Chapter 12

By happenstance, Maranu used his connection to Rhuknor to summon the Orb of Destiny, the mystical object that some believed was the progenitor of all matter and energy in the physical universe, even sentient life. Up until that point, the Orb of Destiny had always stayed within Rhuknor’s possession, protected by him within the core of Tarrus. No one knew the Orb’s true origins, only that Rhuknor and his family regarded it with great care and devotion. Using the Orb to feed his power, Maranu was able to bind the attacking Celestial Beasts, but because he did not know how to fully control the Orb, he could not win the battle utterly. When Graymor saw the Orb in Maranu’s possession, he became all the more enraged, calling Maranu a blasphemer of his family’s heritage. Graymor’s anger was roused to the point that he surpassed even Balvor for a time, his hatred becoming the focal point of the Shadow Realm itself. Graymor tossed Balvor aside, pitting his will against Maranu, and as the Elemental Founder now wielded the Orb, the two were equally matched. However, reality itself started to become unhinged by Graymor’s fury as the entire multiverse shuddered beneath his wrath.

What in the name of Poseidon is that? thought a frightened Thazia.

All the skyscrapers surrounding their hotel had gone dark in a city-wide blackout. However, there were still lights in the sky from something floating there. The source of the lights was a massive warship hovering over the city. It was at least a few miles from the hotel’s veranda, but Thazia could see it clearly. By its size, it must’ve been a Galaxy-Class Capital Ship, making it perhaps two to three square miles in length and width. The vessel was shaped similarly to a dark bird with outstretched wings as massive, skyscraper-sized cannons were built into each wing. Hundreds upon hundreds of smaller guns could be seen along its surface, each one of them looking more lethal than the last. Below the vessel were three long mechanical arms that resembled the legs of a bird, each with long, three-fingered claws at the end. The vessel’s plating was dark gray save for the ship’s figurehead at the front which was white and had been made to resemble a humanoid skull. The only distinguishing features of this skull from a normal human skull were the ten or so spikes around the cranium and the larger teeth that more closely resembled fangs. The eyes of the skull burned red with an unforgiving light. The ship looked like death itself, as dark and terrible as all the nightmares that Thazia had heard tell from the ancient days of the last Reckoning. By sheer reflexive impulse, Thazia flinched back from the sight of the ghastly vessel, as if some primal instinct in her told her to get as far away from it as possible. She cringed back into her big brother, who held her protectively by her shoulders.

“That’s what knocked everyone unconscious,” explained Jorrez gravely. “It made a jump right above the city and created a small EMP explosion with its entry into our atmosphere. However, emergency generators are already kicking in, so we should at least have power restored to the city soon.”

Thazia did note with some relief that the lights around the block were coming back on slowly as thousands of spectators bustled about the streets to either stare at the ship or flee in terror of it. Even more fortunate, the ship was being surrounded by dozens of Atlantean fighters and frigates, each one heavily armed themselves. Atlantean vessels were shaped to resemble large, mechanical sea creatures, such as orcas or cephalopods. The glistening silver hull plating of the ships from her homeland was a grateful sight for Thazia in the face of that monstrosity. True, none of the Atlantean ships equaled the alien warship in size, but surely with so many, a whole fleet by her reckoning, that vessel posed little danger. Perhaps the warship might not attack at all, especially since its destruction was all but assured if it did.

As the partygoers on the veranda watched the spectacle, Jorrez turned to Azez. “Commander, have you contacted our fleet?”

“Yes, sir,” acknowledged Azez as he continued typing on his communicator. “They’re attempting to make contact with the alien ship using all known forms of communication. It’s been ordered to power down its engines and submit to our tractor beams so that it can be towed out of the city.”

“Good, and while they’re at it, tell command to send us a ship since the teleporting signals of our Gateways are being blocked. Inform the fleet that they should not engage the alien vessel until I have escorted the princess safely back to the palace. Until then, they should-”

The mouth of the skull on the warship suddenly opened as a red beam of light sprang from its fangs and completely obliterated at least a dozen Atlantean fighters in its path. Thazia cringed back and screamed as the Merfolk vessels exploded under the onslaught of the warship in showers of orange flames. The Atlantean Fleet engaged the attacking warship, but Thazia wasn’t able to see the aftermath as Jorrez pushed her through the doors of the veranda and into the penthouse. The hotel was pure chaos as staff members and guests screamed while flailing their arms about. Thazia imagined she looked much the same as she continued to scream and cry while holding onto her brother as tightly as she could.

