?!" She stands up, "You allowed him to throw all of us away!
WHY??"

"My daughter..." Oceanus says as his dreary eyes look to her, "Out of all
of my children... He is the only one to have found the precious light that
holds his heart; love. And even that will always be worth dying for in the
very end..."

"I have never known you to be so foolish and sentimental, Father." Eidothea
spat venomously, "After the years of discipline you posed upon us, and you
just let him run."

"Alas..." The king consented, letting her get her angry words out, while
she can...


~~~


"Pela... Pela..." Leander pants, fading very slowly, "Pela... Gios..." He
is so tired, the lingering memories are more like the fleeting images right
before you fall asleep, when dreams first start to trickle into the
mind. He knows he has lost a lot of blood. Maybe he should have patched
himself up... Or then again, if this is where he's going to die, perhaps
it's best to succumb to slumber rather than face the explosion of a God's
wrath.

At least, in the very end... He is in the homeland of where his love was
born...

"... Leander...!" Some very distant voice calls out. His eyes blink open
for a moment, thinking he may have heard something. His vision meets the
broad side of his sword, with the sinking royal city behind his weapon. He
can make out the flying golden statues of Atlantis, the moving protectors
of the Sea Kingdoms, he recalls. They're swimming everywhere, taking out
the other soldiers who have invaded the boundaries. "... Leandeeerrr!" He
heard his name again.

"Peh... Pelagiuh..." Leander mumbles as he struggles to get up. He grunts
weakly as his legs push under him, and he rises himself up. His arms shake
as he pushes down on his sword's handle until he is finally back on his
feet. His blurred vision focuses down below, in the gravel and tragic
carnage. He slowly inhales as he sees a sprinting Atlantean, running away
from the chaos, a shining trident in hand as he runs up.

"LEANDER!!!" Pelagios cries out as he starts to climb up the cliff ruins
like a mountain with many edges for him to grab and run onto, "I'm coming!
I'M COMING!!"

"Pelagios..." Leander's eyes moisten with tears as his chest wells heavily
with joy. He came back... He came back...

Taking a very tired step, Leander leaves his sword and shield behind, and
clumsily makes his way down. He grunts in mild discomfort as he slides down
the rubble and broken metal until he rolls onto his side on a ruptured
platform. He whines roughly as he pushes himself up again, and crawls back
over an edge.

"LEANDER!!" Pelagios called out as he runs as fast as he can. He shouts a
foreign word as the Ningyo guards circle him. One of the golden merfolk
swims up to clear several huge rocks in front of him. Pelagios gasps as he
sees an opening crack next. Taking a deep breath, Pelagios stops, and
LUNGES his trident like an almighty arrow. The trident sings through the
air until pries deep into the crack, somehow stopping it from
moving. Pelagios run faster, and leaps over the crevice, just before it
gave in, and the silver trident falls into the deep rising tide of the
ocean.

"Hgh hgh hgh..." Leander coughs as his battered body lies on the rock he
landed on next. "Keep... Going..." He wheezes as he pulls himself
forward. His knees move and pushed him forth, and let himself slide down
the edge, as he can see his true love come closer. Leander lands on his
feet this time, his legs wobbling before he stumbles onto a corner of a
disembodied house. He winces as he sees Pelagios just below him. Panting
with exhaustion, Leander limbs forward, and goes off the edge once more,
"Pelagios..."

"LEANDER!" Pelagios jumps up several parts and stones, and finally made it,
just as Leander collapsed in front of him, "I am here! I'm here!" Pelagios
catches Leander just as he fell onto the platform. Pelagios hugs him as
tight as he possibly can, weeping openly as his fallen soldier pants with
fatigue, "I am so sorry, I left you! I left you behind, you were alone,"
Pelagios cried as he holds him.

"Pelagios... You came back..." Leander hushed, feeling so very tired and
bruised, "You came back for me..."

"I couldn't leave you." Pelagios sobbed, "I couldn't leave you behind, I
cannot bear to be away from you, not now!"

"You... Came... Back..." Leander mumbles, his arms are barely able to move.

"I love you, Leander, I will never leave you alone again!"


~~~


"A-AAHhh!" Atargatis suddenly cries out.

