Serene Of The Sea

42. Missing

"Are you ok?" Kai asks by my side as I watch a calm ocean under a lightly raining sky.
He brushes my hand lightly as I try not to look him in the eyes. If I look at him, I know he'll fade away.
"I'm not ok," I answer honestly.

His arms wrap around me and I lean into him, "What happened? You can tell me anything."

I breathe in, but I can't find his comforting smell, oh how I long for his smell, "I killed people today."
He doesn't move, as unwavering as the tide, "But it wasn't you. They made you do it."

"Did they?" I question, "We always have a choice. I told myself I was protecting you. But I knew. I knew I wasn't."

"You saved some of them. You could have killed them all but you didn't, my love," His voice is like melting chocolate, warm and comforting.

"I wish you were really here," I whisper to my dream.

"I'm always here," He replies as the image filters away.

-

I wake up with an aching heart. Things we're so simple back then. Even with my father.
The ocean is all around me. We're still swimming in formation.

Aella nudges me again. It's my turn to lead on toward the next front line.
Another rig to destroy.
I take my place without complaint.

Psy had remained quiet the last couple of days. In fact, few of us had spoken at all. Eat, sleep, lead. That is my only focus.

Forward, forward into darkness, with a darker destination. I don't know how many more of these I can take before I really lose it.

Then I hear the sounds of whales in the distance. Normally this would calm me, but these aren't normal calls. They sound angry. As we draw closer to the sounds I realise why.
The great whales are harnessed up, pulling artillery and other heavy objects through the ocean.

It's clear the load is too much.

How could they use the whales to such a purpose?
The great blue whale groans again, its complicated tones rumbling in my bones. If the den had set me off, this was twice as bad.

I see it's eyes searching for help, straining in the harness as sirens poke him to keep him moving.

They're hurting him, I can feel it, I can feel his pain again.

Psy appears out of nowhere, his hand is on his weapon and I know he is with me, before I even realise that my trident had already found its way into my hand.

I was doing this. This was bigger than me, or Kai.
I mustn't be selfish, this had to end.
For once I smiled, this was it. I was finally taking control, if it ended me.

Aella looks at me with a raised eyebrow. Before she can react my hilt is knocking her with a devastating blow. Not enough to kill, but it will give me time to act.

The guard poking the whale takes notice of my actions.
Too late to turn back now.
My powers pour from me like the legs of an octopus, attaching to all who are in range, and my range is extensive.

Im by the whale in moments, the creature crying for freedom, understanding in his expressive eye as I reach the buckles of the harness. I cut it away from him, making sure no one can use the contraption again.

Haunting siren calls reach my ears as spears pour in from nowhere.
What's this?
Guards fall left right and centre in confusion as the onslaught continues. Some scatter by me, so close that I expect to be hit at any moment.