Gorgona

Other-worldly horror short, praising the fantastic and one young adults "lively" imagination.

Gorgona

by Angel Nerezza

 

The aphorism with great knowledge comes great grief rings especially true for the gifted. Prodigies often go through their early years accompanied by a parietal dark hole of party pooping. Now I'm a genius, I'll be damned though if I ever let an inkling of anything even remotely approaching listlessness come anywhere near my life's party.

At 17 one may ask, well how the hell is that possible? You barely have hair on your balls, let alone the means for much more excitement than pizza rolls after soccer practice. Well first off f**k you and f**k soccer, pizza rolls are lit but that's irrelevant. The irony I now find myself firmly sitting in is relevant. It sums up my special situation in a cosmically comic way, and I do mean this rather literally. See my laughably qualified biology teacher now waddles his way through a half-assed explanation on how string theory works. The irony lies in the fact that I can call most of it out as bullshit simply because, I live this s**t.

When I said I was special I didn't just mean my kickass neural network and ability to roll a T-joint with meticulous perfection. My gift is that I can travel to alternate realities, very real and far from boring. It first happened to me last summer during an advanced placement college prep physics course. It was a balmy 95 degrees out here in Westchester County and I was stuck in a classroom. The smell of seemingly melting slinkies--or snakies as referred to by the teach during his class activity on wave movement through mediums--soured the air. Sweaty classmates leaned over each other trying to figure out from the next idiot how to perform the workshop activities. The entire experience was one teetering on torture. So stoping by the water fountain with the plan of a quick drink and a fat joint by little maintained Baseball Field C was refreshing. It wasn't long before I was accompanied by another thirsty classmate, who occasionally entered the realm of conscientiousness. This instance was quickly washed with annoyance as he squeaked, "Save some for the fishes, Ryan."

That's when it happened, a blinding mind rush if you will. My mind always runs a mile a minute especially on the ganja, but this was one instance where I wasn't high as a kite. This rush was like taking a plunge down a mile high water slide and into an ocean; and in an ocean is where I found myself. I was swimming in a cool, calm expanse under a cloudless sky and unrelenting sun. An oddly colored aqua marine buoy shaped like the Effie Tower with dual antennae hooking into the sky floated to my starboard. Little else caught the eye until I spun around. The doozy was behind me. In surprisingly equal astonishment, there swam a wide eyed creature with an impossibly large mouth and three consecutive rows of shark like teeth, all on a face otherwise human. Did I mention it had gills? Yea I was looking at a f*****g mermaid. Should of eased up on the water fountain.

It was a while before it did anything. It just sort of swam there with a dumb and confused look on it’s face. It was a youthful gaze that despite a horrifying grill felt oddly familiar and intriguingly comforting in an unfamiliar place. I mean where was I, and what had I been smoking?

The creature was some sort of mermaid, though I never believed in that kinda stuff until later. It's long silver locks were sleeked back exposing a well tanned, youthful face. Unblinking, glimmering grey eyes shone with curiosity. It's grill, rivaling only Mileena's in an ultimate fatality kind of way, sported pearly razor sharp teeth well hidden when its mouth was not agape in wonderment. Platinum scales that reflected the sun ran elegantly across it's forehead, lining below the hair like a head band. They seemed to etch across the collar bone and neck area as well, though the skin tight black swim suit made this hard to ascertain. It hugged the babe parts impossibly well though. That's when I came to the juvenile realization that this could be the little mermaid, or a fairy tale princess come to life. I should definitely make a note of reporting the schools water system as contaminated with hallucinogens. You know, psychedelic terrorists pumping LSD into reservoirs. It's a better explanation than the alternative, I thought.

My quick surface study of this she-creature escalated to a prolonged gaze. With the quickness of a typical hormonal teenager, I was growing an infatuation with her exotic babeness. Don't judge me, she had more sway than any girl in my high school. I bashfully met her eyes and shook my head to break the lust trance. She mimicked this playfully as the silence was finally broken by a booming bellow followed by a mushrooming wave below us. Her demeanor changed from one of bemusement to one of anxiety. She turned around to take a quick scan of our surroundings, doing so in foreboding expectation. It worked only to rattle me more.

When I again met her gaze she finally spoke, asking in a light gurgled voice, "Where did you escape from fish?" How do you like them apples, sea horse girl called me a fish. "You shouldn't be here", she continued and proceeded to steadily approach me.

"The hell I’m not, lady thing, I don't even know where here is" I cracked. "Now don't you come closer, I'm obviously having a breakdown. That's not good for either of us. Just give me a second so I can snap back to reality." I simultaneously stroked my ear, slapped my face, and did some humming yoga breath I had seen on TV. How's that for multitasking? Impressive or not it didn't work.

