Fire (The Mermaid Legacy - Book 2)

by Hardy, Natasha

  “Alexandra, your behaviour is uncalled for. We will get what we need from her this way,” Aoi admonished

  “No…you misunderstand me, this is not for her, it is for them.” There was a gasp from the rest of the council and the Miengu stopped hurting her, glancing fearfully between Aoi andme. “You will move away from her,” I instructed the Miengu, turning my palms in readiness to release the energy at them.

  When they’d returned to Aoi’s side I reabsorbed the energy and floated to stand in front of her, glaring at Aoi.

  “Alex, do you remember that dream you had of Merrick?” Dad’s voice filled the council room as I continued to glare at Aoi. I nodded, too angry and sickened by their quick willingness to hurt one of their own to speak.

  “She is partly responsible for that…you must know that.”

  “So to find out what we want from her, you’re going to treat her like they treated him?”

  There was silence in the council room.

  “We can’t,” I told them looking at each of them in turn. “If we treat her badly we are no better than Neith.” I knelt, keeping a wary glare on Aoi and the Miengu before imagining her healthy and touched her skin, feeling my strength flowing into her as the flesh reknit and skin covered the raw muscle and bone.

  She watched the whole process, her expression a mixture of fear and gratitude.

  “What is your name?” I asked.

  Her eyes were wild as they darted around the council room looking for an escape.

  “What did you tell Neith?” I asked again, hoping she’d be sensible enough to tell us, because black hatred curled off the skin of every Oceanid that surrounded us and I didn’t want to fight them.

  “Please.” I turned to her again. “I don’t want them to hurt you.”

  “There is nothing you can do that is worse than what he has already done.”

  “Please tell me.”

  Her eyes continued to dart around the room before she said, “Only if I can do so alone.”

  Aoi and the rest of the Oceanids were not happy with the idea but I insisted, telling them I’d only be a few minutes.

  “OK, you should talk quickly. What is your name?” I asked her once they had left the room.

  “My name is Cyan and I didn’t want to do this… If I don’t keep communicating with Neith…” she began to sob, “he’ll kill them…my children. He took them a month ago and has insisted that I tell him when there are children in the traps he set up in the kelp. The last contact I had, my orders had changed. I am to meet them every four hours, day or night, to tell them what you are doing. If I don’t they will kill my children.”

  “What have you told him?”

  “I’ve told him that you’re developing a plan of attack, and that you’re in control. Please, I don’t know any more and I’m already half an hour late for my contact. Alexandra, I have to get to him.”

  “Cyan, they will never let you go…unless…”

  “I’ll do anything,” she whispered.

  I ducked out of the council room and pulled Dad aside.

  “She could well be lying, Alex,” he replied after listening to what she’d told me.

  “She could be, but I don’t think so. It’s very difficult to fake that kind of fear, that kind of horror. Dad, she has to meet her contact or Neith will kill her children.”

  “We can’t let her go.”

  “But what if we did, what if we fed Neith the wrong information?”

  Dad was thoughtful for a few moments.

  “I guess it’s worth a try.”

  It was midday, a full three hours later than we’d planned when we began training the Oceanids. Despite the delay my mood had lifted. We’d managed to find and incapacitate Neith’s spy, which meant we could talk more freely and practise more openly.

  By the time I got to the arena Dad had been rehearsing the pod in general hand-to-hand combat moves.

  I watched in awe as he swirled and pounced through the water in a manner that belied the consistency of our environment. As I watched I understood just a very little how incredible Dad was, how he must have missed the ocean every day he was on the hard, dry, gravity-bound land.

  “How does he do that?” I breathed in awe to Sabrina as he pinned a massive Miengu effortlessly onto the ground.

  “That’s what we’ve all been learning,” Sabrina replied with a grin.

  As we neared the group I was surprised by the murmurs of congratulations as the Oceanids around me stretched out their hands to touch my shoulder, arm or back.

  Dad floated, beaming, in the centre of them.

  “What’s going on?’ I muttered as I neared him.

  “Your triumph with the Zmija was exactly what they all needed to really believe you have the power to lead us, and your compassion with Cyan is what they needed to really want to follow you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “They see it as a sign that the queen of the sea chose you. You’ll not have many problems convincing them that you could beat Neith now.”

  “OK, well that I guess is good news, and at least they believe it’s possible.”

  “Very.” He nodded and grinned at me before turning to the group.

  “Alexandra, Defender of Men, will now speak.”

  “That’s a bit heavy isn’t it?” I muttered as I floated upwards a little so they could all see me.

  “Let’s use what we can,” he replied.

  “Er…the first thing I want to work with is cohesion – different units working together as a whole. This is going to require you to trust me and to learn another language. A language the humans use.”

  I could see my request stretched the new-found loyalty I’d created through my bond with Mitra to the very extreme.

  I split the group up into their different talents and positioned them along the perimeter of The Haven.

