by DAN MONTY
“You mean, for us to kill them? Ivan is powerful, my queen. He will be ready for conflict,” Abby said. Teera nodded.
“We are the keepers of the sea, not them! They will cower at our knees before we surrender to them to become their food! You freed the first of us from Hans Strucker. You should have been queen, but you chose exile! You felt you could help these shark-men. You felt you could teach them to be human, but your efforts were pointless. These creatures are monsters. Foul, beastly creatures that want to conquer all who dare step in their way! Mermaids and mermen are peaceful, but when threatened we will defend ourselves. We will not seek out a war, Eagleeye, but when it comes to our doorstep... we will fight! The two of you will lead us in battle and it is your responsibility to lead our defence. If the shark-men are allowed to invade our beautiful city – the city you yourself helped build, all will be lost!” Teera added.
Abigale bowed politely and nodded her head. “I will lead our army my queen, but they will have to draw first blood. I will not start a war,” Abigale replied. The queen nodded respectfully.
Abigale and Fisher left the throne room, turning down a corridor outside the central chamber, and walking down another walkway surrounded by clear bubbled windows that looked out into the blue.
“You do realize their island is sinking, right? The shark-men are coming! They will naturally be looking for a new place to call home and they will fight for control of this city. If Ivan is as powerful as I’ve been lead to believe, he will kill us all!” Fisher insisted. Abigale shook her head.
“If he can’t be reasoned with, killing him might be the only alternative. We will need to train – all of us. These creatures are so much more powerful than Teera could comprehend. I lived among the shark-men, Fisher. I know how powerful... how hungry for blood... they are. If we are untrained and unskilled, we will all be killed. I watched as Ivan slaughtered hundreds of creatures, all because they did not look like the others do. Teera is right, he is a monster. To outsmart him, we will need a plan. We cannot face our enemies without one or I swear to you, this quaint little underwater city of ours will snap like towers of toothpicks!” Abigale said, sighing as she lead Fisher down the corridor to the sleeping chambers.
Chapter Fourteen: The Promotion
Abigale and Fisher stepped into a massive 700 metre underwater room which was full of mermaids in their human form, wearing beautiful armour that had been forged for battle. Genna stepped forward, taking Abigale by the hand and bowing to her respectfully.
“You must be Abigale. I am Genna! I am the trainer of the warriors of New Aquatica. I hear you will now be taking my place to lead our army against the shark-men. I will assist you in any way I can,” she said. Abby bowed. Genna ran a hand through her long, braided hair. The dark-skinned woman was beautiful, but her eyes were intense and her arms muscular. Abigale was glad Genna was strong. She would need to be.
“Any news on the situation above?” Abigale asked. Genna nodded.
“The island will be underwater in twelve hours. That gives us precious little time, but thankfully your army is already trained and ready. We are few, but all of us are fearless, and ready to die to protect this city,” Genna replied.
“Good, because the shark-men are barbarians,” Abigale said, looking across the room and glaring in awe at the sight of a large submarine. The front of it was arrow shaped and flat like the head of a squid. The sub was dark blue and featured two large dorsal wings. Abigale moved towards the massive sub, which measured 301.8 metres long. There were men working on the exterior hull of the sub with blowtorches, adding final touches. Abby moved past the fight training women, staring at the great vessel in awe.
“Beautiful, isn’t she? It’s the Atlantis. When she’s completed, she will be the first fully manned mermaid submersible. Primarily she’s a research vessel. She’ll be taken out to the furthest reaches of the ocean where we hope to explore never before charted sectors of the ocean. 178 crew members, 78 of whom will be science officers. The floor will open up when she is ready to go, and she will be dropped into the water for her maiden voyage beyond the depths,” Genna said.
Abigale ran her hand along the great blue hull of the ship, amazed as she studied the lettering of the word ‘ATLANTIS’ printed on the hull. Genna walked up to her, smiling at her admiration of the vessel.
“Our goal is to hunt for never before discovered marine life and ensure the continued preservation of the oceans eco system. After all, it’s all we have left,” Genna said. Abigale smiled.
