In Loki's Honor

"Where were you last night?" Barbara asked me as we took off on the airship once again. "The meteor shower caught everyone by surprise! I checked in your room and you weren't there!"

I adjusted the height of my Eleon form to be an inch and a half shorter, to better match Barbara's height. I wrapped an arm around her waist and we stared at the ocean for a while longer.

I tapped the steampunk device on my wrist. "A friend of mine came seeking help and he was kind enough to blow up some demons for us. I helped him with an errand."

"An errand."

"Find a lost soul from Earth In another world. Worlds."

"Did you find it?"

"Of course." I snorted. "Who do you think I am? We found it on the second world we searched."

"Is that where you got that strange bracer contraption?" I nodded. "What does it do?"

"It's supposed to be like our System, but with gadgets and cards. Decentralized. But it doesn't work outside their world. Now it's just a souvenir." I let out an exasperated sigh and summoned an illusion of the cards, "each world has their own magical peculiarities. The cards can't hold their physical form once removed from their home."

"I see."

I willed the bracer to go into my cover's dimensional storage. The artifact was still bound to my soul and the separation was a bit painful. Not the soul-wrenching agony it would be in Nero's world but still annoying.

"You scared me."

"It was a good trade. My friend killed the two Demon Lords. We don't have to worry about them or go around in such a hurry. And the demons are going to wish to replenish their numbers. They'll force the cultists to perform more summons."

"That's not a good thing! Innocent people will die in these rituals!"

"Yes. And this is a tragedy. People will die. But this will force the cultists to get out of hiding. Our agents are ready to go and attack the ritual locations."

Barbara was silent.

"This is a war for the entire world, Barbara. The rot is deeply rooted. People may die but to excise corruption, one must cut the necrotic flesh."

Score one for Izaro's wisdom. Maybe I should've programmed Goliath with his quotes too.

"Can we cover the entire continent? Stop the rituals before people die?"

"That's the best-case scenario. We are watching most of it. It takes time to expand the network north."

"And here we are, going south."

"We need to pick up Kalael's team and set a Crystal fairy spawning cave."

"I feel bad sending children to battle."

"There's no such thing as fairy children."

"You know what I mean."

"Yes. But this is their world too. Everyone should be willing to fight. And the demons affect them way more than the harm to the mortal species." Fairies could only thrive in specific secluded locations. "Don't worry about them. They aren't being forced to join the fight. Fairies have a different view on the world cycles and mortality."

"Huh." Barbara looked away, into the horizon. "I don't get it."

"Fairies know they'll come back later. Even though they won't remember. They are creatures of impulse, living in the present. They can remember the past but don't hang on it like some mortals do."

"What about the future?" She glanced sideways at me with a small smile.

"The future is something forever and ever made in the present."

"I like the sound of that."

With a light chuckle, she leaned on me. And then the airship reached Atlantis a day later. A very uneventful day. Yeah. Get off my back. Nothing to see here.

*

*

Most of the fleet landed on the visitor port, the airships floating on water just as its ocean bound brethren. Our personal airship landed on a clearing in the fairy island. Atlantis was still an insular nation, in both senses. Air breathing visitors couldn't get to the inner islands of the archipelago, nor sail over the mermaid waters.

Arista's shied was still strong, even after all these centuries. The wild enchantment was sustained by the world and the belief of both mermaid and fairy.

As we touched the land, hundreds of fairies flew our way. They stared at the mithril hull, flew around us, tossed flower petals at our feet. Then they saw Miriel and we became a boring piece of scenery.

"Your dress is so gorgeous!"

"How do you fly with wings of metal?"

"You glow! I want to glow!"

"Too bad you can glow-er," another fairy teased the previous one.

"Can you make me a dress like yours?"

Weird. Wasn't Kalael supposed to be around here too? Why would the fairies be fawning over Miriel's wings? I needed to investigate this.

Goliath's appearance drew the attention of some fairies. They disengaged from the flock swarming around Miriel to fly around his green body.

"Crystal! I've never seen a person made out of crystal!"

"We sense a soul in search of answers," the golem replied as he waved back at them. The fairies giggled and flitted around the gemstone golem.

