Chapter 22

For a time, Tarrus was stable. The human Empire was gradually colonizing other solar systems around Tarrus in an effort to enlarge its defensive perimeter and protect the main populace from alien invasion. Thanks to the Elementals aiding the militia in battle, humans were starting to garner a reputation as a formidable military power in the Alpha Axis Galaxy. Human scientists were even starting to comprehend alien technology by studying the captured crafts of defeated raiders, upgrading our machinery to be almost as impressive as Elemency. And of course, Toramir and Sifa were there to bring temperance to humanity, even opening negotiations with former alien adversaries in order to find common ground for coexistence. With Lexander safely imprisoned and his followers seemingly pacified, there seemed no stopping the rising power of mankind. However, there was one whose bitterness could not be quelled even beyond the boundaries of death. And thus, the mysterious spectral wolf named Shadow Claw descended to the planet of Tarrus. Not much was known of this Shadow Claw at the time of his appearance. Some believed that he journeyed from beyond our universe, perhaps even hailing from the Shadow Realm itself. Not even Toramir was aware of his presence. But what is known is the grave consequences that would soon follow. The malevolent entity set his sights upon Lexander within his prison and beheld a kindred spirit. Unbeknownst to the guards, Shadow Claw began to whisper ancient and dark secrets into Lexander’s ear ... and the renegade Elemental listened attentively.

“We have to do something! We can’t just sit here while Thazia and Jorrez are being held prisoner! The Seed of Poseidon is not so easily humbled!” cried Jezrin. At the moment, Jezrin was doing something that she never thought she would ever do ... she was arguing with her mother.

“I have been assured by the Sharkfolk that your siblings are well cared for,” replied Queen Amphi, her usual confidence slightly strained with repressed emotion that only those close to her would be able to detect. “I have no reason to doubt them. They know that the diplomatic fallout will be far too costly for their people should any harm come to my children.”

“But how can we know that for certain?” asserted Jezrin’s father. King Oceanus was usually too timid to argue with his wife, but lately, he seemed to grow bolder as the situation became more desperate. “The attack itself is unprecedented. If they were truly concerned about political repercussions, they wouldn’t have been so bold in the first place.”

Amphi rounded on her husband, swimming around to float above him. Despite being much larger than her, Oceanus seemed to shrink as the Queen’s wrath became manifest. “And what would you have me do, dear husband? Call the banners? Declare war on the Sharkfolk? Our people haven’t marshalled for war in an age ... and for good reason! We were near the precipice of true cosmic enlightenment! To turn our backs on that way of life now ... even for our kin ... it would destroy all the progress our people have made for universal peace over the last century!”

Oceanus shook his head, looking down as his long blue beard undulated in the water. “I ... I’m sorry, wife. I ... I just want my children back.”

Amphi’s features softened, and Jezrin could see her mother’s eyes quiver as she floated down to hug Oceanus’ powerful frame. “I know, Oceanus. I know. I feel your pain,” she cooed gently into his shoulder.

Overcome with emotion herself, Jezrin sniffled as she swam forward to embrace her father and mother, and they gladly welcomed her presence as they each wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

The moment passed as Amphi drew back, her long blonde hair swirling harmoniously around her elegant face. “We’ll get them back. I promise we will. Just give me more time to negotiate with the Siren Queen’s speaker. I know we can make a bargain with the Sharkfolk. We just have to try. Remember our teachings. All sentient beings have good within themselves, the light of the soul. It’s up to the enlightened folk to find that light within each of us and bring it out.”

Jezrin nodded as she sighed, repeating the mantra that had been taught to her since birth. “And each light found is a light shared, connecting us in harmony until all darkness in creation is eradicated.”

But even as Jezrin said the words, they didn’t seem to ring with the same enthusiasm. At any other point in her life, she wouldn’t have doubted those words. But now ... her people viciously attacked. Her big brother and little sister kidnapped. Even if they were being treated well as the Sharkfolk claimed, they must be so frightened, especially little Thazia. She had only just recently come of age.

