Ursula's Beginning

24. I'm afraid I had to rake 'em 'cross the coals (continued)

Ursula and Ganeon found the rest of the royal family already gathered at the border, surrounded by six Atlantican guards. Triton and Alphon were chest to chest.

"Brother, you don't have to do this. All will be forgiven," Triton was saying.

"You will need my forgiveness one day, Triton. My mercy." He had caught Ursula and Ganeon's arrival with his peripheral vision and jerked his head their way. "For letting this witch control you, and this fool counsel you."

Everyone whipped around. "What is she doing here?" shrieked the Queen. "I didn't tell you to bring anyone!"

"I asked her to come, considering she just saved us all from annihilation," Ganeon said coolly.

"Ursula, you are dismissed," spat Queen Galataye. Her face was puffy from crying, almost beyond recognition. Her twin daughters flushed with discomfort and looked away.

"Wait, mother," said Triton. "Some kind of reconciliation needs to happen if we are to restore peace here." He was sounding like a king already. Ursula's heart swelled with pride. My king!

"There will be no reconciliation," declared Alphon. "The next time you see me, I'll have the Pacifican army at my back. And Ursula, we'll come for you first."

Hold onto your dreams, Ursula thought dryly. They've carried you this far. She could feel the queen glaring at her and thought better of saying anything aloud. She looked down at the sand, feigning forbearance.

Alphon turned to cross the threshold.

"At least take some guards with you!" Galataye pleaded.

The eldest prince spun around angrily. "If I were king, we wouldn't need guards to pass through these waters, now would we?" he said through clenched teeth. "But I'm surrounded by idiots who are terrified of progress."

"Please, Alphon," the princesses said weakly. "For mother."

"Absolutely not." He turned his broad back to his family. "I am done with Atlantica. That is, until I can take my rightful place as its ruler." With that, Alphon crossed the border.

He was no more than a few meters into the Uncivilized Waters when an enormous crocodile and a squid of monstrous proportions descended into view. The squid had very intelligent reddish-brown eyes.

Ursula knew those eyes.

The maroon beast grabbed Alphon like a plaything and flung him at the crocodile, who clamped off Alphon's left arm.

"Attack!" screamed the queen to the guards. The sound mingled with her son's terrified cries.

All six guards sprung into action, but the squid dispensed with them in seconds—all it took was a few passes of a colossal suckered arm and they were scattered and unconscious in the sand, their bent weapons strewn about.

Alphon was volleyed back to the squid, an arc of blood following him in the water. The squid ripped off his other arm and tossed him back.

Ursula watched the scene calmly. Now you know what it feels like to have your limbs torn from your body. Only they're being quick about it.

Galataye was clawing at her own face. "Someone help!" she screamed hysterically. "Help him!"

"Get mother out of here," Triton instructed his horrorstricken sisters. They began to drag her away. Her howls of anguish were terrible: a primordial maternal sound, among the most wretched in the world.

Now Alphon was missing his fins.

Ursula's heart stopped when Triton launched himself at the squid, a guard's spear in each hand. The squid caught him and set him back down on the sand firmly, then gave him a little push, as if he were no more than a lost baby turtle.

Oh thank you, Siddikah.

The squid witch twisted Alphon's head free from his body and aimed it at the croc's open mouth, who swallowed it with relish. The decapitated, armless body met the dinosaur's jaws a beat later.

Planete hadn't had this much fun since the eels came over to play chase. Ursula was sure of that.

Alphon was no more. The impossible creatures disappeared as quickly as they had come, leaving crimson water and stunned silence in their wake. Triton was rising slowly, as if in a daze, and looking around to count the guards. Ursula and Ganeon watched their new king from a distance; they hadn't moved since the spectacle began.

"Wow," Ursula breathed to Ganeon. "Alphon was right. The Uncivilized Waters are dangerous. Someone should really do something about that."

Ganeon clapped both hands over his mouth to prevent maniacal laughter from escaping. His eyes were bugging out from the effort. Ursula began to wheeze as she suppressed her laughter as well.

"I mean...it's not called the Uncivilized Waters for nothing," Ganeon managed at last, in a high pitched whisper.

The two friends doubled over, shaking with laughter that was silent, save the occasional snort that couldn't be helped. From many meters away, Triton believed the pair to be beside themselves with weeping.