She didn't listen and with little effort, or movement for that matter, began to slowly glide the twenty or so feet of ocean separating us. "I have little time for impotence fish, now come as it is not safe above."

Quickly loosing my cool and expediting my onset retardation I started my infamous I'm crazy, I know karate, don't mess with me moves. It did little to deter her as she Vulcan nerve pinched me. Settling me down into an almost paralysis, she caught me into her arms and pressed me tightly against her chest. Taking one more concerned scan of our perimeter she dove down into the cold depths towards a Stygian abyss.

Holding me with an unrelenting embrace we hit 0-60 in under 5 seconds, quickly descending deeper. It took a few dozen seconds for my eyes to adjust, before I noticed the air bubble stream she continued to shoot towards my face. This liquid bubble stream shot out like a machine gun, keeping me oxygenated as her gills expelled CO2 at an incredible rate.

Prematurely averting my attention was the magnificence that we cruised towards. What began as a purple hue quickly blossomed into a bustling kingdom. The city of Atlantis could not have been half as beautiful. Gargantuan domes interconnected by tubular tunnels--several orders of magnitude larger than the GW back home--expelled whirlpools of bubbles. Inside were urban districts full of architectural marvels. Large Corinthian styled temples made up the heart of each district, covered in friezes and geometrically extravagant symbols that contorted in ferrous and unnatural ways. The friezes depicted stories of horror, love and valor. Sea monsters stood tall against they're human rivals as they rode large magnificently colored sail-less ships towards doomed human settlements. These were stories of much pride to these creatures, and a foreshadowing of my fate.

We approached the central most dome of the networked city like a missile. An abrupt deceleration and feather like descent brought us down to the ocean floor. The anterior section we approached was murky and grey, dissimilar to it’s overall translucence. My captor walked us straight through the murky entrance of the bubble.

The gelatinous entrance sealed behind us with a swoosh and a pop. The brightness inside washed over us, momentarily blinding me as my eyes struggled to adjust to the harsh change. Not only was it well lit but it was completely void of water. Bioluminescent orbs scattered the thousand foot high ceiling screaming with a spectacular aquamarine fluorescence, letting me fully take in the fantasy. It was the first time I noticed that these creatures were bipedal with lightly webbed feet and hands. More like the swamp thing than mermaids, but at this point comparisons to anything real or fantastic were pointless. This was a world of little parallel.

The court yard we approached was full of strange and exotic aquatic vegetation, overlooking a jade metropolis of majestic manors and castles. It was a pristine backdrop, averted by the raspy gurgled voices of approaching mermen. Two growling male militants unkindly greeted us halfway towards the overarching post that read, "District C- Royal Quarters". They also sported the fitted black swim suits. Vibrantly colored shells took the place of military stars and badges, depicting they're ranks. These guys were highly decorated warriors. They're scales, of a deep bronze seemed to be more common place as we walked past the interior gate and court yard of several wide eyed civilians.

"Were have you been Angela?" The taller of the two asked. Without waiting for a response he continued, "We let you out for a routine reading of the buoy and you bring back this fish? Queen Regent will be livid." He exclaimed brushing his side parted emerald green hair back.

"My words will be with her and my father, Lorin." She retorted matter a factly, adding an emphasis to "her". "And on the matter of the buoy, readings say the Sword's Fleet are still a fortnight away. Don't you mind, this wanderer fish," she continued as she took a sympathetic look towards me. "He seemed to fall from the sky, and something about him intrigues me. I do not believe him a slave or scout of the Sword Fish. I will take him to father first thing."

Angela grabbed my hand in her webbed one, surprisingly warm to the touch. The shorter of the two guards rocking out with a full blown coral red mohawk, who I would later be formally introduced too as Gabe, added as we briskly walked away, "The Queen Regent won't like that either Angie, time to hang up that rebel cloak and start acting like royalty.”

"We both know If I did I'd break that little heart of yours." She yelled over her shoulder.

"It's already broken, just finish the job and be done with it.” He said jokingly.

I had somehow crash landed into a world where humans were at war with an aquatic subspecies. An impending battle between the two species approached and I was being held captive by the enemy, or so I thought. It was too much to register at once, even for me. What I would do for a spliff, a cig and some pizza rolls, I thought. It would give me a chance to make sense of the scrambled puzzle pieces before me. What I did know for sure, call it an intuition, was that my captor meant me no harm. She-thing, Angie, was just as confused as to how I got here than I was. This made me squeeze her hand a bit harder, almost affectionately. She looked over to me, and blushed as she met my grip.

