The Sea of Valour -The Ocracidia Series 1

by Lottie F Yinka

  Finally, they entered into a majestic hall decorated with bold coloured ornaments and scented in the most pleasant scent.

  On a throne was a woman sitting regally. On her head was the most gorgeous crown made of sapphires and diamonds and in her left hand was a long golden sceptre.

  The woman was just as beautiful as Princess Moshen but her hair was golden. Her eyes were icy and ink blue, her nose shapely and straight and her lips were the exact right size for her face. She was magnificent.

  On her arms were long, beautiful, delicate, transparent fins which reflected all the shades of Blue one could think of and which were studded with huge diamonds that shone brilliantly. She was surrounded on every side by countless numbers of tall, ferocious looking sentries who all looked identical to those who guarded princess Moshen.

  Cezar knew this was the Queen.

  A million questions raced into his head but he was tongue-tied and couldn’t find the words. He had a million questions to ask her but didn’t know how.

  Twelve old men with long white beards stood before the queen, six to her left and six to her right. They all possessed thick black dorsal fins which protruded down the back of their necks to the base of their spine, and ended in a six inch spear. The men were not as tall as the sentries but they were taller than was usual for humans. They had piercing orange eyes which contrasted sharply with their white beards.

  Princess Moshen bowed before the queen and took a seat to her right.

  'Is this the stranger?' One of the twelve men asked.

  The princess nodded her head in answer. All eyes turned to Cezar and he suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

  The man who asked the question, glared at Cezar in the most unfriendly manner before he spoke.

  ‘I’m Elder Hosei of the city of Talori,' he said 'who are you?'

  Before Cezar could answer, the woman on the throne held her hand up. Her fingers were webbed and there was a very large sapphire ring on her right thumb.

  Cezar was pushed to his knees before the woman on the throne. She gazed at him with icy, ink-blue eyes that chilled him to the bones but though she looked scary, Cezar was not afraid of her. For he sensed that beneath those icy, ink, blue eyes lay some warmth that he could not understand.

  ‘Stranger,’ she said; ‘tell Elena, the Queen of Talori, and her Elders what you came to be doing in our waters.’

  So she really is the Queen Elena, Cezar thought to himself. He felt a cold, icy, chill pass down his spine as he listened to the Queen; for her voice was the harshest voice he had ever heard. Surely someone so beautiful could not possess such a terrible and disturbing voice.

  He was suddenly surrounded by an army of sentries with long spears pointing at him and demanding that he answer the Queen’s question and he sensed that what happened after this would depend on how much the queen believed his reason for being in Talori.

  Cezar began his story very carefully. He started from the beginning, telling of his land Ocracidia, of his quest to free his people, the goddess Zedia and how he wanted to break the evil spell Diagus had placed on his land.

  No one spoke for moments after he finished; then the Queen got off her throne and looked at him.

  ‘No one can prove that the story you tell is true,' she said; 'and, no one can ascertain that you are not a spy. I therefore have no choice but to banish you to the dungeons; there you will live out your days in servitude to Talori and its people.’

  Cezar knew that the Queen did not believe his story, but he did not for one minute intend on becoming a slave.

  ‘Oh most gracious queen,’ he said, in the most gently and low voice he could manage. ‘I did not intentionally enter into your kingdom; I was brought here by someone who saved my life.’

  Cezar looked the queen in the eye and continued; ‘surely, my gracious Queen; that person did not save my life in order for me to be condemned to your dungeons.’ Cezar bowed his head respectfully. ‘Give me a chance to prove that what I tell you is the truth. Just one chance,’ he pleaded.

  The queen gave a sign with her left hand and the sentries who surrounded Cezar, lowered their weapons and stepped away from him.

  Cezar was a little relieved. He waited for the queen’s response; but instead of speaking, she gave another sign. One of the sentries stepped towards Cezar and helped him to his feet.

  The queen took her seat and after a long pause, she said ‘very well, I will give you a chance to prove what you tell me is true.' The queen looked to her elders. The elders nodded in agreement. ' You must prove to Talori and her people that you are not a spy or an enemy.’

