The Call Of Thalassa

“Hear the screaming silence.”

So far down in the ocean, the sunlight barely seems like a soft diffuse glow that penetrates the distant surface of these strange waters. And the deeper you go, the darker the black veil that covers these profound waters becomes. There’s an eerie silence in this part of the ocean –it is too quiet and it makes you keep looking over your shoulder to make sure you’re safe.

However, are you truly safe?

In the absolute darkness of these bizarre waters, one could hardly distinguish a sudden and deep gorge laying open on the rocky seabed of the ocean. Its width was not very large –a man could fit through its opening with enough effort but great difficulty. Its depth was enormous since no one could see where it was leading -nothing but endless blackness greeted those who looked inside.

In any case, the gorge created an understandable dread and immeasurable uneasiness to anyone who saw it. Therefore, it had successfully gained the nickname ‘The Gates of Hell’.

In these strange tides, the creatures that lived in the gorge’s darkness were taken out of a nightmare. Their teeth were sharp and their fins poisonous as they lured their victims in with a small light hanging from their monstrous heads. Their nails were capable of ripping flesh and their eyes were able to see through the dark waters like it was daylight. They stayed in the depths of the ravine waiting for their next meal to appear.

However, the cannibal creatures and the scary darkness were the least of the merpeople’s problems, who never dared to swim close to these waters. When even a predator doesn’t approach such depths and is fearing what lies beneath them, you know that something else lurks in there –something far more dangerous and evil.

The current King of Atlantis and Ruler of the Merfolk, Neptune, had forbidden anyone from swimming in these waters for their own safety and the safety of their kingdom. This part of the ocean was said to be cursed -an old enemy of the merpeople was forced to live in these depths, unable to ever leave this forsaken place thanks to the spells of the sea Nymphs.

Once upon a time, this person was like all the others that resided in the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. He was swimming among them, talking and laughing with them, growing in their care and in the safety they provided him with. He had eaten their food and had lived in their mesmerizing city, even climbing slowly but surely the steps of hierarchy.

He was very close to the royal family, a loved and welcomed member in their palace and their hearts. They considered him as one of their own –family...until he proved them all wrong.

He had betrayed their hospitality and paid them back for their kindness with blood. He had brought difficult times upon them, dividing the merfolk race into two different sides and forcing them to turn against their own king. Families turned against families, friends against friends, and brothers against brothers.

The war was vicious and violent. As a result, the oceans became red from all the bloodshed as the merfolk destroyed themselves for the second time in their long history. And all happened for two specific reasons –two precious prizes.

The sparkling eyes of a mesmerizing woman.

The throne and crown of Atlantis.

Most specifically, the throne belonged to the royal family for generations now. It was said that their bloodline was going back in the ages of time and was connected with Poseidon himself -the God of the Oceans, who reportedly was the first ruler of the merpeople.

The crown didn’t necessarily go to the oldest male successor, but to the child that was blessed by their Goddesses with abilities that would help him rule justly and correctly over his people. He would take the crown after he had become of age and had found his mate in order to ensure that there will be another heir in the future.

It was unheard of for someone else to take over the throne since the rightful successor was blessed with these powers. It was a safety mechanism –a gift from Poseidon himself- in order to make sure that there will be no blood spilled for the succession of the throne. The next King could be easily recognized between his siblings, although not all his powers were revealed instantly.

Most of the time this had successfully worked out –until then.

The revolution, of course, didn’t end very well for those who didn’t support their rightful ruler, King Neptune. Most of them died during the war or were imprisoned for going against the crown. Some others were executed for high treason of the merfolk race or were exiled to stay away from Atlantis in order to ensure the return of safety and order in the realm.

However, the mastermind behind this whole plan was still a remaining threat to all of them and drastic measures had to be taken. Scared that exile will have nothing against him, they were terrified of him returning back with new vigor and destroying them for the second time.

Therefore, the royals were forced to ask the help of some powerful sea Nymphs, although their kind wasn’t welcome from the merpeople. They did what was necessary to ensure that their enemy would be exiled forever from Atlantis -that he would be forced to live in the depths of this very ravine for the rest of his miserable life.

The sea Nymphs used a powerful spell to bind him in the dark depths of Hell’s Gates –to never be able to leave this cursed place and to spend the rest of eternity imprisoned there. So, that’s how he spent the last century, hidden in the darkness of the deep gorge unable to get out of there in any way.