“She’s beautiful!” Abigale said, sighing deeply. Genna smiled again.
“I’m glad to hear you say that, because she’s yours... Captain,” Genna added.
Abigale stood back awe struck, as Fisher looked on smiling.
“Me? I can’t be a submarine captain... Teera should be... “ Abigale started, but Genna stopped her there.
“Teera is queen, Abby. Her place is here with her people. When the battle with the shark-men is over, you and a crew you select will leave this city and embark on this journey. You were the first of us. You lead us to build a new world of our own, and the queen has appointed you as ‘Captain of the Atlantis.’ You refused to rule our city, but I’m afraid you can’t refuse this,” Genna said, with a grin.
Abigale looked back towards the ship and stared at it for a long moment, looking back at Genna to see Queen Teera walking over to join them. Abby approached Teera shaking her head.
“There has to be someone better for this mission... ” Abby suggested, but Teera held up her hand.
“I am giving you command of our greatest vessel, captain. You can do this. You were meant to do this, Abby," Teera said.
“Do you accept this post?” Queen Teera smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“And so I promote you to the rank of captain, with all responsibilities, entitlements and privileges that come with it,” Teera said, turning to Fisher and placing a hand on his shoulder.
“...and I pronounce you Commander Fisher Gree. You will serve as Abigale's first officer. Congratulations commander," Queen Teera said.
Fisher and Abby exchanged glances as the queen of New Aquatica moved beside Genna, taking one last look at them before turning to leave.
“Well, captain! Looks like we have an army to prepare!” Fisher said, and Abby nodded in agreement.
“We don’t have much time," Genna said, passing them both spears.
*****
The surface of the ocean was calm for now, as it rolled onto the golden sand of the beach. The island of Isla Santa Maria, which had been dubbed ‘Aquatica’ by Abigale and her friends years earlier; was eerie with a creepy calm. Light rain fell from the darkening skies as three shark-men ran through the trees of the island, spears in their hands as they ran from the beach towards the fort in the centre of the island that had once served as a luxurious hotel for guests.
The first of them was named Cutter – older than the other two. He was a humanoid great white shark, displaying a patch over his left eye and a chest covered in red scars. He grumbled to the other two, heaving his muscular legs over the rocks and roots of the jungle floor.
“Hurry up! Ivan must know! The end is nigh!!” Cutter snarled, as the second of the shark-men squealed. He was a scrawny, twitchy creature named Scud. What kind of shark he had been was unknown, but his body was thin and his humanoid shark flesh looked as though it had seen many fights.
“I’m coming!! Do you think it’s true?? Is it another great flood like in the good book?” Scud asked, his massive shark jaws seeming pathetic as he panted.
“Ivan will tell us all we need to know!” Cutter said as the three of them passed into the fort. Several shark-men wearing armour walked over to them, the third shark man walking off to join some others as Cutter and Scud bowed before a large throne that was set up where the reception desk had once been, when the fort had been a hotel. Sitting in the throne, stuffing his face with small
cooked animals, sat the large im
posing figure of the monstrous Ivan the terrible.
“My lord!!! The storm is coming!! The one that we were warned about!!” Cutter yelled, and Ivan threw a large game bird leg into his mouth, shopping through the meat and bone with his massive jaws.
“I know, Cutter. Are my armies prepared for battle?” Ivan asked. Cutter nodded, still panting wildly. Ivan stood up from his throne, tossing a splinter of bone across the room, which was overgrown with weeds. The tiles of the floor were broken beneath the Shark Lord’s great feet as he strode towards Cutter and Scud. Ivan stood nose to nose with Cutter.
“We will walk out to the beach and wait. All of us will wait for the oceans to rise against us, and then we will charge into the depths... and claim the underwater city as our own!” Ivan said, brushing between the trembling figures of Cutter and Scud, as he walked to the open door of the fort.
“GATHER MY ARMY! THE TIME HAS COME... TO DESCEND!” Ivan yelled, as Scud and Cutter scurried about to make preparations.
