Aquata Cove Ch. 100: Final Pt. 01

"Yes, I will, we will leave together, right?" Leander says. Pelagios just looks at him with eyes full of sorrow and tears. "Pelagios? We... We can leave together. You and me."

"Leander... I cannot." Pelagios shook his head, "I am a sanctioned prince of Atlantis; a Triton bearing our name. I cannot leave now."

"Why not, please!" Leander pleads, "Atlantis should never fall, but I..." His breath seems to escape him, "I cannot leave without you... Why...?"

"Leander... There is a reason the three Kingdoms of the Sea have such strange and mystical ties to the ocean, why our stock and our lands are so much different than other lands... We are evolved and one with the seas. We belong only to Poseidon's whim."

"Then I will remain." Leander says, his eyes wavering with tears, "I will come with you, the king and queen will understand, I-"

"You cannot..." Pelagios says, shaking and bowing his head, "You really can't..."

"Wha, why, why, I do not understand, Pelagios, no." Leander sniffs as his whole body shakes, "How can you say this??"

"Leander." Pelagios wipes his eyes, "Through the ages, the three Kingdoms have always been engraved in the sea. It is apart of the mighty ocean... And so the Kingdoms themselves have one last line of survival... When calamity befalls any of them, the Kingdoms must become its own ruthless miracle."

"I still don't understand." Leander moves, and takes Pelagios's hand, "Just run away with me! We will live elsewhere, leave everything behind! I-"

"Please, stop, I can't!" Pelagios takes his hand. Leander stares at Pelagios profound betrayal as he steps back, crying as he covers his eyes.

"Why..."

"HhhHHh... It is called Aquaforming." Pelagios says after he had gathered more strained strength.

"What is that?"

"Each of the Kingdom has this very resort. To Aquaform, Atlantis will sink into the ocean. We will descend into the depths of the water, never to be seen again. With the Gods' blessing and mercy, our kind will endure. We will transcend into another being of existence. If this world hunts and executes us in its current way, we transform to become more suitable."

"I still do not see why we cannot just leave, Pelagios... What is stopping you??"

"If Atlantis is to have any chance of leaving and changing... The blood of the royal family, as well as the holy monks, must be spent."

Leander feels his insides drop as he hears this.

"I have no chance in this, Leander... We do not even know if this will work..."

"Pelagios, please, do not do this, please... Do not leave me from here, come with me... Why take the chance then? Just step away, and take my vessel with me."

"Leander, I cannot... I am sorry..." Pelagios lowers his head.

"But... You promised me we would be together..." Leander says. Pelagios unhands him from himself and turns to look at the smoking remains of the city. "Your Mother ordained me as yours. Y-Your King signed my nobility to Atlantis; I am to be your Ambassador! Do not leave this behind, Pelagios! Life is not worth living if I have to leave you behind! If you have to go back to the palace, I will come with you!"

Pelagios merely shakes his head, "WHY?! Did you not choose me?! Did I not pledge myself to you! Did all we have mean nothing-"

"That was before your king decided to kill us!!" Pelagios whipped around and shouted. Leander stopped and took a step back, "It has already begun, Leander... There is no stopping it... Lyoness and Kandam have already surrendered to the waves and the deep. Fate has declared that we follow the destiny of our brother and sister kingdoms."

"Pelagios..."

"You have to leave Atlantis, Leander... While you can..." Pelagios comes close, and moves his hand to his face. Leander takes his wrist and looked him straight in the eyes.

"There is something else you are not telling me."

"... Leander. You have to leave Atlantis. Now, while there is still time."

"Tell me what you are hiding, Pelagios." Leander pleads, "Why can I not stay with you?"

Pelagios huffs with emotion and swallowed his sadness, "If Atlantis is able to Aquaform, the power of Poseidon will smite every outsider within our border." A tear rolls down Pelagios's cheek, "If you stay, you will die... You must leave, now." He tenderly rubs his hand onto Leander's bristly cheek, "Please... Save yourself..."

"Nnnoo... No, no..." Leander cries as he puts his hand onto Pelagios's, "I cannot live without you." Leander's lip quivers as his hands push and squeeze Pelagios's hand, "Do not ask me of this."

"I will live in your heart, through your memories, I will exist." Pelagios states as more drops fall from his eyes.

"I do not want you in my memories... I want you with me..." Leander says as their foreheads touch.

"I am sorry, my love..." Pelagios says as he rubs his soldier longingly, "Just know that if I am to see the next life, I will cling to whatever we used to have to my soul..."

"Pelagios..."

