Identity:Origin & Backstory:Born of Two Worlds; 1953-1955A man born of two worlds, accepted by neither, shunned by all while he struggles to find his place in this life. An outsider, a waylander, a freak, a man who's only home is the one he makes for himself, through his own blood and sweat and tears. That is Arthur Curry of the surface world, also known as Orin Ap Thomas of Atlantis. Jokingly referenced as 'Aquaman' by the American media, given the ironic title of 'The Golden One' by the ocean-dwellers.
Sixty-three years ago Atlanna Ep Orvax, princess of the underwater kingdom of Poseidonis, fled her home upon discovering her father meant to marry her to a prince from the rival kingdom Lemuria. She was a fiery one, Atlanna, and refused to countenance a world where she was forced into a marriage that didn't suit her, no more than a pawn in someone else's games. With no destination in mind she fled, wandering the seas while staying well clear of any of the Seven kingdoms of Atlantis, of anyone who would force her back to her old life. It was during this roaming that she, by sheer happen-stance, met lighthouse keeper Thomas Curry.
Tom Curry. Over six foot tall. Broad shouldered, golden haired, muscled like a maidens delight, Tom Curry. It's really no wonder that Atlanna, even with generations of bred-in distrust of humans, fell for Mr Curry, hook, line and sinker. She engineered a meeting with Tom, and the two fell almost immediately into a relationship. While it began as a purely physical pairing feelings did grow between the two, feelings that became even stronger when, to their surprise, Atlanna fell pregnant.
Until that point Atlanna had kept her Atlantean heritage a secret from her paramour, but she realized the time was upon her to reveal the truth. Tom was skeptical at first, but quickly came round after the princess remained underwater for over half an hour as way of evidence. After some serious soul searching the lighthouse keeper decided that this new information, while a shock, didn't actually change the way he felt about Atlanna. Their son was born, and they called him Arthur.
The family lived in peace for almost two years, but that all changed when a cadre of Poseidonis soldiers, led by Atlanna's father the King Orvax, came knocking at the Lighthouse door. The king demanded that she return at once, a demand that the princess promptly refused. However she was then informed that because she had failed to do her duty to her home full scale war threatened to erupt between Poseidonis and Lemuria. Under such dire circumstances she relented, agreeing to return to her home, a decision that hurt Thomas deeply. Arthur she left with his father, Orvax telling her that Atlantean's would never accept a bastard human child as one of their own, even a royal one.
Accepted by Neither; 1955-1970And so Arthur grew up motherless. It wasn't long, though, before he realized that wasn't the only thing that marked him out as different from all the other children growing up in the small town of Mercy Reef though. For one he was stronger than any of the other boys his age. Stronger than adult men too. So strong that it soon became necessary for Arthur to be banned from playing with his peers, in case he ever inadvertently hurt them. Instead it was Arthur who was hurt, hurt and confused by his forced segregation. He asked his father why he was so different, and all Thomas could tell him was that his mother was an Atlantean. When pressed for what that meant Tom could do nothing but admit to his ignorance. Atlanna was gone, after all, and in all their time together she had rarely discussed her people or their home with the father of her child. In a last desperate bid to get his son the answers he craved, Thomas turned to Dr Stephen Shin.
Shin was a marine biologist, once reckoned one of the leading minds on all things related to the sea. However his reputation had been tarnished after he published a paper detailing his belief in a realm of underwater men and women who ruled the oceans, a people he called 'Atlanteans'. Unfortunately the doctors claims was unaccompanied by anything even resembling hard evidence, and so he quickly became the laughing stock of the scientific community. Shin, upon hearing of Arthur's unique condition, jumped at the chance to ingratiate himself with the Currys. Here was something resembling the proof he so desperately needed to repair his standing among his peers. Under Shin's tutelage Arthur developed and refined his fledgling powers. They tested his limits and probed at his weaknesses, and bit by bit discovered more and more of the secrets to Atlantean biology.
