Princess Master 2

by Eric Vall

  I opened my mouth to respond, but it was as if I were paralyzed. I tried with every ounce of my being to say something back to the witch, but my entire body was frozen. It felt like I was being drawn closer and closer to the snakes that stretched out toward my face, but I couldn’t move to protect myself.

  Just then, a series of blue and golden sparks flashed in front of my eyes. I could instantly move again, and I shook my head to try to clear the fog. I thought maybe this whole thing had been a nightmare, but the hands that now rested on my arms felt real, and I tried to concentrate on the feeling of warmth they were radiating into my body.

  “Joe!” a voice shouted, and I thought through my daze that Jessamine was talking to me. I was immediately relieved to recognize someone other than the sea witch, and I reached out to either side of my body. I felt the solid forms of Cienna and Jessamine in my arms, and I was finally able to gasp with relief.

  “What the fuck just happened?” I asked.

  “She tried to get you!” Cienna told me, and when I was able to raise my eyes and look in front of me, I saw the witch floated in front of us with a hideous snarl on her face.

  “Eudora, move away from my friends!” Ariana shouted, and she sounded fiercer than I’d ever heard her before. The redhead mermaid pointed her trident at the witch’s face, and Cienna and Jessamine pulled out their weapons, as well.

  From the depths of my daze, I was suddenly reminded of the sword on my belt. So, I yanked it out and held it up in the water in front of the witch, and the purple stone flashed for a moment.

  However, Eudora just laughed, and it was so high-pitched I had to cover my ears. I didn’t want to look at her again, but my brain still wanted to make sense of the way her face kept changing in front of me, and it almost looked like it was morphing back and forth between the former beautiful mermaid and the hideous sea hag. The only constants were those terrible rows of shark-like teeth.

  “It gets worse than this,” Eudora jeered, and suddenly something massive started to emerge from the sea floor. The ground split into a series of cracks like it had been through a massive earthquake, and a hole, at least twenty feet across, opened up before us.

  I held my arms back against the princesses because I was afraid we were going to be swallowed whole, but I soon realized we had more to fear from what was emerging from the space than the hole itself.

  “Ohhh, shit,” Cienna gasped. “What is that?”

  “It’s Morgar,” Ariana replied in a grim tone. “He’s huge, and he likes to make dramatic entrances.”

  I could first see the head of a giant eel with glowing yellow eyes emerge from the hole in the ground, and then my heart froze in my chest as the rest of his body began to slither out. The giant monster had to be at least fifteen feet tall, and he towered over us.

  “My baby!” the sea witch crowed, and she reached out a hand to the giant eel. The huge monster bent down his head to her hand, and she scratched him under the chin as if he were a housecat. “You’re so precious, my love. We’re going to take care of these princesses, aren’t we?”

  Morgar almost sounded like he was purring for a moment, but then he stared at the three princesses and I with his bright yellow eyes and roared. The sound vibrated my entire body and echoed through the waves, and I shuddered.

  “Fuck this,” Cienna said as she pointed her sword and swam closer to Eudora. “You want to end this fight now?”

  “I haven’t even gotten started,” the sea witch cackled, and she somehow blasted a wave forward into Cienna’s chest and pushed her back toward our group. Then she looked at me again, and I could feel my heart pounding even harder in my chest. “You, hero, don’t think I don’t know who you are. You all think this legend is going to save you, but you are nowhere near powerful enough to fight me, let alone Chernabog.”

  Had she just said Chernabog? I was surprised to hear that name down here, since Ariana didn’t seem to be aware of what was happening up on the surface. It was starting to seem like all the villains we encountered were interconnected, though I wasn’t sure how yet.

  “I don’t care who I have to fight,” Ariana growled. “I’m going to figure out a way to protect my people if it’s the last thing I ever do.”

  “Your people are weaklings,” Eudora scoffed. “Let me show you exactly what I think of your people. Morgar, attack!”