The Triton looks to the side as he spots the glowing of the lines on the ground. "We are out of time."

"What?"

Leander looks up, and gasps as Pelagios as his mouth suddenly pushes with his mouth. Leander stands there in confusion and fear, not know what to make of this, or how to ask what is happening. Regardless, he closes his eyes and moans as he enjoys this last moment. Their lips roll and lap as their tongues rub one another, as Leander almost immediately becomes lost within the now.

Pelagios breaks the kiss, and forcefully pushes Leander a few feet away.

"Ahh!" Leander falls to the ground, and scrambles up as he sees the threshold of the royal gates flash a wall of transparent light. "No! What are you doing?!" He gets back up and rushes as Pelagios puts his helmet back onto his head. Leander runs, and suddenly finds himself slamming into a solid force! "Ahhh! What is this?!"

Pelagios doesn't answer, but only looks through his helmet with sorrow as his mourning and desperate lover pulls and claws at the barrier, "I love you, Leander."

"Pelagios, no! Please! What are you doing?! Come back, please do not leave!"

"Goodbye..."

KUUNNGGLLL

"AHH!" Leander gasps as the gates suddenly jerk backward. He gasps as he hears the furious rushing of water pouring, and sees the ocean cascading into the giant circle-shaped reservoir around the entire royal providence. Out of Leander's immediate site, the sea water rivers and runs into lines all around the continent of Atlantis, "PELAGIOS!"

The prince turns around, placing his hand over the eyeholes of his helmet as he feels himself give into despair.

"I will not say it! I will NEVER say goodbye!!" He yells, "If this is the end, then I will not have it! I will stay and die here!" Pelagios clutches his trident as the holy center of Atlantis continues to descend, platforms forming layer by layer, "And when I die, I will escape Elysium and be reborn in the next life, and I WILL FIND YOU! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" Leander proclaims, "I will never forget you! I will hold you again in my arms! I will find you in the next life, and the life after that, and the life after the next!"

Pelagios turns around and looks up at the emotional soldier, his body shaking as he sees that man refused to move from the edge.

"I WILL FIND YOU! I will ALWAYS come to you!" Leander calls out, fairly certain that Pelagios can't even hear him by now. "By the Gods... I will always... Come for you..." Leander sniffs as he falls to the ground, wincing as this blood from his wound has drained his dying stamina. Panting with immense despair, he lets himself slip down and lay upon a broken wall.

Leander digs his hand into his tunic and brought out a seashell amulet. He coughs weakly as he looks into the orb tucked into the opening, his fingertips feeling at the carved symbols embedded with pearl-like ink.

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"Here, for you, Leander." Pelagios says as he gives Leander a decorative seashell.

"Hah, a beautiful tribute. Did a mermaid grant you this treasure?" Leander says playfully as he nudged his lover.

"Hahaha, no, Leander." Pelagios pats at his arm, "It is a blessed amulet of faith. My Mother sanctified this talisman for you." Pelagios said as he takes a thin silvery rope. He tucks it into a hole on the shell, and reaches around Leander's neck, and ties it in place.

"High Priestess Atargatis?" Leander asked with an amazed smile, "This came from her?"

"My Mother has always approved of our courtship." Pelagios beams with a smile as they walk together, "She blessed it as a token of my love for you."

"Wow... I am honored..." Leander says as the sunlight makes the white pearl symbols along the shell's path glimmer, "What do these markings mean?"

"It is a prayer from our monks." Pelagios answers, "Roughly, it says that no matter what befalls the world, a light from the sea will lead our sight to the truth of one."

"A light from the sea? It sounds more like a riddle to me, heheh."

"Hahaha, ancient allegory, I'm sure."

[][][]

Pelagios's steps echo as he walks into the innermost chamber of the temple. He looks up to see a circle of monks and priests all around the alcove, praying lowly and meditating in procession with the nation-wide ritual. He sees his family gathered around the scared Urn of Amphitrite; one of the holiest relics of Atlantis, said to contain the tears of rage and scorn of all of the Gods of the sea.

His father, mighty King Oceanus with his own golden trident in his hand, stands in his regal toga of scallop shells and cloth of silk, along with his eldest brother, Proteus, who is also their most ordained priest, having sought enlightenment in recent years. Pelagios looks to his mother, Queen and High Priestess Atargatis, in a very quiet and distilled trance, having inhaled much of the ceremonial incense in her attempt to be one with the ether. The eldest, his sister Eidothea, silently mourns for this tragic day - she was to begin her diplomatic education and practice to assume the throne within a few more years. And there are their two younger siblings, Pontus and Clyte. Both preteen brother and sister appear very sleepy, probably have not been told of what is to come, and have only just been awoken.