It wasn't enough for Shin and Arthur though. For them nothing short of seeing the lost cities themselves would be enough. However neither knew where those cities could be found, and had no way of finding out. It seemed their dreams of discovering Atlantis were merely that, dreams. That was all before they met Robert Phaydon though. Phaydon was a maritime treasure hunter who claimed to have laid eyes on an underwater city, and was willing to take Arthur there in exchange for payment. Perhaps Arthur should have been more suspicious of Phaydon's true motives, or the seeming fortuitous timing of his offer, but at the time the young man was just overjoyed to be so close to finding out who he really was.
I'd Like to be Under the Sea; 1970-1971Phaydon was true to his word, transporting Arthur, his father, and doctor Shin upon his submarine to the city of Poseidonis. The Atlantean's are a distrustful people, especially of surface-dwellers, and were poised to attack before Arthur revealed himself as one of them. While confused, the Atlantean's brought the strange young man to their Queen; None other than Arthur's mother, Atlanna.
Atlanna was overjoyed to be reunited with her son and her first love,Thomas. She announced to her people that the 'Prodigal son had been returned to them', declaring he was now apart of the royal family of Poseidonis. She then introduced him to his younger half brother, Orm, son of the then deceased Marius. Orm received Arthur with cool grace, and while Arthur thought this meant his brother didn't like him, Atlanna assured him that the cause was merely that Orm was a 'deep thinking man', and would need time to order his feelings on this new development. Celebrations were arranged in honor of Arthur's arrival.
Not everyone in Poseidonis shared Atlanna's feelings though. A group of irate nobles stormed the celebration, claiming that they cared not if the outsider was the Queen's son, they wanted him and his companions out of the city. Tempers flared and it wasn't long before things got violent, though the Royal Guard quickly restored order. However it wasn't until afterwards that they all realized the true extent of the damage went beyond split lips and hurt feelings. In the confusion Robert Phaydon had stolen the Zodiac Stone of Capricornus, a mystical gem of incredible power that powered the force-field domes that housed the great buildings of the city. It took little more than an hour to discover the theft, but even in that short time the barriers had weakened considerably, wavering under the strain of holding back millions of tonnes of water. Atlanna led her greatest Mages, among them her chief adviser Vulko and son Orm, in supplementing the barriers with their own mystical might. However the mages power could not hold indefinitely. It was at best a stop gap solution, a holding pattern while the Drift, an elite Atlantean commando unit, tracked down Phaydon and retrieved Capricornus. When Arthur asked how he could help he was told that he had already done enough. It seemed that the nobility was right, that he was considered little more than an outsider.
Despondent, he went to the rooms set aside for his father, hoping for some sort of guidance. When he got there, though, he discovered the worst. Phaydon hadn't only stolen the Stone, he had also kidnapped Thomas, hoping to use Atlanna's and Arthur's feelings for the older Curry as leverage to make good his escape. When Arthur took this information to his mother she told him there was nothing she could do about that now. Arthur, furious, accused her of abandoning his father for a second time. However Atlanna calmly explained that as the ruler of Poseidonis she couldn't risk the fate of her city for the life of one man, regardless of how much he meant to her. It was the kind of cold arithmetic a Queen had to deal with daily, she told him, and she hoped he would understand her choice one day.
Arthur refused to accept this though, exiting the city to confront Phaydon himself. In his haste to save his father he hardly noticed when he easily outstripped the Drift on his way to the thief's vessel, arriving upon the submarine long before the commandos did, despite their head start. Boarding the vessel, he began a room by room search for his father, hoping to find Thomas without alerting Phaydon to his presence. He should have known better though. That's not how these kind of stories work out. Phaydon was waiting for Arthur, his father held close at hand, 'for safe keeping'. Arthur begged for his father's release, but the thief refused to let him go until they were on dry land. At an impasse, Arthur attacked, but Phaydon had studied all of Dr Shin's research notes on the young Atlantean, and had prepared for this encounter. He subdued Arthur, but not easily. It was then the Drift attacked, though they too fell for Phaydon's traps and preparations. However the Drift did manage to critically damage the sub, though they gave their lives to do it.
