by J. J. Egosi
Michael and the girls watched her in stunned silence, hoping she had a plan to back up her confidence.
Ursula got near enough to recognize the source of the light as the object in her memories of Atlantis. It was the trident.
“Yes, there it is! I knew it!”
She flew into its jaws, ready to snatch it. Just before the serpent’s jaws would close on it, she pulled the trident straight from its teeth like a sword from a stone.
“It’s mine now!”
She quickly flew back down, holding the trident in the air.
“That trident. I recognize it,” Alexa said.
“Really? What’s so special about it that Ursula would risk her life to get it?” Isabella said, coughing up blood.
“It’s an unholy relic,” Alexa said, struggling to speak.
“You mean like your hammer and my ax?” Isabella asked.
“Precisely. And with a weapon like that, this battle is ours.” Alexa smiled, watching the conviction in Ursula’s eyes.
Michael looked over at Julianna who was still comatose from the shark beast’s attack. He knew she was incredibly tough and would never take the easy way out but he still worried about her.
“Let’s hope so.”
I can see it clear as the shadows are dark, Ursula thought.
Memories began to appear from her journey long ago. She could recall seeing the texts depicting the unholy relic all across the walls—the methods that went into crafting it to one’s will.
“This trident.” The day she appeared back on the island replayed through her mind. The shores were restless with her return. It protruded from the rocks as it did from between the teeth of the beast. Shadows trickled from its three prongs, calling out to her in the language of the fallen cult. “It was always mine to use.”
Ursula rose over the three beasts then released much of her shadows.
“Now, it’s time to see what this trident can really do.”
She twirled it several times over her head. Like a turbine, it began to power. Shadows formed around it, growing larger and more potent as the deities trembled back.
“With this trident, I alter your reality by transforming it into my own!”
She swung the end of the trident down as if laying her judgment. With one strike, the battlefield was encased in a black coat of ice with the three deities frozen in place.
“No way. Did you see that?” Isabella asked. “Did she”—
“She did,” Alexa said. More astonished than any.
Ursula smiled. She wasn’t finished.
“Now, I use the trident’s ability to turn back time, allowing us to return to the physical state we were in before this battle ever began.”
“Did she say she can turn back time?!” Alexa’s jaw dropped.
The shadows began to twist and turn, warping the building and mending the damage. Like that, Michael and the girls were completely healed and restored to full strength. In utter shock, once more, they rose to their feet.
“That trident’s more powerful than any weapon I’ve ever seen,” Alexa said.
“It almost puts my swords to shame,” said Julianna as she dusted herself off.
“Julianna, you’re awake!” Alexa said as the group looked over at her.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Julianna said, confused.
“You were knocked out. That’s why,” Ursula said. She descended to join the others and dusted herself off too as the battle was over.
“On the topic, could we get around to explaining what happened to me?” Michael asked. “I’m still not sure how I arrived in that cave?”
“You mean you don’t even remember driving there?” Alexa’s eyes widened.
“Vaguely, but not really.”
Alexa gulped. “You’re struggling to remember because”—she stopped. How would she put this?
“Because what?” Michael asked. The silence and lack of eye contact from the girls only worsened his anxiety.
“You were drunk,” she said, under her breath.
“I was what?” Michael’s eyes widened.
She bit back her fear, already regretting telling him. The others looked away in anguish.
“You were taken to what we believe was a banquet of sorts. There was alcohol. And since you were under the spell of the mermaid, you indulged in her whims.”
“No.” Michael’s lips quivered in disbelief. “You’re lying.”
“We could smell it on you.” Isabella broke down. “And your behavior made it obvious you were drinking.”
“The fault isn’t yours, though,” Ursula said. “Your inhibitions were taken over by the mermaid’s call.” The others nodded.
“It’s alright, Michael,” Julianna said. “We’re here for you, I promise.”
“Right, you’re here for me.” He nodded. “But, why couldn’t I be there for myself? And how can I be there for you?”
“Look, I know you’re upset,” Ursula began. “But”—
“How can I look at myself in the fucking mirror after what I did?” he screamed. “After I bust my ass to get you to welcome me back with open arms after I betrayed you before.”
He remembered the moment his titan vanished into the darkness after his battle with Lucifer. The terror on his friends’ faces back then was unforgettable, as was the decision to leave him behind.
His face turned red. His sudden outburst left the girls shaking.
“By starting over!” Julianna shouted. “That’s all you can do now and I know that you can do it.”
“And we’ll be here for you as long as it takes,” Isabella said.
“Are you sure you can?” His anger turned to guilt. He looked down, biting back his tears as his fist tightened.
“I don’t know what it’s like to be in those shoes of yours, Michael. I wish I did, so I could help you better,” Alexa said. “I just want you to know that you’re not a failure. You can do this and we believe that you can.”
“I can?” A slight smile formed on his face. “Can I really?”
“Of course you can. You went head-to-head against the demon king and won. There’s no way you’ll lose to some liquor.”
“That’s true.”
