The Merworld Water Wars - Finned Part 39

"Marina, you must get down," shouted a tiny voice in my ear.

"Maryweather!"

"More than a fairy, I am. Water sprites unite!" she screamed, leading hundreds of part-fairy, part-merp-sprites into combat.

Everyone battled against someone or something. Troy and Kyle were engaged in a vicious war of tridents, while Treeva was in a back and forth fin-slam session with a cackling Kathreena. Benji trident-combated a resilient Kellen, and Airianna tussled with Katrina in an upper-body tangle.

King Zale, covered by water sprites and Ashrays, screamed, "CAPTURE THE NORMAL!"

Several sharp-toothed electric eels made for my head like finely thrown darts, but they had their path altered when two dolphins sliced them in half. While the madness heightened, I noticed one small area completely devoid of Ravenflames: the cage. I ran, swam, and floated as fast as I could for Trey and Polly, stopping only to roll left past an octopus, dive over a bull shark, and slide under the jaws of a great white.

"Marina!" cried Polly. "Get us out of this thing! Have you seen the mold?"

"Mold, Polly? Really?" I pulled and twisted the stubborn fish bone lock.

"Well, it is a health hazard," she spat.

"Do the best you can, Squiggle," said Trey, anxiously watching me work on the stubborn lock.

"h.e.l.lo, Marina. I'm Ophelia Fountains. It's very nice to meet you. My sisters are just there, attached to the network. They would gladly greet you properly, but they're a bit, well, plugged in at the moment. Could you maybe work just a tad faster? I'm honestly not trying to rush you, but I am about to have a panic attack and would really not like for you to have your first impression of me involve sobbing, swearing, and possibly fainting," said Ophelia. She had the kindest voice and most polished mannerisms imaginable.

"Maybe we just let her work," said Trey.

"Really, this isn't the time to be Miss Manners or Mr. Stay Quiet," said Polly, rolling her eyes. "Just do what I do...scream at her until she OPENS THE d.a.m.n LOCK! See the extra effort just then? Yelling really is quite effective."

"You know, on second thought, just take your time. The panic is here, attacking me," said Ophelia, keeling over into Trey's arms.

"Come on!" I growled at the lock.

"Here!" cried Maryweather, shoving her tiny wand in the lock. The lock finally made a glorious clicking sound-Trey, Polly, and Ophelia were free.

"Let's go!" I said, taking their hands to help pull them out.

"Not so fast, sugar face." Queen Zale had the tip of her trident digging into the back of my head. The room grew very silent as all eyes, both human and creature, turned upon me.

"Priorities first," said King Zale, summoning the Kraken cage to scoop up Trey, Polly, and Ophelia like a giant, bony mouth.

"No!" I cried.

"Yesssssss," Queen Zale whispered in my ear.

"You have caused enough havoc, Normal. It's almost time for you to join your friends. But, first, how would you like to see a skinning?" asked King Zale.

"What? No, please no. I'll get in the cage, just please...don't."

"Too late, doll face. Come on, my little warmongers, it's almost shake and bake time."

King Zale held out his arm and, with a twisting motion, paralyzed Troy. Slowly, he reeled him closer, like a helpless little dolphin caught in a net.

Once Troy was next to me, I whispered, "This is all my fault."

"No...it's mine." He could barely speak.

"Happy Birthday, doll. Now, peel him like a sardine can," said Queen Zale.

With elated eyes, King Zale plunged his trident into the bottom of Troy's fin. Troy's scream was excruciating.

"Yee haw! Now this is some Texas size fun," cried the queen.

"NO!" I screamed, grabbing Troy's hand.

"ZALE!" shouted a booming voice.

From the highest point of the battered room, King Tombolo hovered, stoic and severe. Queen Zale released me and hurried back to her throne.

"Well, well, whatever brings you here, Thompson?" King Zale asked.

"You will release my son, Zarius."

"He has failed in his duties. The consequences were very clear."

"And so are mine," said King Tombolo, aiming his significantly larger trident at the queen.

After a long moment, King Zale released Troy. "The girl is mine. If your boy tries to take her, we will skin him. Understood?"

"And accepted," said King Tombolo. "Come, Troy, Treeva. This business is done."

"I'm not leaving without Marina," said Troy angrily, blue blood flowing from his wounded fin.

"Then I cannot help you any further," said his father.

"You could, if you had the guts to stand up for what's right!"

"You are on your own, my son," said King Tombolo, swimming away.

"Coward!" Troy screamed.

Exhilaration spread like hives across King Zale's face. "Your father is weak as ever. This is why your mother left him-she thirsts for real power," roared King Zale. "Emotion creates wars, Marina. That's why people fight. No emotion, no wars...just peace."

Troy grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him, but in my anger, I resisted. "Yeah, peace in a society that is ruled, not led, by a mentally disturbed tyrant who demands things to be done his way, to live life by his rules. Citizens have to live under your thumb or bear your wrath should they dare show some independence," I growled.