It seemed nobody was getting out of the mess alive, until Phaydon revealed he had an escape pod. As a parting shot he wounded Thomas, knowing Arthur would never chase him down while his father lay injured in a sinking submarine, and left with the Zodiac Stone. Arthur felt himself wishing that someone, anyone, could stop Phaydon, but knew there was no one left. He found himself facing a similar decision to the one his mother faced earlier. To save his father he would be damning the entire city of Poseidonis. In then end Thomas made the choice for him, instructing his son to chase the thief and retrieve the Capricornus. Arthur left his father as the submarine slowly filled with icy cold seawater.
As Arthur came upon Phaydon's escape craft he realized he wasn't the only one after the thief. A pod of blue whales were ramming the craft, while a frenzy of sharks barred it's path from going any further. As he approached the marine life retreated slightly, and looked almost like they were waiting on Arthur's orders. It was with some surprise that he realized that was exactly what they were doing, though he had no time to dwell on this new development. Instead he had an idea to save his father. He directed the whales to divert the escape crafts course, pushing it back towards the sinking submarine. If they could just get back in time they could load his father onto the escape craft and bring him back to Poseidonis. Surely a city possessed of such advanced magics would be able to help him?
The point was a moot one though, as even with Arthur urging the whales on they arrived all to late to help Thomas, the submarine long since having filled up with water that choked the life from a man that had lived his whole life around the water. Enraged, Arthur destroyed Phaydon's craft, before leaving the man himself to the mercy of the sharks. The surviving Curry took the Zodiac stone and returned to Poseidonis.
For his return to the city he was escorted by all manner of sea creatures. Sharks, whales, dolphins, fish, octopuses, squid. The sea around Poseidonis was thick with them. Even in a place as thick with mystery and magic as Atlantis, this scene was marked in it's uniqueness. All save Arthur seemed to be mystified by the phenomenon, even the great Mages who struggled to keep the barriers up, or the Queen who stood speechless as her son silently handed her the Zodiac Stone before back into the sea, swimming into the distance and taking his mismatched horde with him.
Lost to the Deep. Lost to the Dark; 1971-1976Atlanna declared Arthur a hero, and declared a public holiday in his honor. However there were many citizens that pointed out, quite rightly, that the calamity only arose because of his poor choice in companions. Despite the grumbling the celebrations went on, sans the presence of the guest of honor. No amount of coaxing would see him return to the city, the half-breed instead insisting he needed time on his own to think. He traveled into the deep, dark places of the world, were other Atlantean's with more sense feared to tread.
His adventure's from this time are mostly unknown, the man himself rarely speaking about them. Rumors abound though. Some stories have him facing Sleeping God's from dread realms, others feature forbidden dalliances with princesses from the lost realms, sunk so deep that no Atlantean living has ever seen them before. He did reappear for a while, being seen swimming alongside raiding parties of Tritonis Mermen, though he disappeared once more before agents of Atlanna could reach him.
He didn't truly return to the civilized waters until late in 1976. It wasn't Atlantean's he made reappearance to though, instead revealing himself to the United States Navy Ship AFB-14. The ship had unexpectedly made the first human discovery of the Megamouth shark when the creature became entangled in the ships anchor line. The sailors were wondering what to do about the find, pondering if their would be a reward for discovering a species when Arthur appeared. He requested that the stunned crew release the shark, stating he would consider it a personal favor if the sailors complied. When asked what he would do if they didn't he replied it was better for everyone involved if they didn't find out. The sailors, figuring discretion was the better part of valor, wisely released the Megamouth. In gratitude Arthur gave each sailor on board a single golden dubloon, taken from a sunken treasure chest he claimed.
Atlantean's had long observed human vessels, especially military ones. It was through this observation they picked up Arthur's tracks once more, witnessing him dealing with AFB-14. Agents were once more sent out to retrieve the wayward half-breed. Leading them was Orm Ap Marius. Orm met with his brother, and showing none of the reservation he had at their last meeting, argued passionately for his brother's return to Poseidonis. After several hours of convincing Arthur agreed to accompany him back to the city.
