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Post by stephie on Aug 1, 2005 20:34:42 GMT -5
wow thats awesome
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Post by powerdroid on Aug 17, 2005 8:22:47 GMT -5
CHAPTER TEN
Ariel sighed deeply. Things were becoming more unpleasant. If only she could go back to sleep and restart the day, but all that would be awaiting her were more unpleasant dreams. "I don't have the ease of contact with my father as I did as a mermaid. It would take time to arrange a meeting. If he even agrees to it."
Smyth came over to her. "I can't stress enough the urgency of this operation. Let me try and explain." Smyth led Ariel back to the table. Eric and Melody joined her as Smyth stood at one end.
"Evil takes many forms, both above and below the water. Some are easily recognized: pirates, the Evil Manta, assassins, the Sharkanians. Some are more subtle: the Olympians, the Octopoids, the Orange Roughies. But the ones that are the most dangerous are the ones you do not expect.
"I believe an alliance is being formed with two factions, one above and one below the surface, to enslave all in this area!”
Ariel gasped, Eric was non-plussed. Smyth continued.
"The reason all dictatorships and criminal uprisings fail is for one reason: lack of organization. Too much internecine fighting, too many leadership problems, an inability to divide power for the overall benefits.”
Smyth focused his stare at Eric. "What do you know of the dread pirate Roberts?"
Eric gasped. "I thought he was dead, killed somewhere near the Dry Tortugas! He lives? He must be in his 80s!"
Smyth turned to Ariel. "And what about Pirania?"
"Not her! I thought she turned to stone!"
"I have evidence that these three supremely evil types are joining forces. All have the ability to marshal the forces necessary to plunge this area into war and chaos."
"How do I fit in?" asked Ariel.
"The better question is ‘How do all three of us fit in?’ As they are assembling their coalition, we need to do the same. I need the entree to King Triton to present my evidence. I need entree to the royalty in the surface area to present my evidence to them."
"Wait a moment!" barged in Melody. "You said three evil people, but you've only mentioned two."
"Yes, I was getting to that. In order to be a liaison between these two, there is a third, the most mysterious of the group. All I know is that she is a renegade merfolk. And with the power."
"What power do you speak of?" Ariel leaned in.
"It is the same power which I possess."
"Enough!" Eric rose up so fast, his chair clattered to the floor. "I've heard some fish stories in my life, but this takes the cake. In fact, it takes the entire bakery! Why don't you say sea serpents will rise up and burn down our cities. Gigantic squids with monstrously long tentacles will crush our people. Here's a good one: tidal waves will destroy everything." Eric looked at Smyth, who went ashen.
"That, and worse!" He turned to Ariel. "Get me to Triton. He can pull together all the undersea rulers."
"How? I won't let you go by yourself, and I can't change into a mermaid."
Smyth took off his cape and laid it on the table. From a hidden pocket, Smyth withdrew a black velvet bag, which he carefully placed on the table. Putting on a pair of gloves, he opened the bag to reveal a blue crystal of substantial size. As he set it on the bag, Melody came close to it. It glowed strong, even in the subdued room. She reached out to touch it, but was grabbed abruptly by Smyth.
"Don't...don't touch this. The powers it holds are.." Smyth let go of Melody's wrist and she retreated to Ariel. Smyth then began to take of his shoes and socks. He wrapped the cape about his hips and struggled to remove his pants.
"Sir!" protested Eric. "There are ladies present."
"All in due course." Sitting down in a chair and facing the rock, Smyth removed his gloves and placed his hands about the crystal. Taking a deep breath, both hands clasped the rock simultaneously.
Immediately, Smyth began to shudder, grimacing in terrific pain. He gritted his teeth and tried not to make noises, but a low growl eminated from him. The veins in his neck bulged out and sweat exploded from his brow. He turned red and his breath came in halting gasps.
"Mommy, look!" Melody pointed to beneath the table. Ariel looks to see his ankles and feet slowly merge, changing in color and texture. A sheet of skin splayed outwards and formed into fins, a light silver hue coloring them. The fins grew to some length, curling and flexing. Smith's head crashed to the table as he released the stone. He was wheezing and appeared weak. As Eric neared, Smith bolted upright and in a single, smooth movement, removed the cape.