  This time her icy, ink-blue, eyes pierced Cezar’s face as she spoke' ‘You must do this, by facing in battle, three of Talori’s greatest defenders.’

  Cezar did not know who these defenders were or who they would be, but he was not afraid to fight for his freedom.

  ‘I accept the challenge, great Queen,’ he replied.

  Sounds of drums and trumpets echoed loudly all around him and an announcer shouted; ‘The Stranger in our midst has accepted the challenge to face the defenders of Talori.' Then four Sentries stepped forward and marched him away.

  Cezar was taken to a dark cold prison cell deep under the city. The cell was narrow, dark, had an odour like that rotten fish. When Cezar walked in, the water reached his ankles and soaked his shoes.

  The walls of the cell were slimy and green algae grew on them. A square stone rock sat in the right corner of the cell. Cezar walked through the water and sat on the rock waiting for what would happen next.

  Chapter 9 Clawrion the defender of Talori

  Down in the prison cell, Cezar tried to remain calm, he knew he was to face a challenge but he didn’t know who, what, when or how. No one had said anything to him and when he had tried to ask the guards that had escorted him to his cell; they had looked right through him as if he did not exit.

  Cezar thought that this must be what his father meant when he told him that to be calm in the face of adversity was the mark of a great warrior.

  But at that moment being calm was the last thing Cezar was. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths to calm his feelings but didn’t feel any better, instead he felt restless and began to pace the length of the small and wet cell.

  He thought about Ocracidia and wondered what his parents were doing. He missed both of his parents and everything in Ocracidia but most of all he missed Nosa his best friend who was a very good fighter.

  Cezar heard footsteps approach. Within seconds four sentries stood at the door of his cell and the bars swept back. They signed for Cezar to step out and he was taken back to his old room with the floating bed.

  Two sentries waited in the room, they held iron amours in their hand and Signalled for Cezar to change into them. Cezar refused.

  He shook his head and said, 'I’m not changing into those. I'm fighting in these;' he pointed to the clothes he was wearing. The Sentries looked stunned but they nodded and left the room.

  Cezar knew that the challenge was about to start and he waited patiently. He slid both hands in his pockets, and felt the orchid flower and the fairies' statue. A calm and gently feeling passed from his fingers to all parts of his body like a cool breeze blowing. Cezar was no longer restless, his spirit was unruffled and his mind quiet; he was ready to battle.

  Suddenly, a whooshing sound like that of water rushing around could be heard and before Cezar had time to think what it could be; the walls of his room varnished and he was face to face with a creature the height and size of three grown men.

  The upper torso of the creature was like that of a fish, and covered in giant sized brown fish scales; with huge fins, but also with two arms. Its face was the head of the ugliest looking fish Cezar had ever seen. It had large, fang-like teeth which were disproportionate and which made its mouth stay open. Its lower body was like that of a man with two limbs. The creature’s feet were huge, webbed and ended in giant claws; and when it turned, Cezar noticed a huge long tail.


  Cezar had never seen a creature which looked like the most horrendous upside down mermaid and he instantly knew this creature was one of Talori’s defenders.

  The walls of the room re-appeared but this time they were strong, thick iron bars like those of the prison he had just left. Cezar felt as if he was in a cage with this creature with nowhere to run.

  He took a number of steps away from the creature; the creature took the same number of steps towards him making the whooshing sound he had earlier heard.

  The creature jeered loudly at Cezar; and without warning, it rushed at him. Cezar ran out of its way but the creature’s tail lashed at his back. Cezar doubled over in pain from the impact of the creature’s tail on his back.

  The creature charged at Cezar a second time. Cezar whipped around quickly, there was nowhere for him to go or run; he waited until the creature was almost on him then dashed in between the creature’s enormous feet and ran to the other side of the room. But the Creature was very agile.

  In a flash, the creature turned around flipping its long tail at Cezar. The tail narrowly missed Cezar's face by inches.

  Cezar wished he had a weapon to fight the creature with. He looked around desperately, all he saw was the floating bed. He considered jumping on it but realised that would do him no good.

