EPILOGUE
SOMEWHERE DEEP in the ocean, in the middle of the dark sea, there was a moonrite prison caging the most beautiful woman of all Azitera, the second blessed Queen of Yther, the Mistress of the High Seas.
Unlike the other Mistresses who were weakened to the point that they looked like peasants, this Mistress was sitting pleasantly and relaxingly on the floor, as if lounging on a comfortable sit back in her temple. She was humming a soft melody while her fingers were softly caressing her long turquoise spiral curls hair, as if combing it.
The chains on her wrists kept making a sound as she combed her hair with her fingers, but her soft humming was enough to not be irritated by the sound her chains were making.
The guards outside the moonrite prison were already used to the chains rattling and moving around, accompanied by a soft humming that they didn't comment anymore and just let the woman be.
The guards may not admit it, but they feared the beautiful woman inside the moonrite prison. The guard who dared enter the prison cell ended up killing himself just because the woman sang to him. It was the goriest death, they had witnessed and while the man lies dead on the ground, the woman's melodious laughter was heard.
From then on, no one dared near her prison. She was beautiful beyond belief, but a crazy lunatic. Only the tribe's chief enters the prison cell and gets out alive. But rumors were circulating that it was not because they were strong that they could enter and leave with their life intact, it was because the woman wants them to live. To torture them, they said.
The guards didn't know if that was the truth, so they chose to keep their mouth shut as the Chieftain entered the Aqua Terra prison using a secret passage. Chieftain Ravi.
As Chieftain Ravi walked towards the center of the underwater chamber, towards the moonrite prison, the guards were subtly looking at her, praying that he'll leave with his life intact.
Chieftain Ravi stopped in front of the moonrite prison where the Mistress of the High Seas were imprisoned. But she didn't look like a prisoner and the fact that he had to control himself from admiring her when he's in front of her irked Ravi. The queen looked like she was enjoying life to the fullest and it made Ravi mad.
"Good evening, Queen Aenwyn." He greeted the woman even though all he really wanted to do was kill her. But he knew he couldn't. Nayale Archipelago had never once experience storm since Queen Aenwyn was brought to Aqua Terra. Not only that, her presence alone alleviated their fishing trade and sea hunt.
But that was before out of nowhere waves started appearing and drowning the fishermen. And Chieftain Ravi knew exactly who was doing it.
Queen Aenwyn leaned on her moonrite prison's wall as she let her hair spread on her prison's floor and innocently looked at Chieftain Ravi. "Oh. It's evening already? I didn't know," her voice sounded so beautiful that Ravi forgot for a second that the woman in front of him was a monster.
Ravi steeled herself and glared at the queen. "When will you stop?" He gritted his teeth. "How monstrous could you be?!"
Aenwyn blinked at the Chieftain throwing a fuss in front of her. "What are you talking about? I'm just here... minding my own business."
"You know what I'm talking about!" Chieftain Ravi snapped. "You drowned a dozen of fishermen again! I know it's you! I just knew it!"
Queen Aenwyn's face remained innocent and pure. "Whatever do you mean? How could I do what you're accusing me of when I'm imprisoned here?" Aenwyn even raised her hand to show off her chained wrist made of moonrite. "How could a chained and weak me drown your people? Chieftain Ravi," Aenwyn smiled and it was the most wicked and malicious smile Ravi had ever seen, "don't accuse me if you had no proof."
Ravi glared at the woman inside the moonrite prison. "Okay! Keep lying! But I know the truth and the fact that you will not leave this prison! You'll be here forever because you're a monster! We will not let you out and you will rot here until the end of your days!"
"Good luck with that then. Keep fighting and don't give up." Aenwyn cheered the chieftain before she elegantly and gracefully laid herself on the floor as if she was lying on a soft mattress. "Ah... the water is getting warmer."
That made Ravi stilled because there was no water in the moonrite prison. They made sure of it. Something is up! "What are you up to?"
Aenwyn's eyes glanced at the chieftain. "What could I possibly be up to? Are you an idiot? I'm in prison, surrounded by moonrite stones. Chained and caged for, I don't know, centuries? What could I possibly do to your beloved archipelago?"