“Still, it is alarming, Mother. And not just the Sharkfolk’s attack,” Jezrin said, flapping her tailfin to move back a pace as she folded her hands in front of her. “Some of the representatives of the Aquatic Alliance ... they act as if ... as if this attack were partially justified. They seem to be taking the Sharkfolk’s side, making their negotiators all the more audacious with their demands.”

Amphi gave a sad, wise smile and a shake of her queenly head. “The gray areas of politics, my love. People just want their voices heard so that justice can be done. Perhaps we are partially to blame, in a sense. Perhaps we took the Sharkfolk for granted. They haven’t lived the privileged lifestyles of we Merfolk. But once we appeal to their better nature, they will understand that we are not a threat to them. All I know is that a diplomatic solution is the only way forward.”

Jezrin steeled her resolve as she nodded. “You’re right, Mother. We mustn’t do anything brash to provoke them ... not with Thazia’s and Jorrez’s lives on the line.”

That being said, I’m willing to do everything in my power to give my siblings and the people of Nepton a fighting chance, thought Jezrin to herself, already devising strategies should the plans she had set into motion fail.

A female Nymph named Hera swam into the throne room, bowing low. Hera was Jezrin’s new handmaiden. She supposed she liked the Nymph well enough, even if she was a little bland. Like all Nymphs, Hera’s body was made of a translucent, water-like substance that rendered her a unique, ethereal quality. Despite her liquid-like skin, her proportions were identical to a slender yet voluptuous young humanoid woman and she would’ve been considered attractive by even the staunchest of human purists. Her silvery skin sparkled in the blue light of the throne room as she moved through the water with a grace that could rival the Merfolk. Her long greenish hair seemed a little thicker than the rest of her body, making it appear more gelatin than water-based. Her eyes were pupilless and glowed with a dim, azure light. Though her face was made of liquid, one could still perceive her feminine facial expressions as clearly as if she were a delicate human girl. Like all Nymphs, Hera wore no clothes, though this wasn’t entirely risqué as she reshaped her body to create a facsimile of clothing that vaguely resembled a tight silver corset and a revealing white skirt that barely covered her long legs. All Nymphs could create the illusion of wearing clothes so as not to make other beings uncomfortable, though the males did chafe at this necessity far more than the females did.

“Sires,” said the Nymph in her singsong voice. “The representatives of the Aquatic Alliance are gathered. The Siren speaker for the Sharkfolk is expected to make a proclamation sometime during the session.”

Queen Amphi drew herself up, her former vulnerability vanishing to be replaced with queenly composure. “Very good, Hera. Tell the representatives that my family and I will be there shortly.”

The young Nympth bowed again and turned to leave, but stopped at the threshold as if she’d forgotten something. “Oh, your Highnesses. Long range scanners show that an Elemental ship will be arriving soon.”

Amphi looked alarmed, and Jezrin also felt a bit of tension. Elementals! Mother actually sent for Elementals! Perhaps she’s more worried than she’s letting on!

The Queen glanced at Oceanus in an accusatory manner. “I told you to cancel that request to the Water Ministry. Elementals are belligerent by nature. They will only make things worse.”

The Merfolk King seemed decidedly uncomfortable as he glanced away from his wife and wrung his hands. “You did ... and I would have ... that is, until I considered something. It’s true what you said, our people are not prepared to go to war. But conflict is not an alien concept to the battle-hardened Elementals. I’m not saying that we will use them, only that we can use them if necessary ... and only as a last resort.”

Though Jezrin could tell that her mother was angry, she couldn’t help the intrigue as she said, “Elementals. I’ve never seen an Elemental before. They will be from the Water Ministry, I take it. Imagine. Humans with the same gift for Water Elemency as we Merfolk ... and some with powers even more bizarre. How many are there, Father?”

Oceanus seemed a little less uncomfortable as he presented his daughter with a graceful smile. “Knowing that a large force would be too noticeable and disruptive for the negotiations, I stipulated to the Water Ministry that they limit their numbers and their power levels. There are some among the Elementals who can wreak havoc upon an entire planet’s ecosystem, after all. However, it is possible that they are bringing a few allies from other Ministries, but there should be no more than ten in total.”

