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The merman cut through the water with a speed and grace I couldn’t hope to match. The points of his trident gleamed in the light cast by my spells.
I kicked clumsily toward the surface, but he was already too close. The steel tip of the trident slammed into my chest.
Air burst from my lungs, but the wicked points of the trident hadn’t managed to pierce my Kevlar vest. Fortunately, the merman had been going for my heart. It was perhaps the only time I might ever be saved by someone trying to kill me.
I was driven back until my head slammed into the rocky outcropping that I had been hoping to climb. Pinned against the stone, only feet from the surface, I struggled for air.
The merman looked at me, his brow creasing as I fought against him. Clearly, he’d expected less of a fight and hadn’t counted on the vest. I grabbed the tip of the trident and held it firm. The last thing I wanted him to do was to pull it out and try again. I was no match for his agility in the water and was quickly running out of breath.
My boots slid against the stone as I tried to propel myself upward toward the surface but with no success. The creature yanked on the trident, but I tightened my grip. As I fought, a trickle of bubbles seeped out of my mouth, rising past my face on their way to the surface.
The creature let go of the trident and reached for a small knife on his belt. Its pink handle looked almost like a piece of coral that had been fastened to a blade. As the merman let go of the trident, I grabbed it with both hands and yanked it upward. The steel haft of the weapon connected with the merman’s chin, snapping his head backward.
With my foe reeling, I kicked for the surface. If I could get out of the water, I stood a fighting chance. Beneath the surface of the waves, I was battling oxygen deprivation, as well as the merman. My head broke through the waves, and I sucked in a deep breath of pure freedom. The oxygen felt like heaven on my tortured lungs.
The merman couldn’t be far behind me. Reluctantly, I dived back beneath the surface, so that I could see him coming. It was no use trying to climb the stony pillar, only to have the merman fillet me like a Barramundi.
Sure enough, the merman was making a beeline straight for me, a wicked bruise forming on his cheek and the coral blade raised.
I could feel the fatigue building in my legs as they struggled to keep me from sinking like a rock. I wasn’t particularly buoyant in the combat rigging and tactical load-out, something I’d have to consider next time I made improvements to it. In the meantime, I needed options.
Using my magic underwater wasn’t something I’d had a lot of practice with. I’d never really had the need. Not to mention how ridiculous I would have felt casting spells in my swimming pool. But practiced or not, I was running out of choices. The merman had every advantage beneath the waves, and I needed to level the score.
My favorite spells were out. Elemental efforts would fail abysmally beneath the water. Lightning would just as likely kill us both, or dissipate uselessly in the water between us. Fire would whiff out of existence as fast as I could conjure it, and any earth based magics had little focus to work with. Water was a natural deterrent to kinetic attacks which left me with transmutation. It was a potentially potent option but for that I had to get close to the knife wielding being that was trying to kill me.
Excellent.
As he closed in on me, I studied the merman. His eyes squinted as he surged through the water toward me. He seemed to be having trouble seeing me, which gave me an idea.
I held out my palm and whispered a spell. “Luz Cegadora!”
A plume of bubbles burst from my mouth, and I closed my eyes as golden light flared from my outstretched hands. In the twilight darkness of the water, it was absolutely blinding, particularly for the merman who took it in the face without warning. I kicked hard in an effort to propel myself to the right.
I waited as long as I dared before opening my eyes. The brilliant glare was fading, and I had made it out of the path of his berserk charge.
The merman sailed past me. His knife struck the stone behind me, before he too slammed into the rocky outcropping.
I tore the knife out of his hands. Disorientated as he was, it wasn’t difficult. With my other hand, I grabbed a fistful of his dark hair and wrapped myself around him. He panicked and dove deeper into the water. I hadn’t counted on that reaction. I held on for dear life as his tail propelled us through the ocean depths. He didn’t need to kill me; the water pressure and lack of oxygen would do it for him.
Down he plunged into the darkness, and I clung on for dear life, my werelights following us down into the abyss. Pulling myself closer to him, I raised the coral knife to his throat.
I couldn’t speak to him beneath the waves, but as the blade found the soft flesh of his throat, his tail abruptly stopped thrashing. We slowed to a halt in the water. I could feel the pressure building. My nose and ears in particular were protesting vehemently.
