King of the Seven Seas (EMH) Chapter 9: The Great Escape

[Third person POV]

“Are you doing okay, Arthur?” Mera asked, glancing toward him with clear worry etched across her features.

Arthur was slouched in his seat, sweat mixing with saltwater and blood as he panted softly. He began to unclip parts of his golden Atlantean armor, gritting his teeth with every movement. Beneath it, his clothes were soaked through—blood leaking from three puncture wounds across his chest where Orm’s trident had pierced him.

He pressed a hand against the wound, trying to stem the bleeding as he winced. “Never been better,” he muttered sarcastically, letting out a dry, humorless chuckle.

“Just hold on for a second,” Mera said firmly, her expression shifting from concern to deadly focus. Her hands tightened on the controls of the sea-vehicle as she weaved it through tight turns, dipping and spinning with masterful precision. Blue glowing blasts lit up the water around them, each one missing by inches.

Behind them, several Atlantean pursuers were closing in, their vehicles sleek and armed, unleashing a constant barrage of weapons fire that turned the water into a deadly lightshow.

Mera narrowed her eyes, diving suddenly into a sharp corkscrew. Explosions trailed behind them as laser rounds tore through coral pillars and ancient architecture.

Meanwhile, by the edge of the underwater stadium, Orm surged through the currents with brutal speed. His cape trailed behind him like a royal banner as he intercepted one of his own soldiers in a military skiff. He ripped open the hatch, yanked the occupant out with one arm, and tossed him aside like a broken doll.

“Those two won’t get away from me that easily!” he snarled, jumping in and forcing the controls forward, blasting after them with renewed fury.

Back with Arthur and Mera, they tore through the night market of Atlantis, careening between glowing stalls and startled vendors. Decorative lanterns and wares exploded in every direction as their vehicle smashed through tables and displays, leaving chaos in their wake.

Arthur groaned, “I’m pretty sure we just ruined someone's date night.”

“Better their date night than our lives,” Mera shot back, her hands flying over the controls.

Orm was gaining.

He increased his skiff’s velocity, the engines roaring with deep vibrations as he flew through the water at supersonic speeds. His eyes locked onto the fleeing vehicle ahead. He tapped the weapon systems on the console—red targeting reticles appeared, but Mera’s evasive maneuvers were proving difficult for even Atlantean tracking software to predict.

Still, the lock-on system beeped. A shrill alarm echoed inside their cockpit as the targeting system succeeded.

Behind them, on the outskirts of the city, massive defenses came into view—cannons lined the upper city walls, each the size of a small submarine, glowing with pulsing energy. The tips of the cannons crackled with lightning-like heat, preparing to fire.

Arthur’s eyes widened. “Those really don’t look good…”

“They’re Hydro-Cannons,” Mera explained quickly, her tone grim but steady. “Designed to keep outsiders out and enemies in. No one’s ever gotten past those without royal clearance—not since they were first built.”

BANG!

A jarring impact slammed into them from behind. The vehicle rocked violently. Arthur cried out in pain as his wound was jarred again, blood soaking through the fabric even more.

Mera growled and wrestled with the controls, fighting to stabilize their flight. The vessel lurched, tilted, then righted itself again.

“And how exactly is that helpful?!” Arthur shouted. “How the hell are we supposed to escape?!”

“We’re going over the walls,” Mera yelled back.

Arthur blinked at her. “What?!”

“We’re going over those walls! As they say—there’s a first time for everything!”

Another blast struck near them, sending the vehicle spinning momentarily before Mera corrected again, pushing the throttle forward until it roared under her grip.

Arthur turned to look at her. Her eyes were alight with adrenaline. A wild grin was forming on her face. Despite everything, despite the chaos and fire, she looked like she was actually enjoying this.

Arthur couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, fine! Let’s go make history!”

Mera dipped low before suddenly pulling up into a rising arc, weaving through the thick curtain of enemy fire. The Hydro-Cannons fired again. One blast missed them by inches, striking the vehicle behind them instead—obliterating it in a blinding explosion of light and steam. The resulting shockwave sent bodies and debris spiraling in every direction, painting the dark water with flashes of explosive color.

Mera spun again, dodging a second cannon strike, then another.

Their vessel surged upward—closer to the wall's edge, closer to escape.

But then—CRASH!

Orm struck.

Mera cursed under her breath as she tried to stay airborne. She yanked the controls hard, twisting to avoid both Orm’s attacks and the Hydro-Cannon fire that now came from both sides.

She tilted the vehicle into a narrow dive just in time to avoid a beam that sliced through a skybridge above them. The explosion destroyed the upper passage, sending chunks of stone and metal plummeting all around them. Mera swerved, dipping beneath falling debris as the firestorm raged behind them.

But it wasn’t over.

More of Orm’s men appeared—riding sleek hunter-class crafts and armed with high-powered weapons.

One by one, they began to open fire.

Explosions erupted across the water. Energy bolts peppered the vehicle’s hull, some grazing it, others striking it directly. The shockwaves knocked them sideways again—until they slammed into a low wall, scraping across it with a screech of metal.

Mera growled, “They’re really trying to kill us!”

“No kidding!” Arthur shouted, bracing himself as another hit rocked the ship.