He was a merman.
Melody shrieked. "Mommy! He's got the tattoos of the man in my dream!" Ariel stared at the intricate tattoos that covered his lower body.
"The dream? You had the dream? Who was in it?" Smith tried to get up, but immediately remembered he had no legs.
Eric came over to the stone. "What is this?"
Smyth regained his wind. "A magical stone that I obtained from Marlin the Magician. This allows transmogrification from land to sea and back. One drawback: I have to be in this form for at least 24 hours before I can change back. We can now go to Triton."
"’We’? What about me? How do I transform?" questioned Eric.
Smyth continued to talk to Ariel. "This stone works on merfolk only. Your husband would not be affected by it. Your daughter, however, would be." Smith turned to Melody. "That is why you cannot touch the stone. You must be prepared for the transformation."
"If I grasp this stone.." ventured Ariel.
"...in three minutes, you'd be a mermaid. This is how the third is able to keep in contact with Roberts and Pirania. My job is to try and find her. I want to be prepared if I am unable to do my task with both areas ready. If I fail..." Smyth turned to Eric, "...fire-breathing dragons are going to be the least of your concerns!"
Smyth looked back to Ariel. "We have to go now! Immediately! The fate of two worlds hangs in the balance on what we do next. And soon!"
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Post by philip on Aug 17, 2005 12:57:29 GMT -5
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Post by swemer on Aug 17, 2005 14:00:09 GMT -5
Great work as usual pd!
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Post by Merstar on Aug 19, 2005 9:29:23 GMT -5
Whatever SWEMER just said
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Post by powerdroid on Aug 21, 2005 11:43:28 GMT -5
Life got busy for me, so Chapter 11 is a touch delayed. I hope to get it up this week.
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Post by swemer on Aug 21, 2005 15:05:34 GMT -5
Hey, remember you cannot rush art!
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Post by WickedElphie on Aug 22, 2005 0:01:06 GMT -5
Wooh-Update! Wonderful chapter. Loved the explanations. Admitidly my first thoughts upon reading the name "Dread Pirate Roberts" were 'OMG, WESTLEY, SQUEE'-Wait. Not Westley. Wah.' But I got over my disappointment. PLEASE tell me you'll find a way for Eric to become a merman. Pretty please? With sugar on top? If not-cool. But if you do it'll make me happy. Happier I should say, cause I was VERY happy to see this latest installment. keep up the GREAT work!
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Post by powerdroid on Aug 24, 2005 8:01:09 GMT -5
Shhhhh! You cannot rush art!
I threw in Dread Pirate Roberts because I needed a pirate that was recognizable by readers. If they are known to us, they are known to them
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Post by WickedElphie on Aug 24, 2005 14:52:00 GMT -5
*Nods* No rushing of the art needed.
I can be patient. Sometimes. Sorta. Maybe. ERR...
Well, if it's worth the wait (which I'm sure it is) I'll manage somehow. *Sniff* *Tear*
*Smiles despite self* Dang, I'll never get the Oscar now.
BTW I updated my story a bit after you updated yours. Great minds think alike. Take a look whenever you get the chance.
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Post by Merstar on Aug 24, 2005 15:25:20 GMT -5
WickedElphie is right. You can't rush a masterpiece. Even though I'm not that patient. I'm managing fine
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Post by powerdroid on Aug 24, 2005 23:15:46 GMT -5
Imagine how I feel with people waiting on what comes next. I should get Chapter 11 out in the next few days. Endless tweaking.
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Post by powerdroid on Sept 4, 2005 11:11:46 GMT -5
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Eric stared at everyone about the table. “You do realize that we need some kind of evidence of this?”
“Let me begin by analyzing the dream. There are three mystic types sitting around a scroll-laden table?”
Smyth stared at them. Ariel could not speak and Melody made squeaking noises.
“I’ll take your stunned silence as a ‘yes’. Then all tell you that ‘You must heed the message.’”