"Atargatis!" Oceanus goes to her.

"Mother!"

"A-Ahhh!" Her eyes show pain and horror as her skin begins to change
somewhat.

"No..." Oceanus says with despair, "We... We are lost..." He casts his eyes
down.

"NnnNNoo!" Atargatis says as her eyes begin to leak a fluid akin to melted
platinum, "I-Iiiii..." Her voice distorts as water begins to gurgle inside
her throat, her eyes starting to strain, "I will not... Let us
ffFFffaaAAAll..."

"M-Mother!" Proteus frets as he sees the queen's long hair turn metallic,
and then transparent, as the veins on her body begin to push.

"Hhh!" Oceanus looks at the Urn of Amphitrite. It shakes as the contents
began to glow. "It... It is opening...!" He looks to his changing wife as
she puts herself through so much agony. "G-Gaahh!" He stumbles when his
insides start to churn and race. He looks at his hands, shaking as they
also begin to radiate within his flesh. His quivering eyes look to
Pelagios's forsaken armor. The crimson mess left by his son twitches as
light starts to bite and shimmer from it before it started become light
itself.

"The blood of the royals and the priests must be spent..." He mumbles to
himself as he then looks at the praying monks, all of them starting to
tremble and gasp, all of them feeling the Aquaform begin to happen. "And on
this day, the Gods will allow us the Force of the Guardians and the Songs
of the Sky. Tritons and Noitas will inherit what we have lost, and all that
we are..."

Oceanus falls to his knees, and his hand lands on the floor. He coughs as
his eyes suddenly flash out in blinding light, as well as his sons and
daughters, and the holiest of monks.