Amphi glared at her husband, and said in an almost menacing voice, “We’ll talk about this later.” Turning back to Hera, the Queen gestured with her slender arm. “Keep things quiet when they arrive. Do not let them near the representatives, especially the ones who are in contact with Tarrus. Emperor Chissler will be furious if he thinks we’re summoning Elementals behind his back.”

Éclair’s stomach jolted as she felt the ship coming out of warp. She heard a loud hissing noise, the sound of the pod resuscitating her. Warmth and fluidity started spreading through her groggy body. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and she sighed loudly as her blurry vision cleared. It had been a while since she’d been put into cryostasis for a journey. She had done it a few times when she was still a royal and the riggers of space travel were deemed too strenuous for such a young girl. Just like in the days of her childhood, cryo-sleep left her feeling tired and sore in all kinds of places that not even hard workouts left her sore in.

As the hibernation sickness slowly cleared away, her eyes focused on the glass wall of her stasis pod. She felt a tingling sensation over her body, looking down to see a honey-like liquid receding from her blue bio-suit and being absorbed into the pod’s floor. As Erica had explained, the bio-suit had generated a membrane around her body as she slept in her pod. The substance was cold and gooey, reminding Éclair of a docuseries in which she observed large, carnivorous insects enveloping prey as big as horses within cocoons of mucus and silk. She shuddered, that line of thinking bearing too many parallels to the Parasites and their legions of victims trapped in disgusting tentacles.

As the door to her pod gradually opened, a strange feeling of claustrophobia overtook Éclair, and she nearly pushed the doors open herself. When the way was finally clear, she burst out of the pod, but immediately fell back as she was overcome with vertigo. She grasped hold of the pod’s rim to steady herself as she panted with exhaustion and dizziness. It took some willpower, but she managed to swallow back the vomit that nearly surged from her lips. She couldn’t recall her other experiences with cryostasis being quite so taxing.

“Slowly, Kaves. Slowly,” counselled Erica, the Wielder already sitting up from her pod and stretching her arms experimentally. “The subspace field is harsher on the body than normal cryogenics, even for Elementals. Some Pureskins with weak constitutions would die after enduring such stress. Give yourself time to adjust.”

Éclair couldn’t help the touch of alarm that crept into her. Normal cryogenics? How could she have known that I’ve been through cryostasis before?

As Éclair attempted to ascertain if she was jumping to conclusions, she noticed Victor had already left his pod and was working the computer consoles at the far end of the bridge. He frowned in apparent frustration.

“Telemetry scans indicate that we’ve come out of the Gateway a little farther than expected. Atlantis is still a few hours away at full thrusters. Furthermore, the Atlanteans are redirecting us to an orbiting space station instead of the palace proper.”

Erica grimaced as she sprang from her pod, some of the membrane liquid from her bio-suit dripping from her. “A space station? I was told we would be taken before Queen Amphi herself to start strategizing for a counteroffensive. Why would they be giving us the runaround like this?”

Éclair noted that the other members of the team were slowly waking from their own pods. Some of the egg-shaped pods were still hissing and emitting steam as the cryostasis was ended sequentially. Leon woke up in the pod next to Éclair’s, rubbing his head gingerly. He gave her a wane smile, and she returned the gesture.

Victor shook his head. “They seem to be in deliberations with the representatives from the Sharkmen. They don’t want us interfering.”

Leon scoffed. “Negotiating with terrorists. That always ends well.”

Erica pursed her lips in displeasure as she pinched her chin. “I hate to say it, but I believe you may have a point, Mr. Lurranna. The Sharkmen have made their intentions known. It’s already been weeks since their occupation. Further delays to action will only embolden them and allow them to better entrench themselves within Nepton.”

Éclair, slightly recovered from her hibernation sickness, stood up from her pod only somewhat shakily. “If I may, Lady Konamay. Perhaps we can still do our jobs without disrupting their talks. If we rendezvous with the Atlantean Fleet monitoring the embargo on Nepton, we might be able to get a better understanding of the situation.”