Rise of The Golden One; 1976-2009If Arthur had thought his return to the city would be accompanied by raucous celebration and fanfare then he was sorely mistaken. The people were still divided on the half-breed, and the incident with David Phaydon and the Zodiac Stone was fresh in peoples minds. On top of that there was growing discord between the Seven Kingdoms of Atlantis, and war threatened to break out at any moment. Atlanna's popularity was lower than ever before, as a ruler who can't be trusted to protect her people really doesn't deserve the right to rule. So Arthur was quietly welcomed back, given the Atlantean name Orin Ap Thomas. His detractors gave him another name though, 'The Golden One', in relation to his blonde hair, long considered an ill omen amongst Atlanteans. Paying no mind to the insult, Orin quickly set to learning the skills required of him as a Prince.
First was his time at the Royal Institute of Advanced Learning and Piercing Insight. The Scholar Vulko was chosen to be his tutor, and under him Orin underwent a four year accelerated course designed to teach him all he would need to know about the history and culture of his new home, as well as statecraft, oratory, economics and diplomacy. Orin, always an intelligent man, proved to be an avid student, and he passed Vulko's class with flying colours. It was then that the Scholar marked the Prince as a man of great destiny, and vowed for his services to always be at Orin's disposal.
Next came a course designed to awaken and nurture Orin's magical talent. Members of the royal family had long been strong in the mystical arts, and Orin was supposed to be no different. However, despite an aptitude for the theoretical side of magic, Orin proved to be an entirely useless practitioner of the craft. While not unheard of for royalty, it was uncommon, and proved to be just one more of his supposed failings for his detractors to use against him. His teacher in the magic arts, Zath Ap Fradon, already prejudiced against his mixed-blood student, took this as the last straw. He declared Orin unteachable. The Prince took this set back hard, but with the support of his brother Orm managed to move past it and on to his next challenge; martial training.
It was evident that Orin's adventures during his years in the Deep hadn't all been peaceful, as he bore the scars from battle. He already carried himself like a fighter. Now the Atlantean's set out to sculpt him into a warrior. Training under the likes of Lord Commander Murk of the Men o'War, Koryak Shiver-Spoken, Daki Greyscale and the Drift, it soon became apparent that whatever Orin lacked in mage-craft he more than made up for in the art of war. This talent was discovered just in time as full scale war broke out between the Kingdoms of Lemuria and Xebel. As an ally of Lemuria, Poseidonis was dragged into the conflict, and with their armies went Prince Orin.
For the next nine years there was full scale war between the Seven Kingdoms, and during that time Orin acquitted himself brilliantly. He quickly proved that he was more than willing to share the hardships of his troops, always placing himself in the most dangerous spots, never asking his men to do that which he wasn't willing to do himself. His old nickname, The Golden One, resurfaced, but this time time it was used as a mark of respect from his soldiers. Some say it was actually a ploy that originated with Orm, the Crown-Prince using idle gossip to plant the name in the minds of the soldiers, to rob title of the sting that the nobles had once infused it with. If that's true then it worked brilliantly.
In 1992 Atlanna named Orin the Champion of Poseidonis, a position of great respect. Much of the nobility was incensed at this, as they were jealous of the half-breed's meteoric rise. However by that point Orin had the support of Atlanna, Orm, the common people and the soldiers. There was little the nobility could do to prevent it. While he would never be King, it did show how much store his mother and brother set by him.
The End of the Masquerade; 2009 to 2010 While his focus was mostly on the Kingdoms of Atlantis, Arthur still kept on eye on the surface world. It often felt like the drylands were the one connection he still had to his father, and that was a connection he would never willingly forsake. So it was that he shared the rest of the worlds surprise when Superman revealed himself, though Arthur's surprise didn't last all too long after he reminded himself he lived in Atlantis. Still, it was an exciting discovery, and he decided he would pay close attention to this man of steel.
