Neolani gripped her spear as the air stilled, then everything shook. Water pillars jetted out toward the sky all along the edge of the clearing. She kept her composure, awaiting orders. Ashton didn't even blink as water attempted to crash down and around them but vanished when it tried to enter the clearing.
Zane shuddered… that wasn't an illusion… Lady Alaina herself had come… Beast Gods above…
Ashton watched as water surged, causing the entrance to flood, trying to batter its way past his designated territory. Not even a minute passed before Alaina gave up the theatrics to condense the waters into an avatar. At the heart a large bowl with a curled up half fish… a mermaid. Soon the waters surged like waves around Alaina's avatar.
Aaron quickly settled himself behind Devlin and the waiting guards. He'd never seen Alaina before… bottom half a fish tail, while top half horse. Seeing a hippocampus in the flesh? Water? This was far more imposing than any picture. She had to be easily a hundred feet from nose to tail. Even though she was only made of water each tail scale, each hair of the main was discernable. The rolling waves that held her tail only reinforced how powerful she was…
Alaina stared down at the un-ascended bird… he should not have been able to disperse her waters yet. Nix, naïve, gullible, bleeding heart of a fool. Taking back that piece of his core should had weakened him until it was assimilated… yet there he stood, as if she were merely a clown for his entertainment.
Ashton quirked a brow as Alaina started to silently rage.
Caius belly crawled, then curled around his Little Snack. He could barely raise his head, but he used every ounce of his power to make sure he didn't bow to that bitch.
Ashton leaned back against the big fox, lightly scratching his large snout. Alaina's greatest mistake today… letting Dalton die before she showed herself. The golden specks may no longer be visible… but they'd served their purpose. Ahh Ru, ever so thoughtful.
"You killed my son. Unprovoked." The avatar stated overlooking all the creatures.
Ashton blinked, "Little Fish Little fish, did you come… for just this? It would appear you're misinformed, but that's no surprise, you'd rather believe lies, " Ashton opened the rift pulling out the Pegasus's core.
The avatar stilled, Bradan… Bradan's soul was bound to the core… that meant… he wasn't technically dead… yet. Alaina watched through her avatar. So, the bird wanted to barter. "Your actions were still unprovoked." The avatar intoned gravely as the waves continued their assault.
"Lies do become you, untruths of all kinds, perception your weapon, numbers your guard. What a pity little fish, a pity indeed, that numbers mean nothing, if you cannot win. So away with your lies, speak only in facts, I have core, the soul you want back." Ashton reminded as his eyes turned silver. It would take only a thought to disperse the soul yet keep the core.
Alaina stared at the core, even through the avatars eyes, she could see Bradan's soul trying to escape the flames. Bradan's soul didn't seem to be in pain… just trapped. Alaina turned her gaze back to Nix. "Return my son's soul, or it will be war."
Ashton gave a politely interested smile as he made a show of looking around, "Ahh Little Fish, so far from the shore, the pretense of strife, the prowess you boast, not even a joke. So tuck in your tail, all alone in the sun, look around fish, you can't even run. Now I have your son, what I want I could take. But I'd be no better than you, and the poor fox's heart would break."
Caius stilled, so… his Little Snack had noticed… now… was his heartbreak literal or figurative… His Little Snack had easily removed his influence from the humans, but they had been recently imbued, not to mention… there was no pledge. Caius glanced at the human, Leonard… the process had seemed rather… painful. Aiya, pain was so bad!
Alaina used her avatar to draw all the water within reach; she would not negotiate her terms. She was stronger, had more support. She was fully ascended.
Aston tilted his head, she didn't really think… he'd let her take dominion so close to his nest… did she? Ashton kept his polite smile as nothing happened. The trees didn't wither, the grass didn't sway, no clouds blocked out the sun.
Aaron glanced around… waiting for something to happen for a solid minute before Ashton gave a fake cough.
"Uhh, little fish, perhaps I'm mistaken, but you didn't think to wrest control, at least… not from me, not in my own territory?" Ashton reminded kindly as he quirked a brow while showing off the core.
Caius used his paws to cover his snout, doing his best to not snicker. Aiya, what a slap in the face! That bitch was so confident! The thought barely struck him when his heart clenched. Like a slimy leech sucking his blood, the allegiance was demanded. She pulled on his foxfire.
Ashton narrowed his eyes as he placed one hand on the suddenly stiff fox. "I must be too kind, I must have smiled too much, to target a beast, that's under my wing." Ashton walked forward, silver flames turning to armor. Before Alaina could retort Ashton appeared on her snout. "Water douses fire, that may be true, but it boils so quickly, and now, so do you." Ashton didn't target the avatar, hurting a captive mermaid would not drive his point home.
Alaina thrashed in her cave, thousands of miles away, as her body started to steam. Her tail whipping around the cavern causing quakes, damaging the walls, destroying some of her more delicate treasures.
Ashton waited until the avatar went limp, then stood outside Ru's barrier on a nearby tree. "So far from the sea, did you come to challenge the light, or just act foolhardy? You are not my opponent, I am not your foe, yet you incite conflict, should the faithful come to know? Your depraved dark desires, that tarnish the light, or will you give in, submit without fight."
The avatar jolted, limply turning its head away from the humans to face Nix. This time she didn't speak in human common, "You are unworthy, unfit to remain."
