Ocean Song Beneath the Waves
Chapter 21: The Ram of Nerisia

“I need you to listen closely to my next words,” he says seriously as he crosses his arms over his chest. The others in the room hold their breaths as he opens his mouth to say whatever it is he needs to say. “Aries is...”

Crash!

A loud breaking sound echoes through the halls and permeates the room in which they stand. Everyone suddenly stands alert as the doors fly open to reveal the King and what appears to be an attendant. “Prince Kito! Prince Azizi! Thank the gods that you both are unharmed!” The attendant breathes out in relief as he does a once over of the two princes while King Bahari turns to Calder with a serious look upon his face.

“Interrupted right in the middle of a sentence,” Calder sighs as he shakes his head with a tsk. “Judging by your sudden appearance I am to assume that a serious matter has arisen?” He asks as he crosses his arm with an air of nonchalance as though he weren’t just about to tell them who Aries is.

King Bahari’s face hardens as a blazing fire ignites within his eyes. “Nerisia has been infiltrated,” he says through gritted teeth but Calder doesn’t bat an eye.

“And? I am well-aware of the poor relations between each of the kingdoms and such matters are of no concern to me,” Calder says blandly as he tugs on a lock of his hair and observes it with little interest.

King Bahari sighs whilst rubbing his temple while the attendant displays a look of disapproval at Calder’s lack of concern. “Calder. It is not the other kingdoms that have infiltrated Nerisia.” At this Calder’s hand freezes as he awaits the King’s next words with an immediate realization as to who it is that has come knocking at the gates of the Kingdom of the Ram.

“What perfect timing...” Calder mutters sarcastically as he scratches his head with an irritated look upon his face.

“So you were aware of this?” King Bahari asks in an accusing tone as he stares upon Calder’s form with a pointed look.

Calder shakes his head slightly as he throws a sharp look at the ruby upon its pedestal. “I knew that Proteus would be going after the jewels but I did not know when or where he would strike until now,” Calder says as he takes on a thoughtful expression whilst beginning to pace. “But the question is: what made him choose Nerisia? I replace it difficult to believe that it was a mere coincidence that led his forces here.” Serena’s eyes widen as she swims a bit closer to Calder with a look of realization upon having something in her mind click.

“If each stone resonates upon the approach of its bearer then surely if one is on the verge of awakening it would elicit a response from Proteus wouldn’t it?” She asks innocently with no realization as to the reaction her response elicits from Calder. He stares at her with surprise in his eyes and a blank expression upon his face. As he can recall, he’s never mentioned, not once, anything about the stones resonating for to his knowledge only he and a few others can see and sense such energies so how is it that this human girl knows about that small aspect of the stones? Not to mention the wisdom in her response and the way it comes out. For a moment she sounded wiser beyond her years but now is not the time to ask questions concerning such things.

So he put those thoughts aside with the intention of looking into them later. “If that is the case then that would mean that Proteus has somehow discovered the state of the stone but that would mean...” Calder trails off as he hesitates to continue his sentence.

“It would mean that we have a traitor in our midst,” Prince Kito finishes as his battle-hardened gaze takes in the people around him.

King Bahari appears thoughtful for but a brief moment before a new look ignites within his eyes-one of rage. “Few are allowed near the stone. The Fire Nymphs safeguard it and watch over it. However...” The King trails off as he cups his chin in a thoughtful pose. “There is one other whose allowed near the stone.”

Calder eyes the King for a moment before his eyes widened. “The Seer?” He asks with a strange tone in his voice that Serena immediately notices. The air in the room suddenly intensifies as she takes notice of the faint sound of fighting in the distance. Clearly there is little time to make sense of all this but it is imperative that they figure out who the traitor is lest they replace themselves in trouble later.

“Yes. She has watched over the stone for over half a century after the first Aries perished. I recall thinking her strange when she appeared. There was something about her that unnerved me.” Rodion’s eyes widen as he turns to the King with an exasperated look upon his face.

“Why would you allow such a woman near the stone then if you got such a feeling from her?!” He asks with a tone of disbelief causing the attendant to throw him a dirty look while Serena jabs his ribs with a sharp look in her eyes but he doesn’t seem to care as his gaze remains fixated on the King.

“You are a hot-blooded young man. I do not dislike that about you and so I shall explain,” King Bahari says in amusement as Serena releases a tired sigh. “There was little choice. The Nymphs had suddenly become weaker and she was the only one with the ability to actively monitor the stone. Calder and his sister dwell not in or near this kingdom so what choice did I have?” King Bahari asks with a defeated look upon his face as Calder releases an exasperated sigh.

“Well there is little to be done about it now. So where is the Seer?” All falls silent as King Bahari, his sons, and the attendant fall into their own tense silence that only adds to the tenseness of the room.

Prince Azizi decides to speak up when it becomes clear that his elder brother and father won’t do so. “We do not know where she is at this time.” He admits regretfully as Calder’s lips twist into a scowl.

