SWNOVELS Chapter The Trench Monster
Ontur dismounted from the massive gryphon, relieved that his flight from Sublime Eyrie to the island of Floré was over. Although he trusted Phlexa completely, it still always unnerved him to fly on her back. The tall Welker rolled his muscular shoulders to ease the cramp in them. With a carefree gesture, the man ran his fingers through his black locks, smoothing his wavy hair as much as possible. His green eyes glinted with intelligence and the unmistakable spark of magic. Sighing contentedly, Ontur surveyed the secluded island, marvelling at its pristine beauty.
Ontur had initially intended to stop at Dreschkja village when he had received the plea for help from Queen Mishaal, but the tone of her letter made him rethink that idea. It felt to him that the sooner he visited the Queen’s realm, the better for all involved. His muscular chest rippled powerfully as Ontur removed his shirt and then slipped out of his pants. Wearing only his briefs, the bronzed man waded unhurriedly into the cool, welcoming ocean, relishing the cleansing touch that instantly soothed his tense muscles. He took a deep breath before submerging completely in the crystal-clear sea. Ontur wasn’t at all surprised when he saw what was waiting for him underwater.
It was a remarkably handsome creature with a muscular body covered in tight, glossy scales. The creature’s sinewed arms ended in sharp, webbed talons, while its powerful legs propelled it forward at great speed.
Ontur didn’t fear the beast, for he recognised it as a Merman. Calmly, the Welker awaited the Merman, identifying him as Mittal once he was close enough. Inwardly, Ontur heaved a sigh of relief; Mittal was one of the least volatile Mermen.
“Well met, Ontur,” Mittal greeted the Welker. Both Merman and Welker could breathe and speak underwater; the Merman obviously so, Ontur through his magic. “Glad I am that the song of the ocean called you. We are in need, Welker,” Mittal hastily added, causing Ontur the slightest and first real frisson of trepidation. For Mittal to speak of needing him meant matters must indeed be dire.
“Pray tell, friend Mittal. What’s amiss? I received the missive from Queen Mishaal but a day ago, but it revealed only that my help was urgently requested,” Ontur explained.
“I think it’s best we visit the palace. I know Queen Mishaal would prefer to tell you herself, but we must hurry, Ontur,” Mittal explained, instantly setting off for the Mer Palace deep below the pounding waves.
Ontur was shocked to find the entire Mer Palace in disarray when they arrived five minutes later. The place was ablaze with light, squadrons of soldiers posted in defensive positions all along the perimeter. Traffic in and out of the palace was constant; there was a definite sense of alarm pulsing throughout the ripples of water.
“At last!” Queen Mishaal heaved in relief when Mittal escorted Ontur into the Audience Chamber. The Queen hurried over to the Welker, clasping his hands fervently in hers.
“My dear Ontur,” she said, “you have come just in time. It is Princess Muruna; she has been taken!” the Queen exclaimed, holding her composure through sheer force of will alone.
“Taken?” Ontur asked in confusion. “I fear I don’t understand anything that’s happening, Your Majesty,” Ontur added.
“Allow me to pour waters of knowledge into your emptied vessel,” someone standing next to Ontur suddenly offered. Ontur turned to the newcomer to find the wizened but smiling face of the Chamberlain, Master Muftah, looking at him. Ontur bowed his head in greeting as the Chamberlain continued.
“The Trench Monster has escaped his prison,” Master Muftah stated bluntly, “and the horrid beast has been causing havoc since then. It has devoured any and all Mer people it has come across, sometimes only biting off heads and leaving the bodies as so much discarded corpses,” he added with distaste.
“Are you telling me that the Trench Monster your people captured and imprisoned centuries ago has somehow been freed from its cell? That it’s on the loose, on a killing spree, and you have not yet recaptured it?” Ontur asked, aghast.
“It gets worse, friend Mage,” Master Muftah added grimly. “The beast has learned to protect itself with dark arts, most probably learned from the depths in which it has languished all this time.”
“Hence the call for your help, Ontur,” Queen Mishaal added. “His dark magic needs a counter, and as we Mer People possess no magic, we require your sorcerous services.”
“Queen Mishaal, I grant that my magic is formidable, but whether it is powerful enough to thwart the dark arts of this menace from the depths… I cannot say,” Ontur said hesitantly.
“Ontur,” Mittal suddenly interjected, “we have no choice. Princess Muruna has been taken hostage by this monster, and Spirits forbid, if she’s not already dead, she will be soon unless we embark on a rescue mission right now!”
Ontur was starkly reminded that Mittal was Princess Muruna’s betrothed; he realised that the Merman must be close to breaking point, yet he remained composed.
“Your pardon, friend Mittal,” Ontur said. “You’re right, of course. We need to give chase and free the Princess,” Ontur agreed.
“Excellent!” the Chamberlain exclaimed as he led Ontur and the others towards his private quarters. “I have some weapons you can use against the Trench Monster, weapons forged in the time it was first captured,” Master Muftah told Ontur as all of them entered the Chamberlain’s rooms. Expeditiously, Master Muftah handed Ontur a golden lance, a silver orb that fit snugly in the palm of Ontur’s hand, and an intricately woven net of pearls.