The onlookers yelling obscenities as we passed was nothing if not muffled with my own thoughts and worries. Postulations of horror accentuated with every step towards the castle estate of jade, limestone and coral. It's architectural constructions were geometric impossibilities. It's dimensions we're asymmetric and physically confounding. The manor came complete with its own royal garden, outlined by tall slender columns. The estate itself was made up of several limestone temples off to the port side. It's starboard was comprised of large coral statues of mermaids carrying long spears and tridents in victory over impotent human combatants. They're eyes, made of pearls, glimmered giving off an almost frenzied and fevered state. It all surrounded an oblong jade castle, almost as tall as it was wide. It's mammoth doors swung inwards in invitation, and we accepted, entering an ornate hall of aristocracy and nobility.

This was far and wide the fanciest place I’d been in. Dishes of mutant sized steroid shrimp were passed around by appropriately dressed waiters. Beverages of vibrant algal blooms were offered in elegant glassware. The servants were the only ones colored with the bronze scales I had found so common place outside of the royal estate. Everyone else of higher esteem and rank had platinum scales, suggesting kinship. The mermaid of higher status wore elegant dresses and robes of fantastic colors, decked out in pearls and emeralds. Older mermaids had gunmetal collars of elastic and metal filled with actively filtered water. It covered most of the neck, supplying oxygen to the gills. Many of the noblemen and women, greeted Angie with much more respect than did the soldiers in the outer courtyard, though it did often seem insincere. They're forced smiles turned to snarls at the sight of me. We walked in and around the main corridor towards a golden plated archway and stairwell leading to the main tower hall.

Angie closed the door to the study, and sat me down on a blue velvet armchair. "Nows the time to talk." Angie insisted as she sat down opposite of me, beside a bizarre fire place of rushing water expelling a humid mist into the room. "Start with your name, please. I don't mean to be a prude but time is not a luxury right now and if you knew my mother you'd know she’d have you gutted on the spot. So the sooner you get explaining the sooner I can help you get to where your going before things turn ugly around here."

"My names Ryan." I mustered at the thought of being gutted. "I have no idea how I got here, I just sort of landed here. It's unbelievable I know but that's all there is to it, I swear." I protested in a choked voice. "I mean I don't even know where here is, for crying out loud. Who, or what are you?"

She didn't answer right away. Instead she studied me, confused as to how I could be so genuinely oblivious to my where being and the current circumstances I found myself in.

"I don't know why I believe you, but I do. My father will be here soon once he finishes up in the council chambers. He'll have a better idea of how we proceed. The fish army is only a couple days away, so there are urgent preparations to attend to. I mean you no harm and neither will he." she assured me.

"I have so many questions but, thanks a ton for the assurance. Your awesome sauce." I said in all too real sincerity.

"Awesome sauce?" she giggled. As she stood to run her hands through the rushing water fountain masqueraded as a fireplace. "You’re definitely not from around here. Help yourself to some food, there's fruit at the table behind you. I saw how you eyed the shrimp down in the entrance room" she said with a smile as she looked over her shoulder.

I didn’t hesitate. I stuffed my face with fruit the size of grapefruit, the color of plums, and the texture of kiwi. Tasted like grapes. With a belly full of tropical fantasy I sat beside Angie and the water place with a thud. Keeping my eyes on the rushing water I reprised my previous question, "So you never answered me, what are you if not human?"

She snickered and turned her head to face mine, "A Gorgona. We are also human, however, our less adapted brethren never seemed to understand that." She wrinkled her brow in concentration and continued, "And what are you, if not oblivious?"

     "Well I can tell you what I'm not, and that's a fish. This brought Angie to a chuckle as she sat up and crossed her legs Indian style to face me on the large sectional.

"Well then Ryan, in that case I'm no carnivorous mermaid.” She looked down to her webbed hands, turning them over as she compared them to mine. "How is it you know not what I am? Your not a simpleton. Are you not familiar with the Great War, and the near extinction of humanity?"

Although I was struck dumb by her remark on our extinction, I would not have had time for a reply. Our conversation was prematurely interrupted by a towering Gorgona in the typically styled onyx swim suit. It was overlaid with a silk gunmetal collared robe, stitched with a platinum lining. On his chest was a royal crest of two tridents on a crescent moon, almost as blue as his long dreadlocks.

"Ang, we missed you in the briefing room. What is this nonsense of misinforming our lieutenants on the Sword Fleet's

General position?" He looked quizzically at her, giving no indication of having noticed me, or her holding my hand. "Maybe your mother was right, I should never have allowed you to join the Allegiant Force. There's a reason military is left for the men, whilst women of your status help rule the kingdoms. I hoped you'd be over you last assignment by now."