Chapter Fifteen: Into the Depths
Squishy was disgusting. He was a humanoid octopus-creature with eight tentacles for arms and he constantly dribbled black ink as his tentacles danced over several keyboards. He sat in a chair, studying weather satellites on several computer screens, spitting a glob of goo from his mouth. He was well known as a technology wizard, who had been one of Hans Strucker’s experiments. Abby had befriended him years earlier, and he had been one of the original creatures that initiated the strike against Strucker’s island. Now he worked for Queen Teera in a research lab in the underwater city of New Aquatica.
Squishy cursed as he looked at the screen which indicated the map of the island of Isla Santa Maria above sea level - and the tsunami wave that was approaching it.
“We’ got incoming!” Squishy exclaimed, as Teera walked over to his station, which was cluttered with mess.
“Where are the shark-men?” Teera asked. Squishy hit a key on one of the keyboards. He looked at a monitor and turned back to Teera, wiping black goo from his mouth.
“They are lined up along the beach! My God! They are waiting for the wave!” Squishy exclaimed.
“Good! Let them come!” Teera replied, turning away from the computer station and striding out into the corridor.
Queen Teera approached a panel on the wall of the tunnel, looking out into the blue ocean water, and activating a switch.
“Captain Channing, ready the mermaids! They are coming!” Teera said.
*****
On the beach of Isla Santa Maria, Ivan and a large army of armour wearing shark-men stood facing the ocean, and a towering wall of water that was heading towards the island. Ivan stood in front of his men, his black eyes staring at the towering tsunami heading for them. His voice was loud, thundering across the beach as his soldiers chanted in readiness of the wave.
“YES LORD! UNLEASH YOUR WRATH ON THIS WORLD! CLEANSE IT OF SIN AND EVIL! WIPE THE SOILED EARTH AWAY! DROWN IT IN YOUR WATERS! GIVE US STRENGTH ALMIGHTY GOD! PREPARE US AND READY US... FOR WAR AGAINST THE ABOMINATIONS THAT LURK BENEATH YOUR MIGHTY SEAS! AMEN!” Ivan screamed as the massive wave swept over them, drowning the island as the shark-men dove beneath the crashing wave, spears grasped tight in their hands.
The shark-men swam down into the crashing sea, down, down, ever down, into the darkness of the ocean depths. The shark-men filled the water snarling through massive, razor-sharp gritted teeth. Down towards the sparkling lights of the towering underwater metropolis that was rushing up to meet them. A pack of humanoid shark-creatures that moved in a perfect army, their spears held outward ready to slaughter any who got in their path.
Far below, Captain Abigale Channing, Fisher, and their proud army of blue-skinned mermaid warriors swam in the water in waiting, looking upward towards the surface and watching, as the silhouettes of seemingly hundreds of spear-wielding shark men swam down to meet them. Abigale looked up at the descending army of intruders and snarled – her eyes glowing a brilliant blue as she exposed a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. Her tail swept from left to right as her armour sparkled and she raised her spear high over her head as the mermaid army behind her echoed her movements, snarling and raising their spears.
“ATTACK!” Captain Channing yelled, swimming upward, as Fisher and the other mermaids followed her closely, swimming upward and charging towards the incoming army of shark-men.
Ivan lead his shark-men down towards the city, sneering when he saw the mermaid army, obviously much smaller than his own. Then he saw the leader... Abby.
“Well, well, well," Ivan said, swimming faster. “If it isn’t the traitor herself!” he went on.
The armies slowed in front of each other, Ivan swimming down to meet Abigale, who swam up to meet him. The two of them circled, their eyes not leaving each other.
“You dare to rise against me, girl? First you escape my island with intruders... Now you DARE to challenge me in battle? I should have known you would run off to join these... freaks!” Ivan hollered. Abigale glared at him through glowing blue eyes.
“You are NOT welcome here, Ivan! How dare you rise against the underwater realm! If you do not leave now, we will be forced to kill you!” Abigale insisted, and Ivan laughed out loud.
“You’re not a warrior, girl! Yer a nobody! A little mermaid with no hope! A freak cooked up in a lab! We can be the only dominant race of creatures in this kingdom! Step aside and relinquish your kingdom to me. You know it is the only way!” Ivan ordered. Abby only smiled and shrugged.