  The humongous eel raised his tail high, and, like Ariana had described to us earlier, a huge blast of electricity shot out through the water. The blast traveled at least a thousand feet through the water and hit the small, coral house in practically an instant. I could see shocks run up its walls in tree-like patterns, and the impact was enough to blow the colorful, shell roof into fragments.

  I could hear the princesses gasp next to me, and we all stared at the small, destroyed home in shock.

  I hoped no one was inside.

  “That’s what we do to mermaids around here.” Eudora bared her rows of teeth in a hideous grin. “You’ll never win, Your Highness, no matter how hard you fight.”

  Suddenly, I saw a young mermaid emerge from the destroyed home with a small child in her arms, and I didn’t think I’d ever been more relieved.

  “Oh, thank the gods, they’re alive,” Ariana gasped and clutched at her chest.

  “We need to end this bitch,” I growled as I hefted Genie’s Wrath in my hands.

  But first, we needed to take out her monstrously ugly fucking pet.

  So, I held out Genie’s Wrath and pointed it at Morgar, and a stream of purple sparks flew through the water and directly hit his body. The massive beast roared loudly as if in pain, but the blow barely seemed to make a dent in the huge creature.

  Fuck, this bastard was strong.

  “Ooh, the hero is feisty!” Eudora purred. “I like that in a man.”

  If the witch had eyelashes surrounding those crazy whirlpool eyes, I couldn’t see them, but, regardless, I could have sworn she was trying to bat them at me.

  “Too bad I don’t go for ugly sea hags,” I growled as I held up Genie’s Wrath again, and this time I aimed it at the hideous witch’s face. Then I shot a blast of purple sparks directly at her. We were only about ten yards apart now, which was the closest range at which I’d ever used the weapon.

  Nonetheless, Eudora simply put up a hand and batted the sparks away as if they were a mosquito.

  Shit.

  “Let’s try one more time, Joe,” Cienna told me, and I knew she was going to try to stop time to assist me.

  The blonde princess cast her spell, and I could see Morgar freeze for a moment. Before I could strike out again, however, Eudora merely laughed and shook her head, and it was apparent Cienna’s spell had no effect on the sea hag since she could still move. Then the ocean whirled back into action, and the giant eel roared again.

  “This would be a fun battle, I can tell,” Eudora chuckled, “but I have other things to destroy right now. Morgar, come back with me, but first, show them one last trick.”

  The great monster opened his mouth, and a huge cloud of green liquid spewed out of his maw and headed right for us.

  “Is that the poison?” Cienna shouted.

  “Yes!” Ariana called out as her face paled, and I thought for a minute we might be done for.

  But fuck that. I wasn’t going to let this bitch and her little pet harm my women.

  So, I raised my giant golden sword, and to my shock and amazement, purple lightning crackled to life along the blade. The bolts connected to each other and grew until they formed a tightly woven web of electricity several feet across. Then the web seemed to project out of the blade several feet, and the green cloud of poison slammed into the magical shield with a hissing sound.

  I gritted my teeth as the toxic plume bared down on the crackling wall of electricity, and I watched as the bolts of power seemed to wrap around the cloud and compress it into a ball-like shape. Then I used all my strength to shove it away. I swung my sword like a batter going for a grand slam, and
the poisonous cloud spun away from me and back toward Eudora.

  “What--?” the sea hag gasped as her eyes widened, but before she could move a muscle, the green cloud crashed into her body.

  Eudora shrieked as violet bolts of magic struck her along with the poison, and her limbs jerked as the electricity shot through her body. Her skin blackened in random patches wherever the magic landed, and her mouth opened in a silent scream. Then she began to hack violently as she inhaled the toxins of her pet’s poisonous cloud.

  Morgar roared in fury, but his yellow eyes darted from me to his mistress, and I could tell he didn’t know whether to attack me or aid Eudora.

  “How’s that for a taste of your own medicine?” I growled as I readied Genie’s Wrath for another strike.

  “Don’t mistake luck for skill,” the sea hag coughed, and I noticed her skin was paling below the charred wounds my electrical attack had left behind. “I’ll see you again soon, hero, and next time, you won’t be so lucky.”