Erica graced Éclair with a crafty grin. “You know something, Kaves ... I might have to actually start approving of you.”

“Until the Merfolk’s injustices are dealt with, the occupation will continue. Our people will not be bullied by Atlantean oppression any longer. Sharkfolk and Sirens are united in this. I implore you, honorable representatives, if you have any decency, do not let their promises of wealth and trade sway your decision. Do not be bought by them as they seek to buy our people’s very souls. Stand with us, and we will bring freedom and prosperity to all the marginalized peoples of the Aquatic Alliance,” said the Siren delegate, Medeza Moon-Scale, with all the performative passion and zeal of a practiced public speaker. Jezrin could almost admire the woman’s political acumen ... if it wasn’t currently being used for the detriment of her family.

The delegates convened in the ancient Chamber of Polyphemus. In contrast to the old human legends, the Cyclops was not a son of Poseidon, who was a Merman King rather than a Grecian God. However, he was a treasured friend and ally of the Merfolk, having negotiated a trade deal between King Poseidon and the Cyclops. He was also a famed explorer who discovered several Gateways that expanded commerce outside of the respective galaxies of both races. The Merfolk had sponsored Polyphemus’ trip to Ancient Earth, so the people of Atlantis felt partially responsible for his death. In honor of the Cyclops explorer who had been wrongfully killed by primitive human natives upon visiting the planet simply to expand his terrestrial maps, Atlantean Kings of the past erected a chamber to be used as the main office of legislation in the palace.

The Chamber of Polyphemus was oval-shaped, made to be reminiscent of an eyeball. A massive, green-tinted stained-glass window had been crafted into the chamber’s ceiling. The stained-glass window that overlooked the chamber symbolized Polyphemus himself, who was said to have a green eye that could see farther than most beings with two eyes. The decorative eye was meant to show the discernment and wisdom of Polyphemus who was considered a shrewd negotiator in his dealings with his dear friend, King Poseidon. The chamber itself was bare of furniture, the shiny blue walls made from coral stone and lined with white pearls. The decorative walls and expensive ceiling set against the backdrop of the sea waters was a radiant display of Atlantean wealth. Although, the clear opulence of the room might prove a disadvantage as the Sharkfolk and their Siren allies were determined to cast the Merfolk as rich oppressors of less fortunate beings.

Each of the hundreds of delegates floating in the chamber were seated in giant, golden chariot shells. The shells were pulled by Water Horses, a previously extinct subspecies of aquatic dinosaurs called plesiosaurs from Ancient Earth. The Water Horse had been reintroduced into the universe using genetic cloning from the DNA found on fossils. As the creature was a survivor from pre-historical times, many Atlanteans considered the beasts sacred. Some Merfolk even fabricated a fable claiming that the animals would only horse a chariot if the rider was pure of heart. Nonsense, really, but the legend did have some sway over the simpleminded to render some legitimacy for the Atlantean Nobility.

The Water Horses, each one seeming a blend between equines and reptiles, beat the waters anxiously with their four fins and rudder-like tails. Despite doubting their sacredness, Jezrin always loved Water Horses, naming her own beast after her dear grandmother, Fezrin. Unlike the other delegates, Jezrin had opted to ride upon Fezrin’s back without the use of a chariot or a saddle as her fin dangled off the side of the Water Horse. It served as a gesture that she hoped was not lost upon the delegates who often overemphasized how spoiled they thought the royal family was. Jezrin was quite fond of Fezrin, sometimes spending hours petting the beast’s shiny, green-scaled body and easing the mount’s fears during storms. She could tell that Fezrin was agitated today as the creature’s brown eyes darted back and forth as if sensing an enemy. Fezrin made a small whinny, and Jezrin petted the magnificent beast’s translucent mane of gelatinous flesh. Though Water Horses were flesh and blood rather than divine, many scientists had theorized that the creatures were partially empathic, able to sense agitation in others even from far distances as a means of avoiding predators. Jezrin had little doubt of the agitation in the room even if the mounts weren’t particularly finicky.