Book One Chapter Sixty Two: Water Cry

Book One Chapter Sixty Two: Water Cry

Okay, heres the plan, the Chosen One said, still dramatically dual wielding his harpoons. I need you to gather as many mana potions as you have and hold on to them.

Most of them are in your backpack, Chosen One, Qube reminded him helpfully.

Oh. Right. The Chosen One looked rather sheepish. He turned around and looked over his shoulder at Qube. Help a mate out?

With a sigh, Qube reached into the Heros backpack and rummaged around, pulling out an armful of glittering blue mana potions. And then another armful. And another.

Chosen One, why did you buy so many mana potions? Qube asked, carefully laying them out according to size and strength. Fortunately potion bottles were standardised across the realm, making it easy to tell at a glance what the potion was, and how strong. If each alchemist had just done what they wanted, or used whatever bottles they had to hand, it would have been an organisational nightmare!

Oh, I didnt actually pay for any of those, the Chosen One said shamelessly. Qube gave him a withering look. Hey! he said weakly. We need them to save the world! That makes it okay!

Does it? Qube asked dryly, taking out the last armful of mana potions.

I mean we were just helping them fulfil their civic duty. Especially that one shopkeeper dude. Mr. Eggman was it? He creeps me out.

Qube instinctively cringed and looked around, trying to put the last bottles down as quietly as possible. Even in the middle of the Water Temple, you could never be too sure.

Chosen One, she hissed, there are so many potions here! You must have cost him a fortune!

Meh, I doubt this place has a working system of economics, the Chosen One waved her away. How many of those will completely refill you?

Qube eyed the various potions. One of these, she said, picking up a medium sized bottle filled with light blue liquid. This should be more than enough.

Qube had never actually consumed a mana potion before (they were far too expensive to go around drinking just to test them out), but she had a rough understanding of how much mana it would replenish based on the colour of the potion and the shape/size of the bottle. It had been one of the things Alderman had taught her when she had first learned about [Identify]-ing ingredients.

A memory of his face when she had asked him where mana came from suddenly popped into her mind. She had never seen him look so uncomfortable before! She suppressed a giggle they were in the middle of a quest! Focus!

Cool, the Chosen One said, well leave two out, just in case.

Then why did you make me take all of them sure thing! Qube swallowed her indignation and packed the mana potions away. The Chosen One shuffled back around into his original position, harpoons still ready to fire.

Okay, you ready? Mana full? he asked her, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Yes, Chosen One, she said patiently. But what are we doing?

When I give the order, youre going to revive one of these two, take a mana potion, then revive the other one. That way, we can hit both and no one dies!

Qube looked at the Hero standing in front of her, brandishing his harpoons haphazardly, his backpack slightly askew.

Chosen One you are truly amazing, she said with total and utter sincerity. I never would have thought of that!nove(l)bi(n.)com

Lets hope they havent either, he said, and fired both harpoons simultaneously.

Qube gasped, pivoted, and faced the Deep One. The harpoon slammed into its one giant eye, causing a massive black tear to explode out of it. Inside her mind she felt it scream in agony.

[Revive]! she ordered. The spell burst out of her, ripping out every last drop of mana. She staggered, and for a moment felt bereft, like a limb was missing. Then the Chosen One was there, pressing a mana potion into her hand, and she quickly drank it. The magic immediately hit her mana pool, which greedily absorbed it.

The second she finished drinking she spun to face the Mermaid Princess, and blinked as everything blurred. Through the blurriness she could see that the harpoon had just struck the Mermaid Princess in the chest. The Princess cried out, one long note, a large pearl tear springing forth.

The water colour cleared too, taking on the slightly murky dappled quality from the Deep Ones memory vision.

As the turtle continued towards the surface, the merfolk were dragged in its wake, even the red haired one who had been chained up in the grotto suddenly appearing in the slipstream. About halfway towards the surface, the water suddenly became crystal clear and sapphire blue. Qube stared at the very clearly delineated line between the Deep Ones murkiness and the mermaids sparkling domain, but before she could analyse it the turtle breached the surface of Lake Fear.

It snorted, great big torrents of water shooting out of its nostrils, before landing back on the surface of the lake with a splash. Somehow it had picked up the merfolks entire city and, as the magical shield disappeared with a pop, the entire city settled down onto its back, with the Chosen One and his party standing in the middle of the coliseum.

All the merfolk who had been caught in the turtles journey were flung onto its back within the city. As they flew out of the water their bodies changed, losing their tails and gills and once again returning to the beautiful elves they had been before the sinking of their home. The merfolk, the spell that made them half fish seemingly broken, started wandering around their city. However, as one of them jumped into the lake, Qube watched as they once again transformed back into mermaids.

The Chosen One, however, appeared unmoved by this magical homecoming. Instead he was looking around, clearly searching for something.

Before he could find whatever it was, though, the Mermaid Princess appeared before them. Qube gulped at the sheer power of the Royal in her true form. The Mermaid Princess had been beautiful before, yes, but here, in her full elf form, she was absolutely stunning. Or maybe it was just the fact that they were no longer in a life or death situation that allowed her full regal aura to wash over the group.

I thank you again; you have restored us to our home. I promise you, we have learned our lesson, and will strive to live in harmony with our environment, and not overburden our new friend.

The Chosen One grabbed Sewer Bard and thrust him at the Mermaid Princess.

Deal with her, he said, and wandered over to a Save Point.

Sewer Bard gave the Mermaid Princess a deep bow.

Your majesty, it has been a privilege and an honour to serve one as beautiful as yourself. If there is anything else I can do to be of assistance, anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask me. Sewer Bard gave the Mermaid Princess a smouldering look.

Qube nodded vigorously in the background. Sewer Bard would be the perfect candidate for helping them rebuild after all, he knew all about the histories of various cities, and would be more than capable of helping them reform whatever systems they needed help with. Certainly a much better choice than the Chosen One who, she had to admit, didnt seem interested in city building or governance.

Sewer Bard noticed her nodding and blushed. She gave him an encouraging smile.

Hey, the Chosen One called to Qube. She immediately turned to him. He was standing next to a Save Point. Come here.

She hurried over to him.

What is it, Chosen One? she asked. What can I help you with?

He gave her a surprisingly serious look.

I meant what I said earlier, he said. I Im going to go get the questions. And actually write them down and do them properly this time. I... he looked away and cleared his throat. Im sorry.

He was trembling slightly. Qube reached out and touched his shoulder.

Its okay, she said, not sure what she was reassuring him about, but knowing that he needed her. No matter what, well get through it together. Its our destiny, after all!

He gave her a smile, sad and slightly bitter, before removing her hand from his shoulder. He lightly squeezed her hand, as if in comfort, and let go.

Then he touched the Save Point.

A long, slow blink of time passed. Nothing moved, nothing changed, nothing happened.

He finished passing his hand through the Save Point. It fell to his side, slack. The Chosen One turned and looked at Qube.

She stared into his eyes, into the face of the man she had known her entire life, and felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

Hello, Qube, he said, and smiled.