The Princess and The Piper

Chapter Nineteen

My heart stopped in my chest. I had the strong urge to spin around and run, but my feet remained planted in the dirt. I cowered at his voice, his impactful imprint on my memories. My mind grew blank and thoughts vanished. I felt as if I was standing in front of my entire class in just my undergarments, but amplified by ten. I slowly spun around, closing my eyes as if they could make me leave the earth plane for just the next few minutes only. I didn't know what he was going to do and I didn't want to stay to find out.

I took in a deep breath and opened my eyes. He was leaning against a tree in his usual navy blue pants and loose white button down shirt, a fresh red ribbon tied at the hip. His shaggy black hair never strayed from perfect and seeped into his sick blue eyes, his jaw unshaven. A stick and machete rested in his hands, one sharpening the other as he smiled devilishly.

"We've been through hell trying to find you, _____." His smile faltered, as if he actually cared for once.

I knit my eyebrows in confusion and cocked my head to the right. "We?"

A rustling erupted from the bushes behind him, obnoxiously making noises to scare every creature in the forest. Then a tall redhead entered my lane of view, her eyes widening when she saw me, a smile creeping onto her face.

"_____!" she exclaimed, rushing over to wrap her arms around my waist as she bent down to my level. She let go of me and held my head in her hands, checking for bruises and scrapes like any mother would. "Did he hurt you? Where is that bastard?"

"Mother?" I asked, curious as to why they came. They never showed an interest in me before. But again, you don't know you love something until you lose it. She continued to check for scratches, evidently confused when she didn't find any. Even the scrape on my upper hip was healed-- courtesy of Pan, of course. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't forget Grandpa," came another voice, one deeper and more exhausted. My head jet in its direction only to see the King of the Sea with legs-- big, tan, hairy ones, too. He wore baby blue beach shorts cut just above the knee with an orange button down T-shirt with yellow hibiscuses scattered everywhere and open-toed gladiator sandals. If it weren't for the large glowing trident in his left hand, I would've guessed he was going on vacation in Venice, Italy. "By the way, Ariel, how do you work these things?" He lifted each leg, one at a time, and wriggled his toes.

"Grandfather?" I stared at him blankly, still dazed by the fact that the seemingly healthy old man has legs. "Aren't you ill?"

"Doesn't matter," he responded, his chest broad and bearded chin high to represent his royal ranking. "My granddaughter was missing; I have come to find her. And find her, I have." He gave a weak smile, obviously trying to push down any evidence of a sickness. His crinkled eyes bore bags, long hair uncombed. I simply nodded.

I noticed my father grow antsy as he glanced around the area, tapping his foot-- a nervous tell that most people have. "Great, we've got her. Now let's go."

He began to walk off into the wilderness but Grandfather interrupted before I could. "Are you kidding? This demon has gone after both of your girls, both heirs. You can't let him do anything ever again, Ariel." My father stopped, but didn't turn around, not yet.

My mother spoke. "Daddy's right, Eric." She began speaking with her father. "But even with your powers, you aren't used to your new legs yet. It took me a couple of days at first, but you've been swimming for an even longer period of time." The woman looked worried and anxious. She wanted to get off of this island as much as the others, but didn't want to risk her only daughter's safety more than she already has.

The old man's sight trailed to the ground. He was in thought. His nose crinkled and he began fidgeting with his fingers. This lasted for a couple minutes before he raised his pointer finger up into the air with widened eyes. "There was a dagger, in ancient times, back when Poseidon rules the sea. It was forged by royal cyclopes in ancient Atlantica and designed to rid the world of any dark magic during the first Titan War. But, of course, no one has seen it in centuries." His smile faded. "It has probably washed up on some distant shore."