The Urn of Amphitrite suddenly explodes as a wave of solid light erupts and
consumes the entire temple!


~~~


The center of Atlantis quickly springs a very vast dome of light. The
radiant bubble sends out a thin mist of force that races through the
land. The fighting soldiers continue the clash, until each and every one of
them that is hit with the wave abruptly to the ground, coughing and gagging
on their stance, choking on nothing. The light races up the ditch, and
finally hits Pelagios's back!

"AHHH!" Pelagios's arms lash around Leander harshly as he feels a very hard
force charge into him, as if a giant blade of the Gods impales him from
behind!

"P-Pelagios?" Leander grunts, feeling himself snared significantly tighter.

"A-Ahhehh! Aaagghh...!" Pelagios falters on his feet as his eyes and mouth
leak a floating white mist. Before another loud clash rings, and Pelagios
is once again hit by another blast!

"AAAHHHHH!" He cries out as light begins to pour from his body. His hands
tighten around Leander as he endures it all, "IIIWILLNOOHHLEEEYOUHEERRRR!"
He manages to shout.

"Pelagios... Pelagios..." Leander whispers as he summons one last ounce of
strength in his body. Another blast firs off into the boundaries of
Atlantis, the ravenous light consuming everything in its path,
exterminating the soldiers, absorbing the last of the Atlanteans,
possessing the soulless Ningyo sentinels, and making its way to complete
the dome once more.

"AAHHH!!!" Pelagios shouts out as his blood rages with overflowing power as
Leander drags them to the edge.

"I love you, Pelagios... Thank you so much... For..." Leander's eyes close
just as their weight tips the balance on the edge. Their bodies fly for a
brief moment before they descend down. The moon-like wave rises up, as if
to catch their fall. Leander's life slowly leaves his body as the lovers
fall together, while Pelagios's thrashing blood finally greets into the
ruthless shine of Atlantis.

Everything within the borders of Atlantis is consumed into the colossal orb
of light. The men of the coming warships at sea stare with awe and horror
as Atlantis becomes an impossible dome of radiance, sinking down into the
vast sea, and illuminating much of the ocean.

Soon, the entire body of water becomes a glowing space of holy divinity,
the moon-shaped kingdom descending deeper and deeper into the sea, never to
know the world of the surface ever again.


††â€


"Is... Is this... Elysium...?" Says the soul of Leander, weary and
tired. The Soul soon finds himself floating in a stream of over flowing
light and nothingness. All he is allowed to see is shining streams of veils
and many, many lights. Upon squinting, he can make out that the lights are
human-shaped, flying through the void, and into several white suns flaring
in the light of everywhere. "No... This..."

The shining spirits drift and fly through the heavenly space. Some of them
entering what seems to be blinding gates, while others follow the current
along a different direction, and some of them walk through one of the huge
portals of intensity.

"Y... You ..." Comes another voice. The soul turns, and sees the ethereal
essence of Pelagios.

"My love..." The Soul opens his arms, and flies slowly towards him, both of
them wisping of divine vapor before they soon reunited as they drift in the
endless abyss of light.

"So... This is the after life..." The Entity wept with happiness, "And you
are here... I did not lose you... I did not lose you..."

"You came back for me... Against everything, you came back..." The Soul
cries as they sleep in the river of existence.

"Of course, I came back... I will always come back..." The Entity says.

"I... I need to... I cannot lose you again..." The Soul pledged softly, "As
I once said... Even if I lose you in this life, I will find you again..."
His soul embraces the other one, "I will walk the seas, and I will find you
again... And find you again in the next life, and the one after that... I
will always come find you... Whatever form you take, whatever name I
have... I will come and I will wait for you..."

"My body and soul will always belong to the ocean..." The Entity looks to
him with sad but endearing eyes. His being stays closer to him as their
forms sail through the heavens, "But my heart will always find its way back
to you... I would spend the entirety of my existence forsaking what legacy
they would have of me, than to spend so much as a single lifetime without
you..."

The two lovers see a bright light shining on them, calling to them as they
slow down. The light shows their next destined path; an entirely new birth,
a new beginning, a new future, and a new life. Both of them regain a
familiar footing as they look at the portal of glorious divinity. It's time
to go.

"Together..." The Soul says as he offers his hand.

"Eternally..." The Entity takes his hand.


††â€


And through the eons, these two individuals will always and forever more
find each other, life after life. Young or old, the man who was a soldier
would see himself seeking the ocean, calling to him as if it holds a
missing piece that he will always search for. And the prince who would