     Angie’s father stated this as he looked down at a projecting 3D hologram of what looked like the globe. It highlighted our current network and district, anchor to dozens of other satellite networks. Dozens of other similar networks scattered the rest of one vast ocean. This ocean seemed to stretch on with no interruption. In fact only two small land masses existed on this globe, looking little like the Earth I left behind, and more like a Kevin Costner flick. No wonder we're nearly extinct. President Trump must of really screwed the pooch, huh?

Angie jumped up and stiffened her upper lip. "Sir, that slaughter is behind me. Only a fool trips on what's behind them." I wasn't too sure she even believed herself after saying it, her father certainly didn't.

"Then what is this all about." The commander finally took the time to acknowledge my presence as he pointed his webbed hand towards my opened mouth stare. "Where did this fish come from and why are my lieutenants speaking of mutiny and you joining Sword and his insurgence?”

Looking down in subordination for the first time she replied, "Now that's nonsense father. Who said this, Lorin? That b*****d!? And for that matter why is he reinstated after slaughtering those slave fish? They're deaths were a clear violation of protocol. And he's back without so much as a trial, father? I can't."

"Ang this simply cannot go on." Interrupted the Commander with a low steady voice. "The mission was compromised from the start. He simply had to make a decision and he chose the safety of the crew."

"The hell he did, he massacred innocents and the only leverage we had of preserving what’s left of our brethren. And what about him? His name is Ryan. Should I kill him too? Outlaw slave trader planting moles in our kingdom?" She continued as she nodded in my direction. "He has done nothing but be in the wrong place at the wrong time, father."

"Him? No. But it was foolish bringing him here after recent events."

"Recent events are exactly the reason I brought him," she croaked, "he would of been belly up by now if anyone else had found him. He knows nothing of anything."

"I can tell. His rags yell slave, yet are none like I've ever seen. Distasteful."

     Mind you I was wearing what was once a pretty crisp pink Polo button up, with black skinnies and limited edition metallic holographic dunks. I would beg to differ, but my a*s was grass and very likely about to be smoked.

"His appearance here is a mystery but one I'm willing to overlook for the time being." The commander sat in the blue velvet armchair opposite our direction and continued, "Readings across the other twelve buoys have triangulated Sword Fleet’s current position. He is two days out by sail, but it seems they have adopted our hydraulic motors and pillars. He'll be here by sunup tomorrow. All the remaining commanders have picked up his final call." He did not seem the slightest bit concerned. In fact his cool calm disposition was infectious, although it seemed to further Angie’s exuberance.

"Let me lead the defense, father. I'm ready." She stood directly in front of her father with hands on her hips.

"Sit down Angie." Replied the commander in little more than a whisper.

This was enough for Angie to head his instructions and seat herself beside me. It was the only thing he said for a long while. With every passing moment Angie seemed more restless and closer to breaking the silence. I spoke instead, fumbling over my words.

"Sir�"Commander--Lord? I don't know, your Kingship."

He interrupted at king, "I am no king. We have no such tittle amongst our species. We are led by The Queen Regent. I am the High Royal Commander of the Allegiant. You may call me your Lord." He stated.

"Lord, of course. Now, I may or may not have ingested a heavy dose of mind altering chemicals without me being privy, so excuse my ignorance, but why are humans extinct and what happened to the planet?"

"You really are a curious one, I can see why Angie’s grown fond. Simple bores her."

She scoffed at this remark and again was about to reply when Lord Commander continued.

     "The Great Warming, of course. What was once polar ice caps melted, rising tides swallowed human cities whole." He had my full attention as I sat transfixed. He continued his slow yet assertive pace "This was hundreds of years ago. Humans had to adapt to survive; we quickly became the superior race here on the Altered Earth. Marine life thrived and land dwelling creatures rapidly died off. War is a recent development. What began as a trade war leading to a brief period of peace, became a war of love lost."

He looked upon Angie who was ready to explode. He held out his hand for hers and she shot right up to accept it. Again he spoke before she could blurt out a single syllable. "You see Sword Fish was The Queen Regents Trade and Economic advisor. She held him to an impossible esteem for a human. This did not go well with lesser Regents and Lord Commanders across the greater kingdom. An investigation into the matter was held, only to discover infidelity. I returned from seasons of travel and had the Sword banished and left for dead on little more than drift wood. The Queen regent could not bare to have him executed." He said with a hint of distaste. "The work I had done making diplomatic relations and helping to bring together what was left of humanity was for nought. War once again took the seas. The Sword Fish survived, and so did his daughter." He squeezed Angie's hands and placed upon them a long kiss. "Sometimes life takes twists and turns, where all we’re meant to control is how one reacts."

