Conch of the Raging Sky and Plunging Abyss

The eye of the storm should be quiet.

The storm surrounding the coral reef that acted as the capital city of the Merfolk did not get that message.

When at peace the city or reef was one of the wonders of not just this continent but the whole world. Water so clear you can see for fathoms, warm currents close to the surface that not only made for pleasant swimming but were just right to promote the growth of every time of coral into mega structures.

These mega coral sometimes stretched past the shallows to the sea floor at the bottom of the sea trench that made up more of the city than anyone without gills could ever explore. Without the sun in those depths where light was scarce the organisms that reached that deep thrived on thermal vents that put out just as much energy as the sun and warm currants above.

Today the swirling vortex of the storm twisted the water into a whirlpool that plunged all the way to the sea floor, while lighting in that ominous purple flashed just frequently enough to be disorienting but not enough for your eyes to ever completely adjust.

Lording over it all was what at first appeared to be a massive kraken, at second glance it was made solely of crystal with a beating heart that when the lighting hit just right illuminated the outline of Conch.

Actually as the ship went careening towards the beast under the pull of tidal forces, Willow could see that scattered throughout the whole creature were the outlines of other merfolk.

As she plotted how to instruct the local beasts to fight without harming the denizens, she wondered what conditions would have had to align for all seven seals to also warp into monsters

A tentacle splashing down, barely missing the ship ended her moment to think and she launched into her offensive.

Sea serpents answered her call willing to finally have instructions on how return their home to what passes for calm on the great seas.

Mighty whales lent her their strength to shove the ship out of the way of tentacle attacks, though one wondered as the ship groaned ominously if this method of dodging was going to shatter the hull into as many pieces as the a tentacle would.

Serpents under Willow's command snap off tentacles where they can find safe purchase between the captured denizens of the deep.

One tentacle, larger than the rest submerges then reappears bearing a wicked scaled up version of Conch's trident up into the sky, drawing hundreds of lightning bolts to it from all around, then pointing it at the ship and unleashing the full fury of the storm.

Willow has no time to check if anyone else is alright as even the bulk of a whale throwing itself uncommanded betwixt lighting and vessel is not enough to do more than turn a blow meant to disintegrate into one that merely shatters the ship to toothpicks.

She summons krakens of her own to try binding the trident and tentacle in fear of another hit like that, as a serpent rises under her to be a new command platform.

**

Ewan and Lorna were flung from the ship in different directions and he quickly lost sight of her in the sea roiling from not just the combat but the spinning currents as well.

As a creature of the high mountains where rivers begin he had never bothered to learn how to swim in the calm clear pools hundreds of feet above the clouds.

A lack that, if he could think of anything save trying to stay alive in this moment, he would curse.

Bob, gulp, splash, bob, gulp splash.

The might beasts from the depths of the sea faded from his thoughts as his world narrowed to the repetition of submersion then a frantic burst of energy bringing him back to the chaotic surface for barely long enough to gain a breath before he process repeated.

Under the water was surprisingly calm if he thought about it.

No noise,

The monsters were mere shadows in the distance.

It was calm.

The pattern broke.

                        Ewan sank

                                        and sank

                                                  deeper

                                                                and deeper

Maybe he would get to see his goats again, he could almost feel one nuzzle him in his delirium.

He broke through the surface, dazed and spluttering, a…goat? supporting his body.

He would find later that these sea goats had tails like fish and the front half of a goat, but for now as clarity returned to him he saw the great battle reach its finish as some great ship plunged its bowsprit into the crystal kraken with a crack that resonated the bones of all for miles.

**

Late Ezma would search her memory for the identity of the ghost ship that had picked her up.

Later she would marvel at the harp that would become the only tangible token the vessel ever existed.

Later she would side eye Conch as the Champion dodged her questions about who Captain Billy was to her.

Now the vessel plunged unhindered towards the crystal kraken.

Now Willow's power flowed unfocused and questing for any allies it could reach,

Now that power filled the harp and song she played as the vessel crashed into the heart of the monster and the song channeled through Conch's nightmare, tying her soul once again to the world beyond her seal.

It was a near thing too, as many of Willow's sea creatures retreated due to damages beyond her ability to force them to ignore, and the trident rose again for another sweeping blast of power.

The song reached for Conch, but she did not reach back, at least not at first. Not until a rich male baritone joined the harp cords.

Ezma did not know the song the voice sang, but her instincts as a mage and musician (though is there a difference?) knew this tune would hold more power than any ballad she knew.

So she followed the lead vocalist,

He sang of storms that took one's soul as well as life,

He sang of places in the darkness of the deep where the air was stale and hope was gone,

He sang of an angel from the deep who took his hand, and then his heart, to show the wonders that those who breath air had never seen.

He sang of duty and diverse lands that would prevent love from being returned.

He sang of longing that defied death.

He sang,

of release

a debt repaid,

a vow renewed,

And patient death collecting its due.

The song faded,

And Ezma wept.