  Then the creature came at him again, Cezar zipped back under the creature making it turn around again.

  ‘Think Cezar, think,’ he urged himself.

  'Hey ugly monster, what's your name?’ Cezar called to the creature.

  ‘I’m the great Clawrion,’ the Creature answered.

  ‘My name is Cezar and this is a most unfair fight ever,' he said to Clawrion; ‘you are ten times my size; why don’t you pick on someone your own size, eh?’

  Clawrion laughed heartily but watched Cezar with great caution and distrust. And, he was right to do so because Cezar had a plan, - it was to keep Clawrion turning and twisting until he could come up with another plan.

  It was not a very good plan at all, but it was all Cezar could think of at that point.

  Unfortunately, Clawrion was not ready to play games and when Cezar tried to zip through the creature’s legs one more time; Clawrion lifted his foot and brought it down on the ground with a terrible smash, landing a toe into Cezar’s ribs.

  A cracking sound of Cezar’s rib cage sounded as Clawrion’s toe collided with the Cezar’s ribs and Cezar was thrown backwards.

  'I am the great Clawrion!’ the creature yelled at Cezar in a voice that sounded like a thousand neighing horses; ‘never before defeated in any challenge!'

  Clawrion stamped his feet a second time. This time he used such brute force that the ground cracked open in ten places and a massive gap formed right at the point where both Clawrion and Cezar were standing.

  Clawrion laughed at Cezar’s stunned look. He stepped towards Cezar and caused more cracks to appear in the ground. Then without any warning, a number of cracks collapsed and a gap formed; within seconds, a gigantic sinkhole appeared pulling everything down it.

  Clawrion let out a scream as he fell into the sinkhole.

  Cezar immediately ran over to the bed, which was still floating in mid-air and jumped on it. Relieved, he watched Clawrion tumble down the hole like Alice in wonderland. He had no clue where the hole led but he hoped it was far, far, away.

  Minutes later, his relief turned into his worst nightmare as the floating bed was also sucked into the same sinkhole that Clawrion had only minutes before disappeared down.

  Cezar tumbled down the dark hole, holding on to the ends of the bed for his dear life. The journey down the hole seemed to take forever and a damp smell rose into Cezar’s nostrils as he fell. He could not see where he was going because it was too dark neither did he hear anything; but he kept his eyes open as he tumbled down what seemed to be an endless black tunnel.

  At this point, Cezar's main concern was that he would end up back at the bottom of the Sea of Valour.

  Finally, Cezar and the bed landed unceremoniously on top of a pile of bricks and sand. The impact threw him back up into the air and when Cezar landed on the ground a second time, he was face down in a pile of rubble.

  Slowly Cezar lifted himself half up from the pile of rubble. He looked around and found to his utter surprise that he was lying right before Clawrion; who having himself landed only minutes earlier, had the immense pleasure of not only watching Cezar tumble down the hole like a rabbit; but of seeing him face down in a pile of rubble.

  Clawrion seized the opportunity and brought his fist down in a strike. Cezar closed his eyes and thought that surely his end was only seconds away.

  But to Cezar’s surprise, the red amulet around his neck began to glow intensely and a very bright, luminescent white light appeared; blinding and making Clawrion stagger backwards.

  Out the white luminescent light, the outline of a golden red sword formed and within seconds the sword landed by Cezar’s feet and the light disappeared.

  Cezar picked up the sword and scrambled away to safety. Clawrion swung his tail at Cezar trying to prevent him from escaping and aiming to trip him.

  Cezar saw Clawrion’s tail coming at him and instinctively swung the sword in the direction of Clawrion’s tail cutting it off.

  Clawrion screamed out in pain, he thrashed about unable to balance without a tail. The expression on his face made Cezar smile mischievously.

  Cezar was momentarily safe from Clawrion and his lashing tail. With every step Clawrion took he lost his balance. Cezar realise that the tail was Clawrion’s weapon and it was what kept Clawrion balanced. He knew he had to keep Clawrion and his tail separate. So he rushed over to where the tail had fallen and picked it up.