"Ohh! Who are you?" A few of them asked.

"Goliath Online!" He proudly declared. Yeah, Goliath was a big boi.

"Pleased to meet you!" "Can I ask you a question?"

"My knowledge is at your disposal." He sagely replied.

"How bright can you shine?"

Goliath obliged. "Self-refraction inhibitors disengaged." A flash of light blinded almost all of us. Them, I mean.

"So bright!"

Patricia came out of the ship next. The bedazzled fairies immediately flocked on her. I guessed Goliath was old news now.

"A real [Princess]!"

"Silly, we have a dozen mermaid [Princesses] underneath the island!"

The [Assassin Princess] curtsied at the fairies, drawing a gaggle of giggles. "Pleased to meet you, noble fairies."

Our welcome to fairy island was more of the same. Eventually, the fairies calmed down. Indeed, Kalael never made it to Atlantis. Where was she?

*

*

After everyone who needed changed into wet suits and quaffed a [Potion of Water Breathing], we dove into the Mermaid Kingdom of Atlantis.

I shapeshifted into Arista's form, with Haru's myriad tails sprouting from the point where my dolphin fin met my humanoid back. Mermaids had no hips or butt, their silhouette were nothing like those humans wearing faux fish pants back on Earth.

The palace was nothing like I remembered from my days as a [Princess] here. The cave was cut and carved, then covered in white marble. Blue glowing orbs, which would cost more than a copper in the streets of Windemere lit the way. Fish and dolphins moved with purpose, guided by their [Tamers]. The mermaids wore tunics, blouses, and glistening jewelry. But their tails were left bare.

"They're all naked," Barbara remarked.

"I'm too." I smirked.

"You are. How's—"

"If you're curious, I can show you how it works later," I shushed her.

The cave Arista dug thousands of years ago had more than tripled in size and became a veritable palatial dwelling. It was breathtaking.

Inside the palace, enchantments forced the water to circulate in and out keeping the oxygen levels stable and guiding people along their way in the busy underground complex. Aside from some well-marked lanes of smooth stone to move heavy loads on, algae and coral grew on the floor and walls. The decoration took advantage of the ubiquitous tridimensional movement ability of the mermaids to create a wonderful ambiance.

Schools of small ornamental fish flitted to and fro among the coral garden. The tiny critters moved without fear of the people passing by. Some of them even approached us to beg for food. Magical lights cast eerie shadows and contrasts, making the diverse marine flora and corals glow. It seemed that everything was alive and bio-luminescent to boot.

Mermaids stared at us, giggled, and excitedly gossiped. A few token individuals of other species swam around, diplomatic envoys from the land Kingdoms. Patricia recognized some of them.

Atlantis had a vantage point on maritime trade. Arista's shield spell made the waters safe and free from monsters for miles and miles. Most ships had mermaid crew members and even those that didn't hired a mermaid guide to cross these waters safely. These guides were very popular with the sailors and often had to take a year-long sabbatical after a single trip, wink, wink.

We finally reached the throne room. Two mermaids wearing armor that resembled a lobster on their tails stood with ornamental tridents before the door.

I squeezed Barbara's hand and got a nod in reply. We had talked about the protocol here. Swimming a bit away from her, I assumed one of my past lives’ shapes.

"Who goes there?" The guardswomen asked perfunctorily.

"I am the reincarnation of [Princess] Arista," I followed protocol and declared to the [Royal Guards]. "The queen awaits me."

The doors opened from the inside. The two guards parted, swimming with their lobster-themed armor with practiced ease.

"Announcing the Goddess, reincarnation of our beloved protector [Princess] Arista!" A [Crier] announced. "And guests."

The latter part sucked. Ignoring that, we swam into the throne room. A lot of mermaids in lavish gowns with inch-long skirts that revealed too much skin for the land-bound folk flanked the central aisle. Light shone from fixtures above, bathing the throne room in blue light. The top of the room was air, allowing the dolphin-mermaids something to breathe.