"I am Gorgona, Ryan. I never met my real father, the Sword in person. I joined the Allegiant Fleet partly so that our paths might cross." Angie puckered her lips and straightened herself out, as the atmosphere was becoming too heavy with past and future motives. "I, however, know where my loyalties lie. If we are to save the remaining human species, the head of the sea monster must be severed. This selfish war has gone on long enough."

"Yes, it has." Added the Lord Commander as he let his age wash over him, and closed his eyes in exhaustion. "Now we must rest."

"But what about preparations, father?"

"Our Queen Regent is being relocated to the Central Kingdom." Angie rolled her eyes at the mention of her mother. Her eyes burned with hunger."You may lead the defense," continued Lord Commander "we have ships sailing underwater, docking here and ready to surface an ambush when the Sword Fleet arrives. It's their last concerted force, a suicidal effort. I will lead the counter-attack. They may very well not even reach your line." He caressed her face like only a real parent would as he stood to leave. Finally looking towards me he gave a sly smile I didn't much care for. "And you my fishy guest, will accompany Gabe and Angie. You are not to leave their sight."

With that he exited. So I was Angie's pet, and it was either stick by her or find myself belly up. They were convinced it was going to be a slaughter. If only foresight were one of their many gifts.

We slept in Angie’s royal bed chamber down a hallway dotted with oil paintings of Queen Regents and Lord Commanders past, making the walk one of trepidation. Angie locked the door behind us as we stepped into the richly lit room. I sat on her bed wanting nothing more than to face plant and sleep through the possible raiding and pillaging. Maybe by the same miracle that got me here I would wake up in my own bed.

"You can change by the panel room." Angie suggested as she began to adjust the water place to heat up the room. “There's a spare Allegiant suit there for tomorrow, as well as spare sleepware beside it."

I slipped off my soaked sneakers and kicked them to the other side of the room. She face planted on the bed, looking exactly how I felt, as I changed into the silk two piece pajama. "I'm starting to feel like royalty already. Now I'm more than comfortable sleeping on the floor but do you have a pillow or something, because I mean damn this could be my last slumber and all that jazz.”

"You’re a clown." She said laughing as she switched to laying on her back and putting an arm behind her head.

"A clown fish, huh?"

"Those went extinct hundreds of years ago.”

"Shame."

"Yea, they were pretty.”

We both laughed. It wasn't until then that the exhaustion really sank in. I lied on my side beside her and asked, "This cool with you?"

Angie let out an exhausted chuckle. "Sure, but I wouldn't mention it to my father. Or any one else for that matter.”

She whistled and off went the lights. She rested her head on my chest and held tight. Almost as if I were her pillow or favorite teddy bear. It was the first time I was ever in anyone else's bed aside from my own, or my parents as a kid. I kept it smooth. I swung my arm around her shoulder without giving it another thought and fell into a deep and peaceful sleep. I dreamt of sea creatures both real and fantasy, of adventurous sailors allured by seductive sirens, of a never ending ocean owning tumultuous waves, and even of clown fish. Poor little guys.

Angie was out of bed and suited up before the horn blew. She grabbed her trident threw me an axe. "Don't tell me you've never used one before, your using one now.”

I wasn't sure wether to laugh or cry at the sight of it. All I responded was, "Yes your royalty.”

Intently focused on the battle ahead and the swarm of marching warriors heading to the docks for further instruction, she led the way in stoic determination. Hundreds of ships were connected by water locked tunnels leading from inside the district to the outside docks. They lined as far as the eye could see. Each one it's own magnificent coral hue, with masts filled with engravings and sculptures of they're occupying captains. We were met there by the Lord Commander and his two leading lieutenants Gabe and Lorin. All three wore a warriors sternness. That's not to say, however, that the Lord Commander and Gabe were going to pass up joking on the lone fish in neoprene.

"You look more ridiculous than Angie did when she first slipped on the onyx Allegiant suit. If the Queen catches wind of this she'll have me wearing your balls as earrings.” The Lord Commander said jokingly though knowing very well this was a plausible outcome should we all make it out in one piece.

"Very well put my Lord. Aristocracy at it's best.” Quipped Gabe.

The Lord Commander shook his head and looked towards the star above. "Gabe if you don't shut up it's your balls I'll have around Lorin's ears.”

Gabe continued, this golden opportunity for humor was too much to pass up. "Angie, ravishing as ever, can't say the same about your date. This isn't prom night you know.”

"Really?” Angie's face lit up, laughing harder than I'd imagined she would. It was welcome lightheartedness in spitr of the current scene. “Your still hurting from from that night? We all know I wasn't going before being honorably expelled.”

"You need not remind us.” Added the Lord Commander.