“We’re taking the princess to the emergency bunker downtown until evac arrives!” she heard Jorrez say. “It’s too dangerous to call for transport on the roof while the battle is still ongoing!”

“Jorrez!” Thazia heard a female voice say amidst the screams and roars of laser fire. She thought it might’ve been Trixie, the human noblewoman who was flirting with Jorrez earlier. “Let me and the other Tarrus officials accompany you! Our security detail can bolster your forces!”

“Let them come, Jorrez!” demanded Thazia. “They can help!”

“Fine! I don’t have time to argue! Just don’t slow us down!”

Vaguely, Thazia realized that their entourage was joined by at least a dozen frightened human nobles as well as a goodly number of armed human Militia Men. She was grateful for the added numbers, feeling more secure as a small army of Mermen and men surrounded her while she swam through the air alongside her brother. Everything was a blur after that. She remembered several explosions detonating throughout the hotel as stray shots scorched the walls, frying a few unsuspecting guests here and there. The Defenders and the Militia Men were armed with energy shields that would appear from their wrists, so they kept the explosions at bay for Thazia and the other dignitaries, but anyone outside the protective circle was not so fortunate. After taking a rather bumpy ride through the emergency elevators that took them to ground level within moments, it was a mad dash through the streets of Nepton as they made their way to the bunker.

“The bunker’s just on the other side of the street, Thazia,” said Jorrez reassuringly into her ear. “Just a little longer, and you’ll be safe. I promise.”

Thazia nodded, though tears still wetted her cheeks. She beat her fins furiously through the air, straining to move faster despite her limited psionic control. She was never as good at moving on dry land as her sister. By Poseidon, how she wished she could be with Jezrin and their parents right now. How she longed to be in the vast oceans of Atlantis where she could just swim to the depths and vanish without a trace where that horrible monster ship couldn’t find her.

Out of morbid curiosity, Thazia chanced a look up at the sky battle to see how the Atlantean forces were progressing. Blue lasers, photon beams, and quantum missiles bombarded the enemy ship that would’ve left any other target blown to atoms. But the skull ship took the brunt of the Atlantean counterattack without showing any signs of damage. Whenever an Atlantean projectile would hit the skull ship’s surface, there would be a brief flash of yellow light from the vessel’s shield matrix. That warship must’ve had the most advanced shields she’d ever heard of to take the full might of the Atlantean Fleet. More fighters exploded as the enemy batteries rained down red laser fire on the Atlantean Aqua Ships. A whole whale-frigate was held in the grips of a pulsing blue light beam from one of the arms beneath the skull ship which Thazia realized must’ve been a tractor beam. Then with a twist from the mechanical arms of the skull ship, the frigate was tossed into a nearby skyscraper, destroying the tower and itself as both exploded in a torrent of flame and metal. She even thought she could see the bodies of burning Atlanteans falling through the air as the two massive structures were completely obliterated.

Wishing she hadn’t looked, Thazia tore her gaze from the scene of horror, focusing only on the feeling of Jorrez’s strong arms and her friends, Delphi and Azez nearby. A door opened up in the streets, and the group was ushered beneath the ground. The door slammed shut behind them as the bunker lights came on. After a brief journey through the tunnels, Thazia and the others now found themselves in a large chamber of protective metallic walls. There was supposedly an underground hangar built into the bunker which was accessible to craft outside the city via a labyrinth of secret tunnels. Perhaps they’d find a ship that could take them to the underwater palace within moments. Then she and her brother would be safe, and this whole thing would be nothing but a horrible memory.

“Secure the area,” commanded Jorrez to both Imperial and Atlantean forces, though the humans didn’t object to the order. “Open the hangar. There should be an emergency craft primed and ready with enough fuel to take us back to the Underwater Palace. In the meantime, I’ll try and get ahold of command to get us an escort when we leave.”