“These, along with your magic, Ontur, will certainly rob the monster of its power and dark arts. There’s no time now to explain how these weapons work, but I have every faith that when the opportunity to ensnare the monster presents itself, the knowledge about how to use these weapons will make itself known to you,” the Chamberlain stated mysteriously. “Your magic will activate theirs,” he added in conclusion.
“I hope you’re right, Master Muftah,” Ortur said as he took the weapons. Moghef, another Merman, draped a supple coat over Ontur’s frame; the Welker quickly stashed the weapons in the pockets of the coat.
“Please bring my daughter back safely to me,” Queen Mishaal pleaded with Ontur, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
“I promise I will, Your Majesty, even if it be at the cost of my own life,” Ontur swore ardently. Without any further delay, Mittal, Moghef and fifteen other Mer People swam off hurriedly in the last known direction in which the Trench Monster had been seen fleeing with the captive Princess Muruna.
Princess Muruna refused to give the Trench Monster the satisfaction of seeing how absolutely terrified she was. She held on tightly to her emotions, staring straight ahead and ignoring the beast where it was slouched in the corner of the ruins where it had dragged her to. A deep growl of menace coming from the monster forced her though to look at him.
“I smell your fear, Princess,” the Trench Monster said in a guttural voice, eliciting an involuntary gasp of shock from Muruna. She had had no inkling that the nightmarish monster had the power of speech.
The Trench Monster had skin the colour of deepest midnight. Its white eyes contrasted starkly with its black hide, the red pupil in the centre slitted like that of a serpent’s. Its maw was crammed with splinter-like teeth it kept gnashing and grinding in its fury; the sound nearly driving Muruna insane. When the Princess glanced at the monster’s scythe-like claws she became dizzy with nausea and fright. The thing stood on trunk-sized legs that ended in cloven hooves. Worst of all though was the nauseating stench of decomposing meat and dead fish that wafted in a miasma off the monster, causing Princess Muruna to breathe shallowly.
“You call me the Trench Monster,” the beast continued, “but I have a name. I had nearly forgotten it myself, but having recently fed most satisfyingly on your kind has renewed my memory and energy. I am called Nacht Draak in the old tongue – Night Dragon. I will exact revenge on the Mer People and annihilate each and every last one of you!” the Nacht Draak roared.
The Princess squeezed shut her eyes and covered her ears with her hands, expecting the Trench Monster to end her life instantly, but nothing of the kind happened. Daring to open her eyes, Princess Muruna was surprised to see that the monster had gone. Muruna finally allowed herself to slump in dejected defeat to the grimy floor of the temple ruins. She prayed that the Queen would send help soon, but she despaired of any rescue.
“There! That’s where the monster was last seen,” Moghef said, pointing towards the dilapidated ruins of the Star Temple. “My scouts reported that he was spied entering the ruins with the Princess, and she was still alive.”
“Thank the Spirits,” Mittal breathed in relief. “Ontur, we should storm the ruins now!” he added.
“I agree,” Ontur stated, then added, “but we need to be cautious. We don’t want any harm to befall the Princess, do we? Moghef, take three of the men and approach the ruins from the left. Mittal and I will take the remainder of our force and assail the Trench Monster from the right. With luck and skill, we should be able to trap and recapture the beast with no loss of lives to us,” Ontur expressed with great hope.
Without the least warning, the Trench Monster exploded out of the front of the ruined temple, bearing in full fury and force upon the still gathered rescuers. In one fell swoop of a taloned arm, the Nacht Draak decapitated three Mermen, sending everyone else scattering in panic and fear. The monster then targeted Moghef, instantly recognising him as an important guard. Moghef twisted agilely to position himself under the monster, thrusting his trident out with all his might. The tips of the weapon deeply scored the belly of the monster, causing it to roar deafeningly in wrath. Before Moghef could swim away from the huge beast, it clipped him on the left shoulder, sending him spinning and tumbling out of control. Moghef connected hard with one of the lopsided temple pillars, knocking himself senseless.
Ontur was stunned; he had not expected the Trench Monster to be this massive or so fast. The creature moved like lightning! As if his stupefaction had triggered the silver orb, it suddenly started to pulse intensely, emitting a bright green light which attracted the Trench Monster’s attention. Instantly, it zeroed in on Ontur. Holding the orb aloft, Ontur pressed it, feeling his fingers sink surprisingly into its surface. Light speared out from between his fingers, spreading outwards and lancing into the Trench Monster. The light stopped the monster dead in its tracks: it hung suspended in the water, its features contorted in blind rage.
“Mittal, use the lance!” Ontur shouted as he threw the golden lance to Mittal. The Merman caught the weapon and sped towards the frozen Nacht Draak, intent on running it through with the lance. When he was a mere arm’s length from the monster, it inexplicably twisted out of harm’s way, causing Mittal to go shooting past and beyond him. Before Mittal could turn to have another go at the monster, it kicked out violently at the turning Merman. Its foot connected loudly with Mittal’s jaw, and the sickening crack that followed announced that Mittal had been dealt a serious blow to the chin.