"If Ryan had been here I might of reconsidered it.” She continued as she leaned in towards my ear while grabbing my cheek for all to see, and I don't mean the cheek on my face. I blushed as did everyone else. "Stick by me like glue, these guys won't pass up the chance to throw you overboard before we even reach the surface.”

"Enough of this childishness!” Roared Lorin finally breaking his silence with a booming below. "My Lord, we should part from the docks, this is hardly time for mockery.”

"Easy, Lorin. We shall.” Responded the Lord Commander in cool reproach. I took it he was rather enjoying Angie's blatant display of insolence. There was a bond there that was not necessarily visible in the physical sense but thick and ever growing in the figurative. They had a love and understanding I had never experienced, even with my own parents, but nonetheless noticed with absent longing.

Angie, Gabe, and I loaded into the tunnel, followed by about four hundred soldiers. Some were wielding spectacularly unconventional weaponry. One soldier held a metallic club coved with golden plated razors, the most practical. Another held dual fists of contorting razor sharp disks that wrapped around his hands like full cover knuckles. The ranged infantry were equipped with over sized harpoons harnessed to they're waists. These were capable of shooting three harpoons at once, which were folded in such a way that when released would umbrella out and lock into a spear head. At least she gave me an axe I whispered to myself.  

The tunnel led to Angie's very own ship--royalty really comes with it's perks--a giant gorgeous coral red. It was an oversized trireme with no sails or ports for rowmen. In place were propulsion systems similar to jet skis where pumps were fitted with impellers that brought in water through complicated internal networks that exited from three jet pipes on either side of the ship, as well as it’s three main masts. Most of the ship was covered in heavily layered  reinforced glass, closed when underwater, but mechanically lowered when surfaced. Since wood was a scarcity the majority of the ship was comprised of composite material, including glass, metal alloys, and coral. This included a fifty foot statue made of reinforced fire coral, in the likeness of Angie. Her statue rode a fearsome sword fish. It’s razor sharp nose pointed slightly upwards, meeting Angie's trident. It was the trireme’s destructive ramming mechanism.

Angie, Gabe, and I were the only ones on the bridge as we jetted out of the dock and up to the oceans surface to head the line. We were the first ship to part, with everyone else scheduled to follow suit behind us. The enclosed bridge did little to muffle the roars and cheers from the men onboard as they yelled their battle cries and sang of victory. Before the infectious swell of imminent victory could wash over us we realized it was all foolishly premature. We had been expecting a small fleet in opposition, yet our only companion was the sweltering early morning sun. Not a single ship was in sight. Even more disconcerting, after several minutes not a single Allegiant ship met us to the surface. Before any of us mustered up the courage to make note of all this, Allegiant ships began to rise along with the men onboard them. Unlike how we left them mere minutes before they were all in pieces.

“It's an ambush!” Yelled Gabe. “Everyone get ready to dive back down!”

Bodies of dead Gorgona surfaced with giants chunks of ships all shredded and mutilated. Faces were unrecognizable. Maybe four hundred bodies surfaced within a minutes time and counting as metal and coral filled in the gaps, surrounding us in a vortex of death and debris.

Angie's face was blank. Pale and sickly even under the overpowering sun, it was a ghastly stare. One of disbelief and recognition that today was not their victory, but their demise.

“Angie?” I asked in a soft voice that seemed to carry across the eerie silence on board the ship as bodies continued to silently surface. “What's the move?” 

“We stand our ground, men ready your weapons we go nowhere!” We all looked at her like a women gone mad. The bodies and wreckage began to swirl clockwise slow and steady at first, but increasingly more violent.

The ship strained as we too began to spin along with the vortex of the dead. We twirled so fast the bodies and wreckage seemed to mesh into an otherworldly pitch black swell and the Sword’s submerging fleet appeared as an army sent directly from the underworld. The ships dove out of the water meters into the sky, spewing us with mist and the wreckage from below. They seemed to blot out the sun for an eternity as they all landed in near perfect sync around us creating a new barrier.

“Angie, what are we doing?” Asked Gabe with a quiver.

“Our duty.” She said with the Lord Commander’s cool calm. It was the absolute course of action. “Wait for my command.”

“Wait for what, Ang! Why are we still here, we have a chance if we run.” Gabe argued. I was inclined to agree, but Gabe’s sound reasoning was interrupted by the surfacing of two large navy blue ships.

Almost identical except for they're statues, the ships stood about twenty kilometers from our radial position. One ship was the Lord Commander’s fitted with a fifty foot statue in his likeness wielding an incredibly large spear. The second ship was fronted by a statue of a well dressed aristocrat holding a sword in one hand, and a large fish in another. There was little doubt in my mind as to who the second ship belonged to.

“The Sword Fish.” Whispered Angie.