Defenders and Militia Men rushed to obey Jorrez. The clinking of the humans’ boots was a little annoying next to the subtle tail flaps of the Mermen floating in the air. The masked humans wielded their energy rifles as they spread out throughout the chamber, and the Mermen were armed with silver tridents augmented with laser canons on the central spear for long-range and short-range combat.

Thazia rubbed her arms while hovering above the floor as she tried desperately to stop trembling. When someone rubbed her back, she yelped in surprise and floated away.

“Sorry,” exclaimed the human Trixie as she held up her hands. By the pale look on her face and her heavy breathing, Thazia could tell that the human was just as frightened as she felt. “I ... I just wanted to say thanks for speaking up on our behalf with your brother so that we could come down here with you guys. I know that probably wasn’t easy with the way I was throwing myself at him earlier.”

Thazia sniffled a bit as she dabbed at her eyes. “Easier than you think. My reasons were selfish. I just wanted your guards around to feel safer.”

Trixie chuckled nervously. “And I just wanted to be close to your brother ... since he seems like the best person to be around during times like these.”

Thazia glanced at her brother briefly who was busy organizing the troops around the chamber as he wielded his own silver trident. “He is, actually.”

I can’t believe what I said to him back there. I have to make it up to him when we get back to the palace.

Hesitantly, Thazia asked, “Did you ... did you know Daniel well?”

Trixie whimpered slightly as she put a hand to her mouth to suppress a sob. “He was my second cousin. He told me a little about you before the party. He liked you a lot. You two would’ve been very good together.”

Before Thazia could process that, she heard Azez say, “Captain! I can’t get the hangar doors to work for some reason! I think they’re jammed, sir!”

“Demolition crew, get that portal open,” Jorrez commanded without hesitation. “Azez, see to the princess and the other dignitaries.”

“That’ll be me,” spoke up Delphi nearby, referring to her position as head of the demolition squad. The female Defender placed something in Thazia’s palm. It was a pink glowing Sun Gem of considerable quality judging by how brightly it was glowing. “There’s a unique Psionic Signature in this Sun Gem. Its signal is more difficult to block than conventional trackers. Your brother wanted you to swallow it just in case.”

“In case of what?” asked Thazia, slightly startled that Jorrez felt the need for these precautions.

“Just in case, alright,” said Delphi cheerfully as she cupped Thazia’s chin. “Don’t worry. We’re through the worst of it now. Everything will be fine.”

Thazia only managed a weak nod in response, though she didn’t plan on heeding that order. Swallowing something that large just seemed far too bothersome. They were about to leave for safety anyway, so what would be the point in swallowing a nonconventional tracking device now?

Delphi soon left to join the Mermen demolition crewmembers who were already busy working on the large hangar doors at the opposite end of the big chamber. Azez was soon at Thazia’s side, and she felt grateful to feel his psions as his blue-glowing hands traced over her body. As the chief medical officer with the most advanced healing abilities, Azez was the natural choice to serve as field medic.

“No signs of injury other than a very mild concussion from that EMP blast, but that’s easily remedied. Looks like you’re still tough enough to lick the bunch of us, little starfish,” Azez said with a wink.
Thazia couldn’t help a laugh despite the circumstances. “Starfish. You haven’t called me that in a long time.”

“Seemed appropriate. They say that using familiar nicknames with someone who just experienced serious trauma for the first time is...” he trailed off, laughing nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry. Just my cold Defender training coming up.”

“Shut up and hug me, you big lug,” Thazia ordered.

Azez complied without complaint as she nuzzled into his chest. Thazia felt warmed by his big torso as his powerful arms wrapped around her slim frame. The tips of their tails connected occasionally while treading air as if it were water. She could still hear the occasional blasts of battle as the bunker shook every now and then, but she still somehow felt secure in Azez’s embrace. Azez had been one of her Defenders since childhood. He had been trained alongside Jorrez by her father. If there was anyone she trusted as much as her brother, it would be Azez ... social awkwardness notwithstanding.

“Azez,” she whispered as more tears threatened to come. “Daniel ... I...”

“It wasn’t your fault, starfish. It wasn’t anybody’s fault.”