Other heroes, other Gods where quick to reveal themselves. Batman. The Flash. Green Lantern. He should have figured then that it would soon be his turn.
He recieved word from Vulko that puissant magics were being cast around the surface dweller city named Gateway. While Arthur agreed that it was indeed interesting, he had no idea why it concerned him. Vulko told him that the magics in question were summoning spells, and the object of the summons was a long-thought-lost thrall of Poseidon, a monster that thrived on destruction, and if left unchecked it would almost certainly be the cause of a terrible catastrophe. The Atlanteans felt that the Surfacedwellers were ill-equipped to handle the monstrosity alone, and decided that their Golden One was to be despatched to deal with the beast.
Arthur arrived on the scene to find the Amazonian warrior Wonder Woman already engaging the beast. Together the two heroes defeated the monster. In the aftermath Arthur found himself revealed to humanity, the media near instantly dubbing him as Aquaman, not a name he would have picked for himself. Still, it was obvious to him that things were changing, and he decided to keep more of an active presence in the surface world while still serving as the champion of Poseidonis.
Dawn of Justice; 2010 to present Even the isolationist Atlantean's know that you can't hide in the hold while the ship burns. So, when Brainiac invaded earth they knew they had to do something. Instead of sending all their armies and leave their cities defenseless the leaders of the Seven Kingdom's decided to send just one individual to represent them. One Champion. There was only one man suited for the job. Arthur was sent. Along with the other heroes of earth he fought back against the alien despot's forces, and send the mechanical tyrant back from whence he came.
That was the day the Justice League was formed.
For what felt like the first time in his life Arthur had found a group with which he felt he fitted in. The League were outsiders, just like him, and understood his trials and tribulations better than any others, as they had gone through similar. Unfortuanatly his first responsibility was to Atlantis, so he didn't get to spend as much time with the League as he would have liked, but he still made a point of making himself available to them in a crisis.
Shortly after the formation of the League he was called upon to escort the Princess Mera Ep Nereus of Xebel to Poseidonis, where she was to be married to Orm. However during the trip Mera and Arthur were attacked by the Trench, led by a creature calling itself Charybdis. Arthur was grieviously injured, while Mera was captured by Charybdis, who meant to sacrifice her to his 'wife', the dark entity Scylla. Arthur managed to recover and lead the Drift in a counter raid in time to save the princess, and even managed to wound Scylla, sending it back to whichever dark realm it calls home to lick it's wounds, Charybdis close on her heels. While the rescue mission was a success, and Mera was married to Orm, cementing peace between Xebel and Poseidonis, Arthur couldn't help but shake the feeling that the entire incident was part of a much bigger plot.
Since then Arthur has been working his fingers to the bone, not just trying to maintain peace between the Seven Kingdoms, but upon the surface world as well. Despite his tireless efforts he still struggles to gain the respect and admiration afforded to other heroes like Batman and Superman, but just because a task is thankless has never stopped him from attempting it in the past.
Attributes:- Atlantean Physiology
Arthur's Atlantean physiology grants him a great many powers that are far beyond that of the human norm. For reasons unknown Arthur is capable of much greater physical feats than any other Atlantean, though it's reasonable to assume that his being from the line of Atlan, greatest of the ancient Mage-Lords, probably has something to do with it.
- Underwater Adaption
Like all Atlanteans he is able to normally function and move underwater, unfazed by the extremes of pressure, temperatures or lack of light.
- Superhuman Strength
Arthur is stronger far stronger than any normal human. In the past he has lifted over one hundred tonnes, and while it was a strain he is confident that he could lift more if it was called for. His leg muscles are so powerful tha while on land he is capable of jumping extremely high into the air.
- Superhuman Durability
Aquaman's enhanced physiology enables him to withstand heavy impacts that would kill any normal human and gives him the ability to function normally on the ocean floor. On land he's survived direct hits from RPGs.
- Regenerative Healing Factor
Arthur also heals much faster than humans and normal Atlanteans. This factor has also slowed down his aging process. He is a man in his late sixties, who appears to be in his early thirties, while he moves like a man in his early twenties.
