Ocean Song Beneath the Waves
Chapter 24: Return of the Banished

Axensus looks over the trench with his lips twisted into a bemused smile and eyes alight with an eagerness for the festivities to come. He stands at the edge of a cliff that overlooks a visually bottomless trench as dark as the we can see. The Azarian Trench, known to be the deepest of all the trenches in the ocean. It’s where his master’s prison sat and where his forces lay dormant. He didn’t expect for the Vilmarisan Queen to be so foolish as to imprison them so close to his master but at the same time they are quite far. The trench extends for a good couple miles and the beings he’s come to free are scattered about it with intricate seals to ensure they never escape while his master’s prison lay at the bottom of the trench surrounded by all-encompassing darkness.

Within the darkness, the screams and screeches of the creatures sealed within rise up from the trench to create a mixture of horribly disturbing sounds that would normally induce a bleeding of the ears. Axensus, however, seems most pleased by the sound as his gaze surveys the trench for the nearest creature.

“Axensus, do hurry up. We should just free them all at once and be done with it all.” His gaze momentarily flickers to the female with an irritated gleam shining within.

“Patience, Rusalka,” he drawls as he crosses his arms over his chest. “Vilmaris may be preoccupied with its internal affairs but doubt not its gaze is trained on the prison. We must do this right, even if it means gathering the Sirens of the Deep and Beasts of Azrael one by one.” Rusalka groans impatiently as her deathly pale features twist up in a look of loathing.

“I fail to see why Lord Proteus does not just destroy that vile kingdom. Their damnable queen is responsible for imprisoning us!” She growls as her rage is expressed in the form of a violent black aura that spirals about her being wildly.

Axensus sighs as he questions as to why his master sent this infuriating woman with him. “You forget, Rusalka, that Queen Amphitrite perished long ago and Vilmaris has often seen the passing of their rulers since then. It is in a constant state of instability and is more alert than ever before,” Axensus pauses as he finally swims into the trench with Rusalka following close behind. “So we must proceed with caution lest we draw their attention and risk sound defeat.” Rusalka grumbles, but doesn’t voice anymore of her thoughts as she begrudgingly admits to herself that Axensus has a point. After all, her knowledge of the current era is limited after spending a few thousand years in a seemingly perpetual sleep. Axensus somehow managed to elude a similar fate and spent those last thousands of years in hiding, preparing for the day when their Lord would break free from his prison and resume his conquest of the world once more.

Meanwhile, Axensus has approached a rather peculiar part of the trench’s wall. This part is lightly discolored, not noticeable unless one is paying close attention.

“Let us see who sleeps within,” he says with an amused smile as he places his hand upon the wall and begins muttering some sort of spell under his breath. Suddenly a seal appeared on the wall and shone with a blinding radiance. Rusalka covers her eyes to shield them from the harsh light until it dies down and ceases altogether. The section of wall where the seal had been rumbles and cracks as it begins to crumble away as though it be grains of sand that had been forced together to form a stone. The two stare into the darkness of the new whole as a pair of glowing pale green eyes suddenly appear admits the darkness.

“A Siren of the Deep, Aquanetta.” A monstrous siren emerges from the darkness with her rows of sharp teeth on full display for all to see in a vicious smile. She runs an elongated sharp nail down the tiny scales of her cheek before pushing her webbed hand through her blackened hair.

“Rusalka and Axensus. How long has it been since I was last awake?” Her voice resembles something of a growl and seems to produce an echo all its own when she speaks. Axensus finds himself inwardly cringing as his eyes roam over her pale scale-clad flesh down to the murky scales of her tail to the battle-worn fin that somehow resembles a stingray. A creature that was once a thing of beauty but twisted to become something monstrous. Oh how I wish she would utilize her other form. At least it is not as unsightly, Axensus muses as Aquanetta flashes him a fanged smile, to which he blatantly ignores by moving on to the next discolored rock that catches his eye.

Aquanetta isn’t the least bit fazed as she closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath. Rusalka watches in silence for a few moments before her eyes open once again and she turns to her with a serious expression taking over the amused one from moments ago.

“I no longer sense the presence of the fair queen of Vilmaris. Nor do I sense the unique and powerful energies of those troublesome warriors,” she comments lightly as her gaze briefly flickers towards something beyond the darkness of the trench. “Tell me, what became of them?”

“It has been a few thousand years since we had been sealed and many things have changed since then. Lord Proteus has taken advantage of the absence of the warriors and intends to collect the stones before they are united with their respective warrior.” The siren’s eyes seem to light up at the mention of Proteus.

“So he is freed then? What joyous news. So your breaking the seals must mean that our lord intends to resume his glorious conquest of the world and the purge of the vile humans once more?” Rusalka nods as the siren releases a delighted laugh that sounds more sinister than it does delightful.

