SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE

I followed Shanti as we ventured in the oceans currents. I could feel the changes as we moved. Water magic had come naturally because Gluttony had absorbed it into my being. But now that I was in the element it was something else. It flowed so naturally and without much force. It was a gentle hand that would move us around like a mother instructing a child. It was calm and tranquil. Not a thing in nature above in the sky or on the ground was truly like this.

My understanding of the element rose as I worked with it. It wasn't till later that I realized I wasn't even using my pipe to move anymore. instead my tail had shifted to naturally end in a fish tail. I smiled a little and put the pipe away. My body changed so much that I had gotten used to it at this point. It wasn't long till we arrived at a place full of light. It was a large coral reef as white as white can be.

As we created the ridge it became apparent why noone could truly find the city of Aliana. A Astoundingly huge orb of clear material with a massive fin jutting out the back. I held a ghostly appearance about it though as a whitish milky substance oozed out like a fog or a mist that obscured it some in the water. Guards swam about the outside of the city in droves as though something wasn't right.

Shanti stopped and a concerned look crossed her face. " Somethjng isn't right is it?" I said. She turned her head to look at me. " There are enemies down there that our guards are fighting. Which means the Crabentians are here." She said as she turned to face the city once more. I swam to look before me. As I looked closer I noticed crustaceous humans with a crab or lobsters lower body fighting the mermen and women. They bore claws for hands and held spears and rusty swords.

And what's more. They came in droves. Below the city the ground was covered in red, white and green crab-humans. I looked at Shanti. "Would you like me to help them or will they be fine on their own?" Her eyes darted to me. "A guardian of fire wishes to fight in the water.... How amusing..." I smirked as I swam forward. She shouted something behind me but I ignored it. I began to glow as the metal around my wrists twisted to my will and formed a sword. I wasnt really good with one but if these things were anything like a crab on earth the shell would be tough as nails.

A crab man pointed at me as I descended. Soon a group had formed in a nice packed cluster. Shanti continued to mentally yell at me. I swung and a crab claw caught the blade. The crab man smirked as they tried to pierce my scaled chest. Fortunately for me the spears bounced off harmlessly. I had an unimpressed look on my face as my sword shifted into a massive scythe with a hammer head on the back. "Try this on for size then." I spoke at them as their faces paled. I pulled back and decapitated several of the crab men and began to swirl about myself in a mad dance. I let the weight of the blade do the work as I pulled and swung. Pull and swing I thought in a rhythmic process through my mind.

The water began to shift to my flow as the crab men came in a flood toward me. But in the flow I felt invincible. The system chimed again and again as I danced. The water flowed in a circular motion as I did my lethal dance. I sliced and smashed and the shattered and sliced shells and bones floated in a deadly maelstrom about my person. Not a soul entered and escaped my death dance.

I felt something nagging at my mind as I moved. A power that wished to be unleashed as I moved. As I sliced and shifted I noticed it. A cold and stiff force that wanted to shatter, to freeze, to explode. Ice began to eek out of the scythe hammer as I swung. It became shards and blades that cut and froze only to explode from the energies that it took with it. Aliana had moved away from my location to keep it's citizens safe from my barrage. It didnt take long till the battlefield was a block of ice filled with shell and bone. I stopped my spin as the flow stopped and the water ebbed. And soon the power stopped flowing through the scythe and the metal returned to sit about my wrists. I felt the weight of exhaustion hit me as the metal setted back to it's position. But instead of sinking I just floated in my exhaustion in the water like a lazy fish.

( Well...that was exhilarating.) I thought. My body felt like it weighed a ton as I floated there but I didnt sink down. I slowly swished my tail fin toward the water to feel my feet hit the sand. The sand squished between my taloned toes as I settled in it. A strange, murky power flowed into my body. a watered down earth energy relieved me slowly of my fatigue. A couple fishmen swam close with their spears drawn only for Shanti to swim in front of them and gesture for them to halt. I don't know what was said. But I do know that they withdrew to surround the city which moved back to above the now icy battlefield.

Shanti swam over to me as I stood there in the sand. A slightly green aura glowed around me as I healed of my fatigue. {You fought better than I expected.} She said as she drew close. I smirked a little. { I bear water magic too. In these conditions it's understandable that I would get a better understanding of it.} I said back. She let out a strange bubbly giggle at my response. {Aed would have your head if he knew you could use water magic.} I looked at her as a greater smile crossed my face. { I can use all elements little fish. Just one didn't suit my needs. AMD Aed knows it} Her face flushed slightly. { Don't call me little fish! And who the heck has time to gain an understanding of all the elements!?} I laughed at her angry yet flustered tone.