They're glass coverings lowered one after the other revealing Sword’s army and it was nothing to scoff at. How they were so underestimated was beyond me, but how an army of this size was able to ambush the capital and intercept a counter offensive before they were ever in position was even more perplexing. It didn't take long before we had our answer. On the Lord Commander’s ship stood only two Gorgona. One was the Lord Commander himself, held hostage with a glass dagger to his neck by Lorin. It was mutiny at it's most treacherous.

“I trusted him, we all trusted him!” Gabe gasped in disbelief.

Angie was trembling in anger, “That b*****d, I'll have your f*****g head on a platter you sackless coward!”

As the men matched Angie's anger with obscenities and roars of disgust, a horn blew from the Sword’s ship. It boomed three times as a shadowy figure emerged from the main deck and stood at the helm for all to see. It was the Sword Fish himself, made recognizable not only by an air of authority solidified by a platinum scaled sword at his waist, but by an emblem of a sword and fish crossing each other on a tidal wave of crimson red. He held the presence of a silver tongued tyrant, a stark difference to that of the Lord Commander. His smile shone brighter than the sun from kilometers away.

A second bellow from a white coral horn, blown by the Sword Fish himself loosened Angie's white knuckle grip of the ships wheel as she turned around to face us and the men who had lowered their weapons awaiting her orders. Everyone except for me seemed to recognized what the second blow of the horn meant.

“I'm still convinced we should turn the ship around and try to loose them underwater. Your ship is one of the fastest in the sea. We’ll loose them.” Gabe pleaded. “Conceding is a sure death for all of us, attacking is suicide. We’re s**t out of options here Angie.”

“We can't run.” She said simply. “There are no diplomatic solutions at this point. I will not have my father watch me taken prisoner, and give them anymore leverage against us. No, we fight. We try to take out that b*****d Lorin and give my father a fighting chance in the process. Just follow my lead Gabe, you always have and I've never let you down. I don't intend on starting today.”

Gabe looked down at his rapiers and dusted them off. “Haven't used them in a while, guess I’ll make up for that today.”

The men cheered and ponded their weapons and chests like war drums. “It was a pleasure serving with you men!” Yelled Angie as the men continued their pounding. “You have been the best crew a young captain can ask for. Not once have I made a decision against the interest of my father and the empire.”

“Never!” Yelled the men in unison as their pounding got louder and more rapid.

“And excuse my language when I say this,” she continued while smirking in the direction of Gabe and I “but quote me and tell my b***h mother I said so, wether in this life or the next!”

“The w***e Queen shall hear!” The crew continued.

“If we should fall we will take as many of these cocksure fish with us to the underworld. I will be your captain and ferryman, and this shall be your ship and vessel. Either way, immortality awaits us!” Angie grabed Gabe by the shoulder with one hand and my shoulder with the other. “Men let my final words be this, your wives and children would be proud. If it should please you take one final look at a woman's breasts for they may very well be the last ones you see.”

Gabe blushed as the rest of the men howled and laughed. “Don't say a woman captain didn't come without it’s perks! At my command and not a second sooner!”

Angie wrapped one hand in mine and against the ships bow while clutching her trident as a spear. “All I ask of you, Ryan, is to hold on tight.”

“You betcha.” I muttered. There was little chance I would make it out of this, I thought, but this was a day that would be remembered. Maybe there would be a story within a story of that mysterious dimension traveling fish who fought along side the princess. Who knows, I might even take out a few before a romanticized finish.

“Gabe, at the helm!” Angie roared as she finished positioning us at the bow.

Without hesitation Gabe pulled full speed ahead towards the Lord Commander’s ship. It was a game of chicken versus a sitting duck, but with the might of the Sword Fish army surrounding us, we were playing a fools game. They didn't give an inch, even as Angie threw her trident, catching Lorin in the throat and knocking him overboard. The Lord Commander with a smile bid thank you and farewell as he unsheathed his sword and took on the commandeering fish fleet.

“And dive! Now!” Yelled Angie at the top of her lungs before collision. It was a move no one was expecting, what with the glass roof lowered and all. She grabbed onto the railing pinning me between her, and down we went. Reeling at full speed we swam below the fish army through cold, muted darkness. We lost at least half the men during the dive, and more still as we plunged out of the ocean a bit too soon ramming into the stern of the last ship, flipping it over onto serval others in the process. The splintered chunks of wreckage took more than a few eyes and limbs from soldiers on the main deck. We sailed into the air and back down, enveloped almost entirely by our own surf. We made an about face forty kilometers out facing the army once surrounding us.

Angie tried pulling a large metal shard from her back right shoulder blade, one that was heading straight towards my head. Gabe and I helped pull it out and ripped a sleeve from my neoprene to help stop the bleeding.