  “Ferengren is also circular,” I explained to Dad. “I want to develop at least three or maybe even more battle formations and only decide when we get there which one to use.”

  “That will take up a lot more time. Why not just rehearse one?”

  “I want flexibility and I want them to learn to follow me.”

  He shrugged. “We can try I guess.”

  I taught the Oceanids a different word for each group that had nothing to do with their talents and then stood in the centre of The Haven and shouted varying combinations of these words.

  Each group would slowly descend in a cloud of confused spiritus, all of them mingling in a mish-mash at the bottom of the arena.

  After half an hour of explaining again and again what it was I envisioned I called a break.

  “Dad, it’s not working,” I sighed. “They’re not getting it.” Frustration mingled with the desperate image of Merrick screaming in pain that was emblazoned into my mind from the awful dream.

  He nodded. “Let’s split them into smaller groups and teach them individually what we want.”

  “No, we don’t have time for that. We need them to get it and quickly.”

  “Alex, this is completely foreign to them…you have to be patient.”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s completely foreign to me too and I don’t have time to be patient. What is it going to take for them to get this? Maybe some heat waves at those that get it wrong,” I muttered to myself.

  “If there is anything I have learnt as a leader who was usurped it is simply that people follow their hearts more than power. You can try to get them to change through force, but if you want the change to stick you must take the time to appeal to their hearts. Motivate them to want to do this.”

  I took a deep breath and tried to focus the panic that edged my every thought when contemplating attacking Neith into something constructive.

  “OK, let’s try to teach the leaders of each group first and then let them practise for a bit together and then try again as a whole group.”

  Aoi sent the rest of The Haven Oceanids to find food and ready mor
e capsules for the visitors we hoped would join us soon before he joined Dad and mein the arena.

  The children hovered on the edge of the arena watching my discussion with the leaders and chattering about it seriously between themselves.

  I smiled at the leaders we’d chosen as they waited respectfully for me to speak, uncomfortable with the admiration and deference that shone in most of their eyes, as I turned what I needed to say to them over and over in my mind, looking for a way not to offend them.

  “I need to understand, why there is such hesitancy in your movement when I call your group to the centre?”

  “It is not in our fighting style to fight like this, Alexandra,” Aoi explained. “Usually we have a single champion who goes up against the champion of the opposing side and the rest of us watch the duel.”

  “So how many of you have been champions before?”

  Only Takimu raised his hand.

  I had to work hard to hide the horror I felt. I was by no means a military leader and had assumed that they, at the very least, would have had some sort of experience. The fact that they didn’t just increased the odds of failure that were already stacked very high against us.

  “Takimu, could you explain how you would attack an opposing Oceanid?”

  He moved to stand beside me, the gesture respectful as he took my lead and spoke to the group.

  “In Oceanid war,” he glanced at me, his expression patient, “we do not attack as Alexandra has suggested, we face each other and then on the signal we fight one on one with Mizrak until first blood is drawn.”

  “So you don’t kill each other.”

  It was a statement not a question but it resulted in Aoi and several others letting out a string of shocked expressions. “No of course not.”

  “There is a good chance, if we are to survive this, that you might need to kill another Oceanid,” I told them bluntly.There was an uncomfortable shifting in the group. “You know that, right?”

  “It’s not our way, Alexandra,” Aoi began.

  “I don’t care what your way is…” I snapped before reigning in my panic to rephrase the question. “Neith doesn’t care what your way is, Aoi. And so we have to think differently, we have to fight differently because he will kill whoever gets in his way.”

  “Have you killed anyone, Alexandra?” The question was innocently asked by Nessa who, along with the other children, had inched closer and closer until they were part of the discussion. It was a genuinely curious question but it rubbed against the self-doubt that continued to plague me. If truth be known I didn’t even like squashing insects let alone killing another sentient being. But then an image of Merrick, broken and screaming in pain, would rush into my mind and a fury so deep and black it shook me to my core would rise up within me and I knew I’d do whatever it took to save him.

  “No,” I replied. “And if I can possibly help it I won’t…”

  The group murmured, some in consternation and others in approval. “But,” I continued, “I will not stop until the people Neith holds captive are free. I will do whatever it takes. That’s all I’m asking of you. To do whatever it takes to free those innocents caught in Neith’s web of power.”

  I watched in relief as the leaders’ doubt settled into firmer determination.

  “We want to fight too,” Nessa told me.

  The Oceanids gasped. “Absolutely not,” Aoi replied.

  “Why not?” Conway challenged. “It’s our families at risk, and it’s our future you are fighting for, why can’t we be part of the solution?”

  “Because you are a child,” Azura answered in horror, “and we protect our children from such horrors, we don’t thrust them into it.”

  “But what if I want to fight?” Conway persisted. “What if I want to kill Neith and anyone else who has hurt my family?”

  The Oceanids seemed too shocked to react at first, Conway’s words sending horror crawling across their faces.