We would have talked longer except I felt an oppressive aura approaching. We ventured toward the city and passed through the gates with ease. As we passed through the gates I noticed the city guards went inside as well. The streets were barren of activity and people. Probably due to the battle that had happened outside. Once we were inside Shanti stopped me and pointed outside. { You might want to see this.} I looked out of the city and saw an amazing thing. The city began to descend slowly toward the ocean floor. The sand began to swirl in a great tornado that swallowed the city. For a moment the city was within the tornado. The next it was gone. Unbeknownst to me we had gone under the sand.

After we had descended a behemoth sized beast swam above. Its fins shifting the sand in clouds as it swam over. It was slow moving but one could feel the sheer power and majesty it exuded. I felt my scalp prickle as it passed overhead. (That isn't a fight I could win.) I thought nervously. Shanti floated beside me and spoke almost in reverence. {That is Kracken. The guardian of this city since it sank centuries ago by Vara's will. I would say he would prove to be impossible for your current strength.} I looked at her as the fish passed. {The reason the city buries itself is so it goes by unhindered while we rest and gather supplies and energy.} She whispered through my mind.

A horn sounded throughout the city and people began to fill the once empty streets.

The once empty stalls were once again filled with merchandise as merchants began to once again sell things. The noise once again increased as the variety of fishmen, merfolk, and strange creatures. One looked like a cappa with a turtle shell on it's back while another species looked like a tangle of weeds with chicken legs and massive bowling ball size eyes. The place was filled with creatures I had never seen before. But I couldn't do much sight seeing as Shanti pulled my lower blue arm and started hauling me upwards toward the palace. It was a large place that was constructed from multiple materials. Coral, gold, silver, and even a couple monster cores here and there that had seemingly merged with the building.

There was no guards oddly enough but there were alot of draconic looking children. They had flowing bluish hair and fins on the back of their ears. I noticed their irises were a rainbow mix as I saw a few staring at me. They quickly averted their gazes made way as we drew closer. There was quite a number of them. I had actually started counting. Ten... twenty... almost thirty children bearing some of the same resemblances. The only thing that set them apart was a tattooed mark on the left shoulder. It differed per child. Perhaps to tell them apart.

We ascended an elevator-like shaft toward a room filled with flowing colors. It was a large 50 foot by 50 foot circular room with a shell bed in the middle filled with coins, jewels, crowns, and all sorts of fine items. The room was crowded to boot. children were filing everywhere with books made of monster leather or stone tablets. The walls were lined with books, records, and stone tablets. As I looked around I felt slightly nostalgic. My sister had always wanted a library with bed in the middle of the room just like this. She was the big book worm out of the two of us. I snapped out of my nostalgia as a trident was sent spinning toward me. It moved somewhat slowly but I could tell it had power behind it.

My red arm reached up and caught it as my upper white arm hoisted Dragon Cry aloft. Energy filled the room as the sea of children flooded toward the edges of the room with exception of one being. A dragon woman floated before me. She wore a white and blue gown adorned with Pearl's and silver. She had a set of legs to go with her tail unlike the children. She was a solid oceanic blue with algae green eyes. Her face was human like but pale and bore a bone crown that seemed to grow from her head. Her hair was a deep brown and floated about her majesticly despite the water making it go wild behind her. Her form was slim but brimmed with power. Her right arm bore the symbol I was hunting for. A Full Moon with a snowflake in the middle and a drop of water coming off from below it. (That is Megan?!?!?!) I thought as my jaw dropped. I probably would have

Her eyes were locked onto my right arm as ice tried to spread but was pushed back by Aed's mark. Needless to say what came out of my mouth next wasn't so smooth. "So.... Megan.... long time no see Sis." Her pupils became slits as they trained on my face trying to place me. "I'm not your sister. And I'm not Megan. I am Queen Marissa." She hissed. My eyes hardened as I tossed the trident back in a friendly sideways motion. "Really then?!" I growled. I spread my arms wide for her to see I had nothing to throw at her. My weapon had been dropped to the ground. "My name is Ignatius Soulsmith. My old name I'm certain you'll recognize." She laughed a hearty fake laugh just like the sister I knew would. " Really. What is it then land bug?" She had caught the trident and held it in an offensive stance.

I looked her in the eyes without a shred of fear in my being. " My name was Damien Alexander Greeves. And don't you forget it Megan Alexis Greeves!" I shouted. Her trident almost dropped to the floor as her eyes widened.