- Superhuman Stamina
Arthur's stamina is especially impressive, even by meta-human standards. He can swim non-stop for extended periods, fight at peak for hours at a time and even go weeks without food, though his need for water is just the same as any regular human, perhaps even more so. Poisons and toxins have a stunted effect on him.
- Superhuman Speed and Reactions
They call him Aquaman for a reason, as he is quite possibly the fastest being alive underwater. Dr Stephen Shin has recorded him breaking Mach 5, and that was when Arthur was still a teenager. On land, Aquaman has displayed his superhuman speed, been capable of dodging bullets.
- Enhanced Senses
Arthur also has the ability to see, hear and smell much greater than human capacity. His ability to see through murky waters gives him remarkable vision at night while on the surface and is capable of seeing far deep as 36,000 ft below the ocean floor with a clear sight. He also possesses super human hearing, able to hear the heartbeat of a living being through five miles of water. Further more he has a primative sonar sense and the ability to feel water in near proximity.
- Mystical Being
Atlantean's shouldn't exist. They are not the product of evolution. They are in fact the result of a great spell cast by the Mage-Lords of ancient Atlantis, their last desperate bid to save their people from 'The Drench', the mysterious catastrophe that seen their cities sink to the bottom of the ocean millenia ago. Those magical energies still infuse Atlantean's to this day. In theory anything harmed by magic should be harmed by physical contact with Aquaman.
- Expert Combatant
He's been trained by the best of the best in Atlantean hand to hand combat methods. On top of all that training he's had plenty real world experience too, serving as Poseidonis' martial Champion for almost twenty years during a time of uncommon strife for the Seven Kingdoms.
- Expert Tactician
Study and practice has developed Arthur into an excellant tactician.
- Marine Telepathy
Arthur has many powers, but this is the one most often remarked upon. Unique even amongst Atlantean's, there has never been a recorded instance of an individual possessing this talent before in history. While often dismissed as just 'talking to fish', that is an extremely heavy handed description. It's more like an ability to use low-level telepathy to communicate indirectly to marine life, while also having some degree of empathy towards the creatures 'moods' and 'wants'.
People of Note:- Queen Atlanna Ep Orvax
Mother to Arthur and Orm, current queen of Poseidonis.
- Crown-Prince Orm Ap Marius
Brother to Arthur, son to Atlanna, Crown-Prince of Poseidonis.
- Vulko of Poseidonis
Mentor to Arthur, advisor to Atlanna, political rival of Orm. Nicknamed 'The Scholar'.
- Princess Mera Ep Nereus
Princess of Xebel, married to Orm.
- David Phaydon
Sworn enemy of Arthur Curry. Called 'Black Manta'
- Thomas Curry
Father of Arthur Curry and one time lover of Atlanna. Deceased
- Dr Stephen Shin
Marine biologist, former mentor to Arthur Curry.
Character Goals:To my mind there's two kinds of Aquaman that writers try to push. One who's an utter joke, no better than a fish whisperer who regularly gets trounced if the villain is wielding anything more powerful than a hair dryer, and the other an Über-badass who's trying way to hard to compensate for the other interpretations wussiness. I'm gonna try and strike a happy medium between the two, having a tough lad who's also not afraid to crack a joke or two while punching folk in the teeth. On top of that there's a few other aspects of his character I'd like to highlight. Namely; being a man from two worlds, inhabiting a mostly alien domain, having far more weighty responsibilities than most other heroes, and his being a warrior among costumed heroes. Finally I'd like to tap into some of the Arthurian Mythos that occasionally colours Aquaman stories.