“Will you help me make it up to my brother after this is all over ... for what I said to him?”

“I think-”

“Detonators secure!” shouted Delphi. “Everyone, clear!”

The Defenders all backed away and Azez shielded Thazia as the explosion detonated. There was a loud pop! followed by a whoosh! as the wide doors were flung open. Thazia looked to the opened hangar doors as Delphi examined her work. The opening was smoky as the Mermaid guardswoman hovered at the threshold. Then without warning, a large Sharkman came roaring out of the hangar doors and promptly bit off the Mermaid’s head.

Thazia screamed as Delphi’s headless corpse hit the floor, blood pooling from the open neck wound. Jorrez was the first to react, blasting the Sharkman who killed Delphi with a blue laser shot from his trident. The Sharkman’s head and torso exploded from the laser blasts as its huge legs fell to the ground. More Sharkmen poured out of the hangar doors outfitted in rubbery, gray battle suits and wielding laser rifles with trident bayonets. Then all hell broke loose. She didn’t see much of what happened as Azez pushed her back so that he could join Jorrez as he led the Defenders and the Militia Men against the Sharkmen. He told her to protect herself before he left, and she knew immediately what he meant. Using the emergency water reserves in her atmospheric converter, Thazia created a barrier of water around herself, and a good thing too as several stray laser shots bounced against her shield. It took all her strength to keep the wall up as she spread her arms apart. She noticed several Tarrus nobles take shots as Trixie’s guards scrambled to protect her and the other humans.

“Trixie!” screamed Thazia. “Get behind me, now!”

Trixie didn’t need much convincing as she and the other nobles crowded behind Thazia’s water barrier. Thazia couldn’t tell much about what was happening. It all seemed so chaotic with men shouting commands as gunfire splintered through the air. She could barely make out anything at all, so she had no idea how her brother or Azez could make heads or tails of this mess. All she knew was that at least a dozen Sharkmen had flooded into the room. Some of them were so tough that they could take multiple laser shots before being taken down. A few Sharkmen simply attacked using their jaws, taking off huge chunks of meat from the Militia Men and the Defenders if they got too close. Other Sharkmen used the trident-like bayonets on their rifles, but they didn’t seem as skilled in close-quarters combat as the Mermen.

Thazia could tell that Azez and her brother fought the most skillfully as they flowed into the combat, sometimes using laser blasts and other times their tridents to spear their opponents if they ever got too close. Jorrez and Azez also employed aqua shields that would appear from their wristbands, though their water barriers couldn’t make a complete sphere around them like Thazia’s could. The human Militia Men also fought well, perhaps better than most of the Defenders aside from Jorrez and Azez. The humans didn’t seem to mind that the Sharkmen were bigger and fiercer than them as they gunned them down with cold proficiency, using auto-tracking laser weapons and grenades, holographic tricks, and attack probes to distract their larger opponents. Thazia knew that humans were more warlike than Atlanteans in modern times, so it made sense that their people would be more prepared for something like this. However, whatever this was ... it wasn’t anything Thazia had thought possible.

I heard the Sharkmen were aggressive, but I had no idea they were this savage! Oh, Delphi! Why did it have to be you?! Why?!

As the fighting intensified with both sides suffering significant casualties, a loud voice suddenly shouted, “Octak!”

Thazia recognized it as the Sharkfolk word for ‘Halt’. Suddenly, the attacking Sharkmen ceased fire as they retreated to the hangar doors. Jorrez held up a hand to his troops as a stalemate ensued between the two opposing factions. Thazia tried to maintain her barrier in case the Sharkmen attacked again, but lacked the strength as her water fell to the floor at her fins in a useless puddle. She teetered for a moment, but Trixie thankfully held her upright by her shoulders.