  And suddenly, in a flash, the witch and her minion were gone. The hole in the seabed was still there, however, and I could see the mermaid who’d escaped her home still floating in place in shock.

  “Joe,” Jessamine breathed as she reached out and grabbed my arm. “That was amazing.”

  “Yeah, you totally fried that bitch,” Cienna snickered. “And she didn’t look so good after inhaling that green cloud. Good fucking riddance.”

  “Yes, Joe, you were incredible,” Ariana murmured, and her aqua eyes were wide with awe as she stared at me for a long moment. Then her gaze drifted to the side, and her pink lips pursed together. “But now we need to help her.”

  I followed her eyes toward the lone mermaid floating outside the destroyed cottage, and I nodded.

  “Yes, let’s go check on her,” I agreed, and Ariana began to swim toward the ruined house, with Jessamine, Cienna, and I trailing behind the mermaid.

  We swam across the fields of crops and reached the young mother, who was staring out into the distance with a lost expression. It was clear she was in shock, since her face was completely blank. Long, brown hair streamed into her eyes, but she didn’t bother to push it away.

  “My son…” the mermaid said quietly, and she held out the young merman to Ariana.

  My wives and I craned our necks for a moment to see the boy, who couldn’t have been more than two or three, but he appeared unharmed. He cuddled up against the red-haired princess’ chest and sucked his thumb.

  “It’s okay, see?” Ariana told the brown-haired mermaid in a soothing tone. “He’s alright. Your boy is going to be alright. What’s your name?”

  “I’m Cordelia,” she replied, and she looked at the redhead with terrified eyes. “My house is totally gone. My husband disappeared a week ago, and my son and I have been alone since then. We were hiding out from everything, and then this attack came…”

  “We will search for your husband, and I will give you and your son a room at the palace for as long as you need it,” Ariana said firmly, and I could tell she was trying to comfort Cordelia, whose eyes had filled with tears.

  “O-Okay,” the brunette mermaid sniffled, and she finally brushed the hair back from her face. Then she looked at Ariana with gratitude and bowed her head before she began to speak again. “Your Highness, you are so kind. I didn’t even greet you properly, I must express my deepest apologies.”

  “I don’t mean to speak for Ariana, but your home was just destroyed,” Jessamine cut in. “You are allowed more than a little grace in times of trouble.”

  “Th-thank you,” Cordelia said, and she blinked rapidly as she tried to control her tears. “I know Princess Ariana will lead us to victory.”

  “Cordelia, do you mind if we look inside your home for a moment?” I asked, because I wanted to see what kind of damage the attack had caused.

  “Of course.” She nodded, and her eyes immediately filled up again. “I know it isn’t much, but it was ours, and it was all we had.”

  “I’m so sorry this has happened to you,” Ariana consoled and put an arm around her. “We will rebuild as quickly as we can, and you are under royal protection from now on.”

  I swam into the house to see the damage, and Jessamine and Cienna followed behind me while Ariana remained outside with Cordelia. The roof had been completely destroyed by Morgar’s blast, and the remains of colorful shells littered the ground. Smaller pieces of debris floated up through the water, and I waved my hand in front of my face to clear the way. The room had been filled with simple furniture carved out of thick, black rock, and most of the pieces were now shattered. It looked like the structure was going to need to be completely rebuilt, and I felt incredibly sad for the young mermaid and her family.

  “This is awful,” Cienna said with a catch in her voice. “We need to talk more about how we’re going to help Ariana fight these bastards, because they are really strong. Did you see how Eudora fought back against my time magic?”

  “I know,” Jessamine said in a bleak tone of voice. “She seems even stronger than Jamar, and Morgar is just… I’ve never seen anything like him. He’s a monster.”

  “Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” I told my wives in my bravest voice. “There’s nothing we haven’t been able to figure out yet, and I’m sure we’re going to be able to help Ariana.”

  “Speaking of Ariana, I was hoping to avoid this, but I think we might have to talk to her about the ritual sooner rather than later,” Cienna sighed, and if the blonde was talking about the marriage rites, I knew it had to be serious, since I’d never heard her joke about them like Jessamine did. “Ariana seems so shy and quiet, and I didn’t want to scare her, but I think we need her to join us for strength.”