Sample Post: Shoals of Trench flesh rippers, eager to sink sharp little teeth into unprotected Atlantean flesh. Hordes of Tritonis' screamers, mad as hell and baying for blood. Organised Lemurian Cohorts, a slow and unstoppable juggernaut of martial might that promised doom to their enemies. Cybernetic soldiers, self-declared God's, monomaniacal would be conquerors, alien invaders, petty crooks, highly trained mercenaries, undead sorcerers, corrupt business officials, and on one noteworthy occasion an extremely irate ex-girlfriend. Arthur Curry had faced them all, and conquered on every occasion. It was a source of no small measure of pride to him in fact, that his name was quite possibly the most feared in all the Seven Kingdoms of Atlantis, that when Atlantean warriors sat in their circles at night to eat their supper they all told stories of 'The Golden One's' achievements, or that when the people of earth ranked their greatest heroes his name regularly featured among them (Or at least the title 'Aquaman' did, but Arthur chose to ignore that.)
He would have quite happily given up all that hard won respect from both the bottom and surface-dwellers at that very moment though, if only to escape his current unenviable task; escorting Mera of Xebel, his newest - and quite possibly to date greatest – rival, towards her destiny.
Becoming his brothers bride.
When Arthur had first been handed this job he had thought to himself lucky. A mission that didn't involve him risking life and limb fighting some soulless monster of the deeps? Fantastic! Just carting some spoiled rich girl from one cushy palace to a slightly different cushy palace? Easy, just load her into the back of the reef-raider, hit the cruise control, then put his feet up and relax. It was gonna be the first thing resembling a holiday he'd had in almost four years! He shoulda realized at the time it was too good to be true, that there was a reason no body wanted this gig. After all, why else would Poseidonis send it's resident dogsbody to fetch the princess of Xebel, if not because every slopey-shouldered noble with a lick of influence, surely better suited for such a delicate diplomatic task than a bruiser like him, knew better than to take the damn job on!
Ever since he had collected her from her father Nereus in Xebel - and tense meeting in itself, considering that Arthur had disfigured him years ago in a duel - she had been nothing but hassle. Whatever pain Nereus might have felt since losing to Arthur's hands was nothing compared to the constant headache caused by Mera's constant complaints, criticism's and cutting barbs. It seemed she couldn't even look at Arthur without spitting venom. At first he had thought it was just her pre-wedding nerves, perhaps a frightened girls way of dealing with the fact that in a few short weeks she would be marrying a man she had never before met, purely to strengthen the links between two kingdoms that liked nothing better than to declare war on each other. Now though, now he wasn't so sure.
Now he just reckoned it was because she was a bitch.
The sliding doors behind him opened with a whoosh, the fragile peace Arthur had in the cockpit in danger of disappearing. Luckily it wasn't Mera come to berate him for some new infraction, instead it was Vulko. The old Scholar had joined Arthur in his task on the pretence that he desired a break from hectic life in the capital, though the blonde Atlantean suspected that the truth was that Vulko's divisive personality had angered the wrong noble, and he was merely making himself scarce while the heat died down. Never one to rest on his laurels, the old advisor had set right to the task of arguing the odds with the Princess of Xebel whenever the opportunity presented itself. No subject was too big or too small for that pair, and it seemed that Orm Ap Marius' inherent dislike for the Scholar was a trait his bride-to-be passionately shared. Not that Arthur minded. If she was screaming at Vulko then she wasn't screaming at him.
Vulko looked flustered, heavy black brows arched in a furious frown, mouth clenched in a grim line. The doors had barely whispered shut behind him before he was getting down to bitching.
“That fool of a woman, she is infuriating in the extreme!” He said, throwing himself into the seat next to Arthur.
“You don't say?” Replied the Prince, his sarcasm a touch too mild because the Scholar didn't notice it. That or he chose to ignore it and forge on anyway.
“I do say! I do indeed! She vexes me at every opportunity. If I say up, she immediately set's her self to not just saying down, but left, right, sideways and backwards too. Anything, as long as it runs contrary to whatever I have said!” Vulko had leapt back up from his seat, his face going from a deep crimson to a deeper violet, Arthur half wondering if the older man was mid-heart attack.
“What'ya wanting me to say Vulko? She does the same thing to me, or she did leastways, till I realized the trick was to ignore her. I reckon she only does it for the rise she gets outta us. No rise, no fun. No fun, and what's the point?”