sacrifice anything and give himself completely to the one who holds his
heart. They always knew each other when they have never met. They remember
one another even though nothing has ever happened before. They give
everything to the other when they had nothing. Regardless of the beginning
and the end, these soulmates will never stray from each other.

This is only a few of their infinite lifetimes together.


††â€


"And on that fated day, Atlantis fell to the malice of man." Neron says as
he wears a soaking wet cloak over his body. Myles stands next to him as
they look at the full moon, "The Land Father Mithras, once a man who became
the sun, wanted his people to make peace with mine. But somehow, his
prudence was overlooked, and the humans of the land invaded the three
Kingdoms of the Sea. And so it was, the Sea Mother Atargatis transmuted her
own existence in order to protect the lives of my people, and became the
moon."

"That... Is a tragic story..." Myles says.

"It is no story... To the best of our memory, it is our history." The
hooded person turns to look at the man next to him, "And what of your
people? Do they remember what befell the Kingdoms?"

"... No..." He shook his head, "The best I know, there was once a place
called Atlantis, and that it had somehow sunk to the bottom of the ocean."

"Do they not even remember the empire that struck us down?"

"No one has even heard of such an empire, as you have described it. If
there ever was one, it probably died out long ago."

"Long ago..." Neron scoffed, "It was barely a century passed. Humans have
poor memories, do they not?"

"Hmph... I can hardly speak for us."

"Nnnhhh..." Neron shifts and groans.

"A-Are you ok??"

"I-I feel ill. I need to get back to the water."

"Alright, lets hurry." Myles gets up, and tucks Neron's arm over his
shoulder, feeling the slick silver arm on his neck. He helps him to the
edge, and lets the aquatic man slip into the surface. Neron sighs as his
curtain-like fins waft and reappear around his body. His head dunks down,
and comes back up, as Myles places the water-heavy robe next to him.

"Heheh... My family knows I am here, you know. They are not pleased." Neron
says with a coy grin.

"Hahaha, they should meet me. I would like to have fished with them."

"Heh, no doubt they would think they are eating solid blasphemy from
anything you catch..." Neron's smile faded, "And... There's something else
too..."

"You... Have to go to Atlantis, don't you?" Myles asked sadly.

"Oh, you remembered what I said in the past." Neron smirked.

"Always."

"But... Myles, I do not know how long I will be gone."

"Oh..."

"My people are forever changed, and the Ningyo have just alerted my kind
that we must return soon."

"The Ningyo?"

"It... Matters not... I assume we must gather, and create laws to follow in
order to bring out kind together under some form of unison." Neron then
reaches up, and stroke the human's hand, "I... Please understand me, I..."
He looks up with fret, "I do not want you to forget me..."

"I understand." Myles says as he holds that webbed hand, "I will wait for
you, for as long as it takes." He smiles as he looks at this strange and
mystical creature, "Be it a day or a decade, I will remain on this land
until you return."


††â€


"It was... Horrible..." Emiyn the golden and purple-diamond fish merman
says as he and Rico bathe in the calmly rushing river, "I have known Atarah
my whole life... S-She was a beautiful Amnien..."

"But... If she was truly able to summon lightning and turn the waves to
giants, maybe it is best if no one has that power..." Rico says.

"But she was good! She held no ill-will to anyone! A-And they... Her own
mother..." Emiyn swallows, "Painted her with liquid fire..."

"HHh!" Rico gasps.

"She ran away on land, and... Several humans started to attack her. I-I
tried to help her, but... By the depths..." Emiyn covers his forehead, "The
Black Sun began to arrive, and I had to flee..."

"Emiyn..." Rico puts his hand on the other's shoulder, "What happened to
her was not your fault."

"I know that, but... I..." Emiyn shakes his head, "I still feel there was
something I could have done...


††â€


Dureau floats on the broad wood plank, his half of his body submerged below
the surface of the ocean. The battered and injured sailor breathes slowly
as the shock stills his body, unable to make himself paddle from the
wreckage of the ship... An entire armada of ships litter the sea from a
horrific onslaught. Every ship has been obliterated, all of them chomped
and broken, all of them destroyed by what looked like a giant shark. Every
man on any of the ships is dead; if there are anymore survivors, they are
silent.

As far as he knows, Dureau is the only one left alive; of both the pirate
ships as well as the royal fleet.

"Everyone... Gone..." He mumbles, too tired to carry on. His face meets
with the saturated wood, completely exhausted... "What do I
do... Whadh... Do I do..."

As the sailor succumbs to sleep, flourishes of cyan and white glimmers from
the waxing moonlight. The sentient veil of beauty orbits around the
floating man, going completely unnoticed.