Michael recalled his battle against Lucifer in the fifth dimension: from the many crushing blows he took to his final assault that sent Lucifer running back into the shadows.
“And I’ll beat him again the next time we meet. Where and whenever that is.”
“That’s the spirit.” Alexa smiled. “How about we go and collect that bounty we all worked so hard for?”
“Yes, thanks to Ursula, that chest is finally ours.” Julianna smiled.
Michael smiled. “That’s an excellent idea.”
“Wait.” Ursula thoroughly examined the frozen creatures.
“For what?” Alexa asked.
“I sense these creatures will unfreeze at any moment.”
“Then, that’s more reason to collect right now,” Isabella said, running for the treasure.
“No, stop!”
It didn’t take too long before the creatures proved Ursula right. Cracks formed across the black ice as green eyes glowed back. The beasts broke through their frosty shackles and slowly regained their strength.
“Damn it. What now?” Alexa said.
“We didn’t get a second chance for nothing. I think a titan summoning is in order! Especially since it worked so well last time,” said Isabella.
Before she could summon it, Julianna jabbed her in the stomach with the handle end of her sword.
“I guess you have something else planned,” Isabella said between wincing. “Fair enough.”
“You’re not ready for familiar magic. That titan nearly wiped you out last time. Wait until I train you before using that magic. Until then, I think it’s time I give my new toy a run,” Julianna said.
“You mean?”
“That’s right. Behold, my swamp beast. Show yourself, Xendrazi, the jagged distortion!”
>
She pierced her blade into the marble floor, forging a chasm beneath. The horrible monster clawed its way through, entering the battlefield. A slug-like body covered in spikes over its rotting pink furry skin. The creature was just as hideous as they’d all remember.
“Very impressive,” Alexa said, smiling.
“Yes. Now, go my beast. Wipe these deep-sea monsters out!” Julianna said with a maniacal grin on her face.
The swamp beast shrieked in fury as took on the three beasts at once—flailing its many claws and tendrils at them. Ursula trembled as she watched the skirmish.
I don’t understand this, she thought. I thought it was the trident that left Atlantis in ruins. The weapon that relieved of the curse the stone bought. Yet, these deities they worshipped withstood my assault.
I thought I could reverse it all like it did before. I was certain I did when their wounds healed.
The Blackwater gods collided their limbs toward the swamp beast, sending narrow beams from their eyes toward Xendrazi who struck back with a howl so immense the beams were swallowed in the shockwave.
Ursula looked at the miraculous recovery of all her friends, more baffled than ever.
This doesn’t make the slightest bit of sense. The stone played a role in both the rise and fall of Atlantis. What does this trident have to do with this?
She looked down at the unholy relic in her hold. So many questions she had no answers to flooded in her mind. So much power she couldn’t comprehend.
“Hey, is everything alright here?” Alexa asked.
Startled, she looked over at her with a frantic nod.
“Yeah, just catching my breath.”
“Good.” Alexa nodded. “When you’re done, I think Michael needs our help again.”
“Huh?”
Ursula looked over at him and was shocked to find him shaking in place. He sobbed with his face covered as Julianna and Isabella tried to comfort him.
“Is this about the drinking?”
“We told you it’s alright. Relapsing happens. It’s a part of recovery for most,” Alexa said. “Mad as we are.”
The two of them approached him and patted his back. He wiped his tears and looked back at them.
“That’s not why I’m upset right now.”
“Then, what are you upset about?” Ursula asked with nervous eyes.
“That mermaid… she tried to seduce me.”
“Yeah, we know. We saw you fall over a cliff for her,” Isabella said, “but we know you’re not the sort to go sleeping around with unfamiliar women.”
“Everything just happened so fast. It was a blur. There was drinking. I think there were drugs, too. And these stones all over.”
“Did you say stones?” The mention caught the girls by surprise.
“I just lost all my inhibitions when I saw them.” Tears rolled down his face again. “How could I have lost control like that?”
“Because that’s what the stones of orichalcum do,” Ursula said. “They lead you astray.”
“The what?”
“The real threat we’re up against right now. Not a monster or even a cult, but the stone that acts as the beating heart,” Alexa said.
Michael’s confusion only became worse. He watched the swamp beast’s battle rage on with the three beasts, hoping for answers. Still, he couldn’t shake off the guilt or the fact he could hardly remember.
“Whatever happened down there, Michael, we still love you,” Ursula said, hugging him tightly.
“If it helps, we scratched her to pieces,” Alexa said.
“Perhaps a little bit.” Michael smiled.
“Yeah, don’t worry about it. For now, let’s figure out a way out of here while the swamp beast keeps them preoccupied,” said Isabella.
“But, what about the treasure?” Ursula asked.
“Right. Let’s make this fast,” Alexa said.
The five of them nodded. Together, they moved toward the treasure chest and grabbed each corner.
“On a count of three, lift. One, two”—
Before Alexa could finish the countdown, the squid took notice and swung one of its tentacles down at them.
“Everyone, look out!” Michael announced.