“This is not my kingdom to relinquish, Ivan. And if you wish to see the queen, you will need to go through us!” Abby yelled, as Genna stepped forward, her dark skin now baring a bluish hue.
“ALL OF US!” Genna exclaimed, her braided hair floating around in the water like tentacles.
“Oh, well now why didn’t ya just say so?” Ivan asked and smiled, baring his serrated shark teeth.
“KILL THEM ALL!” Ivan ordered, as the shark-men charged against the mermaids. Genna swam through the water, driving her spear through the head of one of the shark-men as the rest of the mermaids clashed with the army, spears clashing as the shark-men pushed on towards the massive underwater city of lights.
While several of the shark soldiers attacked the mermaids, Ivan swam towards Genna, who had already dispatched several shark-men on her own. Ivan drew a sharp sword from a scabbard in his belt, as Genna pulled out her own, sleeker blade. The swords sliced through the water, clashing as Ivan and Genna circled each other in the water. Ivan bared his teeth in a ghastly grin, half admiring the mermaid’s swordsmanship. Ivan attacked and parried, finally forcing her backward in the dark water.
“You can’t beat me, girl! The shark-men will be the lords of the sea, and you will serve us as little more than food!” he roared, kicking her hard in the chest, and slicing at her armour with his rusted blade. Genna sliced left and right, looking to her left where Captain Abby was fighting two hammer headed shark-men, violently attacking her with swords, as Abigale stood her ground fighting valiantly.
“We will never let you take our city! You will be cast out Ivan, or you will die!” Genna screamed, swiping her sword quickly and smashing the armour on Ivan's chest.
“ARRRGGH! YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT!” Ivan growled, his blows swiping at her left and right, Genna dodging each blow. Finally, Ivan reached out, seizing Genna by the throat and biting her in half, blood filling the water around them.
Abigale watched the terror unfold, screaming at the top of her lungs. She charged through the water at Ivan, snatching one of Genna’s swords as it fell from her hand, raising the blade against Ivan, who raised his own blade to meet her. The blades clashed.
“At last! Your death will be legendary, Abigale Channing!” he roared, as Abby fought furiously, clashing his sword with hers over and over – watching anger in her eyes as she bared teeth of rage. Each sword slice was precise, and within, she rejoiced feeling more powerful as she sensed her opponent weakening.
As Abby an
d Ivan fought their way through the water, Fisher threw a spear through a shark-man as it closed in towards him, turning fast enough to see another great white shark-man snap it’s mighty jaws inches from his face. He was quick to pull out a dagger, driving it into the creature’s belly, kicking it down towards the ocean floor.
A group of shark-men moved towards the city, swimming and ripping mermaids out of the way with their mighty jaws. It seemed that the beasts were making some headway as mermaids with severed limbs drifted down towards the ocean floor, screaming in pain. The leader of the shark-man pack was suddenly distracted by a loud metallic sound. He glanced towards one of the buildings, treading water as a giant cannon slid out, shooting a beam of blue light at the approaching shark-men. The light hit them, blasting them to pieces, their weapons falling free and sinking to the ocean floor. One of the surviving shark-men shook his head in disbelief.
“They’ve got an energy weapon!!!” he howled, swimming away from the city, as another burst of energised light shot out from the cannon in the city, the beam blasting through his chest, disintegrating him.
Ivan watched in horror as the laser weapon destroyed more of his men, pointing to some of his soldiers and then to the weapon. The soldiers nodded, swimming towards the city and throwing grenades from their belts at the cannon. The grenades hit the cannon, exploding on impact and the great weapon buckled, grinding as it toppled to the ocean floor. The building that housed it creaking and crumbling as it began to break apart and fall to the floor of the sea.
Inside the structure, mermen were crushed by falling debris as the building began to fall all around them. One of the mermen ran to save a younger merman, grabbing him and swimming him out of the way as part of the building fell where he had been working. His rescuer, Cobalt set the young merman down and yelled at him.
“The base is coming down! Get the hell out of here!” Cobalt screamed, the younger merman nodding and swimming out of the base.