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Catch-22
Kai felt like he'd been tackled to the ground by a rhino. Marius' proposal had come out of the blue, and never in a million lightyears would he have imagined the formidable, cruel King of Nostraza offering to teach him anything, let alone magic.
Magic that he could most certainly use.
No, no. No. He'd be the biggest fool in the world -on land and underwater- to accept so hastily. King Marius wouldn't offer to teach him how to wipe his ass, let alone how to wield the mysterious force known as magic.
Yet Kai was willing to sacrifice an arm and a leg just to learn how to pour himself a drink without lifting a finger. In fact, if he meant to stay long enough in the 'game' to see himself home, he needed something by which to defend himself.
It was a catch-22.
"Well? This is a one-time offer only, Kai."
He inwardly shuddered at the way Marius said his name. He didn't like it. Even though it annoyed him to no end when the King called him 'half-breed', he found that he much preferred it to the sound of his own name coming out of the Nostrazian King's lips.
It felt too... intimate.
He bit his lower lip as he carefully and suspiciously contemplated the King from underneath his lashes.
Okay, pros and cons. Pros; I'd gain a new power that can potentially aid me. I'd finally be able to defend myself. I might even have the strength to fight back. Cons; whatever it is Marius is planning, because he sure as hell isn't doing it out of the kindness of his heart. He doesn't have a heart.
"You must think I want something-"
"What do you get in return?" I demanded, interrupting him.
The King's jaw ticked, clearly annoyed at the interruption, but otherwise his face remained a pleasant mask.
He was still holding out the drink to Kai.
Things had certainly taken an unusual turn. When he first laid eyes on Marius, he thought he was going to be punched in the gut for sure. Yet here they were, the legendary conqueror having poured him a drink and was waiting for Kai to accept it.
He stared at the golden cup, spotting his partial reflection. He saw the doubt and skepticism in his own eyes.
"You're right, I do want something from you."
Marius withdrew the cup and placed it back on the console.
Kai nearly pointed a finger at Marius and said, "Aha!"
But before he could relish in the fact that he was right, he was once again back on guard again. Why would Marius willingly admit to this? Why wasn't he playing the 'I'm doing it to help you' or 'I want to be your friend' card so many villains in movies often used?
When Marius didn't explain himself, Kai's agitation and morbid curiosity got the better of him. So, he asked again rather impatiently, "What do you want?"
"I want you to stay with me long enough to understand why I want the Spirit of the Sea."
Stay with me, he'd said.
Why did that 'disturb' Kai?
"I don't understand. You'll teach me how to wield magic in return for staying?"
"Until I've explained exactly why I need the power."
"You're out of your mind."
"And you're considering it regardless. Perhaps I'm not the one with the compromised faculties?" Marius smiled infuriatingly.
Kai was shocked to realize that he was.
He'd gone insane, definitely.
He couldn't be serious! Was he seriously considering it?!
There was absolutely no reason on earth short of threatening him with his mother's life that could make Kai willingly stay. But that just might be the case. After all, Marius had admitted to having his mother 'watched'. Being watched could easily turn into being hunted, and then being killed...
So, essentially, this was not really a 'request' was it?
No, of course it wasn't. Marius the Conqueror didn't ask for anything. He only knew how to take.
"What do you want to show me exactly?" Why did Marius want the Spirit? Because he was a warmongering conqueror of course. He'd use the golden merman to lay waste to the Kingdom of Astria. Though Kai wasn't exactly sure how Marius planned to go about doing that, Marius surely knew how, judging by how adamant he was on acquiring the Spirit.
He had no reason to be loyal to Astria. He didn't, really. Yet he strangely was. The thought of harm coming to his father's kingdom disturbed him on another level he didn't quite understand. Was it his merman blood yearning for his home?
"I want you to see with your own eyes how Astria monopolizing the Spirit has virtually decimated certain parts of the ocean, destroying marine life and turning them into what we now call Black Zones."
Kai frowned, visibly bewildered. It wasn't the answer he was expecting.
"Go on, ask me what I mean. I'm more than happy to show you."
Kai hesitated. Suddenly there was a serious look on Marius' face, and when he looked further past the formidable mask, he saw... truthfulness?
I'm seeing things. Marius cannot be trusted.
But what if he was being truthful? These Dark Zones didn't sound too good.
"We're dying, Kai."
There he went again, saying Kai's name in that way that stirred his innards.
"Who?" He asked in a low voice.
"Our race."
Our race? Five minutes ago he was the 'half-breed'. But that didn't negate the fact that he was part merman.
"I don't understand. You're being vague."
"Let me show you."
"I'm not going anywhere-"
Kai blinked, startled into silence. He was no longer in the King's chambers.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
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