The sky was alive with fire and chaos, and ahead lay only one possible path.

Straight through.

Their vehicle groaned in protest, sparks flying as warning lights flared red across the control panel. Smoke began curling from the engine at the back, thick and dark, trailing through the water like blood in open sea.

“We're not going to last much longer—she’s giving out!” Mera said, her jaw clenched as she fought to keep the craft stable. “We have to abandon ship soon, or we won't survive the crash.”

“I have a plan,” Arthur shouted over the blaring alarms and the cacophony of pursuit. “But you’re going to have to trust me!”

He placed a hand over his forehead, closing his eyes as his mind reached outward. A pulse of telepathy rippled through the sea.

“You were right about one thing,” he said grimly, opening his eyes again. “We’re definitely abandoning ship.”

Mera nodded without hesitation. She grabbed his arm and slid under it, positioning herself to support his weight. Despite the blood still seeping from his wounds, Arthur stood straighter, bracing for whatever came next.

From behind them, Orm’s vehicle surged forward.

His eyes burned with obsession as he locked onto their flailing craft. With a single command, he unleashed a salvo of energy blasts—brilliant beams tearing through the water.

One struck true.

The rear of their vehicle exploded in a ball of fire and steam, sending them into an uncontrollable spiral. Metal shrieked. Glass cracked. The vessel plummeted, careening downward toward the molten seabed below, its surface glowing with boiling lava vents and volcanic fissures.

Orm and his soldiers slowed as they watched the wreckage descend from a distance. They hovered in a solemn silence, eyes fixed on the sinking vessel as it disappeared into the molten trench below.

Orm narrowed his eyes, his expression unreadable. His lips pressed into a tight line as he stared at the wreckage, his gaze unblinking.

Then he noticed something peculiar in the distance—a large sperm whale gliding calmly through the water, too slow and too subtle to seem out of place.

He closed his eyes for a moment, jaw tightening.

“…Let’s go back,” he said at last. “We must report to King Ryus the fate that befell his daughter… and the surface-dweller.”

Without another word, his men turned and began swimming away, retreating from the chaos. Orm lingered for just a moment longer, his eyes still locked on the glowing trench. Then, with a final glance, he turned and followed his soldiers into the depths.

---

Elsewhere, deep in the belly of the sperm whale…

The soft, muted hum of the sea surrounded them. Within the whale’s massive mouth, the world was eerily calm.

Mera knelt beside Arthur, cradling his head in her lap as her hands glowed with soft, pulsing blue light. Her eyes shimmered with the same hue, reflecting power drawn from deep within her bloodline. Slowly, she eased Arthur’s body into the curve of the whale’s tongue, using the gentle rhythm of the creature’s movements to soothe his battered form.

“That was smart thinking,” she murmured, one hand pressed gently to Arthur’s chest.

All around them, the blood Arthur had lost floated freely in the water. Mera raised her other hand and, with elegant gestures, began drawing the crimson fluid back toward her.

Arthur gave a soft chuckle, though it clearly hurt to laugh. “I remembered a story my mother used to read to me… something about a man who rode a whale to escape a great beast.” He smiled weakly. “We were also lucky our friend happened to be nearby when I reached out.”

“Lucky indeed,” Mera replied, focusing as she guided the blood with care. It moved through the water like threads of silk, spiraling down to his wounds, where she carefully reintegrated it into his body.

Arthur blinked at the sight, watching as his chest began to stitch itself together under the glowing influence of her magic. “How… how are you even doing that?” he asked softly, his voice laced with awe.

“It’s Atlantean magic,” Mera said, eyes still narrowed in focus. “Only those of royal lineage—or descended from powerful bloodlines—can access it. I was trained from a young age.”

Arthur looked up at her, his head still resting on her thighs. “Could you… teach me? Or is that rude to ask?”

Mera paused for a moment, her expression softening as she looked down at him.

“I wouldn't mind teaching you,” she said with a smile. “Did you know… your mother was the one who taught me?”

Arthur’s eyes widened. “What?”

Mera chuckled lightly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “She was more than just a queen. She was a powerful sorceress—though she preferred to use her magic for healing rather than combat.”

Arthur looked away, a flicker of disappointment shadowing his face. “She never taught me any of that. Neither did Vulko…”

“She likely had her reasons,” Mera said gently. “To wield Atlantean magic, one must have absolute faith in the kingdom. A deep connection to Atlantis. You grew up away from it… resenting it. Without that belief, the magic wouldn’t respond.”

“I see…” Arthur whispered, his voice quiet and distant. “So that’s what it was…”

He fell into silence, staring up at her—at the way the light from her glowing eyes framed her face, at the soft rhythm of her breathing, and the steady movement of her hands as she continued to heal him.

Then he spoke again, his voice breaking the stillness.

“You know… I never got to thank you. For saving me back there.” His tone was sincere, quiet. “So… thank you.”

Mera’s hand paused just briefly over his chest. Her smile was soft as she replied, “Think nothing of it. I was only doing what was right.”

Silence followed, but it wasn’t awkward.

It was warm. Comforting. The soft lull of the whale’s movement and the rhythm of Mera’s healing magic surrounded them like a gentle cradle.

Arthur allowed his eyes to flutter closed, deciding it was fine to trust her.