Tears stream down her cheeks. Even without a cursed she was doomed to cause the death of those around her; worse, Now she was powerless and at the mercy of the hulking ogre.
“With you in hand and your sister easy prey I can finally free my family.”
“Why would you betray your own kind.” she asks as she is swept up in his massive hand.
“I betrayed my own kind when I left to become a protector, now I make things right. Once I have your sister this will all be over.”
“He won’t stop with Muses. Even if he makes the Muse extinct his mission won’t end until all subs are dead.”
“That’s just it my dear, he has sworn the safety of all Ogres if I give you to him.”
“Except Todd apparently.”
“Todd is dead, he should never have faced off against the First and now he is proof why we can never win.”
“When did the earth shake?”
“Surely it shook somewhere.”
“That’s just it. The earth did not mourn his passing.”
“Then he angered Gaia and the goddess does not mourn his passing.”
“You and I both know that’s unlikely. The First has him and is experimenting on him like he did those Kitsune.”
The ogre raged at the challenge. Muscles ripple across his body as he loses control. His grip tightens on Mel and she feels her body being crushed in his grasp. Desperate she reaches out with her talent. No muse has ever drawn life from a sub, it is not supposed to work.
As her vision fades her mind finds the ogres and she holds on to him with all her mental strength remaining. The connection between them enlivens and the strength of the ogres spirit begins to transfer to Mel. An inferno of energy spills through the connection threatening to overwhelm her.
She fights to control it but the torrent is to strong and her defences are blasted wide open as the energy consumes her unlike any transference she has ever experienced.
Her physical senses return to her slowly and she becomes aware of her surroundings as the ground begins to shake. She realizes immediately she has killed the Ogre and Gaia is mourning her. Her mind immediately reminds her of Cye lying crushed beneath the console. The building may be coming down but she knows he deserves a better burial than this.
Racing on unsteady feet she manages to make it to the console that had nearly crushed her. At the side she finds his hand reaching out from the rubble limp. Tears stream from her face, she knows now she can’t move the rubble alone but can’t abandon him here either.
Taking a seat beside the hand she cries as the building begins to crumble around her. She grasps the hand beside her and closes her eyes to await her fate.
With the end so near, her mind wanders and her life begins to flash before her eyes. So many times in her life she has passed up opportunities to have love with perfectly nice men and even some women. Her heart bleeds at the thought of dying and never having known real love. Thoughts drift to Cye, of all of them he was just different enough to be the right kind of special for her. Of course she had done as usual and kept him apart from her heart. Now she longed to hold him as close to her heart as possible while fate would find her on this hidden isle.
Her heart reaches out to the elf whose hand she holds as the tide of tears ebbs. Her hand begins to warm inside her grasp of Cye. She glances down and sees a light begin to glow from them. The light glows to a shine then brighter and brighter until it is too bright to behold. The hand she holds slowly begins to grip back. Then as suddenly as the hand gripping back the console begins to move. Moments later the massive debris flips on its end revealing Cye. There was the elf returning to his feet refusing to let go of Mels hand.
Mel races into his arms hugging him firmly. He seemed stronger now than ever but his heart beat assured her this was real.
“Mel, I, I, I don’t know how you did it but we don’t have time for questions. I can get us to a sub before this place collapses but I will require your trust.”
“I trust you Cye.”
Wordlessly he sweeps her off her feet and runs at his best speed. Adeptly dodging debris the elf speeds through the maze of corridors until arriving at the submarine bay.
Dozens of stealth personal craft sit berthed in the bay; many of the craft have already been damaged by debris. The pair leap into the closest available sub and begin emergency evacuation letting the sub automatically navigate the underwater tunnels to the open ocean.
“Your majesty, we have a great deal to discuss but the most important matter is the safety of all subs protected by the protector network.”
“Call me Mel.”
“Excuse me?”
“My mother was your Majesty, even if I am to be queen now I want you to call me Mel.”
“Very well your Maj- Mel. I recommend that we disband the protector network and operate the few remaining agents we can trust as rogues.”
“Do it.”
“Wait! No argument?”
“I just witnessed personally what one corrupt agent can do to the network. There are a lot of important subs that are vulnerable right now. You have an excellent plan, put it into play.”
“Yes your- Mel”
Cye types a series of commands into the submarines computer. Moments later, as the sub breaks free into the ocean and passes a small school of fish, Cye begins recording his final orders.
“To all protectors. As I record this headquarters crumbles and will become rubble. All data will self destruct and nothing will be recoverable. Most of you have served with distinction and honour, all of you have one last order to follow. Return to your people and protect them as best you can. The protectors are now officially disbanded. Any protectors remaining at their posts after this order is received will be considered agents of the Hunters and will be persecuted as such. Special Field groups are to report compliance with this order and report all subs remaining at posts despite orders. It has been an honor beyond measure serving with all of you. Just remember that hope is not lost, we will find a way.”
“That must have been hard.”
“It is my job Mel.” he replies avoiding eye contact.
“Alright then, where to next.”
“You are going to a remote safe house until the storm we just stirred up settles. I have traitors to hunt.”
“I didn’t free you from your oath.”
“I made that oath to the queen, who by the most likely estimates is probably dead. I am sorry it has to be this way but I have a responsibility to all subs, even if the protectors are no more.”
“First of all mister, my mother is not dead. Second, if she was, that would make me queen and your oath will still stand until I release you. Third, so long as the First Hunter draws breath I will not stop until he is defeated.”
“Do you even have a plan?” Cye asks gawking at her audacity.
“Actually I think I do. It starts with Eve and your most trustworthy field agents.”
