" NOOOOOOOO! "
Ruby gasped over and over again.
The Queen was surrounded by the entire mer-population.Like the pistil of a flower , covered by of petals, they were protecting their Queen who was in a trance like state. Immersed in occult.
Ruby watched as the mer- witches dropped dead one by one. Their blood tainting the waves.
" What in heaven is happening! " But before Roe could get her questions answered, something lashed their way.
They ducked to void.
Lin spied Anjana and the mer-boy.
" Roe, look over there! "
The veil that had kept Anjana hidden all those years was lifted by Mia's touch.
Now he was as visible to everyone else as he was to Mia.
" That's the creature that helped Mia back at the Land of the Lakes! But...what is that beside ? "
Anjana did have a strange structure since nobody had ever seen a full grown mer- male apart the Queens and their inner circles.
"That's.. That's Crystal's mate! They are tied up... It means they are not on the Queen's side! "
Ruby was theorizing.
" Let's set them free. We will have a helping hand! "
The Queen was in trance but there was a consciousness circling.
Those waves of attack started bombarding in Lin's direction as soon as he began going in their .
" Lin, watch out! "
Roe pushed Ruby to a safe corner before joining in.
They doubt their way towards the two of them to free those captives.
Ruby was sliding back steadily when suddenly someone caught her from the backside, closing mouth so she would not be able to shout.
" Hhhhhmmmmm! " Ruby fought to free herself. She turned to face her attacker when she saw
Xie advancing rapidly in her direction to rescue her.
Before he could do anything Ruby saw who was holding herself.
She turned to block Xie's attack by making a shield of herself.
" Ruby.... Are you mad! "
Xie stopped himself just in time.
He had to grab her by the waist to regain his balance.
" Why would you... "
" This is Jade. My sister! "
Jade had regained her consciousness. But I was still too weak to get up. She managed to slide Ruby and hold on.
" I am so happy you are alive! What did they do to you! "
Ruby hugged and kissed her.
" Ruby, there is no time. We need to stop this occult from completing. The queen is planning to our entire population along with Mia's son. Then they will start afresh. Along with the few from her elite guards who are patrolling the parameters! "
" There isn't anymore. We got rid of them all! "
Xie proudly announced.
" We need to break the chain. With thai exodus, this evil witch wishes to establish her own bloodline. She had always been jealous of Crystal. We had no idea it was to such an . She wants to be God in our kingdom. "
Ruby stood up as soon as Jade finished her narration.
" Take care of their air bubbles sister. I am going for the Queen! "
" Ruby, wait! "
Jade tried to tell something but she was gone. Xie spared a last look at Jade before swimming Ruby's trail. It was difficult to maneuver in water in his Wolf form. But he didn't have an .
Ruby's brute attempt was dismissed immediately as she was thrown away from the formation someone squatting a fly.
Xie caught her.
She had closed her eyes in fear but slowly opened them at his soft touch.
"What exactly are you doing stupid girl? Can't you see there is a force creating a barrier shield this! "
He pointed with his hands in a circular manner.
It wasn't that it was not visible to Ruby's eyes. But she had not been mindful. A dark dome layer was circulating.Protecting the Queen in that death formation.
Ruby looked into Xie's eyes. Was that a concern? She looked away ashamed for her rash even before he could confirm.
" It's the Dark Forces that have come to take its due. We have worshiped it for too long.
Replenishing the void that was created by our own greet. Now there is another void happening progress. Is this the end of us? End of our race? "
Lin, Roe joined just in time along with Anjana and the Mer- boy.
"Move! I made my way! "
Anjana bellowed in their ears.
They took a step aside to give him his space.
The moment he put his hand forward, it touched the barrier. His touch made the spot ripple but did not repel like it did to Ruby.
" We made the same energy. It knows us! "
Anjana tried explaining in his broken words. He was referring to the mer- boy and himself.
The ripples intensified. Along with it the speed with which the mer-witches dropped dead, too.
" Hurry! "
Jade yelled as they all looked in horror. Their visions were getting murky as the ocean waters redder.
The ripples were now vibrating. There was a force pushing back.
Anjana held the hand pressed against the barrier with another hand. He himself was shaking.
" Aaaaaahhhhhh! "
Then with one last forceful pull there were cracks.
It was a sight to behold. Cracks in water, liquid.
" Step back! "
Jade warned pulling some of them back with both her hands.
The crack gave way and a dark cloud gushed out grim the crack like lava does when molten.
It had a strange stench. The stench of evil and blood. Very hard to dismiss our ignorance.
With that the barrier collapsed. It disintegrated and was gone.
Yet the Queen was un-flinched. She carried on with her ritual. Though the intensity lessened, still kept falling one after another.
*******
Jin and Nanako back together
" We need to move forward towards the Southern Region. Will it be possible with the entire ? "
The wolf king calculated, drinking along with The Fox king, sitting in the seclusion of their tent.
" Of course not. But we need to be ready with backup if we need to go underwater. "
They both took a sip. Visibly drunk as their fingers were unable to make the minions move in game of chess.