Holding his trident in his hands, Axenus looks about this human with
caution. His transparent and glowing sting-filled tentacles propel him
smoothly around. He can quickly just kill him and show him mercy from the
sea. At least he'd be with his comrades on the other side. Guardian
Megalodon was sloppy, it didn't even devour half of these land cretins.

Humans and their floating wars across the ocean. They kill each other and
trash the vast expansion of the water with their blood and wreckage. And to
what end? To riddle the beautiful sea with their spheres of solid rock and
fire? Shattering mutilated trees and raking everywhere with needles of
wood? Breaking the serenity of the air itself with the furious clouds of
man-made explosions of thunder?

Father was right to summon the Guardian and stop their battle. Better to
wipe them all out with the mighty strike of the Guardian than to let their
horrendous chaos ruin the sea any longer than they already have.

... Still, looking from under the surface, Axenus can see the pain and fear
of this man as he slept... And as far as humans go, this one doesn't look
completely dangerous. His face is appealing to the eye. It would be a shame
to put an end to a creature with handsome features. The more he looks at
this man, the less disgusted Axenus feels towards this forsaken monster.

"... There is a small island not too far from here." Axenus concluded as he
puts his trident to the mount on his back. To the best of his knowledge,
humans are known to frequent that spit of land as a resting ground where
they take the food that is spawned and grown there, "He can decide where he
can go on his own..." The jellyfish merman puts his translucent hands onto
the long and thick rope attached to the broken raft and then waves his
graceful form to pull the dormant human along.


††â€


A grand ceremony takes place in this small native village. The chieftain's
son, Naeem, stands proud, dressed in beautiful feathers with his robe
around his body. He smiles brightly as his mate, Katsumi, a tan man with
many elaborate metallic markings branded on his body, both ever present in
this form and when he is of the water. A few years older than Naheem,
stands in his own blue and red robe, wearing bands of small shells around
his arms, neck, legs, and head.

The shaman that stands between the two of them rattles her rod over the two
of them, ordaining their bond in this wonderful day.

They hold hands and bring them up and turn to the rest of the people, the
peaceful tribe cheering for the two of them as they prepare to celebrate.


††â€


Lukyan huffs as the muscular and overweight man chops the last log of the
day in half, panting and sweating as he looks at the sunset on the
horizon. It's been almost 8 years since Cadao disappeared... Two decades
they've shared together, and moving on just seems utterly impossible, which
suited his isolated home in the cabin. As cold and distant as Lukyan wants
to be, he just cannot bring himself to leave the shore. He cannot abandon
that little bit of hope that someday...

Hitching the load of wood to his back, the burly man walks down the hill
through the woods, as he does all the time. He traverses the lonely trees
from his logging area, and soon finds his quaint hut. Something is
different though.

Squinting at the sunlight, he gasps as he sees a very cruel delusion before
him. There, standing next to the cabin, lean and somewhat short with brown
hair, Cadao stares right back at him. It is like he never even
left... Those golden eyes... The black tribal symbol around his left
wrist... The equipment made of seashells and teeth and kelp... The layered
surface of patches on his body that are still dripping with water.

"You..." Lukyan lets the wood drop from his back before he takes a few
steps forward. "Cadao YOU" The two men soon embraced each other
tightly. Lukyan's eyes turn wide as he feels Cadao hug him back. Both of
them feel a surge of emotions as they look to each other. He pushed his
forehead with the other as his chest pulses with intensity, "I thought you
died... I thought you died..."

"I'm sorry, I am so sorry..." Cadao mutters quietly.

"D-Dad?" Comes a young voice. The two of them look, and see a small boy
look at the both of them. Lukyan's blunt mind looks at the kid, and
immediately notes this boy... Is the spitting image of Cadao...

"Cadao..." Lukyan's eyes look to the merman with a hot blare.

"Wait for me inside, Son..." Cadao tells him as he ushers the boy into the
cabin. He then looks to the now flustered man, "L-Lukyan, I-I can explain-"

"Did not take you long, I see." Lukyan huffs with emotion, "I waited for
you..." His eyes rim with angry tears, "I thought you died in that storm,
and I WAITED for you!"

"Lukyan, please, let me explain. His name is Ronin, and-"

"No! You..." Lukyan frowns and growls, before turning and picking his axe
back up, deciding to go back to the forest, "You and he can go. And I-"

"No, stop, he is yours!"

Lukyan stops and turns to him, the bearded, chubby woodsman giving Cadao a
strange look.

"What??" He says with a disdained look.

"Lukyan, he... His name is Ronin. H-He has your... Eyes, and..." Cadao rubs
