Ocean Opera (Working Title)

Chapter Five: Blahem

To say that At was the first individual that Aengus noticed when he entered the academy's courtyard would be untrue. Indeed, it was impossible to not notice Blahem first. When Aengus was announced, a look interest appeared in Blahem's large red eyes. As the octopoid wrapped one of his huge tentacles around Princess At, even going as far as to cover her mouth the moment she began to open it, he uttered in a raspy voice: "Am I correct in thinking you are the son of Kane Deirgtine, my boy?"

"I am." Aengus replied, taking a moment to look at his surroundings. Besides Blahem's followers belonging to other species, he noticed Mi, At's golden haired rival. If she wasn't being trouble for At back at the capital then Mi was being trouble for her at the academy. In Mi's hands, Aengus could see a laser-brand and from the Imperial insignia upon the case, the image of a whale shark, he could tell that it was At's.

"Wherefore did your paterfamilias not come here himself?" Blahem asked, quite curious and wishing to know more of the situation.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Aengus took a breath. Upon opening them he answered the octopoid: "Much like Czar Wessex XII of Clan Alfred, my father is dying, High Priest Blahem."

The Young Deirgtine could only watch as the High Priest of Tulu's expression changed. First his countenance was one of surprise, before changing to one of sorrow and finally looking apologetic.

"I am sorry to hear that, Aengus." Said Blahem genuinely. "Though I have never met your father, I have heard him spoken of as one of the greatest Mages after Simon Hamill. I do believe he would have made a most worthy opponent for us."

Taking on a stern tone, Aengus looked the great octopoid in the eye and said: "I have come to bring Princess At back to the capital. Release her this instant."

The Young Deirgtine hoped that neither Blahem or anyone else could tell how frightened he actually was. Glancing over to At, he saw a look of fear in her large, reddish-brown eyes and that alone encouraged him to be brave. One of them had to be.

While the others laughed at Aengus' demands that At be released, Blahem himself remained silent. Looking over the boy he muttered to himself, though still somewhat loud enough to hear: "Release the girl now and have her again when I take the capital... Either way she ends up in my grasp."

When he took the capital? Aengus could not believe the overconfidence in the High Priest of Tulu. He probably believed he had some divine right to the throne, that Tulu had already named him the victor in this conflict.

"Well, High Priest?" Aengus asked. "What say you?"

Groaning in annoyance, Blahem exclaimed with a wave of one of his tentacles: "I have her already! Let her stay here until the day comes that she shall become my czarina!"

"Shall we kill him, sir?" inquired one of Blahem's henchmen, motioning toward Aengus.

"Nay!" Blahem growled, bringing one of his tentacles down against the floor of the courtyard. "The boy interests me! Let us see what this young Mage can do! Let us see if this son of Clan Deirgtine is as great as his paterfamilias is! Let him do battle with one of us!"

Drawing his laser-brand, Aengus looked first to At's own weapon in Mi's grasp. Then he looked to At herself, before finally looking once more upon the sentient cephalopod that was the High Priest of Tulu.

"If I am to do battle then I wish to have a comrade to fight alongside me and I wish to name our opponent, High Priest Blahem." Stated Aengus. "I wish to have At as my comrade and I wish to have you as our opponent."

"Do you take me for a fool, Young Deirgtine?" roared Blahem, causing everyone in the courtyard to take a small step back, save for At who winced in fright. No one had been expecting the High Priest of Tulu to raise his voice. "This plan to trick me into being slain will not work!" Three times did the great octopoid slam a tentacle against the floor of the courtyard. "You will not have a comrade to fight alongside you, Aengus Deirgtine, and you will not be facing me!"

"Are you afraid, High Priest Blahem?" Aengus asked, a sly look upon his ruddy countenance and his mismatched eyes looked into the enormous red orbs of the great octopoid. "Does the concept of fighting two small humanoids frighten you?"

Noticing the tentacle around At loosen greatly, Aengus continued to smile, watching as his lifelong friend crept away from her captor, everyone else save for Mi staring at Blahem and him. Mi's teal eyes were upon At as she approached and effortlessly wrenched her laser-brand from her golden-haired rival's grasp.

"Afraid..." Blahem hissed, his colouration darkened as he puffed up, looking larger than he already as. "AFRAID? I! AM! BLAHEM! Blahem, Son of Tulu! Blahem the Conqueror! Blahem the Massacrer!"

"Blahem the Coward!" uttered At as she drew her own laser-brand, its five and thirty inch long blade a foot away from the tentacle that had been wrapped around her body.

"Coward?" Blahem hissed, turning to face At. "COWARD AM I? You impudent little brat, I will—"

Thankfully, Blahem need say no more. A blast from a stun gun rendered At unconscious and soon, Aengus followed.