Differently from land-bound throne rooms, the whole volume of the room was used. Mermaids arranged themselves in rings around the floor, walls, and roof, like a conical amphitheater. The far half of the room was empty, the floor and walls covered in living coral of all colors. The Queen's throne was in the middle of the far wall, opposite to the doors. Tough mermaid guards wearing ornate armor crafted out of sea monster parts formed a protective ring around the sovereign.

And upon the "throne", the current [Queen] of Atlantis rested on a recliner, her tail and fins moving with the artificial current.

"She's gorgeous," Barbara whispered.

"Yes. The diaphanous fins around her tail are very interesting too," I remarked with a weight in my chest. I knew what to expect from Arista and two thousand years were a long time to keep a dynasty alive but...

No time for grief. They died a heroic death.

With a push from my own tail, I stopped at the appropriate place, my retinue coming to a stop behind me. I was ready to use some Force magic to help them kill their momentum but they did it easily enough. Goliath and the fairies weren't hindered by the water. Only Barbara who was holding my hand needed some help. As a Princess, Patricia had training in underwater etiquette.

The Queen bowed deeply. Her smile was sincere. With the small Divinity Pool from my most recent Perk, I could sense the faith and piety of my followers. She was the real deal. A refreshing sight, if compared to my previous incarnations’ relationships with Royals. I remembered Sariandi, for some reason.

"Greetings, Matriarch. Welcome back to Atlantis," the Mermaid queen declared. "This is your home as much as it is ours. Let it be know that you are not guests but citizens of our glorious kingdom."

The assembled mermaids started to gossip and chat in low voices. Though this Queen didn't display the same obeisance and deference as the King of Ackerton, mermaids were usually vainer and prouder than humans. It was just a cultural thing.

"I'm honored, Your Majesty. It delights me to know that my beloved kingdom of Atlantis thrives after all these centuries."

"Your joy is our own. Though you return at a dire time. Demons and cultists assail us and the monstrosities they summon threaten our waters."

"That's what prompted us to come. We are here to help defend our friends and family from this threat and try to cull the demons and cultists plaguing this continent and its oceans. We are marching northwest in a week, to visit another ally and gather more troops. From there, we will march upon the demon lands and remove these invaders from our world. I extend an invitation to any able-bodied mermaid who wishes to join us. Glory, training, experience, treasure, and the opportunity to enter history awaits those who take my hand."

The chatter intensified. The [Queen] was in no hurry to regain control of her throne room. She has something up her sleeve but I needed to wait for her to make her move.

Last time I culled the Demons by myself, I spent an unconscionable amount of time fighting. This time, I wanted to bring some trustworthy people and grind these levels with them. Turn a few dozen of them into fourth-rank elites and set them on a collision course with these shady organizations and cults. I was powerful but unable to be in more than one place at the same time.

A few cultists escaped the purge in Ackerton. The heavy-handed approach left gaps that they could use to slip away. Though extending the moon network would block the summoning rituals, it wouldn't stop all diabolism. Covering the entire continent would only make them travel elsewhere. It was a stopgap solution.

The real endgame would be to gather enough Faith to reinforce the gauntlet Wyxnos used to maintain at a great cost. Tuisto could do it now that we granted the AI more authority over the System but centuries of decadence sucked the people's piety dry. This whole campaign was more a marketing tool than an actual solution.

Put shiny things up in the sky, make a show to convince people we care, cleanse the clergy, and hopefully fill up the Faith coffers to bankroll our defense expenditures.

And most of the Divinity I gathered would still go to Nenandil and Pandora, to fix the broken moon.

With a wave of her hands and a judicious use of her {Royal Aura}, the [Queen] silenced the gossipy mermaids.

"Very well. Our Divine Choir has prepared some entertainment for you, your Divinity."

Curtains opened and scores of mermaid [Priestesses] swam in formation. They were all very young and barely had access to the System. It reminded me of a time when I was the only mermaid infant around these waters. In my eyes, they shone with faith and joy.

*

*

The salt water stung Alyria's eyes. Her friend Galarya swiped a hand over her cheek.

"Tehe! I got a mermaid's tear."

She didn't mind. Alyria couldn't move her gaze away from the odd dolphin-mermaid with dozens of animal tails in front of her. The Goddess. The gray tail was the same shade as hers.