his arm, feeling a little embarrassed. As he understands it, this is
probably impossible with humans. "H-He talks and acts just like you,
and..."

"Don't lie to me, Ronin, just, leave me be." Lukyan says lowly as he walks
again, too hurt to even look at him.

"NO! Nononono!" Cadao runs forward, and blocks him from going further, "I
am telling you the truth, he is your son!"

"HOW?!" Lukyan shoves him back, "You are not a woman, Cadao! This is just
insulting-"

"Would you listen to me?!" Cadao raised his voice, "You, you know... You
know I am a seahorse merman, Lukyan."

"And what does that have to do with anything?"

"Y-You do not know?"

"Just get to the point, Cadao."

"I- Well- it's just... With seahorses, both merfolk and animal, it is the
males who bear children."

"... What?"

"With the animal, seahorses mate, and the female passes the children to the
male..." Cadao says a little awkwardly.

"Cadao... Why have you been gone for 8 years? Why did you not come sooner,
this doesn't make any sense."

"I do not know what happened, Lukyan." Cadao shook his head, "That storm
was from a ruthless Noita, and I somehow ended up on the other side of the
world." Cadao grows more upset, "I was lost... I did not have my pod --
what pod would host a merfolk with a half human child? It was just me, the
ocean, and a strange goat-like creature."

"And... Him?" Lukyan nodded to the cabin.

"I was on my own... I had to take care of him all alone, I had to nurse him
by myself and also try and navigate the entire ocean, and even went on to
land, I could not understand any of the languages to where I looked. I am
so sorry, Lukyan, I... I'm so sorry..." Cadao wipes his eyes.

"So... You really were..." Lukyan says as he puts down his axe.

"He is the only thing that kept me going through these years, kept giving
me the will to keep looking."

"That boy..." Lukyan pointed to the cabin, "He is mine... Really..."

"I can never lie to you." Cadao says with pleading eyes, "Not now, not
ever..."

"So... Not only do you go away for almost a decade," Lukyan says as his
eyes get red and moist, "But you bring home a beautiful son that I did not
get to raise..."

"We are here now, Lukyan." Cadao rubs those beefy arms, "He is still so
young, we can still bring him up together. He's wanted to meet you for so
long."

"Alright, Cadao..." Lukyan brushes the tears from his face, "Let me see if
this boy is anything like me..."

"My... Father actually made something with him... I met with my pod,
and... He was the only one who accepted Ronin... He only wished that he
could see him every sun." Cadao then takes something from his belt, and
brings up a small tool. Lukyan takes the very small item with his thick
fingers. "I assure you... He is everything like you." Lukyan turning it
over and examining the short rod with a sharp scallop shell tied at the top
on one side of the shaft. Like a tiny axe.


††â€


The bell rings as to indicate the release of the students. The young
Chinese teenagers file out of the institution one by one, chatting amongst
themselves as they either go home or attend some other matter.

Xiang, 14 years of age, runs out of the back area of the institution, his
pack fastened on his back as the boy rushes with zeal to the usual
route. It's been about 6 months since his friend of the ocean was here, he
might be back! He can already picture Bahari with a new story to tell of
his most recent adventure.

Running through the old path within the bamboo fences towards the shore,
Xiang's insides race with joy as he sees the sharp green dorsal fin with
the bronze streak on the edge, rising and sinking in circles. He's here!


††â€


"How long is he going to make me wait??" Lance snarls as he wipes the
counter of the pub he works in, "I'm bloody sick of playing these
games... I don't even know... Agh... Probably just stood me up again... If
I know him..."

"Uhh, Lance?" Comes a knock. Lance looks, and sees Sachiel come in,
carrying a small parcel with him, "Are... Are you free?"

The young and agitated Englishman holds his hands open as he gestures to
the empty pub, not a patron in sight for the evening, "Can't you see I have
my hands full with all of these people."

"Right..." Sachiel nods, and comes to sit on the bar, putting the parcel
aside. "Lance... I just want to say I'm sorry... For everything."

"Hhhhh." Lance takes a pause, still channeling with frustration. "Look, you
know how I feel about you. But this isn't funny anymore. I told you before
I'm willing to be flexible with what you have, but YOU need to be there for
the plans we actually make."

"I know..." Sachiel nodded.

"Bollocks." Lance says as he slings the towel over his shoulder and goes to
start put up the chairs on the table, "Look, we've been through this
before. Half the time, you don't even show up and you make me feel like a
bloody idiot."

"Lance, I'm sorry-"

"No, I'M sorry. I keep pushing these expectations on you. For example,
expecting a straight answer to a question. Or expecting you to come to our
dates, I-" Lance clenches his jaw in anger, "You know I put myself out for
you! You didn't even show up to the Christmas Party at Covert Garden and I