  “I agree, of course,” Jessamine stated. “I don’t know how exactly to bring it up, but it doesn’t seem like we’re strong enough without her yet. Joe is definitely more powerful than ever, and I could see his hits getting to Morgar, but I’d like to be able to back him up.”

  “Well, at least she was a married woman at one point…” Cienna commented, but I could tell the blonde was still doubtful. “In any case, I don’t think we have any choice but to trust her now. She’s clearly telling the truth about the troubles in her kingdom, so if she’s really going to be able to help us, I think Ariana needs to find out what’s going on.”

  “I think the only way to tell if she’s one of the princesses of legend is to have her touch Joe the same way she touched you, Cienna,” Jessamine suggested.

  In order to convince Cienna I was really the hero, she’d needed to feel the literal sparks that passed between our hands when we touched, and I hoped the same thing happened with the redheaded mermaid.

  We swam out of the small cottage, and Ariana looked over at me.

  “How does the house look?” she asked in a low voice.

  Unfortunately, I had no choice but to shake my head sadly.

  The mermaid princess frowned and put her arm tighter around Cordelia, who had her son back in her own arms again.

  “Do you want to help me accompany Cordelia back to the palace?” Ariana asked. “I was hoping to give her a place to rest and also start an investigation into her husband’s disappearance.”

  “Of course,” Jessamine replied, and we began swimming back toward the giant white structure.

  As we traveled, the princesses kept up a steady stream of chatter about the fish we passed, the food we were going to eat for dinner, and anything else they could think of to keep Cordelia’s mind off what had just happened to her. As always, I admired my wives’ constant kindness in the face of adversity.

  When we reached the palace, Ariana lifted the magic barrier, and then we passed the brown-haired mermaid off to one of Ariana’s handmaids, who promised the red-haired princess she would feed Cordelia and her child a good meal and set them up in one of the palace’s many bedchambers.

  We returned to Ariana’s chambers, and us humans flipped the switches on our leg armor to settle down on the
furniture with a chorus of sighs.

  “Well, we definitely need to come up with a plan,” I told the princesses.

  Cienna had buried her head in her hands with exhaustion, Jessamine wore a sad, weary expression, and as was often the case, Ariana just looked like she was deep in thought.

  “I wonder…” she began. “I saw the way your sword hurt Morgar, Joe, and the way you were able to deflect the cloud of poison back toward Eudora. That’s the strongest fighting I’ve seen since my father left, and maybe ever.”

  “Ariana, I’ve noticed you don’t seem to travel with guards,” Jessamine interjected. “Is there a reason?”

  “Well, a lot of my soldiers are off protecting my father,” the redhead began, “and I have most of my other guards out patrolling the kingdom and assisting commoners. I suppose I may have been a little too brave, however.”

  “Well, you have us now,” Jessamine assured her. “And I don’t mean to boast about my husband, but Joe is way more powerful than any ordinary guard I’ve ever seen.”

  “I have to admit I’ve been very curious about your sword, Joe, and how you got so powerful,” Ariana told me, and then she addressed the other two princesses. “Also, I saw the way the two of you worked together to bring Joe out of his trance. There is clearly more going on here than I realize.”

  “Well, it’s kind of a long story…” Cienna said, and she looked at me and Jessamine.

  Ariana caught the glance that passed between us, and she seemed thoughtful.

  “I have time to listen, so why don’t we have dinner sent up and we can talk more about your marriage,” the redhead said, and then she blushed. “Of course, it may be personal, which I understand.”

  She had no idea.

  Ariana left the room for a moment to call out to one of her servants, and I had a question for Jessamine and Cienna.

  “Okay, who’s going to tell her?” I asked. “It definitely shouldn’t be me, because I think it needs to come from a woman.”

  “I… I think it should be you, Cienna,” Jessamine suggested with a bashful smile. “I just think you have the right personality for it. I get too excited about it, and I don’t want to scare her.”