I could have killed the merman in a heartbeat. Another ounce or two of pressure would have been all that it took to end his life. But I didn’t want to. Hell, he probably didn’t want to kill me either. Likely he’d woken up this morning with other plans and then had been waylaid by Poseidon to help entertain his nephew and some bigwigs in the supernatural world. He wasn’t one of my competitors. He was as much a victim of this trial as I was. For all I knew, he had a family somewhere, one that hoped he was coming home. And he was about to die for his master’s agenda.
In a sense, he was like Cora, about to die for a master who would soon forget his existence. He looked young and untested. Likely I was the first human he had ever encountered. He certainly hadn’t dueled any wizards, or he might have been more cautious in his approach. Who was I to end his life? Enough was enough.
And so I took a chance.
I let go of his hair, reached in front of him, and pointed up toward the surface. His head moved to track my finger. He gave a small nod, and I wrapped my arm around him. With powerful strokes of his tailfin, he reversed our course and sent us surging back toward the surface. My lungs ached during the ascent but there was nothing to do but hang on tight and wait it out.
We broke through the surface, and I gasped as I took a long deep breath.
I had just ridden a merman. There was a sentence I was never going to say out loud to another soul.
Together, the merman and I bobbed on the surface of the water. He was doing most of the work but in fairness it didn’t seem like much of an exertion for him. My clumsy kicks seemed to be doing more to get in the way than actually helping. I looked around for the easiest way to climb back onto the rocky causeways leading to the central peak.
In the distance, I could still make out the siren song wailing in the stormy night, but the illusion had already been shattered. I knew them for what they were. While I felt the draw, it wasn’t the all-consuming pull it had once been.
It dawned on me that I had no idea what languages the merpeople used. Would he understand me if I spoke to him? Doing this in charades was only going to make things more difficult.
“Can you understand me?” I asked, easing the knife away from his throat an inch or two to help convey my intentions.
“Yes,” the merman replied in a surprisingly deep voice.
“Good, because I don’t want to kill you,” I replied. “And I was beginning to think you were going to make me.”
“Why not? I’ve been commanded to kill you,” he replied as the waves lapped against us.
We bobbed awkwardly in the water.
“I get that, but there are eleven of us. What if you were to focus your attention elsewhere? Better to follow your Lord’s orders in spirit and remain alive than die here on your own weapon, having achieved nothing.”
I could feel the merman breathing as he considered his options. Each deep heaving breath caused my arm to rise and fall.
“Why not kill me and be done with it?” he asked. “What am I to you?”
“No one,” I replied, “and that’s just it. I don’t even know you. I certainly didn’t come here to kill you or any of your people. I just need to make it to that mountain. If you swear to me that you’ll let me go in peace, then you’re free to leave. I’d rather not kill you, but I will if you give me no other choice.”
The rain beat down on us, running down my face as I waited silently for his answer. I was mindful of the fact that each passing moment, the other champions drew closer to their goal.
“We have an accord,” the creature replied. “If you let me live, my kin and I will not hinder you.”
“Deal,” I replied, lowering the knife and letting go of him. I sank a few inches into the water as I started to tread water for myself.
“I can make no promises for my master’s other servants, so take care,” he said, allowing the tide to put some distance between us.
There was a series of splashes as all around us, merpeople broke through the surface of the water. More than a dozen merpeople surrounded us, watching us with keen interest. Their brilliant eyes gleamed in the illumination provided by my werelights, as they observed us in awkward silence.
I handed him back the knife. “I am Seth.”
“Azura,” he replied. “You are an odd human, Seth.”
I laughed. I’d certainly been called worse.
“Do your friends...” I began awkwardly as I looked at the gathering around us.
“They understand the accord,” he replied. “Go in peace, and stay out of the water, if you value your life.”
“Happy hunting, Azura,” I replied. “I hope one day to meet under better circumstances.”
With that, I began swimming back toward the rocky outcropping.
Creatures beyond the veil could be treacherous, but they tended to honor their accords. One’s sworn word meant more to the fey and other creatures in the spirit realm than it did to most mortals. Sure, the merman might try and stab me in the back, but he had little to gain and no idea of the power I could wield. If his word wasn’t enough, I hoped the threat of what I might do to them should they break it would be a powerful disincentive. Hopefully common sense would prevail.