He was completely alone and had no connection with his kin what’s so ever. No one visited him in his exile and he had no one to fight for him and bring him back. He had gone almost mad as he saw the people of Atlantis continue to live their lives and become happy, while he was rotting there all by himself. They had forgotten all about his existence and moved on with their lives, while he could do nothing about it.

He was beyond furious with this situation. He saw them through his crystal sphere -the only thing in his possession, as they were living their lives happily. He saw his biggest enemy, the mighty King Neptune have something he never would –the love and respect of his people and a family to call his own.

He saw that son of his swimming through the streets of Atlantis as the merfolk welcomed joyfully their future king. He saw his daughter have a great life with her mate as her father looked proudly at her. He saw them forgetting all about him and moving on with their lives, ignoring completely his existence.

He was nothing, but a forgotten memory.

“Revenge!“, was the only thing going on through his mind.

“Revenge!”

He had made it pretty clear to his King that he would come back and avenge himself. They would all pay for the misery they had put him through. He would make sure of it.

“You better watch your back, King of Atlantis”, he had spat out with so much hate in his loud voice as the guards were taking him away to his eternal doom.

“One day I will come back and I will destroy whatever you hold close to your heart!”

He snickered to himself remembering the worried expression that Neptune had in his glowing blue eyes. Good. He should not take his words lightly. His threats were not empty –they never were.

“Better watch that heir of yours, because I will make sure that he never gets to sit on MY throne!”

His last words were a promise both to himself and the king. The throne would be his, there was no denying it. He wouldn’t let that stupid son of his take away what he fought for, for so many years. It was his and his alone -he would destroy all the merfolk and Atlantis if it was what it took to become king. He just had to wait for the right moment to come.

Suddenly, he felt a fuss in the water -a movement in the tides. Something was swimming in the darkness of his prison, but he did not worry. He knew exactly who was intruding on his place.

A large eel appeared in front of him through the blackness after just a few moments of silence. His scales were a dark green color but were buzzing with electricity, disturbing the black veil of the waters. His teeth were like needles and filled with poison. His eyes were a total black color as they sparkled in excitement when he came across the other merman.

He gripped his neck tightly and growled at it loudly, as the eel squeaked nervously.

“You better not disturb me without a reason”, he hissed at the trembling eel while showing his own pair of razor teeth that could demolish it in mere seconds.

The creature trembled slightly at the threat but did not back down. It had come for a serious reason indeed and couldn’t wait to see its master’s reaction. Coming here for absolutely no reason was a death sentence and he would like to live a little longer than only a handful of years.

“Master, I bring great news to you”, the eel said in its hissing voice trying to get on his lord’s good side.

The merman narrowed his eyes at it as his claws dug a little deeper in the eel’s scales.

“Then you better start talking, before I decide that I have no use for you any longer”, he hissed at it.

“The prince, master, he...”

The eel couldn’t get any words out as his master gripped his neck even harder, cutting off his air supply.

“What did the perfect prince of Atlantis do this time?“, he spat out with his voice full of hate as the eel fought for a breathe.

“Did he win in another fighting tournament or did he help another poor family of the city, huh? I bet they are going to make a statue of him soon enough! I bet Neptune is so fucking proud of his precious son and heir!”

His eyes turned into slits as he spat the words out with such a wave of anger that his whole body began to tremble from the strain.

Seeing that the eel could barely breathe -nonetheless speak, he let his grip loose.

“Go on! Spit it out!“, he growled angrily waiting for his answer as he watched the scared creature taking in big gulps of air.

“Master...the prince...”

The merman rolled his eyes as the eel could barely speak.

“...He found his mate...“, the eel stuttered afraid of his master.

At its words, he completely stopped moving.

“Did he now?”

He turned towards the eel with a sardonic smile on his face and a glint of madness in his eyes.

“I saw him with her...with my own eyes... “, the eel promised his master.

The merman cocked his head to the side, waiting impatiently for the creature in front of him to let him in all the details.

“...She is human, master...“, the eel finally said.

His eyes widened and his smile brightened.

“Well, that’s wonderful news!“, his master laughed out loud.

The eel cringed at the strange sound –it had never heard him laugh before and it was quite...disturbing. He tried not to get in his way as he happily swam around the darkness of the ravine.

Finally, luck had smiled at him.

The time he had been waiting for so long to come was finally here.

It was time to take back what was his.

It was time for his revenge.

He let out a last sardonic laugh escape him. One that echoed around the depths of the ocean and would send chills down the spine of anyone who happened to hear it.

“It is time, we set our plan into action.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End of chapter 15!!

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Until next time!!