Two horn blasts singled a reformation of the opposing army as they positioned themselves for a full on frontal assault.

“You think he made it?” I asked to no one in particular, absent mindly wiping some of Angie's blood across my forehead.

They both sighed as they looked at the roughly hundred Allegiant left, most of which were severely injured.

“The Ocean King has him now, if he’s lucky.”

“Gods be. He has us all.” Added Gabe.

“Yea, I figure something like that. Water God or not, there's no way I'll survive another dive guys.” I said inhaling deep breaths of warm, bitter ocean air. I wielded my axe and tested the weight of it.

“No, we’re going straight at them. Ready you weapons men! Gabe you take the helm again.” She kissed his forehead, it’s always been my honor serving with you.” Angie stretched her wounded shoulder as much as she could and grabbed an intact spear amidst the carnage on the ship.

“You ready fish, you might actually win yourself a ride across the Styx for this.” She said half jokingly, but with enough genuine humor to take me aback.

“Do they have Coach, Amtrak maybe?” I laughed knowing full well she probably had no idea what I was talking about.

“If clown fish can make a comeback, so can an iron horse.” She slyly winked at me and looked out across the ocean passed the the Sword’s fleet, now heading at us full speed, and even the sun which faced us directly. It was her moment of tranquility.

They say life flashes before your eyes right before you kick the bucket. I can attest to that as horse s**t for all the romantics out there. Time did slow down, though. Everything was stretched out and exaggerated from the roars of the bloodied men in response to Gabe and his balls to the walls pedal to the metal charge, and even the Queen Regents Royal Guards and the Central District Army which dove out from the depths alongside us like majestic dolphins. Angie's smile seemed to stretch out the longest, however. I'm not sure if that was just her physical makeup or part of the near death experience but it gave me more time to react as a harpoon struck her directly through her injured shoulder, dragging her overboard towards what appeared to be the Sword’s trireme directly ahead. This intense moment of focus allowed me the window to involuntarily jump onto her as we were both reeled into the rushing waves.

With my axe still in hand and the strength of a dude that gave little to no f***s I took one clean hack at the harpoon, snapping us free. This didn't stop the collision of the two massive armies, and being enveloped in their tidal surf. Miraculously we still hung onto each other, twirling underwater, hitting everything from bedrock and metal, to other bodies.

The world around us was muted as the spinning seemed to go on forever, until it didn't. Angie had grabbed on to a large floating piece of fiberglass. Incredibly we were over a hundred kilometers out from the battle, but I can still remember the echoing screams of men, metal and waves across the vast dividing expanse of ocean between us. It let me know I was somehow still alive amongst the chaos. We lied side by side on the large piece of wreckage, rocked slowly further away from the action. When Angie felt me coming around she said without moving or opening her eyes,

“I knew I did good keeping you around. Your awesome sauce.” She smiled up at the sun.

“You think we won?” I groaned loudly at a failed attempt to lift my head.

“We? You mean Gorgona I hope.” She teased.

“I jumped off a ship for you, that should tally me some rep points.” I answered as I finally turned over to my side amazed to see that same unyielding smile I had seen on the ship before the clash. The sun unyielding in response only helped to further illuminate her face.

“You ARE Gorgona, Ryan” Angie opened her eyes and met mine instantly. “You are, you know that, right?” she repeated rhetorically. She had little energy to do much else but mustered what she had to grab my collar and draw me in for a kiss. Then two. Then three, and after six I stopped counting because I mean s**t we were in it to win it. It wasn't my first kiss, but damn was it the best. When we got control over ourselves, I backed up for a better look at her, we blushed and kissed once more before the Allegiant Force horn blew in victory. I helped her up onto her feet as we stared off into the distance towards the direction of where the battle had ended.

“We won.” Angie tried to yell, but came out little more than a whisper. Digging into her back pocket she pulled out a pearl and white sea shell and coral necklace. Gorgeously reflecting the suns rays she extended it in offer. “You are Gorgona.” She repeated in a whisper.

With a howl and roar from the depths of the underworld itself I leapt up in triumph. “We won!” It was a miracle.

“Save some for the fishes, Ryan.”

Just like that the blinding mind rush enveloped me as I slide from glory to behind the bleachers in Baseball Field C. The rush was immediately familiar and left me enough time to be fully bummed out as to what was happening, so I wasn't that surprised to find myself back home. I did what came natural, I lit a fat spliff from a small tin box I kept hidden nearby. Decked out in torn neoprene, I twirled Angie’s necklace to the back drop of the setting sun. I helped fight a war and saved a princess, how many teenage nerds can say that?  

 

End

Author's Note

What do you guys think of, the dialogue, plot, and pacing.

Thanks