"Don't forget you are our soloist. Don't mess up just because the Goddess is here and it would be suuuper embarrassing if you did," Galarya teased. She swiped again. "And that makes two."

"Stop," Alyria begged in a whisper.

"Nah. I'd rather be rich."

"Silence, you two," Valeria, their senior [Priestess], chided from behind them. "If you screw this up, you are pruning corals outside the palace for a year!"

"Still rich," Galarya lilted.

"I'll confiscate your tears."

Galarya sputtered but shut up.

The matron regent swam above them and took her position. Chatter faded as the mermaid choir settled into position and focused. The instrumentalists at the back readied themselves.

At a wave of the matron's wand, the oratorio started. Coral violins started softly at almost ultrasonic frequencies. Their staccatos resembled dolphins frolicking. The drums rumbled like a volcanic eruption in the deep seabed. Tubas gargled, hundreds of sea creatures fleeing the eruption as the dolphins went silent.

Alyria found the mindscape she created with hundreds of hours of practice. Her worries took a backseat. When she opened her mouth, the world went silent.

She recited, the orchestra offering a token musical background.

"Hark! A time of great darkness!"

The drums rumbled. The magical lights behind the coral faded. The water was agitated.

"The folly of the Gods,

"Disaster our souls caress,

"Dead is the Sun (dead is the sun)."

The choir joined her and mournfully repeated it until silence took over the throne room.

"The people suffered and lost their way,

"The mermaids starved,

"Nature in disarray."

A single timpani stroke rumbled the room.

The music started in full.

The drums erupted. The violins and tubas chased each other with almost-dissonant, unnerving distinct melodies. Something was missing from the chords, eliciting a void of apprehension in the hearts of the listener. Even after dozens of rehearsal sessions, it still made Alyria's heart clench. The harmony was dark and foreboding. It was designed to fill the hearts of the audience with unease.

She swam forward, stopping a few feet in front and above the matron. She opened her arms and then closed as if embracing a young dolphin-mermaid calf. The instruments didn't go silent this time. The young soloist sang over them.

"Tribes divided, hearts swerve,

"War! Court cruel mistress we dare,

"Stain the waters with our blood, pain."

Xylophones chimed, like mermaid tears falling on hard rocks. The other instruments softened into a hushed, protective beat. It felt like the beating of a heart, echoing inside a cave. The violins and tubas still chased each other but it was faint, muffled, and distant. The aria continued softly.

"Hush my child, you'll not starve,

"My meager food with thee shared thus,

"Take it, from my own lips,

"Even if they shun or ban us."

The violas joined, hissing prejudice.

How self-centered must one be to mistake a charitable act of sacrifice as something improper?

How wicked must one be to see malice in a pure act between mother an child?

How haughty to impose their own morals upon a foreign culture?

Alyria felt indignant [1].

The orchestra finally entered the allegro, following Alyria as she swam around with her imaginary calf. The mermaid imagined the joy the First Queen felt as she raised the incarnation of the goddess.

Finally, the missing part of the chords joined the mismatching melodies, coming from the flutes. The lights came back little by little as Alyria swam with sheer joy around and between the throne room corals. Her magic flowed freely, little motes of divine light that settled upon the corals and made them bloom.

She almost stuttered when her gaze met the Goddess' eyes, focused on her. The mermaid with tails smiled at her and Alyria felt a warmth in her heart. Her fears and worries faded as inspiration flooded into her being.

> You are under the effects of Muse's Inspiration. You receive a massive bonus to your artistic Skills.

Her eyes closed for a moment as she hummed the melody. Unknown to Alyria, her whole body took on a faint golden sheen. She hugged and kissed her calf, grinning from ear to ear.

The chasing melodies from the violins, tubas, and flutes had evolved and found the perfect harmony. Even the rumble of the drums announcing catastrophe couldn't break their flowering trills.

Tiny fish who lived in the throne room corals spontaneously left their hiding spots to swim after the soloist, drawing some gasps from the audience. Heedless, the young [Priestess] continued on, humming the melody as she danced her mesmerizing ballet. Her turn to solo came around again.