“So your advice, as roundabout and littered with grammatical errors as ever, is to take the high road?”
“Pretty much.”
Vulko seemed to think about it for a moment, before scoffing loudly.
“Hardly a suitable option for one such as myself! I mean, really, I have tutored some of the greatest statesmen and orators our fine city has ever borne witness too! For one such as I to cede an argument to one such as her, well it's preposterous! Incredulous even! It would be like a warrior of your calibre submitting to a child armed with a stuffed toy! I shan't, nay, I can't do it!”
Arthur chuckled softly. The old bullshit merchant always did have a knack for making him laugh, even if it was rarely intentional.
"You're a glutton for punishment Vulko, and that's all there is to it."
A light on the control panel began to flash before Vulko could answer, a sharp beeping echoing throughout the craft. Arthur sat up, eye's darting across the ship readouts, his good humor evaporating faster than a glass of water left in the desert sun. Seeing exactly what he had prayed he wouldn't, Arthur moaned a curse and hit the emergency stop. The Reef Raider cut power immediately, lights dimming before dying completely while the quick-engine stop kicked in, the vessel going dead in the water. Arthur hit a few more buttons before switching his attention to the bay windows in front of him, eyes searching the inky darkness of the water.
"Orin. . . " Vulko edged, but the Prince shushed him with a glare. The two sat in tense silence, Arthur's gaze alternating between the control panels until the doors behind them opened with the same whispered whoosh that they had opened with earlier. Only this time it sounded a hell of a lot louder, like anyone swimming ten miles away could hear those doors echoing open. And if they didn't hear the doors open, then they'd sure hear the one who opened them.
"What is the meaning of this? I demand to know why we have stopped!" Princess Mera breezed in, all haughty arrogance and spoilt ignorance. Arthur spun on her, fixing her with the same intense glare he had unleashed on Vulko.
"Quiet!" He hissed, before returning his attention to the window. Mera, unused to being spoken to in such a fashion, or dismissed so lightly, was momentarily stunned into silence. Her face fell slack with shock and she took a faltering backstep, as if struck. Her amazement didn't last long, mores the pity, before her natural sense of outrage took hold. She surged forward, fury building up as she prepared to give the Champion of Poseidonis a tongue lashing so severe that Atlantean's would speak of it in hushed tones for generations to come.
"Now see here. . . "
"Mera! Shut your mouth, or so help me God I'll shut it for you!" Spit flew from Arthur's mouth as he snarled at the Xebel princess. None present were left in any doubt whether the blonde meant to back up his threat or not. Mera fell silent, frown so deep it looked like she was trying to crack her face in half, but at least she was silent. The Prince once more returned his attention to the seas, and this time he wasn't interrupted.
Shapes began to emerge from the dark water in front of them, indistinct blurs in the distance slowly coalascending into almost man shaped figures. Lot's of figures.
"Damn. . . " Arthur muttered under his breath, getting slowly up from his seat.
"What are those. . . things?" Said Mera, voice full of awe as she approached the window for a closer look.
"The Trench." Whispered Vulko, the old Scholar's cheeks a pale white, his pupils wide and darting. The Trench, terrors of the sea, nothing but teeth, and claws, and all consuming hunger. They came from the deep, dark places of the world, plaguing the Seven Kingdoms, hordes of the creatures descending like a storm upon unprepared settlements and travelers, leaving nothing but bones in their wake. There was no talking to the Trench, no bargaining or diplomacy. You either killed them or died, because once they got your scent they never gave up the hunt.
"Do you think they've seen us?" said Mera, face up against the window. Suddenly there was a crash like thunder, the princess throwing herself back from the window with a high-pitched shriek. Against the window was pressed a bulbous, sick-blue skinned head, pitch black eyes staring intently into the cock pit as it worked it's overly toothy maw against the glass, trying futily to bite it's way in. Arthur, standing in front of a weapons cabinet, glanced over his shoulder at the beast.
"Yeah. I reckon they've seen us."
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