“But what is the message? I have wracked my brains to figure it out!” exploded Ariel.
“They are reaching out to you, representing merfolk, to complete the circle and join with them, to combat the rise of evil.”
“I once dreamed my teeth were too big for my mouth. What does that mean, if anything?” chided Eric.
“That is why I have evidence for you to peruse. I understand your concerns. Please bring me my portfolio.” As Smyth tried to get comfortable in the chair, Melody brought over the leather portfolio. It was large and bore evidence of having been carried around for years. Placed on the table for Smyth to reach, he began to pull out some paperwork.
“From what evidence I have been able to glean, this is what I have.” He pulled out a variety of letters and splayed them across the table. Eric looked at them with apprehension.
“How did you manage to obtain these letters?” he asked.
“I...have my ways.”
Eric picked up one. “This talks about a meeting between Roberts, Captain Red Bones and Yellowbeard out near Prisoner Cay.”
“That meeting occurred about two months ago. It involved the parceling out of the islands under areas of control. It did not go well, as everyone wanted the same islands, but...” Smyth thrust his finger upwards to make a point, “...the disagreement was not enough to warrant a battle between them.”
“Which means?” asked Melody.
“If they can stay organized on the task, building basically an armada of these disparate crews, they are a force to be reckoned with and not even the British Navy could stand in their way! Port Royal, Nassau, Kingston, if you hit the big seaports, the smaller ones will fall!”
Smyth turned to Ariel. “Now, with the same effort under the sea, the big cities will fall as well. Atlantica, Azoria, Laurential, Loihi, Seamount.” He gave her a sea scroll, which she unrolled.
“This one makes mention of the Serpentine’s Lair, but I was unable to find it. I missed that one.”
“You certainly did. It says ‘Serpentine Lair’. That’s completely different!” She gave it to him and he reread it.
“So what is the Serpentine Lair?”
“That’s Ursula’s old residence!” Ariel dropped the scroll back onto the table and ran her hands through her hair. “Do you know who is meeting there, aside from Pirania?”
“Only guilt by association. Certainly King Sharga will be there. I am hoping that Lord Trogdor’s enmity with Sharga is still high. If they form an alliance...” Smyth shook his head ruefully.
Eric sat down. “This is more than I can tolerate. I am afraid to ask about this Lord Trogdor.”
“Ruler of the Sea Dragons. And a nastier group of creatures you’ll never want to meet. Generally, they abhor contact with other races. If provoked, they can be a formidable army.”
Smyth turned to Ariel. “Do you see the gravity of the situation?”
“Having dealt with a sea dragon before, it is looking more and more grim,” remarked Ariel.
“If I could find this contact, the coordinated effort will collapse under its own weight. But she has proven elusive. I can’t even establish an identity.” Eric was searching through the rest of the portfolio. “I would honestly like to know how you came by these missives.” He stared at Smyth hard.
“I am not at liberty to say.”
Eric pulled up a chair and sat right next to Smyth. “It is time to lay all our cards on the table. You are asking me to present a proposal to the ruling and governing heads in this area that will get me laughed out of their chambers with what is rather flimsy evidence.
“You expect my wife to contact her father and promote the same suggestion to him, with the same desired results.” Eric gestured to the documents strewn about the table. “There is not much here to support the leap of faith that you propose.” He held up one document.
“Let me read this to you. ‘It is imperative that we meet at Shark Canyon at the neap tide on the ninth day.’ What does this mean?”
“I found that near a hangout that is frequented by Careebs. It means something.”
“But what? This could easily be a love letter, for all you know.” Eric let the letter flutter to the tabletop. “I demand something more substantial with these accusations before I allow my wife to be placed into a dangerous situation.”
Smyth remained calm. “My main piece of evidence, I cannot bring with me. It lies, safe, in an undersea cavern. This would be my negotiating lever with Triton.”
Ariel went to Smyth. “This tattoo,” she started, pointing to one on his left side by his hip. It was a heart with a hand in it. “I know enough to know what it means. You are bound by the Law of the Sages.”
“I am bound by the Law of the Sages.”