"Joy of my life, arise and shine,

"How blessed I am, in this time most dire

"Warm and kind, your light be my guide,

"Beam and shine, smile so divine."

The orchestra played a flowery and happy sonata. After a long while, the bass, viola and oboe started to taint it with an ominous set of chords. Galarya and Valeria swam out of the choir and approached Alyria who appeared to not have noticed she was being chased. The two caught her by surprise as the violins played a high note, almost a screech.

Dragged into a cluster of seaweed near the surface, the three mermaids vanished as the music fell into a sad adagio. There, Alyria took the opportunity to breathe in the air pocket while the other two helped her undress. Mermaids cared little for being seen naked when not in the presence of surface dwellers.

"How am I doing, girls?" She asked, worried sick. Her stomach was churning on empty.

"Horrible. They hate you," Galarya rolled her eyes.

Valeria smacked the smug mermaid. "No. They love it."

A quick hand swiped near Alyria's neck, "three."

"Stop that!"

"Hey, my unborn daughter needs money!"

The System chimed once again on Alyria's ears.

> You gained 4 proficiency points in Performer.

> Your Faith Attribute has increased by 2 points.

The young mermaid shuddered and wheezed at the message. "I'm okay," she lied to herself.

"No pressure, you're performing to the Goddess." Galarya's smile faded as she winced. "I think I'll stop here."

"Better," Valeria warned. "Let's get you changed."

All [Priestesses] of the matriarch could spin silk. But the robes they put on Alyria were some old-fashioned leftovers enchanted with a self-repair spell. It was the best they could do to represent how mermaids of old dressed.

"Breathe," Valeria crooned as she pushed Alyria's head back into the air pocket. "You are doing great."

Alyria stared at the eerily silent Galarya as the other mermaid rubbed her temples. Their eyes met and the poignant [Priestess] mellowed.

"I'm envious, okay? You are so marvelous and pretty and elegant!" She glanced over her shoulder, "happy now?"

"Who?"

"Never mind. Ally, you are perfect." Galarya hugged her.

The nervous soloist broke into a huge grin. Alyria melted. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Four."

Valeria smacked the gold digger. Alyria giggled. The orchestra was approaching her cue. She pecked her best friend on the lips and swam out of the seaweed cluster.

*

*

I was speechless. Touched. Inspired by the sublime performance. The oratorio was more than one hour long and covered most of Arista's story with only a few embellishments and fabrications. For a tale thousands of years old, it was impressive.

The oratorio was simply divine. To me, sensing the Faith of the [Priestess] choir flaring, especially that young soloist, it was literally divine. Barbara was openly weeping. I hugged her with one arm.

I didn't regret interfering twice during the performance. The soloist needed a little boost, and that pesky friend to be put in her place. What I regretted was that Netherbane had triggered Curse Suppression and declined to experience the performance. Though my mimic alter-ego would read about the performance on the Encyclopedia and even watch it again whenever they performed an encore, it wasn't the same thing.

But Netherbane did his choice and I would appreciate and respect it.

The Queen beckoned to me as she swam behind the throne-recliner with the soloist.

"It seems I was summoned backstage," I told Barbara.

"Go. I'm fine," she sniffled. "It was lovely."

"It was," Patricia echoed.

"I'll come back as soon as possible," I excused me and swam after the Queen. The [Royal Guards], all in the third tier, didn't challenge me.

I entered a lavish waiting room and found the two mermaids. The Queen bowed deeply while the soloist girl almost tumbled upside down.

"Your Divinity, this is Alyria, [Priestess] and [Musical Performer] extraordinaire."

Those were her Paths, I assumed. A quick check on the Clergy tab of my Status confirmed it.

"Alyria, your performance was superb," I praised her with utter honesty. "Even Arista would have a hard time singing better than you."

The [Priestess] was speechless. She stared at me and moved her mouth like a fish. The Queen rubbed her back.

"The Goddess is not known for being duplicitous," the Queen advised.

"I'm honored," the girl babbled, then caught a Mermaid's Tear before it could fall on the floor. "Five?"

"Yes, five," I agreed.

The Queen gave us a curious squint but didn't probe.

