War of the Ocean

Chapter 15

He had been waiting in the darkness for a long time. It could have been hours, days or even weeks, he didn't know. Since he had told her of what she had to do, Soren had not heard from Princess Arelena. He assumed that she had gotten her legs and gotten to land but he would never know, not when he was trapped down here. Casting his silver eyes downwards, he studied the iron circling his wrists. The manacles were painfully tight but he let himself suffer in silence. If he complained of them to any of the guards, there was a high chance that they would make them even tighter. So he simply didn't risk it.

Keys turned in a lock some distance away but he didn't even look up to see if anyone was coming. No, he had learnt that he should keep his head down and remain silent. He didn't even glance up when a shape passed by his cell and stopped. Eyes bore down onto the back of his silver head, causing his entire body to shiver in something resembling fear. The way power rippled off of this being, striking fear into him just through its gaze. What was it?

Lifting his head, Soren gazed up into deep, sapphire eyes and froze. They were eyes he knew so well, the eyes of his princess and of the merman who was supposed to be his king. Tristien. Only, there was something so fierce and cold about these eyes, as if all of the warmth and kindness they had once held had been drained from them. Where was had his best friend gone? This thing was even further gone than before, leaving no trace of Tristien other than the body the creature inhabited.

Suddenly the water around him yanked him backwards and the silver-haired merman's back crashed into the stone wall behind him. 'Do not dare look me in the eyes!' The Tristien-thing roared, sounding far more beast than Mer. Perhaps it was because he – no, it – was. But Soren did not bow his head in submission, he wasn't about to give up. He would resist this creature with all of his strength until he could no more. He would defy it.

Peeling himself off of the wall, he glided forward slowly, approaching the bars of his cell with caution. 'Why shouldn't I?' He asked carefully, knowing that he was toeing a dangerous line. With a single thought, this creature could destroy his entire being, soul and all but he didn't seem to care. If he were to die, then so be it. There wasn't much left to live for, anyway; his princess would soon return with enough help to be rid of this creature once and for all. Maybe he should bow down and preserve himself a little longer, until his princess returned at least. For once this creature was destroyed, the Mer would need someone to lead them and although she would do anything for them, his princess didn't have a clue about how to rule a kingdom. That task had always been left to her brother, until this creature had devoured him.

'Because,' the creature spoke. 'I would hate to have to kill you at this moment, especially when I still need you to find my darling sister.' The creature tilted its head to look at him from another angle. 'You'll make perfect bait for her,' it decided.

Soren's eyes narrowed. The creature had no right to call Princess Arelena his sister, she was too sweet and innocent to have such an evil thing for a brother. In his mind, the princess was an angel, too divine for his world. And the way the creature believed he could be used at bait for her; he shuddered at the thought and wished that she wouldn't be so foolish as to actually fall for it. His life wasn't worth the thousands of other Mer who had fallen subject to the creature's reign of terror. 'My princess is not your sister,' he spat.

'Isn't she?' It questioned, quirking an eyebrow at him. 'We share blood, doesn't that make her my sister?'

'No,' he snarled. 'That body of yours may share her blood but you are anything but siblings. She is too good and pure to be related to such a creature. Besides, her brother is Tristien, not whatever twisted version of him that you are.'

The creature let out a soft laugh, shaking its head at him. 'I am Tristien,' it told him. 'I am Arelena's brother, no matter what you believe. You've always been so blind, Soren, for that I forgive you. But forget whatever image you created of me in your head, this is the true me despite what you may think. Remember that, old friend.'

'We are not friends.'

Sighing, it turned away from the cell as if it were about to swim away. It paused before it did, turning its head back to him for a moment. 'I will find your precious princess, no matter where she is and I will find her with or without your help. Whoever gets hurt along the way is up to you and whether or not you decide to help me. I'll give you some time to think about it but never forget that the blood will be on your hands.' With a flick of its tail, the creature was gone.

Left alone in the dark cell once more, Soren let himself drift down to the floor and buried his head in his hands. The creature had given him an ultimatum; his princess or his people. When you put it like that, it sounded like saving his people's lives would be the obvious choice but it wasn't, not when his princess was trying to save them too. Not only that, but she was seeking help to rid they of the wicked creature that made them suffer. But she would rather that he choose to save their lives instead. He was torn between the two choices, both were in his best interests and there was no way to choose both.

It was one or the other.

Short update today but I love this chapter <3 So you finally got a look at Soren's POV and what's going on under the sea while Arelena's on land. Do you like it or not?

Make sure to come back and read tomorrow, I'll be putting another update up then because It's my birthday tomorrow :)