They screamed as they jumped for cover. Xendrazi dove in and countered with its own tentacles, shrieking as it took most of the damage.
“Good job, Xendrazi.” Julianna smiled, catching her breath.
“Alright, seriously, we need to make this fast,” Alexa said. “I’m going to pull it all into my bag and we’re going to fuck off right after. Alright?”
“Why yours?” Isabella asked.
“Because I’m the only one that knows the spell. Shit!”
Isabella rolled her eyes before she and the rest of them stepped back to give her the space she needed. Alexa opened her bag and recited the spell as before. In moments, both the gold and the chest carrying it were started seeping inside.
Taking notice, the monsters grew restless and more violent as they tried to break through the swamp beast’s now fledgling defense.
“Fucking hurry!” Julianna shouted.
“I’m going as fast as I can!”
The coins rushed into the bag until there was only an empty chest left. Soon, the colossal chest cramped its way in.
“Got it! Let’s go!”
With their eyes set on a current opposite the one they came in on the ceiling, they each took a deep breath and nodded.
“That’s an upward current,” Ursula said.
“Come on!” Alexa shouted.
They harnessed all the magic they could to propel themselves up and pull into the circular exit, just moments before the swamp beast could be defeated.
The five of them jumped in, one by one, and exited into the cave. The girls sighed in relief as they waited for Michael to join them in the cave.
The quest is complete, Michael thought. We’re that much closer now to claiming what Lucifer had taken from them.
He crashed into the water on the other side of the cave and slowly picked himself up. He looked over at the others, noticing them all frozen in fear, he grew confused.
“Hey, what are you guys doing? The ship’s right over there.”
His eyes turned toward the water where he spotted the head of a massive monster rivaling the ones they dealt with before. With a groan, the beast slowly emerged from the seas, revealing its horrendous oozing green head. The grotesque creature with bumps and fins stood at an incredible height.
“Shit! Not again?” Michael gritted his teeth.
“Another Blackwater deity,” Ursula said, wide-eyed. “That makes four of the five now.”
Alexa turned toward her with an instigative look on her face.
“What do you mean ‘another’?”
“Those three beasts we had a run-in with just now had all the characteristics of the Blackwater deities I’d heard of. Their powers, their overwhelming size, and the greenish glow their bodies emit. There’s no doubt. These beasts are Blackwater deities.”
She locked eyes on the images on the walls. The beasts carved on the four outer tablets were identical.
“Are you serious?” Isabella said. “They really exist?”
“I think we’ve encountered more than enough evidence,” Julianna said, matter-of-factly, as she stared into the glowing eyes of the beast.
“Can someone fill me in on the whole Blackwater deity thing?” Michael asked, as the beast slowly moved toward them. “Cults, stones, and all this. What’s going on?”
“To put a long story short, the evil green stone called the orichalcum poisoned the minds and bodies of the merfolk dwelling in Atlantis, turning them into sea monster hybrids. Religious factions formed shortly after, like the cult of Blackwater, who worshipped those stones. They believed them a gift from the gods,” Ursula said.
“These gods to be specific.” Alexa looked up at the green monstrosity before them.
“I see.” Michael gulped.
&nbs
p; “Lastly, I think the trident played a role in all this.” Ursula looked down at her weapon with frustration. “I don’t know what. I just saw it in a vision. Promising false hope and bringing destruction, instead.
“That’s certainly an interesting piece of new information,” Julianna said.
Their conversation was cut short as another beast emerged from the depths of the cave waters, bringing in a vicious flash.
“Oh, please not another one of these deities.” Michael gulped.
“I don’t think so. Its aura is different,” Ursula squinted as she said.
The creature was much smaller in comparison to the other but easily towered over them. It was a reptilian sea beast with gaping jaws like a crocodile’s and six smaller writhing heads surrounding it like a lion’s mane. It possessed two humanoid arms, a massive flattened tail, and a merfolk riding upon it with a sword.
“Looks like this monster brought back up,” Isabella said.
“Yes, and cavalry, no less,” replied Julianna.
“By the size of it, this beast has got to be one of their heavyweights,” Alexa said.
“So, what’s the plan?” Michael asked.
“That depends? Are you up for a fight?”
“I doubt we have any other choice,” he replied, shaking off his troublesome thoughts as best he could.
“Good, then you take care of them.”
Michael stumbled. “What?”
“You distract him while we get the steamcraft ready.”
“Why just me?” His heart pounded as the deity stared down at him with a curling grin.
“Because your lightning will act as a perfect conductor against these monsters. Alright? Besides, you’re the immortal one, and you owe us the favor for getting drunk with another woman.”
“I suppose that’s all true,” Michael said.
He stared directly up at the green monster, looking into its glowing green eyes with determination.
“Alright, you ugly freak.” He summoned his scepter by his side. “It’s lights out!”
Michael swung his scepter toward the water, igniting it with a stream of white bolts heading toward his enemy.
The creature howled and swayed relentlessly under the crackling sting of his lightning. Shortly, the other beast rushed to its aid.