The War of the Masters

The thick fog surrounding him vanished, and Cyrus found himself back aboard the New Chapter. The sun shone brightly above him—all traces of the storm were gone. Both Niadus and Dameon were dead; Raiden and the others were safe.

Cyrus unlatched the grappling hook and swam over to the Faithful. Raiden helped him up onto the deck.

“How are you?” Cyrus asked.

“Could be better, but at least my memories returned to normal when Dameon died. I think everything’s going to be okay.”

Cyrus couldn’t hide his confusion. “You mean he used his power on you and you still defeated him?”

Raiden smiled softly and shrugged. “He may have flooded my mind with new memories, but he made a fatal mistake of not knowing his victim.”

“Huh,” Cyrus paused. “That sounds interesting. I look forward to hearing about it later. But right now there’s still one thing left to do.”

Cyrus made his way to the mermaid, Laurel, and knelt beside her.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly.

“I . . . think I’ll be all right,” she said shakily. “Thank you for freeing me.”

“And thank you for your help,” Cyrus replied. “I’m not sure we could have won without you. Is there somewhere you’d like us to take you?”

Laurel shook her head and played a few notes on her flute. “No, I’ve called for my father. If we could wait here until he arrives, I’d be grateful.”

“Of course.”

Less than an hour later, Cyrus spotted a dozen mermen swimming toward their ship. One jumped aboard, his tail-fin transforming into a pair of normal legs as he did. His hair was a deep brown, his bare chest scarred and muscular. He walked across the ship with a quiet confidence.

“Laurel?” he said aloud.

“I’m here, daddy,” the girl responded, running to meet her father. He embraced her in a strong, protective hug, and Cyrus could see the unbridled joy in his eyes at being reunited with his child. For a long moment the merman stood there, holding his daughter tightly. Then he gestured at Cyrus.

“Is this the one who rescued you?” he asked Laurel.

“They all are.”

The merman let go of his daughter and strode over to Cyrus, extending his hand in offering of a shake. Cyrus clasped his hand with his own.

“My name is Omereg,” the merman introduced.

“Cyrus.”

“Thank you for saving my daughter, Cyrus. I cannot tell you what that means to me. Is there any way I can repay you?”

Cyrus held up a hand. “No thanks are necessary. We just try to help out when we can.”

“Surely there must be something,” Omereg pressed. “Just name it.”

Cyrus shook his head. “Just enjoy some time with your daughter. We need no reward.”

“Cyrus,” Omereg said thoughtfully. “I’ll remember the name. And one day I will make it up to you. But for now, I’ll let you be on your way. I must return home.”

“Good luck,” Cyrus said. “It was an honor to meet you.”

Terra watched the horizon as they drew near the Unknown Regions. Somewhere out there were each of her brothers and sisters, plotting to claim the throne. The Unknown Regions were home to most of the deadliest creatures in the world, but her island was positioned on the very outskirts of the mainland; they should be safe from any wandering monsters.

So far, only her eldest and second eldest brothers had made a move against her, but Terra knew she could expect similar attacks from the rest of them. Her family’s war would be brutal and relentless.

“Land ho!” Kendal shouted.

Terra saw the mainland coming into view.

“Take us around that shore,” she called out. “Our island is north of here.”

Terra had never actually visited her island—it was against the rules to do so before the Ritual of Adulthood—but she had memorized the coordinates long ago, and she knew what to expect.

All of the King’s children were presented with a castle and a servant upon their sixteenth birthday, but since Terra hadn’t completed the Ritual, she hadn’t seen her castle or met her servant yet.

“There it is!” Kendal announced, and Terra saw that he was right. The Faithful was nearing the Castle of a Thousand Blades. A thick jungle covered the majority of the island, but her dark gray castle towered over the surrounding foliage, looming large and proud across the horizon. The sound of a waterfall reached her ears, and Terra was excited to explore the island and uncover its secrets in greater depth.

The crew pulled the Faithful into the dock jutting out from the sandy beach at the edge of the island, and within minutes they had it tied up for safekeeping.

“So this is where the meeting will take place in six months,” Cyrus mused.

“Yes. We’ll have to make sure we’re ready,” Terra said.

The group followed her lead as she took them to the heart of the island. There she saw the castle in all its glory. Six stories tall, with towering stone spires at each of the four corners, it was an impressive sight to behold. The main entrance opened up, and a young woman of about twenty-five hurried out to meet them. She had silvery flowing hair, a slight build, and she wore a teal dress. Terra recognized her immediately as Saphora, one of the servants from Candore she’d come to know quite well over the years.

“Milady, it is great to see you!” Saphora said as she ran out to meet the Princess. “I was so worried something had happened to you.”

Terra hugged her friend, glad to see that she was the servant chosen for her. “I got sidetracked. But Saphora, how many times must I ask you to call me Terra?”

“I’m sorry, Terra, you’re right. I see you’ve brought quite the entourage with you!”

Terra introduced Cyrus, Kendal, Madrina, Ra’Nu, Raiden, Lucky, and Keira. T’Saunté she already knew.

“It is so great to meet all of you,” Saphora said politely. “I’ve prepared enough rooms for everyone—feel free to make yourself at home.”

“Yes!” Lucky shouted, already charging toward the castle at his slow, five-inch pace. “Finally, the welcome I deserve!”

Terra chuckled at the little Leprechaun and turned back to Cyrus. He and Raiden were talking amongst themselves.

“We’ll need to explore the island and castle completely,” Raiden said with a grin.

“Yes—the more we know, the better we can prepare.” Cyrus smiled. “We can set up traps all across the island for any intruders.”

Terra chuckled. They’re enjoying this way too much.

“Saphora, are there any secret chambers or tunnels that you know of?” Keira asked.

Saphora grinned. “Quite a few, actually. I discovered several through the use of my power.”

“That’s right,” Terra remembered, “you have the ability to sense any movement within the markers that you’ve placed—kind of like a proximity alarm.”

Saphora nodded. “As long as I’m within a few miles of the sensors. I’ve placed markers all across the island to warn us in case anyone tries to invade.”

“That’s a great start,” Cyrus said. “With a little more planning we can really secure this island. After all, it’s going to be our home for the foreseeable future.”

“Then we just need to deal with my siblings,” Terra murmured, “and all the creatures they’ve enslaved.”

“We’ll find a way,” Cyrus assured her. “I promise. This isn’t over.”

“I know, we have to stay pos—”

“What is that?” Raiden interrupted, pointing out to sea. A rolling black fog shot across the horizon, consuming the water like an avalanche. It was too late to run. The gloomy mist was traveling at speeds even T’Saunté couldn’t outfly.

“Get down!” Terra shouted. She barely saw the rest of the group drop to the ground before the fog engulfed them, blowing her to her hands and knees. The mist was like the blackest night, leaving her completely blind.

Suddenly she felt an arm wrap around her waist. It yanked her from her prone position and carried her backwards, high into the sky. Terra felt her blood rush to her head as they ascended rapidly, finally bursting through the fog. Craning her neck, Terra turned to see who had pulled her from the darkness.