Chapter 52: A FIGHT WITH THE SEA GODDESS

How dare she trap me in this cage with her little minions? I have about eight heads of dragonfish staring at me. 

The first two let out a scream and started heading towards me. The other two responded to their cries as they trapped me in between them as they swam in circles around me.

I can't believe this, but it's nothing; it's time to know the powers hiding in the black stone. They kept swimming in circles around me as their heads began to grow. It was only then that I noticed that they were forming a ball of fire. All eight heads are forming a ball of fire.

They soon separated as they swam away, each taking a positive that still left me in between them as they surrounded me. I waited patiently for them to make a move.

I summoned the power of the black stone as I charged towards them. I became invisible among them as they looked around for me in confusion. If I'm going to break that wall, I need their fire.

I grabbed the first two and tied their tails together before heading for the other two and doing the same to them. They screamed and cried out as they struggled to separate from each other.

I grabbed hold of their tails as I swung them around, hitting their heads against the wall of the cage over and over again.

Their cries of pain and anger summoned their fire as they let them out, burning down the walls and themselves.

I watched them burn into ashes before leaving the cage. I wasn't surprised when I met the goddess sitting in a fancy seat made of seashells with a few more sea creatures surrounding her. 

Her beautiful blue-sea eyes stared into mine as a smile crept into her face. She wore an exposed blue dress, which matches the colour of her eyes.

The dress hung around her shoulder, with the sleeveless hand looking like a vine around her shoulders down to her lower back. The dress floated with the water as it left her legs exposed. 

“Wow, you surprised me. You killed my little babies,” she said, clapping her hands as she got up from her seat and approached me.

“Little babies?” I asked.

“Yes, those were the baby seadragons. The big mama is not going to be happy,” she replied.

“I am not here to talk about seadragons; I came with a deal that can get you away from this curse.”

“Hmm, interesting, a deal that can break my curse, but if I may ask, what curse are you talking about?”

“The curse of being stuck here in the ocean when there is more fun up there. I want a partnership with you. If I'm going to win this battle, I need someone as strong as you by my side.”

“And what battle are you talking about?”

“The battle of being the one and only queen in the whole of elves kingdom.” She laughed—a very annoying laugh.

“You? Rule the whole of the elves kingdom? How do you intend to do that? You are going to be outnumbered if the whole queens were to rise against you.”

“I will be more powerful if I have the black stone and you by my side." She raised her eyebrows at me as she smirked.

“The black stone? How do you intend to find it, because it has been lost for centuries?”

“It's too bad because I already found it and it is in my possession. I guess the people who tried to find it just didn't look harder.”

“You want me to believe that you have the black stone with you, then prove it.”

“And what if I say no? But I will prove it anyway: "You never thought how a mare elf like me was able to get out of your little trap alive.”

“So you do have the black stone in your possession; it is impossible.” She said, twisting her face like it was hard for her to believe I could find the stone.

“Anyways, good for you, but I don't remember telling anyone that staying in the ocean was a curse for me. I love it here, and your presence here is not needed. I have been living quite a peaceful life here, and I'm not about to give that away just to help you, so good bye,” she said to me before turning her back on me.

“I don't give people second chances; you better think about it deeply before making your decision.”

“Go home, little princess, and accept the fact that you weren't chosen as the next queen of your kingdom. The sooner you accept that, the better for you.

And also, try to get that stone to unbond with you. You don't know what you are signing up for. I have once been in your shoes, but look where that landed me. A great goddess that possesses greater power but is yet all alone in the sea, making sea creatures my friends and family.

If you would excuse me, I have a burial to prepare. You killed four of my babies, remember?” I can't believe she turned me down with that lame excuse.

“You are a coward, and you don't deserve the powers given to you.”

“Go away when you have the chance to, but I can see you are the stubborn one. This battle you are about to start will be your end. I can feel it already; you will end up just like me. Lost in the world with nowhere to go. That is the worst punishment one can receive.”

“You are wrong; I have already won. The world is already getting ready to accept me, and I'm not leaving here without your powers. I will help you put it to use.” She still had her back on me, so I took that as an opportunity and charged towards her with my dagger.