“What do you mean you do not know?! It is imperative that you are aware of all matters having to do with the stone and she happens to be one of those! That woman could have done something to it and you would be none the wiser!” Calder scolds accusingly as he replaces himself developing a migraine at the sheer lack of vigilance over the ruby.

“We do not ask the Seer where it is she goes. She peers into the unknown and sees into the world of spirits and dreams. She is capable of traveling there and we are unable to follow,” Prince Kito explains as Calder takes a moment to breathe in order to calm his agitated nerves.

“I suppose I can overlook this to an extent. You would not have been able to do anything even if you did follow her. The only one capable of entering that realm with powers intact has yet to return,” he says as he finally manages to calm down.

“Would not Aries be able to enter into that realm? There have been many a tale of Aries’s power and it would not be impossible for them to enter into that realm,” the attendant says but Calder shakes his head whilst crossing his arms with an unreadable expression upon his face.

“Aries cannot freely enter into that realm alone and even if they could, they would be powerless in that place,” Calder explains as Serena replaces herself becoming more and more interested in these warriors that seem to hold such great importance. However what troubles her is the growing conflicts that broil beneath the ocean’s surface. Before all of this she was a normal girl living a normal life void of magic and gods. Had she listened to her father and brothers then perhaps none of this would have happened. Everyone would’ve continued on with their lives undisturbed but would that really have been the case? Even before this she was unhappy. Sure there was joy to be found in her father and brothers but what good did that do if her mother was gone. Her constant need to go to the sea is the cause of this mess. Her mother, her father, Rodion, and everything following that stems from that damnable need to be near the sea. The sheer gravity of it all threatens to engulf her, suffocate her, drown her in an abyss of endless sorrow and despair.

“Rena.” Her hand is grasped tightly by a warm hand that she has always found comfort in. Her eyes replace her brother’s and a small smile lights his face in the form of reassurance. His eyes convey a message that lets her know that he does not blame her for any of this even though he has every right to do so. His hand gripping hers’ reminds her that she is not quite as alone as she made herself believe to be. There are those who yet care that wish not to see her engulfed by the darkness within. So she returns the smile, again replaceing comfort in his hand, reduced to that little girl that would cling so tightly to her brothers in search of a comfort that her mother took with her when she died.

“I am fine Rodion,” she says softly enough for only him to hear while the others in the room continue their serious discussion, however...

“Do you really have the time to be fighting amongst yourselves like this?” The voice is clearly feminine but the sweetness of the tone can do little to hide the cruelty beneath it that seems to replace amusement in their problems.

“The Seer!” The attendant cries out as the doors fly open with great force revealing a beautiful mermaid with deathly pale skin and black markings upon her face. The disturbance of the water around them causes a fire to engulf the pedestal and from it emerges three female humanoid forms.

“Not as weak as I would have liked but no matter. Lord Proteus desires that stone and I shall gift it to him in celebration of his glorious return!” She laughs maniacally as her pitch black hair dances about as though it has a life of its own.

“You will come no closer witch!” One of the humanoids say with a wrathful look upon her lovely face. Serena stares in amazement at the sight of the Nymphs which temporarily draws her thoughts away from the danger in the doorway. The Nymphs are garbed in naught but flame with their hair being comprised of the very same element. Their eyes glow with a burning fire of rage that only continues to grow the longer they stand within the presence of the Seer.

The Nymph in the middle moves forward to look upon Calder as Serena takes note of her headdress that holds a fiery orb at its core. She must be their leader. No sooner does the thought cross her mind before the Nymph begins speaking with a mystic tone that makes her seem otherworldly. “Lord Calder, pleased am I to see you again after two centuries. You have grown much since last I saw you,” she says with a gentle smile as Calder returns the favor making Serena forget that he could smile since he’s been nothing but stone faces and scowls since their arrival. “Unfortunately now is not the time for such pleasantries,” she says, suddenly becoming serious as she turns her attention back to the Seer. The two Nymphs behind her swim forward, openly challenging the witch.

“What can you do in your weakened state?” She cackles as the Nymphs grit their teeth with narrowed gazes.

The leading Nymph turns back to Calder with a different look in her eye as she quickly sweeps her gaze over the others in the room. “You must bind the Ruby. Awaken Aries for we have not the power to stop this foe on our own. She has drained us of our power and we have yet to recover,” the Nymph says as she turns a glare upon the Seer that conveys all of the hatred dwelling within her fiery being. “Now, Lord Calder! You must awaken the Ram!”

Prince Kito swims forward with a shake of his head as he addresses the Nymph. “But we do not know who the Ram is! For all we know they may not even be in the palace!” However the Nymph shakes her head as she turns to the royal family of Nautica.

“Well do we know the Ram my Prince,” she says softly as the Seer replaces herself growing impatient with their incessant talking. “For the Ram is you and now you must rise up and fight to protect the Sea!”