Ashton tilted his head, "You've come fairly far, from the depths where you lurked, enjoying the praise, giving false grace. So patient, so willing, so desperate to climb, you've forgotten your creed, indulged in noble crime. Now you see shadows, now you see threats, you deny cowardice from deep in your depts. You'd act out of fear, throw caution aside, attack without reason, for the truth you hide.
Ashton leapt from the tree, landing on the mostly limp horse nose as he continued before she could regain her wits.
A pity, dear princess, for today I will stand, your petty squabbles and cruelties, this time will not fall through the cracks. You came to my door, you dare make demands, dare challenge my pride? Take care little princess, for this is the land, and while I don't rule it, it's mine to command. So bao now your head, kneel down and pray, pray I decide, you're not worth the game.
This offer I make once, make no mistake, my mercy is limited, your life I might take. Release now the fox, in fact, all who submit, any brave enough to hide under my wing, refuse and I will take them, regardless of oaths. Especially since so many were obviously coerced. Then get out of my sight.
Ashton's entire body was level with the avatar's eyes, "The last decision you make, your pain, or your pride, which to forsake?"
Alaina glared at Nix through her avatar, despite being boiled alive, Nix couldn't do any permanent damage to her. Not through her avatar, these were at best phantom pains. Before Nix could retaliate, she released a precast spell, activated using the lifeblood of the merchild.
Ashton didn't blink as the avatar made of water engulfed him. For dramatic effect Ashton gave a disappointed sigh, walking through the water toward the mermaid. Blood seeping out of every orifice, bones breaking, mana channels collapsing to draw out every bit of power no less devastating than a failed ascension.
So cruel, so cruel, chosen by the fool. The lessons to learn, well surviving the first. Ashton covered himself in silver flames as he reached into the mermaid's body, wrapping his hand around the coerced strand of influence. Despite the water rushing around him that would tear most beasts like paper, Ashton kept a slow, deliberate pace as he dragged the blue tangles out.
Ashton didn't focus on the half dead mermaid. Its blood congealing, dispersing, congealing, dispersing as the influence was disrupted. The surging waters were much the same. Ashton examined the physical threads of mana, searching for a host, lashing out, wrapping around his arm to disperse his soul armor.
Ashton gave a placid smile as he sent his soul fire through the link, to wrap around Alaina's heart.
Alaina tried to cut off the connection, but Nix forced it open. Then… everything went white.
Ashton narrowed his eyes as a scale shattered in a blinding flash of light, a reminder from her grandmother, it was also a warning. Ashton felt her start to draw on all the connections she'd made in the last thousand years.
Alaina shuddered, even with her grandmother's protection, she was immobile, at his mercy.
Ashton glanced down at the humans who had accompanied the heart of the avatar. How vexing. Ashton ruthlessly jerked Alaina's consciousness through the connection. The avatar was now housing Alaina's soul. "So far from your waters, so far from your home, Did you expect a warm welcome? Your child I killed, his disrespect great. Watch your step girl, or you'll endure the same fate.
Now come down and speak, I'll give you a chance. You've something I want, and I'm willing to barter. But don't mistake my patience for hesitation.
Yes I could take it by force, could have it my way, make you submit, there's no price you could take. So give up your games girl, I've no more patience to spare. You delay the inevitable, and more hearts I might tear."
Alaina felt the force of Nix's power double with each sentence. Surrounding her, unlike the comforting caress of water, the heat was drying out her soul. "You forget yourself Nix. Fallen bird form the sky, no longer the ruler, not even a pawn."
Ashton started to laugh, "Your confidence endless, you poor pitiful princess, but you've forgotten.
I have crushed mountains,
I have raised seas,
I have killed millions,
no matter how far I have fallen.
I am still king.
You? Just a princess, dare to mock me? Forgotten that fear, so let me remind you, why your schemes run so deep," Ashton was done playing these word and mind games. He reached into her sea of consciousness, past her grandmother's pitiful attempt at protection, to her source of power.
Alaina jerked, Nix wasn't touching her mana core, but into her soul. She felt him rummage through all those who had sworn oaths to her. Alaina tried to throw him out, but he moved her like fire through a forest. Soon, he found it. Caius's submission and oath.
Ashton smiled, with a casual hook of his finger, the connection was torn from Alaina's soul.
Caius's heart started to beat wildly, ha ha hahaha hahaha hahaha ha! His Little Snack hadn't removed the influence from Caius's soul like he had the humans. The way he'd removed the influence was like emptying a bucket of river water. Caius could still influence the humans so long as they had the bucket. But with Alaina, His little Snack had destroyed the entire river. That bitch… could never take an oath of his again. Hahaha, he could now fight back… she no longer had any power over him, could no longer use his fire….hahaha hahaha.
Ashton released Alaina's consciousness from the avatar, "Flee back to your waters, remember this pain, your actions unforgotten, there is still more to pay.
So prepare for my arrival, prepare your grand feast, prepare and plot, oh princess of the sea. You won't welcome a hatchling; you won't tempt a young beast. When you open your gates, remember who is King."
Alaina lost more than her connection to just Caius, she'd lost the connection to dozens of beasts, hundreds of humans… she couldn't see through the eyes of the avatar or feel if the merchild was still alive. Alaina found her consciousness back in her body, with a shudder she used the waves to gather up the pieces of her grandmother's shattered shell. She would not forget this.
As soon as Alaina was truly gone, the water fell soaking the land for well over a mile in all directions outside his territory. Ashton then turned his attention to the still standing delegation. Now, the last hindrance before he could reunite with his Beloved.