“Focus Aquanetta. For now our master bids us free the Beasts of Azrael and the rest of your kin.” Aquanetta smirks as she dives down into the depths to do just that. After all, her only wish has ever been to please her Lord and please him she shall... Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ (F)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Well look at what we have here!” Rusalka exclaims with delight as her gaze runs over the large seal glowing upon the surface of the trench’s floor.

“What have you found?” Axensus asks blankly as he swims further down to see what it is she speaks of. “Ah, so this is where it was. Clever of her to seal it so far and so deep. I never would have imagined finding it here of all places,” he says as the growls of beasts and sirens alike sound from above as the last of them gather.

“Lord Proteus will be most pleased to have this returned to him, do you not think so?” Rusalka asks with a dark smile upon her face that is easily matched by Axensus.

“Indeed. This may take longer to undo than the others. Do open a portal and direct our Lord’s armies to him.” Rusalka doesn’t even look at him as she does so. She opens her arms wide as a black glowing mist comes together to form a large expanding portal.

“Go! Our Lord Proteus awaits you beyond!” She shouts as the armies begin to flood through all at once, pushing and shoving each other as they do so.

It takes about an hour for the last of them to filter through the portal and once the last beast passes, Rusalka quickly closes the portal and focuses her energies towards helping Axensus break the seal.

His expression reveals that he is most pleased by the development of his plans. He watches as the armies converge upon exiting the portal. They are rather noisy as their anticipation to see their lord drives them to voice their excitement. It would seem that those two were able to fulfill their task without delay and without nary an argument with one another, he thinks as he turns his back and swims deeper into the darkness. Within the darkness of the room sits an ebony trident that appears more sinister than those of Vilmaris and Aquaria’s. It produces a malefic dark purple aura, completely tainted with dark energies. Its aura filters from it to produce a poisonous miasma capable of corrupting anything within its reach. Such a weapon should have been sealed away in the darkest reaches of the earth but his brother was a love struck fool and that fair queen was naive. They didn’t think that he would one day be freed from his prison so they foolishly sealed it within this place so filled with malice and anger.

This was his home. How beautiful it had been so long ago...and now it has been reduced to these darkened ruins haunted by a time long since past. The feelings in this place festered like an open wound and fed the darkness of the trident. Did they really think that this wouldn’t happen? His anger runs deep and is stronger than anything they could even have begun to comprehend. The foolish gods destroyed his beloved kingdom and those disgusting humans hunted and slaughtered his kin! Vengeance is only just the beginning and all shall come to know his wrath and there isn’t an Amphitrite or Poseidon to stop him this time.

So with a malicious smile on his face, he takes up the trident and basks in its sublime darkness before leaving the room to greet his armies.

Silence quickly ran through them all as they eagerly awaited the words of their Lord and master.

Aquanetta among some others are the first to swim forward as they form a line and bow. “Lord Proteus. We are filled with such joy to see you and serve you once more. All that we ask is that you tell us your will so that we may see it done,” her tone is reverent and comes out loud and clear so all may hear her.

“Rise, my generals. Our conquest has begun anew and the ocean has grown too weak to resist us,” he sneers as he raises his trident. “Now that my power has returned, we shall take the ocean and her bounty for our own and cover the entire earth in beauteous water to erase the ugliness of humanity!” He stops as a cheer runs through the creatures below him before continuing once more. “Will you see my desires come to fruition?” A chorus of affirmations rises from below. “Then take heed for my will is to have the complete subjugation of this world so that I may rule it until the end of time!”

“We serve you until the end of days, Lord Proteus!”

“Your will be done!”

He cares little for their words but their eagerness to serve him assured him that he has their complete and undying loyalty.

“My Lord.” He turns his gaze to meet those of Rusalka and Axensus as they bow before him with a hand over their hearts.

“What is it?” He asks curtly, not too interested in whatever they have to report. After all, he has a world to conquer and kingdoms to destroy.

“We have found something that will please you greatly,” Axensus says confidently as he looks up at his lord from beneath his lashes.

“Indeed. A most powerful creature to assist in your conquest,” Rusalka continues as she gestures towards a portal that expands even larger than the one that brought his armies. He watches in silence with an unchanging stone-cold expression as a large creature forces its way through the portal. A smirk comes across his lips as he takes in the beast.

“Wherever did you find it?” He asks with a small measure of interest as the creature winds itself around a crumbling tower and proceeds to remain there.

“Sealed within the earth upon the trench floor,” says Rusalka as Proteus swims past them to gaze upon the creature that has made itself comfortable on its new perch. A brief chuckle escapes his lips as a sinister gleam shines in his eyes.

“Well done, both of you. You have pleased me immensely by bringing this creature to me,” he says with a tone of interest. “You have succeeded in returning the Kraken of Savalice to me and with it, my rule is assured...”

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