Reaching the edge of the outcropping, I dragged myself out of the waves. My clothes were soddened, and my socks and boots absolutely soaked.
I considered taking them off but feared for what might still lay ahead. I dragged myself to the top of the rocky causeway, my boots squelching with every step. The storm beat all around us but still I dragged my way forward. There was no other choice.
The sirens wailed their otherworldly song, luring champions toward the whirlpool. There was a chance that someone else could have been caught in their snare. I gave them a wide berth and continued heading east around the whirlpool. If I were to draw a straight line from my starting position to the mountain, I was considerably off course. Though I had made some progress toward the imposing peak in the center of the arena, I had moved farther east. I corrected my course and made a beeline for the peak. It wouldn’t do to fall too far behind.
Up ahead, three figures moved nimbly across the rocky path ahead of me. I recognized the pitch-black armor of Tadashii as he raced across the rocks. Behind him and on either side, were the Greek champions Lycus and Pyrros. The servants of Deimos and Phobos were closing on him. The two Greek champions were making no effort to hinder each other, and instead seemed intent on Tadashii.
It seemed the two of them had reached an accord. It was hardly surprising; their masters were brothers. They had likely known each other long before the Trial began. The two of them working in concert was a deadly proposition, and they seemed intent on using that advantage to overpower Tadashii.
They trailed him across the rocky debris as he made a beeline for the mountain peak that would lead him back to the Areopagus.
I made a mental map of the arena and divided it into quadrants. With eleven champions in total, if there were three of them here, they were likely the only ones approaching the peak from this side. Well off to the west, the Reoánaighsidhe would be making his way to the peak, but for the time being, it was just the four of us, and none of them knew I was here.
Fortunately, the squelching of my boots was drowned out by the howling wind and beating rain of the storm. My teeth chattered as I took off after Tadashii. I was hoping the exertion would offset the biting chill that was starting to settle in, but I was soaked and the cool breeze cut straight to the bone.
Tadashii moved with a swiftness totally at odds with his age. Once I took into account his cancer, it was simply mind-boggling. The armor of Hachiman was certainly picking up the slack and then some, but Lycus and Pyrros were both fit and able. They continued to gain on him.
I had yet to see either of them in battle, but given their patron, prowess was to be expected. Likewise, I had no idea if either of them had arcane gifts but even without magic, they were bound to be formidable foes. They outnumbered Tadashii two-to-one, and I didn’t like my friend’s chances.
Racing after them, I gulped and panted. I was still tired from my near drowning with the merman, and the storm overhead was doing its best to finish the job. Deep down, my body screamed at me to quit, but I had promised Tadashii I would watch his back, and nothing was gonna stop me from keeping that promise. I might die for it, but I would not shrink from it.
The central craggy peak of the arena towered ominously before us, a craggy pillar of volcanic stone rising from the waves. The prospect of having to climb it in the rain was one I would have rather avoided, but like everything I’d endured in the past two days, it was optional in the same way dodging bullets was optional. And so, I relegated it to a pile of things in my mind labeled bridges I’d force myself to cross if I survived long enough to reach them.
We moved steadily toward the peak and as I plotted my course over the stony causeways, I looked ahead and realized my dilemma about the same time Tadashii did. The stone causeways formed a huge circle around the central peak but stopped short of it, leaving almost two hundred feet of open ocean between us and the mountain itself. The stony outer circle of the causeway only met the peak at four points, narrow bridges of stone that seemed almost like tightropes as they rose over the ocean to the final ascent.
Unfortunately, the steppingstones we were racing over only took us to the circle itself, before forcing us north or south toward the closest bridges.
Tadashii reached the edge and stopped, peering out over the ocean. Lycos and Pyrros reached it a moment later, taking up positions a dozen paces to his left and right, cutting off his path in either direction. The champions of Phobos and Deimos wheeled to face Tadashii.
The fact that they turned on him rather than taking their lead and heading for the bridges themselves spoke volumes to their intentions.
They planned on thinning the competition.
Tadashii’s head flicked left, then right, as he registered his predicament. It was fight, die, or hurl yourself into the sea, and after my earlier experience the sea was as good as choosing death, albeit a slow and painful one. Entering the water in Poseidon’s domain was the choice for the champion that had a little bit of a masochist inside and liked to suffer on the way out. The notion that one could survive the swim with whatever Poseidon had in store was pure insanity, or utter desperation.
