The Daughter of the Land and Sea

Chapter 12: Arthur

I stared at Mera in shock when she said that, "Are those the same creatures that killed my mother?"

"Yes," Mera said nodding her head. "She was taken there and sacrificed to them. It's become place of death. We know next to nothing about what's down there."

"We should turn back," I blurt out. Mera turns to me surprised. "We can still warn the surface. Try and prepare them for what's coming. Atlantia should be able to protect the surface from the war."

"Turn back?," Mera repeats angrily, "Atlantia if she was awake right now would punch you for saying that."

"Look," I say turning to her, "I learned from a young age not to show weakness. Okay? I solve my problems with my anger and my fists. I'm a blunt instrument and I'm damn good at it. But I've done nothing but get my ass kicked this whole trip. Atlantia is probably the only reason we are still alive right now. The only reason I'm alive. I'm no leader. I'm not a king. I do not work or play well with others. And I can't let you die trying to turn me into something that I'm not."

"You think you're unworthy to lead because you're of two different worlds." Mera says staring at me, "But that is exactly why you are worthy. Atlantia sees that as well or she wouldn't be on this trip. Her siren side wouldn't have allowed her to save you. She knows you are a bridge between the land and sea. Someone who can help her connect the two worlds." Then she says more softly, "I can see that now as well. The only question is...Can you?" I stay silent not sure what to say but I allow for us to continue to on our path.

Eventually we come upon rough weather as it begins to rain heavily with the water moving up and down in huge waves. Atlantia finally wakes up when we enter the water and she opens the door of the cabin with a glare at us.

"You should have woken me up before we entered rough waters." She said annoyed as she stepped out into the rain. Using her powers, she kept the water from hitting her so her tail didn't appear.

"You didn't like being woken up by being tossed around?" I tease her as I grab the rope to the sail to help control the boat. She snorts before moving to go stand near Mera. I was just putting the sail in the right position when I heard a roar before I see a flame appear and hit a creature. The creature flies off the ship as I quickly made my way around the cabin. Just as I came around the corner another creature jumped onto the ship. It looked like a humanoid fish creature with it standing on it's two legs but with fins for hands and a fin on his head. The creature also had the sleek slimy skin that fish have but what made him scary was his size being at seven feet tall when he stood and the scary looking set of teeth in his mouth.

I ripped off a piece of the cabin and stabbed it into his chest but all it did was annoy him since he jumped on me pushing me to the ground. Vaguely, as I struggled with the fish creature, I saw Mera and Atlantia pushing other of these fish creatures off the ship before they get on board. I rip a metal pipe off from the side of the ship and put it in front of me to prevent the fish creature from biting me and he eventually bit through the metal pipe but the ends of the pipe was sharpened. I took the two sharpened ends and stabbed it into his head before pushing him off the boat. When I stood and took in the sight in front of us, I realized that even Atlantia was struggling.

"Atlantia, reveal your true self! That may make them trust us with you being a siren." Mera shouts at Atlantia. She stares at her for a minute before outstretching her arms and with a shout her sleek black wings appear, her black claws cover her hands, and her scales cover her arms. Atlantia looks around and begins to fight the fish creatures but stop before she could hurt any of them but none of them touched her and instead just stood there as if they were waiting for orders.

"Atlantia!" I shout at her worried. "You ok?"

"The test begins." Atlantia says in this creepy older voice that was hers but at the same time it wasn't. It sounded like if Atlantia was like her parents and had that powerful presence in her voice with the maturity that comes with age.