Both had sent their best sons to achieve an impossible mission. There was no peace until in piece they returned.
" PERMISSION YOUR MAJESTIES! " yelled their lungs out just outside the tent entrance.
Before they even got the chance to permit them in, the door flung open and Nanako stormed in.
" Nana, what happened! "
The fox king stumbled up. The way she was looking only happened when she carried the .
Eyes red and hair in a big mess.
" She is here... She is here... She is here along with Him! "
" Who is here with whom? "
The Wolf King tried rationalizing.
" LIFT THE BARRIER. OPEN THE GATES! " She proclaimed in the manner of an , then turning towards the entrance, smiled like a lunatic, " He is finally here.
Now it all makes sense. "
Then began chanting the prophecy looking up towards the heavens-
"The clenching of the chest doesn't stop. Neither does the coiling of the blood. The veins seem be rupturing with force, with no ailment known. The sickness of the being is difficult to fathom, has left behind its roots in another kingdom. How the song ends, how the story goes, is 's guess because nobody knows. The howling might stop, the stars might shine once , the game of waiting will pass in labor. The question you ask, the truth you seek, might you startled, unable to speak. Look carefully, look inside to cope, when home seems like distant hope. "
She stopped and looked at the two puzzled emperors.
" Don't you get it yet. His heart was exiled in another kingdom. He is coming back to make the move. To stop the heartache once and forever before... "
" THE PRINCESS MIA ASKS FOR PERMISSION TO ENTER THE PERIMETER! "
Nanako was not given respite to complete her explanation before the gatekeepers announced
Mia's arrival.
The Wolf King forgot his own status. With one glance at the Fox king and Nanako, he sped the entrance himself.
It took him seconds to breach the gates and hug Mia in a tight embrace.
" My child. My Mia. Where had you gone missing? We had all been so... "
" You knew I was missing? How? Where is Lin? Does it mean you know about my son as well?
"
Mia looked more worried than relieved.
It didn't take long for the Fox king to join them along with Nanako and other wolf and fox .
Mia scanned the heads.
" Where is Lin? "
She asked. Her voice was shaking.
" Your Aunt Ruby came in with the news of your son's birth Mia. They suspect the Queen must scheming something evil. Lin, Xie and Roe went along with her to get back your child. You come inside the barrier it's not safe..... "
The rest of the words trailed off as Mia darted off towards the ocean without wasting another .
But her feet froze.
So did the entire number of people who ran after, following her.
The color of the ocean surface was red. Not the darkest but quite vivid.
Mia started hyperventilating.
But before she could wrap her head around it, an inhuman scream from the North attacked with force. It sent everybody flying.
" The Creature is back! Quick. Get Mia back inside the barrier! "
Somebody yelled.
"No! Nana! It's up to you from here. I need to check what's happening under the water! "
Mia pulled Nanako's hand and stripped the pendant from herself, inserted it inside her palm.
Before anybody could suggest otherwise, Mia jumped inside the waves.
" MAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! MY Miaaaa! "
A chilly horse male voice tried following her footsteps. But the waters repelled the creature on .
It was disgusting and hideous as its voice was.
A jumble of organs, randomly heaved over each other. The mouth could not be distinguished the foot. It was a monster in all its essence.
" MIAAAA! "
It started sniffing the air as the immortals surrounding it began to retreat.
Nanako was still working on the pendant. She needed a little more time. The creature must sensed the presence of its Nemesis.
It darted towards Nanako but fortunately the wolf and fox princes were able to block it.
" Nana, get inside! "The Fox king tried pulling Nanako with him but she shook off his grip.
" I am done running. It's time I faced my destiny. STEP ASIDE! "
The ones guarding her could not dismiss her authority.
She walked forward, towards the beast as everybody watched, their jaws dropping.
" QUICK. Hurry. Somebody go call for backup! "
The wolf king announced as one of them darted back to the camp inside.
The Beast was too preoccupied with Nana to follow the messenger.
No sooner had Nana come close, it bared its fangs and tried to leap at her but she simply thrust hand, carrying the pendant forward.
" In the name of the one who created the heavens and earth, show yourself forward. Show your form forth. "
Her words made some movements in the pendant and simultaneously made the Beast duck.
Light started emerging from the pendant. Sparking. White and Silvery.
" That's... That's brother Jin's pendant. " The wolf king exclaimed excitedly.
The silvery light slowly morphed into a handsome man's imagery.
" Brother Jin! "
The Infamous Wolf Prince was back in his youthful form and demeanor.
" Jin.... " Nanako's voice and fingers trembled as she pointed in his direction. She too was centuries back in time as she remembered their fond encounters.
" Nanako... "
Hearing him calling her name made her legs tremble. Before she could reciprocate there was a of invisible hammers.
" Everybody take cover! "
Jin yelled as he covered Nanako himself.
" Don't worry. I am back. We will end this together. I just need you to hold my hand. Wouldn't ? "
Nana felt like they were back in their training ground, traveling among those million stars.