"It's called living in an orderly, controlled fashion," said the king.

"It's living to feed some power hungry little punk's ego! That's not freedom."

Little by little, we inched closer to the exit; Benji, Treeva, and Airianna discreetly joined us.

"What they don't know, they don't miss, Marina. With my framework, Ravenflames know only what I allow. They do only as I ask. My way leads to peace, to invincibility."

"You know what you need? You need to get finned. Badly. There's no such thing as invincibility, you little gnome." Airianna whimpered, Troy sighed, and I instantly knew I should've kept my mouth shut...even though it was kind of funny.

"Well, certainly not for you five," he said, swirling his trident over his head.

"What do we do?" Airianna shrieked.

"The orbs," said Benji.

"No time!" Treeva stared at her mother. "How could you?"

"LOOK OUT!" screamed Troy.

Even though I knew I should have been afraid, I felt nothing but anger. To put it bluntly, I was totally p.i.s.sed. This arrogant b.a.s.t.a.r.d has changed my life, stabbed my boyfriend, and stolen my best friends. He and his clan can go to h.e.l.l.

"DIBROM!" screamed King Zale, sending five violet daggers streaming for us.

Somehow, that familiar bubble-like barrier-the very same that protected me from Katrina at the town Christmas party-shielded us from King Zale's death rays and sent them rebounding across the room, killing two guards and three squid.

"Troy! You did it!" I said. "Just like at Christmas!"

"Marina, I'm not doing anything," he said, staring at me.

In fact, Benji, Treeva, and Airianna were all staring oddly at my hands. When I looked down, my hands were glowing gold-the same color as the shield.

"It's me. I saved us," I said, mystified.

There was no time to think about this newfound ability that I'm sure will weird me out later. King Zale unleashed a scream so fierce, it shook the room like an earthquake. In that moment, we escaped, flying down palace corridors, out the front gate, and into clear waters.

"They're coming," said Treeva. "Get Marina out of the water, Troy. Go! We'll handle these idiots."

Troy never slowed. Treeva, Airianna, and Benji remained to battle the Zale's reinforcements. Everything was a haze until we reached the surface.

"Get out of the water," said Troy, frantically pushing me towards the area of beach just beyond where the sea kisses the sh.o.r.e.

"I'm out, I'm out," I said, still holding his hand. "Let's go find Doctor Tenly-"

"Marina," said Troy, tugging on my hand.

I turned to find him on his stomach in the wet sand, the sea still slapping against his fin.

"What are you doing? You have to get out of the water! If they catch you, they'll kill you!"

"They're on their way," he said.

"No! No!" I cried, trying desperately to pull him out of the water.

"We haven't much time," he said, holding tightly to my hand.

I crawled to barely an inch from his sad face and took his hands in mine.

"Your eyes captivated me the first time I saw you. I remember seeing the pureness of your soul." He smiled as he wiped the tears from my eyes.

"If you could have seen my thoughts, you might have thought otherwise."

"You always know how to make me smile. You have made this past year of my life the greatest I have ever known. Before you, I was cold, selfish, and cruel. I would've remained that way, had it not been for you. You have my smile...you have my laughter...you have my tears. I can die in peace, knowing you have what I didn't think I even possessed-my heart."

I bowed my head and sobbed.

Troy raised my head, whispering, "I want to die drowning in your eyes. I will forever be with you. I love you, Marina Valentine," he said, kissing me. "Now...close your eyes."

Reluctantly, I did as he said. "I love y-"

I felt his hands rip from mine. When I opened my eyes, he was gone.

Chapter Twenty-Five.

Independence Day.

July Fourth: My birthday, mid-afternoon. I stayed curled in a ball on the beach for what must have been hours. Somewhere between lost and numb, I found the strength to go inside, shower, and change clothes, even though I barely remember doing so. Since then, I've been sitting on the beach, staring mindlessly at the water. The boy I love was dead-murdered-because of me.

"This sand taken?" It was Doctor Tenly.

I shook my head. "He said that when we were first becoming friends."

"I am sorry, Marina. Troy was a good kid. There was more to him."

"Surprised you're out in the open. The Ravenflames could see you," I said, wanting to change the subject.

"They're not watching. Too dumbfounded by a little Normal winning round one. Besides, they wouldn't be able to see me."

"How's that?"

"Picky Pickle Capsule. Only people I program into this little pickle-shaped remote can see me."

"Pretty clever."

"Yeah, still has kinks, though. Sometimes I can't see certain parts of myself. Very disconcerting."

"You know, your total insanity is sort of cool."

"So I've heard. Now, to try my hand at Marina-talk-warning, completely unnatural transition ahead...everyone is okay. I haven't talked to Tree yet, but Airianna a.s.sures me she is just fine. I imagine she's with her father today."