  “Right.” Azura rose from the group. “That is enough, young ones, you will be coming with me,” she instructed firmly. “Alexandra, you will have to find a replacement for me as I will be looking after the asset we are so desperately trying to protect.”

  I nodded. “Sure, Azura.” I wanted to add ‘good luck’ as I watched frustration swirl around several of the children. I understood that frustration more than they knew but I couldn’t help but agree with the pod on this one, the thought of having the children in the battle made my stomach churn in dread.

  We practised the first formation with just the twelve of us before the larger groups were brought back. Their leaders spent some time explaining what needed to be done and demonstrating the type of speed we required.

  Once everyone was in position again I began calling out words and watching in stunned amazement as the whole formation flowed almost perfectly down the sides of The Haven and into the arena.

  The arena itself was an absolute mess though, the groups mingling with each other and losing the rigid structure that would enable us to move flexibly as a corporate whole.

  “Now what?” I muttered to Dad as the Oceanids milled around us.

  “Now we have a lot more training we need to get done, Alex. We will train them on how to access your talents but until the actual battle, we won’t be able to practise the use of those talents.”

  “But how are we going to control it? How are we going to make sure that everyone knows what they’re doing? It could all fall apart…” My stomach twisted in anxiety as Oceanid faces around me registered, each one weighing heavily on my mind as I thought of the danger I was leading them into.

  “What did you think war was?” he asked simply. “It’s never perfectly choreographed, stuff happens and people react and hopefully the enemy is slower or less prepared than we are.”

  How do I protect them? I wondered, trying to picture a scenario where we won. I’d mentioned the idea of armour to the council the night before and had been assured by Azura that the Oceanids in charge of clothing everyone would be able to help me. As the pod muddled through varying moves I scanned the crowd looking for Azura again.

  I found her conducting a story lesson with the children, some of whom were doing their utmost to watch the chaos in the arena rather than concentrate on Azura’s distraction.

  She led me at once to an older Oceanid who was clearly struggling to follow Dad’s fluid movements.

  “This is our tailor, Sini. He is in charge of clothing all of us.”

  Sini looked terrified.

  “We need something to protect the Oceanids,” I began, “something hard but flexible.”

  He explained that they already had a type of protection if anything tried to bite or touch them.

  “What about if a Mizrak is thrown at you?”

  His complexion paled at the question as his eyes worriedly darted from me to Azura and back again.

  “We have never had to think about this type of thing before,” Azura explained patiently.

  “ I am aware of how different this must be for everybody,” I replied, smiling at Sini. “We must think differently though and Mizraks will most certainly be used.”

  Sini argued with me that it was impossible to create a hard armour. “We would be as inflexible as…as crabs,” he told me. “It can’t be done, Alexandra, we will need to find another way of protecting the Oceanids.”

  Even if my army used their talents, all it would take was a few well placed Mizraks and we would fall. If I could stop Neith from getting to that point, we just might have a chance at winning.

  19. Rules

  I left my unsuccessful conversation with Sini and drifted above the throng of Oceanids until I found Thanh, asking him to follow me outside of The Haven.

  Mitra greeted me enthusiastically and Thanh warily.

  It’s OK, I’ve asked him to come here, I thought to her. She immediately backed away from him but still eyed Thanh suspiciously.

  “How are you doing that?” he asked.

  “
What?”

  “Getting her to move away from me without speaking to her.”

  I shrugged. “I just think it and she seems to understand me.”

  His eyes bulged at my answer and he stared at me in shock, his mouth hanging open comically for a few moments.

  “What?” I demanded. “Isn’t that how you communicate with Allentia?”

  He shook his head. “No, not at all, I have to verbally tell her everything. But the way you do it is how the ancients used to communicate with them – an art that has long been lost” His face took on a reverential expression. “Does she communicate with you the same way?”

  “I think so, although it’s not a conscious thing, I sort of ‘hear’ her at the very back of my mind…does that make sense?”

  He shook his head again, “It is a wonderful and formidable talent you possess, Alexandra, Defender of Men.”

  “OK…” I tried to brush his awe aside. “Thanh, I want to use the Zmija in the attack on Neith.”

  His eyes bulged again and I could see him warring with the new-found respect he had for me and his real opinion.

  “Tell me what you think?”

  “We don’t usually involve other species in our fights,” he replied, going pale.

  “Why not?”

  “The ocean is a dangerous place as it is and if we teach animals to attack Oceanids in a fight scenario, how are we going to un-teach that principle later?”

  I nodded. “That makes sense, but the Zmija are intelligent aren’t they?”

  He nodded. “Very intelligent, far more than we are even.”

  “What other creatures in the ocean are as intelligent or more so than we are?”

  He listed several whales, dolphins and even some sharks.

  “Could you communicate with them sufficiently to co-ordinate an attack with them?”

  “I don’t know, I’ve never tried…have you spoken to Aoi about this yet?”

  “No,” I admitted, ‘but I will later on today. In the meantime please organise as many Zmija riders as you can to meet me here after dinner this evening.”