Classy, Controlled Chaos - The STEAM Team Adventures

🦋 Metamorphosis [5/7] 🦋

Tia's POV:

"Blackthorne?!" Arthur yelped, clutching his chest in shock. "You're alive?"

"What else does it seem like?" The caged puffin snorted, flapping his feathery wings. "Do I not seem as such?"

"Enough with the sass," I snarled, wielding my RipTrident at his orange beak. "State your name, occupation, and your motives. Touch Arthur and you die, got it?"

His bird-like eyes widened with surprise. "You'd kill me over such words?"

I narrowed my gaze at him, sticking my weapon through the cage tapping the sharpened edges on his head. "Wanna bet?"

He let out a mix between a fearful squawk and a gulp. "No thanks."

"Tia, no." The king warned, stepping towards the cage and firmly grasping my RipTrident. "It's not worth it."

I ignored him. "You're supposed to be long gone from this kingdom. I warned you and Permafrost, no?"

"No you didn't!" Blackthorne protested, tapping his talons against the floor of his cage. "You didn't say anything about that when you visited me and my mentor!"

Arthur gave me a shocked, yet disappointed look. "You saw Permafrost and didn't tell me? When was this, Tia?"

"It doesn't matter, Arthur." I snapped, keeping my eyes on the puffin. "I'm done giving chances. Tell me where she is and I'll give you a couple more minutes to enjoy the world before I stain the tiles red."

"Never!" Blackthorne huffed. "Unless... You give me something in return."

"From what I know, you're not in the position to be making offers." I growled coldly, trapping his neck between the gaps of my trident. "Tell. Me. Where. She. Is."

A moment of silence passed between us as the seabird stared at me, visibly shaking with fear.

Just how I like it... Vulnerable, weak, and afraid.

He can't hurt my friends as long as I'm still alive.

"She's here!" He squawked, flapping his wings. "Permafrost is here?"

I blinked at him. "What?"

Suddenly, I heard Arthur let out a strangled cry from behind me.

I swept my RipTrident from the ground, picking up Blackthorne's cage and impaling both the king's attacker and the bird.

I was not surprised to see a limp, lifeless lynx dangling from the ground, struck through the neck.

As quickly as she came, she was gone.

So was her apprentice.

"Arthur!" I cried, realizing that my mentor was on the ground, clutching his neck. "Please tell me you're okay!"

"I'm fine..." He groaned, his fingers mildly stained with his blood. "Just a scratch. Permafrost's claws didn't strike an artery, that's for sure."

I let out a relieved sigh, kneeling down beside him. "You worry me so much..."

"I should be saying that about you after that stunt you just pulled." He chuckled, eyeing the two corpses on the ground. "How'd that lynx even get in here?"

"Maybe magic!" I recognized Spark's cheery voice chime in, peeking his scaly head through the door of the ice cream shop.

Shoot, I forgot he was here. "Oh, uh, this is awkward."

Splash chimed in, "It's fine, this happens often. Somehow an animal or two manages to sneak into Everhallow's boundaries."

I also forgot about his conjoined twin.

"We'll take care of these, sorry for the mess." Arthur apologized, reaching toward the carcass of Permafrost's lynx form.

I lunged at him, gently nipping his hand and leading his arm away. "No."

He blinked at me as I removed my mouth from his glove. "What now, Tia?"

"I don't trust it." I replied bluntly, kicking Permafrost's body to the side. "Could be enchanted or something. Who knows if she can cast spells from Purgatory?"

Before he could reply, Splash craned his neck over the countertop, dragging the corpse onto her side and setting her down out of our view.

"We'll do the clean up for you," Spark grinned, picking up Blackthorne's cage and setting it behind the counter. "It's a lot to take in right now... But you did us a favor getting rid of those pests. How can we thank you?"

I butted in as Arthur drew in a breath. "Two cones, each one with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, please?"

Splash smiled, pointing finger-guns at me with his cerulean talons. "Two scoops for both of you. Especially for His Majesty."

After a couple minutes of conversation, Arthur and I left the restaurant, walking toward Everhallow's harbor.

I wrapped my captain's coat around his neck to staunch the bleeding, and to my surprise, it actually stayed in place.

In exchange, he gave me his royal robes to wear in the meantime, and promised me some painting time when we got back to Northwynd.

We both know it's going to end in cuddles, but nothing's wrong with that unless you're Addison.

"Nothing beats vanilla ice cream," The king commented, gently elbowing me in the side. "Lemme guess, you like lemon flavor?"

I licked at whatever ice cream was left in my wafter cone, giving him a mischievous grin. "You know me too well... Might have to switch up my favorites to keep you guessing."

"Surely you won't change my position on that list?" He asked jokingly, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Is that even a real question?" I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Number one, obviously. Never changed and probably never will."

"You're sweet." He smiled, patting me on the head. "Here- I've told Queen Xera via scroll that you're heading back to Northwynd for a mandatory break. She'll understand royal orders."

In that moment, I chucked whatever was left of my ice cream down the hatch and glanced up at him with my eyes wide in disbelief.

He was being serious.

"I love you," was all I could choke out as I promptly buried my face into his chest, letting out a mix of laughter and happy tears.

He gently rubbed my back, sympathizing with my emotions. "I love you too, Tia."

I stood there for a solid five minutes, relishing in his welcoming warmth and making myself feel at home.

Then, King Lance slithered in at the worst possible time.

Great.

"Your Majesty?" He began, weaving his way across the docks. "We have an event proposal for you."

Arthur glanced up at the royal serpent. "And what would that be, Your Highness?"

"The Metamorphosis." He stated in reply, raising his head and flaring out his scaly hood. "It's an event all over Lunarift, happening in a week from now... A peaceful protest against the war."

I huffed, butting before Arthur could say anything. "BOOOORING. No one wants to listen to some passive nonsense. Where's the fun in that?"

"Silence, Miss Aquaticlaw." King Lance hissed, dismissively flicking the tip of his tail at me. "Your opinion, sir?"

I pulled away from my mentor, giving him the biggest puppy eyes I could muster.

He completely misinterpreted them. "Alright, we'll go."

"Sssplendid!" The royal serpent nodded, coiling himself up around a wooden pole. "See you both next week. Make sure to get some rest and bring offerings."

"Offerings?" I asked. "Offerings for who?"

King Lance looked at me as if I had grown two heads.

"Why, for the spirits of Purgatory, of course!"