But she was fast enough to avoid my attack hitting me right on the chest, and that sent me to the other side of the ocean. She is strong; taking her powers wouldn't be that easy.

“I said go home!!” She screamed out before turning to leave again. I swam towards her immediately; there is no way I'm letting her leave.

“Where do you think you are going? The fight isn't over yet. I will show you what I truly can do.” 

I called out the power of the black stone and surrounding it around the ocean floor, letting it circulate the whole ocean water. I'm going to use your little babies against you.

“What are you doing to them?” She asked in anger when she heard the cries of her seadragons.

“You will see; I can't believe you grow soft just because of those stupid creatures.” 

“Stop harming them this instant, or I will show you the other side of me. And I promise you, you will not like what you seek.”

“Harm them; who is talking about harming them?” I said before coughing out. The hit I received from her made me weak.

“You will be the one to harm them, so you will have to choose between fighting back or dying!” I said to her as I began to laugh. The look on her face was hilarious.

“How dare you? How dare you come into my little world to create your studio distraction?”

“I think you should save your sweet talk for another day,” I said, wiping off the blood I coughed out with the back of my hand. The ocean floor was beginning to shake massively with the creatures answering my calls.

This is going to be sweet.

Alda's POV

“Marry you? Xender, are you insane? No, I can't do that; you need to stop getting involved in all of this. Sooner or later, Seth will figure out that I'm alive and will come for me.

Having you around me will only cause more trouble for you. You have been nothing but helpful to me since the day we met, while I have been trouble for you. I can't keep doing this to you.”

"Alda, please listen to me. To the world, you are dead, and that means you can live with a new identity, and being my wife is the best at the moment.” I can't believe he is insisting on this.

“I might be dead, but my body was never found. Things are just too complicated.”

“I know, and we will figure it out, I promise. Mr. Albert, your driver, his trial starts today.”

“What? But he doesn't even have a lawyer. He didn't do anything to deserve this; he is an eyewitness to what Seth did to my parents.”

“I know, and that's why I got a lawyer for him. Let's just follow them up and see what we will make out of it.” 

I stared at Xender with nothing but gratitude. How do I ever repay him for such kindness? I just stared at him as tears clouded my vision.

“Alda, what's wrong? Are you in any kind of pain?” His voice was filled with concern. I rushed into his arms, hugging him tightly.

“Aah.” He hissed in pain; it was only then that I remembered he was injured.

“I'm sorry; I'm just grateful. I don't know what I could have done without you; I would be lost if you weren't here with me,” I said in between my sobs.

“Well, I kind of promised your father I would take care of you all through our project together, and I intend to keep it.” I wiped my tears off my face as I tried to compose myself.

“Thank you, Xender. I promise to pay you back no matter what I have to do.”

“If you really want to pay me back, then marry me. Let's meet my parents this Friday so we can have dinner with my family. I want to introduce you to my mum and my sister,” he said, with a little smile covering his lips.

“But your dad might recognise me; we have already met before, remember?”

“My dad hardly recognises people, and we just need to change your looks and make you look different.”

“I will think about it, even though I still think it's a bad idea.”

“I know asking you for a marriage is too much, but we can still get divorced when this is all over.” He said. He walked over to his wardrobe, grabbing a new shirt as he struggled to get off the one he was wearing with his uninjured hand.

“Let me help you." I walked up to him and started unbuttoning his shirt as I helped him take it off before helping him into the one he neatly placed on his bed.

I felt his gaze on me as I buttoned up his shirt. Once down, I took a few steps away from him, refusing to look him straight in the eyes.

He came after me, closing the little space between us.

“Alda Please look at me. I know your first marriage left you with a deep scar. I know it's selfish of me to ask you to marry me when you just lost your family.

I know I'm asking too much of you, but please, I promise you won't regret it. I would rather marry you than be with a total stranger. Once everything is done and you are not comfortable with the marriage, then we can divorce each other.” I looked up at him and regretted it. His pleading eyes were piercing into mine.

“I think I need some fresh air. Let's talk later.” I said this to him and quickly rushed out of his room.