"Oh, Pelagios." Oceanus says with concern as he approaches him, "Thank the Gods you are here."

"Yes, Father..." Pelagios says lowly.

"It is... A very melancholy day..." Oceanus says heavily, "By the Gods, King Mithras will pay for his hubris-"

"It wasn't him." Pelagios said.

"What?"

"King Mithras has died... This siege is the work of his son, the new king..."

"How... How can this be?" Oceanus asked, thoroughly confused, "How can you know this??"

"Leander... Leander was given orders to come here... He was informed..." Pelagios said somberly.

"... I see..." Oceanus closes his eyes, "Yes, I see..." He takes a moment to gather his emotions in this grieving moment, "If... If this was ill of King Mithras... Then by the will of the Gods, our survival will tribute him justice." He says before he turns back around to the others.

"Father."

"Yes?" Oceanus turns around to see Pelagios take his helmet off.

"H-He... He's still out there." Pelagios's eyes rim with tears, "Please, Father, is there no way I can bring him here with me?"

"Pelagios..." He looks at his son with sympathetic eyes.

"H-He will not leave without me, h-h-he's going to die out there all alone," His voice shakes as he pleads the King Triton before him, "Or he'll be killed for desertion, and I just left him there,"

"Pelagios, I," Oceanus walks back to him.

"Can I not bid the Ningyo to bring him here, he is dying as we speak," Pelagios cries, almost hysterical.

"Pelagios, there is no-"

"He is out there and I need to protect him, and I just abandoned him, and he..." Pelagios sobs as he covers his eyes with one hand, "He is going to die..."

"Son..." Oceanus puts his large hand onto Pelagios's shoulder.

"Father... Please..." Pelagios looks up to the taller man, "Is there no way to save him?"

"My son... I am very, truly sorry..." Oceanus lamented, "None but our kind may set foot in our sanctum... He would have no more of a chance here than he does out there." Pelagios clenches his eyes and his teeth as he bows his head, his chest feeling solid and broken. Oceanus walks away from his mourning son, retreating back to the sacred artifact to leave his son to lament.

Pelagios draws from his pocket and takes out a strung charm of red and brown feathers, tied together very neatly in a wing-shape arrangement with a shiny yellow thread, placed with a glittering ruby in place, carved into a diamond-shape.

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"Here, I had this made for you." Leander says as he digs in his pack, and produces what appears to be a small bird wing of red and gold make.

"Oh, wow," Pelagios beamed as he takes it, turning it over and letting the fire light of the evening make the item glitter, looking at the sparkling red jewel bound at the base.

"This is from a trophy I won in the Grand Coliseum." Leander says as he taps on the gem on the elegant shock of feathers.

"How do you mean?" Pelagios asked as the wing charm rotated from the braided leather tie attached to it.

"I mean on that tournament last month." Leander chuckle, "Remember? We were in a feast of the body to celebrate my victory."

"I do not know, I couldn't stop looking at all the men~" Pelagios grins as he recalls that night. When the warriors and soldiers on that night were stark naked as they ate and drank, right after being bathed from the harsh and graphic battles; an extraordinary but fantastic custom in Pelagios's eyes.

"Heheheh, it was from a cup that was presented to me." Leander scuffed his lover's back, "I went to an old crafter, and had him assemble a charm inspired by the will of the Phoenix."

"The eternal bird of fire?" Pelagios asked with intrigue, "But... You fought so hard for that prize. Why would you take it apart?"

"Heh... I do not need a jeweled cup on my mantle," Leander says as he strokes Pelagios's cheek, "As long as I have you by my side."

[][][]

"Hghghhhghh..." Leander breathes roughly as he lays there. The puddle of blood on the ground has grown from his knife-wound. He has not even bothered patching it up, but only applied some of the herbs he carries to ease the pain.

Still... He shouldn't just die on a rock... At least he should make some sort stance, some posture... To show the Gods and destiny that he shouldn't just be forgotten as he is now...

Grunting, Leander gets up, feeling dizzy and tired as his side stings with pain. He limbs to his fallen sword, dragging his shield with him, and moving a few feet to the edge, slipping weakly as he can barely manage to even get that far. Gradually gripping his sword, he pulls it up, points it to the ground, and plants his weapon swiftly into it.

"Hghghhghhghh..." Leander coughs as his legs slide down, his hands still holding the sword's handle. His shallow breaths shake as he pushes his knees to kneel as he bows his head, panting as he takes his shield, and drags it around in front of him, and props it in front of his sword.