  The tail was heavy, it dripped with Clawrion’s blue coloured blood. Cezar grinned lopsidedly but he soon began to feel guilty at seeing Clawrion trip every time he took a step.

  After moments of watching Clawrion stumble about unceremoniously, Cezar called to him.

  'Hey there Clawrion; I can give you back your tail you know.’ Cezar chuckled grinning lopsidedly; ‘Well, that is, if you really want it.'

  ‘Of course I do,’ replied Clawrion stumbling towards Cezar.

  ‘Stay where you are!’ Cezar commanded pointing his shining, red sword at Clawrion because he was not entirely convinced that Clawrion was harmless. After all, Clawrion was still a very huge creature with an awful amount of sharp, ferociously protruding, teeth.

  Clawrion took one look at Cezar’s magical sword and stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes trembled with fear at the blade aimed at him.

  Cezar did not put the blade away, but he lowered it.

  ‘You don’t understand,’ Clawrion said; ‘without my tail, I can no longer protect Talori!’

  Cezar understood that Clawrion was sworn to protect Talori. He did not want to take away Clawrion’s one and only purpose; and he truly felt sorry for him.

  'I will give you back your tail,’ Cezar offered trying to compromise with Clawrion; ‘but only if you will swear never to attack me again.’

  Clawrion stared at Cezar, his fish face did not move but his eyes bulged out more than it had done before. It was obvious to Cezar that Clawrion was thinking about Cezar’s offer.

  ‘Come on Clawrion,’ Cezar urged; ‘I don’t have all day you know!’

  Clawrion lifted both his arms up in frustration before answering.

  ‘But if you do that, I will be forever indebted to you because I will be bound to you for the rest of my life.’

  ‘Yes,’ answered Cezar ‘but you will be able to remain a defender of Talori because you will have your tail.' Cezar raised the tail at Clawrion, ’which is your only weapon, remember.'

  'As long as I can remain a warrior and defender of Talori, I accept,’ Clawrion said.

  ‘I knew you would come to your senses,’ Cezar replied with his usual lopsided grin. ‘Where I come from when two people agree on something, they shake hands.’ Cezar held out his hand
to Clawrion who reluctantly took it. Both shook hands.

  Clawrion’s grip was firm and strong and Cezar felt an immediate connection as a warm sensation passed from the monstrous beast to him.

  ‘Now can I have my tail back?’ Clawrion asked.

  ‘Of-course,’ replied Cezar 'Catch!' Cezar threw the tail at Clawrion who caught it in mid-air. But moments later the tail still lay in Clawrion's hand and he asked Cezar

  ‘How do I put my tail back on?'

  Cezar himself had no idea, he shrugged his shoulders and answered; ‘I'm not particularly sure.'

  ‘Oh No!,’ cried Clawrion. ‘If I can’t get my tail back on, I cannot be a Talori Warrior. My tail is my weapon.’

  Cezar had already guessed as much and he felt guilty that he’d cut Clawrion’s tail off. ‘Don’t worry he replied; ‘we will find a way to get it back on.’

  For many moments, the two sat side by side racking their brains on how to get Clawrion’s tail back to his body.

  His mother had often jokingly told him when he was younger that if he thought about things long and hard enough they could manifest and come true. He had tried this many times; sometimes it had worked, other times it hadn’t. Once when Cezar had wished that Diagus would simply disappear; that had not worked. But another time, when he had wished that the elders would agree he could go on the quest to save Ocracidia; that had definitely worked.

  Cezar closed his eyes and wished hard that Clawrion and his tail would become one again. Suddenly he knew what he had to do.

  ‘Hold still,’ he said; ‘I will try to stick it back on.’

  ‘Eh?’ Clawrion questioned. He had no idea what Cezar meant but he did as was asked.

  Cezar placed his shining sword at the point, where the tail had been severed off; hoping and praying the magic in the sword could help repair the tail. He felt that if the sword had cut the tail off; the same sword should be able to join the tail back on to Clawrion’s body. He wasn't sure what he was doing would work, but he kept his fingers crossed