was going to dance with you! I been thinking it up for ages!"

"Lance, I told you, the Razirah of my pod has problems with fear and
anxiety. When she calls me, I HAVE to come back to the pod, no matter how
small the problem."

"That is what you ALWAYS say, Sachiel! And it was believable at first, but
it's like you have to leave about 5 minutes when you get here, and," Lance
scoffed as he opens his arms again, "I mean, please do tell me if I'm
wasting my time! Because I'll cut things off if THAT will make things
easier for you."

"Lance, I'm sorry I haven't kept to my word. It's not fair that I keep
leaving you alone and wondering where I am... And, it's actually what I
came to discuss with you."

"Hhhh, right." Lance puts up the last chair, and walks to the counter, and
takes a seat, "What is it this time?"

"I have... Been doing a lot of thinking, about you and I, and about my
pod. I can't have you and them at the same time, so... I came clean, and I
told my parents about... Us."

"What??" Lance raises his eyebrows at him, "Are you mad?? I can't even tell
MY parents about this."

"I had to. And... They were not completely pleased that I have a
relationship with you, but... After explaining how things were," Sachiel
speaks slowly and slightly deliberately, "They told me as long as I was
happy, that is all that mattered."

"They said that. Two fish with just one son." Lance says skeptically.

"Yes, yes they did, and..." Sachiel continued, "We agreed that it was best
if I were to leave the pod and be with you."

"What, leave your family??" Lance said in shock, "Blimey, Sachiel, I- I
didn't want THAT. Isn't there some sort of compromise??"

"No, there isn't. Th-They still love me, and they are letting me go."
Sachiel nodded curtly.

"That's it? No catch, no strings, nothing?"

"I have to live near the water." Sachiel says, "My body can't cope without
the sea for too long, but as long as I go into the sea once in a while, I
will be fine."

Lance adjusts on the counter to lean forward, looking into his lover, "Now
Sachiel... Is this REALLY what you want? You realize you are rearranging
your whole life just for our relationship. Didn't you say you were supposed
to be your Dad's successor when you grow up? Are you completely sure about
this"

"It's done." Sachiel says, "I've already turned in my trident, I've made my
decision, and..." He takes Lance's hand, "I need to give you the sort of
attention you've given me."

"So, you're serious this time."

"Yes..." He nodded.

"Hhhhnn... Alright, we'll see where this goes." Lance says before he takes
a quick look around, and kisses Sachiel on the cheek, "Right. I have a few
more things I have to do, but I'll be off in 10."

"Ok."

"Soon as I'm off though, let's go to the shops. I'll make dinner tonight."
Lance says as he takes a glance or two at him; Sachiel seems distracted.

"Thank you..." Sachiel says before Lance disappears behind the
door. Finally, Sachiel gives a harsh, sharp shudder as his hand grips his
pants, wincing in pain as the burning sting still licks across his stomach
from the intricate X symbol branded onto it. He shakes as he can still hear
the sheer rage in his mother's voice, the disgust from his sister, the
betrayal of his father. Sachiel gasps silently as he tugs at the sleeves of
his shirt, as well as carefully shifting his legs in his trousers, away
from the throbbing wounds of the abuse he faced before he swam away.

He'll tell Lance the truth some day, maybe in several years time, if he
even needs to know. But right now, Lance deserves better. After all the
absences Lance has had to put up with, he should be allowed to think that
this is a happier occasion than it actually is...


††â€


"~I can't stop ~I can't stop ~Moving my feet to the sound of this beat
~Baby~" Sings the techno music of a male singer as men in skimpy speedos
groove to the music. Merrick dances shirtless as multi-colored flashing
spotlights illuminate the dark club. Adam rolls his hips with the crowd as
neon glowing balloons bounce and float about.

"~Now rock your body, don't listen to what they say. ~Never catch you, but
catch me if you caaaan. ~I'll carry you to my disco and lick you and kiss
you and let you ride it all night.~" Adam teasingly dry-humps Merrick's
behind in smooth motions.

"~Make your move, cause it looks like they call the police ~Lookin for you
and me cause we set this club on fire ~Friction, desire ~Slippin' into
another world with your sweat~" Merrick laughs as he turns his head and
playfully nips at Adam's chin. He turns and pushes him back, and lowers his
knees as he dances in front of Adam as he puts his hands behind his head.

"~Hit the dance floor, get to the dance floor ~Hit the dance floor, get to
the dance floor ~Hit the dance floor, get to the dance floor ~Hit the dance
floor, get to the dance floor~"

"~I can't stop ~I can't stop ~Moving my feet to the sound of this beat
~Baby~" The song plays out as the two of them celebrate their REAL Bachelor
Party. A sequin banner is hung about the stage that reads:

{CONGRATULATIONS
ADAM & MERRICK}

The banner is adorned with many shiny rings with jewels and white ribbons
attached.