Ontur stared in concern at the unconscious form of Mittal sinking to the ocean floor. He realised that he now only had one weapon left: the pearly net. Hurriedly, Ontur shook out the net and held it at the ready to cast over the Trench Monster. He knew it could very well be his last chance to contain the creature.
“Welker, you dare try to interfere in matters that concern you not?” the Nacht Draak said, yet again catching Ontur completely by surprise.
“The thing speaks,” Ontur commented drily to himself.
“Leave off this folly, puny human, and I might spare you your miserable life,” taunted the Trench Monster.
In response, Ontur conjured a bolt of lightning which sizzled angrily as the Welker hurled it at his foe. The Trench Monster took the blast full on its chest, only to casually swipe his hand across his torso as if brushing away some annoying, insignificant fry. Staring balefully at Ontur, the Nacht Draak laughed gruffly in derision.
“Here, allow me to show you real magic!” the monster exclaimed, sending a flaming ball of molten rock straight at Ontur’s head. The Welker countered it with a suffocating spell, extinguishing the burning ball as well as disintegrating it. Instantly, Ontur sent silver arrows flying at the monster, but the Nacht Draak swatted away each dart with ridiculous ease.
“Time to bring this to an end,” the Nacht Draak declared arrogantly, pushing itself off powerfully to wrap its body around Ontur. At the very last instant, Ontur threw the net of pearls with a mighty heave at the approaching nightmare. The net extended magically to fall across the entire body of the creature, cinching itself tightly around it.
The Trench Monster roared furiously, making every attempt to break the net or hurl it off itself. But the net held, becoming heavier and weighing the monster gradually but inexorably down to the ocean floor.
Ontur approached the still struggling Trench Monster warily, not fully trusting in the net to hold the beast captive. He need not have been concerned, for the monster was trussed up so tightly that the strands of the net were cutting into the beast’s hide.
“I guess you were right, after all. It is indeed time to bring your rampage to an end,” Ontur told the impotently raging monster. Looking up, Ontur saw that Mittal had regained his feet and was escorting Princess Muruna out of the temple ruins. Ontur sighed in relief at sight of the unharmed Princess.
Facing the mightily struggling Trench Monster, Ontur started an incantation that would banish the despicable creature back to the depths from which it had escaped.
“Think not that this is the last you shall see of me, Welker. I will once again shake off my imprisonment, and then I shall come seeking you in earnest,” the creature hissed at Ontur.
“I shall be waiting and prepared, if that ill-omened day should ever dawn,” Ontur vowed as he started to intone the spell. From the periphery of his sight, Ontur too late discerned furtive movement coming from the outer reaches of the wide ocean. In the next moment, something hard, spiky and as abrasive as the roughest sandpaper smacked into the Welker, sending him tumbling head over heels towards the still approaching Princess Muruna and Mittal.
The two grabbed hold of Ontur, all three turning in shock at the creature that had attacked the Welker. They gaped at the largest bull shark they had ever witnessed. It was easily as broad as three normal-sized sharks placed next to each other, and its length rivalled that of a blue whale. The shark was enormous … and it was biting through the net of pearls in an attempt to free the Trench Monster!
Five of the surviving Mermen attacked the bull shark from all sides while Mittal stabbed at it with his trident. Ontur was far more concerned about the integrity of the net; under no circumstances could he allow the Trench Monster to escape!
“Princess Muruna,” Ontur hollered, “take cover, Your Highness! The Mermen can subdue the shark, but you need to remain out of harm’s way, please!”
Muruna instantly obeyed the Welker and swam swiftly away. She had no intention of sticking around to see if the Nacht Draak escaped or not. She made a beeline for the safety of the barrier reef just beyond the ruins.
Ontur and the rest of the Mermen guards surrounded the scene, the guards containing the shark attempting to free the Trench Monster while Ontur cast powerful spell after potent incantation at the berserk shark. Suddenly, one of Ontur’s fiery spells caused the bull shark to explode in spectacular fashion – and just in time, too. The beast had nearly severed the pearl net.
The Trench Monster screamed like a maddened banshee at once again having been foiled. He continued to roar and rage and spit and curse, all in vain. He was caught, and he knew he had lost.
Not wasting another precious second, Ontur said, “Bind I thee to thine prison, there to languish in darkness for aeons eternal!”
Underneath the netted Nacht Draak, the ocean floor started to spin in a small whirlpool which quickly expanded into a larger one. The Trench Monster whirled and swirled around in the vortex until it was inevitably sucked down to unfathomable depths.
“And good riddance it is to you, too,” Ontur remarked as the ocean floor once again stilled and settled.
Ontur imagined he could hear, deep below the ocean floor, hardly more than a whisper, the tiniest voice roar in malicious hatred, “Curse you, Welker!”