“Which means?” asked Melody.
“He has taken a sacred oath and bond. He is compelled to tell the truth and be honest in all matters. Failure to do so means banish...or worse.”
“This mark is my bond.” Smyth put his right hand over his heart and the left hand in the air. “I cannot reveal more because I lack some crucial evidence, evidence that, with Triton’s help, can be uncovered. You must come with me to Atlantica.”
“NO!” shouted Eric.
“Yes,” demurred Ariel.
“I can’t let you do this. He is still a stranger!” protested Eric
“I understand, but I am assured by the mark. I will go.”
“So will I!” chirped Melody.
“Oh, no, you don’t young lady!” protested Eric.
“Daddy, you need someone to keep in contact between Atlantica and here. If Mommy is busy, who can do that?”
Eric pondered for a moment. “Besides,” added Melody. “Tip and Dash will be my helpers.”
Eric grasped Ariel arm. She was surprised by the force of it. “Excuse us, but I need to confer with my wife.” He turned to Ariel. “Will you come with me, please?”
They exited into the hallway. Eric made sure the door was firmly shut. “I am totally against this. How do we know that he is not the ‘third person’ of whom he speaks of?”
Ariel considered this as Eric continued. “The marks mean nothing if there is no follow-through on it. Anyone can get a tattoo done. You once told me how Ursula pretended to be a friend of the family, and that she had hoodwinked everyone. I am afraid of this being another situation like that.”
“Come with me.” Ariel gestured to him as they went to the end of the hallway. A grand window overlooked the sea. Ariel pointed out to it. “I have never seen the ocean so black, the skies roiling with oddly shaped clouds.
“By itself, this tale could easily be dismissed as the unsupported rantings of a very strange man. A very strange merman, I have to add. Too much is going on that this is mere coincidence. At the very least, Daddy can settle the matter once and for all.”
“And Melody? What about Melody?” Eric was adamant. “You, at least, can fend for yourself. The sea is just as treacherous a place as the land, but she may not be fully ready for it.”
Ariel went to Eric and gave him a strong hug. “I know of your fears and concerns. This needs to be addressed and put to bed. I do this for both of our lands. But I want your consent.”
Eric sighed. “I do this with the greatest of reluctance, you understand. If something should happen to you and Melody, there would be nothing I could do to render assistance.”
Ariel kissed Eric, who sighed deeply. “When will you leave?”
“No time like the present. Sooner started, sooner done.” They went back into the room.
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Post by philip on Sept 4, 2005 11:32:08 GMT -5
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Post by Merstar on Sept 4, 2005 13:35:40 GMT -5
Come on pd you're doing great.
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Post by WickedElphie on Sept 4, 2005 19:28:01 GMT -5
Oooh. Interesting developments. I note you mentioned Port Royal, I'm not sure if this was just because you needed a name or you're planning what I hope you're planning. However, if you pulled off a realistic crossover with POTC in an already excellent fanfic I would be very happy. If not, I'll still be happy, but very slightly less so. I am slightly disappointed that at least for the time-being there is no Mer-Eric, but I'll live. Wonderful characterization and plot as always, but if you don't get somebody "under the sea" in the next chapter I might start becoming impatient.
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Post by powerdroid on Sept 7, 2005 7:51:28 GMT -5
No, no POTC crossover. But, since I have placed them in the Caribbean, Port Royal was a major city and a seat of power
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Post by Merstar on Sept 29, 2005 10:17:23 GMT -5
Come on PD You're doing great!!!
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Post by powerdroid on Oct 3, 2005 8:38:54 GMT -5
Story update: Between the end of teh fiscal year at my office and my father in law having troubles with his driving, I have been badly distracted and exhausted. However, there are some calm times in October so I can get myself back on line with this tale. Again, my apologies for the erratic release schedule and the patience of the readership.
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Post by swemer on Oct 3, 2005 10:42:55 GMT -5
heh... Yust upload when you feel like it... You have no deadline here mr King ... I think you shall only write when you feel like it... Othervise it lies a risk that you'll feel forced to write and then it wont look good... Take it easy. /SWEMER
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