As the Defenders and the Militia Men maintained a protective circle around Thazia and the other dignitaries, there seemed to be some movement in the enemy’s ranks. The Sharkmen parted as a lone Sharkman stepped forward. By the intricate spikes decorating the shoulders of his gray, full-body battle suit, and the fact that he looked larger and meaner than the other Sharkmen, Thazia guessed that this must be their leader. His head was similar to that of a great white shark like most of his companions. The Sharkman leader had a long, jagged scar on one eye which seemed to be permanently closed. His remaining eye was pitch-black, and it almost seemed to zero in solely on Thazia. He had aqua respirators on the sides of his neck where his gills were so that he could breathe outside of the water. A long dorsal fin that looked sharp enough to cut steel stuck out from his back, and his webbed hands were armed with dangerous-looking claws. His torso and chest were humanoid, just a fair bit larger than any human or Merman as he stood well over eight feet tall. His webbed feet stomped loudly as he moved his massive bulk forward.

After glaring a good while at Thazia, who was scared speechless at this point, the Sharkman leader focused on her brother. “Prince Jorrez, I take it?”

“I prefer my title as captain, but yes,” answered her brother. “You’re Umtha, right? Head General for Urksa, the Siren Queen of the Sharkfolk. Atlantis offered the hand of peace and brotherhood to all Sharkfolk as we welcomed you into the Aquatic Alliance, and this is how that kindness is repaid. What is the meaning behind this unprovoked attack?”

“The meaning should be quite obvious, my prince,” said Umtha in a growling voice as his hideous shark face scowled angrily. “Sharkfolk are no longer content to be ruled by weak-minded Merfolk. It’s time the Aquatic Alliance made way for better rulers, ones who have been denied our due for far too long. You Merfolk and all the other Demihumans have always snubbed your noses down on us Sharkmen. We’re not as refined or enlightened for your tastes, prompting you to deny us membership into the Aquatic Alliance for centuries. Well, now it’s too little, too late. We have a benefactor who sees our true worth and who’s willing to back our claim as the undisputed rulers of Atlantis, and by extension, all the aquatic systems scattered throughout the universe.”

Jorrez’s eyes flashed dangerously as his grip tightened so hard on his trident that his knuckles cracked. “So you’re the ones behind the slaughter in the city. You hacked our defense matrix which allowed that ship to enter our atmosphere using your clearance codes as members of the alliance. You chum-eating bastards. No matter how you justify yourselves, Atlantis has never committed such heinous acts of brutality against the Sharkfolk’s planet in the long history that our races have known each other.”

Umtha growled, and several Sharkmen joined him. He pointed angrily at Jorrez, and said, “Don’t you dare judge us when your people ally themselves with humans, some of the worst mass murderers in the history of the universe.”

Jorrez beat his tail to float forward a pace, and Thazia gasped, fearing that her brother was getting too far from the protection of his troops. “The humans’ hands are clean compared to what you’ve done here today, you dim-witted, Siren Spawn. That warship of yours must’ve killed tens of thousands of innocent Merfolk in Nepton, and more are still dying.”

“Actually, that is our warship,” said a new masculine voice, this one much softer than Umtha’s.

Umtha grinned wickedly as he stepped aside. Another figure came into view, this one much more slender than the bulky Umtha, but nearly as tall. The creature that came forward appeared roughly humanoid in appearance, with deathly pale white skin and flashing, slitted yellow eyes. He had long dark hair and two rows of spikes similar to antlers sticking out of his head in a way that looked like a crown of horns. He wore black, steel-plated armor and a gray strap across his chest with a red symbol depicting what looked like a pair of upside-down scissors. White, bone-like protrusions stuck out from his arms, legs, and back similar to the horns on his head. His arms and legs were long and lean, but his chest looked powerful behind his black chest plate. His ears were pointed like an Elf’s, and his handsome, cleanshaven face looked mostly human, though with a more predatory edge that most humankind simply lacked. When he opened his mouth to speak, Thazia could see large fangs instead of teeth. Two tusk-like fangs on his bottom jaw were longer than the rest so that they were visible even when his mouth was closed. His hands appeared disproportionately larger than the norm for most humanoids, and the long fingernails on his pale hands looked like claws. The creature seemed somewhat familiar, though Thazia couldn’t quite place it. Then she realized that the skull on the ship that attacked the city was likely meant to represent one of these beings. As she searched her memories for a name to place this particular species, there was only one Demihuman race whose appearance came close to theirs. However, the beings she thought of were supposed to be considerably smaller and less impressive.