Lost City, Lost Kingdom, Lost Soul - Orm (Aquaman)

XXV - Reunion and Escape

"WHOA!"

"AH!" She yelped as she almost speared Arthur. Looks like it wasn't the enemy after all. "I thought you were the Atlantean vampires!"

"No, just the Atlanteans."

"You say that like it's not the coolest thing ever!"

"Tatiana?"

Now she finally turned to face the man she had come to face - and was met by a major surprise.

He bore no resemblance to the man she had known and shared her home with. He was bone thin, his ribs poking out through papery thin skin. His entire face was obscured by a wild head of hair and long beard. 

O thee mou indeed. 

Honestly, he looked like a Biblical figure, especially in this desert setting.

"Orm? My god, you look-"

"Awful, I know."

"No-" Well, yes. He looked so close to death. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. I mean I knew you were a prisoner but I didn't realize that torture-" 

"You brought her here?!" Orm whirled on his brother. "You would risk her life?!"

"She offered, okay. And she's your surprise so you're welcome. "

Now her gaze snapped away from Orm and back to Arthur. "What did you tell him?"

"That I had a surprise waiting for him if he came with me."

"That's not why I'm here!" she protested. "I'm here to help, not to persuade!"

"Itty bitty details. Come on, we can discuss it later - right now let's get the hell out of here!" 

And so the three of them charged down the long, dim hall - coming to a very sealed off dead end. 

"No! Come on, Topo, you stupid squid. Wake up and open the door," cried Arthur.

"Topo?" Orm cried.  "The Cephalopod?"

Arthur just rolled his eyes. "Trust me, wasn't my idea." 

-----------------------------------------------

Was she freaking out?

Yes.

Was she also completely nerding out?

Oh yes.

This was one of the  Kingdoms of Atlantis - its inhabitants were terrifying, yes, but that didn't make it any less fascinating. 

"My trident..." Orm panted, nodding to it clenched in her hand.

"Yeah, I've been practicing."

"I can tell." 

"Shh!" hissed Arthur. 

They crept along, seeing guards up ahead.

"Wait." Orm was breathing heavily. "Did you bring water?"

"Yes." She turned to Arthur.

"Uh... I drank it all on the way here."

"What?!" the other two cried in unison. 

"Hey, it's hot up there." Arthur tapped his gauntlet, vanishing from sight. 

"Don't worry," Tatiana tried to assure Orm "We'll get to the water soon." Or at least she really hoped they did, and soon - he was looking closer and closer to death by the minute. She knew CPR though, she could revive him if necessary, but water  really was their best bet.