I waved my hand and created a flower bouquet out of whole cloth. Living silk. "This is for you. It's a surface tradition to offer flowers to the performer."

She cradled the flowers against her chest like the most precious treasure.

"So, why did you call me here?" I asked the Queen.

The mermaid bowed again. "I put myself and my throne at your mercy. You surely noticed already."

I inhaled deeply and glanced at the girl. "I did."

"What is your will, your Divinity?" The Queen asked with a humble voice. Her face was full of shame.

I closed my eyes for a moment. "It's not my call to make. I'm not the wronged party. Neither are you guilty of any crimes."

She swallowed hard, "thank you, O Goddess."

The Queen straightened herself and turned to face Alyria. "These robes suit you."

"Indeed, they do," I agreed.

Alyria rubbed her hands nervously. "What is going on?"

"Do you know what you're wearing right now?" I asked rhetorically. I touched the soft silk, feeling their reawakened will. "These robes, they belonged to my sister. Now, they're yours."

"Sister..." the girl mumbled. She went stiff and stared at me. "Queen Adyra? No... It cannot be."

I hugged her. "Yet it is."

"You are the rightful heir to Atlantis, Alyria," the Queen broke her silence. "I'll abdicate if you wish."

"NO!" The [Performer]'s voice broke and rose an octave. "No! I... can't." Her eyes darted to and fro between me and the Queen. "I..."

"Take your time," I rubbed her shoulders.

"Five hundred years ago, Queen Canaria went missing. We believed she was dead. My ancestor was the prime minister at the time, and took over as regent. When the Queen didn't return, she crowned her daughter. We didn't know. My ancestors didn't search as diligently as they should, obviously."

"I'm... a... pri... prin..."

"Shh. You'll be only if you want to be." I soothed her. Opening an interface window, I went to the System administration tab and blocked the title offer. Tuisto approved it immediately.

"I can't! Being a Queen is a lot of responsibility! And ruling a country... no!"

"We can educate you. I can adopt you and make you the heir. Or your child."

The Queen was eager to be acquitted and forgiven for her ancestors' sins. She was probably the one who snuck Adyra's robes into the church's storeroom to test her assumption. It was in the Church's history books what I did to Kings and Queens who crossed me the wrong way. She was trying to avoid a fate worse than death.

"No. Sorry, Your Majesty. I don't... I just want to sing and worship." Her eyes widened as her Faith score went up again.

I put a hand on the Queen's shoulder. "You can change your mind later."

"No, I won't," Alyria's voice was firmer this time. "My heart is set. I'm not even worthy of these robes." The robes protested voicelessly. "Sorry. Give me a minute."

She swam to a corner. I gave the Queen's shoulder a squeeze. We waited in silence until she came back.

"Why didn't [Princess] Arista take the throne for herself?" She asked me.

I cracked a smile. "Because though she had experience with ruling a nation, she felt like a foreigner. She felt best to groom, raise, and train Adyra to rule in her stead." My smile became a full-blown grin. "But the real truth is that ruling a nation is fucking boring." I laughed. The Queen pressed her lips together to stop herself from smiling.

Alyria grasped the Queen's hands and bowed. "I'm honored you offered to abdicate for me. But you are my Queen. Atlantis has prospered under your rule. Please, continue to guide us. I make Arista's choice. Let the one fittest to rule sit on the throne."

I nodded at the Queen. "There you have your answer."

The Queen let her composure slip out of sheer relief.

"Give her the staff too," I ordered the Queen, who answered with a stiff nod. "You, [Priestess]. Do you have the Land Legs Perk?"

"What? Why? No, I don't."

I hugged her. "Our next stop is the Demon lands. I'm taking the girl with me. She needs the staff and some levels. I think we can make her a [Bishop] if she won't be a [Princess]."

And she was family. Like hell I wouldn't take her to the leveling feast we had ahead of us.

"No objections."

"Alyria?"

"Your will be done, my Goddess." She dipped her head but I could see her smile. Oh. Her Faith went up by another point. Awesome.

But we needed to go. I had a missing fairy to find.

[1]: Calm down, Fourth-Wall-Chan. Don't go breaking on me. Quick, hide under the lampshade.