Tadashii was neither desperate nor insane. He gave the faintest bow of his head before his right hand went for his katana.
The Greek warriors charged forward, fighting with spear and shield like the Spartans of old.
Tadashii’s sword cleared its saya. He swept it up, batting away Lycus’s spear, even as Pyrros darted toward his exposed back.
I sprinted forward, drawing on my power. I had lost the P90 to the depths of the sea, but in hindsight that was probably a good thing, because at this range, I would have been just as likely to hit my friend as either of his foes.
Lightning struck the surface of the sea, and thunder rolled through the heavens overhead, but Tadashii didn’t flinch. The spear was barely inches from his back when he sidestepped the thrust and brought his katana around in a sweeping strike leveled at Pyrros’ neck.
Pyrros raised his shield. The enchanted blade was deflected with a deafening clang that only added to the furor of the storm. Lycus pressed the assault, but Tadashii took two steps towards Pyrros and leapt. Rolling forward and using the warrior’s raised shield as a platform, he nimbly vaulted his foe, landing deftly on his feet with his blade raised to meet both Greek champions.
With the two of them in front of him, he no longer needed to watch his back.
Lycus and Pyrros surged forward, alternating thrusts intended to turn Tadashii into a samurai shish kabob. The samurai’s weapon was a deadly blade, but the Greek champions were adept at using the length of their spears to keep him at bay.
The three traded blows with dizzying swiftness, but with every second, Tadashii was slowly forced back toward the edge of the stone and the ominous drop into the crashing waves below.
Reaching the causeway, I chose my target.
“Relámpago!“ I shouted, channeling my will into a bolt of lightning that I hurled at Lycus.
His head snapped around, his shield lowering reflexively as he dropped into a crouch behind it.
Tadashii advanced, ignoring my presence as he stepped inside Pyrros’ guard. My spell struck Lycus’ shield, only to be harmlessly deflected, grounding itself into the stone.
Clearly, Tadashii wasn’t the only champion with enchanted gear. I stared at the shield, eyes wide as I realized my spell hadn’t even left a mark.
Lycus grinned over the top of his shield at me.
“Is that all you’ve got?” he teased, his voice oozing with disdain.
Tadashii kicked Pyrros’ shield, sending the warrior staggering backward. As he brought his foot down, he focused his momentum into a single swift stroke that severed Lycus’ head.
I stared at the entwined figures, my jaw dropping as Lycus’ head rolled off his shoulders.
Pyrros roared his fury, launching himself forward. His spear passed harmlessly over Tadashii’s right shoulder as he ducked the blow, but it was a feint.
Pyrros charged like a rampaging bull, dropping his shield into the samurai in a berserk charge that sent Tadashii tumbling across the stone. Pyrros didn’t lose a step, his spear rising and falling. Each time it descended, I thought it would find its mark but Tadashii would scramble out of the way milliseconds before the steel tip of the spear would crash into the stone, sending sparks flying.
Tadashii tried to rise but Pyrros drove his boot into his shoulder, sending him crashing back to the rain-slicked stone.
Tadashii was running out of space. I leapt onto the causeway itself. I searched for an angle, but I had already given away my presence. Pyrros kept his shield between us as he advanced on Tadashii. I looked for an opening; anything I could use to take a shot at him.
I focused my will, channeling it into a thin lance of arcane energy as I advanced. As the pair struggled, I saw my window of opportunity. Each time Pyrros lunged forward, his leg left the safety of the shield while he struck with his spear.
Lying flat on the stone, Tadashii tried for a sweeping blow that would cut Pyrros down at the ankles but the Greek champion stomped on his hand, trapping it and the sword against the stone.
Pyrros cast his spear aside and drew a short sword from a scabbard at his belt. He raised it high as I unleashed my spell. I just needed to give Tadashii a fighting chance.
The beam of arcane power punched straight through Pyrros’ thigh, cutting and cauterizing a hole the size of a quarter as it went. He fell forward, freeing Tadashii’s hand.
Tadashii let go of his katana and reached for the shorter blade at his waist. Instead of trying to recover his footing, the berserk Pyrros plunged forward, using his weight and his fall to drive the short sword straight through Tadashii’s chest.