Leander's energy fades as he remembers his beloved... That young, playful, flirtatious, mischievous prince... How he had the honor of being chosen to be that noble boy's true love...

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Leander patrols the halls of the Atlantean vestibule, where the nobility and royalty have come to meet and discuss national matters.

"Pardon me." Comes a voice. Leander turns to see a young adult male with fair skin and short light gold hair. He carries a silver trident in his hand, and is dressed in formal clothing. Judging by the crown-like mantle on his head, he is probably the prince of this land, as well as being escorted by two armored guards.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"You serve King Mithras, yes?"

"I do. I am Leander Aeolus, soldier of His Majesty's army."

"I am curious about you. Might I trouble you with a stroll?"

"I am at my post, Your Highness." Leander replied, "I am to watch for danger of the western wing."

"Clyte. Zale." Pelagios turns to his guards, "Resume this man's post, I wish to speak with this man."

"Yes, Triton Pelagios." The guards comply. Leander smiles as the royal young man comes to him.

"Lets go to the gardens."

"Heh... Yes, Your Grace."

They walk along the luminous fountains of the gardens, decorated with crystal fish statues and sculptors of half-humans half-fish pouring water into different streams.

"You must be a significant man to be here for a regal gathering." Pelagios chats.

"Heh, none at all. I am a glorified replacement, nothing more."

"So harsh in your stature." Pelagios raises a brow.

"One of the royal commanders could not come, so I was selected by chance." Leander says.

"A handsome and no doubt skilled warrior like you? Surely you merit more than you allow yourself to see."

"None that comes to mind, lest I be allowed to peer at the riches of your kingdom." Leander says with a charismatic smile, "Oh, I apologize, that was out of turn."

"Heheheh, not at all."

"So, if I may ask... Who are you in the royal hierarchy?"

"I am a prince, almost a middle child, and I have been taught the elite ways of our ancestors. To honor the son of Poseidon, a warrior prince such as I is dubbed 'Triton'. My Father, King Oceanus, is also a Triton - he taught me everything I know."

"Wait, do you not have an elder brother?"

"Yes, but he does not find purpose in holding a weapon. He is more of a scholar, so he resides in our temple."

"Hahaha, so he is a Noita?"

"Do not be ridiculous." Pelagios swats his padded arm playfully, "Noitas are dubbed to the holiest of our female priests. Males and other lower sorts of monks are called 'Disciples'."

"So, does that mean you are to be King then?"

"No, that will be my sister, Eidothea." Pelagios chuckled, "She is the eldest, so she will assume the crown when it is time."

"Your sister is not a Noita then?"

"Hahaha! Her? A holy priestess of our kingdom??"

"Hahaha, she divulges in revelry I take it?" Leander says with a smile.

"That is an even more ridiculous notion of her! She is the harshest, firm, iron-fisted person I have ever known, reasonably fair yet very blunt. If she were a man, she would be a Triton unlike any other; she already terrifies me every time she picks up so much as a knife for dining, she can turn it into a flying sword with just a flick of her wrist!"

"Ahahahah, by the Gods." Leander laughs as they walk on, "I must say, Triton Pelagios, I find your kingdom very fascinating. The architecture alone is beyond enchanting."

"You should come often. I'll allow it." Pelagios grins.

"Hah, not on my stipend." Leander chuckles, "I make fair pay, but I do not think I can afford regular ships to Atlantis."

"That will not be a problem, I can finance your arrival." Pelagios says as they come to the main fountain, "I will be honest, I find you..." The smiling boy reaches, and rubs his hand onto the other, "Very entrancing..."

"Heh..." Leander gives a grin as he steps a little closer, "I suppose I could request an occasional leave from my captain. After all, your home is wondrous to behold..."

"See that you do." Pelagios says as he puts a hand onto the pec-shaped breastplate on Leander's armor, "I would love to speak with you more..."

[][][]

Pelagios stares with hollowed, tear-dried eyes at the glowing Urn of Amphitrite, the ritual flowing with little hinder. The more the rites are chanted, the more his heart breaks. His helmet is the only thing hiding his severe anguish as he listens to distant crumbling and clashing of the outside.

"7 members," Oceanus explains, "7 seas. Let the Gods see mercy, and protect our own from nonexistence." Pelagios sniffs as he tries to stay silent. "... Let the Gods... See our tragedy..." King Triton Oceanus says as he looks at Pelagios, "Show compassion to all that we have lost, and acknowledge that justice has been denied to us on this day..."