"Those sudden waves—"
"Not my fault." Aenwyn cut the Chieftain in a singsong voice and chuckled. "I think your people have become so complacent. Just because I'm here doesn't mean waves won't come and visit. Tides are always changing. The sea always devours all. You know, Chieftain, a word of advice from me, you should change my location. This prison of yours won't hold me for long."
Ravi subtly gulped and control his fear when he saw the Mistress of the High Seas eyes. Ravi swore, he saw ocean waves in their depths and he knows his accusation was right.
Those fishermen drowning, this was the Mistress of the High Seas' doing.
"You will stop drowning fishermen this instant!" Ravi hissed, his anger was getting the better of him. "I will not let you drown anyone or—"
"Or what?" Aenwyn turned her body to the side to face the chieftain. "Chieftain Ravi, you should focus on saving your people. Threats don't work on me, as you know." She smiled. "Tell your people not to sail and go fishing and sea hunting. Who knows, they might drown again if they did. And since I already warned you, it'll be your fault." Aenwyn sang her last word and laughed. "Why do you look so mad, Chieftain? I'm doing you a favor here and warning you ahead of time. Aren't I nice and kind?"
"You monsters!"
Aenwyn just laughed at the Chieftain's rage-filled face. "Oh, Chief Ravi. Thank you for making my night. You're such a funny human."
Ravi was fuming mad, but he knew he couldn't do anything against the Mistress of the High Seas! That's what doubled his rage. So he just left the moonrite prison or he might die with anger because of that crazy queen.
Ravi could hear the woman's laughter even as he exited the chamber and it fueled his rage even more. Meanwhile, Aenwyn was having the time of her life, always exploiting the limited entertainment that she could only enjoy when one of those humans visits her.
Now alone, her smile disappeared and she sighed before closing her eyes to feel the sea around her.
She knew from the very beginning that she was in the deepest part of the ocean and she knew that it was somehow connected to the surface since those humans could visit her whenever they wanted.
Aenwyn only sighed because she knew what chieftain Ravi said was true. She will truly rot here.
Yes, she could still command some waves and drown some fishermen, but that was it, really. Nothing special or spectacular. The moonrite stone surrounding her still drains her power every day and the only thing keeping her awake was the fact that she was underwater— she was close to the sea and she could somehow draw the essence from it, but it always got drained by the stone she hated so she's still weak and bored.
And her only entertainment was drowning those humans and waiting for a chief or the chieftain to visit her and blamed her again and again. It was always so funny when they're fuming mad but they couldn't do anything to her because she's important.
Sighing, Aenwyn pouted at how bored she felt. All she had with her was her memories with Sollel, Gatria and Astrid. Their happy memories — well, Gatria and Astrid were always stressed, but she was sure that she and Sollel were happy doing everything they wanted.
Ah, Sollel. My partners in crime and partners in punishment. I hope she's okay. I hope she's not beating herself up since I'm sure she's blaming herself for everything that has happened.
Aenwyn sighed and instead of thinking of her friends and family, she forced herself to rest.
Aenwyn didn't know how long she slept until she woke up with a feeling that she was burning! As she hurriedly checked her self if she was okay, that was when she realized that it was not her that was burning, but a part of the sea!
And that burning feeling, the scorching heat she felt was very familiar that her lips parted when she realized who it was.
"Sollel..." Aenwyn whispered when she became sure that it was indeed Sollel.
She had fought Sollel almost everyday before that she had become familiar with her flame essence and she was not mistaken. It was really Sollel and she was trying to burn the sea — for some reason.
Well, it's not shocking.
Knowing how much Sollel hated the sea, Aenwyn couldn't help chuckling and also feeling appreciative that Sollel was actually in Nayale Archipelago. She knew Sollel was here for her.
Aenwyn smiled as she looked at her moonrite chains and prison, and it was the most beautiful smile of all. "So my Queen of Destruction is coming to get me." Her beautiful and radiant smile widened even more. Nayale Archipelago... I will return what you did to me tenfold. I will sink your little islands and bury you along with it deep in the ocean as promised.
"Accept my retribution. You deserved it."
CECELIB | C.C.
MISTRESS OF NATURE 🍃
(Coming soon this summer)